Costa Linda Condominiums Jaco

... or women) this week. The combination of Spanish and surfing is the most popular; I'm doing Spanish and photography but as I'm here for a month I'm going to try and get some surfing lessons in as well, so far everyone has been coming back from the beach raving about it!

... into the sea. Being first off the pier is very important because that means you will be first into the boats and first into the swamp and the animals and birds will still be there when you get to them instead of being scared off and long gone! The roads in Costa Rica are, so far for us, the worst in the world! We thought Jamaica was bad....but Costa Rica could give them lessons!! The Guide said it was a deliberate strategy by the government to discourage tourists from going ...

... which unfortunately for us closed when we got there. We decided that night to sail overnight to Panama rather than wait the next day. To be honest I think we all couldn't wait to get off the boat. We arrived into Panama in the wettest conditions we had all seen for a while, pouring it down! We hopped off the boat to seek our hostel and find a restaurant for some wholesome food. The boat trip ...

... Ticos both living there. Today Anna showed me the paper, front page "7 police officers wounded in riots in Sardinal". ****, I thought. I am treading on dangerous ground. They built a fire and totally blocked roadways.... I am hoping I can finish this later. We are going to the Casa en El Roble to shower and just take a long **** in peace.... El Roble is unaffected by the water stoppage.....

... too! A few minutes after that, Paco, the local 70-year old taxi-driver we be-friended, came by to pick her up and whisk her away to the airport. Mackie and I watched together as Caro's car sped away. Later that afternoon, Mackie came into my apartment and lay at my feet while I wrote on my computer. It's as if Mackie knew I needed the company and she has come back every day since!

... putting in to words these last days. I have been journaling a lot and will hopefully post some of it when I get to Panama. I feel very strong and grounded but humble all at once. They gave me such a wonderful birthday that lasted all day. I had a placemat and a necklace and was sung it- it will stay with me as a pretty magical birthday for a long time. I hope everyone is doing really well. More later from Panama. love mel PS' no more snakes. I saw the one and only.

... and had some excellent tips for what tours to do, where to go from Monteverde and how to get there. We were debating the best way to head for the Pacific Coast that day when I was taken slightly ill. Bad sore throat and a fever with shivers. Went to bed and in the morning we decided to avoid the public bus (about 8 hours including long wait on the highway) and we headed on a private shuttle to the Pacific Coast (3.5 hours!) for a couple of days R&R in Samara.

... espen did...and so did i when espen invited me to join him. so today espen caught an early bus and i jumped on a later one, leaving me all of the morning and some of the afternoon to get some sun. unfortunetly i got WAY too much sun, and pretty much got the worst burn of my life...i know, way to go maia....apparently i am just a pretty face....haha. anyways, lets ...

... and I tell him I am awake. He tells me he just took a shower via the hand pump and bucket, since the river is too cold at this hour. He asks if i want to do the same : I pass. We have a cup of java and walk over to his sister's. It is pitch dark outside. We walk down the road with a flashlight. We see other lights coming our way. They are the lights of some of the women in town bringing their corn to the "molino", the communal mill. At this time of year the ...