Bahia de los Piratas Playa Conchal

... again are greeted by our friends the manta rays. This time we wasted no time and got right in the water. The waves were a lot stronger today and as Isabella and I tried to jump over a wave we were wiped out! The great thing about this beach is that you can go in for quite a distance and the water is still only shoulder height. Once you get pass the pounding surf the water is crystal clear, warm and teeming with ...

... and a yummy bottle of pinot noir. We shared with anyone who cared to join in and soon it was clear another bottle was called for. Someone was going to the store so I asked him to pick me up another bottle...and we realized again why we love digital cameras! He took a picture of the label to make sure he would buy the right one! Perfect! After a while it was time to start playing and Martha, who works here at ...

... our bikes from Panama city to Quito Ecuador. We had a short thunder storm late in the afternoon Monday November 10 I awoke early this morning, it is sunny and hot. After viewing the television for a few minutes I noted that tensions were still high in the Granada area. Mike and I talked it over and decided to fore-go the area. Instead we were off to Lake Nicaragua. Our plan was to cross to Ómetepe Island and spend ...

... becasue of the cost, but we definitely made the right choice. Together with Petra, our taxi companion, we embarked on a 5km walk to a waterfall, through the beautiful park. The vegetation was beautiful and created a patchwork of shapes and textures. About hlafway along the route, it opened out to more open, drier hills with grasses and cacti. Just as we were starting to get thirsty we arrived at the falls - a stunning location where you could swim in the ...

After 3 days on a bus, John and I found ourselves last Wednesday, in Costa Rica. No border troubles, and fairly comfortable, airconditioned buses helped our 3 day journey seem bearable. And, the best part - after all the travel, we got picked up by a private shuttle in Liberia, and whisked off to the Paradissus Playa Conchal on the coast, thanks to John´s parents. Thanks!!! They are spending the week there with his Uncle Matt and Aunt Ann ...

... block as the sun is very very strong here. So we kept climbing into the shade, but around here there is cactus on the beach so one must be careful where you sit. We spent quite a while watching little sand crabs dart along the beach and timy periwinkles open and shut with the waves. It was totally idyllic. After washing off at our villa and resting for a bit, we went to a local tico restaurant (soda bar as they are ...

... covered church and nativity scene bandstand. I was afraid that they would get bored without a planned activity, but when I suggested we head back to La Estrella, they all groaned in protest. So we stayed and took silly pictures and explored and just relaxed, enjoying the luxury of having absolutely nothing that we had to do. And then they discovered the public telephones, so everyone just had to call home (remember, phones are still somewhat of a novelty in La Estrella). I mean, who ...

Well, Costa Rica is up and running... our first stop was Tamarindo, or as the place should really be known as "Tamagringo"!! The first thing that encountered our noses when upon arriving in the town was the overwhelming smell of molasses... they had just covered the roads and everything stuck to our shoes/flipping flops. The next thing we noticed in the town are all the tourists... they are everywhere!!!! The majority of the tourists here are ...

JayJay el Mochilero war weiterhin sehr beschaeftigt: Schnorcheln (mit Schnorchel!) vor dem Strand der statt aus Sand aus Muscheln bestand, einem kleinen Kaetzchen das Leben retten (war auf dem WC eingesperrt und weit und breit keine Mami zu sehen)und natuerlich vierten Geburtstag feiern. Mangels essbarem Geburtstagskuchen gabs ...

A chain of islands in the middle of warm tropical waters... the water is gray blue but turns an amazing turquoise near the shore... there is nadie around besides a few fishermen that I became friends with and the biologist students I am with... the sand is covered in shells big conch shells.. tiny cowrie shells and beautiful iridescent peices... also there are hundreds of hermit crabs crawling all over the beach small ones the size ...