TravelStream™ news feed for member davidandclare on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/davidandclare en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:22:51 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1156486680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1156486680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1156486680/tpod.html Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:22:51 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Los Angeles, California, United States

We left for the USA at 5.50pm and arrived (via San Salvador) at midnight. Despite the fact that we hadn't exited the US properly (and that we had foolishly got Cuban stamps in our passports) we got in ok. We took a shuttle to our Hollywood hostel and checked in to our dorm to be greeted by a Russain girl saying it was very inconvenient having David in the room (she thought it was girls only).
We spent 4 days in LA. Two days at Venice Beach and Santa Monica, one in Hollywood and one on a shopping spree. We go home tomorrow and are really looking forward to seeing our families and friends and to eating toad in the hole, roast dinner, corned beef pie (David), cheese biscuits (me).
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San Jose, Costa Rica

Our last night in Central America was spent in San Jose. The journey from Panama was quite eventful...at one point the bus doors opened on a bend and everyone's luggage fell out. When we finally we arrived we were involved in a altercation betweeen taxi drivers and pickpockets...all of whom were crowding the doors of the bus. We spent the night off the mean streets but headed out for an explore of San Jose in the morning...not on eof the world's great capital cities.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155940740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155940740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155940740/tpod.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:44:31 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Bocas del Toro, Panama

We spent 4 days on this archipelago, basing ourselves at the main town of Bocas del Toro. We went kayaking twice (on the first occasion we managed to capsize ruining our digital camera) and also took a boat trip to the nearby island of Bastimentos. From the main town we walked for what was supposed to be 20 minutes to the beach. Unfortunately the walk took 45 minutes and involved walking through plantations, jungle and vast amounts of mud in our flip flops. Once we got there the beach was beautiful and practically deserted...very nice for a lazy afternoon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155508380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155508380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155508380/tpod.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:38:49 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

We spent 4 days here in a sort of wooden summer house on top of a building...very airy. The first two days it rained and we played lots of cards. The third day we hired bikes and cycled along a road through the jungle to the beach, passing lots of howler monkeys as we went. I managed to get a bike that appeared to have no brakes so the series of hills we encountered were terrifying...I couldn´t slow down or stop so just whizzed along hoping there were no cars coming whilst David held his breath. On the way back I discovered that it was possible to brake by ´pedalling backwards...unfortunately we were on the flat at this point.
Our last day in Puerto Viejo was spent on the beach feeling very hot/swimming...it is a hard life.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155337800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155337800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1155337800/tpod.html Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:15:24 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Monteverde, Costa Rica

Three long bus journies to get here...but it was worth it as we found a lovely hotel, with what David described as 'the best bed in the world'...and all for $10 a night. We spent 2 days here, the first visiting the 'cloud forest' in Santa Elena reserve...like a rain forest but cloudy and not as wet! The second day we went on zip wires through the canopy - very fun. A Tarzan swing was also included in the trip...it consisted of standing on a platform about 10 metres off the ground, holding a rope (and being attached to it) and jumping....the free fall bit was very scary...and my head snapped back when the slack went out of the rope...I have been complaining about whiplash ever since but David is failing to give me any sympathy.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154991660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154991660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154991660/tpod.html Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:08:35 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Our journey here from Isla Ometepe consisted of a ride in the back of a truck, a boat trip, a collectivo taxi (for lots of people), a very long wait at the border, and two more bus rides. The first bus trip was slow because we were stopped twice by Costa Rican police...everyone was ID-ed. The second trip was slow because the bus stopped every few minutes for people to get on/off. So many people got on that there were no seats and we were forced to stand and be jostled for 3 hours.
Arriving in Tamarindo was like landing in a different country...namely America. The prices were all in dollars and the place was full of Americans.
We spent 3 days here, lying on the lovely beach, swimming in the sea, laughing as beginner surfers fell over and watching the nightly thunder storms from our balcony. Unfortunately the prices were like America too...so we headed off in search of cheaper places.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154478480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154478480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154478480/tpod.html Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:01:11 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Our journey to Honduras began at 4am. Having heard stories of night attacks on buses we were nervous about travelling in the dark and were not reassured when we learnt that 4 Spaniards waiting for the bus had just been robbed at gunpoint. Our driving crossing himself before setting off and swigging copious amounts of pepsi mixed with coffee (to keep himself awake) didn't reassure us either. However, we made it to the town of Copan Ruinas, just over the border into Honduras, without a problem...although we were hacked off that they wouldn't stamp our passports...ruining our collection of stamps!
Once in Copan we walked to the ruins. As we headed for the Gran Plaza two scarlet macaws swooped over our heads...a very atmospheric place. The ruins are the most southerly Mayan ruins and were quite small but contained lots of carvings, inlcuding an amazing heiroglyphic stairway.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154818440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154818440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154818440/tpod.html Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:59:40 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua

We spent a couple of days on this island, which consists of 2 very large volcanoes. Our trip here was eventful...the boat was very heavily laden, about 100 years old and creaked alot as we got thrown up and down on our way across Lake Nicaragua. Tourists threw up and locals drank beers as we travelled. Once on the island we spent a couple of days near a reserve called Charco Verde. The guide book promised beautiful beaches, toucans and monkeys....what we got was a black beach on a brown lake and some pigs and geese...it was nice and relaxing though!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154045220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154045220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154045220/tpod.html Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:48:33 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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San Pedro, Guatemala

Arrived at Panajachel via a 2 hour bus journey and San Pedro after 45min boat ride (hope you like the detail I'm putting in this). San Pedro is a town on the edge of lake Atitlan which was once a huge volcano. As it now stands the lake is surrounded by volcanos ~ not active. We spent a few days here doing a spot of reading, walking and kayaking on the lake, I refused to go horse riding as my testicles are still recovering from the other 2 rides. One night we went to a small pub for a Sunday roast which (after 11 months without) words could not describe, so I won't try. After this myself, Clare and a stoned surfer dude from the channel Islands who kept saying that's so sick ~ meaning so good, took part in a quiz. We came second . We visited the Chichicastenango markets on the Sunday, the town was really interesting but the market pricey for Guatemala. On the way back our driver seemed to be conducting some kind of acceleration / brake test which resulted in everyone feeling a little ill. I really wanted to give him some driving advice but feared he had a shotgun in the bus so didn't.

* All my work has been checked for spelling and punctuation by Miss Philbrick. After careful consideration she awarded me with a 7 out of 10 telling me that I must check my work more thoroughly before submitting it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154652060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154652060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davidandclare/worldtrip/1154652060/tpod.html Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:47:25 -0400 One couple's guide to ending two perfectly good careers.

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Granada, Nicaragua

The third long bus journey in a day. This time we headed to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. From there we caught a shuttle bus to Granada. Getting on the bus was pretty crazy...lots of people screaming at us and trying to get us all on their buses. They were all the same price so we picked the shiniest. An hour later we arrived in the colonial city of Granada. It is pretty nice, although quite a few of the building were destroyed by a crazy American trying to take over central America in the 19th century...apparently his motto was '5 countries or none'...doesn't sound hugely different from some current Americans.
We spent the following day in the sweltering heat looking at churches, a very small museum and the parque central...where we sampled a Grandan speciality of yucca and pork crackling.
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