TravelStream™ news feed for member ssweeten on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ssweeten en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:23:58 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093980/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:23:58 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Arenal Volcano National Park, Province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica

ANOTHER BUS BREAKS DOWN! on our way to Arenal we had another break bus break down...we waited for two hours for the other bus to pick us up. I will be so happy not have to buses for while when i get home. But we finally made it Arenal. The first day we got here we went to the Baldi Hot Springs, some mineral pools heatded by the volcano. It was so fun, and much needed after the long bus rides..we sat in them for hours while there a torrential down pour of rain all around us.
Then next day(today) we woke up early and did a Canopy tour. You see views of the Volcano and lake Arenal. Some of the zip lines are over a mile long and 660 feet up! It was super scary, but worth it. Then the other girls hiked to a waterfall while I stayed in sick as dog...bummer. hopefully I'll get better soon, cause we're going river rafting tomorrow!!! woohoo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1219093020/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:07:08 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Samara, Costa Rica

We got to samara hooray! When we got there we rented this beautiful house that we got a killer deal on. We stayed only two nights then we went back to Manuel Antonio for the third time...but we wanted our friend chelsea to see all the wildlife there, because you are pretty much gaurenteed to see animals. We saw lots of monkeys and raccoons and paccas, and all sorts of stuff. After one a half days at Manuel its off to.......
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Montezuma, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Took a bus from Manuel Antonio to Montezuma and stayed for two days. We went on a canopy tour that was kind of weak but fun all the same. The next day we took a boat to Isla Tortuga and went snorkeling and played at the beach all day. It was one of the prettiest beaches I've seen yet. The snorkeling was really deep and kind of clouded, but we still managed to see lots of fish and a manta-ray (we thought it was a shark and started freaking out!) The next day we went to San jose to see some friends off and meet another who was arriving. Too much time on a bus....I will so happy to have my own car when I get home..
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Manuel Antonio National Park, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Well, after spendind too much time in San jose, we headed back to Manuel Antonio for a day in the park. We had lots of raccoons trying to steal our bags on the beach and had to chase them away with sticks! We swan in pool that turned mine and Missy's hair bright green...then the next day on to.....
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Isla De Ometepe, Nicaragua

Isla De Ometepe consists of two volcanos (one of which is active) that are connected by a thin strip of land, in the middle of the giant Lake Nicaragua. We stayed right smack dab in the middle of the two volcanoes, so we had great veiws of them. We had big plans to climb then smaller, inactive volcano but I got really sick and spemnt the whole day in bed :( We had the next day to walk around and go swimmming in a waterhole a few miles from our hostel. The next day we set off for san jose. Oh, what a day... We got up at four in the morning to catch a taxi to the first ferry, an hour of bumps and sharp turns, but a pretty sunrise. We made to ferry (another hour), then got a cab to the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border and shuffled through there as quickly as possible. I come to greatly dislike crossing borders, I always feel like a lost sheep or something... Then caught our bus to San Jose right on schedule, hoping that the five hour bus ride would put us into San Jose around 2:30 pm. We hadn't had time to eat yet, so we bought some chips and a peice of pineapple and hopped on the bus. We had one pit stop, which I chose to get a popcicle instead of eat and use the bathroom, Bad bad decision. So, back on the bus...after a couple more hours we passed a town called fortuna, which was strange cause we were not supposed to go through fortuna at all, but whatever we didn't worry and kept on going.. Then an hour and half later we go through the same town! Oh man, our bus driver was lost! how does that happen...any way, then a kid next to us pukes all over, and we have to keep our feet up the whole time, yuck. It's starting to get dark and we're finally on the right route, around 50 miles out of san jose..THEN our bus runs out of gas! We waited for a half hour before they finally go the reserve tank on, and in that time a wreck happens infront of us and traffic is backing up keeping us from san jose. So we take a small road off to the side and after a half hour our bus breaks down again, for good this time. So now its arond 8 pm and we haven't eaten anyting, nor used the bathroom since 9 that morning. Finally a bus comes along with a few extra seats and everyone scrambles on. Luckily we got on and stood in the isle for the rest of two hour ride to san jose! what a day. just goes to show things DO NOT always go as smoothly as planned....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965500/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:52:00 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Managua, Nicaragua

Well, we were planning on going to an island made of of two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua, but we weren't paying attention and missed our stop on the bus..we went another two hours north to Managua before we realized we'd messed up. But we decided we'd make the best out of it and stayed the night in Managua. We had troubles finding a place to stay until we ran into three nice women that rented us a room in their house for the night. we dropped our stuff off then...went to see the new bat man film at the mall:) So that was out time spent in Nicaragua. The next morning we left early to try and get to Isla De Ometepe. We got royally ripped off by a cabbie and made it just in time to catch the ferry. continues on to the next entry...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217965020/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:44:05 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Tortuguero, Province of Limon, Costa Rica

After leaving Cahuita we headed out for the long trek to Tortuguero. tortuguero is a small island, with now cars, in middle of a bunch of canals that go on for miles into the rain forest. Once we got to PUerto Limon we had to take a five our boat ride through a canal to get to Tortuguero. We did a canal tour the next morning and saw all sorts of wildlife: crocs, caimans (little tings that look like crocs), toucans, other birds, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, white faced monkeys, and river turtles. Then later that night we went on a tour to see the giant leatherback turtles lay eggs. We left around 11 at night and after the hour hike in the pouring rain and mud, we saw a giant turtle just as he was scuttling back to the ocean. There were huge pits everywhere that were full of turtle eggs. Those tutles are damn big!! I think that tey weigh up to 500 lbs (I could be making that up..) Then we left super early the next morning to san jose, enroute to Nicaragua.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964540/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:33:21 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Cahuita, Province of Limon, Costa Rica

After a few days in Puerto Viejo we went north to Cahuita. We only spent one full day here in the national park. Very pretty...we saw a bunch of sloths and howler monkeys. that's about it for Cahuita, nothing too exciting. OH we also saw a bootlegged version of the sex and the city movie...I was so excited!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1217964240/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:29:02 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Puerto Viejo, Province of Limon, Costa Rica

i'm terrible at keeping up on this blog. I'm just going to be very breif from now, unless ometing big happens, cause this is too much for me to keep up on. (I'm pathetic, and in vacation mode big time) And somehow, there is just never time for the internet....

In Puerto Viejo we didn't do much, we just happy to be back in Costa Rica. We went on a 14 mile long bike ride ( iI don't think I've ever ridden a bike that far), and played at a beach. We were very apprehensive to get back into the ocean after Bocas, but found a very busy beach with lifeguards and stayed in very shallow water. The time in Puerto was relaxed and much needed.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1216759260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1216759260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ssweeten/1/1216759260/tpod.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:55:22 -0400 Three months in Costa Rica...

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Bocas Town, Bocas del Toro, Panama

After spending a few days in Pavones, Costa Rica we decided to head over to Bocas Del Toro, Panama. Its a small group of islands with a very carribean feel. Our time there started out really great, had good food, stayed in a nice place, and the island had a lot going on all the time...Then one day we met up with some friends and headed to a beach on an island about five minute baot ride from where we were staying. We jumped in the water as soon as we got there, me and two people got caught in a rip tide. Unfortunately one of the kids did not make it out. I've told the story a lot and had to write on it a lot so I'm just going to copy and paste the detailed story from an email i had to send to the family:

To the family of Joseph Lutz,

I wanted to write you the
details of what happened that day. I know that you don't have much to
go off, and the police report was fairly breif and who knows what got
lost in translation. Hopefully you'll find some sort of comfort in
knowing exactly what happened, we'll try to recount anything, if you
have any questions, feel free to ask...
We'll start with how we
came to meet Joey. Kevin, my boyfriend, was riding a bus from San Jose
to Puerto Jimenez to meet me. i believe Joey got on the bus at San
Isidro, they met eyes and when the bus stopped in Puerto Jimenez
chatted breifly and realized they were heading to the same hostel,
which is where I was staying. We talked about heading to Corcavado
together but our plans changed and Kevin and I ended up going South. We
said our goodbyes and Joey stayed in Peurto Jimemez and did the three
day trip to Corcavado National Park, with a few other people.

When we later talked to Joey he told how amazing Corcavado had been. He
spoke of the animals he saw, saying it was like a zoo inside the park.
He mentioned how liberating it was doing the seven mile hike into the
rain forest, crossing numerous rivers.
On a whim, Kevin and I
decided to go over to Bocas Del Toro in Panama. Our second day in Bocas
we ran into Joey and Julia walking down the street. They had just
randomly met up as well moments before. We talked about plans to go to
the beach the next day, but weren't able to meet up to make more
concrete plans for the morning. It was purely by happenstance that we
walked to the same boat, at the same time as he and Julia. We were
super excited to see them and we all set off to the Island of
Bastimentos.
When we got to island Joey was really excited about
the island. He said that he had hoped to find somewhere like that, and
that it was more his speed. He talked of moving over to Bastimentos and
spending time there. It's a fairly small island, with no cars. Only one
paved walkway that runs through the town. It was a really pretty,
thirty minute walk to the beach. We were all talking about how pretty
the island was, and Joey pointed out one plan tin particular that
bright pink and green. He said the colors looked 'straight out of the
eighties' and that 'they should be on a trapper keeper'. The path went
through a grave yard and we all stopped and took pictures of how
interesting the graves were, then kept on our way to the beach.

Once we got to the beach we were all in awe of how beautiful the beach
was. We set our stuff under a shady tree and hopped in the water.

After about five minutes of swimming in shoulder deep water, we
realized we were being pulled to the left and further out from the
beach. Julia was already back at the beach checking on our stuff, not
wanting to be too far away form it. After we could no longer touch we
were aware that there was definately a strong current and it was
pulling Kevin, Joey, and me out quickly. We yelled to Joey to follow
us and swim parallel with the shore. Kevin was the first to get footing
on a sand bar, about fifteen yards from the beach. Joey was not far
behind him, and Kevin helped him up on to the sand bar. I was still
swimming along the beach, a little further out and to the left of them.
I started to panic a little around this time. Kevin started towards
me, trying to reach me. We could hear Joey yelling for help around the
time that Kevin grabbed me and pulled to where i could touch. At this
time Joey was about twenty yards fruther out than we were. It took us a
couple minutes to get on to the beach to look for Joey. He had already
been swept out and was moving quickly. He was panicing and struggling
to stay above water. Kevin was yelling and motioning to Joey that he
should swim to the left, parallel to the shore, while I ran to get
help.

Surprisingly people were not reacting much to the situation. I tried to
yell to where the surfers were, but they were too far out and could not
hear me. By the time i ran back to Kevin we couldn't see Joey anymore.
With as far out as he had been carried, the waves were obstructing our
sight of him, making it hard to keep track of where he was. We had
been told that police were called, so we waited at the beach but after
waiting twenty minutes or so, no one showed. We went to the police
station on Bastimentos, only to find that no one was there, and the
doors locked. So we flagged down a water taxi and went to the police
station on the main island.
Immidiately after talking to the
police Julia and I ran to the internet cafe to find a contact for Joey,
and Kevin went on the boat with a couple officers to patrol the beach.
After searching for around an hour, they had no luck and went back to
main Island.

We were told the next morning that a group of ten divers were at Wizard
Beach searching. The three of us went to the investigation office and
filled out a report with the help of translator. We were also intouch
with the embassy, trying to make sure the family knew what was going on.

Yesterday we met up with Mr Lutz and Mickey in Bocas and spent a few
hours with them. We told them what happened and went to the
investigation office with them.
We were all really happy to
have the pleasure of meeting Joey. I hope this answers your questions,
if there's anything else you want to know don't hesitate to ask. We are
all so sorry for your family, and for the loss of Joey.

Sincerely,
Sydnie and Kevin


It was a very scary and hard thing to go through, and it definately put a damper on the trip, but we're still trecking. We were asked to stay in Bocas three days longer than we had intended to help sort everything out and meet with the family members of Joey.
We were very relieved when they told us we could head back to Costa Rica. We're in Puerto Viejo now. A really cool town with a rasta vibe. running out of time on the internet as usual.... more pics will be up soon!
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