Lovely Jamaica

Upon my arrival I was lucky enough to get a ride with a couple Jamaicans out of Kingston across the island to the lovely hills of Ocho Rios. I was lucky enough not to be taken for all I was worth. Being alone and with two strangers from Jamaica, for two hours in a car with everything I own was a little bit risky but as always I roll on faith. My arrival was smooth and in perfect timing to catch Reggae Sumfest and some nice Caribbean sun and fun.

The farm here is lovely and overlooks town and the ocean. I have been working on some the unfinished projects that have got neglected and need a professional finish carpenter, or just someone to finish. This place is great.

I wish only I could really catch the essence of Jamaica for all of you at home. This is a place worth experiencing, just bring a friend or two. People here travel in numbers for a reason. Jamaica can be a dangerous but you just must look out, and be careful about what you do, when and how. Common sense is important here and you must just be on your game, whatever one you have to play.

People here are unique, colorful, assertive and even a little aggressive. Look out or you will be taken advantage of, this country depends on tourism and everybody has there way of making a little off us tourists.

None the less this place is amazing, colorful and full of experience the average visitor would never expect. Here you just have to be open and willing to go with what Jamaica offers you. Here the music does not stop, everybody plays their favorite tunes, there are live artists nearly every weekend and small festivals every other week or so. Jamaicans love to celebrate and live life to its fullest. I have been lucky enough to experience a lot of the best Reggae artists here on their own land where they are performing for their people, very different from what we get from the same artist at home. So far I have seen, Damien Marley, Beenie Man, Ninja Man, Richie Spice, Luciano, Lutan Fyah, Queen Ifrica, Capleton and many others. High energy and great performances. Something you just have to hear and see to experience.

I have made good connections here and the people I am staying with are great, well connected and very welcoming. The farm is organic, has great views and amazing potential as a model for sustainable living with Jamaica. It is a great place and now open to anybody I now and am willing to recommend. Let me know when you would like to visit.

Bless

Jamaica

So I made it here after all to Jamaica, the final wish and destination on this long adventure. I have now been here for about 5 weeks, and have enjoyed nearly all of it. Yes Jamaica can be a little rough but it is worth it. It is a place where you must just be on your toes, things move fast here, Jamaicans are creative people and quick, naturally.
This place is more than I ever expected it to be! The people are great, take a little warming up to but most people here I have found quiet nice, creative and simply unique. From Rasta to Rude Boy, people here live as they like, do what they want to "full-joy" life as they say. Instead of enjoy they fulljoy life, and it shows in their passion for music and dance, everywhere. People dance as they go and sing as they wish.
I have enjoyed many of sites in Jamaica and more than anything have just enjoyed living within a large family of Jamaicans up on Rocky Hill, the neighborhood village of a family whom has lived on the hill for nearly 150 years, 5 generations plus and has developed an community of peaceful living and unity within a country that often has a lot of troubles, violence and hard times.
I have learned an amazing amount about life seeing how Jamaicans persevere hard times in this land of beauty.

Panama City and the Canal

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I never thought I would actually see the Panama canal, as much as I have thought of it and marveled at what I knew of it. Yes, it is an amazing feat, and an engineering marvel. It is simply huge, and an wonderful example of mans ability to overcome all obsticals in order to achieve something we see as necessity. I spent part of a day watching ships come into the locks, drop or rise in elevation as water was pumped in or out, and saw them then pass on way further through the canal. Panama City is pretty amazing for a city, perched on the Pacific side of Causeway to the canal it boarders that water and its skyscrapers reach toward the heavens. This is known as the Miami of Central America and it does a good job of living up to its reputation.
Tomorrow I head to Jamaica. I will stay in touch and post as I can. For now I am on the move, to experience yet another place. Peace and love from the bottom of Central America

The Island of Ometepe

These pictures are from Ometepe, the waterfall was a good hike up one of the volcanoes. Connected with some other world travelers and had a good time parading around with them for awhile. One from Morocco, another from Spain, two from Holland and three from Australia. Pretty amusing group, we managed to travel for about a week together before going our own ways. Had a little time fro creativity in Nicarague and carved some pendants from slate with some special skills I picked up in Belize. I can´t wait to get a little more creative, hard to do away from home.

More Nicaragua

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These are some pictures from other parts of Nicaragua, a beautiful county with more to offer than you would expect. Great people, beautiful country, great beaches, good waves, volcanoes, gringos, and much other natural bounty. The city pictures were from the colonial town of Grenada, one of the oldest cities in the Americas, a lovely place with many kind people. Did not get to spend much time there but enjoyed what I could. Went to an amazing place called Ometepe. Two volcanoes in the middle of lake Nicarague, that connect to make the largest lake island in the world. As far as setting goes this was one of the most amazing settings I have ever experienced. A true treasure.

Surfs Up Nicaragua Style

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So I can surf after all, kindof. At least I can swim, avoid getting smashed into the rocks, and stay clear of major danger while trying to surf. After about 8 days of struggling to keep up with the real surfers I managed to drop into a wave and ride it out, now I know why people turn into surf bums. My goal is to try and enjoy surfing make it part of my life without becoming a total bum. I´m not sure if that is possilbe from the surfers that I am familiar with.
Nicaragua was an amazing place and spending it with good people from home made it a joyful experience. Not exactly authentic but great none the less. I managed to actually catch waves while out at a point break all by myself, the point break was a little more forgiving than the beach break that the boys wanted to surf, so they dropped me off, the boat that is, and left me to the sharks. I guess there is no better way to learn, sink or swim, all or nothing, good idea in theory. I was not proven wrong and had a great time all alone. Thanks buddies.

Nicaragua and Costa Rica

I just spent about 3 weeks in Nicaragua on the northern Pacific side of it and I am now on the southern Caribbean side of Costa Rica. I had a ton of fun with my home town surf buddies Bodi and Brandon, who showed my the whats what of surfing off the coast of Nicaragua. They were all catching waves while I was being caught by the waves and pounded into the surf. After about 10 days of trying to catch waves I was finally able to do so, drop in and ride them out. I now know why surfers are also addicts. Even missing waves can be enjoyed but catching them gives you a natural thrill that is hard to beat.

A couple of the last days on the water I was dropped off, by boat, at a point break outside of the river estuary, where I was left to myself to just enjoy what I could and learn on my own how to really be in the right place to catch them. After a short period of uncertainty I was able to gain comfort in being out alone while the real surfers caught waves on the beach at a more punishing wave, something I learned was a little out of my league. After getting comfortable I was able to catch more than a few waves and really enjoy my time out there alone.

After my stay with Bodi and Brandon I left and was able to catch a ride with other home town friend to Costa Rica, he gave me a ride as far as he was going and then I caught a bus to the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. This town was huge, busy and a lot like San Francisco but Latino. For a big city it felt nice but being that I don´t really love cities I left the next day for the much more me of a town, Puerto Viejo. A small beach town on the southern Caribbean coast with a laid back vibe and beautiful beaches. Here you get a feel for the Caribbean flair that is up and down this coast, you also are able to see why people rave of the beauty here, it is pretty amazing, I tried to take some pictures today but my camera ran out of batteries after two pictures.

I could get used to this place, but I am making my way to Jamaica and need to be there in about two weeks. Being that I do not know how I am going to get there I´ve just got to keep rolling. I will head for Panama tomorrow, and hope to get to the Bay islands of Bocas del Toro and Bostamentos, hoping to pick a a ride to JA in some luxury yaught. Wish me luck..

San Juan Del Sur

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Gringo haven, where we outnumber them. Nice little town, right on a large bay and beaches to the north and south. Great place to just be for a few days, and I´ve been here for more than the couple I thought I would be. Tomorrow I shall move on, on my own in order to connect with some friends from home on the Northern most Pacific of Nicaragua. Here I will spend whatever time is appropriete, hopefully pick up some skills in the water and see what I can get into with long time friend Peter Pan Parkinson. This will be fun.
It is great here but it makes me realize what I have always known, that there is no place like home. Bless

Give Praise to the Pacific

After leaving the island the gang and I made our way to the surf town of San Juan Del Sur. A place that feels like southern California, because the Gringos outnumber the locals 3 to 1, and there are wannabe surfers everywhere. Everybody here talks surf, is like whats up dude and just kicks back after getting there ass kicked by whitewash. Sorry to say I have been one of those Gringos, here on the Gringo trail you see the same people over and over. Leave them one place and they show up two days later at the same hostel, six hours from where you first met them.
It has been fun meeting people from all over the world, here to just gain experience, and become more worldly. I´ve now got more connections and have the options of going many other places. Everybody is pretty open and has nothing better to do than just strike up conversation. I have not always been one for small talk but have loosened up a little and thrown out my share of BS. This pics are from the days at San Juan Del Sur, this huge bay that is overlooked by Jesus himself, or at least a huge statue of him that you can hike up to. I have to say this journey and the abundance of religious icons, churches and celebrations has given my new found faith and spiritualality.

Ometepi

More of the amusing gang in and around the island. It is amazing how many people and luggage you can load into one minivan. That is the preferred mode of transport down here, the more people you load into it the less it costs, so economically speaking you are far better off striving for less comfort in order to save a couple cordobas, the equivalent of $.25, its amazing how cheap travelers can be, always trying to save money that they later blow on alcohol. Still trying to figure it out but I am only a novice, and my spanish is too poor to negotiate any rate. So I´ve been taken a few times, I´ve always been a sucker.
Although I´ve been taken for a few dollars here and there I´ve been extremely lucky to not be taken for anything seriouse, nor have I had any misfortunate things happen. My timing has seemed to be good and I have felt blessed with the number of friendly and talented I have met. I give my blessing everyday. Peace to all.

Volcanoe Island of Ometepi

Had a good time with a multinational group of people that I just happened to connect with in Grenada and then travel with for about a week. On the island of Ometepi, we hike up to a water fall that came out and down the side of this volcanoe. The hike was only 3km and really didn´t take too much effort, but here any effort feels like a lot of effort. This group of buddy´s consisted of a couple Dutch crazies, a Morrocan, a Spaniard, an couple Ozzies and myself. They were all amuzed with me as the Cali boy and I equally if not more amused by them and the obsured amounts of rum they decided to drink every night. They did not understand why I did not want to partake, nor why I wouldn´t eat the terribly low quality meat that is far too common and abundant on every menue.
None the less we all had fun and learned from one another. I was good to connect and travel with this group of natural entertainment, there was little to no need for tours our expeditions instead we just laughed and made fun of one another.

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Nicaragua

What a place, Nicaragua has it all, colonial towns, mountains, beaches, surf, lakes, volcanoes, culture and great people. What I have seen of Nicaragua so far is beautiful, I visited the colonial town of Grenada, which is next to Lake Managua and has a great feel for a big old city. Walked around the city and enjoyed the old architecture and many of the friendly people.
The next day connected with some new friends and made our way to lake Nicaragua and the island of Ometepi. This island was created by two volcanoes that worked their way up out of the lake and eventually connected themselves through the eruption of lave. This may be one of the greatest natural settings I have ever been in. The two huge volcanoes towering over the lake, and covered in lush jungle gives you the feeling that you are stranded in a place of majestic tranquility.
The first night we were there we stayed in this beach hostel type place right on the beach. From the beach you could see both volcanoes and that night there was a large lightning storm. It started off over the lake in one direction and then as began back over and behind both volcanoes. So we watched the lightning go off in three different places which created this huge triangle vortex of lightning, which went on forever, repeatedly lighting the sky and the towering volcanoes.

Made it into and out of Honduras

After a long all day trip a group of made it from the south of Belize to the Coast of Honduras and then to the interior. The journey required a long wait for the ferry driver, a visit by customs, a two hour boat ride, some hastling by taxi drivers, and a one hour taxi in the back of a truck with 5 others, and then a 4 hr bus ride. Good times, you can get away with nearly anything here and sometimes you have to. Getting anywhere here is a chore and adventure and never leaves you feeling that great. After breathing copious amounts of diesel exhaust getting through the city you usually feel sick by the time you get anywhere, I guess that is just a part of inexperienced travel. It wouldn´t be so much fun with out it. Only spent a few days in Honduras, mostly on the Bay Island of Utila, where I did some scuba diving and a lot of relaxing. I´m getting lazier everyday.

A few more from Belize

Belize is amazing, beautyful, rich in culture, and extremely diverse ethnicaly. Each region differs emensly to create something that is for everyone. I have enjoyed the Garifuna culture the most with their drums, up beat riddems and friendly families. These people greet you with a genuine smile and are just happy to carry on a conversation, because people in Belize have nothing but time and are happy to share it with you and one another. For a country so rich, the people here are extremely poor yet they are very content. Here you just work with what you´ve got. I have learned and am even more grateful for what I´ve had. I feel blessed to be here to experience and appreciate a life that is lived by so many, yet it is a life until now that I have not experienced. I now have new perspective and motivation to push through hard times in order to achieve greater peace, presence and appreciation for what is out there.