Scuuuba time!

After getting up at nearly 230am to catch our flights, we are finally here in the island of Roatan. An island only about 40 miles long, and mostly English speaking. A little bit different for us, seeming we have been traveling in central America where the most common language is Spanish. so walking in the grocery store, and speaking Spanish with an English reply is a little different for us. Starting yesterday we met our Diver masters, Tony and Reno and watched a series of videos on the parts to scuba diving. Lucky ducks Karen and Bobby are already certified divers, and are just hanging out doing some review while the rest of us learn new stuff. Today, a more eventful day brought us to a trip out in the water, swimming in the ocean to the buoy, snorkeling seeing the coral reef in the Caribbean for the first time, and later going out for the first dive. Also today Karen and Bobby went out for there first dive 130 ft deep and saw two mantarays, and a huge crab. How neat are the wonders of the underwater world!
Well thats are for now friends and family,

With love,
Celia L.

If You Had a Tail, What Kind of Tail Would You Have?

If you were born with a tail, what kind of tail would it be? This question was tossed around amongest our group at the breakfast table this morning. In years past I had considered this question and decided I would like to have a big, bushy, red, fox tail. I feel it would be very suiting on me. It was decided that Alex would have the tail of a lion, Celia would have that of a unicorn, which by the way is different then that of an ordinary horses tail because it glitters like a disco ball in the sun and sounds like wind chimes when whisping in the breeze. Karen started out with a bunny tail but after some persuasion decided that it was not functional enough and settled with a kangaroo tail, obviously. So we have Andy, Kaise and Dan who all chose monkey tails. My immediate reaction to this choice was a positive one, for I felt all of the above ¨deserved¨, for lack of a better word, such a tail. However, when suggested that the appropriate tail for Dan was, of course a fluffy, little, bear tail I was instantly converted, to Dans dismay. Kaise and Andy remain our friends with monkey tails, a very practicle choice, for it has many uses and must be quite nimble and easy to manuver. Leave it to Max to pick the tail of a scorpion, prime for defending himself against dangerouse enemies. Lastly but most definetly not leastly, Bobby chose a longated shark tail, perfect for living a life of evolution in our underwater future.
So I highly suggest you take the opening question into seriouse consideration and please do share, what tail would decorate your oh so lovely behind?

Lots and lots of big, silly lovins all over the place!

- Heidi

Free Travel Adventures and More!

Where I last left off our group was preparing for our final shift at Playa Longosta. We´ve done much traveling since then and we have experienced and seen some wild things. First off was our final shift working with the turtles. We had to rise at 4:30a.m the next morning to leave for San Jose, so we were able to all do the same shift from 7 to 11:30. We all walked down the beach to begin the shift except for Alex who had to go to the bathroom. When we were making our first pass past the entrance to our camp ground Alex was there next to a freshly hatched nest of baby lora turtles, or so we thought. Alex had come back to find a raccoon eating through the nest of turtles that were most likely two days premature. He had scared the raccoon off and our guide immediately searched through the mess to find survivers. Some of the baby turtles had hatched themselves which is why the raccoon found the nest. Our guide Carlos found the healthy turtles and put them in a bucket to rest, many of them were to weak or injuried to make to the journey to the water and actually have a chance at surviving. It was dishearting to see the pile of dead turtles that had entered the world to a raccoon claws. Still as sad of a sight as it was it was simply part of nature and trying to stop every raccoon is futile. A few turtles were strong though and they made it to the ocean after a wild start to there lives. The rest of the shift was more or less uneventful. We got back and happily fell asleep, but Carlos woke the people who had yet to see a Baula at around 3a.m. I was not present but there were two massive Baula´s out, one significantly larger the the first one seen by my group. With that we left pre-dawn with a great sense of appreciation for the people working for this organization and we simply felt lucky to have played a small part for helping these turtles and for being able to witness so much during those short days. It was time to move on to the free travel portion of the trip and we were all excited for the days to come. We all worked hard to do what we wanted to do for free travel especially Max and Bobby who put in so much time to make sure or plans went smoothly even if there was frustration along the way. We took a surprisingly nice public bus to San Jose where we stayed the night in preparation for the journey to Corcavada in the Osa Pennisula. We woke early yet again and made our way to Sierpe to catch the hour long boat ride to our three night stay at Corcavada Adventure Tent Camp where we were hooked up big time by the owner and man with the plan Larry Hustler. On our boat ride to our stay we were able to see three crocidiles laying on the river bank thanks to the sharp eye of our driver. When we finally made it to the camp area our expectations were blown away. The place was beautiful and not to mention almost mosquito free. There was so many amazing activities and places to go but not enought time and money to do them. We relaxed there the night we arrived but the next day would be quite eventful. We left early in the morning for the trip to Caño island. We cruised around for about two hours in the boat fishing and looking for aquatic life. We saw at least two pods of humpback whales there in Drake Bay. It was a beautiful sight to see the whales breach water and raise their massive tails above the water. For many of us this was the first time seeing whales in the wild as well as many other animals that we saw in Corcavada. Before we got to the snorkeling section of the trip we saw at least 8 dolphins gliding through the crystal clear waters. The grace at which they leapt into the air was quite astonishing to see. Finally we anchored the boat and prepared to snorkel in the amazing waters excited and a little nervous at what we were about to see. In those waters we saw a array of colorful fish. During the second snorkeling section after lunch we saw what almost all of us had been hoping to see. Sharks. We saw two white tipped sharks below us. One was laying still at the ocean floor, another much larger flying through the water. On our way back to the camp area Alex caught a Yellow Fin Tuna which we happily ate for dinner that night. The next day was also quite excitng, we took a hike across the beach and we were lucky enough to see Scarlet Macaws in the trees along the beach as well as a troop of white faced monkeys that allowed us to get many good photo opportunities until the flash angered them and started baring their teeth at us. They were in leaping distance so we decided to keep moving. We made it to the part of the beach where Rio Claro merged into the bay. We relaxed there, played some ultimate frisbee trying to enjoy our last day in Corcavada. When we returned we were all quite exhausted. Later that day Alex and I took to kayaks out on the ocean and watched the incredible red and orange sunset floating there speechless. After an amazing stay in Corcavada we returned to San Jose to stay in a friendly hostel for the remaninder of our free travel. We are enjoying our time here and we all look forward to Thanksgiving, we intend on making a nice meal in the communal kitchen. Hope everyones doing well back home and have a happy Thanksgiving.

I also asked everyone to write one to two things they have gained or leaned from this trip that they will use and benefit from back home.

Celia: From traveling with C.D.I ive learned to be more confident in navigating around unfamiliar places, and to let my requests and needs be known and to keep a positive attitude when in challenging situations.

Dan: I have figured out where i want to go to college, UC Santa Cruz, and what i am going to be doing for the spring semester. I will be volunteering for 3 months in the Dominican Republic with Fundacion Mahatma Ghandi which I cant wait for. I have learned how to live in the moment and be appreciative of my life and most importantly myself.

Heidi: I have been interested in Botany, Medicinal healing, sustainable living and working/studing abroad. This trip has shown me opportunities to combine all these things as a career, which before this trip thought might be an impratical goal.

Alex: Through this trip ive learned and gained independence, a good plan for my future, organization, and how to be present and enjoy each day.

Andy: Ive learned that Nicaragua´s southern pacific coast boasts sunsets that rival those of my desert home. That despite decades of political violence, repression, and state terror, people still laugh, play, reminice and smile; open their doors and offer a meal. Ive learned new salsa steps, thizzle dance, and going dumb. Ive remembered that my potential is immense. That my passions exceed my fears. and i am so greatful for all my years.

Karen: Something I´m taking away from this semester is a hgiher appreciation for those I love in my home country and understanding that I can diverdge my desires into a whole. I dont need to seperate them to understand them; humans tend to do with information as its received. Furthermore confidence and happiness.

Max: Two things I have learned and want to bring home from this trip: I have revitalized interest in yoga and plan to practice at home. Also I have learned alot of Spanish and feel really inspired to keep it up, and also to start working on my French again.

Bobby: I have learned to be more like the emperor. Not in a ruling sense, but in the same sort of mindset. Have my armor and sword at the ready, but not carrying it around unnecessarily tiring myself in that process. Think about discipline, and how it can make my life the sort of life I want to lead.

Kaise: I have gained a true appreciation for my life and the luxuries I have, also a new love for volunteering and helping others. I have also gained a strong motivation to work hard and to pursue my new found interests of Environemental Sciences at the college level.

With Much Love, Kaise.

Turtle Time

After leaving the island of Ometepe we once again awoke well before sunrise in order to make the journey to Costa Rica in time for dinner at our new home in Playa Longosta for Proyecto Baula. Surprisingly Crossing the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica went smoother than expected. With our passports freshly stamped we were ready to venture into a new paradise known as Costa Rica. We soon experienced much greater prices in Costa Rica then what we were used to in Guatemala and Nicaragua. The country is clearly more of a touristy country and some shopping areas looked straight out of Southern California. We arrivd in Playa Tamarindo which is quite the colorful party town. We got a short ride to Playa Longosta where we have been staying for the turtle project. Our set up is quite simple two large tents and small cots but it is a very unique and rustic experience sleeping no more then 30 meters from the beach. We are staying with Carlos and Adrian who are in charge of the turtle project and leading the nightly patrols. And of course our friendly, loving Abuela who has filled our stomachs and intrigued our minds with a variety of important Spanish curse words and phrases. We also have been enjoying the companying of lots of biting flies on the beach, raccoons, iguanas, crabs, and many many welcome mosquitos who have thouroughly enjoyed our presence especially Max´s. Of course the most important yet rare visitor are the turtles. The first over night shift was very incredible for the equipo chicos guapos con suerte. We immediately found a Lora turtle which is not an endangered type of turtle but we still collected here eggs and buried them in a higher safer place. It was a strange yet amazing experience wondering the beach at 2 in the morning and it only got more amazing when Andy nearly tripped over a massive Baula turtle. The turtle probably weighed around 700 pounds and it was quite a spectacle to see this creature digging its nest with its powerful rear flippers and laying 126 eggs. Of course making it up the beach and digging there nest is extremely exhausting for these turtles and the entire process can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. The Baulas or leather back turtles are an endangered species as well as the negra turtles. We recorded the needed information and gathered the eggs, burying them at a more choice location for the success of the newborn turtles. It is such a shame to see several nests that have been dug up and the eggs eaten by the dozens of raccoons that roam the area. The next night shifts were longer and the late shift stretched from 11:30p.m to 4a.m. One group saw another Lora that night, but my group came up empty handed wondering the beach for hours spending time looking at the constalations in the sky a viewing the dozens of shooting stars that night. Last night our group saw a Negra turtle and collected and reburied the eggs only for half the nest to get eaten by raccoons later that night. It is an ongoing task to save these magnificent creatures and i know we all feel grateful to have experienced and contributed the survival of these species. Tomorrow we leave for our free travel portion of the trip and we are going to the Corcovada national park to see the wildlife and and incredible nature Costa Rica has to offer. Tonight are our last shifts for Proyecto Baula so hopefully the other group will ge the chance to see a Baula. Thats all for now.
Much love, Kaise

A Blast of a Time

After saying goodbye to San Juan the beach and our new friend Tyler, who has been accommodating us, we made our way over to the island of Ometepe. The island is on the biggest lake in Central America. With its water covering 8,264 sq km makes it the 21st largest lake in the world . ITS BIG! We arrived to the island by a hour long ferry boat trip, then took a 2 hour long bus ride. On the way we passed by many villages (each one getting smaller and smaller) and plunged deeper and deeper into the Pacific Dry Tropical Forest. Our hostel was literally at the end of the road, the bus could no possibly go any further.
Again we are blessed with beauty. As we got out of the van with butts sore from the constant bumps of the unpaved road, a flock of green, yellow and red parrots flew over head. There is are many critters and beautiful animals here. A teranchala scared us half to death as it tried attacking Kaiese as he ate dinner. Volcanoes also surround the island, one of which we hiked today.
On the way up we came across views looking over Ometepe. We stared trying to distinguish water from clouds in the distance. At the end of the 4 hour hike we found our selves down in the volcano of Madera. Other than a 3 ft deep pond filled with mud that one sinks into another 2 ft that Bobby attempted to swim in, a dense forest surrounds the floor.
Coming back down the mountain we came across 3 different troops of Howler monkeys. Before seeing the hairy animal their screams were heard a good 100 plus yards away. It is crazy how such a small thing can make such a loud cry.
Tonight we dined to yet another beautiful sun set and this time instead of a ocean we gazed at a massive volcano that seemed to scrape the pink sky. Tomorrow we shall rise at 5 am and hit the road once again; another country, Costa Rica. There we will start a turtle project that many of us have been looking forward to.
With love,
Alex

Nothing But Good Times

All has been and is still going really well in San Juan. Our time is being spent eating, building solar paneled water heaters, surfing, playing games and just having a fun relaxing time. The past three nights some of us have witnessed the most beautiful breath taking sun sets with the sun seeming to melt into the sea. Some have watched from a bobbing board in the waves of the sea and others from the beach.

The solar paneled water heater that we all helped make and put up is a awesome invention that Tyler had seen before but came up with his own idea. Solar panels catch and convert sun rays into energy, which then heats up water. We are one day away from setting up all the tubing so that we can have hot water in the sinks and showers. It feels good knowing that what we have really help Tyler with his dream. He is now a step further in his process of creating a hotel.

Latley after dinner we have been playing the game sardines and sherades. Sardines have so far been the favorite. For those parents who dont know the game, some one hides while the others count. Once youre done counting the search is on, but when you find the one hiding you must hide with that person until everyone finds and is hiding together. The last person to find the group of people is then it. One game we all huddled up in the bathroom. Dan curled himself under a 4 by 4 space under the sink. Without the yoga we practiced in San Marcos it would have been impossible fit.Celia was found in a humid out house. A good hiding place because no one would think or dare to go inside but damn it smelled. 8 of us huddled in a ball trying to breathe as little as possible not to smell the toxic fumes. Thankfuly I was not the first person to find her.

Tomorrow we have a boat trip scheduled. We will cruise around to another beach done the coast, while fishing and checking out the scenic view. On thursday we will say our goodbyes and head off to hike Ometepe. draft

New Beginnings

Since our last post a lot has changed, but before I tell you about the present I should talk about how we finished off in San Marcos and what has happened. Our last day 4 of us (Dan, Bobby, Max and I) decided to doing some exploring and ventured off up into the Mountains behind San Marcos and found a gorgeous waterfall. That night we celebrated halloween. With all of us dressed up in costumes we met at dinner and attempted to eat, but this was difficult for everyones costume was very comical. Heidi was a cat, Dan was Danielson from Karate kid, Bobby a lovely Lion, Max the Genie In the Lamp, Kaise a Rasta man (with dreads), a GI Jane done to perfection by Andy, Karen a troll/gremlin/I dont know but it was awesome and Celia and myself represented Oregon by being the best hippies we could be. The rest of the night was spent boogying in our outfits that each of us came across on our travels. All of us literally huddled in a dense cirlce and danced for a good 30 minutes never breaking character of what we were suppose to be. We ended the night around 12 and only slept for 4 hours before rising and hitting the road for our last city in Guatemala, Antigua.
Our best best experience of Day of the Dead was in Sumpongo, a city on our way to Antigua. After pulling off the road and into a pig slop of a parking ground we walked into a feild of kites. Both big,small, bright and dark, kites were every where. Each one was usually attached with a laughing little kid blindly running around. You had to be aware at all times for the strings that would be at head level or a diving kite. Some kites took months to build and exceeded 50 feet high. These ones were designed with elaborate colors, each different than the other and portraying a message both with words and images. People had come from all over to look at and watch the flying beasts. It was really awesome trying to articulate each message and observe such a cultural fesitval. The reason for the kites was to honor their culture and to remember and apreciate the dead.
Once in Antigua we hit the city hot quick because we only had a afternoon before we left the next day. The city was beautiful, full of very old buildings, churchs and beautiful parks, some buildings dated back to the 1700´s. That not after dinner we all found ourselves stuck in a rain storm. With 10 blocks to go and no rain jackets we dashed through the city getting soaked. It was great! The next morning, once again we rose at 4 to catch a plane. We said our goodbyes to the amazing country to Guatemala but took our unforgetable memories and expereinces with us and was off for our next adventure, Nicaragua.
We are staying in a hostel that is right outside the city of San Juan Del Sur. The person who has created the hostel is a 31 year old Oregonian, who had a dream to one day come to Central America and begin building his own hostel. Being here and observing what he has done is very inspirational. It really shows how you should believe and follow your dreams and how they can manifest into reality and through hard work you can do anything. Since we are away from the city there are no buildings or noises, other than howler monkeys in the distance and the sound of waves crashing on the beach. From our balchony we can see the blue Pacific. The weather here is mid 80´s with little spells of rain, but warm rain! During the morning after gourmet breakfast´s we help Tyler with whatever we can around his property. The afternoon is then left up to us. The beach is only a 5 min walk down the road and is visited quite often. A few of us have put alot of time into learning how to surf. The waves however are no joke! Almost everyone has be able to get up and bust some moves. I however thought I was a little too good and tried going out with the big boys and was crushed by a gigantic wave but now am able to ride farily big waves. At first I had no idea what I was getting myself into. While some put a lot of time into surfing others have just swam and relaxed back at the hostel.
All is good here. Everything in life is positive and beautiful. I want to say thank you to my mom dad and sister (Jill, Carl and Madison) for encouraging to travel and supporting me. I myself and everyone have agreed that this was the best descision. We´re all so happy to be where we are at. I love you mom, dad and mad. Thank you again
Alex B.

Karen- Is Harvesting love betweeen both parts of her cake and learning she can eat it to. She´s working on maintaining the fine balances in life, self respect and is getting excited to do the things she can´t on the go.

Andy- Focising on pressence. Patience. Contentment. Catching beautiful waves in soft warm waters. Under refreshing rain storms. Rainbow skies. Tropical cost lines in my eyes. Dirty fingers gardening in the day. and many prayers to sichebenieptevan...God of seven balls, to whome my supplications have this far produced scanty results. Hence the patience mentioned above. Slowly buy surely, I take big work...one step at a time. : )

Max- Focusing on yoga, gerneral mental and physical health. Hoping to find some answers to cosmic curiosity through beginning a practice.

Kaise- Focusing on getting back to full gealth so I can surf some waves for the first time. Also learning more of the history of Nicaragua so I can pass on yje history to everyone.

Celia- Hey everyone at home in P-town! Love you all. Focusing on keeping a positive state of mind, and being active. Learning to surf here in Nicaragua.

Bobby- Opening up my arms and my mind. Shedding the shell of uselessness, harmfull characteristics: seeking my truth all the while.

Heidi- Trying my best to soak up as much knowledge as possible here at Parque Madera. I´m learning that is possible to combine my dream career of sustainabilty, Botony & living abroad. Tyler is extremely inspirational & I am excited at the thoughts of what is to come in my future.

Dan- Focusing on keeping focused. Loving the beautiful beaches and weather and people of Nicaragua. Hopign to get plenty of surf time. Working on all aspects

Alex- I am wanting to work on being consistent and being content with who I am and what I want to be. Focusing on how I can be the best person I can be and doign this while catching the biggest wave I can... without dying. = )

Thanks again to you parents. I can´t explain how thankful we all are. We love it!