Preparations

Well we had a scare with Forrest's health yesterday and ended up in the ER.  We saw his doctor today and he gave the go ahead for Honduras/ Costa Rica.

So we are scrambling to pull together our packing for the trip.  We are heading to Honduras with Biosphereexpeditions.org to work with scientists to check the health of the reef system there.  (The second largest reef system in the world).  Costa Rica is with I-to-I.org and we will be protecting sea turtles.  

We are excited and looking forward to not only do good but to see an area of the world that is both beautiful and known for its hospitality.  

We leave tomorrow at 5pm and have a connecting flight in LA before Honduras.  We will be on a research island.  The expedition leader will post every 2-3 days and we will have access to web and email so we will try to keep up on this blog and emails.  

Please join the blog as when you do you get updates sent to your email when we update it.  

Love you all.

Last Day

Well we are finishing up in Puerto Vallarta.  Overall it has been really nice.  The weather hasnt been too hot.  The hottest being right after a rain storm as the city gets VERY humid.   The people, the bay, the beaches, the city are all beautiful.  It is definetly still a very inexpensive and wonderful place to visit.  

I would be lying if i said i wasnt ready to come home though.  the last ten days i have been suffering on and off from an imbalance in my digestive system.  I have suffered from nausea, cramping, loss of appetite, etc.  It has been miserable and i havent been able to get out much.  i did manage to force myself to go to the Writer's Conference down here.  It is put on by a writing group (mostly Americans) and they did a wonderful job.  i got a lot out of it.  it is essentially my first creative writing conference.  

Linda Ellerbee was the keynote and she was inspiring and striking in her presence as usual.

We leave monday (24) to get back home late monday night.  I have to say i am ready to return home even though it will be short lived.  We are turning around in four days to head to Honduras and diving.  

The Spanish Experience Center was spectacular.  I have a lot of the structure down its just a matter of me learning vocabulary.  i believe i can accomplish that through Rosetta.  I also need to just practice it as i am a little shy with it.  but nonetheless a great experience and well worth coming down to Mexico to learn. 

The town is crazy this weekend with Mardi Gras.  Everyone knows how to throw a fiesta in this town.  

Not much else to write until we start our Central America.

Puerto Vallarta and Spanish School

I am sorry it has taken so long to make an entry.  I have been super busy since arriving in PV on January 22.  The house we rented is beautiful.  It is four stories high, has two bedrooms and four bathrooms.  We have deck on every floor except the ground of course and a rooftop terrace that is huge, has a beautiful view and a great space for hosting.  

It is situated downtown PV and is just a 10 minute walk to school.  It has been great to be situated where we are as we are a lot more surrounded by native Mexicans versus the American, European and Canadian transplants.  Not that we don't enjoy meeting them. It just seems we are a little better immersed where we are now in everyday Urban Mexican life.

The people are so friendly and helpful.  Especially, like most places, when we attempt to speak the language.  

The Spanish Experience Center is an amazing little school.  The classrooms are no more than five people per teacher and they do an immersion style learning model.  I was the student last week but this week i have three classmates.  A couple form Canada (Quebec) and a student from Denmark. I have already learned a lot but nothing where i can form any complex thoughts.  my greatest challenge at this point is having enough vocabulary.

We have had it mostly low key so far.  Forrest and I had a spa day yesterday after school.  But before that mostly hanging out, going out at night (only on the weekends for me) and relaxing on the beach.  

Our travel plans at this point are that we are staying in PV until February 22 and then we head home to get ready for our expeditions.  In March we go to Honduras to dive and do species cataloging in the reef systems.  We are attached to a science group and are going into highly protected areas where no one but scientists are allowed.  our next trip is Costa Rica where we are patrolling beaches to protect sea turtles coming ashore to lay eggs.  We have a big trip planned for the Galapagos and Forrest is still making plans for Machu Pichu for us.