Travelling and Arrival

Thanks to Forrest's mom we got to the airport bright and early thursday morning.  We got to LAX and this time were in the newer international terminal.  it was better than last time but LAX still does not hold a special place in our hearts.  

The flight to Lima, Peru was good.  We flew LAN and were very impressed.  The plane was  a 767 800 and it was very spacious.  I have to say i think i prefer going long distances in a 767 rather than a 747.  8 hours later we arrived very late in Lima.  The airport there was great and we literally had to walk across the parking lot to the hotel. We later realized there was a sky bridge and could have avoided the taxi gauntlet but nevertheless we survived.

We greeted by a wonderful hotel staff and got two free drinks.  The local specialty is a  Pisco Sour.  It reminds me of the traditional Daiquiris. Not the strawberry monstrosities we serve in the US but if you have ever had one you know that unique Daiquirie flavor.  We dont have them in Washington only strawberry and they arent the same.  Anyway these drinks were like the old ones except more bitter.  

The next morning we got up and got on a LAN to Cusco. It took one hour.  The LAN crew were amazing and efficient.  We were only in the air one hour but got drink service and a snack. (a considerable snack).  We met four sisters who were in Peru for the first time too.  They were very nice and we had a pleasant conversation with them.  

The descent into Peru was a little hairy but the view was nothing short of spectacular.  Imagine a very high up (12,000 ft) valley with a city in it surrounded by mountain peaks.  And the people are so polite rivaling Costa Rica.  We arrived at our hotel and we couldnt figure out why everyone was insisting on doing everything for us and wanting us to relax and take it easy.  It was only after we got a introduction and welcome, personally, by the owner of the hotel (Torre Dorada-- we highly recommend btw) that we understood why the insistence.  We were 12,000 ft up.  we had gone from sea level to 12,000 in one hour.  To avoid altitude sickness we have to take it easy, drink coca tea and stay hydrated.  The altitude was only first evidenced to us after climbing two banks of stairs.  We were short breathed, struggling, feeling faint and woozy.

It is supposed to take two to three days to acclimate.  We met an Australian couple on the way back from town.  They have been here 36 hours already and the gentleman was still struggling.  He had to have oxygen (which the hotel has on hand).  

We went to the square after a four hour nap for dinner.  We ate at the Inka Grill and had an amazing Pepper Steak.  We started off with a great appetizer too and finished with a fresh made chocolate tart.  It was a much needed, anticipated and enjoyed meal.  We walked briefly around the spectacular plaza at night before succumbing to our altitude induced limitations.  

A good start.  Tomorrow we have our meeting with the Inca Trail tour group.  We will soon see just how challenging this hike will be.  We leave on Sunday for five days.  Thankfully after we see Machu Pichu we take the train back.  

That will more than likely be the next post.

And We're Off.....

We leave tomorrow for our South American Tour. This is an exciting trip for us, as the trip has each of our dream spots. I wanted to do the Inca Trail and see Machu Pichu. Lee always wanted to go the Galapagos. 

We head of tomorrow for Peru, arriving in Cusco two days early to get used to the altitude before doing the Inca Trail. It is a five day adventure (all between 9,000 & 13,000 feet) along the orginal trails cut into the rocks by the Inca. Cusco itself is at 12,000 feet. We then have a few days in Cusco and might do a sidetrip to Lake Titicaca. 

We head to Lima, where Lee will relax in luxury (or whatever hotel I put him at), while I head down to see the Nazca Lines. They are figures created in the desert miles wide by a pre-columbian civilization we know little about. 

The off to Quito, Ecuador - the first UN hertitage site. This is the best preserved Capitial city in all of South America. We are back up high again at 11,000 feet. We booked some down time in this city too. 

Towards the middle of May, we head for Guayaquil, Ecaudor to get ready for the Galapagos cruise. We are going with Lindblad, which is the cruiseline if National Geographic. There will be National Geographic Photographers onboard. We could have never affoarded this cruise without the bad ecomony, so it will be a treat. 

Now comes in the audience participation part. We arrive in Buenos Aires May 24th for two whole months. We have a two bedroom apartment on the border of Palmero/Recoleta. The extra bedroom is for whomever wants to come stay. We will have US phone numbers during the stay, so if you want to call us, just send an email. 

We are back in Seattle in late July for a few weeks, then off to Europe until we are broke. Everyone keeps asking what will we do after traveling. That is easy - WORK! Lee is thinking about going back to school, but unless he finds a sugar daddy, it will be work for both of us. 

We will have internet access off and on throughout the trip, so look for posts. If you do not see a post for a week or so, you know we are someplace remote. 

Monte Verde and Arenal

We drove in from the Pacific Coast Friday to San Jose. It was Forrest's first real driving in the country since we rented the car. It took us about four hours total but we made it fine.

Along the way we had stopped for lunch in another beach town just north of Quepos. It was full of surfers (mostly foreigners) and was really hopping with activity. We ate at a taco bar called, Taco Bar. It was really a cool place. the eating area was like a bar setting with stools on the inside and then on the outer seats swings. like playground swings. in the middle of this circle of seats was a salad/ taco fixings bar. you ordered your tacos, and how you wanted the meat seasoned then they bring it all out to you on these long wooden platters.

the food was great, simple and hot. Forrest wants to open one up now. it was quite clever and it seemed to be THE place to eat.

We arrived in San Jose in the afternoon and stayed in the hotel we had stayed before for one night and then we headed out to Monte Verde early the next day. The drive was very pleasant but the roads get a little bumpy and curvy outside of the central plateau of San Jose. The cloud forrest was beautiful and the eco lodge we stayed at was very nice.

The next day we headed around Lake Arenal, a beautiful area, and headed to fortuna which is a town at the base of Mt Arenal. The volcano is a perfect cone shape. in fact if you asked a child to draw a picture of a volcano they would be drawing this one. it is perfectly cone shaped with steam coming up out of it. we were told by a naturalist that it is very similar to Mt Saint Helen's in the type of volcano that it is. It is also the most active one in the country.

We went zip lining and met some really nice people, including a delightful family from Colorado. After the zip lining we had to ride down from the canopy area by horseback. it was my first time on a horse. I was terrified but survived. My horse was a sweetheart. Forrest's had a little spunk but nothing he couldn't handle.

In Fortuna we stayed at this private resort. The owners were absolutely wonderful and really made us feel at home. Their property was beautiful and close to everywhere. It was a peaceful and relaxing setting. in the evening we took a guided tour of the jungle and the mountain at nightwith a nature guide.

The next day we got up early and headed for the airport. Along the way we stopped off at a zoo that specialized in local species. it was wonderful. saw an Ocelot and Puma up close. beautiful animals.

The airport itself and ride home was uneventful. We landed in LA and got to the hotel by 4 am. We are taking a break here to give me a chance to talk with the British Consulate about some paperwork and documents i have been waiting on. i have a contact now and someone to help me with the process.

We plan on staying here until friday before finally arriving home.

Manuel Antonio National Park Costa Rica

The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is beautiful. We arrived last week and were pleasantly surprised to find our room had a spectacular view of the ocean, the jungle and the rocky islands that dot the coastline.

The Costa Rican people thus far have been absolutely amazing but the true meaning of Pura Vida is not experienced more authentically or completely except on its coasts. Where the Caribbean Coast had a very Jamaican flavor, the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica had a very Hawaiian feel in their attitudes. Everyone is on Island time. Forrest and i did not want to leave this beautiful laid-back place.

The beaches are amazing, night life exists, and there are plenty of great restaurants. At night you hear the sounds of the ocean and the jungle and so the ambiance is unmatched. It is a place for every budget. We stayed in a nice resort, not the most luxurious but there is something for every lifestyle, budget and temperment. places focused for families, couples, newly weds, students, hikers, surfers, people on a tight budget and those who are not. There are eco-friendly hotels, camp-sites and resorts where luxury and decadence abound. You can stay in a hostel, a campsite, a budget beach hotel, villas by the shore, or a myriad of different star hotels up along the single road that leads down to the beach.

The beach is beautiful and goes along way. if you are looking for quiet you will find it. if you are looking for activity you will find it. It is also next to a national park and refuge and so you can take tours of the jungle to see the local wildlife (monkeys, sloths, butterflies, toucans, bats, etc).

But it is the people, the locals and those who make their way to the west coast that make it a pure gem. Forrest and i had a private guide who took us to the national park (he was a naturalist) and he was funny, had a great eye for spotting things we would have never seen by ourselves and he was very thoughtful and atuned to making sure we were having a good time.

While enjoying the beach we had a little accident. i fell off some rocks and ruined my camera and while Forrest tried to grab me he fell too. He injured his toe. Having had a bad injury in the tropics before we decided to make sure he got his looked at to avoid the nastiness i experienced with mine. He went to go see the doctor (they have nationalized medicine). He got in right away and got treated. He got some powerful ointments and even got his nail removed to help in the healing. The doctor was very concerned that we knew the care was first rate and very clean. We of course had no worries as we had already noticed.

That is the thing we noticed most about the country. Sustainable practices, an atuned attitude to striking a balance between the locals and the ecology and how both need the other. Investment in critical services and infrastructure. From transportation to utilities to setting aside ecological reserves to conservation and sustainable practices and national healthcare the country has its priorities. Costa Ricans are proud of their country and their accomplishments. A big reason there isnt much expatriation.

We decided to get a car so that we could see more of the country. Forrest wanted to try his hand at driving and of course he has done a tremendous job. Even the trip back to San Jose and in the city was great. He did such a nice job. And trust us its scary being a pedestrian much less a driver.

Before we left we tried our hand at repelling down a waterfall. it was so much fun. It was 40 meters high. it was dry season so it wasnt gushing but it was wet enough to make it an experience.

We were sad to leave the coast but for our last few days here in Costa Rica we have some great trips planned.

We want to come back for sure and seriously everyone should think about a vacation here. the land is beautiful and the people are wonderful.

Costa Rica Update

Well Forrest and I have been in Costa Rica for about a week now and we have had a set back.

We met up with our i-to-i contact and the rest of the group and headed out to Guandaca on the Carribbean Coast. It was a six hour mini-bus ride there because of the washouts in the road, etc.

It is quite literally at the end of Costa Rica on the Panama border. When we got there we were quite literally in the middle of the jungle and surrounding that was a swamp and surrounding that endless banana plantations. the host family we were assigned to were personal friends of the i-to-i coordinator. a wonderful family, who were very accomodating and helpful and just lovely.

the "village" itself was at the end of a long road and was made up of a settlement of a few houses (no less than 50 people including scientific station staff) there was a bar, a restaurant, a small store and most of the inhabitants opened their homes for homestays. the residences were not fancy but very comfortable and clean.

at night we heard the sounds of the jungle, mostly monkeys (howlers) and owls and other strange noises. we went to visit the beach and saw where the turtles come ashore. we even got a short walk to the research station and along the way saw a really LARGE and LONG something moving along a path. on closer inspection it was a "column" of army ants moving their nest. the column had to be eight inches wide and stretched in front and behind as far as the eye could see. they were carrying the eggs, larvae, and pupae. they didnt seem to bothered by our observations. up further along the trail we saw columns of leaf-cutter ants carrying what else but cut up leaves. in addition there were lots of birds and howler monkeys and squirrel monkeys (making noise and throwing things at us) to ward us off. it was mostly half eaten fruit but a few members got hit with, well, lets just say it used to be fruit.

at night the the mosquitos came out. and that is when forrest and irealized just how close we were to the swamp. we had all our shots and meds but no netting, or deet could repel them. and we learned on arrival that we were not allowed to wear deet on our night patrols because of disturbing the turtles and preventing them from coming up on the beach.

the next day, utterly miserable (we had been eaten alive in honduras and had little patience left) so we talked to the coordinator and decided it was in our best interest to back out. she understood and got us in the next taxi out of Guandaca.

the taxi was very interesting. we got picked up in a van that ran up and down the single road. it picked up EVERYONE on the road. in the end our taxi that comfortably seats 10, held 18 people. im not exagerating. and those of you who know me and forrest know we had our luggage in there too.

we eventually got to the next biggest town and got on a bus to San Jose. it was another six hour ride. since then we have been enjoying San Jose. the people are very nice. we have booked a week long stay on the Pacific Coast, which is supposed to be beautiful. when we return from there we will be heading home after a short stay in LA for me to do some business with the British Embassy before coming home.

We are disappointed about not seeing and working with the leatherbacks but we think it was the right choice.

And We Are Off

We head out tomorrow morning for Gondoca, Costa Rica. It is a small town in a the Gondoca Nationatioal Park with about 75 people. Costa Rica has been a nice suprise, it is a good place. Honduras gave both of us a parting gift that our stomachs did not like, so we did not see much of San Jose before we are heading out, but we are both better now. There are 26 headed out with us tomorrow, but only about ten our headed to our project. Lee and I are the oldest by far, compared to the last project where we were easily the youngest (I guess no one our age does volunteer vacations:)

We are staying at the house the coordinator stays in. She say the house is humble, but the family is wonderful and the the owner is the best cook in the village. The Coordinator will actually be at the house all but 5 days of our stay, so we are in good hands. She is already arranging a dive trip for us in the Pamanian Islands. We decided to cut one of the three weeks off this volunteer trip and are going to find something more comfortable. We have had enough sand flies.

I am off to bed, another early start (we have gotten up at 5:30am, 3:30am and now 4:45am three out of the last four days). It is going to be hard to switch to night shifts.

take care and miss you all. Remember, internet and phone will be limited for the next two to three weeks, so if you do not hear from us, no worries.

Forrest & Lee

The "Damage Girls". We all surveyed reef damanage and disease. Connie and Suzanna from Germany. I miss them already. 

The dock at Cayos Cochinas

Our lovely accomodations

Cayos Cochinas Research Station and our home for two weeks. 

One day to go

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We have one more day here in Cayos Cochinos, just outside of La Cieba Honduras. We recently found out the house next store is where the Honduran president comes for vacation. It actually looks quite nice compared to our modest cabins (no complaints though, we have running water, drinking water and solar energy for some lights at night.

Today was a good day. We broke up into two teams and got four Reed Checks done. Our afternoon dive was canceled due to weather, but we went from being behind eight dives to four. We are using our clean up day tomorrow to try and get them finished. Cross your fingers. The team here is finally gelling which is a relief. Lee and I got put back on fish counting since we broke into two teams and we are the experienced counters. We are also helping with substrate, which is identify what is at the ocean floor every 1.5 feet. This is one of the toughest jobs as you have to get right into the coral. We did very well.

A few days ago, we took an afternoon trip to see the local villages. The people who live on these islands are descendants of a slave rebellion. We toured various projects trying to get the villages less dependent on fishing and instead earning money on eco-tourism. They also showed us the school and the they have a boat they use as a school bus to pick up the kids from the various islands. You could see the African heritage in the culture. One island was a bit of sand with 40 families, very interesting to see, but I still have no idea how they get water or anything else. The kids did African dancing for us. It was great.

Well, one more day of diving, then Friday we boat back to La Cieba. We have the afternoon and over night, and then an early flight to Costa Rica Saturday morning (very early). I am looking forward to a nice steak in La Cieba. We changed our plans and are staying in San Jose Saturday night, the we are headed to Aleuja (sp) to meet up with the Turtle Conservation folks. We have meet and greet and training, then Tuesday morning we head for Gondoca where the Turtle project is located.

A little bit of history for you. La Cieba is the headquarters for the Banana Companies in Honduras and Honduras was the original “Banana Republic”. It looks like a cross between Mexica and a Caribbean island (with very little wealth). The Cayos Cochinas Reserve is the only marine reserve actually patrolled in Latin America (2^nd largest reef in the world) to ensure fishing is done in season and with appropriate methods. The park rangers (think military with big guns) are run by a few times a day. They caught a trolling boat about a month ago, a huge win for here. Of the 14 islands, 3 are preserved, including the second largest island where we are staying, along with part of the largest island. The reef monitoring we are doing is measuring both the recovery from Hurricane Mitch (which destroyed most of the coral) and the success of the preserve. You can still see a lot of the Hurricane damage, although the recovery seems great for only 4 years of growth.

We found the trick for the sand flies and mosquitoes. The answer is baby oil. Lee is slowly recovering from the bites. Although I am unhappy, since they go after me now., at least until our room mate comes to bed.

You should hear from us next in Costa Rica. We send our love.  

Survivor Latin America

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We have settled into camp, and the weather still is not cooperating. We are four dives behind now. We are getting used to doing underwater surveys. Our assignment was recently changed from fish counting to counting coral diseases and reef damage (it is a cake walk compared to the fish). The team as a whole is still not gelling, a disappointment for me. We are also constantly waiting on the staff, often an hour or more – very frustrating. Things are also going wrong constantly, boat motors breaking, missing buoys, not enough full tanks, etc, so it is generally slow going when the weather is good. Lee and I are holding our own, impressive, since the average diver on the team has over 200 dive s and Lee and I have about 20. Our buoyancy is improving at lightspeed (buoyancy for diving means the ability to use your air and breath to not float up or down, but remain at the desired depth – really important when you are working very close to fragile (and sharp coral).

The meals remain a struggle. They changed the cooks just before the expedition and now serve typical Honduran meals, think rice and beans with fat meat thrown in on occasion. We are making it work, but often look at our plate longingly after a day of diving.

They will be filming Survivor Latin America here two days after we leave. The crews are here getting ready. It is actually quite a busy place between film crews, tourist and the like.

For those following my heath (Forrest here), I have recovered incredible well from my recent ER visit and although have an occasional bad morning, have been doing ok despite the meals. Thank god we stopped at a grocery store and brought a half of duffle bag of snacks. Lee has been struggling with the sand flies, nothing seems to stop them from biting. He looks like a pin cushion.

Well, time for bed. It is late (past 9pm). I will write another update in a few days.  

Cayos Cochinos

We arrived in La Cieba over a week a go and met the other volunteers and staff. since then we have been in training for the Reef Check program. We are staying on the island of Cayos Cochinos Pequeno, Honduras. It is a research island. We are staying in cabins that are rustic but do have running water, potable, toilets, showers, etc. we are diving most days but the weather hasnt been cooperating most days so we arent diving as much as we need to be to complete the project. we now have three days and nine dives to complete. it will be a tall order but we should be able to accomplish it. we are all dedicated.

the work we are doing is part of a worldwide network of research that determines the health of the reef systems by checking on populations of key indicator species as well as the overall health of coral (soft and hard).

Forrest and I were assigned fish identification, which isnt easy, but we managed to do very well. we scored pretty high on the id test. it involved us carrying two and half meter poles while following a set transectline over 100 meters long. then we count the fish in that trasect who fall in those indicator fish species. we did quite well. even with us being the least experienced divers. in the short time i have been here i have almost tripled my dive experience. my buoucy control is so much better.

Our jobs were changed yesterday and now we are identifying recent damage which includes disease, damage and predation. not as fun as the fish survey but still useful.

yesterday we got a fun dive in and went to a site where there was a down plane. it was interesting to see how the reef had claimed it and already there is significant growth after ten plus years. its habitat for several species of fish, invertabrates and coral (soft and hard).

We only wish the weather would cooperate more so we can finish the work we came here for. we leave this friday.

the island itself is quite tropical and pretty. it is home to endemic species of iguana, hermit crabs, snakes (no venomous), geckos, land crabs, and plenty of mosquitos.

the food situation has been interesting. we have worked it out but honduran food has not been very compatible with our strict diets. we are coping and they have been more than gracious in trying to accomodate.

as for the team the staff are made up of two english, one german and a honduran scientist. the volunteers are five americans, two germans, an englishman and forrest and i.

its been great experience for sure.