Colombia

   Colombia was never high on my to do list but after spending a short 4 nights in the country I wished I reconsidered when I originally booked my flights. My first taste of this charismatic place was Cartagena, which was an easy first love. This charming spanish colonial city lies on the Caribbean and its the perfect place to get lost in. The walled city has many attractive squares where locals gather, cobble streets are for both horse carriages and cars, and there are countless lovely colourful buildings with flowers spilling out of their verandas. Woman with bright coloured head raps and long flowing skirts sell fruits and oversized avocados and painters roam around presenting tourists with their original work.

   Cali, on the other hand, is the complete opposite as its a large cosmopolitan city that beats to the sound of salsa. The city is known as the salsa capital of Colombia and that was the reason I decided to stop in for a short visit. It is crammed with great places to dance from the many clubs to the bars and even the streets serve as a popular places to bust a move. The salsa here did not disappoint but it was completely different than anything else I've ever experienced. Their version of the dance has many kicks, heal swivels, and fast footwork that leaves you dizzy just watching. Of course I tried it for myself and had enough experience with the other forms of salsa to get by. Just as I started picking it up the club broke into a line dance with the leader putting together fancy combinations of moves that the crowd followed. Everyone got right into it as we dipped it low just to pick it up slow, which resulted in a very sexy version of the electric slide. 

   Most Colombians (and pretty much all the places I've traveled to so far in this region) mistake me for a local, especially if they see me on the dance floor. The tanned skin and the dark curly hair is what probably throws them off. Conversations usually start off with the locals rapidly speaking to me as I stare back wide eyed and confused. Then I start speaking to them in my broken Spanish and they quickly realize I'm not one of them. They are usually very intrigued so the conversation continues with a few chuckles along the way. 

   This is exactly how I made friends with one of my dance partners on the first night out in Cali. Jonathan was great to dance with and led me through spins and heel kicks like a pro on the packed dance floor. As a gentleman, he walked me home and invited me to come to the zoo the next day. I happily excepted and we ended up spending many hours comparing our cultures as we starred into cages full of exotic animals. Later that evening we met up with his friends for some drinks off the side of a liquor store, which is totally normal in Colombia. The night obviously ended with more salsa dancing but before it was all done I made a bunch of new local friends that really proved to me that Cali is just as much about the friendly locals as it is about the dancing. Colombia, I have a funny feeling I'll see you again!

Colombian woman in Cartagena

Cartagena

Cartagena

Cartagena

Cartagena

One of the many clubs in Cali

Salsa DJ the good old fashion way

A toast to all my new Colombian amigos

26-30 NOV 13

The San Blas Paradise

   Sailing through the San Blas Islands has been one of the most memorable experiences so far on my trip. After all the running around I've been doing it was great to finally relax and actually vacation for 5 days. I boarded the Mintaka with 7 others in Portobelo and we sailed for 5 days to Cartagena, Colombia. Manfred, the captain, and his wife Petra were great hosts feeding us to the rim with delicious meals like lobster and fresh caught fish. On the final day we even caught 2 Yellow Finned Tunas weighing 13 and 17 kilos that served as an amazing supper!

   There are over 350 islands off the coast of Panama with only a third of them inhabited. They are self governed by the Kuna people with hardly any interference from the Panamanian authorities. Here you find little rustic thatched huts among palm trees that belong on postcards illustrating a tropical paradise. The water surrounding the islands is clear but as you get deeper it changes to turquoise and finally it melts into an azure blue. Sail boats and catamarans anchor themselves along the shores and the Kunas often come to visit offering fish, crab, lobster or hand made molas and jewellery. The Kuna woman dress in traditional garments including a blouse, a mid length skirt, a head scarf, and a string of beads wrapped around their calves and forearms. Men, on the contrary, wear jeans or shorts with T-shirts and baseball caps.

   We got to sit down with a chief running one of the islands and enjoy some coco locos which is a coconut topped off with rum that translates into crazy coconut. It was great to be able to ask questions and just interact with him and his 7th wife who joined us for some drinks. To clear things up, the first 6 either died, left, or divorced the guy. I must have had too many cocos as I asked him how much his wife was instead of how old she was. Everyone laughed as my cheeks turned bright red and I corrected myself immediately. She didn't seem to mind at all and even took it as a complement. 

   During the days the gang and I enjoyed our time snorkelling or simply lounging around in the water. There were so many star fish and the reef was amazing with bright fish and coral all around. We spotted sting rays and even a few ship wrecks. Stories of captains neglecting their boats are common in this area so you have to be very careful when choosing a ship. My recommendations is to find a captain who owns the boat and has a second crew member on board. Avoid overcrowded boats of more than 10 people because unless the ship is huge you will be over packed with little chance of enough safety equipment. Make sure to research your captains diligently and hopefully even see the boat before departure. Some captains have many names to hide the true tales about their ships. Lastly, make sure you are prepared for a 2 day crossing meaning you won't see any land for a full day.

   I loved my time at the San Blas and really thanked myself for choosing this boat trip instead of the scary and shady boarder crossing. I would definitely recommend to take this trip if you are in the area and the Mintaka is a great boat to experience this tropical paradise!

A Kuna selling team offering the fresh catch

The chief and his 7th wife

The coral and fish

21-26 NOV 13

Portobelo

   Portobelo is a small coastal town that is mostly used by sea adventurers like myself to board their ships to Colombia. I got here from Panama city via public transport and rode the badass school bus with the locals. This giant piece of metal is painted in all different colours and looks like it should be used as a party bus with its blasting sound system.
   Portobelo, on the contrary is sleepy town with a population of less than 3,000. It has a few forts that have been conquered and rebuilt a few times by Henry Morgan and a few others. The architecture that you see today dates back to the 17^th century and it was really interesting to walk around at this free attraction. There is also a short trail that leads you to an old watching post at the top of the hill which gives you a nice view of the town.
   Another main attraction is the black Christ that is kept in one of the main church that was built in 1814. This guy is world famous as the town people believe he saved them from the plagues and the statue is said to be also responsible for miraculous deeds in the lives of his devotees. Around the church you can find Kunas in their traditional cloths, the indigenous people of the San Blas Islands, selling mulas and other hand crafted jewellery.
   I stayed at Captain Jack's hostel and it had most of your basics. Dorms were interconnected and I was put in the one in the back that housed the bathrooms and showers so foot traffic was frequent all through the night. Unlike most hostels Jack's didn't even give you breakfast but it did have a book exchange that I was happy to partake in. With a backpack my size its impossible to travel with more than one book so its great to swap it in for a new one when I'm done. My best advice for anyone thinking of throwing on a backpack and hitting the road is keep it light! This is difficult to do but you will be thanking yourself for not taking all the stuff that you thought you might need. Worst case scenario is you'll buy some fresh stuff, as if you wouldn't anyway!

The harbour

The fort

The lookout

Musical school

A public buss infront of the church

Sunset

Kuna woman selling mulas

20 NOV 13

Panama City

   Getting to Panama City was my least favourite part of the entire experience. After saying goodbye to the girls I hopped on a boat, then an overnight bus, followed by a taxi. The entire thing took over 13 hours and I checked in to my hotel exhausted at 6 am. At this point I couldn't be more thankful for my 5 star accommodations at the Riu Hotel. This place was far out of my backpacker budget but it was complementary with the Riu points I acquired from my travel agent days. It couldn't have come at a better time as I immediately cuddled into my king size bed with 4 very soft pillows and the room all to myself. Even though my backpack was out of its element I felt right at home in my luxury surroundings.

   Upon awaking from my slumber I got right down to business, after all I only had 1 day to see this city and I was eager to get started. The most practical thing to do was to get myself on the hop on hop off world famous bus so I can hit all the major spots. My first stop was the hike up Ancon hill that gave you 360 views of the city. I power walked all the way to the top in record time as this was a piece of cake compared to the tougher hikes I experienced in Costa Rica. The views were great but the highlight for me was seeing a toucan so close I could touch the bird.

   The next stop was the canal. Luckily, there were 2 huge ships coming through when I arrived. One of them even reached the maximum width of 106 feet only giving it 1 foot of wiggle room on each side. I watched in awe as the boat raised and lowered with the water to allow a safe passage to the other side. The neat part was watching the same boat go through the Bridge of Americas as we drove to Flamingo Island on the bus.

   To finish the tour I jumped out at the old city, which was full of stunning colourful colonial buildings. Squares gathered locals and kids ran around passing soccer balls. Church bells rang in the background and street food overpowered the smell of the city. As the sun went down, I walked along the boardwalk soaking in every last bit of it.

   What I particularly enjoyed about Panama was how clean the city centre was. The impression I got from my short stay here is that the city genuinely cares about its up keeping and practices recycling, which I haven't seen much of in this part of the world. So far Panama has also been the most budget friendly place and the locals were really friendly. Maybe I can squeeze in another visit when I have to work my way back North on my way home. After all I still have another Riu night calling my name that even offers eggs benedict during its complimentary breakfast!

My backpack at the Riu Hotel 

The Toucan at the top of Ancon hill

View of Panama from Ancon Hill

The old City

19 NOV 13

Can You Spot The Trail?

Here it is, just incase you missed it!

Feeling The Love - Sintiendo El Amor

   My name means love in Russian. I always really loved that. I guess I'm always looking for it in the people I meet, the places I see and everywhere I move. Getting my self here has been a journey. One that was planned through spreadsheets and many maps. I wanted to travel Central and South America for many years and I watched my life transform into just that. At home in Vancouver I had a great job at Flight Centre that took me for a spin all over the world. The time away was from the highest standard but it always seemed so brief. The comfort and opportunity of things kept me in the shop for two and a half years as I moved deeper into the corporate world. I was keen on saving up for something that takes me further. In the last year I saved around $10,000 and that is when I decided to change everything and become a full time traveler.
   It was hard leaving my comfortable life in my brand new decked out condo in Vancouver. It was even harder to leave my family and so many people I loved around me . But it was outside the safety zone that I knew I would find it. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for because right now I'm just concentrating on the moment.
   I bought 12 flights for just under $1,750. It was really cheap because I am an amazing travel agent and the job always had great travel perks. The Teaching English Certification in Costa Rica cost me $2000 and it included my own comfortable apartment along with class costs. Sailing from Panama to Columbia through the San Blas Islands was another $550 well spent. For an additional $1800 I booked an epic trip to the Galapagos with Intrepid, which I am certainly looking forward to! The remaining half of my budget goes towards my daily backpacker expenses.
   I know I'm on the right track because I wear a smile and I feel connected to nature and the people around me. I feel the love through the sun on my tanned skin and the softness of the sand between my toes. I see the progression in my Spanish as I try desperately to communicate. Relationships form naturally and from a deep open place in my heart. I let all the love in as its the only way I know how.
I follow along on my self paved path.

New Light

 

Crossing into Panama and Bocas Del Toro

   As a gateway into Panama, Yana and I spent one night in Puerto Viejo. All the locals advised us that the Caribbean coast was more dangerous so we tried to avoid it as much as possible. After a full day on the public bus taking us from Manuel Antonio through San Jose and to Puerto Viejo we were thrilled to check in to our private room at Kaya's Place. This colourful hotel was cozy and had all your basics covered. Even the cold shower was welcomed at this point without any hesitation.
   To make things even better we picked up a third lost girl. Jen originally came to Costa Rica for her yoga training and got a lot more than she bargained for. She decided it was her new home and the tico man at her side sealed the deal with his kiss. Now, she needed to do a visa run, which basically consists of leaving the country every 3 months for 3 days. Luckily the time coincided perfectly with our trip and we got a new companion!
   Our transfers came early in the morning and took us to the border. Few questions were asked but a ticket out of the country was required to pass on through. We crossed a shady bridge that looked like it was on its final legs in the pouring rain, which made the situation even more scary. Somehow we all managed to get across and with our new stamps we were ready for Panama!
   After another bus and 2 boat rides we finally made it to the well known Aqua Lounge. This over water bungalow hostel is famous for its party atmosphere during the day and night. There are 3 swings and a trampoline you can use to plunge into the ocean from and we took full advantage of them all. We were less than happy, but not too surprised, with the full blast sound system that kept us up till the early hours of the morning. After one night we decided we needed a more relaxed and sleep friendly atmosphere so we hopped on a tiny motor boat and left for Bastimentos Island.
   The nice part about this island is there is actually beaches here unlike the buildings that extend all the way into the water on the other islands. Panama sells water access properties to any one willing to pay for it so the only way to get into the water is via a dock. Bastimentos, on the other hand, made a few of its beaches into parks so you get to actually enjoy stepping into the Caribbean and feeling the sand between your toes. My favourite beach here was Red Frog beach, which is named after the little red frogs that bounce around in the area. This place is great for surfing or chilling out with a beer, which is what our trio preferred. We even got around to having a private session of yoga at a view point overlooking the majestic ocean, which I loved!

   If you do end up going to this part of the world and want to check out Bastimentos DO NOT STAY IN TOWN. This place is super dodgy and you'll end up in your room for the rest of the night as soon as the sun sets. We stayed at Bocas Bound and really loved the quite surroundings. We made a great home cooked meal in the communal kitchen and this is where I got the inspiration to write my first blog post.
   The saddest part was saying goodbye to my entourage and facing the next chapter of my journey on my own. It's all part of the adventure and I know I have people all over the world following along and sending me their love. Thank you to each and every one  of you as you give me strength and the support I need to keep me going!

Aqua Lounge Hostel

Me enjoying the water hopping

The entourage 

Bocas Del Toro 

Yoga time

16-18 NOV 13

Manuel Antonio

   Yana and I were ready to venture forwards but we were not expecting 2 motor failures during our short boat ride to Jaco. All other boats charged $40 but we found someone who did it for $5 less. It was definitely not worth the savings! The journey was supposed to take only an hour and we finally reached land 3 hours later soaked, cold and hungry. Somehow we managed to negotiate a shuttle to our Hostel for just $10 each and were able to put the experience behind us. 

   We were happily greeted by friendly staff and a fantastic view at Hostel Vista Serena, just as the name suggests. We were even more thrilled when we scored our own room for 2 nights with toast and coffee for breakfast. We expanded the included products into french toast and formed a gourmet meal.

   The biggest attraction in the area is the famed national park which now sits at the top of my favourite parks list. We watched white faced monkeys playing in the trees, aguitis scavenging for food, iguanas roaming the beach and a racoon nearly got our lunch before I chased him away. The hikes were breathtaking and full of worthy views to keep us climbing. The swimming conditions were idyllic with warm turquoise waters and soft white sand to complete our picture perfect day!

   For after park drinks we rocked up to El Avion, which as it sounds is a plane. This plane used to function as a C-123 which was shot down during the Iran-Contra affair and now houses some great food and drinks with a spectacular view. The sunset was stunning and the toucans kept our eyes on the trees. A trip to Costa Rica would not be complete without a stop at Manuel Antonio!

sunset at Hostel Vista Serena

Manuel Antonio National Park

A stare down between me and the white faced monkey

White faced monkey baby holding on to mama.

Pura vida at Manuel Antonio National Park

A new pilot for El Avion Restaurant

sunset at El Avion Restaurant

13-15 NOV 13

Montezuma

   It was a pleasant surprise to find a companion to travel the rest of Costa Rica with. Yana and I were like two pees from one pod. We were both born in the USSR and could speak Russian as well as fluent English or broken Spanish. Both of us recently quit our office jobs in Canada to explore a new world. We met through the TEFL program and shared the same passion for nature, adventure, and so many other things.
   As the newly formed duo we tackled Rio Montezuma one branch at a time. This so called "trail" was full of tree navigating and river crossings that spiked our adrenaline instantly. The howler monkeys kept us motivated as we leapt forwards. I was mesmerized as soon as I saw the first waterfall. This iconic 24 meter drop carries tons of water and tumbles into a large pool that is deep enough to cliff jump into. I  was terrified when I saw a local Tico boy heroically climb the waterfall and take a pledge of faith, head first, into the pool.
   Our own crazy climb continued with the aid of sketchy ropes and long spiralling branches along the hike to waterfall number 3. This natural playground is perfect to get some Tarzan shots as you rope swing into the pool. There are also some great places to cliff jump around the top of the waterfall. The only way to get to the second pool is to jump 15 meters, which I watched a Tico man survive. I would still probably not recommend it.
   Montezuma itself had a laid back feel like most beach towns out there. Hammocks flock the idyllic coast lines and there are plenty of coconuts to keep you hydrated. The food choices are

few but they were all very good. My favourite place was Puggo's and there was even live music when we had dinner there. The Moussaka dish was awesome especially accompanied by the freshly baked Turkish bread baked by an Israeli woman. I love meeting people that inspire me!

The first waterfall

The "trail"

Overlooking into the second pool

Tarzan along with his rope swing

Montezuma central

Hammocks are plenty

The crab on the cliffs

Sunset

11-13 NOV 13