Panama to Costa Rica, then Costa Rica and Nicaragua with my sistah!!!

I arrived in Panama knowing that where I was landing was going to bring completely different adventures and challenges alike. 

First, we landed in a small airport far from the city - not in the big Tocumen International Airport I was planning for, so I had to take a $15 taxi into the city. Then, we drove into this big, clean (in the inner & touristy parts) city with elaborately shaped skyscrapers in all directions...AND, I paid the taxi driver in dollars! It felt like I'd landed in a mini NYC.

I stayed at the first cheap (for Panama) hostel I could find, and found myself surrounded by almost solely Americans - there were some Canadians and Germans in the mix as well. And when I went to the grocery store I found Rice Dream, Tostitos Salsa, even Newman's Own cookies, etc. I really felt some culture shock, and got a bit panicky wanting to leave!

So, after an unbearably hot day and night in this big, expensive (for Latin America) city, I bussed it two hours west to El Valle ("The Valley"), a tiny town situated in the crater of an old volcano. On my bus I met some French Canadians - Victor and his mom Nancy. We all went to Bodhi Hostal - one of the best hostels I've stayed at...and I've been in a fair number of hostels. It's fairly new, but boy could you tell that there was some real heart being put into it and always making little adjustments to improve. Really cool!

I quickly got very close to Victor and Nancy.

We spent our whole week there together, hiking up onto the crater for sunsets, going to see the butterfly sanctuary, the orchid nursery, and cooking every meal together. We had a special connection and became very close very quickly.

Each day in the valley brought a new and unexpected adventure on our explorations together: we saw a two-meter-long poisonous snake (still not sure what kind) as soon as we walked out of the "zoo", we saw toucans all around us everyday, we got lost in the mountains, etc. 

We also found a new kind of fruit tree every day, where we would then pick many to bring back to share at the hostel! First we found grape fruits, next many many mangos (this source we returned to every day after that!), then a lemon tree, a hidden banana grove, clementines, and oranges!

All the nature around us was so untouched and pure, and put me in a state of awe and appreciation each moment I opened my eyes and heart to it all! It was a much needed week in nature surrounded by pure-hearted, inspiring, loving people which left me smiling, and spreading the warm love I felt! 💜

Victor flew home a few days later, and Nancy came along with me to Costa Rica where she had to catch a flight the day before Mareika was to arrive. We spent a few days on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica - in Dominical and Manuel Antonio, where we mostly just had a calm time on the beach. It was pretty stormy which made for some amazing sunsets and sunrises, but also meant that it was just hot and humid out. 

In Dominical I got a huge jellyfish sting, but with the advice and help of some locals, as well as some surfer tourists it quickly went away! 

Nancy and I had a very nice time together! Our relationship was a bit like a mother-daughter relationship, yet strong friends! We also helped each other learn our languages (French/English). It was sad to say bye to her, but I know I'll be seeing her soon!

Mareika arrived to San Jose on the 17th, and walked out of the airport to meet me in the pouring rain - probably not what she had in mind for a trip to C America... We spent a nice evening and the next morning in San Jose letting her adjust to all the different things she was now surrounded by, and the next afternoon after Mareika got her nose pierced :) , we took a bus north-west into the mountains. 

Monteverde is a small, touristic town surrounded by cloud forests and beautiful wildlife. We ate some typical food there that evening and then slept deeply, exhausted as we were.

The next day we did a canopy tour through the high jungle treetops and over plunging valleys, on high and long zip lines as well as an underground one, and a big tarzan swing...and then at the end we did a 143 meter bungee jump!!! Absolutely nuts!

That night we went out dancing at a bar in town where all the tourists as well as locals went. It was great to get out into that scene together, and to see her get out and dance with some Latinos! 

Early the next morning we started our long haul to Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua. First we took one bus two hours to the main highway where we waited an hour for another bus driving north to get to the border -another five hours. At the border we went through the overwhelming craziness of going to one place to pay the exit tax, walking a distance and stand in line to get our exit stamps from Costa Rica, paying the exit fee, next walking a few km through no man's land (all the while in the blazing hot sun with our bags) to the entrance of Nicaragua, getting more papers to fill out, another long line, country entrance fees, customs, currency exchange, and then running to catch a chicken bus. After an hour on the chicken bus, we had to take a taxi to the ferry dock where we got on a ferry taking us out onto Lake Nicaragua to Ometepe Island - about an hour ride. And then a final taxi van taking us across the island - which is made up of two volcanos. The hostel we were planning to stay at was booked so we walked and walked for another hour (yes, it was still super hot...and no, we hadn't eaten for a veryyy long time) until we finally found a place to stay. It was such a relief to finally make it, and after an big, and delicious dinner we sure slept well that night!

Before going to bed though, we stayed outside for a while admiring the fascinating fireflies lighting up the night, and then soon after, the stars! It was pretty magical!

The next day we spent on the "beach", where Mareika tried (a bit too hard) to get her white winter skin tone to match mine. She was pretty pink by the end of the day!

That evening was pizza night at our hostel, meaning we got our full of freshly wood fired, thin crusted, and oh so flavorful pizza!

Afterward, we, Mareika and I along with a few others, went into the woods to admire the fireflies. No one really knows why, but suddenly I heard a thump on the ground next to me, and when I turned on my headlamp, I saw Mareika had fallen off the rock she had been sitting on, and was unconscious on the ground. She had landed with her head on a rock. It scared me so much. I kept her down for a while, and then when I got her up to walk up to our sleeping hammocks, she only made it a few steps before collapsing unconscious again. I watched her all night, and made her drink water....

The next day she said she felt 100%...so, we had a good breakfast, did some yoga, and set off northward to Granada.

Six hours later we finally put our bags down in a hostel! That afternoon Mareika started to feel ill, and then she spent the whole evening and night throwing up, not even able to keep the tea, PowerAde, or water I gave her down. 

The next morning she woke up feeling the same, and then when she went to take a shower fainted on the tiled shower floor...and then fainted again when she came out looking for me, hitting her head again. :( We went to the doctor who told us that she had a minor concussion and prescribed us powdered milk, kids diarrhea syrup, and nausea medicine with syringes... Strangest doctor visit ever! 

That evening I got a fever and was throwing up...and then finally the next day we both started feeling better. 

We went to the small town of Masaya just half an hour from Granada for a visit to the amous market there. It turned out to be too much for Mareika as she was just getting her energy back, but I was able to spend a few hours there getting gifts for Mareika to bring back to friends and family (Mareika's not very good at spending $)!

Next we traveled the short distance to the Laguna de Apoyo - a beautiful lagoon in the crater of an old volcano. We stayed at Hostal Paradiso (Paradise) - which is a pretty accurate description, for two days, which we spent swimming and kayaking in the beautiful "lake", and spending chill evenings with new friends!

Next we took a bus to Managua (got some adventurous piercings there) and then took another bus a couple hours further north-west to Leon.

We stayed at a super basic, cheap place for one night and spent that next day walking around, buying bus tickets, going shopping, sending post cards, eating lots, etc! While walking around, Mareika got to experience firsthand how forward some men are around here: a guy grabbed her butt while walking by. It's one thing to hear guys whistling and shouting things at you, and that took some getting used to for her, but it's a whole thing when the touching starts....

We then took a chicken bus (quite an experience), a boat, and a horse and cart to the Surfing Turtle Lodge - a picturesque hostel on the beach on an island, far away from anything! It was sooooo good to finally be on the ocean beach together, swim- get caught in a rip tide!, watch sunsets and sunrises, ride horses along the water's edge, party and dance with travelers and locals, sleep in a tent under the stars, etc. It was so good that we gave up volcano boarding to stay an extra day! Such a great finale to our adventures together!

Our last day together was spent hitchhiking from the beach to Leon, a bus to Managua, and then traveling from Managua, Nicaragua all the way to San José, Costa Rica- including more  border crossing drama. Once in San José we cooked our last supper together and hung out in the familiar hostel with former friends, and the morning before her flight we just walked around the city for a few hours, eating lots of good food and weird, new fruits, and doing some last minute gift shopping! :)

At the airport we pigged out on free chocolate testers together, and then said a happy "goodbye"! 

Although it's not easy for our whole family to be apart so much, I think we've gotten used to it, made peace with that reality knowing that it's what's best for each and every one of us at this stage, and have learned to make the most of each precious moment we get together!

💜👣🌎

Charming Colombia!

Early in the morning, after a long night bus from the border I arrived in Cali, Colombia not really knowing what to expect, and just went to a popular travelers hostel (the easier option when you have no info about a city). That hostel, and supposedly all the other big traveler's hostels in the city offered free salsa classes - not a huge surprise as Cali is essentially the salsa capital of the world!

I found a place to do a short workaway there in Cali because I fell in love with Cali even after just one day walking around and FEELING the city - Cali really has a special energy! 

So, for the next 10 days or so I worked in a small hostel/B&B, painting murals, cleaning, and cooking, along with two Argentinians, and going out to dance salsa every night of the week! I found the Cali acro yoga group and joined all their "jams". I made friends with some guys (while dancing 😊 ) who invited me to go play soccer...which was so great! I found all the "hot" places that the locals went to each day of the week and weekend to danceeee!! And any other time I had, I spent walking around the city, shopping, eating new foods, and observing this new and intriguing culture I was surrounded by!

Then, I learned of my beloved sister's plans to come travel with me in Central America...meaning that for almost the first time in all of my travels I had a timeline! So, I had to make peace with the act that I wouldn't be able to do all I wanted to in the short 6 weeks I had to get to Costa Rica, and decided to choose a few destinations in Colombia, have some quality experiences in each, and I promised myself that I'd be back soon!!!

So, after a fun and lively time in this infectious city it was time to move on. I traveled north to a small town in the mountains in the coffee region called Salento. I stayed at an "Eco Hostel" (a lot of hotels have started using "Eco" in their title to attract a certain crowd...and it works, even though it's usually not really true) outside of the town, up in the hills! It was such a peaceful few days surrounded by nature, hiking in the mountains - Cocora Valley, and just breathing the crisp, cool, fresh air - it was a nice reminder of why I love my home in the Berkshires!

I met some lovely people here, and ended up traveling on to Medellín with a boy from Houston, Texas, where I stayed for over a week. Medellín is a unique city due to it's recent history: Just over 20 years ago, Medellín was the center of cocaine distribution of the world, making it a very violent and in general drug oriented city. It transformed completely when the powerful runners of the operations were incarcerated or assassinated, and is now a beautiful, and "new" city, and one of the safest I've been to for in a while. It was very interesting learning about all the relatively recent events that completely transformed the city an country!

There were health-food stores and cafés, natural material clothing stores, and yoga studios all around El Poblado (the tourist district) that were fun to check out and compare to home, but too expensive to buy anything at. And then walking around the real center of the city was always a lively adventure! Stalls filling each park, sidewalk, and even spilling onto the busy streets, with pushy people trying to sell green mango, guava, sugared coconut meat, "hot dogs", cheap china-made clothing, watches, tupperware...and cocaine, weed, glue, etc. It was quite an experience walking along a street line with people shooting up right out in the open. Another thing that called my attention was that probably over half the women there had had reconstructive surgery. But, what stands out most prominently in my memory about Medellín (Colombia in general, but especially in Medellín) is the people. So helpful, going above and beyond to ensure I was safe, happy, and enjoying their country. It's truly a city of drastically contrasting extremes.

When in Medellín I spontaneously took a pole dance class, and instantly fell in love! I only took two classes, but thanks to my flexibility and athleticism, by the end I was practicing with the advanced class. I hope to peruse it more seriously in the near future - when I am at least somewhat stationary in a place where I can delve into classes!

I decided to then fly up to Santa Marta (cheaper than taking a bus) which is on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. I didn't realize how completely different everything was - especially the "costeño" people - here on the coast. I think their rude behavior can be blamed on the unbearable, miserable heat and humidity. My goodness it was intense!

I spent a couple days in the small town Taganga right outside of Santa Marta, just enjoying observing and exploring my new surroundings, and trying SUP yoga again in the picturesque Taganga Bay. Then I went to the beautiful Tayrona National Park for a much needed week disconnected from the modern world of technology and all the other distractions around us, sleeping in a hammock on the beach, and eating any food I managed to carry the long hike into the park, along with foraged coconuts and mangos. (:

Next I took a bus to Cartagena, an overwhelmingly touristy city, with a beautiful colonial style "Old Town", a LOUD nightlife...probably because that's the only time it's bearable to step out of the air conditioning. I spent a few hot days here (actually got a cold from the AC) before flying south to Bogotá. I only spent one afternoon in Bogotá as I had a flight to Panama the next morning, but I managed to get a pretty cool view of the city. I went to the Gold Museum, and then jut walked around for a few hours! It was a fair bit colder than the other places I'd been in Colombia because it's higher in the mountains. I saw a teenage boy earning money on the street by racing his three guinea pigs while people bet on them...along with many other interesting things! Bogotá is where the studious Colombians go for the top universities, so it had a much more intellectual feel to it!

I pampered myself that night with ginger, garlic, chili soup and lots of tea, and the next morning caught a flight to Panama, marking the end of the longest period of time I've spent one one continent in over 2 years!

On to more new and exciting adventures...!

When I Realize I'm Getting Used to This....

It's funny: there's a point in my travels when I stop taking photos, writing blog posts, or sending my family updates about my whereabouts and well-being because everything around me becomes the norm. I am no longer appalled by the constant whistles, honks, shouts, and grabs I get from men while walking through town. I have gotten completely used to the unbelievable quantity of trash all over the ground, and the people's tendency and even habit of simply chuck their empty water bottle or plastic bag out the window when they feel they don't need it anymore. Even the children throw their candy wrappers and right into the river or ocean... Three full-sized, dead pigs stacked on the back of a motorbike that's wizzing through traffic, someone threatening a fellow businessman with a machete over a transaction disagreement, or a bus driver picking his nose hairs while driving a packed bus through a congested city don't surprise me anymore. A 20hr bus ride in a freezing cold bus, squeezed in with the locals, all sitting on hard seats (or standing) doesn't bother me any more - especially if it means paying just a fraction of the "gringo" price.

And then, on the other hand, it takes a much bigger jungle snake, spider, or lizard, more colorful sunset, taller mountain, greener canyon, or and even taller stack of perfect mangos to bring me to taking out my camera, because I'm just LIVING it! 

I have seen so many stunning children, landscapes, cultural ceremonies. I have met such interesting, inspiring, and influential people that I'll never forget. I have been exposed to many ugly habits, angry,  aggressive, and abusive men and drunks, have been scared, especially in vulnerable situations plenty of times. I've been followed for a nerve wrecking distance in the dark, and been robbed multiple times. I've been offered every drug imaginable and seen people obsessively shooting up right out in the open, in the middle of town. And am constantly, unfairly and aggravatingly manipulated out of my money. I have experienced poverty and need - from a distance as well as first hand. I have felt proud and fortunate to be a healthy, American-German girl, who has been able to earn the funds and has found the courage and motivation to travel around the world, learning more than you or even I can imagine. And, on the other hand, I have wanted to cover up and hide my nationality(s), gender, social status, age, and other things that define me, usually in attempt to better fit into the culture I am surrounded by and learning about; but sometimes it's out of embarrassment by the automatic preconceptions and judgements our actions have made people have about us.

All these experiences -and many others- aren't things I had expected to see or would ever happen to me, and I have learned from each one and gained perspective that will help me approach my life with more clarity, patience, etc.

So if any of you are awaiting any sort of update from me an have been disappointed by the silence you've received, I apologize. Try to understand that I am doing my thing, living my life HERE and NOW. I would love to be able to share all this with alll of you, and would love for you all to be able to experience this, that...and so much more! Sooo much love!

Ayahuasca in Ecuador

After leaving the farm, I took a bus to Santo Domingo, and then the next morning made my way to the land of the Tsachilas, accompanied by Eliza and Julie (friends from Wisdom Forest). Tsachilas are a spiritual people of the Ecuadorian orient. 

We arrived in time to help them build a Temascal for that evening, in preparation for the ayahuasca ceremony the following evening. We spend about an hour collecting the large, partially burned, big, fan leaves for the roof, and the long, split and stripped bamboo poles for the frame, from all around the woods. We started by drawing a circle with an approximate 4 meter diameter with a stick and vine compass, and clear and level the space. Then made a frame out of the bamboo, and then made the roof with the big, fan leaves (layering them in a way that the heat wouldn't escape and rain wouldn't enter... (See photos).

That evening we did a Tamascal ceremony. With the Tsachilas it was much more ceremonial and spiritual with vented waters, songs, spirit calling, etc., rather than hot, and physically challenging and cleaning like at Wisdom Forest.

That night we got to sleep at a beautiful Eco House high up on a jungle hill, surrounded by tropical fruit and cacao trees. It down-poured all night long, and we woke up in the fresh, wet, and sunny paradise, looking down over a big spread of jungle.

That day we are fruit for breakfast and nothing else all day to prepare our bodies for the ayahuasca we were going to drink in the evening. At around 21hr we did another Tamascal for one final cleansing, and then at 23hr our Shaman performed the Ayahuasca ceremony. First we inhaled a squirt of strong tobacco tea in each nostril (supposed to give us a bit of a high), and then took tuns going to the shaman for our ayahuasca drinking. 

Once we drank the strong, bitter liquid, we all sat around in a cleared space in the forest. There was a dwindling fire there which acted as a good source of light for us to each get to a comfortable space, and warmth for when some of us got the sensation of extreme cold during the trip. 

It was all an interesting experience, and I could describe all the dirty details of the hours of nonstop puking and diarrhea I and most everyone else experienced, and the paranoia and visions I experienced, etc. I am glad I did it, and grateful I had the opportunity to do it with this tribe, but it'll be a while until I am ready to try it again.

The next morning I woke up feeling extremely hung over: dizzy, nauseous, tired, feverish, irritable, etc. The shaman took us down to the river and performed another ceremony, this one using rose water, and other scented alcoholic waters that he put in his mouth and spat out in a misty spray, to "cleanse" us, and then we took a fried gourd and used it to pour the sacred waters of the stream over ourselves. It felt sooo good to be cooled off by the icy water!

Wisdom Forest 💚

I came to Wisdom Forest, an Eco Yoga Farm and Ashram in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, to check it out for a week or so, and to let my heart catch up to my body after so much fast moving around. It turned out to be just what I needed (although it took me a while to realized), and I ended up staying 2 1/2 weeks (longer than I stay in most places). During this time I cleansed and strengthened my body and my mind so thoroughly. That wasn't my intention when I decided to come, but through the daily yoga, meditation, a very conscious, all organic, vegan diet, hard physical work- mostly serving Mother Nature, freedom of media/Internet, surrounded by the beautiful, lively jungle and so many good people -- giving me a renewed sense of strength and power. Living this wholistic lifestyle gave me the time and space to tune into myself and to bring out my creativity, re-discover my strengths, and work on my many faults. It helped remind me of the pleasures found in simple, beautiful, non-materialistic life, and reconnect me with nature -and in such a new and exciting way!

The day I arrived was a Sunday - a bit of a chill and rest day at Wisdom Forest. We all decided to head out for a waterfall hike early. So, about 10 of us walked down to the small, winding, jungle road and hitchhiked a few miles up the road, then walked up a long dirt road before reaching Pimpilala. I wish I had pictures of this majestic hike we did, but as we were climbing under and up waterfalls it wasn't wise to bring any electronics along. We hiked for a couple hours following a stream curving its way through the jungle, past impressive, big trees, squeezing through ravines, climbing up gushing falls, all the time under a high and hanging canopy of vines, huge leaves, and colorful flowers! We were all the while in the company of big jumping spiders, minuscule, brightly colored frogs, sprightly birds, well hidden, beautiful tropical snakes, and all the loud jungle noise makers! The walk back to the road was a slippery mudslide down the steep hillside, leaving us cut up, bruised, covered from head to toe in mud, and smiling from ear to ear! It was the kind of wild, all-sense-stimulating walk people pay hundreds to be guided on, and here we were, free in the wild jungle! 

I only spent a few short weeks here, but boy did it feel like longer! And, I am going to try my darnedest to tell you some of the countless things that awed me everyday, although I'd have to write a paragraph for every minute I spent at this special place in order to express how much it meant to me.

Wisdom Forest is a community of followers of Vedic Principles starting up an organic farm and nature reserve. Their were some house rules inspired from the Hare Krishna religion like: no eating/tasting or drinking in the kitchen as it is a place of meditation. All food must be "offered" to Krishna before being tasted or served, because Krishna has provided us with everything and so deserves it first. No onions, garlic, or mushrooms are to be eaten, as they are aphrodisiacs (sexual relations are prohibited before marriage). No intoxicants. There is meditation and mantra singing (optional) every morning at 5am, and afternoons as well. Yoga every morning before breakfast (also optional). We all ate breakfast sitting in a circle on the floor. 

Etc.

The community welcomed me in, and right away made use of and truly appreciated my work ethic and knowledge of garden work, cooking and nutrition knowledge, and my handywoman smarts. It was great feeling like I had a purpose, and that my efforts were coming to something, especially when I would see a big smile spread over faces when they tried a new vegan recipe I brought to the farm: giant fiddlehead ferns, or vegan borritos, or vegan carrot/beet/zucchini bread, banana flower salad, banana coconut ice cream, Etc. 

I also learned some new and truly interesting and useful skills from them: how to plant, care for, harvest, ferment, and dry cacao, and then how to make chocolate, how to make "vegan cheese" (fermented oats), and kinds of sprouts, how to cultivate, care for, and prepare bananas and plantains, yucca, pineapple, sugar cane, chonta, papaya, papa china, guava, oranges/lemons/limes/grapefruit, turmeric, ginger, guanabana, and many other fruits of the jungle, learned a lot about yoga, meditation, religion, shiatsu massage, people, etc. 

We had some activities that added an integration element to our otherwise mostly isolated community. Every Friday we did something called the Spoon Revolution, where we would cook a huuuge pot of healthy vegetarian food which we would bring to Tena (a small city, 1/2hr away), and serve in banana leaves to any and every passerby. We would give them all an educational paper explaining how unnecessary it is to eat meat at evey meal, and how many lives vegetarianism can save. It was amazing to hear and see their awe at how delicious a simple dish of rice and veggies could be without any meet, and then talking to them and hearing them say that they wouldn't live as long if they didn't eat meat. The kids coming home from school, and the poorer workers on the street would remember us and come back the next week for the FREE MEAL!, and then little by little would also pick up on what we were trying to promote.

On Thursdays an Ecuadorian Krishna devotee and I would go to the market in Tena and ask at every fruit and veggie stand if they had anything they were throwing out anyway, and in this manner collected SOOO much free food. We'd come back to the farm with 30 bell peppers, 6 pineapples, 6lbs of radishes, 20 plantains, 40 carrots, etc., all with little brown spots, but after some time, effort and love was put in, we'd be in town smiling and making a difference - and almost for free!!!

The owner of Wisdom Forest also had an English school where we would go and spend some time with the kids, teaching some basic English through games and activities, and sometimes take them out on trips! It was great getting them out into their beautiful jungle which they so rarely explored, and to see their faces light up from the beauty and adventure!

On my last evening at Wisdom Forest we did a Temascal - a sweat lodge ceremony. It took one person a full day's preparation in order to collect all the firewood, and then get a big fire blazing over some large volcanic rocks for 6-7hrs. 

At 8pm, the 10 of us participating in the ceremony stood in a line for the ceremony entrance. I was the first in line and stood (in a bathing suit) with arms spread for my body to be covered in stinging nettle (ortiga). [This tradition is thought to bring the pain and suffering of our ancestors into our bodies, before the purifying and cleansing of the sweat lodge and chanting, which would liberate us.] Next, I stepped into the swimming pool (hand built out of stones, only using the natural drip of the stream as it's water source).

I then crawled into the low, round lodge, lined with banana leaves, and with a hole in the middle for the glowing rocks that were being taken out of the fire! 

It was all done very ceremoniously, to the beat of drums and the hum of a shaman who was conducting it all.

Once we had all come in one by one kissing the earth and saying a short, silent prayer upon entering, circled to the left in the pitch dark, the shaman took the big, red hot (volcanic) rocks out of the fire and placed them into the center of the small lodge.

The Temascal carried out for 3 "rounds" of about 20 minutes of loud chanting, as the shaman ladled herb infused water on the hot rocks, and drummed rhythmically. Each round was hotter and more intense, with the option to leave between rounds and cool off in the pool. All but three of us stumbled out of the Temascal, falling out of heat dizziness after each round, and only about half of the 15 made it through to the end.

The last round was so hot, so long, so loud, so intense that we all entered a deep meditation. We had to crawl out and wait in or near the pool for 10-15 minutes before we regained our equilibrium and state of mind enough to walk.

We had to do the Temascal on an empty stomach for pretty obvious reasons, so even though it was 23h by the time we made it back, we indulged in yet another incredible, vegan meal - a novelty at Wisdom Forest.

I left, with tears in my eyes, from this beautiful place with some friends...more on our next adventures...

Quito, Ecuador ... and now onward!

If or the past week I have been in Quito, 

volunteer working at a quaint little Tourist café, serving a Louisiana inspired array of food. Quito is a big, busy, and pretty dangerous city, but it is also surprisingly clean and well organized: a trolly and metrobus public transportation system, city bikes available to all, foot police at every intersection, many police on horseback in all the parks, etc. It is discouraged to leave your house/hotel/hostel with anything valuable, and at every moment you want to have a hand on any belonging along -even the locals walk around with their backpacks on the front of their bodies, hugging the bag. This, along with the unwritten rule of not walking around after dark -alone or in groups-, is all due to the large number of muggings,

and robberies -most armed with at least a machete- that take place here. 

This city is also extremely fun to walk around the city observing and participating in their day to day life. Every day the streets are lined and bustling with  people selling homemade ice creams and whipped creams in cones, selling all kinds of art and jewelry, men with their little portable shoe cleaning thrones, women with grills and stoves on wheels setting baked plantains, steamed cows stomach, fried, crispy pig's skin, carts selling coconut milk as well as whole coconuts, candies, or toasted beans, women with $1 baggies loaded with avocados, pears, apples, plums, lychee, mangos, maracuya, and other fruits, people selling toilet paper, lottery tickets, door mats, seamingly all at $1, and homeless people missing limbs, or with big visible tumors, or a hole in their head, begging for food of money. There is never a dull moment during the daylit hours of the day!

I leave this morning for the Amazon Junglefor about a week, where I'll be working with a community of followers of Vedic Principles who are starting up an organic farm and nature reserve to protect part of the Amazon rainforest and the animals within. I know this experience will be unique to any I have lived so far on this trip, but how that'll look, I can't even imagine!

This pause in my movements (staying here in Quito for almost 2 weeks) has proved hugely helpful and important for me in getting my head around where I am and where I'm going...! I don't have any set plans yet beyond the next week, which is nice. But I do have a bit better of a feel of what my options are, what I'm surrounded with, and what I am in search of!

In the past week working here I met some interesting people -a built closer relationships with them than anyone in a long time-. One thing I learned during this time is that I really neeeed to stop trying to cover as much ground as possible (which Mom and I had to do because of our time limit), jumping from city to city, and as a result skimming right over the rich culture without really living it. I need to not replace quality with quantity, and  rather stay for some time in a few places, immerse myself into the community and surrounding environment.

I have been applying to a bunch of workaways throughout Colombia, as well as to some sailboat crew/deckhand jobs to sail around the Caribbean for a bit...and I guess I'll just have to wait till I come back to civilization and Internet in a week to see where my path will lead to next!

Sending love and warmth to all back home! 

Iolani and Mama travel!

Fiona (mama) speaking: I feel honored by this opportunity to share in a portion of Iolani's long journey for the last two weeks! She greeted me at Lima airport with joy, everything organized, and 'emoliente especial' (a typical Peruvian herbal drink). Iolani had worked at a hostel in the city for 2 weeks before my arrival and knew her way around. Our time together was intentionally left open except for my departure out of Quito two weeks later, leaving us little time to linger anywhere!
Kerstin, who was also in Lima on those days, shared her room with me ~ thank you Kerstin!! The  3 of us had an evening together with a great dinner and even a bit of dancing....At some point during  our time out on the city my phone disappeared :-( 
After a lot of deliberation, Iolani and I decided our next stop would be Machu Picchu! The choice to make that journey was shrouded in high costs, yet a sense of obligation to ourselves and the country we were in. Cuzco is a highish altitude city near the sacred valleys with its own rich Incan history. Now, it's a vibrant bustling place with lots to see and taste! In order to reach Machu Picchu, we took a train and a 'collectivo' to Aquas Calientes, slept a bit, and got up early to start our hike up! 
Wow!! Truly awesome!! It was helpful to here the guide describe the purpose and deep wisdom of this complex accomplishment built so very long ago. We stayed there exploring for most of the day, hot sun so much closer than usual yet the desire to stay, see and understand as much as possible.
Then it was time to make some decisions and to prioritize. I was still determined to experience Iolani's travel style of thrifty creative methods of getting around, eating, and sleeping on a very modest budget! Due to the high mountains between us and the coast we had to take a bus south and around before we could head north. 

All night and part of the next day was spent in the bus looking out at ever changing landscapes. Lush, green mountains, dry, desert pus canyons and then flat lands, etc. 

We first got out in Ica on the coast and were tempted by a taxi driver to take a look at Huacachina, an oasis town surrounded by huge desert sand dunes. There we were presented with all kinds of fun options like sand boarding and vineyard tours but I, Fiona/mama had very swollen ankles, was exhausted and grumpy, and already tired of tourist traps. So we hopped on another couple buses, and that night we slept in the small beach town of Paracas.
OK, the swelling went down, my spirits came back up and I realized we are tourists after all so Iolani magically arranged two seats for us on a boat. We were going to the Islas Ballestas (the Galapagos of Perú) to see the wildlife  there. Sea lions, penguins, pelicans and many more had fairly undisturbed reign over islands of rock outcroppings. This was part of the Reserva Nacional de Paracas. 
The next leg of our trip involved another night bus - changing over in Lima, where we were helped by a coked up taxista - and on to Huaraz, a remote, inland city surrounded by high mountains. We got there (completely exhausted from traveling) at about 7am, just in time to take an 8 hour bus tour of an area filled with wonders. The sight of an entire town that had been destroyed and covered by an earthquake and then an avalanche, a large turquoise glacier fed laguna, and much more, all eloquently described in Spanish for the group and patiently translated for me by Iolani.
We chose to keep heading north that night on another 16 hour bus journey through the peruvian desert and then a collectivo' with a some flat tire issues...in order to arrive to and stay on the beach for a couple days. Finally, after many complicated bus and can changeovers, we reached Màncora in the region of Piura and the beach we'd been craving. Our dear Safir had also just arrived there with her companions and we shared information and drinks, lots of sunshine, beautiful beaches, uncountable fresh ceviches, and some well earned rest for two days. And then we caught another night bus across the border into 
Equador.
Iolani discovered an idyllic sounding hostel up in the mountains a couple hours south of Quito in the Cotopaxi National Park called the Secret Garden. We booked two nights there in a tent with a perfect view of the Cotopaxi Volcano. It was popular with the world of trekkers and each morning a trip would head out on some great adventure. We joined a long and uptempo horseback ride through the foothills of Cotopaxi, made it back for lunch then headed back out hiking for some waterfalls. The next day I was beat but Iolani chose to go on another climb up Pachoa, another volcano!
I had just one night and one more day until my flight out of Quito. After a couple minutes of research Iolani had chosen a hostel for us and we drove a couple hours, arriving that evening.

The next day we explored the city and found lots of good food and an astonishing amount of innovative public services. They had a great bus system through the city, drinking water fountains, parks, traffic police at intersections and even a bicycle cooperative - all of which are very rare to see in S America!. We explored the various markets and finally found the place to buy the gifts I had hoped to bring home with me. 

Even though it had only been two weeks I could not imagine saying goodbye to Iolani and each of us continuing on our individual paths!
Now after dodging winter storm flight cancellations and a day of standby status in Atlanta, I'm sitting at home in front of the fire. My luggage is supposed to arrive in Hartford soon and I hope that's true!
Thank you Don for your loving support, Iolani for your patience and guidance, Roadside for holding down the fort and all dear people who made it a great trip!

P.S. Many photos on my and Iolani's Facebook timelines!

Arequipa, Perú - featuring El Misti

I arrived in Arequipa, Peru at about 21hr, and took a taxi with another girl who was on my bus to a hostel she was booked in, close to the center of town. I went to bed relatively right away and slept so well that night, voluntarily waking up at 7am. As I was standing outside of the bathroom waiting for my turn to shower I saw a billboard promoting all different kinds of tours up mountains and down canyons. I hadn't done any research at all on Arequipa, but the receptionist saw me looking and mentioned that El Misti was the city's famous volcano -I later found out that that has to do with the fact that it tours over the city, it is an active volcano and has been pronounced "ready to erupt", in which case it would most likely destroy the whole city.:

I asked her about the 2day1night tour and she told me that I was a difficult hike up El Misti leaving at 8am and returning the next day in the afternoon. I asked if she could sign me up for the that day. When the owner of the hostel called and talked to the guide, he came to me and asked me how I was physically, and I told him that I was pretty capable of climbing mountains, but I had never done this one so obviously I didn't know. He then tried to talk me out of it saying that there were only 4 athletic boys signed up to hike the mountain that day and they didn't want to be held up.

I emptied my big pack and within a few minutes was picked up my the guide and the 4 "athletic boys". We went to the tour office to get all our gear: tents (I was the only one who had to carry a whole tent alone because according to our guide girls aren't to tent with boys), sleeping bags and mats, snow pants, jackets, pots and utensils, 5+ liters of water each, food, our own snacks (lots of chocolate), etc., and then we drove about an hour until the jeep could no longer take the mountain road, all the while looking up at the daunting cone we were to conquer!

We set off enthusiastically, and were quickly slowed and lectured by our guide about the continental "mountaineer's pace" that would save our legs and energy for the tougher parts of the hike when there were more elements acting against us. So, about one short step per second at a time we made out way up, up the long, dusty path. Up, down and along small canyons, up small rock faces, around small cacti (and a few other plants that could hold their own way up there, high above tree level in the desert), stopping every once in a while to breathe deeply, drink, eat, and gape at the ever bettering beauty bellow! 

Some 5 or 6 hours later, at 4:39ish, we arrived and the highest possible base camp (we as a group decided to push on, hopefully making the 2nd day more manageable), and got to setting up camp (setting up tents between rock walls we built as wind barriers) and making dinner!

We ate our carb-packed dinner while watching the sunset light the sky on fire, and then at about 19h we all climbed into our tents ms curled up in our sleeping bags to try to sleep -which turned out to be quite difficult. Every single time I was able to calm my excitement and anxiety enough and fell asleep, I would [semingly]  immediately wake up gasping for air.

At 1am we were woken up by our guide, and with all our clothes and snow clothes on we gathered around the little camping stove in the dark to drink some coca tea. Coca tea (made from the same plant as cocaine) helps against altitude sickness, and gives energy. We were lucky to have all made it to that point without any real altitude sickness that would stop us, but every meter higher we went, the more difficult it would become to breathe regularly, meaning that our muscles, brain, and all other organs wouldn't be getting the proper amount of oxygen... 

We left our tents set up and set off with only our packs, water, snacks, and any extra clothes we had, small, rythmic step by small, rythmic step up the steep mountain to the light of our headlamps. This time we had to stop more frequently (every half hour or so) for a short break to catch our breath, steady our heads (and maybe take a painkiller), and recharge with some chocolate and some by chewing coca leaves. 

After a couple hours, as the sky was starting to light up, I didn't feel in need of the breaks we were taking, so I asked to go on ahead. I was completely aware that I had to be careful not to let myself get too confident and forget to pace myself now that I didn't have the guide setting the speed, because once I got sick that was would be it.

I focused on my every step, keeping my breathing rythmic, and paying close attention to how I felt as I progressed up the mountain. It was a great exercise at controlling my mind -because any time I'd let the thoughts about altitude sickness or about how I was kicking all the guys butts, I'd find myself starting to feel it or getting overly confident and going too fast. 

I finally made it to the crater (5,600m) at about 6am, and then made the final push to the summit (5,825m / 19,110ft)! Wow, those last meters were sooo painful and labored, but upon arriving all I wanted to do was jump and scream!!!

The others summited one by one about 1/2hr after me, and just dumped their bags and lay down, limbs spread every which way, not wanting to move an inch. It was an amazing feeling knowing we'd made it - and all of us!!

Looking over the crater:

Neighboring mountains:

So, after some nice summit time, we started down the mountain, back to our base camp, by way of a short cut: running down the steep slope of deeep sand (similar to the volcano on Java, Indonesia that I hiked), instead of the zig zaggy path up rocks we had used to ascend. 

We packed up camp and then hiked down the rest of the mountain with the last of our energy:

We arrived at the road where we'd been dropped off, to our ride and some beers waiting for us!

Victory!!!

I spent a few more days in Arequipa, with my new volcano friends! One of them knows a bit of acro yoga, so that was our daily activity: find a park, play around, and then go to the market for food!