Colombia has a dark past and it is only in the last 10 years where it has been safe for tourists and locals to travel. Many of the towns we visit here don’t typically receive many foreigners and we are finding Colombianos so thrilled to have us in their country that they will go out of there way to disolve this dangerous image that still lingers. We have met so many generous, kind, thoughtful, inviting people here and now we find our bags are weighed down with treasures to remember our experiences of this beautiful country.
David (couchsurfing) seemed to know everyone in the cute town of Chinchinà and although he had a manic schedule with work he was determined to showcase his town. We had a pleasant few hours at a local coffee plantation (Hacienda Guayabal) where we learn about the coffee production process. We took in a lot of interesting things with David but a highlight for us was taking a trip to the market where we marvelled and sampled a range of exotic fruits (see video above). This was so helpful as we often see unusual looking fruit and want to try them but are unsure of how to prepare and eat it. We don’t really want to share this news (but it did happen) that we had our first theft of the trip. Our pump, lock and key, and dog dazzer were taken from us where we had stopped for a break in a bakery. We were literally four metres from our bike but could only see the front half. This could have happened anywhere as we were in a big city and it was a good reminder we need to be more vigilent with Big Bird and valuables. We had hardly had time to feel upset about our loss when we were flagged down by Luis and Aura, two strangers that saw us panting up a hill and wanted to invite us in for lunch. It was very unexpected but perfectly timed. We had an entire conversation in Spanish while feasting on some typical Colombian cuisine, with our favourite being the dessert of sweet baked pumpkin in milk (Ahuyama). In Armenia we were guests of Diego (couchsurfing) and his parents. We were pleasantly surprised when Diego suggested we visit the nearby town of Salento in Valle de Cocora as we had hummed and ha-ed (is that a real word?) about cycling there ourselves. It was a little town surrounded by rolling hillside with all the doors of the buildings painted different colours. It reminded us of the many quaint towns we passed through in Mexico. Two times on this stretch we have been mobbed by curious and friendly locals in the main plazas of Chinachinà and Tuluà. At points we had maybe 100 people around us, studying our bike, asking questions or just simply watching our every move. My sister Emily said we should break out in dance one time and really get them talking! In these smaller towns the local news channels got word of us and wanted to interview us (see video above). We really don’t know how we did at satisfying their questions but we did answer every question! Hopefully we will get the clips put on youtube so you can have a giggle at us stumbling over our Spanish. Just when we thought the terrain of Colombia was all about mountains, we hit our first patch of flat and made exceptional time to Tuluà. Our host here (Elizabeth from couchsurfing) wanted to keep us forever! She and her daughter (Sofia) were such sweethearts and it was difficult to say goodbye. We spent a really chill afternoon at a park with them which has swimming pools, a river, and playing fields. By far the best actiivity was taking a tube ride down the meandering river. We then busted-it to the third biggest city in Colombia, Cali. Typically we struggle with navigating in large cities with our clumsy beast (sorry Big Bird!). The combination of the traffic, multiple lanes, noise and unfamilar surroundings can be stressful. This was not the case here as Claudia and her family (friends of Malo, who we stayed with in Costa Rica) received us at the edge of town and guided us back to their home. We ate so well, trying different typical foods (love the pandebonos)! Eyes were popping watching Roland eat plate after plate, not wanting to waste a morsel! We weren’t allowed to lift a finger to pull our weight but we did sneak in some zuchinni pancakes. We got a complete tour of this sprawling city with the entire family from the comforts of a car and listening to Colombian salsa and Cuban music. Things you may not know….. · Arrepas are to Colombia are what tortillas are to Mexico. Arrepas are made out of corn, are quite thick and complement every meal. Panela, the other Colombian staple is made from sugar cane and comes in large brown blocks. You then dissolve it in water and creeps its way into various drinks (coffee, hot chocolate and juice) and also sweetens desserts aswell. They love cheese here too, they put it in anything: hot chocolate, bread and sweet pastries. It’s actually pretty good with Roland’s favourite being a cheese and toffee donut. · Bamboo can grow 7cms a day and in optimal conditions up to 10-20cms. We have seem a lot of construction here made out of bamboo so it is put to good use. · Coffee bean workers earn 300 pesos (about 15 cents U.S.) for every kilo of ripe beans picked. The most someone has ever picked (on the plantation we visited) was 400 kilos earning him $60 U.S for a very labour entensive day. · You can’t just slap on a stamp and mail a letter here in Colombia. There must be a return address and you need to fill out a form like you would with a package. It is quite the formality! · Over the weekend was the Presidential Elections and to increase voter turnout all bars, clubs and liquor stores were closed two days prior. Fernando (SERVAS) has a sweet apartment that is filled with interesting pieces of art, photography, and artifacts. On arriving, his son (Daniel) whipped up a tasty pasta and gave up his room for us during our stay. It must be in the genes as Fernando too has some pretty mean culinary skills to boot. We exchanged recipes as we couldn’t get enough of his eggplant dip. Over the next couple of days we juggled our time between relaxing, necessary chores (i.e. bike maintenance and acquiring a new stove pump), and seeing a sight or two (none of which were in the Lonely Planet!). We can’t thank Fernando enough for all his help with many mundane chores that we won’t bore you with and taking us to some of his favourite places to hang out in Medellin! On one outing we managed to roundup another Panamerican cyclist by the name of Matt Kelly (http://www.pedalpanam.com/) and Fernando girlfriend, Berta Lucia and headed up to the tranquil town of El Retiro. This is a small mountain pueblo with cool old houses and uniquely hand crafted key holes. We had a ginormous meal, icecream cones and a good oldfashioned stroll around the main plaza. It was rather a pleasant outing! To boot, we got to check out the pad where Matt was staying that was set on a mountainside overlooking Medellin. The air was fresh, the coffee delicious and the artwork in the house quite remarkable. We hope to meet up with Matt and his other cycling comrades down the line. In the four days that we stayed in Medellín (the second largest in Colombia) we witnessed numerous accidents. It’s one place we would not like to drive. Infact, the neighbour of Fernando that helped us with finding a good bike mechanic collided with a drunk pedestrian and fortunately due to having his helmet on) he only had superficial scrapes on his face, arms and legs. We left Medellín on a public holiday so there was much less traffic on the road, as well as Fernando following behind us in his car. He also arranged a police escort so we were very well looked after. The fun stuff:
Barrio Moravia: Community built on a landfill.Please note: These photos are a mix of ours and Fernandos.
Fernando (among many jobs) is currently commissioned by the City Hall to facilitate the compiling of a series of books about Medellín. One afternoon, he needed to take some pictures of a suburb built on and around an old landfill for one of the books. One initiative in Moravia that is seeing great results and cultivating a sense of pride is the community centre that was built about three years in the heart of the neighbour. One of the reasons for its success is that the community had the opportunity to specify what the centre provided, looked like and needed i.e. daycare, internet service, dance and music studios, auditorium for special events and performing arts. The community centre is a beautiful structure and very well maintained but we forgot to capture it on camera! We had three teenagers eager to show us around the neighbour that is slowly shrinking as residents are being relocated to a more healthy environment through a government programme. This neighbourhood had a real flavour about it and although it can be a dangerous place, it was quite invigorating meeting the people and seeing unique, beautiful and not so beautiful sights at every turn. Also, the three boys lived and breathed break dancing and they weren’t shy to display their talents at every chance possible! Just after I had asked Fernando if they were going to remove the hill made of rubbish, one of the boys boasted about how fortunate they were to live in a place that has 360 degree views of the city. Talk about perspectives! The final 50km stretch into Panama City was intense. We both had to stay very focused and aware of the traffic that was speeding by us as the shoulder was non existent or had debris and broken glass on it. We cycled over The Bridge of Americans that spans the Panama Canal but unfortunately we couldn't stop to take in the view.
Two days prior to arriving in the Capital we meet a friendly lady while at a truck stop trying our first Pastellitos (effectively corn fritters) and playing some cards. She invited us to stay at her house and gave us her address and contact numbers. We were feeling pretty stoked as we didn't have a confirmed place to stay in Panama City. We arrived to her house to find no one home so while Roland stayed with the bike I went to find a phone. I had no luck with getting through and on returning Roland said we weren't welcome here. I thought he was kidding but as it turns out the lady's husband came home and politely asked us to leave. This was rather confusing for us as the lady we had meet had been so nice but I guess her husband didn't know about us. At a bit of a loss we cycled aimlessly and found ourselves in front of an Office Depot. We decided to call a SERVAS member that we had emailed but had not heard back from. This turned out to be the right thing to do. Turns out she had received our email a month prior but was not able to reply due to computer problems. She had infact already spoken to her brother about us staying and so when I called she was like "oh great, you are the tandem couple and I've already asked if you can stay with my brother". This was music to our ears and within half an hour we were meeting Geovanna's nephew, Omar who led us back to their house which was close to where we were already. Omar and his Dad, Carlos are pilots and live in the old American military base for the Panama Canal. Their house is set up for leisure and we enjoyed chilling out watching movies in a theatre type atmosphere and lazyboy chairs. They treated us as family and even gave us the use of one of their cars. IWe got to have a typical breakfast with Carlos's inlaws, which we discovered his father-in-law was a famous sport's commentator here in Panama, who had met Muhummad Ali, Farrah Fawcett, Sugar Ray Leonard and many famous Latin American boxers to name a few. Omar took us out on a day trip to see the Panama Canal. It is so cool. The canal connects the Altantic and Pacific Ocean and was completed back in 1914. We went to one of the three 'locks' (Miraflores) where the level of water is controlled as the oceans are 85 meters lower than the man-made lake in the centre of the country. It takes a ship about 8 hours to pass through the entire canal but is a real time saver not having to sail around the tip of Patagonia. Right now they are constructing an additional lock to cater to larger vessels and a larger volume of traffic. Since 1999, the Panama Canal is entirely owned and operated by Panama after the US relinguished control after 85 years. It is the main source of income for the country and an engineering feat they feel very proud of. They are also trying to increase water efficiency and preserve the surrounding environment that is the home to 16,000 types of butterflies and 6,000 types of cicadas, amongst other wildlife. The canal also creates electric power and drinking water for the surrounding district. We shared a couple of meals with Geovanna and her husband Gustavo and two children, one at an italian restaurant that is very popular on Sunday nights with the locals and one at home where we cooked lasanga (thanks to Muriel's (Roland's Mum) delicious recipe). Geovanna gave us a driving tour of the downtown area, which has many interesting and grand towers. Currently, one is being built by Mr Trump that will set you back at least half a million for an apartment. I think we will pass for now thanks. At present there is no official road that connects Panama to Colombia. So we opted for the plane option over the Darien Gap. There was many nervous moments as we had heard from other cyclists that getting bikes and trailors on the plane could be tricky and expensive. Additionally, a tandem bike can only be dissembled so much but Roland did a wonderful job packing it down to 265 linear cms. When all was said and done, checking in went very smoothly, without hassle and cheap. They didn't even measure the bike box! The advice from a couple of tandem cyclists ahead of us (http://www.ericandchristie.blogspot.com/), to leave the handles out on the Bob bag was invaluable. We got a ride out to the airport from our host's friend, Herman, who happens to be a famous Comedian in Panama. Sadly, we couldn't understand his jokes but apparently he is very funny. He does have a great laugh though! It was cool when we stopped at toll booths, people would recognise him. Maybe of interest: *While packing up the bicycle, Roland got stormed by about 50 Gato Solo creatures (see video). Which translates to 'only cats' but we still don't really know what this means! They came right out of the blue (Roland got quite a fright), are apparently endangered, quite tame, and only move in packs. It was obvious they had been fed before and enjoyed a meal of mangos. *Panama has butterflies that have patterns on their wings that look like an owl's face and insects that have heads in the shape of peanuts! *Speed bumps are called dormir policia in Panama and policia muerto in Costa Rica which translates to dead policeman and sleeping sleeping policeman. *See the Salvation Army page for our volunteer work here in Panama or click here. Honest thoughts by Belinda: The last few weeks I've been feeling a strong need to hiberate or live in a hobbit hole for a week or two. I keep having overwhelming urges to be alone or being magically teleported to New Zealand to get an injection of comfort in people and surroundings I know. Right now I wouldn't describe what we are doing as a 'holiday'. It has definately become a mental challenge. While cycling my thoughts stray more and more to life after the trip. Getting a dog, buying a house, having babies, doing a photography course, volunteering with The Salvation Army, dreaming up ideas about different businesses I could have AND hanging out with family and friends (which consumes most of my thinking time). It's strange because if we had to pull the plug on our trip right now I would be truly gutted and yet at the same time the thought of still needing to get through the entire length of South America (which is huge) seems like a really big drag. I've been told this is normal, particularly at this point of the trip where we have reached a milestone but it still makes me question my mental strength and resilence. Physically I see my body changing, becoming more toned and muscular and yet even going up some of the smallest hills sometimes feels like we are climbing Everest. I still don't consider myself a 'cyclist', even after 10 months on a bike. I'm not naturally atheletic. Just the simple action of getting a good peadalling technique has taken months. I think that's why my neck was so messed up in Alaska and Canada. There are times when I feel so inferior to Roland and a weak link as he can always keep going. He may look exhausted and be grumpy but he can still push through it and keep going. He is quite a marvel but also at times makes me feel inadequate. Please note: these are feelings I have created, not something Roland has done to put me down. I also wonder if I could do this if we were on single bikes? I hear about women that are cycle touring on their own and have the greatest respect for them and maybe in part because I'm unsure if I could handle it on my own. In saying that, I am very proud of my achievements. It's something quite surreal to look at a map and know I have gone that distance with my own power. Also, it's something quite special travelling by bicycle; it's very intimate. A unique experience I am so stoked be having and sharing with my husband. It's not about jumping from destination to destination. A lot of our most memorable experiences have been inbetween, passing through the small villages and towns or things we have seen on the road. So many things we haven't captured on film but are very vivid in our minds. One of the hardest parts of this mode of transport is that we are always on display. White, blue eyes, blonde hair, cycling, on a tandem, with a trailor, with dreads, with a beard, with no car and only a tent is a combination that generally creates a jaw-dropping moment for many people in this neck of the woods. It is so lovely to get waves, smiling faces, words of encouragement, thumbs up etc but at times I just want to get on with the business of cycling and observing, without having to interact or being the topic of conversation after we have passed by. Sometimes I just want to be invisible. After thinking all of this I generally end up feeling very selfish as we have choosen to do this trip the way we are doing it. It is not forced upon me and I can stop or change how we are doing it at any time. We wanted a challenge and we've got it. So we go on, feeling very blessed for all the generous people we continue to meet that help us on our journey; continuing to grow in our faith in God and be thankful that we have this wonderful opportunity to explore and experience new cultures and countries; continuing to learn about the value of giving, holding nothing back and expecting nothing in return; continuing to grow in our marriage and understanding of one another and finally continuing to learn more about ourselves and our possibilities. How are we doing? PURA VIDA! Cause that´s what you say when you’re in Costa Rica. You can use it as an exclaimation, a reply to how you are feeling or just to fill in a blank space. It translates into ‘Pure Life’ in English and only became cool and a definitive part of Costa Rican culture after the President said it on television. One would think at about 1500 meters it would be a free ride to the Pacific coast. But our route had much more in store for us! However, after climbing out of the valley from Alajuela we stopped for a well deserved coffee break at a restaurant perfectly positioned to appreciate the spectacular views of the farmland leading to the Pacific. After briefly taking in the resort beach town of Jaco we quickly left (as it’s not particularly our scene) and found a sweet campsite with our very own personal security guard and illumination. Truth be told, we had pitched our tent next to a radio tower and so the guard also had to keep his eye on the tower too. The coastal highway not only gave us teasing peeks of the ocean but two places to stay through Warm Showers. 14kms from Quepos we stayed at Elena’s Finca where she also runs a Bed and Breakfast. We didn’t get to meet Elena but enjoyed a quiet evening to ourselves with the company of her dogs, with Shadow favouring our tent as an excellent sleeping spot. A few days later and just for fun, we decided to cycle up a stupid steep hill for 20kms that didn’t help us in our endevour to go south. However, the views from the top were amazing and also the road lead us to Scott, a fellow touring cyclist who had just completed a tour from Seattle to his home here. It was interesting to check out his Finca and marvel at how he manages to live off the land and only spend 30 cents in a month and a half. We were smoking hot on the way up and Big Bird was smoking hot on the way down (as you can see by the above video). Next thing you know we are in Panama; our 10th country on this trip and the last before hitting South America. From everything we had heard, the roads where flat with generous shoulders and in better condition than Costa Rica. Yes, in parts and then a big FAT no in heaps of other parts. To enhance team moral we splurged and stayed at the Purple Hostel. It’s probably the cleanest and best managed hostel we have ever encountered. Big Ups to Andrea who runs the joint, which is true to its name and is saturated in everything purple from mops to clocks to kitchen appliances and even the washing machine. From prior success staying next to radio towers, another night we found one just as it was getting dark and starting to rain. However, this one turned out to be on the property of a lovely poor farming family. They were very surprised to see us first off and then very inquisitive with our tent, stove, bike and Roland’s hairy face. We felt like fish in a fish bowl but were very grateful to again have a safe place to rest our heads for the night. The following morning they gifted us a flag of Panama to add to our collection. We cycled nine days straight to Panama City from Alajeula and two of the days where we had shelter above our tent it didn’t rain! Go figure! Our last night before reaching Panama City was spent on the front lawn of a eldery couple as the closer we got to Panama the more populated the highway became. On checking with them if it was safe to be camping in the open; they quickly assured us as their son lived to the left of them, another son to the right and directly across the road was their daughter. It was like the mafia. They were super cute and gave us a table and two chairs to use, allowed us to use their bathroom and primed us with coffee in the morning. Interesting stuff: · Costa Rica uses a wooden filter apparatus to prepare coffee. They look pretty fun and simple to make so that’s on the list of things to do when we get back home. · It costs to go to the beach in Costa Rica, like $6. We managed to get in for five minutes for a quick dip and a friendly chat with the security guard. However, we found the rivers a better bet: they were free, cool, fresh, and close to the road. · The conditions for growing are so exceptional that farmers ‘plant’ their fences, literally using trees that continue growing up and around the wires. · Roland has sunk to an all time low with his coffee addiction. He drank coffee out of a cup that had been used to make tuna, mayonnaise and corn filling for our sandwiches. I still can’t believe he even asked me if I wanted some. I may have hairy underarms but I won’t sink that low…….. not yet. · We met some north bound recumbent cyclists from France (Antoine and Hoelig) and we lost track of time inquiring about the road that lies ahead and swapping stories. This is their website: www.velos-andins.com · We have a confession. We are guilty of stopping into McDonalds for a cool treat or two, the occasional beef injection and the sweet sweet air conditioning. In reality this was all of three times in Panama but we went into everyone we saw!! · We saw an abandoned cement truck’s mixing unit on the side of the road. (We know the video is really bad quality and boring to look at but it's to give you a little insight into our day to day life on the road!)
Although the Costa Rica border seemed rather chaotic, we breezed through with no problems. On the other side of the border there was another 6km line of trucks. However, many of the drivers were prepared by setting up camp under the shade of the truck with their trusty old hammock. Once again, immediately after we crossed into a new country we noted obvious changes. There was less rubbish on the road side, more groomed properties with mowed lawns and colourful flowers, the cost of things were similar to US prices and in general the standard of living could be easily compared to life in New Zealand or Canada. Going into the supermarket, I felt like a kid in a candy store. There were so much more variety and products I hadn't seen since the US and parts of Mexico. It was killer because it was very expensive so all I could do was drool and stick to what I went in for.... porridge, pasta and peanut butter! Our first night in Costa Rica was with the GATO tribe (couchsurfing). It was a real treat to have a thai meal (in Costa Rica of all places) and marvel at their home they'd built together from scratch. They had some really neat ideas. We just might tuck a few away for safe keeping! Next we made a beeline to Monteverde where our friend Ellen (who we stayed with in Mexico while learning Spanish) was staying. This town was set in a cloud forest high in the mountains with the only access a precarious dirt road. We opted for leaving our bike on the Panam and busing up. Also, we simply didn't have time to ride up as Ellen was leaving for Mexico the next day. It was so great to see her again. Especially since on this trip we are always moving and meeting new people; it was a treat to meet up with someone we already knew. She said maybe she could meet us at the finishing line in Ushuaia and we thought that would be pretty cool. Anyone else who is interested in doing that please let us know! It was a whirlwind visit to Monteverde. Although there is much to do up there: canopy zip lining, hiking in bioreserves, cheese factory etc. It was all pretty pricey so we jumped back on the bus the next morning and said our farewells to Ellen. I.e. To bus to and from Monteverde cost us in total $8US whereas to simply enter a bioreserve cost $17 each and to do a zip line whosamathingee cost $60 each. Anyway, it was far more entertaining watching the local soccer team trying to play with almost zero visibility, due to the clouds. The cost: PRICELESS! Oooo, just like the Mastercard ad! The word on the street was that cycling the Panamerican Highway in Costa Rica is at your own peril. Although a more developed nation than previous countries we've been through, more money is spent on social and health needs rather than on improving road conditions. As cyclists, the main problem was there was no shoulder and vehicles were impatient to pass even with oncoming traffic. So the decision to get off the Panamerican seemed sensible. Our first mission was to get to Tilarán, 22Kms from the highway. This should have been a simple one hour cycle allowing us to have a carefree afternoon. Yet, true to our style we found ourselves doing it the hard way. Thinking our plan was fool proof after asking two different people if we were on the right road to Tilarán, we set off on our merry way. Ok, so the road has turned to dirt. That's ok, the guy said it was only for four kilometers before we hit pavement again. Turns out we need to start rewording our questions. Yes indeed this road went to Tilarán but it's not the main highway. You need some kind of serious truck to navigate this trail. It was steep, muddy and slippery and uneven. So we walked, pushed pulled and dragged the bike for the next 20kms. One step forward, two steps back. We even had to cross a river as it had been raining so much. In all honesty, it was a really beautiful route and very quiet. The only vehicle we saw in four hours was a beasty four wheel drive going in the opposite direction. It was at this point when we were told we were on the wrong road and there is a lovely paved road all the way to Tilarán. Next time I guess! It was also pointed out to us that this road was not suitable for our kind of bike. Really! Once arriving in Tilarán we contacted our host Daniella from couchsurfing. She was good enough to meet me and Big Bird at a corner store while Roland walked for total of 90 minutes looking for our flag pole as it was missing, which we didn't notice until we arrived into Tilarán. Fortunately he found it after much perseverance... “it will be round the next corner, no, the next corner”. We had a chilled out evening with Daniella and Pucca (her wee dog), spending far too long in the shower washing off layers of dirt and then falling asleep in front of a movie (it wasn't a bad movie, just a tough day). Nighty night! Daniella has a close knit family. It was actually her parent's house where we left our bike to visit Ellen. They not only kept an eye on Big Bird but fed us a typical soda meal* and gave us a ride to the bus station. You couldn't meet nicer people..... the story of our entire trip. We are so blessed! We decided to go a longer way around towards San Jose (the Capital) which was very scenic, had views of lake and volcano Arsenal, and was much more quiet. There were many ideal and appealing places to have breaks so we did! We even had an espresso coffee. So gourmet and quite the step up from the endless cups of Nescafè we are so accustomed to drinking now. Also, passing through other recent countries our options were generally limited to bus stops surrounded by rubbish which wasn't always conducive to relaxing. As a rule, along with secondary roads comes steeper hills. We had our work cut out for us the next two days and we also had our fair share of rain. First time we've pulled out our raincoats for cycling in a while. As you have just seen (well heard) from our video, our first night back in the tent since Belize was rather soggy. We found a perfect camping spot in the jungle and a nice flat surface. However once the rain started (and didn't stop) it was the perfect spot for all the water to collect. So we didn't get wet from above but from below. As Roland said, it was literally like a waterbed...... maybe one could say we were camping in style! We still slept reasonably well but I think it would have been quite a different story if it had been cold as well. Wet and cold: not a good combination. This is also the night Roland's trusty MSR stove bit the bullet. After 15 years of faithful service, the stove sprung a leak and the whole stove caught alight. Roland acted quickly and smothered the fire and (due to all the rain) the ground was very damp not allowing the fire to spread. The next country we can buy a MSR stove is Colombia. We thought we could go a couple of weeks without a stove and just improvise our menu. However, we have been kindly donated our host's stove that we are staying with now. Such a generous gift and ever so helpful for us, particularly as it will save us money being able to continue cooking our meals. We are having a cozy break in the Ramirez household in Alajuela. We found Manuel through SERVAS but have befriended the whole family (Mercedes, Juan, Cecilia, Efrain, and Jafet). They have been very generous with delicious meals, use of the guest suite and computer, and helping us out with fiddly things we need to get sorted. It's been the perfect opportunity to tidy up some loose ends and complete chores that have been nagging at us for ages. For example, rust proofing BOB and the welded bit on our frame and attending to a back log of emails. Sounds boring doesn't it? We have also made the decision to fly from Panama to Colombia rather than go by boat. It's gonna be a bit of work disassembling the bike to ensure it meets the airline's requirements but doable. Now it's just a matter of deciding which city in Colombia to fly into: Cartagena, Medellin or Bogotá. The boat option did sound appealing but we are not sure if we are in the right head space to totally appreciate the ride, also it's raining a lot these days and it's more expensive than flying. We also remembered that back in 2000 we did a sailing trip around some Greek Islands for 5 days with the bus tour we were on so let's stick to the cycling for now. San Jose and the surrounding area (including Alajuela) are set in the central valley highlands, so we are about 1000 meters up from sea level and it's amazing what a difference it makes. We are thoroughly enjoying not breaking out in sweat and wearing pants for a change. We spent a day in the big city with Manuel and simply did lots of walking, checking out used book and clothing stores, people watching, sampling various snacks* that are special to Costa Rica, having a bit of fun dressing up in matching hats and finishing off the day watching Robin Hood at the movies. Finally, this is where we had some parts for our bike sent from Co Motion (our bike company in the US) after our “out of this world” experience in Honduras (see past blog). We have been so impressed with the guys at Co Motion and can't say enough nice things about them. We would also like to thank 'Suspensiones' for receiving the goods for us and to 'Kiwi' Bike Shop for giving Big Bird a makeover. Yes, that is the actual name of the bike shop here in Costa Rica. Obviously, this shop is exclusively for New Zealanders! Next we are off to the Pacific coast again and then into Panama. We will next update our blog from Panama City – the end of the road for us in Central America. Just a bit of a milepost! Interesting points:
The 12 days we spent in Nicaragua activated all our senses and emotions. This country is the poorest in Central America and yet we meet nothing but encouraging, friendly, and content people where ever we went. Often this is seen as a strange concept by 1st world nations and always commented on after visiting a 3rd world or developing country as so much of a 1st world person's perceived happiness is wrapped up in money. Interesting! A benefit for us cycling through this country was not only the beautiful landscapes and good road conditions but the cost of food. You can buy so much for so little, especially if you eat what is locally produced. For example, for 20 Cordobas (approximately $1US) we bought four eggs, four mangoes, seven sweet buns and a loaf of bread. And this was even on an island where they could have charged anything they wanted! Again though, it may seem ridiculously cheap for a traveller however it's all relative. When one may earn only $50 a month, one needs to seriously consider how their earnings will be spent.
Upon arriving into Nicaragua we enjoyed the very green and lush landscapes due to the start of the rainy season and fresh mountain air. Our first few nights were spent in Esteli, a pleasant and very friendly working town which is renowned for cigar and coffee production. We stayed with Isabel (couchsurfing) who is working for an NGO from Luxembourg. She has the command of five languages! We enjoyed a day off here of 'doing nothing inparticular' apart from soaking up some home cooking, daily life in Esteli, and not worrying how much time is passing over coffee and conversation. Thank you Isabel for making us feel right at home! There was a ton of second hand stores here and we thought this would be the perfect place to get some new sneakers. We ended up finding some for the equivalent of $10, however after my (Belinda) first day cycling in them they didn’t cut the mustard. So after a few handy repairs with dental floss from my lovely husband, I’m back in my old trusty sneakers once more. We donated the new/old shoes to the dump for someone else to make good use of them.Managua (the capital) is sticky hot and sprawls from one suburb to the next. Devastated by past earthquakes, many central areas were destroyed and due to no funds and the inevitability of more quakes are now left abandoned. The Parque de Revolucion was a perfect example. Right in a prime location near the waterfront with lovely large parks, museum, government buildings and cathedral was like a ghost town. We were waiting to see tumbleweeds roll past any minute. Instead, we had to settle for watching numerous student drivers taking advantage of the quiet streets. We stayed with Lillian (couchsurfing) who is originally from the US but has been living in Nicaragua for 26 years. We really felt at home with Lillian and loved hearing her thoughts and ideas about poverty, volunteering and the such like. She is one heck of a woman and is really intertwined with the local community. She coordinates delegations from around the world wanting to experience Nicaragua. It is based at the Quaker House in which the funds of this venture goes towards ProNica; which helps support local initiatives i.e. La Chureca (see previous blog entry). While we were there we got to meet an Inuit group from Canada (http://www.nsinnicaragua.blogspot.com/). It was a group of young people at the end of a year of learning about their ancestry, traditions and government legislation relating to their territory. We got to see and listen to throat singing which is like nothing we’ve ever heard before. This is traditionally done between two woman to pass time and create a little bit of friendly competition. It really did sound cool and appears to be very hard to master. Next stop is Masaya only 40kms down the road. It is known for its artisan market so we took advantage and bought our first serious souvenirs of the whole trip. There was hammock workshops a dime a dozen and we really liked some of the typical paintings of the area. Fingers crossed they make it in the post back to Canada and New Zealand. We got lots of attention in the market and had many gifts given to us made out of palm leaves that we hung off our bike. We spent one night with Jorge Luis who was new to couchsurfing. We hope we gave him a good impression of couchsurfers! He lives on a beautiful Finca (lifestyle/farm section) with great views of the surrounding countryside and some good looking dogs too. He is the Director of the Canadian Christian Children’s Fund and it was interesting to learn about their involvement in Nicaragua. Jorge Luis also made it easy for us picking us up and dropping us back to the city center as the road to his place would have been tough to negotiate on tandem all loaded up. Also he is a scrabble fan, a world traveller and has a great sense of curtain style and home decor. Therefore there was no question we had a lovely time with him! Masaya is surrounded by volcanoes, parks and crater lakes. It made sense to stay another couple of nights and so we were kindly hosted by Michael (SERVAS). Originally from Germany, he now calls Nicaragua home. He is very experienced and knowledgeable about waste management and has a keen interest in environmental issues. He openly shares this knowledge with organisations in Nicaragua in the hope of improving standards. His current focus is a bike race raising awareness about the concerns of global warming which happens in the next couple of weeks. Michael was very generous and nourished our bodies with delicious home cooking and gave us access to a laptop where we could make some calls home. He was an excellent tour guide and took us on a driving tour around Masaya. Our final night we shared a meal together at his family-owned Mexican restaurant where we enjoyed some cuisine we hadn't eaten in a month or so. Mexican food is ever so good! In the end we missed out seeing Granada which is apparently a gorgeous, colonial city set on the waterfront of Lake Nicaragua (the 7th or 10th largest lake in the world - can't exactly remember!). We were happy with our decision though as we got to spend two nights on Isla de Ometepe;an island in Lake Nicaragua which has two volcanoes that can be seen from the mainland. After cycling and pushing our bike over sand and dirt roads we were happy to rest our tired legs and feed our grumbling tummies at Karin's (SERVAS) place in the small village of Balgue. Karin is originally from Germany but has officially become a Nicaraguan citizen. She is very well respected in this community and does a lot of work in schools promoting sustainable and environmentally-friendly living. We spent our time with Karin making costumes for an upcoming play that the theatre group she runs will perform. Roland's job was making a horse's mane out of a mop and I was sewing roses to decorate the mane. Again, this was a very insightful time for us talking with Karin. Something that really stuck with me was does one have "poverty of resources or poverty of the soul". For example, maybe even with a hand-up and all the help in the world, someone with 'poverty of the soul' may find themselves back in the very same situation not far down the track. Karin is always needing volunteers to work with her so if you are interested please let us know. Our final destination in this fascinating country (that is still clawing its way back from the devastating 'Contra War') was San Juan del Sur. It was a great way to spend our last evening in Nicaragua as it was restful with calming views of the Pacific ocean. We cycled into town early so enjoyed some time sitting on the beach and planned our route to Panama City (which since has been changed about five times!). While waiting to meet our host (Jason from couchsurfing) we were shouted free drinks by the owners of the Irish Pub we agreed to meet at. What was cool about this Irish Bar is that there was a 'real' Irish couple running the joint. Jason welcomed us in to his home and left us to it; which was exactly what we needed. It was wonderful to have a chill evening to ourselves. Thank you Jason for having us and being so generous with the use of your home. We think you've made a great choice moving to San Juan del Sur, it's a neat spot! The next day we cycled towards the Costa Rica border. Nearing the border we started to pass a queue of trucks so thought we were almost there. Wrong. It was a queue that was six kilometers long! Apparently, they can be there for days or even weeks. So glad we are on a bike. It felt pretty good flying by! Please note:
Belinda is still waiting for:
This section of our travels has been emotionally charged to the max, something that you can only experience to appreciate. Thanks to our Managua host, Lillian we were able to spend a couple of afternoons visiting the city dump. This is the home to 1000 people and the workplace to 1000 more. These people make a living through sorting out the rubbish. Infact, the rubbish that arrives at the dump has already been sifted through many times prior, so pickings can be slim. Several organizations have initiatives for this area. We visited a safe haven inside the dump that provides meals, assistance with school work and somewhere pleasant to be. Lillian suggested we visit this place and just simply give the kids some fun time. So we went up and literally just hung out and played. It wasn´t long before we were having wheel barrow races, kicking around a ball, drawing and discovering a 1001 things you can do with dominoes. We were unsure whether or not to take photos, however Belinda was very grateful to be quickly relieved of this conumdrum. Only minutes after meeting everyone, Joseline (approximately 5 years old) confidently took the camera off her and began capturing dozens of photos of whatever took her fancy. Many of the photos are really good as you can see for yourself…………. This is not an easy place to visit. Driving through the entrance you see cows grazing on plastic, smoke and dust that swirls around and coats your body with a layer of grime, and amongst the machinery are adults and children digging for treasures they can cash in for money. On leaving, you instantly feel relieved to be nearing a shower, clean clothes, a tranquil and safe home; which is then followed by a pang of guilt, realizing these people are deprived of these simple necessities.
We only had a brief experience there but you can learn more about various organizations trying to encourage sustainable and realistic lifestyle changes. There´s feeding, schooling, clothing, medical and vocational training programs currently up and running. The following two charities are groups we directly had contact with and learnt about their roles in the community. Los Quinchos www.losquinchos.it Pro Nica http://www.pronica.org/ http://www.lensofvisionexpression.org/ Nica Hope http://www.nicahope.org/main/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mfo4uen5MY&feature=related Honduras wasn’t very nice to Bid Bird. We ducked into this country twice, before and after El Salvador and both times he got hurt. As you’ll learn from watching the video, we cycled right into a pothole on a downhill (that seemed to resemble something more of a crater on Mars). After continuing cycling for some time we realized Big Bird wasn’t in good shape and discovered both rims were cracked. Really, both rims! It then became apparent we weren’t able to get our bike tended to in Honduras and so after five rides, one flat tire and 100kms later we found ourselves in El Salvador a day early. Fortunately, we have been carrying a spare rim since San Franciso and that was put to use on the back. We bought a second hand wheel to go on the front while we wait for a new rim to arrive in Costa Rica. All was well with the world again. One thing you have to accept, particularly in these parts (Central America), is that you just have to roll with the punches and realise that things may or may not go according to plan. We have found ourselves constantly making decisions and then changing them numerous times to adjust to whatever the current situation reflects. This place teaches you the art of patience, acceptance, flexibility and to just let go of things that are out of your control – it's not an easy thing to do but we are definately getting way better at it. Although, Big Bird doesn’t have fond memories of Honduras, we thought otherwise (but we won’t tell Big Bird that!). It had beautiful countryside, pleasant towns, our favourite Mayan ruins to date and friendly locals. The Copan Ruins are famous for their sculptures and artistic detail. We also thought the entrance walkway filled with parrots, squirrels and an animal (that even the locals we’ve asked don’t know the name of) scuttling around was really cool. Copan RuinsHonduras Christopher (Warm Showers) was our host in Copan Ruinas and together we were also fortunate to take in a tramp to a rugged waterfall, an evening dip at a natural hot spring and try the national iconic food (called a baleada, which is a giant flour tortilla stuffed with any filling you’d like). Actually, Roland went with Chris while I tried to get over my second lot of food poisoning. Chris is from the US, working in a school, has a bunch of knowledge about the area and makes a mean pasta to satisfy even the hungriest cyclists! The ride between Copan Ruinas and Santa Rosa de Copan was highlighted by a quick visit to a coffee harvesting plant embedded in thick lush jungle. Here we also caught a glimpse of an unusual looking feline. It was a young tigrillo cub, who could only be enticed to come out from his cool resting place with the bowl full of chicken. Roland even snuck in a quick pat, even though this was probably not a clever thing to do! In Santa Rosa de Copan we had to opportunity to spend two nights with a Honduran-American family. They own and run ‘Weekend Pizza’, a restaurant making delicious organic pizzas from scratch. Claudia (Couchsurfing) had just had her boyfriend from Germany arrive and it took us back to when Roland first moved to New Zealand to be together. We actually ran into Claudia’s mother as we approached the city and immediately knew we were going to be in good company. Claudia’s grandmother was a sweetheart and ensured we were fed, washed and well rested before heading on our way. El Salvador Although El Salvador is a small country, it’s packed with people and volcanoes. Our memories of El Salvador will definitely be the people we stayed with as we didn’t do anything particularly touristy here. In San Andres, we stayed with Mauricio and Gloria from Couchsurfing for three nights to get our bike fixed in San Salvador and help out on their property. They live in an eco village in the jungle and have a very simple and healthy lifestyle. We had initially planned to volunteer with the Salvation Army, however the contact information and address we had was out of date (the hair salon to which the address directed us to, also assured us they didn’t need any help either ). Still we thoroughly enjoyed the many new experiences of working the land and making bread with some of the local kids, learning how to prepare/grind corn and eating wholesome meals. We also saw our first real live scorpion here. Eeeekkk. From San Andreas the plan was to go around San Salvador, but we missed a crucial turnoff and proceeded to get digested into the belly of this congested city. And of course, who should we bump into but the El Salvador Salvation Army Headquarters. So we joined in on the service with major Wilson and his wife and got some updated contact information. In San Vincente we joined Brad and his host family for a special El Salvadorian dinner of Pupusas, which are like Gorditas in Mexico. We thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Brad and learning some unique El Salvadorian customs/rituals. For example did you know that people in El Salvador cover all mirrors in the house when there is a thunder storm, and to avoid getting arthritis, people do NOT have showers after working or exercising. The route from San Vincente to Amando Lopez, (don’t bother looking on a map, you will not find this tiny village) was surprisingly still blocked off to motorists due to a flood 4 months ago. We still managed to negotiate the damaged road and turn a few heads in the process. Getting off the Pan-American Highway (Hwy1) and on to the coastal Highway (Hwy2) brought many overhanging trees and beautiful views onto the country side. In Amando Lopez, we met up with Nedal, a German Couchsurfing host, who volunteers in the community. Here we had a swim in a nearby river, played and taught soccer to a group of women and had a chilled out evening. Again, guess what we saw.. .. another two scorpions, in fact one managed to make his way on a girl’s leg, very scary! We had planned to exit El Salvador by the north, but while having a break under a tree we met Jose who had cycled his recumbent bike from Montreal, Canada to his current home of Chirilagua, El Salvador. It was interesting to learn of all the other cyclists we knew who had also made a slight detour and stayed with this very friendly and generous man. This being said, we now opted for a coastal route out of El Salvador, which meant a few more miles but less hills, not a bad trade off. Honduras for a scond timeOnly a matter of minutes arriving back into Honduras (we had to go back into Honduras to get to Nicaragua) Roland said ¨Honduras hasn’t been too good to the bike, let’s hope the next two days go ok¨. As you can guess, about an hour later…. Wobble wobble….. ¨hey, something doesn’t feel right¨…… yep, our frame snapped again in the same place as in Mexico. We think the impact of hitting the crater (oh sorry, pothole) may have weakened it. Once again, we were back thumbing a ride to get to the nearest town 20kms up the road (which is not on our list of ‘favourite things to do in the world with an extra large bike and trailor’). We found ourselves explaining to the local mechanic that our bike frame is not aluminium, bronze or any other funny metal. The weld didn’t go as smoothly as the first time so we hope it will hold out…. we only have to get to Argentina some 15,000kms away! We eventually and thankfully made it to the beautiful town of Pespire. This really cute town, equipped with a plaza, church and friendly residents was also the home of our warmshowers host Maite. She was super great and we instantly felt right at home. While dining and finishing off some imported Belgium chocolate, we were soon in the company of another creepy crawly. A huge tarantula managed to find his /her way into our shower and presented a problem for the rest of the evening. Belinda refused to go near the washroom or our bicycle for the rest of the day. After a naughty visit to Wendy's in Choluteca to enjoy the cool air conditioning and watch all the middle and upper class locals come and go, we cycled back into the mountains. Our last night in Honduras was spent in San Marcos de Colon and after a traditional meal of beans, eggs, chorizo and fried plantain we slept soundly in the fresh night air. Belize and El Remate, GuatemalaWe’re onto our third country in two weeks; which is pretty good for us! Never mind these countries are tiny compared to Mexico. It’s been really great experiencing some different cultures and again being amazed at how the change is immediate as soon as you cross over the border. Within minutes of arriving in Belize we were seeing English signs, people playing cricket, more wooden houses and the condition of the roads deteriorate. We spent all of five days in Belize and to be honest enjoyed not doing anything touristy in that time. However, there is much to see in Belize, even though it has only 300,000 inhabitants and is roughly the size of Massachusetts. Such as, coral islands and reefs, caves, ruins, waterfalls and reserves. Belize has a real mix of ethnicites with Creole, Mayan, Taiwanese, Mennonite, Garifuna and Spanish making up the bulk of the population. Belizean cuisine primarly consists of rice, beans, chicken, coconut based products and fried plantain (large, unsweet bananas not usually eaten raw). For us, Belize felt very much like an island due to the size, laid back culture and steamy climate. In Orange Walk we stayed with Couchsurfer host and Peace Core volunteer, Jacob who originally hails from the USA. He gave us a great introduction to Belizean culture and we enjoyed listening to his Creole accent he had mastered in his time living in Orange Walk. This is where we first tried Johnny cakes, which look similar to scones but are made with coconut milk and are eaten with meals in the same fashion as tortillas or bread. We also tried a cheap treat, choco-bananas; which are literally frozen bananas dipped in chocolate on a stick and are a favourite with the locals. Orange Walk has a pretty river; which is not only used for tours but the transportation of sugar cane (that grows abundantly in this area). In fact, cycling into Orange Walk we were passed by at least 20 full trucks of sugar cane off to the factory to be refined. This town is also where Roland had his hair ‘dreaded’ Belizean style. His hair was twisted and then wrapped in string. The idea is that after a few months his hair will naturally dread and then the string can be taken out. So we will see how that works out….. While camping on some farmland one night we witnessed a spectacular lightening show that lit up the whole sky. It was several hours later before we heard the thunder and the rain start. We were grateful to have a shed roof to sleep under. Our last two nights in Belize were with Ben (couch surfing) who is really friendly, really chill and really trusting. He left us the keys to his house and we appreciated some downtime to ourselves and volunteering with the Salvation Army (see our SA Journal Page). We were pleased to get the opportunity to meet Ben on the following night when he returned from a weekend away in Mexico. Crossing over in Guatemala, meant we were back into Spanish and cheaper eats. The area between the border and El Remate (our first nights accommodation that had views of lake El Peten) is known for highway robberies, however we had no trouble and encountered many warm and encouraging faces. Tikal ruins, Guatemala!Tikal took the whole day to see, as it’s super duper big with some of the pyramids over 60 metres high. There are two rates to get into Tikal, a cheap rate for Guatemalans and a heavy marked up price for international visitors. There was no convincing the ticket operators that we were Guatemalan so we lumped it and paid full price. Also, there is a lot of restoration projects going on right now and was interesting to see the before and after pictures. It’s currently the largest Mayan Ruins, however we heard about another site that is currently being excavated and is only accessible by tramping in and out, called El Mirador. It covers an area of 23 sq kms. It would definitely be cool to check out as it’s quite the intrepid journey found between the Mexico and Guatemalan border….. another time I guess…. There were apparently monkeys there that like to poo on your head so we waited patiently for this to happen with no luck. We have still yet to see a monkey just hanging about in the wild ….. but we keep hearing them! Rio Dulce, Livingston & Chiquimula, GuatemalaAfter two days of cycling and staying in beautiful Finca Ixobel, we found ourselves in Rio Dulce with three more broken spokes. All original spokes are staying strong, but 4 of the 5 replacement spokes are not cutting the mustard. Amazingly we were able to find a bike shop and locate some spokes that fit our wheel. The previous towns had bike stores that doubled as half barber shop half bike mechanic, weird.
An observation we have made is that the Guatemalan towns are way more intense, congested and bustling with activity. Fruit and vegetable stands tend to overhang into the streets causing traffic to be slow and messy. And the heat does not do any favours for anyone either. Our camping accommodation in Rio Dulce proved to be the perfect remedy, except camping was not an option at Finca Tijax (Lonely Planet had it wrong). It was a spectacular location set amongst jungle with lake side access. It even had a pool! Although a week late, this quickly became our 2nd wedding anniversary, and we were not in any great hurry to haul our bike back over the200 metre board walk suspension bridge entrance. The thing to do in Rio Dulce is to cruise the lake and river down to Livingston, so we did. On route we met up with other travelers from America and had some lovely conversation stories about past and future travels, volunteering and foreign aid. Livingston reminded us of Belize with its Garifuna culture, offers of Marijuana and unique store names i.e. Jake’s cool spot, the friendly store, Positive vibes F.M. The day finished with a surprising phone call from Belinda’s mom who managed to track us down during our evening dip in the pool. We got it wrong. Instead of a challenging 140 km day from Rio Dulce to Chiquimula, it turned into a ridiculous 185 km day coupled with the hottest weather we have experienced to date (47 C). Fortunately our couchsurfing host, Raul saved the day by giving us a ride to his place some 20km out, as the road began to deteriorate, light was fading fast and muscles were tiring. We had a tranquil evening with Raul, his family Monica, Andreas, Gabriel, Zoey the dog, neighbors and friends with a Bbq in the communal gazebo. We sincerely hope our conversation was not too boring, as we were feeling really exhausted. Our night with this family prepared us for the border crossing into Honduras the next day. Belinda wants…..
Belinda 84 Roland 136 Things seen on the side of the road; half of a hand gun, bags of drinking water 500cc |
Roland and Belinda
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