Nepal and India

So, I just decided that I will spend Christmas in Nepal and New year in India. I always wanted to go to India because it seems like such a magical and chaotic place, and Nepal because it is mysterious.

I'm kind of excited now.

Panama City

I decided to take a night shuttle bus to Panama City. I asked the first guy I saw for directions...and I think I shouldn't have. He was a fat dirty black alcoholic man claiming to be from the Bronx in New York. "I know where it is, follow me!" he said. I was like...okay. "You're so pretty I want to do things to you all night...", he mumbled as we were walking. I was so disgusted and shocked that he said such inappropriate things. "Is it still far?" I asked. I was kind of scared and I was looking for a way to escape. "Shut up and keep walking" he said.  What the fuck, right?! I told myself that if it's not the next building, I will make up an excuse to get away from him. Luckily, it was the next building. "Okay, thanks!" I quickly said as I was walking away quickly. "Give me a kiss, baby?" he shouted. "I don't think so," as I walk even quicker.

That was a scary experience, but at least I found the office of the company that does the transfer. At the office, there was a bunch of Australians who were going to Panama City as well. Everybody took the water taxi and then a cab to the bus terminal. One of the Australians sat next to me. He offered me a smirnoff but I refused. We talked a little but he really annoyed me. He kept pushing me and sleeping on my side. I'm pretty sure he was doing it on purpose (he wasn't actually sleeping) because he was trying to make advances on me or something. I couldn't sleep because of him. I wanted to confirm that he was actually doing it on purpose, so I sat up straight, grabbed my pringles and started eating them. That way, if he wasn't actually sleeping, he would know that I was awake and will not "push" me. He kept moving around in his sit, pretending to be sleeping, except that he wasn't touching me this time. That means that he is fully aware of what he was doing. What a slut, right?

Then, I closed my eyes again and tried to sleep. He started to "push" me again, so I very rudely kicked him, accidentally of course because I'm sleeping, y'know! He touched me again, but I hit him harder...in my sleep. He eventually stopped after he realized that I 'm not going to let him step over me, so he slept on his side of the sit like a little bitch. I managed to sleep a little bit after this incident. It was like a refrigerator in the bus; I had cold sweat because it was so cold. It was a terrible bus ride.

We arrived at the bus terminal in Panama City at 4:30 AM. I was so sleepy. I saw everyone standing next to the bus after they got off. I didn't understand why. They must be waiting for another bus to go somewhere else, I thought. I didn't even know where in Panama City I was, I wasn't even sure I arrived in Panama City, there were no signs anywhere.

I went outside and asked a cab driver how much is it to go to my hostel. He said it was 10$, which means that I was indeed in Panama City. I got on the cab and as he started driving, I realized that I didn't have my backpack! Damn, I'm so stupid! I understood why people were waiting next to the bus; they were waiting for their luggage! I ran back, and luckily, they were still distributing the luggage.

I arrived at the hostel. A young guy opened the gate, and obviously it was too early to check in so I slept in the reception area. At least, the couch is comfy. I felt so uncomfortable; I was stinky and sticky from hot and cold sweat. I slept for 2-3 hours and woke up for breakfast and have a walk around the neighbourhood. I finally got to check in and shower! Okay, that was a long story just for the transfer to Panama City, haha.

So, here's a little bit about Panama City; it looks like a quite modern city with its quirks. People say it looks like Miami, except it's more Spanish. I think people say this to attract tourists. Miami is on a beach, Panama City is not. Some people say it looks like Singapore, but Singapore is clean and Panama City is not. Tall building just looks like tall buildings everywhere. But there is definitely less staring here, and I like to see Latinos in business suit. I guess I could pass for a local since there are many Chinese living in Panama.

Panama is a place that is developping way quicker that what it is ready for. This building is the perfect example. It seems so modern and out of his world. BUT! This building is empty because it is not safe.

The canal really made an impression on me. I went to the museum and watched boats going through the different locks. The water fills up the tank , rising the boat above sea level in less than 8 minutes. I'm quite impressed by all the man work it took to build this and by the fact that it is still functioning the same way it always did, with the same locks and the same motors. Human being are capable of great things and the Panama Canal is a very good example.

This is a museum built by an artist for his wife. It is supposed to be finished in 2009, ha. For Panamanian, tomorrow doesn't mean tomorrow, it just means...not today.


I also visited the causeway, a natural reserve and saw a sloth. The rest of pictures are taken in the old town. It is a nice place; some buildings are very old and abandoned while some buildings are renovated. Every building has a little something to it.

Later, I went back to the hostel and took a nap. When I woke up, my roomate, a Spanish guy in this thirties, started telling me that he has a date with a local girl, but he did not want to go alone and wanted me to come with him because he didn't want the local girl to get the wrong idea. He is also an auditor, I mean, what are the chances, haha, two auditors hanging out together. I went with him to the fish market to meet her, but she didn't show up. So we went to the old town to have supper. I'm glad we went there because it is very beautiful at night with all the lights, and it's also considered the safest part of town.

I spent an awesome time here in Panama City :)

Bocas Del Toro

Bocas Del Toro! So, I took the shuttle bus from Boquete to Bocas Del Toro. The driver was really nice, stopped along the way to show us the nice spots. I arrived on the island in the afternoon. Bocas Del Toro is very similar to Roatan, both are popular spots for diving and surfing... but there seem to be a lot more students here in Bocas Del Toro and it's dirtier too. Roatan has better bars, restaurants and beaches. I guess the only reason I came here is because a friend recommended it.

Sometimes, I think it's harder to find that feeling of amazement when I travel. Of course everything has a flavor if its own, but sometimes deep inside, I know I've seen something better somewhere else. That's the reason why I don't take as many pictures as I used to. I'm just...not easily impressed, haha. I try my best though...

I rented a bike for 7$ to visit around the island and found a beach. There was nobody there, except two local guys who were cleaning the beach. I asked one of them in "sign language" to take a picture of me with my cell phone. He probably never saw an iphone and didn't take off his gloves. I tried to tell him that he needed to take off the gloves in order to press the button on the screen. He didn't understand me. I was like...oh well, he'll understand after trying, haha. After all the struggle, he took some decent pictures of me and handed me back my phone.

Then, I was just trying to take some pictures of the bike on the beach...and he took his old school phone out and took pictures of me. He had this smile on his face. It was so funny. He probably never spoke to an Asian tourist before. It's kind of weird to know that this guy has my picture, but I'm glad it makes him smile.

Did I mention that the bikes did not have breaks? I didn't realize until I had to stop, and I was wearing flip flops and the sit was so high that I couldn't just put my foot on the ground. I suddenly remembered a random conversation I overheard a year ago in Val-David; an old guy was talking about how the bikes back in the days didn't have breaks, so you have to put your foot on the wheel to make it stop. That's what I did, haha, it was very uncomfortable with my flip flops so I didn't ride for too long.

I only spent a day here; it was short and sweet!

Boquete

I cheated. I took the plane from San Jose to David in Panama. I really didn't feel like spending 10 hours in the bus. The flight was only an hour long and the bus from David to Boquete is about another hour long. Sometimes, I'd just rather pay more for comfort and convenience.

The most popular destinations in Panama are Boquete, which is a little mountain village located in the Panama highlands, Bocas Del Toros which is on the Caribbean side, and of course Panama city, the capital. I decided to go to all three and make the most out of my last week of vacation.

The cab driver, Alexandre, was so nice. He couldn't find my hostel, and I accidentally deleted the directions. After driving around for a while, I asked him to just drop me off near the market so I can go look around and figure it out.

As I started walking towards the residential area, a lady with bright red lips, holding a dog, asked me what I was looking for. I told her the name of my hostel, but she said it closed down. I thought that was so weird. She asked me to follow her, I kind of didn't have a choice, so I followed her. She asked around for me. Then a cab driver stopped us. "Que pasa?" the lady asked. I turned around and it was Alexandre! He was with a local guy who apparently knew where the hostel was, so I went with them. Isn't he so nice? 99% of people would just move on with their day after getting their payment, but he asked around, made phone calls and came back for me! I was so touched! Nice people are awesome, haha.

We finally found the hostel. The hostel was indeed closed and opened in a new location. There was nobody in the hostel, but it was very clean and the beds were so comfortable. I was happy!

I went in town, had a coffee, made some travel arrangements. I wanted to do rafting, but there were not enough people doing it. That's the inconvenience of travelling alone sometimes.

Here are some pictures taken around Boquete...

Look at what mother nature did. That's called the "Los Ladrillos"; it's a basalt volcanic formation. People like to do rock climbing here.

Here's a castle that a man made for the woman he loved. He never finished it and apparently even died in there. People say it's haunted...

Just a cute stream

I met a German guy and had a beer with him. He annoyed me, but it was still good entertainment, haha.

San Jose

I arrived in San Jose after almost a full day spent on a bus. I was a little bit sad to leave Monteverde. It's only a short vacation, but I experienced all kinds of emotions; it's almost as if you get to live another life for a little while. If there's anything you wish you did differently, now it's the time.

I realized that I only have less than a week left, so I decided that I will only stay one day in San Jose. I debated between going to Irazu Volcano or just visiting the city. The volcano would have been fun, except that I've had my dose of volcanos and my legs haven't completely recovered yet.

Here are some pictures of the city. My favorite part of the city are all the street arts!

For one of the rare times in my travel life, I felt relatively unsafe. I wanted to go to that really cool restaurant which is very close to the place I stayed at, but it was closed. So, I walked towards downtown to find another restaurant, and in order to get there, I had to walk across a park. Parks are considered dangerous places, especially at night. I walked very fast, but I quickly realized that there was a guy following me. I wanted to confirm that he was actually following me, so I walked towards the direction where he came from...and he still kept following me...unless he really didn't know where he was going. I was scared, so I walked into the first restaurant I saw. I ate there, and took a taxi back, even if it was a 10-minute walk.

Monteverde

I travelled 9 hours today to reach Monteverde in Costa Rica. It rains almost everyday here as it is rainy season, but apparently, it is not even the real rainy season yet because it actually only rains for an hour every day. During the real rainy season, it rains ALL day long. I'm glad we're not there yet.

Riding a taxi towards Nicaragua and Costa Rica's border.

Stopped for Baños and bumped into this creature...

Costa Rica is possibly the most touristic place in Central America and they have all the activities here that tourists may want to do; zip lining, bungee jumping, ATVs, etc. They also have one of the world's top 10 bizarre restaurants which is the Tree House restaurant. I went there for a beer one night; it is cool...but a little overrated I must say. I decided to do the suspension bridge, Zip-lining and ATV.

I didn't bring my camera to most activities except for the suspension bridge. I thought it was going to be a long bridge but it's actually several bridges in a wet forest. The guide was a little weird. One guy asked where a certain tree came from, and he answered from the moon. Maybe, he was right? haha, we never know.

Overall, that little hike was quite painful for me, because my legs were still so sore from the volcano hike. However, it was nice to see a cloud forest which is actually similar to rain forests, but instead of relying on rain for essential moisture, adequate water comes from the semi-permanent cloud that covers the region.

One section of the suspension bridge

Then I went zip lining in the cloud forest. It was pretty exciting because you can do the Superman zip in which you move like Superman. It is also known as Latin America's Longest Zip line at 1590m which takes you 600ft in the air above forested valley. I felt like I was flying like a bird...a bird that was trying to keep balance, haha.

My favorite zip was the Tarzan swing, in which you move like Tarzan. It is 40 meters high, with the first 35 meters that feels exactly like a bungee jump. That was the best part.

I remember doing zip lining somewhere in Quebec a few years ago, but it was not nearly that fun and exciting.

Pictures for 5$, why not!



The other activity I did in Monteverde was ATV; rode some bumpy tracks and got all muddy. That was really fun as well.

My time in Monteverde was short but I loved every minute of my adrenaline adventures here!

Concepcion volcano

I'm about to write about the best day of my Central American trip; the hike of Concepcion Volcano!

I took the bus and the boat to Ometepe Island, which is a lake in Nicaragua. The word Ometepe means "two volcanoes" in the native language, which says it all, there are two volcanoes on the island. There are so many things to do on the island; relaxing beaches, riding scooters, hiking and exploring the numerous natural reserves and forests that enjoy a high biodiversity, meeting very friendly locals and of course, climbing a volcano.

Concepcion volcano is the chosen one. It is an active volcano that has erupted at least 25 times since 1883. It is 1610m above sea level with a prominence of 1579m. I really wanted to do it but I was also stressed because I've never climbed that high and I didn't have my knee brace, so I knew my knees would definitely hurt on the way down.

The highest mountain I've climbed is Camel's hump at 1244m, but only 570m in prominence, meaning I have to climb 3 times higher this time. Oh, and it is a 10 hours and 25 km hike by the way; it was not a technical climb, but it would definitely be an understatement to call this a hike. So, I've never climbed that high, and never hiked for that long or that far..additionally, the terrain differences and steepness will make this a real physical and mental challenge.

It starts with a flat terrain of 2.5km long through farms where you will encounter cows and horses. Then it continues on a 35° slope through coffee plantation at the bottom, followed by banana trees, the mighty jungle where you can spot monkeys and other animals.

I spotted a monkey, yay!

Here is part of the trail created by lava. Not sure how fat people walk through this narrow part.

When you exit the jungle, the humid cloud forest starts. Here, you can admire some cactuses and more cactuses. When vegetation stops, you will know you're at about 1000m high. A small flat section can be found here where you can eat your lunch while trying to not be blown away by strong wind. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day so there was nothing to see....

Here I am at about 1000m high.

After the flat surface, most people turned their back and went back down. It takes approximately two hours from that point to reach the crater. It is a very direct, long and sustained 45° climb on loose lava rocks and sands, accompanied by 50km to 80km of wind.  It was pretty rock 'n' roll...literally.

Judging between the slippery and loose volcanic rock from the more sturdy red rock was very hard. Some layers were thinner so you can actually feel the heat, which is quite scary to think about knowing that the lava is right behind these thin layers.

This picture was taken when the top was finally reached; it was soaked by steam and clouds. There wasn't much to see and I did not feel that much of a great achievement either to be sitting near the crater, because I knew the hardest part didn't even start yet. After 10 minutes of glory, the treacherous decent began. I fell on my butt so many times while descending. Some blood spilled on my elbow and lots of bruises.

On the way down, the clouds decided to open up for some awesome views!

This hike is awesome because you get to see so much in just 10 hours! From the farmland to coffee plantation, to banana trees, to the jungle, the monkeys and crazy creatures, the lava tunnels, the cloud forest, to pebbles, rocks, sand and finally the crater of an active volcano. I was amazed!

I thought about turning back many times, not because I didn't have the energy to carry on but because I was worried that my knees would hurt. However, I'd probably still be thinking about it if I didn't finish the hike, and maybe regret for the rest of my life.

It was a great challenge and it might be one of the most memorable things I did in 2014 so far!

Granada in pictures

Granada was constructed by the Spanish as a showcase city and it is now the oldest colonial town in Central America. It is my favourite city on this trip because it is such a photogenic place!

One early morning after breakfast, I decided to wander around. I'm not going to lie, some corners were very poor and not many tourists would venture there, but I love photographing street life. I find it so much more interesting than any monuments or mountains. There was so much going on, everything was untold, unusual and waiting to be explored.

Here is Granada in pictures...