Hi there

Wot a day... Travel is about experiencing diffrent cultures. Yep. Done that today. Don't know wot Kate wrote, but here's my version...
I've always had probs understanding that religion thing, especially the Catholics, but tonite made everything even weirderer... It was all about Mary, or Maria, the Spanish version/virgin. That's the easy part. And about the poor girls concepcion. Apparently it's all about sex. Or the lack of it. Immaculate. Hmmm. Probably IVF. I didn't know they had that back then. I'll have to google that. So they blow up big fire crackers all day long in Maria's honour- not quite sure how that relates, but it REALLY pissed Kate off! I suggested that it's about her concepcion coming with a Big Bang or sth, and that the Americans made a tv series about it? Not sure, but then it got even weirder.
Big stage, rite in front of our place, next to the beach, massive sound system, and we're like, oh cool, party, and more and more people showing up, just after sunset, and an oompah band, Nicaraguan version, more like a marching band, and they were then constantly trying - unsuccessfully - to compete with the sound system...
Great PA, massive mixer, all the mod cons, and, for reasons that completely elude me, they hired the worst ever DJ in the history of mankind. He only played ONE song, again and again, turning it down a bit to give some speech about Maria and her concepcion, then turning it up again and again and again, no eggsaturation, twenty, thirty times, interrupted by the oompah marching band, who, to their credit, played sth totally different, with a diffrent tact, and occasionally changed their song, and by the constant bangs and explosions celebrating Maria's lack of sex.
To make it worse, the DJ, with unerring accuracy, managed to get to the stage the worst ever singers in the universe (I mean, I don't sing, and there's a reason for this, but give me three bottles of tequila and rip my tongue out and strangle me at the same time, and I would sound MUCH better than those unfortunate girls, who, after massacring that poor mic for ten seconds always ended SCREEMING 'la concepcion de Maria') and as soon as they finished this, he turned his favourite, and only, song back up, and I mean REALLY up....
After suffering this cultural escapade for hours and hours (OK, probably only half an hour) we went outside, where there was a million people queuing up for reasons unknown, and when we came back out again, the place looked completely thrashed, rubbish everywhere, plastic bags n stuff, lots of the women looked totally stoned, with this weird smile in their face, and the DJ turned his song back on, again, and big bangs everywhere, and then all of a sudden, everyone just left. ...
WOW. Then we went and had some Pina Coladas, and that is that...
Greetings from Nicaragua. Hasi.

Greetings from San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Hi all, A slow day in San Juan today.
Hot and sunny, and even now, after 8pm, it still must be in the mid twenties at least.
Changed accommodation this morning from down town, to beach side. Just needed a bit more space, as the room we had last night was clean and colourful but basically just a bit more room than space for the bed. Now we have 2 double beds, one for us and one for all our stuff, plus a shaded central court yard with tables and chairs and hammocks, where I am sitting writing this.
There's a few guys on guitar and mouth organ jamming which is lovely, plus some others folks eating and chilling out.
Unfortunately Hasi is unwell again today. Whatever is happening is not going away. Tomorrow we will look for a doctor as he is just not getting better. He,s got no energy and spent long periods of the day in bed. He did manage a slow stroll on the beach this arvo and another this evening. Now at 8.30 he is ready for bed.
I was happy swimming in the Pacific, but would have liked him to be enjoying with me.
The water must be about 23 degrees, so you can stay in for hours.
This evening was the continuation of the feast of the Mary thing. Most of the town were out, and singing and calling out for Maria! There were some presents given out to the kids, and some really shocking performers singing for Maria. Thank goodness it only went till 8pm. To add to the celebrations they let off crackers, which are loud, and for me, extremely distressing, just heaps of continuos explosions that is just a racket. Hopefully that has stopped for th night as well.
Well I better go in and check on my husband.
Love to all, Zak

Greetings from San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua.

Hi all,
Just spoke to mum and dad on the phone. Very happy to hear all is well with them, and lovely to hear their voices.
Mum you will be pleased and maybe surprised to hear that the call only cost $3!
So we were finally on the 6am bus from Santa Elena this morning. It took us down and round the mountains to meet the transamerican highway.
We jumped out there and stood on the side of the highway till a bus came by that was heading to Penas Blancas, the Nicaraguan border.
Borders are always hot, dusty, stressful and a little crazy, but we made it out of Costa Rica and into Nicaragua with out any hassle.
We are now in this beautiful little seaside town, San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific Ocean.
Tonight we watched a brilliant sunset over the Pacific. That sounds weird doesn't it.

Central Americans are mostly Catholics, and they are presently celebrating the immaculate conception of Mary ( without sin?). There has just been a massive float of Mary, accompanied by a band and people following it, down the Main Street.
Along the beach front are altars that people have made to celebrate the feast.
It is hot here and sunny, which is a big change from rain and cool mountain weather.
Swimming in the Pacific tomorrow!
 Still can't work out the photo on the blog stuff, so I will email a few photos to mum and dad, Annie and Moo. Sorry I don't have anyone else's email here.
Anyway love to all,
Zak

Greetings from Santa Elena Costa Rica

Hi all,
So our plans to move on from Santa Elena today did not happen, due to Hasi being unwell again last night.
It seems there is a virus going round the community here, which may be what it is, I don't know.
Anyway after resting for most of the day today, we have been for a stroll this evening and he seems to be feeling OK.
So we plan for the 6am bus again tomorrow.
So today was a rest day, sudoku, reading, Spanish lesson, diary writing and reading, with a bit of walking and eating.
And I finally got my clothes dry after washing them on Saturday morning. Bit like Wales the weather here. Luckily today was sunny for long enough to get them completely dry, but note to self, no more clothes washing in rain forest areas.
We are restless to be on the move again after 5 nights here in this beautiful place. The people here have been very hospitable and caring.
Hope alls well back home
Love to all
Zak

Greetings from Santa Elena

Hi all,
Well it's Sunday afternoon here. We are 17hours behind Sydney time, so I'm thinking you guys are getting up now on Monday morning.
Yesterday Hasi went zip lining. This is where you are in a harness and are clipped on to wires that you fly on over the top of the rainforest canopy.
He was nervous to begin with, but enjoyed the challenge.
I opted not to do it, and instead bought myself a pair of binoculars with the equivalent money, as I had forgotten to bring mine from home.
So many amazing birds in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and I thought there probably wouldn't be too many opportunities to get some in other places.
Of course the only shop that sold binoculars was selling very expensive, top of the range binoculars starting price of  $ US 350!!!
I explained to the lovely dread locked guy that I was backpacking and didn't want to travel with something worth so much money, and that was also very heavy.
Luckily he had a pair for $50, the only pair for this price in the shop, so I grabbed them.
So I had a pottering around day yesterday, washing, yoga, reading in the hammock, walking around town.
We had plans to head out of Santa Elena today but Hasi seems not too be very well again, so decided he needed a rest day.
It has been pissing rain all day so a great day for him to rest in bed.
I have been working on my Spanish today. I'm sick of the rain, it seriously hasn't stopped all day.
Made it to the supermarket to buy some supplies for dinner, but that's about it.
Hopefully when we get down from the mountains we will have some fine days.
I hope Hasi is up for travelling tomorrow, as I'm getting itchy feet now. Bus leaves at 6am, so we have to be packed tonight, and up bright and early.
The 6am is the last bus of the day! The earlier ones leaving at 4am and 5am.
So that's all the current news from Central America. We did hear that Fidel Castro died. We met a couple who had been in Cuba when his death was made public, and they said it was a very interesting time, as the Cubans were very sad. They stopped playing music or doing anything of enjoyment for 7-9 days.
So lov to you all,
Zak

Greetings from Santa Elena

Hi all, just a quick note as its 9pm and I want to go to bed.
Firstly great to hear Annie got her scholarship. Now the girls are finished studying, they will be able to take of her while she is doing hers.
We had a first day of sunshine, without a drop of rain, for a week. It was wonderful. We spent several hours in the cloud/rainforest which was beautiful and very peaceful.
Actually Santa Elena is a very peaceful little mountain town, and I could really just kick back here for several more days.
Hasi seems to be fully recovered from his illness which is awesome.
We have been spending some time this evening thinking about our next plan of action after leaving here and will probably head into Nicaragua.

Amazing that every place we have stayed has wifi, hence all the blogging, but we have been unable to find a public phone in town for both of us to ring home. My phone also has no reception in Costa Rica.  Also not many Internet cafes as it seems everyone has a phone and can access wifi. Anyway I make the oust of it will I can.
Love to all,
Zak

Greetings from Santa Elena, Costa Rica

Hi all,

Today we travelled by road and water to reach Santa Elena, a mountain village surrounded by cloud forests. A little bit chillier here, I'm not sure how high up we are, but I've got jeans thermal, scarf and hat on. It was a spectacular journey!

Have just been watching a street parade of school bands from all over the region. This is for the beginning of th festive season.

I forgot to mention yesterday that we saw 2 sloths up in the trees sleeping. They were all curled up, which was a bit of a shame as I would have loved to see them moving. Apparently they are like the koalas, they eat the leaves of the tree they live in and sleep up to 18 hours a day.

Also saw a kingfisher, that I spotted gliding across the water and well as herons and egrets.

There is heaps of vultures here as will that hang in the thermals, and they sit with their wings out, like cormorants to dry themselves.

Today I nearly fell out the window, as I saw 3 toucans up in a tree. So amazing. Costa Rica is a bird lovers paradise.

This place is the home of rip lining, which is when you are in a harness and fly along wires through the rainforest. The longest is 1500 metre long and I think about 150metres high, with speed up to 60km!!

Hasi is up for it in the next few days, but I'm a bit freaked out by it. 

Tomorrow we will go walking in the cloud forest, with some suspension bridges which might be adrenaline pumping enough for me.

So hope alls well with everyone

Love to you all,

Zak