Panama/Columbia here we come!!!

Hi guys
Just to let you know that we will not be updating the blog for the next 10 days or so, as we are off to Panama on Monday, 28 September to get on board a yacht with 6 other intrepid travellers.

We will be sailing to Cartagena Columbia (beach paradise) from Panama, stopping off at the San Blas islands for 3 days to snorkle, eat lobster and fish that the captain and his staff will be catching and preparing for us . The sail will take 5 days in total - this trip just gets better and better.

San blas islands - Panama


Playa blanca - Cartagena, Columbia


Take care, have fun and don't work too hard ;) xxxxxxx Maja and Ade xxxxxxxx

Gran torino - what a flim!!!

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

We discover the "nice little spot" from yesterday was in fact Playa las Manchas and settle in for another day of soaking up the rays. Jesus it's s a tough life isn't????

A birdie snacking on a coconut

In the evening we opt to cook dinner - salad nicoise this time and head off to a local bar to watch Gran Torino (its the one with Clint Eastwood). If you haven't seen it - watch it! What a film! Excellent!

Donde playas manchas?

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Feeling much fresher after a good nights sleep on orthopaedic mattresses our intrepid adventrues set off in search of the much acclaimed Playas las Manchas.

After walking for an hour we give up. Its hot and we have had enough of walking. We head back to a nice spot we had seen on the way and get out the sun bathing tackle.

New Friends

As we are cooking up a storm in the kitchen (I say we in the looser sense as its Maja weaving the magic.) A really lovely American couple from San Fran arrive and we immediately spark up a conversation. Unfortunately, they are only staying one night, but we decide to make the most of it and invite them to join us for our Penne bolognaise dinner. They bring the booze and the salad and we all relax into a very entertaining evening. They have just finished working with Cirque de soleil - she in event management and he was the chef. He was also country singer Kenny Chesneys personal chef on his tour last year (remember Kenny was married to Renee Zelweger for 5 minutes).

The dinner was a real boozy affair. We share lots of stories before the arrival of Bill and Ted surf dudes...they are annoying, uncuth, have no manners and no plates when food was involved.

Maja was disgusted with them. We bring the party to a close at 10.30pm. its too tough when you are 35!

Change over day - Monteverde to Montezuma

Monday, 21 September 2009

Bus, ferry, bus - we leave on the early bus as the journey to beach village Montezuma takes 8 hours. After 3 hours on unsurfaced roads we arrive at Putarenas to get the ferry connection. After 3 nights of very little sleep thanks to the bed at El Tucan, the Lees are exhausted!

At the ferry we meet a German brother and sister duo and have a late breakfast with them. They are seriously into skiing, living in Garmisch Parten Kichen, so Adey has loads to talk about but they are a tad young and too boring for Maja. At the other side we dash onto the bus as Maja is well prepared and has read the warnings about this bus being overcrowded. She was spot on and we get the last 2 seats at the back with plenty of leg room.

Our less organised German duo and a new friend of theirs are left to stand.

We arrive in Montezuma and after some reconnasance we snag the best room in Hotel Aurora, which is a welcome change from the hell pit we were sleeping in - for $35 a night (we will be staying her for 6 nights) a bargain.

Adrian chilaxing in our lovely hotel area

Monteverde - skip it!

Sunday, 20 September 2009

Another hike this time a mere 12km - the last 5km are a very steep uphill. Maja is not up for this - 4 days of hiking have finally got to her - she is dragging her heels, walking like a cripple and moaning - for a change (she claims this is here way of getting through) 2.5km into the climb Maja has a worried look on her face and asks if we have any toilet paper in the day pack. It seems the hike is working through her.

As she hurriedly grabs the toilet paper, scuttels to the side of the road and pulls her pants down Adrian whips out the camera - PRICELESS!!!!

We continue to the top, the views are let down and we head back.

Monteverde is the one place in Costa Rica that we spent one day too long - in fact probably should have skipped it altogether.

Though Maja has a memory of it for a while, when she awoke on the last morning, she had a spring stuck in her arse and now has a lovely scar - EL tucan what a dump!!!!!

Adrian thinks El Tucan is the nuts....

Santa Elena reserve - big disappointment

Saturday, 19 September 2009

"Argghhh!!! my back" Ade is not impressed and...... the catch has appeared. The bed is on its last legs and we can actually feel the springs digging into our backs.

We have another early start as we are off to Santa Elena reserve, but not before we have to make our own breakfast which we have already paid for! Swiss Tony's day off.

We join the tour there are 6 others in the van and we look the least dressed - in shorts and t-shirt (its a few degrees cooler here) whilst everyone has the full trekking gear on, we are talking gortex jackets, trousers with zips, walking sticks you get the picture. 5 mins into the trek and they had taken everything off - we were feeling incredibly smug.

Santa Elena was a big disappointment - no wildlife (aside from humming birds - which Ade looooooved) The rest of the party loved the flora and fauna (however we were not in this league - staring at a fern for 20 mins was not really what we had in mind)

We end up doing just one trail albeit the longest and find our way back to base...all the eager beavers are back already and feeling underwhelmed with it all.

We spend the rest of the day drinking bloody marys , eating the worlds longest hot dog and talking to a dutch woman, anything as long as we don't have to send a minute longer in our room a.k.a the prison cell.

The prison cell in all its glory......dig the tiger print blankie

Jeep boat jeep

Friday, 18 September 2009

Sounds sexy right? Well it turns out jeep = clapped out old van. But it's quick and we are in Monteverde in 2.5 hours. Greeted by the "hostel leeches" we decide to got to a Lonely Planet recommendation - we are sorely disappointed, however we are in luck, one of the "leeches' has followed us and presents us with her option "El Tucan" it looks ok so we go with her.

To greet us is her husband "Swiss Tony" he has so much "so glo" in his hair and he redefines the term "overfamiliar" We get shown our room at first glance it looks ok but at $20 a night there must be a catch - and there is!

Our friendly host - swiss Tony

We bump into Frenchie who happens to be staying here too - she loves it here its her 4th day, however has not yet been to one of the nature reserves (the main reason for being in Monteverde). We get away as we have to get to the Ecological Sanctuary. The cloud forest feels like something out of a Spielberg film, initally disappointed with the wildlife we persevere and we get to see some creatures we haven't seen before eg a pigmy wild bush pig.

We walk in total 12kms and head back for a early dinner at a cheap soda. By the way a soda is a very cheap canteen type restaurant in Costa Rica.