meeting locals....

so im in Granada, Nicaragua. I love it.

I also love eating local food and am enjoying trying all sorts of things that are special to the area that i am visiting.

from the Ceviche in Costa Rica (CR) which is basically lemon juice salsa thing with raw fish in it... its DELICIOUS.

anyhooo... just had a local homeless kid come and eat the dregs of my pollo (chicken) meal, plus i paid him for his reed woven cricket thing he made me. i paid the equivalent of about a $1 to this kid.. to eat the rest of my fried banana (the best fried banana chips ive had!) and gave him half of my water.

the meal was delicious too... fritas de pollo mixto.... it was on a bed of fried banana chips, banana chunks fried as well as fried chicken (they like things fried here, and frankly, so do i)... then on top a kind of salad.. more like coleslaw... and a poco (little) bag of a spicey vinegar thing with more cabbagey thing in it too-- i think its like dressing or something. I liked it. It was spicey.

Ok.... my spanish is getting better because i could manage to just order food and i went and caught the local chicken bus-- not kidding, its basically an old canadian school bus, the yellow ones... from the Masaya market today.... the locals are funny, they do make a bit of a fuss about selling to you, but generally theyre not as aggressive as the chinese, so i could handle it... i guess money talks, but i did bargan down with "precio finale" final price-- pretty much between dollar here and a dollar there, but i got excited with this crocodile leather hairclips, and i almost bought a bag... which was about $40 which wasnt that much, but being cheap, didnt buy it.

it was fun though. i love local mercados!!

i am really enjoying learning spanish... loaded with my little lonely planet phrase book (thanks mum!) its helped alot. believe it or not, i know how to say "where is" = ¿dande esta? to start pretty much every sentence.

i just have to make sure i dont say that when im asking for someones name... but i did ask the little boys name who i gave my food to at the street stall... como te llamos? "Rodrigue" he would have only been about 7 or 8. cheeky bugger.

am back at the hostel now after an eventful day and meeting other locals in nice shops.
ive found a mosaic class that will only cost me about $5. or 100 Cordobas. AM VERY excited about cheap craft class!!!!!!

i think i might jig that $25 kayak over the Islets.

Pah! Craft comes first! Priorities!!

xoxo

reflections on random encounters

Highlight of yesterday. A local lady in her shop turning up a spanish version and singing her heart out to ´Total Eclipse of the Heart´aka *eclipse total del corazón*... amongst the surf, sun and beautiful beach in Santa Teresa (im still in Costa Rica... but not for long!)...

Long journey on a bus tomo to Nicaragua.... Hope i arrive alive!! Pls pray for me!!!

Bad Country== Malpais

Im living in tent folks! for $8bucks a nite = aprox 4500Colones.
I have a hammock and the best view in the world of the beach. Santa Teresa. CR.

Loving it.

it is absolutely amazing and the surf is beautiful.

I wanted to stay, but now that i am here at the internet cafe and I have already booked my bus ticket to Nicaragua tomorrow, I will go...

BUT! I want to come back. I have met many canadians and others that have lived here for about 5 years.

Life is simple. Live, Eat, Surf.

Ha. I should write slogans.

if all goes well =0) my bus will arrive somewhere near here:

http://www.thebeardedmonkey.com

Aye Carumba!

Ola Amigos :)

I am loving Costa Rica. Surfing has been great, although the surf has been way too massive...
Anyhoo...
Thought I would update my Blog as i have a pokito tiempo (little time) to kill as I am waiting for my boat from Jaco to Montezuma... then Mal Pais / Santa Teresa...

I have met some really great people while surfing and travelling, in particular the past few days have been hanging out with 2 really lovely ladies from LA and Seattle- both flight attendents-- (the job of my dreams when i was 5 years old). While heading on the local 'Tico' (Costa Rican) bus to Manuel Antonio ( a beautiful town about an hour south of Jaco) met some Argentinian guys who have been fun to hang out with. We all got lost in the National Park together and Im figuring quite quickly that although everyone in Central and South American speak Espanol, that all their accents are quite different.

Heading to a lovely other part of Costa Rica by boat where there will be good surf and waterfalls and probably more monkeys and sloths to see :)

It is so beautiful... and HOT here, and im now back on my own again so... will hopefully meet some lovely people this week...

Also-- just in case i go missing (dont worry mum)... im catching a bus to Nicaragua on Thursday in case you guys are wondering where I am... its cheapt to travel by bus, but it will be a long bus ride... Am I Loco?

Si (yes)!

xoxo

one eleven

Remember ive been noticing 1:11?

ITS A SIGN! ha!

The room number my friends were staying in Hermosa was 111. My room number here at Poseidon is 1.

Ive been checking the time and yes, its at 1:11.

I like seeing consistency in this.

Is God trying to tell me something? Or is it just one of those "Qwinky dinks?!" (coincidences)

costa rica. tica

first day of surfing today. FUN. im on a 9foot board! its a little massive, but hey, its good fun. jaco beach and hermosa is amazing.

i can stand up!! apparently im a natural.

not complaining- yet. (im waiting for the stiff/sore muscles....)

also had a yoga class this afternoon. aside from getting bitten by mozzies-- it was a reaaaaaly good stretch.

will see how the rest of the week goes, but its started great and looking up! YAY!

oh, and got a free papaya. good times :D

the only thing about the hotel im staying in that i dont like is that there is no hammocks.

the place i stayed with jo on the weekend had one out the front and we had a view of the beach from our room/ balcony. bliss.

too good to be true. free macbook

it is....

loving live MTV

'hows your news'. this is a great new show on MTV.

read a blog review here:

official website here:

MTV site here:

Since i used to work for the Dont-Dis campaign, i think this show is pretty cool :D

Let me know what you think!!

crystal cathedral

just went to the crystal cathedral. interesting.

i took a picture with moses! ha!