|
IN ENGLISH | EN ESPAÑOL | EM PORTUGUÊS
|
|
|||
|
MESSAGE FORUM & BULLETIN BOARD soul trip california dreamin' knowledge is power aim for the sky love, man to your health seize the day capoeira my bloodline my buds my baby book life in club med SpRinG BrEaK kali kali kali random events ryanroweinrio Read Guestbook! Sign Guestbook! |
Lunes, 6 de enero, 2003, 6:19 de la noche, EDT
Today was a day spent in the sun at a playa Panameña. A
friend I've made here, Doris, took me to Santa Clara, a beach out in Coclé
province. It's about a two hours' drive west of here. David, if you're
reading this, it's right near Penonomé.Ciudad de Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Republica de Panamá David, by the way, has headed back to Montreal and has just finished his first day back at work! Poor sucker... :) Actually, he's got a pretty cool job with a North American aerospace giant. They send him travelling every few months to complete certain assignments. The guy can take a look at a helicopter or plane and know almost immediately what type of engine it has, who manufactures the plane, and what model it is. So, like I was saying... I headed to the beach today, my first foray out to a Panamanian beach. The sand is a nice sandy color! Go figure! It's soft, not too hot, there are no bugs around, and the sun is strong. The breeze blows just enough to cool you down. The water is rica. Watch out for high tide though, when it gets very deep, very quickly, right near the shore. Doris and I had lunch at the restaurant nearby (ok, fine, she treated ME!). We ordered delicious almejas a ajo, corvinas fritos, and some fried plantain concoction which was pretty tasty. They've got a delicious salad dressing which I suspect is made with cucumbers, mayonnaise, and some type of vinaigrette... I had become a bit whiter over the last few weeks travelling through the countryside, hanging out in the hills, and absorbing culture. These types of activities kept David and I away from the beach for the most part, though he developed a wicked brown tan in a really short period of time. Must be that Italian blood! Oh yeah... my story for the day, to keep you all entertained... Watch out for the fish in the waters off of Santa Clara Beach. Some little silver sucker, about 4 inches long, bit me right on the nipple!
Miercoles, 1 de enero, 2003, 6:41 de la noche, EDT
Happy New Year!! Feliz Año!!Ciudad de Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Republica de Panamá Our New Year's Eve was much more sedate than David and I thought it would be. Panameños do not hold quite the same amount of enthusiasm for New Year parties as we do in Montreal. More on that in my update. I'm still a bit hungover and don't feel like writing too much right now. Today we toured the Miraflores Locks (one of three in the Panama Canal), and then climbed to the top of Cerro Ancon, a beautifully landscaped hill overlooking the Bahía de Panamá. We got some incredible pictures of the skyline. Wait till you see 'em! After descending the mountain, we came upon the picturesque Afro-Caribbean museum. We declined to visit, given that it's the First of January and not much is open. In the park adjacent to the entrance, a joven was practicing martial arts with a set of numchuks. Some seriously fancy moves! Can't wait to start with the capoeira when I get to Colombia. (Al Cerro Ancon)
By Demetrio Korsi, 1954
Lunes, 30 de diciembre, 2002, 10:22 de la noche, EDT
David's written an educational blurb about coffee-making, check it
out below, as it's really interesting (see text in red).Ciudad de Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Republica de Panamá David and I are in Panama City. This place is so much different from what we expected. First of all, it's big! It's got a very dangerous feel to it. We're staying in a part of town that is dirt-poor. Doors are falling from their hinges, walls are crumbling, paint is peeling, and some apartments have only part of a roof. This part of the city is called Casco Viejo, and it is reportedly very unsafe for foreigners. Our hotel is named Hotel Herrera, facing the park of the same name, and was recommended to us as reputable by my British friends, Will & Chris. Remember them? These are the guys who are cycling from Alaska to Argentina to raise 50,000 pounds for charity. We won't be here for long as we certainly don't want to welcome the New Year in this dump. We'll be spending the next three nights in Hotel Montreal, a hotel in a nicer part of town, whose amenities include a resto-bar/lounge, a 24-hr rooftop swimming pool, and a view of Panama City that is unequalled at the price we're paying (CDN$48, US$30 per night for both of us). This city has immense skyscrapers towering over the shoreline of the Bahía de Panamá, flashy nightclubs line the streets crossing Avenida Balboa, and expensive cars zip down this famous boulevard. The district is trendy and immaculate, well-manicured condominium complexes alternate with gleaming strip malls. Earlier this evening, on Avenida Balboa, David and I were accosted by a few thugs hiding in the overhang created by the malecón (seafront promenade). They threw bottles and pieces of driftwood at us through the concrete barrier in an effort to force us into the oncoming traffic. It was difficult to evade the onslaught as we were caught in their territory on a deserted sidewalk between rushing cars and a dark, dank beach area. Only their vicious eyes and grasping hands were visible but that was enough to frighten me silly. Amid a hail of airborne weapons, we scrambled across the busy road at the first possible opportunity.
Sabado, 28 de diciembre, 2002, 1:30 de la tarde, EDT
In my last email, I was on a tight schedule, and couldn't name a few
friends I wanted to shout out to.Davíd, Chiriquí, Republica de Panamá Best wishes for the New Year, des bonnes voeux pour la Nouvelle Année, y les deseo un Prospero Año Nuevo...!!! De más... :) Erika, Fernanda, Alli, Paola, Cristina, PAPA Rafa, Marcela, Rodrigo, JUAN (Hydro-Q boy!), Jennifer R, Jimena, Memo, Fabiola, Vicky (si esta leyendo eso), Viviana, Osiris, GONZALO (que pasó con Télégard?), Juan Gonzalez, Antonio (León), Laura, LUKAS (me voy para Colombia en 10 días), y Karla (La Paz - como estas??). Rubén y su amigo (no me acuerdo de su nombre... :( todavia en Mazunte?? or regresaron para Monterrey?) Loreto, dondé estas? Happy New Year to SAL (dude - get in touch!), Claire in L.A. (or are you in Mex now?) and the crew I know from IBM, Kenza (see you in Panamá), Sergio P & Gloria, Angelinda, Rachel, Karen D, Robert & Johanne, and Sean C. Stacey, Lucy, what's up???? Jon T, Mark, Matt, Greg with my bro Max in Los Angeles... Mel F, where are you right now? And... Doyl - How was the scuba diving bro?? Make it out alive one last time? Also, my kiwi buddies, Wayne & Callum (you are always welcome in Colombia). Emily, Laura, how's it feel to be back? Keith/Sabine, get in touch! A Cyril, mon ami en Los Angeles (bonne chance en India), Steve et Mireille F et Pascal chez TD, et Mathieu B (que-est-ce que tu fais Prof?). Sylvia dans la jongle du PETEN, écris-moi! Ok. That's it. I need some help from you guys. I'm going to be in Colombia for 5 months studying after New Year's, and I need to make some money on the side. I was thinking of working as a freelance writer for some newspaper, magazine, or website. I could do regular updates on the Colombian civil war situation. Maybe doing some basic web design too (and learn-more-as-I-go) or translate websites English to Spanish, or vice-versa. If you can refer me to someone, or have some work to offer me, please let me know. I'll send you a copy of my CV, and you can check out an example of my web design work. Hope to hear from you! Sabía que? Honduras fue "descubierto" por Cristóbal Colón (es el nombre de Christopher Columbus en español) en 1502 (14 de agosto). Un pocito más que quinientos (500) años! Según los libros de historía, Colón lo llamó Honduras debido a la mar profundidad que se encontró en la costa cercana. Pero todavia no comprendo los origenes de la palabra. Aparentemente en inglés, Honduras significa "depths", pero la traducción no hace bien... Yo piensé que tal vez se traduce mejor en italiano pero no.. Tienen ideas? Una tarjeta postal por alguien que sabe como hacer la traducción de "Honduras" por "depths". Además, sabía que Colón era Italiano (nació en Genoa, Italy - Cristoforo Colombo)? Pero estaba encargado a hacer exploración para el rey y reina de España (Ferdinand & Isabella). Eso sitio es solo en inglés, disculpe. So what am I saying in English? Basically, good old Chris who founded the New World was an Italian. He wanted to explore the unknown oceans and lands to the west, and searched for financing in all of Europe. After 8 years he was able to convince the king and queen of Spain. They had been emboldened by their capture of Granada (the last Moorish civilization in what-was-then Spain) in early 1492. During Columbus' fourth and last voyage, in 1502, he found Honduras and named it so because of the deep waters off its coast. Apparently, Honduras means "depths" in Spanish, but I can't find any link between the two words. Maybe it was an Italian translation? Help me out here. A postcard for anybody who can tell me how Honduras translates to "depths". Anyways, Columbus was an explorer but Hernan Cortés was a conquistador. It was under Cortes' direction that the Spaniards arrived and set up camp in the 1520's. They focused mostly on the interior of Honduras only though (they wanted gold). The Brits were attracted to the Caribbean coast (Belize too), which is why English is a dominant language there now. The Spanish stayed in Honduras for about three centuries, when independence from Spain was finally declared in 1821. As for that British controlled coast, they handed it over to the Hondurans in 1859. Now... recall that Mexico revolted from Spain in 1810. In fact, this was precipitated by Napoleon I's occupation of Spain (it opened up lots of doors for Mexico). Mexico declared its independence in 1810, and it was officially recognized by Spain only in 1821. In this same year, most of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica) also became independent. Briefly (a few years), these CA countries were part of Mexico (4 years only) then they united to form the Central American Federation, which itself only lasted 14 or so years. If you're wondering why that list of countries seems so short... remember that Belize was a British possession, and Panama was part of Colombia until 1903. More on that in another update. Confusing isn't it? I ran into someone a couple of weeks ago who didn't know why the Great War was started (World War I). I didn't know either. I knew it had been precipitated by the assassination of the Archduke of Francis-Ferdinand, but how did that start the calamitous events of World War I? A postcard for anybody who can tell me the link between Archduke Francis-Ferdinand, Napoleon, and Mexican history in the 19th century. It'll require a bit of research (maybe 15 min), but you'll learn something. I dare you. Be sure to send me your mailing address. In my next update (which will be about Costa Rica), I'll let you know the answer and who got it right, and then I'll answer my own question. What was the scoop with WWI? Back to my travels. The crew of the lobster fishing boat Douggy gave me the opportunity to visit Central America's largest jungle for two days. It is a land filled with thick jungle, and meandering rivers with submerged branches, mangrove swamps, and crocodiles. Two girls from Switzerland were determined to hitchhike to the Mosquito Coast on a boat or whatever way was possible. They asked me to come with them (to keep them safe!). Their freshness and bright smiles may have beguiled the captain because we didn't pay a cent for the voyage. The crew of the Douggy were so friendly. I learned how to peel an orange with a machete, and what a yucca is. I also found out how delicious it tastes once it's been boiled like a potato. It's comfortably filling and has a sweet taste. I'm sure it would be a wonderful ingredient in any caldo (stew). We slept in wooden bunks with about 2 feet of clearance between our heads and the bunk above us. It was hot, and sweaty, and had no bathroom on board. We could only go off the back of the boat while holding onto a rope. Of course, the captain continues to cruise at 25 or 30 knots while you do your business! Our trip lasted nearly 24 hours, at the end of which I was deposited into a small lancha (wooden motorboat) that took us to shore through choppy waters and strong winds. My original plan had been to head into Honduras to follow the Lenca trail (an indigenous people), to see Copan (a famous Mayan site), and to spend some time in Tegucigalpa, the country's capital. By the way, a 16th-century era chief of the ancient Lenca triba was named Lempira, and from this comes the name of the Honduran currency. So why did I go to the Mosquito Coast instead? Simple. It's off the beaten track. Also, few people visit it due to its remoteness. It's accessible only by air and water. If fly into it, you can only get around by motorboat, and in some cases, a narrow and shallow wooden canoe that is carved from the trunk of a single huge tree. Its isolation does make it more expensive as it has no accomodations for tourists, no electricity, no running water, and no toilets. Communication is done with short-wave radio. Internet, what's that? And what IS La Mosquitia? How can I describe it...? It begins in northeastern Honduras, and continues into northeastern Nicaragua. It is rain forest, beaches, palm trees, and small villages with little kids who stare at white people and beg to have photos taken of them. It is beat-up pickup trucks doubling as buses and taxis, zipping along the beach, through the surf, and into the jungle, delivering people to their destination for a few lemps. Indigenous natives of the Moskito tribe live in grass huts or ramshackle wooden shacks. There are no windows, and no doors. I had chicken dinner at the house of one man. While I sat on his porch, I watched life in this little native village walk by me. Four brothers strolled along the footpath. The older ones leading the younger siblings. Wandering dogs and chickens fight for the occasional scrap of food. One young boy I saw rode a horse down the beach at a clip as fast as our pickup truck. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder like a schoolbag. There are no roads here. The towns are short grass, scattered trees, and houses raised on stilts. One native offered me his 14-year-old daughter in exchange for a blond grandson! I did not oblige. :) The Mosquito Coast - Harrison Ford & River Phoenix For two nights I stayed in the small town of Cocobila with the captain of the Douggy. He fed us delicious fried chicken, rice, and yucca, and provided us free accomodation. He even treated us to a couple of beers. Hondurans are some of the friendliest people I have met so far. They are an inquisitive people, honest, and warm. It was also the first country where I noticed frequent use of the pronoun "Usted". It is a more respectful Spanish version of "you". This was not so true in Mexico, where they will use the conjugation associated with Usted, but will almost never say the word itself. Cocobila is situated on a small strip of land between Laguna de Ibans and the Caribbean Sea. The distance between the two bodies of water is not more than 200 metres, if that. So, all industry, travel, and culture in this village is associated with water. In fact, below you will find a link to a story on lobster diving. This was in fact, exactly the goal of the Douggy. My new friend, Doyl, with whom I spent a few good hours talking, is one of these divers. He is one of the few that is certified to work as a diver, and was trained on the Bay Islands. Cases of the bends (paralysis) is quite common, and when it does happen, and the diver is unable to complete his work, all the other divers will contribute part of their catch to make up for his lost share. The income of these divers is indeed substantially higher the average per-capita income in Latin American countries. This industry is also as alive and well in Honduras as it apparently is in Nicaragua. While in Honduras, I was stopped by three Honduran special forces soldiers, part of their elite Cobra unit (Commando Operaciones Especiales). They demanded to know who I was and why I wasn't carrying my passport. They insisted I return with it immediately for their inspection. I did, return, with Doyl, who happens to have a brother-in-law who is a lieutenant in the Honduran military. Nothing particular interesting happened though (I was not arrested, strip-searched, or forcibly confined). :) Too bad. Initially, I was worried though. When we were sailing from Guatemala to the Bay Islands, Marius had been accosted by three men with machine guns on a dock in the town of Omoa. While they did not identify themselves, they had police badges on their shoulders. Marius said they interrogated him from the dock (while he was sitting on the boat) with the usual questions: Where are you from, what is your name, where are you going? Blah, blah, blah. I would like to add that these are isolated cases, and often times, underpaid policemen like to show their bravado and use their power a bit. In 4 months of travelling, I have never paid a bribe, I have not had a "successful" robbery attempt on me, and I have not experienced the apathetic goverment bureaucracy that is so frequently spoken of. Since Mexico, I have been drinking tap water, eating fruits, vegetables, and salads and have eaten many meals from street vendors. I've been swimming in lakes, rivers, oceans, waterfalls, caves, and public swimming pools. I've hitchhiked, strolled large cities at night, and gone to local parties with local people. Rest your fears, Mexico and Central America is safe to visit alone and for an extended period of time. Just use common sense! Grab a backpack, stuff it with what you want and need, ask yourself how long you want to travel for, and how much you want to spend per day, and GO! There's a bus leaving in 15 minutes! Grab it! You'll be fine. Email me if you want a push. Getting back from the jungle to the civilization that is La Ceiba was tough. We (the Swiss girls and I) missed the boat to take us to Palacios so we knocked on a random door at 6am and paid a guy 100 lemps each to take us to Palacios. This was our connecting town to catch a ride out of the jungle. It was a small powerful motorboat, and he gunned it like you see in those arcade games. The boat took us along the Río Sico, and it's a wonderful ride at sunrise. It reminded me of a lake I fished in Newfoundland (remember cousin Eric's cabin, Dad?). The river snaked around and around until we had completely lost our sense of direction. More than once we just missed hitting a sunken log, and we narrowly avoided crashing into another boat. So close that we soaked its navigator with our spray! Our bus back to Tocoa (a town with connecting buses to La Ceiba) was a pickup truck with wooden slats laid over the the bed. These acted as seats. A scaffolding style frame was fitted over this so that we could hold on for support. We were 8. We departed at half-past-seven and set off through small villages, picking up and dropping off new passengers along the way. As I said, there are no roads, and the fastest way to travel between the sporadically-scattered towns is via the beach. Hard-packed sand (i.e. WET) is safer than the dry stuff, so we were riding through the waves. At times, the truck teetered at 45 degrees if the slope of the shore was such. It is a very bumpy ride, and lasted 7 hours! Imagine the back of a pickup truck, in the hot sun, with 7 other people, and all of the baggage. Then we encountered an uncrossable river. So. What do you think we did? We still had to get to Tocoa. It just so happens that there are about a dozen entrepeneurial young boys who have come up with the bright idea to float giant logs on empty blue oil drums. It took about an hour and a half to ensure their makeshift barge was strong enough to carry our pickup truck across the narrow but deep river. We passengers elected to take our belongings across in a canoe. The truck made it. THAT was truly a sight to see. We hit two more rivers on the way to Tocoa, but these we just drove through. Sitting in the back of a pickup truck driving through a river that is hip-high, while you hold all your bags on your lap so they don't get wet, is something you definitely have to try! The engine smokes and sputters, and the wheels push down into the soft sand to propel us onto the opposite bank. Before they do this of course, they wrap the engine in a huge taurpaulin to prevent it from getting doused in water (they perform this journey on a daily basis). After jungle driving, and riverboating with a Toyota, we found a real road to take us the rest of way to Tocoa. I should mention that this trip was only the third time since August that I've gotten a sunburn... In the end, a cumulative half-day of travelling by boat, pickup truck, and yellow-American school bus was enough to get me to La Ceiba. Again, this was my transit point to Tegucigalpa and from there into Nicaragua. I did forget to mention in my last update that the city of La Ceiba is infamous for the car crash last April that killed Lisa Lopes, member of the musical group TLC. La Prensa: Conmoción en EUA por la muerte de la cantante Lisa Lopes en Honduras Capitán Davíd - Muchissimas gracias a usted. Sin su ayuda, no podria visitar a la Mosquitia. Gracias para me llevar hasta Cocobila, gracias para hospedarme, y gracias por la comida rica! Doyl, thanks for helping me out with the Cobra dudes and for taking care of me in La Mosquitia. Give the Capitán my best for the New Year, because I don't have a shortwave radio handy. Joelle & Anna - If anyone has the email address of these two Swiss girls, please send it over. I lost it and need to send them some photos...
Martes, 24 de diciembre, 2002, 6:55 de la noche, EDT
This has been an interesting week in Central America. Since David
arrived 10 days ago, I have had two robbery attempts on my belongings, and
today, we saw a poisonous scorpion bite somebody, and now there is a
tarantula in our hotel room here in Boquete. David just told me. I suppose
we'll have to kill it once I leave the safe comfort of this Internet cafe.Boquete, Chiriquí, Republica de Panamá We just met a really beautiful local girl who is coming with us to the Christmas church service this evening at 10pm (by the way, I'm back on Eastern Standard Time after nearly 4 months of travelling). Tomorrow we're climbing Volcan Barú, Panama's highest peak. It's an 11 hour hike, and if we are REALLY lucky (what with robberies and creatures, I doubt it), we might be able to get a panoramic view of both oceans (Pacific and Atlantic). Our supplies include more than 7L of water, two Snickers bars, two apples, two pears, two cans of fruit cup, a loaf of bread, Skippy Crunchy peanut butter, a flashlight, rain gear, and first aid kit. Wish us luck with the beautiful girl, and, of course, hunting down that tarantula.
Martes, 24 de diciembre, 2002, 12:24 de la tarde, EDT
Merry Christmas!Boquete, Chiriquí, Republica de Panamá I am in Panama now, with my friend David Valicenti. He flew in from Montreal last week to spend the holidays with me. I am alternating my updates with his, so if you want to keep up with us, you'll have a lot of reading to do. Brace yourself, as afterwards you may be tempted to travel. I say, DO IT. We are staying in a windy little mountain town. We're going to spend a few days here before heading to a surfing beach on the Pacific Coast. That will be Santa Catalina. Then we're going to Panama City for New Year's Eve. That should be a blast. I wish all of you the best for the holiday season. It's been tough responding to my personal email, but I don't want anybody to think I forgot about them. Love you all, and keep it real. God bless, Ryan
Domingo, 22 de diciembre, 2002, 9:00 de la noche, CDT
Hey everybody! First of all... Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Kala
Hristougenna, Feliz Navidad, Joyeuse Fetes, Bon Natale, Happy New Year, Bom
Novo, and all the rest. For anybody I missed, Seasons Greetings! :) There is
absolutely no way that I can send everybody I care about a personal holiday
greeting, so I'll restrict that to family only.Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, Costa Rica Special greetings go out to Ted (where are you?), Peter G, Mihai, Charles, Denise W, Denise S, Colin, Mick and his family, David C, Dominique B, Raviv, Chris & Will, ****TheMaker & Shane (for all your help)****, Valerie B, Marius, Stefan, Kiley, Joan, Alexa, Meg, Sarah K, and Ron... Saludos especiales a Gabriella, Maria P, Sarina, Margarita, Paulina & Mariana y su familia, Vera, Tania, Claudia, Barbara, Ana, Patty, Irving, Maria U, Ida, Karina, Auri, Ale, Andrea, Dani, y Rafael... Hay bastante otros, pero es imposible de continuar... Tomé demasiado muchos cervezas en las tras 4 meses para acordarme de todos... :) Des bonnes voeux à Cécile, Sébastien, Marie, Hélène, Karine, Tony (le moufflon), Sandrine, Joelle & Anna, et plein d'autres... Hope you received and were able to read my last email. If not, it's available on my website. It was sent out under trying technical circumstances and apparently some people did not get it. Thought you guys might be getting a little bit bored with all the history, so I'm going to forego that stuff in this update (sorry Frances!!!), and tell you some stories about my adventures on a sailboat, scuba-diving in the Caribbean, visiting the second-largest jungle in the world, and more... (and that was just in the first 12 days). At the end of my last update, I was about to board a 38 foot sailboat and sail to the Caribbean island of Utila (part of the Bay Islands of Honduras). To orient yourself, look up the city of Livingston, Guatemala on a map of Central America. It sits on that country's only stretch of Caribbean coast. Utila, Honduras is 120-130 nautical miles (as the crow flies), 90 degrees due east of Livingston. We left early Monday morning, the 25th of November, and arrived Friday morning, the 29th and our speed ranged anywhere from 3-5 knots. The S.V. (Sailing Vessel) Lady Jane is navigated by an Italian, Capt. Roberto Parea and his Spanish girlfriend Inma. You can check out their website. The sailboat is really only built to sleep 6, but my new friends persuaded the captain to squeeze me in on the boat. My four shipmates were Marius, a funny and articulate dude from Norway; Stefan, a tall, lanky Swiss guy who was always ready to join me for a beer; Kiley, a pretty blonde American with lots of stories and a penchant for bluegrass music; and Joan, her Julia Stiles look-a-like friend, with an almost constant thoughtful look on her face. Our first stop was a shallow area off the barrier reef, where the water was turquoise blue and only about 20 feet deep. The captain got into the water in full wetsuit gear, mask, and snorkel, along with a huge speargun that he used to successfully capture 3 or 4 fish for our supper. We ate snapper and tuna that night and it was delicious. We snorkeled a little bit there too, but our first day at sea was cloudy so visibility wasn't great. Sunlight helps a lot because it illuminates the colourful fish. Our destination for the night was a small island in the Sapodilla Cays. Its name was Nicholas Cay (Belizean territory), and we anchored about 75m offshore. The island was practically deserted. In fact, a bungalow resort had been planned for the cay but construction went halfway and was abandoned due to lack of funding. Imagine the eerie sight of seeing dozens of buildings without doors, windows, lightbulbs, or furniture. Semi-installed shower stalls were lying on the floors inside... A perfect place for a group of squatters. The small island, not more than 250m across in any direction was covered in towering palm trees, discarded conch shells, and coconuts. Conch shells are considered a top prize by many seashell collectors. These are the huge ocean treasures that mimic the sound of the ocean when you put them to your ear. Some of them can also be blown into, somewhat like a horn. The Queen Conch, the most famous, is an endangered species. The meat of this one, and of other conches, is a delicacy and the shell is highly valued as well. These beautiful ocean-floor dwelling creatures are hunted very easily. You need simply punch a hole in the bottom of the shell, and yank the defenseless animal out. We had a little happy hour on the island with a bottle of Bacardi and some Coca Cola (Vivela!). Afterwards, Marius and I had the bright idea to skip the skimpy dinghy and swim back to the sailboat. What a beautiful idea. If you've never been to the ocean at night in a tropical locale, let me tell you about phosphorescent plankton. These little creatures glow in the dark and swim around showing off their lights. If you disturb the water, they get pretty excited. When Marius and I jumped in, they swarmed all over us. A photo of the scene would have had us looking like floating green Martians. They don't hurt at all as they are miniscule organisms, but it was a spooky and surreal experience. Photo of the Queen Conch International Law Prohibits Commercial Trade in Queen Conch Our next stop was a hidden cove, with a deserted beach. Deserted at least by the last humans that had been there. We did find a shelter (man-made) constructed from palm leaves and tree branches. It hadn't been used in quite a while, judging from the surrounding debris, but still looked quite sturdy. The beach was no more than 15 or 20 feet wide, covered with toppled palm trees and rotting stumps. Probably remnants of the last tropical storm or hurricane to have passed through here. The beach is isolated by thick jungle and rocky points guard the cove's entrance. Nightfall brought strong winds to the cove, signs of an approaching storm. They were a strong northeasterly and reached speeds of 30km to 35km. But rain fell only in small drops and only for a few seconds here and there. Some parts of the sky were clear of the ominous dark rain clouds and in these spots, you could see many stars. An odd sight, the clear sky mixed with foreboding storm clouds. Have you ever had quietness so intense that you couldn't concentrate? In this place, sitting on the bow of the boat, the wind was fierce and soothing at the same time. This made concentrating on absolutely nothing a very simple thing to do. In the morning, when we left the protected area of the cove, the sea was rough. We felt the brutal effect of the previous night's storm on the waves. They were rocky, and the boat pitched from side to side. Sun was interspersed with rain. I did not feel good at all, and was anxiously awaiting a stop in Tela. The girls were planning to debark there, since they had fallen short on time and needed to meet an obligation back in Belize. The weather was rough enough that we were unable to anchor, so the captain called a boat in from shore to taxi the girls in They were sorely disappointed to be cutting their trip short. The unpredictability of the sea ruined their plans. It also ruined mine, as my stomach was by this time extremely queasy and I COULD NOT WAIT to get off the boat. We couldn't dock, so the captain took the decision to sail straight to Utila, this meant continuous sailing for the next 18 hours... When we finally arrived in Utila, we were so glad (myself especially) to finally get off the boat that we didn't care that it was pouring rain. We didn't even want to wait for the captain to take us in the dinghy. We hired a local fisherman to bring us to shore with our bags. At this point I was sporting four weeks growth of beard, and I finally shaved it all off (sorry Mick!!!). My hair is almost to my shoulders now, and I'm getting used to it. Maybe I'll continue to let it grow until I return to Canada!! A couple of the delicious meals served to us on the boat (though they weren't quite so diligent about preparing our food on a regular basis, but that's a story saved for a cold pint of Strawberry Blonde at Brutopia, and not to mention our "lost" bottle of Tequila) were these... Recipe for Conch Ceviche Utila is one of three Bay Islands, the others being Roatan, and Guanaja. Remember I told you about the Garifuna people being exiled to Roatan at the end of the 1700's? They also migrated to Utila and Guanaja. The dominant language on these islands is English, with Creole and Spanish widely spoken as well. Roatan is the most popular, the most expensive, and has the best scuba diving, the best beaches, and the best parties. The other, Guanaja, is more remote, and was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Utila is reputed to be the cheapest place in the world to get certified for scuba diving. You can get PADI certified here for about US$125. I was certified at Waddell Aquatics, on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal (fun & friendly place to get your certification). Ask for John Gilsenan and tell him ryanrowe.com recommended you. For more info on Honduras, visit a non-government sponsored website, run by an Honduran enterprise My main objective in Utila was to scuba-dive, and though I had never planned to visit here in the first place, the sailboat trip opportunity changed my entire itinerary. On my tight budget, I was able to find the money to go on two dives. They call them fun dives, where they take you down for 30-45 minutes to enjoy the underwater scenery. It was my first time scuba-diving without a teacher around, so I was kind of nervous, but the school (the Bay Islands College of Diving) made me feel very comfortable. We went down to about 50 feet on the first dive (Ted's Point), and 40 feet on the second (Moon Hole). Both are located on the opposite side of the island from the barrier reef, but that doesn't mean my dives weren't worth it. It's a completely different world down there. At first I was a bit nervous going so deep, but achieving neutral buoyancy (floating like a fish) was much easier for me in saltwater wearing only 12lbs of weights, than it was wearing 28lbs of weight on a freshwater dive (Lac L'Achigan). I chose not to buy or rent an underwater camera for financial reasons, and also because I wanted to keep my hands free while scuba-diving for the first time. Ted's Point was hilly terrain, lots of coral reef, rock overhands and cool underwater passages. It was sunny out and I saw a queen parrotfish, a juvenile spotted drum, and a four-eyed butterfly fish. Moon Hole is named as such because it is a sandy circle about 50 feet in diameter with reef encircling it. Here I found a stargazer, a blimpy looking fish with eyes on the top of its head. A very reclusive creature, it buries itself in the sand to avoid predators. The only reason I found it was because I wanted to feel the texture of the sand. As I picked up some of it, the floor started to move, and out popped this huge fish! Scared the living s*** out of me. I also came upon a really frightening looking barracuda with a rusted old hook still in its mouth. He evidently hasn't forgotten what humans can do, 'cause he swam away from me, instead of towards me. :) If you want to see what my mood was immediately after I went scuba-diving that day, check out my update from November 30th, 2002. P.S. The photos referenced above were taken by other people, but are accurate depictions of what I actually saw that day. Utila also has some great bars. The Bar in the Bush is only open on Friday nights and is a crazy cool place to be. It's worth spending a Friday here just to visit this place. Email me and ask me about the cool thoughts I wrote down on a beer coaster while I tripped on three different levels. It's worth it just for the laugh. :) Coco Bongo's on Saturday nights has some wicked techno, dance, and hip-hop music, while the Cross Creek (on Sundays) has a great atmosphere and some cool Canadian owners. I spent the night here instead of a hotel before catching a ride on a boat at 3am to the mainland. Try walking in the dark on an island in the middle of the Caribbean when you're drunk at half past 2 in the morning. It was cloudy too, so stars and moonlight were out of the picture. Utila cuts its electrical power from midnight till 5 to conserve energy, so the entire island is PITCH-BLACK (that's a cool movie, by the way, with Vin Diesel, go check it out). Though I only planned to stay here for two days, I managed to hitch a free ride on the cargo boat TONIA C II in the middle of the night on my third day. It dropped me off early in the morning in the port town of La Ceiba. Taking the ferry would have cost me 195 lempiras (C$20 or US$13), so it was nice to save that money after luxury items like a sailboat trip and scuba-diving. La Ceiba has a great atmosphere too. It was my transit point between Utila and the Mosquito Coast, and then again when I headed to Tegucigalpa. It's a town where the streets and sidewalks are filled (maybe cluttered is a better word) with pedestrians, street vendors, honking taxis, children and adults and dogs on bicycles (just checking to see if you're reading!) and blaring music from clothing stores. The atmosphere is fun and lively, and I enjoyed just walking arounnd town. The Coca Cola Christmas Pine tree was a bit cliché, I would have rathered a Corona Christmas Palm tree (even more cliché). I also went to go see a movie in a local cinema, The Mothman Prophecies, in English with Spanish subtitles. This is a great way to practice Spanish because you can match the dialogue with the printed text. Check out the very friendly laundromat (name is: LAVAMAGIC) on the main road towards the COTUC bus station. Some really cool people work there!!! Mention my name to Jony. Hitchhiking by boat was also convenient for my next destination, as I was able to find free passage on a fishing boat to Central America's largest and most untamed jungle area (la Mosquitia, also known as the Mosquito Coast). At this point I had been immersed in the English language WITHIN Central America since the 18th of November (about 14 days). Kind of bizarre, huh? I did not escape this influence until I headed to the Mosquito Coast. Since this email is getting long again, and I wanted to wish you all a happy holiday... I'll adjourn and continue in a few days. Marius, Stefan, Kiley, Joan - Thanks again for the sailboat trip, a pity we never got to touch the Jose Cuervo. Joelle & Anna - J'ai perdu vos courriers, envoyez-moi un email! Je raconterai l'histoire de La Mosquitia quand j'ecris la prochaine fois Michael - Got your email about the bar in Panama City for New Year's. thanks, but if there's a cover charge, we'll probably skip it! I'm tapped :) The crew at LavaMagic - thanks for helping me dry my sleeping bag after the Mosquito Coast trip |
|
