Another day another country

Sorry to my many legions of friends out there demanding my imminent return to the blog (well, mostly my mum, but hey, you have to start somewhere). Am now back in 21st century with lots to say (let that be a warning)

So big event of last week was obviously my birthday, which many people managed to remember but unfortunately I did not!!! This was mostly on account of me never knowing what day/date/time it is over here. So had a perfectly lovely day going to a waterfall and swimming in this lovely swimming hole and then swimming in the aforementioned river (lots more swimming since, am feeling a bit waterlogged now!) and it was only when we moved on to Uvita in the evening and had to sign into the new hostel that I realised! So burst into fits of laughter and then had food, drink and pool paid for all eve and treated myself to an airconditioned dorm!!!

This last week has been lots of fun though as we have been prettty much 5 people with a couple of personnel changes! The five of us from Dominical all went to Uvita together and had a fab time hanging out at a great hostel and then spending a v hot and sweaty day on one of the most perfect beaches I have seen with lots of playing in the waves, snorkelling and running away from tiny but ferocious looking lizards.

Was then talked into going to the Osa Penninsula with Liz and Alex by a girl I had met in Monteverde and then ran into (not, surprisingly enough for me, literally!) in Uvita and am really glad I went. It was sad saying bye to Ali and Johanna and was a bit wary of travelling for such a long way with 4 others (picked up a 5th guy, Adam waiting for the bus!) but makes it cheaper. decided to splash out a whole $10 each on a taxi all the way to Sierpe cutting about 2 hours off our travel time and it was one of my best journeys yet (for me at least). Alex and I grabbed the back and so lay there in the sun watching all this amazing coast and jungle scenery fly past knowing that we could have been sweating ourselves to death on a slow as hell bus. Then after a near fist fight between us on how to knock a $ or 2 (the joys of big group travel) of the price finally got ourselves onto a boat, and one hour along river and sea and much gorgeous scenery later we had ourselves a beach landing onto a perfect, deserted beach and found out that the hostel we wanted to stay at couldn´t get much better!

So have just had the best 3 days. We stayed in this great cabina all to ourselves in the middle of the jungle yet only 2 mins walk to the beach and with coconuts, pineapples and starfruit growing all around and scarlet macaws flying overhead. Plus the guy looking after the place treated us like family, we all cooked together and generally all had a fab time. Sorry to make you all sick, but as Liz and I floated in the sea together as the sun set (we are both real waterbabies) we agreed that this was pretty much heaven

Best day for me though was on Saturday i managed to organise a trip to Cano Island with a posh hotel about 20mins walk away and it was just amazing. The island itself was used in Jurassic Park apparently but it is also a marine park and the snorkelling was out of this world. Saw sharks, lobster, starfish and a jumping devil ray as well as huge sea turtles and loads of different fish, but the best bit was turning around and suddenly seeing a huge ball of snapper (must have been 300 fish easily) being circled by 6 or 7 big blue fish. It was just like you would see on a documentary and I was just mesmerised watching them all swim together and evade the big fish. After watching that for about 10mins all of a sudden this shark comes out of nowhere and grabs a fish. Pretty spectacular! even our guide was impressed.

Left the penninsula today though and had to say bye to Alex (sad) and Linete (not so sad!!) but Liz and Adam decided to come to Panama with me and we have had a pretty fun day! Had been stormy all night and this morning so the boat ride back to Sierpe was a little on the fun side (to say the least, as I clutched my seat hoping the boat wouldn´t fall apart). Then at the border, the Panamanian woman obviously took a dislike to us and decided to make our lives hell. She insisted that Liz and Adam have return bus tickets to San Jose (an entry requirement is that you have a ticket to leave an I luckily had my plane ticket to Cuba)) but the bus office was closed and there appeared to be no way of buying a ticket! But after begging and pleading various people, a handy man turned up and sold them a ticked so that was sorted....but then on our return to the lady she now decided that they needed a tourist card and so off we went to the tourist card place.....grrrr Tempers were wearing a little thin at this point and I was so glad when we were hustled onto a bus Nica style and off we went. Hurrah...finally in Panama and off to the mountains tomorrow.