After a short stint in Urubamba with a couchsurfer, and a broken Osprey backpack later , we made our way to Ollantaytambo, mostly as a hop-on point for the train to Machu Picchu. Little did we know that Ollantaytambo is a gorgeous little Peruvian town, nestled between the mountains along a roaring river.

Sacred Tree

We were lucky enough to arrive during Carnival and witness the locals traditional customs and celebrations. First was some joyful dancing around this sole tree in the middle of the town square in colorful traditional dress, of course! We thought it was over as they left and made their way down towards the river, but followed anyway to explore the area further. After crossing the bridge, we noticed instead of colorful costumes, everyone was wearing all-red, and that we were about to witness a giant tug-o-war over the river!

Celebrating Carnival!

First the ladies, then the men, then everyone together! The locals were handing out red flags to cheer them on and free chicha for all! Chicha is a strong homemade Peruvian alcohol.  It is processed from corn and usually made in peoples homesand signaled to the public with a red flag at the end of a wood pole in the doorway.  There were bucketfulls of it, and all the plastic cups were being re–used, but hey…when in Rome!

Preparing for the Tug-o-War!

PULLL!!!!

The little village quickly grew on us. Described in the Lonely Planet as a well “preserved example of Inca city planning,” the cobbled stone streets, adobe buildings and panorama view of the Andes Mountains shot this place up the top of the list of places we’ve been. The physical and natural beauty of Ollantaytambo combined with a strong dose of positive energy from smiling locals made for the best atmosphere of the sacred vally locations we visited, even with all the tourism. 

Ollantaytambo from above~

LOVE!

There are two sets of ruins that border Ollanta. The more touristy of the two is very well preserved, a good appetizer to prepare for the main course – Machu Picchu. However, to visit these ruins will cost you around $30 US, but the other set were free. Having spent a boatload of our budget just to get where we were not to mention the upcoming expenses (Machu Picchu) we opted for the free ones….which are called Pinkuylluna. The trail up is a nice mildy-challenging hike. The trail is not so pampered, so I think it’s more fun to explore. The view is by far the best part though. Once at the top, you can see the whole town, the river, the other ruins, and the beautiful mountains surrounding you!

Having too much fun near the cliff!

Ruins!

Ollantay has more than just great energy, hikes and ruins as there is quite a lot of shopping to be here as well. The apparel and gifts in Peru are so colorful and beautiful…you can really see the tradition ingrained in it all. The coolest thing is that the people there actually wear that stuff, so it is not totally dorky and touristy if you buy it! There are fun markets where you can barter your way along, or boutique stores for the finer things. Art galleries are also present, and the selection of restaurants can please whatever budget you are on!

Trying on an AWESOME beanie!

We spent four full days here and really enjoyed experiencing the remnants of the preserved Inca lifestyle or looking up at those beautiful mountains.  Unfortunately for the majority of travelers, Ollantaytambo is just a short stop on a day trip from Cuzco.  So if you have the time, this duo highly recommends spending a couple of days here soaking the culture up and getting used to the chill/altitude.  Next stop, Machu Picchu!

Woah! Neverending!

The plan all along was to exit the airport and explore the capital city so we could pile on another country to our growing list. No lines at immigration, thanks to a smooth process by Mexican authorities helped put our minds at ease. The only minor inconvenience was that we had to collect our bags and pass through customs, but again, an easy process. After pacing back and forth between money changers finding the best rate and one to exchange our aussie dollars we stashed our bags with the left luggage service and boarded the commuter bus to the metro, and on to the city center.

Street Art!

We found Mexico City had an extensive, cheap, and userfriendly metro system. In no time we were walking the downtown streets taking in the bright colors and wonderful smells of the street vendors lining the roadsides. It didn’t take long for us to find some cheap goods, a must for every US citizen visiting Mexico; a new pair of sunnies for Chels that came with a whopping price tag of $1.75USD. Not even five minutes later, we were sampling the local fare, a trend that continued throughout the day.

yummy! First sampling of the street food

We set out for Zocalo, one of the largest city squares in the world. Although the sheer size of it was impressive, and it housed one of the most massive flags I’ve ever seen flying… there was NOTHING there! No vendors, no street food, no art or street performers. So we walked across it, and that was that. On the other side of the square stood the Metropolitan Cathedral, which boasts the title of being the largest cathedral in the Americas! It was very impressive both inside and out, and worth a quick peak!

Zocalo Square

Next we headed for the main pedestrian strip which had an overload of jewelry and gold shops, and not enough cafes. We did find a super local spot to eat in that was PACKED with Mexicans… tacos served out of a huge bucket. We had no idea what we were ordering, but this man that spoke a bit of English ordered for us! It was delicious but a bit unsettling on the tummy!

Local taco shop!

We started walking again and soon found ourselves wandering around Alameda Central Park, which was full of vendors! Finally, we found the fun stuff! Anything you could possibly want, you could find at these markets, whether it be food, souvenirs, art, or everyday supplies like batteries and razors. Of course, Brad and I had to avoid any urge to purchase something, so made our way to one of the other free museums in the city..which happened to be very cool.. the National Cultural Museum. It houses artifacts and information about past and present cultures of the human race!

Egyptians!

When 5pm came around, we decided we should head back to avoid “the dangers of Mexico city”, although we actually felt safer walking around there than many places in Central America. Only 6 more hours to kill in the airport before our flight to Lima, Peru. By the time it came to board the plane, we were ready to PASS out! Before we knew it, we had landed in Lima and were on our way to the Cruz del Sur bus station for another 7 hour wait before our ride.

Fun in the Airport!

A few episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” later, and we were boarding the nicest bus we’ve ever been on! The leather seats reclined almost all the way, with a pillow, blanket, headphones, movies and food service! Like a plane, but roomier, which made the 24-hours we were about to spend on it go by much smoother!

Cruz del Sur

So after a 4am taxi ride ->plane ride -> 15 hour layover in Mexico City with metro/bus/taxis -> plane ride -> taxi ride with 6 hour layover in Lima ->24 hour bus ride to Cusco -> taxi ride to another bus terminal -> shared van to Urubamba! FINALLY…we arrived at our couchsurfers in the beautiful Sacred Valley I think we beat our Honduras/Nicaraguan border crossing experience with multiple modes of travel!

These statues were everywhere...all different!

After an intense border crossing, and a night in Liberia, we were happy to arrive at our couchsurfer, Justine’s cozy abode. She actually lived in a quaint little town called Belen, just outside of Heredia and about 20 minutes from the city center. Justine herself was a spark of life and ended up taking us in 3 days earlier than we planned…and for 3 days longer!

Justine...you're the best!

Brad had come down with a cough, so after a couple days full of rest and vitamins, we finally made it out into the city. Guess who decided to join us too..yet again..our long-lost couchsurfer Alex! The 4 of us headed for La Sabana park with a soccer ball in one hand and a camera in the other. The park in San Jose is full of life! Everywhere you look, there are kids playing soccer, couples enjoying a picnic, baseball games and artwork all around. We kicked around the ball for a while, watched Alex ride around on a unicycle that he saw someone have in the park, and then enjoyed some fresh coconut juice while watching the baseball game!

Fun in the park!

Whale Skeleton?

Fresh coconut juice!

Yay that Justine was with us, because she casually asked if her and Brad could join in the game, and they accepted! Brad joyously waited in the hot sun for a chance to feel the ball touch his glove (didn’t happen…these guys weren’t the best baseball players around!) before getting a chance at bat! Justine actually DID get a chance to catch a couple balls in the outfield…but also didn’t happen haha! (LOVE YA!)

Brad up at bat!

After enjoying the outdoors, Justine went to work, and Alex, Brad and I checked out a museum close by, then went to check out the markets. The pedestrian street is quite nice, with lots of shopping, although not as many cafe’s as I would have liked! The markets were bustling with anything you could possible want. On the top of our list… deliciously unhealthy cheese tortillas!

Cheese tortilla wrapped in a banana leaf!

Before we knew it, it was time to leave Costa Rica. Although we didn’t do a whole lot in San Jose, it was the company we were surrounded with that made it such a pleasure! Alex…always great to see you, and Justine, you were such a fun gracious host! Until next time Central America. Now for the long journey to Peru!

Bye bye Central America!

Central Costa Rica - Santa Elena

This is a country where Chels and I could spend months. All of the things I previously mentioned are exactly what get our juices flowing, but as I also mentioned it’s expensive. Unfortunately because of our tight budget we were forced to choose only one cool thing for our ten days on the Rich Coast. After much deliberation and consideration we went with Monteverde’s Cloud Forest.

Art Gallery in Santa Elena

The town of Monteverde is mostly protected forest so the majority of visitors stay in the neighboring town of Santa Elena, but getting here is no short trip. Set 1400 meters (4600ft) above sea level the roads into town are mostly unpaved and wind through the gorgeous countrysides peaks and vallys. Santa Elena is a small but friendly village with a mountain-town feel and upon arrival we were reminded of what we came for. A large electronic billboard advertises videos of bungee jumping, tarzan swinging, canyoning and ziplining seducing the adventourus. With a number of available activities to choose from we had to make yet another tough decision.

Sloth Backpackers

Sloth Backpackers was our hostel of choice. It was just outside of the hustle and bustle in town, and offered a really cute and cozy atmosphere. Run by 2 sisters, they help you organize anything you want from tours to tranport. The breakfast is delicious and legitimate compared to some of the bread and jam breakfasts other hostels offer. The only complaint was that man…MARK YOUR FOOD! The second you leave the kitchen with ANY item unmarked (even salt, oil, dressing!) the sisters grab it up and lock it in their cupboard. We lost out on our butter and popcorn because of their well..greed.

DUO about to fly

Under the recomendation of passing travellers and Kelly we narrowed it down to ziplining (canopy tour) and canyoning. Canyoning is sort of deceptive in it’s name because from what I can tell, involves no canyons. Basically you absail down eleven flowing waterfalls – pretty excellent but comes with a price tag of $50. The other option, ziplining, is probably how the area became famous amoung backpackers and is the most popular. A series of 20 odd platforms strung together with metel cables takes you on a wild tour of the cloud forest offering some great views at high speeds; all for around $45.

Good to Go

At first we decided on doing both, but our bank accounts had the final say and we ended up choosing the zipline canopy tour. Out of the serveral companies that offer this we went with EXTREMO because they have the fastest and longest lines. They arranged a pick up from our hostel and provided/dressed us up in the required gear once you’re there. After a quick demonstration of the essentials: what to do if you get stuck; how to slow down/stop; ect., we were off. They start you off light; a couple of short ones before you get hooked on for a big one. The day we went the wind was howling and it was raining. In these circumstances you pair up with someone on long lines so that you don’t get stuck in the middle. So together, Chels and I whizzed 800 meters over Monteverde’s famous cloud forest!

zipline action

..more zipline

Now they call this a canopy tour but lets face it, it’s about the ziplining. I guess a few times we were able to appreciate they beautiful scenery around us, but it was more of an ancillary benefit than the focus.

Suspension Bridge!

After about 12 or 13 cables and a speedy repel , they let you experience the “Tarzan Swing”…and it’s scary!! All of a sudden, they are attaching all these cables to you, tell you to squat…and before you know it, you’re being pushed off the edge and start falling before it turns into a huge swing across the canopy! It is AWESOME! !! What a rush. Brad swung out so high that he almost hit a tree! To catch you, they throw a big rubber inflatable out in front of you to hold you in while they un-hook you!

Tarzan stopper!

After we watch everyone scream and laugh until they cry on the swing, we set out on a hike to the top of the canopy where we are set to experience the much-anticipated “Superman”. This was a highlight simply because of the length of the zipline that allowed you to truly appreciate the beauty below you! They connect you from your back, pull each foot up into a harness behind you, and away you go…face-down like superman for a kilometer .. flying over a beautiful valley of lush green below!

Flying!!

coming in for the landing

Afterwards, with everyones adrenaline pumping, they give you the option to experience the MEGA-Tarzan Swing or Bungee Jump! It would have been tempting if it weren’t for finances, but now we have something to look forward to next time we visit Costa Rica

EXTREME!!!

If it is one thing that Monteverde’s tour companies do well that is combining nature with adventure. We could have spent all ten days here just trying out all the crazy stunts you can pull, if time and budget would have allowed. No doubt we’ll be back one day, with wads of cash, ready to raise the heartrate a few bpm!

Beautiful sunset!

We stayed in Pacha Mama, a very gringo hostel but with a great chilled-out environment right by the beach, AND a pancake breakfast with free coffee all-day long (Brad’s heaven?!) We checked out some stellar sunsets on the beach there, played some football, and of course watched the superbowl. WOn’t mention the outcome…except that, that was the night we cut all of Brad’s locks off with a pair of cheap paper scissors haha! A LITTLE…under the influence. Turned out surprisingly nice though!

Beautiful locks!

All the hair!

All gone!

Soon enough, we began our terror journey to Costa Rica. First step, bus ride to Rivas….easy! Hop on another bus to the border town…easy! THEN, we get in line at the border….what turned into 3 grueling hours in the heat. First we get in a line in the sun just to pay this border town a small fee to get through the gate to the actual immigration. Then we hop in this MASSIVE line that seems to move so slow that its moving backwards. Probably because it practically was…we were getting cut left and right by locals. We found out that there are actually professional line-cutters that get paid to cut the line, and then bring the group of people up! grrrr!

Eventually we got through, paid our tax, and walked 1km or so at noon across to the Costa Rican immigration, which we thought would be much more civilized. NOPE…even worse line cutters. In fact, at one point Brad blocked the way of these guys trying to move up in line in front of us, and then the guy behind us pushed in front, then the guy behind him…and so on! It was GREAT..everyone was standing up to this line-cutter because of Brad’s inititative!

Crossing the border!

We get stamped for 10 days and on the (much nicer) bus to Liberia! FINALLY! Our plan was to make it to Montezuma, but after a 3 hour delay at the border… that wasn’t happening, so we stayed in Liberia the night and worked out our next move! Already though, we noticed a huge difference in Costa Rica. While sitting in the main square in town, we noticed kids playing…riding their skateboards, running around, texting on their cellphones! NOT trying to sell us everything and anything under the sun…it was refreshing after 2 months of fighting off these poor kids everywhere else.

So with only 10 days in beautiful Costa Rica, we knew we were going to enjoy them! Pura Vida!

Church in the city centre!

There was another reason for us to be excited about Granada and that was because we had a couchsurfing host lined up! Peta and her partner Ben, a South African & French fusion hosted us for two nights in their peaceful Nicaraguan abode. They are a global power couple, chosing to live a sustainable lifestyle in creating a bamboo reforestation and home building company called CO2 Bamboo.

Our first day there Peta took us to the model bamboo house, and we were just blown away. Not only was it beautiful but the natural materials mixed with the garden gave it a calming and peacful energy, but the best part being sustainable development. We really enjoyed getting to known them and hearing about CO2 Bamboo, two great people with the right mindset for the future!

Bamboo doorway!

The bathroom....bamboo style!

Chels and I spent our day and a half just walking around the city. We did find ourselves at a cigar factory/museum somewhere north of the city center. We walked in to a gangster-looking Nicaraguan that reminded me of Tony Montana from Scarface. He had a massive poster of himself smoking a cigar, another of him with Arnold Shwatzaneggar and some with Presidents and generals from all over…smoking his cigars! Kind of cool!

Cigars!

He took us to the back where they were drying tabacco, and rolling, pressing, wrapping the cigars! Very Cool!!….he let me roll one, and gave one to Brad to smoke! The rolling was easy, but the”puffing”…I am absolutely hopeless at! Brad just needed a glass of scotch to pull of his cross-legged in a rocking chair look!

Old man!

The central park was our next stop where we people watched, tried some local food, and witnessed some traditional dance with these big dressed up dolls! Eventually we headed back to Peta and Bens and ended the night with some insightful conversation and advice Thanks guys!

Traditional Dance!

Next stop….Ometepe (or so we though!)

Typical Leon!

While eating a delicious cheap meal in PureEarth Cafe, we spotted a long-lost couchsurfer from Flores that we didn’t think we’d see again..Stav! A few minutes later, I see on Facebook that our other fellow traveling couchsurfing partner, Alex, had just arrived in Leon!! How funny…we all had said our goodbyes, yet here we were again! So we all got together and headed to the markets to buy some juice in a bag…very common among locals. It was Saturday afternoon, so the town was bustling. We checked out the main cathedral and wandered through an outdoor concert and more markets. We decided there wasn’t a whole lot more to see so made plans to try out the beach the next day.

Juice in a bag at the markets!

After a 1km walk to the edge of town, out went the thumbs. Thanks to Alex’s Spanish skills, we ended up hopping in with a couple women at a gas station. They took us halfway to the beach, which happened to be on a very dead highway. After managing to find the one spot of shade on the highway and a few failed attempts of getting picked up…a truck up ahead leaving his house waited for us to run up and hop in the back! YAY! Weirdly enough, when we arrived, he decided he WASN’T a bus service afterall, and kept going past our stop. We had to wait for him to slow down before trying to jump out the back…I said “Try” because I ended up falling flat on my bum haha! But all was good and we made our way to the hot black-sandy beach in Nicaragua.

Surfing in Nicaragua!

Brad and Alex rented a surfboard for $3 and headed straight for the water while I watched the things…Alex stepped foot in (and saw) the Pacific Ocean for the first time in his life! With lots of failed attempts at surfing, the boys gave me a try…also a major fail, but fun nonetheless. Midday, blaring sun on black sand is tough, and being slightly unimpressed with the beach (so hard after being in WA’s beaches) we were soon back on the road, this time in the back of a workers truck, complete with a hammock and all!

Our ride!

Later that night, Brad and I explored the central area of town. It was nice to actually feel safe walking around at night….it’s been a while since we’ve been out of the hostel after dark! Not only was it safe, but it was bursting with joy – the little markets selling jewelry and knick-knacks, playgrounds set up for kids, teenagers playing volleyball, food stalls everywhere! We sat and people-watched for a bit before turning it in, in anticipation for what was to come tomorrow!

Brad and Alex in the Central Park!

A great deal of respect is owed to those who were the first to scale up the side of an active volcano, knowing at any time it could level an entire city raining down ash and spitting out fiery lava.  Now-a-days it’s easy to forget those who were brave enough to be the first since numerous tour groups throughout the region offer packaged treks onto and into the liveliest of our world’s volcanoes.  Finding that unique hybrid combination of fresh and adrenaline packed, but not yet ruined by mass tourism is something every traveler searches for but often proves elusive or expensive. 

Our first view of Cerro Negro!

However, a few years ago in Leon a perfect recipe of straight up insanity gave birth to the aforementioned hybrid – By strapping a piece of Formica onto the bottom of a wooden plank, sitting down toboggan style, pulling back on the rope and sliding down the face of Cerro Negro – Central Americas most active, Cinder Cone Volcano!  After a few trial runs, they threw in thick denim prison hand-me-down jumpsuits, and goggles and it is now safe for tourists through companies like Bigfoot (who we went through) and Quetzal Trekkers.  Never mind (or do!) the bit about reaching break neck speeds of 89km per hour on lava rocks or the fact that what your sliding down could eventually explode with the same force as a nuclear bomb and presto, Volcano Boarding!

Cerro Negro is as black as night, thus the name, and an imposing figure even from far away.  It is the black sheep of Leon’s volcanoes standing out in a way that says don’t F with me.  So arriving at the gates of the massive ground swell gave our nerves the jolt we’d been looking for. 

Liquid Courage!

A quick beer for some liquid courage and we were off.  To board down requires a 45 minute climb up the backside of the volcano.  Once you reach about half way the wind becomes more of a threat than the ticking time bomb you’re walking on.  We had to carry our boards flat so they wouldn’t act like a sail and blow us off the trail into the steaming cone.  It become so bad at one point I had to carry Chelsea’s board  so I wouldn’t loose her off the edge… and this wasn’t even the crazy bit. 

The beginning of the hike!

Once we reached the top and put our gear down, our colorful guide gave us a tour of the cone, yelling at the top of his lungs so we could hear him over the roar of the wind.  At one point we almost lost him when he got hit with an angry gust.  Soon after we headed back to suit up for the ride down. 

Scary...but almost to the top!

The jumpsuits were these gigantic orange arrangements that fit no one, and our goggles were so permanently fogged up that you couldn’t see AT ALL!  Once we were all suited up the guide went over a few of the techniques; how to slow down, speed up and stop.  His main concern was that everyone went fast and of course that we all made it out unscathed.  He recommended that we consider our future travel plans if trying to go fast because “traveling with an injury can ruin your trip.” 

Jailbird!

Getting ready for the craziness!

All things considered Chels and I decided we would try to go medium speed knowing that there was a potential to reach a max speed of 90kmh (55mph)!  Chelsea went first, actually they intentionally send all the girls first so they can watch the guys wipe out from the safety of the bottom. Well this was not the case for me!! I wiped out HARD…3 times!! I actually thought I would do alright – I have good balance and am generally athletic – NOPE! Fall once, fall twice into a major barrel roll, and fall a third time on the 45 degree angle which was killer. I had to climb back up to get my board and then brave it up to keep sliding down. Scratched all over, but it turned out alright – I got a free beer for most injuries

First group of boys coming down!

When I knew she reached the bottom safe, I exhaled and prepared for my go.  When I first started I immediately fell, having a hard time keeping my feet extended and elevated as instructed.  It took a few meters to sort out but once I figured out how to control my speed I was off.  I felt myself picking up speed.  Faster and faster, the adrenaline was surely pumping, the only problem being that I couldn’t see a damn thing!  As soon as I reached that point where I was boarder line out of control I started slowing down.  It was not as easy as skiing and my inexperience caused me to stop abruptly.  I was proud to receive the third fastest speed of the day with 61kmh! (As I was watching from the bottom, it seemed WAYYY faster!! We were all freaking out that this guy was going so fast and it ended up being Brad!)  Now I just needed to find a way to get the lava rocks out of my eyes and I was good. 

Volcano Boarding

A beer for the ride back was just what everyone needed. Everyone was chatty with adrenaline and excitement still flowing, and back at the hostel we were greeted with 2 cold mojitos each The night ended nicely with a jam sesh, drinks and card games at the hostel with our newfound friends!

Jam Sesh!

6am ferry to La Ceiba (to mainland Honduras), taxi ride to the bus terminal, 2-hour wait, then a 6-hour bus ride (not so bad)! Unfortunately there is no way to make it to Leon, Nicaragua in a day. We wanted to avoid staying overnight in the capital, Tegucigalpa, so stopped in the little colonial town of Comayagua where we had couchsurfers awaiting us THANK GOD!

Aside from the Bay Islands, Honduras didn’t feel like the safest place to travel through, so we were happy to feel safe in someones home we could trust! Andrea and Jimmy were AWESOME…took us to eat some delicious Honduran food, made us feel so welcome AND had an adorable kitten for me to play with Sorry Jimmy for not speaking Spanish!! A nice hiatus from the long Caribbean to Pacific coast drive!

BEST Baleadas ever!!! With Andrea!

The next leg was CRAZY! Woke up at 5am to catch a taxi to the highway that runs outside of town. From there, we caught a really nice van that seemed to be for more upscale locals to the capital Tegucigalpa. What should have been a nice smoothe ride ended up being nerve-wrecking when a policeman stepped on halfway through. Should be comforting right? WRONG! Not only were all the locals upset and anxious-looking when he entered, but this cop was basically standing on top of me, his massive rifle rubbing on my shoulder and almost on Brad’s foot, and his handgun in my face…along with his crotch!!! All this the day after our couchsurfer had just told us how corrupt the police are in Honduras and how it has become #1 country for murders… peace-corp were pulled out and all! My heart was PUMPING..I had to close my eyes to stop thinking about it! 30 minutes later, he got off and everyone on the bus could breathe again!

FINALLY arrived in Tegucigalpa, Where the bus stations are scattered throughout the city.So another taxi ride it was to the bus station, where we waited an hour before hopping on a comfortable greyhound-style bus to a town close to the Honduran/Nicaraguan border. Next we were rushed into a crappy hot cramped shuttle van where we were transported right to the border.

What happened next was just pure chaos. As we’re driving in, this Honduran man spots us (2 Gringos) in the front of a van, and starts SPRINTING towards us trying to grab on to the window! At first I thought he was trying to catch us and rob the shuttle!! Haha but NO, he wanted our business. We hop out and BOOM…Brad and I have never had so many touts surrounding us trying to exchange money and convince us to take THEIR rickshaw over the others. We went with the sprinter because of his enthusiasm and effort Slowly, we Rickshawed to the border, got our stamp OUT, and continued to slowly be bicycled the 1km to the Nicaraguan entrance.

Woo FINALLY to Nicaragua!

Next was a decent walk through barren nothingness where we eventually found a sad-looking chicken bus that went ALL THE WAY TO LEON! YAY!! By now we were pouring sweat in the middle of the day, so grabbed a drink and endured the ride on the sunny side of the bus! We thought it was funny we were the ONLY ones sitting on the left side of the bus!

The bus dropped us off on the highway where we grabbed ONE more taxi to our hostel…only to find out they had NOT received our booking, and didn’t have room for us! All ended fine though, the hostel across the road had room and after 11 hours of taxi-> van-> taxi->Greyhound-> Shuttle-> Rickshaw-> Chicken Bus-> Taxi…and only $12 out-of-pocket…we CRASHED!

Out home for the next week!

Our journey to Utila was broken up into two parts, the first of which was a 12 hour multi-bus haul from San Pedro, Guatemala to Copan Ruinas, Hondurus. From there it took another 12 hours on buses and a floating fortress to get to Utila. Exhausting as it was, we were pumped to be on an island again and got there just in time to watch the sunset over the Carribean.

Marta came to meet us YAY!!

Our goal while on Utila was to become PADI certified – open water divers, which means we can scuba dive anywhere in the world up to 18m/60feet. We had arranged with a CS, Talon, who is working as an instructor, to recieve our certification via Deep Blue Divers.

The course requires you to read 5 chapters in the textbook which you are later tested on; watch the corresponding 5 videos; put your knowledge to action with 5 confined water dives (off the dock) and give those skills a try in 4 open water dives at depth. All dive shops also throw in two free “fun dives” once you have completed the course. All this, plus free accomodation while you are becoming certified for $250 USD! Thanks to a steady supply of backpackers and numerous dive shops, it’s a deal that can be found at any dive shop on the island.

Brad studying!

Our instuctor Henry was amazing. Any uncertainty we had about this potentially life-threatening activity going in, was erased because of his patient and confident teaching style. 

With out instructor Henry at Deep Blue Divers!

We took it slow at first, wanting to make sure we were prepared. As we progressed, we naturally gained more confidence up to our first open water dive. This is a very exciting point in the course because, for the first time, you enter the water from a boat and explore the reef. Lucky for us, 10 minutes into the dive we saw a Spotted Eagle Ray, one of the most graceful looking swimmers you could ever hope to see!

First boat ride...SO NERVOUS!

Brad's Backroll... Bond style!

Eagle Rays!

Being a good diver requires you to achieve neutral boyancy where you are literally weightless like a floating astronaut. A sensation unlike any other… on top of breathing underwater. Pretty soon Chelsea and I had the skills down pat, clearing our masks, buddy breathing, learning the signals, preparing gear, ect.

Practicing out skills on the ocean floor!

After our fourth and final open water dive, Chelsea and I were announced to the crowd of scuba divers on the boat that we were officially Open Water Divers. After everyone finished clapping one of the dive masters on board spotted some dolphins swimming around a nearby boat. We quickly called the other divers that were still in the water to the surface and as soon as they got on the boat we took off to get a closer look.

I thought they might be scared by the boat but as we got closer, dolphins were breaching on all sides of us. Immediately we all slid into the water, snorkles only (by law) and started swimming towards the pod. It was a mad house, close to 20 swimmers in the water all dying for a chance to swim with wild dolphins.

Come PLAY!

We all swam and swam for what seemed like 10 minutes spotting one or two swimming beneath. It appeared that we might have scared them off and so I stopped swimming.(I didn’t!!!!) Looking around at the surface, some were still chasing them (me) but most seemed to have given up as well. But as I took another look in the water I saw two whiz by me. Then, another and another. Pretty soon there were dolphins everywhere, some spinning, circling around us, swimming within inches of my outstretched hand. At this point I remember relaxing in the water, not being able to move just in awe of the events unfolding around me. We were playing with wild dolphins! This is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Seeing these incredible creatures that close and that playful was a moving experience!

YAY DOLPHINS!!

Our last day on the islands, we teamed up with Henry and another Couchsurfer, Vince for a shore dive. He led us through these caverns and tunnels through the reef spotting colorful and interesting marine life. It turned out to be the best dive we had. Huge cave crabs, Yellow Sting Rays buried in the sand, sea cucumbers that looked like giant slugs underwater – amazing things we didn’t even know existed.

Breathing underwater!

It’s certainly hard to top swimming with dolphins as the best part about Utila, but overall our time there was one of the most memorable on our entire trip. Breathing underwater is such a cool feeling and because of it, a whole new world has opened up for us to explore.. As if there wasn’t enough to explore already!

Sunrise the morning we left!

Brad's new poncho!

Brad and I woke up early to give ourselves plenty of time to find our way around the chicken busses. For those who are wondering what in the world a chicken bus is, it’s an OLD American school bus that the locals travel in throughout the country In Guatemala especially, they are decorated to the MAX! I mean all sorts of colors, advertisements, Jesus stickers! It’s GREAT!

Chicken Bus!

Well finding the correct bus was NOT a problem in the least. The locals are super helpful and very vocal about where they’re going. As the bus pulls up, the fare collector is yelling out “ENCUENTROS” “CHICHI”… and we yell back “ChiChi???” to double check and he then immediately rushes us in while the bus is still rolling! Only 5 Q or about 60 cents for the first half of the trip. We get off the chicken bus in Los Encuentros and immediately get ushered over to the bus to Chichi! WELL there is NO mistake that you’re on the right bus because it is PACKED!! I mean we were hanging out the door when we first got on and eventually climbed over bunches of families and made our way to the back. It was HOTT, crowded…we were definitely the only “Gringos” or white people…but it was fun!! And again…only 5 Quetzal and they dropped us off right at the market entrance and we were good to go

Standing on the Chicken Bus!

The markets are a massive maze of traditional Mayan goods, mixed with food vendors and practical goods. On either end are 2 churches that you can go inside and take a look at, although photography is PROHIBITED inside! All along the steps outside, women are selling flowers, and when you go inside, you see why….the ground is covered in petals! I don’t know if its an everyday occurrence or if we were lucky, but there was a religious ceremony outside with drums and dancers.

Flower ladies at the church!

So after the puchase of a typical breakfast in the market stalls, a poncho and a shot glass, we were on our way back to Pana! The ride back…even crazier! I thought 3 people to a seat was a lot, I actually saw a family of 7 on one seat!!!! SEVEN!! Then I could hear this lady yelling, thinking she’s preaching something, but when I look up, I see she’s selling eye drops or something. I’m thinking fat chance lady, but I lost count after she sold 10 to people on the bus! It’s like their version of eBay! Totally awesome!

Yummy CHEAP Brekkie!

The cost of chicken busses roundtrip was 20 Quetzals each which is about $2.60….which beats $12 and gives you quite an experience. Plus 9 bucks gets you FAR in Guatemala!

This doesn't even do it justice!