A Time for Giving

While I've been traveling I've seen some beautiful places and people and so wanted to be able to share these sights with my friends and family, however, I don't own a digital camera. Thus here is a request I have for anyone who desires to send me a Christmas gift. Please send me a financial contribution via PayPal using my email address for the purpose of purchasing a digital camera. Any amount will be greatly appreciated and then everyone will get to see the photos as I post them here in the Blog.

Thank you to everyone who shares this gift so I can share my travels through photos. I send all of you special blessings of health, happiness, and love.

Learning Spanish in Guatemala

Time is something most people have a lack of, or a perceived lack of, however in reality we have all the time in the world because time is relative. Time is something I have a lot of, so the hour has come to put my intentions towards serious study of the Spanish language, thus I’m heading North to Guatemala to study Spanish at the Academia de Español Antigüeña. The school is located in the old capital city of Antigua where there are a lot of ruins to explore because of the earthquakes that have devastated the city over the years, thus as you can see the reason it’s the old capital city because they moved the capital to Cuidad Guatemala.

I’ll be traveling from San Jose, CR, to Guatemala via the Tica Bus. The first leg of my journey will be from San Jose, CR, to San Salvador in the Executive class bus, which doesn’t stop except once in Manuaga. The second leg of the trip is on the Tourist class because the Executive class doesn’t go that far. I’ll be provided with a blanket, pillow, and food on the 19 hour bus ride, but it’s a much better deal than doing the Tourist class all the way, which takes four days and I would have to pay for a hotel every night. My bus departs San Jose, CR, at 3:00 am on Sunday morning, arriving in San Salvador between 9 and 10 pm the following day. I’ll stay in San Salvador over night and catch the bus to Cuidad Guatemala at 6 am and arrive around 11 am or Noon. I suppose I’ll stay at the bus terminal until the next bus instead of trying to get a room for a few hours.

After my arrival in Cuidad Guatemala I’ll have to obtain the local currency quetzal (1 US Dollar = 7.78486 Guatemalan Quetzal) for my use during my stay in Guatemala. Staying with a host family is an option while attending school, however, for my first week I want to stay in a local hotel – The Yellow House – and once I get a feel for the school and the local people, I may request a home stay because other people have said it really helped them learn Spanish. While I’m in Guatemala I won’t have easy access to the Internet, so emails may receive delayed responses, however, I will attempt to write in the Blog and upload it as I have access.

I’ll continue to stay here in San Jose, CR, until my bus departs early on Monday morning so I can recover from the head cold I caught in Panama. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying every day for the treasures it holds.

Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Mondo Taitu is a very unique hostel, perhaps because of the people that stay there, although the energy of the owner is easily represented in the atmosphere. The bar is open every evening and is usually packed with locals by 11 pm. The building is an open-air type with bamboo bars, windows with no glass, paintings of all sorts with various sayings printed around the building. To get upstairs to the dorms you have to walk through the bathing area, which is sometimes interesting.

Each evening the bar has a theme, last night was martini night, tonight is 80’s night. Sunday was Smoking Sunday with free hookah. (research hookah) After a short time of socializing I was encouraged to participate in a drinking game with the guys from Israel (Amir, Ori, and Haim) and the couple from Canada. Flipping quarters isn’t an easy task. Here’s the game – each player pours a little of their drink into the community cup to say they are in the game, then each player attempts to flip a quarter hoping it lands in the community cup or one of the areas of the egg carton leaning against the cup. One side and you drink 1 to 6 shots, the other side and you tell others to drink the shots, if it lands in the community cup the last one to put their hands up to their head and yell ‘mouse’ is the one who drinks the community cup. Amazingly the mix of drinks had a nice flavor and I only had to drink it a few times through the whole evening, but you have to drink a shot each time you flip the quarter.

There are several hammocks to relax in the afternoons, a large table to eat meals or play games, a small kitchen to cook meals (the kitchen is usually very active with people cooking their own meals, which is less expensive than eating out.), however, several of the local restaurants have meals for around $3 to $4. The local food varies from Chinese to Jamaican, and of course there are the small carts with food cooked by a local woman.

The main area of the island, ops, yeah, Bocas is an island off the Caribbean side of Panama, actually a series of islands or islas. Isla Colon is the main island, Isla Carenero has a marina, and then there are assortments of other islands within short hops of each other. The water taxis only cost a dollar to each island and $4 to the mainland. Living on Bocas must be interesting, but I can see the reason people are drawn here. The temperature is consistent, the people friendly, and the ocean is beautiful.

Well, time to head out and see about lunch or something, I missed the tour this morning because it was raining, and although the clouds are still here and sprinkles of rain exist, it’s time to try to walk around some.

Lluvia (rain)

Well, I suppose the beach and I aren't such good friends as it seems every time I try to go to the beach to get some sun it rains. While I was in Manuel Antonio it rained, when I went down to Panama to Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro it rained. Now I'm nursing a head cold in a private room before I have to start traveling more. I decided I needed the comfort and security of the private room just so I could start to feel better. I suppose the head cold is from sleeping at Mondo Taitu with the window open and it raining in on me. After several days of rain and not being able to do much, I suppose it's a good thing I'm back in San Jose. Now I'm trying to determine where I should head next. For now I think I'm going to just relax and get better.

Manuel Antonio/Quepos

After $5, 4 ½ hours, and two buses I arrived in Manuel Antonio. I checked into a small cabina on the beach and now I’m enjoying an Imperial beer and nachos with chicken (Nachos con pollo) at Juan Toucan’s Bar and Grill. The owners (Michelle and Mace) are from the Massachusetts but live here now. They are very friendly and offered information about upcoming events for the week, including Thanksgiving and Robby (a Blues musician from Austin, Texas) playing on Friday night. As I’m enjoying my food and music I hear conversations about being stoned and then there it was, the glass pipe, passed around for a quick puff of the funny weed. I laughed because they looked at me with this questionable look and then put it aside. I suppose there’s something about me that says, ‘no, he won’t do it.’ I’ve known people all of my life that have smoked pot and its no big deal to me.

Speaking of pot, there was a recent survey completed in the United States asking which would you prefer – a person smoking a joint driving next to you or a person who was drunk from too much alcohol. Most people responded that they would prefer the person doing the smoking.

The food is awesome here. I’m sitting on a balcony just about 50 yards from the beach (playa). There are surfers in the water enjoying the surf, sun bathers relaxing on the white sandy beach, vendors of all sorts lining the extremely narrow street, people walking up and down the way, and a blur of buses pass by. It’s much warmer here than in San Jose, and it was a nice change, although I’m sweating. I think I’ll buy one of the sarongs from the vendors (only $8 – I paid $30 for mine in the states.) and wear that, as I’m sure it will be much cooler.

I just found out about another Cabina that supposed to be nicer and a dollar less per night. One of the staff here is going to show me where it is in an hour. I’ve already paid for my cabina for tonight, so I will check out this other one and if I like it better, will move over to it tomorrow. The scenery is almost like that of northern California in that the beach is very small and then the mountains grow quickly inland. Most of the coast is cliff face, but every now and then you find a little beach area. This beach might be about 2 to 3 hundred yards long, butt it’s surprising at how much goes on here. Surf Camp; people watching, and so much more. Even with the number of people and businesses here the beach doesn’t seem that full.

Everyone said this was the hot spot for gay tourists; however, I have yet to find even one person that looks gay, most appear straight. Maybe it’s because all of the gay men are hanging out at the posh resorts around here and I’m in a little cabina on the beach. I guess I’ve never really fit the gay stereotype, but I’m sure I’ll meet some interesting people along the way. Besides, sex isn’t an interest these days, so meeting other gay people isn’t the objective. I suppose I had a preconceived idea of what this area would be like as described by other gay men. I wonder what they were smoking because what I see isn’t anything like they described.

Well, I’m off to enjoy the sites.

Bocas del Toro

This will be short, but I´m now in Bocas del Toro, Panama for a few days. They only have this one internet place, so I´m posting this so everyone will know where I am. I´ll be back in San Jose on Wednesday. I´ll have things to post then about my travels for the last week or two.

An Education in Backpacking.

After an afternoon of beers with the gang here at Pangea and a night out on the town (20 of us in all), I spent today relaxing and napping a lot. I was supposed to depart today for Manuel Antonio on the Pacific side of Costa Rica, however, I needed today to recover from last night. I depart in the morning early and should be there around Noon. I´m learning to just go and do and not to worry about making reservations as it seems the way of the backpackers. I´ve also learned to consolidate clothing to just one small backpack - a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a pair of shorts, some underwear, a few socks, and a couple of T-shirts and short sleeve shirts. The rest of my clothes are stored in Pangea´s store room for access upon my return. This way of traveling is very freeing, even if it means you wear the same clothes for a few days.

Tonight dinner was enjoyed with Will (age 22 from London) at Restaurante Marisco. For $4 I had a huge meal, so much that I couldn´t eat it all. Oh, Marisco in Spanish is Fish. After dinner we walked over to show him the prostitutes at the Hotel del Ray (ray is King in Spanish) and then both returned to our respective hostels for the night. Now I´m enjoying the cool evening air and will be retiring so I can get up early and catch the bus.

I´m learning that living in the moment and making decisions for what to do each day is very freeing. I know that I want to go to Guatemala to study Spanish, however, I also want to go to San Isidro to visit the intentional community there. So I will make the decision as to where to go when the time arrives. I´m also learning to just take each day as it comes and experience it with all the newness that each day offers.

Thus, if anyone is reading this, I´ll be in Manuel Antonio tomorrow for a bit and then I might catch a bus to Mal Pais, with an expected return to San Jose on Saturday. I´m not sure if I´ll have internet access, but I´ll post something when I can.

A Rain Forest Canopy Tour

Flying through the rain forest held only by a harness and some cables could be quite exhilarating. There’s nothing to compare with the experience of today as I, along with 12 others, zipped along through the rain forest canopy. The highlight was the one over the Rio Sarapiqui going very fast. I joked with the tour guide about just cutting my rope and dropping into the river, and surprisingly he offered his knife and said he would just say something happened to the harness. Of course we all knew he was joking back. The tours were provided by Expediciones Tropicale, a local tour company.

The disappointment of the day was when they announced we wouldn’t be able to do the rafting because the river was swollen with rainwater of recent days and the debris was too much. However, what everyone believed was going to be a boring 2-hour drive back to San Jose turned into an adventure. There was a mudslide on the ride blocking it from both directions so our driver had to turn around and find a different route. We, well I did, talked the driver into stopping for cervesa (beer) along the way. Thus the four and a half hour drive back to San Jose was quite fun. Most of the men on the bus were from New York and were here for a bachelor’s party, thus I provided several beers for the bachelor. They were all of Indian (the country) descent. The other gentlemen were older and here studying Spanish with one of the home stay programs, and then there is the handsome Alex from Italy. He and I went today together. He’s straight but good company. He speaks very good Spanish, German, Italian, and English.

The drive back to San Jose provided some breath taking views of several volcanoes, waterfalls, and mountainsides, and then there was the “Dios Mio!” (Oh God!) bridge. The bridge had no railings, the land dropped several hundred feet on either side, and only allowed one vehicle at a time to cross, and thus you can picture why everyone was saying “Dios Mio!” We safely returned to San Jose to find my room full of people, a nice change from the empty space of the last few days. Two of the men are from the States, one from Germany, and one from the U.K. They were all drinking beer and eating some of the local bread bought from a nearby market.

One of the new guys in my room just asked me if I wanted to join him and his two girls for a night out. I had to respectfully decline, laughing most of the time as he was telling me about the girls. I’m still laughing. I informed the bachelor party about El Pueblo and they and Alex will be going there tonight. They asked if I was going and I said I had a previous engagement to see a Drag Show. They all laughed. Then the bus driver informed what the Spanish word for gay is, “prajador.” The word means bird and is the term used here for gay. We all had many laughs on the bus ride back to San Jose, which made the hours pass quickly. Of course with all of the beer there were many required pit stops along the way, including two along the side of the road.

We’re supposed to contact the tour agency on Monday to arrange for a refund of our rafting aspect today, however, I’m going to try to talk them into allowing me to go another day next week. But for now, it’s time to drink with all of the boys, enjoy dinner, take a shower, and head out for a night on the town. That is if I can stay awake that long.

Waterfalls and Butterflies

Waterfalls are amazing sites, especially when one gets up close and personal with them in a rain forest. Today was an adventure beginning at 5:30 am when I had to wake up and get ready for the tour bus. The first stop after picking up the other passengers was to the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation where we received a tour of the coffee operations and breakfast with some very fresh coffee. While we’re on the subject of coffee, I’ve learned to enjoy a few cups every morning and sometimes in the evening. The French roast was very good and so was the breakfast. Did you know they still hand pick the coffee beans at this plantation because they only want the best coffee. I suppose they can afford to do it this way when the workers only get $1 per basket and they usually bring in about 6 to 8 baskets per day.

After the coffee plantation we boarded the bus and were on our way to the Volcan Poas. A leisurely stroll along the paths led us to the look out area where we could see the area of the last eruption. Another stroll along a more strenuous path led us to the site of another eruption, which is now a lake. The highlight of the day was the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The tour began with the Aviary where exotic birds of all sorts were flying around and even landing on Will’s (a young man from London) head, which caused quite the start. Macaws, Toucans, Pavas, and Tanagers were flying about very close to us. From the Aviary we walked to the Butterfly Garden where we witnessed the birth and death cycle of various types of butterflies. This was an incredible experience, as I have never seen a butterfly emerge from its cocoon and then slowly engulf its wings. There were many types of butterflies emerging, some struggling greatly and others just slipping out easily. When they come out of the cocoon you can barely see their wings and within minutes they are full size. Next were the Monkeys, but they only had two kinds of actual monkeys, but they did have several types of marmosets. For those who enjoy hummingbirds then the next area would astound you. There were so many hummingbirds flying right next to you that it was hard to keep track of any one type, and there were many types sporting various colors and sizes.

The snake exhibit was very informative about the snakes in Central and South America. I really liked the yellow ones, which were some type of eyelash viper. They weren’t very big, but looked really cool. Cool was also the temperature in the Colibries Restaurant were we sat next to a waterfall under a thatch roof. The food was an assortment of local and American favorites, and the butterflies tasted the food and drinks while we were eating. After lunch was the highlight of the tour, the waterfalls. As we descended into the rain forest the temperature dropped even more and the sounds of the waterfalls filled the air. The first view was of the stream and then the views of the waterfalls. The next hour was spent walking up and down the many steps that lead the way around, through, and under the waterfalls. By the time we reached the end my legs were shaking. I was able to rest on the one-hour ride back. Now I’m resting and typing, so all in all today was a great adventure.

Guatemala in December

To every story there is an ending, however that ending may be the beginning of the next story. Over the years there have been many stories in my life and it seems the end of the Texas story was the beginning of a new story. Over the last few days I’ve had some alone time, unusual here in the hostel, to think and I’ve come to some conclusions. I have no idea why, but it seems that I do better with strangers than I do with people that I have to have a relationship with. I suppose it’s because I’ve always been locked inside of my head and afraid of relationships because then people really get to know who you are. With strangers they don’t have the opportunity to really get to know you. I’ve also been on the run most of my life. I remember several times as a child I tried to run away from home and I’ve been on the run ever since. However, one cannot run away from what is on the inside. What’s on the inside is always with me. Perhaps it’s knowing that as a child I wasn’t wanted by either parent, didn’t feel accepted, wasn’t understood, or from any number of odd events in my life, but all I know is that I haven’t accepted myself so how can I expect others to accept me.

I suppose running from myself hasn’t accomplished much except cause trouble. I’ve left a path of destruction and heartaches. My life has been an adventure and I’m sure it will continue because I’m on a new adventure. Before I left Austin I couldn’t even think, let alone be around anyone or do anything. Now that I’m in Costa Rica I’m realizing that I haven’t changed and the idea of having hopes is something I shall give up because there is no hope. The reality is that I can live out my days traveling and meeting strangers and I might even find a place I enjoy living, not to mention learn a new language. I give up the hope of ever having a relationship, of having any dreams, and of ever thinking that I can have the things I have long desired.

Having lived a life in my dreams, I’m now living one of them, which is to travel. Perhaps in time I might find who I am and learn to accept myself. For now I’m going to concentrate on just learning a new language. I will continue to stay here in San Jose through the end of the month and then I’m taking the Tica Bus to Guatemala. I’ve found, through the help of other travelers, a school there that is very reasonable. I wish I would have known about it before going to the school here in San Jose. The school is in San Pedro la Laguna and has private lessons for $65 US per week or $120 US per week if I stay with a host family. The school - Escuela de Español Corazon Maya - has activities in the afternoon for the students that range from Spanish conversations, art lessons, local culture education, seminars, and much more. The town is very small and from what I understand the longer you’re there the more of a native you become. For the price I paid here I could have paid for one month of classes there. Thus, I’m leaving Costa Rica and heading North. The idea is to live there for a month and learn Spanish to a point that I am fluent enough to be comfortable traveling through the other Central American countries and later on through South America.

The books I’ve read in the past have generated an interest in traveling to the countries that I am now going to, so I suppose on some level dreams do come true.

El Pueblo on Sunday evening.

Sunday evening turned into an interesting evening with conversations about various issues, watching the Colts and Chargers football game while drinking beers, and then a night out at El Pueblo. I cannot tell you how few times in my life I have actually watched a football game, but last night was actually fun. The Chargers were up 23 points at the end of the first quarter. Everyone was supporting the Chargers, so I announced I was going to support the Colts. The rest of the game turned into an exciting time of fumbles, interceptions, and a constant struggle for scores. The atmosphere in the TV was incredibly high in emotions. What started out as Justin and I watching the game turned into Chris and Salena (from Canada), Jon and Dave (from New Zealand), Tim (from the UK), Leith (from Houston, TX), Pairla and Morgan along with Randal (all living in Costa Rica) watching the game together. Conversations where non-stop throughout the evening about who was from where, how old they were, why they were in San Jose, and about where they have been in Central and South America. After the Chargers won the game by 2 points everyone decided to go out to the clubs. El Pueblo is a small village with many clubs and shops. The club Twister was the first stop and played some nice Latin music. We all enjoyed dancing on the small dance floor, especially Jon who towers above us all at 6’3”. The next stop, but only for myself, Pairla, Morgan and Randal, was Ebony. As the name implies it’s a black club that played Latin Reggae music. I stayed for a bit to enjoy the music, but after a bit found the crowd very boring, so I left to join the others. After not finding which club they had gone to, I caught a taxi back to the hostel.

Tim, the man from the UK I spoke with, left early this morning on a bus to Puntarenas to meet his girlfriend. He and the boys from New Zealand were asking questions about American football during the game and then informing us about Rugby and Soccer (different sports with different balls and rules. I didn’t know this and always figured they were the same thing.) Thus the evening was an educational one in many respects. I wish Tim safe travels and that things get better for his girlfriend.

Today was one of those sleeps late days. It’s been a totally relaxing day, except for my short walk to the local panareria (bakery) and Mercado (market) to purchase food supplies. A nap in the afternoon, continued Spanish studies, and conversations with Justin completed the afternoon.

At the moment, the upstairs patio is full of people. Four men playing some type of card game, three people talking about volunteering at Tortunga with the sea turtle program, four others smoking and talking about something, some at the computers, and others enjoying dinner and drinks. I hear the weather in La Fortuna and Monteverde has improved so I may head up there to see the Arenal Volcano and try out some of the adventure tours – the canopy tours, the white water rafting, and hiking up to the volcano. If I don’t leave tomorrow, then I may go one day this week. I’m just taking every day one day at a time and enjoying it for what it is.

Justin was telling me about his Spanish studies in Guatemala, so I will have to look into those as well because he said it was very good and only $80 a week. So tonight I will be researching the cities of San Pedro, Antiqua, and Panajachel where the Spanish schools are. I hear from everyone that rooms in Guatemala are only like $3 to $5 US. Many people have commented on how friendly the people there are and how inexpensive it is there, thus I’m going to check it out and see if I can find out about possible citizenships similar to those of Costa Rica and Panama for retirees. It’s now turning 10 pm so I’m going to stop writing and do some Internet research.

The Key to Life and Relationships

Requirement of either long sleeves or a light coat has become the norm for the last few days here in San Jose. Rain has been falling for longer lengths of time each day, however, this morning the clouds had cleared enough that I could see the mountains to the North. Directions here are strange as I’m turned around. It’s a good thing my watch has a compass. Relaxation and the continued study of the Spanish language highlighted yesterday and today is more of the same. Going out to the clubs here can be exhausting because one can stay out all night.

Of course this is just what happened on Friday night when I was asked to join some of the Americans at the Hotel de Colours. Club O was an interesting club in that it offered a VIP ticket, which included free drinks all night and a private bar area, for only $12 US ($6,000 Colones). Needless to say we all drank, danced and enjoyed the scenery. The only trouble I had was that the music was so loud that I couldn’t hear anyone and had to constantly ask them to repeat what they said. I’ll have to admit it was a fun evening as the Drag show was very well done and the Drag Queen looked almost like a woman. The music was upbeat and a mix of American and Latin songs. I suppose the highlight of the evening was when a very handsome Tico man introduced himself. He was handsome in all respects and spoke decent English, however, I couldn’t hear him and he eventually left, probably thinking I didn’t speak English or I was not a nice person. The other highlight was the taxi ride home. Rick was a little intoxicated and chattering a lot and when our taxi suddenly stopped and was blocked by three other taxis I had to get him to quiet down so as not to cause any trouble. From what I understood the three taxi drivers, speaking in Spanish, were trying to get out taxi driver to say who was at fault. Our taxi driver was very nice and didn’t want to get involved in their squabble and kept saying he had to go because he had a fare. One of the taxi drivers had hit the taxi ahead of him and thus three taxis had stopped in the middle of the road blocking our taxi so we couldn’t move. They had all gathered around our taxi trying to get our drive involved. Finally our driver insisted that they move so he could get us to our location. Rick was funny in that he kept asking what was going on and talking about this and that. All of us kept quiet and let our taxi driver do the talking.

Breakfast (desayuno) with all of the men at Colours was very enjoyable, however, my driver arrived promptly at 11 to take me back downtown to the Hostel Pangea. I managed to get some emails and may stay in touch with some of them, however, with the way my life is going I will just enjoy meeting new people and then proceed forward just to enjoy that moment in time. Today I finally was able to speak with some of the men in my dorm room. Jon and Dave are from New Zealand and Justin is from San Diego, California. Ages respectfully are 32, 26, and 22. Jon is very tall and has some of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen; they rival my best friend Jorge’s eyes. And then there is the handsome Matt from Ottawa, Canada. He’s traveling in Central and South America for a while because he finished his studies and wanted to travel before settling down to work. I suppose his personality is what makes him the most attractive, not only because he has good energy, but it’s combined with a handsome physical appearance and he doesn’t seem to know how handsome he really is.

This morning, well actually almost Noon, I met Leith from Houston, Texas. I had heard him talking last night with a group of men, so this morning I introduced myself. He sold everything he owned and decided to travel. He wanted my email address so he could keep in touch and talk about our travels and share information about where to go and how to get there. The best part about staying here at the hostel is that I get to talk to others about traveling on a budget. From talking with Jon and Dave I learned how to get to Cuba from here, even though it’s illegal for Americans to go. He did say it was hard to talk to the locals because they were afraid of the police and being arrested for talking. He also said that credit cards don’t work there and you have to exchange money before going. I’m not sure if I will attempt Cuba just yet, but maybe after I learn the Spanish language a bit I might. However, it may be one of those things I just pass on because it’s so difficult to be there as an American.

Ken, another American from South Carolina, did the same as Leith. He sold his business, his house and car and started traveling. It seems that a lot of people are leaving the United States for the same reason I am, it’s too expensive to live and the government is so screwed up that the country has become an undesirable place to be associated with. I feel that most Americans blind themselves to what is really going on in the country, either because they don’t think they can change it or they just don’t want to know because they are comfortable in their golden cages. Perhaps those gilded cages are what makes them so happy, even if their freedom is being taken away every day.

In reference to freedom, I’ve been talking with Tim from Grimsby, England. He’s been traveling extensively because he isn’t happy with England. He travels for 4 months of the year and works in Europe for 8 months as a Steel Fixer (the American translation would be an Iron Worker, you those men who work building the high rise frames and other dangerous jobs). I’ve greatly enjoyed our conversations as he is here from Rottadam to find his girlfriend of sorts and help her. His story is that she was in Panama studying underwater photography and was raped on a beach. Out of fear, she took a bus and ended up in Costa Rica and he’s trying to find the place where she is located. I helped him out by showing him a map of where she is located and informed him of how to get there either by bus or by shuttle. Their only means of communication in this country is via E-mail and he has never used a computer before, but she set him up an email account and that is how they are communicating. In our conversations we talked about life in the small fishing village where he is from, life in the United States, about his travels, his hopes of opening a bar and hostel in Mozambique (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozambique) He says that the key to life is learning the key to relationships, it’s knowing and doing what is best for other people, not yourself. In other words, not being selfish. Maybe that has been my issue all the time, I’ve been very selfish and always looking out for myself. I’ll write more about my conversations with Tim tomorrow or later this evening, but for now, I’m going to chat a bit more.

Es Viernes (It's Friday)

It is Friday afternoon and I am now finished with my Spanish classes so I’m sitting by the pool. Most of the guests here have left for home or other adventures. The employees are busy cleaning and doing odd jobs of repair around the property. While staying here I have met people from Germany, Tampa, Atlanta, Cuba, and Costa Rica. My stay here hasn’t been all that bad, however, I wouldn’t recommend the Colours Oasis and Resort to any of my friends. The staff is very pleasant and I have greatly enjoyed their assistance in learning Spanish, however, the hotel is a good distance from anything here in San Jose. Thus, one has to take a taxi to get to down town. It’s always very quiet here and I suppose if you want quiet than this is the place to stay. However, I enjoy the energy of the people and enjoy being in the heart of things, so I’m looking forward to my return to Barrio Amon.

The atmosphere here changed considerably when the owner and his Tico (this is what the locals are called) boyfriend arrived last night. James the owner has been nice to me, but he seems a bit off and has been barking orders at the staff most of the day. I suppose that s why so much is being accomplished today around the property. James and his boyfriend were down in Chile on vacation. They live in a small apartment here inside the hotel.

It seems that most of the gay hotels here charge a lot of money per night and I suppose it’s because they know what the Americans and Europeans are used to paying so they charge it here as well. After staying in the hostel, I would like to see a gay hostel here in San Jose or on the beach some where, shucks, why not one here, one on the beach and one near the Volcano Arenal. I think there is a market for low cost gay hotels here.

The people I’ve met here at Colours have all been very nice and it seems they enjoy the quiet of the place, but I’m sure there are others like myself who like the energy of people. I have only been to one gay bar here, La Avispa, but I hear the others are more exciting. I haven’t been much in the mood to go out to the clubs, as I am not interested in sex, so I see no reason to go other than to have a cocktail or play pool. The one night I went to La Avispa I played pool for hours at a cost of $2 per hour. It was such an inexpensive night of pool, even though I played solo.

Yesterday I received a massage from a local masseur and it did help relieve some of the built up stress and assist in relieving the headache. Luis, the masseur was nice, but not like what I was used to in the states. Because I was relaxed I was able to go to sleep earlier than usual and sleep through the night. I hear there is an awesome spa in La Fortuna near the volcano that has mud baths and facials, so at some point I will make my way up there to try it out. I know my skin could use some pampering.

Learning Spanish has been a difficult process for me, however, Jorge (my instructor, not my best friend) has been wonderful at helping me with pronunciations. I know that in time I will be able to speak fluently, however, like my father said, maybe I’ve been pushing myself too hard. Thus, it’s time to learn to live a little and slowly learn the language and not put so much stress upon myself to learn it quickly.

I’ve learned enough Spanish to be able to let a taxi drive know where I want to go, to order food in a restaurant, to find directions, and even how to ask for a date. Don’t laugh; I was able to ask Carlos, a local Tico man at the tender age of 25, out on a date. He agreed to escort me to Q Café near where I am staying in Barrio Amon next Tuesday (Martes). He is the bartender here at Colours and has been helping me learn Spanish every evening. It will be nice to be able to eat dinner with someone and not alone. Last night I enjoyed taking Glenn and Bill from Connecticut out to eat at a local restaurant. I could tell they enjoyed the food as much as I did and their company was greatly enjoyed.

Well, it’s time for my daily nap, so I’ll write more at another time.

Hotel de Colours

Cool and refreshing is the rain on this quiet day in Costa Rica. I’m row staying at the Hotel de Colours on the Boulevard de Rohrmoser. I attend classes every morning from 8 until Noon. What I thought was going to be a group class has turned into a private lesson and my instructor is from Belgium and has lived in the United States (Florida) and now here in Costa Rica. He also teaches Spanish at a regular school in another part of town. Today we sat poolside for a bit until the sun became too warm. He’s a good professor and I enjoy my lessons with him.

It seems that I struggle with how some letters are pronunciation, however, I’m learning. I find myself becoming easily upset when I cannot get the word or understand something, so every now and then I have to ask for a short break. As I sit here now typing, the rain falls upon the pool water and created little circles and bubbles. Lush tropical plants surround the pool and there is a handsome man sitting on the other veranda typing on his laptop. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of people here as it is always very quiet. Other than the man across the way from me, I’ve only seen the staff and one other person. I decided to stay here after my first lesson when the hotel offered me a better discount for my stay. It’s not as lively as the Hostel Pangea and it is further away from things, situated in an upscale neighborhood. However, I use the term upscale loosely, as the homes may be bigger and have yards, however, the construction is the same as in the barrios, not to mention they all have security bars on them. I suppose to protect the valuable possessions inside.

I will continue to stay here until early Saturday morning, then return to the Hostel Pangea. As I have been here Leonardo, one of the staff (he’s very handsome but only speaks Spanish), was assisting me in practicing my Spanish. I know that in time I will be able to speak the language but as for now, I find the struggle to hear things makes it difficult to fully understand. I try to listen to the Spanish television and radio because I hope it will help me learn the language better. Although down here I am not as inclined to watch TV because there is life when one walks around. It’s not like in the states where everyone drives here they all walk. That is the other thing about this upscale area; all of the homes here have parking areas, carports or garages.

The rain has slowed to a trickle now and there is soft music coming from the lounge area. It’s cooler now than it was this morning and I enjoy this time of the day here. Who knows, maybe the humidity will help my skin get better. Every afternoon it rains here as we are still in the rainy season until the end of the month. As I gaze over the small garden, something occurred to me, that most of the gardens here aren’t as lush as I would expect. I suppose I had in my head a garden full of flowers and colors. There aren’t a lot of trees in the neighborhoods except in the parks. All I keep thinking is, wow, please let me have a small place to grow a garden, I’m sure I could create something very beautiful.

After my classes I enjoyed a short nap before taking a walk around the area. It was five blocks before I found the local businesses. The Chalupas for lunch were very good and were enjoyed in an open-air restaurant with a large bird aviary on one side. There was an awning of tin above it to keep the rain out, and it was very relaxing. I’ve had a headache since Monday, and that might be part of the reason I struggle with my lessons. I hope it goes away soon.

The headache may have been brought on by a mix up in my medications. I thought I was taking the green pill and by accident I took the white one, which was a hydrocodone and then I went out drinking with the two boys from Holland. We ended up playing Black Jack at the Horseshoe Casino until 4 am, so I didn’t get much sleep on Sunday night. It was a fun night and I even doubled my money, so I stopped playing and waited for the others to finish.

The gentleman on the other side has retired to his room and I’m left alone, excepting for the occasional staff member who wanders by. I suppose I could go take my regular afternoon nap and wait for the rain to stop before finding something to do for the evening.

Pilgrimage

In December I'll be visiting an intentional community called Art of Union (just click on the title and it will take you to their website) and they are setting me up for a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts so maybe I can find myself since I have felt so lost lately. Here is the information they sent me on the Pilgrimage.

PURA VIDA (Pure Life)

To be a pilgrim is to set out on a journey of outward and inner discovery; and with the intention to return changed by all that has been seen and experienced along the way. Each day is a fresh journey of opportunity and discovery and the more conscious of this we become, the more our very lives take on the character of a pilgrimage.

While tourism and tourists tend to focus on the visual experience and the photos to remember them by, a pilgrimage and pilgrims cultivate an internal attunement with a landscape full of energies and voices that nourish the soul and provide opportunities for inspiration and transformation. While tourists view the landscape within the meanings of their culture, pilgrims are open to a transformation of values and purpose.

Upon returning pilgrims often report:

• A new sense of self
  
• Renewed interest in their relationships with former associates and friends
  
• A deepened sense of purpose and meaning.

While you’re here in Costa Rica (or wherever you may be), consider taking the time to deepen your experience of life and your connections to it. If you’ve been hoping for something a little different, consider this your invitation. There is no time like the present.

If you’d like some guidance along this path, we have many programs available for your inspiration and transformation. Programs include practices and rituals to facilitate and deepen your pilgrimage experience. We’ve been conducting inspirational “tours” here* for all ages, for individuals, families and groups, for almost a decade now.

Contact us at -- 359-7711 or 392-4307

* We’re in the Southern Pacific zone in Platanillo on the road between Dominical and San Isidro PZ. Scheduled program is on Tuesday through Thursday for English speakers, Friday through Sunday for Spanish.

Map of San Isidro

This is where I'll be starting on December 1st, San Isidro, at the Art of Union ecovillage and intentional community. I'll be doing a pilgrimage of sorts as they offer a special program to help people who are feeling lost find their way again. Read the posting about Pilgrimage for more information.

Map of San Jose, Costa Rica

This is a map of San Jose. I've highlighted where I'm staying for this month. I'll add other maps as I can to help you keep up to date as to where I am.

Es Domingo, cuatro de Novembre de 2007

(It’s Sunday, November 04, 2007)

Sabado era tranquilo y de relajacion. (Saturday was calm and relaxing.) I spent the afternoon walking around and exploring the sites of San Jose. Discovering the Mercado de Centrale was fun and I enjoyed a great meal for only a few dollars. The culture is so different here, people mostly walk or ride the many buses, which I understand is an excellent way to get around town. Once I can speak Spanish better I might attempt to ride some of the buses and explore more areas, as for now, I explore where I can walk.

My dorm room in the hostel sleeps 8 in very comfortable beds. Currently there are four of us, Santiago y Carlos ser de Argentina y Bill ser de Panama (originally from San Antonio), y un hombre desconocido. In other words, Santiago and Carlos are from Argentina and Bill is from Panama and there is an unknown man. All of the others are very handsome – muy hermoso. I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m currently abstaining from sexual pleasures because with all of these handsome men, one might run amuck.

Today is also a relaxing day. A short trip to the restaurante Vishnu, a vegetarian restaurant, and a trip to the local tienda (store) to obtain an alarm clock highlighted my day thus far. Who knew I would need an alarm clock, but since I’m going to stay in the hostel and not move to the hotel next to the language school, I have to get up early and meet my driver and then drive across town each day next week. I’m actually excited that I am learning something I’ve wanted to learn for some time. It seems that living in Central and South America is very cheap, so if I learn Spanish then I should be able to enjoy my stays here.

As I talk with others, like Dean from Vancouver Canada (talk about muy caliente), it seems that Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, and many other areas are even cheaper than here. I’ve learned from the handsome man Santiago that even Argentina is inexpensive. Thus, I have a feeling that I won’t be returning to North America for some time. I have to find out what it will take to change my plane ticket to another country. For now I’m going to explore Costa Rica, then Panama.

I’ve discovered something that is actually helping me learn Spanish a bit more, but at first was frustrating. Since being in Costa Rica, my internet has turned to Spanish. When I don’t understand something I use Google’s page translator.

I am enjoying the afternoon on the roof top deck after relaxing by the pool for an hour while the sun was shining. It’s back to clouds now as it is still the rainy season here. The mountains around San Jose are encircled with clouds all of the time, so I cannot see how tall they are. It seems that most of the guests have decided to go exploring or have left for other parts of the country. Monteverde and Volcan Aerenal seem to be good places to visit, but I also know that is where all of the tourist go. I just don’t want to do the touristy things. I want to get to know the locals.

Living in an almost communal aspect has brought me out of my seclusion of months past, however, I still find myself enjoying a lot of time alone, like this moment while everyone is gone.

I do not know what the future holds, however, for the first time in a long time, I feel better and am excited about life.

Mercado de Centrale

Today was an adventure, as I had to make decisions about where to stay while attending the Spanish classes next week. The host hotel offered a discount but the only room available was regularly $90 per day and even with the discount, I decided it was better to stay here in the Hostel Pangea and arranged for Whilbirth, the taxi driver, to come pick me up every morning and bring me back every afternoon. Even at $16 per day for the taxi, I’m saving a huge amount, but I do have to get up earlier.

I’m amazed at how easy Spanish is coming to me and look forward to being able to speak better and then start traveling other areas. I’ve done well so far with my limited knowledge of the language and was able to order lunch, find directions, and even enjoy the afternoon at the Mercado de Centrale, fundar 1880 (that’s Central Market, founded in 1880). If you want fresh food you can get it there, including live chickens. It was a fun experience.

My walking tour of the down town area of San Jose was fun. The city is arrayed with a series of public parks (parque publico) every few blocks, which serve as gathering places for the Ticos. They are very lively spaces. The architecture of the city is varied, but the buildings I enjoyed today were all built in the 30’s and 40’s with a mix of colonial and art deco styles. There are several buildings that I found that I liked and then noticed ‘For Sale” signs on them. If ever there was a time when I wish I had the money, this would be a place that I would enjoy renovating one of these old buildings.

If the city of San Jose is bringing about such pleasurable experiences, I cannot wait to experience the other parts of the country. I found out that Immigration requires you to leave for only 3 days before returning again for another 90 day tourist visit, so instead of returning to the states, I’m altering my flight tickets so I can fly to South America and explore life down there for a bit, including exploring Panama.

A couple from California informed me that there are some awesome countries to explore if you enjoy the hostelling experience, so who knows where I’ll go next. For now, I’m going to learn Spanish, explore Costa Rica and then see where life takes me.

Multi-national Conversations

So, Joel, Per, and Johan from Sweden, all at age 19, worked all summer to pay for their trip to Costa Rica and Panama, they were robbed in Panama, and for young kids who worked hard to pay for their trip, that was a lot of money for them to loose. At the moment Joel is sporting whiskers on his cheeks painted there by one of the German girls because she said he looked like a kitten. They were excited when I introduced them to Ben from Denmark, I suppose because they all speak the same language. These boys make me laugh because they are all so animated.

Yes, I’m sitting here conversing with people much younger and from other parts of the world. It’s funny, but the American contingent is currently passing around a joint. OH MY GOSH!, how stupid. The laws here in Costa Rica are very strict about such things and I cannot believe they are doing this. They are all from California, but they are also young. Two of the Australian hippies, one of the guys from Switzerland, and some of the German girls are all enjoying the relaxing nature of the joint. I had to move because I was getting high just by sitting near them.

Moritz, is from Germany and just finished his studies in Physics and is here on holiday until he starts his first job at a hospital in January. It’s funny, the California gang looks like they are from California of old (that hippie aspect), and even the guy from Colorado is talking about being from California, it’s not surprising he’s from there originally. I’m laughing at all of the various conversations in languages I don’t understand, yet at the same time there are attempts at having conversations in each other’s languages. Occasionally I hear words I can understand, thus I’m able to at least gain some understanding of what they are talking about.

The two Ben’s are from Denmark and Seattle, Washington. They are both handsome. The Denmark Ben is thinking of living here and is traveling extensively because he doesn’t want to work. When the subject of costs came up he promptly said, it’s on credit and I have another $10,000 to go. I suppose he’ll have to work at some point, but for now he’s happy and leaves tomorrow to go surfing for a bit.

Lavinia and several others are also from Germany. There are people from Switzerland, Australia, Colorado and California all talking together next to me, all of them high at the moment, I’m surprised I’m not.

Anja, the girl with the kitten whiskers is also from Germany. It’s now almost 3 am and I’ve been playing poker with two of the Germans. I lost, but it was fun. Who knew that Germans knew how to play Texas Hold’em. Now it’s time for bed.

Things new cause stress

Well I’m on the plane and it’s on interesting experience: The plane is very small, not like a Ceasna but very long and narrow, not even enough room to walk in the center isle, especially with a Panama hat! The dim lights highlight various parts of the plane, people’s hair, bald heads, and indicate that there is no smoking. Not that I smoke, but it’s the only color amongst the darkness! And now the journey begins! I’ve felt dead for sometime now, but at this moment, listening to Sarah Brightman’s Phantom of the Opera, I feel ALIVE! Bright colors caught my eye, and investigation brought into view one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve seen! From the darkness of earth comes a crimson red! It’s a perfect rainbow sunrise! From the red an earthy orange emerges, which transforms into a thin line of yellow. The green and yellow seem to be one color, but two! Blue culminates the green and introduces a muted violet, which fades back into the darkness of space! Slowly lights twinkle below and the sleeping earth resumes life once again!

A quick run from one Atlanta terminal to the next allowed me to walk right onto the awaiting flight to Costa Rica. This was a big plane, with rows upon rows, televisions (the in-flight movie was Transformers, a movie I had wanted to see.), and very comfortable seating. Luckily no one sat next to me so I could spread out a bit. Four hours later and I arrived at the San Jose airport. An hour later I was through Immigration and Customs. An hour after that and I was still trying to determine if I had missed my arranged shuttle to the hostel, so I finally bargained with one of the many taxi barkers to arrange for a driver. Whilbirth was wonderful as he was a great help, even serving as a tour guide to introduce me to the city. The address I had was incorrect, but he assisted in finding the new location and even carried my luggage in for me.

The stress of such a day, after spending months locked away in seclusion of the Austin apartment caused me to have to lie down and sleep. All I could think about was, ‘What the hell was I thinking, I cannot do this. When is the next flight out?’ Upon awakening, Bill from Panama (originally from San Antonio, Texas) was very kind and started talking with me. He served as my tour guide for the day and even introduced me to several interesting places. I found where Gringo Gulch (the area where the tourists visit), the Hotel Del Ray (which has a casino, the Blue Marlin Lounge, and lots of prostitutes), and I received a lesson in the local currency. 500 Colones is just about $1 US. Knowing this has helped a lot in buying things here.

I spoke in depth with Grace, one of the girls in the bar who is a prostitute. She’s 40 and has two children, ages 14 and 18. Prostitution is legal here and doesn’t carry the same social stigmas that it does in the states. I enjoyed our conversation and learned a lot about her business. Imperial beer, the Costa Rican official beer, isn’t so bad, especially for a non-beer drnker. I’ve been having them every evening as it’s only 500 Colones ($1 US) Sodas, my usual choice is 600 Colones.

The Hostel Pangea is very nice with a pool, two upper patios, one covered and surrounded by clear plastic panels, a disco built on stilts above the parking area, an outdoor kitchen that serves up some wonderful food for only a few dollars, and it has many dorm rooms and some private rooms. The dorm room I’m in sleeps 8 and even though the dorms are co-ed, it’s all men in mine. The number of men in my dorm room changes every night.

So now, I’ve decided to stay and not leave because of fear.

A New Adventure

After yesterday’s clearing of the remaining items in the tiny apartment, turning over the keys, and attending to a few errands, I was left with feelings of dread, doubt, insecurities, loss, sadness, and frustration. Airports should have a nap space, however, the floor combined with luggage does make for a comfortable sleeping arrangement. Other than the occasional late night arrivals, the airport in Austin is very quiet, excepting for the wisps, clatters, clutters, clinks, and sounds from the cleaning crews. Being the first person to actually go to sleep felt awkward, however, after waking during the early, cool morning hours I noticed I wasn’t alone and several others had taken up the floor as a place of rest. Alone I meandered up and down the straight corridors of the airport longing for the hour I can check-in and then board my flight for Atlanta. Atlanta is the first and only stop on my way to San Jose, Costa Rica. After days of dread, second guessing, and emotional turmoil, I am now on my way. Unsure of what to expect, if I can cope (seeing that I haven’t been able to cope in Austin), of how I will fare on a limited budget, and being so nervous that I’m breaking out with cold-sores.

I’ve left behind a mess of relationships, mostly because I shut down and couldn’t find a way to even talk to anyone. It took me a month and coaxing by my best friend to even be able to talk a little bit with him. I suppose the shut down is from the energy healing I was going through and so many feelings were emerging at once that I found myself unable to deal with any of them. Angry, mad, sad, upset, happy, fearful, and feeling that I was loosing my mind has ruled the last month. At the moment I’m tearing up because I’m allowing some emotions to surface, that of regret and loss. Yes, I’ve ruined some good friendships, however, the loss is for myself. I’ve lost myself somewhere along the years and tried to become someone else. It seems that I’m having to allow my persona of Sebastian St.Troy die along with everything and everyone I’ve left behind in Austin. I’m going to have to relearn who Lynn Boney is and what it is he’s capable of being and doing.

People say that I’m very talented in many aspects, and perhaps they are correct, but it’s not from training, it’s from learning how to be a con-artist. Yes, I’m admitting it, I’m a con-artist. I’ve learned how to be a very good one because I can make people believe just about anything about who I am supposed to be and what I’m capable of doing. It has been that way all along, including every time I have had to work for myself because I couldn’t find a job. I’ve been a user of people, a liar, a thief, and just not a nice person. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s true, I’ve just been able to make you believe otherwise. Perhaps coming to truths about who I really am will assist in finding who I really am. Embracing the dark side of my personality for a change is different, but strangely comfortable.

I’ve run from my darkness for too long. I’ve been running all of my life, not to something, but rather always away. Away from responsibility, friendships, emotions, trust, and so much more. There are times of late that I wish this life was over, however, I’m not even strong enough mentally to figure out how to accomplish such things, not to mention I’ve tried it in the past and if there is a way I would want it to be quick and painless. However, instead of such things, although I feel like such, I’m struggling forward through the realm of the unknown and into a new adventure.

A man’s voice combined with a female’s Spanish translation is now booming from the speakers, people are moving about, gates are being prepared by people in white, blue, and black uniforms, lights are shining, sounds abound as the airport comes to life again. Soon it will be time to check my luggage and board my flight. I’m so scared that feelings I’ve suppressed for a long time are bursting forth in a way that I cannot control them. Instead I’m writing.

I’m tired of the way things have become in the United States, of how businesses operate, and how people are in general. Maybe by having to learn and live in a different culture will help me come to some acceptance terms or find a place that I actually enjoy being. Who knows what is to become of me, I don’t and that’s for sure. I’m giving up on being the norm and keeping up with what is expected. No more cell phone, no residence, no belongings, just me and a small laptop (I’d give that up too, however, it seems it’s my only way of communicating. It’s time, so off to brush the teeth before my toothpaste gets packed away for the trip. Eight hours and I’ll be a foreign country.