CienagaCreekRanch

Sunday, April 28, 2013~

We began the day by exploring Oaxaca, Mexico, with our gracious hosts, Riccardo and Guadalupe….  Oaxaca is pronounced “wha-ha-ka.”  They guided us through the town to see some amazing things!

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, Oaxaca, Mexico

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, Oaxaca, Mexico

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, Oaxaca, Mexico

Sunday Orchestra in the square, Oaxaca, Mexico

Chapulines (roasted grasshoppers)….in the Mercado, Oaxaca, Mexico

Tastes like chicken?!

Riccardo and Guadalupe took us into the mercado for some local food…

Carne Asada lunch in the Mercado, Oaxaca, Mexico

Lunch with Riccardo and Guadalupe, Oaxaca, Mexico

Tejate is a maize and cacao beverage made by the Mixtec and Zapotec people.

Tejate – special drink in the Mercado, Oaxaca, Mexico

Riccardo enjoying tejate, Mercado, Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca, Mexico

Theatre in Oaxaca, Mexico

Monday, April 29, 2013~

We left Oaxaca this morning – clutching out (as Riccardo would say) at 8:00 am.

The ride today was on the Libre – free road – to Mexico City, through some beautiful countryside covered with organ-pipe cactus and saguaro.

We stopped at one town to see a beautiful church that is being restored. The restoration will take another 20 years to complete.   The pipe organ is still used…. We climbed in altitude through beautiful, lush pine forest and arrived in Mexico City at Riccardo’s condo around 5 pm.

Riccardo says that his condo is just a “hole” for him to sleep in – but it is a very nice hole.  It is just one bedroom, so we are staying around the corner in a hotel for tonight. After resting for a few hours, Riccardo and Guadalupe took us to the San Angel Inn for dinner.

Their friends, Miguel (whom we met in El Salvador in January) and his wife, Sarah, as well as Riccardo’s son, Edgardo, and his fiance, Jessica, joined us.  The San Angel Inn was once the main house of a large hacienda that was built in 1776.  The gardens and courtyards are beautiful!  While we waited for everyone to arrive, the four of us sat in the courtyard for hors d’ourves and listened to a pianist play.   Then, we enjoyed a lovely dinner together.  The service was outstanding. What a wonderful evening….

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 ~

After a light breakfast at the hotel with Miguel and Riccardo, Riccardo left to work for a few hours.  Miguel was our tour guide today to see Mexico City.   He generously took the day off from work (he is a retired engineer who now teaches) to show us the city.   The city is very beautiful with many monuments and historical buildings.

We took the tour bus and sat on the upper open-air level.  It was a good way to see the highlights of this beautiful city.

touring Mexico City on the tour bus

Standing guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier…

 Miguel and Scott, with his sweater “hat”  🙂

  This is the palace where President Obama visited a few days after we were there….   

Mexico City is at an elevation of over 7,000 feet – with very temperate weather – no heat or air conditioning is needed.  We enjoyed lunch with Miguel at his club after our tour. In the afternoon, we met up again with Riccardo and Guadalupe and rode to their lake house.  It is two hours north of Mexico City, in Valle de Bravo.  The ride took us up to over 10,000 ft in elevation through beautiful pine forests, then down to about 7,000 ft to Valle de Bravo – a town on a mountain lake.  Riccardo built this beautiful home ten years ago.  The house has a commanding view of the lake from every room – we have our own suite.

Master of the Casa -Valle de Bravo, Mexico

Valle de Bravo, Mexico – javelina that Riccardo hunted

Peaceful veranda -Valle de Bravo, Mexico

…  He has one room just for his motorcycles.

Valle de Bravo, Mexico

We drove into town for a walk through the plaza and dinner.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013~

We are spoiled!  After a good night’s rest, Marie made us all a delicious brunch of fruit, pastries, fresh orange juice, eggs, meat, tortillas and quesadillas.  We ate on the veranda, while beautiful music played.  Riccardo, Guadalupe, Scott and I took a long walk down to the village after brunch.

Valle de Bravo, Mexico

We wandered through the market….

…and bought some candy from Fernando (who was born in Indio, CA)….

…purchased some fresh berries….

and bought a few souvenirs…

All these items are made with pine needles!!!!

Scott found a sheepskin for our motorcycle seat….

Deciding which sheepskin to buy

Edgardo, Jessica and their girls, Barbara (5) and Regina (10), picked us up in their speed boat for a ride around the lake.

 A wolf in sheep’s clothing?  🙂

Edgardo took us back to the marina where they pulled the boat out of the water.

All 8 of us – 6 adults and 2 children – crammed into their little car for the ride back to the house.

When we arrived at the house, Marie had a delicious meal waiting for us – salmon, grilled beef, rice, beans, tortillas…. and birthday cake for Regina’s 10th birthday.  We also had yogurt gelatin with berries and cream… So many different tastes for us – and so delicious!

Sunset over Valle de Bravo….

Thursday, May 2, 2013~

Left early from Valle de Bravo to drive into Mexico City, then on to Veracruz for the BMW ride.

Sunrise on the road to Veracruz

On the road

We arrived  around 4 pm and got settled into our hotel.  Dinner with Riccardo and Guadalupe and several people from their BMW club that is hosting the ride on Saturday.  A walk through the square to watch the dancing, musicians and people…. We stayed until almost midnight helping to assemble the bags that will be given to all the riders tomorrow.

Friday, May 3, 2013~

The riders began arriving in the afternoon.  I helped by giving out the bags to riders as they checked in.  There are 500 people registered.  Everyone is so friendly – even though they can’t understand me, or I understand them – we are welcomed so warmly.

Saturday,  May 4, 2013~

We all assembled at 6:30 am for a picture on the gulf coast.  I heard that more than 450 people showed.  The amount of bikes that are here is amazing!

De Sol a Sol, 2013

There is a Go-pro camera attached to a remote helicopter that hovers over us, filming.

Go pro

The riders are taking several different routes to Acapulco.  We left with a group of 50 around 7:00 am.

BMW ride

BMW ride – Guada and Ricardo

It started to drizzle, but after a few hours, cleared.  By 11:00 am, after splitting off on our own route, our group was only 12 bikes.

Special parking….?

We arrived in Acapulco around 4:00 pm.

It was a great ride.  We were welcomed with cheers, cameras, drinks and pretty girls as we pulled into the Hotel ElCano.

We heard there was one accident that resulted in some broken bones, but everyone else arrived safely.  We all congregated on the beach in front of the hotel at sunset for our picture again.

Happy hour was a meal in itself! 

Guada and Riccardo, Acapulco

Edgardo and Jessica, Acapulco

The celebration dinner at ElCano hotel was fun – the dinner was excellent.  The main dish, Paella  – a Spanish dish with rice, shrimp, chicken, sausage and mussels – was delicious.  The dinner lasted long into the evening.  We have really enjoyed our week with Riccardo and Guadalupe – they have shared their lives and culture with us in such a way that we will remember our time with them forever.  Their friendship is a gift that we will cherish.

Sunday, May 5, 2013~

A day to relax and rest before we make our trek home… with dinner in “Old Acapulco” with a group of friends.

dinner with our friends in Acapulco

Monday, May 6, 2013~

Left Acapulco at 7:00 am…On the road home!

Berries for sale on the side of the toll road, Mexico – such a good snack!

special forces 🙂

The road home

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 ~

2,137 miles in 3 days….  Acapulco to Big Bear – home sweet home!!!!!!!

Thank you for following our adventure  – we have enjoyed hearing from you all!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

~Scott and Vickie 🙂

Saturday, April 20, 2013~

We left Cozumel this morning, taking the ferry across to the mainland at 11:00 AM.  The seas were much calmer today and less wind than our voyage over.  The color of the Caribbean Sea is so beautiful….

Caribbean Sea from the ferry top deck

We rode up to Cancun to see if we could find another tire (thinking ahead, knowing that the used tire we got in Belize won’t last us too much longer) .  Cancun is a large city (in addition to the huge tourist area) – population of 600,000 – with a BMW dealer.   We rode to where the GPS indicated a BMW dealer was located.  The dealer had moved locations…  so we rode around until we saw  a motorcycle shop.  The owner didn’t speak English, but one of his customers came over to see what we needed.  He knew where the BMW dealer was now located and offered to show take us to the new loation.  We followed him as he rode his motorcycle.  He gave us his business card and introduced himself, Dr. Jose Kuri Fierros, a pediatrician in Cancun.

Dr. Fierros – Cancun

After riding for about 10 minutes, we arrived at the BMW dealer.  The dealer had just two front tires, so our friend took us to another shop.  They suggested we try the city of Merida – about 3 hours away.  Our tire is doing okay, so we shouldn’t have any trouble getting there.  Dr. Fierros shook our hands before he left, saying that we should know that we have friends in Mexico.  We are again amazed at the gracious hospitality of the people we have met on this trip!

After driving on the free road for a few hours, we decided to switch to the toll road since the sun was getting lower and we knew we could travel faster without having to slow for the topes at each village.  I had read about the town of Izamal online and though it might be a good stopping point… the Pope had visited this village in 1998…it is the oldest city on the Yucatan Peninsula…. it is considered one of the “magical” cities…. with cobblestone streets….all the buildings are colonial and painted yellow.  As the sun was setting, we pulled into town – were a bit dismayed at how primitive the village seemed – no cobblestone streets, no yellow buildings!  Perhaps we have missed the better section of town?!   We found the B&B I had seen online –  Macan che,  and Scott went to check it out.

Izamal, mexico

Machan che B&B ended up being a very pleasant surprise!  Our room is new and spacious.

Manchan Che, Izamal, Mexico

Diego Rivera mural above the beds, Izamal, Mexico

The pool felt great after riding in 95 degree weather all afternoon.

Gardens at Machan Che, Izamal, Mexico

We had a delicious meal (Conchinita pibil chicken and fish with mango salsa) at the restaurant, ending with strawberry and coconut ice cream for dessert.

Machan che palapa, Izamal, Mexico

After breakfast at Machan che, we took off to explore the town.  We eventually found the town square and church – and cobblestone streets and yellow buildings, through the one-way streets were a bit frustrating, to say the least!

Izamal, Mexico

Izamal, Mexico

Izamal, Mexico

Trying to find a gas station was another challenge altogether.  After asking for directions at least four times and driving in circles, we finally found the gas station.  We headed north out of Izamal to the coast.  The road was a single lane for two-way traffic through the jungle.  Not too many other vehicles; however, we did encounter one spot where two trucks met – one had to pull over off the road to let the other pass.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula is very flat – no rivers or mountains – all the rivers flow underground through limestone, coming above ground in cenotes.  The road to the coast was lined with miles and miles of stone walls, a remnant of the haciendas (most are abandoned).  The haciendas were large, extensive ranches that produced sisal, used to make rope.

Rock walls, Yucatan, Mexico

We reached the gulf coast at Dizilam de Bravo and took the highway (27) going west along the coast.  This area was hit in 2002 by a hurricane – we could see the damage in the small villages that we passed through –  many destroyed buildings and homes.

Hurrican damage, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The view was great – alternating between lagoon and ocean.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

selling toys – Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

We saw the most amazing sight… WILD PINK FLAMINGOS! Sooooo many of them!

Flamingos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Flamingos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

They are really very interesting to watch.  As they stand in the shallow water, they stretch their long necks down under the water to eat brine shrimp and algae.  The more brine shrimp they eat, the pinker they become.  The saying, “You are what you eat,” is really true of these guys.  The more I thought about this, isn’t that a good picture of how God works in us?  The more we seek Him and desire Him…the more we digest His Word and are obedient to Him… these things will result in us becoming more and more of a reflection of Him.  I want to be really, really “pink”- ha ha! Don’t you?!

Flamingos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Flamingos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

We turned south at the town of Progreso and reached Merida, a city with a population of over 970,000.  Our hotel is on a beautiful street of historic buildings called Paseo de Montejo.

Paseo de Montejo, Merida, Mexico

Monumento al la Bandera, Merida, Mexico – in the center of a traffic circle by our hotel

We found the main square and watched a group of Mexican couples performing a dance.  The ladies wore beautiful embroidered lace dresses and had colorful flowers in their hair.

Dancers, Merida, Mexico

Merida, Mexico

Merida, Mexico

Merida, Mexico

We had sorbet and sat on a bench in the square watching the people.  On Sundays, the streets around the square are closed to vehicles; many vendors and food stands everywhere.  There were clowns making balloon animals for kids and horse carriages for rides around the city.  Scott bought me a beautiful red rose…. 🙂  Riding around the city with one-way streets was again enough to do us in – but we eventually found a restaurant, had dinner, and got back to our hotel room!

Clown, Merida, Mexico.

Clown, Merida, Mexico

Merida, Mexico

Merida, Mexico

Monday, April 22, 2013

Scott spent the morning finding a new tire for the bike – after 4 hours of sweating in the heat, he was successful! He got a very good deal on exactly what he wanted.  We got on the road after getting pizza….

Pizza Hut essential Mexican condiments

The ride from Merida to Campeche is about 100 miles – but very hot – 101!  We reached Campeche, a nice town on the Gulf coast…

Malecon, Campeche, Mexico – Great place to run!!!

They have a diving board!!!! Campeche, Mexico

Hotel del Mar, Campeche, Mexico

The historic section of town is a walled city – the walls were built in the late 1680’s to protect the town from pirates and buccaneers.  The colonial architecture is beautiful!  We had dinner in the older section and enjoyed walking around the town square afterwards.  We felt completely safe the entire time.

Look! I got my wings! 🙂

My handsome man – Campeche, Mexico

Romantic dinner in Campeche, Mexico

Church in Campeche, Mexico

Town Square – Campeche, Mexico

City walls in the moonlight – Campeche, Mexico

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The circus is in town!  We spent an entertaining evening at a small circus in that is in town – clowns, jugglers, animal acts, acrobats, magician, archery sharpshooter….

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

The best act overall was the knife-throwing dwarf.  He picked Scott out of the audience to give him a hand…

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

Each time the dwarf was going to throw a knife, Scott would step aside.  He made sure Scott couldn’t move by chaining him in place!

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

Circus, Campeche, Mexico

It was all quite entertaining!  He survived and enjoyed every minute.  🙂

Wednesday, April 24, 2013~

We left early this morning to avoid the heat.  The first part of the ride was amazing – the road followed the Gulf coast with an spectacular view of the water.

Gulf Coast between Campeche and Cuidad del Carmen, Mexico

We stopped at one point to stretch our legs and admire the shell-strewn beach.

Our initial plan was to ride to Villahermosa – about 4-1/2 hours from Campeche…. When we got to Villahermosa, we found the hotels overpriced and the temperature way too warm – and nothing that we were too interested in seeing.  We made the decision to ride up to Veracruz….

The temperature began to rise…. 104 F….I could feel the sweat dripping into my eyes…the wind began to blow against us in hard gusts….the sugar cane fields were burning, filling the sky with a smoky haze….lots of truck traffic on the toll road….not a very good ride… 😦  Oh well – you have to take the good with the bad, right?!  Most days are spectacular, but then there are those like today when you are so glad when the ride is done and you get to a decent hotel!

Hot afternoon – 104F – between Villahermosa and Veracruz, Mexico

Hot and smoky – between Villahermosa and Veracruz, Mexico

We arrived in Veracruz just as the sun was setting….10 hours on the bike….tired?!! Yep!!!!

Thursday, April 25, 2013~

We woke up this morning at 5 am by reveille!   Across the street from the hotel is the Mexican Naval Academy…  At noon, and again at 5 pm it was repeated – from our room we can see the parade ground.  We have come to the conclusion that trumpet lessons would be beneficial….

Veracruz, Mexico

Friday, April 26, 2013~

We had a fun day exploring Veracruz – walked around the town square and then visited the aquarium….saw some incredible fish, mantees, sharks and watched a dolphin show.   I took some great pictures…  When we got back to the hotel, I attempted to download them…. only to find they are gone…. I will post them here if I can recover them.  I think my camera is getting tired!!

Saturday, April 27, 2013~

Today’s ride was very interesting!  267 miles in 7 hours….We started from Veracruz on the Gulf Coast, rode south for about an hour to Route 175 to Tuxtepec and then to Oaxaco.

More sugarcane trucks! Mexico

Sugarcane fields – climbing in altitude –

The ride from Tuxtepec from Oaxaco climbed into amazing jungle…

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

…then to pine forest at 10,000 ft altitude at 62 F…

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

then dropped to desert with several types of cactus at 95F…

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

…then back up to pine forest.  The road was very curvy – this route is supposed to be one of the best motorcycle routes in the world.  It was an amazing ride!  The road was not very well maintained in some areas – potholes, jungle growth and in a few sections the road was completely gone – which made for some challenging moments!

Road from Tuxtepic to Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaco, Mexico

Oaxaca, Mexico

We arrived in Oaxaca in the afternoon and rested before meeting up with Riccardo Baglio and Guadalupe, from Mexico City (we met Riccardo at the border of El Salvador back in January).  We will be traveling with them for the next week, then returning to Veracruz for the BMW ride to Acapulco.

Guadalupe and Riccardo Baglio – our friends from Mexico City

Oaxaca, Mexico

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Good Morning, Belize!

Early start today on our ride to the border of Mexico…  Leaving early when we have a full 5-hour ride, plus a border crossing, is a really good idea.  After riding 2 hours, we reached the border and were on our way in about an hour!  We didn’t have to do anything for the bike since we still had current paperwork. Only one more border crossing left on this trip!

We rode for a couple of hours through jungle with just a few small villages before we finally found a town with gas, an ATM and food – the three things we REALLY needed this morning!  The little kitchen we stopped at was so clean and bright – the couple that run it didn’t speak any English, but we had fun trying to communicate with each other.  The food was delicious!

Scott was so happy to have breakfast in Mexico – Fresh OJ, chorizo, eggs, beans, avocado and tortillas (Yes, Doug – it was an event as always!!)

Our host and cook (way in the back!) for breakfast

We rode into Playa del Carmen by noon and found a hotel.  The Mexican Rivera starts just past Tulum and continues up to Cancun.  Playa del Carmen is about an hour south of Cancun.  This is where we will take the ferry over to Cozumel on Saturday.

This was a creative way to find our towel folded in our hotel room!  I think it is a rhinoceros….

rhino towel

We cooled off in the pool, then took a walk through town.  We both are so ready for some GOOD Mexican food.  (In Central America it is chicken, rice and beans…..  rice, chicken and beans… or there is always beans, rice and chicken!)  As we walked along, we came across this woman selling tamales on the sidewalk- we each had one of the most delicious chicken tamales we have ever tasted, served with a bottle of ice-cold coca cola!

Tamale sidewalk lunch in Playa del Carmen

The Caribbean at Playa del Carmen

The crowds at Playa del Carmen

Friday, April 12, 2013

The town has one street that is blocked for pedestrians in the evening – lined with restaurants and shops – great place to wander, eat and people-watch.  We are surprised at how few English-speaking tourists there are here; mostly European and Asian.

This mariachi band serenaded us at dinner.

That’s a BIG cigar! Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Tequilaphone, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Friday, April 12, 2013

Today we took the ferry over to the island of Cozumel.  It is amazing how many large  trucks they fit on this ferry!  The ferry takes about an hour to get to Cozumel – very slow moving considering that you can see the lights on the mainland at night from the island.

Ferry to Cozumel, Mexico

On the ferry to Cozumel

One of the many shades of the sea – ferry to Cozumel

cruise ship parking lot at Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico

ferry dock at Cozumel – trucks waiting to board for return trip

Sunset on Cozumel, Mexico

April 14-19, 2013

We found a great deal on a condo – the owners had a cancellation and gave us their “hurricane season” price…. 🙂  Our view is amazing – always something to watch from our windows.

View from the bedroom 🙂

Cozumel condo – fun decor

Cozumel condo

Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel, Mexico – Poolside entertainment!

We went snorkeling together one morning – the water is very clear with great visibility!  Now that he is a “diver” I didn’t think I would be able to get him to go with me.  He is up to 15 dives, including one night dive.

Took a ride around to the “wild” side of the island – the windward side is just that – WINDY and the sea churns constantly; the beach and breakers were beautiful!

Cancun -windward side

Cancun – windward side

Coral beach – Cancun – windward side

Cancun – windward side

Another child safety seat

walking around Cozumel with the funny man….

Walking around Cozumel

Walking around Cozumel

Walking around Cozumel

Sunset on Cozumel….

Cozumel

Cozumel

“I got my toes in the water, rear in the sand

Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand

Life is good today, life is good today

Adios and vaya con Dios

A long way from CA….

Yes, and all the muchachas, they call me big poppa

When I throw pesos their way…”

Cozumel

Friday, April 5, 2013

We rode up to Belize City, found the hotel recommended by our friends at Machaca and made arrangements for our bike.  We are going to Ambergris Caye, and island just off the coast of Belize.

Taking the bike to it’s hotel, Belize City, Belize

The bike gets to stay in the hotel lobby

We are flying over to Ambergris Caye – it is a short 15 minute flight on Tropic Air.

Flying to Ambergris Caye, Belize

April 6-10, 2013

The water is so beautiful on Ambergris Caye …

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Not many vehicles on the island – everyone rides bicycles or drives golf carts.  At some times there can be a golf cart traffic jam – seriously!  It is a fun place – lots of tourists and all ranges of hotels.

Golf Carts everywhere! Ambergris Caye, Belize

View from the room, The Palms, Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Palms, Ambergris Caye, Belize

We stayed our first night at The Palms in a gorgeous pricey condo… then moved to the Conch (more within our budget!)  The hotel is cheap and noisy, not too bad except for the drunk man thinking our room was his at 2 am….

The Conch Inn, Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Conch Inn, Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Conch Inn, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Scott is doing some diving.  On his first day, he was diving with nurse sharks and a hammerhead shark.  He also saw a huge eel.  He needs an underwater camera!

I just saw interesting people….

Happy Belize Man

Cool hair coconut head, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Catching coconuts from the guy who climbed the tree

Another coconut head

heavy load….

going to school – Ambergris Caye, Belize

dog walker, Ambergris Caye, Belize

The weather is beautiful – seems a little cooler here than the mainland.

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Found a great little restaurant on the beach – Estel’s…. yummy breakfasts and bbq ribs for lunch….  The waiter’s actually know how to serve, something that we have missed during our trip in Central America!

Estel’s, Ambergris Caye, Belize – a great restaurant, love the flooring 🙂

Eating on the beach at Estel’s, Ambergris Caye, Belize

View from Estel’s, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Had conch chowder at dinner one night – delicious!  I have never seen conch served before – many restaurants here offer it on their menu.

One day, we rented bicycles from Joe’s Bicycle Shop to explore the island.  The sand is not too soft along the water – perfect for bicycling.

Ambergris Caye, Belize

After about 7 miles, we were hot and ready for something cold to drink!  We stopped at a resort and got some coca cola on ice and took a swim….

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Bike ride on the beach, Ambergris Caye, Belize

One morning, out on the beach in front of the inn, we saw three rays up at the edge of the water….a local was feeding them pieces of fish and chicken from his hand….

Everyone speaks English here in Belize…. I think…..

The wind picked up so badly on our last full day that Scott had to cancel his dives… he is so sad!  The waves are huge out on the reef!

Ambergris Caye, Belize

We flew back to the mainland and got back to the bike and our hotel room.  Walked down the road to the Manatee Lookout for dinner.  We met Art and Richard Claussen, two brothers from Canada.  They had come to Belize to visit their Mennonite relatives who live in the town of Hopkins, Belize. We enjoyed some great conversation while eating conch fritters for dinner.

Tomorrow we will cross the border into Mexico!

March 31, 2013

We left Copan Ruinas by 6:15 am…. the border still took about 1-1/2 hours to get through, even though it was quiet.  The ride through Guatemala was beautiful.  There was a lot of opposing traffic, people coming back from their holiday – which meant too many people trying to pass in our lane.

Guatemala taxi – still room for several more!

Family vehicle

When we crossed the bridge at Rio Dulce, we got hit by a bus! 

Bridge to Rio Dulce

That actually sounds really bad – but he just tapped our bag.  Cars had stopped in the middle of the bridge to look at the view – navigating through the mess of traffic and add a bus….

Croc

Croc sign

Made it to El Ramate (15 miles outside Tikal National Park) by 2:00 pm.  It is very hot here – 97 degrees.  So thankful for AC!!!!!

Ceiba tree and lake overlook at Casa don David

The hotel has a trick little zip line that sends your drinks to you on the lake overlook.

Sunset over Lake Peten, Guatemala

April 1, 2013

We got up early and rode to the National Park – it was a wonderful 65 degrees and foggy!

Guatemala

So cool riding through the jungle.  We got to the entrance at 6:00 am, bought our tickets, and road through the park.  Lots of animal signs….

Tikal, Guatemala

The ruins are astonishing!  They are so expansive (I think we hiked at least 5 miles). The temples are up to 200 feet tall.  The mist around the ruins in the early morning made it quite surreal.  Many of the ruins haven’t been excavated.  We were impressed with Copan – but more so with Tikal.

Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal, Guatemala – do you see Scott at the bottom of the picture?

Huge Ceiba tree in Tikal, Guatemala – Scott standing at the base….

We watched howler monkeys, saw turkeys, bats (in the bat palace) and finally saw a Toucan!  Turkey

monkey business in Tikal, Guatemala

 We were able to climb to the top of one of the temples.  The view above the jungle was phenomenal!“Do not seat on the monuments….”

As we left the park just before noon, the busloads of tour groups were arriving – the park changed from a mysterious quiet jungle to a zoo in minutes!  🙂

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Border into Belize – we alighted

We did our early departure and got to the border of Belize by 8:30 am.  It was our shortest border crossing – 1 1/2 hours!  As we rode into Belize, we were amazed at how comforting it was to see all the signs in English.  The people appear to have a higher living standard than the rest of Central America.  We were riding along, enjoying the lush jungle and dreaming of an American breakfast when we came upon Kropf’s Bakery in a Mennonite community.  We enjoyed an amazingly delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and toast with homemade jelly, served by Elissa.  Ahhhhh…….. They also make the best peanut butter cookies we have ever had!

Elissa, Kropf’s Bakery, Belize

We rode south to Punta Gorda and found the Machaca Outreach Center.  This is a camp run by John and Lisa Gotz and Calvary Chapel of Murrieta.  During the summer, they have kids camps, Bible boot camp, some vocational training, discipleship training and an outreach center.  The Packinghouse in Redlands supports them.

We met Jeremiah and Brittany Peters who are missionaries at the camp as well.  They are a sweet young married couple from Beaumont/Banning.  Jeremiah cautioned us about scorpions, tarantulas and poisonous snakes…. the only thing we saw was a scorpion in our bathroom….. it IS the jungle!

Our accommodations

A work group of youth and adults from Murrieta are at the camp this week so we met several people from Murrieta and Redlands.  The camp is 253 acres of inland jungle – hot! hot! hot!  Did I mention it is hot?!  The camp has a cafe in town (about 15 minutes) called Di BoneVille Cafe.  We rode in and ate dinner with everyone from the camp.  They have a great outreach in this coffee house/cafe next to the university. Plus, they make great cheeseburgers and tacos.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The camp graciously put us up for two nights.  We rode out to Blue Creek with them today to swim.  This creek is about 20 minutes away from the camp.  Scott paid his little guy with the stick to guard our bike.

Blue Creek, Belize

The water is crystal clear and full of fish!

We hiked up to the mouth of a cave where the river flows out.  Scott went with the group (who wore headlamps) as they swam into the cave about 1/4 mile.  The cave is about 12 miles long to where the river enters.  The water is so refreshing.  I waited at the mouth of the cave, and swam in until it was too dark.  Just in the mouth of the cave were stalagmites and stalagtites; bats were flying in and out.

Blue Creek, Belize

Scott and Jeremiah, Blue Creek, Belize

Group from Murrieta and staff from Machaca Outreach Center

Scott jumping in off the rope swing

For dinner tonight, we drove into Punta Gorda to Asha’s Culture Kitchen, built out over the sea.  The food was good and there was a wonderful breeze.  Scott had the lion fish, I had the baked pork ribs (in case you were wondering what kind of food a culture kitchen serves!)

Asha’s Culture Kitchen, Punta Gorda, Belize

Tonight, the camp put on a “cultural dinner” for the group of high schoolers from Murrieta – it was a very interesting illustration/lesson of being a respector of persons.  The kids were only told that a special dinner had been prepared for them.  They were divided into delegates of seven different countries (they had been studying through the week).   Each country’s delegates were seated at their own “table” and served dinner according to their “status”.  The USA delegates were seated at the best table, served heaping plates of the best food, clear water, soda, ice and dessert.  The other countries were seated at smaller tables, or on the floor.   The “lowliest” were served dirty brown water in an old plastic cut off bottle and one tablespoon of rice as their meal.  The delegates were treated accordingly from important down to insignificant. At the end of the evening, the three delegates from the USA were completely full – the rest were starving (and told that the next meal would be breakfast).  It was very interesting to see their reactions. John did a great job facilitating the discussion and bringing the point home.  (They all did finally eat about 9 pm).

Machaca Outreach Center, Belize

Sunset at Machaca Outreach Center, Belize

Thursday, April 4, 2013

We got an early start today in the cool of the morning…..

Belize

….. for five miles.  Then, our rear tire decided to disintegrate.  We rode 20 more miles very, very slowly….at 35 mph…. to the crossroad where the tire went completely flat.

No bueno…. in Belize

Immediately, a truck pulled up and asked if we needed assistance…. yep!

Our rescuers

Our rescuers

These Christian guys loaded the bike into their truck and took us to a hotel in Big Creek/Independence with a garage next door.  The owner helped Scott find someone who had a used tire that they would sell us.  Scott took the wheel off the bike….we took a taxi (car) to get on the water taxi to the town where it was….

Saw this as we rode in the taxi cab….

Belizian mobile home

Hokey Pokey water taxi, Belize

Hokey Pokey water taxi, Belize

Hokey Pokey water taxi to Placentia

Road Kill Tire Repair Shop, Placentia, Belize

Five hours later… we got back to the hotel room with a tire that we are hoping will last us into Mexico to a BMW dealer.  It’s been a looooooooong day…..

March 27, 2013

The rain poured all night… it had stopped when we woke up around 5:30am so we took off early from our hotel in La Ceiba, Honduras, hoping to avoid getting soaked again.  It was a nice thought…. but within a few minutes the rain began.  It rained on and off as we traveled toward Copan.  The river beds are completely full of muddy brown water.

Honduras during a rainstorm

The opposing traffic seems to think we are invisible today – so many cars are passing on our side, right in front of us!  It is so dark because of the rain that the daylight sensor on Scott’s flashing headlight is not activating.  We realize that the flashing headlight really makes people aware of us!

The GPS directed us off on a dirt road.  Several cars and taxis were on the road, so we decided to take the shortcut.  Hmmm…. not such a good decision.  Yes, it was a shortcut… but soon we were the only people on the road that was thick with mud.  Scott almost dumped it twice before I got off and walked for awhile (my weight on the back makes this kind of riding difficult!).  We were so happy to reach the pavement!  Now we are wet with the added amenity of mud.

our mud detour

mud detour w/typical trash pile

mud detour

train cars, still on the track

We passed through four or five police stops today – each time they saw our tourist sticker, they waved us through.  Once, the policeman stopped us and asked where our raincoats were – with a smile.  It seems like Honduras is trying hard to make a good impression on tourists… they are doing an admirable job!

Made it to Copan Ruinas (the name of the town near the Mayan Ruins) by lunch time.  Found a nice little hotel and have all our belongings drying out.

Cobblestone street in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Fountain, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Hotel Colonial, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

We had tacos for lunch across from the hotel.  The owner’s son who served us is in high school and speaks English well.  He has a pet squirrel named “Coco.” Coco climbed up on his shoulder and then up my arm to my shoulder, then quickly down the length of me and outside and up a tree.    Really cute… He has sharp little claws – no wonder he can climb trees so easily!

Coco the squirrel, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Coco the squirrel, Honduras

This young man also found someone to fix the box on the bike.  By the time we were done eating, the man had come and picked it up.  A few hours later, it was back and fixed for $15.  Not like new – but opens and closes perfectly.

March 28, 2013

Visited the Maya ruins at Copan this morning.  We got there early, before the crowds.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.  The wild macaw birds were fun to watch.  They are so colorful!

Macaw, Copan, Honduras

Macaw, Copan, Honduras

Maya Civilization Ruins, Copan, Honduras

Maya Civilization Ruins, Copan, Honduras

We are here in Copan Ruinas during Semana Santa (holy week).  Today, there is much activity in the town square – music, food, booths, as they prepare the streets for Good Friday.

Young merchant

old merchant 🙂  Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Musicians in the square, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

The townspeople are spreading a layer of sawdust on top of the cobblestones, then they stay up most of the night creating beautiful pictures of Jesus’ crucifixion using colored sawdusst, flour, salt and rice.  There is a procession over the beautiful carpets they have created.

Semana Santa – holy week in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Holy week in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Semana Santa, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Semana Santa, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

March 29, 2013

Semanta Santa, Copan Ruinas, Honduras (I am standing on top of a 10 foot ladder in a dress taking this picture….)

Semanta Santa procession, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Semana Santa procession, Copan Ruinas, Honduras

March 30, 2013

This has been the perfect place to spend a busy holiday.  We will travel into Guatemala tomorrow, planning to end up at Tikal National Park – more ruins!

We pray that you all have a wonderful, blessed Easter celebration – HE IS RISEN!

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.   1 Peter 3:18

March 18, 2013

We crossed the border into Honduras first thing this morning at 6:30 am.  It was a nice cool 65 degrees as we drove through the pine forest and mountains of Nicaragua to Honduras.

Morning mist in Honduras

Honduras

I had been listening to Scott tell so many people how high the murder rate was in Honduras, that I was really nervous about traveling through the country.  My fears were unfounded…. As we crossed the border, the road had a few pot holes, but not compared to our previous trip along the southern/western portion of Honduras.  As we reached the capital city of Tegucigalpa, the two lane road turned into a beautiful new four-lane highway (and NO toll booths!).  We drove on this most of the day.  It was well engineered, so the corners were easy to navigate (not so in other countries!!).  The landscape was beautiful – pine forests and rain forest – We stopped for gas twice, and lunch at Wendy’s (it sounded much better than it really was!).

The guard at Wendy’s

We parked the bike under the watchful eye of the armed guard.  Scott ordered our meal, and ended up with twice as much food as he thought he was getting…. so we offered it to the guard – he was happy!

Mountains of Honduras

After traveling 9 hours, we made it to La Ceiba, the Caribbean port, by 3:30 pm (I thought we it would take at least two days!).  The ferry leaves at 4:30 pm, so we are cutting it close!  It’s 97 degrees…. The ferry is for passengers only – no autos.  They will let us take the bike in the luggage area.

We found the port and ferry – got the bike loaded, then realized we had it loaded on the wrong ferry!  We had it on the ferry to Utila Island rather than Roatan!  Quick – unload the bike and got it onto the correct ferry, paid for our tickets and passage for the bike and were out to sea by 4:30 pm.  The ferry is a 152 foot catamaran yacht- we were there in 70 minutes.

Galaxy Wave ferry, to Roatan, Honduras

After getting the bike off the boat, we road down toward West End.  Found a hotel room (while I waited for Scott to get our room, at least half dozen very friendly people stopped and talked to me in English…) and settled in for the night.  We have decided that Honduras is the most friendliest and beautiful country so far –

March 19, 2013

We awoke in paradise….this island is so beautiful!  We enjoyed a restful day from our long travel day yesterday.

View from the room – The Beach House, West End, Roatan, Honduras

Took a little ride around the west end of the island….

mangroves….Roatan, Honduras

VRBO? Hammock below….

A business venture, anyone….?

Caribbean water…. 🙂

The sea water is so warm and clear – ahhhhh…….  water temp is 85 F – air temp is 82 F

Roatan, Honduras

We are finding a few good places to eat…  one is  “chicken-crack” – seriously, the best rotisserie chicken we have every had!

Mr. Scott

Sunset on Roatan…..

The sunsets every night are amazing….

March 20-25, 2013

This week, Scott got his diving certification with Coconut Tree Divers, while I went snorkeling, read and relaxed….  I was able to go out with him on a couple of his dives.  I snorkeled while he and his instructor, Marcos, dove – it was really amazing to be able to see them diving below as I snorkeled.  I saw turtles, lots of small fish, some really large parrot fish – could even hear the sound they make as they fed off the reef.

Coconut Tree Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras

Coconut Tree Dive Shop, Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Scott and Marcos, dive instructor, Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Ended up staying at the Beach House – right on Half-moon Bay.  Scott can walk to the dive shop and everything we need is right here.  We would like to stay longer, but our room is only available until the 26th.  The Easter holiday is the busiest week of the year, so it is probably good to be somewhere else then.

The Beach House, Roatan, Honduras

The Beach House, Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Cindy’s restaurant was a fun place to eat.  She is right next to the dive shop and makes good, inexpensive food in her tiny booth…breakfast and lunch.  The American divers next door have gotten her to make pancakes, waffles and taco bell supreme.  I love her smile and contagious laugh!

Cindy’s Place, West End, Roatan, Honduras (Cindy is on the right)

Cindy’s Place, West End, Roatan, Honduras

Sundays in Latin America…. EVERYONE goes to the beach!! Our peaceful little bay is a whole different world on Sunday!!!!

Sunday crowds, Roatan, Honduras

Donna, the innkeeper at the Beach House, is a precious Christian lady with two teenage boys, Alan and Alex.  She is a single mom – who goes to the Baptist Church just on the other end of the bay.  She is just starting a youth group…. we enjoyed her company!

Donna, Beach House, Roatan, Honduras

First Baptist Church, Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Can’t get enough of these sunsets!

This old sailboat was moored out in the bay.  Our first thought was that it was in pretty bad shape; however, we realized the mast was set at an angle on purpose for jumping.  Looks like great fun!

the jumping-off boat, West End, Roatan, Honduras

Another beautiful sunset on Roatan, Honduras

March 26, 2013

On the way to the ferry, we got hit by a taxi.  He ran into our left bag – Scott kept us from falling, and just drove on.  He wasn’t going to stop and get into any problems, even though it was the taxi driver’s fault.  Fortunately, the bike itself was not damaged and we were not hurt.  We are going to find a repair shop to see if they can straighten it out….

bent box

taxi damage

Took the ferry back to the mainland.  The seas were a bit stormy.   Here is Scott disembarking from the cargo area…

Scott disembarking from the ferry

The rain started about half way through the voyage and continued until we reached a hotel.  I’m not sure if I have ever seen it rain so hard!  The roads were really flooded.  We got thoroughly soaked – trying to dry out in our hotel tonight.  Looks like tomorrow is going to be more rain as we drive to Copan…

February 27-March 12, 2013

We took a little break from travel and found an apartment to rent at Aparthotel Reflejos, in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica.  Two big windows looking over the city….

view of San Jose, Costa Rica, from our aparthotel

The view changes hourly with beautiful cloud formations moving across the sky.  Behind the clouds there is a dormant volcano that was visible once the whole week.  The temperature stayed at about 75 all week long…very temperate climate!

San Jose at night

It has been so nice to just stay put and do nothing.  Our aparthotel has a gym which I have been able to use.  The next few weeks will be full of riding again and more adventures, so we will be more than ready for what is ahead.  We have enjoyed cooking our own meals  – we were really tired of eating every meal out. San Jose was our “medical travel” portion of the trip…. lasik for me and the dermatologist for both of us.  Much less expensive than the USA, and very nice facilities.  Dr. Zlatko Piskulich, my eye surgeon, spoke excellent English. I am very pleased with the results!  🙂

March 13, 2013

Left San Jose after my post-op appointment for the lasik and headed north toward the border.  It is so amazing to me that I can see without glasses or contacts!!! At this point, I can even read – though the doctor said I will eventually need reading glasses.

We felt like we were driving in traffic up to Big Bear – two lane highway with long lines of traffic behind a slow moving truck or bus. Busses or taxis will stop at random in the lane to drop off or pick up passengers – or even drop tree branches as they trim trees along the highway!  Scott is able to pass easily with the motorcycle – I can’t imagine trying to travel in a car on these roads!

We have seen the trees all over Central America painted like this…. any one know why?

It took the typical 2 hours to cross the border into Nicaragua…

At each border crossing, the bike is fumigated

It didn’t take long to reach San Jorge where the ferry will take us over to the island of Ometepe (Lake Nicaragua) tomorrow.  After eating a disappointing late lunch, we drove through the town as well as the neighboring town trying to find a decent place to stay.

Horse cart getting gas 🙂

We ended up at Las Hamacas –  a little $37 hotel in San Jorge…. I can hear the iguanas scurrying over the metal roof….hoping we sleep well tonight!

Las Hamacas, San Jorge, Nicaragua

March 14-16, 2013

Despite the scurrying iguanas, avocados crashing loudly onto the metal roofing throughout the night, the bus of kids (high schoolers from Massachusetts, on a trip to make road pavers for Ometepe Island roads) arriving at 2 am, and the guard snoring outside our room, we did sleep okay!  We drove out to the port after breakfast and got right on the ferry.

On the ferry to Ometepe Island, Lake Nicaragua

It took about an hour to get to Ometepe Island by ferry from the mainland.  Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes in the middle of the freshwater Lake Nicaragua.

Ferry landing, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

We have a reservation for 3 nights at a little B&B called La Via Verde Organic Farm.  Eileen and Darrin have lived on the island for 15 years building their farm where they grow all their own food.  They recently opened their 3-room B&B and are doing well.  Our room was very small (8×10) with a nice private porch with hammocks and rocking chairs.  Two rooms are upstairs, with the 3rd room a separate cabana.

La Via Verde B&B, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

La Via Verde B&B, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Our gracious hosts, Eileen and Darren, La Via Verde, Ometepe Island

La Via Verde B&B, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Everything is immaculate – a nice surprise for Central America!  The first night there were other guests (a couple on their honeymoon from Washington D.C), but the last two nights we had the upstairs to ourselves.  Every morning, Eileen and Darrin prepared a delicious breakfast with homemade wheat bread, omelets, pancakes, crepes, fruit, juices, coffee (roasting their own coffee beans!)… We found out the morning we left that Eileen is the daughter of a MAF pilot and grew up in Cameroon, Africa.

Two sisters in their late 20’s, Susan and Kathryn, were staying in the cabana.  They are from Virginia, traveling through Nicaragua for a couple of weeks.  Our first night, we walked with them up to the neighboring ranch, Zopilote, to have pizza made in a wood-fired oven by Italians.  It was a long dark trek up a rocky path in the hills – we were glad we had flashlights!  We had pizza and wine with the backpacker/hippie crowd…  🙂

Sunset view of the volcano from La Via Verde deck

Moonsliver

We were a bit unprepared for just how primitive it is on the island.  We ended up eating most of our meals at Cafe Campestre… which had pretty good food (and ice cream!).

Cafe Campestre, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

A drive along the pavered roads was a challenge – most of the islanders do not own a vehicle, but the roadway is where all the horses, cows, oxen, dogs and pigs hang out.

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

The entire road is made from pavers.  Up until about six months ago, the roads were just dirt and rock and very difficult to navigate.  We were told that the horses just wander around during the day because the people that own them don’t have land for them to graze.  At the end of the day, the horses go home.  Eileen and Darrin have had problems with some of the islanders cutting their fence and putting their horses on the farm – the horses would eat their crops and then leave.  They kept repairing the fence, but finally had to threaten the horse’s owners with calling the police before they stopped cutting the fence.  If an animal dies on your property, you have to pay the animal’s owner.  Unless, however, it is a pig (some cultural trivia in case you were interested!).

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

We spent an afternoon at Ojos de Agua – crystal clear mineral spring pools.  It was a nice cool place to relax.  We had grilled chicken, rice and plantains served to us poolside. 🙂

Ojos de Agua, Ometepe Island

Ojos de Agua, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ojos de Agua, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Ojos de Agua, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Sunday, March 17, 2013

We left Ometepe Island this morning on the 9 am ferry.  When we got off the ferry at San Jorge, we were amazed at the crowds on the beach.  There had to be at least 5,000 people there! When we left four days ago, the place was deserted.

The ferry from Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Lumber rack – Nicaragua

Another Sunday gathering we passed on the road through Nicaragua…. Acres of these little covered-wagons with palm branches on them – I don’t think you can see this in the picture, but most of the oxen’s horns were painted blue.

Nicaraguan festival

Our ride today cooled off as we climbed into the hills of central Nicaragua.  It is interesting to me to see the primitive houses the Nica people live in…almost always with their red internet dish on the roof.

Nicaragua home with internet

Tire shop with internet!

Bull crossing, Nicaragua

Central Nicaragua

We almost made it to the border of Honduras, but our gps sent us off on a detour.  We decided to leave the border crossing for tomorrow… spending the night in Ocotal, Nicaragua.

February 19-24, 2013

Jungle walk between the beach and the room

We stayed two nights at a hostel – though we did have our own room and private bath.  It was inexpensive, but my bag got infested with ants and our water pressure was pretty much non-existent.  We talked with some young kids staying there…. one offered me a joint – ha!   The second night, the bar in front of the hostel hosts some sort of jam session…. until 2 am.  Then, the couple across from us fought until 5 am…. then started up again after breakfast….

Playa Negra, Costa Rica – neart Puerta Viejo

I was really glad we found another place to move to!  We are at a little 2 bedroom house with a kitchen – so nice to have some space and a kitchen! We were able to do our laundry – ahhh!!!!!  It rained all afternoon, but we have a little porch where we can sit outside and enjoy the beautiful gardens around this house.  It is owned by a Canadian couple who live here and rent 3 little houses out.  It is close to the beach as well with a safe place to park the bike.   There are fresh bananas and limes that we can pick from trees in the yard.

We have to wade through the end of the lagoon to get to the beach 🙂 Kind of creepy when you can’t see the bottom!

We decided to scout the town and find a deck of cards… not an easy task!  After going to two or three stores, I walked into one of the local groceries (definitely not Stater Bros).  The store itself is about the size of a very small convenience store, with aisles about two feet wide, things stacked all over and hanging from the ceiling….  I walked around the store then decided I needed some help.  My first challenge was getting the Chinese girl at the counter to understand what I wanted.  She looked at me with a blank stare when I asked if they had a deck of cars.  I acted out playing cards and then I said, “You know, jack…queen…king….” Then her face lit up with understanding and she called a Chinese man over.  He motioned me to follow him to the back corner of the store where he went behind an overstacked countertop, bent down, opened up a locked display case stuffed with disposable diapers, hose nozzles, bike tire tubes and other random items.  He reached back to an unseen corner and pulled out a deck of cards…don’t know why I couldn’t find them…!

Here are some flora and fauna pictures for your viewing pleasure….  🙂

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Big spider! Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Hibiscus-Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Costa Rica

February 25, 2013

La Paz waterfall, Costa Rica

Back on the road…. drove across the northern part of Costa Rica today to Arenal National Park.  The Arenal volcano has been active up until two years ago.  Tonight it is covered in clouds, so we can’t see the top.  Our little cabana is in the jungle, with lots of beautiful flowers and wildlife.  We saw several pairs of great curassow – large birds as big as a peacock – walking past our cabana.  The variety of flowers, plants and animals that God has created and put here in Costa Rica continues to amaze me!

Our cabana 🙂

Cooling off in the pool!

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

February 26, 2013

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

I had my quiet time and coffee this morning on our little back deck, watching the changing cloud formations over the top the volcano.  Great show!  Spent the day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful rainforest.  Every night there is a wonderful rainstorm, drenching everything, then the mornings are clear.