June 2023 Mexico

I was so surprise to learn that my last entry was on July 2020…3 years! So many things have happened since then! We said the final good byes to our parents and welcome Madison (Maddy), Esmeralda (Esmi) and Rafa (Rifi)!!!! Now, we have 5 new beautiful reasons to go back to Australia often!

It is very hard to catch up on the last 3 years. The world really fell apart, decease and death were everyday news. And as we were all trying to recover, life continued his way. We also brough “Sunny Po Po” (older sister) to the family. Escaping COVID lockdowns in Sydney, we found ourselves yet again in need of space, fresh air, and freedom. We found new and old routes to explore and we were on the move! The first very cautiously time we were reunited with Sal Solcito after 1.5 year apart, it was in Costa Rica. Just after a few days, it was then the time to travel to Central America. A not so brilliant experience. Sal Solcito afflicted of so much time being parked has some mechanical issues. Nicaragua was a weird experience, I found very difficult to connect with its people, a veil of fear in each interaction, years of dictatorship still present.

When we got to Honduras, the humour become lighter. In the midst of so much poverty, there was space – very slow pace, for kindness. A quick flight to the island of Roatan cemented another anniversary. Bliss, pure bliss. A quick passage to Guatemala to see Tikal and the impressive Maya archaeological site and before I knew it, Belize flag was up in our motorhome!. We did hikes crawling! Jumping from one National Park to the next, abundance of green, only. Every time I wanted something, like nice bread or nice meat, Hector will say “in Mexico”. So Mexico became the promised land!

And the contrast was a real contrast. Entering Mexico through Quintana Ro, enjoying Tulum, resting in Playa del Carmen was all we needed. Cancun only for a day, that was a line of buildings and hotels on steroids! definitely not our scene. But and it is a huge but, we discovered the Cenotes. One of the highlights of our whole trip, bathing inside these underground caves, crystalline waters! We really couldn’t have enough of it and we danced from one to the next!

A real angel in our way, never imagen what challenging rocks we were going to find in Australia when we left Sal Solcito with him. He talked in a calm and paused way, listened attentively, open just a bit. His love of horses, his many businesses, his kids, his health. We couldn’t’ even embrace him when we left, as Covid had a stronghold on him but we did hold to a promise of reunion…that come 10 months later!

June-July 2022 Mexico

Xcaret

Isla Mujeres

Chichen-Itza

San Cristobal de Las Casas

Cañon del Sumideo

June 2022, Beliza

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

Altun Ha

June 2022, Guatemala

Castillo San Felipe

Flores

Tikal

May 2022, Honduras

Comayagua

La Ceiba

Ruinas Copan

Roatan

April - May 2022, Nicaragua

Granada

Masaya Volcano

Leon

Somoto Canyon

Costa Rica
6th of July 2020

I am sitting at the edge of a nice river run, listenting while the water splash across the rocks. I just went for a refreshing dip, the stream running…I can see a big clothing line, the product of a full bag of laundry we washed. We finished our 3 days gracie’s birthday celebrations in the Rincoln de la Vieja National Park, hiking, swimming in icy waterfalls, relaxing in hot spring while I am reflecting what the world has seen and lived in the last 6 months, we have so much to celebrate and to be grateful for. I couldn’t bring myself to write about our experiences of the last months and I, like the rest of the world, still can’t make sense of what is happening. I guess it will be difficult to explain it to our grandchildren; we have two now!...all started in March…

The first we heard just before going back to Australia to visit archulino and the kids was a big virus outbreak in China that devasted the country. A few days later, while we were enjoying our grandson the virus spread really quickly to Europe and people in mass particularly in Spain and Italy where dying. We were confused and anxious and still looked like very far away but…as news were bombarded us from all parts of the world countries started to closed their borders! So 10 days into our 24 days visit to Sydney we were faced with a terrible decision: hurry up, we need to go back to Costa Rica as they were also closing borders. Sufficient to say, we entered the country on the last flight allowed, borders closed just behind our backs. It was difficult for all to understand why we would come back here rather than stay with family in Sydney. It was clear for us when orders all over the world was “stay at home” that the only “home” we had was SalSolcito. That is our home, it has been our home for the last 6 years and the idea of loosing her to customs or anyone was really frightened. We got reunited with our home and headed off to La Herradura who has been a paradise to us just before we left. We faced, as probably lots of others, the best and the worst in people. As usual, crisis made the souls to come out. It was first the woman who owns the restaurant in the corner who so generously cut the fences of her house so we could fit in the back and then Manuel, the man who worked in the parking lot, who protected us from the ugly owner. We made that place and the people our place for the next 40 days! It was so weird that the first time we took our bikes to just go around the corner we found ourselves so unprotected and worried. As more news were coming, thousands of people dead, infections going in spike, no flights anywhere, people forced to be inside their homes, no work, no schools. It was one of those sic-fi terror movies that we so often seen and dismiss in the cinemas. The possibility to go to Sydney become grim by the minute and the chance to be with Braian and Allie for the birth of their first child (and our grandchild) was cero.

We took some courage and after those first 40 days and running from the heat we decided to go back to La Fortuna. This time, for our anniversary, we bide ride around the Arenales lake for 3 days, 120 km of hills and gravel! Ended up sleeping in a awful place (everything was closed) but we so much enjoy the freedom! In Sarcero we met El Sapito, Jorgelina y Mauri, an incredible, young and delicious couple who changed our outlook and our health habits! We owned to them how great we are feeling at the moment!

 
Playa La Langosta was our second big stayed. 12 days to pure sand , sea and beach. The only beach opened in the whole Costa Rica. We could not believe the place, it was like another world. All “gringos”, no one speaking in Spanish. Very elegant, big and stylish houses on the beach. We really had so much fun here! The big canal a few houndred meters on the beach that with the current and tide become like a water park for us! We also met Pamela and Adrian here, a vibrant, kind and hard work couple.

It was then in playa La Langosta, after being there for 10 days that one sleepless night we received via video our little Salvadore, Salvi for us!

Today, as a second wave of Corona Virus is attacking the whole world and more and more people become infected, we are making the best of this terrible situation. And while we are waiting for flights to go back to Sydney, we are going around Costa Rica again, this time taking the time to truly stay, enjoying every minute of it.

COSTA RICA

A new country! Yuppyyyyy, really excited. Particularly because everybody talks about Costa Rica!

18th of January 2020

Lush, lush, lush. First impressions. One highway, palms everywhere and a thick bushes. The green is greener here, taller and the iguanas cross the road all the time! Our first night was not spectacular as we stopped somewhere in a bay looking for batteries for the car. But on the day after, while driving we saw a dirt road of the highway. Just mere meters in and a fresh and much needed cold stream surrounded by trees. Jump in! Quick and delicious. Continue driving and again off the main road, 500 mts away and we are in paradise. Playa Piñuela. An incredible beach, the huge forest as a backdrop, clean and nice water. We stayed here for 2 nights.

 We are spending 2 weeks with our friends Patry y Carlos exploring first the volcanos and forest side of the country and then the glorious beaches. This country looks like a perfect country for us, small enough but with lots of variety in environments and backgrounds. We could hike, go deep into forest, bath in waterfalls, enjoy the thermal springs, ride the weaves of a super transparent water, coconut palms on the beach, white sand. And yet, as much as I enjoyed it all, I can help but not feeling completely comfortable. It is by far the more “developed” country of all the Latin American countries we have been (and by that I mean the whole country rather than the capital cities) but they are so used to have tourists and US expats living here that it is not only a very expensive country but also not so friendly. Hard to explain. The roads are some of the worst we have travelled. Only 2 main roads in great condition running through the country and the rest appalling. There are no shoulders at all to park the car just for a quick bite and usually people are looking for opportunities to make money from you. I would say that the delicacies of customer service approach is being somehow deluded!

I am disappointed and waiting to see if the next few weeks bring me a different sense of what I am feeling right now.





Off to the Caribbean side, with promises of more palm beaches and beautiful waters. We spent the next weeks basking in the nice weather, not so hot, cloudy, and with furious waters! Playa Negra, Cahuita National Park, Puerto Viejo, Cocles, Punta Uva and Playa Manzanillo. What I love about the landscape was the unusual amount of trees or just huge tree trunks on the water or just laying on the beach. The mood here is very laid back, very hippy style of living, We found more Argentinians here than anywhere else. Visiting, working, living… from time to time we do engage with the local people but it is very sporadic. I adore sleeping so close to the ocean, windows open, a nice breeze coming through and the inspiring noise of waves crushing.



I have to make a stop for a super honorary mention of the Cahuita National Park. A wonderful trial, nested in between the ocean and the forest. It has everything that a hike should have and even more! Gigantic plants, uneven but flat trials, some on sand, plenty on boardwalk. It rain so bad and yet it was even prettier as the leaves and trees took a shine to it. And so many animals! We saw the oso perezozo, monkeys, racuns, squirrels, turquoise butterflies. We went from one end to the other and come back! Such was the beautiful landscape.



20th of February

Finally leaving the Caribeean side and all the crazy weather, rain, humidity, heat and more rain. We want to do more walks but the weather is not helping. We decided then to go….to the beaches on the Pacific side!!! And so we arrived at La Herradura and we couldn’t move. Took the kayak, the bikes, the big chairs, and it was paradise for a few days!

La Herradura beach

Lake Arenal

He built their house and two little cabins to complement their income. She arrived the next morning with full breakfast for all. Sitting in our home, the 4 of us and the 5 of them. Home made tortillas with cream and fresh home made bread. And organic coffee and just out of the frypan patacones (banana). A prayer fill with gratitude, a sharing of stories. “Pura vida”!

Panama- Playa Ermita

30 December 2019

I am celebrating mum’s birthday on this sleeping fishing village. Last day of the year (almost) and it feels like a year that was really really full. Well, it is not just a feeling, the year WAS really really full 😊

I am going back a week on my writing. Ready for the central America leg! Hecti was waiting for me with SalSolcito at the airport, Panama city. He had shipped her from Colombia before flying to Australia and then arrived to Panama a few days before me to pick her up and bring it to the airport. Before that we spent a week in Bs As with our parents and friends. We used to also take the time to go to theatre and restaurants but we are not doing that anymore. A pity, as I loved that part of going to Argentina but everytime we go now our friends are busy/tired and we too! Moving from one place to another in Baries has become a real nightmare.

Panama city struck me a weird place. Very USA. Huge shopping centers spread on one floor, the façade imitating some kind of universal studios place. All I can see is consumism, incredible tall buildings (and so many of them! I asked Hecti “how many people live here”? as I am confused) mand just a block away the place turns sour, dirty, dangerous and poverty hits you on the face. My first impression of the people is that they are very friendly, saying hello when crossing path with you, slow pace, helpful. I want to escape the city. Is also extremely hot, with 90 % humidity! I need the beach! But before we left, we managed to do a nice bike ride that took us to the Panama Channel. It is really impressive. We spent the whole afternoon waiting for the big ships to arrive so we could see the waters coming back and down, the gates, the little carriages pushing it along. And it was raining, like I found out later every single day does.

Panama city - old town

Chame

We didn’t get to the pointy end, as we were lured by the promise of a desert white sand beach! Among mosquitos and other kind of insects, we still loved this little gem. End of the road. People only during the day, very relaxing. The perfect spot for our habitual ritual of cleaning and organising that take place everytime we come back after a long trip away from Sal Solcito. We missed her and the lifestyle we created for us. And it has become the place to come back to that allow us to survive all the hours of flying , the craziness of the cites (both Sydney and baires), the work, the intensity of being and then say goodbye to the family. We stayed in Chame for 3 days! I said to Hecti that I noticed how our modus of traveling has changed. We now spend more time in some places (unheard of a few years ago!). We are moving slowly now, knowing that we only have a few months until we fly again, so why bother hurried up?

El Valle

The heat finally pushed us out, and into the valley. Looking for some bushwalk and hike we found La india dormida. 3 days later and still can’t walk! A hike of 300 mts elevation was all my heart needed to be happy and all my legs needed to be walking like a wooden puppet! We slept on a great piece of grass next to the firefighters. Huge breeze and a difficult sting from an insect had my arm swollen into a disproportion form! Getting to know then the hospital in a nearby town was another level of experience!

And so back to Playa Ermitas, considering where to go next…

We received this new year (2020!) in Playa Ermitas, playing dominos with the locals, BBQ sausages, red wine in a plastic cup, a little breeze, an absolute perfect night. We were advised of the craziness that was took place on the 1 of January. From 4 am onwards hordes of cars, people, extreme loud music and beers descended to the beach! We tried to get some sleep and when we tried to open our door it was almost impossible! We were surrounded! Walked then about 200 mts on the beach just to be able to sit quietly, enjoying the day while we waited for things to calm down. That happened around 6:00 pm and we were left with so much rubbish around us that it was really upsetting. I did grab a paper box early on and picked up every can or bottle that was left on the beach but with almost thousands of people and millions of cans it was a nonsense task.

Playa de desembarcadero

Instead of staying on the panamerican highway we continue our drive though some little towns until the heat took us back to the beach, where we found the perfect spot at Pedasi, where the boats crossed to Iguana Island.

A quick bike ride on the beautiful beach to wait for tomorrow and the promised to cross to the island…which we did! So glad that we decided to go as the water was as clear as I have ever seen and the colour of the sand as the whitest as a I ever seen and even Hecti managed to go snorkelling!

Playa Venao

Next stop…boogie-boarding.  Oh my! Haven’t done that for at least 20 years! But you couldn’t tell as helped by the glorious perfect and gentle waves we bogyboarded like pro! This beach was really great for us, the perfect laid back atmoshpera, a surfers paradaise. That night, so happy the tiredness didn’t let us sleep…hahahah One more day here, to do a power walk, arms work with our elastic bands and a glorious sunset sitting on swings on the beach.

Cañas

Unbelievable (would that be the proper headlines?) Continuing with our positive energy and desire to keep our fitness high it was time for our kayak to have a spin. We knew that this area had plenty of mangroves and it was a great place to paddle. We left at 11:30 our SalSolicto on the banks of a big lagoon that goes out to the ocean on one side and a couple of rivers further down on the other side. It was really hot and very windy. WE managed to paddle up to what appear to be an isle. A French couple, doing a “sea change” has bought a hostel/restaurant/huge piece of land…a turtle nursery areas a few cabanas and that is their life! We continue our paddling down to the mangroves and into the river, where our way become narrow and narrow until we couldn’t go any further. I kept saying to Hector “this looks like a horror movie, I am waiting for a monster to appear somewhere in between these branches”. Coming back at 4:00 the windy was still strong, the zig zap paddling meant longer distance to cover. Arrived back and cherished jumping on the water and staying there for a while just to refresh ourselves. We were cleaning our kayak when a couple stopped near us, the woman hurried up the shore and start talking photos of the water. (???). And then, she shows us the video…a crocodile!!!! The head almost 50 cm long!. While driving away Hecti and I laughed as our plenty of jokes but I swear just the thought of paddling/swimming there with crocodiles made me really nervous!

Nothing better that a fisherman on the deserted road selling glorious fresh fish to make me forget about the episode! We kept driving until we arrived at Playa Guanico and then to Playa Cambutal.

Las Tablas

It was then a great occasion, one that we were going to miss but with the changes we made, we are now ready for festival! “El desfile de las mil polleras” was more impressive that its name, 200.000 women dressed in typical dresses marching on the town. People from all Panama comes to celebrate, and even with the heavy heat, heavy skirts, heavy jewellery and heavy make up… the women did not disappoint!

Playas Las Lajas

Our beach crawling continues. I enjoyed this so much. We truly find every single beach very different to each other. It is difficult to explain but we do! The only problem with this one was arriving on a Sunday lunch time. I believe I haven’t seen so many local people holidaying on one stop since Cali, near the river. That and in Chile (name???). Those were the only places in 6 years! So braced ourselves for a dirty, pack Sunday while reassuring each other with “by tomorrow no one will be here”. And it was true! On Monday , minus the super loud music from the boots of one or other car (very much like disco fever) we had a maginificent beach all for us. Magnificent. Probably the best we have seen here. Water temparute I guess 26/27 degrees. Full waves ( like Necochea!), long and wide….our 3 days consisted on bike rides, waves rides, BBQ, power walk, elastic bands and relax! Pure joy.

16th of January 2020

Changing gears! After going back and forward on our heads with dates, visas, flights, etc and more etc…we took a change as we are picking Patricia and Carlos in Costa Rica! I am leaving Panama just for now, the sense that we haven’t finished here is strong. Is not only a sense, we definitely haven’t finish here! But the nature of our trip means that when B & A baby arrives and we are flying back home we will turn around and come back here to leave SalSolcito and then we will have another crack to this great country…which has been very good to us.

He come to us as soon as he saw our motorhome, helping with parking. A big guy, I guess he was from Samoa or Fiji. His mother was, but he was born in Panama. As a young man he ended up in the USA and serve in the army. He told me he had been to “hell and back” . Disarming bombs. Afghanistan, Iran (or Irak??), Siria. His memories don’t let him sleep as he dreams of a home for vets where they can heal and be whole again. No family, no partner, no children burden. An invitation to talk follows, a coffee in my home, 3 hours of non stop stories and horrors. A bit of relief, the opportunity to open up; perhaps for the first time.

November 2019

I am so aware of the time it has gone since the last time I wrote here. To say that so much has taken place since I left our home in Colombia to fly back to Australia is an understatement. Archie has grown up so much! I so loved the way he recognised us, as almost we have never been separated. This commitment that Hecti and I have made to each other to see our Archie every 4/5 month (more or less) means that I can enjoy being with him and that when I say good bye it still hurts but not as much knowing that I will be with him soon enough. Being in Australia always brings the reality back to us. I am finding more and more difficult to be myself and to enjoy being there. I need nature, the open spaces, the ever changing landscape. I need the fresh food and the physical activity. I start to feel more and more that this is not my home and my home is on wheels, somewhere waiting for me to keep moving. And talking about keep moving….I am lying in bed, in a cabin, in a ship, in Antartica! I am surrounded by 100 brilliant scientist women in the larger women expedition in history. I feel part of history and what an incredible honour is to be. I am part of the faculty of this incredible leadership program to bring change to the world. I never expected to be here and yet it feels right.