I got a little bit of the "itch"

5 Countries in 7 days (technically 3 days, and including Costa and Nicaragua)

Totally embarking on a mini solo adventure.  I mentioned earlier in my blog about wanting to travel up to Guatemala City, down the coast of El Salvador, and through Honduras, doing it- leave Monday morning on a bus from town at 5 am.  Sometimes you need to give yourself a breather, yea I will be going through borders, and traveling quite a lot, but the escape, the adventure, the new people, everything will be worth it.

The great thing about this trip (and to be honest the past day or so) is that I've felt inspired to write in my journals and my blog. I am excited to clear my mind and write about the coming week.

Quoting a great friend a second after I expressed this to him, "ah you got the itch, now you gotta scratch it"-Jason O.

“It seemed an advantage to be traveling alone. Our responses to the world are crucially molded by the company we keep, for we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others...Being closely observed by a companion can also inhibit our observation of others; then, too, we may become caught up in adjusting ourselves to the companion's questions and remarks, or feel the need to make ourselves seem more normal than is good for our curiosity.” 

― Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel

Border Run 1

An excerpt from my digital journal: "Border run; passing volcanoes and wind turbines, 'Gagnam Style' is playing on the cabbie's stereo as we come up upon the miles of semi trucks and la frontiera, this is Nicaragua." 

My 90 days allotted by the Nicaraguan customs has expired so my friend and I ventured off to do the typical "visa run" this morning.  I am still amazed every time I pass by the volcanoes Concepción y Maderas.  Whether it be on the road to Rivas or to la frontiera.  This is a picture from the back seat of the cab...

There are maybe a hundred wind turbines around this area also.  I ♥ the juxtaposition.

So the border situation was nothing fun.  We were heckled left and right, front and back.  To be honest it really is best to play "dumb tourist" at times like this, at least when you're dealing with the policia and border people.  To put a long story short, we made it through with a group of men who I guess were there to assist us with the things I believe we could have just done ourselves- EXCEPT for the part where we were supposed to stay in Costa Rica for a minimum of 8 hours (so said one officer).  We waited for-ev-er (at least 2 hours) and got our stamps leaving Nicaragua, stamps for entering Costa Rica, then our stamps for exiting Costa Rica, and finally (with the help from our original guys/amigos/?) we got our stamps back into Nicaragua.  Paid some people off, I smiled* a bit, and after about 4 hours we were back home in San Juan del Sur.  Grabbed some gallo pinto and a bottle of coca cola and took a breather.

Simply Roasted Corn

There are soo many types of street food found here in the streets, corners, most everywhere in Nicaragua.  I am currently collecting images and all the data I can to blog one big blog on street food  here.  But for now here is one to share- this goes along with the previous blog about sitting on the chicken bus in Rivas waiting for it to fill with people on our route home.  Simply roasted corn.  I have no idea what its called (yet) besides the Spanish word for corn: maize.  I believe I paid 5 córdobas for one ear of corn.  The old grandma selling it from a bucket handed it to me just as-is in the photo.  It had a barely-cooked but still sweet texture to it, and really gave me something to do for about 10 minutes, ha.

But what made me want to get this in the first place was this little girl, learning against some crates and dusty Pepsi bottles........

There are some images in this world that are wordless, and priceless, I believe I captured one of the rare few.

Jengibre & Shopping on a chichen bus

 Wednesday of this past week was exciting, for it was a day planned for thrift shopping (specifically the most vintage clothes and craziest pieces we can find).  The morning began with the "chin chin" guy passing by downstairs from the balcony at the place I am currently residing.  All I know is that he yells, "chin chin" or something in that fashion up and down the streets.  I had never tried this before, so we got 2 of each.  The beige one taste like straight ginger its crazy, almost burns your tongue  and the pink one, just not my style.

Definition: Chicha de maíz and de jengibre (fermented corn or ginger drink)

Anyways, I met up with my friend Rachel and we "collectivo-ed" it to Rivas.

Spent the afternoon mostly at one gigantic thrift store, scored tons of cool stuff :)  Vintage kimono lounge robe for 75 cords ($3 and some change), some vintage tee-s and a baby doll dress.  Pretty much a one stop-shop.  There were so many American tee-s I had to take a picture. 

But the greatest part of the day was when we sat down on the chicken bus to come back to San Juan del Sur.  Rachel said that this was the place to find the cheapest deals- the bus.  And it was hysterical.  

We must have sat down super early on the bus because it was like an hour that went by and everything from fried food, to stickers, to toilet paper, and ears of hot corn were being sold by vendors walking down the isle of this super hot, graffitied, 70's bluebird style, old American school bus.  See pictures.  It truly was the best deals in town ... 

Guatemala City hopefully!

I have been wanting to travel.  Thus one of the major reasons I moved to Central America.  So that I could for the weekend travel to another country- just because I could. :)  So here is the work-in-progress plan...

Get a bus from Managua (Nicaragua) to Guatemala City.  I already found an amazing place to stay there- friend's of a good friend's hostel.  Explore the city.  Take a tour of the historical centre and tour Guatemala's National beer factory, along with shops, museums, etc. (see Quetzalroo).

Head down after a day or so to El Salvador, and then through Honduras, and back to Nicaragua.

Everything is still being planned, but I am super excited about new passport stamps, new people, new food, new adventures, new learning experiences.  I hope to blog the entire trip.

Wish me luck!

Thought backwards 0003

new thought

• pitter patter, that's the sound Boston makes when he runs, is that the correct term?
• When you hear the word 'contraction' what comes to mind first?
• I think that it would be fun to work in a car factory.
• Any job where  you can wear a backwards trucker hat is ok with me.
• even the best of us drag ass once in a while.
• Boston freaks out to every 'bomba' outside.
• Boston is my eternal puppy. 
• He is also a nugget.
• He speaks with a British accent.
• He can understand all languages.
• Currently craving an "Eureka" moment.
•  I wanna know someone named Joey Love.

end of thought

Thought backwards 0002

new thought

• Do dogs understand more than just 'bark'-their native tongue?
• Of course they've lived with humans for hundreds of years...
• Or is it tonal?
• If so, Boston might do well with other wildlife- say dolphins and birds.
• What if Boston can listen to birds chirping, and listen in on bird meetings on the power lines.
• If so I am super jealous.
• He absolutely DOES NOT receive alien messages, or maybe he can.
• It's all in how a dog looks. ah thats so vain.

end of thought

Thought backwards 0001

You know when all of a sudden you say to yourself, "how did I/we even end up talking about this?"  Or thinking a certain thought.  Then you trace it back to the original thought and then 'Ah ha'.  Not necessarily a "eureka moment" but it makes since, for the most part.  I always liked doing that, since I can remember.  So lately I decided to write down trains of thought, so I could at the end read the track my crazy mind may have took.  Here is one of the first entries:

new thought

• They don't teach cursive anymore in school?
• That's crazy.
• I wonder what they taught in school 50 years before I went- that they decided was antiquated for us?
• Where did all the floppy disks go?
• Are people who put salt on their watermelon weird?
• Boston ate his first piece of watermelon the other day, and he's eating veggies now too...success.
• Haven't had a picnic in forever.
• Do carpenter ants bite?
• What do they make with Hibiscus petals?
• I might be giving the future too much credit.
• I prefer the 60's version of deep space and the future.
• Always end your "Around the World" experience at Epcot in Mexico.
• I still want to go to Mexico, mainly to bungee jump from a higher crane than my father did, and for the cheap Coronas.
• Are Coronas really super cheap in Mexico?
• My absolute favorite Mexican dish is Chili Rellenos.  Which is difficult to make vegan.
• The word difficult is tough to write in cursive,

end of thought

Boston idiosyncrasy 0001

It's funny that when Boston is out of water, in his water bowl- he just paws at the bottom of the bowl.  I hear this, come over, apologize, and fill it up right then.  I wish I could just do that whenever I was thirsty.  Just paw at the bottom of my old coffee mug and instantly get new wine.  Some one comes over, pours ice cold vino blanco into my mug and says, "I'm so sorry here you go, ah sorry again."

I do believe that wishes can come true.

Thoughts on the new

Current thoughts I wrote down randomly in my journal:

Unicorns, and everything about them 

"I am totally a fan of CNN right now"

I really am not fond of people who are boring at the dinner table, just saying.

Is there SERIOUSLY such a thing as mini corn?  Ok  I just looked it up, there is.

Need to think of new creative ways to wash off pain

Aliackbar?

jinnis

Jumangi is pretty sweet to watch in Spanish television

Dragons become melancholy because of the rain, "so do people."

I might be giving the future too much credit

I prefer the 60's version of deep space

can't. stop. playing. bingo. on. my. phone.