Panama

Another day, another country. After spending two weeks on the blissful coasts of Costa Rica under perfect conditions i was disappointed to say that our first two days in Panama were absolutely shocking! Upon entering Panama the weather was as off and on as a day out in Melbourne. To get to Panama we had to catch a bus to the border, get exited out of Costa Rica, walk across the border which is a dodgy old bridge and then enter Panama through a sketchy old border crossing. Next we boarded a bus to to the water port and then had to catch a water taxi out onto the island of Colon and the town of Bocas del Toro.

Once there we decided to check in, and then after a quick shower, I left the girls and went to see the school that was holding so much promise. So here is the news that a lot of people are waiting for. What happened with the job situation? Well unfortunately there is not a lot to report. I went and chatted to the lady about the job and i quickly realised that it probably wasn't for me. I can't exactly be bothered explaining the finer details but pretty much i couldn't see myself living on that island and doing that job for the next 12 months. The position didn't start till July and that also left me in limbo for a few months. Plus there really was the expectation that i would stay there for a year, and without being able to commit to that, it really wasn't fair to hang her out to dry at the end of the year. Also, which was probably the final factor, was that fact that it seemed quite unorganised and i really wouldn't have the opportunity to maximise my teaching and learn anything new.

So with the school situation done and dusted i decided not to let it damper my mood too much. To be honest i was a little disappointed about the whole situation. I was hoping that this opportunity would give me some form of answers to determine the rest of my travels. Oh well. I'm very quickly beginning to adopt the notion that 'everything that happens is leading me towards something else'. If i continue to believe this notion then anything that happens in the future i can accredit to the happenings of the past. It may not make a lot of sense, but for me it's a way of justifying my events.

Ok so to the fun part of Panama; the islands. The archipelago of islands that make up the Bocas cluster is really something out of this world. Although the Isla Colon, which boasts the more occupied town of Bocas del Toro is a site to see, it really is the rest of the uninhabited and commercially untouched areas that give this destination its true beauty. In total i spent 4 nights in the region. 2 nights in the town of Bocas and 2 nights on the Isla Bastimentos; both offering differences to appreciate. My first 2 days/nights in Bocas were lots of fun. After a couple of quiet nights it was good to get out on the town and get amongst it. Monday night was a right off and i even bumped into someone from back home. Well technically this person doesn't know me, but i sure knew them. Now my 'irrelevant celebrity to anyone else but Australian's' tally is at two after spending the night chatting and drinking with Dani from Season 7 of Big Brother. Yeah that's right, you heard me! 

Tuesday night pretty much followed the same procedure, but probably not as massive. The highlight of the night was probably a half hour drunken conversation with 2 Englishmen and a Canadian about the psychological impact of marketing by putting a price as $1.99, as opposed to $2. Combine that with the idea that inevitable inflation will eventually make the use of a pence (English) and penny (Canadian) useless, therefore requiring it to be eliminated (example Australia). Confused? I am just remembering it.

Anyway after a couple of nights in Bocas a few of us decided that we needed a change of scenery. Bocas is quite touristy and something a little more traditional was on the cards. Plus there is no easily accessible beach at Bocas and i was hanging for a surf. On the Wednesday a couple of us moved across to Bastimentos and that day a group of around a dozen spent the day on the neighbouring Wizard Beach. There we surfed, ate food, sun baked and found ways to amuse ourselves. Smashed open coconuts, made a game of cricket with drift wood stumps/bat and coconut balls and frisbee with a washed up oil tin lid.

It is also on Wednesday that the biggest party of Bocas del Toro is meant to happen at the local Agua Bar. Washing up from the days activities myself and a Canadian that was staying at Bastimentos headed over to Agua Bar on the water taxi to check it out. Slowly the bar started to fill up and it was a pretty massive night. Met up with the Norwegian girls there as well. The one highlight of this bar, and the whole novelty of Agua Bar (meaning Water Bar), is the fact that the bar is on a pier hanging over the ocean. The deck runs relatively far out to sea and at the back of the bar they have cut out a small swimming pool sized whole in the deck and constructed a 1.5m diving board so people can jump directly into the ocean. Something tells me that Australian OH&S standards wouldn't actually condone extremely inebriated people + a diving board + a swimming whole – a life guard...only in Bocas. As the night proceeded people slowly started to jump into the water, and then what followed was a bit of an old fashioned cock off as the blokes were constantly trying to out do each other with flips and spins off the board. It was at this stage that a fair crowd had gathered round the pool to watch this one-up-manship, and it's also the time i realised i had the opportunity to one up these guys, and i seized this opportunity. Stripping down to my jocks i started the climb op onto the diving platform. From here there was a line of guys discussing the ways they were gonna outdo each other. Upon asking me i simply said 'just wait'. I then took off my jocks, walked out onto the board backwards covering up my front and bared myself to the bar. The applause erupted and it was my time in the limelight! Letting the applause fuel my jump i then did a spin off the board while star fishing and exposing my full birthday to the crowd. The cool water brought me back to reality and upon fitting my jocks back on underwater i climbed the rail, put my clothes back on, collected numerous high fives, finished my beer and left...my job was done.

Ok this is dragging on (I'm in the jungle now so have lots of time on my hands...will explain in the next blog). Next day i went out to some wicked beaches with an English couple. Had a good day relaxing on the beach, surfing and even got to see some local wildlife. A sloth crossed our path on the way to the beach, and without exaggeration they are the slowest thing EVER!

That night a bunch of us from the hostel got together and had a little poker tournament. Needless to say i come up trumps (extremely lucky cause i suck at poker and played against some experienced players) and won myself a handy $20. Upon waking the next morning i had no idea what to do. Should i stay or should i go. There is a saying that i heard while staying in Bocas and i couldn't sum up the place any better. It's called the Three Lies of Bocas. Lie 1 – I'm not drinking tonight; Lie 2 – I'm leaving tomorrow; and Lie 3 – I love you. It was now that i established that if i didn't just pack up and leave in a wicked whirlwind then i was going to get stuck in Bocas. So i did just that with the idea of heading to the opposite Western pacific coast and to a spot called Santa Catalina, where there is reported to be some of the best surf in the world. That morning was spent travelling in boats, taxis and buses to get to a place called David. I checked into a place called the Purple House, met some English girls who were headed to this hostel in the jungle called Lost and Found (which I'd also just interestingly heard about the very same day and was very intrigued) and decided to follow them into the jungle for the next couple of days.

It's here that i will leave you, because the next part of the adventure is set to be a big one. Another twist in the adventure that is my travels could see me staying out in the jungle for a while. But I'll leave that for later.

* Ok latest news is that i have decided to stay in the hills of Panama. Check out the website of an Eco Hostel called Lost and Found...amazing place!

Taking off from Tama - Sleeping in San - Piecing Puerto to Panama

I have left Tamarindo for now, and I must admit it was sad to say goodbye. I was becoming quite accustomed to my daily routine there. Surfing, relaxing and drinking with good company. However the next part of my adventure takes me into the unknown, and within time, i should know where I'm headed over the next couple of months. So in a way this becomes the exciting part. While i was happy to slip back into routine and kick back in Tamarindo, there was no real substance to my trip, and no real opportunity to gain something different from travelling.

I was going to hang around for the weekend in Tamarindo once i got the news about heading to Panama for this job, but thought it was the right time just to head off straight away. I felt like i was in limbo if i just hung around Tamarindo; i needed to go and find out what was going on. Although i did throw in a few massive ones including a night when I wore my full footy gear out to a nightclub. Only in Tamarindo!

Upon organising myself to head back down south the next morning i discovered that two other girls (more awesome Norwegian's; Thea and Oda) from the hostel were also heading off the next day to hit up the east side Caribbean coast. I told them about my plans to head east and then eventually to the islands of Bocas del Toro, Panama and with some loose planning we decided to head east together.

The next morning we woke early at 4.30am (well the girls woke early and then had to wake me up cause I'd somewhat over indulged with the lads the night before) and we boarded a bus at 5.30am from Tamarindo back to the capital (and the main route of transport) San Jose. We stayed at a really nice hostel in San Jose that night on recommendation from the girls and, after an early and long day of transport, called it a night relatively early. The next day, once again, was spent getting up early and travelling most of the day on a bus out to the eastern coast.

I should at this stage inform you a little about the bus services of Costa Rica. Although one is definitely not able to complain based on the money for service ratio, there are definitely some disadvantages to riding coach. For most of Central America, you have two options for bus services. There are the more 'upper class' shuttles that seat a lot less people, claim to have A/C and take a more direct route; or there are the more localised buses that are like putting your hand into a lucky dip basket at a school fate. The difference in quality between the two isn't anything extraordinary, but the price is, so its been a lot cheaper to just ride the lucky dips. So far these buses haven't been too bad, but a few comments to set the scene.

For one they get quite hot and stuffy. The A/C consists of leaving your window down and eating dirt for the duration of the trip. While in transit the wind that gusts through the window is often sufficient enough to temporarily extinguish your heat exhaustion; however if they stop for longer than 3 seconds it becomes hotter than a Chinese wok shop. Another disadvantage of these buses, and most road transport off the highways, is the quality of the roads. When taking a trip for 5 hours you cover more differentiation in terrain than completing Super Mario Kart 64 from Flower Cup to Star Cup. There are so many pot holes in parts of the road that you often feel like Yoshi swerving and dodging through the Moo Moo Farm trying to avoid bumps and things from popping up in the road. Combine that with Rainbow Road, where you are scaling a mountain with no sides that fall straight off a cliff face, and it can become quite an excitingly scary experience.

Anyway back to our travels. We headed out of San Jose on Saturday 19th and arrived in Puerto Viejo for 2 nights stay. This is a really cool place, and a lot less touristy than Tamarindo. Although accommodating the odd traveller or more, it has much more of a local feel to it. The Caribbean coast is certainly different than other parts of Costa Rica so far. A lot more of a Jamaican/Rastafarian feel to it. From here we plan to spend a couple of days exploring and then early Monday morning we're boarding a bus that takes us over the border into Panama within an hour. After that it is a short bus trip to the waterfront and then a water taxi over to the town of Bocas del Toro, which is situated on the main Isle Colon. We going to stay in a hostel for an undecided period at this stage, and at this time I will make my way to the English School to check out what it has to offer.

Tamarindo Times!

So the next part of my journey has begun, and like all good novels, there is always a twist. How unpredictable and exciting travelling solo can be at times.
Last time i wrote to you from a single room kicking it by myself. Samara was nice, and i enjoyed my time there, but i just wasn't feeling it. I needed more people around i think.
Tamarindo is a wicked change . I left Samara early Saturday morning and boarded 3 buses to get to my next location. Since my last travels by bus my Spanish has improved considerably, but by no means more than marginally. I can at least now ask directions and find out where and how to get to them. The trip to Tamarindo required three buses and i somehow managed to find my way there with relative ease.

I had scribbled down the name of a few cheap hostels back in Samara and once arriving in the town i set about finding them. The first one that i enquired about seem to be the best and it was easier just to settle in here. Tamarindo Backpackers is the name of the place, and with cheap dorms, internet, pool and cool people, it seems to be a good fit.

Upon setting my bag down in my room i introduced myself to a fellow bunker and was pleasantly surprised to find a fellow compatriot. Surfing, eating chicken casado and drinking beer have been common similarities.

I have quietened down a bit since arriving in Tamarindo. My days have been spent following, once again, a fairly sweet routine. Hanging around with a lot of the people in the hostel and just kicking back and relaxing. Met some awesome Norwegian girls (Anniken and Pernille, there you go you got a mention). Cam and i have been tucking away a few king browns over dinner, we head to bed somewhat early, get up early the next morning to get a dawn session in, read and relax during the hottest part of the day at the hostel and then hit up an arvo session as the sun goes down. Although there have been some big night sessions thrown in as well. It is a pretty top Mickey Mouse place to go out at night, primarily suited for Western travllers. I bought a surfboard the other day so it's been handy having my own board and getting some consistent sessions out of it. It's shorter than I've ever ridden before so it's taking sometime to get used to, but i gotta stick with it.

The last 5 days we have all been talking about hitting up a road trip to one of the quieter beaches, however it never seems to happen. It's funny that the less things you have to do during the day, the less things you also get done. It's very strange how that works. My whole day will revolve around needing to go the supermarket to get food, and that's pretty much all I'll do during the day. Times are definitely good in Tamarindo!

In more recent news i have just been informed by a job i applied for that i might be in the running for a teaching position. It's down in Panama in the luxurious islands of Bocos del Toro. Details are slim at the moment and i don't want to get my hopes up but i am going to make the trip down in the next couple of days to Panama to check it out. They seem quite keen at this stage. Fingers crossed.

Ok that's pretty much it today. Really not in the frame of mind to pump out anything special. Very big day yesty for St. Patrick's day.

P.S – no pictures because I've been too lazy to take any.

Coatin' Costa Rica

Hola amigos! Buenos dias. Cómo estás?

So last time i left you i was temporarily stranded at Denver Airport. Since then it's fair to say i've improved my situation. I managed to board the next flight 24 hours later and so my holiday was only momentarily delayed while we worked out some finer details.

At this stage i had managed to prolong a decent nights sleep going on days. The last night in LA (loose), the 24 hours spent in the airport overnight (patches of half hour dozes) and then the overnight flight which is impossible to sleep on. I think i was running on a mixture of nervous anticipation and excitement. Well whatever it was seemed to kick in once i landed in San Jose and stepped out into the crisp air of a new country.

It took me only moments to realise that this was in fact not the case, and that in reality San Jose is a fairly polluted and smoggy city. Immediately i was greeted by the familiar faces of the GATS (Global Airport Taxi Services) who are looking to over-price the new foreigners. Many foreigners opted for this 'safe' option, while I on the other hand dismissed them in broken Spanish and proceeded to find a bus stop that would take me into the city centre.

With no idea where i was going i used some 'textbook' (literally reading it out of a textbook) Spanish to locate my first destination. Braving a foreign public transport system i jumped on the bus that was recommended and took my seat. Either i was wearing someones shirt, or I'd done something to one these guys in a past life...because everyone seemed to stare at me. I eventually made it to the city centre and was ready to hit the inner city living of San Jose. I had arranged to stay at a Couch Surfing hosts house for my first night in town and i needed to find another bus to make my way to her place. This was not easy given the limited instructions I'd decided to scribble down. With the help of many locals i was able to find the necessary bus and made my way to the hosts house. Upon arriving i felt like i could have slept for days, but given that it was only 10am this would have be disastrous for my daily routine (or what was left of it anyway.) Instead I showered, changed and hit the bus again to go explore town. It was a Sunday so once everyone was done with Church the town really started to fill up with people. I hit the city centre (a long street only accessible to foot traffic) that was full of shops, bars, restaurants and street hoarders. I wandered the streets aimlessly absorbing the new culture and all the differences it offered.

San Jose is pretty in parts, but other areas are quite dirty, crowded, polluted and generally not very exquisite, however who was i to judge. Every city has its problems. On the other hand the people were extremely friendly, helpful and most importantly happy, unlike other cities, so i thought it was a fairly even compromise.

While stopping off to try some local cuisine i came across a fellow traveller who looked like she was flying solo as well. We got talking over lunch and it turns out she was also a new arrival in San Jose and that she was out exploring the city as well. We mutually decided that the two of us should go exploring together and so after lunch we set off. We ventured out of the city a little more and got to see some really interesting parks, architecture and local landmarks. Next we sought out the local 'zoo'. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, or perhaps this was a closing down sale exhibit, because for a zoo it was pretty strange. The animals didn't seem to rapt to be here, but i guess when do they ever. Apart from Werribee Open Range Zoo i don't think animals are ever really gonna feel stoked to be in captivity. Regardless it gave us something to do and killed some time. After that we said our goodbyes, exchanged Facebook (seems to be the most common and easy way to internationally network) and went our separate ways. That night i went back to the hosts, they cooked me a lovely dinner and then i called it a night early to catch up on some much needed Zs. I went to sleep with what initially sounded like a drug cartels gun fight, but after some time realised it was fireworks going off nearby...well more hoped than realised.

The next morning i got up early, said my goodbyes and then went to the city to board a bus to the beach town Samara. Before i got on the bus i was fortunate enough to be privy to a street bum fight. 5 on 1, seems his friends weren't very happy with him about something. Unfortunate, but I wasn't exactly gonna step in to help. He made his bed, and now he had to lay in it. Anyway Samara is situated some place between heaven and paradise (mid-north Western Pacific Coast) and is an unbelievable place. Upon arriving i was instantly hit with the changed in climate. 

Although only travelling by bus for 5 hours north (in which time i saw quite a horrific looking highway motor accident) the temperature was completely different. It was HOT! First thing i did was hit up the beach for a swim with a new friend i met on the way. For the rest of the night we swan, ate, drank and talked the night away. It was good to be back near the beach.

The following two nights i spent at another hosts house and followed a repetition of events. Checked out the beach, met people, ate awesome food and even got a surf in. I was staying just out of town at a place called Bueno Vista (probably some German translation as everyone here seemed to be from Germany. People working here, staying here, visiting and volunteering). I felt like an outsider in an outsider. I befriended two cool Germans from the local restaurant/hotel that was near the place i was staying. We went on a massive surf mission one day that took us to Playa Patagona, only to miss the good incoming high tide surf and get stuck with crappy closing out sets. Still stayed for over an hour though on the search. Walked 40mins in 40 degree heat, and then on the way back decided a 'short cut' across the coast line would be quicker. At high tide though that means scaling rocks barefoot for at least 45mins. Good times either way. The sun is hot here. I'm using SPF 70+ and if i forget to reapply I'm gone.

Now I'm back staying in a cheap hotel in Samara. 10 bucks a night accommodation, 10-15 bucks a day on food, and I'm pretty set. Right on the beach and living it. Life sure is tough. Not sure how much longer I'm gonna be here for, only time will tell. I'm at a cross roads now as to what i wanna do. If i can stay in this cheap accommodation and land a under the table job for a couple of days a week i might stay in town for a while and enjoy it, otherwise I'm probably gonna have to keep moving on and start my climb down to Chile where I'll hopefully start teaching.

Adiós amigos, hasta luego!

LA – The City of Angels

I arrived in LA late Saturday night with little sleep the night before and feeling, for the first time, quite alone. I didn't quite anticipate this feeling. I knew i would at some stage get lonely, but after spending so much time around someone familiar that i feel so naturally comfortable around, it was a very weird feeling suddenly realising i was now alone on this trip. My time feeling safe, in my element, in control and familiar with my surroundings was over. I now had to fend for myself. However in a hostel full of travellers this isn't too much of a task unless you have the social skills of a plank of wood.

My time in LA is being spent in Santa Monica, just one block off the beach. It is amazing. I awoke early on Sunday still feeling tired but unable to sleep. I decided i needed to explore to help clear my head, and what better way than to hit the beach. Walked down to the Famous Santa Monica Pier, the one with the amusement park on it. As it was early Sunday morning and most people were sleeping so it was nice to see it relatively quiet.

Then with the instruction of a helpful tourist guide i made the 2km walk across Santa Monica to Venice Beach. The pathway between the two is unreal. Tons of people working out, jogging, rollerblading, skating and riding their bikes. Walked past 'Muscle Beach' which is a little work our station along the way. Set up with all kinds of equipment like chin up bars, climbing ropes, monkey bars etc. Continued into Venice Beach and along the famous Venice Beach Boardwalk which is about a 1km strip of shops/bars/eateries on one side and buskers/street sellers/beggars on the other. Heaps of bums here. Really cool strip though. Can get most things you need, and some things you don't.

Spent a lot of the morning here exploring and then settled into a bar to watch Canada take on the States in the Olympic gold medal hockey match. Ended up chatting and drinking with this guy sitting next to me most of the afternoon. Turned out he was some Guatemalan boxing sensation that trained with Manny Pac and such. Took his word for it cause it looked like a little Latino cage fighter, but the guy couldn't have been nicer. We were each others wingmen as we left no rock unturned on our search for some ladies, he supplied the cash for drinks...even better bloke.

Got back to the hostel feeling a little proppy and started talking to everyone there. Turned out a whole bunch of people were headed out for a few drinks so i ended up tagging along. Met a pretty cool Aussie bird from the Gold Coast and we arranged to go check out a few places in LA the next day. On Monday a couple of us met in the lobby and then went off to explore LA. We went to a Farmer's Market in Beverly Hills which was choc-a-bloc full of delicious foods to try. We all stuffed our faces and then set off to see the fancy designer shops of The Grove. The Grove is a pretty tofo shopping strip that looks like something out of a Hollywood movie set. Full of beautiful people, expensive clothes and things that i would never be able to afford on a backpackers budget. Apparently it's a famous hotspot for celebrities and it didn't disappoint. You'll never guess who i bumped into while browsing the unattainable items in the fancy window fronts...2 time premiership captain, Brownlow Medalist James Hird! Had a little conversation with him on the street and then he was on his way looking a little bemused at my over-enthusiasm.

With celebrity hunting becoming the theme of the day we decided to go check out the famous Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards. We boarded an extremely crowded bus and made our way to Hollywood! Now i don't exactly know what i was expecting when i got to Hollywood, but this definitely wasn't it. Perhaps i was living in some delusion that Nicholas Cage would just be sitting out in a cafe discussing the possibility of Face Off 2 with John Travolta, or that Megan Fox would be window shopping and ask me for my opinion of this new lacey outfit she was considering. Nevertheless it was a pretty cool experience to see all the trademark tourist attractions. Saw the Hollywood sign, the Star studded footpaths, Kodak Theatre where the Oscars are being held this weekend, Wax Museum, impersonators on the street and even got a D grade celebrity red carpet at the famous Chinese Theatre venue. In all honesty it's just like a normal city strip, but it is Hollywood so it seems to pull it off with an incomparable dash of class.

Got home that night pretty late and buggered from walking around all day. Got back to the hostel and discovered I'd had an upgrade in roommates from the crazy-talk-in-your-sleep-and-do-ninja-moves-in-the-morning Japanese guy, to a cool Swedish guy who i'd spend the next couple of days hanging out with and getting drunk.

The next few days in LA were spent cruising the streets of Santa Monica and Venice drinking, meeting new people and having a good time. Jasper and I rented longboard skateboards and cruised up and down the boardwalk (seems to be the thing to do) and then i rented a surfboard and got out for the first time since leaving Australia for a quick paddle at Venice Beach. Was awesome to get out int the water again. Although the conditions weren't fantastic, it was a nice little prep for things to come when i get down to Costa Rica.

Had a few pretty funny nights out. Second last night checked out Venice and ran into some fellow travellers. Hit up a bar in Venice and the rest is history. Was supposed to go on a tour of Malibu on Wednesday but just wasn't feeling up to it, little bit disappointed in myself there. Instead Jasper and I just fed our faces with greasey food for the day and then chilled out. The hostel was organising a pub crawl for that night so we got prepped for that. Ended up heading out with a fairly decent sized crew and bar hopped around Santa Monica with Germans, Swiss, French, French-Canadian, English, Norwegian and Swedish lads and ladies. Hit up a karaoke bar and i smashed out a few tunes (Angles by Robbie Williams and Mustang Sally to reminisce for Macca's old man during the Anglesea times) before calling it a night at close.

Now i write to you all from LA airport getting ready to board to Denver, before making a connection to Costa Rica. No idea how my internet access is gonna be, but should be able to work something out. Take care and enjoy!

* And just as a side note, i still write to you from Denver Airport airport after getting stuck here overnight! F@#K! Missed my flight to Costa Rica because i didn't have the sufficient departure documents, so i spent the night asleep in a corridor hugging my bag. Felt like Tom Hanks from The Terminal. Hopefully everything gets cleared up today and i'm good to go :)

Leaving Vancouver

So i have landed at my new destination and have been soaking up the sun in LA for the last couple of days. Let me give you a run down of the last couple of days in Vancouver though.

With the Olympic grind continuing to thrust the city of Vancouver in chaos it was becoming apparent that my time was almost over. Chris was still trying to secure some accommodation, whereas i was rushing around frantically trying to get everything set for my departure. With only a couple of days before we had to move out Chris was still battling to find some solid accommodation. Then like a gift from the heavens he landed an unbelievable deal. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? 2 bedroom share in an apartment that very closely rivals ours. Perfect location, can see our old balcony from his window. But the deal breaker...the roommate! All i saw was pa pa pa pa pa! Awesome bird, manages a bar, gorgeous, easy going, gets on the sauce, care free and did i mention gorgeous?

So for now Chris seems settled. All he has to do now is find some work. As of Monday (not sure how that's gone so far) he was planning to just rock up to building sites, so i await to hear the latest on that.

On my last night (the Friday Canada played Slovakia to get into the gold medal match) we had a house party/going away party at our apartment. Got some people from work over, Cam brought over a good crew of people and just had a few drinks, that turned into a few more. With having to leave for the airport the next day at 2pm one would assume the smart thing would be to have a few quiet lemonades with good company and enjoy the times....wrong! Loose night. Ended up moving the party to another place where all the Irish lads where kicking it. Finally decided the intelligent thing would be to pull the pin at 6am. Home for a few hours kip, wake up still blind and then off to deal with hard edged US Customs agents. Those guys really can't take a joke, but probably not the best idea to joke with them either.

I checked myself into the airport and then went to try soak up the alcohol in my stomach with something to eat. Finally indulged in the famous Canadian eatery Tim Hortons. Smashed a few donuts and some chocolate milk and i was set. Although i didn't quite judge the time it would take to get to my terminal. Turns out i had walked in the wrong direction, then at the last minute when realising i was running out of time i double checked where i was supposed to be headed. First time i've ever been P.A'd across an airport. Paging one Hatfield, Julian, your flight leaves in 10mins. Absolutely legged it the correct terminal and made it with 5 mins to spare. Way too close for comfort. After a stop over in Salt Lake City i was off to Los Angeles!

The Next Adventure

As the old saying goes...all good things must come to an end. And this can be said about our time together.

So it has come about that my time is coming to an end in Canada. While times here have been off the hook, i feel that it is the right time to move on. Where Chris is going to stick with it and try his luck in Vancouver, i have the urge to thrust myself into a different adventure. With the end of the month fastly approaching we see ourselves in the position of having no accommodation and no work. This pretty much puts us at the stage we were at when we first arrived. Where accommodation will be easier to find, work (or more so desired work) is a little bit slimmer.

Chris' new adventure is to fly it solo and try land some accommodation and work in North Vancouver as a chippy, whereas my luck in finding teaching positions are slim.

My new adventure is to completely mix it up and get away from everything. As of the end of the month i'm flying to Los Angeles to soak up the toursity attractions for 5 days, and then i'm jetting off to Costa Rica. From Costa Rica the plans are pretty sketchy and up in the air. The first plan is to head up to the north-western coast, grab a surfboard and find a beach shack for a month. After that i'll see how things are going and if it's still cruising i'll stick around for a while and keep playing it by ear. There are no real plans but eventually i'll trek down through Costa Rica into Panama and then onto the rest of South America. Trek through Columbia, Peru and then onto Chile. Apparently it's easy for Australian's to get a working visa there, and with high demand for foreign teachers, i should be sweet for a while.

I will continue to update this blog of my adventures, and will regularly try to report on the activities of Chris (as he probably won't do it himself). I'm sure we'll still stay in touch, but i'm not sure how often i'll be able to get the internet.