HEADING HOME!

We return reluctantly to the Great White North after a captivating ten-week sojourn to warmer climes.  After eight wonderful days with the family in Orlando, Elva and I set out on March 22 on a seven-day Holland America cruise from Fort Lauderdale.  The price was right and we wanted to be pampered one last time before heading home.  After the frenetic pace we’d kept up, it was nice to just relax.  And we weren’t alone.  It soon became apparent that the Caribbean cruise clientele is very different from what we’d seen in the Mediterranean: much more laid back.

Our first full day was spent at sea.  We made our way around the MS Westerdam, finding it even nicer than the MS Rotterdam we’d sailed on last fall in the Mediterranean.  I decided that my personal themes were to start getting back in shape and to learn more about the mysterious Windows 8 software that came with my latest laptop.

Our first port of call was Grand Turk, capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British possession located in the Eastern Caribbean.  The ship docked on Monday morning, barely 100 metres from a beautiful white sand beach.  We picked up a map at the tourist information kiosk and headed into the main town, Cockburn Town, on foot, a 6-kilometre walk.  By 10:00 am, the temperature was already in the high 20s.  Cockburn Town turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, so we took a taxi back to the ship, grabbed a bite to eat, and walked along the pier to the beach, where we spent a couple of hours before boarding.  As one gentleman said to me back onboard ship: “There’s nothing much to Grand Turk.”  I agree.

Checking my emails that morning, I came across one from my son, Jacques.  He was asking my advice on the content of a note he wanted to send to Elva’s brother.  Father Albin serves three parishes on Prince Edward Island: Saint John the Baptist in Miscouche, Saint Patrick’s in Grand River, and my home parish of Immaculate Conception in Wellington. 

Since arriving in the area several years ago, Father Albin has championed the refurbishment of the first two churches mentioned above.  Both were major projects, needed to save these beautiful churches from irreversible damage of the type that condemned nearby Saint-Philippe-et-Saint-Jacques to the wrecker’s ball a few short years ago.  Immaculate Conception Church urgently needs cosmetic attention and some structural repairs.

This is what Jacques and Isabelle wrote:

“Félicitations Père Albin!

Ça nous fait plaisir d’offrir notre support envers les rénovations de l’Église Immaculée-Conception.  On est fier que tu continues ton travail de renouvellement de ce patrimoine spirituel et communautaire. 

En tant que bouddhistes et pratiquants de la Soka Gakkai Internationale (SGI), on fait plusieurs efforts pour établir et maintenir des relations interreligieuses dans notre communauté.  On essaie de souligner les valeurs universelles qui sont communes à nos diverses religions pour qu’on puisse adresser ensemble les problèmes globaux qui affectent l’humanité.  À Edmonton, on construit présentement notre premier centre bouddhiste de la SGI-Canada où l’on pourra se rassembler pour pratiquer notre religion, étudier nos croyances et déveloper notre foi ensemble dans notre propre edifice.  On est content de pouvoir contribuer au maintien d’un tel lieu de rencontre spirituel à Wellington, spécialement celui de mon enfance et de plusieurs membres de ma famille.

Meme et Pépé sont parmi nos modèles d’intégration de la foi et de la communauté au sein de nos vies.  C’est donc en cet esprit qu’on veut démontrer notre support envers l’œuvre de régénération spirituelle et patrimoniale que tu continues d’effectuer.

Jacques, Isabelle et Lucie”

For those of you who don’t read French, Jacques and Isabelle are practising Buddhists who, despite their modest means, recognize the importance of contributing financially to the maintenance of church buildings as places of community gathering and worship. 

I hope members of my family and other readers of this blog who have a connection to or an interest in Wellington will open their hearts and wallets to support this worthwhile effort as Jacques’ family has chosen to do.  Elva and I are very proud of them!

As I’m sure you know, Wellington Parish, like many, faces the reality of dwindling attendance.  The support of former parishioners, what I like to refer to as the Parish’s “Community of Interest”, is therefore essential.  If you’re unsure as to how to make a contribution, I’d be happy to put you in contact with Father Albin.  Just send me an email at jean-paul_arsenault@hotmail.com.

Our next port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico, the oldest city in US territory, founded by the Spanish in 1521.  We opted to walk the old city rather than take one of the overpriced excursions to places that did not interest us.  Across the street from the impressive Legislature stands a row of life-size bronze statues of American Presidents, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt and ending with Barack Obama.  But it’s more interesting to see who’s not there: Nixon, Carter, Reagan, the Bushes, and Clinton.

Old San Juan is a charming place of cobblestoned streets and stuccoed pastel-coloured historic buildings.  There are fine examples of art-deco architecture to be found as well.  Two forts, both of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are featured.  Despite the blistering heat, we had a lovely stroll around the city before the ship left port in the evening.

We docked at Philipsburg, capital and main port of Dutch Sint Maarten around 8:30 and had only five hours to discover the “smallest land mass in the world divided between two governments”.  The island, shared between the Dutch and the French, is a major tourist haven.  The Dutch, never ones to pass up an opportunity to profit, established Philipsburg as a duty-free port, and have managed to capture most of the tourist trade as well with shops featuring high-priced items like gold and jewelry.

 

 

Five cruise ships were in port the day we were there, including the massive Oasis of the Seas, meaning that the Island’s population had swelled by 12,000 to 15,000 people!  After obtaining directions, we found a public bus (at $4 round-trip each!) to take us to Marigot, the capital city of the French Saint-Martin.  Although it’s not more than 10 kilometres from Philipsburg, the journey took 30 minutes or so because of the heavy traffic, some of it local, most of it tourists.  Our short visit to Marigot was worth it though.  It looks, feels and sounds very French.

As we wandered the main street of Philipsburg before walking back to the ship, I couldn’t help but ponder the reality of the common people on the islands we’d visited: Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, and Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin. Judging by the houses and apartments they live in and the work they do, I wonder why all the money spent by visitors hasn’t trickled down to them in larger measure.  In the case of these three places, overseen by the British, the Americans, the Dutch, and the French, we can’t blame totalitarian regimes for the poor distribution of wealth, as we might in Central America.  So, what’s the problem?  Good question!

Thursday was a sea day as the Westerdam sailed from Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin to Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.  It was a rough trip, as the seas were whipped up by 65 km/hr winds, making us more than a little queasy throughout.  The highlight of the day was a musical review by an ensemble called the B.B. King Blues Club. 

 

We spent our last day on Half Moon Cay, a private island owned by Holland America.  Although excursions were offered to visit the small island, we opted to stroll around on foot and just relax on the beautiful beach one last time, knowing it would be our final opportunity to do so until July back home.  The island is promoted as a paradise although I can't imagine I'd like to spend the rest of my days there!

The bikes are just not up to my high standard!

We saw three very good movies while on board: Gravity, Last Vegas and Philomena. Philomena is the true story of a young, pregnant and unmarried Irish woman who had to give up her baby.  Dame Judi Dench gives her usual flawless performance in the role of the older mother seeking her adopted son.  It’s a powerful story about the cruelty of nuns who ran an adoption service and exploited unwed mothers.  Definitely a ‘must-see’.  Although Gravity won more Oscars, Philomena is the far better movie in my view.

Our cruise ended on Saturday morning in Fort Lauderdale and we drove from there to Greensboro, NC, a distance of 1,250 km.  It was a long day in the saddle.  Along the way, we passed dozens of Québécois, many of them driving impressive RVs.  I can only assume they were heading home to vote in the April 7 provincial election.  Here’s hoping they vote the right way – for Canada, I mean!

On Sunday, we attended the NASCAR race in Martinsville; another one off my bucket list!  It was 5 degrees Celsius when we left for the track and we saw a few snowflakes along the way there.  We hoped for at least a dry day even though the wind was cold, and we got lucky. 

The race started and finished without any delays other than yellow flags.  My driver, Jeff Gordon, did not have a great day, although he managed to finish 12^th.  Kurt Busch won the race after passing Jimmie Johnson with just a few laps remaining.  I can’t think of a better place to see a NASCAR race and we intend to return someday.

Tomorrow, we hit the road for home, with an overnight stop in Saint John along the way.

FLORIDA

It’s great to be back in America again where, with a clear conscience, one can place toilet paper in the receptacle for which it was intended!

We arrived in Orlando on Sunday, March 9, after a long day in the air and waiting in airports.  After a restful night, we headed southwest, intending to spend part of the day in Sanibel.  Unfortunately, unexpected mechanical problems delayed us and we had to spend the night in Fort Myers.  The next morning, we got up bright and early and drove toward Key West.  We had been told us it was a ‘must-see’.  The road to Key West may be paved with good intentions, but if we ever go back it will be by water or air, not over land.

After watching the sun rise over the Everglades, we turned south and went through farm country where nursery crops are grown in abundance.  The area around Homestead was particularly beautiful.  Soon after, we hit the swamp again and drove along a long causeway-bridge until we reached Key Largo, first of the Keys; then came Islamorada, Leyton and Marathon.  Not at all what I was expecting: an overwhelming forest of billboards.  We counted five sandal outlets, all promising prices cheaper than Key West; lawyers promising to “Stop Bill Collectors”; gentlemen’s clubs promising to reveal all; a place called Fred’s Beds; a veterinary hospital offering laser treatments; and my personal favourite: “Bra Outlet for Plus-Size Women” (DD and up only!)

As we crawled toward our destination, we met hundreds of Harleys, many of them driven by beer-gutted men wearing grey t-shirts that were the perfect match for their Fu-Manchu moustaches.  The traffic was horrendous.  What should have taken us two hours took us four and we were exhausted by the time we finally reached the southern terminus of US Highway 1.  Key West was crammed with visitors: a large Princess line cruise ship was in port; it was Spring Break for university students; and March just happens to be the high season anyway.

But we made the best of the short time we had there and thoroughly enjoyed strolling around the old section of the city.  The architecture is authentic and very interesting, and there seems to be lots to do there.  Because we liked the place, we looked into monthly rental prices: out of our league by a long shot!  If we did go back, it would be for a three or four day visit, probably in a bed and breakfast or an inn.

Next, we headed north to Fort Lauderdale and a day of shopping for Elva.  Whenever I feel the need for brownie points, I take her shopping.  And it works every time!  After a full day in the stores, we decided to drive the three hours to Orlando and start fresh in the morning at an outlet mall there before meeting the family around suppertime.  Well, three hours turned out to be more like four-and-a-half.  Traveling merrily along on the Florida Turnpike, we were stopped dead in our tracks by a wall of taillights.  We crawled along until we came to a couple of police cars blocking the road, and were directed up a ramp to God knows where.  We followed the traffic and came eventually to Interstate 95 North.

Everything was fine for ten minutes or so and, bang, another traffic snarl.  Along we crept at 20 kilometres an hour.  We could see smoke up ahead and I thought: “It must be quite the fire to have shut down the Turnpike and slowed things to a crawl on the Interstate.”  Lo and behold, when we finally got to the “fire”, it turned out to be nothing more than a grass fire that had spread into some brush; a little bit of smoke billowed across the road, barely enough to hamper visibility.

“Some fire, eh!  Nothing twenty well-aimed bladderfuls couldn’t have put out if you ask me,” I thought.  “Dang d’innocents!”, Jos Denis would have said.  We watched in amazement as dozens of policemen redirected traffic around the pitiful conflagration, and the line of cars and trucks stretched back at least three kilometres.

We found our family in Clermont, near Orlando, in a nice four-bedroom house rented for the eight days we’d spend together.  On the first day, we went to Typhoon Lagoon, my favourite among the water parks.  For seven hours, we cavorted in the wave pool and rode as many water slides as we could manage, including my favourite, Crushin' Gusher.

Our next stop was Legoland.  Samuel is a big Lego fan and stared wide-eyed at the amazing life-size sculptures and miniatures located throughout the park.  This one of a Ford parked at a gas station took a team of twenty-two people the better part of a year to complete!

Samuel (7) and Natalie (5) also took a turn at driving school.

We rode three roller-coasters, including one where your feet hang in the air.  The first word out of Natalie's mouth when we got off was: "Encore!"

 

On day 3, we went to Blizzard Beach, the second of Disney’s water parks.  While this one has the more thrilling water slides, it’s not quite as much fun for the little ones.  Nevertheless, they swam, splashed and cavorted in the water until closing time.

After taking a day off to rest a bit, we spent the next two days at Epcot and Animal Kingdom.  My first impressions of both conjured up images of the famous quote attributed to Yogi Berra: “Nobody comes here anymore.  It’s too crowded!”  Although we weren’t able to see and do everything we’d planned, even a mediocre day at Disney is better than a March day in Charlottetown.  The little ones were amazingly patient and well-behaved, so who were we adults to complain? 

 

The only thing NOT artificial at the Disney theme parks is the fun.  It’s very real.  But the rest is mostly concrete, asphalt, steel, and fiberglass.  I will say that the operation of the theme parks is flawless: everything is on time; everything works; staff members are unfailingly friendly; and the place is spotless.  At Animal Kingdom, we got the wits scared out of us on the Dinosaur ride, as can be seen clearly on several facial expressions.

After eight days with Samuel and Natalie, we were reminded why people our age are not meant to have young children: their energy knows no bounds!  They wore us out!

On our last day together, we visited Hollywood Studios and made the most of our time there.  Natalie, seen below, was in charge of planning our day.

We did Star Tours, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Muppet Vision 3D, Extreme Stunt Show, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and  Beauty and the Beast.  For excitement, we rode the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and took the elevator in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  When we got back to the house, the kids still had enough energy for the pool: once before supper and again after!

The photo below shows Samuel with three members of the amazing stunt driver team.

 

The one below shows a few terrified faces in the Tower of Terror.

Sylvie and I waiting to board the Aerosmith roller coaster, my favourite of all the rides we took in Florida; it does three complete corkscrews in the dark and is FAST!

With all the people visiting the theme parks, it's hard to believe one would encounter Islanders but, of course, we did.  We met one family from North Rustico at Typhoon Lagoon and another family from Charlottetown, not once but twice: at Blizzard Beach and at Animal Kingdom.  What are the odds?

Ghislain, peerless trip planner and expedition leader, did a wonderful job keeping us on schedule and on budget.  The time we spent together has left us with indelible memories.  For those who haven't experienced the Florida theme parks with little ones, you don't know what you're missing!
 

Tomorrow morning, we say our goodbyes, and Elva and I will set off for Fort Lauderdale to board the MS Westerdam for the next leg of our journey, a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

CENTRAL AMERICA – WEEK 7

We crossed into Panama from Costa Rica after carrying our meagre belongings across this rickety one-kilometre long abandoned railway bridge.

We entered into a water world!  Isla Bastimentos is one of the nine main islands and many mangrove islets that make up the Boca del Toros Islands on the Caribbean side of Panama.  We arrived at the dock in the port town of Almirante to a scene of total chaos, probably because it was Saturday and the height of Carnival weekend on the islands.  There were people everywhere.  Javier quickly located a sixteen-passenger water taxi for us, and the 225-horsepower outboard soon had us riding high on the waves.  Forty-five minutes later we arrived at the Caribbean View hotel shown in the photo below.

The hotel extends out over the water, built on pilings.  All the traffic coming and going is by boat.  Everything and everyone uses this mode of transport and it’s interesting to observe how it works.  If you want a taxi, there’s no need to call; you just stand on the steps of the hotel and one appears magically.  It’s $3 for a short ride and $5 for a long one or for any ride at night.  The hotel wasn’t much more than a bunkhouse with an open dining area.  We had a few decent meals there and the people running it were nice, but the service was painfully slow.  The room was small but adequate, and we had air conditioning and hot water most of the time.  After I killed a large cockroach that had taken up residence under our bed, we enjoyed a most restful sleep our first night there.

Life on Bastimentos must be quite hard.  The small village consists of meagre dwellings on both sides of a street that’s nothing more than a broad sidewalk really.  Children attend the small local school until Grade 6.  Those that continue to Grade 7 and beyond must take the water taxi to Bocas Town.  Young people just hang around, with too much time on their hands and probably little hope for their future.  We were told not to walk alone, especially after dark.

We spent our first full day on the islands almost exclusively on the water.  The outboard picked us up at 9:00 and took us first to see a couple of dolphins.  Next, we motored to a site where Elva had her first real snorkeling experience.  I stayed close by to show her how to use the mask and snorkel and she soon became quite comfortable.  There were not a lot of fish to see, but the water was clear and warm.  She stayed in the boat at our second snorkeling stop, and then we had lunch at a thatched-roof restaurant perched out over the water.

Our afternoon entertainment consisted of a visit to Red Frog Beach.  To get there, we walked through the forest from the leeward to the windward side of Bastimentos along a beautiful sun-dappled path.  Arriving at the beach we were met by white sand, a nice on-shore breeze, and crashing waves.  The 30-degree heat made for very warm water and it didn’t take us long to get wet and begin enjoying the big waves.  In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never seen Elva enjoy the water so much. 

After a full day on the water, we took a taxi to Bocas Town and watched the parade of devils, a local tradition that’s part of the Mardi Gras Carnival.  A dozen or so young men dressed as red and black devils strutted along a section of the town’s main street, dancing and carrying whips, daring anyone to challenge them.  I sure wasn’t about to!  We had a quick pizza and took a water taxi back to the hotel, exhausted after our busy day.

After spending a quiet, rainy day on Bastimentos, we boarded two taxis for the return trip to the decrepit port city of Almirante.  It rained hard just before we left, but we were lucky enough to avoid most of the bad weather.  From Almirante, we drove to Boquete, the next stop on our itinerary.  Here, we stayed at the Boquete Mountain Resort, definitely the nicest room we’ve had since our trip began.  The resort sits high on a mountain range that divides the Caribbean side of Panama from the Pacific side.  As we looked out from the restaurant deck, we could watch people zip-lining back and forth across the valley below.

We had one full day in Boquete and decided to rent ATVs.  We picked up our 125 cc mounts and were given a short lesson in the dos-and-don’ts by our guide, Felix.  Then, we headed out of town by a back road and were soon on a dusty, rutted track with numerous washouts.  Felix and Elva were in front of me, so I ended up eating a lot of dirt.  We climbed for several kilometres until we reached a pass and took in the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys.  We could even see the Pacific Ocean, 50 kilometres to the west.

On the way down, Elva had trouble mastering the brakes, but with Felix’s help, she managed to make it through the worst.  Once on the pavement, it was clear sailing to the hot springs where we had a dip and our lunch.  The 35-kilometre ride back was much easier for both of us.  While we enjoyed the experience, I don’t think we’d do it again.  It’s just one of those things we’ve wanted to do and can now check off our list!

From Boquete, we drove toward the Pacific Coast.  As we left the town, we passed several subdivisions with modern homes, as well as a golf course or two, sure signs that the Americans have discovered this part of Panama and have found it to their liking.  The climate is favourable, the people are friendly, and those who are buying here must believe their investments are safe.

It was 34 degrees when we arrived at the seaside community of Santa Catalina, our only stop on the Pacific.  Our bus dropped us off at the end of the road, and from there, we carried our belongings across a small stream to our cabins.  This is a surfers’ paradise, frequented by many young people who just want to chill out and spend time by the beach.  We could see why.  While our cabins were anything but luxurious, we were surrounded by sand, the cooling shade of palm trees, and a wonderful on-shore breeze.  After dinner with our group, we enjoyed a nice bonfire and slept like logs, serenaded by the sound of the pounding surf.

We spent our second day at Santa Catalina walking along the beach and just taking it easy.  As we sat on the front porch of the little cabin, we marvelled at the beauty and serenity of the place and the power of the ocean.  With all our senses on high alert, we tried to absorb as much as we could of this relatively untouched corner of the world.  How different it is from the places where most people from the north spend the winter months, surrounded by condos, asphalt, strip malls, and all manner of amusement.  I doubt we could spend more than a few weeks here, but we’re glad we came, and we do hope it stays just the way it is.

 

 

On our last day, off we went to Panama City and the end of our Central American adventure.  We stopped for a couple of hours to explore and learn about the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel well worth visiting.  We watched as container ships, freighters, and a cruise ship made their way through the Miraflores Locks.  Each ship must pay a toll of $105,000 to traverse the Canal!

Our last hotel turned out to be better than expected.  Too bad we would only spend a short night there.  We took a walk along the seaside promenade and took in the city’s impressive skyline.  It’s clear that Panama City has become the commercial centre of Central America.  We had our last group dinner together and said goodbye to our guide, Javier, and the thirteen other members of the group.  There were hugs all around and a few tears, especially amongst the young.  We extended open invitations to several people to come visit us on Prince Edward Island, and we hope they’ll take us up on the offer some day.

Now, it’s on to Florida for a couple of weeks.  We can’t wait to meet up with Sylvie, Ghislain, Samuel and Natalie at Disneyworld!

I’ll end with a few general observations on our Central American experience:

1.    Although we had our doubts about a ‘Basix’ level tour with Intrepid, with the exception of a few really bad hotels, we’re satisfied with what we got for our money and would not hesitate to do another ‘Basix’ tour again.  Besides, Javier was the best guide we’ve ever had on any tour.

2.    Thus far, of all the places we’ve visited, the only one we’d stay in for an extended period is Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  There were other cities we liked (Flores, Granada, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Boquete), but Playa has all of the things we’d look for in a several-month destination.

3.    There are places we’d definitely not go back to and would not visit except as part of a guided group: Belize, Honduras, Antigua in Guatemala, and the Boca del Toro Islands in Panama.  They’re either too dangerous or not that interesting.  On the other hand, Nicaragua turned out to be far better than expected.

4.    There is much poverty in Central America in every country we visited.  The gap between rich and poor is far more pronounced than it is in Canada; public services are poor or non-existent; and education, especially, seems far below our standard.  This does not bode well for the future.  Also, the drug trade, corruption, and extortion are rampant in the larger cities: Guatemala City, Belize City, Tegucigalpa, and Managua.

5.    While people seem generally industrious, too many are idle.  This is probably more a reflection of lack of opportunity than lack of ambition.  We saw and met many though who move with purpose, and who look like they’re going somewhere.  As Gerard Fitzpatrick once told me: “There’s two kinds of people in this world: steppers and shufflers.  You can’t go wrong by picking a stepper.”

6.    Sanitation is one of the biggest impediments to the development of a viable tourist industry.  Littering seems to be the national pastime in most of the countries we visited.  And, “Please do not put paper in toilet” signs are everywhere.  Quite frankly, the thought of having to put it elsewhere takes some getting used to!

7.    Listening to the millennials talk about their travel and life experiences has been quite informative.  Many of them have seen more in 30 years than I’ve seen in 60.  Yet, I wonder what it will take to keep them from boredom later in life.  Will marriage and child-rearing prove too dull?  Will work be stimulating enough?  What will motivate them?  Where will they find spiritual meaning?  Despite these misgivings that are mine alone, I love traveling in the company of young people.  They are bright, open-minded, and willing to try anything.

8.    No TV?  No problem!  No Wi-Fi?  Big problem!  While most of the hotels we stayed at had decent Wi-Fi, not many had good TV.  Did we miss it?  Not one bit, but we can’t survive without Wi-Fi.

9.    After six weeks in Central America, I cherish the simple things.  Luxury is defined as a hot shower and a toilet that flushes.  Relief is defined as a dry fart!

 

CENTRAL AMERICA – WEEK 6

 

Elva wrote this passage as we drove down the mountain from Monteverde:

“On the road again, the bus laments its way along hilly, winding gravel roads.  We go down ever so slowly, I hear the rattle of the windows and my body feels every bump.  It’s a beautiful sunny Saturday February morning on our way to La Fortuna, Costa Rica.  I’m surrounded by natural beauty, mountainous countryside with fields of yellow and different shades of green pasture land.  This colourful landscape gives me energy and inspiration.

I see a variety of trees, including palms and flowering ones closer to the farms.  Today, the clothes on the line might need to be rewashed.  The dust from the trucks we meet reminds me of my childhood years, walking to school on our (then) red clay roads.

Crammed in the back of the van with my feet resting on the wheel arch and the group’s backpacks as décor, I’m loving every moment of this ride.

With my soul mate at my side I feel so blessed for another exciting day in Central America.

Before arriving at our hotel for a two-night stay, we will have carried our baggage many times.  Traveling light has been wonderful for we never know where we’ll have to lug our backpacks: up slippery riverbanks, on rickety steps, and in hotels with no elevators.

We’ll leave early Monday morning for San Jose.  With Javier, our nice and competent guide, and new friends made on this Intrepid tour, we’ll be happy to be on the road again.”

After arriving in La Fortuna, we took a short walk around the city.  Costa Rica has a very different feel than other countries we’ve visited thus far.  It’s definitely wealthier and there is a distinct middle class here.  Tourism is one of the main industries and the focus is on nature and adventure.  As was the case in Monteverde, they do a very good job on the adventure part.  We wish Prince Edward Island would catch on to this growing market, as it appeals to all ages.

Nine members of our group boarded the bus bound for the Balsa River.  We were given instructions on the bus and again when we arrived on how to react to the commands of our river guide.

We strapped on helmets and life jackets and were quickly on our way down the river.  First, we tumbled down through Class 4 rapids (Class 5 are the most dangerous) and I might have been heard to exclaim: “Oh My Jesus!”  If I didn’t, I was certainly thinking it.  Elva was screaming beside me.  For those who haven't done this, it's hard to explain how one manages to stay in the boat.  You simply sit on the side of the zodiac with one foot planted and the other free to move to add some stability.  And you try like hell not to fall out while you paddle like mad!

Fortunately, our guide would stop the zodiac from time to time to give us a break and to tell us what we were doing right and wrong.  The first Class 4 rapids we encountered were terrifying and thrilling at the same time.  It’s hard to believe the boat will stay upright and won’t crash onto a rock, but it comes through unscathed somehow.  At times, we were almost underwater, and the boat looked like it was going to swamp.  But our guide would reassure us and tell us to just keep paddling.

The last half of the two-and-one-half hour trip was over mostly Class 3 rapids; not quite as scary and, by that time, we knew what to expect.  After finding our land legs again, we boarded the bus and drove to a place where we were treated to a delicious lunch and a tour of an organic farm.  We were shown how sugar cane juice is made and most indulged in a generous sample of 120-proof rum.  White-water rafting: another one off my bucket list!

We left La Fortuna bound for San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, a modern city of some 2 million people.  Our hotel, the Hemingway Inn, had seen better days; the room was small and quite outdated, but it was at least clean.  We spent the afternoon strolling around the downtown and went to dinner, our last with five members of the group who were leaving us.  They were replaced by five new ones the next day.

On our second day in the big city, Elva did some shopping while I just hung around the hotel, reading a book.  In the afternoon, our friend, Gordon, joined us as we took a taxi to the cinema to watch 12 Years a Slave.  One of the more powerful movies we’ve seen in a long time, it’s nominated for nine Oscars and definitely merits several.  That evening, we met Ryan Craswell and his girlfriend, Neysy, for a steak dinner at a wonderful Argentinian restaurant.  Ryan grew up with our children in Sherwood and has been working and living in San Jose for five years now.  He had just gotten back from Speed Week in Daytona that afternoon, so we were fortunate to be able to spend some time with him.

The next day, we boarded a public bus for the five-hour trip to the Caribbean coast and the town of Puerto Viejo.  Barely out of San Jose, our bus broke down and another had to be summoned to take us the rest of the way.  As we approached the coast, we could feel the heat and humidity rise.

Puerto Viejo is a small backpackers town with a distinct reggae feel to it.  Our hotel, the Jacaranda, was a laid-back place, just like the town itself, and we were given a very nice and spacious room for three nights. Our guide, Javier, walked us through the place and showed us the highlights.  I went for a dip to cool off, and then we went out for some fish, the local specialty.

On our first full day in Puerto Viejo, we boarded the public bus bound for the nearby town of Cahuita and the nature reserve there.  We followed a path just inland from the gorgeous beach, sometimes coming out to within a few feet of the white sand.  We saw lizards, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, and a poisonous bright yellow snake.  The highlight of the day was seeing two sloths feeding in the trees above us.  For those who don’t know this animal, it is one of the slowest in the forest.  In French, it’s called le paresseux, which translates literally as the lazy one.  If I’m reincarnated, I’d like to come back as a sloth.  I think it would suit me perfectly! 

Having reached the end of the trail, we took a boat back across the bay and had lunch in the town.  For dinner, we went to a restaurant that serves only what fresh fish has been caught that particular day; nothing else!  The red snapper turned out to be the best fish we’ve had in Central America.

On Friday morning, Javier invited us to join him for a bike ride to Manzanillo, 13 kilometres south of Puerto Viejo.  We rented some old clunkers and set out, stopping first at a wonderful animal rescue centre.  There, we were shown a variety of species and had an opportunity to handle howler and white-faced (capuchin) monkeys.  We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

 

Back on the road, we got to the beach at Manzanillo just in time for lunch and then went for our first swim.  The water hereabouts is the warmest I’ve ever swam in; it must be at least 28 degrees Celsius.  No wonder! The average monthly temperature for Puerto Viejovaries from 27 to 29 in the daytime, and from 22 to 24 at night. 

Twice more on the way back, we stopped to test the waves at beautiful beaches.  By the time we arrived back at the hotel, we were ready for a shower and dinner; and then early to bed.  Our guide is an expert at finding things for us to do, and is quite willing to accompany us wherever we go.  Some choose to join in and others just do their own thing.  First impressions of Puerto Viejo were not that positive but we managed to spend two wonderful days here, and without spending a fortune. 

Saturday was a travel day from Puerto Viejo to Isla Bastimentos, and we crossed the border into Panama.  It's hard to believe our Central American trip will end in one week's time!