matthewojonna.blogg.se

Here our family and friends can follow our adventures traveling the world! Här kan ni följa med på vår resa genom Amerika, central Amerika, tropiska öar och slutdestinationen Australien..

Monte verde - ziplining

Kategori: Allmänt

So after a few weeks along the Caribbean coast we made our way to Monteverde in the Costa Rican mountains. we have quickly worked out that all tourist shuttles and buses are a crazy rip off charging upto 50 times the price of public (chicken) buses. For example to get to monteverde from Cahuita with the tourist bus cost 80 US and takes about 6 hours. We took two local buses that cost a couple of dollars each and about 8 hours. San José is a piece of shit we got there first bus out... Little Påågy couldn't find any food so ate ice cream and candy all day :)
Tänkte tillägga att jag åt bröd med mjukost också, inte bara godis.
 
Found a great hostel right in town for 8US each a night with a hotel type room and great home cooked breaky! Dom and we cooked up another great creamy pasta while I spend 6 hours applying for bloody jobs. only having one full day in Monteverde we booked in a full day of Ziplining, hiking and climbing a big tree :)
Little Påågy kitted up and ready to go! cost 40 US and they drove us upto the mountain and then back after 19 zip lines including the longest in the Americas of 1000 meters, a massive Tarzan swing and some real nice hiking through the jungle.
views were pretty amazing of the surrounding mountains and volcano.
abseiling like a pro!
Monkey man
Dom and Påågy made me go first but i didnt realise you dont step off they actually push you off the edge. Because my legs were too long I almost kicked the dude down the bottom in the head.  Måste säga att ansiktsuttrycken på resterande i gruppen var obeskrivligt underhållande att titta på när de blev puttade ut för stupet.(vi som redan klarat tarzan gungan med livet i behåll satt i säkerthet nedanför)
Just being cool... (Check out creepo dude on the left)
Our little half Kiwi half Swiss travel buddy! Can't seem to get rid of him.
Påågy looking sexy getting kitted up for the 1000m superman zipline. på riktigt, jag typ vägrade sätta upp fötterna i selarna för jag var så rädd att åka iväg så guiden blev lite sur...
Superwoman!
A really great experience it really felt like you were flying because you couldn't see the lines above you only the view below...
 

Jaguar Rescue Center

Kategori: Allmänt

We heard about an animal rescue centre just outside of town so we woke up early, hired some push bikes and rode about 45 mins along a beautiful beach road until we found the Jaguar Rescue Centre. It was founded by two Dutch biologists who were sent to Costa Rica for research having never met each other, they fell in love and stayed forever setting up the rescue centre. Their first animal was a baby jaguar hence the name... It's completely non profit and run by volunteers. This silly Toucan flew into a tree breaking his wing and beak so now when he eats bugs they crawl out of his nose...
Cheeky Molly likes to talk to passers by and thought my finger looked like a fatty worm. 
Påågy's new boyfriend! Though she couldn't snuggle him because sloths skin is very sensitive and they will almost cirtainly die from an infection after contact with humans. When being cared for they can only be handled by their fingers and toes. It's important they learn not to stay close to the ground or walk around as the local dogs often kill them.
This little dude was checking me out. These are 3 toed sloths and have a permanent smile on their faces! 
This white tailed deer has been a guest since birth and loves to lick sweaty people :)
The centre has many birds who were kept as pets and then the owners released them but the bird couldn't survive in the wild as they never learnt to hunt. They are currently teaching a group of owls that mice are actually dinner not play friends...
A big fat dung beetle the size of Påågy's hand...
It's very sad that people keep hawks like this as pets and clip their wings so that they don't fly away. When they get sick of them they just let them go and the birds die. Some are lucky enough to be found and brought to the rescue centre. 
A local tree that no monkeys or raccoons can climb only sloths as they have very long toe nails. It's one of the safest trees for them to climb. The local tribes used to use these spikes and the poison from frogs to make darts for their blow guns.
 
We couldn't take any photos of the baby howler and spider monkeys as they love to take cameras and see what's inside them! though we did get to play and cuddle with them. One howler monkey loved to sit on my head :) most of the monkeys were confiscated at border crossing on their way to be sold on the black market. 
 

A honey bear in our room

Kategori: Allmänt

A little friend we found hanging out in our room one night. Super friendly and playfull little one the locals call them honey bears but the real name is a Kinkajou... 
When I left my rum and coke for a few minutes the sneaky little one drank half of it and then got cranky when we took it away.
New scarf
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Costa Rica - Puerto Viejo

Kategori: Allmänt

So after a pretty crazy border crossing where both the military personnel and the customs officials tried to charge us some random taxes we took another transport to Porto Viejo where we checked into the funkiest rasti hostel ever seen. This place was massive like a little commune with accomodation varying from hammocks, tents, treehouses to apartments and one room costing $350 per night. 
 
 Waking up in the hammock hotel with another 40 odd folk. Sov väldigt gott och märkte knappt av att de var 38 andra som snarkade i samma rum... Märklig upplevelse! 
Veggie platter. Costa Rica so far is very promising though really expensive. Supermarket food rivals Melbourne or Stockholm and eating out almost the same....
Good to west some Thai food instead of the staple Costa Rican rise, beans and fish or chicken..
Sunset swim with our buddy Dom who we met in Bocas and have travelled with to Puorto Viejo.
Stray dogs seem as common as monkeys over here and apparently cause massive problems for the sloths as they can't defend themselves in slow motion. This 'perro' was pretty playful on only 3 legs which is an all too common sight here.
 
 
 
 

Panama / Costa Rica-Crossing boarders

Kategori: Allmänt

 
 
After carrying heavy backpacks taking a water taxi, bus and taxi we finally made it to the famous train tracks, the boarder crossing from Panama to Costa Rica. We could have fallen down through one of all the gaps in the bridge, but we made it!
 

Panama - Bocas del Toro

Kategori: Allmänt

We took the night bus from Panama City to Bocas del Toro at 8:30 p.m. and arrived at 6 a.m. The bus was freezing cold and we didn't get much sleep. When we finally arrived to Bocas we took a water taxi to Isla colon, one of all the islands, and got to see the Panamanian archipelago and sunrise on our way. Stunning!
 
We checked in at Casa Verde, a hostel on top of the water, and we spent some lazy hours reading and sleeping in the hammocks! 
 
On our way to Zapatilla with our new friends, Alan and Steph from Australia and Kristina from Germany. 
A perfect day for sunbathing, snorkeling and relaxing in the archipelago.
 
We spotted some dolphins playing in the water but we were not fast enough to catch more than a fin with the camera.
On the way back home to Casa Verde we got caught by the tropical rain we now got quite used to and we arrived to the hostel soaking wet! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Panama - back in school

Kategori: Allmänt

This is what we spend most time on in Panama - Studying.. Five days á 4 hours and homeworks 2 hours a day. Nosotros hablamos español. ¡Excelente!
 
This is our very sympathic and understanding teacher profesor Santo. And so what did we learn? Matthew's favourite sentence must have been: "Jonna tiene un grande cabeza" which means Jonna has a big head. Muy interesante! 
 
 
 

Panama - Casco

Kategori: Allmänt

Vi besökte den berömda fiskmarknaden i utkanten av Panama. Jag fick äran att hålla i denne mans middag, blev dock mindre glad när jag insåg att jättekrabban levde och kunde knipsa av mina fingrar...
Efter fiskmarknaden vandrade vi upp i Panamas berg och regnskog vilken är berömd för sengångare och apor trots att den är belägen endast ett stenkast från staden. 
Efter en timme hade vi tagit oss upp till toppen där vi kunde se hela staden från  båda sidor. Dock lite besvikna över att inte få se några sengångare.. 
 
Vi var självklart tvungna att träna lite uppe på toppen, (efter att ha promenerat förbi ett gäng som körde hårdträning upp för hiking leden kände vi oss lite lata, haha)
 
När vi skulle gå hem från bergen tänkte vi ta en genväg, smart idé tyckte vi! Vi började gå men en taxi chaufför stoppade oss och sa att det inte är säkert för turister att vandra igenom detta område- men om ni vill kan jag ta er till ert hostel för bara 6 dollar. Vi ville inte betala 6 dollar för 1 km, så vi tackade nej och vandrade vidare. 50 meter hann vi gå innan vi blev stoppade av två militär snubbar. Hey! Where are you going? Muy dangerous! No place for tourists! Okej tänkte vi, får väl ta taxin för 6 dollar. Innan vi hann vända om stoppade militären en polisbil och vi fick skjuts av de mycket glada poliserna igenom ett område väldigt få fått chansen att se. Snacka om att vi var exalterade när vi hoppade ut ur polisbilen precis framför vårt hostel, sparade 6 dollar gjorde vi också;)
 
 
 
 
 

Panama - Casco

Kategori: Allmänt

 
Sorry it's been so long since we updated the blog have been very busy exploring the Caribbean coast of Panama  and Costa Rica... 
Photos from the old town of Panama City called Casco. Most beautiful city we were so amazed it was very unexpected. the owner of the hostel explained that the old town was recently taken back by the military to develop as a tourist destination. There are now tourist police on every corner 24hours a day as the surrounding suburbs are very dangerous.
View from out room where we stayed for 6 days while studying Spanish at a local language school.
View from our classroom with señor Santo.
Panama skyline before yet another crazy storm!
After our first class the owner of the school organized a field trip to the canal. He hired bikes and we all road along the esplanade to the docks where we ate our first ceviche (raw fish cooked in lime juice).
Just as we were about to ride back the storm kicked in with terencial rain, we tried to wait it out but in the end just took off some clothes, popped our things in a plastic rubbish bag and embraced it.
 
 

San Blas Islands

Kategori: Allmänt

 
Jonna y Matt beben unas cervesas frías. We spent a few days playing volleyball, drinking beer and reading at beaches like this..
 
¡Un chico lindo de una isla Bonita!
 
Los niños jugaden fútbol con Rutger y con mi:) These cute kids lived on one of the islands we visited. We played football with the oldest brother, next Zlatan maybe? We also got invited to a BIG fiesta to celebrate one of the girls living on the island becoming a woman( 15 years). They celebrate it for days with good food, music and dance around the fire. Our captain was very happy because it was the first time he ever got invited in 7 years. Unfortunately a storm came through At it was too dangerous to go.
 
solnedgång 
 
Camino  á la playa blanca. 
 
Just having a photoshoot ;) 
 
No Påågy you can't eat the starfish!
 
Spent out last night on a secluded little beach just outside portobelo where we saw iguanas, baby crocs and fireflies Then slept under the stars...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dinner in San Blas

Kategori: Allmänt

Early morning trawling off the back of the yacht, the first one got away by jumping out of the water and landing on the line before we could stop the boat... 
 
Captain Youyou doing the dirty work..
 
proud catch bogong off to the kitchen!
 
 
 
our friend Ella playing with tonight's dinner
 
Bought crays and crabs from the local Kuna people who apparently don't eat them. Cost about 30US for about 20 crays and 10 crabs...
 
Was a bit of a luxury to be fed 3 massive meals a day for 5 days. the cook made fresh lemonade or ice tea everyday and there was piles of fresh fruit all over the boat. Between that and the Cuba libre its fair to say we stepped off the boat carrying a little extra weight! 
 
 
 
 

Sailing San Blas

Kategori: Allmänt

We met up with the captain and the crew at 5 in Cartagenas harbour. He is a crazy looking polish rasta with long dreds and one pair of shorts... Captain YouYou picked us up in his rubber dingy and took us to Jaquline, a big catamaran which we were going to spend our next five nights on... bye bye Cartagena! 
 
Matthew got up early to see the sunrise while Jonna slept as usual...she managed to catch a sunset I think.
 

 
 The boat is a catamaran just under 20m long. She has a massive cabin and cockpit and heaps of outdoor deck area... she sleeps upto 20 ppl but we were lucky to be only 16 and of course because the captain liked us we got the best and only private Cabin. Though we ended up sleeping outside most nighst, the last on the trampoline at the front of the boat and under the most amazing stars. There was always crazy thunderstorms in the distance with the most amazing lightning displays. Oh and when I pissed over the edge of the boat in the middle of the night the ocean glowed flurecent green because we were sailing over bioluminescent plankton!