Berta’s Travel Shenanigans

As we enter the final days of life on this last phase of Raleigh the ´interesting factor´ has risen to an exceptionally high level of standard.  Overall, life in La Fortuna has involved a cast of interesting characters quite out of their comfort zones in this phase –  in turn, this has resulted in both individual and group behaviours and attitudes that are high-strung and also quite discouraged and frustrated. A few animal related ´events´ have unfolded over the past week.  Most bizarre, and personal, has been the invasion of the worms…torsolas/botfly worms to be exact.  Here is a description: Read the rest of this entry »

I have had an interesting introduction and orientation to the Nicaraguan bus-system this phase.  Last travel blog entry saw me in the small town of Yali, which we almost did not get out of later that afternoon…After spending the day eating ice cream, having coffees, and being ´shown off´and paraded around (due to our ´celebrity´statuses!) by our community leader, Lolo, who accompanied us into the town we attempted to head back to La Fortuna.  Unfortunately, the buses here pay little or no respect to such things as a schedule – so we missed our bus despite being half hour early.  After some panic-inducing conversations (at least for some participants) Read the rest of this entry »

There is a link along the side of this blog that is the page from the Raleigh blog write-up for the second, environmental phase…

It will never cease to amaze me how, on average, 80% of the small towns in Costa Rica and Nicaragua do not have a working phone – but there are random internet spots.  Hmph?!  Not sure whether this speaks to how the world works today or what – but it can be bloody annoying and at the same time amusing.  So that means that, yes, here I am in a random little Nicaraguan town – Yali- updating my blog – haha, and listening to some cool house music! 

It is about 45 minutes from La Fortuna, the town which we are calling home for at least the next week.  Literally, we wake up in the clouds every morning – its absolutely stunning.  With this altitude also brings a really friggin cold good mornings Read the rest of this entry »

Alright, have arrived here in Esteli, Nicaragua.  Clearly distinct (i.e. definitely less wealthy)  from Costa Rica, Nicaragua is so far a beautiful country.  Our journey here included a chaotic departure on the bus, a crazy bus-driver with an interesting secret service air to him, and a most interesting border crossing complete with cha-chi sunglass buying, shady money changing, and constant requests for money.  And yes, getting absolutely ravaged by 1, possibly 2, pesky mosquitos during the night – the left side of my forehead was literally so swollen (the mosquito just kept going back to the same area I s´pose!) so as to render me a star-wars character look-alike (thanks to Sian, my fellow project manager, for this endearing observation!).   

We will be heading to La Fortuna, where we will be staying and working on the community centre Read the rest of this entry »

Just a FYI not to send anymore mail after March. 21 (this Friday) as I might not receive it…and since I have already expressed to some how the majoritiy of you :-p with respect to sending me some news from wherever you are, this will probably be a relatively non-issue.  Thought I would pass it along regardless. 

Right – so, once again, deployment tomorrow morning.  Last phase – and the phase that I was most attracted to orginially:  working and living in a community with the youth participants.  So, this means that I have been very lucky to be one of only 3 project managers who have been assigned to all three types of phases – plus, this mobility means that, for this phase, I get the priviledge of ‘reuiniting’ with 4 participants…2 each from phase 1 and 2.  I will be working in Nicaragua – specially, we will be travelling to a town called La Fortuna and working with the cooperative ‘Miraflor’.  La Fortuna is located in Miraflor National Park and is meant to be absolutely stunning so CANNOT WAIT.  

Here is the official Raleigh description:  The Miraflor reserve is 206sqkm of beautiful mountainous terrain with various different ecosystems, including tropical savannah, dry tropical forest and mountain cloud forest Read the rest of this entry »

There is a link along the side of this blog that is the page from the Raleigh blog write-up for the first, trekking phase…

I have returned to Costa Rican civilization after spending the past 3 weeks in a Jungle Paradise. It really hit me on the last morning when I woke up, yet again, outside, in my hammock, to the sound of the rushing river and forest cover overhead – at this point I had only managed to sleep inside 5 nights of the whole 2 months that I have been in Costa Rica.

We arrived at La Cangreja (spanish for crab) National Park (a relatively new park 1.5 hour drive from Quepos and Costa Rica´s most popular Ntl. park – Manuel Antonio) to begin work on the ¨Black River¨ trail that would connect two ranger stations – one in Santa Rosa to the one in Mastatal. Picture this for an entrance- having to push the bus up the slope to the ranger´s house Read the rest of this entry »

Corcovado Trail – walk from La Sirena to La Leona Read the rest of this entry »