In A Life Time

Costa Rica- the land of adventure but at an expense.

kellydunbar — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:54:00 GMT

2 weeks of Pana studying spanish and I nearlly lost my head just from being in the same small town for too long. However it did give us the opertunity to rent a house, catch up with our fantastic american buddies and also gave us another chance to see Guillaume Mum! But we were deffinatly itching to hit the road again.

So we jump on a plane to Costa Rica and straight on a bus, headed for the pacific coast of Quepos and Manuel Antonio. A little shock to the system, change of money, change of spanish vocab and the cost a little higher then we wanted. Admittedly its still cheap but when your on the road counting your pennies or in costa rica's case hundres and thousands every little bit counts. Just when we thought we had a small handel on things.

Spent the last two weeks enjoying the beaches and national parks of Dominical, Jaco, Montezuma and surrounding areas. The beachs are perfect when they havent been hit by tourism and there are alot that have been. Montezuma by far our faviorite spot, spent a week there with the other bkpacking bums that boated in or took the bumpy dirt broken roads. Which is exactly the reson it was our fav. no tour buses. Hard to get to places, picture perfect and tranquil in the way i think your experience should be. Minus the awsome ATV day rental not so tranquil but great way to get to the hard too places and enjoy the sand from a different veiw.

Now in Monteverde up in the mountains in a bio cloud forest. Its really beautiful but unfortunatly a little loader then you expect due to the hilly roads and the traffic pushing up it. Hard to find a peaceful spot but we managed a great log hotel for cheap behind the town. Spent the day today exploring the forest by suspened bridges, in the larges butterfly habbitate I have ever seen with butterflys 15cm in width. I have never seen so many different species. O yes and the same for the Hummingbird Garden. I love those clever little birds they are like something out of a fairy tale.

Heading to north carribean next. In by boat to Tortuga. Hopefully enjoy even more wildlife there.

Hope your all doing great, stay in contact..!!

Three weeks down and Three times sick

kellydunbar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:14:00 GMT

Okay so I left you last in Antigua. Since then we travel via many buses some of which I would gladed never do again but I guess this is just the beginning. Maybe it will just take a little bit of warming up. I would also like to add in that its almost impossible to work out where or how everything works on this damn keyboard so your just going to have to put in the grammer yourself, sorry to all you english lit people.

Left Antigua for an over night bus from Guatamala City, first round of sickness. Motion sickness has never been my strong point. 3 buses, 1 arguement - got stiffed on our bus deal and had to pay extra, 1 boarder crossing and 1 boat to make it to our first piece of paradise. Caye Calker on the carribean. Found ourselves a sweet, cheap cabana on the water complete with deck and hamock and set up home for a week. Made the most of really relaxing, actually the island was quite small but plenty going on and going for it. Went snokeling for a day which took a little convincing for dear old Guillaume that it would be safe. I was having a great old time working him up and much to my delight the first thing we got to snokel with was is sharks. Harmless sharks but its was such an amazing experience, after that a giant sea turtle which i think for me was even more of a highlight, he swam directly under me was just incredible. And of course plenty of fishy and rays. Hired a bike, ate lots of food, drank a bunch and hung in the hamock. No shirt, No shoes, No worries. We were happy.

Next stop Tikal. So bus back across the boarder and straight to Tikal where we spent the night in a tent with our new faviorite friends the mosquito, this was going to be a long lasting friendship. And our first catch up with Guillaume's Mum. Wondering around in hope we hadnt missed her group already at 7.30am in the morning when all of a sudden this lady starts charging at me. It was too early for me to relise what was happening until I was being hugged to death. A big warm hello, lots of talking over the top of each other and then on our way in the gates for Tikal.

As far as Tikal words cant really describe it. Huge, Facinating and Adventures is probably the best i can give you. Even photo's can not tell the story here. It not just the buildings itself, its the overpowering feeling they have towering over you. We were just ants.

Left tikal with the plan to head to lake atitlan in guatamala but starting talking with some other travellers on the bus that sent us on a little stop over to Semuk Champee. Semuk Champee is a beautiful green 5 teared lakedeep enough to for cliff jumping adventure and stunning enough for jaw droping beauty. The first day we all got up in a group and took to a cave tour. Now when i was signing up for this i dont think I was clearly thinking CAVE. We swapped footwear, lit a candle and headed in about 10 feet wading through the water. Then all of a sudden were swimming deeper and deeper in, one hand above the water to make sure the candel is not swimming too. First obsticle a ladderin a very inconvient place, then a rope up a waterfall, and a cliff jump in the dark(me being the first for all), o and my fav. a swing jump that launches you so high my knees were shaking. And to complete the tour my tour guide attaching himself to me and kissing my ankles. What would it be without a crazy little tour guide that speaks spanish. NO intendo. Next day round two, I have the flu. Coughing, Body aching, Nose running and our new best friends the mosquitos eatting me in the night. No sleep. So another night spent in semuk champee due to me not being able to move and dreading another sleepless night with the bugs. Finally got my self on my feet so we could continue on.

We are now on Lake Atitlan in pana and have been for 5 days. Really nice little hippyish, markets, chill place. Round Three ate toooo many beans apparently. I thought baked beans were good for your heart the more your eat the more you.... well i dont really need to finish that sentence. Along which that what little I have been able to stomach came up last night in a hurrican of vomit. Nice I know but i have to share me travels right. hehehehee. Feeling not so bad today. Hopefully round three and thats it!

Signed ourselfs up fgor spanish lesson starting tommorow. You really cant get by knowing just enough when the person next to you knows alot. And found ourselfs a cute little house for cheap for the next two weeks. There is also a bunch of adventures around here to be had so we will be keeping in contact.

I did alreday try for uploading photos but it takes alot more then i expected. I have two weeks to catch you up whilw Im studying.

Hasta Luago xxx

It took some time but we got here!

kellydunbar — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:29:00 GMT

OLA,

So we thought we would be arriving on tuesday moring after a few connecting flights with united but well we were wrong. Its always nice to start to trip of with areminder of what travelling is all about.

We left for guatamala for the calgary airport on moday and only made it to San Fran before our connecting flight got cancelled missing and so missing our other connecting flight to guatamala city. So united in there wisdom wanted to send us all the way over to new york, yes backwards and then board a plan with another airline to guatamala with no time to find our backsacks. Call me crazy but i deffinatly wasnt ready to part with my pack that early in the game. So we scrapped that idea and they put us up in a hotel for a night which turned out in my favour as i ended up getting a flu within about two hours and was coughing up a little blood no idea how it came on so fast but it left just as quickly.

Next day back to the airport ´´Sorry miss we dont have you on any flights for today they have you book tommorow evening to fly out¨. Another hotel room, another day wasted but time to sleep some more. Finally jumped on our plane on wednesday night to L.A. and then on to Guatamala city from there. Joined up with 4 other travellers to get out of Guatamala city safely at 5am in the morning to Antigua, wasnt really planned but anyway out of the most dangerous city in central america was best. And to make some travel buddies straight up was great. Going to be keeping in contact with them in our travels for sure.

So far I feel very safe and comfortable although it deffinatly was a wake up call again when i jumped into the cold dirty showers again with a shammy as a towel. What are ya going to do. LOL. Antigua id very colourful city and so far have already had qa one hell of a hang over. Money is a little up and down with some things in US $$ and others in Quetzales. Spanish lessons are needed but i guess it will come. Leaving to go to Caye Calker an island in belize. Time to soak up some sun and salt after that we mean business!

Until Belize, Adios

March 16th/ Calgary

kellydunbar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:20:00 GMT

So where leaving on a jet plane? and guillaume doesnt know when he'll be back again... but me, well i'll be coming home soon enough.

Just spent the last week doing the goodbyes. Flew out of Fort Mc on Monday to Calgary hired a rental and went to Fernie. Said A big hello to chris a.k.a starcruiser, the first time in a year. Also Jimmy and Jez amoung a few other fernie familar faces. Enjoyed some beers for st. patties day. Then went to Skookumchuck where we really didnt want to leave. The two day stay ended up being a 5 day stay. Thanks to Jim and Louise we are a little more relaxed from our Fort McMoney working trip.Just sat back and took in the sun rays on the deck. While also playing with fire and getting the chance to see Jimmy and Jez again as they made the trip out out see us for one more last goodbye.

A little trip through the rockies and back to Calgary wher tommorow we will be bording our flight to guatamala city and going from guatamala city to belize for the begining of our adventure.

Adios, until Belize

xxx

Last leg, what more could you ask for?

kellydunbar — Fri, 7 Mar 2008 07:14:00 GMT

So Canada Aeh! Well sadly it is time to leave the country of Mountains, Culture’s, Hockey, Snowboarding, Perogie’s, Hiking, Camping, Bears, Moose, Road trips and genuinely fun times red necking it.

I have completely enjoyed myself up here in the northern hemisphere were the people are not unlike the Aussie’s which always helps to make you feel at home. We all enjoy working hard and playing harder. Loving the outdoors and making the most of every opportunity.

It all started in Fernie B.C. for a winter of snowboarding. Causing trouble with my best bud Emma, making tons of mates along the way and with too many room mate’s to mention them all. From there I got convinced to stay for a summer and enjoyed laboring & the outdoors inc. jumping of 60 foot cliffs & bridges, hiking, wake boarding, biking, beer baseball and getting inspired to draw again. I felt like a kid again, if I hadn’t of ran out of money I probably wouldn’t off left and meet Guillaume in Fort McMurray. But that was after an unforgettable road trip to Alaska with Patto, Brendan, Myself & a Kiwi. Lots of Driving by me, Sleeping cramped in Eddie the van, Music to sing along to, Many photo moments, Many animal sighting’s, a mugging and a Black eye.

Next stop Fort McMurray with Leslie, oil capital of North America. What else can I say Ummmmm lots of $$$ hence why I was up here but really not all that much else going for the place. Everyone becomes a work horse due to that reason, which worked for me. Meet Guillaume at the employment center and ended up living with him and his three other Quebecwa’s, didn’t last long in the house with all of us before I ended up moving out with Guillaume. Leslie left she missed Fernie too much understandably. Steve stayed but was living in a different house. And the other two crazy’s well I steered clear of wanting to know what they were doing.

Next trip Quebec by road for Christmas three days of endless driving and lots of craziness. Just Me, Guillaume, Steve and the dog, Rockie! What can I say about Quebec? Beautiful, Quirky little homes, Skinny streets, French language (which I unfortunately don’t speak), Food fantastic food and a warm welcoming.

Another winter spent in Fernie in Quatrin Mannor with Guillaume & Jim my Roomie and our family down the hall Erin, M.J., Jez, Mel and Dennis. Definitely a change on last season with more movie nights and relaxing times. Without forgetting a long visit from Beau, Chris, Kaine, Ash, Dean and Jess all from home, however I did disappoint myself a bit here as I just didn’t spend anywhere near enough time with them as I would off liked. They say live with no regret but it’s not always possible.

After Fernie a last minute job came up working in a town called Skookumchuck on a tree farm. We lived in a little trailer village on their property. Surrounded by mountains it was spectacular and we grew very fond of our Jim and Louise. So honest, hard working and loving we wanted to work hard for them and we did. Me in my little red tractor, running like a Bambi through the Christmas trees and Guillaume on the bob cat. They have the perfect little life for themselves out there. One of those if I had a million $$$ situations.

Last Chapter, Fort McMoney again. Not too happy about the situation but it was the best solution myself and Guillaume could come up with for making money to get to Central and South America. So here we are since June working like you wouldn’t believe. I’m at Moxies serving and at the new station in town Mix103.7fm as office manager. Love everyone I work with and I have actually spent quite a lot of my time up here now so it’s given me time to get to know people and let them know me the way I thought travel would always be like. Guillaume’s working for Casman as a carpenter, enjoying it but is glad to see the end. Had another trip to Quebec this time doing the tourist thing, cottage, tube park, snowboarding, 4- wheeling, Montreal, Christmas and new year’s eve in New York.

Three weeks to wind it up, say our last goodbyes in Fernie, Calgary, Edmonton and Skookumchuck and jump on a flight to Guatamala City on March 24^th.

xxxxx