I’ve only been on the road for a mere 10 weeks, but it’s extraordinary how much you learn when you travel, even for a short time. I will be writing a couple of these posts, for travel is but a continuous lesson in life, love, friendship and all the workings of this marvellous universe, and I am but her eager student. Here is my first instalment: Continue reading
We said goodbye to San Jose one last time and hopped on yet another bus to make our way to Nicaragua. I wish I could say that it was an uneventful bus adventure, but alas, that’s never the case with me! When we entered Costa Rica several weeks earlier, we were forced to purchase a return ticket out of the country from San Jose to Managua, Nicaragua. Continue reading
After two weeks camping in the jungles and dancing our bodies sore at music festivals, it was time to venture out to see what else Costa Rica had to offer. Like many of the other festival goers, We made our wary way across the Gulf of Nicoya and headed to Montezuma. I had heard the name many times since being in Costa Rica, but didn’t know what the place had to offer, and as a tribe we just decided to follow the masses and head to the coast for a few days of relaxing on the beach. Continue reading
The few days spent living in the jungle on the coast near Uvita, Costa Rica was a dream. Envision Festival brought together a group of strangers, and turned them into friends through music, dance, food (and by food, I mean Falafels), and exploration. Bonds were created and solidified as each day passed and plans were made by some to attend a second festival only a few days later near Costa de Pajaros, a few hours north up the coast. Continue reading
After three short weeks in Guatemala, I made a last minute decision to cut my Spanish lessons short and book it down to Costa Rica to attend Envision, a festival in Uvita that evolves around art, music and food. I had met several people on my travels that were all making their way to Envision soon, and when I met Sebastien and Kajsa on a boat one day on Lago Atitlan, the spontaneous decision to attend the festival was made, as was a bond of friendship between my new Swedish partner in crime, Kajsa and I. Continue reading
At first glance, San Pedro can be summed up in a few words: tuk tuks, gallos (roosters), maiz, churches, dogs, coffee, Spanish schools, tiendas, motorcycles, tortillas and music. But it’s so much more than this. I was warned time and again by other travelers prior to arriving in San Pedro that I was walking into a tourist trap- a loud and obnoxious city with nothing but tourists and partiers, no charm and no culture of its own. I was told if I wanted to see authentic Guatemalan life, I should go elsewhere. How wonderfully wrong those people were. Continue reading
I took a shuttle from the quiet city of Antigua for the two hour drive through the mountain country side to reach Lake Atitlan. The drive was captivating and I couldn’t take my eyes from the road, starring out bright eyed as the sights blurred past me: mountains surrounded us on all sides, farms were scattered here and there, hardy crops of maiz perched on steep slopes, the occasional small village, and now and then plumes of smoke from small rubbish fires dotted the distance. As we got closer and closer to the lake the land became more mountainous, the roads became steeper and cliffs began to form as we hugged the hillside, looking over precariously steep drops with no guardrails. Continue reading
Dearest Guatemala, you’ve already stolen my heart. While you revealed your eclectic landscapes to me through the small oval window of a Boeing jet, I instantly felt myself falling for you. As we approached the land mass of Mexico from the open expanse of endless turquoise ocean, I was taken aback by the unending jungle below. It was as if the ocean had never ended, but merely changed colours from blue, to green. Continue reading
Last week I left Yellowknife, my home for the last 22 years, to embark on the adventure of a lifetime- traveling around the world, solo. I spent my last few days in town scampering around in a hectic rush to say goodbye to my friends. For some reason, time decided to start moving in fast forward and I couldn’t slow the clock down enough to drag out my last few weeks, to see everyone I wanted to see, to hug everyone just one more time, have one more heart felt exchange, one more night of belly aching laughter. Continue reading
Where does one begin? As my departure date looms a mere three days away, and I find myself embracing friends in sad goodbyes accompanied by well wishes and promises to meet up abroad, I can’t help but find myself reflecting on the kindness of the people in my life. I am completely overwhelmed with the outpouring of support lately from friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers. Nearly everyone I talk to about my upcoming journey has gone out of their way to lend a hand in some way. I am in absolute awe of the generosity, kindness and helpfulness of all of these wonderful people. I posted the other week about the darker side of this coin- those who tell me I’m crazy, and offer no support at all, but instead tear my dreams down and shake their head at me. It’s time to turn the focus on the positive because it is far outweighing the negative. Continue reading
BorealBlonde 