Back To San Pedro

Well after another awful bus ride. I have not said how awful they are but they suck. They are super slow like 3-4 hours for about 150Kms. The roads here are not the best, the bridges even worse. There is no toilet or aircon and it has been so hot they are like a sauna.
Anyway enough of that, although I hate the bus rides when I get to a destination I love it. I started my homestay on Sunday. My new mum Señora Barbosa is lovely, we do not talk a lot as my spanish is limited and she has no english. She is a great cook though I have the best meals, for breakfast fruit platters, bread and tea. For dinner fish fillets, rice, beans, salad, custard with chocolate sauce. Claudia when I get home I want it this good :)
Classes are going ok, it is difficult as in my class we are covering stuff I already know, and one of the older (65ish) students is struggling so we are going a little slower. However the class above me is quite difficult I feel that I am learning some new stuff everyday. It is tiring though. 4 hours of class. Then in the Afternoon Latin Dance Class!!!
Man, learning latin dance entirely in spanish is difficult. My teacher is ace, she is Cuban and has an awsome sense of humor. So far I have learnt, the Cha Cha, Merengue, Costa Rican Salsa and today the Cuban Salsa. I have not really mastered them and to say when I dance with the other student (a swiss guy) we look super unco. It is a workout though and lots of fun, it has been a while since I felt this stupid. Man the cuban salsa is very difficult, so many steps, spins, piviots etc. You literally have to take it one step at a time.
The school is great they can help with tours etc and they are taking us to the market next week. Well hope you are all well. Sorry about the lack of photos, the computer does not seem to have a USB port but I will definatley try my best to get them on. I know I have been saying that for a while, but I can only try. I best go my dinner is awaiting. Yum!

Jaco & Manual Antonio - Costa Rica

Hey all, I´ve made it here safely! Arrived in San Jose, spent 2 hours waiting at a dodgy bus station and caught the bus to Jaco. A beach resort town, it´s not super seedy however it seems like an american version of Bali, lots of tourists. I couldn´t get much more of a contrast between new york and here. After being in the cold super big city, Where no one is really interested in you. To arrive here it´s hot 32 degrees (which is stinking hot after being in 4 degrees weather), green and lush, people are always offering you stuff or asking you for money. Tourists are here everywhere. The people in my room are really cool a aussie guy called paul and a sweedish girl called sophia. We went out for dinner last night! Then met some of Sophia´s friends then went to this bar called the beetle bar. We mainly went there to people watch. It´s a bar that is full of fat old American men and local prostitutes, it was still reasonaly safe, however it was quite interesting to watch all the behaviour going on. Today I´m hitting the beach and then to pool. Happy Australia day to all!!!!

The picture here is of Manual Antonio

Jaco was ok, very touristy but kinda dodgy. After Jaco I went to Manuel Antonio. Again very toursty but it is lovely there is a great beach, and a national park with 3 beaches in it. Again it has been very hot so I have been swimming. My hostel was lovely, I had to catch the bus to the town but it was only a few minutes. The hostel was on top of the hills and each night we had a beautiful sunset to view from hammocks. I went to the national park and got to see some Sloths, Monkeys, Racoons, Birds and Lizzards. Again I met some great people Kyle and Britney from the US were lovely and I also met some guys who are riding bikes from California to the tip of south Argentina, they are raising money for non profit organisations. Check out there website. www.pedalforthepeople.org

Things about North America:

Just some random thoughts on my time in North America: Little things I've noticed or learned:

* Always order small never medium or large. A small size here is equivalent to a medium or standard size here, the size of medium or god forbid large is astronomical. A small pizza is equivalent to a large back home.
* Americans are not as fat as I thought, well in new york they're all pretty ok I think it must be all the walking, although when your shopping here clothes sizes here are pretty big. I'm a size 1 juniors.
* Canadian public toilets are super clean.
* Half the population of Canada seems to be Australian, those damn working holiday makers, I understand why Canada seems to have a relaxed vibe much like Australia and the people are just as great!
* Canadian cheese sucks and is expensive.
* Canadian boys are cuter than US boys (well from the ones I've seen)
* New York doesn't really have super markets but they have some great little deli's.
* Also the subway in new york is not as scarey as I expected.
* As great as New York is I do not think I could ever live there. With the average rent of a one bedroom place being $1500 per month, that kinda makes it hard. But although there is so much culture and interesting things, there is no real outdoor lifestyle, most of the grass in parks is fenced off and if central park did not exist most new yorkers would go crazy.

That's all for now If I can think of anything I forgot I may add it later.

Big Apple

Hey all, sorry it's been a while the internet is so expensive here but I bit the bullet and decided to shell out the $1 u.s. per 10 mins. I've been have a busy but fantastic time. there are so many things to see and do and simply walking around the city (which is super easy by the way as all the streets are numbered) is an experience. Here is a list of the stuff I've been up to:
- Paid my respects at the ground zero site.
- Did a bus tour of brooklyn.
- Went up the empire state building, spectacular views.
- Visited a beautiful church St Patricks.
- Visited the financial and court districts (for those who watch law and order)
- Went to a broadway show called Avenue Q which is a musical comedy, which uses actors and puppets, it's descirbed as your life only funnier it included such songs as, it's ok to be gay, everyones a little bit racist, the internet is for porn, it sucks to be me. It was Fantastic!
- Went on a harbour cruise to see the city and visit statue of liberty.
- Shopping in SOHO, such great stores, got some jeans which are so cheap here!
- Went to some cool and also some dive bars in the east village.
- Went to the gugenheim museum which sucked as there was not much there, most of it was closed for installation of a new exhibition. There was some picasso and some kodinsky (spelling?)
- The weather here has been great like almost a melbourne winter but a little colder, I was expecting snow but it's not (my travels seem to be proof that global warming exists). Anyway I walked most of the way around central park saw strawberry fields, and walked around the Jackie O reservoir.
- Did a walking tour of harlem and went to a baptist gospel church which was great there was lots of singing preaching and praising the lord, it was a little full on though and I did feel a little weird at times especially when ladies were crying and faiting because jesus had saved them.
- Today I went to the museum of modern art which was amazing. They had a great pixar animation exhibiton, saw some great works of art by picasso, warhol, van gough, dali, pollock, (mum you would have loved it!).

Tonight I am hoping to go to a jazz bar, and eat some new york pizza, I don't have much time left here it's a great city and I'd love to see more but I am looking forward to some beach time relaxing in Costa Rica!

Me again an addition to this post. The pizza was yum, and I never got to the jazz bar. Today I went to the MET which was cool but I was a bit museumed out, however I did go to that cool toy store that was featured in the movie BIG with Tom Hanks and yes I danced on the giant piano! Also walked along the brooklyn bridge, spectacular views.

Much love Alicia (p.s, I'll add some photo's when I'm on a better computer)

New York New York

Hey all, me from the big apple.

Wow this city is amazing, after it taking me 4 hours to get out of JFK airport to my hostel, surviving a crazy bus driver, the NY subway I made it feeling a little overwealmed. I met another auzzie girl from Tassie who had just arrived as well so we decided to stick together. Spend the last two days on a tour bus seeing the sights, so I can orient myself in this city (it is huge and that's just manhattan!). Times square is amazing it would set of many epileptic fits I imagine. Today the weather was awful howling winds and rain, so it limited activities. However I did walk around mid-town went to the UN building, trump world tower, grand central station, and the NY library (which is an awsome building).

hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow, so I can go see more sights.

I'm I bit bummed at the moment as I returned to the hostel to get a message to say I had won tickets to see the letterman show, but I'd been out all day, so I was not able to call back in time. So I'll try again tomorrow but please all cross your fingers for me. I'll add some photos soon.

Love Alicia

Seattle

Hey all,

After a fun time in Vancouver I spent my last days going to Capillano suspension bridge, Grouse mountain and walking in the rain at Stanley park.

A quick post, today is my first official real day of travelling alone, I've spent today in Seattle, walking around downtown, visiting the great markets they have here, also going to the space needle which was cool. Tomorrow I'm off to new york.

Much love

Alicia

snow

wanted to put another pic of me in the snow

Rocky 2

Hey all,

Well I'm back in Vancouver now. I had an amazing time in the Rockies I didn't want to leave. Everyone from our tour was sad as we'd all had such an amazing time. I know I've posted about the rockies before but it was very brief not much detail.

I enjoyed snowboarding, I found it challenging scarey and fun all at the same time. I got some leasons at Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise which are located around Banff. We spend 3 nights in Banff which is such a pretty town, but it now has a population of around 50% Aussies. You end up going I thought I same to get away from it. Lake louise is so pretty, the lake was all frozen and they have a castle made of ice on it. People were iceskating as well.

From Banff we travelled to Kimberley which is a small mining town which also has a ski resort on the way stoping for a hike to a frozen lake and radium hot springs. We watched the sun come up from the mountain and skied/boarded first runs.

Then on to Fernie which is a town I really liked it's like Banff without the tourists and also has some of the best powder in the rockies (they have avalance blasts going off all day so we don't get crushed). First day boarding had great runs but was raining so everyone was cold and wet. Next day it was snowing all over the mountain so it was super fun. After nearly 5 days of consecutive boarding, my body was sore and I have some great bruises from Stacking it. One of my highlights of my trip so far was going to the local hockey game. Fernie Vs Golden. Junior B leage match which means more fights. Also you are close to the action because it's a local game. After the visitors scored a goal someone put a live chicken on the ice. Poor thing was freaked out it took a while before it was ushered off the ice.

On the way back to banff we went to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump which is where the native Candians, ran buffalo off a cliff top to kill them for the Fall slaughter it was a great museum and it was great to do something cultural as well as just snowboarding.

After Fernie it was back to Banff (where it was snowing). Where again I was able to do something I could never do back home. Go DOG SLEEDING it was so much fun. I co-drove the sled and also rode in it. It was an awsome experience.

Back in Vancouver now, been to the Capillano suspension bridge and Stanley park which is fun but it's been raining non-stop here for 26 days which puts a dampner on things (pardon the pun).

Looking forward to heading to New York soon. Much love xoxo

Rockies!!!

Hey all,

Been on the moose tour for 5 days now, having fun a good tour bunch who enjoy lots of beers and time in the hot tubs, mainly auzzies but lots of other nationalities. Tour leaders are pretty cool too.

Have been snowboarding for 3 days, can slide bothe edges zig zag and I'm starting to turn, had some lessons had an awsome teacher in Lake Louise.

It's so amazing here landscapes that I've never seen before, they are awe inspiring. So far we have been to Banff, Lake Louise, Kimberley and we've just arrived in fernie.

I'm finding it a great challenge to learn to board, it's been a while since I've felt challenged, although frustrating it's a great feeling, makes you feel alive. Have also been to hot springs, seen frozen waterfalls, also to the local dodgy banff night club hoodoos tomorrow we are going to a hockey game.

Here is a photo of the morning sun at Kimberley

Got to go lots of love to all.

alicia xoxo