The countdown has begun... again

De: Ronald van der Linden
Para: vanderlinden.ronald@gmail.com
Fecha: 22-ago-2006 20:33
Asunto: the countdown has begun... again


A todos: muchisimos saludos desde el paraiso Bocas del Toro, Panama. Son islas en el mar de caribe cerca la frontera con Costa Rica. Desde hoy va a empezar el ¨countdown¨ de los días que faltan para regressar a Holanda. Un año de viaje. Un año conocer buena honda, gente como uds. Un año no es nada, ya casí pasó. Faltan 11. Todavía estoy viajando para el sur.... El 2 de Septiembre salirá un avion para Holanda... podria ser que estaré en este vuelo?

To all: a zillion greetings, hugs and whatever more from paradise, Bocas del Toro, Panama, a group of islands on the Costa Rican/Panaman border in the Carribean Sea. As of today the major countdown has begun. Almost a year of travelling passed by. A year of meeting cool people like yourselves. A year is nothing, now it´s almost over, passé. Only 11 days left to catch the flight back to Holland, from Mexico City, and I am still heading south. On 2nd September a flight will depart from Mexico City... will I be on it?

Aan eenieder die mij dierbaar is in Nederland of waar ook op deze aardbol je ook moge bevinden: hartelijke groeten vanuit een paradijs op aard´ Het heet Bocas del Toro. Eilandengroep op de Costaricaanse en Panamaanse grens maar wel ff in de Caribische Zee. Palmpjes, blauwe zee, schitterende stranden. Nu is bijna een jaar voorbij, een jaar vol reizen, een jaar vol ontmoetingen met goeie lui. Een jaar is niets, mijn goede vrienden, het is nu bijna voorbij. Nog enkel 11 dagen resten mij... maar nog altijd trek ik naar het Zuiden. Op 2 september vliegt er een vliegtuig vanuit Mexico Stad... zal ik het halen?

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Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama
Another threesome of countries in just a few days.

Visited León, which is in Nicaragua.
Loved it. Stayed, left and came back again. Fell in love with the city, although at first I thought ¨where the hell am I now?¨
Met girls. Dutch girls, German girls, American girls some boys as well, English, Swiss and Dutchies. Also got to know some Nicaraguan guys. Really cool and fun guys. Mostly León was a place to relax, do nothing, then change your mind and stay another day, because, well, one just doesn´t want to pack the bags just yet. Live music, Nicaraguan music. Cool, raw, rock revolutionairy ¨be proud of Nicaragua¨ music. Some softies to satify the girls ofcourse were to be heard as well. León, the hostel owned by Belgians. I loved hearing the soft version of Dutch, the smoothness and again the hospitality of this really fun and relaxing place. So if you think this place was all about doing nothing, drinking loads of alcohol and sing & dance till you drop dead in bed... that would fit the perfect description of my weekandahalf there. I am never really on a rush anyways. But it was not only the place, this particular time it was definately the people. Fun people, kind people, people that make the heart pound a little bit faster...

Visited Granada, also Nicaragua.
Beautiful place, plazas, churches, other buildings, but too pretty for my taste. I had seen it all in Mexico and Guatemala. The colonial towns. However, León and Granada were founded in 1524 (give or take a year) and therefor the oldest places around in Latin America. Granada was not really something to stay for, so I left for a laguna... Laguna de Apoyo. A giant crater lake. Accompanied by 2 Hollandisch girls I had met earlier in León. I seemed to follow their footsteps wherever theirs walked by. León, Masaya, León again and now Granada. It was a time that got me accustomed to Dutch language and girls again. The minister of Immigration of Holland would be proud... doing my own reintegration project. Ah, the laguna... preciously beautiful. It was also my mums birthday, so with a bottle of 7 yearsold Flor de Caña (pure nicaraguan rum), Coca Cola and good friends I celebrated. Some full moon lake swimming at night was also involved. No nakedness involved... nobody was drunk enough I guess.

Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua
I did not want to go there. But I found myself on the docks of Granada (sounds better than it is) thinking, thinking, trying to make a decision. Then I just went, again a day behind the girls, but determined not to find myself in the same hostel as theirs again. Pretty boattrip to the island... the largest freshwater island in the world according to Lonely Planet or was it my own Footprint that said that? Doesn´t matter. I arrived and I did not blame myself for going. On the last bus going round the island I met 2 other Dutchies. Them I met earlier in León as well. (León was a reunion city... Isla Ometepe was going to have the same fate) Swam in the lake during sunset. Gorgeous. Silence and cows drinking on the beaches the fresh and cool water of the lake. With the Dutchies and some others I met during the boat trip to the island we went volcano climbing. Cloudy day. Unlucky, but determined to climb and maybe swim in the crater lake up above. The climb took 5 long hours. Through mud, lots of mud. But as a team we made it to the top. I had one moment, I wanted to return... get of the damn volcano, but 2 minutes later I found myself again... stupidly saying ¨the only way is up¨ Almost at the top I met my 2 fun and dear Israeli girls... talk about a coincidence. Big hugs and weird looks from others... it is always good to meet up again, wherever you are... in this case on the top of the volcano. Now I was thinking maybe the 2 Dutch girls would be next... they would have gone crazy I think... but no dutchies. Downhill took another 6 hours. The top was misty by the way, nothing to see, but the feeling of ¨I finally climbed a volcano¨ overcame all sadness that mist and fog can provide a human being. The English know exactly what I mean....
On Ometepe I also met a kind American couple. Met them in Coban, Guatemala. At the time when the wife told the husband ¨dear I am pregnant...¨ So you see, while travelling lots can happen... even the creation of new life. Perhaps another new traveller? It was good meeting them again... and this time seeing a real advanced belly ;-)

San José, Costa Rica
Next day was another decision making morning. Take the 7pm boat to San Carlos (an overnight boattrip) or go directly to San José and meet a dear friend of mine, Iris. German and we met eachother in Oaxaca, Mexico. Together we crossed the border of Mexico/Guatemala and saw the ruins of Tikal. I liked the girl and have good memories. So I decided ¨San José it is!¨ Ofcourse whenever one makes a decision, reality always does its atmost efforts to avoid one going there... missed one ferry... had to wait 3 hours for the next. Almost changed my mind. But when I finally arrived in San José and be able to give Iris a big hugg and a ¨good to see you again¨ all was worth it. Together we had the evening to ourselves. A few beers, a spaghetti meal and talks about travelling. Travel life is good.
Stayed one more day in San José, meeting Yorleny. Costarican girl, met in Antigua, Guatemala. Had an excellent meal of ¨gallo pinto¨ rice, beans and chicken at the local artesanias market with Yorleny, Iris and her German friend. Next was visited a museum meant for kids about all aspects of life... biology, technology... stuff to try out. Since we are all still kids in our hearts... we went and stayed a long while. At 4am Iris woke me up, gave her a big farewell hugg... she was off for Cuba, the reason why I wanted to see her was just to see her one more time in Central America and wish her all the best for Cuba.

From Costa Rica I went with Yorleny to paradise... Panama... Islas del Toro... the Bull´s Islands. Beautiful. For the first time in my life in the Carribean. Snorkling... beautiful fish... red, blue, purple, white, small, larger, coral, blue waters, gorgeous beaches. And again we met up with a Dutchie girl... also met her in León. The 3 of us went discovering the islands. Later follow by 2 men from Barcelona. Those I met in Granada, Nicaragua. The world is a small place.... The now 5 of us went yesterday to the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen in my life. Bluff beach. Gorgeous I tell you! Incredible I tell you! Also learned a new card game... a Dutch card game. Something about selling cows on the market... ¨Koehandel¨. Interesting game...

And now the time has come to visit the ultimate last part of my travels... although originally I wanted to be in the southern tip of Southamerica... I will now make it until Panama City. That´s the reason I will end my little tiny story. I have to go. Eleven hours on the bus. Panama may be small... it sure is streched out!!!

Only 11 days left.
From Panama I say goodbye and to those in Mexico City I will say hello around the 30th August (creo que voy a llegar en DF el 30 agosto.... me esperen eh!!)

To all, lots of love, all the best and many many happy smileys. I hope the story was again good to read just before you go to sleep in your bed. I hope this bed is in the place that surrounds you with friends, family and happiness. Wherever my bed will be, I know with knowing you, each and every single one of you. I am surrounded by good and wonderful people. These days the world is only as far as you want it to be. Enjoy your travels, always, each and every day...

I have only 11 days left...
mayday mayday... the countdown has already begun
South America here I come! hahahaha

Ronald


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