Off the tourist path in Nicaragua

Here we are on Day 15 at Ometeppe Island, an island in Lake Nicaragua. We just finished our volunteer venture in the small town of Jinoteppe, where I did Art therapy presentation for assisted care workers. That experience forced us off the tourist Grid and into small town Nicaragua, an interesting experience. We took a mini bus from Leon to Jinoteppe, packed with locals for an hour. My lack of Spanish and their lack of English made communication hard but these sweet People tried to help us. when it came time to pay, I asked for two persons and Then pointed to the roof to pay for our bag. all the riders roared in laughter, Thinking I paid for a third person the roof of the bus. Oy vay! We stayed in an "Eco posada" (Ecolodge) run by Roberto. So we were surprised when We saw a small monkey chained to a tree at the entrance. Eco lodge? the gardens were wild and overgrown,much like Roberto himself. Robert is 72 years old, Wears a little gray pony tail, and runs this funky lodge, full of his collections Of seashells, old magazines, surreal paintings, and captive wild animals (parrots Too). We tourists need a definition for "Eco lodge". this one did not fit. the good news is that he is helpful. when Chuck had a toothache on Sunday, Roberto hauled us in his truck to a dentist's home at 10 AM. She examined Chuck, gave him a good bill of health at no charge. thanks, Roberto. Now we are off to the river, Rio San Juan for a new adventure. Adios!

Off to Nicaragua in a few days!

Hi!   It has been a year since we traveled abroad.    Now it is almost 2014 and we will be headed to Nicaragua in two weeks, a new country for us.   Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Central America, so I have a few reservations about this one.    Good news:   it will be warm and sunny there, existing near the Equator.    More good news:   I have an opportunity to share art therapy with new assisted care staff who want to learn to use art with their residents.   Bad news:   We know almost no Spanish, other than "mas cervezas, por favor" (more beer please)!    And there are few tourist facilities.

Oh well, if we "chicken out," we can bus it to Costa Rica, a bordering country rich with tourist facilities and lots of English spoken there.    But I like to think that we are still adventurers, sleeping in hostels, grappling with a new language, and trying lots of new foods and towns.

I'll let you know how it is going after we arrive on January l5.   Cross your fingers for us!

NZ: A Kinder. Gentler Version of the US

Traveling in NZ is like going back to the 60's.   Few people use cell phones, no one hurries, people dress sensibly in styles from the 50's (modestly, with longer skirts) and the radio plays the Beatles and Fleetwood Mac as if they are new groups.   Retro!

We had a real shock when we first flew domestically from Auckland to Palmerston North.   At the airport, we looked frantically for the usual security machines and finally asked a nice Kiwi passenger.   She said "No machines.   It isn't necessary here!"   Wow!   So different than the US.
 Kiwis are very proud to be pacifists.   All ships carrying nuclear weapons are banned from NZ waters.   When in the town of Oamaru on the coast, we saw a large NZ military gun ship off the shore.   When Chuck asked "Warship?", a proper Kiwi lady turned and said "No!"   It's a "coastal protection vessel."   Wow again.   Big difference, I guess (even though we could see torpedos).


NZ seems a kinder, gentler version of our country.   Although Kiwis look like us (with older clothing), there are more sheep here than people.   Life feels safer and quieter here due to strict gun control laws.   Guns are only allowed for police and licensed hunters.   Even then, they get a goverment inspection yearly to make sure the guns are safely locked up away from children.   People are generally more polite and helpful than most Americans.   If you ask for directions, they go out of their way to point you to the right turn or stop, smiling and welcoming you here.

As I near the end of my trip, it will be hard to leave this wonderful but remote place.   After all the next country South of here is Antarctica!   I wonder if I can become an "adopted Kiwi."   Hope so, at least in attitude.......................

Go to:www.Maraudingmitchells.blogspot.com

High and Dry in Kauai

Afer 13 years we return to the North Shore o Kauai. Some things change while others remain the same. Gay came here on a family vacation in the 60s and reports family time in the rain is not what it is cracked up to be. Oh well we are working on this with our adult children experiencing, as the Kiwis say "less than favorable" weather conditions. Chuck

Off to Paradise!

As I watched snowflakes fall yesterday in Portland, I thought of lying on the beach in Hawaii in just two days.    Hard to believe, but we will wing it to Hawaii for a week, then fly for four days of scuba diving in Fiji, then 6 weeks exploring New Zealand.    This time we will do a walking trek on the Bank Peninsula on the South Island and do a 3 day bike trek on the Otago Peninsula.    Hope my knees hold out!

Will try to post blogs each week of our adventure.   Stick with me and read about it!   I love to hear responses too!    See you with the full report in March.

La Pura Vida

On this, our last day in Costa Rica, I am reminded of the local expression, la pura vida, which means the pure life, or the good life. We've seen much goodness here like pristine beaches and ocean, colorful tropical flowers, healthy wildlife everywhere, no pollution of any kind and happy, healthy, literate local Costa Ricans, called Ticos. They seem to respect all forms of life and care for them. One taxi driver saw a small, indistinct bird run in front of our car and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting it. Ouch!

The Ticos are very friendly and helpful with a good sense of humor. I tried to tell a taxi driver that I was waiting for my husband, in Spanish. He chuckled. Then he told me that I had told him that I was waiting for my wife (he considered taking me to the gay hotel!). In France, locals would have humiliated me for misusing their language.

All this goodness does come with a price. A rental car costs $500 for one week, so we have opted for taxis to get from place to place. Almost any taxi trip from one town to another will cost at least $50. Hotels cost the same or more than Portland. We are staying in a Holiday Inn Express (very basic) and paying $140 for one night. We feel fortunate to be able to visit here but it is a shame that more people could not afford it. La Pura Vida is wonderful, but it is also La Expensive Vida. I will miss it all when I head to Portland and gray skies tomorrow.