5 months later and I'm in South America!

This time last year I was at my desk dreaming of doing this and here I am! How time flies..!

Last post I left off in Ometepe, Nicaragua, I'd forgot to mention that during my time in Leon, we'd gone to the beach - Las Penitas for a party, the waves there were HUGEEE! I thought I'd be brave and join in with the group I was with, NOPE - big mistake! I went in at the wrong time and I could see the look on one of the guys' face, as in, 'No no no wrong time!!' And I got SMASHED by the wave, felt like I was in a washing machine just getting rolled about, thinking when was I actually gonna surface! It landed me on the beach and I embarrassingly had a loose top on, yep, not one of my finer moments. Another friend was on the beach seeing this happen and then I see on his face - 'No no no not again!!' FACK!! Wave crashed down on me AGAIN and rolled me about yet again! I knew I would surface, it just wasn't nice having all this sand all in my hurr and in every crevice of my body LOL. So yeah, that was an experience!

Unforgiving waves at Las Penitas

Pool party in San Juan

My friends and I ended up doing 5 different hostels in 5 nights! My back didn't thank me for that though! The fourth place was ecolodge hostel, got to stay in hammock outside for $3!! Cheapest of my travels! The next place was a treehouse hostel and I loved it, our beds were in these little cages, like our own little quarters. I was ill for a couple days here, so it was nice, all snuggled up watching Breaking Bad - I'm bloody addicted! You could also go to the top it and catch an EPIC sunset behind Volcano Concepćion. Since we'd stayed at this place for 4 nights, we got to do the Full Moon drinking challenge for free (no buckets this time girls)! There was no point in me doing it, as it was a list of cocktails, beers and shots to get through, I pitifully got through 4 drinks and that was me done! Alot of weird things happened that night, like an American couple trying to get me to go back with them.... just sitting there with my mate laughing his head off, not even helping me out! SO AWKWARD.

One of my most fave hostels so far!

From the top!

EPIC shot of Concepcion!

My time in Nicaragua sadly came to end after about three weeks there, should've travelled about a bit more! Next stop was making a 10 hour (hungover) journey across to Monteverde in Costa Rica! A bit stressful cos we had to use fake flight confimations to get across the border, but I've learnt that a nice smile and flick of the hair helps out, screwed if a woman serves me though.

As soon as we got into CR everything was different! Clean and luscious green fields all around, didn't feel like we were in Central America at all. One of the buses dropped us off in the middle of nowhere and there I was standing with a couple of tall gringo looking lads trying to hitch hike 40km to the Cloud Forest. Finally a bus turned up 2 hours later and got us there in one piece.  Met a guy and his friends who had missed the last bus and actually had to hitch hike in the dark, telling me they shat themselves whenever the driver stopped anywhere cos they thought they'd be getting jacked, glad that was not me!

Monteverde was nice and chilly, it'd been about 2 months since I'd worn my jeans so it was nice to get them out, albeit a bit tight...! :/

Went to the forest the next day to do the canopy and ziplining! Along with seeing Teotihuacan, Semuc Champey and volcano boarding, another bucket list thing was to do the 1.5km ziplining over the cloud forest!! Was absolutely amazing!! Got a couple of superman pictures LOL. I was just speechless flying above all the trees, the views were spectacular! At the end we got to do the tarzan swing which was kind of like a mini bungee jump, OMGOSH the walk leading up to the swing was scary enough, it didn't help that the guy before me totally bottled it and walked off! It was so funny cos the guy strapping me in didn't even give me enough time to think about it, he basically got the straps on, swung open the gate, told me to bend my knees and let the tension rope pull me out! Before I could say I can't do it, I was being pulled out!!! It was like a 30 metre drop, I couldn't make a noise cos my body just froze, and then the swing started and I screamed my lungs outtttt!! Amazinggg experience, was shaking when I got pulled down! Awesome,  awesome,  awesoommmee!!
Went on a night walk through a forest that night and got to meet all kinds of little critter type shit, evidently forest insects are not my thing!

Supermaaaannnn :)

Was a quick stop in Monteverde and moved south onto Puerto Viejo, a nice Costa Rican beach! All the moving about and sleep deprivation in the previous days got me ill and so I wasn't able to party much down there :( PV reminded me alot of Caye Caulker but a built up version of it, was nice to be in the Carribean again, in the humid heat, listening to reggae here, there and everywhere :)

On one of the days I was feeling better we did a bike ride YAY! Rode about 24km that day, stopping off at different beaches, some of them were just paradise! Got another addition to my backpacker look lol, had a hair wrap done, don't know if you can see it any of my pics...!

Riding along the coast in Costa Rica

Next place was Bocas del Toro, a group of islands in the north of Panama!
Funny story, the day we were leaving PV, I noticed a friend of mine walking along and didn't notice the black guy next to him, so I called over and all of a sudden the black guy goes ' OMG, what are you doing here?!' I look at him and it's a friend of a friend that I'd met in Ibiza 3 years ago and haven't seen him since!!! We both just stood there shouting at eachother saying omg omg omg LOL. Both of our friends (and everyone else!) were looking at us like Dafuqqqqq??? Couldn't believe it, what a coincidence, neither of us knew the other was travelling over here, too funny!

That was the day we had to go through the most legit border crossing ever (!) An old creaky rail bridge! Hey, I guess not everyone can say they've done that!

Bocas was meant to be party central but for three days straight it just poured! Did go to Aqua lounge, a party hostel with swings and trampolines in the pools. Ended up pushing this guy into the pool (I knew him) and unfortunately he hurt himself :/ this other guy then trys to drag me in and I'm holding on for dear life since I've got my phone on me, anyway the prick caused me to stretch a muscle in my arm, which still hurts 2 months later, can tell it's gonna need physio KMT.

After the third day of rain, I'm pretty sure every traveller there booked a bus ticket out of there for the following day, lo and behold it's sunny the next day! Sod's law.

Last day in Bocas

Made the uncomfortable overnight trip to Panama City, we had to change buses in the middle of the night due to issues and then 5 minutes later change back?! No explanation, nothing. Had to pass out on the couches of the hostel at 5am since we couldn't check in!
Had to rush through the Panama Canal that morning as most of my friends were leaving on boats for Colombia the following day. Didn't know anything about the Canal but thankfully they had a lil movie - very cool!! Friends from home arrived a few days later and I was so happy to see some familiar faces after 4 months! Rented a nice apartment and took them round the city for the first couple days. Oh, and I had pho made for meee!! Amazing!!

Could not believe my eyes!(or tastebuds!!)

'Cycling' along the causeway

Then went onto the San Blas islands for 4 nights, absolute paradise! Clear blue waters, serene, beautiful beaches and fresh seafood cooked for us everyday! Was sure to get my snorkelling on!! 

Saturday night back in the city, went to Hard Rock cafe for views of the whole city, then went to party im Old Town, the girls were in awe of the $1 drinks! We also kept bumping into people I'd met over the past couple months during the girls' stay which was nice since I could intro them to the types of people I was hanging around with LOL.
Saying goodbye to the girls at the airport was kinda sad, kinda felt like I was leaving home all over again :( but I was ecstatic about getting into South America for the first time!!

Our last meal :(

AHHH CARTAGENA (Colombia)! Setting foot in South America for the first time was like a dream come true for me, have always wanted to visit here! Met back up with some friends and basically went around the Old Town during my time there, biked around, even had a little run session!

Then spent a couple days in Tayrona, a national park, again sleeping in hammocks :)

Parque Tayrona

Next we hit Medellin (or Medejjjin) and I didn't know what to expect from this city, such a shock when I arrived! It's in the middle of a valley and it's VAST. I stepped out of the (cleanest ever) metro system and was faced with thousands upon thousands of 'favela' type homes all along the sides of the valley, DEFINITELY did not expect this! Got to watch some of Colombia's World Cup matches here, celebrating with the locals was amazing!

Guatape was next, visited La Piedra, a huge stone in the middle of nowhere with 700+ steps to climb!

After that, I think I was going double speed! Did a coffee tour in Santa Rosa De Cabal, spent a few days in Bogota visiting a HUGE salt cathedral underground, and a little hike (didn't feel little to me!) up to Monserrat. Made a quick stop in Popayan, a cute little town before going onto San Augustin where I did a horse-riding tour going around a Unesco site! My first time riding a horse....!! Sometimes I got into the groove of it, others I could feel myself slipping off and (for some reason!) telling the horse to SSSSHHHH! Like that was going to help!! Thankfully, I came away from it unscathed, not after I got a selfie whilst the horse was galloping along the road!

Haha

I think my favourite thing about my time in Colombia was constantly getting mistaken for a local... :) You know, since Colombian women are meant to be known for their beauty, I'm not surprised..... haha, can you GASSED?! LOL It is really nice though, people talking to me in Spanish and all I can do is reply 'Lo siento, un poquito espanol'. I'm still getting it in Ecuador and Peru!

Only spent about a week in Ecuador. I hit up the famous markets in Otavalo (backpack has unsurprisingly gotten heavy again.... oops), made a quick stop in Quito for the middle of the Earth - Mitad Del Mundo! Didn't like Quito much, felt way too sketchy, kept hearing of people getting robbed and the weather was shit. Went by myself to Old Town on a Sunday afternoon and it was so obvious I was a tourist, I was getting stares from everyone. I didn't dare take my camera out, felt so dodge, I even asked for directions a couple times and each time (stupidly I asked men) they would end up following me. Got out of there quick time!

The hostel we stayed at, I woke up one morning with a couple in the next bunk, I was SO happy I'd conked out the night before from drink! 

Then spent a couple days in Montanita, since I need to obvs see the Ecuadorian coast! Was overcast for my time there, and yet again, the sun came out the day I was leaving..! It was quite funny, one of the hostels we stayed at, we had the toilet next door and my friend had the toilet practically next to her head, so all night long she would hear everyyyyything that happened in there LOL.

Equator

Spent a very long day getting to Peru, getting stuck at the border with guys who didn't know any English was nice(!) Along with the arsehole border officers who took their sweet time in serving us urgghh! But finally, I was in Perruuuu!!! :)

First stop was Mancora. Stayed at this amazing hostel, used to be a hotel, a huge complex with a humongous pool! Is this the standard of hostels today! The place was packed every night and they sure knew how to party!

The day I was leaving Mancora, I had a few hours to spare and so spontaneously joined a group of people to go swimming with turtles! Everyone was jumping off the pier, and since I've gotten confident in the waters I thought why not, without even thinking I just jumped! After a few minutes in the water, I realised it was a big mistake, the waves were strong and I'm a pretty weak swimmer. Whilst the others were effortlessly swimming toward the turtles, I was thinking 'fuck the turtles, I need to save my life here!' LOL. I think it's the hardest I've ever had to swim! It was only about 10 metres to reach the pier, but half way there my body was tired! How weak am I?! Finally got to the pier and had to climb up all these tyres on the side, another bloody challenge! Holding on for dear life, all I cared about was not falling back in! As I cut my feet trying to get up, locals saw I was struggling and helped me up! Thank fuck. My heart was beating FAST for the next couple of hours, jheeze! Note to self: Next time - ASSESS THE WATERS - you bloody weakling.

En route to my turtle ordeal

Happy to say that I sufficiently topped up my tan, enough to last me the next 6 weeks (fingers crossed) as I don't think I'm going to be getting this kind of Sun since I'm going further South... wahhhh!!

I took an overnight 18 hour bus to Lima and am now trying to figure out my schedule for the next few weeks.... ahh the stress of being a backpacker... ;)

xxx