The Galapagos on the cheap

Flying back to Nicaragua, I was excited to see Dinh, but not as excited about the actual place itself. It had started to give me a sour taste for some reason. I felt like I was rotting away living there. I wasn't accomplishing anything there. I just wasn't feeling it. And I was itching like crazy to explore South America!
After New Years, Dinh and I hitched a ride to Costa Rica with one of Dinh's friends, then from there we took a bus to Panama City. It was a 2 day journey and I was happy to set foot on stable ground when we arrived. We stayed with Dinh's old cop partner and his wife for a few nights in Panama City. They were super hospitable hosts and I really enjoyed staying with them in their beautiful home. Dinh and Toddy had worked together, patrolling the streets of Orange County, for 10 years. They know each other like the backs of their hands. 
When it was time to go, Toddy and his wife dropped us off at the airport and we flew to mainland Ecuador. The next day, we were off to the Galápagos Islands!

I had a list of the animals I wanted to see while I was there and refused to leave until I saw them all. Ha. 
Most of them can only be found in the Galapagos. 
I was most fascinated with the giant tortoises. These gentle creatures were almost driven to extinction after ships sailing off course landed on the islands many years ago and brought them aboard as food during the long journey by sea. 
How could anyone eat these sweet cutie pies?

They can live up to an impressive 200 years old. 
To watch them walk with their heavy shells was astonishing. I couldn't take my eyes off these wise souls.  

One day, while out on a long bike ride, we ran into one in the wild. I came screaming down a dirt road, the wind blowing my hair into a snarl. Barreling around a curve, I see a turtle slowly crossing the road. I squeezed both the break handles hard. Scccrrrreeeechhhh!!
Almighty Jesus, I darn near ran over a tortoise!!!
I discarded my bike and walked over to the little guy with a house on his back. Keeping my distance, I marveled at his thick, scaly skin and wrinkly neck. He was very alert. Any sudden movement sent him crouching back into his thick shell. 
Adorable!

The Galapagos have a reputation for being expensive, but they don't have to be. As with most places, if you opt out of pricey tours and do it yourself, you'll save heaps of cash. 
The flight alone from Ecuador is about $400-500. Flying from Guayaquil is cheaper than from Quito. 

When you arrive, there is a mandatory $100 entrance fee to get into the park. Cash only. 
We didn't book a hotel before we arrived. We just traipsed around town searching for a hotel. You can find decent accommodation for around $30/ night. But I can't promise that it will have hot water. There are 18 main islands in the Galapagos. Dinh and I stayed on Santa Cruz and Isabella. A ferry ride between the 2 islands will set you back $30 one way. It's a 2 hour ride. Hold on tight, it can get bumpy! Yeehaw!

 Santa Cruz is the biggest, most happening town in the Galapagos. And there ain't much happening there, let me tell you. 
The locals have that island-life mentality, so you'll meet lots of friendly, laid-back inhabitants. 
Isabella island is even more sleepy. We arrived around noon and could have sworn it was a ghost town. There was no one in any of the restaurants. I guess they were all taking a siesta. 

A major tip I have for anyone visiting the Galapagos: wear lots of sunscreen!! The sun is way stronger than you are probably used to. I learned the hard way. Not prone to sunburns, my skin sizzled in the strong sun and I was one hurting unit for a few days after. Physical barrier is best. Even in the heat, I wore long sleeves. 

You're directly on the equator, remember.  

A boat ride is vital to see a lot of the different animals. If you wander around town into many of the tour agencies, you can barter for a boat tour. We paid $45 for an all day tour that included snorkeling.

blue footed boobies

I watched in horror as the captain of our boat jumped into the water with his snorkel gear on and started pointing below him. "Sharks!", he giddily exclaimed. He wanted us to all jump in and see the school of sharks swimming below. 
What?! Did he say sharks?! With an "s"?!! This guy is nuts!!

It was a fun day and so nice to get in the water and swim next to these magnificent aquatic animals. 

If it's been your dream to see the Galapagos Islands, by all means, don't let the cost deter you. You can do it on the cheap, believe me!!

A Christmas surprise

After my 3 week solo escapade to Costa Rica, Cuba and Panama, I decided it would be a good idea to go back to Nicaragua where my boyfriend was. He was happy as a clam surfing twice a day, everyday. I can't say I love Nicaragua. It's not a place where I go "wow, I really love this place!"  But I tolerate it because Dinh loves it with all his heart. Relationships are about compromise.... or something like that. 

So back to Nicaragua I went. I also had an ulterior motive for returning. This last August I had purchased a plane ticket to return home to Minnesota for 12 days over Christmas. My flight left from Managua, Nicaragua. The holidays are such a special time and I didn't want to miss another precious holiday with my family. Money is no object when it comes to memories. 

The cool thing about my return home was this: my family had NO IDEA I was coming home!!!
I had kept this secret for 4 months. Do you know how hard that is to do?!! 
I was bursting at the seams!!
I took 3 flights in order to get back to Minnesota. I went from a very hot, humid environment to very frigid, arctic-like surroundings. My body was confused. 
I was up at 3 am in order to catch my flight from Managua. I drove to the airport as Dinh slept in the passenger seat. I couldn't suppress my hyperness and thoroughly annoyed Dinh with my anxious silliness. I was elated to be going home!!!

My sister and her fam

I had planned it so I would be home right before my mom went to sleep. But, things don't always go as planned and my last flight from Chicago to Sioux Falls was delayed by 2 hours. This put a kink in my plans. For months, I had rehearsed in my head how I would surprise my family. One plan was to ring the doorbell wearing a mask with my Panamanian hat.
I decided against it after remembering my Dad's easily accessible shotgun. 
I didn't decide on how I would pull off the surprise until I was actually on the last leg of my journey. On the dark drive home, I felt that certain comfort you feel when you go home. Familiarity. Everything is going to be ok. Nothing can hurt me here. 
I couldn't wait to bust in the front door and tell my mom that her baby was home, home for Christmas!!

My mommy

As my car crept over the squeaky snow outside my parents house, I switch off my headlights before making the final turn. 
I fumbled for my phone and called my mom from Skype, like I usually do when I'm overseas. My dad answered. 
"Kinda late to be calling, isn't it?", my Dad questioned when I asked for mom. 
My mom was sleeping, but I had to wake her.
"Hello", my mom said in a raspy, just-woken-up voice. 
"Mom, I have something really important to tell you", I said while creeping closely to the front door and sliding my key in as quiet as possible. 
"Ok, what is it?", she responded. 
At that moment, I opened the front door and started singing "I'll be home for Chistmas!"
I ran into her bedroom and the dogs were going crazy barking at all the commotion. 
My mom sat up in bed, struggled to put her glasses on and stared at me baffled, unable to process what was happening in her twilight state of mind. 
"Surprise, I'm home!", I explained, jumping around like a crazed rabbit.
I picked up my little dog, Harley, who was scratching at my leg for attention. I loved her up. It felt so good to get kisses from her again. I miss her more than you can imagine when I'm traveling. 

 The next day, I surprised my sister at school (she's a kindergarten teacher). She had the same reaction as my mom. Disbelief. They just stare at you for a while. Then it hits them and they're excited. 

It was a white Christmas, which was a good break from the tropical areas I had been living in for the last few months. 

It was good fun to surprise everybody and I'm so grateful that I bought that plane ticket so many months earlier. Money well spent. 

My homecoming was bittersweet, however. On Christmas Day, we went to the nursing home where my extended family gathers since my grandma is a resident there. I curled my grandma's hair and put makeup on her. I wanted her to look extra nice that day. She didn't seem like herself. She was lethargic and didn't eat much of anything. 
The last 4 days I was home, I spent it at the nursing home with my sick grandma. My mom, aunts, cousin, sister and niece and nephew were also there. 
We would bring lunch and crochet, put puzzles together and chit chat in my grandmas room. I know she really enjoyed our company even though she wasn't able to speak very much. 

The day before flying back to Nicaragua, I spent the day at my grandmas bedside. I let her know how much I loved her. I love her so very much. 

I didn't want to believe that this might be the last time I would see her, so I kissed her goodbye and told her I would see her that summer. 
In the days prior, I made sure I told her everything I wanted, just in case I never got the chance again. 

The very next day, when I was at the Houston airport flying back, my mom called to tell me that grandma had passed away. It was a difficult night for me and my eyes weren't dry for 2 days after that. 
I wish I could have stayed home for just a while longer, to be with my family. 
Family is #1.

I also wish each one of you could have met my grandma. She was one of the best people I knew. 
I take that back, she was the best. I never once saw her get angry or lose her patience. She was so loving and always made me feel warm and fuzzy. Such a special lady. 
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I'm so glad I was able to see her in her last days.
I believe I have another guardian angel watching over me on my travels.
Love you grandma!!

Fun facts about the Panama Canal

A trip to Panama City wouldn't be complete without a visit to the famous Panama Canal. It is, after all, an "amazing engineering feat". 
I had to see what all this hype was about. 
After a short bus ride to the Miraflores locks, I handed over $8 at the entrance and prepared to be dazzled. 
Show me something good!
I arrived in the nick of time, to witness a ship traverse through the beast of a canal. 

 I watched in amazement as a gigantic cargo ship made it's way at a snails pace through the canal. 
It takes 8-10 hours for each ship to pass through. 
35-40 ships make the 50 mile passage each day. 

The Panama Canal works by gravity. Each lock opens and fills with water. The process is so slow, it's barely visible. 
Small vehicles on tracks glide next to the ships, making certain it stays within the canal and doesn't bump into the sides. 

The most interesting fact I was enlightened with that day was the price the ships pay to have the honor of passing through the canal. 
My eyeballs bugged out as the announcer explained that the ship we were watching at the present was required to pay $100,000 to pass through. Holy schnikies!!! You could buy a house with that much moolah!!
And don't plan to pay with a credit card, unless you want to also pay the 7% charge. Ouch!

It's all based on weight. The smallest fare ever paid was 36 cents, which was actually a man who swam through the canal many years ago. Kinda funny. 
The largest amount paid by any ship was $420,000. It was a Norwegian ship. Go Vikings!
A couple other awesome facts:
The Panama Canal makes $2 BILLION dollars a year!!!
Yep. You've read right. $$$$$$$
That's roughly $5-7 million a day

There is a museum you can visit at the locks, which provides lots of tidbits to fill your head.
It's sad to think that 25,000 workers from all over the world lost their lives while building the canal. The jungle was unforgiving. 

A total of 60 million pounds of dynamite were using to blast away the rock. With the amount of drilling performed, a hole could have been bored straight through earth and 900 kilometers beyond.

They are currently expanding the canal on the Caribbean side, near the town of Colon. This will allow larger ships to pass through. I also paid a visit to this part of the canal. Big machines chipped away at the stone and dirt to create another piece of history. Very cool to see with my own eyes. 
The town of colon was a little sketchy. I swear to you I was the only white person in the entire town.
If you ever visit Panama City, for the love of God, don't leave without seeing the canal. 
Oh yea, and don't leave without buying yourself a Panama hat..... you will be the coolest cat around......

A shady ride to the Havana airport

It was 11:25 am on the dot. The little green Lada car that I was watching for rolled up to the curb where I was standing with my cumbersome bag on my back. 

Lada car

I had been staying at a small apartment inside the home of a sweet Cuban lady named Susana. It was a cute place and I even had my own kitchen. When Susana asked me how I was getting to the airport, I told her I was going to take a taxi. She explained that her friend could give me a ride for a discounted price. "Ok, if it's not too much of a hassle", was my response. 
She immediately ran to the phone and rang her friend. The answer was "yes", they would bring me to the airport the next day. 
Done deal. 

I never like to rely on someone else, especially someone I don't know, so I figured that I could just hail a taxi if they didn't show. 
I did a quick character analysis on the middle aged man and woman that had just rolled up in their little green car. 
No red flags. 
We exchanged "Buenas dias"'s. I slung my pack into the trunk and jumped into the back seat. There was no English spoken. They asked what airline I was flying and what time my flight was. After those questions, there was only silence. The silence made me paranoid. It was a good 40 minute ride to the airport, which is an awful long time to sit in silence. I watched out the window, soaking in the last sights of this city I had really grown to adore. I knew I'd be back again one day. 

With the windows rolled down, diesel smoke billowed in and seeped into my already polluted lungs. 
The scenery whizzing by didn't look familiar to me. Was this an alternate route? There were no signs that said "airport this way". 
I scanned the car for clues on what type of people they were. 
A pack of cigarettes. Some coins in the counsel. Susana seemed like such a sweet lady, I would have been very surprised if she had any criminal friends. 

The woman and man started murmuring something to each other in Spanish. I couldn't decifer what was being said. All of a sudden, the jet black-haired woman twirls around in her seat, puts out her hand and sternly says "you need to pay now". 

My heart immediately starts beating faster. I feel that uncomfortable rush of adrenaline rush through my veins. I was in fight-or-flight mode. 

These are the thoughts that ran through my head:
Dagnabit! These guys really got me. How could I be so stupid?!
These monsters are going to rob me. And I can't even report it because I'm not even supposed to be in this country! 
I know I can take the girl, but probably not the guy. I'm not giving up my small pack with my passport and phone. They'll have to really fight me for that. I can run faster than them. I'm younger and in better shape. They can have my big backpack if they want it. 

"Donde esta el aeropuerto?" (Where is the airport?), I spouted back with too much of a paranoid twinge to it. 
"Muy cerca" (very close), the man spoke up. 
I didn't believe him. I searched the sky for any planes. 
None. 
My heart was beating like a drum in my chest. 
So this is when it happens. All those months of travel and it's finally happening. I guess it was inevitable. As long as they don't take my life.....
I hide my suspicion and dug a 20 dollar bill out of my purse. I slapped it into the woman's hand, making sure I made direct eye contact with her. I was on to her. 

5 minutes felt like 5 hours. I was ready to react quickly to any shenanigans they tried to throw my way. In awkward silence, the man could sense my unease. 
He peered at me through the rear view window. 
I met his eyes with confidence. 
After a long pause, he explained how he didn't have a taxi permit and that the police could give him a fine if they found out he was giving me a ride and getting paid for it. So I must pay him away from the police's eyes.
I felt my muscles relax. Now I get it. Everything is going to be just fine. Soon we pulled into the departure area and I jumped out, unscathed. The man retrieved my bag from the trunk. Playing along, I said "adios amigo!" in earshot of a curious policeman. 
It all made sense to me. The average wage of a Cuban is $60/ month. They are charged absurd fees for any kind of services they provide, so a lot of times they do them under the table. 
I was merely a paycheck for them, but hey, I'm glad to have helped out a little with their income.
My nerves were shot. 
Relieved, I trot off to catch my plane. Until next time Cuba!!

Old cars of Havana

This is what you will see in Havana. Old cars fill the streets. So neat to see.

Cuba this and that

I'll never forget my first smell of a Cuban cigar. The corners of my lips curled up as I realized how important the moment was. It hit me like a freight train, I was really in Cuba and I was really smelling the smoke from the famous Cuban cigar.
Incredible. 

I felt a sense of success at that moment. I had dreamed of traveling to Cuba for quite some time, but the fantasy seemed far from reality at times. 
With relentless research and a boat-load of determination, I realized that I could see Cuba with my own eyes if I truly desired. 
Really, anything is possible if you want it badly enough. Don't EVER tell yourself any different. You are more powerful than you know. 

I'd like to talk about the architecture in Havana now. Arriving in Havana mid afternoon, I had time to explore the neighborhoods surrounding my hotel before the sun blessed the other side of the world with its presence. 

I was spellbound by the old worn down buildings. My eyes scanned each building carefully, picking up on the fine details. I passed by masterpiece structures that were now in shambles. I could imagine what they looked like in all their glory and was thoroughly impressed. 
"Surely no one could live there", I thought to myself.  
Just as fast as this thought crossed my mind, it was squashed by the sight of a man walking his dog down the crumbling steps of one of the buildings. 

WTF

These edifices were fully functioning, alive with family happenings. Clothes hung on balconies and local ladies chatted together as they sat on the front steps. I couldn't believe it. 

The progression of infrastructure had obviously come to a halt after the embargo restriction came into effect. 
In my opinion, the dilapidated buildings only add to the romantic charm of Havana. UNESCO is working to restore some of the buildings, and what a sight it is to see the finished product. 
There's no telling how much longer these structures will hang on before falling to their fate. My recommendation to you is that you go see them before they are gone!

If you do decide to go, one thing I should warn you about, if you are a woman, is how the men in Cuban are hornballs. 

Straight up. 

I had to just come out and say that. Now you know. 

At first you might feel flattered being called "beautiful" by a man on every street corner, but after the 537th time, it gets old. 
And if I had a quarter for every time a guy made a loud kissing noise at me, I'd have enough money to fly us all to India and back. 
I'd like to point out that this lighthearted sexual harassment was nothing compared to the evilness I experienced while in Morocco. 
Or maybe I had just developed a tolerance for it. 

Either way, I can say that I didn't sense any evilness coming from these horny Cubans. 
After about 4 days of enduring this kind of treatment, I decided to reverse the roles. Strolling through a neighborhood one day, I saw the perfect opportunity: a group of men sitting on the steps outside one of the rundown buildings. I saunter by, knowing exactly what behavior would follow. 
Sure enough, all the men had their own kissing mating call for me. I looked right at them and, turning my head up a little, I made a loud kissey sound back at them. For a split second, I saw the shock in their eyes. They don't get this response too often. 
I swivel on my heel and strut away. Behind me, I hear an uproar of laughter. Judging from their giggles, these hyenas thought it was the funniest thing ever. 
I smirk. Then turn around and give them a little "ha" smile. 
They call for me to come back, but I refuse. Sorry boys, got things to do. 

Another funny story about the kissey noises. On my last day in Cuba, I was taking a stroll through one of the tranquil parks in town. A very handsome policeman catches my eye. He was standing at the edge of the sidewalk. I lost track of time as I was mesmerized by his beauty. This was quite possibly the most handsome man I've ever seen in real life. (Besides my boyfriend) I'm being honest. I couldn't take my eyes off his perfectly proportionate face, thick eyebrows, twinkling eyes and full lips. This man could have made a fortune in the modeling industry. 
I keep walking. I keep staring. 
Soon I was only a few feet away from him. I continued to stare. I couldn't help myself. I had no shame. He was staring right into my eyes when, all of a sudden, his sexy pink lips form into a kiss and I hear the infamous kissey noise!!! It all happened in slow motion. I was utterly shocked. This policeman was supposed to be professional. I guess no man is immune from making the kissey noise. I burst out into fits of laughter. I was bent over, holding my stomach as I walked away. I look back and see the man laughing with me. It was a hilarious moment. Only in Cuba. 

As you can see, I really love Cuba. It is definitely my favorite country on this trip so far. 
I found the old ladies smoking cigars on the street to be quite charming, along with the lack of technology and the ways the locals had adapted to it. 
Kids actually played on the streets. They weren't glued to their smart phone, missing ample opportunities to wear off some of their energy. You can find the kids in Cuba kicking around a soccer ball or playing a game of baseball in the middle of the street, interrupted  only briefly by the old cars that would putz by. 

A game of chess is more rewarding than checking their newsfeed on Facebook. Actually, they don't even have Facebook.

Cuba was very UN-Americanized. And I like that. 
It's kinda depressing to see a McDonalds stuck in the middle of a seemingly remote area overseas. You won't find this in Cuba. It's like one of the last areas in the world that is still a virgin to all things American. The noxious hands of America are yet to touch Cuba. 
You won't see any billboards and not much advertising. 

This is quite possibly the best kept travel destination secret. I had no idea how amazing Cuba is!!