Latino Girls' bums really do swagger!!!

Hi all! Happy New Year, hope you all had a good one, and all the best for the year ahead. Bring on 2013!

My 2012 ended with a trip down to Auckland, with a very special (and pleasant guest) after about an hour of convincing! So worth it!

Last night

I did my goodbyes in Paihia, before Sandra and I headed on a 3 hour bus ride down to Auckland, and arrived for what can only be described as an awesome, unplanned night. Sitting in one of the bars with live music and varied company. But our personal favourite was Steveo, who helped to make my last night in New Zealand so memorable! I spent the next day getting my last few things together before leaving New Zealand on the night of Friday 28th December 2012.....

.....had a 12 hour flight.....

....to arrive in LA in the afternoon of Friday 28th December 2012...........WHAT!?!?!?!?

I was only meant to be stopping over in LA for 5 hours before heading to Denver.....but due to storms in Denver, they changed my flight company completely and flew me all the way up to Newark 8 hours later. Before eventually heading all the way back down to San José. Arriving in Costa Rica at about 11 on the Saturday morning.

The view from the hostel balcony in San José

I stayed in San José just for a night, before using my finest Spanish to get me a bus ticket down to Manuel Antonio, about 4 hours south of San José.

Somewhere between San José and Manuel Antonio

Spent pretty much all of New Years Eve surfing with Californian boys Kai and Tyler (who am I kidding, everyone in Costa Rica is from California) before drinking in our hostel, then tryna head to Quepos for the night scene only to have to head back to Manuel Antonio as no ATMs had any money in them, just in time for midnight! Sorry to any taxi drivers we clearly upset.

The mass pour down at about 7 on New Years Eve

2013......Sandra feeding the habit....STILL, from so far away!

Tyler and Kai

Hay, Chica!

More Aussies!

Manuel Antonio beach on New Years Day...pretty as!

On a long long long walk on New Year's Day to get some money from an ATM, this walk actually made me ill!

Monkey playing in the tress

I should've edited this video first, but its taken too long as it is!

On New Year's Day I woke up (late, but) feeling fine. I wanted to do the National park, but needed money so worked to the closest ATM which was miles away, got back and just passed out for like the next 2 days! My head was seriously gonna explode! I woke up the next day, some how packed my stuff, got the bus to Quepos, got my bus ticket, then the bus back to San José....I slept all the way. For the first two days of 2013, I think I was only awake for about 18/19 hours.

I arrived in San José to meet my new group, before eating then heading straight back to bed. A conversation from being woken up by my roommate, Gareth, on that night:

"Mike, do you know that you were sleep talking"

"Erm, ah, no but I can definitely believe it"

"OK, well is there anyway that you can stop"

"Haha, no sorry dude!"

Serious question I got asked! Although a little later that night I did wake myself up saying "¿Cómo está?"......maybe speaking Spanish in my dreams freaked me out too! I also found out in the morning that at some point in the night I shouted out "living the dream" (which I can only assume was done so in my full on 'ampshire accent, as it was well over-pronounced back to me). But that whole thing just made me crack up....I said I was sorry, but to be honest I was way too proud and found it way too funny to be sorry.

That day we headed north onto La Fortuna where I spent my very chilled out birthday at a waterfall and an orphanage  PS thanks for the cards and messages, and presents (I've already started adding to the list)!

From our hotel in La Fortuna

That night Steve and I lied, and managed to get out on a sick as Grade 2/3 White Water Kayaking trip for the following day:

Tame start

Nailed the whole river! BOOM!

More photos to following, in my next post.

We then headed East to cross Lake Arenal before heading south onto Monteverde yesterday

Crossing over Lake Arenal

The sun set from the hotel yesterday (where I am currently)

Headed out to a local club yesterday in Monteverde....seriously them Latino guys can salsa ..well! I loved watching! Trying it was a completely different ball game! I wanna see more of that. But I've honestly never felt more white in my life! And today I headed to Senderos De La Reserva De Santa Elena with Annmarie

Arenal Volcano

And that brings me pretty much up to date.....let's see how long I can keep this up whilst travelling around!

So tomorrow we will be crossing the boarder into Nicaragua, which will be double figures of countries from me on my travels, and country number 2 of Central America. It's been a fun 9 days of varied weather and scenery! Time to move on up and on!