Short but sweet. Bienvenidos a Nicaragua!

Today everything went as planned and I don't want to say to much because I'm on my phone. But in short, talked to my family, talked to my girlfriends who I miss dearly, write my cousin a new postcard, finally got a skirt to ensure the 35 degree heat, ray bands for like 2 bucks, got some food, and figured out my game plan. Family I'm sorry we didn't talk longer but it was SO amazing to
Talk to u and I love u so bunch! Big kisses... Here's a pic to show u how safe n happy I am :)

I've also decided that during my cleanse on ometepe ill also be joining this: http://www.inanitah.com/learning/events/shamanic-healing-training-2/

I'm nervous! It's a bit out of my comfort zone but I think that's the challenge and I might fall in love. I gotta say I never thought I'd be saying at a commune with a shamanic healer on an organic permaculture farm. 

Off to Ometepe tomorrow! So I can almost guarantee u will not hear from me until next Friday night. I'm sorry but know I'll be with amazing teachers of all sorts in a very cozy, safe, incredible place.

Love u all. XOXO

The Coast of El Salvador, Adios!

Sorry for the delay! I am in the middle of nowhere and had to rent this computer for your updating pleasure lol... 

Wow so El Zonte, this little semi ghost town west of El Tunco in ES was quite wonderful. I have to say, I arrived and was like oh boy... where am I, but it turned out to be amazing! I had my first surf lesson ever, and i stood up almost everytime! You are only basically in the 1 foot white water bubbles but still its so exhilarting, the next attempt in the afternoon was a fail cuz i went out at the wrong time, and had no one with me so needless to say i didnt really know what was up, i have a lot to learn about the ocean. Went out on low tide... so it just wasnt happening. But fun either way! I wanted to surf after this day and keep trying but i got unlucky at my next destination...

So it was time to leave 3 days later, i made a pit stop in El Tunco, and i dont reccommend it at all. I have NO IDEA what te rave is about this surfer town, its really not spectacular and the beach front and waves are simply not as good as Zonte, and yet zonte has no one there... accept for some awesome surfers. Doesnt make any sense to me, but each to their on. If I was you, i would skip it hands down. But alas, i had to catch my ride from el tunco, which was 2.5 hours late!

I decided to go further east down coast before heading into Nicaragua (Which i am doing today), and i read about La Tortuga Verde 3 Km outside of El cuco (an absolute shit hole to be avoided), so La Tortuga Verde is great - just not the nearby town, it has a huge untouched beachfront with absolutely nothing around. The companies great, theres a slack line set up, my dorm is the cleanest coziest one I have had yet, the food is good, but overpriced for central. Last night actually, 50 baby turtles hatched and we got to release them into the ocean and there is a sweet pelican here with a missing wing, so we are in good company. 

I also turned around last night in my dorm and a new aquaintence i met in Semuc showed up! He is a french guy from France who bought a BMW motorcycle in Montreal, and has ridden all the way here! His journey is incredible, and i was shocked to see him again, his stories are great. Good for him!

Now the negatives of this place. The owner is over flambouyant, and completely self centered. He  talks about his big barrel wave riding days, and how hes the best, and they are number one in lonely planet. Immediately irritating. An loud mouthed american veteran surfer. The major thing about this place, is now you are kinda screwed to descend into nicragua and things got a lot pricier because of that. The boat ride is 75 bucks if you go that route, and doesnt even happen all the time. And you can take a shuttle for 45 bucks... when its only 50 from el cuco, so they really jack it up... Or you can back track all the way to San Salvador and take a tica bus right to Managua, which, if i knew then what i know now, i would have stayed in El Zonte longer and simply went the last route. Frustrating. Also, i had to go to Leon now in nicaragua, which was not on my plan at all. But alas, its happening because i have no choice. And hopefully i can bear the heat tomorrow and get from Leon all the way to Ometepe island where i hopefully begin this cleanse that i have been waiting to hear back patiently about... hmph.

Well i have had a good time in el Salvador :) Its an interesitng place, but so far...id probably skip it next time and go through Honduras. But i reccommend the waves for the surfers! You know who you are :)

Here we go. I need to book a hostel for tonight, shower and pack. I Cant wait for Ometepe!!! 9 days of back pack wide open on a Volcanic island of amazingness with yogis, space cadets, adventurers, hikers, a motorcycle and pure relaxation. Apparently its sweltering hot and the waters not refreshing so lets see how it goes ahha.

I have no idea what the internet is like there or if it exists, so please dont wait up all night. If I Can somewhere, I will call!

Love yas. xoxoxo.

El Salvador! The land of horrible food and amazing beaches.

I made it yesterdaly from Guatemala City no problem.
Actually a little easier then expected. The bus was AMAZING, i took King Comfort for only 20 bucks tado San Salvador, gross meal included but with a bathroom, drinks, reclining seats and good movies, which if you dont know, is a total rarity while travelling. But i got to San Salvador, to realize they changed mhy bus stop, so instead of being near the next station i was way far away, and flustered knowing this might be a really expensive cab ride with no other buses nearby. So I told this to a local, what am i  to do? and still had 2 buses after that...

Well, his wife pulled up, and we were all talking, and turns out their house is right behind this main avenue where all the buses come choking by. So... I got a ride of course. Parents are probably skulking right now, one of those things where they are  like... you coulda got killed by murderers posing as a sweet little Salvadorian couple. Well those are the chances you take, and WAH-LA, here i am...

After they dropped me off 5 minutes later a bus came for 60 cents, switched in La Liberdad and got to El Zonte. A village if you can even call it that, when I arrived i was like shit... this place is a dump and what the hell goes on here. But sure enough i walked arond the corner to this beautiful beach, with some amazing chill surfers and found a great little hostal. With new friends, and beautiful sunsets, and some of the worst food around I am having a really relaxing good time.

Surf lesson in the morning! Finally washed my clothes (clean underwear, sweet!) and about to head off to watch this awesome sunset.

P.S. I checked out El Tunco today, and its definately a lot busier with more going on, but id skip the crowd and come here, surf non crowded waves, and get to know EVERYONE you see. Looks funny at first, but turned out to be exactly what i was looking for. Heading to El Cuco on Tuesday to stay at La Tortuga Verded before descending into Nicaragua. Let you know as time goes on.

Everythings fine. Bathroom break today wasnt amazing, but its better. My Pills are working. Cleaning out the Amoeba. I had to have one bloody mary tho yesterday with my new friends... probably didnt help. But today ill be better i promise! Only fruit juices for this girl, water, and gatorade.

xoxooxxoxox.

Te Extrano Mucho.

Results are in...

This photo right there shows you the name of the coli i got WOOHOO!

Probably from Lago De Atitlan, as seems to be a trend from fellow travellers. A few things i just want to give kudos to Guatemala for and the hostal Quetzal Roo. A) It was way faster then at home for me to walk into the clinic and get tested, then bring my results to the doctor B)Not only was the lab nice but the doctor told me everything about this little amoeba i have, walked me to the pharmacy and gave me a hug and said good luck and told me that my amoeba is at the early stages and everything will be fine, unlike the other people here who are not getting it checked... he said it can only get worse C) If it was not for staying at Quetzal Roo this would have been WAY HARDER, they arte surrounded by pharmacies, clinics and labs, and are super helpful in every way. D)Make sure you travel with Insurance. I think between the Lab, the Clinic, and the pharmacy I have almost earned back my insurance cost, and also will know longer suffer! WHEW! I feel amazing. And I cant drink any alcohol at all while going to the next surf destination, so that means, excercise, healthy drinking and eating, and reading my book on the beach and doing some yoga. I am happy to say the least xox. tomorrow i go safely to El Salvador. 

Love you all.

The Guatemalan Weight Loss Diet...

Wow a lot has happened since my last entry. I have so much to say but once this keyboard gets in front of me after a whole day of travelling it is quite daunting. But I am sure I will say lots any how ;)

So Jeska and I last weekend went to a friend of the families in San Lucas Tolimon on Lago de Atitlan to meet him for the first time and check out his house he has been developing for the last two decades and it will BLOW YOUR MIND. we were not expecting to show up to our own private hobbit like guest house with a big tree growing out of it, private bathroom and orange trees in the front yard! We were spoiled and in great company. Rick is an amazing nice person, we had a drink or two and a joint and had ourselves some amazing conversations. His home , and his water tank area / second guest house were gorgeous and covered in Ivy with one of the largest avacodoe trees outside i have ever seen. Amazing (Asombroso). And to get there to this tranquil San Lucas was fun... we took a boat, then grabbed there local ride from Santiago to San Lucas AKA 20 people crammed in the back of a pick up truck with 5 small men standing on the back bumper. Jes and I did it like proes and had no `problem. All it took was to ask if the locals knew our friend Rick and sure enough he popped out of the Tienda where we asked. All the locals were told two gringo girls would be showing up, and it worked. I have some great photos but not being able to plug in my camera, unless i can attach a phone picture later :)

After San Lucas it was off to the Earth Lodge outside of Antigua, getting there made me feel so bad for Rick, he was kind enough to drop us off in Antigua before he picked up his friend Russell at the Guat City Airport, but unfortunately our van broke down (what do you expect ?!?!) and since he had to drop us off as welll he was super late picking up his friend, which was showing up from Mexico City, I really hope his friend is over it by now. I told Rick to blame the Gringos.

Earth Lodge was incredible, only pictures can tell,. after 3 days and two nights and the best food we have ever had at this amazing Avocadoe farm set atop a hillside with the most cinematic view of some intense volcanoes, we left with new friends and smiles. It was our friend Gary´s Birthday, who is such a sweet and kind sole who himself had so much fun! He felt at home and told the world about it later hoping to pass on its tranquil setting. Did i mention we got to hear and see the volcanoe going off constantly in the background? Incredible coming from someone who has never seen a volcanoe in her life. WINNING. It all worked out incredibly. But alas... the beginning of something was stirring in Jeska and I´s bellies, probably from the previous days in our separate home stays in San Pedro. Eating local, showering local, playing local.. means tummy p`roblems. 

Our bathroom breaks were semi frequent, and to be honest, i dont 
know if you could tell which substance was coming out of us as we would sit. I cant say how she is now as we parted ways.. but mine intensified once i left to the next destination. I hope she is better, mine was like instantaneous bathroom crying like pain as time went on. But once i left the bathroom i was fine. But obviously something isnt right. On to the Grapefruit Seed Extract Gary had given me, who learned his lesson much earlier in the trip. So I took him up on it. Hes super helpful and amazing, my upset tummy got the best of me sometimes and i showed my grumpy side. But as long as he knows he helped detain the grumpiness im happy. Its good to have helpful loving friends.

That being said i sucked it up and departed with Gary and Left Jeska to go back to her spanish learning in San Pedro. We went to Semuc Champey. The road to this magical place is so insane ansd very far away. After 8 hours of driving, we got to the end of the road, almost literally. Crammed in the back of 4X4 trucks and went another 40 mins down the worst road i have eveer been on. Only certtain 
vehicles get down it thats for sure, what a trip. Once we arrived at our amazing hostal on the Cohabon River at the worlds end... we 
breathed and took in the amazing rushing water sound around us that we couldnt quite see in the darkness. I must admit I do like travelling by myself often and doing things my own way, which my 
friend got the hint of sometimes, therefore I did not do any tours.

I am definately an un-touring kinda girl these days. So i ditched the crowdd the next morning and walked to most picturesque Semuc Champey limestone pools and cascades by the river on my own and beat EVERYONE to the pools that blew my mind. I had these limestone mind blowing pools to myself... i cant even describe... this natural beauty of a place is to die for. Its worth every step to do it on your own from the Utopia Hostel (one of the closest ones). Once the crowd comes in it definately takes a way from it a bit, but everyone is so happy you cant help but play like a dolphin with all the cheery people. The sun was amazing too... which was kind of rare during our 3 day stay. But the non-sun moments with this typhoon like rain was incredible to be in. The land of the eternal lush fall its like. Green everywhere and gigantic and raining. So beautiful. Until.... my stomach.

I almost poisoned the limestone pools. I walked back and forth for 45 seconds which seemed like 2 hours debating can i make it? or do i turn the colour of the clear river and prey no one notices it. I panicked but held it together until i got to this bridge hut thing... to find out theres no out houses. I almost cried, so i ran behind a huge tree with half a second to spare. Whew. It got cloudy anyways and I had a whole days worth in paradice and wanted to start walking back down this trail before dark. So i hustled up and went. Halfway down the park trail, not even out of semuc yet... my stomach thundered again, with slopes on both sides of me. Are you fucking kidding!?!?! I found one trail that lead to the lookout that i thought for sure no one else would come up which was near the end of the day, and my world collapsed when of course Gary.s gigantic excited tour group came bustling up this trail... one after another after another. I was about to lose it, told him i gotta go see ya later and trotted down the trail. I had a small window where i saw no one, jumped off the trail, and preyed to god. After that i made it back fine. Got in my chill headspace, which i was so happy to be in and having a great time but my socialness was kinda gone due to my belly. But luckily gary had his extract and always a kind work to make me feel better ;) But i read in my hammock, wrote in my journal and had amazing family dinners. Success. 

I knew two days later i would need to suffer the trip home from paradice, AKA Guatemala City to where I need to catch a bus to get my bum to El Salvador, which was today. So this morning, I pilled up huge, i took Charcoal, Gravol, Immodium, and 5 hours later at a pharmacy got some kinda antiseptic antidiarrhea medicine that topped it all off so i wouldnt have a problem with 15 other people in a van for almost 10 hours. It worked... but i knew something had to get fixed. So here I am, in Guat City at my wicked hostel where they walked with me to the clinic, got all my parts tested and tomorrow hopefully ill be fixed when the results come in. Knowing I am safe and surrounded by 15 pharmacies and like 2 hospitals, I ate a huge sub and lovced every second. I had a huge dorm all to m,yself and my own bathroom since no one else is on that floor right now. So I can relax. I am put back a day.. but it will be worth it. This parasite has got to F** off before the beaches. So I am actually super happy right now :) Could be worse! Happens to the best of us. I wish i could show you photos, this trip has been amazing. I have way more amazingness coming, beaching in El Salvador and checking out a small islandb efore boating to Nicaragua where I will be renting a motorcycle on Ometepe for one week before the decent into Costa Rica for the Grande Finale of a lifetime in Montezuma, Domincal and Uvita. Dont worry family, its small, relaxed, no traffic, perfect. Its the only way to do this island... unless your on a bicycle with huge legs, which i might have decent legs, but you all know i cant handle the bicycle for reasons known only to you ;) Ill gladly take a 125 cc'r anyday. Which should be fun compared to home, its funny that my bike at home is 4 X bigger then any bike here... but at home mine is so much smaller! first world problems... id feel guilty or embarrassed to ride my bike here ;( the things that make you realize how spoiled we are.

So I will be staying put for a day or two... with my book and long naps. The tough life.

I love you all.

If anyone hasnt said happy birthday to my amazing Grandmother who turned 38 Yesterday... you better do so :D

Ill be in touch when i can, as you know a desktop computer like i have right now is rare. xooxox.

the last breakfast

what an amazing time here in San Pedro. After my next 4 hours of classes it's time to haul ass with my backpack to the dock and grab a boat to San Luca Tolimon to meet up with a friend I the family who lives there - rick. Followed by the earth lodge outside of Antigua for the weekend.

I have lots to say but only 9 mins to class. After the earth lodge I'm sure I'll have an explosion I excitement which will throw up all over this blog! Love yahs a bunch xo.

Getting by....

sitting here waiting at the Buddha Lounge in San Pedro reflecting on my most successful day with Spanish yet. I had this insane wave of happiness this morning with my teacher when I realized my Spanish is coming along and was wide awake, well rested, feeling happy and surrounded by the most beautiful garden ever ran by a gorgeous Guatemalan family. I recommend to everyone to attend Corazon Maya. It is only myself and one other girl right now and we both have our own teachers. I live with a Spanish family with three children, have 4 hours of instruction per day and my own room for 135 bucks for the week. I back them 100%. :)

The town is busy and friendly with cheap delicious food and a bustling "gringolandia" if ur into that :) which I am only for the evening to meet my dear friend for dinner and a possible thermal tub tonight before continuing to sew my backpack with my little sister and read :)

This afternoon after classes I was so happy to say hi to my mom and paps on Skype, I think they need that hello once and a while ;) and I caught up with my family's friend Rick who I have never met before but MUST meet I hear, so I called him and he has this house in San Lucas Tolimon that I'm going to check out on Friday and say with him! He sounds stoked, and my friend can come too which is more amazing, and to top it off he will give us a ride to our next destination on Saturday which makes our lives ridiculously easier :D. If u don't have a plan.... The stars align. And it's the full moon... The universe is working in our favour :)I am excited for y life and for te things I am learning! I'll fill u in at some point how our journey goes and post some photos of this incredible dinner we are making tomorrow with our families under the full moon, hands on and bellies full, I cannot wait. 

I love u all! Here is a photo of myself and Maria and my little sister who I might just love. The one of me and Maria is in their outside kitchen where we eat for lunch :)

Asombroso!

Wow again i am shocked and amazed with how magical Central America is! I will tell, but first family - everything is amazing and safe and beautiful and computers are hard to come by and th computer I found doesn't let my blog work. So I can only use my phone which means not a lot of posts and probably a lot of spelling mistakes!

So here I am in paradise, after leaving Guatemala City I took some boats and busses and landed myself In what now might be my favourite village in the world at Lago de Atitlan - San Marcos la Laguna, which is this insane mixture of meditation schools, yoga practice, body cleanses, beautiful scenery and a vibe that I can only imagine is like 1969 all over again. A beautiful collaboration of beautiful, crazy, yogi, doped up and chill people, whatever u want out of it... U can have.

Within 3 minutes of stepping off the boat, I bumped into my beautiful friend Gary from Portland Oregon whome I had no idea was going to be here, instant smiles. After hugs and short words I checked into Paco Real with a woman I met on the bus and by recommendation from my friend Johnny at home. Quiet, huge room, hot shower, and the most beautiful family owned atmosphere with insane stone fired pizza and a Mayan sauna :)

Couple hours later..... Bumped into one of my favourite Dawson creek beauties...

Yahhhh :) Jeska! Who has been up to some amazing beautiful and healthy things! I'd explain more if I had my computer but in the end we connected, ate amazing food, had a Mayan sweat and went to a cacao ceremony .... I cried at the ceremony, that's all I can say right now. Cacao.... Get on it.

It hasn't all been peachy, there was a moment or two, I like to be alone a lot and I find it hard when fellow travellers are interested in what ur doing and want to come along, which is amazing but I don't know how to tell people nicely and then I explode and run away... lol not a good combo when ur PMSing hard... in a nut shell.

This morning it was time to go to San Pedro for Spanish school/home stay... And what a beautiful departure. While waiting for the boat at 7 :)

here I am now in San Pedro with an amazing family and a wicked Spanish teacher named Ventura... I had a 4 hour lesson today and shit.... I think i might know my past tense! Smiles ear to ear! Family is amazing.... We eat 3 meals a day together and they only speak Mayan and Spanish so here we goo :)

I'll say more once I have a better writing tool! But here's the walkway to my one on one classroom.
Love u all. I will try to write more and be more detailed next time. Grande besos y abrazos!!!!

Made it... Breathe...

Whew, made in late last night after some craziness in Pearson, but lucky for me, international departures right now are better off then domestic.

After saying goodbye to my hero...aka Papa... and of my many favourite uncles - Dawson who got me there safe and sound, i spent the next two hours in crazy line ups, made a few phone calls and sat next to crazy people on the plane, lucky for me I thought of my friend Abbey and her calmness and reminded myself to just chill and enjoy the ride, finished my book, studied 4 hours of spanish, ran like I have never ran before for my connection, and made it...made it, made it.

Here I am in Guatemala City at a hostel that is a bit overpriced  but WORTH IT - Quetzal Roo, which will give you tonnes of info and set you straight with free airport pick up which is key if you get in at 10 15 PM like I did last night. Im splurging to avoid the local chaos today and hopping on a shuttle to get to Panajachel at LAgo De Atitlan, where I will catch a small boat to San Marcos and chill for the weekend, do some yoga, and hit up some of my friend Johnny´s places he suggested.

Anyways point for the family, made it safe and sound, and taking the safe and whimpy way to the Lake as I just got here and do not want to fight the local mayhem yet. I just want to chill, and chill i shall.

Love yahs. Maybe I will write after my first day of spanish home school on Monday, or on Sunday night pre school.

xoxo. Hollz.

pre-trip planning, with only 6 days to go

For those of you have read my other blogs, I've had an issue with the last post of my most recent blog… so to the ~ 1000 ppl who read it… the most important post was "Denied", "Failed" and "Unavailable" which was to go up on December 5th, 2013… I am working on it (Via tech emails, and blogger contact), as that is the whole point of a blog… to complete it…, so this blog here is a continuation of the journey to healthy living (minus the christmas holidays which threw all goals out the window and crushed them to pieces temporarily) and being good to your body and experiencing new and amazing things pre spring operation which will knock me out of the game for about 8 weeks. This is my 27th year, and unlike some of my predecessors, I am going to live, and live fully… beginning with my favourite destination.

2013 was quite interesting and amazing, and after already taking 4 plane rides, two trains and multiple busses to see all my Canadian friends and family from Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, Thunder Bay; here I am finally decompressing in Peterborough, Ontario… 6 days away from another trip of a life time to my favourite destination: Central America.

If there is anything I have learned from some of the crazy travels I have been on… its plans don't work. So I have loosely put together two things that I plan to happen within two months and the rest is hearsay. Flying into Guatemala next Thursday, staying in a hostel overnight as I get in late and then take charge to San Pedro La Laguna at Lago de Atitlan to brush up on my shanty spanish with a family and spanish teacher so i can get by in countries further south; that is one week planned. The only other plans are to find myself in Montezuma, Costa Rica again some weeks down the road, load up my friends who I have come to love dearly from Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, U.S. Europe…the list continues, and continue to our annual journey to Envision. A transformational festival everyone must go to at least once in their lifetime.

Other than that… the book is wide open.

I'll keep you posted. My email is holly.watson87@gmail.com, please contact me through there if we are to cross paths, as I am cutting down some of my social media for a personal reason. However, this blog will be live and public. Pssst… also look directly below this, you can leave me comments! How exciting.