bueno. estamos listos.

I can't believe I havn't been on here since we hiked up Baru. Tyler would say he absolutely believes it because I tend to let time go in between posts until so much has stacked that I can't remember any of it..this may be true. I think he is so "faaayast" at blogging cause he can cover less and get in and out of the internet cafe like a jungle cat..very sneaky..very fast..undetected..few ticks..

The day after we hiked up Baru we got scootin' and packed all of our gear up to..as Tyler would say.. "hit the roooad". What he failed to mention about Baru was our unique experience actually getting to the trailhead. The morning we went out, we walked a few kilometers to, with great luck, be picked up by a worker heading up the hill to work practically at the park entrance. He gave us a local tour of the farms and waterfalls on the way up. Pretty awesome, yeah? After he drops us..only 3km away from the park..anOTHER truck immediatly picks us up and takes us all the way. This was nice cause it was a steep mother, this road. We hike in a half an hour and realize we are going down hill too much for a few fellas that intend on clawing their way to the top. We ask a dazed farmer..the only person in the middle of nowhere foothills panama volcano and turns out we were certainly not heading up..and no trails existed that would lift us to the peak upon which we wished greatly to be nestled. We walked back to the ranger station( the fact that it was shut down and the Baru summit hike is the most popular should have been a clue....eep) and find a farm owner who just happened to be heading to the OTHER park entrance where his other farm was. We got yet anOTHER ride..saw some amazing countryside and got a tour with a local whose family roots are buried deep into the hills of this refreshing mountain town we have come to love. We hiked up. it was "Good. Great. Grand! No yelling on the bus!" eh?? anybody? movie quote.

Anyway...the road we were on initially(confusing it for the path up the hill) was the Trail of the Quetzales. This connects our town to this smaller town of Cerra Punta. We hiked into the forest and camped along the trail. WONDERFUL. We made it out with out ever actually seeing this bird..I think it is made up at a talked up tourist trap..everyone wants an eyefull... I won't buy it. There is NO Quetzal! :) When we got out of the park we ate at a, should be illegal, bakery that moved my emotions and went up to David where we caught a bus to the Caribbean Coast.

We headed out to Bocas Del Torro, some islands off the coast. The first day was rainy. We have had job offers rolling in like CRAZY lately..so we sat up in the hotel and people watched and took care of some bidness back home. Next day we bussed out to the Boca Del Drago. There was this AWESOME beach nearly inFESTED with starfish. We took a snorkel under water and it was insane. Within 20 feet..like 20 starfish..all hanging out..possibly planning a barbeque or getting ready for softball practice..so many...a league.

We spent a few nights on this Big Island and a few nights on the less populated Bastimento Island. You can cut through the jungle to get to beautiful yellow sand beaches. Wizard beach was good for surf watching and had a wicked rip current that sucked you out little by little while you weren't paying attention. Tyler was diving into waves as if the trials for The US Olympic Swimming team were hosting trials on that island the very next day...look out for him on the tube...he'll be that guy in red, white, blue and blonde all over moving very quickly on slick surfaces and laughing over the sound system.

 We also took a lengthier hike the next day to Red Frog beach. Named, I suppose, after the tiny poisonous red frogs that inhabit the area above sand line. The rip was even stronger here..strong enough that it scared me Big Time. These kids were trying to show us red frogs(that was had been hopping over, on the hike in, like bananas in a Mario Kart race track) for money. We did not give them this and they through fruit and flower pods at us from a safe distance.... bunch of poos.

Bastimento was the BOMB. Great way to relax before the last city of our whole trip. We spent the day in

 transit to Panama. We hung out in David(2nd largest city in the country) for half of the day so we could sleep on the bus and dip out of buying a hotel. David was actually pleasant...busy cities seem busier from the bus station..I was happy we left that to kill the time. We hung out in the plaza and ate icecream and brownies and went to see a movie. Yeah Denzel! whoop whoop! Nothing better than seeing the timeless Mister Washington than doing it with a bag of edible loot. We were like the fattest people ever..Tyler bought a big bag of drinks and candy bars and popcorn for the movie and I made little progress with my cough and snap techniques while drinking my canned rootbeer... Anybody want to see a movie?? I talk alot..but I could use the practice at sneakishly opening tops in fast action scenes...

We got the midnight bus and woke up in Panama City, the best capitol city in Central America!! I can't believe that people might just pass through this place. We lOVEd it. We stayed in Casco Viejo. This was originally Panama City before the Canal. Now it is an active remains in decay and reconstruction. Really 80 percent of the buildings are gutted with these standing shells of once hopping eateries and churches and apartments. It had a really nice to feel to it and we scoff at the idea of what a brochure of this part of the city will look like in 10 years. I want it to never change.

We went and saw the Panama Canal!!! That was cool...we tried to watch the locks through the fence but in this city you may as well be back in the states. 'Cause ain't NOTHIN' free! We went in the museum and went to an observation deck to watch the Miraflores Locks in action. These are 1 or 3 sets of locks on the whole canal. They are used to higher from and lower boats to sea level from the ol' canal. Look it up!! It's actually really interesting and this engineering marvel plays a Goliath role in World Trade. AAAND..we saw some big boats! whoop! It was kinda like a ball game..everyone in the stands with hotdog and beer in hand...Panama Canal. Check.

Our last night we walked around the old wrecked glamorous part of the city we were staying in and glanced across at the vast city skyline. We walked around the narrow streets dodging the great street kitty population and looking through the doorways of old hollow buildings.. last day in town we took a bus downtown to Panama Viejo..where only ruins of a city exist..half stone walls..lone standing church arches.. we wandered around until about dark and grabbed a crammed bus to the airport. The plane was delayed..we said goodbye with a fairwell dinner of crackers and beans...a trip favorite and drink bad water from the tap. **sigh** its been good!!!

I am writing from a Crown Plaza in Florida. Our flights got all jumbled up and the airlines put us in a hotel for the day and bought our meals! All this free soap and coffee!! We are draggin our heals to get to Chicago but I think my sweet Aunt Carole with be thankful that we could scrub somewhere else. Tyler says the hotel is like a decompression zone for us to sterilize our things and bodies and be , ever so gently, released back into the over sanitary clean cut states. We'll be up there tonight Carole, PROMISE!! Here comes the family, friends and states tour before our jobs start!!

Central America. A success. Stay tuned we are gonna try and keep this blog up.

Oh yeah..and we decided to take a breather from Colorado and try a Park that's new for the both of us. Our next adventure lies in between the peaks in Grand Tetons National Park.

Both working trails!! *sigh of relief* wonderful.

-rachel.