Terminando el viaje..

Así vale la pena viajar! Después de estos 7 meses (volví a Perú y acá me quedo en Skip trabajando y buscando trabajo en Sudamérica)  puedo decir que viajar así como nosotros viajamos y como me fue el viaje, que el viaje no tiene precio. Los recuerdos de la gente que conocí,  los lugares preciosos que vi, las personas con quien hablé, los estilos de vida que conocí,  las comidas que probé, la música que escuché, los atardeceres, las actividades que hice, los AMIGOS que hice (uno puede pensar que es difícil hacer verdaderas amistades durante un viaje en que estas “poco” tiempo con las personas, pero ese “poco” tiempo te da mucho. Compartir momentos del viaje con las personas que conoces es bueno y con éstas es muy fácil, muy rápido y se aprende mucho. Mucha gente ve el viaje como un período largo para se divertir, para salir lo que no salió en el pasado (universidad, trabajo, ejército, noviazgos,  etc) pero eso es un porcentaje muy pequeño del viaje, puedo decir que salimos mucho menos que salíamos en Chile. El viaje es mucho más que eso, es un crecimiento, quien viaja siente que aprendió demasiado. Que quiero decir con esto, de aprender!? Cuando se viaja como yo y Paulo viajamos se conoce gente de todo el lado, todas clases sociales, nacionalidades, edades, políticamente de derecha y izquierda, gringos y latinos y se aprende mucho culturalmente y intelectualmente con esta interacción.  Culturalmente puedo decir por ejemplo que todos los libros que leí (y leí más en 7 meses que en 3 años) fue por sugerencia (películas también). Antes de viajar, 80% de la gente que conozco tiene el mismo background que yo.

Durante el viaje se conoce estilos de vida que uno no tenia ni idea de su existencia, se aprende..

Yo tuve suerte de no tener miedo para decidir viajar. Hacer un viaje así tiene su timing. Yo no lo hesité y salí junto con Paulo a viajar por Sudamérica.  Si te encantaría viajar y no lo haces no hay que pensar que no se puedo. Simplemente estas invirtiendo en otra cosa, tu carrera profesional y si realmente te gustaría viajar por un período largo lo harás cuando sea tu timing. Viajar no tiene edad. Casi todo el viaje tuve con gente más grande que yo 27-31. Pero también conocí gente de 50s, mayor (70s) y 20s.

Viajar es un riesgo? Claro, pero que no lo es en estos tiempos? Yo sé cuales son para mi las consecuencias de viajar. Es quedarme en Sudamérica a trabajar pero es una consecuencia voluntaria. Viajar tiene una gran consecuencia que es estar lejos de su país,  familia y amigos. Por viajar no estuve presente en Portugal cuando debería estar pero yo sé que este viaje no solamente es bueno para mi pero para la gente que convive conmigo.

Citando un poco del “manifiesto del viajero”. Viajar al dedo o con un presupuesto bajo no es solamente porque puedo estar limitado a un cierto monto de plata por mes para poder viajar tanto tiempo. De esto modo te aseguro que conoces más y mejor las culturas. Si estás dispuesto a dar 15 dolars para dormir/comer en todos los lugares que vayas, la probabilidad de no conocer lugares/gente autentica es mayor. Ahh Sudamérica peligroso? Para mi, y probablemente tuve mucha suerte, nunca pasó nada. Si quieres evitar robos, peligros solo tienes que entrar en un país nuevo con respecto por los locales y saludar la gente! Puedo decir que hoy y durante el viaje soy una persona que confía mucho más que en Europa,  no sé porque. Mal o bien dejé mucas veces mi computadora, mi mochila con plata con gente/lugares que no conocía.  Porque lo hice no sé pero la gente que viaja normalmente es confiable mismo que uno solamente lo conozca hace 5m. Hay excepciones y por eso recomiendo que uno debe de ser confiable pero siempre de ojo abierto.

Porque escribí en español? Porque a pesar de aun no dominar el idioma me gusta mucho y porque estoy en Sudamérica. Además ni todos los latinos son privilegiados y estudian inglés.

Gracias a todos los que hicieron parte de nuestro viaje y gracias Paulinho pelos 6 meses que viajamos juntos, muchas enseñanzas!

un poco de Nicaragua y de vuelta a pura vida

I cross the border and decided to go to Isla Ometepe. An island which is a "product" of two volcanoes. I met Spanish and an Italian and we climbed the volcano, 10 hours (go up and down) and nice views (after 4 days I still had pain in my muscles jajja). In this island people are really nice, it seems that they seek eye contact to nod or say hi, friendly environment. Two days later we went to Granada (still with Naxo - from Madrid) and stayed 2 nights. Granada is a really beautiful city, very colonial, friendly people and nice to walk around.

Compared to Venezuela, politics here is more about the party than the president

Again Barcelona!Central Americans support a lot Spanish football

 This country is like coming back to south america, people are more friendly and smile more. Once a women was calling her friend to sell me fruit and said "this chele" (means white people -from western) wants something. But the truth is that in that moment I compared my skin with hers and she laughed ahaha (my skin was much darker..)

After one week without being in the water I returned to what I want, surf! This time, San Juan del Sur. I stayed only 3 days because the water was colder and I was missing the surf of Santa Teresa (during this period there is a cold current and the water gets colder - in comparison with Costa Rica of course - since you can still surf without wet-suit. I liked the atmosphere, I met locals that showed me a different spot without anyone.

(Gallo Pinto - famous breakfast in central America. It looks like a lunch..)

And.. after I decided to go back to Santa Teresa! I went to other hostel and put my tent (again the owner is from Israel). Here there are a lot of Israelite and  Italians..

In this hostel I met a nice group of Spanish and Argentinians with whom I was hanging around and surfing. During the first days the swell was big so we had to improvise and look for different spots. Then there were good days as perfect as in eastern and last days a bit smaller (photos- Thanks Judit!!).

The life in Sta Teresa was again very very "Pura vida":

1) wake up early with the birds and monkeys, around 6am. I was sleeping in a Hammock outside.

2)Surf all morning

3) Eat and rest. Resting in the hammock watching monkeys, squirrels and birds.

 I missed Miss Reef :contest on Saturday.

4) surf

5) Play pool

6) Dinner in my favorite Soda. Use to go there at least once a day. Eat a casado or a gallo pinto with milkshake (banana or pineapple everyday)

7) sleep really early

To end my days in central america I took a bus to San jose, met my fBrazilian friends and the others from Aisec and went out! Thanks guys!! The return to Panamá was by bus to take a flight to Lima, In 4h in Panamá I met more nice people than last time I was here. A man from Evangelic church gave me a ride to the airport, which was perfect since it was 4am and I was already willing to take a 25usd taxi..

Pura vida

Next stop was Costa Rica, I was few days in Panamá but I will visit more on the way back. First stop was Puerto Viejo, on the border I met a Portuguese (he said “ oohh finally  a Portuguese!”).

In Puerto Viejo, a "Jamaican" town full of reggae, we (still travelling with Mathias) got the opportunity to do a really good snorkeling just 3m from the hostel. The following day we rented a bike, drove for 30m and in Punta Uva we snorkeled again. This time was really really good and we fished the first thing we saw. A lobster.  When we started the snorkling we saw it and commented “hm.. lobster for lunch would be so good” Later we saw a local with an harpoon and asked if we could use it. We fished what would be our lunch! The guy told us “there you have  a plate of 22usd”. 

On the last day, I went to a national park in Cahuita.

In Panamá and Costa Rica local people in turistic places see you as a product of making money and  in the end they are not as nice as in South America. One night we were cooking and we forgot to buy salt and oil. We asked in the hostel if they could give us something to what they replied "you can use the kitchen but nothing else is included".. (this one of many examples)

The currency in Costa Rica is Colón but they accept dollars everywhere. Additionally, they often speak English. On the last day I was listening/seeing a African concert  in the village´s cultural space (really really nice) and the guy use to speak in English to thank the crowd. Unbelievable how they express in English. I often say “porque no me hablas en español!”

There was a football match between USA- Costa Rica while I was in the country. The conditions they played were extreme. They played in Denver, Colorado with a lot of snow, could barely see and high levels of snow. The referee didn't stop the match and the next day it was front page in every newspaper. The second match of the group stage (qualifying for Brazil 2014) everybody on the stadium was protesting against Fifa, all kind of protest. A good one was “ Blater are we going to play football today or to do business?)

The next stop was Jacó, a surf town but not nice. This city is full of prostitutes and you often see old men (foreigners) with young girls. Full of tourists, but it is like "Quarteira in Portugal". But I went there, stayed in a friend´s house (that I met while looking for a surfboard) and bought a board to surf the following days in this country, which is the paradise for surfers! I stayed 2 nights and then went to Santa Teresa in peninsula Nicoya.

Another episode of how diferent is this country to latin america was the guy I met in Jacó. He was nice to show me where was the camping. But since it was a bit expensive for a camping he said " you can stay in my apartment for half price". I dont judge but there is a huge difference, when it happened it south america, people did not ask us money, they simply give us a space in their apartment and we buy them a beer or cook dinner.

 The sunset in Mal Pais/Santa Teresa is amazing! And the surf conditions really good! "Air 28°c Sea 29°c" with constant swell and no wind.

During these days I met a really nice group, 3 Israelite that are travelling around and a group of Aisec that teach languages in San Jose. Was nice to enjoy eastern with them and actually I felt close to home because there were 2 Brazilians, one from Rio de Janeiro and the other from Rio Grande do Sul. Nice guys and typical Brazilians ahaha. The days here were all about surfing. wake up really early, around 6am (I must recognize that this day-to-day routine is an influence of my good friend Duarte - surf, eat, rest, surf, eat, sleep).

"Pura vida" is what people say to each other while saying goodbye. It is like "take care", "fica bem" (in Portuguese). It is really nice, everybody use it and it really transmits good vibes.

After a week of really nice waves and a lot of surf, I had to rest - I had something in my elbow and needed a rest (a old men told me "if it really hurts stop sports for 5-7 days". So I went 2 days to San José (where I stayed with my Brazilian friends) and then Nicaragua.

In San José, I went with Philipe to his Portuguese class (he teaches there) and I spoke a bit of Portuguese from Portugal. Very very different, I had to speak with Brazilian accent, was nice!