din Antigua, Guatemala yesterday. It is a delightful colonial town with cobbled streets and wonderful old buildings.

Started my trip through Central America in San Jose, Costa Rica. All I can say about San Jose is that it is large, unattractive and dirty. The one saving grace was an exhibition of cows. Fibre glass animals, not real ones! Various companies and multi-nationals had donated these cows and they had been decorated by various artists, school groups, charites etc. and then placed on pedestals throughout the city. It was great fun seeing how many we could spot and instead of old buildings I have nothing but cows on my camera to remind me of San Jose. Yet again we were in the city when another demonstration was taking place. They seem to follow me where ever I go. This one was peaceful but very noisy and went on until about 4 00 pm.

Next stop was La Fortuna after a five hour bus ride. Nice town with yet another lovely square. Wonerful hot springs that we visited in the evening. Next day we hired scooters. I was OK and had a test drive down the road (no where else to practice). Hannah Jane, a fellow traveler, got on hers, opened up the throttle, hit a patch of gravel and fell off in quite a spectacular fashion. About ten seconds on the bike cost her over two hundred dollars in damages, plus bruises and cuts. Needless to say we aborted that mission. Having made sure she was OK and taken her back to our hotel, mysaelf and Helen caught a taxi to a local water hole and had a swim (freezing) and walked back.

On to Monteverde. Went to a coffee plantation. It was interesting to see the production of coffee from tiny plant through all the processes to the final cup of coffee. Next day went on what was describd as an extreme zip line. Much higher and longer than in Chile but fun. The longest was 2250 feet over a valley. I also did a 90 foot abseil so I am quite delighted about that. Never thought I could do it but everyone else did so I thought ´Go´and I did. Also visited a butterfly and frog centre. Had no idea that all of the frogs that you read about and see on TV are very tiny, some no more than a half inch long and very hard to spot unless you are with a guide who knows what he is looking for.

Monday was a long days trek to Ometepe Island. Santa Domingo is a very small but delightful village. Our room was a cabin in the garden. Monkeys on the roof and four cows in the garden... it wasn´t the Hilton but it was great. Next day rode along the beach to a watering hole (hammocks, sun loungers and shade), had a swim then rode the horses back along the beach. Had a canter in the sea, I was wet anyway so it didn´t matter. A good day. Left Ometepe on Wednesday at lunchtime for our trip to Granada. Caught what is called a ´chicken´bus. Crowded with locals, everything including our luggage and the kitchen sink, building materials etc. chucked on the roof and off we went. Couldn´t have squeezed anyone else on but they did.... An experience but not one to be repeated too often! Granada is another lovely city with fine buildings, squares and collonades. Lovely people and at long last an internet that worked. On Thursday took a full day tour that took us to a local ceramics factory. It was actually a workshop in someone´s garden but the pieces that were produced there were incredible. Needless to say having said that we were not purchasing we all came away with at least one piece - yet more to stuff in an already overloaded case... Then to Masaya for lunch and a lookaround the market, more good stuff but I resisted the purchase of a super picture although I did go back twice to look. Then on to the fort at Coryotepe. Used by opposing factions centures ago but more recently used as a political prison in the 70s during the civil war. A gloomy, sad place that could obviously tell some tales if the walls could talk. It is now used by the scouts as a meeting place for their jamborees. No doubt,. the scouts enjoy the scary ambience of the place. Then on to a volcano as night was falling. Very spectacular, throwing out clouds of smoke, quite different to the others I have seen. Last erupted in 2001 and can go again any day but they have monitors set up that hopefully will dictate when that might be. Let´s hope they work.

Friday went on a boat ride around some of the 365 islands that surround the town. A house and island available for 125000 pounds. Bit too far to travel for the weekend though..

Saturday, Took private bus across border to Tegulagulpa in the Honduras. I know I am getting back to civilisation when I found a shopping mall that was air conditioned and full of people. First time I have been near ´proper´shops since mid December in Perth. Not sure I have missed them but did manage to get a hair cut that was desperately needed.

Sunday. Yet another long journey including a ferry ride to Utila Island. Sat up front outside - big mistake. Out of the harbour the sea was rough and the waves broke over the bow every few minutes. We were so wet from the first we thought we might as well stay there - better than Wet and Wild or anything that Alton Towers has to offer. Utila Island is delightful. Very quiet and pretty. Monday went snorkelling. Three hour boat trip out to two different sites, snorkelling gear included and all for ten dollars. Fabulous coral reef and fish. Also saw a ray so it was a good day out. In evening to Treetanic Bar that has a glass garden. All the structures, arches, arbors and paths are made from ceramic and glass. Quite special place to be. Chilled out on Tuesday and hired a golf cart in the afternoon to tour the island. That did not take long but it was good to see what else was there. (Mostly big houses going up on very expensive plots of land). Spent Wednesday night at Copan after yet another long journey. Went to the Mayan ruins on Thursday morning and then on to Antigua. The ruins were worth seeing. This bit of the trip has been a bit of a whistle stop tour through four countries. Fast paced but I have enjoyed seeing the various places. Some I would come back to and others not. Tomorrow off to Belize and then Mexico . Will try to upload photos soon.