In Central America and loving it though a touch tired from all the "interesting" bus journeys in the chicken-run buses. Started 6 days ago in Panama (the place of the rather large and impressive canal though the city is a touch dull) and then up to Costa Rica (and the particularly awful and expensive San Jose -advice avoid at all costs, the bus station is the best place as you can leave) - and up to La Fortuna and Vulcan Arenal, third most active volcano in the world and does make you feel rather unimportant as you watch and listen (fair scarier for some reason) the huge boulders being throw out and the guide tells you that often they get hit by ash whcih if its hot can be fatal!!!! Left early this morning, 2 bus jorneys later, a trek across the border town of Los Chillies (great name), easy migration and a boat journey (loads of monkeys and birds makes you feel that you are the first to ever go this way as long as you ignore the 10 other passengers in the decaying wooden boat with a hair dryer for an outboard) up the Rio Frio (means cold in spanish but is anything but) to Nicaragua and San Carlos where we sit now besieged by a plague of insects (looks like nothing we have ever seen). Think we are in ourselves something of a tourist attraction to judge by all the looks and admiring calls we (well ok Pausie) is getting!! This is definately off the tourist map but easily the best border crossing ever!! Thinking of you all (intermittantly...) and back to our somewhat old and decripid room with 2 large water containters like the British put in the garden in our SMALL bathroom. Love to all, J&P xxxxxxx