So since last time...after Puerto Viejo, I went back down to the Pacific Coast to Manuel Antonio, a beautiful national park. Saw lots of monkeys and sloths, also bumped into two friends from Spanish school, randomly on the beach. It was nice to spend some time with them, we went out to a real locals bar one evening and mingled with the ticos!

Then I went back to the Caribbean side (don´t ask why i zig-zaged across the country!), and visited Tortuguero National Park with Jungle Toms Safari tours. And I was very excited to find out that Thomas, our guide, was actually The Jungle Tom! I told him I felt like I had met someone famous, well he thought that was the funniest thing he has heard in years! After a good lesson learnt (don´t leave damp trainers in a plastic bag and forget about them for 2 weeks because they WILL grow mould on them, I was actually heaving when I discovered them!), the tour was amazing. We did a boat ride through the canals and saw so much wildlife (as you can tell by the photos)! Saw frogs, caiman crocodiles, turtles and two jesus christs lizards - and one we got to see run across the water - Sara and Amanda will share in my excitement at this, remember our story in Mrs Doe´s English class!! Also, I met up with Martina and another girl on the island, and we spent about 4 hours catching up over a delicious meal and partied the night away at the local ´disco´!

About a week ago, I finally left Costa Rica and entered Nicaragua! After a 10 hour bus ride and a 3 hour wait at the border, I made it to Granada. It is a beautiful colonial town with lots of colourful buildings and lots of processions going on for Semana Santa, Easter week. Mostly men carrying platforms with religious statues on being followed by a band playing very sombre music, but also in contrast a huge dancing lady and a kid wearing a massive mask parading down the streets. Wish I could tell you the significance of that but I´m afraid I am yet to find out! Met up with 3 girls from my hostel in San Jose and spent a few days with them. We visted the islands on Lake Nicaragua and spent a day at Lake Apollo which is beautiful.

Yesterday, I arrived in a beach town called San Juan Del Sur but it was packed because of the last day of celebrations - you couldn´t move on the beach and there were lots of drunk people asleep in the middle of the streets. So I treated myself to a day of luxury in a posh hotel on top of a hill - for 10 quid I got to use their three infinity pools, which I had to myself for the whole day!!

Anyway, now I am back in reality of the backpacking world and just off to cook myself some pasta and liquidised red sauce which is supposedly tomato but who knows!

Lots of love from me xx