Panama and on and on

Hello everybody,

Again, sorry for the delay! We are in Panama City and are currently trying to figure out the car shipping situation and I am spending time with my mother.

Since our last entry much has transpired. From Samarra Costa Rica we headed south to Mal Pais/St.Theresa, a town inhabited primarily by surfers and hippies. Nothing really noteworthy took place here aside from catching some pretty good waves and after 4 days we became bored and decided to head inland to San Jose so that Logan could catch a flight to meet up with his girlfriend in Panama City. San Jose is a nondescript place - dirty, loud, and full of lecherous folk (prostitution is legal in CR) so you aren't missing much unless Vegas is simply not enough. After dropping Logan off at the airport, Alex and I headed to Manuel Antonio with a Oregonian friend acquired at the hostel in San Jose and had a great couple of days hiking/swimming, playing gin rummy, and drinking beers. While in Manuel Antonio hiking, we came across a large contingent of howler monkees that had been somewhat human-socialized (Alex will be posting pictures of this encounter shortly). We also spotted a handful of other noteworthy creatures such as Sloths, upright standing lizards, birds with big beaks, gigantic hamster-esque rodents, and day walking racoons who were employed in thievery!

Costa Rica is definitely the most touristy of the various central American countries visited thus far- and as a result is also probably the most modernized. However, despite lacking in wandering giant pigs (Guatemala), obstacle like speed bumps (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras), dollar magnetized police check points (everywhere but CR), and 3 legged hairless dogs (everywhere but CR) we ended up having the day from hell in this modernized/tourist charged paradise. The date was December 20th and started off with a modest whiskey induced hangover that made me believe we needed to go to the Osa Pennisula (Bahia Drake) and ended with our vessel trapped in limbo in the middle of a river, two flat tires, and absolutely nowhere to sleep. Alex will upload pictures of the day so you can project, but I will simply follow that it was a very long/expensive 2 days which felt more like 2 weeks. Nonetheless, the 2 flats forced us to revamp the car (now fondly named "Richard" in honor of our friends, the Carroll brothers, dog Richard) with monster Pirelli ATR Scorpions. I dare the roads of South America to 'front on our spokes' (2Short) - Richard eats potholes for breakfast.

You ask what our Xmas was like? Alex/I spent it eating beans out of a can, surfing for 7 hours, playing dominoes and sleeping under a canopy of palm trees, stars and constellations in Santa Catalina. It was a very hearthy xmas.

By early next week we will be in Cartagena Colombia and as always 'trying to get in where we fit in' (2short). Much love.

Mike