Coming Up Next

My plans for the rest of my "walkabout" have changed a lot since a few weeks ago, not to mention last fall before I'd even embarked on the first part of it.

[I just went back and reread my predicted plans for the year... wow have those been tweaked a lot.]

I got back from Costa Rica at the beginning of January and set a goal for myself to be off on the next part of my adventure by the beginning of February.  I gave myself a month to relax, be at home, have parents, see friends and figure out what the heck I was going to do next.  And where I was going to go.  And for how long. <- I had a lot to figure out.


Wait, Cleome, I thought you were going to Europe for four months to backpack around?  Yeah, let me finish.  As I was saying, I'd been thinking hard about my next steps, and for a multitude of reasons ended up coming to the conclusion that I actually didn't want to aimlessly backpack around Europe for that long of a time.  Because, like:
1) It's still cold in much of Europe at this time of year. 
2) The tourist Schengen Visa is only good for three months out of any six month period (and I don't want to try and jilt the authorities, thereby risking never being allowed into the EU for the rest of my life).  And the visa includes most of the countries I actually want to travel through.
3) Thanks to actually having traveling experience now (yay!), I know that straight traveling for one month, let alone four, is exhausting.  AND
4) Europe is ridiculously expensive.  More than I was originally imagining.  I'm a soon-to-be poor college student- I can't be going into debt before starting school.


So I was pretty jittery for a while, as I had no real idea of where to even start now that my semi-solid plans for February-May were out.  You'd be surprised how hard it is to decide on a course of action when you can do essentially whatever you want.  It'd be great to use the time I have to work on maintaining my French or Spanish, or participate in something that might serve to guide me/provide me with experience for a future career path [not that I have any idea what that would be], but....  Honestly, when you really have no limitations, there are about a jillion amazing things you could do.  And you don't want to squander this awesome opportunity by choosing something stupid, or uninteresting, or pointless, or or or

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Sorry, but as you may be able to tell, I was a bit fragile concerning my future plans for a while.  However I managed to calm down and reason rationally with myself, and figured out a few things concerning what I did want to happen on the next part of my year off:

• I realized I wanted to do another volunteering project for at least part of the rest of year.  I just like feeling useful and helping others.  But while an organization in Ghana serving to educate the local population about HIV/AIDS and trying to prevent the spread of the disease sounds incredible [trust me, I looked it up], I don't feel like I necessarily have to be volunteering in a super intense situation trying to save lives to feel successful.  I really loved the type of volunteering I did at the orphanage- helping out but also being able to have my own life in the community.  (Also, I'm currently done working with children.  I'll be doing that this summer as well and I just need a break.)
• I am really interested in going to a country where the primary language is not English.  Or another language is spoken prominently, at least.
• Ideally, I'd go somewhere that is still close to Europe, so I could maybe travel there after volunteering.
• And I didn't want it ("it" being the flight, program, living costs, etc.) to be extraordinarily expensive.

Somehow [don't ask me how], this all lead me to determining a location: Israel!  Now I just had to find a program that was affordable, open to 18-year olds, and sounded interesting....

Idea 1: Eilat Hotel Volunteer

Summary: A 5-month program where I'd live/work in a hotel in a southern resort city with a bunch of other volunteers from all over.  Hebrew lessons would be included, as well as a public transportation pass.  

I quickly ditched this idea as a 5-month long commitment was just too limiting for me.

Idea/Attempt 2: Kibbutz Volunteer

Haha, yes, "attempt" is the key word here.  This plan was almost a go, until about two weeks into the process of applying....  

A kibbutz is a uniquely Israeli socialist-type community (all members work for the community itself).  Historically agriculturally-based, many kibbutzim have branched out into tourism and industrial work.  But the majority accept volunteers for 2-6 months at a time simply because there are more jobs than members available to do them.  Living there while working is free (room and board all payed for), but you make no money and the work is often quite demanding, with long hours and can often be tedious [for example, stuffing pillows in a hot, windowless factory for eight hours a day?  No thanks].   But there are always lots of volunteers who come from all over.  Plus the members of the kibbutz are more often than not pretty interesting.  It's supposed to be hard work, a bit isolated, but a lot of fun, too.

Anyway, after sending in all my forms in record time (and my full placement payment), they informed me that I was apparently ineligible for the program.  Because of my age: 18.5 instead of 19.  Get this- all kibbutzim welcome volunteers aged 18-35, except for Americans and Canadians.  WE have to be 19 in order to join.  

Anyway, after some frustrating back and forth with the Israeli office leader (who is very firm in her "no exceptions" rule), it became apparent that being a kibbutz volunteer just wasn't going to work out right now.  Which maybe was for the best, as it required me to step back, leading me to-

WHAT I'LL ACTUALLY BE DOING.  (Just got confirmation!)

Idea 3: Ecotourism Development in Nazareth
Third time's the charm, huh?

I'm going to be volunteering at the Fauzi Azar Inn for two months, beginning February 2nd. 

The Fauzi Azar Inn is a beautiful 200 year old Arab mansion that was converted into an inn in 2005. The Fauzi Azar Inn promotes ecotourism in Nazareth and works with the community to contribute to its development in various areas. The inn uses local resources to create new work places, to raise the self- image of the local community, and to encourage economic growth while preserving the universal values of natural and cultural preservation. The aim is to introduce in Nazareth, which is the largest Arab city in Israel, a new model of tourism and thus "bridge the gap" between Arabs and Jews. At the same time the Inn is creating a model for increased tourism along the Israel National Trail (Shvil Israel) and the recently completed Jesus Trail in order to promote both trails and the corresponding economic potential.

Source

Volunteering duties include hosting guests and reception work, working in the kitchen, maintaining hiking trails, and guiding tours of the old city of Nazareth.  I'll be sharing a nearby apartment with the other volunteers (three others, I think?), and have all the time when I'm not working to explore the city of Nazareth, not to mention the rest of Israel.

Nazareth appears to be a very interesting part of Israel.  It is located in Northern Israel, near the Sea of Galilee, and is supposed to be very beautiful.  The city contains the largest population of Arabs (both Christian and Muslim) in the country, yet there is still a Jewish presence in the north of the city, which should make for a complex melting pot of cultures, opinions, and ideas.  

Yeah, I'm going to work in a renovated mansion, bridge the gap between cultures, and meet a bunch of cool travelers.  No biggie.

After

After volunteering through the end of March, I'll take some time to explore the parts of Israel I haven't gotten to yet (maybe hit up Egypt for a bit?) and then fly over to Western Europe [finally the European aspect of my trip comes into play].  I'm free until the beginning of June, at which time I need to come back in order to work over the summer as a camp counselor, so I could potentially be in Europe for six weeks or so.  Clearly the last few months of my free time need to be molded into shape a bit more, but there's plenty of time for that.

I'm just incredibly relieved to finally have a semblance of a plan for the rest of the year.

SO.  EXCITED.  And I should probably start getting all my crap together.

xoxo, Cleome 

Things I'm Missing About Latin America (?)

-The unpredictable bus schedule that consistently demanded improvization in order to figure out what the hell I needed to do to get where I was supposed to go.
-Bus trips that inevitably took at least three hours longer than anticipated.
-Not possessing a key to the lock or the front gate, and therefore being effectively locked in or out of my own home.
-Paying for public bathroom use.
-Rice and beans 3x each day.
-Needing to throw the toilet paper in the waste basket instead of the toilet.
-Roosters and dogs being my 5:00am alarm clock.
-"Cold" and "extremely cold" showers being the only temperature options.
-The intense whiff of cologne that accompanied the passing of every single male.
-The lack of sunset/sunrise [yay for being almost directly on the equator].
-Inevitably spending anywhere from 16-20 hours of any weekend trip on a bus/waiting for one.
-Ants everywhere.  Even somehow in my contact solution container....
-My nighttime gecko friends that lived in the walls of my room and scurried around at night, making unexpected noises.
-Meeting cool travelers.
-Never knowing what was going to happen.
-Making new friends every day.
-Going out dancing.
-Hearing/speaking a language other than English.
-Experiencing another culture.
-Rarely being bored.
-Warmth.


I want to be out again.

xoxo, Cleome

Nicaragua

So I went to Nicaragua for 10 days... alone....  And it was awesome.

I'd been thinking about what to do after my volunteer program ended the last week of November, and after much debating decided going to Nicaragua would be
1) fun
2) a chance to see a new country, and
3) not completely terrifying as I'd met a girl who was working in Granada, and so at least had one person I knew who I could go up and hang with for a bit.

While I'd been traveling nearly every weekend before my Nicaragua trip, the thought of backpacking solo still scared me up until the point that I crossed the border between countries.  There's just something a little more ominous sounding about "backpacking in a different country completely alone for the first time" than "traveling for the weekend with my bestie Lindsay."  At least for me there was.

But I shouldn't have worried.  I survived for 10 days and made it back to Costa Rica in time to meet my family at the airport- and managed to have fun while doing so.

Nica Adventure, Cliff Notes Version

Saturday, December 1
-Left at 5:45am for San Jose.  Was informed the direct buses to Granada weren't available until Monday.  Decided to bus-hop instead.  Met American named Sherry at the border who was also going to Granada.  Had a tiff with officer in border control window- he "forgot" to stamp my passport.  Was denied entrance to country by immigration official and had to return to office for another stamp.  Finally boarded bus with Sherry to Granada.  Arrived and split off from Sherry to go to hostel where my friend Nonny was working.  Set stuff down.  Went out with Nonny and friends for dinner/clubbing.  Slept at Nonny's friend's house (without Nonny- looonnggg story...).  Great first night in Nicaragua.
Sunday, December 2
-Recovered.  Explored Granada a bit.  Ate typical Nicaraguan "frito."  Slept early.
Monday, December 3
-Accompanied Nonny to her volunteering project.  Played with kids.  Sang the Beatles.  Went out for drinks.  Packed.
Tuesday, December 4
-Said bye to Nonny and left Granada.  Ventured to Isla Ometepe [large island home to two enormous volcanos] by chicken bus and ferry.  Felt very alone.  Set up volcano hike with guide and a French-Canadian guy named Julian.  Tried to sleep in a hammock while listening to a man in the Russian Mafia talk about drugs.  Restless night.
Wednesday, December 5
-Woke up at 4am for 5am tour.  Ate a pb&banana sammich.  Completed an 8-hour volcano hike [5,250 feet up, active volcano, extremely windy].  Felt accomplished and exhausted.  Showered and slept.
Thursday, December 6
-Left island for the beaches of San Juan del Sur with my bodyguard, a 29-year old Brit named Romy.  Super cool guy.  Arrived at crazy hostel in every sense: renovated mansion= crazy luxurious, up on a hill= crazy gorgeous views, party hostel reputation= mentally crazy people.  Yikes.
Friday, December 7
-Beach day with Romy!  First hitchhiking experience and I was immediately obsessed.  Gorgeous water, beautiful day, amazing beach.  Located delicious, cheap tacos.  Went to major gringo beach party.
Saturday, December 8
-Switched from hostel to dirty, sketch hotel.  Switched from hotel to other hostel in town.  Breathed a sigh of relief.  Met new friends (Max, Simone, Astrid, drunk naked Australian dude, etc.) and walked to the Jesus statue on the hill for sunset.  Most delicious shot EVER: rum in a passion fruit half with sugar on the side [thanks Romy!].  Party hopped, night swam in ocean, watched Beerfest [<- pretty funny], didn't sleep much.  Fun night.
Sunday, December 9
-Early morning run, another beach day with Romy and Max.  More hitchhiking.  Sunday BBQ at hostel.  Packed and early night.
Monday, December 10
-Left for the border on chicken buses with Romy.  Border crossing and parting from Romy.  Sad.  Sat in a bus aisle for four hours to San Jose.  Made it back to Atenas after dinner.

A great trip.


Nica vs Costa
A surprising amount of animosity exists between Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans- mostly coming from the Ticos.  I think this mainly has to do with how many Nicas try to enter Costa Rica illegally, but any time something bad happens in Costa Rica it's blamed on the Nicas residing with the country, so maybe their negativity is justified....   Yet despite all the teasing I received from my Tico friends about wanting to visit Nicaragua, I have to say I was quite impressed by the country and in many ways it gives Costa Rica a run for its money.

Major Differences I Observed:

• Accent- Nicaraguans speak Spanish slightly differently, leaving me saying "que" a lot more than in Costa Rica.  I just wasn't used to it at first.
• Buses- Nicaraguan buses suck, frankly, compared to those of Costa Rica.  They're converted school buses instead of greyhounds, which pretty much makes all the difference.  Nica "chicken buses" have seats that are smaller, less comfortable, and much more cramped [one of the better times to be short: leg room!].  Also, there either tend to be less seats on Nica buses or just tons more people- every bus I rode was invariably packed to the brim with people.  So much so that if you sat next to the aisle, you couldn't escape having one of the standing persons' asses in your face.  'Twas lovely.  Also, Nica buses picked up food vendors literally every five feet, meaning there was always someone attempting to entice you into buying something.  That happens on Tico buses as well, but only at designated rest stops.  [Okay, to be fair some of these differences make Nica buses more fun and entertaining, but if you're existing on three hours of sleep and just trying to get home, they make the ride seem a lot longer....]
• Animals- farm animals roamed a lot more freely in Nicaragua than I've really ever seen in Costa Rica.  Buses would have to weave between herds of cows, horses were ties to almost every fence post, and spotting a pig rooting in the bushes by the side of the road was not uncommon.  I liked that.
• Cost- without a doubt, Nicaragua is so much easier on the wallet if you're trying to travel on a budget.  Hostels, food, drinks, transport- all was MUCH cheaper than in Costa Rica.  Bananas were literally $.04 <- you can bet I ate a lot of those.  And there were some $.25 tacos in San Juan del Sur that were to die for.  Yummmmm.
• Tourists- compared to the most visited areas of Costa Rica, the touristy parts of Nicaragua are still pretty devoid of foreigners.  Of course it's not like I was the only gringo in the places I went, but the locals were much more prominent, as was their culture.  Costa Rica's popularity and relative prosperity has definitely westernized the Ticos' way of life.
• Places to Go- while there are certainly some amazing places to hit in Nicaragua, there appear to be less locations than in Costa Rica.  I was only in Nicaragua for 10 days and saw only three different areas of the country, but I pretty much hit all the "worth seeing" places besides one or two.  In Costa Rica there are many more spots to go visit that offer significantly different environments, wildlife, and experiences from each other.  I traveled to seven different location in Costa Rica over two months and still have a sizable list of areas I'd love to go check out.

Overall, both countries are amazing, of course.  But for a shorter trip or one done on a more limited budget or one in which you're trying to get a taste of a significantly different culture from the US, then I'd recommend Nicaragua over Costa Rica.  Costa Rica has some of the most gorgeous natural landscapes in the hemisphere, but the country is more expensive and definitely more Americanized.  I'm certainly not upset about having been based in Costa Rica- I'm just saying that were my traveling situation different (i.e. not volunteering and solely backpacking), I'd probably have spent more time in Nicaragua than Costa Rica.  But since I had the luxury of being based in Costa Rica and getting to explore the beautiful country, I'm extremely grateful.

I can't wait to get on the road again.

xoxo, Cleome