Meant to Meet These People

The plan for Panama was to see the Panama Canal, celebrate my birthday, and work at a local church.  The beautiful part about plans is that they always change with the touch of God's hand. 

When I stayed at the Hostel, I made friends with the staff. I made friends with the guests. I made friends with the cleaning crew. I planned on having my own private room, but those were full(meant to be). I  shared a room with an Italian, an Argentinian, a Mexican girl and her boyfriend from Uruguay. Little did I know, our bond would keep me there more than one night. 

It was my plan to be in luxury for my birthday as it was my birthday and that was what I wanted. I ended up having a mix of both and that was just perfect. 

Last year, I was in Madrid and I met a great group of people where we cruised through the streets and had an amazing time.  This year I had no one to spend it with, but God brought me some wonderful new friends.  

Not only did I meet my group of new friends. I met someone very religious and special.  This was a meeting that was purely meant to be.  His name was Popola. 

Popola was interested in helping me grow professionally. We discussed my purpose and he wanted to help me develop my self.  He was a business guy who lived primarily in Brazil and he did the import/export thing. He didn't want anything in return, but he wanted to be a mentor/helper in my life. Boy did he read me right away with what I needed. He was often referring to scripture and how God has run his life.  He is in town for a few months and he attends a local church every Sunday. Popolo is always a person who keeps himself busy and he wants the best for good people. We are so similar in that we don't just talk with anyone, but we speak with those who are good with good souls.  This was someone who would stay in my life not for a day, not for a month, but for a lifetime.

Oscar was the punk rock Colombian receptionist who worked behind the front desk. He shared his sweet corn arepas and tuna salad with me as we would talk nonsense. He always had this curious look in his eyes like, "Who is this girl?" It was like he knew my life was full of different components. We would talk about the beauty of Colombia and I would share my passion to move to Argentina. Advice from a free spirit, "Just go." I would make excuses as to what people say and he would say, "Just go I know you will love it."

Oscar wanted me to go to the Blarney Islands and we had a plan to stay up until the 5am departure time.  I was like, "Yeah, Yeah let me get my bag ready." He was like, "Yeah me too." 
I passed out at 3am and he was up working and slept at 6am.  We didn't end up making it.  

Jesse was a good looking Panama, 28 year old, who also worked managing the front desk, tours, and trips. He was definitely cute and well built. The Panama men have great, strong, fit bodies. It seems like it's almost genetic. He was always flirting and I was always smiling.  I kind of wondered about him a bit. Jesse was going fishing to the islands, but he didn't have any space. He said if someone canceled he would wake me up at 4:30.  He saw me sleeping soundly and he felt too bad waking me up(meant to be). Instead of going to islands, I went to the most important place-church 

Costa Rica Bound

               Nice girl working for Tica Bus

                   

It was time to take the famous bus I heard about in  Central America “Tica Bus.” If you ever need a bus, this is the tourist bus that will take you all over. Traveling in three countries, I heard about this bus, but never really saw it. I was just happy on the local buses with the locals. 

This was going to be quite the journey all the way to Panama City. A total of 17 hours split in between two days. I thought about flying, but that would be $200 more than the bus so that was my answer for that.  There were many tourists on this bus and it was a common route-the only route through Costa Rica went directly to Panama City. There were some French, some Americans, Venezuelan, American, and of course Costa Rican.

Just waiting for the bus, I was making some new friends with a couple local Costa Rican guys and an American guy who has a home in Costa Rica. He hasn't returned to the USA in 5 years, which is something I wouldn't mind either. Buying a house abroad for 1/3 the price of a house in the states-great idea! Vamos!

Priscilla boarding the bus like this....

                         

                          

 

Granada

Having one day to explore Granada what better transportation than a bike.....

First..... 

Accomodation 

          

Mi Pequeno amigo from hostel cleaning his Dad's bike

A Superwoman Wifey Kind of Day:

 

Horse ranch and cows 

Visiting homes in poor communities

Cemetery ride around such beautiful stones with death present inside a palace of stones

 

In and out of the Central Market

 

                 

                                              Tired:(

                 







                                                      Cheese 

Coffee at Cafe Musica 

       

        

                                

Lake Nicaragua 

 

                

 

5 churches 

Chocolate tasting 

How to make a hammock

Hotel Alhambra 

Sitting on the rocking chair near the peaceful fountain and the  pool. I'm going to miss the rocking chair that's for sure  
 

Restaurants and tourist areas out of water 

Family Stay Mr. Grumpy

When I was dropped off by the bus, it was 9pm, I was tired and inquired about the main street. Everyone said it was just a few blocks up.  This is where I met a barber and his wife and son. They were happily sitting in the shop and we were sitting and talking and talking. My backpack was on and I was smiling, but I wanted to find a place to stay first. It’s okay I’m always on day and night. These people were trying to be helpful and they were as they helped carry two of my bags.  They put me right in the place with all the hotels. It was a small area as this was a small town. Most of them were just simple a bed, fan, and lamp for $10 a night. It just was not appealing to me as there was no interpersonal connection.  God guided me to the one right across the street with the fresh yellow paint and the two rocking chairs in front. The front door looked just identical to a prison cell gate. This guy was serious about safety.  As I stand there ringing the bell, this grumpy old man comes up with high pants, a button down shirt, and loafers. He said with no enthusiasm, “I have one room $12 with TV, wifi, hot water.” “And the door shuts at 10pm sharp.”

Most people would move to the tourist friendly place, but there were limited rooms and the truth is I liked this guy. He was clearly just a challenge for me. Those people going through the motions of life and not feeling. This was my chance to get a smile out of him and make him feel alive again.


I told him I would take it and he looked quite surprised. My room was adorable with a crystal clean bathroom for how much? Oh yeah $12 a night. The beauty of traveling through Central America. He said that his son would help me with my bags, but I carried them for 30 minutes, I could carry them to my room.

His son came out, clean cut and an adorable 28. He was an architect who lived in Leon, but he was visiting his parents for the weekend. We were talking and I missed my opportunity to get some food before my 10pm curfew. Mr. Grumpy came to close the gate and walked away saying nothing. Oh this man was a great project for me. His son, Ber, kindly offered me some of his food, but it looked covered in some meat. I guess it was going to be an animal cracker night.  His mom came out and said "hello." She was kind and welcoming, but something was off with her energy.....

Arrival to Belize

The bus is quiet and almost everyone is asleep, but the guys in front are chatting away loudly. We come to a stop and I look up and have a feeling we are coming pretty close to Belize City. With his backwards cap and annoyed tourist face, he shouts out, "Last stop" I gather my stuff together quickly and get off the bus and am thrown into 20 taxi drivers all starving for some tourist cash.

Of course, I was annoyed because I thought the bus was dropping us off at the bus station, but clearly this was not the case. It was probably some tactic for them to get money as we were dropped off on the side of road in some random place.

  

It was just a total culture shock when I entered Belize as I could not get over the run down buildings and the gang infested streets full of graffiti. It felt like I was back in my early 20s working in Compton with  bullet holes in windows and cars just wrecked. The taxi drivers cars look like they were in a gun war with shattered windshields, missing hubcaps, chipped paint, and wires coming out on the inside(this became common for cars to be missing parts inside and wires hanging out) I bet that is safe.

Something about it just rubbed me the wrong way and I wanted to go back to Guatemala. I was having one of my Priscilla brat moments. It doesn't help when I just wake up from a nap and I am pulled off the bus-that is never a good turn out.  

The English girls who were having the problem on the bus worked it out. I talked with them at the border and they were pretty nice, but clueless. They had their hotel reservation in Cabo so they needed to catch a bus to the Mexico border. Usually when you share a cab it is cheaper than going solo. And usually I ask about the possibility of walking to the terminal-not this time, I was getting in that cab and going direct to my one bus to take me to Monkey Bay(30 miles outside of Belize City). 

We agree to share a cab and a guy jumps up right in front of us.   He was asking some ridiculous amount of $5 US each to go 5 minutes and to stop at the ATM next to the bus station was extra money. It was 100 degrees out and humid and the neighborhood looks hungry for Iphones  and HP laptops. 

He throws our bags in the trunk of his beaten up 95 Camry with a broken taillight and no hubcaps. He's got our bags in the trunk with it wide open. I try to close it myself and almost slam my finger so I just let it be. There is no indication that this is even and a taxi and I am extremely hesitant with my guard up.



These girls just get right in and I am thinking this is how stuff happens with this kind of stupidity. He catches on very quickly that I'm the smart one and won't put up with his overcharging and his nonsense negotiation. We drive and stop at the ATM and I go inside to get some real info on the bus station and the cost of it. He gives me the low down and I learn that we are literally 2 minutes away, which means he was charging an extra ten dollars when the ATM was on the way.  

We get back in and I am looking around at all the greasy restaurants and the dirty streets. None of this is appealing to me.  There are all sorts of food vendors on the streets and many people without shirts- I would assume because the heat. 

With the scenery and my butt sitting on a wire I am beyond ready to get out. He is sharing some info about the neighborhood and I am just sitting and responding with my fake," Oh wow."

I am not rude, but I am just fake and my dislike can be easily read by those who know me best. 

The girls are sitting in the back with eyes wide open to the streets. They are talking to the driver about their trip and they say," It's a shame we have to go straight to Mexico- we would love to stay here for a while." I jerk my head around and say,"You would?"very loud and shocked."

"Yeah it looks like a really nice place." 

I was sitting and confused if this was a real statement or they were just trying to get a rise out of me. I think they were serious and I was very confused. I think this is one of my most judgemental posts, as Belize city has culture and a real kind of living, but it's not a must visit kind of spot. Locals don't even like going to Belize city unless they have to so I'm surprised these prissy English girls off to a resort in Cabo San Lucas want to stay here. 

Well, we arrived at the bus station and their nice comments didn't get them a discount rather he asked them for $20 each. I shook my head, took my bag, gave him $5 and walked away. He didn't even say anything because he knows his talking was not going to work with me. I was not even going to get involved with their touristy stupidity and I let them just fend for themselves. They are grown women and they travel all the time she said. 

So that was that and then I just had to catch my bus... 

7 Polish Lawyers and a Pris

It was time to head off to my volunteer headquarters in Panajachel Lake Atitlan-what some say is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. I was standing in front of my hostel and my name, "Prisciyaa"(Latin America pronunciation) was called.  I jump inside to see all men and just one Pris.  I sat in the backseat next to a friendly looking guy with glasses and a friendly face. 

We got to talking and it turns out they are 7 lawyers from Warsaw, Poland all on a trip together. He told me that Chicago has the second highest Polish population. We got to talking about our lives and traveling.  He seemed to be interested by my work and I was interested by his.  It would be fun to exchange careers for a day, a week, or a month.  I think its another fascinating job and my best friend always told me what a good lawyer I would make.

Anyways, it sounded like him and his friends were leading quite the bachelor lifestyle and I joked he could be the next Polish bachelor for ABC.  Some of his friends were a bit "stiff" and kind of nerdy.  They were not really into speaking English, but it was fun joking with my a couple of them and my new buddy Eric.
Unfortunately, we got separated mid-way and by a Guatemalan baby and her mother, but we exchanged contact information and parted ways:)  Another new travel friend(starting to see how this amazing process works?)