ideas for cheap stuff

I´m not going to have time to update on everything that´s happened the last few weeks. Thought we´d get back to Costa Rica Backpackers, where the internet is free, and have tonnes of time due to the off season, but it turns out the dreaded ¨high season¨ has finally dawned, so there were tonnes of people waiting to log on yesterday and again this morning. Stupid bus to Panama´s gorgeous Carribbean (well lets hope it is) is calling, so I got bout 30 minutes, lessened, of course, by the fact that I´ve waffled for the last minutes about not being able to waffle. Doh!
I took my friend Tania´s advise (she´s pineapple queen, so I couldn´t ignore it), and spent little time in Costa Rica, except for a national park or two. First we headed to Monteverde to see the cloud forests and did an excellent canopy tour and guided walk through it on Thursday 12th June. First was the guided walk, which was very informative, we found a few bugs and a tarantula and then climbed up the inside of this tree, well vines that went as hard as a tree, which was absolutely deadly. After that we went for our adreneline rush on the canopy tour. This involves a harness (guys be aware, if you wear white shorts that are sporty you´ll end up showing a little too much manhood) , helmet, protective gloves for your hands and zipping along long wires from one tree to another. We got better as time went by, though Tonge had a wee bit of trouble with the breaks once and gave one of the guys a nice kick. We got to rappel down from some of the trees, and it was amazing how to stop you coming down fast they just slackened the rope a bit. We also did this huge Tarzan swing, where ya free fell for a few seconds and then started swinging out really far, and back again. How you stopped from this wasn´t all that gracious though with the guys dragging at your legs and finally smacking you into this rubber tyre contraption that made a sound like you´d an accident, if you get my meaning.
On Friday morning that week we headed to Tilaran for the festival in honour of San Antonio (Saint Anthony), who just happened to be my mam´s favourite saint. She always said nine Hail Mary´s on a Tuesday morning before midday to him for a nice surprise. It was a great day with a parade, plenty of costumes, the priest soaking everyone and cars with holy water, dancing, food, fireworks and most importantly, cowboys. I was glad we´d found out about this small local festival to stop in. On Saturday we headed on to La Fortuna and that evening went up to see the lava flow from Arenal volcano. We´d only just arrived and walked up to the viewing point when we heard and explosion and tonnes of smoke start pouring out of the volcano. It was still somewhat bright, and I got some fantastic pictures of the smoke billowing out into the night sky. Our guide moved us back for a time and when he realised that the wind was pulling the ash and crap away from us we could head back in the dark to a good viewing spot. Darkness had fallen by then and when the smoke and cloud was cleared you could see the streams of lava coming down the face of the volcano. I´ve always had a thing for volcanoes. The unpredictabiliy and destructive nature of eruptions fascinated me a child, and then very fact that from these eruptions the land becomes more fertile for agriculture…I mean wow! We then went to some hot springs and I went into a cave, which felt like a sauna. The guide was offering some massages in his best seduction voice, very funny. Then we went back to La Fortuna and had a few drinks.
I did nothing on Sunday at all except eat and mope around. Monday we went to Baldi Hot Springs and lazed about for the day in the opulent surroundings while having a few beers I´d gone out to get and snuck in. We weren´t about to pay $6.50 for a beer when ya could get them for $1.25 in a shop! Mad buggers who did! Then on Tuesday we headed for the small boarder town of Los Chiles, with our new friend Liz whom we´ve adopted, to spend the night listening to Howler Monkeys and a marching band before crossing into Nicaragua on Wednesday 19th, but that´s for the next update cos Tonge and Liz are giving me looks…