Oh My Rasta!

What a past 2 weeks of traveling it has been! My estimation that I would spend 20 hours on a boat is a womping under-estimation. I don´t even want to try to count up the hours, but I will estimate it was somewhere between 40 and 50 hours of boat time.

I almost enjoyed all of my time on boats...

By far the most exciting trip was from San Juan del Nicaragua, to Bluefeilds; two towns on the carribean coast of Nicaragua only seperated by some rough but beautiful carribean waters. Not many people - Nicas or Gringos make this trip - so we didnt exactly take a typical tourist boat.

At the beginning of my carribean adventure I was lucky enough to meet up with 2 other girls my age from Germany. A couple days later we tagged up with 2 guys from spain. Together we were a 5-some of crazy traveling friends, seaking out adventure on the wild seas of Nicaragua, in search of Rasta men, good reggae music, and a general awesome time. This boat ride up to Bluefeilds that we braved together was a 15 hour, hitchhike on a towboat. I was the only one not vomiting for a majority of the trip, so I spent half my time soaking up the sun and watching the dolphins swim along the boat, and the other half making sure my European traveling buddies were in good health.

The town of Bluefeilds wasn´t exactly what I had pictured. A little too city like for my taste, and although there were very few Grigos, there didnt seem to be the Carribean charm that all the guide books had promised. None the less we had a good saturday night out on the town in mighty old Bluefeilds. (The town was named after a Pirate. ARG MAITY!)

By far the highlight of my carribean adventure was my one night in Laguna de Perlas. Its a small town of the kindest 2,000 people in all of Nicaragua! Not to metion the contagious rasta vibe that had already gotten to my head... literally.

Oops! Did that slip...? Yes! I have dreadlocks now... Actually I´m not sure I can really call them dreads. My hair is very short and dreadlocks don´t happen over night. Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of the new-doo via my Dad´s iphone... there are many curious friends and family out there, I´m sure :)

I know this is breif but its almost time for me to catch a taxi to the airport to pick up my lovely parents, so we can spend a week together catching up! Each time I write on my blog I feel like I have learned more and more about myself and the world and EVERYTHING. I feel so full of life right now. Its very exciting for me, and I can feel my energy being shared with the people I come in contact with, which is a really cool and beautiful thing.

Today I´ll end by challenging you to do something for yourself! By loving yourself first, you are better able to love others. I believe, (this little lesson has come to me in the last month or so), that by loving, and thinking of yourself first, it is the best thing you can do. Take time to notice your breath, notice the weather, notice the sky, make yourself some tasty and nourishing food, give yourself a hug (and then hug someone else). Lots of love from me to all of you! (Can you feel it?) Love yourself, love life. Your life is a gift, that you are able to choose how you live everyday! Make the good and the bad moments beautiful and life becomes fuller and grander than you ever thought possible!!!