As we left Ometepe we noticed that every shop had a stand outside selling machetes for US$3! For what pray tell?! The comical thing was that everyone, including kids, seemed to be carrying one. I almost felt left out although with my recent track record of bad luck I'd probably slice my leg off or something!

The last few days have again been fairly unsettling and I can't put my finger on what it is. I do sometimes wonder if I've seen and done so many things that nothing is really wowing me anymore - almost like been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Such a shame and makes me seem so ungrateful (although only to myself I suppose!) as I have this great opportunity and am getting bored with it! Anyhooo…..

We got to the ferry port where there were thousands of bugs attacking us - it was like a biblical swarm! Ugh, horrid! At the other side they were in our van so we spent the first half an hour swatting! We reached the Costa Rica border where we had to walk about 1km through no man's land. That's fine except when you have the mother ship on your back! This time we were held up as one of the girls didn't get a stamp so when it was double checked 1km later, she had to go back and stand in the queue. Surprisingly our friend who got stuck the last time sailed through, even though he had only been given 5 days to stay which expired the day before because 'I wanted to climb the volcano and if I had left a day earlier I would have to pay for my own night's accommodation'. Surely better that than getting interrogated, arrested, detained and deported?!!

We finally arrived in Monteverde which grew in population in the 1950s due to the Quakers who left North America and settled there as they refused to be drafted into the Korean War. Tourists began visiting this area due to the 2 major cloud forests which reach 1,600m. It's now jumped on the bandwagon as an adrenalin capital and offers ziplining, canopy trails, tarzan swings etc. I did a lot of this stuff in NZ and Brazil and it's an expensive activity to do again so I booked a trip to do quad biking as that was still on my list to do. I spent Friday morning having a lazy breakfast followed by a leisurely lunch and then set of for the biking. We got given our helmets, put them on and were just about to get into the van when Chris took his helmet off to adjust it and noticed a huge black ugly cockroach in the helmet. He flicked it out and then also found a spider. I took my helmet off just to double check there was nothing lurking in it - there wasn't so I climbed into the van and put the helmet on my lap, only to look down and see a huge roach crawling out of mine. Oh my God, that had been on my head. I screamed like a complete girl (and proud!) and threw the helmet with mighty force out of the van door, much to the bemused looks of all the locals already sitting in the van. To be honest, that should have been the omen for me to realise this may not be the activity for me but no, I didn't pick up on it! Ah, that and the fact that we were given pushbike helmets which, at the speed we were going at, would have been as useful as a chocolate fireguard. The guides were wearing full motorbike helmets and safety goggles. Hmmm…..

We got to the quad bikes and there was me, Michael and Chris and then an American guy and his little boy. We were shown (very quickly in my view!) how to operate the bike and gears and then told to get on and follow the guide. I was at the front as I was the only one who hadn't done it before. We set off in 1st gear and within 5 seconds I had hit a lump of earth, veered in the wrong direction, screamed, pressed the throttle even harder (I confused it with the brake) and crashed into a hill. Everyone was looking on at me as if I was an idiot and the 2 guides were doubled over laughing their heads off. How embarrassing! I tried again and this time managed to keep it on track but I was all over the place and didn't feel in control at all! I found it really difficult to operate the accelerator with my finger as I kept pressing the foot brake and instead of pressing the foot brake, I would pull the throttle as it felt like a pushbike brake. The guide said he would take me down to the next course where I could practice but by the time we got down there, I had decided that I really couldn't do this and not only would I be holding everyone else up but I think I would also be a complete danger to myself and everyone else! But, instead of going back with my tail between my legs, I asked if I could sit on the back with the guide. At times I wished I had gone back! It was scary! He kept taking me through loads of trees and then would go completely off the track and we would tilt so far sideways that I was convinced I would fall off. Just as I got myself back square on the bike, he would do a huge wheelie, while going up a hill so I was sliding off the back with my bum hanging off the back of the bike (very attractive for whoever was behind me eh?!). Michael though it would be funny to skid past and cover me with mud, with a huge dollop flying into my eye and Chris drove straight through a pile of mud and got stuck. We then went off for a proper ride with me clinging on for dear life - the poor guide could hardly breathe, I was squeezing him so hard! I was terrified. At one point we were going over 70kmph - on a bloody bike thing?! That's insane! Anyway, I'm glad I chose to ride pillion -for everyone's sakes! And I had lots of fun. I'd like to try it again sometime but think I need to be in a big field where I can just get used to the feel of the bike. The guide did say that it was no wonder I hadn't a clue if I had only ever driven a car and a pushbike! So, if anyone has a quad bike and a big flat field they'd be willing to lend to me, I'm there!

We got back to the hotel exhausted and the group meal wasn't until much later so Michael and I decided to rebel (we're also feeling a bit grouped out) as we are the old farts in the group (and he's still 6 years younger than me - I really am the mother hen here!). Anyway, we went to a great restaurant - not cheap - but great to splash out and have some luxury for once instead of the usual backpacker type places. I had the room to myself that night as Leanne was being a dirty stop-out. Not really. Her boyfriend has been travelling for the last few months and he is currently in Costa Rica. Although they are meeting up to travel together for a month in 2 weeks' time, he decided to surprise her by turning up to cook her dinner. Very nice. How come these things never happen to me eh?!!

On Saturday we drove to La Fortuna, famous for the nearby active volcano Arenal. Costa Rica has 112 volcanoes, but only 7 are active (actually there's a dispute over whether it's 5 or 7) and this one is the most active of all. Since a huge eruption in 1968, it has been erupting every day. On the way we had a great viewpoint and just as stopped the vans, it started spewing a load of ash out of the top - amazing sight!

Late afternoon we headed up towards the volcano (which was now in the clouds) to do a nature walk (saw a few monkeys and a tiny snake but that was it!) then went to a spot where you can normally see the lava flows in the dark. Well, that's fine if it's clear but when the cloud and fog are down to the base of the volcano it's a bit tricky! So, after yet another failed attempt to see some real lava we headed to some hot springs. They were huge - 25 pools including big water slides. I wasn't happy as I needed a map to see where I could go but you just had to weave your way along very dark tree-lined pathways and if you happened upon a suitable pool you'd be lucky! I didn't dare go on the slide as the last time I tried it I lost both my bikini top and bottom so didn't want to risk it again! The pools were nice though - man-made but naturally heated and surrounded by rocks so you felt as though you were in the middle of the jungle.

On Sunday, Leanne, Michael and I had booked onto a nice and easy floating safari (the others had gone off to do canyoning but I've done that) which transpired to be rafting down a river. I was supposed to be official photographer but kept being told to paddle! We saw some bats resting on a tree trunk, howler monkeys, a sloth (asleep believe it or not!), iguanas and a few birds but once again, I find myself disappointed with the wildlife I'm seeing. The only place that's lived up to expectations so far is the Galapagos. I'm hoping that I see a lot in Venezuela otherwise I'm giving up! Nevertheless it was a nice trip and a relaxing morning (apart from the 7am wake up call!) and we had a super lunch afterwards. After a wander around the metropolis of 2 tiny streets full of tourist tat shops, Leanne and I spent the rest of the day watching TV (well, it was pouring down outside and there was nothing else to do!).

Sleep in tomorrow (yay!) as most of the group are going white water rafting (been there, done that….) so looking forward to another lazy morning after all of the early starts we've had on this leg. 3 hours to San Jose ("Do you know the way….?" Tra la la) and that's the end of this leg - Panama is next although only 5 of us are staying on for that so it will be a bit weird with such a small group!

Latest photos (not overly interesting!) as usual are at: www.picasaweb.google.com/lindylou73