Costa Rica!

Hey everyone!

Hello from Cristobol, Panama!

I'm actually writing this on my computer in the ship; there are three
internet-connected computers outside that I may use to send this.
However, demand for the computers may keep me away.

Cristobol has been described as incredible unsafe; we (volunteers and
staff) have been disallowed to exit the terminal.  I don't mind; I
need the quiet time on the ship.

In New York City, I hung out with Paige in her favorite areas of her
favorite city in the world!  I enjoyed a scrumptious cupcake from
Magnolia Bakery which we ate across the street at what may have been
Beecker Street Park.  Visted The Strand "18 Miles of Books", a used
book store set in an antique building that now features Air
Conditioning.

Paige and I wandered independently about the store for about 25
minutes and met back at the exit where I discovered I no longer had
the claim ticket for my backpack.  Five minutes later I gave blessings
to the fine citizens of New York City, for one of them had turned in
my claim ticket and I was able to collect all my stuff.

Joined Paige and several of her friends at a bar in south Manhattan
that night where I met a man named Earth who knows how to play Silent
Football!  We didn't get a game started, but I felt thrilled to have
made that connection.

The next day started at the United Nations building where we attended
the opening of the GPPAC (Global Partnership for the Prevention of
Armed Conflict) which featured awesome Japanese drumming by about 30
passengers from P B!  Most of the opening statements of the
GPPAC were boring Statements of Purpose, save for one: the brief
speech given by one of the original visionaries of P B,
Yoshioka.  He was inspiring!

I met Paige again that afternoon and chatted with her and her friend
Emily (?) at Whole Foods near Union Station (?).  We shared Emily's
delicious chocolate cookies and I guzzled most of a 2 quart thing of
the dark green Odwalla Super Food drink, which I love.

I had to head back to the ship sooner than I would have liked, but as
a bonus I got to use the NYC subway for the first time.  I enjoy that
it's loud, rough and littered, but still rumbling on its way.  The old
metal staircases guide us safely through the din, just over and
between the lines.  Rar.

The third (last) day most of the GET teachers joined the challenge
program in Central Park, designed to get the students interacting with
real people out in the world.  I enjoyed wandering around the park,
from 70th street on the east side up as far north as Cleopatra's
needle and Belvedere's castle thing.  We got lost in the Ramble and a
Puerto Rican guy named Bam Bam wearing no shirt offered to escort us
out.  I accepted because I had a basic sense of the right way to go,
so I would know if he led us completely astray.

Bam Bam told us the enemy lived on the west side and we should never
venture alone that way.  He told us how he fought off a bunch of them
and how they won't mess with him anymore.  But they held up an old
lady just last week.  My gut feeling says he's full of it; his overall
story didn't hold up: he said he's lived in the park for 2 years, but
he wasn't able to get us back to our requested location without
actually exiting the park.  Even I recognized where we were before he
did.  I still gave him $5 for his efforts; he got us back to our
meeting spot far faster than I could have.

Then, we enjoyed a brief tour of Columbia University where I got a
photo of Francois (my stuffed rabbit) being eaten by a lion, though
it's quite backlit by sunlight.

I chose to return to the ship early and sleep instead of attend the
Peace Concert in Dag Hammarskjold Park.  I was drained.

Four or five days on the sea brought us to Jamaica where I joined the
waterfall climbing tour in Ochos Rios.  Had we spent more time
climbing than on the bus ride there and back, I would say it was
absolutely worth it.  But I did greatly enjoy barefootedly scampering
up the rocks while the rest of the group was asked to hold hands to
make a human chain and walk up the edge of the falls.  I had been
part of that group for about 20 seconds until I realized what a
tragedy that would have been for my climbing needs.

Today we are in Cristobol, Panama.  I'm going now to see if I can get
internet access.

---------

I was unable to get access, but the next day we sailed through the Panama Canal and
now we are in Puntarenas, Costa Rica!  Kattrean and I wandered around the port
city, which features a fish processing area and a park that has long since grown
over.  After that, we taxied south along the coast for a few hour excursion,
including photographing many trails of leaf cutter ants and getting rained on in
the rain forest!  We also saw some crocodiles basking under a highway bridge and
Kattrean had a crocodile burger for lunch.  Good flavor, and pretty tender.

Next stop is Acapulco!

     Love
     - Rob!