Goodbye 2007!

Hi all

 

A cold and slightly dizzy New Year`s best wish for all of you.

 

FRUITY IDEA

I am currently doing altitude adjustment in the Peruvian highland town of Huaraz before setting out on a 4 day trek tomorrow which should see me view some of the highest mountains in the Andes... I have had the idea of spending this New Year on a mountaintop in Peru, so here´s to making it happen... it is low season, however, and I think I picked a pretty dodgy hike company but they were the only ones going, let´s see if this does happen. If you don´t hear from me, send the marines.

 

REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING

I do look like a GQ cutout in my new fake designer climbing jacket, which brings me back up to par with my boy Fico... speaking of which, the living legend treated me to a very hospitable week at his place in Lima, including catching up to old Global Village friends Mary Frances, Ayelet, Sujin, Barbs and making some new ones. I caught a vicious attack of hayfever plus some Christmas blues missing the folks and my girl Susie, but we actually got into a gym routine, which, if you know both of us, is pretty amazing... so I am feeling tons better, even did a mountainbike today. My boy Fico seems to have a birthday every other weekend, however, after some due dilligence it appears his actual birthday is Jan 5... if I survive the Andes, will I survive that...? 

 

THROWING SEVEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF SMOKE IN 2007

New Year`s resolutions aren`t my bag, I am constantly making and missing goals anyway, but just so we can go on record, here are some of the to-do items...

 

1. Have a finished manuscript which I can duly peddle to disinterested publishers by the end of the year (Either and adventure tale of a how-to book... am working on both!)

2. Take some of the lessons learnt this year and really put them to work in my life... including stopping relying on crutches.

3. I will consider my year travels successful if I manage to hit up Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Venezuela before the end of May. Brazil is a given, I gotta meet my Boy Blue in Rio for Carnival!

4. Go do one more stint in the States with the amazing folks at Lehigh... I hope to get a return invitation to be a guide for one more year, watch this space!

5. Go catch up with some good friends met on my travels in the States and Canada...

6. Go home, start training for the Argus and attempt to become an honest citizen again.

7. Oh, and I will consider my Spanish learning to have been successful (ie a good start) if I can understand what these Peruvians are saying... damn they speak fast! Failing that, I am still plugging away at the Tarot in Spanish... one card at a time!!!

 

THE LAST SUPPER

Not counting tomorrow night`s camp cookout, I will now return to my amazing hotel, the upper store is a kitchen lounge with a view of the snowcapped Andes and a FIREPLACE! Hopefully the fire is already going... I am armed with some noodles, tuna and sauce, plus a cheapie bottle of Chilean red, so my favourite backpacking activity... cooking up a storm... will be my final encore for this year.

 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES... AND EACH OTHER

Jerry Springer had it right. Have a good one folks, be good, may all your dreams come true, or better yet, may the Big Guy (or is that Girl) give you what you need... instead of what you want.

 

Stay fruity in 2007!

--
Pieter

www.coveyfan.blogspot.com

The length of the journey doesn't matter... it is only the first step that is difficult!

Festive Season Salutations!!!

AN ODE TO THE BEST OF TIMES

In the year 2006
At first I felt my head was made of bricks
My work no longer fulfilled me
This was plain for all to see

I had an itch, and when I scratched
An offer came that my dreams it matched
So quit my job, I did at last
And flew to Global Village, my worries past

The best gig ever, I´ll tell you so
Friendship learning teaching all in one go
A perfect platform to go do my thing...
Bon Jovi, Spanish learning and travelling...

With the team, Chuck Norris did his act
Fico and Nancy did the thing,,, the thing with the finger, that was our pact!
We saw some concerts, had some drinks
It was an awesome summer, one of my best methinks!

With old friend Quentin I cruised a while
Scuba and golf in Bermuda... we got some style!
With old friend Ricky we had a blast
In Mexico City life is fast!

With Sujin I conquered Mexico
Saw ancient ruins, volcanic peaks and mercados all over the show
I did a scuba and that was COOL...
Then got on a bus to go find a meditation school!

In Guatemala I met my boy Chris
Down at the Lake we cooked and jabbed with a great crew... it was pure bliss
Between Yoga and Meditation Dark Fern´s voice
Bewitched us all, and stripped me of choice

After silence, and losing two stone
I chased down Spanish School in Xela, to bad grammar I was prone
We learned we laughed, we danced some more
I even taught some devil kids... something I had never done before!

Now ready for more, I hit the road
To cave exploring and in ruin mode
Tikal, Rio Dulce, beatiful sights
Guatemala is my favourite, and by rights!

Honduras I entered on the back of a truck
The rain was no bother, with Tequila it´s just luck
I made the ferry to Utila, and all my mate were there...
Dark Fern, Lakewalker, the irrepressible pair

My sis also came, and we scubad up a storm
Or laid in some hammocks, true to backpacker form
Then Sis and me, along with my boy
Hit the road to Nicaragua, those buses were no joy!

In Leon Chris got lucky, with a gorgeous local no less
We allocated some time to ensure his success
We sped down volcanoes, and drank too much rum
I blame Frank the German, now that guy is fun!

On to the Isla, where we chilled out some more
Unless you count my injuries, this I implore
The roads were bad, and the sun got the boot
I fell of my bicycle, and the lift home was a hoot!

In time we reached Costa Rica, that country is big!
Where we did the tourist gig
We swung through jungles and rafted - you dig?
Then we splurged on a nice hotel, and had us some wine...
With room service it`s a whole new way to dine!

As sis departed, I got on a bus
To Granada in Nicaragua and Susie... there was much to discuss
Entonces this last week was pure happy I´ll say
We have parted ways, and it saddens me all day

She has gone north, and I have gone south
Now am in Lima, South America has me foaming at the mouth
A new adventure, and I am starting in style
With the legend Fico, who - in party terms - can run the Pisco mile!

To all my family and friends, wherever you are
Thanks for all you have meant to me this year, and guiding my star
My journey continues, where it leads I can´t know
But over Christmas, I shall be happy... although I don`t think it will snow!

So take care of yourselves, and for the holidays, keep living big
I look forward to our next opportunity to take a big swig
From the fountain of life, an addictive brew
Friends and family... you guys are my crew!

--
Pieter

www.coveyfan.blogspot.com

The length of the journey doesn't matter... it is only the first step that is difficult!

Travel update... playing Tarzan

Check out the blog for stories of warwounds on islands and swinging through rainforests!

 

Gotta go catch a bus...

--
Pieter

www.coveyfan.blogspot.com

The length of the journey doesn't matter... it is only the first step that is difficult!

TRAVEL UPDATE FROM NICARAGUA

Hi guys and girls, quick update from the rocking country of Nicaragua comin your way right now...!

 

GUATEMALA WRAP-UP

I spent an amazing last ten days hustling all over Guatemala after Spanish School, along the way doing awesome spelunking, visiting the magical ruins of Tikal in the jungle, doing a horse ride in a rubber plantation, kayaking on the lake in the morning and spotting some howler monkeys, cruising down to Livingstone on a lancha and then eventually hustling over to Honduras to meet up with the gang in the Bay Islands... The beers were cold, the places beautiful, the people amazing and new friendships were formed... Guatemala rocks, I will be back!

 

HONDURAS SCUBA LIVE!

I have mixed feelings on Honduras... I entered the country with a truck driver, eventually made the ferry to the Bay Islands by hitchiking on the back of a pick-up truck in the rain (my halfjack Tequila limited the discomfort of that situation) and did a few dives on the island. Utila is one of the cheaper scuba spots around, and I guess it shows. Although I had some great dives (30m to a wreck was quite memorable) I found the customer service average, the people on the island only marginally friendly and the whole vibe just kinda... off. The weather was also a bit crappy half the time... This, however, was balanced out by the amazing group of people we were with, the crowd from the States including Magical Suzie the songbird, my buddy Chris, Joel and Mark the intrepid Aussies, my sis who arrived halfway through and some other cool Dutch and Scandinavian folks we met along the way. There was two magical days just hanging out on the dock in hammocks, and our last dives we did with a Will Ferrell lookalike, we had a blast! However, when it is time to go it is time to go, and we hustled our way out down to the Nicaraugan border over two days of sweaty buses.

 

I have been in a pretty lousy funk for a few days now due to some inexcusable behaviour on the island, I do think The Big Guy has punished me enough yesterday and the day before, two separate children on two separate buses puked on me and peed on my foot, confirming that my karma is slightly off. Think I am rounding the corner now and my mood might be picking up, and so we enter a new country with a fresh start...

 

NICARAGUA

 

Only been in this country a day, but loving it already. We bumped into my buddy Frank from Germany again, we once again killed off some rum, hit the Leon nightlife hard and are full of giggles and war stories this morning. People are friendly, girls are good looking (Chris will confirm this) and the vibe is pretty good. And we are just about on our way to go sandboard down a volcano, so gotta cut this short!"!!!

 

Take care of yourselves, be good, and if you can`t be good, be good at it!

 

--
Pieter

www.coveyfan.blogspot.com

The length of the journey doesn't matter... it is only the first step that is difficult!