May 7, 2002

To: Family, Bella

Subject: Crikey!

Hello Family!!!

Just to let you know i have arrived alright and had a great first day. Got a cheap taxi out of San Jose and on the 2 1/2 hour drive I saw crocodiles, ate and drank a coconut, and made it to the Pacific coastal city of Jaco. And walked the beach. I am staying in a cheap hotel in a room by myself.

I have just had dinner and am emailing from the restaurant, they have an internet connection at the back and they have air conditioning. Bery bery nice.

Well i am going to get going, i will email you whenever i get a chance. I will probably stay here another night before making my way up to Nicaragua.

Thanks again for driving me to the airport Paul.

I miss you all, talk to you soon!!

Adios!

Benjamin

May 11, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Nicaragua

Hello, hello!

Well i made it to Granada in Nicaragua today, nice little town. It's like 400 years old, haven't looked around much yet. They have a big ass volcano though. Bus from Liberia to Granada was interesting. It tried to take off on me at the border crossing. How many bald gringos with goaties and a bright yello shirt did you see get back on the bus mr bus driver? It's okay i will run the quarter mile to the other border check and catch up with you there. It was okay though, they gave out pop at the end of the journey. It was pepsi though, umm can i have a root beer instead? They would probably throw me off the bus for that comment. So i have checked in at the school that will be giving me Spanish lessons, i met the very cool guy by the name of Roger and he hooked me up with a family to stay with that are very nice. Plus they sell coke, because they are sort of a store too.

So i go to dinner with Roger and some lady that is in charge of the volunteering tonight at 7. And tomorrow we are going on a bit of a trip to Masaya. I start spanish lessons on Monday, or should i say Luni. I am here for 2 weeks and then i will see if i feel like more spanish or more travel. I do miss home alot and sometimes feel like stealing a moped and just heading up to the great white north.

Check ya later!

Benjamin

May 13, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Quien es mas macho?

Ola Mi Amigos!

Had my first spanish lesson today! And my head was spinning at the end of it. Nice to learn new words though, that will help with getting around and communicating what i want to say because none of the locals speak any english down here. The family i live with is very nice, i chose to live with a typically Nicaraguan family. It is really making me realize how lucky i am in Canada. It is basically a two room house and they have given up the big room for me. I felt bad and asked the guy Roger Ramirez from the school who organizes the living arrangements about moving into a hostel because i didn´t feel right, but he said they don´t mind and often would sleep outside or on the floor because it is cooler.

Very noisey at night because the walls are pretty thin and most houses are all back to back each house has 4 people on average, but i have ear plugs. Hear the weirdest noises at night, don´t know if i am dreaming sometimes. Last night i swear i woke up once to cat being strangled outside my window. But i feel safe somehow. So Roger convinced me to stick it out and after the 2 weeks i will move to a hostel or move on because i will want to meet some fellow travelers. It is nice to finally be meeting and getting to know locals. Though I thought there would be more of an American influence, but there isn´t which is good, probably won´t last long. But their are alot of signs for Coca-cola and Pepsi!

And speaking of pop...Fanta, a type of orange pop, is an awesome drink. I´ve seen it around before maybe in Quebec or the States but never had much. Yo ame la Fanta! It is the Gato culo! Which means i like it, but don´t look those words up cause it looses something in the translation. :D

Alrighty well i have been in the internet cafe too long and don´t want to spend all my Nicaraguan Cordobas (that´s the name of the currency here, i really like the sound of it). I already called muchacha Annabelle using one of the ´´phone through a computer´´ thingys. Very cool but kind of embarrassing paying for it afterwards when i was still misty eyed from saying goodbye. I am such a big baby. But maybe the cashier dude thought it had been from rubbing my eyes before washing some salsa off my hands.

Adios mi Amigos!

Benjamin

May 15, 2002

To: Friends, Family, Bella, Relies

Subject: ¡It's Crazy Hot!

¿Como Esta?

Another strange cat cry last night, so i know i am not dreaming it. Plenty of food and i am starting to enjoy the latin american soap operas. Living pretty simple, mostly just doing the school thing, some internet, sweat about 3 litres a day, and manage to ''witness'' something new everyday. The other night 2 verbal fights broke out with neighbors, one across the street and one the house beside us. This morning there was a guy being sick out side my window. He later moved so i could see him being sick across the street as i tried to enjoy my breakfast. Oh and i heard a 4 car parade with drums and trumpets do through the neighborhood this morning at 4 am. It some saints day, but for a few days now kids have been setting of fireworks or as they call them here ''bombas'' which were described to me as ''little gas bombs''. I will have to do more research on this one, they sound fun and basically sound like a car back firing.

I also like the car that drives around at 6 every morning beeping his horn. I actually think it might be a time service sort of like a neighborhood wake up call, to let everyone know it is 6 am. Alarm clocks are kind of expensive. And i haven't slept in once. Oh there goes another bomba in the distance!

I have translated the words to ''Can´t get you out of my Head'' by Kylie Minogue into Spanish because the little girl in the family wanted to know them. Then today i walked by a school and heard a classroom of kids singing the song with teacher approval. Hmm, i hope i have not contributed to corrupting of the youth, that's why Socrates died, a popular Nicaraguan name by the way.

Hasta luego!

Benjamin

May 18, 2002

To: Family, Friends, Relies, Bella

Subject: Sonrisa!

Hiya,

All is well. Learning spanish alright, a very good language to learn because it is written as it sounds. I have been helping out with the English classes and realize what a nightmare it would be to learn English as there are so many exceptions and silly silent letters.

Last night a truck spraying insect repelent went by the house, not once, not twice, but 3 times. It's okay though, i made sure to breath through my nose in case there were any harmful chemicals.

Take care!

Bennie

May 20, 2002

To: Family, Bella, Friends, Relies

Subject: I am still in Nicaragua, eh

Hello,

i hope you had a nice weekend. Mine was good. Saw my first Volcano, called Mombacho which for some reason i keep accidentally calling Muchumbo when talking to locals. And went for a swim in very nice and almost warm waters of Lake Nicaragua in an area with 365 little islands created by the volcano 1500 years ago. Also watched Zorro in Spanish which was cool. On Saturday night spent some time hanging out with the family on the front porch and ''talking'' as best i could. It is nice as we are starting to get our own little inside jokes. And i find that is always one thing i miss most when away from home is the inside jokes i have with friends. That and singing Karaoke weekly at the Coach and Four in Bronte.

I have been helping out with some of the English classes because the lady that organizes the volunteering with the school is away in the USA helping some kid with an operation. So i speend an hour or so a day in a class with some Granadians and try to pronouce things properly and pronounce my t's. I also help them with Grammar (or is grammer?) and have told them that you must stick on the word ''eh'' to every 5th sentence or so. Tomorrow i will instruct them that ''about'' is actually spelt ''aboot''.

Cheerio mi Amigos!

Benjamin

May 25, 2002

To: Family, Friends, Relies, Bella

Subject: lluvia perros et gatos

Hello hello,

Well i have finished my 2 weeks of spanish lessons and 2 weeks stay with a Nicaraguan family. I think the spanish will stick. At least for while, but you might have to put up with me saying the occasional thing in spanish with a slight french pronunciation. I seem to develope a slight french accent when trying to speak in spanish. ¿Donde esta le stade pour hockey?

Friday night i had my last lesson over dinner with a couple of my teachers. It was the very important Lesson 13: How to swear in Spanish.

Tonight a few of the teachers, another student and myself are going to a discoteca on the beach, hopefully for some Spanish dancing lessons, like salsa, merengue, and the lambada (a.k.a. the forbidden dance). And in exchange i will show them the only forbidden dance i know, which is breakdancing.

Tomorrow I am off to the Nicaraguan city of Leon for a few days stay, and will then continue in the general direction of north west until i reach Belize, where the official language is English.

It is now raining cats and dogs. Speaking of which there are a most interesting variety of dog breeds here. The result of decades and decades of successful ''hasty unplanned dog sex''. I will send this off in case there is a power outage like there was this morning.

Take care!

Benjamin Josiah

p.s. Il pluie la chats et le chiens

May 28, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Yo estoy en Leon.

Hellooooooo!

I am now in the city of Leon in Nicaragua. I has been raining since i got here and that was 3 days ago. But the lady that runs the hostel i am staying at is very nice and helps me practise my spanish by talking to me and telling me where things in the city are located and what she recommends. She works as a dentist during the day and has to commute four hours every day to the hospital in the next city. A mi Dios!

I saw the volcano Mombotombo yesterday. It errupted and destroyed the original city of Leon when it was located at the foot of the volcano back in 1524. Now Leon is 30km away and only a small town is located near the ruins of the old Leon. Ruins weren't all that impressive for the 3 hours i had spent on chicken buses to get there. But it was also nice to see the small village up close with it's dark dirt roads, and the guide that walked around Old Leon with me for 45 minutes was very good, and the guy at the Old Leon museum ended up giving me the number to his brother in the capital city of Managua in case i wanted to get a local to show me around the city and maybe go out for a few Cervezas.

Had a nice last night out in Granada on Saturday with some of the teachers from the spanish school. We went out to a discoteca, talked mostly and eventually got up for a bit of dancing. And no sooner do i get out on the dance floor, the song Ghostbusters comes on?! Interesting choice, DJ Ray Parker Jr.

Saw the biggest church in Central American today. It also has the tomb of Ruben Dario a very famous Spanish poet that was born here in Leon. Leon also saw lots of fighting in the Sandanista revolution of 1979 and it has lots of hero memorials and museums relating to the Revolution.

I seem to be changing my plans every few hours. So all i can say for sure is that i am heading north westish in a couple of days. I would like to see some Mayan ruins and the Gulf of Mexico. But i like getting to know a city and not just hoping along on a whistle stop tour.

I have been very happy with the chance to meet locals. A very important part of experiencing a country. That and sampling the local beers, i mean cuisine.

Alright Cheerio for now!

Benjamin

June 1, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Sorry i haven't Roatan sooner

Hello hello,

Right now i am in Honduras in the capital Tegucigulpa (or Tegu for those people who don't have all day). I am flying to Roatan in 1 hour and have just come from 1 night in the mountain town of Ocotal and before that 5 days in Leon. Leon was nice but it was either raining, cloudy looking like it was about to rain, or raining really hard. I didn't get caught in any of the flooding and had no problems with washed out roads as they were all behind me in Managua. So i have finished my 3 weeks in Nicaragua. I will miss the Mercedes Garbage Trucks and the Colombian Soap Operas. I hope they have them here in Honduras. Overall a good experience, but very sad to see how poor most of the country is.

So hopefully i will get some sun and do some snorkeling or something. I am thinking of taking one more week of spanish, maybe in Copan.

Mother these internet cafes charge by the hour and it is usually pretty reasonable.

Take care, Hasta La Vista Baby!

Benjamin

June 5, 2002

To: Family, Bella, Friends, Relies

Subject: Hey Mon!

Hi there!

Things are going good, have had a couple of interesting days on the island of Roatan. It was originally ruled by the British and was given over to Honduras about 150 years ago or so. Population is mostly black and they speak a creole version of English that sounds similar to the Jamaican accent.

I have been taking diving lessons for the last 2 days and have my final day tomorrow and then i will get some PADI certified scuba licence. Has been really nice, incredibly clear water, and coral is really interesting, first time seeing coral for me, and all the fish are loverly colours too. And the water is a Blue Toilet Duck blue also know as Mediterrean Blue.

I am staying at a hostel that looks is very neat looking. It has several levels with little stair ways leading everywhich way. It has just been built upon and built upon. I watched a very cool storm from a hammock the other night and a pizza place shows 2 recent movies everynight.

Got a big old burn on the back from snorkling sunday, and have shaved off my moostash so that my mask have any leakage. I bought an underwater camera and will take it with us tomorrow hopefully. Or at least on some of the fun dives i do after.

I have no money and am spending my last bit to send this off, i will do some banking tomorrow.

Caio for now!

Benjamin

June 13, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Approva for Scuba

Hiya,

Still in Roatan, lovely little town, and has been nice weather, not killer hot to often. I finished my advanced diving certificate on Tuesday, got to dive to a shipwreck and swim into the boat which was a big rush. Ship was in three parts, the tail end twisted and on a 45 degree angle, and the other parts were straight up, it was about 20 meters long. Then we did a night dive, which was interesting because all you see is flashlights. But then we shut off the flashlights and sat/kneeled at the bottom and something called Pearls of luminessence would light up and would be vertical strings of slowly blinking light. I have no idea what they were but it was a lovely effect. Also a bit of lightening was going on, so everything would light up every minute or so. It was strange to be 20 metres under water and looking up seeing lightening flashes.

So i will do a couple more fun dives, i want to go back to the wreck with a camera, and make my way to Copan on Sunday/Monday.

Watched the Lewis/Tyson fight at a bar on Saturday. That was fun. Glad Lewis won.

Have been hanging out with a lovely bunch of folks at the hostel. Last night the bunch of us all made macaroni and cheese after spending a nice day at West Beach recovering from a night of dancing and fun.

I have also been managing to read a book. I have been reading the Shining by Stephen King while on the island and will probalby finish Saturday.

I bought a mask for snorkling/diving which is prescription so now i can see perfectly clear underwater and tell what i am taking pictures of. So there won't so many, "Oh, that was a lobster, i thought it was a Manta Ray."

That's all for now. I go diving today at 1:30 and weather looks good. It is a free dive for taking the course with that company, which is good because internet is crazy expensive here. But fast.

Take care,

Benjamin

June 13, 2002

To: Family

Subject: a la table

Love you all miss you all and think of you all every day usually around meal time when i am to lazy to feed myself. I am dying for some of dad's left over soup, half of Paul's BLT sub, and part of mother's chicken sandwich, and i am thinking of buying a tray for my meals because i am not used to holding my beverage and plate separately, i am used to having them on a tray and carefully balancing them as i then navigate down four wooden stairs and through Benmuda Triangle.

Having a good time here, nice people and diving is fun, i think we should all go up to Tobermory and the Flower Pot Islands soon and me and Paul can go diving while Dad and Mom walk around the island. Hey lets rent a volkwagan van, but no black licorice for me this time.

Love you lots, miss your little faces and your scraps.

xoxoxox(x's are just for mom)

Benjamin Josiah

June 18, 2002

To: Friends, Family, Bella, Relies

Subject: Ola Y'all!

Hello mes Amigos!

I am currently in Flores Guatemala, trying to get to see the Mayan ruins of Tikal which are 1 ½ from here. I had planned to go to Copan in Honduras to see Mayan ruins, but I ran into several people that told me that it was worth the drive to Tikal. So Sunday I spent on buses, Monday I spent on buses, and part of today/Tuesday on buses. Yesterday/Monday when the bus got to Poptun at 3:30, about 2 1/2 hours from Flores the bus driver said we couldn't go any farther because the road was bad. We waited and ended up spending the night in the bus, there were about 8 passengers total. Then this morning I was told I could catch a bus to the bad part of the road, cross it and catch a bus on the other side. Turns out the bad part of the road was farmers protesting the government over a money issue. They weren't letting any vehicles through but you could get around the blocked parts using little dirt road detours, about a ten minute walk. So hopefully I will get to see Tikal but the farmers are slowing movement throughout the country. If I don't end up seeing Tikal maybe I nip back into Honduras to see Copan and then down to Panama City. It rained before and the power got cut, so I went for some food, but all they could do was food that doesn't need cooking, so Nachos with Guacamole it was. Power is back on now but this computer is a little bit wonky and I don't trust it. So I am doing this in Microsoft word and saving it every 2 minutes and will cut and paste it after. Aren't I a little genius, mother? So I will have wait and see how the protests are going, city is pretty nice, on a lake, staying in a nice hostel that I more like a hotel. Lots of American with southern accents in this internet café/ Hotel. Think I understand the Spanish better. Miss you all and loved the emails. Power to the Farmers, especially the ones blocking the road to Tikal!

Benjamin

June 21, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Tikal

Hiya!

I finally made it to see the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal yesterday. Very impressive, out in the middle of the jungle, not near any water way but i guess with the amount of rain here that water is less of a concern. To see everything at Tikal is about 10 km of walking, i saw most of everything, but i took the whole day. The highest temple is 64 metres and has a great view of the tops of another 3 temples' tops popping out of the jungle and of the pyramid, which is dated as being started around 700 BC. The Mayan tended to build right on top of an older building so under one structure you might find an even older one. Pyramid has a couple layers to it.

So today i am heading to the city of Antigua just outside of Guatemala city. It was the original Guatemala city, but it got rocked by a couple earth quakes early on so the capital was moved and now Antigua has a very classic look it. Hopefully their won't be anymore problems with the protesting farmers who are actually former military soldiers that haven't been paid for their time in the army, and they are now back at their old jobs of farming mostly. The government has promised to pay them...soon.

Having alright time, saw a wild spider monkey at Tikal and some species of Toucan, and another bird that was orange, brown, and yellow. Have to look that one up later. Saw all of these animals after first spotting a chipmonk. I remained calm and made sure not to make eye contact with the wild beast, i just kept my eyes down and was ready to play dead if it charged me.

Alright take care, only 12 days left on this Central American Extravaganza!

Via con dios

Benjamin Josiah

June 24, 2002

To: Family, Bella, Friends, Relies

Subject: Lago Atitlan and Volcanos

Hello everyone,

Spent friday and saturday in the nice mountain town of Antigua, and climbed Volcan Pacaya, an active volcano about an hour a way that puffs out a constant plume of white sulfur smelling clouds. Great views at the top. Also from Antigua at night you can see Volcan Fuego in the distance with a little orange glow at the top as it slowly overflows with lava. I was so surprised, but it has been doing it for the longest time and isn´t considered a risky volcano. So cool to see lava for the first time.

Now i have headed to Lago de Atitlan, which is a lovely lake with 3 volcanos on it´s shores. Hanging out with a fun bunch of Australians, and an English dude. It is actually quite chilly up here in this part of Guatemala. First night out i finally got to wear the one long sleve shirt i had brought. Hopefully there won´t be two many cold nights, because that shirt is what i will be sporting in these temperatures. It gets down to 15 degrees celcius at night and about 25 during the day. My kind of temperatures. Guatemala is probably the most beautiful country i have seen so far. Very steep mountains and volcanos that are covered with dark green foliage. And lots of native americans, especially here in the mountains, wearing their traditional dress.

Well i am off to have a bit of a nap, bit of a stomach bug going around, and i find rest helps, especially when that bed is close to the bathroom.

Take care!

Benjamin

June 30, 2002

To: Family, Bella, Friends, Relies

Subject: Show me the way to San Jose

Hello hello,

I am in the interesting (scary) city of San Jose, Costa Rica at the moment. Arrived on Thursday night and did a 2 day trip to the active Volcano Arenal which is 4 hours away with a very funny fellow by the name of David from Britain. Very good time, but the Vocano was covered in clouds, so we couldn´t see it erupting. So then the tour took us to the hot springs where everybody spent 4 hours. I still feel a little prunie. On the tour we did manage to see some Howler monkeys, a very large Toucan, a bird called a Yellow Tail, and group of Spider monkeys that went through the trees right over our heads. Very cool, i managed to get a photo that will probably be like a find Waldo picture but with a monkey.

Tomorrow i will see a bit of San Jose, maybe go to the Jade Museum and then get to bed early to be at the airport on Tuesday, because i am coming home. Yay!!! I had a muy incredible time in Central America and hope to come back one day, i learned a good little bit of spanish which will hopefully come in handy. I saw beautiful vistas and met interesting people. And saw sad living conditions and some bad treatment of the environment. Tried some new foods and saw Dolphins. Worth every moment and every penny. Now i get to go home and see exactly how many pennies it was and see if i have to return to Central American because i owe on my visa way more than i have in my bank account. Hmm...better start thinking up aliases now and start growing a mustache just in case.

Hasta Luego mu chachas y mu chachos!

Benjamin Fairs a.k.a. Umberto Salazar

July 18, 2002

To: Bella, Family, Friends, Relies

Subject: Ignore last email, resent by mistake

Hello everyone!!

Hope you are fine, i just sent an old email by mistake as i am trying to make a bit of a journal out of the emails i sent as i went around Central America.

Things are going well back here in Oakville, weather is nice, went to a drive in movie for the first time last night, it was nice.

Actually just got a phone call and found out i brought back an accidental souvenir with me. A parasite called Cyclospora. Not to serious just have to see my doctor and get some antibiotics prescribed. Oh well, i feel fine, but glad to back for sure.

Benjamin