Thursday, March 31, 2011

Massage Course: round 2

Back at Inanitah (www.Inanitah.com) teaching another basic intercultural massage course. There is a lot less work for me this time due to already having done it once, just in November of last year.
I have found myself gliding through the processes without having to do a lot of preparing outside of the class time, which runs 7:30-3 p.m, M-F for 2 weeks.
We will be done with class this Friday, April 1. No kidding! I am planning to teach a second level course for the three Nicaraguans who have gone through the first level and are ready for more. There are two out of the initial 5 who have been dedicated, practicing and coming to clinic hours every week and are now working in the local hotels where we are promoting our program. It's really exciting to see how much they have improved over time and are now gaining experience from working on paying clients in hotels.
I really enjoy being back here and being in community this time and it feels like home in many ways. Everyone comes together here to share their gifts, passions, and hearts in community. It's a special place for sure. I will blog about life at Inanitah in the near future. It's worth a good story.
5:42 a.m March 31.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Yoga Retreat Picture~ Las Mujeres



WOMENS' YOGA RETREAT SANTA FE, PANAMA
After teaching 6 classes a week during the month of February, Michelle and I decided to take the show on the road. We called our retreat, "Inquiry Into Yoga", and had 3 days of fun and yoga in the mountains, 3 hours north of Santa Catalina. Pictured above left to right: Jen, Diane, Valerie, Michelle, and Rose.

gringos

I know that the flow of this may not make any sense, but I'm going to do my best to blog more often now that I'm in a faster internet zone, Nicaragua. I'm in San Juan del Sur today. It's a strange little beach town which seems to be a gringo party spot.
I am here on a mission, not really by choice. A friend of mine from Santa Catalina, Panama is driving back up to his home town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was nice enough to put my massage table, tent, and sleeping bag in the back of his truck and drop them off here, as it's not too far off the Pan-American Highway.
I have been playing in Bocas del Toro with my dear friend, Janey, who came down to visit me from Boulder, CO on her vacation. I am so blessed with good friends! She and I had 9 days of fun and travel in which I didn't need any of that stuff cause she sported the hotel rooms all the way across Panama and Costa Rica.
I did the boarder crossing from CR to Nica today at Penas Blancas. Some of you may recall the first time I crossed this border last Feb. I wrote a mass email about it because I found myself wandering in and out of the Costa Rican border station asking "Excuse me, where is Nicaragua?" until some kind soul finally informed me that I had to walk about 1/4 mile down the road in order to get to the entrance of Nicaragua.
Today, I am proud to announce that I do learn from experience! This and the fact that I am much more facil with the spanish language than I was a year ago. So, I was able to not only find my way through to Nicaragua without problem. I was also able to fend off the 10 or so Nica taxi drivers who kept telling me there was no bus to where I was going while I asked a WOMAN where I could catch a bus. She told me and she was right. These MEN, I swear! They are scammers. Not all of them, but they give the ones that aren't a bad name.
I also have to state, for the record, that Nicaragua has no signage on how to enter their country at this border. None. Nunca. It's a series of buildings spread out across a rather wide area with lots of fences, police, and random scammers running around and nothing posted about where one should proceed. They expect you to know. And if you have to ask someone, you will have to pay them for a correct answer.
Now, I don't want to make Nicaragua out to be like this. This is just the border crossing. The rest of the country is awesome and friendly. I was able to catch a bus (technically, they are right, you need to catch 2 buses to get to San Juan del Sur) and will head up to Inanitah tomorrow after a little night on the town here.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Hey, photos!

Above: Yoga deck at "La Buena Vida"; Santa Catalina.
Above: Looking out from Rancho Estero onto Estero Beach, Santa Catalina.


Above: View from Visitor Center, Coiba National Parque
Above: Blue Chevy Van with shade structure and bike parked in front.

Above: Adan cutting off alligator head with machete on Lagatero Bay.