First of all, I wanna comment on the map to left. This is our travel path, requested by a friend, and published here for your enjoyment. The blue line is travel by car. The dotted blue line is travel by airplane, and the red line is travel by cargo ship, which the car was loaded on to and shipped to Cartegena, Colombia.
Now for the rest of the story.
So when we last left off we were in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, at the foot of the Arenal Volcano.
* A quick disclaimer about volcanos... they are friggin amazing. Absolutamente astounding and powerful. *
That said, we pulled into the Arenal national park midday and made our way to the parking lot and beyond the sign stating - Park with car facing the exit - so as to be ready to make a quick getaway in case of volcanic eruption. We hiked into the jungle at the foot of the volcano, lush and exotic fertilized by the volcanic soil. Not 20 minutes into the hike, we reached the climax of the journey, the lava flow from the 1992 eruption. You climb the short trail to the top of the lava flow where Arenal comes into full view and the sound of somewhat cooled, lava breaks off from the top of the volcano and begins falling down the side of 'er, creating a thunderous eruption of sound all around. We made this area our temporary base for viewing the monumental show at nightfall, in the dark, and oh what a treasure it was. As the lava falls in chunks the size of vehicles and violently bursts into a fiery display as it hits the side of the volcano. It was absolutely amazing, our jaws dropping to the rock below. We celebrated this awesome evening with those around us, surrounded by laughter, by hoorays, and by...God.
A few nights spent round ole Arenal in the Hotel Dorothy, were a gleeful opportunity to relax and get some laundry done while learning about some new and interesting friends. An oil explorationist from Colorado, now living in Hungary named Vard and his wife shared stories and wisdom concerning modern times and future risks of our home, America. So many perspectives on our country, so many possibilities.
On our way to San Jose, to meet up with Keith, a friend Garrett had made while living in Costa Rica, we came across a fine hostel with many more interesting friends, most headed home after a good journey, all excited about our adventure and their own.
We met Keith at a wonderful restaurant in San Francisco, outside of San Jose and near Garrett's home there. The next few days would be full, and highly rewarding with treasures of friendship, signs of God's grace and provision and love, and the chance to serve some beautiful families. We repaired a section of a series of stairs built to help the families up and down the muddy hillside so they would have a safer time getting to their humble homes, in a ravine where trash was abundant and the water was unsafe to even look at. It was here that pain and suffering was felt. That injustice and the plight of the world could be seen. It was here that three year old little boys and girls limped. Just one small sign that things aint right in the world, but oh what a weight on our hearts.
We would soon leave Costa Rica, but not before tasting some of the worlds best coffee, watching one of history's worst news broadcasts (of the storm that blew through Atlanta, Georgia during March Madness), re-visiting our friendly hostel, and driving through a wild and gorgeous jungle.
Arriving in Panama was a bit strange, almost a bit to familiar with its American style roads and the use of the American dollar as currency. We decided to drive on in to Panama this night and find ourselves a place to stay, or rather, live for a bit. After hours of searching all through the city for the right price, we landed at Hotel Colon, in the old part of town. Just a block or two away was the so called ghetto, a mean place off limits to tourists whom were kept out by the tourist police.
So we ran into quite a few interesting people in the ole Colon, amongst them were an Aussie named Simon, an older British fellow whose name I am forgetting, and a local called Fast Eddie, for he could get you anything from a bottle of coke to a cab if needed, fast. More about him in a bit. We spent quite a few nights up on the balcony, overlooking all of the city, with these guys hearin their story, tellin ours and when blessed, listenin to the musical accompaniment of Miss Amber. Garrett especially got acquainted with a few of these folks, Simon becoming an entrusted friend to him. This granted Garrett access to many good stories of Simon's adventure packed life including base jumping, sailing the Galapagos, thousands of sky dive jumps, and the list goes on. Alot of good time can be spent with folks up on a roof, and alot was, for which we are enriched and thankful.
So, we went to Panama City to find a shipping agent for the RUNNER and found tht this would not be taking place untill the following week due to Semana Santa, Holy Week. So the next week was full of parades, including one with a march by some folks resembling a bit the KKK, and people carousing around having good times, all in the name of... Holiness? Funny thing. Carder's birthday came as the Grand Finale to this holiest of weeks, in conglomeration with that other special day, ummm, can you give we a wooooop for Easter, thank you Jesus for your gift of life to us. The other three were really good to me on my birthay, takin me out for one of my favorites in the morn - crepes, then to the zoo in the afternoon, and finale to see a movie that night. The whole town came out to honor me, and once again that other famous person, our beloved Jesus with a final grand parade and finished the night out back at the Hotel Colon with a most awesome concert done for me by the one and only Piratess Amber.
Now I just feel I must talk a bit here about the concert the night before my birthday, out on the balcony, with a couple of the locals and us in attendance. There was a large bellied jolly fella who just absolutely fell in love with her songs and voice and after each gave a long clap and some special enhancement - "You have a voice, like an angel. Your angelic voice is soldering, my heart. Before, it was broken. And now, you have soldered it back together. Mi Amor, thank you" I thought this was such a beautiful way to have your music described, how awesome. Fast Eddie was in attendance. Fast Eddie even talks fast you see, and when he began talking about how her music was, could not contain his movement nor his emotion. He said that the city around him was full of negativity and oppression and that every day when he woke and walked it, pressure and weight fell upon his back. That all he could see and hear was wrong and dead, but Miss Amber's music brought life and light to him, and he felt the pressure leave, even if only for a bit, and he was able to feel hope for the future. Another awesome testament. And whats more is that he kept inquiring to the meaning of some of the music and Amber got to relate some of the messages in the Bible that fueled her writing.
There was also a woman up there that could not contain tear or emotion and just began weeping. She explained, like Eddie, that the music brought hope and light to a dark world around her and that she hoped this music would fill the world and all people could hear it. I do to maam. So i sat and watched all this, and couldn't help but feel thanks for the powerful presence of the Lord being with us out there in a special way that evening. One of the last songs she sang was a worship song that we had sung together a few mornings before. I asked her if she would sing it up there and she sad I had to accompany. This made me nervous, I am not good in fornt of a crowd, but somethin inside told me to go for it. So she began singin, i accompanying, and the crowd gained more and more energy and before the end of it all, everyone had joined in a beautiful raising of voices to our Lord.
This was one of the most moving things I have ever experienced. I would give anything to be apart of moments like this day in and day out the rest of my life. Fantastic!
So Amber departed that following monday and we three got hard to work at get the ole Runner on a boat headed for Colombia. A week later, 5 or 6 offices, a couple more dollars, and half a day at the port in Colon and the car was packed up and ready to go.
We spent two days in Portobello, a bit of scuba out in the Carribean, some of the best fried sea bass ever, a cool fort and some wonderful octopus and we were back on our way to Panama City.
This is where my story ends. I ran out money ya see, and it became evident I would need to return home. Garrett and Jason headed on to Colombia to continue the adventure.
I was sad to depart them, sad to leave good friends, sad to leave the journey, sad to leave our beloved 4-runner, it had become somewhat of home to me. Returning home would not be the same, I knew this beforehand. But upon arrival, the reality hit even harder. Amber calls it "reverse culture shock" and man was it strong. So soon I hope to re-unite with Garrett and Jason in Alaska. Untill then I bid them farewell, I pray for them, and I look forward to hearing what they have to say about the rest of the journey.
Via con Dios, Hasta Pronto, Ciao
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