Today was a fantastic do-nothing day. I alternated between lounging in the hammock outside my room and socializing down in the dining hall. There was a brief frisbee session with some Israelis, but it was too hot to keep up for long. El Retiro is a great place to...

After a long night of partying, I somehow managed to wake up early and feeling refreshed. I had some breakfast and walked around the grounds of the hostel. I missed most of it last night because I arrived late, but the area is absolutely beautiful. At 9, a group of 20...

The great thing about traveling off-season is that you can pay for a dorm room and end up with a private. The bed was the most comfortable of the trip so far. The room stayed nice and cool. And the shower this morning had decent pressure and heat. Almost too good to...

Quick travel tip: In the tropical rainy season, it's best to avoid situations where you need to air dry your clothes. Ana told me yesterday that she could do all my laundry for $2, and I couldn't resist. I should have realized that the clothes would have to be out on...

I awoke at 9 feeling very refreshed. I don't remember sleeping so late in the last two weeks. The day looked beautiful with clear blue skies. I walked around 'town' (El Remate is not so much a town as a slightly higher concentration of hotels along the road) trying to...