a few thoughts from Montreal

- walking through old Montreal feels like one is walking through parts of Europe.

- the rolling postal strike is an interesting idea. basically the workers strike for a few days in one city (for example Ottawa) and then they go back to work and a week or so later they strike in another city. this means the mail is slowed but not stopped and it means that if you aren't paying attention to what is happening you may show up at the post office to find a sign saying they are closed until they open again. oh and the sign is in French, this is Montreal you know. as of a few days ago all postal operations were suspended until an agreement is reached or back-to-work legislation is approved.

- public transportation should be efficient, clean and clear. thankfully that is how i would describe the Montreal system, especially the subway.

- Bixi bikes are the best! it's the public bike rental system and it is fabulous!!

- after a few hours here in Montreal i decided

the few words i remembered from my college French class were not going to cut it, especially since we are here for about a month. i opted to attend French classes at a language school in downtown Montreal that caters to foreigners with a desire to learn either French or English. my class was 2 hours each morning and included 12 students from: China (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Canada (1), Pakistan (1), Korea (2), Ukraine (1), Brazil (1). the curriculum was helpful but the best part was what i learned from the other students.

- we were trying to figure out if there are other cities in the world where you can speak (and thus learn) 2 languages with such ease?

- Little Italy is a cool place to hang out, especially if you like gelato, espresso, pasta or grappa.

-Marche Jean Talon is a fabulous market where we have easily spent half the day purchasing fresh produce, eating fresh oysters, sipping cappuccinos, wandering through the rows of herbs and plants, and people watching. currently, every day is market day!

ah Canada

Toronto was stop number one and it was a whirlwind from the moment we arrived. while we stayed with friends and family we were on the go from morning to night and that may have helped with the quick transition to western culture it also resulted in more than one morning where i woke up quite disoriented. hey, it's a tough life i lead you know...hahaha.

if you are ever in Toronto during the warmer months i recommend you get a bike and ride around. there are great parks, bike paths and neighborhoods to enjoy. also it is a great way to see a city.

best of Costa Rica

it was decided that the final few weeks in central america would be best spent in Costa Rica as there one can find the best and most consistent beginner waves. while it was sad to say goodbye to friends in Nicaragua i was quite excited to see some new and different waves. also, the plan was to head to part of the coast of CR that i had missed the last time i was there.

the border crossing was better than expected since the Nicaragua border patrol rebuilt the points of entry and exit; instead of being in the same place, in the same building and in the same lines you now go to one side of the building for one and the other side of the building for the

other. amazing. now if they would just add a sign or two leading up to the building...i would ask for a sidewalk but that seems a little too extreme. at least there was no rain on this crossing, when there is rain there is also mud and at the border crossing that could be mistaken for a

grand truck stop...well you can guess what happens!

below are some photos from CR. this was one of my favorites!

we arrived in CR to a few days of storms and rough waters. luckily there were a few areas with some smaller waves. this photo is of one on of the beaches with bigger and messier waves. i did not surf but the guy in the photo is not alone, there were a few out there.

we stayed in Tamarindo and surfed daily. i am happy to say my surfing drastically improved. our meal selection also drastically improved as we were in a bigger city and in CR. this is the view from one of my favorite places to watch the sun set.