Sophia's Bella Vita

2 1/2 Months of Beaches and Mountains

On January 13, I flew out to Costa Rica to start my job as an English teacher with SpeakHabla. Although I had to cut my trip short, here are some of the beaches and hikes I got to do while there.

While in Costa Rica this time around, I went to Manuel Antonio for a second time, which is a popular national park that has a beach in it. I also made it out to Jaco a couple of times, which is the closest beach to the San Jose area. Both are on the Pacific coast.

As far as hiking goes, a few friends and I did one in Bajos del Toro that was called Tesoro Escondido. We tried going once, but it was super rainy, so we tried again the following week and it was super sunny and beautiful. This hike has several waterfalls so we got to slide down one of them as well as jump into one of the pools.

The following week, a few of my friends and I rode the bus up to Cerro Dantas where we did a long, muddy hike. At the end, you reach a sanctuary and can pay to see several waterfalls, but we had a late start so decided against it.

The final hike was one that I had done before: The Barva Volcano. The only difference was that we decided to go farther than the initial crater.

RECOMMENDATION: Bring a rain jacket if hiking in the Costa Rica mountains. Remember that no matter how hot it is in the valley, it will be colder in the mountains and there is a very high possibility that it will rain since it is a micro-climate rain forest.

Guanacaste

On Wednesday, February 12, Alex flew into San Jose and I met up with him at the airport. We had decided to rent a car so that the next day we could just head off to Guanacaste bright and early.

Guanacaste is Costa Rica’s most northwestern Province and is well known for its beaches and several mountainous areas. With that being said, after 4 1/2 hours of driving, as well as an ice cream break, we made it to Tamarindo, which is a beach known for it’s night life.

We only stayed a few hours before heading to Playa Grande. We checked-in at Villas Kalei and then headed to the beach to catch the sunset.

The next morning we went to Playa Conchal. If you walk far enough down the beach, you will see that the sand is made from seashells, hence the name concha(l) which translates to shell.

The next day we had plans to go to Playa Del Coco, but we accidentally but in Playa Coco and went south instead of north. We went down a lot of dirt roads and through a few puddles/rivers. RECOMMENDATION: Make sure to rent a 4×4 car if you want to go almost anywhere in Costa Rica…

Long story short, we ended up at a cute, secluded, black sand beach called Playa Frijolar. And sense we already made it so far south, after lunch and a few pictures, we headed to Samara. I personally thought Samara was the coolest and I would love to spend some more time there if I get the chance.

David Wayne Lamb Obituary

In October I wrote an obituary for my mother to honor her second death anniversary. With that being said, I decided to also write an obituary to honor the two year death anniversary of my father.

On Saturday, March 10th, 2018, Dr. David Wayne Lamb, loving father of two, passed away at the age of 57.

David was born on March 15th, 1960, in Knoxville, Tennessee to Wayne and Frances Lamb. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1980 and moved to Texas to work for several years before going back to school and receiving a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Southern California Keck Medical School in 2000. He lived in California for over 20 years and raised a son, David Jr., and a daughter, Sophia.

David was an intelligent man who worked hard and always went the extra mile. He was driven by his passion to constantly learn new things and teach others. David was an amazing musician who found purpose behind the lyrics of songs written by people like Bruce Springsteen. Not only did he find meaning in the expression of music, but also in the hearts of numerous athletes. His love for sports transcended into his style of coaching his children both on and off the field. You could not have found a man more passionate about being a father and setting a good example for not only his kids, but for everyone else’s kids as well.

David was preceded in death by his mother Frances and his father Wayne. He was survived by his sister Susan and his brother John, along with his children David Jr. and Sophia. David’s celebration of life was held on Sunday, March 18th, 2018.

‘A father holds his daughter’s hand for a short while, but he holds her heart forever’
-Unknown

Cross Country Holidays

OHIO (Dec 11th-17th)

My grandmother passed away on Dec, 6th, 2019, so I visited my mother’s family in Tallmadge/ Cuyahoga Falls for the funeral. Although it wasn’t the best situation, I still got to spend time with my family and friends. One day I drove to Columbus and had brunch with my father’s friend Sandra, as well as went to the Center of Science and Industry with my friend Matthew. In Akron, my Aunt Debbie and her friend also took me to the Peanut Shoppe and I visited my Aunt Susan’s friend Mary and her daughter Teresa.

CALIFORNIA (Dec 17th-Jan 2nd)

I spent the main chunk of my holidays in L.A. hopping around and visiting friends. Some of the highlights included: The Christensen’s St. Lucia Party, Star Wars at the El Capitan, The Rodriguez’s Tamale Party, Christmas Eve dinner and church with the Trout’s, Christmas lunch with Ellie and Carla, Christmas dinner/ snacks with the Christensen’s, roller skating and games for Travis’ birthday, walking around Huntington Library with Nancy and Evan.

TENNESSEE (Jan 2nd- 6th, Jan 10th-13th)

After a visit to the doctor, I headed to Rogersville on Jan. 3rd to meet up with my cousin Allie, her husband Ryan, and the kiddos. I ended up seeing Frozen 2 again with Ruthie, James, and Matthew the next day and just hanging out/ riding bikes with them the day after. On Saturday night, Alex drove up to Tennessee and we spent the next few days continuing to take strolls, play outside, jump on the trampoline, visit the coffee shop (Coffee at the Kyle)and watch tv with the kiddos.

GEORGIA (Jan 6th- 9th)

Alex and I stopped by my Aunt Susan’s house in Knoxville for a couple of hours before we hit the rode to Atlanta. Most of my time in Georgia was spent just chilling. We went out to dinner, did a little yoga, saw the garden lights at the botanical gardens, and caught up a bit on the Mandalorian.

SOUTH CAROLINA (Jan 9th-10th)

We only spent one day in Clemson, but in that time I got to see my Theta Fam, a few members of my Squadron, and a few old friends. We spent the night at Mia’s and got to make hot chocolate and watch some Jeopardy. Overall, a fun trip 🙂

TENNESSEE (Jan 10th- 13th)

Alex drove me back up to Rogersville where I got a haircut and then we headed to Knoxville, so that we could grab breakfast at Cracker Barrel the next morning with my Uncle John, cousin Jessica, and her son Blaine. Alex then drove home while my Aunt Susan and I headed to Nashville to meet up with my cousin Ian. That night and the next was pretty chill, just grabbing food, going to the movies (Knives Out) and getting anything else I needed.

Now I’m off to start my new English teaching adventure in Costa RIca! Make sure to stay tuned 🙂

An Hawaiian Wedding

From Atlanta, I flew 5 hours west where I spent a day in California visiting and making cookies with my friend Danika. The next day I flew 5 hours further west to the Pacific island state of Hawaii. I took the flight with my friend/ almost sister Carla and her fiance, along with Ellie (her mom) and Manuel (her dad).

We landed on the big island of Hawai’i and stayed in a condo near Kona. The 4th and the 5th were spent exploring downtown and prepping for the wedding.

On the 6th of December, we headed to the beach bright and early where Carla and Joan (her fiance) were taking wedding photos. At 9 o’clock, the ceremony took place. It was very simple and small, but the scenery was beautiful and I could definitely see why people might want a destination wedding. I was so thankful to be a part of Carla’s ceremony, and Joan’s sister and I got to place a lasso around the couple to signify an eternal bond between them.

During the wedding, it started raining softly and continued to rain while we took photos shortly after the ceremony had ended. Not the most ideal, but I have heard that it’s good luck if it rains on your wedding day. Once done we went to brunch and later that night we went to a Luau where we had some traditional Hawaiian cuisine and saw traditional Hawaiian dance.

The next day we went to the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where we saw the sulfuric vents and the crater of the volcano that erupted in May of 2018. We also went and saw a beautiful waterfall. The day was filled with lots of driving, but it was worth it.

We spent the last day hanging out on the beach and then headed back to California.

Back to the States

Instead of heading to Bolivia like we had originally planned, Alex and I decided to head back to the U.S. With that being said, we landed in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 22nd.

The next day, we walked around town and ate at a famous restaurant called Mother’s where I had one of their famous Po’ Boys. That night we walked around the French Quarters and Bourbon Street and had the opportunity to see a New Orleans Stroll which occurs right after a wedding or funeral. Everyone at the procession walks around in the streets with music celebrating the new couple or the deceased.

The next day, my nieces and their mother and grandmother came to town, so we did a boat tour and made sure to try some beignets (like french donuts) from Cafe Du Monde. I only got to see them for 2 days, but it was fun while it lasted 🙂

After several days there, Alex and I headed to Atalanta for Thanksgiving. We ended up having two dinners, one at his father’s the night before and one at his mother’s the day of Thanksgiving. We also went to see the Falcons play the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Although the Falcons didn’t win, it was still a good game.

While in Atlanta, we did a little shopping and got to see the Atlanta Chinese Lantern Festival. Alex and I also did a sunrise hike up Stone Mountain. Overall, it was more of a recovery visit (at least for my body), but it was still super fun.

La Amazona de Peru

Alex and I landed in the Amazonian city of Iquitos, Peru, on the morning of November 18th. That day we rested a bit, but also explored the Plaza de Armas, as well as a little shopping district and the boardwalk by the river.

The next morning, we were picked up by Llaquipallay tours along with another couple, and drove an hour and half to Nauta before taking a 3 hour boat ride up the Ucayali river. We then dropped our stuff off at lodge on the bank of la selva (the jungle/rain forest) and ate lunch. After that we went on a small jungle tour and later that night we did a night tour where we saw several night herons and caiman.

The next morning, we somehow loaded eleven people onto a small wooden boat that really should have held eight people. We then took it a little deeper into la selva and did a tour of the flora and fauna. The day was hot and the mosquitos were everywhere, but there was something unique and almost charming about being surrounded by the humid heat of la selva. After lunch, about eight of us took the boat through the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve where we saw plenty of monkeys and birds. We made it all the way to an open lake where they have something called black water. This is where you can find piranhas, electric eels, anacondas, and black caiman up to 8 meters. Needless to say, we did not go in. #nope

After one more night in the lodge, we woke up and just rode around in the river in the boat looking for pink dolphins. We had some success and the pulled over at a little beach and put our feet in the water for a few minutes. We then visited a village known as Puerto Miguel and saw an anaconda that someone kept as a pet.

It was an amazing and unique experience. Here are several pictures from the trip:

Cusco and Machu Picchu

After about a week in Ecuador, I started having stomach issues. I had gone to the doctor in Tarqui, Ecuador during October, and then again in Arequipa, Peru, about a month later. They gave me several medicines, but they only helped so much. With that being said, I decided to go to a clinic in Cusco where they ran several tests and it turns out I had salmonella in my blood system. I ended up spending the night in the hospital room hooked up to an IV that distributed antibiotics into my bloodstream.

Overall, not the best first day in Cusco, but it was a much needed break and at least we got to watch several movies in the hospital. With several antibiotics and a sancochada/bland diet, we were sent back into the real world and did a free walking tour to learn about the city.

On November 13th, we took the train to Aguas Calientes, which is also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. The next morning we took the bus to Machu Picchu and witnessed one of the seven modern wonders of the world. After a mini tour, we hiked up Huaynu Picchu, which is the highest mountain overlooking the sacred valley. It was difficult, but the satisfaction of making it to the top was worth it. That same day, we hiked to the sun gate and then called it a day.

After Machu Picchu, we took the train back to Cusco where we stayed at Selina Plaza de Armas. The next day was a much needed rest day staying in the hostel and exploring the area around Plaza de Armas a bit. On November 16th, which was my mom’s birthday, we decided to do something extraordinary. We took a bus to Rainbow Mountain/ the Red Canyon and hiked to an elevation over 5,000 meters. The trek was slightly brutal, but chewing coca leaves definitely helped.

We then had one more day of rest before taking a flight to the Peruvian, Amazonian city known as Iquitos.

My First Week in Peru

On the night of November 2nd, I landed in Lima, Peru and went straight to the hostel. A few hours later my friend Alex arrived and we caught up a bit before heading to bed. Traveling and meeting new people is fun, but seeing a familiar face is always a nice break from the chaos.

With only a day in Lima, we decided to check out the Plaza de Armas where there was a procession going on for the holiday weekend surrounding Dia de los Finados. We also checked out the Museo de Arte Lima (MALI) and just explored some of the city.

The next morning we took Peru Hop to Paracas. On the way, we stopped at some secret slave tunnels and learned a little about their history. After spending the night in Paracas, did a morning boat tour of the Ballestas Islands, which is known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos, and then we did a tour of the Paracas National Reserve.

Once back on Peru Hop, we headed to an oasis in the middle of the desert known as Huacachina. While there, we dune buggied and sand-boarded down the desert dunes. We only spent one night there at a hostel called Wild Rover, but it was super fun and I definitely recommend.

The next morning, we took a bus to Nazca where we did a fly over tour of the Nazca lines. Although the elevation and constant motion of the plain made me a little nauseous, it was worth it.

There wasn’t much to do in Nazca so we decided to take the overnight bus to Arequipa. Upon arrival, we went to the hostel known as Vallecito Backpackers which was perfect because it was quiet and owned by a very nice family. We spent three days in this famous white city which is situated between the coastal region and the Andes. The altitude took a little bit to get adjusted to, but trying the different chocolates definitely helped. Chaqchao Chocolate Factory was definitely geared towards gringos, but it’s organic flavors are definitely worth trying.

While in Arequipa, we did a free walking tour and then checked out a place called Mundo Alpaca where we met some alpacas and learned about how alpaca fur is collected and transformed into clothes. We also went rafting down the Chilli River and did a tour of Colca Canyon. Fun Fact: Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world at 3,270 meters (10,730 ft) and while we were at the Viewpoint of the Volcanoes, it began to snow.

From Arequipa, we rode to Puno where we went on a tour to several of the islands on lake Titicaca. On the lake, there are over 80 man-made islands that people live on.

After our day in Puno, we took a night bus to Cusco and that was the end of our Peru Hop tour. We ended up visiting all of the these places over the course of a week. It was slightly intense, but fun 🙂

Puerto Lopez and Quito in Ecuador

After finishing up at Zoorefugio Tarqui, another volunteer named Flora and I decided to travel to Puerto Lopez and Quito over the course of a week.

Puerto Lopez is situated in the Manabi region of Ecuador and is famous for Isla de Plata, which is also known as the Poor Man’s Galapagos. While there, Flora and I went to Agua Blanca where we had a mud massage and swam in a sulfuric pool. While there we met a Belgian girl named Lara and the three of us decided to go to Isla de Plata the next day where we snorkeled and walked along the island. For our last day in Puerto Lopez, the three of us went to one of Ecuador’s prettier beaches known as Playa de Los Frailes.

On the third day, Flora and I said goodbye to Lara and took the overnight bus to Quito where we stayed in a hostel known as the Secret Garden, which I liked a lot and highly recommend. That same day, we did a free walking tour of the city and went up in the teleferico which gives you a view of the whole city. The following day we took a tour to Quilotoa, which is an inactive volcano that now has a lake in the crater. That night, it just happened to be Halloween, so Flora and I dressed up as cats and had a few drinks. The following day we woke up bright and early to do a tour and hike at Cotopaxi, which is one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. We then ended the trip by visiting Otavalo and checking out the street markets and the indigenous cemetery, which was very crowded due to Dia de los Finados (All Souls Day).

All together, I’m very thankful that I decided to go volunteer and travel around Ecuador. I’ve met so many amazing people and had an unforgettable experience. Now it’s off to Peru!