PHOTO FRIDAY: SLEEPING IN THE JUNGLE

The rain forest cabana where we slept for two nights at Playa Venao.

If ever you wanted to wake up to the sound of howling monkeys, chirping crickets and exotic bird calls, Playa Venao is for you. 

In addition to being home to one of Panama's best beach surf breaks, Venao is surrounded by shrinking swath of lush jungle irrigated by streams that gurgle just outside the door of your hut. Thanks to increasing development, the forest is disappearing, but a few conservation-minded folks, particularly from the jungle lodge at Eco Venao, are doing what they can to protect what's left, including providing visitors the opportunity to spend hours swinging in their private hammock (that's ours above!) surrounded by the soundtrack of the rain forest. Not a bad way to spend a few days, particularly as the end of our trip nears...

BROTHERLY LOVE AND FAREWELL

Todd and Kip enjoy a romantic sunset on an unnamed beach.

After a fun visit from Kip's brother Todd, it was time for him to head to his new "retired" life in London. 

Kip pretending he's a surfer in Tamarindo.

But not before one last surf session in Tamarindo. 

Farewell, big brother. 

Yes, Todd caught a few waves. 

We had an amazing time and are so glad you came...but...

Most of them briefly.

Here's hoping you retire better than you surf! :)

See you in London!

BUSES, BEACHES AND A BROTHER IN EL CUCO

El Cuco's main street leading down to the beach during rush hour.

After cooling off in the mountains, it was time to get back to the beach before heading south to the volcanoes of Nicaragua. Plus, Kip's brother Todd had joined us for a couple weeks and he really needed to learn to surf.

A kid about to smash an egg on Todd's head.

We headed to El Salvador's eastern beaches and the town of El Cuco, famous for wide swaths of sand, nesting sea turtles, and the nearby surf break Las Flores. 

Cuco would be our last stop in El Salvador, and probably our last time (and Todd's first) riding the country's bone-rattling local bus system, so we made the most of it. 

At the San MIguel bus terminal, after a three-hour slog from San Salvador (we splurged...no chickens allowed inside the bus), we convinced a cheeky young Salvadorena to crack some cascarones, eggs filled with confetti, on the head of an un-suspecting gringo named Todd. Both were terribly amused.

After an hour waiting at the station, we hopped a local bus from San Miguel to El Cuco. 

As is typical, the already full bus stopped every few hundred feet to pick up additional passengers, who simply have to wave an arm from the side of the road to get a ride.

 

Todd and Kip prepping to surf.

"How many people are gonna fit on this bus?" Todd asked. Great question.

As we crammed together a little closer, allowing for six women in starched nurse uniforms to squeeze past, Kip gave him the standard answer -- "at least one more, brother, always one more."

An hour later, the bus pulled into El Cuco, a dusty, oceanside town frequented on weekends by vacationing Salvadorenos and most other times by international surfers.

Besides a few food stalls by the water, there's not much for visitors to see. The main attraction is a long walk or short pick-up ride over rolling hills to the famous surf break of Las Flores.  

As seen in the photo below, the waves were a bit large for us, so we surfed the waves right in front of our eco-friendly hotel, La Tortuga Verde.

Yes, Todd learned to surf. Skip one photo for the visual proof.

No, it's not Todd or Kip surfing. But Kip did take the photo.

Yes, Todd caught a few waves. Mission accomplished.

We squeezed in a little fun at sunset. 

For some reason, Liz loves beach cows. The herd of adolescents above was even more fun than Zanzibar, she says. 

PHOTO FRIDAY: SURF AND SUNSETS AT EL TUNCO, EL SALVADOR

A surfer ventures out for a final session before darkness takes over in El Tunco, El Salvador. 

El Tunco's helping turn around tourism in El Salvador. At least, that's what it says in Kip's latest story for Men's Journal--"EL SALVADOR'S NEW BEGINNING"

By the way, we're still a little behind on our posts, but from here on out, we'll be updating from our current location...Central America! We promise to get more up-to-date soon!

PARADISE FOUND. WE'RE NOT TELLING YOU WHERE.

We think we finally found it. Paradise.

These shots are from somewhere on the island of Catanduanes in the Philippines. No, we're not saying where it is. You'll have to find it yourself.

Lunch. For $5. Enough said. 

This one's for our nieces...a clown fish patrols his green carpet anenome just off the beach. 

A local surfer named Libby rips across the peak of a small wave at a famous surf break nearby. 

The view from our $10/night beach hut. Thought about asking them to move the palms, but decided to let it be.  

A time-lapse photo reveals the flight patterns of fireflies roaming the night sky. Liz likes fireflies.

We often heard the calls of black-naped orioles, like this one we photographed nearby. Kip likes birds.

Grasshoppers scale rice stalks to get a prime view of sunrise on Catanduanes. 

OK, so we stayed at Majestic Pururan Beach Resort. All photos were taken within a 10-minute walk of our hut. Seriously, this place is amazing.