Last Day

It´s my LAST day in Central America as I will be flying out of San Jose, Costa Rica tomorrow at 600am. I am overwhelmed with emotions...excitement, sadness, anxiety. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, to eating at my favorite places and having a home made meal, hot showers, clean clothes and a variety of clothes (been wearing the same few things for 4.5 months), my car, summer in Oregon and so much more. At the same time, I am so sad to leave as I don´t know if I will ever have the opportunity to travel like this again. Once summer is over, it´s back to school and work...the the real world. My mom did point out that at least I had the opportunity to do this trip, as many only dream of doing something like this.

Since my last blog, I´ve been taking it easy in Costa Rica. I spent a few days in Monteverde. My only reason for going there was to do the extreme canopy tour. The canopy course was up in the forest, with 18 different platforms, a repel, tarzan swing and ¨superman¨zip line (where you are attatched to the zip line by your back and face down as you fly through the air). It was such a fun day, flying over the lush trees and land.

After Monteverde I took a bus over to the Nicoya Penninsula, more specifically Tamarindo. Tamarindo used to be a small unknown beach town, and then was discovered by foreigners. It´s now run by people from all over the world...Argentina, the USA, Holland, etc. The moment I arrived, I jumped off the bus, unloaded my bag at the nearest hostel and ran strait to the beach for a late afternoon swim. The water is so warm and inviting, although not the cleanest due to all the construction of building high rises around Tamarindo. Tamarindo reminded me of Southern California, the beach, surf shops and little strip malls, lots and lots of Americans on vacation. But, I can see why it´s a popular tourist destination. My second day in Tamarindo, I took a surf lesson from the hostel owner, and actually stood up a few times. It was a lot of hard work, but so much fun. The remaining days in Tamarindo I continued to do the same thing...surf, swim, sun bathe and enjoy the last few days of vacation. I was really fortunate to have stayed at the hostel I was at, as it is run by two friendly Argentinians and there was a great group of people form all over the world...Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Switzerland, Holland, Costa Rica and more. Meeting people from all over the world has been such a wonderfu part of my travels. Now, not only do I have contacts all over the world, but it has been such an educational experience for me as I have been learning so much about the way people around the world live, view life and how things in their countries work such as health care, education and politics. So, not only did I learn about the countries I visited, but places all over the world.

This evening will be a relaxing one since I have to get up so early. I feel as though my trip has already come to an end, and that all that is left are the plane rides home. This has been the best four and a half months of my life, with many difficult times. My favorite things have been the people that I´ve met from all over the world, chicken bus rides, Maya ruins, Lake Atitlan, the beaches and all the other natural beauty. There were hard moments...when a man followed and grabbed me while I was in Belize, the car accident in Guatemala, long bus rides in very uncomfortable seats, feeling homesick at so many different points in the trip. All around this trip has changed my life and I wouldn´t change a single moment of it. I´ve gained so much, it´s hard to put into words. All I can say to people is TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL! It´s the greatest privelege that we as Americans have. So, take advantage!

Panama

yellow crab, Bastimentos Island
The jungle, Bastimentos Island
Isla Colon
Sunset in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Laura and I on Volcan Masaya
Hey blog followers...for whoever is left. It´s been too long and there is lots to tell.

Since my last blog, my dear friend Laura came to visit me. We spent several days in Granada and went to Laguna de Apoyo, where I had much better weather than I did the first time. It was sunny and beautiful and we swam in the water, kayaked and walked the perimeter of the lake listening to and looking for howler monkeys. From there, I took Laura on a crazy chicken bus ride to San Juan Del Sur where we spent the remainder of her time at the beach. San Juan Del Sur is infested with mosquitos and unfortunately, Laura caught Dengue Fever while visiting me. Awful! Luckily, the symptoms did not arrive until she got home, where she has been able to be on bed rest and recover.

After Laura´s departure, I headed south to Panama. I went strait to the islands on the Atlantic side...first to Isla Colon, also known as Bocas Del Toro. Bocas del Toro is more like Bocas del Tourists. Isla Colon is the most popular island for tourists and Bocas Del Toro has been built to accomodate all the different types of travelers, from family vacationists, resort stayers and backpackers. I stayed at a small hostel with 2 boys I met on the bus ride down. Bocas Del Toro has a huge party scene, which is why the backpackers venture there. The bars are all right along the water, and most have pools built in to their decks, filled with ocean water. One bar even has an 8 foot diving board into their pool...something you would never see in the states. A pool at a bar, with a diving board. Awesome. I went on a bike ride around most of Isla Colon. I can only imagine what the island looked like before tourists and foreigners invaded. Every property is taken up with a hotel, hostel, resort, bar or resturaunt...and what is vacant, is for sale. After a few days on the tourist end, I decided to check out something a bit more local. I hopped on a boat and headed across the bay to the island Bastimentos where I spent the next 2 days. Bastimentos has few tourists, some hostels on the water, no motor vehicles and a friendly, laid back vibe. The people were so hospitable and welcoming. However, there is no sewage system on Bastimentos...meaning that every time you use the toilet or take a shower, the waste goes straight into the Ocean. It´s very disheartening.

After Bastimentos and Bocas Del Toro, I headed west to the Fortuna Cloud Forest in Panama. I ventured to a hostel in the middle of the cloud forest, which was quite a trek to get to all on my own. It was worth the hike and the fear of not knowing whether or not I was going to make it. The first full day there, I went on a tour of an organic coffee and wine farm. It was such an incredible tour, learning about the coffee process (which is long and laborious), and the struggles that the Panamanians experience with their farms, trying to stay organic and the selling of their coffee. We learned that all the coffee that is exported, is 100% coffee, but the coffee that is sold within Panama, is diluted with corn. Yes, corn. The exporters want Panama to keep its good coffee reputation, so the foreigners get all the good stuff, while the locals get the leftovers. Seeing the farm was incredible, tasting all the coffee and many different types of wine (banana, pineapple, blackberry, etc.). All the proceeds from the tour benefit the farmer and his family, and we were able to purchase coffee beans strait from him. In addition to the coffee and wine, he made us fresh squeezed lemonade with lemons for the farm and added fresh squeezed sugar cane. Soooo delicious!

My womderful time in Panama has come to an end, as my travels are coming to a wrap. I am now in San Jose, Costa Rica and will be spending the last 9 days of my trip in the cloud forest and on the beaches...soaking up the rays before heading back to Portland. I leave here on June 24th and will return to Portland for a few days, before heading to Southern Oregon to hang out with my family...

Ometepe, Corn Islands, Granada

Corn Island


Howler Monkey on Ometepe
Volcan Concepcion, Ometepe
Sorry for the delays in posts. There is just so much to do, see and so many distractions. I will do my best to recap the last few weeks. From San Juan Del Sur, I went to Isla de Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. To get out there, you take a ferry to the island. I stayed at a coffee farm on the island with my travel companion Gunvor from Denmark. I spent one morning treking around Volcan Maderas, the smaller of the 2 volcanoes. I went part way up, looking for howler monkeys with some other girls. 45 minutes up the trail, we found two trees full of monkeys. It was my first time seeing monkeys, out in the wild and boy are they just adorable. We were like the papparazi, standing there taking picture after picture of the monkeys. Definately the high light of Ometepe.

Soon after, Gunvor and I decided to take a little trip across the Carribean over to the Corn Islands. We flew to Big Corn and on our way met some lovely ladies from Norway. The 5 of us took a ferry over to Little Corn, a beautiful, tranquil island with no motor vehicles. The island is incredibly small, with about 1,500 inhabitants. The locals speak Englsih, Spanish and Creole. The island is surrounded with white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and a laid back life stlye. Our week there was spent swimming, sun bathing and relaxing. We did have a night out at a local bar where they were celebrating Palo Mayo (May Pole). The people tie ribbons and balloons in a tree which are supposedly filled with different things like money. The people dance around the tree, men climb up it to pop the balloons and wait to see what will fall from it. The dancing was pretty crazy, booty shaking African dance. It was fun to watch.

After the Corn Islands, Gunvor and I parted ways...she headed off to Panama and I to Granada which is where I am now. I spent yesterday at Laguna de Apoyo, a lake in the crater of a volcano. It was pouring rain the entire time there, but we made the most of it and swam in the warm water and relaxed at the isolated hostal. From here, I will be hanging out in Granada awaiting my good friend from college to come visit me for a week!

Nicaragua

View from Volcan Cerro Negro
Church in Leon
Our suits and volcano boards
Volcan Cerro Negro
New Friends before the hike

Alas, I am in Nicaragua. I stayed an extra few days in Honduras between Lake Joyoa and Tegucigalpa, the capital. Tegucigalpa was overwhelming...huge, loud, polluted, yet a welcoming city. I was with 2 other travelers when we were dropped in the middle of the city. We caught a taxi to downtown where we stayed for a night. We wandered around the colonial center which has a very western and bustling feel. One night there was plenty for me. The next morning, I headed out to make my way to Nicaragua with another traveler. After half a day on buses, we made it to Esteli, a small town in northern Nicaragua known for its coffee farms. We spent a day there and stayed in a scary hospedaje. The next morning, we headed to Leon which is where the adventures started. My first full day in Leon, I went up to Volcano Cerro Negro with a group to volcano board. We hiked up the youngest and most active volcano in Central America, had a 360 view of Leon, as far as the Pacific coast. At the top, we suited up into orange jump suits and goggles and got our boards, which look like sleds, ready to go down the volcano. I stepped up and went first with a guy from Australia. After a quick tutorial, we raced to the bottom on the gravel lava rocks. Going first was the best thing as I got to sit at the bottom and watch the other people come down...many of whom ate shit (pardon my language) but it was hilarious! One guy tumbled so hard that he scraped his nose and bruised his forhead! Opps! We had a long drive back into Leon, but they provided us with beer, granola bars and mojitos as soon as we got back to the hostel. A good day.

Two days ago I headed down south to San Juan Del Sur where I have a friend from college living here and working at a hostel. I spent all day yesterday at the beach, attempting to surf but mostly swimming around. The beaches are wonderful, but there are very tiny jellyfish that sting like crazy. Makes the water a bit unappealing, but the sun is so strong that you want to get into the water. Ill be here for a few more days before I head to the next desitination.

Still working on uploading picutres!

Thats all for now...

Border Crossing

Copan
Copan
Copan
My last few days in El Salvador were lovely. I still cant get over how wonderfully friendly the people are. I spent one afternoon in La Palma, a town just south of the El Salvadoran/Honduran border high up in the mountains. The buildings are beautifully painted with murals along the cobble stoned streets. From La Palma, I stayed with Heather, the Peace Corps volunteer in her tiny campo just a few kilometers outside of La Palma. In her tiny town, there are just about 100 houses, a few hundred people. Heather lives in a nice little house with her host sister and baby. The rest of the family lives right next door, in the same lot. Their houses are some of the nicest as they have 2 children in the states who are working and sending the money to them so that they can build their houses. Many people in El Salvador are in the same situation...with family in the states working to send money home, as the wages there are practically nothing. Heather showed me their family's kitchen which essentially is a wooden shack, with no flloor, just the dirt of the land, with a wood stove and the pila, which is a sink made out of concrete. The pila has 2 parts to it, a part that is always full of water (in case the water gets turned off, which was the case while I visited), and the drain. It is quite different than what we are used to in the states. Heather showed me the school she works at and introduced me to some of the teachers and the principal. Life in the campo is very tranquil and simple.

From La Palma, I took a bus up to the border and crossed into Honduras. It was my first time crossing a border by myself and without a shuttle bus waiting on the other side for me. Luckily, it was easy and I just had to pay $3 to enter the country. Once in, I began my 5 hours journey to Copan, a small town on the Honduran/Guatemala border. The bus rides were long, but the scenery was absolutely stunning. Honduras is so green, lush and mountainous. I didnt travel a far distance, from the border to Copan...its just the the roads go up and down through the mountains. Once in Copan, I found a nice youth hostel and met some other travelers. We went out and did a salsa lesson and danced for most of the evening. The following day, we went to the Maya Ruins of Copan, which were pretty awesome. They arent as enourmous as the ruins in Tikal, but the carvings and sculptures have been preserved and are in much better condition. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful site and I will post pictures of it when I can.

I spent the next few days in Copan just relaxing and enjoying the quaint, cobble stoned street town. I met lots of travelers and enjoyed the night life as well. From Copan, I headed to Gracias with 3 other travelers where we spent a few days. Gracias used to be the capital of all of Central America (at least that's what Lonely Planet says). Its a beautiful little town, but very quiet. We explored some hot springs just outside of town which were nice...although a bit out of the ordinary for such a hot day. We went on Sunday, which is family day. It was a neat experience to be there with lots of Honduran families, but it was quite crowded. I had a fan club of little girls who kept looking at me, and finally approached me just to ask my name, tell me theirs and their ages. It was adorable.

Im now in Los Naranjos, a small town just along Lake Joyoa. I made it here with 2 out of the 3 that I was in Gracias with. We are staying at a small hotel run by an Oregonian. Its also a brewery and I had a delicious beer yesterday. The boys and I went to a gorgeous park today along a river and we admired the 40 meter waterfall. Beautiful. Honduras has so much beauty.

Thats all for now. Again, I will update pictures when I can. Hope everyone is well!

Lastly, I was accepted to Portland State University as well, which is where I accepted. I will start in September 2010 for my Masters in Social Work.

Week 2

El Salvador continues to be wonderful, but my time here is coming to an end. Since I last blogged, here is what Ive been up to...

Back in Juayua, we met a local tour guide who took myself and the 4 other gringos on a grand (walking) tour. First, we headed to Chorros de Calera, beautiful waterfalls just a few KM outside of town. We saw 4 waterfalls and went back to the first one to swim in the fresh, yet freezing cold water. After the falls, we took a bus to Apanecha, another tiny town where we walked uphill about 4 KM. The top was beautiful and we had a view of all the towns below us...although it was a bit foggy. We were surrounded by coffee plantations, new and old ones. Our tour guide told us that someone who works in the coffee field only makes $24 a week! CRAZY! So, make sure you know where your coffee comes from and make sure its FAIR TRADE!!! Our guide, Manuel walked us through several different towns where the majority of people work in agriculture and walk around with their machetes in hand. The views were beautiful, but after a full day of walking up and down hills, we were beat.

The following day, our group split and we parted ways. Laura and I went to Santa Ana, the second largest city in El Salvador. We came across another traveler on the bus who we had met before, so the 3 of us stuck together in the bustling city. We spent our first afternoon checking out the main plaza where there is a beautiful cathedral and theatre. From there, we went to eat papusas...which is the typical food here. Essentially, its a tortilla stuffed with one or all of the following: beans, cheese and/or meat. They are quite tasty...but you can only eat so many papusas in one trip! The following day, we headed to the nearby lake and spent the day relaxing at a restaraunt while swimming, drinking smoothies and eating delicious food. Life was rough that day...

From Santa Ana, I headed back to San Salvador on my own. I stayed at a nice hostel which caters mostly to Peace Corps volunteers. I met lots of wonderful people and was even invited to stay with one girl at her site (which is where I am now, waiting for her to get off work). From San Salvador, I took a bus to Suchitoto, a small town in the north. The bus ride was, well, quite interesting. Ive never been on a bus with so many people packed on, there were people hanging out both the front and the back door. I had a seat, but I offered it to an old woman who got on the bus. Another woman got on with a baby, must have been 3 months old. The woman had to stand, and so another woman offered to hold her baby while she stood. At the same time, the old lady who I had given my seat to, offered to hold my purse for me, which contained my life (money, bank cards, passport, etc.). I started to feel nervous for a second, but then I saw how relaxed the woman next to me was, with her baby in a strangers arms.

The woman who was holding the baby, Reina, I had met right when I got onto the bus. She lives in Suchitoto and had invited me to stay with her and her daughter when we got there. Upon arriving into town, she took me to her home, a cute place on a corner just a block from the main square in Suchitoto. Suchitoto is a small picturesque town, similar to Antigua...but without all the tourists. Reina took me on a grand tour of the city and the following day, she took me to the nearby lake. My 2 days in Suchitoto were great and it was good for me to spend some time with some locals and to see how they live. El Salvadoreans really put a lot of effort into their image...the way the dress, hygeine, makeup, etc. They always look nice.

As I said, today I am in La Palma where Im waiting to meet a girl who is in the Peace Corps. Shes going to show me around her village. Im looking forward to seeing some life outside of the weathlier cities.

Signing out for now. Will add pictures later.

El Salvador

El Salvadoran Family, me and Laura in Ataco
One or many murals in Ataco
Road tripping friends in Ataco
La Playa in El Tunca
Me and the beach in El Tunco

Alas, I made it out of Guatemala and into El Salvador...such a wonderful country. Last Sunday, I caught a ride with Joey, a native Tennessean who drove all the way down to Central America and is on a mission to make it to Argentina. With an awful map of Guatemala, we made our way south and to the beach of El Sunzal in El Salvador. We spent a few days there trying to survive the unbearable heat. I spent a morning attempting to surf with an English couple...but the waves just surfed me instead! It was fun while it lasted. I took a day trip to San Salvador with a French couple on Tuesday. Yes, I just find couples to tag along with...I love being the third wheel...aka Im desperate for friends! Haha. It was the first capital Ive been to in Central America. We were warned of the dangers, but we had nothing but a good experience checking out the parks and churches. On Thursday, Joey and I moved over to a hostel in El Tunco where we spent the rest of the week. We passed our days at the beach and at a lovely resort with a pool with some people we met from Salt Lake City. Oh travelers, they are so wonderful and have so much to offer...like a day at a pool in a hotel we would never be able to afford. During my stay in El Tunco I met three girls...2 from the states and one from England. We somehow managed to convince Joey to drive all four of us and our luggage to Juayua, a beautiful mountain town. But what guy would say no to four awesome ladies?! He obliged, put our backpacks on top of his economical car, and off we went with maps in hand. Im becoming a very good navagator. Juayua is absolutely beautiful and the weather is just perfect. We got here yesterday afternoon, just in time to eat at the food fair they hold every weekend. The first thing that was offered to me was rabbit...and I dont know if you all know about my love for bunny rabbits...the cutest things ever. My jaw dropped and I walked away. There are other strange foods...like frog. I wasnt too brave and went safely with the chicken tacos.

Today the 5 of us hopped on a local bus and headed to Ataco, a town nearby. It was one of the best days I've had on my trip, words probably cannot describe the beauty I experienced today. On the bus, I met a really nice woman who is El Salvadoran and now lives in Canada. She was with about 10 family members and she was very friendly, but we parted ways when we got off the bus. When we got to Ataco, a cobble stoned street city with beautiful murals painted on most buildings, we wandered the streets, looked at the beautiful churces, murals and walked up to a mirador, where you could look out and see all of Ataco. We then went into the main part of the town where there were some different markets and music playing in the park. Laura (the Brittish woman) and I talked to local after local as they continuously approached us. One old man asked me if he could take Laura home with him in his pocket...and when I say old, I mean old! The locals here are so friendly and excited to have tourists here. They thank you for being here and say that you are welcome to come back anytime. Later, we ran into the family that we had met on the bus and they invited us over for a photo shoot with them. It was such an amazing moment. I almost asked if I could go home with them! Next, Laura and I headed to a nearby cafe where a man was playing the guitar and singing. We took a seat and just cooed over him and how talented he was. He even took requests from us and as he was about to play his last song, we asked him to play more and he obliged. We chatted with him afterwards, writing down some of the songs he played so that we can find them in the future. Laura and I headed back to Juayua to meet up with the rest of the crew.

It has been a lovely week in El Salvador. I cannot express how wonderful, friendly, genuine and beautiful the people are here. After all the hell this country has been through, no thanks to the USA, it shocks me everyday how welcoming they are to us. This country feels much more westernized than Guatemala did. Almost all the people dress in western clothing, they dont cover up the way people did in Guatemala. A typical meal here is a Papusa...or many papusas as you can typically get three for a dollar. They are thick tortillas stuffed with beans, cheese and meat if you want. They are absolutely delicious...but you can only have so many in one day.

Speaking of food, it's dinner time. Ill post pictures as soon as I have the patience to upload them. Adios!

Caye Caulker, Livingston, Rio Dulce

Fresh Conch

Giant gecko!!

Caye Caulker

Snorkel Tour Guides, ma and Fatima after rum punch

On the sail boat to go snorkel

Sorry it´s been so long since I´ve blogged....Here´s what I´ve been up to...

Alex and I took a bus to Belize City and took a boat out to Caye Caulker Island. It was my first time to the Carribean, and I was blown away by the glowing turqouise water, palm trees, white sand and all the beauty. After dropping our belongings off at a hostel, right on the ocean, we headed strait to the beach where we parked ourselves for the rest of the day. The following day, I signed up for a snorkel tour around the great reef. We left at 10am and sailed to our fist destination, where we were told to get in the water and that we had 45 minutes to swim around and figure out how to use the snorkels, but not to go too far from the boat. We hopped into the warm turqouise water, buddied up, and went on our way. We floated around and saw coral and some pretty fish. It was a tease into what we were about to see. At our next stop, we were broken up into groups and taken out with our boat guides. We got out, swam around and saw some more colorful, flourescent fish, coral, the reef and so much beauty! Our last stop, which was the highlight, is called Shark Ray Alley. There, we swam with nurse sharks, sting ray, sea turtles, baracudas and fish that I don´t even know the name of, but are so vibrant and beautiful. After our last stop, we got back on the sail boat, blasted the reggae and were fed all the rum punch we could drink....good times. The next 2 days, we relaxed on the island, layed on the beach, wandered around and enjoyed the garifuna culture. It´s unbelieveable how different Belize is from Guatemala. Everyone speaks English...like you Bob Marley, the population is very diverse with blacks, Chinese, Indian, Maya and Mestizos. People are friendly...almost too friendly somtimes. We spent one night in Dangriga, a city in Southern Belize. It´s a large city, but we were there for Easter when all the people leave to go to other places. It felt deserted and we got some much needed rest.

From Punta Gorda, Belize...we took a boat to Livingston Guatemala. We picked the wrong day to take a boat across the Atlantic Ocean. As we boarded the boat, a local stopped by to warn us about the weather and the ocean. We should´ve listened! But, we got on the boat, gray skies above us and were handed bright orange lift vests. We headed out to sea, and in no time it was pouring buckets of rain, while waves were splashing over us. It felt as if we were going to flip and sink into the ocean! Low and behold, we made it to shore after what felt like an eternity, but was only an hour. We were drenched from head to toe, and had to go through immigration before being able to warm up and dry off. We finally made it...to a hostel...which partied until 8am (we were unhappy campers!!!).

Livingston is the only Garifuna city in Guatemala. It´s similar to Belize. Lots of people of color there and the Garifuna culture. We spent our full day there going to Siete Altares, a creek with waterfalls in the jungle. We walked along the ocean for 2 hours to get there, very beautiful.

Yesterday, we took a boat from Livingston to Rio Dulce. The boat ride was unbelievably beautiful. We saw all kinds of birds, people fising in the river, lush plant life. We even stopped in the middle of the river so that our boat driver could buy some fresh shrimp from a fisherman. Classic! Rio Dulce was alright. It was so humid and muggy there, everything is moist. I stayed just one night in a crap hostel...got no sleep...seems to be the theme in my travels. It´s hard to sleep when you arent in your own bed!!

I found out yesterday that I was accpeted into the University of Washington Masters of Social Work Program. I am REALLY excited and a bit in shock. I have some big decisions to make in the next bit. I have 3 weeks to decide, and I´m still waiting to hear back from Portland State. Should be any day now...Anyone out there want to fund my Masters tuition?? Its only $50,000 for the next 2 years at UW!!!

Today I came back to Antigua to get myself together...a shower, do laundry, run errands. Tomorrow, Im heading back to Lake Atitlan to meet a friend for the weekend...then Im REALLY leaving Guatemala.

The Bad and the Better

Grand Plaza, Tikal
Tikal, Temple IV
View from Temple IV


Sunset, El Remate
El Remate
Our smashed shuttle bus

Another adventurous week in Guatemala. We left Lanquin last Friday and it was a hell of a ride. It was raining...which should´ve been a sign for us to just stay another day. All the roads in Lanquin are dirt...so it took us hours just to get up to the paved road, and we thought we were smooth sailing from there. Just outside of Coban, we were chatting away and enjoying the scenery. We were preparred for the 8 hour bus ride to Flores but we weren´t preparred for what happened next. As we were heading around a bend, a pickup truck was coming strait towards us, obviously out of control. Our shuttle bus driver quickly realized what was going on and that we didnt have any option but to position and brace ourselves for the crash. The truck hit us head on...I was in the front seat, middle, no seatbelt (there was no seatbelt), and as soon as I realized what was about to happen, I envisioned my face smashed into the winshield. It wasn´t that bad though, everyone walked away with a few minor bumps and bruises. We are all so lucky.

Eleven hours later, we made it to Flores, a tiny island in Lake Peten Itza, in the Peten. It´s absolutely beautiful here, but quite touristy. We spent 2 days here, walking around the island, swimming, watching sunsets, eating great food at our hostel and we even had a night out on the town. Let me tell you, Guatemalens in Flores know how to party!

Sunday Alex and I headed to El Remate, a very tiny town at the end of the lake. We spent the afternoon swimming and wandering around the town. We witnessed a beautiful sunset while eating dinner next to the lake. We stayed the night in a very...interesting hostel. Our dorm room was practically a tree house. When we entered, we encountered a scorpion and a bat. Lukilly, we had mosquito nets provided which came in handy.

Monday, we headed to Tikal...it is majestic, words cannot describe what we encountered. We entered the park at 3:30pm and were there until just after sunset. We spent an hour alone just in the Grand Plaza climbing the temples, gazing and taking photos. We later headed to Temple IV, which is 65 meters high, and watched the sunset from there. It was unreal. We left the park and camped in a tent we rented right behind a restaraunt. We were quite excited about camping...until we learned there was a leak in our air mattress...which wouldn´t have been a big deal, but the tent was on the concrete. So, by midnight we were laying awake, on the hard, cold concrete. Ill just say that it was a long night. Lucky for us, we were getting up early to be back in Tikal by 6am. We were some of the first people in the park and it was just as spectacular this morning as it was last night. We spent a few hours looking at wildlife, the ruins, the jungle, the amazingness of it all. We saw a howler monkey, tons of birds and some rodent type animals.

All in all, it was amazing. Now, we are back in Flores for one more night to catch up on some sleep. We plan to take an early bus out tomorrow to head to Belize, more specifically Caye Caulker Island. Let´s hope it´s an easy breezy bus ride...

Until Next time...

Antigua and the Guatemalan Jungle

Antigua, San Fancisco Church

Antigua

Semuc Champey. Carlos (the guide), and Alex

Semuc Champey from the top

Our Hostel, in the Jungle

Alfombra in Antigua

Procession, Antigua

This past week has been a crazy adventure...so I'll start from the begining.

Sunday, I hopped on a bus in Reu and headed to Antigua. 2 buses, a load of sweat, and 4.5 hours later, I was dropped off in what turned out to be the outskirts of Antigua. No one tells you where you are, but I knew I had to get off the bus and I felt my only option was to I follow the crowd. I made my way to Parque Central, thanks to the help of a local, and later to a hostel...but had to fight my way through the crowded streets. Imagine Ashland on the 4th of July...that's what Antigua was like when I arrived. Thousands of people in the tiny, cobble stoned city. They were holding a procession, which they hold every weekend before Semana Santa, which is the Holy Week. I settled into my hostel in Antigua and then roamed the streets watching the parade, the people, the colors, the floats. It was incredible, so vibrant. There were alfombras (rugs), made out of coloroed saw dust on the streets in elaborate, religious designs. All the men who participate in the procession dress in purple robes and the women wear all black. They carry enourmous floats through town and burn incense to cleanse the air. It was a huge fiasco, I wonder what Semana Santa will be like... The streets were filled with people well into the night, but the city finally settled down and Monday it was as if nothing every happened.

Monday and Tuesday I wandered around Antigua, did some shopping and sight seeing and came to appreciate the city more than I did the first time around. I did my fair share of partying with the people from the hostel, Antigua never sleeps and there is always stuff to do. On Monday, my friend Alex came to meet me and on Tuesday we got on a 7 hour roller coaster of a shuttle ride to Lanquin, Guatemala...Welcome to the Jungle. Alex and I met 2 girls on the shuttle...both from Portland, OR (small world) and the 4 of us decided to stick together. The shuttle driver dropped the 4 of us off along a dirt road, 9:30pm, pitch dark and we had figure out where in the world to go. We pulled out our head lamps and pocket knives and made our way down a dirt path and soon stumbled upon the hostel we were looking for, after a sketchy encounter with a local. The hostel (Zephyr) is unbelievable. It's situated in the middle of nowhere, with a view of the river and the jungle on all sides. The common area is lined with hammocks and tables for comfort and relaxation. The one downfall is that it's dry season, and today there is no water. So, you can only imagine what the toilets look like after everyone contribution... We are hoping for water in the next few hours. A shower would be great...

Wednesday morning we got up bright and early for our adventure tour. After a drive in the back of a pick up truck down a twisty, windy road, our fist task to was get onto a swing, tied to a giant tree and swing over a river...jumping into the water was optional, but I opted out of the jump and just did the swing, quite exhilerating, an adrenaline rush and better than a cup of coffee. After the swing, we headed to Grutas de Lanquin, the caves. None of us were sure what to expect, but we were told to get into our bathing suits, wear good shoes, leave everything else behind and then we were each handed a candle as we approached the mouth of the cave. Our faces were painted with an orange-redish fruit, which we were told the Mayans used to use as a natural sun block. We entered the cave and soon were wading through water led by the light of the candles. We swam one handed, crawled through small spaces, climbed ladders, dropped through a small hole, went down natural rock slides and made it to the end of our destination and turned to head back to the light. After the caves, we hopped on inner tubes and did a 30 minute float down the river for relaxation. Next, we headed to Semuc Champey and had lunch (street meat burritos). We then paid our entrance fee into the park and then saw that we had a 1.2 KM hike STRAIT UP...stair after stair after stair...after more stairs. Here they say "Vale la Pena".... which means "it was totally worth it" as we had an unbelievable view of Semuc Champey, limestone pools with fresh water (google images, but I'll post pics SOON). We hiked back down and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in each and every limstone pool from top to bottom. Unreal.

The limestone pools completed our days worth of adventures, and we headed back to the hostel for some relaxation and food. I was set to head to bed early, but as always there was so much going on at the hostel, no time for sleep...I've always had a problem with socialization. I just can't say no. I stayed up until 1am playing cards and hanging out with the other travelers. I slept like a baby afterwards.

Our plan was to head to Flores today, but we decided to have a day of relaxation before another 7 hour journey. Today, we are going to enjoy the view from the hostel, take a swim in the river and wander around Lanquin before packing our things and saying our goodbyes to this beautiful place.

Xela, Reu, Champerrico

Me and Joseph in Reu

Champerrico
Xela market. Women in traditional dress
Xela
I didn't last long in Xela. It was a bit overwhelming after being at the lake for a whole month. The city is big, loud, dirty and I felt like I was going to get hit by a car at any moment. I spent 2 days there with the girls I went there with. We wandered around the town by foot both days and did lots of shopping, observing and eating of deep fried street food. So good, and so cheap. On St. Patricks Day, we decided to splurge and ate a really nice dinner at an Indian restaurant. Weird, I know...but we all wanted something other then deep fried Guatemalan food. On Friday, I caught a bus to Retalulue (Reu) to visit Joseph, Curt and Semilla Nueva. The bus ride was unbelievable. It's so beautiful out here, so lush and so much life. There are fruit trees everywhere, it's so green and it's amazing to pass through these small villages. So many times I wish I could've jumped off the buss to walk around and look around.

It's hot here in Reu. 100 degrees everyday and so humid. Its almost like being in Hawaii...but without the beach, or any body of water for that matter. Reu is smaller than Xela and there are virtually no tourists. Its a much different feel from the rest of Guatemala. People dress like us Americans...in scandalous clothing. It's so hot here that it would be hard to wear the traditional dress. The nicest place in town is the McDonalds...well Im not sure about that but I think only the weathy go there as it's expensive and air conditioned. There are street vendors all over the parque central seeling fruits, veggies, clothes, knick knacks and meat. There is raw meat hanging everywhere in the blistering heat. I'm on the verge of becoming a vegetarian after seeing all the meat hanging up around town.

Yesterday, I went by bus to Champerrico, the beach on the pacific coast, with Curt's girlfriend Katie. We were the only white people for miles and miles, which was nice at first as we were not in a touristy place, but it became pretty intense as the day went on. When we got to the beach, we layed out with our books. Not 5 minutes after, did we have a group of men surrounding us asking us to come with them, to hang out, to practice our Spanish with them, etc. We had to be very assertive in that we were fine by ourselves, that we came to relax and enjoy the sun. We did get a break from people and did some swimming in the warm, blue sea. The water was unbelievable. You couldnt go to far out though as the rip tide was strong. Katie and I had lunch at a small restaurant on the beach, no problems. Towards the end of the day, we went to take showers before getting on the bus and we had the whole beach staring at us. I guess it's uncommon for them to see a)white people, b) white women, and c) white women in bikini's. When we went to the showers, I was going to watch our bags while Katie showered and we were going to trade. A woman who worked at the restaurant insisted on watching our bags while we both rinsed off in the showers. I went with it...and it was like we were putting on a shower for everyone at the restaurant. The woman stood and watched us even as we were both out of the showers and getting dressed. Pretty crazy!

The next few days I will just be relaxing and hanging out in Reu. My plan is to meet up with my friend Alex on Monday and head east towards Semuc Champey, Tikal, the carribean coast and eventually out of Guatemala. That's all for now...

Virtual Tour part 2...and More

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There are a few very important details that I should mention about what I´ve experienced.

First of all, there are dogs everywhere and they never stop barking. They are pretty vicious as well. I have several friends who have been bitten...most by the same dog (which has had its rabies vaccinations...supposedly) and some people have been bitten by other dogs. I really dislike the dogs here, they are awful and there is NO animal control. Aside from barking dogs, you hear lots of rooster crowing...all through the night. Their are wild chickens everwhere. Its fun to see them wandering around. Another typical sight is people walking around with machetes. It was pretty scary the first time...when I went on a hike into the woods with a girl friend and we saw a man walking towards us with a machete. People, both men and woman, old and young, carry around machetes to chop wood for burning in their wood stoves. Its unbelievable to see them working...espeically when it is small children.

Today I left Lake Atitlan and am now in Xela with 2 girls...one from Ireland and the other from New Zeland. We caught a Chicken Bus her (school buses that have been painted wild colors geared towards locals) and boy was it a hell of a ride. The bus was going to fast on crazy steep, curvy roads. But we made it! We walked around with our big heavy packs for about an hour before finding the hostal we wanted to stay at. We are in a dorm room with about 30 other beds...thats what you get for $2.50 a night...right??

My month in San Marcos and San Pedro was amazing. It was difficult to leave the community of friends I made, but change is good. I spent my last few days there doing what I usually did...swimming, eating and meeting amazing people. On Sautrday, we went to Festival Atitlan in Santiago. It was a music festival raising money to help clean up the lake. We had a good time playing all day, getting our faces painted, meeting tons of folks, eating good food and listening to good music. I even ran into someone from high school...small world!!!

Well, Im off to explore Xela...enjoy the pics