don't cry for me, guatemala

The truth is, I don't want to leave you.

What a trip! I am back in Antigua now (arrived yesterday), and tomorrow I fly out of Guatemala City back to San Francisco.

Lanquin was amazing and impossible to leave.

I can't believe how many fantastic people I've met in this beautiful country.

I've learned a ridiculous amount about myself on this trip, and I feel ready to tackle any and everything.

I will post a good final blog post after I get back to the states and will hopefully use less useless adjectives.

Semuc Champey:

paradise

I didn't know it, but Lanquin was what I was looking for this entire trip. Totally relaxed atmosphere, amazing food, great weather, and the most beautiful nature. The drive there on Friday morning was lovely, with nearly an hour being only on a bumpy dirt road - views of lots of plantations and green rolling hills. The town itself is small and a little dirty, but I followed the advice of the Lonely Planet book and headed towards a hostel just outside of town called El Retiro.

The locals know El Retiro as ´Gringoville´, and really, since I've been there, I haven't even gone into town. It's certainly not an authentic Guatemalan experience, but I feel like I've done my fair share of local markets and speaking Spanish to go ahead and hang out with a bunch of Europeans sharing traveling stories. The place is all little cabanas with palapa roofs (even the dorm rooms, which have two sets of bunkbeds inside). The Rio Cahabon runs right next to the place, and there's a big resturant bar that everyone hangs out at. At 7pm every night, they do a family style buffet dinner, which is filled with amazing food and is such a great way to meet other people. WIth all of the hammocks and the hot sun around, I've been finding it hard to leave. In fact, I came into Coban to use the ATM today, but instead of traveling down to Antigua like I originally planned, I'm just heading back to Lanquin for a few more days. I might even stay until Thursday, the day before I fly out.

One of the great things about the area is all of the nature activities that are available. I'm skipping a lot like the bat caves (because being surrounded by a million bats sounds more like torture than anything else) and the river rafting (because I don't want to try it for the first time in a place where safety isn't really first), but I did spend my first day intertubing down the Rio Cahabon (and got out right at my hotel) and spent all of yesterday exploring the area of Semuc Champey.

Semuc Champey was probably my favorite part of this trip. I opted for the tour, considering that it was only 20Q more to have someone who knew where and how to go everywhere. We started off by 'warming up' on a rope swing into the river, a large and somewhat scary jump. Besides getting us pumped for adventure and for the cold water (so much colder than Lago Atitlan), it was a nice way to bond with the entire group, laughing as people were hitting the water in odd positions.

After the rope swing, we went into the caves of Semuc Champey...apparentely they run for 11km underground, and we only explored 500m (1km total as we went back the way we came), but we were still in the caves for a good hour and a half. The caves have water flowing through them, so while we were able to wade for most of it, many times we found ourselves swimming across, holding our candle above the surface with one hand. There were some extremely difficult parts of the trip, like walking underneath a powerful waterfall, and climbing up a small ladder along a cave wall, but despite the amount of caves I've seen in California, I'd never experienced anything like this.

To relax after the intensity of the cave, we went intertubing down the river some more - this part of the river was much more mellow than near the hotel, and it was nice to just look at the beautiful jungle we were floating by. After was a break for lunch (the hostel makes these 'boxed lunches' where you order a sandwich that they wrap in a banana leaf and give you a package of cookies and a banana - all for 20Q), our guide decided to help us digest by letting us jump off a 30m tall bridge. At first I wasn't going to do it (even saying out loud that I didn't have to prove anything to anyone) but the few people that went before me looked like they were having so much fun that I felt silly for not trying it, especially since I was right there. It was certainly terrifying, but the best feeling to hit the water, haha.

On our way up to the pools of Semuc Champey, we stopped at a local womans house where our guide let us taste the raw seeds of cacao (where chocolate comes from) and watch the Mamacita grinding the chocolate paste. The taste of the paste was much different than what one would think of chocolate, but the flavor was still nice and it was certainly interesting to see the process.

Finally we were at the pools of Semuc Champey. The way it works is that there is a huge area of limestone on top of which water from the mountain runoff has formed bright blue pools. The Rio Cahabon has forced its way underneath the limestone, flowing powerfully underground. Where the water disapears underneath the pools was an extremely scary sight - if hell had water instead of fire, that's what it would look like...so powerful and mean. Our guide warned us not to get too close, for the first time that day saying 'If you fall in there, there is absolutely no chance of survival'. A good way to turn my knees to jelly, let me tell you.

The group split up so everyone could view the area in their own way, and I went with a few people up to this high look out point, where you get the best view of all of the pools. Thankfully, because I met so many great people (namely an Australian guy named Sam and two Irish people named John and Laura), I will hopefully be getting some copies of the pictures from there. After the long hike up and down, we were ready to dive into the pools - perfect temperature, perfect color...absolutely perfect.

The last adventure of the day was that our guide put a rope ladder down at the end of the pools where we could climb down and see where the water exited underground. It was another one of those frightening ideas that I just couldn't resist doing...so I climbed up and down that damn ladder, with water gushing over my head. It was certainly worth it for the thrill and to see the end of the cave, but I was certainly adventured out by the end of it.

For the rest of my time in Lanquin and El Retiro, I think I'm just going to lay in a hammock and read. With only a few days of vacation left, I have no desire to really run around - I just want to relax before I come back to the world of having to find a place to live and a job.

It would be really easy to stay - especially since El Retiro is looking for people to work there - but I'm really looking forward to coming back to the states.

my last photo post

Grrrrrrrr. I hate how my episodes of spacey-ness come and bite me in the ass. Yesterday, after uploading all of my pictures of Tikal to the internet (which, thank god I was able to), I forgot my camera at the internet cafe. I realized this mistake about an hour later, but when I went hurrying back, the camera was gone. DAMMIT. I mean, if fate deemed that my camera had to be stolen on this trip, I'd certainly rather it be the fault of my stupidity than my person being accosted, and I'd rather have all my photos uploaded than lose any, and I'd rather have it happen towards the end of my trip. So, all things considered, it's not the worst thing that could have happened, but I'm going to miss that awesome digital camera...and I'm worry I wont be able to share photos of Semuc Champey with all of you.

I'm currently in Coban. It took about six hours to get here, and this time I went the local route (which actually wasn't chicken buses, but rather minibuses...much more comfortable than a chicken bus) and payed less than half the amount that it took me to get up to Tikal (although, I still have another three hours or so to travel for the trips to be equal in length). I'm not a fan of Coban and I'll be looking forward to leaving tomorrow. It might be that I'm just grumpy from a long days travel, but thought the town is big, it doesn't seem to offer much outside of dreariness. However, I do have my own private hotel room for $4.50, so that's pretty fantastic.

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Lanquin, a place near a bunch of caves and right along a river, and the following day I'm going to check out Semuc Champey. Even though money is getting tight for me right about now, I feel like it would be a waste to skip these places, so I'd rather see them and then find a way to make it work. The cheap hotels certainly help. :) I'm hoping to stay through the weekend around Lanquin (assuming I like the area well enough), and then I'll probably finish my last few days in Antigua. I'm certainly loving this trip, but I'm really getting ready for some America, haha.

***

SO! The important story! Tikal!

I left Antigua last Saturday morning on a mini shuttle to Guatemala City at 7am. I was nervous that it would be difficult to transfer from the little bus to my big Pullman Bus (I decided to ride up there in style so that the trip would be faster and more comfortable), but it was incredibly easy to switch - perhaps because I've become braver with my Spanish or because I've stopped being so shy, I'm recognizing and taking advantage of how nice and helpful everyone is.

The Pullman Bus was mellow enough...I chose to ride it during the day rather than overnight so that I would get the chance to see the scenery of Guatemala - and I'm glad I did. It was interesting to see the way the countryside changed from big farmlands to mountains to jungle.


Not a bad view, eh?

Oh yah, I also figured out how to finally make movies with my camera...too bad I can't practice that new skill. :(

I was suprised with the amount of stops we made...a mandatory lunch (where we weren't allowed to sit on the bus), a government check point, a coke for the driver, and the best, bananas for the driver and some passengers.


Because we all know what it's like when you're craving roadside bananas.

I finally arrived in Flores about 6pm and didn't do more than get a bed in a hostel and take a shower. I finished up my Sue Miller book (a writer I do not recommend) and went to bed early.

I left my big backpack at the hostel and packed some clothes into the smaller one and left for Tikal. Everything was more expensive than I thought, and I considered not staying the night and going for an extra day like I'd originally planned...but I changed my mind the second I stepped into the actual park.


Absolutely striking.

I was on such a natural high from the forest, looking at strange plants and new animals.


It was hard to straight and stare at cool trees like this at the same time.


Pizotes at feeding time - they look like cats gone wrong.

I didn't think it could get better, but then there were the ruins.


The front of an ancient ball court - the inside is a big grassy field.

I climbed everything that I was allowed to, whether going up the modern steep wooden stairs or the original temple steps.


Would you know that I HATE heights?


I did not climb this one.


But I did climb this!


Spectacular views of the jungle and the ruins.


I was exhuasted after climbing and trying not to look down!

My favorite experience though was, suprise suprise, the monkeys!


Sorry for the shakey hand, but you still can see him jump from tree to tree!


These howler monkeys know how to yell!

It was an incredible experience to see the way nature and an ancient civilization combined.


Most of the pyramids are still being uncovered.

That night during dinner, a guy who was also traveling alone joined me and we ended up hiking together the next day. It was nice to have the chance to experience Tikal alone and also with someone else. It helped that the guy is a history professor in Mexico, so he knew a great deal about the Mayan ruins and shared a ton of information with me.

Tikal is a special place that I will never forget, and really, I hope you all get the chance to see it at some point in your lives.

***

I'm now off to go back to my room and read the Charles Dickens book I picked up yesterday...nothing like a thick hard read to help me fall to sleep early.

tikal

...was amazing. I had a problem uploading photos today (suprise, suprise), but I might try again later tonight.

I saw monkeys. And toucans, and pizotes, and a weird fox, and brightly colored turkey-looking birds, and about a million different kinds of bugs. I saw vibrant fruits, and all the shades of green, and tree-hugging trees. I saw ancient pyramids, and old ball courts, and the top of the jungle canopy.

I spent two full days there. Fourteen total hours of hiking. Three total hours of sleeping. Fourty-eight total hours of bliss.

I will write more when I can go along and describe the pictures.

Tomorrow I leave for Semuc Champey - to add more nature to my belt.

travel day

I´ve made it to Flores. I´ve arranged to keep my big backpack at the hostel I´m staying at tonight for the next three days. Tomorrow I´m leaving at 9am for Tikal and going to spend the day wandering around all of the ruins. I´m going to try and rent a hammock at one of the hotels (along with a mosquito net) and sleep in that for the night under a palapa roof. I´m going to get up early the next day to try and see monkeys and then head back to Flores for probably another night.

I love plans. :D

familiar

Well, I didn't leave for Tikal today...however, I did buy my ticket so that I could start my 10-hour bus trip at 7:30am tomorrow morning. Having this unrefundable slip of paper has me more excited than I could even begin to tell you. Knowing that I'm traveling well over twice as far as I've traveled yet, knowing that I'm going to see some of the best ruins and most beautiful jungle in the world, and knowing WHEN that's going to happen has a permanant smile plastered on my face.

My yesterday in Antigua ended up being the strangest sort of Guatemalan reunion for me. At an internet cafe, I ran into Kanako (my chess-playing roommate at Cesar's house) and made plans to meet up at my old school later for a small party they were having. Not a couple hours later, I found myself at El Monoloco after a few exchanged emails sharing a beer with Javier (one of the three people I spent time with/played kings cup with my first night in Monterrico). I love how easy it's been to stay in touch or meet up with people here - this country feels so incredibly small sometimes as I just keep running into the same faces. It's certainly taking away that edge of anonymity that I was enjoying my first couple weeks here, but it certainly helps raise the comfort level of being here - I'm starting to feel that I can go anywhere and be taken care of if I need it.

After a few beers, Javier and I went to meet up with Kanako and dance a bit at the school - though I'd only gone there for a week, a couple of the teachers there recognized me and let me have the free beer that was there for the students. The party itself reminded me of a high school dance, with a strobe light and hardly any people there, but again, it was nice to be in a familiar surrounding. Once we started dancing more though we all felt the urge to do some real dancing...so we were off to La Sin Ventura. I have fallen in love with salsa music - we took a few breaks but kept finding ourselves pulled back to the dance floor. When we got there we met up with Bryan and Wendy (the two others from Monterrico) and I ran into a group of people who were staying at the hostel with me. Small small wonderful world.

The one thing about Guatemala is that the bars all close at 1am...however, as I learned for the first time last night, there are places that open up when the bars close for 'afterparties'. There wasn't much too it...a place to buy more drinks with a cover charge really and a chance to watch a great deal of drunken people making a mess. However, it was nice to finally stay out longer than 1am and spend some more time with Bryan and Javier (as they were the two left of the group by that point). A calming end to a crazy dancing night. They gave me a ride back to the hostel, and I will say, it's difficult trying to change into PJs and find your bed at 3am in a dorm room, but after being woken up the last two mornings by people with 6am buses, I feel no sympathy for the noise I make coming in.

In spite of (or perhaps even because of) my comfort right now in Antigua, I'm ready to hit the road again. I found a great website this morning for a hostel in Flores (a lake island near Tikal) where the owner listed their favorite hostels in Guatemala. This certainly helps me feel more relieved in travling, knowing some good spots to stay for cheap. My tentative plan right now is:

*get up to Flores tomorrow about 6pm
*book my room and hang out in town for the night
*go to Tikal on Sunday
*see about renting a tent and camp in Tikal
*get up early and explore the morning wildlife at Tikal (which I hear is the best)
*possibly spend more time in Flores
*very slowly make my way down the Atlantic Coast, stopping at Rio Dulce (a pretty river/port) and Livingston (a rasta town right on the beach, only accessible by boat)
*fly home

We'll see what happens though - there's a lot I feel like I'm missing (namely, Semuc Champey, the place where you can swim through the caves) so if I have time I'd like to try and fit more in...but on the same hand, it might be nice just to allow myself extra days on the beach and not worry about seeing it all. Not to mention, we've seen what happens when I try to make plans. :D

shortie

Change change change. It's gotten past the point where I can't plan a day ahead...I've hardly been able to keep a grip on the forthcoming hours. Michael did take off on his own after all - traveling alone is so much different than traveling with someone else and he needed some of his own time before heading back to the states. So he's at the beach right now and I couldn't be happier for him...I just hope his rib is staying in check.

I spent last night at a hostel called Ummagumma - I could feel every wood slat underneath my mattress, but for $5, having a place to sleep and free internet was fantastic. I might stay there again tonight.

I was going to meet up with a friend from Guatemala City, but due to his busy schedule and my anxiousness to move on, we're just going to try and hang out later while I attempt to leave for Tikal tomorrow! This will be the most expensive leg of the trip, but from everything I hear about Tikal, it will be worth every last penny. Beautiful jungle, lots of ancient ruins...I am keeping my fingers crossed on seeing a monkey!

Coming back to Antigua makes me realize how easy this place is...how the pace of life moves at a speed where you can still take deep breaths and look up and see yourself surrounding by beautiful volcanoes. The temptation to move is greatest when I'm in this city...but I just don't think my feet could take the cobblestone sidewalks for long.

hot messes

And we're back in Antigua. It's nice to be in a city that we both know and where with only a small hunt, good food can be found.

Michael was able to get two different kinds of pain killers over the counter (oh, you want a big box of codeine? here you go!) and seems to be doing much better. Some pain here and there, obviously, but he's moving around well.

My traveler's illness did not go away on it's own like I hoped. In fact, yesterday I woke up with sulfur burps and an even worse stomach ache - as it had been four days of not eating a full meal, I finally decided to do something about it. With the help of the internet and a local pharmacy (where the pharmacists are like mini doctors), I got myself some medication for Giardia. Apparently, not being more careful with my water or food or whatever (as it appears to be the easiest thing in the world to get) caused a little parasite to live in my belly and lord knows I don't want to be a host to anything. The medication really seems to be doing the trick though and I should (knock on wood) be good as new in about three days.

The ride to Antigua yesterday was painful for us both - we took a tourist van, opting for comfort and speed, but the bumps in the road and the many pit stops the driver took to buy himself a coke were almost unbearable. As a treat, Michael got us a nice hotel here with a super comfortable bed and HOT SHOWER!! I wouldn't doubt if both of those things have helped the healing process significantly.

We only have a few days until Michael flies out, and while we're going to continue to base ourselves in Antigua, there's plans of day trips perhaps to a local hot water springs and maybe even a coffee plantation. However, even if we just hang around this cute town, I'll be happy.

the best day and the worst night

I had decided that I didn't want to go to the beach again - there was still so much of the country to see and I'd already spent so many days at the ocean that I thought it wasn't productive to my trip. Michael and I had agreed to part ways on Friday, with him heading towards the beach and me going up north to the nature reserve of Tikal. Apparently, fate didn't think we should stop hanging out.

Since Thursday was our last day in San Pedro, we decided to make the most of it. It was probably the most beautiful day I´d seen here, with the sun coming out early in the morning and shining off the lake. We decided to go out kayaking one more time, and spent another hour paddling in the warm water and discovering more bright green shoreline. It's times like these that I'm happy I'm a NorCal girl, because although every Guatemalan I've talked to has warned me about the freezing temperatures of the lake, I thought it was like being in a warm bath.

After we got back to the hotel and dried off, Michael insisted we go into town to try the cheap local liquor, called Venado. Not even an hour later, we found ourselves sitting alone in a small concrete room with two wooden tables and a Gallo refrigerator, taking turns swigging from this bottle of nail-polish-remover-rum. We were pleasantly buzzed after that, and spent a good while discovering the non-touristy side of town, going down small dirt trails and up large cobblestone hills. I cursed myself so many times for not having my camera, as there was one point where we emerged from this amazing grove of coffee trees only to be at this small cliff that gave us a view of the entire town and lake. We followed that trail down and then the sound of thumping Latin music took us to another small 'bar'. There we had more Gallo and even more Venado. We were both a little drunk, but incredibly happy and I at least felt like I was in this fantastic dream.

Since our breakfast had been far in the past, we decided it was in our best interest to get some food. For the first time that we've been in San Pedro, we actually found something that tasted -great-; chicken garlic pizza and a side of mashed potatoes. Seeing as I only had a bagel for breakfast, I found myself eating most of the mashed potatoes while we both split the pizza. We spent a great deal of time at Nuevo Sol, laughing, talking to the people at the other tables, and reminiscing about the great sites we´d seen that day. When it was time to pay the bill, we discovered that we'd gone out with hardly any money (and what we had was already spent on liquor), so I went back to the hotel while Michael stayed and had a couple more drinks with the bartender. By the time I got back to pay, it was obvious that Michael hadn't eaten enough/kept drinking too much and my stopping/all the mashed potatoes had kept my head clear, so I helped him walk back to the hotel.

The walk back was difficult, as Michael was having a tough time going straight. In retrospect, I should have been so much smarter about this and had us stop at a cafe for a Coke or something, but at the time I thought the best thing I could do was get him into bed at the hotel. We made it up the flight of stone stairs from the street to the hotel mostly okay (with a couple small stumbles here and there). The entrances for the hotel are all outdoor on the balconies, including the stairs, and when we got to the last two flights of outdoor stairs, Michael got ahead of me. He must have turned the corner on the tile stairs too quickly, because as he started up the last flight (only four steps until our floor!) he lost his balance and went sideways. There are no railings on these slick tile stairs, and he landed right on his head and back onto the first flight of steps.

It was completely surreal. I dropped everything and went running to him where he lay at the bottom of the landing, thinking he was dead. I don´t even think he blacked out though, as he was responding quickly and said he felt no pain. I was so relieved that he was all okay and angry that I thought he was dead, that I actually slapped him. I´m incredibly embarrassed about doing that, but I guess there's that bit of Leon in me. Of course, immediately afterwards was when I saw the pool of blood under his head. My screams brought out several other guests in the hotel (who I later found out thought I was being raped and were coming to my rescue), and those people helped me get him back to the room. After cleaning him up (there was surprisingly a small amount of blood for a head wound - the most had been what I discovered on the stairs) and getting advice from a couple other people (as I was hardly in a good decision making state), we took him to the local clinic where four stitches were put into his head.

The doctor was very nice, seemed to do good stitching, and very patient with us both (me asking a million questions in poor Spanish and Michael turning his head back on the wound), but I was less than impressed with the facilities. Tiny concrete rooms that contained hardly any equipment, and the nurse actually had to hold the plug of the lamp and the extension cord together so that it would work. The entire process was quick though, and thanks to the help of the others in the hotel, getting there and back was very easy. Within moments after arriving back to the room, Michael was fast asleep.

I wish I could say the same for myself. Of course I was amped up from the action and awake with worry, but my stomach was also making it impossible for me to drift off. Not long after we got back, I found myself in the bathroom nearly every half an hour with my body trying desperately to rid itself of the mashed potatoes that had probably saved me from my own drunken behavior. It's now Saturday afternoon, and I´m only now finding it possible to keep down food. It certainly has made it difficult to be a good nurse for Michael.

I am surprised with how well he is healing. Michael has told me that his head doesn't hurt at all and the stitches look like they're doing their job. He is suffering a bit from a bruised arm and what may be a bruised rib, but between the pain medication and spending a lot of time resting, I think he's actually been getting around better than I have. Yesterday we switched hotels to one with easier access and cable TV, both important factors in the healing process.

It's hard to say what the rest of the week is going to be like. I have no real desire to leave his side right now, and I doubt he wants to go surfing, but I don't think either of us really want to spend the rest of the week in San Pedro - after all, if you're not going to be doing much of anything, there should at least be good food. There's talk of going back to Antigua, but we'll make those sort of decisions later. Tikal will still be there next week.

***

On a brighter note, pictures! I finally found a good computer/took the time to complete the upload...enjoy!


Our view of Lake Atitlan from a restaurant in San Pedro.


Performers showing their stuff in the town center - they sucked at dancing.


The scariest ferris wheel I've ever been on.


How I felt at the top.


It sure is quite a lake.


***

Miss and love you all!

fotos...

Still have so many more to upload, but for as fast as the internet is for everything else, uploading pictures takes ages. I waited an hour to just get these two. Grrrr. New cafe tomorrow.

There´s not much to say about San Pedro - I´ve been feeling really tired and sluggish lately, so outside of eating some okay food, drinking cheap cuba libres, and reading in the hammock, I haven´t done a whole lot. Michael is wanting to go down to a surfer beach town maybe as soon as tomorrow, and I think I´m going to keep traveling with him.


The view from our rooftop in Pana.


The craziness of the market in Chichicastenago.

I promise, more to come!

¿fotos?

I found a USB port...only to have the power go out halfway through using the computer. I´ll try again tomorrow, but in the meantime, here is a pic from inside the market at Chichicastenago:


We spent hours in this bizarre maze of colors.

Today we went kayaking. I love this lake. I love this town. I love this country.

ferris wheel

Yet another computer without working USB ports - I know these blog posts have got to be boring without pictures, but I'll try to get some up as soon as I can.

Today has been a lovely day. Michael and I decided to leave Pana and travel across the lake to San Pedro. Though a little crowded, the boat ride was nice as I got to see up close just how perfectly blue the water is and how massive the lakeside volcanoes are. Our first endeavor after landing was to find a hotel (after, of course, drinking a cuba libre and finding a place to put our stuff down). It was nice to explore the town a bit and I even ran into someone I met climbing the volcano, but we went far out of our way to only return to a hotel near the docks. By that time I was hot and sweaty, and we took our turns in the shower - for the first time I didn't mind that the water never got hot.

After a bit of relaxing in the room, we found some lunch, and began to explore the rest of the city. There are a few main paved streets in San Pedro, but the easiest way to get around are on the small dirt paths in the woods and fields. We found ourselves snaking around the lake, admist the lush greenery, tossing pumas stones into the water and watching them float back to shore. When we pulled ourselves away from the lake and to the real town center, we found a fair! Today was the last day that a fair visiting San Pedro was going to be set up, and what a sight it was. A few cheesy carnival games, a couple rides, and two horribly scary looking ferris wheels. Michael insisted that we go on one, so before I knew it we were getting the best possible view of the town from a poorly secured seat for two. The craziest part to me was that the whole contraption was run by the motor of an old tractor that a guy sat on, increasing and decreasing acceleration. Totally frightening and exhilarating.

Our walk back towards the hotel proved fruitful in that I found many of the restaurants and bars recommended by Lonely Planet. I'm not sure what tonight will bring, whether it's checking out a new bar or watching a free movie at one of the tourist places, but I love the pace of this city - it´s a prettier and more relaxed Pana with an even better view of the lake.

the market

The rest of my yesterday was wonderful. Michael introduced me to a street snack of roasted corn that tasted exactly like popcorn. I already had a few cuba libres (rum and cokes) in me, so this find made me super excited. It was fun wandering the street at night, eating popcorn corn, seeing little mayan kids watch a religious movie in their native tongue, and walking by the lake in the rain. After a dinner of decent pizza, we spent the rest of our night at the Circus Bar again. This time the live music was more impressive (three guys playing wicked guitar and one guy on bongos). We met two dentists sitting next to us, one American and one Guatemalan, who kept us entertained with conversation for our visit, and Michael even ran into someone that he knew from 14 years ago, back when he lived in Pana. I had one too many cuba libres (as that's what my head and stomach told me this morning), but it was a great hangout.

Today was another slow wake-up, but when we finally got up and going, we hopped on a bus to Chichicastenago. It took two buses and a small shuttle to get there, but Michael and I were dying to go see the famous market. I will have to upload pictures later, as this computer wont read my camera, but the market was amazing. The entire town had been turned into stands where people were selling produce, tapestries or fried chicken. We started by checking out the two big churches near the center of the market (which were much different from Spain - hardly any ornamentation at all, but one did have a fake tomb of Jesus to pray to), got a fish burger to share, and spent the rest of the time wandering through the maze of stands. I felt like I was in a bizzare dream. I saw men walk by with baskets of live turkeys on their backs, with their little turkeys heads poking out. I saw the most brightly and beautifully colored clothes and table cloths hanging all around me. I heard hundreds of lies to make me buy wares, including 'you can have a discount for speaking good spanish'. It was overwhelming and incredibly worth the ride up there. I can just barely imagine what it's like for a local family to go there on a Sunday and buy what they need to live. It's certainly a different world.

The ride back in the shuttle was entertaining, as they kept trying to fill it with as many people as possible. If everyone had a seat the shuttle would hold 14, but there were more like 25 people in there at a time - it's amazing how people will squeeze for a ride and how the driver and his partner will work for as many quetzals as possible. The camionetas were actually fairly empty on the ride back, and we were finally able to get a window seat which gave us a great view of the lake as we rode into Pana.

Tomorrow Michael and I are moving across the lake to either San Pedro or San Marcos - most people I talked to before coming here told me that both of those towns are worth visiting and many liked them even more than Pana. The next night we'll hop over to the other town and then head back to Pana for one more night before moving on from the lake.

It's absolutely beautiful here at the lake, and so far this trip is making me seriously consider moving to Guatemala. I would be starting at the same place here that I would in America as far as finding a job and a house goes, and the pace of life here is one I could get really used to. It would certainly make my life exciting. There's a lot to think about on that front though because really, could I live without fast internet and great showers?

the little town by the lake

Welcome to Panajachel. The ride here was more interesting than I thought it would be - I went ahead and bought tickets for a mini shuttle, thinking it´d be faster and easier than a chicken bus. Easier yes. Faster? The shuttle showed up 25 minutes after it was due, they had us switch shuttles right outside of town, our driver stopped on two personal errands (to pay his gas bill and to get some lunch for himself), and took the longer back way into Pana. Woo. At least the long and windy road was beautiful - so much greenery and when we got the first glimpse of the lake, the length of the trip was fast forgotten.

After stopping for a snack at a local cafe and leaving our bags behind (an old trick of Michael´s so that we don´t have to carry our luggage all over town), we checked a few places and found a cute hotel not far from the action in town. We do have to use a shared bathroom (with yes, another shitty shower), but the room is cute and the view from the top of the place is fantastic - I´ll probably upload pictures in a couple days (it looks like I´m back to dial-up here in Pana :( ). Our night included some yummy Uruguayan food (finally! good meat!), a walk to the edge of the lake where we could see the small shimmering cities across the way, and a couple drinks at the Circus Bar, listening to live music.

Though there is a lot we want to explore (from a huge nearby market to the other lake towns to an old coffee plantation), today we decided to take it easy. That included wandering through the market, trying a pitiya (a fruit that is HOT PINK! the pictures of that should be cool), a better view of the lake with a beer, and merely wandering and trying to learn more about Pana.

I love being so lazy - an hour nap in the afternoon, doing only what I want when the mood strikes - I could get used to this kind of life.

full belly

So in about a half an hour, Michael and I are going to leave for Panajachel. In just the short time that we've been in Antigua together, Michael has taken me to some of the best restaurants to eat - figures that he can be gone for seven years and still know where to get a good meal. I had my 'in' though...after dinner we went to a local bar where I knew the bartender! I had met her in Monterrico, so it was nice to see each other again and chat for a bit.

Not much else to report - finally was able to call my mom today. As much fun as I'm having here, it's still difficult not to be in regular contact with the people that I normally am.

But it's time to keep moving - I'm ready to explore another new city.

everything's good in central america

So! I have a feeling this will be long, as I have to cover quite a few days...I'll try not to get bogged down in details.

Sunday: The day of Camionetas (chicken buses). Bus #1 was very easy to find (thanks Antigua!), but because they never grabbed my giant backpack from me, I was squished. Sitting next to me was a talkative (and quick speaking) older man, who kept me entertained and exhausted (as my brain doesn't move that fast in Spanish) the whole first leg of the trip. He kept asking if he could join me in Monterrico, though that was not his original plan, but I kept telling him I traveled alone. Even though I had turned him down, he still walked me across town to find the connecting bus (which in retrospect, I would have had a hell of a time finding on my own).

Not long after I sat on Bus #2, super creepy guy came and squished me into my seat (there was already a mamacita sitting windowside). I didn't like it, but I felt rude saying anything...until he put his hand on my thigh. The "NO" I firmly stated shamed him like a puppy digging through trash and even though he made himself small and was looking down, one of the guys running the bus came over and made him move. I certainly didn't want to be touched by some creepo on a bus, but it felt so good to know that the other people there were looking out for me. The mamacita and I ended up chatting and laughing a bit because of it.

Bus #3 was easy as pie. By then, I was practiced with paying/seating/etc. There was also less people on the bus, so I could finally just stare out the window. Most beautiful countryside here.

The last leg of the trip was a boat ride through a beautiful marsh - there's only one expensive bridge into Monterrico and you have to go the longer way to take it.


First taste of paradise.

It didn't take long to land in Monterrico, and I made a beeline for the hotel. The temperature had seemed to increase by 10 degrees each leg of the trip from Antigua, and it was humid and hot in that little town. Monterrico is a very small town, with not a whole lot going for it, but the beach is beautiful (though you can't really swim without taking a pounding) and the places along the beach are nice. A lot more animals here as well: I found myself walking alongside pigs and chickens often.

I reached the super cheapo dorms and showered first.


Our funky dorms - yes, the mosquito nets were necessary!

The other dorm members seemed nice, but I needed to get cleaned up and grab a beer at the bar/restaurant (it was very possible to have everything you needed at this one place and not leave). I had only been reading at the bar for a little bit when this Guatemalan girl about the same age as me started chatting. She ended up sitting at my table, talking about literature and politics for awhile, and then introducing me to her brother and friend when they came and joined us an hour later. An hour after that, I was headed back with them to their incredibly impressive vacation home, complete with a hammock area and a large pool. We stayed up all night, talking, playing drinking games, taking late night swims, and chasing frogs. It turns out I had only paid Johnny's Place (the hotel) for keeping my stuff there that night, but it was well worth it.

Monday: The Wendy, Javier, and Bryan all drove me back to Johnny's Place so I could immediately pass out in the dorm. It turned out to be that afternoon naps were the theme of this place: palm trees, black sand, warm winds, a warm pool, hammocks...everyone just hung out outside, listening to music, dancing when it felt right. The best sight was Bo, the sixty-year old tanned hippie who wore his loin cloth the entire time and laughed hysterically. I knew right away that I would not be going to Xela and that just getting up to Pana was going to be hard. Even right now, it's nice to be back in beautiful Antigua, but I already miss that warm beach.


Right outside my bedroom door.

Someone had brought their laptop, so we watched South Park and The Interpreter. Both the Guatemalans I hung out with the first night and the people in the dorm all wanted to speak English, so I'm getting a little out of practice.

Tuesday: More of the same. I found the internet place and used it briefly. I ate fantastic pizza for lunch and the worst burger known to man for dinner. I watched more South Park and Perfume.


Don't I look relaxed?

Wednesday: I finished 'Wicked'. 400 pages, baby! I might be tempted to start calling myself a reader. We all had a lazy morning, and finally packed up to head back to Antigua. The ride back was fantastic. It was totally okay for me to just stare out the window at all the greenery, looking up to see volcanoes in the distance. The girl who offered the ride, Marlene, also offered me a place to stay at her house. I went into town before they did, ran some errands, and we all met up at the Rainbow Cafe for a delicious dinner and open mike night. I was impressed with many of the people that got up there...so much so that I started considering picking up guitar again. Wouldn't that be a trip?

We all (me, Marlene, Ollie (who rode up with us), Patrick and Oliver (who we met in Monterrico but only ran into at the Rainbow Cafe) headed back to the house just to hang out and chat. It was surreal to be spending time like this with people I didn't know, making myself comfortable in a strangers house. I hope I can still meet people this easily when I come back to the states.

Thursday: I was up before anyone else today, so I left a goodbye note and came into town to change money, find a hotel for Michael and I, and use the internet. It's nice to be back here, and I can understand why so many people (Guatemalans and travelers alike) use Antigua as a home base - beautiful and comfortable. I'm about to go off to meet Michael - hopefully my next post will come sooner and wont be as long, but know that I'm having a fantastic time and miss you all!

black sand

This is going to be a shorty, as the internet in Monterrico is slow and expensive. I'm at the beach. I got my green coconut. I've spent more hours in a hammock than walking. I spent the first night here hanging out with three Guatemalans at their vacation house drinking rum. I spent last night with the other wacky characters in the dormitory watching South Park and The Interpreter. I'm in love with liquidarios.

Xela is not happening. Though exciting and weird, the chicken bus trip down here was long enough - I don't have the desire to ride one across the country for just a two day trip in one town. That means I'm staying at the beach longer, leaving for Antigua tomorrow and for Pana the next day to meet Michael.

This trip rocks.