So as you probably noticed, I didn't write one final blog post. I really had the best intentions of trying to compress my entire trip into one summary but everytime I sat down in front of the computer, I found myself completely overwhelmed. So, while this isn't as complete as I'd hoped, at least let me leave you with something.
Going to Guatemala was the best thing I could have done after graduating college. I learned about a country (and how many beautiful people and natural wonders it has), I learned how to travel (what's important to bring, how to deal with getting sick), and I learned how to spend six weeks with myself. Working on the latter really pulled me out of my shell, and I learned how to enjoy my quiet moments as well as gather the courage to introduce myself to new people.
I met some incredible people that I will never forget and I hope I have the chance again to see someday.
I saw some parts of nature that I never thought I'd get to see (lava, monkeys) and am now inspired to see more.
I feel so much stronger than before I left. I've recently moved to Portland, Oregon and I've been trying to use similar attitudes in meeting people and trying new things; because of that, I've been having a fun time and getting to know some great people.
I will travel again, alone and with someone else. However, this experience will always shine out as a special point in my life.
Thanks for reading and sharing Guatemala with me.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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:
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:
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
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
I love plans. :D
Friday, July 18, 2008
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
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
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