I was going to be hush-hush about this but word has leaked.
I am going to be in Victoria this Thursday night (the 30th) and will be staying for about 10 days until I fly out to Shanghai.
If you´ve been reading this I´d love to catch up while I am in town. However, I will not have my cell phone so please get me on my folk´s home phone (250)598 3986
Monday, August 27, 2007
I Tarzan, You scary as hell.
Yesterday afternoon´s ATVing was absolutely brilliant. The boys and I got on our Quads around 2 for a crash course on steering them. There was couple from New York with us as well and it was a definite highlight of the afternoon when they both had to ask how standard transmissions work as everyone in NYC drives automatic.
Introductory course out of the way it was on to some gravel roads to open them up a little. They weren´t huge machines only 350cc but you could do some impressive fishtailing in them. It wasn´t long before the lads and I were drawing the ire of the guide for pushing the quads close to their limits.
We soon left the gravel roads behind and were driving through rolling green hills of cow paddocks, splashing through half meter deep muddle puds and generally having a riotous time.
Then we got to the real technical riding. Which started with a steep downhill descent over loose muddy rocks. I locked up the brakes once to avoid the guide who had slowed suddenly and began to spin sideways until I gave it a ton of gas and sprayed mud every which way. At the bottom of the hill was a big creek crossing, about 1 meter deep and about 20 meters wide, which our guide cautioned us to keep going or risk going over into the drink. It was an amazing experience to push through a couple of such crossings. The final one I found a deep spot with my front right tire and nearly lost the quad, luckily my other 3 tires held traction and I was able to get through.
We all came back in one piece, caked in mud and smiling from ear to ear. A great day!
This morning we were up early to do a canopy tour, which is walking through cloud forests checking out various bits of wildlife atop a number of different suspension bridges. It was amazing to see the jungle canopy and a variety of cool little animals. The clear highlight of the morning was getting up to the final bridge. To get up to it it was necessary to scale the inside of a strangling ficas tree, which had killed its host tree. It was amazing to climb up the 12 meter inside of a tree and out on to the bridge looking down at the canopy below.
However, as cool as both the above two tours were they paled sharply with what the afternoon had in store. Ziplining! Zipling, for those who don´t know, is when you don a rock climbing harness connected to wire lines by a simple wheel and zip on lines from stand to stand usually for pretty good distances. Another tidbit for those out of the loop. I hate heights and turn into a bit of a baby by them, and were I not with the Irish crew there was no way in hell I would´ve done this.
The first few lines were pretty civilized, 30 meters long and about 15 meters high. Good fun and built up the confidence. They got progressively longer until we were flying about 700 meters about 75meters up! But the real oh shit moment of the trip was when we went to do the ¨Tarzan Swing¨which was leaping off of a perfectly good platform 20m up and swinging out from it for 15ish seconds. I was terrified and tried to back out, however Carl and Carolyn weren´t having any of it, and over I went. I promise I will post Carl´s video of it soon as it is classic. I was shaking with adrenaline after. It really was a wonderful day!
Introductory course out of the way it was on to some gravel roads to open them up a little. They weren´t huge machines only 350cc but you could do some impressive fishtailing in them. It wasn´t long before the lads and I were drawing the ire of the guide for pushing the quads close to their limits.
We soon left the gravel roads behind and were driving through rolling green hills of cow paddocks, splashing through half meter deep muddle puds and generally having a riotous time.
Then we got to the real technical riding. Which started with a steep downhill descent over loose muddy rocks. I locked up the brakes once to avoid the guide who had slowed suddenly and began to spin sideways until I gave it a ton of gas and sprayed mud every which way. At the bottom of the hill was a big creek crossing, about 1 meter deep and about 20 meters wide, which our guide cautioned us to keep going or risk going over into the drink. It was an amazing experience to push through a couple of such crossings. The final one I found a deep spot with my front right tire and nearly lost the quad, luckily my other 3 tires held traction and I was able to get through.
We all came back in one piece, caked in mud and smiling from ear to ear. A great day!
This morning we were up early to do a canopy tour, which is walking through cloud forests checking out various bits of wildlife atop a number of different suspension bridges. It was amazing to see the jungle canopy and a variety of cool little animals. The clear highlight of the morning was getting up to the final bridge. To get up to it it was necessary to scale the inside of a strangling ficas tree, which had killed its host tree. It was amazing to climb up the 12 meter inside of a tree and out on to the bridge looking down at the canopy below.
However, as cool as both the above two tours were they paled sharply with what the afternoon had in store. Ziplining! Zipling, for those who don´t know, is when you don a rock climbing harness connected to wire lines by a simple wheel and zip on lines from stand to stand usually for pretty good distances. Another tidbit for those out of the loop. I hate heights and turn into a bit of a baby by them, and were I not with the Irish crew there was no way in hell I would´ve done this.
The first few lines were pretty civilized, 30 meters long and about 15 meters high. Good fun and built up the confidence. They got progressively longer until we were flying about 700 meters about 75meters up! But the real oh shit moment of the trip was when we went to do the ¨Tarzan Swing¨which was leaping off of a perfectly good platform 20m up and swinging out from it for 15ish seconds. I was terrified and tried to back out, however Carl and Carolyn weren´t having any of it, and over I went. I promise I will post Carl´s video of it soon as it is classic. I was shaking with adrenaline after. It really was a wonderful day!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Borders
Through out my trip I have crossed a number of borders and they never cease to fascinate me. For example, when Heather and I left Victoria all those nights ago we were checked by American border officials in Victoria and then again when we arrived in Seattle. Two things about this were really interesting to me. First, the fact that we have people from the US in Canada which stamp your passport and usher you into a small waiting room. What country am I in at that point? Is it Canada? Because we are certainly on Canadian soil in a Canadian owned and operated building. Or is it like an embassy in which it is sovereign land of the other country gifted by the host country. Furthermore, if a murder was committed there whose law is tried under and is the death penalty a possibility?
A second complicating factor in my mind is the fact that I again was checked by customs officials when I arrived in America. Between the time I was first checked by American guards in Canada and those in Seattle what country was I in? Did I have rights under either the American Constitution or the Canadian Charter? It is this kind of grey air that allows Camp X-ray to exist in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
As I travelled South some more strange things happened on borders. The border between Mexico and Guatemala is demarcated by a bridge of about 300 meters in length (as was the one between Honduras and Nicaragua is likewise demarcated) This seems a petty question, but as the bridge is in no man´s land whose laws govern its construction and who pays for and does the upkeep on it?
On a more serious level is what borders represent. They rarely, if ever, demarcate clear lines between regions or ethnicity's. For example, the people of Washington state speak, sound are pretty much indistinguishable from people in BC. For the most part we can see all their newscasts, share the same climate and geography.
So what is the point of borders when it seems pretty clear that people change by regions and not arbitrary lines. To see how arbitrary those lines can be look at a map of Africa! It is pretty safe to understand that the straighter a line is the more arbitrary.
So are borders a tool of peace or war? I ask this because the obvious answer seems to be of war, the fact that there is a line dividing groups from others they identify with or resources they cover creates a desire and an impetus for military conquest. However, what would happen if there was not clearly demarcated lines? The Ottoman Empire used to work very much like this, their authority or border essentially ended where ever their ability to assert control ended. However, this meant that for the people far removed from the center and living on the regions that there was frequent warfare on and around their land.
It seems clear to me that the European Union has the correct solution to this problem because with free trade it eliminates the coveting of people/resources, allows for people to settle where and with the people that they identify with. The one reservation I have is that the surrender of sovereignty that things like a common currency entail. Although I think I shall save my thoughts on what currency represents for a later date.
A second complicating factor in my mind is the fact that I again was checked by customs officials when I arrived in America. Between the time I was first checked by American guards in Canada and those in Seattle what country was I in? Did I have rights under either the American Constitution or the Canadian Charter? It is this kind of grey air that allows Camp X-ray to exist in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
As I travelled South some more strange things happened on borders. The border between Mexico and Guatemala is demarcated by a bridge of about 300 meters in length (as was the one between Honduras and Nicaragua is likewise demarcated) This seems a petty question, but as the bridge is in no man´s land whose laws govern its construction and who pays for and does the upkeep on it?
On a more serious level is what borders represent. They rarely, if ever, demarcate clear lines between regions or ethnicity's. For example, the people of Washington state speak, sound are pretty much indistinguishable from people in BC. For the most part we can see all their newscasts, share the same climate and geography.
So what is the point of borders when it seems pretty clear that people change by regions and not arbitrary lines. To see how arbitrary those lines can be look at a map of Africa! It is pretty safe to understand that the straighter a line is the more arbitrary.
So are borders a tool of peace or war? I ask this because the obvious answer seems to be of war, the fact that there is a line dividing groups from others they identify with or resources they cover creates a desire and an impetus for military conquest. However, what would happen if there was not clearly demarcated lines? The Ottoman Empire used to work very much like this, their authority or border essentially ended where ever their ability to assert control ended. However, this meant that for the people far removed from the center and living on the regions that there was frequent warfare on and around their land.
It seems clear to me that the European Union has the correct solution to this problem because with free trade it eliminates the coveting of people/resources, allows for people to settle where and with the people that they identify with. The one reservation I have is that the surrender of sovereignty that things like a common currency entail. Although I think I shall save my thoughts on what currency represents for a later date.
So I lied...
The hostel I am staying in has free Internet and as I am in the highlands of Costa Rica waiting for my ATVing tour to start I figured I would put a little time into the blog.
After Leon the boys and I headed to Granada for 3 days. Where a friend of theirs joined us. Her name is Carolyn and she too is Irish. The town was good fun and had a lovely colonial feeling.
Afterwards it was beach time and we headed off to San Juan Del Sur in southern Nicaragua.
We spent the first day on the town´s beach but the waves there were just barely suitable for boogie boarding so we piled onto the hostels 4 wheel drive truck heading off to the big surf beaches. The waves were spectacular! Nice even breaks with clear gaps between them so that you can easily pick out the waves you want.
It was in watching these waves that I saw possibly the most exciting sight of my trip. I was body boarding as one of the lads had wanted a go on my board and as I was watching for my wave to come I saw a large turtle (about 2/3 of a meter across) playing in the wave. He too was surfing the face of the 3 meter wave. It was so amazing that I didn´t pay enough attention to what I was doing and got tossed around so badly that I had reach down quickly to recover my shorts that the wave had mostly off.
The next morning we were up early to continue our travels. It was another long day of travelling, 60 minute taxi ride, 45 minutes at the border, 3 hour bus ride, and then 2.5 hours of another bus that was so full that all the boys and I had to stand. All of which served to deliver us in Monte Verde, Costa Rica. (It is in the North East, part of a massive wildlife reserve.)
Later this afternoon we are off to do a bit of ATV riding and then up tomorrow morning to go ziplining (flying from stands to stands anywhere from 25 to 55 meters over the forest canopy)
After Leon the boys and I headed to Granada for 3 days. Where a friend of theirs joined us. Her name is Carolyn and she too is Irish. The town was good fun and had a lovely colonial feeling.
Afterwards it was beach time and we headed off to San Juan Del Sur in southern Nicaragua.
We spent the first day on the town´s beach but the waves there were just barely suitable for boogie boarding so we piled onto the hostels 4 wheel drive truck heading off to the big surf beaches. The waves were spectacular! Nice even breaks with clear gaps between them so that you can easily pick out the waves you want.
It was in watching these waves that I saw possibly the most exciting sight of my trip. I was body boarding as one of the lads had wanted a go on my board and as I was watching for my wave to come I saw a large turtle (about 2/3 of a meter across) playing in the wave. He too was surfing the face of the 3 meter wave. It was so amazing that I didn´t pay enough attention to what I was doing and got tossed around so badly that I had reach down quickly to recover my shorts that the wave had mostly off.
The next morning we were up early to continue our travels. It was another long day of travelling, 60 minute taxi ride, 45 minutes at the border, 3 hour bus ride, and then 2.5 hours of another bus that was so full that all the boys and I had to stand. All of which served to deliver us in Monte Verde, Costa Rica. (It is in the North East, part of a massive wildlife reserve.)
Later this afternoon we are off to do a bit of ATV riding and then up tomorrow morning to go ziplining (flying from stands to stands anywhere from 25 to 55 meters over the forest canopy)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
All is Quiet on the Internet front
My appologies that I've been so quiet on the net lately. I am still travelling with the Irish lads today we are heading off to Costa Rica. I will be relatively quiet on the blog until about the 31st and then I promise to do a big update for everybody as the net is very expensive in Costa Rica.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Chicken Bus
I have spent a lot of time on buses here and I have started playing with my camera during the rides. Here is another photo gallery, this time of my experiences on chicken buses
Sunday, August 19, 2007
A quiet night in Leòn, Nicaragua
I left Utila on Friday meeting the 2 Irish lads at 6am for the ferry from Utila. 90 minutes later we work back on the mainland and then we headed to the bus terminal to continue our journey. A 6 hour bus later to the capital and on the way we had recruited 3 more people to our fellowship, 2 blokes and a bird. Our numbers swelled to 6 we jumped cabs in the Tegucialpa to get on our 2nd bus a 3 hour beast down bumpy roads. 17 hours after we started we had arrived in Leon and gotten the hell out of the way of the level 5 Hurricane that was threatening to turn Honduras into a rainy wet hell hole.
We deposited our bags and descended on the town, partying in a local dance club until 2 in the morning putting back a number of 1 dollar bottled (and tasty) beers.
Today we were all moving a little slow and explored the town at little more then a saunter, however, we managed to get all the sights in and tomorrow we head south.
Not much of a story, but thought I should bring you up to speed on my latest location.
We deposited our bags and descended on the town, partying in a local dance club until 2 in the morning putting back a number of 1 dollar bottled (and tasty) beers.
Today we were all moving a little slow and explored the town at little more then a saunter, however, we managed to get all the sights in and tomorrow we head south.
Not much of a story, but thought I should bring you up to speed on my latest location.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Travelling "Solo"
Since Heather and I parted ways I've been travelling solo. However, rarely does this mean I am alone. There has been a steady stream of short term travel companions. The very day I went my separate way from Heather I met a couple from Israel and a bloke from Arizona that I spent a couple of nights with. Then we parted ways as they were headed East and I North.
On the boat that took me on that Northern trip into Belize I met a guy from Eastern Europe who I travelled with for a week. When we parted ways I hit Guatemala and El Salvador but as I was moving at such a clip I didn't really get a chance to meet many people. But shortly after arriving in Honduras I met a Swiss girl and travelled with her for 10 days, she left this morning. I was kind of bummed thinking that tomorrow morning I would be tackling an epic day's travel into Nicaragua solo. And yet again I met new travelling companions. Two Irish blokes I'd met when previously climbing the Volcano in Guatemala were on my dive and are headed the same direction at the same time, so over a couple of lunch time beers we decided to head out together. It really amazes me the way that travelling fortune works out like that and it also keeps the adventures fresh.
On the boat that took me on that Northern trip into Belize I met a guy from Eastern Europe who I travelled with for a week. When we parted ways I hit Guatemala and El Salvador but as I was moving at such a clip I didn't really get a chance to meet many people. But shortly after arriving in Honduras I met a Swiss girl and travelled with her for 10 days, she left this morning. I was kind of bummed thinking that tomorrow morning I would be tackling an epic day's travel into Nicaragua solo. And yet again I met new travelling companions. Two Irish blokes I'd met when previously climbing the Volcano in Guatemala were on my dive and are headed the same direction at the same time, so over a couple of lunch time beers we decided to head out together. It really amazes me the way that travelling fortune works out like that and it also keeps the adventures fresh.
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Islands Manifesto
Someone close to me recently put this forward and as much as I am off trying to find myself, I think she summed up beautifully what I actually want to do and be.
"We should travel the world. Who cares where we end up or how long we stay.
We should have engaging conversations with as many as possible, in as many languages as we possibly can. Not just regular run of the mill conversations, but real ones, where we suggest overthrowing governments and banishing poverty.
We should eat like locals, provided it doesn’t kill us.
We should find as much good music and continue to look, never stopping for “regular main stream” stuff.
We should take photos. Many many photos. And send post cards and hand written letters to people “back home,” wherever that may be.
We should not regret, or doubt, or think for too long about any decision.
We should read, a lot. And discuss it over beer.
I’m ready to travel the world. It really is our oyster."
I agree Em, let's go.
"We should travel the world. Who cares where we end up or how long we stay.
We should have engaging conversations with as many as possible, in as many languages as we possibly can. Not just regular run of the mill conversations, but real ones, where we suggest overthrowing governments and banishing poverty.
We should eat like locals, provided it doesn’t kill us.
We should find as much good music and continue to look, never stopping for “regular main stream” stuff.
We should take photos. Many many photos. And send post cards and hand written letters to people “back home,” wherever that may be.
We should not regret, or doubt, or think for too long about any decision.
We should read, a lot. And discuss it over beer.
I’m ready to travel the world. It really is our oyster."
I agree Em, let's go.
The Journey So Far
Unfortunately googlemaps doesn't have very good detailed zoom information of the region, however, I was playing around online with it today and this is my travels so far as I can estimate without cities being listed. I've traveled a fair bit in the last 40 days.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Alive and Well in Utila
I am on an island off the Coast of Honduras that is so small it makes Salt Spring look postively continent like. It is about 5km long and 1km wide. Just a quick update. I am spending the next five or so days scuba diving for 15$ a dive, possibly the cheapest in the world. Sharks, rays, seahorses here I come.
Thanks for all the comments, but please leave your name after the text so I know who is saying what!
Thanks for all the comments, but please leave your name after the text so I know who is saying what!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
A tutorial on Chicken Buses in El Salvador
Recently when I left the surf town of La Libertad about 40kms of San Salvador I got a crash course in how one gets on to a chicken bus at the station. Here is what I hope is a reasonable recounting.
It was hot. It was really hot when I sat my bag down at the parking lot that doubled as a bus station for the chicken buses. Everyone seemed to be milling around a wall finding respite in the heat, so I did the same being a big believer of when in Rome...
A bus came round the corner towards the crowd and suddenly there was a surge of people rushing it at both doors! Banging on the windows and jostling for position. I Candianly strolled over once the crowd died down figuring that they all just wanted the good seats. Nope the bus was packed out! There was no way my backpack and I were getting on that one.
I returned to the shade a little shell shocked. But ready for how it was done. When the next bus approached I was right there in the middle of the ruck, pushing and wedging myself in. (A backpack makes a great bit of a battering ram.) I managed to find a behind the back row for both my pack and I. I watched as the bus filled fuller and fuller the shoving and pushing continued. No one seemed to get angry with each other, it seemed to be merely a case of doing what needed to be done. I watched as women passed their children through the school bus windows! The seat in front of me, which in Canada would seat two, was filled with a husband, a wife, their child, a live chicken with its head sticking out of a plastic bag and then woman offered another lady on the bus to hold her baby as she was pressed into the middle of an aisle and with infant in hand had no real chance to grab a railing for balance. (Which is very necessary as the drivers push these buses through the curves at insane speeds.)
I counted seats on the bus, it was pretty clearly meant to seat around 48-62 people. I lost count at 250 people on board when we left the terminal and we kept picking people up for a while.
When one wants to get off the bus they bang the roof and shout "baja."
Good times!
Headed off to the Ruinas of Copan today and then to the Bay Islands later this week for some SCUBA diving.
It was hot. It was really hot when I sat my bag down at the parking lot that doubled as a bus station for the chicken buses. Everyone seemed to be milling around a wall finding respite in the heat, so I did the same being a big believer of when in Rome...
A bus came round the corner towards the crowd and suddenly there was a surge of people rushing it at both doors! Banging on the windows and jostling for position. I Candianly strolled over once the crowd died down figuring that they all just wanted the good seats. Nope the bus was packed out! There was no way my backpack and I were getting on that one.
I returned to the shade a little shell shocked. But ready for how it was done. When the next bus approached I was right there in the middle of the ruck, pushing and wedging myself in. (A backpack makes a great bit of a battering ram.) I managed to find a behind the back row for both my pack and I. I watched as the bus filled fuller and fuller the shoving and pushing continued. No one seemed to get angry with each other, it seemed to be merely a case of doing what needed to be done. I watched as women passed their children through the school bus windows! The seat in front of me, which in Canada would seat two, was filled with a husband, a wife, their child, a live chicken with its head sticking out of a plastic bag and then woman offered another lady on the bus to hold her baby as she was pressed into the middle of an aisle and with infant in hand had no real chance to grab a railing for balance. (Which is very necessary as the drivers push these buses through the curves at insane speeds.)
I counted seats on the bus, it was pretty clearly meant to seat around 48-62 people. I lost count at 250 people on board when we left the terminal and we kept picking people up for a while.
When one wants to get off the bus they bang the roof and shout "baja."
Good times!
Headed off to the Ruinas of Copan today and then to the Bay Islands later this week for some SCUBA diving.
Monday, August 6, 2007
In El Salvador
So my flight was totally uneventful, save two facts. First, apparently too many tickets had sold to run the prop plan so then we got a 737, the same size plane I'd flown cross continent in. However, not that many tickets had sold so essentially every passenger had their own row. Second, was the very funny fact that we were at cruising altitude for about 3 minutes, the rest of the 30 minute flight was consumed in ascent and descent.
Cramming into an air condition less bus for the 5 hour ride from Guatemala City to San Salvador was a sad reality check, further reinforced by then climbing onto a chicken bus for the final leg of the journey to a surf town called La Libertad on El Salvador's Pacific Coast.
Fortunately I was not lonely on board as a man sat down in the seat beside me and kept talking in rapid Spanish through rotting teeth on foul booze breathe. Clearly he was concerned that I had not had enough physical contact for the day as he touched both legs, purely by coincidence in the places one would keep a wallet as well as my waist, where I happen to keep my money belt and finally the wrist I keep my watch on. However, I was a little ill at ease suspecting any other passenger buy this one might try to pickpocket me and had squirrelled things away securely.
The physical contact barrier dealt with my newest friend took the freshly opened glass bottle of coke from my hand and had a big swig, even before I had had the chance to offer it. I thought in light of our new comradery I would let him have it. However, he kept spilling on me which I worried might accidentally distract me and allow a completely different passenger to nick my things. Unfortunately, in a moment of clumsiness on my part I knocked the bottle he was dangling by the window out and to the side of a rural road.
We continued on in silence until we approached my destination. He was exceptionally concerned about where I was staying, if I'd be alone and if I needed a ride. His relief was almost tangible when I told him that I was meeting six of my former American football teammates in town and that they had sussed a place out, I only had to phone them.
Unfortunately, I forgot to get his email address or say goodbye when our bus lurched to a stop and in the rush of some street vendors getting on to hawk their goods I slipped out the back door.
Unfortunately the town I am now in does not have ATMs that work with international cards (a first in the 12 countries I've travelled to) so after paying for my room I've only 12$ left, so I skipped dinner and am now waiting for a bus back to San Salvador. Surfing in this part of the world shall have to wait for Costa Rica.
A consolation for those of you lamenting the high price of gas this long weekend here. It is 3.78US per LITER here.
Cramming into an air condition less bus for the 5 hour ride from Guatemala City to San Salvador was a sad reality check, further reinforced by then climbing onto a chicken bus for the final leg of the journey to a surf town called La Libertad on El Salvador's Pacific Coast.
Fortunately I was not lonely on board as a man sat down in the seat beside me and kept talking in rapid Spanish through rotting teeth on foul booze breathe. Clearly he was concerned that I had not had enough physical contact for the day as he touched both legs, purely by coincidence in the places one would keep a wallet as well as my waist, where I happen to keep my money belt and finally the wrist I keep my watch on. However, I was a little ill at ease suspecting any other passenger buy this one might try to pickpocket me and had squirrelled things away securely.
The physical contact barrier dealt with my newest friend took the freshly opened glass bottle of coke from my hand and had a big swig, even before I had had the chance to offer it. I thought in light of our new comradery I would let him have it. However, he kept spilling on me which I worried might accidentally distract me and allow a completely different passenger to nick my things. Unfortunately, in a moment of clumsiness on my part I knocked the bottle he was dangling by the window out and to the side of a rural road.
We continued on in silence until we approached my destination. He was exceptionally concerned about where I was staying, if I'd be alone and if I needed a ride. His relief was almost tangible when I told him that I was meeting six of my former American football teammates in town and that they had sussed a place out, I only had to phone them.
Unfortunately, I forgot to get his email address or say goodbye when our bus lurched to a stop and in the rush of some street vendors getting on to hawk their goods I slipped out the back door.
Unfortunately the town I am now in does not have ATMs that work with international cards (a first in the 12 countries I've travelled to) so after paying for my room I've only 12$ left, so I skipped dinner and am now waiting for a bus back to San Salvador. Surfing in this part of the world shall have to wait for Costa Rica.
A consolation for those of you lamenting the high price of gas this long weekend here. It is 3.78US per LITER here.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Tikal
A brief update for my readers. I am now in Northern Guatemala after spending about 7 days and way to much money simply relaxing on the beaches in Belize. They were gorgeous and it was easy and fast to get around because everyone spoke English and the infrastructure was well developed
There is an added sense of urgency to my travel now as I was offered and accepted a contract to go teach English in Shanghai for one year with two of my favorite birds. I am very excited to extend my travels and to use the money I make to keep the journey going after the year is up.
Tomorrow morning I am up early to catch a prop airplane from Flores to Guatemala city. It cuts an 11 hour hellish bus ride down to 45 minutes for only 125$. Here´s hoping 3rd would airplanes work better then the buses as I have seen a number of drivers get out and kick the motor or various other things to hold it together.
And on to Today´s adventure (look at that, same day blogging! How unlike me)
The morning started early with the alarm clock I purchased yesterday ringing at 245am (the first time I have heard an alarm clock in about 6 weeks.) I stumbled to the front of my hostel for my 3am pickup, which arrived promptly at 3am Guatemala time at about 20 minutes past the hour. We then spent 45 minutes cruising around town collection the rest of my early morning trekkers. We were all up at this ungodly hour to see the sunrise from the East facing 55meter in Tikal.
Once we arrived it was clear that the collection had taken more time then intended as our guide set a blistering pace to get us to the temple straight away. Nothing like a 40 minute speedy hike at 5am in humid air when the mercury is already pushing 30 Celsius. We got to the top of the first pyramid but it was foggy so we listened in relative silence to the wookie like screams of the howler monkeys and saw a few toucans fly by. I suspect most readers have actually seen the temple before as it was one of the establishing shots of the Ewok planet in Star Wars!
The highlight of the day was when our guide coaxed a big, wild tarantula out of its den and offered to let us hold it. I was the only one to accept! Although, I did have a nap in 2500 year old king´s chamber on the fifth floor of a temple, that was a close second.
I think the rest of the adventure is best explained in picture form so please enjoy my Tikal Pictures
There is an added sense of urgency to my travel now as I was offered and accepted a contract to go teach English in Shanghai for one year with two of my favorite birds. I am very excited to extend my travels and to use the money I make to keep the journey going after the year is up.
Tomorrow morning I am up early to catch a prop airplane from Flores to Guatemala city. It cuts an 11 hour hellish bus ride down to 45 minutes for only 125$. Here´s hoping 3rd would airplanes work better then the buses as I have seen a number of drivers get out and kick the motor or various other things to hold it together.
And on to Today´s adventure (look at that, same day blogging! How unlike me)
The morning started early with the alarm clock I purchased yesterday ringing at 245am (the first time I have heard an alarm clock in about 6 weeks.) I stumbled to the front of my hostel for my 3am pickup, which arrived promptly at 3am Guatemala time at about 20 minutes past the hour. We then spent 45 minutes cruising around town collection the rest of my early morning trekkers. We were all up at this ungodly hour to see the sunrise from the East facing 55meter in Tikal.
Once we arrived it was clear that the collection had taken more time then intended as our guide set a blistering pace to get us to the temple straight away. Nothing like a 40 minute speedy hike at 5am in humid air when the mercury is already pushing 30 Celsius. We got to the top of the first pyramid but it was foggy so we listened in relative silence to the wookie like screams of the howler monkeys and saw a few toucans fly by. I suspect most readers have actually seen the temple before as it was one of the establishing shots of the Ewok planet in Star Wars!
The highlight of the day was when our guide coaxed a big, wild tarantula out of its den and offered to let us hold it. I was the only one to accept! Although, I did have a nap in 2500 year old king´s chamber on the fifth floor of a temple, that was a close second.
I think the rest of the adventure is best explained in picture form so please enjoy my Tikal Pictures
Thursday, August 2, 2007
So it's a really rainy day in paradise
It is tropical rainstorming outside today so I've decided to upload the vast majority of my trip photos to facebook. For my readers that don't have facebook I will include links to the galleries
Mexico City to Pie De la Cuesta
Pie De la Cuesta to Taxco
Taxco, Mexico to Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua to Lake Atilan (and environs)
Lake Atilan to Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey to Livingstone to Belize
and Finally Belize.
That is more or less every photo I've taken so far, any feedback or tips would be most welcome in the comment section.
Mexico City to Pie De la Cuesta
Pie De la Cuesta to Taxco
Taxco, Mexico to Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua to Lake Atilan (and environs)
Lake Atilan to Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey to Livingstone to Belize
and Finally Belize.
That is more or less every photo I've taken so far, any feedback or tips would be most welcome in the comment section.
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