Merry Christmas!
Two nights ago I got to watch Elf and it was about the closest thing to home that I have seen here. I remember last year when I was in Costa Rica I watched Elf also on Christmas Eve! Heres to starting a tradition...
Enjoy the holidays!
Keep it fresh...like having your slick friend bump that special someone next to you under the mistletoe ;)
- Neil
Monday, December 24, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Traveling is tiring (part 2)
Yesterday was supposed to be my long day of travel from the beach of La Libertad, El Salvador to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. And so it was, but 3 times what I expected. My original plan was to catch a bus from La Libertad to the capital, San Salvador, then change onto a bus for San Miguel where I would change for a bus to El Amatillo (the border), cross the border, and take one last bus to Tegucigalpa. I had the bus numbers, estimated fare and duration, which amounted to about $8 and 8 hours of travel. I figured that if I got an early start around 9am I would be comfortably set in Tegus before dark. Mind you, the last bus from the border to Tegus left at 5:30 (or so I thought), so I knew by what time I needed to reach the border.
What really happened was I left at 9am and got on the right bus to go to San Salvador...and that was about all that went to plan. As we were entering San Salvador I started seeing alot of buses parked on the street and wanted to know if we were close to the terminal that I needed to be at to catch the next bus. I asked the guy next to me and he gave me an unsure nod which I should have disregarded and waited to ask the bus monkey, but I took his word and jumped off the bus. Literally as SOON as I jumped off and asked the next person where bus number 301 was, he said that I wasnt at the terminal, rather City Center.
Great, I think, but Im not really trippin because I figured we were close. So I start walking in the direction I saw the bus go and asked a security guard which direction the terminal is. He, like everyone else when you ask for directions, looked up to the sky as if there was a map of the city in the clouds or something before telling me that I needed to catch one bus right there to a church from where I needed to catch a second bus to the terminal. Okay, this is getting a little complicated but Ive got time because I left early, right? A couple buses pass by and after about 5 minutes the right bus comes and I jump on it. A mere 10 minutes later Im at the church (which I should have taken a picture of but didnt because I dont have any space on my memory stick left) and the next bus pulls right up within a minute. Again, I get on and am feeling good about getting back on track. We pass another part of town where there are alot of buses parked on the road, but this time I make sure not to let my anxiety lead me astray so I stay on. I asked the bus driver to tell me when we get to the terminal so I wouldnt make the same mistake. For some reason, I start to feel like Ive been on this bus a little too long. Theres traffic and all, but it shouldnt take an hour to get across town, I mean San Salvador is probably twice the size of UCLA...it sure as hell didnt take the UCLA Shuttle an hour to get to and from the apartments and Macgowan!
Finally, he yells out "Terminal! Terminal!" and I jumped off the train already scanning the terminal for Bus 301 to San Miguel. It didnt take long to find it, and it turned out to be a luxury bus for the 3 hour ride. Also, the bus had a luggage compartment which meant that I didnt have to hold on to my pack on board. I got in the bus with the A/C on blast and nearly all the seats empty. Im thinking this is gonna be a good rest before the next set of buses. Unfortunately, luxury in Salvadoreño terms doesnt quite "fit" my concept so well. My knees were stabbing the seat in front of me the entire time, and the bus filled up pretty well too. The ride was interesting enough though. One by one different salesmen would call the attention of the bus for 5 minutes or so to sell a variety of things for 1 or 2 bucks. I was priviliged to a bag of candy, a book on christian hyms (with a cookbook as a free bonus), and a book on medicinal herbs. Then we got to watch Soul Plane in Spanish. Finally, after a blood-circulation-restricting 3 hours we reached San Miguel. There, it wasnt too difficult to find the bus I needed to head for the border and so I got on, a little too late to get a seat, and set out for the border. So now I am already 4 buses into my journey and starting to feel the pinch because its already 3pm and I still have an hour and a half to go before I reach the border.
Then the backbreaker, the neckbreaker, the dealbreaker. A traffic jam like the 405 at Howard Hughes during rush hour on a Friday afternoon! Straight up, we didnt move for a good 30 minutes. There was an accident up ahead and they were only letting the opposite side of traffic through. For a few minutes I almost felt at home and a smile crept up on my face as I listened to people in the bus complaining about the traffic. But then I looked at the watch on the wrist of the man next to me who only had four fingers on his right hand and saw that I was gonna miss that bus from the border if we didnt start moving soon. It took longer than I hoped, but we finally got going and when we passed the accident I saw why there was so much commotion. There was a pickup that was demolished and a bus right behind it with a pretty bad shiner on fron right side. I found out later that two people died. Well, like after any traffic jam caused by an accident, as soon as you pass the accident the road is super clear, so we were flying down the highway making up precious time. We reached Santa Rosa, a stop en route. What I didnt realize was that it was apparently my stop as well. See, I had gotten on a bus to the border, not the bus to the border that I was looking for.
Now, its gametime and Im on the side of the highway without a bus or a plan. A guy with a cowboy hat asks me where Im going, and I tell him. He says theres a bus I can wait for, but that he can take me in his pickup ahorrita for 5 bucks. Not only was I replaying scenes from El Norte in my head, I was thinking that I hadnt spent 5 bucks on my entire haphazard trip from La Libertad and I was not about to pay this fool 5 bucks to go 30 minutes to the border! Well, I did end up paying him...but only a buck because 5 other people decided to take him up on his offer and we spread the cost around. Now im riding on the back of this pickup, where I find myself all too often, headed for the border. Still, I see myself getting left on the side of the road finally finding a rat-infested sewer to crawl through to get to the other side of the border. (Note: if you havent seen the film El Norte, that reference will make no sense at all) None of that actually happened, he took us right to the border and it was a smooth trip. I cleared immigration, walked across the bridge seperating the border, again imagining some hollywood-esque border crossing with machine gun crossfire and blackhawks distracting me as I crouched along the bridge trying to make it across alive...
...To make a really long story less long, I got across the border and ready to catch the last bus because it wasnt 5:30 yet. Like everything else in that book, the bus schedule in the Lonely Planet (aptly named because if you follow their advice you will be really damn lonely) was outdated. But luck was on my side, and a lady sitting in a bus hissed at me (the normal way to get someones attention in these parts) and told me that she overheard me asking someone about the buses and that she too was headed for Tegus. The bus she was sitting in went to a junction where we could catch one last bus for the capital. With nowhere else to go and no other bus in sight I got in. By this time the headache and neck pain from being thrashed around by the waves while trying to boogieboard the day before in La Libertad was nearly unbearable. By the time we left the border it was already dark so my plans for being in Tegus before then were shot for sure. The bus ride to the junction was alright, and the lady, Laura, was really nice. We got to the junction and again by chance there was a guy with a microbus hanging out on his way home to Tegus and had just stopped in one of the comedores for a snack. Me, Laura, and one more lady got him to take us to the capital for 50 Lempiras each. About an hour and a half later, he dropped me off outside the hotel I asked him to and at last...at last I was in Honduras.
Overall, the trip ended up costing me a little more than $10 and took about 12 hours. What a day!
Keep it fresh...fresher than a newborn.
- Neil
What really happened was I left at 9am and got on the right bus to go to San Salvador...and that was about all that went to plan. As we were entering San Salvador I started seeing alot of buses parked on the street and wanted to know if we were close to the terminal that I needed to be at to catch the next bus. I asked the guy next to me and he gave me an unsure nod which I should have disregarded and waited to ask the bus monkey, but I took his word and jumped off the bus. Literally as SOON as I jumped off and asked the next person where bus number 301 was, he said that I wasnt at the terminal, rather City Center.
Great, I think, but Im not really trippin because I figured we were close. So I start walking in the direction I saw the bus go and asked a security guard which direction the terminal is. He, like everyone else when you ask for directions, looked up to the sky as if there was a map of the city in the clouds or something before telling me that I needed to catch one bus right there to a church from where I needed to catch a second bus to the terminal. Okay, this is getting a little complicated but Ive got time because I left early, right? A couple buses pass by and after about 5 minutes the right bus comes and I jump on it. A mere 10 minutes later Im at the church (which I should have taken a picture of but didnt because I dont have any space on my memory stick left) and the next bus pulls right up within a minute. Again, I get on and am feeling good about getting back on track. We pass another part of town where there are alot of buses parked on the road, but this time I make sure not to let my anxiety lead me astray so I stay on. I asked the bus driver to tell me when we get to the terminal so I wouldnt make the same mistake. For some reason, I start to feel like Ive been on this bus a little too long. Theres traffic and all, but it shouldnt take an hour to get across town, I mean San Salvador is probably twice the size of UCLA...it sure as hell didnt take the UCLA Shuttle an hour to get to and from the apartments and Macgowan!
Finally, he yells out "Terminal! Terminal!" and I jumped off the train already scanning the terminal for Bus 301 to San Miguel. It didnt take long to find it, and it turned out to be a luxury bus for the 3 hour ride. Also, the bus had a luggage compartment which meant that I didnt have to hold on to my pack on board. I got in the bus with the A/C on blast and nearly all the seats empty. Im thinking this is gonna be a good rest before the next set of buses. Unfortunately, luxury in Salvadoreño terms doesnt quite "fit" my concept so well. My knees were stabbing the seat in front of me the entire time, and the bus filled up pretty well too. The ride was interesting enough though. One by one different salesmen would call the attention of the bus for 5 minutes or so to sell a variety of things for 1 or 2 bucks. I was priviliged to a bag of candy, a book on christian hyms (with a cookbook as a free bonus), and a book on medicinal herbs. Then we got to watch Soul Plane in Spanish. Finally, after a blood-circulation-restricting 3 hours we reached San Miguel. There, it wasnt too difficult to find the bus I needed to head for the border and so I got on, a little too late to get a seat, and set out for the border. So now I am already 4 buses into my journey and starting to feel the pinch because its already 3pm and I still have an hour and a half to go before I reach the border.
Then the backbreaker, the neckbreaker, the dealbreaker. A traffic jam like the 405 at Howard Hughes during rush hour on a Friday afternoon! Straight up, we didnt move for a good 30 minutes. There was an accident up ahead and they were only letting the opposite side of traffic through. For a few minutes I almost felt at home and a smile crept up on my face as I listened to people in the bus complaining about the traffic. But then I looked at the watch on the wrist of the man next to me who only had four fingers on his right hand and saw that I was gonna miss that bus from the border if we didnt start moving soon. It took longer than I hoped, but we finally got going and when we passed the accident I saw why there was so much commotion. There was a pickup that was demolished and a bus right behind it with a pretty bad shiner on fron right side. I found out later that two people died. Well, like after any traffic jam caused by an accident, as soon as you pass the accident the road is super clear, so we were flying down the highway making up precious time. We reached Santa Rosa, a stop en route. What I didnt realize was that it was apparently my stop as well. See, I had gotten on a bus to the border, not the bus to the border that I was looking for.
Now, its gametime and Im on the side of the highway without a bus or a plan. A guy with a cowboy hat asks me where Im going, and I tell him. He says theres a bus I can wait for, but that he can take me in his pickup ahorrita for 5 bucks. Not only was I replaying scenes from El Norte in my head, I was thinking that I hadnt spent 5 bucks on my entire haphazard trip from La Libertad and I was not about to pay this fool 5 bucks to go 30 minutes to the border! Well, I did end up paying him...but only a buck because 5 other people decided to take him up on his offer and we spread the cost around. Now im riding on the back of this pickup, where I find myself all too often, headed for the border. Still, I see myself getting left on the side of the road finally finding a rat-infested sewer to crawl through to get to the other side of the border. (Note: if you havent seen the film El Norte, that reference will make no sense at all) None of that actually happened, he took us right to the border and it was a smooth trip. I cleared immigration, walked across the bridge seperating the border, again imagining some hollywood-esque border crossing with machine gun crossfire and blackhawks distracting me as I crouched along the bridge trying to make it across alive...
...To make a really long story less long, I got across the border and ready to catch the last bus because it wasnt 5:30 yet. Like everything else in that book, the bus schedule in the Lonely Planet (aptly named because if you follow their advice you will be really damn lonely) was outdated. But luck was on my side, and a lady sitting in a bus hissed at me (the normal way to get someones attention in these parts) and told me that she overheard me asking someone about the buses and that she too was headed for Tegus. The bus she was sitting in went to a junction where we could catch one last bus for the capital. With nowhere else to go and no other bus in sight I got in. By this time the headache and neck pain from being thrashed around by the waves while trying to boogieboard the day before in La Libertad was nearly unbearable. By the time we left the border it was already dark so my plans for being in Tegus before then were shot for sure. The bus ride to the junction was alright, and the lady, Laura, was really nice. We got to the junction and again by chance there was a guy with a microbus hanging out on his way home to Tegus and had just stopped in one of the comedores for a snack. Me, Laura, and one more lady got him to take us to the capital for 50 Lempiras each. About an hour and a half later, he dropped me off outside the hotel I asked him to and at last...at last I was in Honduras.
Overall, the trip ended up costing me a little more than $10 and took about 12 hours. What a day!
Keep it fresh...fresher than a newborn.
- Neil
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Traveling is tiring
So I think im coming back a bit earlier than I expected, probably mid january. I realized that I have some unfinished business with law school apps that needs to get taken care of before the february 1st deadline.
I am speaking more spanish, but im not fluent yet. I wanted to stay down here until I became fluent but that will take longer than I have time for.
The water in the lake was so clear that you could see the rocks in the water. So we picked a spot where we could jump past the rocks and it was fine! Yeah, that map was wiggity wiggity wack! But it was fun nonetheless.
I miss those days man. I spend alot of time thinking about the past couple years and I wish I had more time in college. Now that I have a little less than a month left Im starting to think about what Im gonna do when I come back and I keep coming up with blanks...Is summer 2008 going down for real?
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Everywhere that I go I end up saying that I dont want to leave. So I decided that I didnt want to take formal spanish lessons because the schools focus alot on grammar and verbs which I already know. Of course it wouldnt hurt to go over those things again but I didnt want to waste vacation time in a school. There was bound to be a better way to learn spanish, right? I asked around at different local coffee shops and bars who I could meet with to do more of a language exchange where I would learn some spanish and he/she would pick up some english. At the coffee shop that I went to often the guy that works there said he would be interested in conversing with me in spanish and learning some english as well. He said to come back in the afternoon when he would have more time, and that either he or his niece would be there. Of course when I went back he wasnt there but his niece was, and so she became my spanish buddy. So for the rest of the week while Brandon was in for real spanish school, I went to the coffee shop and talked to Maria and Luis about whatever, learning spanish the entire time. It was a lot of fun getting to know them and we even went to a block party on wednesday night.
On Saturday morning I left for Antigua en route to El Salvador. Antigua is the largest tourist destination in Guatemala, and for good reason. Its a beautifully preserved colonial town with ruined churches at nearly every street corner and street lamps lining the main streets. I couldnt help feeling like a hopeless romantic imagining what it would be like to have a girlfriend to hold hands with walking through the parque central or into one of many boutique shops selling guatemalan jewelry and clohing. Well, I didnt have a girlfriend to walk around with, I had Brandon (aka Samwise Gamgee). Not the same... We spent Saturday walking around and went out to a club at night. There are several places to go out at night, but I wanted to check out the local scene so we went to Club Monolocos. It was reggaeton heaven with a little salsa and packed! Probably one the best nights of the trip, though. I me alot of locals and alot of girls, and actually alot of local girls ;) Also, I realized reggaeton isnt that bad when youre dancing to it. Plus I got a chance to work on my "Hey girl! How you doin?" spanish!
On Sunday I took a walk up to a nearby hill that affords a spectacular view of Antigua and the three volcanoes that tower over the city. Its called Cerro de la Cruz, and its about a 30 minute walk from the hostel. After that, we signed up for a volcano hike in the afternoon. Volcan Pacaya is an active volcano that you can hike up and see real lava flowing down the side of the mountain. People even told us that we could take up marshmallows and make smores when we get to the top. After hearing that, of course we take it a step further and straight up get a full course dinner to take up with us. We got sausage, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and crackers to feast on when we reached the lava. It was unreal! We were literally within arms length of the lava. Our feast of fire was delicious, to say the least.
Finally on Monday morning we left Guatemala for El Salvador. It took almost the entire day to get here. Yesterday we hit the beach, which is one of the best beaches Ive been on. The water is literally warm and the surf is perfect for surfing or boogieboarding. We were walking about with out packs and a guy in a pickup stopped and asked us if we were looking for a place to stay. We werent really, we were just waiting for a bus, but we heard him out and decided to take him up on his offer to stay at his hotel. Its at a very secluded part of the beach not known by tourists which makes for a perfect getaway. Today is my last day here as I head for Honduras tomorrow. Its gonna be another long day of catching 4 different buses over 8 hours of traveling. Hopefully Ill make it in one piece, with all my stuff still intact as well.
Keep it fresh...like tropicana
- Neil
I am speaking more spanish, but im not fluent yet. I wanted to stay down here until I became fluent but that will take longer than I have time for.
The water in the lake was so clear that you could see the rocks in the water. So we picked a spot where we could jump past the rocks and it was fine! Yeah, that map was wiggity wiggity wack! But it was fun nonetheless.
I miss those days man. I spend alot of time thinking about the past couple years and I wish I had more time in college. Now that I have a little less than a month left Im starting to think about what Im gonna do when I come back and I keep coming up with blanks...Is summer 2008 going down for real?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everywhere that I go I end up saying that I dont want to leave. So I decided that I didnt want to take formal spanish lessons because the schools focus alot on grammar and verbs which I already know. Of course it wouldnt hurt to go over those things again but I didnt want to waste vacation time in a school. There was bound to be a better way to learn spanish, right? I asked around at different local coffee shops and bars who I could meet with to do more of a language exchange where I would learn some spanish and he/she would pick up some english. At the coffee shop that I went to often the guy that works there said he would be interested in conversing with me in spanish and learning some english as well. He said to come back in the afternoon when he would have more time, and that either he or his niece would be there. Of course when I went back he wasnt there but his niece was, and so she became my spanish buddy. So for the rest of the week while Brandon was in for real spanish school, I went to the coffee shop and talked to Maria and Luis about whatever, learning spanish the entire time. It was a lot of fun getting to know them and we even went to a block party on wednesday night.
On Saturday morning I left for Antigua en route to El Salvador. Antigua is the largest tourist destination in Guatemala, and for good reason. Its a beautifully preserved colonial town with ruined churches at nearly every street corner and street lamps lining the main streets. I couldnt help feeling like a hopeless romantic imagining what it would be like to have a girlfriend to hold hands with walking through the parque central or into one of many boutique shops selling guatemalan jewelry and clohing. Well, I didnt have a girlfriend to walk around with, I had Brandon (aka Samwise Gamgee). Not the same... We spent Saturday walking around and went out to a club at night. There are several places to go out at night, but I wanted to check out the local scene so we went to Club Monolocos. It was reggaeton heaven with a little salsa and packed! Probably one the best nights of the trip, though. I me alot of locals and alot of girls, and actually alot of local girls ;) Also, I realized reggaeton isnt that bad when youre dancing to it. Plus I got a chance to work on my "Hey girl! How you doin?" spanish!
On Sunday I took a walk up to a nearby hill that affords a spectacular view of Antigua and the three volcanoes that tower over the city. Its called Cerro de la Cruz, and its about a 30 minute walk from the hostel. After that, we signed up for a volcano hike in the afternoon. Volcan Pacaya is an active volcano that you can hike up and see real lava flowing down the side of the mountain. People even told us that we could take up marshmallows and make smores when we get to the top. After hearing that, of course we take it a step further and straight up get a full course dinner to take up with us. We got sausage, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and crackers to feast on when we reached the lava. It was unreal! We were literally within arms length of the lava. Our feast of fire was delicious, to say the least.
Finally on Monday morning we left Guatemala for El Salvador. It took almost the entire day to get here. Yesterday we hit the beach, which is one of the best beaches Ive been on. The water is literally warm and the surf is perfect for surfing or boogieboarding. We were walking about with out packs and a guy in a pickup stopped and asked us if we were looking for a place to stay. We werent really, we were just waiting for a bus, but we heard him out and decided to take him up on his offer to stay at his hotel. Its at a very secluded part of the beach not known by tourists which makes for a perfect getaway. Today is my last day here as I head for Honduras tomorrow. Its gonna be another long day of catching 4 different buses over 8 hours of traveling. Hopefully Ill make it in one piece, with all my stuff still intact as well.
Keep it fresh...like tropicana
- Neil
Monday, December 10, 2007
Pictures from the week
View of the sunset as we hiked up from Xela on our way to Lago Atitlan.
The meadow on the mountaintop. That patch of pines in the background is where we made camp for the night.
As you can see, our map is immaculate and pays heavy attention to detail. Look carefully at the map where the finger is pointing and in the background notice the landmark that correlates to the indication on the map. ;)
Tucked in my bag in the tent.
This damn waterbox totally screwed up our hike! And on that tree is the little blue arrow pointing in the WRONG direction!
Happily trekking down the wrong path, but nonetheless a beautiful one.
Volcán San Pedro in the background, Lago Atitlán in the fore.
Its a little cafe, but the fam knows why I took a picture of it.
Frodo and Samwise in front of their Hobbit Hole in Hobbiton, Guatemala!
Sunrise over the lake.
Sitting on a cliff in San Marcos La Laguna.
Jumping off a cliff in San Marcos La Laguna!
So Im in San Pedro, after a weekend touring a couple of the other lakeside towns. On Saturday we went to Santa Cruz La Laguna for a party. Unspeakable acts took place. On Sunday we went to Panajachel (Pana), which is the largest of all the lakeside towns. No unspeakable acts took place. I enjoyed what I saw of it. Its a low key, family-friendly spot that still has charm. This morning we walked through a nature reserve in the morning in Pana and took a dip in the lake at this secluded little cove. It was nice. Now im back in San Pedro for some spanish lessons and to chill out before I head out possibly to Antigua or El Salvador or Honduras.
Keep it fresh...like how you feel after your first shower in 4 days!
- Neil
Friday, December 7, 2007
Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
I got you mahbub. I got coffee to last me years son.
Working with the bees was probably the coolest thing I did there, excitement-wise. The kids are hella fun to play with too. The day I took my camera to take pictures with them, they went nuts! And one of them, this kid Brian, likes to take pictures and did a pretty good job working with the camera. It was cool.
They love me more because im so cool, foreigner or not!
This is how the rest of the song goes:
Hay un lugar que se llama La Florida,
y me gusta comer mucho la comida,
donde aprendi hacer una tortilla,
con Sandra, Pascual y la familia.
and the kids added...
y muestra el hecho de la tortilla a una amiga,
de repente ella va a ser tu novia!
the kids be knowin whats up ;)
You dont even know about these bites. Its been almost a week and they are still here. I went to the beach yesterday and I assumed that everyone was staring at me because I was a foreigner, but it was more than usual...then I remembered that I look diseased too.
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This week began with a little disappointment because our plans to go straight from La Florida to Lago Atitlan were delayed yet again by sickness. Luckily on tuesday we were able to get out of Xela to start our trek to the lake.
So this secret map that we had as our guide was literally a blank piece of paper with scribbles on it that somewhat resembled a not-so-straight line with little barnhouse drawings for landmarks and stick figures and chicken-scratch for writing. The map was accompanied by 2-pages of written directions that went something like this:
...at the corn fields turn left on the dirt path, cross the stream and come to a Y in the path and take a right...
...Theres a fork in the path where there are two old trees (one is hollow), go to the left...
Mind you we're hiking through a FOREST and through ACRES of CORN! Nonetheless, we started our trek without two of the guys because one was still not feeling up to it and so he took a buddy back with him. They ended up taking a bus from Xela all the way to the lake.
Brandon (samwise), Peter (snake boy), and I headed out. At first the trail was intensely steep as we were hiking up and over the first mountain pass. Since we started walking around 4pm there was only about 2.5 hours of hiking that could be done before we would run out of daylight. Fortunately, we made it up the hill and at the top I expected to see the other side of the mountain heading down. Instead, the top of the mountain opened up into a huge expanse of land like a plateau, with meadows and corn fields throughout. It was getting cold so we continued a bit further (past the tree with the cave) into a pine forest to set up camp.
...It was my first night out in the wilderness, ever. We had some hot dogs to roast over an open flame of pine needles and branches with fresh buns and pepperjack cheese (from wisconsin!). It was a fantastic meal and the fire kept us warm as the temperature dropped down. By 8:30pm I was ready to hit the hay (sleeping bag in the tent) for some much needed rest. The next morning we got back out on the trail by about 8:00am after a breakfast of some cornflakes and bananas. Thats when things got interesting.
The landscape and trail stayed true to the map for the most part of the morning, until we reached what we thought was the next landmark on the map, a waterbox. Lord knows it was a waterbox that we stopped at, where two paths diverged. Not being mapkeeper during that time, it was up to Brandon to make the decision on which way to go. From what he gathered on the map we were supposed to make a left and head down the mountain ridge instead of staying on top of it. To seemingly validate his conclusion there was even an arrow painted on a tree above the waterbox pointing to go left. Confident in our decision we started our descent. Little did we know that it was not only the wrong direction (according to the map) it was also going to be the ruin of us all!
At first the landscape matched the map still; bamboo forests flanking the path, crossing the small stream that was scribbled on the map perpedicular to our route, and even in the distance a town we assumed to be the one named on the map. Eventually, the trail got steeper and steeper. More often than we would have liked, one of us would take a gnarly fall or stumble over some loose gravel or branches. But we continue because the map says so, and a water pipe begins to run congruent with out path. We get a false sense of confidence with the water pipe, knowing that eventually it has to lead to civilization. But pipes scale mountains much easier than awkward human bodies with packs weighing us down. The path became pretty treacherous and at certain points I just hit the deck and slid down the mountain instead of trying to downclimb.
After a long 4.5 hours we made it down the mountain and reached the town that we saw in the distance earlier. Sure that we were in the middle of nowhere and totally off the map now we decided to eat lunch to avoid having to decide our next move on an empty stomach. After lunch, we talked to some of the locals and were shocked. We had actually skipped one of the villages on the map and reached the next one already! Coming down the mountain turned out to be a more direct route, albeit quite frankly insane. With a new pep in our step we figured we could make up some time and distance by catching a ride on a pickup to the next town and continue hiking from there. So we hop on with some guys (one of whom is rockin some bling in the form of a flatinum chain with an LA pendant!) who say they are going to take us half way (which is better than no way) so we get on. Half and hour later the three of us gringos are standing on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere with our packs on our back and no path to a town in sight. They took us for a ride! Not only that, they took us for a ride in the wrong direction! (Later, as we took a bus back the other way, we saw that their truck was stalled on the side of the road...instant karma suckas!) So a bit dejected and pissed off we take the chicken bus to the lake. Or so we thought...
The bus was actually on its way back from the lake and headed to Guatemala City! A passenger advised us to get off at some town on the way, from where we could catch another bus to the lake. But before that, Lady Luck smiled upon us. There was a roadblock and the bus was stopped for a few minutes. I noticed that there was another bus actually headed to the lake that was also stopped because of the roadblock. Not wanting to miss this opportunity we jumped off one and onto the other bus headed directly to the lake, no more changing buses! At last, after a crazy day of climbing, hitchhiking, and bus hopping, we reached the lake in one piece with our packs just in time to check into a hotel before the rain started to come down. Turns out that of all the hotels in San Pedro La Laguna, we happened to check into the same one that our two friends were also staying at!
Madness! All in all, it was alot of fun and work. Now that im here in San Pedro im not sure I want to leave so soon. The scenery around the lake is crazy beautiful, and the atmosphere is laid back. The coffee here is by far the best Ive had in Guatemala and im definitely taking advantage of it. Also, everything is way cheaper here than in Xela or any of the other lake towns, which makes for fun-filled feasts! So, after some thermal baths I might take a dip in the lake to cool off before an afternoon cup of joe. Ill put up some pictures next time.
Keep it fresh...fresher than Winterfresh
- Neil
Working with the bees was probably the coolest thing I did there, excitement-wise. The kids are hella fun to play with too. The day I took my camera to take pictures with them, they went nuts! And one of them, this kid Brian, likes to take pictures and did a pretty good job working with the camera. It was cool.
They love me more because im so cool, foreigner or not!
This is how the rest of the song goes:
Hay un lugar que se llama La Florida,
y me gusta comer mucho la comida,
donde aprendi hacer una tortilla,
con Sandra, Pascual y la familia.
and the kids added...
y muestra el hecho de la tortilla a una amiga,
de repente ella va a ser tu novia!
the kids be knowin whats up ;)
You dont even know about these bites. Its been almost a week and they are still here. I went to the beach yesterday and I assumed that everyone was staring at me because I was a foreigner, but it was more than usual...then I remembered that I look diseased too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week began with a little disappointment because our plans to go straight from La Florida to Lago Atitlan were delayed yet again by sickness. Luckily on tuesday we were able to get out of Xela to start our trek to the lake.
So this secret map that we had as our guide was literally a blank piece of paper with scribbles on it that somewhat resembled a not-so-straight line with little barnhouse drawings for landmarks and stick figures and chicken-scratch for writing. The map was accompanied by 2-pages of written directions that went something like this:
...at the corn fields turn left on the dirt path, cross the stream and come to a Y in the path and take a right...
...Theres a fork in the path where there are two old trees (one is hollow), go to the left...
Mind you we're hiking through a FOREST and through ACRES of CORN! Nonetheless, we started our trek without two of the guys because one was still not feeling up to it and so he took a buddy back with him. They ended up taking a bus from Xela all the way to the lake.
Brandon (samwise), Peter (snake boy), and I headed out. At first the trail was intensely steep as we were hiking up and over the first mountain pass. Since we started walking around 4pm there was only about 2.5 hours of hiking that could be done before we would run out of daylight. Fortunately, we made it up the hill and at the top I expected to see the other side of the mountain heading down. Instead, the top of the mountain opened up into a huge expanse of land like a plateau, with meadows and corn fields throughout. It was getting cold so we continued a bit further (past the tree with the cave) into a pine forest to set up camp.
...It was my first night out in the wilderness, ever. We had some hot dogs to roast over an open flame of pine needles and branches with fresh buns and pepperjack cheese (from wisconsin!). It was a fantastic meal and the fire kept us warm as the temperature dropped down. By 8:30pm I was ready to hit the hay (sleeping bag in the tent) for some much needed rest. The next morning we got back out on the trail by about 8:00am after a breakfast of some cornflakes and bananas. Thats when things got interesting.
The landscape and trail stayed true to the map for the most part of the morning, until we reached what we thought was the next landmark on the map, a waterbox. Lord knows it was a waterbox that we stopped at, where two paths diverged. Not being mapkeeper during that time, it was up to Brandon to make the decision on which way to go. From what he gathered on the map we were supposed to make a left and head down the mountain ridge instead of staying on top of it. To seemingly validate his conclusion there was even an arrow painted on a tree above the waterbox pointing to go left. Confident in our decision we started our descent. Little did we know that it was not only the wrong direction (according to the map) it was also going to be the ruin of us all!
At first the landscape matched the map still; bamboo forests flanking the path, crossing the small stream that was scribbled on the map perpedicular to our route, and even in the distance a town we assumed to be the one named on the map. Eventually, the trail got steeper and steeper. More often than we would have liked, one of us would take a gnarly fall or stumble over some loose gravel or branches. But we continue because the map says so, and a water pipe begins to run congruent with out path. We get a false sense of confidence with the water pipe, knowing that eventually it has to lead to civilization. But pipes scale mountains much easier than awkward human bodies with packs weighing us down. The path became pretty treacherous and at certain points I just hit the deck and slid down the mountain instead of trying to downclimb.
After a long 4.5 hours we made it down the mountain and reached the town that we saw in the distance earlier. Sure that we were in the middle of nowhere and totally off the map now we decided to eat lunch to avoid having to decide our next move on an empty stomach. After lunch, we talked to some of the locals and were shocked. We had actually skipped one of the villages on the map and reached the next one already! Coming down the mountain turned out to be a more direct route, albeit quite frankly insane. With a new pep in our step we figured we could make up some time and distance by catching a ride on a pickup to the next town and continue hiking from there. So we hop on with some guys (one of whom is rockin some bling in the form of a flatinum chain with an LA pendant!) who say they are going to take us half way (which is better than no way) so we get on. Half and hour later the three of us gringos are standing on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere with our packs on our back and no path to a town in sight. They took us for a ride! Not only that, they took us for a ride in the wrong direction! (Later, as we took a bus back the other way, we saw that their truck was stalled on the side of the road...instant karma suckas!) So a bit dejected and pissed off we take the chicken bus to the lake. Or so we thought...
The bus was actually on its way back from the lake and headed to Guatemala City! A passenger advised us to get off at some town on the way, from where we could catch another bus to the lake. But before that, Lady Luck smiled upon us. There was a roadblock and the bus was stopped for a few minutes. I noticed that there was another bus actually headed to the lake that was also stopped because of the roadblock. Not wanting to miss this opportunity we jumped off one and onto the other bus headed directly to the lake, no more changing buses! At last, after a crazy day of climbing, hitchhiking, and bus hopping, we reached the lake in one piece with our packs just in time to check into a hotel before the rain started to come down. Turns out that of all the hotels in San Pedro La Laguna, we happened to check into the same one that our two friends were also staying at!
Madness! All in all, it was alot of fun and work. Now that im here in San Pedro im not sure I want to leave so soon. The scenery around the lake is crazy beautiful, and the atmosphere is laid back. The coffee here is by far the best Ive had in Guatemala and im definitely taking advantage of it. Also, everything is way cheaper here than in Xela or any of the other lake towns, which makes for fun-filled feasts! So, after some thermal baths I might take a dip in the lake to cool off before an afternoon cup of joe. Ill put up some pictures next time.
Keep it fresh...fresher than Winterfresh
- Neil
Monday, December 3, 2007
Hay un lugar que se llama La Florida...
It does hurt to try! It hurt alot the next day and the day after that too. But we can climb when I get back for sure, mom.
Coffee for everyone pretty much, and being that I was at a coffee finca for the past five days, Ive learned alot about it.
Well, you can go to Las Vegas, Honduras...that might count?
hahah, there are four of them...and they all kind of have similar features. I guess Im Gandalf then...older and wiser ;)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dont have much time to write, and I have a feeling that the constant updates are going to slow down substantially now that Im on the move. Neither would I be able to afford the time here at the internet cafe it would take me to describe the past week.
Once and for all, the Quetzaltrekkers opportunity is closed. Its more like Quetzalnever! The guys who were planning to leave in mid-december have opted to stay for another 6 months which means that the next opening would not be until mid january. I need to be back in the states by march and the 3 month committment would not allow me to do that, not to mention the aversion I have built up to working with the group after such a disorganized 2 weeks.
Anyways, I finally left Xela on tuesday with the guys from Casa Argentina and headed to La Florida. Its a small coffee farming community some 2 hours north-west of Xela that has an eco-tourism project for volunteers. For 50Q/night (30Q for meals, 20Q towards the loan) you stay in the former owners house and help the community harvest/tend/process coffee, eat 3 meals a day with one of the families in the community, and have the liberty to start on any othert project you feel would help them out. They are a group of farmers that squatted on a 10 year old abandoned farm for 2 years before negotiations with the bank/government allowed them to take out a loan to buy the property. They are 2 years into a 5 year loan after which they will finally be able to own the land. A description of the journey there will put in perspective the remoteness of this community. We took a bus from Xela to Colomba, about an hour and half. There we were met by Esteban, one of the members of the community, and took a minivan another hour onto a cobblestone path winding throught the forest and into the middle of nowhere. At a fork in the road, we were dropped off where a sign read "La Florida Comunidad Agraria" (La Florida, Agrarian Community). From there it was a 45 minute trek along narrow trails through forest, across streams, and down a mountain-side to the finca.
The first full day I went with one of the women and her daughter to pick coffee from the trees. The natural beauty is wonderful, but the work in hard and by the end of the day I was mad tired. The community is without electricity because a month ago the generator broke and it costs too much to have it fixed, so they are waiting either for a volunteer who has some electrical knowledge or until they have enough money to have it fixed by a local. So I ate with my family sumptious meals, read in the candlelight, and played with the kids. Over the course of the week I dried coffee on the patio, picked cacao fruits and made chocolate, suffered over 100 insect bites (literally), picked black beans, learned to make tortillas, worked in an apiary (bees), and took two showers!
My family asked me to write a song...in spanish. The title is the first line of the song ;)
So Im back in Xela briefly en route to Lago Atitlan. Here are some pictures from the week.
Keep it fresh...like the honey from the bees
- Neil
Coffee for everyone pretty much, and being that I was at a coffee finca for the past five days, Ive learned alot about it.
Well, you can go to Las Vegas, Honduras...that might count?
hahah, there are four of them...and they all kind of have similar features. I guess Im Gandalf then...older and wiser ;)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dont have much time to write, and I have a feeling that the constant updates are going to slow down substantially now that Im on the move. Neither would I be able to afford the time here at the internet cafe it would take me to describe the past week.
Once and for all, the Quetzaltrekkers opportunity is closed. Its more like Quetzalnever! The guys who were planning to leave in mid-december have opted to stay for another 6 months which means that the next opening would not be until mid january. I need to be back in the states by march and the 3 month committment would not allow me to do that, not to mention the aversion I have built up to working with the group after such a disorganized 2 weeks.
Anyways, I finally left Xela on tuesday with the guys from Casa Argentina and headed to La Florida. Its a small coffee farming community some 2 hours north-west of Xela that has an eco-tourism project for volunteers. For 50Q/night (30Q for meals, 20Q towards the loan) you stay in the former owners house and help the community harvest/tend/process coffee, eat 3 meals a day with one of the families in the community, and have the liberty to start on any othert project you feel would help them out. They are a group of farmers that squatted on a 10 year old abandoned farm for 2 years before negotiations with the bank/government allowed them to take out a loan to buy the property. They are 2 years into a 5 year loan after which they will finally be able to own the land. A description of the journey there will put in perspective the remoteness of this community. We took a bus from Xela to Colomba, about an hour and half. There we were met by Esteban, one of the members of the community, and took a minivan another hour onto a cobblestone path winding throught the forest and into the middle of nowhere. At a fork in the road, we were dropped off where a sign read "La Florida Comunidad Agraria" (La Florida, Agrarian Community). From there it was a 45 minute trek along narrow trails through forest, across streams, and down a mountain-side to the finca.
The first full day I went with one of the women and her daughter to pick coffee from the trees. The natural beauty is wonderful, but the work in hard and by the end of the day I was mad tired. The community is without electricity because a month ago the generator broke and it costs too much to have it fixed, so they are waiting either for a volunteer who has some electrical knowledge or until they have enough money to have it fixed by a local. So I ate with my family sumptious meals, read in the candlelight, and played with the kids. Over the course of the week I dried coffee on the patio, picked cacao fruits and made chocolate, suffered over 100 insect bites (literally), picked black beans, learned to make tortillas, worked in an apiary (bees), and took two showers!
My family asked me to write a song...in spanish. The title is the first line of the song ;)
So Im back in Xela briefly en route to Lago Atitlan. Here are some pictures from the week.
Keep it fresh...like the honey from the bees
- Neil
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