Vida

Mancora, primera experiencia Peruana

2010-04-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

After Guayaquil I continued my journey with my new travelling partner Michelle. We took the cheapest bus possible that would take us accross the border and on our way to our next party town Mancora. The cheap bus was not the best idea, it stopped to pick people many times, it was hot and it was like a regular city bus with people standing for most of the ride. We were also a little bit scared since this is supposed to be one of the hardest border crossings, because it is dangerous, there are muggings and the immigration officers seemed to cause problems. To increase our fears, the security officer that was riding on our bus and checking people for weapons leaves the bus right before we get to the border.

Thankfully the border crossing went really well and we were even able to enjoy a delicious ice-cream while we waited for the bus to pick us up. As we crossed into Peru there was a clear change in the natural landscape, less and less green and more desert hills and we got closer to Mancora. Michelle had been to Mancora the previous year and one of her friend´s mom had a hostel called Laguna Camp where we stayed.

Michelle and I in the Tuc-Tuc on our way to the hostel

Laguna Camp

Staying at the Laguna Camp was great, we were so close to the beach and having Michelle as my partner in crime was perfect. We woke up every morning, went for a beach run and sit-ups session, had a healthy breakfast, smoothies, hung around during the day, layed in the hammocks, had our daily Ceviche and juice, and went for afternoon swims. It was really nice to have a schedule again, be healthy, workout and have a partner to do it with. Even though Mancora is known as a party town, we did not party at all, it was a relaxing and great time of enjoying the beach and each other´s company without having to get too crazy.

Michelle letting me make my first hairwrap ever!!!

Satisfied costumer

Our local restaurant where we had Ceviche and Maracuyá juice

While in Mancora I received an e-mail from Max Goldstein saying that the Junior Lifeguards program that he had started in Lima would be ending that week and inviting me to come take part. I was really excited to see the amazing work he had done and decided to leave Mancora and head south towards Lima. But before I decided to make a few nature and ruins stop in northern Peru.

Guayaquil and Montañita, Ecuador

2010-04-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

With our job done at Carnaval it was once again time to hit the road, this time I would be traveling south on the coast of Ecuador with 3 San Diego lifeguards. Michelle, Dan and Marcos. We decided the first spot to go was the party surf town of Montañita where other guards from Project Ecuador had worked during Carnaval. There we negotiated a beach front cabin for $5 a night each and went straight to the ocean.

Michelle

Pepe ready to hit the surf

Ukulele

Montañita is a really fun party town with sand streets, artisans selling their art, juice stalls and lots of Argentinean and Chilean youngster looking for a good time in their vacation.

Tomate de Arbol, a bit sour but delicious!

Maracuyá y Fresa smoothies

Dinner before going out in the night at one of the many clubs

After a wonderful beach time, live reggae, delicious juices and Ceviche it was time to continue the journey. Dan would be flying home from Guayaquil and Marcos was on his way to the Galapagos so the four of us stopped at Gaby´s for one night and then Michelle and I continued to see the sights of Guayaquil and relex a bit before heading down to Peu.

Gaby and Miguel´s house

Making dinner

Crazy mango tree by their house. Small mangoes hanging down

Gaby and Miguel not only help with Project Ecuador but were amazing hosts at their home and we had a really fun time together. Cannot wait to show the smae hospitality when they come to visit California.

Snack time

Girls sleepover

Proyecto Ecuador, Manta y Crucita

2010-04-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

I had heard about Project Ecuador while lifeguarding in Venice Beach during the summer. I explained to a friend the trip I was going on and he told me about the project and his experience from the previous year. To me it sounded like the perfect thing to do, I wnated to volunteer during my trip but didn´t want to spend too much time in one place since I really wanted to visit a lot of different places.

Project Ecuador was started by Paul Dunning in 2007 in order to assist Ecuador lifeguards with thei lifesaving needs. Since then the project has grown and every year more lifeguards join to train local lifeguards in Ecuador, provide lifesaving equipment, volunteer lifeguarding during Carnaval and work with local authorities and organizations to create lifeguarding jobs in Ecuador with the ultimate goal of Ecuador joining the International Lifesaving Association.

While everyone had met in Guayaquil after their flights and would be travelling together to Manta, I arrived by myself to the one hotel I knew would be housing some of us in the small beach community of Crucita. There I was greeted by one of the Davids who owned the adorable hotel. They called one of the city offices and while I was confused having no idea of where the rest of the team was Jorge Tapia came by to meet me and show me the beach where I would be working. Jorge was in charge of all of the volunteer lifeguards that would be working in Crucita during Carnaval which included local volunteers, the Fire Department, Red Cross and Civil Defense. All groups that would be working together to keep the beach safe during the holiday. Jorge was doing an amazing work of organizing all of the necessary preparations before Carnaval which included installing flags and painting lifeguard towers. And he was doing all of it without receiving any type of pay, all because he wanted the people to be safe swimming in the ocean.

After meeting Jorge he took me around town, explained who I would be working with and introduced me to my first Ceviche at his parent´s restaurant. It was delicious and I am now the biggest fan of Ceviche, as we ate and talked we waited for the rest of team from Project Ecuador to arrive in Crucita. A few hours later I had the pleasure of meeting Paul, Kerry and Mike all whom I would be working with and we discussed the next day´s training over a delicous dinner.

First meeting and planning for Carnaval

Breakfast at Jorge´s parents restaurant befor training

The Civil Defense Volunteers

Party bus arriving for Carnaval

Exploring Crucita

We began training by having a group meeting, explaining the goals of the project and what we would be doing during Carnaval. Everyone was very enthusiastic to work together and learn from each other. We talked about rescue and lifesaving techniques, did a few tests, drill and training in a hotel pool and then moved on to the beach for rescue training and to talk about strategies that would be used for Carnaval.

Using my Spanish skills in Beach training

Running drills

Loving it!

More teaching and training

The Crucita crew with new uniforms and equipment after training

Kerry , Mike, Paul, Jorge and I

Tower 2 during Carnaval. Where I was kindly served more delicious Ceviche for lunch

The first day of Carnaval in Crucita went smoothly and thankfully water conditions were on our side. Very successful beginning of Carnaval. And because it was Carnaval you can´t waork too hard and you must have a little fun, so we went out to celebrate with the locals and win a lot of foam fights!

You haven´t seen the competition, they looked much worse

Gaby- director of the project in Ecuador, Michelle from San Diego and I

Amazingly delicious dinner provided by Rey David after a hard day of work

The view of Crucita from the hill

It was decided that Crucita was doing well, with enough guards and training was successful so we would move to Manta, a much busier beach to support the other lifeguards who were working there.

Manta

The Fire Station where we slept

Post Carnaval celebrations with the crew

More foam for Macos´ birthday

Paul and the Mayor at the Town Hall meeting reviewing how Carvnaval went

The team with the Fire Chief and Hugo a Manta lifeguard

Last delicious seafood feast!

Working with Project Ecuador was absolutely incredible and I could not have asked for a better experience. It was great to see that we were helping and people were very happy to have us there. I was also very grateful to the amazing hospitality that I received from the whole city of Crucita, Rey David and especially Jorge. I cannot wait to come back next year, see the project grow and visit my new friends who I had an amazing time in Ecuador with.

For more information and photos from the Project please visit the official website at:

http://www.ecuadorlifeguards.org

Quito y la Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador

2010-04-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

View of historical Quito during breakfast.

The airport security in Medellin was one of the most intense I have ever had, in addition to everyhting that they do in the United States they also had to open my checked bag and searched through it before I could chek in. I wanted to cry, my bag is huge and carefully packed, things are strategically placed and the last thing I wnated was to open my bag on top of that table. Well the security officer opened my bag, took things out, cheked inside purses and zippers and I had to laugh at his face when he attempted to put it all back in by pushing. I showed him that I had to roll all of my clothes again, and carefully place things in their designated spaces. It was hell. Trust me, my least favorite part of my trip is packing my bag, I have somehow accumulated so many things that I don´t understand how it is still closing, and I would understand if they actually did an accurate check, but it is all for show, they did not check side pockets or the tent bag hanging from the bottom. This was the one flight since the beginning of my trip and even though planes can be more comfortable and faster I love buses and how easy it is to place your bag underneath get on and start your trip.

Arriving in Quito I knew I had very little time to spend in the city and the next day would have to be jam packed if I wanted to be on the bus on my way to the beach and seeing the city. I had an amazing time in Central America which cut out some of my time in Colombia and Quito since I was planning on being in Manta to volunteer for Carnaval. I made my plans, went to bed and the next morning took of on the city journey. My first stop was the Artisan Market where I met Pepe and from then on we became inseparable. Next stop was Mitad del Mundo Monument which marks the Equator and divided the world in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Pepe at Mitad Del Mundo

Standing on both Northern and Southern hemisphere at the same time

Mitad del Mundo

Pimpin´

Old town Quito

Look what I found!

After Mitad del Mundo I walkeda round the old town, visited churches and monuments and went back to The Secret Garden hostel where I had a delicious dinner, a few glasses of wine and played trivia waiting for time to pass before I had to catch my 10 hour night bus to Manta where I would meet the other lifeguards and volunteer for Project Ecuador.

Panama a Colombia via San Blás

2010-04-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

On my way to Colombia I decided to takea trip that I had heard about way before I left home. It is nearly impossible and very dangerous to cross the Darien Gap by land so the only options are flying or taking a boat. I decided that I would take the boat and booked a 16 person catamaran with Ayako, some of her friends and other people who would soon be our new friends. I had heard horror stories about these trips of boats bveing lost at sea, the trip taking more days, people running out of water, so I was very nervous when I woke up at 4 am and left Panama City in a SUV heading towards the jungle in a rainy and crazy road that made me stop the driver thinking I was going to puke. After the horrible ride I arrived at a small port, with my snacks and extra waters just in case. There I had to pretend that I was only taking a boat around San Blás becuase for some reason, even though everyone knows it´s happening crossing in these commercial boats isn´t exactly legal. Trust me I was confused too. Everyone else was coming from a different hostel in different transport, so I waited alone until I was told to hop in on a small boat that would take me to my boat where the captain was waiting. Jean Pierre was our french captain that did not enjoy doing these trips, but if he did a few a year he did not have to do anything else and they would pay for his boat maintenance. He also explained to me that he was the only captain with a millionaire sailor who just worked on his boat because he loved it and wanted to learn. I can´t quite believe that, but it does not realllly matter. As I waited for the rest of the crew to arrive I met another captain from Spain who would be sialing his boat with us and we would be making the nightly stops together.

About an hour later smalled boats with the rest of our crew began to arrive including a boat with a motorcycle that would make the trip with us. We met each other, I collected the money and passports for the captain and helped translate the rules of the boats for those that did not speak Spanish. Beers were opened and we began our wonderful trip sailing through the seas towards San Blás Archipelago.

One of the small islands we anchored to spend the night

Eating the delicious and fresh lobsters we bought from the Kunas

We spent our days swimming, tanning, drinking and getting coconuts from the islands that we drank, ate and later made into drinking cups for our nightly parties.

Our first night party where we anchored at an island, and had a huge bonfire and dinner with the other boast and partied on our own private island in paradise. It felt like we had our own small colony and the island was ours.

The Djs for the night

You put the rum in the coconut...

Our private Dingy party

Gorup shot of our boat

During the days if we were not sailing with dolphins that would hang around our boat in huge pods for about twenty minutes or more, flipping around playing and loving life, tanning, eating, playing dominos, sleeping, listening to music, we would get off the boat and go explore neighboring islands. On the way there I was lucky to see several starfish, a spotted rays and many different fish. I was really in paradise.

The Kuna people who are indigenous people from Panama selling us some of their handicraft

After sailing through the islands we had a full day of 11 hours of sailing to get to Sapzurro, our first night in Colombian waters. That night the girls got a ride with the Spanish captain and the millionaire deckhand to go dance the Rumba at a small bar in the island full of welcoming locals while the boys stole the dingy and roped it to shore to walk around and meet us. There we dranka few beers danced the rumba and had to swim back to the boat celebrating our first great night in Colombia.

The group after getting our passports stamped waiting for our final boat to take us to Turbo

nn

After parting with everyone, making plans to meet some later I got on a bus and headed to Medellin where I stayed at the Pitt Stop and met up with Rosie and Fil one more time during my trip, long time since Christmas in Nicaragua and my second week of the trip in Isla Mujeres.

With Fil and Rosie I explored the beautiful and really developed city of Medellin and even went on a Pablo Escobar tour, the man who made Medellin famous.

Pablo´s grave

Last dinner together before being alone for the first time in a while, flying to Ecuador and getting ready to volunteer.

Panama City, Panama

2010-04-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

At the Panama Canal

After a really long bus ride from Bocas I finally arrived in Panama City and went to Zuly´s hostel where the boys had been for a while trying to import Utah into Panama so that they could sell the car and leave the country. Sean and Jordan has plans of spending Carnaval in Brasil and Danny was planning on going to Colombia.

I ended up being in Panam City a little bit longer than I had planned but it was worth the wait and I was able to figure out my boat transportation and book an amazing catamaran with Ayako and her friends. It was in Panama City that I went to a casino and played blackjack for the first time and had a really fun time making $20. I do not like gambling, but going with a group of people from the hostel and having a table full, cheering everytime someone won was a lot of fun. While in Panam City I also visited the main tourist attraction; the Panama Canal and was able to see a few ships going through. It is very crazy how they lift and lower the ships, how important it is for global economy and how many huge ships cross the canal a day.

Panama City is very developed and the waterfront is very beautiful with lots of room to run and exercise. It also has gigantic shopping malls and is very different than the other Central American capitals.

Other than that I waited, explored the old part of the city and helped the guys sell the van, which they did at the end to a Brazilian guy traveling with a friend from Argentina. It all worked out great and the boys were finally free to go. Jordan and Sean were the first to leave, then I left the next morning and Danny later decided to take a bus to Costa and fly home to Australia. It was the final good-bye, I would no longer see my traveling buddies, but it wasn´t just to the that I was saying bye, it was also the time to leave Central America and to remember all of the amazing times I had and to look forward to all of the wonders that South America had waiting for me.

(unfortunately all of my pictures from Panama City were accidently sent home and won´t be able to be published them till way later )

Bocas del Toro, Panama

2010-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Our van ride to the border between Costa Rica and Panama was a breeze and we were all very excited to be travelling together to a place that wa had heard was beautiful. At the border we came accross a small problem. Moana did not have her passport and they did not want to let her through. We had asked before and were told by many people that if you were a citizen of Costa Rica you only needed an ID to cross the border and visit Bocas, but when we got to the border we were told otherwise, that the ID was only for people of a certain area going to another area closer to the border. All we needed was a paper to be signed, but the man refused to help us. It was the end of the trip before it began.

We told the van driver what was happening and what would be Moana´s options. He told us to go and get our stamps and told her to cross hte border. If you have ever crossed a land border in Latin America you would know that most have no security and you can walk back and forth without any worries. You have to walk into an office to get a stamp, but if you didn´t want one, it is easy to just across across to a new country. So while we were getting our stamps the driver directed Moana to cross and wait for us in the van. The thought was that if anything happened she had her Costa Rica ID and they would send her back to Costa. We got our passports stamped, crossed the bridge, got them stamped again and went to the van where Moana was nervously waiting. All the passenger got in the van and as we are about to leave, our new driver gets a call on his cell phone from the man at immigration on the Costa Rica side and tells him he knows Moana is there. The driver yells at the other driver for not telling him, tells Moana to get off and explains to us that if we had just crossed and not talked to the man at immigration, things would have been fine, but he knew that she could not cross and figured out what we had done. He said there was nothing he could do to help now and we had to say our quick goodbyes and leave Moana at the border with the other driver who would help her. It was one of the scariest moments in my life being in the van with Keone and leaving Moana behind, but we knew she could take a bus back and with no passport there was nothing we could do.

At the boat without Moana

Once we got to Bocas Keone and I went to a hostel, got a room and checked the internet for news from Moana, to know if she had tried to cross again, if she was coming, if she was back in Puerto Viejo, but we had no news and we were worried, so we decided to walk around Bocas and get ourselves some food to cook dinner.

Bocas is a group of islands that can be reached by small taxi boats, a lot of the houses by the water have decks and it is a very beautiful place with a strong personality. Many people out in the streets, children playing evrerywhere.

View from our bedroom window

Still freaking out about Moana

The next morning we decided to go surf at Careneros to take our mind off Moana and in hope that when we got back we would have received news of where she was. In order to go surfing at this spot which was in a different island on the other side we took a boat that we paid a few dollars to drop us off there. We had no idea we would be dropped off in the middle of the ocean. So Keone got dropped off there and I was taken to a deck around the island and had to walk through the beach, then a swamp full of crabs to get to the tiny deserted beach by the point. In order to get to the waves I had to carefully pass trhough the reef trying not to cut my feet and step on the many sea urchins. I finaly got to the waves where Keone had been and was ready to attemp to surf on his very small board.

On the way back out Keone and I had to go through the reef where we got a few cuts on our feet and when pushed through the coral by a wave I got a really nasty rash on my leg that would take a few days to go away. The good news was that when we got back to the hostel we had news from Moana, she had taken the bus back to Puerto, had been fine there and her friend was sending her passport with a bus so that she could come meet us in a few days!

After Moana arrived we continued to explore the islands and drop off Keone in surf spots. One of the best days was when we got dropped off at a different island and had to hike through muddy jungle to get to an amazing beach on the other side with a very strong ocean and amazing sand.

Moana got caught trying to cross the border

Staying at a hostel with a kitchen was great and we made lots of friends to cook with. We bought fish from a man who had an unmarked market at the back of his house and cooked several different dishes that were very successful amongst the lucky ones who got to taste them. This special night we had fish tacos with a delicious sauce that Moana and I made from scratch.... so good!

Bike riding around the island

Keone was the coolest kid in the hostel, no one could believe he was 14 and hanging out with all of us

On our way to Playa del Draco

Exploring the other side of the island

Thousands of Starfish

Our muddy hike to the other side of another island

Bocas was really beautiful and I was very lucky to share an amazing time with Moana and Keone. I miss them already and cannot wait to have more adventures. After a delicious pizza lunch I said goodbye to the two and waited to take my boat to where I would catch a very long bus ride to Panama City.

Primos en Costa Rica

2010-03-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

The van left headed south and I was dropped off at Aldo and Mar´s house where Keone was staying. It is a beautiful bamboo and wood house built by themsleves that is open and free. There is a huge plantation of Aloe Vera on the outside and it felt like I was in a peaceful paradise. While we waited for Moana to come into town Keone and I explored the town with long bicycle rides and lots of snacking, listening to music and playing cards.

Keone hiding his face after one of our many buraco games.

Aldo, Keone and I going surfing

The beach was all ours and the waves were great!

Tired after the shesh

Making the most delicious banana cake ever!

Coco, Aldo and Mar´s daughter

After dyas of cooking, playing cards, going to the beach, bike riding and just hanging out with the family we decided that we would all go to Bocas del Toro, Panam and spend some more time together on te road. I was really happy to have experienced Puerto Viejo in a more local way and also to have my cousins accompanying me on the next leg of my journey.

Sloth Paradise- Puerto Viejo , Costa Rica

2010-03-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dying to get away from the cold we left Monte Verde and headed towards the Caribbean coast. On our way we stopped in San Jose where we dropped off Sean, Jordan and Connie who decided to head north to the jungle and we headed south towards Cahuita. Cahuita is a small beachside town dominated by the caribbean culture, marijuana and lots of Reggae, so one could assume that I would love the vibe of the place, but in reality it was very strange, we drove around a bit confused finding people that had done way too many drugs, but decided to stay the night anyways. We stayed at a beachfront building at the top floor which was a rundown penthouse with no really separation for the bathroom and just a very weird arrangement, but with a gorgeous view. The next morning the boys left early to surf, didn´t find anything too impressive, so we had some fish sandwiches for lunch and decided to head to Puerto Viejo, a place I had been waiting for years to visit.

On our way there we passed by a sloth sanctuary and decided we would have to stop and check out these almost mythical animals that live their lives high. At the sanctuary we found out it would cost us $20 each to see the sloths and decided it was time to forget about it when Nath told us he knew where the sloths were and snuck around to take a pick at these adorable animals.

After the our sloth time we headed to Puerto to find a place to stay. We decided to stay at Iguana´s which had nice cabins in a shady beach front property with a great kitchen where we ate most of our meals and where Nath cooked delicious veggie Thai curry 3 nights in a row that made us sweat like crazy. The next week was very mellow and we hung out around town, went to the beach and tried to go out at night although we could never find a place where most of the people were and althoug you saw people in the streets all day the nightlife was a bit strange. I was absolutely loving the Reggae vibe of the place and the nightly live music that could be found in different bars.

I had been wondering for years what Puerto Viejo would be like since my aunt and uncle had lived there years ago and my cousin Moana was born there. It really is a lovely beautiful place that has not become too developed and still holds a natural charm. And the nature still surrounds the place, the amazing greens and tress to the beautiful beach and great waves. It is a hard place to figure out but it is enchanting and an amzing place to relax for a while. One of my favorite days there was when we rented bikes and headed south towards Punta Uva for an awesome day of bike riding, loving life and enjoying ourselves under the sun.

Nath attacking us with his plain chips ninja stars

Happy hour at Iguana´s kitchen Pinneaple and Mint Cocktails

After a delicious Curry dinner

Party Time!

Upon returning home and buying snacks we found a sloth hanging on to a bike rack. Pretty great wildlife sighting

The whole group back together playing games at Hotel Puerto Viejo

Great live Reggae

Playing a bit of B-ball as we dropped off Lauren and Nath at the bus station

final wild sloth sighting

Puerto Viejo was sadly the last place where our group was together and were we all said goodbye. Lauren and Nath were back on a bus heading to San Jose to take a flight to Mexico. Jordan, Sean, Connie, Danny and I had our last night together before they left to Bocas del Toro and I stayed behind to meet up with Keone and wait for Moana and spend another great week in the strange town of Puerto Viejo.

Monte Verde, Costa Rica

2010-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Monte Verde began with finding out exactly where that was and how we would get there. Using again a very basic map we guessed roads aksed for directions and arrived at a very long line of cars waiting for the ferry to cross over from the peninsula to the mainland. There were no other options and hundreds of cars ahead of us so we parked Utah and went to find some street food and hide from the incredible heat as we waited for the ferry that would be ours. This reminded me a lot of the line for the ferry trying to get to Ilha Bela during a holiday. Finally we got on the ferry and hung out drinking passion fruit shaved icees for the next hour before heading to the other side.

Once on the mainland we again had to find ourselves and how we would get to Monte Verde, we found the main highway and on our way we were stopped by a police checkpoint. Of course they would pull over the old white van with California license plates filled with gringos. The plan was the same the boys normally used, pretend you don´t speak any spanish ( easy for them) and they usually pass by with no major problems. Well that did not happen this time. According to the police and the document we recieved at the border only the people in that document were allowed to drive the car. We had filled out the paper with Jordan and Danny´s name but had left Sean´s name out because we did not know they all needed to be listed since all of their 3 names were listed on the ownership of the car and they all had driver´s licenses to be driving in Costa. Really terrible mistake, according to that paper if a person who´s name was not on the paper was not driving the car they would need to tow the van, and in addition to that we had 7 people in the vehicle instead of the 5 allowed. We realized that we were not getting anywhere, there was a toe truck waiting for us and the police wanted our bags out of the car. It was time for Pedro and I to use our Spanish and attempt to come to some sort of agreement. I spoke to one of the cops while Pedro spoke to the other one. I explained that we didnt know, that Sean´s name was in the other paper, that we had all our bags, we would be stranded, we had to keep going, and asked if there was any other way we could solve this that would not involve the car being towed. He explained that he had to tow it and we would have to go get it from immigrationa and pay 500 dollars and deal with it there. e asked for Sean´s documents and in his little machine began to type his information. I asked again if there was anything he could do and he stopped typing and went to speak to the cop that Pedro had been dealing with. He came back and said that he talked to his friend and that maybe there was a way that would be easier on everyone. He made Sean promise not to drive in the country again and kept referring to how this was a really big favor he was doing, we should take into consideration his help, that he could not ask for anything but that if the car was towed we would have to pay $500 for us to think about his kindness and how to repay that. At taht point we realized that we were off the hook and the work of Pedro and I talking to the cops had gotten us somehwere. We went back to the van explained the situation and talked about how much we would give the cops for letting us go. We handed over $30, thanked them, said Sean would not drive in Costa Rica and got on the road towards Monte Verde.

I was pretty nervous during that whole time, I don´t like talking to cops, and nothing like that had happened to me before, but thankfully things worked out how we thought, we would pay them and leave. The little fiasco took some time away from our drive and we had to find out way to Monte Verde during the night through small roads, many with no clear signs and having to ask a lot of directions. We finally arrived, it was the middle of the mountain, dark and cold. We booked our trip for the next day and went to bed very excited to fly through the canopys.

Getting our gear on

Flying high through the valleys and the amazing forrest was so beautiful, exciting and a lot of fun. The best part was the last run that was very long and we were attached from our backs with our legas up as if we were actually flying. It was absolutely incredible and scary and I could not have asked for a better experience. At the end of the day we got to the hostel and had to drop off Pedro at the bus station where he caught a bus to San Jose and spent the night there waiting for his flight the next day. Back to school for Pedro after a great winter break!

Año Nuevo, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

2010-03-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

We decided after coming back from Popoyo that we should go straight to Costa Rica if we wanted to be there for New Year´s Eve. We picked up our bags, dropped off Ayako and went towards the border beacuse we wanted to cross before dark. When we got to the border we used the same strategy the boys had been using to get the van across the border, use the help of local teenagers to fill out all of the paper work. These kids know how the business is done and get the work done in half the time. As they were getting stamps and papers filled we decided to take a break in the van, hit the duty free and buy some chocolate and wine which we enjoyed during one of the most fun border crossings I have ever had. We then got our passports stamped, got back in the van, paid the boys and were off to Costa Rica.

Our first night in Costa Rica was spent in Tamarindo in the Peninsula of Nicoya. We were all very surprised by how developed this part of Costa Rica was and even scared that the rest of Costa would look like that. There are several shops and restaurants and a feeling that the United States had somehow influenced this area of the world. Still the beaches there were beautiful and we spent the night there at one of the many hostels and part of the next morning enjopying our first full day in Costa.

Surf

Morning Beach time over, belly full of smoothies we left on a crazy drive with no maps, asking questions, changing directions many times, and trying to avoid small dirt roads on our way to Santa Teresa. We had no idea that ou destination choice was such a prime spot for New Year´s Eve ad arriving there at 11pm on the 30th with 7 people looking for accomodation was not the best idea. We drove the van through the main street, dropping people off to ask about space and started to panic when there were no rooms available. We thought about splittingup the group and other options when we finally found a hostal at the end of the road that had enough room for the 7 of us and a nice parking spot for Utah.

Morning of the 31st we all went to a beach further south from Santa Teresa and spent the day enjoying the amazing weather and good surf. At night we all splurged on a nice Sushi dinner that we had all been craving and celebrated together the last night of the year in a beautiful place. After dinner we met up with other friends and went to the beach where lots of young people were gathered and where the beachfront bars were packed with people partying the end of the year.

Where do we go now???

After a great New Year´s celebration that like most new year´s celebrations was a bit too hyped up for what reality really was we spent a few more days enjoying the beach and sunshine in Santa Teresa before deciding to cross onto the mainland and continue our Costa Rican adventure.

The Family at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

2010-03-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Our group of friends randomly decided based on what where wanted to be and timing and who we wanted to be with that San Juan Del Sur was the perfect place to spend Christmas. So after separating in Antigua, taking a few different routes and recruiting new member to our traveling family, we finally made it to our final destination...

In San Juan we rented out a place and pretty much took over since there were twelve of us and it became our own little home. For the next few days we would take trips to beaches around San Juan, go surfing, tanning, skimboarding,beach soccer matches and lots of partying in the few bars around town. This was a nice time where we stayed in one place for a while, met new people and were also able to hang out and spend more time with each other.

Lauren, Ayako and I at Rebecca´s Inn, which we dominated and turned into our own cozy home.

Part of the group on top of a bus on our first night out in San Juan.

Pedro and Nath

Way too excited

Some crazy dance I know nothing about

Another dance

Blue Steel

Maderas, one of the beautiful beaches we visited to go surfing and have delicious fruit smoothies.

The ride back

Loving life

My cute rental borad that I loved at Yankees in Nicaragua

After a few days of beach, surfing, smoothies, fish and chips the crew was complete and all 12 of us after meeting, splitting up and recruiting new members were finally reunited and ready for our delicious and exciting Christmas. I think this was a very special time for all of us. Most had been travelling for a while, missing their family and for a few this would be their first Christmas away from home. It was the time where evryone got together, helped with planning, decorating, shopping and it all came together pèrfectly. Thanks to Nath who cooked most of the food and everyone else that helped it was an amazing dinner and a beautiful christmas we people we loved that made us all feel a little bit less homesick.

Nath and Danny with the Christmas Piñata

Christmas joy

Pre-Christmas sunset drinks on the beach front

All of us with our secret santa gifts

Dinner time with delicious food cooked by Nath

Santa Nath giving out candy to the children

Doing dishes

Headbutting the Santa Piñata

Looks like a miss

Nath is the winner!!!

Going out Christmas night

After our farewell to Tom and Becks in the van on our way to Popoyo where we would stay in a beachfront beautiful house for the next few days.

Maderas

Popoyo

Offshore winds at Popoyo

Our palace

Beachfront Heaven

Last group picture before leaving to spend New Years in Costa Rica

Bye Ayako and Ambi!

Granada, Nicaragua

2010-03-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

After spending a scary and lonely night in Managua, I took a cab early morning to pick up Pedro at the airport. I went hours earlier to the airport because I did not want to be in the dodgy neighborhood I had spent the night. His flight was super late, but during that time I recruited a following of little children who sat around me watching me make bracelets sitting on the airport floor. I gave all of the ones I had made away and Pedro arrived to participate in my adventure. We negotiated a ride and went straight to Granada and to the great Bearded Monkey hostel, with a beautiful indoor garden pation, hammocks and a bar.

Pedro and I were starving so we walked around the town and decided to eat at a small restaurant with tables on a park. There we tried a typical dish of mashed Yucca with a type of cole slaw and and some pork for Pe, it was very different with an interesting taste, but I really enjoyed and have since really enjoyed eating yucca.

At the hostel we ran into Tom, Becks and Ayako who I met briefly in Antigua, and together we got a crew to go on a little tour of Lago de Nicaragua which has hundreds of islands. Party boat time.

You have to pay just to look

One of the islands we floated around was filled with monkeys

One of them decided to come on the boat and greet us

Pedro, Ayako and I swimming in the lake during our lunch.

Delicious Lunch!!!!

Love it!

Another visit, this time we had food

After our great day on the lake we went back to the hostel to rest and there we ran into Lauren and Nath, who I had plans to spend christmas with in San Juan. We all decided to get together and have a night out.

Tom and Ayako

Nath and I

Lozza and Nath

After a really interesting dinner at a restaurant in a not so good area, with dirt floors and expensive food, but with the advantage that you could buy a whole bottle of Flor de Caña rum and have it served on your table, which got us all a little bit too excited, I went to bed dead and in the next morning we all got together and decided it was time we headed to the beach since we were all aching for a bit of sun and salt water in our bodies and were waiting anxiously to celebrate our wonderful christmas with 3 new guests in San Juan.

Antigua, Guatemala

2010-03-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Antigua Guatemala is a beautiful city surrounded by volcanoes, with cobble streets and colorful buildings. It is also a city I could stay for a really long time. There are restaurants and cafes, the people are really nice and it was a city between places where I had a lot of fun. I was in Antigua before Semuc Champey, but the time I spent after with my new friends was amazing.

One of the volcanoes around the city

Music in the streets

The Devil at Buring of the Devil

There is a festival in all of Guatemala called Burning of the Devil, and I was in Antigua that night and went with a group of friends I had made at the hostel. The festival consists of Devil statues being burned at the end of the day, with music, beer tents and lots of street food vendors. It was packed and people were dancing in the streets and surprisingly the festival started on time and by the time we got there, 10 minutes late the Devil was already burning. When the Devil was almost gone, a crazy man with fire works attached to a wodden structure he was wearing came running into the street with fireworks shooting everywhere and people running in all directions. It was hilarious and pretty scary at the same time. I later had a corn and some bean with cheese tostada from the street vendors and after went out with my friends from the hostel.

Being burned

Crazy man with fireworks attached to him running around town

One of my new friends at the hostel was Aylon, who is Israeli and was travelling trough Central America after serving in the army. We were in Antigua during Chanukah and Lauren and I decided we would have a little party celebration with jelly doughnuts included. It was a beautiful celebration with lots of singing, eating and later some delicious Ron Zacappa accompanied by our new favorite game mushroom of death ( king´s cup with some interesting additions).

Our dinner for a Chanukah

Aylon lighting the candles and singing

Mushroom of death

Jordan, Nath and I

Aylon and I

Danny with his prize from the Air Guitar contest

The group in front of Black Cat Hostel

After one of the many party nigths we had in Antigua I decided to partake in one of the most popular activities around town, hike up Pacaya, the active volcano near the city. It was an amazing climb, through hills, trees and finally up the volcano with all of its loose hard lava that every three steps up you slide on back and feel like you are hiking up a sand dune. As you get to the top you can feel the heat of the lava, it was a really intense feeling being so close to lava, stepping on hard lava that was still hot, feeling the heat and at some times I was actually scared of being too close and had to move away. It is with experiences like this that I think about all of the rules and regulations that the U.S. has and how many things we are being kept away from and how many different emotions we dont experience because of so many rules. Watching the lava slowly flow, the sunset on top of the volcano, and finally the glowing lava down the mountain after dark was incredible and unforgettable.

Lava flow at Pacaya

The view from the top

More lava

Marshmallows

Although we all were having an amazing time in Antigua it was time to move on again. Lauren, Nate, Danny, Jordan, Sean, Connie and I pulled names out of a hat for our secret santa, made plans to meet again in San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua and parted ways. I got on a bus that would cross through El Salvador and drop me off in Managua to meet my first visitor: Pedro!!

Nuevos Amigos y Semuc Champey, Guatemala

2010-03-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

After leaving Panajachel and the lake I went to Antigua Guatemala, which is a beautiful colorful city surrounded by volcanoes. When I arrived there I ran into Jonny and Claudine who I had met during the volcano climb in Xela. The next day I was in a van with Jonny and the two Australians Danny and Sean, on our way to Lankin and Semuc Champey. It was an intense drive, with no driving map of Guatemala, only a small portion left over from the Mexico driving maps, there was a lot of asking for direction, stopping in little towns and pretty much taking the one road that passed by every small village as well as Guatemala City on the way there. Danny and Sean had been driving the van since California and surfing theis way down trhough Mexico and now Central America.

Danny with his bean paste on one of our food stops

We thought it was going to be a five hour drive, that later turned into 8 hrs and a great part of it was in a small windy dirt road, which we approached a it got dark. Johny Utah (the great white van) gave us a few scares on the way, one of them consiting of Sean screaming ¨I have no brakes, I can´t stop¨ while driving downhill in the small road on our way to Lankin. For a few minutes we were all holding on and freaking out with Sean deciding that the only way we could stop is if we run the car into a wall so that we won´t lose control and fall of the cliff. Thankfully we were able to stop when an uphill came and we all rested for a bit, thinking of our next plan and letting the brakes cool. It was dark, we were tired and just wanted to arrive so we got back in the car and with little brakes were able to arrive at the lodge, where Utah decides to fall into a deep sleep and not turn back on. So we had to push him into his parking spot.

Utah being checked out by some very difficult to find and convince to work mechanics.

Sean, worried and waiting...

After two days of looking for mechanics, having electrical mechanics from other towns come into Lankin to check out Utah, different diagnosis, the help of a local expat, many money negotiations, trips to the bank, and hammock time while waiting, a minor problem was found, Utah was fixed (sorta) and we began our fun

We signed up for a tour of caves and Semuc Champey through the place we were staying and the next day all of us and other people hopped in the back of a pick-up and drove the first adventure of the day: Caves. Before getting into the caves we all stripped down to our bathing suits and tied our flip-flops to our feet. Each grabbed a candle and followed the guide to one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. Our candles were lit and with water up to our waist we began to explore the dark caves filled with bats over our heads. As a group we climbed rocks with waterfalls splashing on us, swam holding candles in our mouths and jumped into small dark holes not knowing where we would end up. After the caves we had some fun with a giant swing that would drop us in the river, explored waterfalls, jumped off some small cliffs and then went to a small hike to explore Semuc Champey and swim in the beautiful lagoons.

El Grupo

Floating down the river

Crazy hole we jumped into in the cave

Semuc Champey view from the mirador

Semuc Chmapey lagoons

Semuc Champey is where my van trip with the Aussies began and also where we met Lauren and Nath who were staying in the cabaña above us. After a few hours of talking we had made friends for life who we would travel with for the rest of Central America.

Maximon, spirituality and fun at the Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala

2010-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Panajachel, the main town where most people go to begin exploring Lake Atitlan and was relieved to have had a safe ride, since the day before a bus had been robbed which later turned into the people burning down the jail and cop cars to get their hands on the criminals. The main part of town is basically one street that starts on a main street and ends at the docks by the lake. The street is full of stores selling all kinds of Guatemalan products from colorful pants, bracelets, purses and even more colorful paintings. There are also many restaurants, hotels and internet cafes. As I am walking down to street to try and find the hostel where I would be staying I am surprised once again by Eve who was having breakfast with some friends. I knew she would be there, but still had no idea of how I was going to find her, and once again things worked out perfectly. I sat with them as they finished breakfast and then dropped of my bag where they were staying.

We decided to take a tour of the lake. It is a beautiful crater lake
surrounded by volcanoes and you can visit different towns across the
lake. We talked with some locals who owned a boat and agreed on a
price to visit two different communities San Pedro de la Laguna and
Santiago de Atitlan, both Mayan villages.

The group getting ready for the boat ride

Lago de Atitlan

Some of the weavers at one of the Villages

The Lake

Our awesome guide who taught us all about the mass killing of people in a plaza in 1990 and how because of it there was no longer an army allowed in those villages. Because of that we were safe since people took the laws in their own hands, and we were told we would not be robbed, since the locals would lynch the criminal.

At the docks of Santiago de Atitlan we met the guide who would take us to see Maximon. Maximon is a saint that is taken care of by one person in the village. That person is in charge of housing the saint, watching it, putting it to bed at night and receiving visits. Every year Maximon is moved to a new house which will then take the responsibilities of taking care of the saint. There are several parties held for Maximon during the year and we missed one by two days when we arrived at the island. Our guide then led us to a local´s home where the saint was being held and as we walked in there was a ceremony happening with prayers, lit candles and incense. We eatched the ceremony and gave the saint some of his favorite gifts, cigars and rum. The person in charge of Maximon leaned the wooden statue back and poured the rum into his mouth, he then put a cigarrete in his mouth, lit if and left the saint there to smoke in peace. It was an incredible experience to see this wooden figure, with several colored ties around his neck, smoking cigarretes while people were praying around him. It is interesting seeing the mixture of catholicism and mayan religion in these communities.

San Pedro de la Laguna

Back in Panajachel for a goodbye street dinner of delicious Guatemalan food

Once Eve and her friends left I walked around Panajachel and met a few artisans who were selling their work on the streets. I bought my favorite earring and asked them to teach me how to make bracelets. I was instantly hooked and that afternoon I left to the market to buy thread and by the end of the day had met other artisans who taught me a few different ways to make bracelets. I then decided to spend a few more days in San Pedro and visit the spiritual island of San Marcos.

Ruben, Maxi and another friend...

Dock at San Marcos

San Marcos was a beautiful island, very calm relaxing where we had fresh squeezed juice on the decks and watched as children fished and boats came and went. At San Marcos there are a lot of spiritual places for Yoga and other types of retreats and for some random reason I had a feeling that I needed to have my cards read. I ahve always been afraid of Tarot, not knowing what my future would hold and scared of what the cards would tell me, but being there I felt like it was the moment in my trip and my life where a little bit of guidance my be a good help. So I went to one of the spiritual centers and was welcomed into a small wooden cabin in the middle of trees, where a man dressed in white welcomed me and asked me to sit. I am not sure how long I was on that cabin for, but it felt like a lifetime and the incredible energy of that experience still flows through me. I laughed and cried, heard an unknown man speak so many deep truths about myself and finally left satisfies, content with life and with a new view of Tarot cards. It was one of the most honest and open moments I have ever had in my entire life and I was happy to have left my fears behind and open my heart to the experience. San Marcos is a place I would love to return with more time, to take part in the full moon retreat and spend some time working on my spirituality, and if I do, my mom is coming with.

After San Marcos and one last night in San Pedro I went back to Panajachel to take the bus that would take me to Antigua. I went to the internet to check on my e-mail and waste some time before I left. As I was chatting online I heard a lot of people screaming outside and when I looked people were running down the street like crazy, the stores began to close and in less than one minute the metal door to the internet cafe closed. I was locked inside, not knowing what was happening on the outside, just hearing loud shouts and noises and waiting to see what would happen. I think about 40 minutes must have passed with all of us inside, confused and scared before the doors were openened and we were alowed out. As I walked down the street it was deserted, most stores and restaurants were still closed and I walked around confused. I found out I would have to spend another night in Pana and wait for the bus the next day because the streets had been closed. I run into Ruben who explains that 2 women and one man were trying to rob an old lady, people found out what was happening and chased them. The women were taken to jail and a mob of people followed them because they don´t believe in the justice given by the police and know they will be set free the next day. The man was caught by the mobbed and killed with two machete hits to the head, there was blood everywhere and after he hit the floor people continued to hit him and wanted to burn him, but the police came in time to stop them. Police vehicles were overturned but at the end peace was restored and the body taken away. It was a scary experience being locked inside, but I can imagine how crazy it must have been on the outside watching Guatemalans taking justice into their own hands.

Riot smoke found on the floor after the mob attack

El poder de los volcanes in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

2010-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

My first border experience came after an 18 hour bus ride from Puerto Escondido to the town of Tapachula. I stepped off the bus and took one of the screaming colectivos (small vans used from public transportation) to the border city of Hildago, my last Mexican town, where a small boy offered to be my guide. It was very early in the morning and I could see all of the tents being set up on the street that leads to the border and money changers busy hassling people trying to get to the other side. Knowing this would not be the best exchange rate, but at this moment my only choice, I exchange my leftover Mexican Pesos into dirty bills of Guatemalan Quetzales and follow my tiny guide towards the end of the road.

The border crossing was incredibly easy and a relief , since I had been nervous about this moment for quite a long time. At the Mexican side I handed over my passport and received my exit stamp, then went over the border where many other tiny boys offered their help and asked for any coins I was not able to exchange. As I walk across I ask them why they are not in school at that time, and as a response I get a laugh and a ´vacaciones´, which leaves me a little more relaxed. On the Guatemalan side my tiny guide leads me to an office where I receive my entry stamp, pay his dues with some leftover pesos and continue on to find a colectivo.

This is the point in my trip where I really began to trust strangers and get out of my mind the thought that everyone out there is out to get you. Most people I have met on the trip have gone out of their way to try and help and a little faith on the human race goes a long way. I had done my research and knew I could find a bus to Quetzaltenango but at this moment I had no idea how. One of the colectivos asked me where I was going, I told them ´Xela´ ( the name locally used for Quetzaltenango) and he invited me to jump in and go to another city where a bus would be waiting. Not having another choice I jumped in and 20 minutes later was dropped off in the middle of a street where bus drivers are screaming the names of different destinations and the brightly colored school buses are getting filled with people. One of the driver instructs me that I need to get on the bus to San Marcos and points out which way I need to go. When I get to the bus, my huge bag is taken off my back and thrown on top of the bus along with other bags and several sacks of potatoes and other vegetables and huge baskets made of banana leaves. I get on the bus and share my seat with a young girl dressed in traditional clothing.

The bus ride was supposed to be about 1 hour, but after a blocking in one of the roads through the mountain the ride ended up taking over two hours. We arrived at a huge bus terminal in San Marcos where several school buses one brighter and more decorated than the other were waiting to be filled before departing to their destinations. My bus had not even stopped and my bag had been handed over to someone who took it and threw it on top of the bus heading to Xela, and all I had to do was lift my hand when I heard ´Xela´being yelled by the other bus driver. I asked if I had time to use the restroom and ran to the nearest baño where I paid a few Quetzales to use some toilet paper. Running back I got on the bus and made my way to my first destination in Guatemala.

The bus station in Quetzaltenango is the craziest bus station I have ever been to. There are people screaming everywhere, buses being loaded and unloaded at top speed, a busy market right next to it, people coming and going and Me, the lost traveler not knowing where to go next. So I ask for some directions on how to get a colectivo to town, walk across the market and get on another screaming van. When I get to my stop my bag is placed on the floor, there are people coming in and out of the colectivo and as I am coming down from the van I step on my metal water bottle that had come off my bag. The bottle rolls and so does my foot as I fly into the air, my flip-flop is launched one way and I fall really hard on my butt, landing between the van and the side-walk. It takes me a few seconds to register what just happened when I am given a hand, and stand up picking up my bag, water bottle and putting on my sandal as people stare at me like I am the strangest thing they have ever seen. I strap the bag to my body and continue my walk towards the hostel already feeling the large bruise that would take over my left butt cheek.

I arrive at the Black Cat hostel in Xela and make my way to my room exhausted from the trip that began many hours before back in Mexico. I am ready to lay down in my bed when I am surprised by a familiar face. Eve, who had stayed at the hostel I worked in Puerto walks into the room full of energy and invites me to go at that exact moment to Fuentes Georginas. These are hot water springs outside the town of Xela and even though I was tired I could not miss the opportunity to join a friend on a nice day trip. On the way to the fuentes Eve explained to me that the next morning she would be leaving on a two day hike to Tajumulco, the volcano that marks the highest point in all of Central America. This could not be a better coincidence, I had been looking to do that hike and she was doing it with the Quetzaltrekkers, a group of volunteers who lead hikes and all of the money goes to street children in Guatemala. It is an amazing group and before coming on this journey I had thought of volunteering with them. There would be a meeting that night and I could still sign up.

Fuentes Georginas are beautiful hot springs located at the side of the mountain and separated into three different pools, the highest being the warmer and the lowest the cooler of the three. We rested in the warm pools until a school group full of kids with curious eyes invaded the pools and stared at us trying to understand who we were. After a few smiles and hellos we began to teach some of the children how to float and later played my favorite water game: Marco Polo. These children were so happy to be there and playing around, they had the biggest smiles and were so excited to learn to float and play a new game. I loved hanging around with the kids and teaching them new things, but it was time for them to go and same for Eve and I.

I asked a nice couple to give us a ride into town and they were happy to give us a lift and tell us about Xela while listening to Guatemalan music. They dropped us off near the meeting and we walked the rest of the way through the small cobblestone streets to Casa Argentina. At the hostel we met the volunteers and the rest of the people joining us on the hike. We were informed that we were leaving at 5 am and everyone had to carry either food, or parts of tents, their own equipment and 5 liters of water. Some for cooking and some for drinking. That night we borrowed whatever equipment we needed and went home to pack our bags for an early night of sleep.

At 5 in the morning we met with the group and under the dark sky climbed with all of our gear onto the back of a pickup truck. It was a cold morning and the freezing wind was felt really harsh on our faces, but as I looked around all I could see were smiles. We were all so excited and nervous at the same time, knowing that we had a difficult climb ahead of us, but looking forward to standing at the highest point in Central America. We got off the truck at the very familiar bus station in Xela, which looked a little more calm at such an early time and where the first buses where getting ready to leave. We took the first bus out of town and stopped in San Marcos where we had breakfast. I stuck with the veggie option which included beans, rice, tortilla while those who opted for the meat got a nice serving of chicken soup bones and other parts included. The higlight of the breakfast was the delicious tea that was served and warmed up my frozen body. After breakfast we got on another chicken bus that dropped us off at the bottom of the mountain. From there we began our slow but steady climb. I am not in the best shape of my life, but I am consider myself to be a reasonably fit person and assumed I would be fine on that hike. In all honestly I probably would have loved it if it wasn´t for the gigantic backpack that I had to carry. It was a tough climb and we had a pretty big group of 18 people with different abilities, so we were spread out throughout the mountain, taking a few breaks, drinking lots of water and moving a slow pace because of the altitude. It was a beautiful climb, especially the change of scenery from the bottom of the mountain to the top, from the greenish vegetation to the tall trees, colorfull flowers and the more rocky top of the volcano. We took a lunch break which consisted of delicous salads, PB & J, and guacamole and chips on top of a green hill overlooking the beautiful view of the valley bellow us. After lunch we continue our climb and at the end of the day we were nearly at the top of the volcano, but would set up camp here and climb the summit in the morning.

Camp was set up and we had 3 tents we would share. We set up our sleeping bags, took off sweaty clothes and changed into warm ones that would help us survive the cold night. That night the awesome Quetzaltrekkers volunteers prepared us a delicious pasta and after our meal, a little bit of talking we went to bed since we would be getting up at 4 the next morning. It was a really cold night, but I was very bundled up and I think I slept pretty well, but all I remember was that when we were woken up... I had already been awake and trying to fall back asleep. That morning we packed our bags with a mat and sleeping bag, and with our warm clothes on and the headlamps continued the climb to the top. This was such an amazing hike, it felt wonderful to be up so early, climbing in the dark and this morning the hike felt much easier, as if my legs had gotten used to walking uphill and my body comfortable with the altitude. I was towards the front of the group, and looking back I could see, shaping the sides of the volcano, a line of headlamps moving through the darkness. It was a beautiful sight, seeing just the lights and in the distance the lights of the cities could also be seen filling the emptiness of the valley. As we got to the top it got more rocky and the the ground even started to feel like sand, a glittery sand that would shine like diamonds every time I looked down and flashed my headlamp on its grains. It was an incredibly magical last few yards to the top and being at the top was a great feeling. When we got there it was still dark and not much could be seen except for the far away city lights, so we began to get ready for one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. I set up my mat and got inside my sleeping bag, wrapping it all over my body to keep myself warm and sat down waiting for the sun. That wait was the coldest time of my life, I honestly have never been so cold and there was nothing that I could do, but sit on my hands and hope that they would not fall out. But it was worth the wait and as the sun was rising the most beautiful colors were taking over the sky and the surrounding volcanoes began to take shape in the horizon and it was clear as far as our eyes could see. It felt amazing being up there for sunrise and just taking in the power of nature and feeling infinitely alive.

At the top we ate delicious cookies baked by the children that benefit from all the donations made for the trek and climbed down to camp after taking a few pictures. At camp we ate oatmeal overlooking the valley and all laughed together about our amazing experience. We packed our camp and started our much easier and quick hike down the volcano. That night our group met together to celebrate our accomplish and spend some time with the great people we had just met. It was so great to make new friends during a great climb, friends that I would continue to travel with and run into in the future.

Xela was a great city and I loved all of the nature, culture and small streets and bars that I visited while there. It was my first experience of all of the wonders that Guatemala has to offer, and it was an amazing one.

*¨All Photos are a courtesy of Eve since I did not have a working camerca at that time.

Puerto Escondido

2010-02-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

As I am writing this I have a very strong feeling of guilt in my stomach. I started this trip with a informal agreement with my dad that I would be posting updates on what I am doing and where I have been, but here I am in February, in Ecuador and writing about my past adventures and what I felt like months ago when I was still in Mexico.

It is a battle to write, I love publishing posts but as hard as it may be for one to believe I have not had time to sit and write. Who wants to spend hours in front of the computer trying to write an intersting piece when the sun is shining and the surf is pumping. But I am strong willed and will complete the trip and will document it, even if it is a couple of months late.

The road from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido is filled with curves from beginnning to end. It was a five hour ride holding on at every turn and being thankful that I decided to take the mini van instead of the bus and that I had the front seat. I've never been too terrible about car sickness, but I also can't deny the few times where I have been holding pressure points and praying for the ride to be over. This was one of those times. After passing the large mountain range that cuts through the state of Oaxaca I finally arrived to Puerto Escondido. I had heard about Puerto and its waves many times before and had looked forward to this moment for a long time. Tyler and I were hungry and exhausted from the trip so we decided to walk down to the beach, find a place to drop off our bags and go get some food. We were foolish in the sense that we did not look around first, but the place we decided to stay was nice and looked pretty good. After agreeing on a price,we put our bags in the room and left. Walkign around town we ate some cheap street food and then made our way back to the place through the beach watching the sunset. It was a beautiful first sunset in Puerto, the fishermen were coming back with their boats, the children splashing around the warm water of the pacific and in the background the beach bars were playing a mix of reggaeton and mexican ballads. When we got back I started to unpack my things when I saw a huge cockroach on the wall, I had mine five second freak out, the roach ran away and I calmed myself down. If you happen to know me, you know that roaches happen to be one of my least favorite bugs. Back at school in East Los Angeles classes were interrupted several times by the gross bug visiting and thankfully I had brave students to protect me, and in the case that I was alone, the heavy history book launched across the room and landing perfectly on top of the abomination would solve the problem. But this was different, I had tried to prepare myself mentally to face bugs on this trip, and had done alright so far. So I took a deep breath and reminded myself it was just a bug, it was gone and everything was going to be ok. I was wrong. I then looked around and realized the room was infested with roaches and they were everywhere, on the walls, the bed, on the mosquito net and the ceiling. I ran out. Tyler went in and got my bag, we spoke to the lady who ran the place and got a new room. The new room was clean, but as soon as I put my bag down roaches started crawling from the top of them and into the room and once again I ran out with goosebumps all over my body wishing this nightmare would be over. It was the grossest experience of my life and Iwas scared to put my bag on my back and have roaches crawling on me. But we had to move on, so I strapped on the pack and we moved to a place with other friends from Oaxaca right on the Zicatela strip.

This new place was a bit more expensive, but beautiful and with our own kitchen. For the next week I lived in this beautiful place, went to beach everyday, watched the sunset and cooked delicious food. Puerto really is a beautiful beach and the surf culture is present everywhere. From the surf stores, to the foreign surfers and the little gromms running around in their mischevious ways. By the time I got there it was the low season so the surf was not as big and there weren't as many people, which to me was perfect since bigs waves really aren´t my fuerte. During that week I met a lot of other travelers, locals and got to watch some crazy local groms ripping it up at a surf competition that was organized for the first weekend that I was there. This first week in Puerto was very relaxing and not much happened, but I was so happy to just be by the beach, cook delicious food and relax all day watching the waves crashing in the beautiful Pacific ocean.

The next week, Tyler and I moved in to the hostel A La Casa which is located at the point on the south end of the beach. There we were welcomed by Daniella, the italian owner that invited us to work and change the vibe at the hostel. I could not have been more excited to work in this place, it was in a gorgeous location at the end of the beach and I found it the perfect opportunity to learn about hostels since I´ve thought many times about starting my own. This could not have owrked out any better.

The next two weeks were incredible and Tyler and I took control of the hostel. From painting doors, to columns, to changing the whole vibe of the place, moving kitchens, creating new entrances, bartending at concerts that we held, creating family dinners, cooking delicious food and just relaxing and reading books in paradise. I met amazing people at the hostel and had some incredible conversations and revelations. To me those two weeks in one place working, reading and thinking did a lot more to confuse me than clarify anything to me about my life, but they were very necessary and I loved them. It was during those weeks that I started to pay attention to coincidences, and signs that have been happening on the trip and that I had until then not paid much attention to. From the crazy Mayan guy who walked of the beach and told me exactly who I was, from the books I read and spiritual conversations I had that would help shape the rest of my trip, to the great friendships that I made and left behind. Because with travelling nothing is constant and everything changes. I could go into a lot more detail about some of those experiences, but some of them would not make much sense for someone other than me.

I loved being there and going for swims and runs along the beach, I felt I could stay there forever, but deep inside me I had to continue the trip and discover what else this amazing piece of land called America had to offer. So I packed my bags, said some very difficult goodbyes and embarked on my new adventure, leaving behind a beloved Mexico and with hungry eyes towards Guatemala.

* Pictures of the hostel and other pictures are unfortunately not available as a result of another broken camera.

Agua Azul and Misol-Ha

2009-12-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

This was posted in the wrong place. Should be before San Cristobal! Sorry!

Finally feeling better after a day of not eating beacuse my stomach was not doing too well, Justin and I took the tour that would take us to some beautiful waterfalls in chiapas.
The first one we went to was called Misol-Ha and it is a beautiful tall waterfall in the middle of the jungle. The park is really nice and there are rocks behind the falls in which you can walk to get to a waterfall inside the caves. After walking around and examining the beauty I decided to get in the water and swim behind the falls. It had been a while since I had swam in such huge waterfalls and it felt amazing to feel the power of the water over my beauty and to cleanse myself in such a great place. Many poeple went in the water, but I think most were afraid to go to close to the falls so I was the only one swimming and the place was all mine.

We then left to go to Agua Azul where we would spend most time relaxing, eating and looking at the beautiful falls. I was a bit nervous when heading to Agua Azul because the rainy season had just ended and locals say that with all the rain and the mud the water tends to not be azul after the rain. Luckuly it did not rain and when I got there it was more like agua verde than agua azul, but still a beautiful sight.

The falls are long and continuous with several places where you can swim and some where it is strictly forbidden since many have died. The place is very built up for tourism with several shops selling food and items for the visitors, but not in a way that takes away the magic of the place.

I walked around looking at the falls until I found a place where people were swimming. jumping of rocks and using a swing to jump into the water. There I played arond for a little bit, did a bit of sunbathing in the grass and ate my lunch. I talked to a few locals who explained that the zapatistas had taken control of a few other waterfalls around the area and were taking money away from the local communities for the entry fees to the parks. It seems like a lot of people in chiapas are very supportive of them, but many resent their presence and the violent methods they use to take control.

At the end of the afternoon we took the van and got dropped off in the middle of the jungle by the road to wait for the bus to take us to San Cristobal, I guess it was the best way to do it and not have to go all the way back, but it still left me a lit bit worried. After waiting for a bit, the bus came and when we got on we ran into a couple from NY that we had met in Tulum and they were also making their way to San Cristobal.

I tried to sleep on the bus, but instead I spent the whole ride watching sniper movies that were dubbed in spanish... great! It did not really matter since I was so excited to beleaving the jungle and making my way to the beautiful city surrounded by mountains

Oaxaca, Dia de los Muertos

2009-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

After a really long bus ride from San Cristobal, sleeping in 800 different positions on the bus Tyler and I arrived to Oaxaca. We got into town very early in the morning and it was really great to walk around a city that was still asleep. Tyler had been there before and new his way around town a bit. We looked in the guidebook and decided to walk to one of the hostels. Big mistake. The place was far and uphill and when we got there we could only check in at 11 and they were charging way too much even though it was the low season. So we decided that even though it was a long walk that was not the hostel for us and with our very heavy backpacks with decided to find a new place. Its crazy how things sometimes work out so well and everything is in synchrony. We arrived at the hostel which is a very funky place, not in the best shape, but it felt good to be there and instantly we met a few other people who had just arrived and felt right at home.

The first day in Oaxaca we decided to walk around town, go to the main square and get to know the city a little bit. I could not be happier to be in Oaxaca at the eve of Dia de los Muertos. The entire city was decorated with gicantic sand sculptures around the zocalo, every home and business had built their altars and the marygolds where present at every direction you looked. Tyler and I had our minds set on face paint for halloween and went to the market to buy some food and see if we could find some paint to make it all come together. The market is indoor and huge and they sell all types of things from clothes, to vegetables, meats, cheeses, and even halloween costumes. We bought ourselves some food to cook the next few meal and were able to find the face paint for the night. When we got back to the hostel we decided that we would rally some other people we had met to face paint with us. Earlier that day we had met one of the most beautiful couples I have ever met. John and Marie and their beautiful baby Kai who is 9 months old. They have been travellign since Kai was 6 months old and plan on travelling as long as they can and maybe starting a hostel. Kai is such a fun mellow baby and gets along with everyone, it was awesome to get to play with him a little bit. So we decided we would see if they wanted to face paint with us and as it turns out, another sign that the universe really works for us sometimes, Marie is a face painter and also had a lot of paint. So that night after dinner we all got to drinking and painting each others faces to get ready for a wild night in town and celebrate halloween on a foreign land. Marina and Vincent also joined us and we had a nice group of 5 painted faces to go party in town.

It wa great walking around with faces painted, everyone lookign at us like we were the strangest people they had ever seen. We walked to a clown show by the main cathedral and I guess they thought we were pretty funny with our faces painted and invited us to join. Pretty soon our group had taken over and was entertaining a huge group of espectators, so much that some of the clowns just sat down and watched the crazy foreigners. There were knives being thrown over our heads and we had a great fun time with them... although they kept all of the tips at the end of the show. After that we got to some local bars and after midnight we celebrated my birthday with a green shot that was on fire and together we made the entire bar get up and dance with us. It was great and there was so mcuh positive energy!!!! I could not have asked for a better birthday night!!

On my actual birthday we walked around town visiting more places and lookign at their day of the dead decorations and at night John who is a chef cooked us a delicious prawns and fish pasta. I felt like I was in a fancy restaurant and not a run down hostel!

On actual day of the dead there were many celebrations in the cemeteries and I was able to watch a beautiful performace organized by one of the cultural centers. It was a mix of theater and dance all honoring the day of the dead and using the huge stone church as a backgraound, it was a very beautiful and dramatic performance.

The next morning Tyler and I made our way through a very long and windy road to the beach. Finally arriving in Puerto Escondido. ( which by the way is not very escondido)

San Cristobal de las Casas

2009-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

We arrived in San Cristobal which is an old colonial city at night and I could not see very much of what the city was like. We decided to all stay in the same place and went to a small hostel that was very cute and looked like a very cozy home. The first thing I did was accompany Justin to the doctors because he had an ear infection and he did not speak spanish so he needed my help. When we got there the doctor told him he had a pretty bad infection and it was good he went to get it checked out and ended up giving him some antibiotics and other stuff. It all turned out to be very cheap in comparison with how much you would pay in the US and I was happy to have gone along and know what to do in case I find myself in a situation in which I should need to go to the doctors.

The next day we had breakfast at the hostel and went to walk around the town. San Cristobal is beautiful and surrounded by mountains. The town is full of small buildings all in different colors and tiny cobble stone streets with cars zooming by. We walked around town, visited some of the sights, went to the market, churches and just admired the delicate beauty of the city. San Cristobal is small, magical and full of culture. You walk around town and you just feel very comfortable, at home as if you could really live there. Women are walking around in traditional dress, with their babies wrapped around their bodies by cloth and breastfeeding as they run their daily tasks. It really is an amazing place and I felt like I could be there forever. I am also having a serious crisis of not being able to buy things to decorate my house because it wont fit in my bag. Everything is so beautiful!!

Here in San Cristobal I was able to taste some of the best tamales I have ever had and was very happy to eat such a delicious cheap meal. We then went to the open market and bought some food to cook for dinner.

The next day I got an e-mail from Tyler saying he would be arriving soon and I could not be more excited! Justin and I walked around town, visited some new places and got caught in the rain on the way back, and even though it was raining and I was wearing flip-flops and that was the coldest I had been since I had gotten to Mexico, there is something about the town that just makes you very happy to be there. We decided to spend the afternon in the hospedaje reading and waiting for the rain. A few hours later Tyler arrived and we went to the market to cook ourselves some delicious food. 1great thing about San Cristobal is that they have Churros filled with Cajeta and I was so happy to be able to eat some of that deliciousness!
The next morning we went to the Sumidero Canyons which are absolutely stunning! There is a river that cuts through huge rock walls making the canyon an amazing sight. They go up as high as 1000 meters and are also very deep. The tour is very beautiful and you go across the canyon on a lancha observing different shapes in the rock walls and looking out for wildlife, including a few crocodiles that we were able to see (quick question, does anyone know the difference between crocodile and alligator? i remember doing a project using zooboks about it,but it was a long time ago...)

Oh! very cool and I forgot to mention earlier is that on our way to the Canyon we met a great guy who was actually from Nimbim in Australia and it was great to chat with him throught the day and listen to him play his harmonica on our ride back to San Cristobal. It really was a magical beautiful day!

On my last dayI walked with Justin to a spanish school to help him with taking some classes for the next few days, and that afternoon Tyler and I took a bus to Oaxaca where we would be spending my birthday and Dia de los Muertos.

Palenque, Selva Mexicana

2009-11-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

I left Tulum satisfied with the 2 days I had spent there, it is a nice place with a gorgeous beach and great diving, but I was ready to leave and head straight to the jungle. I took the overnight bus from Tulum to Palenque with my new friend Justin, who I had met earlier in Isla and ran into in Tulum. The bus ride was 12hrs long, but I lucked out and got both seats to myself so I was able to rest comfortably and sleep most of the bus ride, waiting anxiously for my new adventure.
As I arrived we got a colectivo from the bus station in the center of the city of Palenque and head to an area between the Palenque ruins and the center of town called El Panchán. El Panchán is an area in the middle of the jungle, with a few open resataurants where people go nigthly for dinners and live music that is surrounded by different hotels.

Well, they are not exactly hotels, actually what you find there are a bunch of raised cabañas that are spread out through the jungle and connected by small paths and bridges that go over a stream. This in jungle paradise, a beautiful magical place and as soon as I got in that morning I could not be happier. It was very hot, but walking through the paths that were covered by trees and hearing the howler monkeys on the trees above me made me forget all about the sweat in my forehead and the huge pack I was carrying. Justin and I made our way to The Jungle Palace and our cabaña, home for the next few days. I decide to walk over to the main restaurant area and get some breakfast before figuring out what I was going to do for the day. At the restaurant I got to talking to a local and some other mexicans from Ciudad del Carmen who were in Palenque for the weekend. Its funny how easy it is to get to know people and start conversations, I met this great group of people and it all started by petting a dog and talking about a book I am reading. It used to be a lot more difficult to talk to people and meet people back home, but while traveling you just meet and talk to so many people that it becomes so natural and I love it!.
After a delicious smoothie for breakfast and meeting the whole group I was invited to join them for the day as they went to this waterfall. We piled up into two cars and follow the directions of the local Juan and after a short walk arrived to a beautiful spot with an amazing waterfall. There we hung out for the rest of day just admiring the beauty around us while Juan served as a spiritual guide to 3 of the people who were eating mushrooms for the first time and had an amazing trip filled with nature and monkeys peeing on them. At the end of the day we all went to dinner and had amazing seafood with lots of tequila and got the party started. We went back to El Panchán and went to get ready to continue the party at the jungle. I layed in bed for a little bit while Justin went to the showers and ended up falling asleep. Justin left and once I woke up I ended up being locked in the cabaña and missing the rest of the festivities.
The next day we joined half of the group including a brazilian to take a tour of the ruins in Palenque. The ruins are huge and spread in a beautiful jungle, there are about 1400 more buildings that have not been excavated and are hidden in the middle of the jungle. We picked up a guide and decided to take a tour of both the jungle and the ruins. The jungle tour was great as we got to climb and hug trees, learn about there history, their mayan names. We learned about berries used for painting by the Mayas, found some of the ruins that have not been excavated and ate live termites from a tree. Yeah I know, I´m eating a lot of bugs in Mexico, but apparently its the thing to do, and as much as I don´t like them, eating them hasn´t been too bad. We finished the jungle tour on top of the Templo de la Calavera and from there went on to explore the rest of the temples. I really do love Palenque because of how the temples are in teh jungle, it is a beautiful and powerfull sight and these people were brilliant with everything they created.

After the tour I parted ways with my new group of friends as it was sunday and they had to be back at work on monday. How weird to think that my life is so different from that right now. I went into the room, read my book and rested in the jungle listening to the sounds of nature. At night I had a light dinner and went to see Juan Carlos play the guitar at the local restaurant. It is such a great environment fulll of backpackers passing by, sharing stories and giving you tips on where to go next. That night I got really sick and have no idea why, but I woke up having to puke and was not feeling good at all. The next day I spent in bed, reading sleeping and drinking water. It was a much needed rest after so many days without stopping. That night I planned our tour and next day trip to Agua Azul, Misol-Ha and finally to San Cristobal in Chiapas.

Tulum

2009-10-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

AHHHH!!!
Ok, So I know it has been a long time, but life has been so good to me that I`ve had no time to update everyone on what I am doing. Here it goes...
I left Isla Mujeres after two weeks of hanging out with an amazing group of people and could have probably stayed there forever, except that there is so much more that I need to see and experience and as difficult as it was to leave I took a bus to Tulum.
Tulum is a few hours south of Cancun on the coast and there you can find amazing beaches with beautiful blue waters and a gorgeous ruin that sits on the edge of a cliff by the beach. I arrived in Tulum and walked to the weary traveller which is a hostel on the main road. I arrived there alone, but as soon as I walked in I ran into people I had previously met in Isla Mujeres and instantly felt better, it´s nice when traveling to run into people you already know. I got myself a room with Justin who I had met earlier in my trip and his friend Nitai. My first night was very mellow, hung out at the hostel met some new people and went to bed fairly early. The next day we got a group together and went to the beach, the plan would be to hang out there and later go to the ruins which are very close to the beach.
The beach in Tulum is absolutely gorgeous, the sand is as white as it can be and the water a very light turquoise, further out you can see the coral reef and dive boats taking their trips. We got to the beach and instantly went into the water. It felt amazing and we just laughed, talked, floated and reminded ourselves of how blessed we are and how good our lives are. We hung around the beach and I decided to go for a run. The beach here is kinda long and not small beaches like in Isla so it was a lot easier to run. I put in my ipod and ran accross this beautiful beach from rock point to rock point, looking at the beach side cabañas and the ruins on my side, it had been a while since my last beach run and it was great to feel the sweat on my body and my legs working out. After the run and some sit ups we decided to hit up the ruins.

Now the ruins here are not very big, and are not well preserved, but seeing how they lived, at the edge of the cliff, seeing how their temples were organized is incredible and an amazing sight. These people really knew how to live and found a great place to do it. We walked around the ruins, observing their beauty and talking about our lives, then we went home, had dinner and finished off the night with a few beers and card games.

The next morning I woke up and made myself some delicious pancakes at the hostel and decided I would go diving in the Cenotes, which are underground freshwater caves. There are a lot of them in this area of Mexico and Icould not miss my opportunity. Usually you have to book diving trips the day before and most leave early in the morning, but thankfully in Mexico things work a little differently. I was planning on diving in the afternoon, but went to the shop in the morning to find out some information. The guy told me the morning group had not started their dive yet and he would personally drive me to the site. We got to a beautiful park where I met the dive master that would be taking us into the caves. You have to have special training for that and carry two tanks. He explained to us the dive, how long we would be under, all the info and handed me a flashlight. This was my first freshwater dive and jumping into the water felt very different. The visibility is insane and the fishes are very small and few. We started in a big opening and slowly swam down to a deeper cave. It is so scary and beautiful at the same time, using a flashlight for guidance and sometimes the sunlight would shine in through holes. I did two beautiful dives where we swam trhough different caves obeserving rock formations, shining my flashlight on little fishes and seeing huge shadows against the cave walls. It is so quiet, serene and beautiful underwater and coming out of a dark cave into a beautiful blue opening with sunlight shining through the water is amazing!!! I could not have been happier with this dive, it was very different from my previous dives, but very special in its own way. Pictures will be added soon, so please check back!
That same night Justin and I took an overnight bus to Palenque where new adventures were waiting for us.

Isla Mujeres, el paraiso.

2009-10-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

As I sit here writing this I am thinking about the great days that have passed and how I`ve been doing nothing and still haven`t had time to sit down and update the blog. I have however been thinking about all of you and how much I want everyone to experience this.
My last day in Mexico city was great. I went with an Argentinian girl, Simona, who I met the day before at the pyramids, to this incredible area of Mexico City that I had no idea even existed unitl I got here. Xochimilco are a bunch of canals in an area of the city. These canals are beautiful, with little homes on the sides, lots of nature, and trajineras floating around. Trajineras are these long coloful boats where you can fit about 14 people. These canals when they are happening get packed and go on till 4 in the morning. Mexicans come with their family and friends and spend the nights floating around and partying. There are other boats floating around that come to serve you beer, tacos and you can even call over the mariachi boat and they attach themselves to your boat and play songs as you are floating through these beautiful canals. So I spent the day floating around the canals eating delicious tacos and drinking coronas. It really is a magical place full of life and fun in the middle of this huge city.

But, as it will happen a lot in this trip, it was time to leave and I repacked my huge bag and headed to the beach for a nice time in the sun. I flew into Cancun and they announced as I arrived that it was 36 degrees. Instantly a smile took over my face and i could foresee the amazing days I would be spending on the beach. I took the bus from the airport into the city center and walked a few blocks to catch a taxi to the puerto Juarez, because it would be chaper away from the bus station. The few blocks that I walked with my gigantic bag in really hot weather made me drenched in a few minutes. I honestly don`t think I have ever sweat so much. As I arrived at the port I came to face with truly gorgeous water, the turquoise is so beautiful and powerful that the far away rain clouds were not just grey, but reflected the bluish green of the ocean.The ferry ride was about half an hour long and I arrived into Isla Mujeres. A tiny gem in this ocean. The island actually reminds me a bit of parts of Ilha Bela, how quiet and beautiful it is, also all of the bugs. I walked through the small streets in the burning heat all the way to the hostel Poc Na, which is a peace of heaven in this world. It is located on the sand, with a beach bar,volleyball court, awesome people and a great staff. It is really a home for all of the traveling folk and here I`ve met all sorts of people from different places and the majority have been traveling for a long time, 6 months, 1.5 years and even 8 years on the road. The travel bug is really contagious around these areas and everyone has been to the most amazing places and have incredible plans for the rest of their travels. It`s great being around people on the same page and exchanging stories.

My first day on the island I decided to rent a bike and ride it to the south side of the island where there is supposed to be this great snorkeling spot. The island is 8km long and the short ride to the other side was beautiful and hot. on the way I stopped at a turtle farm and got to see hundreds of baby turtles as they get ready to be released into the ocean. At the snorkeling place I spent a few hours laying in the sun, going in and out of the amazing water and snorkeling with beautiful little fishes that would follow me around. For lunch I ordered some ceviche from the beach bar and sat watching the water and enjoying my day. Out of nowhere this huge iguana appears and starts to walk towards me. It was a huge animal! A baby dinosaur coming towards me, I instantly froze. This animal kept coming and it looked like it wanted my food. I sat quietly and ate, waiting for the animal to leave but it just sat there concentrated watching me eat and later retreated back to the shade. So weird! At the beach I met a couple from madrid and we decided to ride our bikes back into town. As we are riding and laughing I can`t stop thinking about how good life is and how much I love riding bikes. As I am thinking that, two boys in a moped ride by and the the one in the back extends his arm and takes the bag that the girl from Madrid had placed on her basket. They ride away as she is riding behind them screaming powerlessly as they speed away till we can`t see them anymore. She stops in front of a hotel, crying and panicking about her bag and documents that were inside it. We then started to speak to the people around, calling thepolice and trying to figure out what we can do about this situation. We hear from a person that was selling shell necklaces and another guy that was on his bike that they knew who the driver of the bike was. Both say they know the mother of the kid who must have been around 17. They leave before the police get there and we then talk to the police to see what can be done since we now think that we know who this kid is and it is a pretty small island. The husband says he will not leave the island until they find this kid. We then climb to the back of a police pick up and ride around the island looking for this kid. We get to his house, he is standing outside and quickly goes back in. We then go get more police and some other people with badges and finally go into their house, recognize the kids who admits he was driving the bike and tells us who his friend was. By the time I left the crazy situation, which I ended up getting a tour of island in the back of a police pick up and a ride back home, they were looking for the second guy. I left the couple from Madrid who looked confident that they were going to get their bag back, not wnating to press any charges just wanting their documents so that they could leave. It was a really interesting experience in this island. The night before I had met other locals and everyone was so great and now as I walked back into the hostel I had such a strange feeling of uncertainty and false security. But thankfully nothing had happened to me and I look past this accident to be able to enjoy the island.

At night there was another party at the beach bar and we danced in the sand and had a great time, with all sorts of languages being spoken at different point in the night.The next day I
decided to go diving. What an amazing day!!!!!! Now the watwr was beautufil and the fish I saw were great, but the best part of this diving trip is that my guide was also spearfishing, Now I think there is some rule about spearfishing and not using scuba equipment, but clearly these guys did not care about it. It was so much fun to dive looking for something. We caught all sorts of snappers and other fishes and I had to carry the bag full of fish as we dove. Which freaked me out a little. Its a little bit sacry to carry a bag of bleeding fish and not think about a shark coming my way. I guess it if it did I would have two choices to drop the fish and cry as I swim away or attempt to negotiate my life for the bag of fish. Thankfully no sharks came along and it was a pretty smooth two dive day trip, well partly smooth... the tiny boat, they wait between dives, the movement of the ocean and the drinks from the night before did make me feed the fish as we waited for the other divers to come up. After we got back to land, the boys cleaned the fish and sent it to a restaurant to cook them for us. As we waited we cut onions, tomatoes, cilantro and chilles to make fresh pico de gallo. The cooked fish came back in a paper box that was placed on the center of the table right next to the warm tortillas, right there we dug into the whole fish grabbing huge chuncks of fish and eating the freshest and most delicious fish tacos I've ever had. We sat in the back of the shop, toes in the sand talking about dive stories and just stories in general and eating delicious fish we had just caught. It was such a beautiful and amazing experience and everyone I've met in the island has been so great. I had planned on staying in the island for 3 nights, but have met such a great group of people that it is so hard to leave and I can see my plans continue to change. Here everyone is in the same mindset, living this island/travel life where we remind each other of how good life is every other minute, I've seriously never heard so many people saying how much they love life and as many times as i have heard here. I'll be leaving in a few days, but for now the daily routine of waking up, having a fruit salad with yogurt and granola, going to the beach, swimming around,hanging out, getting food, going back to the beach, getting beers, playing beach volleyball - I've gotten pretty ood playing everyday, haha-back to the beach for sunset swims and then a relaxing night on the beach bar. Ir sometimes crazy nights of dacing and eating scorpions which then are washed down with tequila. Yes! I ate and chewed a scorpion and as soon as I figure this out I will post more photos and a video. It's hard to get things done here in the island, but I will try my best to write more updates and will be leaving soon to the ruins of Tulum. for now Paz y Amor, life is absolutely beautiful and sunset swims are incredible!

Ciudad de Mexico

2009-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Mexico City half an hour earlier than the scheduled time, it was five-thirty in the morning an pitch black. I had imagined arriving in the morning and having my first sight of the city in daylight, instead I arrived to see a gigantic yellow full moon in the sky. It was a beautiful sight and I was very happy to have arrived.

I paid ahead for a local taxi to take me to my hostel which is located near the Zocalo in el Centro Historico. As we drove by the cab driver explained to me the bad neighborhoods an places I should not be alone at night. He pointed out the prostitutes in the streets and we drove by a small street filled with cops looking into and opening parked cars. Already I was seeing many different sidea of the city, that may be scary sights at first, but get blurred and forgotten after being in the city and seeing what it is really like.

As we drove to the hostel we passed el Zocalo, which is the plaza de la contitucion, located in the middle of the city surrounded by the Palacio Nacional, government offices, shops and on the north side the beautiful Catedral Metropolitana. After getting to the hostel I quietly slipped into the dorm room and slept for a few hours before going out for a city tour. I know comparisons aren´t very good, but I think as human beings sometimes we need comparisons to explain something we see or feel. Mexico City to me is beautiful and lively, so many people in the streets, lots of things happening. It reminds me a little of cities like Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Sao Paulo. Very busy with big avenues and statues spread throughout the city. The number of outside cafes and bars is incredible and you get this amzing sense of being alive as you walk through the city.

My first two days I spent walking around the city through different neighborhoods, visiting parks, markets and museums. The city has so many museums, from Frida Kahlo´s house to a castle on top a mountain, to the Bellas Artes, Diego Rivera´s murals and so far my favorite the Anthropology museum. This museum is all about the indigeous groups in different parts of mexico and their development. I absolutely loved it! Seeing stautes of chac mol reminded of AP Spanish Lit in high school and all of the history I had learned but forgotten. At night I met with my friend Isabel´s cousin Antonio and his friend Pepe and they took me out to eat and visit different parts of the city like Coyocan and Condesa where I had delicious sea food! They´ve been awesome in taking me around, teaching me about the city and giving me a real taste of Mexico so I don´t feel too much like a tourist. With them I´ve also been praticing a lot of my spanish and trying to pick up on the local lingo. It really has been great!

I went to visit the piramids in Teotihuacan and had an amazing day, met a really sweet German girl who is traveling alone for 12 months and who I plan on running into later in my trip as well as french girls whom I got to us a little bit of my rusted french with. The pyramids are an incredible sight, there are flutes being played and the warm wind at the top of the pyramid was really powerful and an amazing feeling. It really is crazy looking at how developed these societies were such a long time ago.

One of the coolest things I´ve seen so far is the Agave plant and everything they use it for.
They wrap nopales in it for cooking for flavor, they got their first paper out of the plant, they used the tip of its heart as arrows and sweing needles ( which have the fiber of the plant as thread and can be died using flowers!!), and finally they make tequila and agave licquor out of it. I really was amazing to see all of these things and how ingenious nature is. After the pyramids I went out with an Argentinian girl and some guys from Colombia. It has been really great meeting people and learning so much about Mexico. I plan on staying in Mexico City for a few more days to really get a feeling for the city but then I am running away to the beach! My body really is thirsty for the salty water and big cities as cool as they may be remind me of how much I want to be laying out in a small island sipping on coconut water...

El Viaje

2009-09-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is my first time writing a blog, but I figured it would be the best way to keep family and friends informed about my travels. Planning for this trip started a while ago and so far I've learned that making plans can be very important, but that you also need to be ready for the many changes that will come along. My trip hasn't even started and already there have been changes in the itinerary, methods of transportation, traveling companions and the departure date.

This will be the beginning of my adventures through Latin America, the first stop will be in Mexico at the end of this week, and from there I will continue south exploring new lands and cultures until I reach my final destination: Brasil! My plan is to travel from October till June, visiting different places, learning about new people and volunteering in a few different spots along the way.

I hope that all of you will be able to follow my blog and experience a little of what I will be going through with my travels as I believe this will help stay closer to all of you. For now I will leave you with a quote that has inspired me to make my plans a reality:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

With that in mind, check your calendars, start saving and come meet me along the way!