Posing in the Antigua ruins. The people who run this site say that it is the most important archaeological site in Guatemala. I wont judge that, but it sure was impressive.
An old spanish fort on the Rio Dulce. We nearly got kicked out for swimming nearby!!
6AM, bags strapped to the bumper of our microbus, ridiculously sweet coffee in hand breaking in some flea bitten barrio.
The scorpion who seemed to have a problem with Susannah's toe. It took four stomps for me to kill him.
A security guard posing for us on the River
The view from our cabana near Lanquin. The thatch on the right is the restaurant. Darn good BBQ with an ice cold river to boot!
Semuc Champey from ground level. This was a natural limestone bridge filled with gorgeous pools of water. Underneath raged the Rio Cahabon.
The view of Semuc Champey from above. There is no way these pics can do justice to the beauty of the site.
Goofing around in Las Grutas de Lanquin. Those are bats flying all around us. Kept hoping one would get caught in Suzy's hair...no luck, I guess that only happens in cartoons
Another bit o silliness!
A view of Lago de Atitlan taken from my favorite restaurant...Melon liquado and dominoes with the owner...priceless
You guys like my new pants?! Ive been rockin these things everywhere!
Aren't we cute?!
A sidestreet in Panajachel. The colors of the streets combined with the misty mountains and the lake at one end made for a surreal setting. We spent a night in town here throwing down with Guatemalan Govt officials :)
Yep...thats lava. Notice how red my face is? The wind shifted just before this picture was taken and I thought i was going to spontaneously combust.
Posing in the church ruins in Antigua. Cinderblocks and a camera self timer.
Yes yes, I know...its been far too long since I have posted... Well...quitcher whinin and read! Here I am...all 26 years of me...writing to you after an amazing vacation in guatemala with ms. suzy! Lets get a few disclaimers going on first...the thumbnails on this computer are far too small and im not sure if I am posting a picture of the lake or of the bathroom. Next...the "o" key on this computer is rather fickle...so if the word looks like it needs to buy a vwel, insert it and move n!
Guatemala!!! WOW! So close to Belize yes so incredibly different! In two short weeks I was enthralled, enraged, ecstatic, saddened, relaxed and wound tighter than a strand of barbed wire. I guess thats what traveling is all about. Before we left I had heard countless people tell me I will love guatemala and never want to leave, that it is a magical place full of surprises. While I dont think that I'm ready to purchase land I will agree that it certainly has something about it, some sort of undefinable quality that keeps my mind wandering back there. It could have been the mountain vistas, high ridges down to misty valleys that I swear have hobbits living in them, or the hard consonants and "shhh" sounds of the 21 mayan languages that are heard more often than spanish in the highlands. Maybe it was the kindness shown to us by Pedro, a little man living in the secret garden who brought us home for beans and nescafe. Swimming through a river in a cave, holding a candle above our heads for light, or buying handmade boots and huilpes (traditional mayan clothing) from cobblers and weavers on the street.
We climbed an active volcano, melting the soles of our shoes in the process and witnessed a mayan exorcism where they cut a cross in a mayan teenager's forehead while yelling at a wooden statue smoking a cigarette. We swam in pools of water the most mindblowing shades of green and turquoise and drank german beers in an Irish pub set in a spanish colonial building in guatemala.
Traveling was an experience unto itself. From double decker buses playing steven seagal movies to minivans and pickup beds, tuk tuks to fiberglass boats, dugout canoes in a downpour and chicken buses where 5 people squeeze onto a 2 person seat every single ride was an experience in both patience and contortion. I have realized that my body has a few deficiencies that make 3rd world travel slightly more difficult. 1. Im too darn tall. Six feet isnt that big right?? It is when youre trying to squeeze into a schoolbus crowded by tiny mayan people with no concept of personal bubbles. Issue #2: My ass is just too damn bony. An hour and a half and my butt is numb. Seriously. I think I am going to end up with a callous down there. Im gonna have a baboon ass, and i dunno how I should feel about that.
As far as natural beauty goes, Guatemala is fantastic. We spent hours on tiny mountain roads with a cliff on one side and views for miles beyond. Its like someone sat down and said "lets put some amazing mountains here...and since its not picturesque enough lets give it a light dusting of mist, just to take it into the realm of jaw droppingness". Im also guessing that it was that same guy's idea to put a tiny wrinklefaced woman with a hand embroidered outfit, a chicken hanging in her hand and a giant bundle of firewood balanced on her head along the roadside just to remind you of exactly where you were.
Guatemala is a country of extremes. Benzes and hummers passing shantytowns, swelteringly hot flatlands near the coast and 40 degree nights lakeside at 6000 feet. We spent so many hours wandering through cities and villages, ducking into little shops, chatting with people in the markets and collapsing onto plastic stools to revive ourselves with Gallo beer and sweetbread when we just couldn't go any farther. The markets were fantastic, divided by section you would take one step and go from the guys hawking avacados to clothing to an entire street of live chickens and puppies. Some of my favorite moments were spent with my back pressed to the wall while a sea of humanity went about their daily shopping, haggling over the price of a hen that Im guessing ended up in a pot that night.
Speaking of haggling...goodness gracious! Guatemalans seemed to believe that Jacob not only was willing, but WANTED to pay three times the value of every product or service available. I got tired of haggling. Granted it is part of the culture, but there is a difference between haggling and an obvious concentrated effort to lighten this gringo's wallet! We were usually able to get people down to the sensible price with some haggling and a few feigned "ok...im walking away"!s. Guess I have to thank the middle eastern side of my family for whatever genetic bartering skills I have inherited!!
Spending so much time living and traveling in Spanish was wonderful. Every time I travel in Latin America I can feel my language skills improving, and almost inevitably I am complimented on my ability to speak the language. I realize alot about myself on such a trip. I am reminded that I enjoy the experience of attempting to navigate a world I am not a part of. I find that I am often more comfortable and stable with a backpack strapped on, putting one foot ahead of the next on the quest to find the next piece of the puzzle. What an opportunity I am afforded, and what a wonderful travel partner I have to balance me out, calm me down, and open my eyes to things I would never have seen!
Its an incredible world, and Guatemala sure is a special part of it!!!
