Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
End of Blog
My travels are ending early. I will be back in Canada on Friday. I hope you enjoyed my stories.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Bats and Fleas and Things in Trees
I last wrote in Coban, meaning I've done and seen a lot of things since... I guess I start from the beginning.
From Coban, I made my way by local bus to Lanquin. Sounds easy, except the bus station was printed in the wrong place in the Lonely Planet (typical). So I wandered through Coban asking person after person where the bus station was, and everyone would say something along the lines of "See where those people are standing over there? It's right there." So I would walk on over there, check to see if I was in the right place, and I would be told I should be another couple of blocks away. Then another couple of blocks. And another. Eventually, at the edge of town, I found myself ushered into what they call a microbus (usually about a 15-passenger van).
In Lanquin, I spent the afternoon chilling out and getting my bearings, made friends with an Aussie roommate named Jeremy, and then he and I set out for the Grutas de Lanquin (Lanquin Caves) around 5:00pm. This is a crazy series of caves with lots of cool formations to look at, and the piece de resistance: bats. Every evening at dusk thousands of bats fly out of the caves. We all took a seat near the entrance and watched for 30-40 minutes while more and more bats poured out overhead. It was so amazing and wild to see that many bats whizzing above you, and a little less amazing to have spent an hour beforehand wandering through caves trying not to slip on the huge amount of bat shit on the ground.
The other purpose of my visit to Lanquin was to explore the nearby Semuc Champey. This is quite cool, and worth looking up. There is a river running through the jungle until it plunges into the ground below a huge limestone bridge and surfaces again 300 metres later. Above the limestone are beautiful cascading pools of freshwater for swimming. My time spent in that park was gorgeous, and I would gladly go back again. Actually, I guess I could have if I weren't in need of border hopping to renew my visa. When Jeremy and I returned to the hostel after a fairly wild ride standing in the back of a pick-up truck (regular mode of transport in the area, it's outfitted with a big rack to hold onto), who did I find getting off a microbus but Itay! It seems he changed his plans before leaving Guatemala, and randomly turned up at the very same place I randomly ended up at. The typical travelling story.
If I had been considering staying longer in Lanquin to hang out with Itay, I definitely was not once I woke up the next morning. The previous day, after Semuc Champey, I found myself very itchy and covered in bites. They didn't seem like they could be bedbug bites (I've never had one myself, so I don't know how I'd react), but seemed strange for mosquito bites. However, I just resigned myself to the fact I had been bitten, perhaps by a pathetic species of mosquito, and went on to bed. When I woke up after my second night in Lanquin, there was no doubt that something was feasting on me while I slept. I was covered head-to-toe in hundreds of bites, many of which were in rows. One wise traveller told me, "Those are flea bites. That happened to me in Chile." Just great. And if I had any doubt about whether she was right, once I packed up my stuff and hopped on a bus to move on to the next town, I felt a little bite, looked down at my shoulder, and what did I find but a flea. That flea didn't make it, and I don't think any of its buddies managed the trip from Lanquin to Flores. [Aside: After two days of antihistamines, the flea bites are beginning to go down. I feel like a neglected dog or a cat. Does anyone have a spare flea collar?]
The bus trip to Flores took something near forever. I had to take a bus back to Coban, where naturally I had to find my way to some more remote bus station, then a bus to El Cruce, to Sayaxche, a little boat across a very little river there (about a 30-60 second crossing, the most hilarious required transport I think I have ever needed), and a final bus to Santa Elena/Flores. The trip was about eight hours in total, but never did I wait for a bus (or a boat). Every time I arrived somewhere, I was instantly ushered onto another mode of transport and my backpack grabbed and flung along with me. A country that doesn't operate on fixed schedules is my kind of a place to travel.
The reason for my trip to Flores was to visit Tikal. How could I possibly visit Guatemala without visiting the mother of Mayan ruins? In Flores, I was determined to stay at Los Amigos Hostel. Jeremy and Itay had both strongly recommended it, so the fact that the dormitories were full did not sway me. You rent hammocks for 20 quetzales per night? Alright, I'll stay in a hammock. According to the manager, I didn't look like the kind of person who would be willing to sleep in a hammock, but whether or not I was that kind of person before, I certainly am now. My two nights in Flores sleeping in a big, heavy, denim hammock were absolutely beautiful. The climate is warm there, so the temperature only gets a little cool right before sunrise, and there was a roof overhead to keep any potential rain off. What more could I ask for? Well, some means of shutting up the quail who live in the garden next to the hammocks would have been nice. Oddly, they squawk like mad from about 4:30am-6:00am, and then they give up. Why they need to squawk before the sun shows any sign of rising is beyond me.
The ruins of Tikal were incredible to visit. Unlike many other ancient ruins, these were built amidst the jungle. As I elected to tour the ruins without a guide, I spent most of my time there properly alone. Not just apart from other tourists, but with none in my sight. You walk through a well-beaten path in the jungle, see a few monkeys, maybe a toucan, hear countless birds, and then see a Mayan temple rise up behind the trees as you approach. The ruins were so peaceful to visit, and magnificent in their size. When you climb the higher temples, you can sit at the top, look out over endless rain forest, and see a few other temples poke out through the canopy of treetops. But what Tikal has in size, it lacks in detail. I'm sure I would have been made to understand much more with a guide rather than just a guidebook, but many of the hieroglyphs of Tikal are worn beyond recognition. For that, I'm glad I visited the ruins of Copan. They were much smaller, but looked as though the years had taken no toll.
After my second dreamy night in my wonderful Flores hammock, I have come to Belize. Sounds easy, but of course my bus broke down before it reached the border (so did my bus from Tikal back to Flores yesterday). So far, being here is quite nice. Granted, the prices for tourists are jacked up ridiculously, and a cheap bed is $10 per night, but there's something very comforting about seeing the Queen on my money again and about having gotten that money from the local Scotiabank. I love being away and exploring, but you can't beat the cozy feeling of familiarity when strange has become the norm.
Presently, I am in San Ignacio. It's a cute little town, and I've already walked through all of it and most of the town across the river as well. Tomorrow, the plan is to head to Belize City and to see about visiting a howler monkey sanctuary (maybe not in that order). From there I'll head out to Caye Caulker, where I will do my best to snorkel off the beaches and not pay a cent on diving, and then make my way down the coast and back into Guatemala. All in all, I think I should be in Belize roughly one week. I should be fun; I'm excited!
From Coban, I made my way by local bus to Lanquin. Sounds easy, except the bus station was printed in the wrong place in the Lonely Planet (typical). So I wandered through Coban asking person after person where the bus station was, and everyone would say something along the lines of "See where those people are standing over there? It's right there." So I would walk on over there, check to see if I was in the right place, and I would be told I should be another couple of blocks away. Then another couple of blocks. And another. Eventually, at the edge of town, I found myself ushered into what they call a microbus (usually about a 15-passenger van).
In Lanquin, I spent the afternoon chilling out and getting my bearings, made friends with an Aussie roommate named Jeremy, and then he and I set out for the Grutas de Lanquin (Lanquin Caves) around 5:00pm. This is a crazy series of caves with lots of cool formations to look at, and the piece de resistance: bats. Every evening at dusk thousands of bats fly out of the caves. We all took a seat near the entrance and watched for 30-40 minutes while more and more bats poured out overhead. It was so amazing and wild to see that many bats whizzing above you, and a little less amazing to have spent an hour beforehand wandering through caves trying not to slip on the huge amount of bat shit on the ground.
The other purpose of my visit to Lanquin was to explore the nearby Semuc Champey. This is quite cool, and worth looking up. There is a river running through the jungle until it plunges into the ground below a huge limestone bridge and surfaces again 300 metres later. Above the limestone are beautiful cascading pools of freshwater for swimming. My time spent in that park was gorgeous, and I would gladly go back again. Actually, I guess I could have if I weren't in need of border hopping to renew my visa. When Jeremy and I returned to the hostel after a fairly wild ride standing in the back of a pick-up truck (regular mode of transport in the area, it's outfitted with a big rack to hold onto), who did I find getting off a microbus but Itay! It seems he changed his plans before leaving Guatemala, and randomly turned up at the very same place I randomly ended up at. The typical travelling story.
If I had been considering staying longer in Lanquin to hang out with Itay, I definitely was not once I woke up the next morning. The previous day, after Semuc Champey, I found myself very itchy and covered in bites. They didn't seem like they could be bedbug bites (I've never had one myself, so I don't know how I'd react), but seemed strange for mosquito bites. However, I just resigned myself to the fact I had been bitten, perhaps by a pathetic species of mosquito, and went on to bed. When I woke up after my second night in Lanquin, there was no doubt that something was feasting on me while I slept. I was covered head-to-toe in hundreds of bites, many of which were in rows. One wise traveller told me, "Those are flea bites. That happened to me in Chile." Just great. And if I had any doubt about whether she was right, once I packed up my stuff and hopped on a bus to move on to the next town, I felt a little bite, looked down at my shoulder, and what did I find but a flea. That flea didn't make it, and I don't think any of its buddies managed the trip from Lanquin to Flores. [Aside: After two days of antihistamines, the flea bites are beginning to go down. I feel like a neglected dog or a cat. Does anyone have a spare flea collar?]
The bus trip to Flores took something near forever. I had to take a bus back to Coban, where naturally I had to find my way to some more remote bus station, then a bus to El Cruce, to Sayaxche, a little boat across a very little river there (about a 30-60 second crossing, the most hilarious required transport I think I have ever needed), and a final bus to Santa Elena/Flores. The trip was about eight hours in total, but never did I wait for a bus (or a boat). Every time I arrived somewhere, I was instantly ushered onto another mode of transport and my backpack grabbed and flung along with me. A country that doesn't operate on fixed schedules is my kind of a place to travel.
The reason for my trip to Flores was to visit Tikal. How could I possibly visit Guatemala without visiting the mother of Mayan ruins? In Flores, I was determined to stay at Los Amigos Hostel. Jeremy and Itay had both strongly recommended it, so the fact that the dormitories were full did not sway me. You rent hammocks for 20 quetzales per night? Alright, I'll stay in a hammock. According to the manager, I didn't look like the kind of person who would be willing to sleep in a hammock, but whether or not I was that kind of person before, I certainly am now. My two nights in Flores sleeping in a big, heavy, denim hammock were absolutely beautiful. The climate is warm there, so the temperature only gets a little cool right before sunrise, and there was a roof overhead to keep any potential rain off. What more could I ask for? Well, some means of shutting up the quail who live in the garden next to the hammocks would have been nice. Oddly, they squawk like mad from about 4:30am-6:00am, and then they give up. Why they need to squawk before the sun shows any sign of rising is beyond me.
The ruins of Tikal were incredible to visit. Unlike many other ancient ruins, these were built amidst the jungle. As I elected to tour the ruins without a guide, I spent most of my time there properly alone. Not just apart from other tourists, but with none in my sight. You walk through a well-beaten path in the jungle, see a few monkeys, maybe a toucan, hear countless birds, and then see a Mayan temple rise up behind the trees as you approach. The ruins were so peaceful to visit, and magnificent in their size. When you climb the higher temples, you can sit at the top, look out over endless rain forest, and see a few other temples poke out through the canopy of treetops. But what Tikal has in size, it lacks in detail. I'm sure I would have been made to understand much more with a guide rather than just a guidebook, but many of the hieroglyphs of Tikal are worn beyond recognition. For that, I'm glad I visited the ruins of Copan. They were much smaller, but looked as though the years had taken no toll.
After my second dreamy night in my wonderful Flores hammock, I have come to Belize. Sounds easy, but of course my bus broke down before it reached the border (so did my bus from Tikal back to Flores yesterday). So far, being here is quite nice. Granted, the prices for tourists are jacked up ridiculously, and a cheap bed is $10 per night, but there's something very comforting about seeing the Queen on my money again and about having gotten that money from the local Scotiabank. I love being away and exploring, but you can't beat the cozy feeling of familiarity when strange has become the norm.
Presently, I am in San Ignacio. It's a cute little town, and I've already walked through all of it and most of the town across the river as well. Tomorrow, the plan is to head to Belize City and to see about visiting a howler monkey sanctuary (maybe not in that order). From there I'll head out to Caye Caulker, where I will do my best to snorkel off the beaches and not pay a cent on diving, and then make my way down the coast and back into Guatemala. All in all, I think I should be in Belize roughly one week. I should be fun; I'm excited!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Shocking Showers
Not in the sense of being shocked by cold... more like with electricity. I haven't taken a picture of the water heaters here yet, but I'll have to do that soon. Quite honestly, they worry me; and apparently for good reason. Basically, the showerhead is an electric thing with a couple of rubber-coated wires coming out of it and going into the wall/ceiling. As the water passes through it, it is heated. Sadly, this means that the lowest-pressure showers are the hottest, but at least you don't have to take cold showers. I just took a shower at the hostel I checked into here in Coban, and the showerhead had an especially weird bit sticking out the front of it. In an effort to figure out what this weird bit was for, I touched the showerhead and got myself a mild electric shock. Safe, huh?
Before I got to know these water heaters for myself (Utila has only cold water showers because the water in that climate isn't ever actually cold), I heard stories from other travellers. One girl once stepped into the shower, turned on the water, and the showerhead burst into flames. This makes me wonder: how many deaths are related to these water heaters each year?
So, aside from showering, I've been beating myself up in all kinds of ways lately. After writing my last post, I did indeed go horseback riding. It was quite fun, but I still feel guilty because the horses were rather skinny. And naturally, after bouncing in a saddle for three hours and not being accustomed to this, I was left feeling fairly bruised.
My plan had been to leave San Pedro immediately after horseback riding, but I decided to get some lunch and stop by the bank to get some more cash first. It's a good thing I did, because the only bank in San Pedro would not work for me. I was told to go to Panajachel at the other end of the lake for a bank. Feeling tired and not in the mood to attempt to run all over the lake, I gave up and spent an extra night in San Pedro. This time allowed me to finally figure out where the locals eat on the streets, and to see an awesome jazz concert. I'm quite glad I got stuck.
Next morning, I took a lancha (passenger boat) over to Panajachel, got myself some cash, and made my way back to Santa Cruz. By this point, I had given up on hippie town (San Marcos) because it's relatively expensive and I didn't feel in the mood to pay someone to practice something I already know [fairly well]. So I just went straight for diving town. There the bed was cheap, the surroundings were amazing, the company was great, and the food was really expensive. I guess you can't always have it all. But I got my altitude specialty, and had a great time diving in the lake (there's an underwater tree, and an area where you can stick your hands into magma-heated mud). I also spent two nights sitting around a fire listening to music, chatting, and gazing up at the stars. I know nothing about astronomy, but you could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Talk about awesome.
The bed at this hotel, La Iguana Perdida, was so cheap because it was an open-air dorm. There was a roof over our heads and some partial walls, but we were by no means in an enclosed space. It was really beautiful to sleep listening to the insects and birds, and it wasn't overly buggy. Admittedly, I am now covered in bites I cannot identify, but I expected I might have hated it the first night. Night number one I was awakened twice by a mosquito buzzing around my head looking for blood. Night number two I woke up at some point with a painfully swollen left eyelid. Beautiful. It was almost definitely due to some bug bite, but another thought occurred to me later today: Earlier that evening while rubbing on bug spray, I accidentally poked my left eye. Could my eyelid have swelled up because of that? And if DEET in the eye wasn't the problem, why did a bug then bite that very eye? It was full of DEET after all!
Now I am in Coban. That's more or less in the middle of Guatemala, and so far it's proven to be cool and rainy. I'm here to visit Semuc Champey and the caves at Lanquin. It took so long to get here from Lago de Atitlan (nine hours) that I decided to stop off here for a night before proceeding to Lanquin. Over the last nine hours my eyelid has gone from being swelled half-shut to looking fairly normal. Now if only my bright red nose's sunburn would fade...
Before I got to know these water heaters for myself (Utila has only cold water showers because the water in that climate isn't ever actually cold), I heard stories from other travellers. One girl once stepped into the shower, turned on the water, and the showerhead burst into flames. This makes me wonder: how many deaths are related to these water heaters each year?
So, aside from showering, I've been beating myself up in all kinds of ways lately. After writing my last post, I did indeed go horseback riding. It was quite fun, but I still feel guilty because the horses were rather skinny. And naturally, after bouncing in a saddle for three hours and not being accustomed to this, I was left feeling fairly bruised.
My plan had been to leave San Pedro immediately after horseback riding, but I decided to get some lunch and stop by the bank to get some more cash first. It's a good thing I did, because the only bank in San Pedro would not work for me. I was told to go to Panajachel at the other end of the lake for a bank. Feeling tired and not in the mood to attempt to run all over the lake, I gave up and spent an extra night in San Pedro. This time allowed me to finally figure out where the locals eat on the streets, and to see an awesome jazz concert. I'm quite glad I got stuck.
Next morning, I took a lancha (passenger boat) over to Panajachel, got myself some cash, and made my way back to Santa Cruz. By this point, I had given up on hippie town (San Marcos) because it's relatively expensive and I didn't feel in the mood to pay someone to practice something I already know [fairly well]. So I just went straight for diving town. There the bed was cheap, the surroundings were amazing, the company was great, and the food was really expensive. I guess you can't always have it all. But I got my altitude specialty, and had a great time diving in the lake (there's an underwater tree, and an area where you can stick your hands into magma-heated mud). I also spent two nights sitting around a fire listening to music, chatting, and gazing up at the stars. I know nothing about astronomy, but you could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Talk about awesome.
The bed at this hotel, La Iguana Perdida, was so cheap because it was an open-air dorm. There was a roof over our heads and some partial walls, but we were by no means in an enclosed space. It was really beautiful to sleep listening to the insects and birds, and it wasn't overly buggy. Admittedly, I am now covered in bites I cannot identify, but I expected I might have hated it the first night. Night number one I was awakened twice by a mosquito buzzing around my head looking for blood. Night number two I woke up at some point with a painfully swollen left eyelid. Beautiful. It was almost definitely due to some bug bite, but another thought occurred to me later today: Earlier that evening while rubbing on bug spray, I accidentally poked my left eye. Could my eyelid have swelled up because of that? And if DEET in the eye wasn't the problem, why did a bug then bite that very eye? It was full of DEET after all!
Now I am in Coban. That's more or less in the middle of Guatemala, and so far it's proven to be cool and rainy. I'm here to visit Semuc Champey and the caves at Lanquin. It took so long to get here from Lago de Atitlan (nine hours) that I decided to stop off here for a night before proceeding to Lanquin. Over the last nine hours my eyelid has gone from being swelled half-shut to looking fairly normal. Now if only my bright red nose's sunburn would fade...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reaching New Heights
I did it! Admittedly, it was an easier climb than Mount Kinabalu, but definitely a challenge for me. I have virtually no photos, so Itay will have to be responsible for supplying those. He strolled along singing while I puffed my way up the volcano and limped my way down (foolish feet!). However, unlike after Kinabalu I am still capable of walking because it was a much shorter climb.
It's pretty funny the prices tourists are charged here. It's not required to have a guide for Tajumulco, but having someone to lead you the right way is always nice. Itay found a local who charged a total of 100 Quetzales to take us up the volcano. It cost us a total of 34 Quetzales to take the bus to and from the entrance from Xela. This makes a total of Q84 each, while a tour booked from Xela would have been Q350-500. Slight difference... Anyway, it was a good climb, tough for those of us who are out of shape (and older than the guide and the other climber), and I'm quite happy I did it.
Since I am oh-so-slow, we didn't have enough time after climbing Tajumulco to get the bus to Lago de Atitlan. We ended up in Xela for the night, and spent it at Itay's homestay family from the week he was studying Spanish. They're a little nuts, but a true Guatemalan family and very kind. In the morning we got up early, accidentally took the bus all the way around the lake (there are much quicker ways to get here), and eventually made our way to San Pedro. On the way, I got to visit Maximon, the smoking god worshiped by Mayans, in Santiago Atitlan. You should look him up, he's pretty funny.
San Pedro La Laguna is a pretty weird town. There's a big divide here between locals and tourists. Locals belong in one area, tourists in another. A lot of locals are very kind and some of them will do anything to speak with you (one called me "princess" today), but if you wander into the local part of town, they're very hesitant to even speak to gringos (us white folk). However, I must say my Spanish is getting quite good. Naturally, it's far from perfect and there are lots of things I just don't know how to talk about, but the locals are very impressed. I'm glad I didn't spend the money on Spanish school.
Last night, a group of westerners congregated at Alegre Pub. This is a British-owned pub that serves up a big roast dinner every Sunday night. They had chicken, roast beef, and vegetarian options. I must say, it was completely amazing. Since it was my first day after Tajumulco, I was still fairly tired and slept a LOT last night. A total of 12-13 hours, I think. I'm staying at a wonderful place called Hotel Peneleu, which is costing me about $3.50 per night for a private room with two beds and ensuite. It has a great view of the lake (not from my own room though), and the owners are amazing. So the lie-in was nice to say the least.
Today has basically been a write-off, but I had a nice lunch and spent the afternoon wandering about collecting information and running errands. Tomorrow morning I'm going horseback riding for three hours and paying a grand $15 for it. Honestly, this is one of the most expensive places in town to go horseback riding with, but the horses are well cared for, it is locally owned, and I had the opportunity to chat with my guide, Salvador, for a while. I look forward to it.
Tomorrow afternoon, I might move on to San Marcos. It's a couple of towns over, and it's the hippie town with lots of yoga, Reiki, etc. I'll have to take a look around while I'm there to find out whether to park myself and practice yoga for a bit, or simply to move on to the next town and go diving. I'm excited to try diving in freshwater and at altitude, and the temperature will be much closer to what I can expect in Halifax in September. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Now I'm off to see if I can find an instruction manual for my second-hand dive computer. I know it has settings for various altitudes, but have to idea how to use it. ¡Buenas noches!
It's pretty funny the prices tourists are charged here. It's not required to have a guide for Tajumulco, but having someone to lead you the right way is always nice. Itay found a local who charged a total of 100 Quetzales to take us up the volcano. It cost us a total of 34 Quetzales to take the bus to and from the entrance from Xela. This makes a total of Q84 each, while a tour booked from Xela would have been Q350-500. Slight difference... Anyway, it was a good climb, tough for those of us who are out of shape (and older than the guide and the other climber), and I'm quite happy I did it.
Since I am oh-so-slow, we didn't have enough time after climbing Tajumulco to get the bus to Lago de Atitlan. We ended up in Xela for the night, and spent it at Itay's homestay family from the week he was studying Spanish. They're a little nuts, but a true Guatemalan family and very kind. In the morning we got up early, accidentally took the bus all the way around the lake (there are much quicker ways to get here), and eventually made our way to San Pedro. On the way, I got to visit Maximon, the smoking god worshiped by Mayans, in Santiago Atitlan. You should look him up, he's pretty funny.
San Pedro La Laguna is a pretty weird town. There's a big divide here between locals and tourists. Locals belong in one area, tourists in another. A lot of locals are very kind and some of them will do anything to speak with you (one called me "princess" today), but if you wander into the local part of town, they're very hesitant to even speak to gringos (us white folk). However, I must say my Spanish is getting quite good. Naturally, it's far from perfect and there are lots of things I just don't know how to talk about, but the locals are very impressed. I'm glad I didn't spend the money on Spanish school.
Last night, a group of westerners congregated at Alegre Pub. This is a British-owned pub that serves up a big roast dinner every Sunday night. They had chicken, roast beef, and vegetarian options. I must say, it was completely amazing. Since it was my first day after Tajumulco, I was still fairly tired and slept a LOT last night. A total of 12-13 hours, I think. I'm staying at a wonderful place called Hotel Peneleu, which is costing me about $3.50 per night for a private room with two beds and ensuite. It has a great view of the lake (not from my own room though), and the owners are amazing. So the lie-in was nice to say the least.
Today has basically been a write-off, but I had a nice lunch and spent the afternoon wandering about collecting information and running errands. Tomorrow morning I'm going horseback riding for three hours and paying a grand $15 for it. Honestly, this is one of the most expensive places in town to go horseback riding with, but the horses are well cared for, it is locally owned, and I had the opportunity to chat with my guide, Salvador, for a while. I look forward to it.
Tomorrow afternoon, I might move on to San Marcos. It's a couple of towns over, and it's the hippie town with lots of yoga, Reiki, etc. I'll have to take a look around while I'm there to find out whether to park myself and practice yoga for a bit, or simply to move on to the next town and go diving. I'm excited to try diving in freshwater and at altitude, and the temperature will be much closer to what I can expect in Halifax in September. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Now I'm off to see if I can find an instruction manual for my second-hand dive computer. I know it has settings for various altitudes, but have to idea how to use it. ¡Buenas noches!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Buying Gloves in July
Yep. Exactly as it sounds. I even had tourists and locals laughing at me in the street as I tried on a few pairs. But take note, there is a stand in the street selling wool gloves and toques.
I'm prepping for the Tajumulco climb that Itay and I hope to undertake tomorrow. The plan is to get up early, meet at the central park, bus it to Tajumulco, and I guess Itay has the rest of the plans after that. Something about having secured a place for us to leave our packs, meeting a guide, and somehow getting up this volcano.
Based on what I've heard and my experience with Mount Kinabalu, I know I'll be so cold at the summit that I will need thick woolen gloves. Rony, our guide last year, gave me his own gloves to wear because my hands were so painfully cold. And this time I'll be higher (though not by much). I'm also prepared with many, many layers of clothing, and a huge selection of food. I just need to find myself a hiking stick, and I'm set.
Nothing else new from here. I've had a lazy day spent mainly with my nose in a book. Yesterday was a little more interesting. In the afternoon, I walked about 3km to the main bus terminal to find some departure information. On my way through the market, I found a boy selling dyed chicks, and shortly thereafter a random man started yelling with excitement at the sight of such a white girl. Also next to the market/bus station is the zoological park. Entrance is free, so I thought I would check out which caged animals were on display to be gawked at. There were some exotic things like jaguars, monkeys, and a toucan, but there was also a surprising selection of domestic and typical animals. Sheep, pigeons, rabbits, etc. I could hardly stop laughing when I reached the pigeon cage.
I'm off now to find some semblance of order before my early-morning departure. The plan after Tajumulco is to head towards Lago de Atitlan. There are many towns surrounding this lake, including a party town, a hippie town, and a diving town. I think I might have to try them all out, so who knows how long I will be spending there. All the best, and I'll be in touch when I get to the lake!
I'm prepping for the Tajumulco climb that Itay and I hope to undertake tomorrow. The plan is to get up early, meet at the central park, bus it to Tajumulco, and I guess Itay has the rest of the plans after that. Something about having secured a place for us to leave our packs, meeting a guide, and somehow getting up this volcano.
Based on what I've heard and my experience with Mount Kinabalu, I know I'll be so cold at the summit that I will need thick woolen gloves. Rony, our guide last year, gave me his own gloves to wear because my hands were so painfully cold. And this time I'll be higher (though not by much). I'm also prepared with many, many layers of clothing, and a huge selection of food. I just need to find myself a hiking stick, and I'm set.
Nothing else new from here. I've had a lazy day spent mainly with my nose in a book. Yesterday was a little more interesting. In the afternoon, I walked about 3km to the main bus terminal to find some departure information. On my way through the market, I found a boy selling dyed chicks, and shortly thereafter a random man started yelling with excitement at the sight of such a white girl. Also next to the market/bus station is the zoological park. Entrance is free, so I thought I would check out which caged animals were on display to be gawked at. There were some exotic things like jaguars, monkeys, and a toucan, but there was also a surprising selection of domestic and typical animals. Sheep, pigeons, rabbits, etc. I could hardly stop laughing when I reached the pigeon cage.
I'm off now to find some semblance of order before my early-morning departure. The plan after Tajumulco is to head towards Lago de Atitlan. There are many towns surrounding this lake, including a party town, a hippie town, and a diving town. I think I might have to try them all out, so who knows how long I will be spending there. All the best, and I'll be in touch when I get to the lake!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Belly full of Rambutan
I found them, I found them! When I decided to make Central America my destination this summer rather than Indonesia, I was a little disappointed I wouldn't be able to feast on rambutan for four months. Clearly, I haven't had the same opportunity here as I would have in Indonesia, but I've discovered that there are rambutan plantations near here! (Rambutan is my favourite fruit as of last summer, by the way. It's a bit like a lychee.) It's still hard to find them, but after a week of noticing half a crushed rambutan peel here and half of one there, I've finally tracked some down. Of course, in a huge market there are probably only two rambutan sellers. It's sad, but I'm satisfied.
This morning was spent hiking up to Los Vahos with Itay. It's basically an hour's walk straight uphill, out of town from the central park to reach these hot springs. In this case, there are no pools of water to bathe in, but extremely hot and steamy saunas to sit in. One room was terribly hot, and the other not so bad. I could survive in the hot room for almost a minute before needing some cool air, and maybe two minutes in the cooler room. I don't think I have ever sweat so profusely and instantly in my life before.
Before taking off for Los Vahos this morning, I discovered a moderately disturbing thing. Someone stole my bikini. Please tell me, who would steal another woman's bikini? I had laid my cute and colourful Walmart bikini out in the dormroom to dry after visiting Las Fuentes Georginas the other day. Yesterday morning I spread it out on top of my bedcovers, and then didn't notice its absence until I wanted to pack it in my bag today. A bikini is such a person item to steal that I just can't get over it. That's like stealing another girl's panties to wear. Ugh! Fortunately, I am not swimsuitless due to this event. Knowing I would be spending most of my time in the water, I brought two bikinis and a one-piece with me on this trip, but not my favourite suit is gone. Alas! Maybe I'll start paying the extra $1-2 per night to have a single room so it will be less easy for people to swipe my stuff...
Plans for Tajumulco are being formulated. Itay plans a one-day climb because he's pressed for time, so I might join him on that to prevent freezing overnight in a tent at 4000m on the two-day climb. This will also allow for me to climb without carrying a heavy pack of tent parts, food, and other supplies. I will wind up with a more intense day of climbing, but climb itself is technically easy, it just becomes difficult when altitude and a 20-lb pack are added. We'll see how this goes.
Off I go now to pick up my laundry. Take care!
This morning was spent hiking up to Los Vahos with Itay. It's basically an hour's walk straight uphill, out of town from the central park to reach these hot springs. In this case, there are no pools of water to bathe in, but extremely hot and steamy saunas to sit in. One room was terribly hot, and the other not so bad. I could survive in the hot room for almost a minute before needing some cool air, and maybe two minutes in the cooler room. I don't think I have ever sweat so profusely and instantly in my life before.
Before taking off for Los Vahos this morning, I discovered a moderately disturbing thing. Someone stole my bikini. Please tell me, who would steal another woman's bikini? I had laid my cute and colourful Walmart bikini out in the dormroom to dry after visiting Las Fuentes Georginas the other day. Yesterday morning I spread it out on top of my bedcovers, and then didn't notice its absence until I wanted to pack it in my bag today. A bikini is such a person item to steal that I just can't get over it. That's like stealing another girl's panties to wear. Ugh! Fortunately, I am not swimsuitless due to this event. Knowing I would be spending most of my time in the water, I brought two bikinis and a one-piece with me on this trip, but not my favourite suit is gone. Alas! Maybe I'll start paying the extra $1-2 per night to have a single room so it will be less easy for people to swipe my stuff...
Plans for Tajumulco are being formulated. Itay plans a one-day climb because he's pressed for time, so I might join him on that to prevent freezing overnight in a tent at 4000m on the two-day climb. This will also allow for me to climb without carrying a heavy pack of tent parts, food, and other supplies. I will wind up with a more intense day of climbing, but climb itself is technically easy, it just becomes difficult when altitude and a 20-lb pack are added. We'll see how this goes.
Off I go now to pick up my laundry. Take care!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)