I Get On My Dirt Bike And Ride

I got back from my Tikal trip absolutely exhausted and a little bit sick. I’m not sure if it was something we ate or if something was going around, but it turned out that several people who were on the trip got sick. After Spanish school I decided to lay low and take a much needed nap.


Tuesday a girl from my Spanish School and Tikal trip, Alex, told me that she had put down a deposit on a bike trip with this group called Old Town Outfitters for herself and her friend Kelsey. Kelsey ended up getting very sick and there was no way she was going to make it, so I decided to go with Alex after lunch that afternoon.

So I just got back from a crazy busy trip, wasn’t feeling very well, and had sore legs from climbing all the temples. I hadn’t been on a bike in well over a year and was going with someone who had done a triathlon. I wasn’t sure that this trip was the best idea, but hey, why not, right?

I’m not sure what the most physically challenging thing I’ve done in my life has been, but this was way up on the list. We left from the shop on our bikes and rode on the busy cobblestone streets of Antigua. I’m not sure how many of you have ridden on cobblestone streets, but it’s not as easy as it looks. After about five minutes I was already tired but also determined.

We made our way past the cobblestone and out of town, stopping several times to check out the quaint parks and ruins that are scattered all over.

As we continued on we started to encounter hills, and more hills, and more hills. So up we went. One of the guides kept saying we will be going downhill soon, but this part never seemed to come. We FINALLY got to the downhill part and I’ve never been so excited. On the bottom of the hill we stopped at the Macadamia nut farm for about a half hour. It was a much needed break.

When we had to get back on our bikes, I don’t think my butt has ever hurt so badly in my life. We made our way on flat, but muddy, land for what seemed like forever to the town of San Antonio Agua Calientes, a village known for its weaving. I barely was able to hang on, but when I saw the Parque Central and knew we had arrived I was about ready to fall over. But hey, I had made it.

When we got off our bikes and looked around, I decided I was definitely done. I had hit my limit. I hopped on a chicken bus with one of the guides, Fernando, and got back to the shop to meet Alex and the other guides. I felt a little bad that I didn’t make it on my bike the whole trip, but when Fernando told me I had gone 13 miles, I felt very proud of myself.

Being that I can still can barely sit down several days later, I have a feeling I won’t be hopping on any bikes anytime soon, but it was definitely an experience I won’t forget.

"Levi Johnston's Blues" -Ben Folds and Nick Hornby

What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been

So let’s continue where we left off. I was at Tikal and had just climbed all these amazing temples. They were steep and high and somewhat slippery, but I didn’t have too much of a problem. I finished the last temple and walked to go buy water. BOOM! Down I went. Not climbing a steep ruin where it is likely you would slip and fall, but just plain strolling along. I scraped both knees and my hands, but I was okay. Luckily I wasn’t with the whole group so nobody really knew I fell, well except everyone reading this now I guess.


We had lunch at this place with an amazing view and some fun feathered friends.

Then it was more time in the car next to my smelly amigo, who always seemed to be nearby. Seriously, it was rough. We made our way back to the Rio Dulce and took a boat ride to Livingston. Livingston is a pretty interesting place. The people there are part Guatemalan and part Caribbean. They are called Garifuna. It’s the only place in Guatemala you will find them.

Here is our first view of Livingston

We arrive and are herded into the back of pickup trucks to be taken over very bumpy roads to our nice hotel on the beach. We get dropped off in the dark and are told that we need to walk the rest of the way because the trucks can’t go over the bridge. Here is the picture of the bridge in daylight, but at night, when it is pitch black and you come to a creaky bridge in the middle of nowhere, it is a little disconcerting.

It really does look much scarier in the night.

From the bridge we walked about a third of a mile to our hotel. Some of us had flashlights and as soon as we pointed them to the sand we immediately saw about a 100 crabs crawling our way. I felt like I was in some kind of horror movie with the worst yet to come. We get to the “hotel” and I use that term very loosely. As promised, it was right on the beach, but when we were taken to our rooms it was not quite the “nice” place we’d been told. The view was great, but that was about it.

At least there was a nice view.

I’ve traveled quite a bit in Guatemala and stayed in some questionable rooms, but nothing like this. It was about 1,000 degrees, had bugs everywhere, a fan that was the most filthy thing I’ve ever seen, and a roof that was high over all the cabins so you could hear everything, including every time anyone went to the bathroom. It wasn’t even the room that was that bad. It was the bathroom. We shared it with 8 people and it was the most disgusting bathroom I had ever seen in my life…ever. It was so bad that after hours of walking and climbing in the 100 degree jungle and sweating more than I ever had in my life, I chose not to shower. I strategically only used the bathroom one time the whole stay. Camping would have been 100 times cleaner than this. (Mom and Dad if you are reading: This place made the Days Inn in Orlando look like a dream!)

I somehow slept all night and swam at the beach in the morning. Again, much cleaner than using the bathroom there. We got back on the pickups, spent some time in Livingston and headed back on the Rio Dulce.

Right in the middle of the river there was this random restaurant we pulled up to in our boat. They offered a tour of caves there and I’m not one to turn a chance to see something new, so it was down into the caves I went. It was nothing too unusual, but still pretty cool Just your typical stalagtites and stalagmites. I also got to add a layer of dirt to my already filthy body.

We finished off our ride on the Rio Dulce, passing some awesome looking lilly pads, ate lunch by the river, and took the very long, very smelly ride home, where I could finally shower.

What a trip!

"Truckin'" -The Greatful Dead

This Territory Goes Uncharted

This past weekend was quite the adventure. I got picked up bright and early on Friday morning in a van packed with other Spanish students. There were three vans of people in all. Okay, so I’ve been around some pretty bad smelling people before (my students after gym, my dad after a long run, and this backpacker in Coban all come to mind), but one guy in my van was pretty unbearable. Guess who ended up sitting by him most of the time?…yup, just my luck. I always made sure to get a window seat.

Anyways, we started a very long drive to the main attraction, Tikal, with some stops along the way. After a stop for breakfast and many hours of driving we arrived for our first look at the Rio Dulce, a huge river that runs through Guatemala. It was beautiful.

Notice the shirt I bought at the Orphanage

Our next destination was Castillo de San Felipe, a small castle that was used to stop intruders. After a very short look around we went swimming in the adjacent lake, Lago Izabal. When it’s about a million degrees, nothing feels as good as jumping into the water.

After a picnic lunch on the beach, we made another long trek to Flores, an island in Peten. Unfortunately, we got there at after dark and left in the morning before sunrise so all we had time to do was eat dinner, have a drink, and go to sleep. I guess I can look at pictures online.

The next morning comes the main attraction, Tikal. Now, I don’t know too much about the Mayans, architecture, or archeology, but I found Tikal pretty damn fascinating. Our guide was amazing and so full of information that didn’t bore us all to death. The ruins, which were pretty much all HUGE temples, were pretty unbelievable and set right in the middle of the jungle. Our guide said that there are enough ruins in the park that have not been fully dug up that it could take another hundred years to excavate them all. I’ve been to the Copan Ruins in Honduras which were very detailed. These were not as detailed but absolutely enormous and surrounded by lush green jungle. After a short introduction and breakfast in the middle of the park, we toured the ruins and the best part was that we were able to climb most of the temples.

So I climbed the first temple and it wasn’t too bad. Here’s a pic from the ground:

I figured I would probably climb one or two. As we kept going I kept climbing. We finally got to the biggest temple and I wasn’t going to miss out. The actual ruin was way too steep so they had built a huge set of stairs along the side. After a very strenuous climb to the top, my breath was completely taken away. We were above all the trees looking out at the jungle that went on almost to Belize. It was incredible. The pictures definitely don’t do it justice.

With my friends Alex and Kelsey

Looking out to Belize

Another Temple in the Distance

I ended up climbing all the Temples that we were allowed to. Some were banned because it was ruining the ruins (kind of ironic) and some people had fallen and died. I think I did 6 in all. Being that it was the most humid climate I had ever experienced, about a million degrees, and those ruins were high and steep, I felt I had sufficiently gotten my cardio in for the day….In other words, I was about to fall over. The effort was very well rewarded though. Those views were unbeatable.

To Be Continued...

"Uncharted" -Sarah Bareilles

I Believe The Children Are Our Future

The two days before I left for a trip to Tikal, which I visited this weekend, were pretty busy. I explored the market, visited the Macadamia Nut Farm, studied in Spanish class, saw a clear view of all three volcanoes surrounding the city, drank at an Irish bar (which is odd for Guatemala), experienced and played with kids at an orphanage, listened to fabulous Guatemalan music while eating at the city’s best dessert place, and of course took a million pictures.

The market here is awesome. You really can’t buy too much of the produce because who knows how safe it is to eat, but it is still fun to wander around and check it out. I almost feel like a voyeur at the market. I walk around finding it all so fascinating, but for so many people here, it’s just their normal everyday life.

This is my favorite picture of this trip so far.

 

On Wednesday afternoon I went to the Macadamia Nut Farm. I visited the last time I was here, and it was pretty much the same this time, but I got some new great pics!

On Thursday afternoon I went with the family who has been living at the same house as me, the Nice’s, to an orphanage for boys about 45 minutes from Antigua. It's called Hogar Miguel Magone. They have been volunteering here for many years and sponsor many of the boys. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the place, but I was extremely impressed. They have boys there starting at about age 2. As soon as we got there we were immediately welcomed by the boys, many coming up to give hugs and kisses, even to me who they had never met.

Stewart and Jendy Nice with one of the boys they sponsor.

I was given a tour and was so impressed with how well run this place seems to be. The all sleep in big dormitories without about 40 beds. The dormitories were absolutely spotless. I definitely don’t keep my own room that neat and clean. They have a cafeteria, a church, a basketball area, a recreation room, a play area, and a school for the younger kids. The older boys walk to school. The older students all must learn a trade, which I thought was great. I actually bought a t-shirt that said Enjoy Guatemala, a takeoff of a Coca Cola shirt, from the silk screening press that the boys learn how to do. You will see me wearing this shirt in my Tikal posts, soon to come.

Me with the only two girls at the Orphanage. They are adding a dorm for girls soon.

I loved playing with these kids. They were all just so lovable and sweet. They have not had easy lives, but I sometimes forgot I was at an orphanage and thought I was just playing with some kids after school. I’m even thinking of sponsoring one of them named Mario. He is only four and adorable. Most of the other boys have a sponsor already who stays in communication with the boys, sends gifts, and come to visit. I figure for a few less trips to Starbucks a month I could help this kid have a future and bring a little happiness to him. I know I can’t change the world, but seeing a place like this makes me want to. I guess every little bit can help.

Me with Mario.

This past weekend I went on a three day trip to Tikal, but that deserves a whole other entry, if not two or three. Stay tuned.

"The Greatest Love of All" -Whitney Huston

Breathe Easy for a While

I’ve only been in Antigua for 4 days now, but it feels like it’s been forever, in a good way. I am loving it here and easily flowing into the routine of things. Spanish class is great and I am learning a ton.


My host family and house is absolutely amazing. I pretty much live in a big car wash/garage. You literally have to walk all the way through the car shop to get to my front door. Like many things in Antigua, the front of the house doesn’t even give a clue to what is inside. Hidden treasures lie behind closed doors.

Here is the front door to my house.

You walk through the door and pretty much enter a garden. The house is set up with a huge outdoor patio in the middle with all the rooms set around it in a square. There are beautiful plants and trees everywhere and a huge group of super tall trees right in the center. There are many covered areas to sit too, so you can still be outside when it rains. It’s not like anything you would ever see in the US. I love it!

There trees were too tall to completely capture, but they are beautiful!

My room is not fancy, but still very nice. I have a big bed, a desk, and my bathroom is absolutely huge! There are literally plants growing in my bathroom. I also have a TV. Watching Pretty Little Liars in Spanish is quite the experience.

A plant growing in my bathroom.

There are eight other people living here. There is a family from California who have three teenaged kids and a friend’s son tagging along with them as well (Stewart, Jendy, Katie, Katherine, Jason, and Zander). They are doing all sorts of volunteer work here but are taking the week off to go to Spanish school. They’ve been to Guatemala 7 times to volunteer as a family. It’s pretty incredible. There is a woman named Joyce who is with the same volunteer group and has a daughter that has moved here and there is a 65 year old super energetic man named Robert who is just getting his teaching degree in Texas and wanted to improve his Spanish.

Annette and Carlos are the parents of our host family. Annette is a retired principal and now owns her own catering company. Carlos runs the garage outside our house and works at the restaurant next door. They are so much fun. Carlos has named me Perdito (loosely translate as little lost one) due to my mishap the first day. Annette cooks the most amazing food ever. It’s a million times better than when I was here last time. Her food is for sure the best I’ve experienced anywhere in Guatemala. She also gives us shopping advice and is always making us laugh. She speaks zero English.

This trip is a much slower pace than my last one, and I am really enjoying it that way. My last trip was amazing, but this one is too in a different way. I have much more time to wander around, drink coffee and read, and really get to know all the people living in my house. None of the people are close to my age, but that makes it interesting and different as well.

My last trip everything was super exciting and active and rushed and this time I can just breathe and soak it all up, and after a very busy school year I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Love,

Julie

"Love Song" -Sarah Barielles

Baby You're a Firework

It’s been quite an eventful few days. Yesterday morning, which feels like years ago, I got picked up by the director of the school and brought to my host family and then had to rush to Spanish School, which is the main reason I am here.

My teacher’s name is Olga. She lives in a Pueblo near Antigua called Aguas Calientes where all the women are weavers. I visited there on my last trip and plan to go again. We spent most of yesterday and a lot of today having discussions in Spanish. It’s amazing what kind of random conversations you can have with a complete stranger who doesn’t speak your language after two days. We started off the conversation talking about why I am in Antigua and somehow it led to a discussion of how Moses crossed the Red Sea and didn’t have time to wait for the bread to rise so Jews don’t eat bread on Passover but we do drink lots of wine. I don’t think our talks could be more random if they tried, but I’m impressed I was able to explain this to her in Spanish.

After Spanish class many of the students went on a walking tour of the city…all given in Spanish. I probably only understood about a quarter of it, but I got some great pictures!

This is where the women in the town used to wash all the clothes. They still use these in the Pueblos near Antigua.

The Cathedral de Santiago is behind me.

Here I am in front of the famous church La Merced.

In the afternoon I wandered around with a new friend and sat in a café with her for some coffee. I could roam around this place forever. I also went to say hello to Dom and Doreen, the directors of the schools I volunteered with the last time I was here.

Today I had class in the morning then went on a little walking excursion with some other new friends, Jendy and Joyce. We went to see this center that was beautiful. I’m not totally sure of its purpose, but I think they have guest rooms, hold events and sports games, and have a tienda with all sorts of goods to buy. Then we went to the Candelaria ruins and the Candelaria hotel. The artifacts left here after countless earthquakes and disasters are incredible. There is something ancient to see around every corner.

This is the fountain at the Candelaria Hotel, such a beautiful hotel.

Last night was a very noisy one. There were fireworks going off constantly. They set off fireworks here all the time, so I didn’t think too much of it, except that it was keeping me up. I found out it was actually Gringos, who live in apartments behind us, not Guatemalans, setting them off. I had almost forgotten it was the 4th of July!

I am really enjoying Spanish class and my time here. It is actually much calmer and more relaxed than last time. However, I do miss being around and teaching the kids in Guatemala. There is something special about how they smile at you here that I can't quite describe in words.



Love,

Julie

"Firework" -Katy Perry

So Figure It Out and Let's Go

It's my first day back in Antigua and I’ve already had few mishaps, but that’s what makes travel interesting. You have to be ready for the unexpected. My flight at 3am was pretty uneventful, although staying up for it was quite torturous. I slept for maybe 2 hours. We arrived at the airport and I was supposed to be picked up by someone who works at the school I’ll be taking Spanish at. My confirmation email said that the man would have an orange sign with my name and the name of the school. I get out of the airport where people get picked up, but no orange sign. So I wait. I look around. I wait some more. No luck. Okay, no problem, I’ll just go get on the internet back inside and find the number and call. Nope, no internet anywhere to be found.

So I could have panicked, but knew it would do no good. I had to just figure something out. So I used my best Spanish to bargain for a cab to Antigua. I got a decent price and had the driver take me to the school, but it’s Sunday. School is closed. He recommended a hostel and that’s where I wound up. $10 for a clean room that even has a tv and a shared bath. Not bad.

I tried to take a nap, but it wasn’t easy with the booming of fireworks outside the window. I forgot just how loud they were here. Eventually I decided to get out and explore. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I am what we like to call directionally challenged. I got directed to the Parque Central, which is right in the middle of town and which I’m very familiar with. I passed the familiar yellow church called La Merced, but somewhere I made a wrong turn from my hostel and wound up pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Antigua is a town hopping with tourists, but as I walked I saw none. There was nobody coming up to me trying to sell things and absolutely nothing looked familiar. I did stay here for seven weeks a two summers ago. Something should have looked familiar, but no.

Finally, after walking in circles for about an hour, I asked, again using my best Spanish, where the park was. When they asked which park, I knew I was in trouble. If we were anywhere close to Parque Central they would have known what I meant. When I said the central park they told me it was at least 20 blocks away. I was tired from lack of sleep and dizzy from walking in circles and not eating anything, so I found myself a tuk-tuk and made it to the park.

From there, I had no problem getting around. I just needed the park as my base. The rest of the day entailed roaming the cobblestoned streets, checking email, grabbing a bite to eat, taking pictures, browsing the shops, and reading at my favorite café. I was able to contact the Spanish School via email and made arrangements to get picked up to be taken to my host family tomorrow. Coming back to Antigua felt like coming back to see an old friend. The sights and sounds came rushing back as if I had never left. I fell in love with this city last time I was here and I already know I will love it just as much this time.

Love,

Julie

"Figure It Out" -Maroon 5