tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20431900464316651982024-03-21T07:05:34.559-04:00Exploring Guatemala and MexicoUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-78043811684130682862011-07-15T18:46:00.005-04:002011-07-15T21:51:27.575-04:00My award winning documentaries, or just some really cheesy movies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyIuObzTSzvCypW6Ju84SWGM5cxjGi7mnb78HfZPMLtLYu8Hzo5VQIlOBOQzqIg_hjr5QcdBjNPYKnRDqHNMw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> <br />
First day in Antigua, typical of the weather at this time of year<br />
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Climbing the Volcano named Pacaya outside Antigua, Guatemala<br />
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Geothermal heat, should've brought marshmallows to roast or just sit there and warm up just as I did.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Luckily I didn't get blown over the cliff, that would be bad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Semuc Champay: One of my best days traveling EVER!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-78483010830844212882011-07-13T13:34:00.000-04:002011-07-13T13:34:23.629-04:00Home away from Home, AntiguaWell today is my last day in Central America. Probably forever for there are so many places to see in this world and I want to see as many as I possibly can. I am back in my home away from home, Antigua. I also am staying in my home away from home, La Posada Merced. The people in this hotel are amazing. <br />
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It was nice coming here yesterday morning and getting caught up on some sleep in a clean, warm bed. Something I no longer take for granted. I am flying out tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to being back home but I know after a couple of days I will miss traveling. I am staying here tonight and taking a shuttle early in the morning to Guatemala City. There was no way I was going to spend the night in Guatemala City after what I have read, heard and seen. No thanks!<br />
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I will write one last post when I get home and get my batteries recharged. There certainly have been certain themes from what I have experienced that stick out. However I need a day or two to reflect. I also will be adding my videos which I watched last night with great remembrance. Once again I have enjoyed these three weeks immensely. Guatemala is a land full of beauty and charm. However it is also a land full of injustice and disappointment. I will never forget the great memories that have been forged in this enchanting part of the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-74128349316167118202011-07-11T18:36:00.001-04:002011-07-11T18:48:38.903-04:00TikalWell, I decided to separate from the girls for the last few days of my trip. They were headed down the coast and I felt like I needed to see Tikal. I knew if I did not go I would regret it so I went and I am sure glad I did. I arrived in Flores yesterday around dinner time. It feels good to be back in Guatemala. I feel like I have enjoyed my Guatemala trip the most. Tonight I finish the last of my long journeys when I travel overnight back to Antigua. Thank God! I need a couple of days of sleep when I get back home. Anybody have a guess how long I have spent on buses or vans?<br />
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So I got up at four this morning to go on my tour. I decided to go with the tour, hopefull I would accomplish one of my goals, learning more about the Mayan culture. I decided to head on the early tour because I was told that would give me a greater chance of seeing monkeys and other wildlife through the jungle on the way to the ruins. The hike was a lot of fun through the jungle. It is not a primary forest, third growth in fact. Still some big trees though. <br />
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I feel like I learned a lot from our guide. He knew his stuff or at least a good deal. I apologized in advance for asking so many questions. I met a nice guy Frederik from Denmark, thankfully he shared the same interest in Mayan history. We had a great time bantering back and forth all day. I feel like I have come full circle on this trip for I saw the two guys I met from Israel when hiking Picaya two weeks back. We had a nice time reconnecting and catching up.<br />
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Alright as for Tikal. People began settling in the area around 1500 BC. Most of the building took place around 800 AD. The limestone which were used to build the pyramids were found in several quarries surrounding the site. It would take one full day while cutting one single block. The block was cute using flint stone. The best guess as to why people left the area is due to overuse of the soil. Simply they were unable to feed the population, famine. At one time it is estimated that at one point 150,000 people lived in the area. The site was rediscovered in the mid 1800´s. Unfortunately many artifacts were taken or stolen. However archaeologists from the University of Pennyslvania came in and dug up the site. Many are artifacts are found at the school. Tikal is a protected UNESCO site. It is estimated that only around 25% of the site has been discovered. Which is crazy for the site is huge. Okay enough with that. It is pretty amazing climbing pyramids and looking out over the jungle. It is also pretty crazy to think of all the work that was involved in creating Tikal which held important religious importance. The palaces where the kings and nobility must have been spectacular. <br />
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I am so thankful and happy I made it here. It was well worth all of the travel. A truly incredible sight coming out of the jungle and stumbling upon imposing pyramids that rise into the sky. I picture and daydream about daily life as I trudge around the site. What type of life did the average person have? If kings were believed to be divine how good did they live? Who were sacrificed to appease the Gods, different belifes abound here. Certainly different than the Aztecs, we heard they were not POW´S but maybe babies, virgins or the poor that volunteered their life. So many questions remain as far as the site. We may never know, however this only adds to the intrigue.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n9csD6RbwjG4HnjjMCCfBHPEf3FYZUKbdFBwl0e29UOAfkPPHSBUhWmVKqaEvdzXm019H6T0WmNRF5d349V4dRfOF8py9m9vGfrJW_VJv80cU-8bAlO5dfaclCq1sVg5nm1dsXdETJOa/s1600/IMG_3834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n9csD6RbwjG4HnjjMCCfBHPEf3FYZUKbdFBwl0e29UOAfkPPHSBUhWmVKqaEvdzXm019H6T0WmNRF5d349V4dRfOF8py9m9vGfrJW_VJv80cU-8bAlO5dfaclCq1sVg5nm1dsXdETJOa/s320/IMG_3834.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> All of the hills were man made, tomb<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt10uaayJJHlzeFacNKyGzX4IywBEe94KbCXKDuL3PxGDeXo-oJojAsqaYw3T12ZAb8AJl9GjfLW8AR50_TznFM03MARXkS90TBj2G3P32l7GUuAtCR3d5rvzbqO-ciV3PqcuKXPz9vuQ/s1600/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt10uaayJJHlzeFacNKyGzX4IywBEe94KbCXKDuL3PxGDeXo-oJojAsqaYw3T12ZAb8AJl9GjfLW8AR50_TznFM03MARXkS90TBj2G3P32l7GUuAtCR3d5rvzbqO-ciV3PqcuKXPz9vuQ/s320/IMG_3835.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div> Back of the pyramid, imposing itself in the jungle<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWDvPvgrn4MZ9fccnhntVE_09b-a2DGnIaljhVDbtqTMz7FQ6yudB68XX6KUHc7fjGiFs80LRz_ydxxHZB-ry7SxQTRPzh1rmTcVZWCTNco5OXxzAlr9MQPGGPyGSYzJiKA1HXXubv4mB/s1600/IMG_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWDvPvgrn4MZ9fccnhntVE_09b-a2DGnIaljhVDbtqTMz7FQ6yudB68XX6KUHc7fjGiFs80LRz_ydxxHZB-ry7SxQTRPzh1rmTcVZWCTNco5OXxzAlr9MQPGGPyGSYzJiKA1HXXubv4mB/s320/IMG_3837.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div> Little Mayan artwork anyway<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS7Gml1erKcBEJNnDjLDxqsBogMYM_I7I8UgrRAfjiQV68wcWjkx0yr5pCnrLE7D0InB8OiZF7043yhS-nNV-u5FFK-xIrmyCnaZZ7r_gfXBdTG_yM8p4D-i13O2ISGcQ1qC3Tvf8VYwD/s1600/IMG_3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS7Gml1erKcBEJNnDjLDxqsBogMYM_I7I8UgrRAfjiQV68wcWjkx0yr5pCnrLE7D0InB8OiZF7043yhS-nNV-u5FFK-xIrmyCnaZZ7r_gfXBdTG_yM8p4D-i13O2ISGcQ1qC3Tvf8VYwD/s320/IMG_3838.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Alot harder to climb than it looks, very slippy. Someone fell of in October and was killed. So people are not allowed to climb all of the pyramids. There were at least six pyramids.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WObWDpLF91dXAS944fBBQAQ1E58cXYYg-JUZ35duwi-hygRKAxHPJeP2aX3vn8id_M4CnBj3FgMEUtnPokYqNWuDTZkDVtqXk-S6wxMcE3YIIfHNkckIWcpTg8jdxEH0LtaEnjV1Ebx-/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WObWDpLF91dXAS944fBBQAQ1E58cXYYg-JUZ35duwi-hygRKAxHPJeP2aX3vn8id_M4CnBj3FgMEUtnPokYqNWuDTZkDVtqXk-S6wxMcE3YIIfHNkckIWcpTg8jdxEH0LtaEnjV1Ebx-/s320/IMG_3845.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the view I am talking about. A great spot to sit and think about the meaning of life. Okay so I didn´t go that deep but nevertheless.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNLSi8I8ztOIT0zqIuH5QLb4x_83gZKg5CqzzGz9yJPJKnN4nGNfr3gzT-jmBRNP2Sl0syH2w1hPe0PafE9Y3PZ0wCT7d325MwCjI6IM34imtJYdDhhiZR2SxaPBerb6oixJTqmrNFpTs/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNLSi8I8ztOIT0zqIuH5QLb4x_83gZKg5CqzzGz9yJPJKnN4nGNfr3gzT-jmBRNP2Sl0syH2w1hPe0PafE9Y3PZ0wCT7d325MwCjI6IM34imtJYdDhhiZR2SxaPBerb6oixJTqmrNFpTs/s320/IMG_3851.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Pyramid in honor of King Chocolate. No joke, that is his nickname. I like Chocolate, especially Hersheys. FYI<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-84393714052228283532011-07-10T20:34:00.000-04:002011-07-10T20:34:32.738-04:00TulumAfter a 3 hour bus ride from Cancun to Tulum we headed for our hostel. Boy were we in for a surprise. It was dirty and full of bugs and mosquitoes. While we waited Cheryl headed into town and found us another hostel. What a relief. Our new hostel ended up being on the beach, was clean and was around the same price.<br />
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The next we woke up early and rented bikes. We biked from our hostel to the ruins of Tulum. The Mayans were a powerful civilization in Central America starting around the sixth century and lasting up until the 15th century. Many people in this region have Mayan ancestry and are rightfully proud of their heritage and culture. Hopefully my students remember my lesson this past year on the Mayans and Aztecs. I taught about them coming up with the first organized team sport in history called ballgame. We also mentioned that they were polytheistic or believed in many gods and their contributions including an accurate 365 day calendar, hieroglyphic writing and of course their architecture. Of course students you probably only remember the human sacrifice part and playing an awesome song that day, Cortez the Killer.<br />
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Anywho, Tulum was built in the 1100's and was an important religious center. It's location is magnificent along the beautiful Caribbean. Its location made it inaccessible due to the high rocky cliffs and strong defensive fortifications surrounding the site. Unfortunately many of the ruins are blocked off but the scenes were spectacular. I could not help but think of what life was like here back in its heyday. What was everyday life like for the average Mayan. What was it like to witness one of the many religious ceremonies and see an enemy captive have his head chopped off.<br />
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Unfortunately my trip was cut short due to rain and crazy mosquitoes. Evidently I am tasty for I have bite marks all over my body. It was like being in Florida in August. I went back to the hostel and had a great day chilling on the beach and finishing my fourth book in 2 weeks. I also swam in the ocean for a long period of time, enjoying the waves and cooling myself off all at the same time. If you have not read Kite Runner I highly reccommend it. AWESOME, POWERFUL BOOK!<br />
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I wrote too much!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzfrBBkYSehjtAbJUBBdyjiqYx0Q39b0jJNJXo_zx7OxkpN_0ZCBPzO8pzHG5h2i9dq8kfWXaBHcWU5PKsZx24u3B4LK_QmGo4GTTIt17Hu-uM9ol0GVzIbE4SOV9QasmOxxPMc63pWhm/s1600/IMG_3793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzfrBBkYSehjtAbJUBBdyjiqYx0Q39b0jJNJXo_zx7OxkpN_0ZCBPzO8pzHG5h2i9dq8kfWXaBHcWU5PKsZx24u3B4LK_QmGo4GTTIt17Hu-uM9ol0GVzIbE4SOV9QasmOxxPMc63pWhm/s320/IMG_3793.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Inside our room, did I mention the mosquitos were bad.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmv5yZ8t-qoy_4xwyh-Lvq7s-QRkzQJp0L9i0m1vCwWgdNDi3Hgvo1mXTzM7XBfD-4fQIXrvBl9JifNBBVIBsJYvpV1POuW9hJB7JVHxdhbG60Vnzs3KLcM_7dJttNLkOlVfMEa8qHqAR/s1600/IMG_3820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmv5yZ8t-qoy_4xwyh-Lvq7s-QRkzQJp0L9i0m1vCwWgdNDi3Hgvo1mXTzM7XBfD-4fQIXrvBl9JifNBBVIBsJYvpV1POuW9hJB7JVHxdhbG60Vnzs3KLcM_7dJttNLkOlVfMEa8qHqAR/s320/IMG_3820.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> What a nice, relaxing day on the beach.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-49300287308562442612011-07-10T19:36:00.001-04:002011-07-10T19:47:08.365-04:00Snorkeling with Whale Sharks at Isla de Mujeres<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyEX8uXRt5I0DEFX3GiqoeE5jRoAwt7upxnbtvwliOIZ7VmceVsuh-pQEKW2pZfYbocF14QfyV74jEx78l88H8VZr0H-rcgIzABW1BEY4GZs9-TWEUcx4DX-89mzi_kHbWXAOdNKO3p1y/s1600/IMG_3780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyEX8uXRt5I0DEFX3GiqoeE5jRoAwt7upxnbtvwliOIZ7VmceVsuh-pQEKW2pZfYbocF14QfyV74jEx78l88H8VZr0H-rcgIzABW1BEY4GZs9-TWEUcx4DX-89mzi_kHbWXAOdNKO3p1y/s320/IMG_3780.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Our chill guide, he has been on the island for 28 years</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmC_GZEvVhcBeRZIyPsbmZg6fSGp4B-IUU8IaFR5IS4ffIV9u1PJ_jXFt9KukI-mdWdDHGK1QNVJgfOlFPKspkYc4PwUqXHL4aR4aKug9okxp2AiGsuueN0YBiAk-Q-VsmhCB5MpEvGrK/s1600/IMG_3786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmC_GZEvVhcBeRZIyPsbmZg6fSGp4B-IUU8IaFR5IS4ffIV9u1PJ_jXFt9KukI-mdWdDHGK1QNVJgfOlFPKspkYc4PwUqXHL4aR4aKug9okxp2AiGsuueN0YBiAk-Q-VsmhCB5MpEvGrK/s320/IMG_3786.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> In my best Steve Irwin voice And what you see there is a large whale shark, lets see how close we can get it to it mates. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirenR_DwPUcPfzUEkrhimh4tuExcspUba0jggLtoC1kL_8FDsiuYkas2GYlQfyREjGieSu8I1fGg1Phy3iDQXbr_hcbAujRToT05IA7POf0rERvWwDEa2j8cJGKQcSZOfK62NYKsflHcSB/s1600/IMG_3787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirenR_DwPUcPfzUEkrhimh4tuExcspUba0jggLtoC1kL_8FDsiuYkas2GYlQfyREjGieSu8I1fGg1Phy3iDQXbr_hcbAujRToT05IA7POf0rERvWwDEa2j8cJGKQcSZOfK62NYKsflHcSB/s320/IMG_3787.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Alright seriously I swam right by it. Thankfully it wasn't a Great White. Did I tell you I am scared of sharks. Had to be because of watching Jaws as a kid.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXG2NLp0VNkthvoaqGwlqK4ihhd2PdQSVBGjZpYDBo6chDM-9XDN0ss4zZcX7G7Zl7J8Pw84UHbx5nNKVS9xBEHpQWVMt_ss11cqs1rhf7tFnZXAs2WbKAFNZF0z6xFB8lU4RVs3DGRwT/s1600/IMG_3790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXG2NLp0VNkthvoaqGwlqK4ihhd2PdQSVBGjZpYDBo6chDM-9XDN0ss4zZcX7G7Zl7J8Pw84UHbx5nNKVS9xBEHpQWVMt_ss11cqs1rhf7tFnZXAs2WbKAFNZF0z6xFB8lU4RVs3DGRwT/s320/IMG_3790.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Isla was a nice break from our travels.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27onCRtSmdeZSv3lENMjjFXtQH6KMvF-Ovsyc2k8aEdW8hYshyphenhyphenmO7aYxfHoZR10IIr0Q2oDl36eioyJDPYLZgXIVy-PC9ZjJpKUu_Gqx2PI45-teMtCa8XJwqVnWPaQ7AgTptBpbnMV8l/s1600/IMG_3791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27onCRtSmdeZSv3lENMjjFXtQH6KMvF-Ovsyc2k8aEdW8hYshyphenhyphenmO7aYxfHoZR10IIr0Q2oDl36eioyJDPYLZgXIVy-PC9ZjJpKUu_Gqx2PI45-teMtCa8XJwqVnWPaQ7AgTptBpbnMV8l/s320/IMG_3791.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>It's been awhile since I could post so let me try to get caught up. On our second day on the Island I went snorkeling all day. I had a great time once again meeting new people. This time it was three girls from Australia. We went with this really cool older Mexican dude. He was super chill and did everything to make the day enjoyable. At this time of year the whale sharks migrate through the area.So we felt pretty confident we would get to see them. Thankfully we did. It was a little odd though because everyone was centered around this one area with boats all over the place. That made the experience a little less enjoyable but hey I still can say I swam with whale sharks. And let me tell you they are massive mammals. I was blown away by how large and imposing they really are when you get in the water. We also were able to see giant turtles as well. <br />
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I really enjoyed hanging on the boat and just soaking up the warm weather. Thankfully I did a good job of keeping my pale body out of the sun for the most part. After we were finished with the whale shark experience we went back to the coral reefs and got to snorkel for around an hour. Wow was that amazing. I bought a underwater camera and I am curious to see how the pictures turned out. After a wonderful day snorkeling I joined the girls for dinner and enjoyed hearing about what it is like to be an Aussie and to hear their travel stories. Once again it has been great to meet so many different people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-86324868967427464642011-07-05T19:58:00.000-04:002011-07-05T19:58:45.778-04:00Isla de MujeresAfter a 20 hour bus ride we have arrived in the beautiful Yucatan. Wow, I have put in some time on the transportation systems around Central America. I was really worried about not falling asleep on this bus ride thankfully I did otherwise it would have been even more grueling. Thankfully the ride was not as bad as I had thought it was going to be. We ended up paying to ride a nicer bus with reclining chairs, a bathroom and a tv.<br />
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We did see something fascinating. There was a checkpoint where a local village set out metal with spikes along the road. The villagers demanded a tribute or fee be paid to move along the road. Basically you had no choice it was either give them some money or get a flat tire and be beat up. Our bus driver paid the fee and along we went. Also we have had to go through various checkpoints as far as police are concerned. They just hop on the bus look around and then leave.What is this the days of Robin Hood. Such is the state in Mexico. Everything has been good thus far, knock on wood.<br />
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We got in to Cancun around noon. We then had to take a 20 minute boat ride to Isla de Mujeres. It is very touristy but to be honest I need a couple of beach days to chill out. I have certainly traveled a great deal and experienced a great deal so I am looking forward to some chillaxing. We got settled in at our hostel which get this cost eleven dollars a night. It is not a dump either I assure you of that. We are a five minute walk from the beach so that is nice. We had a nice lunch which was desperately needed since we had not had a solid meal in over 24 hours. It was then time to walk around the town and set up tomorrows adventure. Snorkeling with sea turtles and whale sharks. I am pretty pumped. After setting up our tour we of course hit the beach. Wow! I cant tell you how relaxed I feel right now. LIFE IS GOOD!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWN2CcSV2T6eG-kjKm4vGwlIHRyevHWKunXCd-ZyKh_nO71vRSDwq7fX1MHJX0V-ZHoXK6db5SaIuGHvDJ0468TfYUMdkyBhDjHz9bmwp0zPFpZaVHmDDC4tsr2Dl1ULogPzbOUhzWsiii/s1600/IMG_3775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWN2CcSV2T6eG-kjKm4vGwlIHRyevHWKunXCd-ZyKh_nO71vRSDwq7fX1MHJX0V-ZHoXK6db5SaIuGHvDJ0468TfYUMdkyBhDjHz9bmwp0zPFpZaVHmDDC4tsr2Dl1ULogPzbOUhzWsiii/s320/IMG_3775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Welcome to Cancun, off to Isla de Mujeres.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cYvgU1xwMlJoslT8wefhE_C9y4OBRdm1x7IWxIGu98GzEepmaChoRPKAdX1p8_MV6zhjXSX3c-qyeG0kgkPC0KUm-rxRR_qKbF0Ma5MUKLTlIhkOb1I62QCLfCbHHfdNG2v951HvPC90/s1600/IMG_3776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cYvgU1xwMlJoslT8wefhE_C9y4OBRdm1x7IWxIGu98GzEepmaChoRPKAdX1p8_MV6zhjXSX3c-qyeG0kgkPC0KUm-rxRR_qKbF0Ma5MUKLTlIhkOb1I62QCLfCbHHfdNG2v951HvPC90/s320/IMG_3776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Awww, I love the clear blue water of the Caribbean. Helps with my phobia of jelly fish. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2U3DmJh1L9rqMYFqRvljZCwV8wgAwfFIni5g7ajfmElxEfyf66Bt5Cy46DK2PEmCHZXL1mZAdRI0NuVozuPK2FKUFA5T_Zs8LPLQgDb4UcspXZthrj_r_BznuWkBS02Pd7vnq9AfOeJy/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2U3DmJh1L9rqMYFqRvljZCwV8wgAwfFIni5g7ajfmElxEfyf66Bt5Cy46DK2PEmCHZXL1mZAdRI0NuVozuPK2FKUFA5T_Zs8LPLQgDb4UcspXZthrj_r_BznuWkBS02Pd7vnq9AfOeJy/s320/IMG_3778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Alright time to jump in!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-70069201670901553202011-07-05T19:38:00.000-04:002011-07-05T19:38:31.986-04:00San Cristobal de las Casas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeXcEYHhy2nRP3fH2afU2UCNvCnu0WThQSf9LcHtJtgNT3lCqruZPy5ly20c-pc4P-lOQAYFHliSUk8SzbEw_7_A5OlqmRaAwpiEG6HymCuE4yAUrgEnIPHLc67yAz2JKrx2iaK5KK-9v/s1600/IMG_3762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeXcEYHhy2nRP3fH2afU2UCNvCnu0WThQSf9LcHtJtgNT3lCqruZPy5ly20c-pc4P-lOQAYFHliSUk8SzbEw_7_A5OlqmRaAwpiEG6HymCuE4yAUrgEnIPHLc67yAz2JKrx2iaK5KK-9v/s320/IMG_3762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We left Shala on the third to make our way to Mexico. We decided to go to San Cristobal de las Casas and then make our decision on where to go from there. After a grueling 8 hour van ride with one stop we made it to San Cristobal. I had heard San Cristobal was an artsy hippy kind of place. I really enjoyed the laid back nature of the town. We only spent one day there but I really enjoyed the vibe as I mentioned. I can see why the town received good reviews. We decided at dinner that rather than going to Oaxaca and working our way down the Pacific that we would go up to the Yucatan to see the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Tulum. We would first head to the Island de Mujeres which translates to Island of Women and work our way down the Yucatan to Belize and to the coastal town of Livingston in Guatemala.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62cNJGrw9TCPGBY31pbhXguttBZHeXVfGQEIBm47EIiGEB-n4bWiFdOeSLXOx0z6_ntqIkTkHf1mDkvAMmsXFJcMTeo8v3B4lEysxi9XtfJJS848GQzTefnYUrq3J5t7EjSl7gbMId2xI/s1600/IMG_3763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62cNJGrw9TCPGBY31pbhXguttBZHeXVfGQEIBm47EIiGEB-n4bWiFdOeSLXOx0z6_ntqIkTkHf1mDkvAMmsXFJcMTeo8v3B4lEysxi9XtfJJS848GQzTefnYUrq3J5t7EjSl7gbMId2xI/s320/IMG_3763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Our hostel. Pretty nice spot<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu01D1Hi4atUKQehcDgr5T4TgMka_GRKt5vK-GuVsSF1v_N89JGkRWtFarBUVeFEs1uFKsYyA52EnQtSkrxXbINm6uiZ_gbxClhG3_YdGsWJsXfGNZo4uOvD4BGQ3MkZa5Yrj6aVoorxV/s1600/IMG_3765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu01D1Hi4atUKQehcDgr5T4TgMka_GRKt5vK-GuVsSF1v_N89JGkRWtFarBUVeFEs1uFKsYyA52EnQtSkrxXbINm6uiZ_gbxClhG3_YdGsWJsXfGNZo4uOvD4BGQ3MkZa5Yrj6aVoorxV/s320/IMG_3765.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Streets of San Cristobal<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLTaX1wOMf2bKZ2LyA_QXZ9GPD-Ux4dIZZRx7msX7DNTeJSeGIxqvPOXMWBrvPIyCtCZrY2VM2xTSpBZEp0xOs2htpojz-qEysYgKRh0ExWwSseM4lEuEttP_FsnVZg9NAuRsZX24Lg27/s1600/IMG_3766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLTaX1wOMf2bKZ2LyA_QXZ9GPD-Ux4dIZZRx7msX7DNTeJSeGIxqvPOXMWBrvPIyCtCZrY2VM2xTSpBZEp0xOs2htpojz-qEysYgKRh0ExWwSseM4lEuEttP_FsnVZg9NAuRsZX24Lg27/s320/IMG_3766.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GeD0pz_sKfdEcagZeAKn6rrJ7zYkrVytm2EnnOPDuHite_9SyHCmb2CAA119v0PDNs5iaCW-abqnC8_dgZAM9PqMqQROut1VeoamPFubjgU84jaIKIs0-bovntjIjDGob-ejLeCiUZd7/s1600/IMG_3767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GeD0pz_sKfdEcagZeAKn6rrJ7zYkrVytm2EnnOPDuHite_9SyHCmb2CAA119v0PDNs5iaCW-abqnC8_dgZAM9PqMqQROut1VeoamPFubjgU84jaIKIs0-bovntjIjDGob-ejLeCiUZd7/s320/IMG_3767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This picture is for you Chris. I wish you were here travel buddy<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b3COObUPHGjSXeZ8W-N2GURfZjAY0JZE6aScozNnLJLG5byoEEkEzikoQtAC92SMEBbrrUpPfnQUs9QXOJ_jEDylZ_CSUNJMSDsMyerGMIxstlAOf1RxRyuLLFlLAt-6Oz0lEXcjYE61/s1600/IMG_3772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b3COObUPHGjSXeZ8W-N2GURfZjAY0JZE6aScozNnLJLG5byoEEkEzikoQtAC92SMEBbrrUpPfnQUs9QXOJ_jEDylZ_CSUNJMSDsMyerGMIxstlAOf1RxRyuLLFlLAt-6Oz0lEXcjYE61/s320/IMG_3772.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Striking a pose on the way down from the church<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1r9W16Xrq_x-CAkNwB2dANRPi6xTPU7Yo17iYJqNxejPsxeJEc_-oCqUCuXO_PZvlIc0JtDe3KdalCEJYdhWiNGZLcKQtmBzO8OfDOahDWSpamgR3dihu5cLwJinhFUkOV_jmfkxSPkd/s1600/IMG_3768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1r9W16Xrq_x-CAkNwB2dANRPi6xTPU7Yo17iYJqNxejPsxeJEc_-oCqUCuXO_PZvlIc0JtDe3KdalCEJYdhWiNGZLcKQtmBzO8OfDOahDWSpamgR3dihu5cLwJinhFUkOV_jmfkxSPkd/s320/IMG_3768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Church of the Virgin Guadulupe<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bCwhZ9wxxhjmPKEJ8zRBwnCNALqKPtz4cmBvHF5GmXtEkmaNkKHVHul6ojP8EvK01bJBfj3svhB8XTUyi0wyz8I3KtGwF8UVYRdyErBtKFMDEkBaunMm8GOek2GsLJxLICPjwxl1Ss2H/s1600/IMG_3774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bCwhZ9wxxhjmPKEJ8zRBwnCNALqKPtz4cmBvHF5GmXtEkmaNkKHVHul6ojP8EvK01bJBfj3svhB8XTUyi0wyz8I3KtGwF8UVYRdyErBtKFMDEkBaunMm8GOek2GsLJxLICPjwxl1Ss2H/s320/IMG_3774.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Nice. Virginia being represented south of the borderUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-49866241359443075662011-07-03T21:21:00.004-04:002011-07-04T10:01:08.997-04:00Did I really just do that?Well if Sempay was one of my most favorite days then yesterday ranks as the most physically demanding day ever. All I can say is it seems like a dream.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So we left our hotel at 11:00 at night to make the two and an hour trek to Volcano Tajamulco the highest point in Central America. We decided to try this approach rather than camping at night and finishing the hike in the morning. Part of reason was spending the night in the rain and being cold. So we began our trek at 2:30 in the morning. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. I think we spent the first hour sleepwalking up the mountain. I was at a major disadvantage for I had no light. At first the hike was relatively easy, hiking up the road. However it changed very rapidly and my initial belief that I would have no problem turned to worry. The hike was extremely strenuous due to the fact that the trials were narrow and slippy. Add to this that it was pitch dark and boy was I in store for a grueling trek. We hired a guide who assisted us with navigation. About two hours into the hike I began to worry about being able to complete the hike.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>If there is one thing I give myself credit for it is perseverance. When I set my mind to something I complete it. So although I worried about finishing I knew there was no way that I wasnt going to finish. The hike was straight up hill and full of challenges. I just kept telling myself you have to finish. Just take one step at a time and you will do this. The altitude began to make me feel light headed which only compounded my difficulty. In addition the last hour and a half was spent climbing rocks. I love climbing rocks and enjoyed this part of the trek even though it was the most difficult being I was exhausted. In all we climbed about 3,600 feet for four hours till we reached the top. At the top we were sitting at 12,500 feet looking out across Central America. We really lucked out on the weather and got to the top just before the clouds rolled in. Seeing the sunset was absolutely amazing. I can not even begin to tell you the sense of accomplishment I felt in having climbed this mountain. This was much more difficult than our climbing adventure in Ecuador several years back. I am most proud of the fact that I was mentally tough and fought through the fatigue and doubt. I DID IT!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcfpppC7z_gyIks22-E39q7z_LV8GwSktEGHWN8p7EhUdlXr053im7ZhPUcMKwd5Q3JMhWn7O8NvuWbmAFb3tE91uvB8krdmhRj0aUrJUjBz6r7e8VwmQKecMlTfHsga6PsXv26Xbvnfx/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcfpppC7z_gyIks22-E39q7z_LV8GwSktEGHWN8p7EhUdlXr053im7ZhPUcMKwd5Q3JMhWn7O8NvuWbmAFb3tE91uvB8krdmhRj0aUrJUjBz6r7e8VwmQKecMlTfHsga6PsXv26Xbvnfx/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">That would be me half asleep at around 5:30 a.m</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5skpiDMoukz1qJBpK2Ifuypehs_Dh-wRL4H-4L26hCzAkjiR3BU-IikTjn_VYC4eT6O4cHfzoJYDI5_2RpJdwzPmw_q8WnWte-iXubGGNIlfsl3cqFlDOXNUX1yKAYkiBbl1sGith2JtX/s1600/IMG_3737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5skpiDMoukz1qJBpK2Ifuypehs_Dh-wRL4H-4L26hCzAkjiR3BU-IikTjn_VYC4eT6O4cHfzoJYDI5_2RpJdwzPmw_q8WnWte-iXubGGNIlfsl3cqFlDOXNUX1yKAYkiBbl1sGith2JtX/s320/IMG_3737.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJDtHdAXyQqZrADsMOLb-s7_S2pkHwrFNQ77L6E-IZQnzu5QOypibZXuswCwdqEAjtSqfPraUIKyxdBOjiqVeYqtTY4XOnZmm7Jj1gKaBrM5X20-z7IViTgYaEuZ-OLbiUpDO2BMtkmtQ/s1600/IMG_3738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJDtHdAXyQqZrADsMOLb-s7_S2pkHwrFNQ77L6E-IZQnzu5QOypibZXuswCwdqEAjtSqfPraUIKyxdBOjiqVeYqtTY4XOnZmm7Jj1gKaBrM5X20-z7IViTgYaEuZ-OLbiUpDO2BMtkmtQ/s320/IMG_3738.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Sun is on its way!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0iOSolKTfI99-c5qCOobHaWtp33nnHNS7uPMk_B5CTtr7LJVEgI6ps1-ObmDU1fbSmMVIKGOmjMVH5nPf_SjEZo1IKUHLwAZhOHh1WMKXbtwAECR0OGffbzsW-CNsT4m6b4uC7N9JG4I/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0iOSolKTfI99-c5qCOobHaWtp33nnHNS7uPMk_B5CTtr7LJVEgI6ps1-ObmDU1fbSmMVIKGOmjMVH5nPf_SjEZo1IKUHLwAZhOHh1WMKXbtwAECR0OGffbzsW-CNsT4m6b4uC7N9JG4I/s320/IMG_3740.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
We really lucked out on the weather, it began to rain on our way down<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9sAXfD8qx8DHMQI8owtdAjSTt9G8FVKTcq5rfZTmKQiBcA-eLdK-XWI0lnEelsAhd9ygwKVP40MsFo3UnlhVwTEClT8QMQN8RujaaWYcnp95YgvTzHRqNSGf0MJOKE9fCTVroxVgeTkd/s1600/IMG_3743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9sAXfD8qx8DHMQI8owtdAjSTt9G8FVKTcq5rfZTmKQiBcA-eLdK-XWI0lnEelsAhd9ygwKVP40MsFo3UnlhVwTEClT8QMQN8RujaaWYcnp95YgvTzHRqNSGf0MJOKE9fCTVroxVgeTkd/s320/IMG_3743.JPG" width="240px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hang in there you are almost there</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Evl5sjRR-nbt1GMDWTGtm6wL0jt3sCGlsvOel_3jMog78TlgJvbafWRZf_Mjx-CtrYOsIXTHSNnytrSURTJ-6qtRX42MMfT4P8pFe1PdOGpmIsb_H52YlVPbu9_-Pf-CChVVLFpEVHs_/s1600/IMG_3747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Evl5sjRR-nbt1GMDWTGtm6wL0jt3sCGlsvOel_3jMog78TlgJvbafWRZf_Mjx-CtrYOsIXTHSNnytrSURTJ-6qtRX42MMfT4P8pFe1PdOGpmIsb_H52YlVPbu9_-Pf-CChVVLFpEVHs_/s320/IMG_3747.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ahh the taste of success. Too bad the clouds rolled in while I was recovering </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlwnF4wOv1LSUJ0bytMzP969Bahs3Ktsbww4D2Zsij-qoC1jRCd1CKtVI6Hf2xZ5lL1VSowqJc5krksVG4xHK-neP2WC43_bC8J2X-T5zEjie07D-wbb_Ugo9xqoiWTwIaozNTvrtdtrG/s1600/IMG_3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlwnF4wOv1LSUJ0bytMzP969Bahs3Ktsbww4D2Zsij-qoC1jRCd1CKtVI6Hf2xZ5lL1VSowqJc5krksVG4xHK-neP2WC43_bC8J2X-T5zEjie07D-wbb_Ugo9xqoiWTwIaozNTvrtdtrG/s320/IMG_3748.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> Now that we could actually see on our way down here are some pictures of what we missed on the way up. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzUF9wwWByGKykIvQXzeTifMQZQ3VMIArVwnISK4b20LjbaQw-7QvnUvURvd674iRiBQUh_keT0zvOILscyhhiogPS6DJ6dFKyDh6H21lpZ1qh__aCjAj4xjTG7rDCgEGN2utkXKCKf9i/s1600/IMG_3749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzUF9wwWByGKykIvQXzeTifMQZQ3VMIArVwnISK4b20LjbaQw-7QvnUvURvd674iRiBQUh_keT0zvOILscyhhiogPS6DJ6dFKyDh6H21lpZ1qh__aCjAj4xjTG7rDCgEGN2utkXKCKf9i/s320/IMG_3749.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The vegetation was beautiful</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU1rI9c7moJx8S6Z2s7AIxNkIjC_YtFkLDhAj5tOf1Ql0IgNGuG4uZqBO6je8CF424vuh5ag9wI5hcoez6XeFms6_oVy1gqCW0VmdAvPKwlmHMsUiYE8r9wI1kE7d2CgOa1xUD61er_mw/s1600/IMG_3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioU1rI9c7moJx8S6Z2s7AIxNkIjC_YtFkLDhAj5tOf1Ql0IgNGuG4uZqBO6je8CF424vuh5ag9wI5hcoez6XeFms6_oVy1gqCW0VmdAvPKwlmHMsUiYE8r9wI1kE7d2CgOa1xUD61er_mw/s320/IMG_3751.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqvanPuS5UFvbkK6J0hU0lt_cfJLlFosCk5_oFUiOIAqkg6Ecvp_uZRssGu8pWXUZumy1DoaXJbmUCvBK9ZfVgcIm5L86zhqgE65Cxz5xkuCVJL9vvcg4H5m3kIwWBr6Bz-ObknNfDWR_/s1600/IMG_3756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqvanPuS5UFvbkK6J0hU0lt_cfJLlFosCk5_oFUiOIAqkg6Ecvp_uZRssGu8pWXUZumy1DoaXJbmUCvBK9ZfVgcIm5L86zhqgE65Cxz5xkuCVJL9vvcg4H5m3kIwWBr6Bz-ObknNfDWR_/s320/IMG_3756.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> That peak up there is where we had climbed. This picture was taken on our way down around halfway.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhophAbteIL1tCwb0emqKNYO_fJ_yfPY5DyLPaaujU3v3BwqHUnaP0441vCJHjDGDO1fbDAL_o3zZJ7lU1TCw49tbdgEuokKwFiPQwcUMrU4QoXOusE1Hy9DKlAoXDShV7jN0ahaP6zK8UD/s1600/IMG_3757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhophAbteIL1tCwb0emqKNYO_fJ_yfPY5DyLPaaujU3v3BwqHUnaP0441vCJHjDGDO1fbDAL_o3zZJ7lU1TCw49tbdgEuokKwFiPQwcUMrU4QoXOusE1Hy9DKlAoXDShV7jN0ahaP6zK8UD/s320/IMG_3757.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HXl1Ihj1qkEtFSNUH-hF8p_tfhp9cbGV6jsNe8W1jp7sw1XCZt0S9wJwElZ64rC9VDaM7imsch0jI-wj0CQ7F8vq7LxUFy2AnszN7s9VjwUGCxf_AlPWJ7JikJK5JXOYUSDNjlDHxBa5/s1600/IMG_3758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HXl1Ihj1qkEtFSNUH-hF8p_tfhp9cbGV6jsNe8W1jp7sw1XCZt0S9wJwElZ64rC9VDaM7imsch0jI-wj0CQ7F8vq7LxUFy2AnszN7s9VjwUGCxf_AlPWJ7JikJK5JXOYUSDNjlDHxBa5/s320/IMG_3758.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> That would be a crazy looking mushroom<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMSJwTZMT6Scr_26SVQzp2l7Tz8vaQ5le_UHhtBMFrr9ySCNPAnYx1Hj8FqUxNhuOM_gjsw6uL6U3_z3dEwgGxXytikaBtoY1sMrhqkx3dIrDfbQkz-Y9l3yQYIovAg28TGPW8anXYmCb/s1600/IMG_3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMSJwTZMT6Scr_26SVQzp2l7Tz8vaQ5le_UHhtBMFrr9ySCNPAnYx1Hj8FqUxNhuOM_gjsw6uL6U3_z3dEwgGxXytikaBtoY1sMrhqkx3dIrDfbQkz-Y9l3yQYIovAg28TGPW8anXYmCb/s320/IMG_3760.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcin1XLQN8eZxGnL-eyGjrXSFPuPOo79xWuAMn-OMdEtBpJko0Bxy73sZGb3CFo9_ZYN5FHnknq1U_Pw8OPRtkrcYmJzucenexJPuIP4FPyA1nWJm6SiLhNQbiZIWSuRCYxCzMcq3jdhi_/s1600/IMG_3761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcin1XLQN8eZxGnL-eyGjrXSFPuPOo79xWuAMn-OMdEtBpJko0Bxy73sZGb3CFo9_ZYN5FHnknq1U_Pw8OPRtkrcYmJzucenexJPuIP4FPyA1nWJm6SiLhNQbiZIWSuRCYxCzMcq3jdhi_/s320/IMG_3761.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> I guess our guide is not an expert in photographyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-79525498402431738332011-07-01T12:49:00.000-04:002011-07-01T12:49:00.389-04:00Lake AtitlanGotta get going, meeting Cheryl for breakfast. I have arrived at Lake Atitlan. After 12 hours of bus rides. It was so worth it thought to go to Champay. We are heading for Mexico today. We will be hiking a volcano at one in the morning and watching the sunrise tomorrow. I can't wait. I will write and share pictures as soon as I can. Internet connections are a little slow so videos will have to wait. I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the blog. Till next time!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-36093921604152034052011-07-01T12:46:00.000-04:002011-07-01T12:46:20.011-04:00Semuc ChampayHow do I describe this day? Today was one of the ten best days of my life. I am so amazed already at some of the activities I participated in. This area is simply one of the most beautiful places in the WORLD.<br />
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Amanda, Janie and our new friend Katie spent the day with our guides Johnny and Darwin exploring the wonders of Champay. Not only was the activities and scenery wonderful but we had a great time laughing throughout the course of the day. Good times.<br />
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Semuc Champay consists of freshwater lagoons and waterfalls that enchant the eyes. The clear blue water is one thing add to that waterfalls and the surrounding mountains and you have Eden on Earth. Our tour consisted of a somewhat strenuous hike to the lagoons, Climbing and swimming down the eight or so lagoons, seeing an amazing waterfall, tubing down the river, jumping off the bridge into the river and exploring underwater caves full of water, labryinths, and waterfalls. An amazing day almost destroyed due to one of the guys at our hostel jumping off a huge cliff and almost dying. He lost consciousness and was saved by one of his buddies. A very eventful day to say the least. Completed with more dancing and socializing. A sample size of people I met the last two days. English, Australian, Swiss, Spanish, obviously Guatemalan, and of course Americans. The trip is thus far exceeding my expectations and I haven't even met up with Cheryl and Samantha.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQ3W2QOphKSnypxF4W5Xh5aAUk-LyJzVZ0TaEaVVmBavb9DvRPftlEnnyjK3W16PUezox9CSqYUGGZW_IMp9uRj8KDohsqHk_zKH11DzdI7hCvnu8LrG3OLSpQQnCZmGjXkNcRG5hpmOE/s1600/IMG_3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQ3W2QOphKSnypxF4W5Xh5aAUk-LyJzVZ0TaEaVVmBavb9DvRPftlEnnyjK3W16PUezox9CSqYUGGZW_IMp9uRj8KDohsqHk_zKH11DzdI7hCvnu8LrG3OLSpQQnCZmGjXkNcRG5hpmOE/s320/IMG_3692.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4ssHDga-uWWUaGxBgSegwQMZrQWs-k-XvBeWt698mEKw07Qra3oyl6-9MEBzoIXMCEYb1AlKoAL88ZneC0Z7K1HAcwqCbVFBSHkA4DsR_td5t-9FezI10qQAPJjbP24G0c12OYIMnVDA/s1600/IMG_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4ssHDga-uWWUaGxBgSegwQMZrQWs-k-XvBeWt698mEKw07Qra3oyl6-9MEBzoIXMCEYb1AlKoAL88ZneC0Z7K1HAcwqCbVFBSHkA4DsR_td5t-9FezI10qQAPJjbP24G0c12OYIMnVDA/s320/IMG_3693.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Let's go for a hike, what do you say? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoHy39RbR_f8Or_RLSUCeFDGj68NTpao5hOQGwlztYx-Z1v-ZJkAAYEwk4vT9cak21aSFG84jH86B23_bVbOXnHWlj1fRusolQwJ5fIf4ubfL_fz_UKq-Uq_EeTFMkxWUqLMLEyWCxh7D/s1600/IMG_3694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoHy39RbR_f8Or_RLSUCeFDGj68NTpao5hOQGwlztYx-Z1v-ZJkAAYEwk4vT9cak21aSFG84jH86B23_bVbOXnHWlj1fRusolQwJ5fIf4ubfL_fz_UKq-Uq_EeTFMkxWUqLMLEyWCxh7D/s320/IMG_3694.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I like hikes in primary forests<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvzTI4AdM8nM3JoptKSIaC7UN9SHs-itsfJSl3Ezgv0ZcuvQSjt9jiY-XULrGAkHaezM0H_dYIqtfrcgXfwEShLKreqZjaY3zV52RBvgjIStufq5Z7UyudcMCU_6vT-T1EOaectI2shAL/s1600/IMG_3695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvzTI4AdM8nM3JoptKSIaC7UN9SHs-itsfJSl3Ezgv0ZcuvQSjt9jiY-XULrGAkHaezM0H_dYIqtfrcgXfwEShLKreqZjaY3zV52RBvgjIStufq5Z7UyudcMCU_6vT-T1EOaectI2shAL/s320/IMG_3695.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I like hikes even better when I get to see MONKEYS!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRP-hmsy4FvFPmbLXv1rjaE0csRbsjtaHFq8KwTDVdWhiVaPuo6WQ5faWydgQmtFrofqEtUQuUBWc5wxYRt0AMX-Bfwms-OeF9jN56qoky03UXGQ31vJh6ZkLyy0o8mwGDqfi3xanrFCZz/s1600/IMG_3697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRP-hmsy4FvFPmbLXv1rjaE0csRbsjtaHFq8KwTDVdWhiVaPuo6WQ5faWydgQmtFrofqEtUQuUBWc5wxYRt0AMX-Bfwms-OeF9jN56qoky03UXGQ31vJh6ZkLyy0o8mwGDqfi3xanrFCZz/s320/IMG_3697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Oh, how I wanted to climb the tree with my friend and jump from tree to tree. I know I have issues, I'll get that checked out eventually.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_A6BCsDG-e4Czc0wQUh_THJHNkpwC_YBhpHSB1wgjiM_SwBWVdhELvXXhvHtxLJ9EKZe6N6ogG4FPt-JCPPhh1u5QDNTF0CaBmE4RKPLaVd6AKuE2HT36pf6vUh_BJ67A6FXiRtuDq_m/s1600/IMG_3698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_A6BCsDG-e4Czc0wQUh_THJHNkpwC_YBhpHSB1wgjiM_SwBWVdhELvXXhvHtxLJ9EKZe6N6ogG4FPt-JCPPhh1u5QDNTF0CaBmE4RKPLaVd6AKuE2HT36pf6vUh_BJ67A6FXiRtuDq_m/s320/IMG_3698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnge5ZHLgaEKx1p7b2JgmxmAqa-kcMd29_7S_C1VtdQyOWAND75rx2iqiNeX81LA9sv5tPrTeNcZWFj13gFuKvIuV7dpMsavKv309LPvUxrQrIloTMkMWLX4fy5YIBaFyQ1Kpst_Id_mO/s1600/IMG_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnge5ZHLgaEKx1p7b2JgmxmAqa-kcMd29_7S_C1VtdQyOWAND75rx2iqiNeX81LA9sv5tPrTeNcZWFj13gFuKvIuV7dpMsavKv309LPvUxrQrIloTMkMWLX4fy5YIBaFyQ1Kpst_Id_mO/s320/IMG_3699.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> What are you and where did you come from?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl7w3BSu3-01jgSK5ryvWTubiQ8qJpyoOZIWDIzaCMpim24uTM_JeUOygZfzRdOxvE-tbs9CA7C0dHIf1mli-tFf11OhdFRPHRmRO3EYyNLslCn4l8-N-PpcIw1IhbEszcwhC6N55bx1O/s1600/IMG_3701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl7w3BSu3-01jgSK5ryvWTubiQ8qJpyoOZIWDIzaCMpim24uTM_JeUOygZfzRdOxvE-tbs9CA7C0dHIf1mli-tFf11OhdFRPHRmRO3EYyNLslCn4l8-N-PpcIw1IhbEszcwhC6N55bx1O/s320/IMG_3701.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Uh yeah, some guy that needs to shave and get in better shape.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHA63CcX0ZzbOiTo0mLRNe3gLG1hxoFM_l7RVfrceq9c5pm2pg0rw6RVcT-lkJJu3fScCaABCuB489cLuST9dyPL3Xe4svG1H7SRblXvF_8Axcfe7vN9cOoq-ugCadzw4GLGcTPFqYr8X/s1600/IMG_3702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHA63CcX0ZzbOiTo0mLRNe3gLG1hxoFM_l7RVfrceq9c5pm2pg0rw6RVcT-lkJJu3fScCaABCuB489cLuST9dyPL3Xe4svG1H7SRblXvF_8Axcfe7vN9cOoq-ugCadzw4GLGcTPFqYr8X/s320/IMG_3702.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The lagoons are waiting and I am ready to jump in<br />
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The guys who jumped off the huge cliff and almost had a disastrous result. They had to wait for help because they were stuck on a rock that preceded the fast and dangerous rapids.<br />
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I must admit I was a little nervous about being myself for a couple days at Champey. I just worried that I wouldn't get to enjoy it as much being on my own. However, those fears were quickly put to rest. Our hostel was in the middle of nowhere. At the nearest town we dropped off the other riders in our van. I was a little disappointed because I had met some friends on the van ride. I jumped on another van and headed towards my hostel. On the way we picked up two girls, who would end up being my roommates.<br />
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I am so thankful to have met Amanda and Janie. They made my experience so much more enjoyable and I feel confident I have met two friends for life. We got in around dinner time that night. The night consisted of getting settled in, eating dinner, socializing and salsa dancing. Yes! Salsa dancing. Thankfully I had a good instructor in Amanda who was patient with me for lord knows I need a lot of help in the dancing department. Thus far I have met many interesting people!<br />
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View from outside the hostel<br />
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Our digs <br />
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View of the way thereUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-84332996965120666012011-06-27T17:36:00.000-04:002011-06-27T17:36:10.853-04:00Volcano:PacayaAll I have to say is sleep is underrated. Boy did I need a good night of sleep. I wonder how many straight hours I was up for. <br />
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Well, I guess it is about time weather has caught up to me in all my years of traveling. The weather report today for Antigua: RAIN WITH MORE OF A CHANCE FOR RAIN LATER. TOMORROW RAIN. THE NEXT DAY RAIN. You get the picture. <br />
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Today I visited a volcano called Pacaya. It is about an hour and a half away so I had to be up very early. Let me just say this about my experience, INCREDIBLE! I am so happy for another amazing experience. I also had a great time talking to the fellow members of my group. I met two ex Israeli soldiers, a family from Australia and just a boring American who has traveled the world and offered advice for future travels. Students you know just how much I love traveling and days like today reinforces it. Not only seeing and doing amazing things but meeting so many interesting people adds so much to my life. Traveling has expanded my horizons in so many critical ways. <br />
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I just got back from a great lunch and I am looking forward to chilling out tonight and getting ready for my next adventure tomorrow to visit some waterfalls, lagoons and underwater caves at Semuc Champey.<br />
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Alright I said I would write less. Check out the pictures and videos below. Internet is a little slow so videos are not loading. I will try later in the week. I really wanted to share the videos too because it got pretty intense up there with wind and sleet. REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSbcYYoxdj4nzbtPwLQnQwmD-ZoSgjkWjizkUM7P-fkw1UaifSh-ZEUWAXegxwFmb_A6O9p1-19QqSwvBJRKrlocUlOZu7xDQP_8qYd-bkYYB_vuyCr5taaP3CtlQpXMj9wnau3FgZyvu/s1600/IMG_3659%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSbcYYoxdj4nzbtPwLQnQwmD-ZoSgjkWjizkUM7P-fkw1UaifSh-ZEUWAXegxwFmb_A6O9p1-19QqSwvBJRKrlocUlOZu7xDQP_8qYd-bkYYB_vuyCr5taaP3CtlQpXMj9wnau3FgZyvu/s320/IMG_3659%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another volcano in the distance<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZhoAGsFYKXj1SrLcIphaO75eIJkvGSSe9A2LFNs1hYZrpHO8CGepQY73puuLnh_BGtBHl3RasCfIkhGWUDInR89SRG5yGwJ6WnvUkBa9TgdGSjUvcvIU1b5NOJYC9Pu6uLVVqreawCEk/s1600/IMG_3666%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZhoAGsFYKXj1SrLcIphaO75eIJkvGSSe9A2LFNs1hYZrpHO8CGepQY73puuLnh_BGtBHl3RasCfIkhGWUDInR89SRG5yGwJ6WnvUkBa9TgdGSjUvcvIU1b5NOJYC9Pu6uLVVqreawCEk/s320/IMG_3666%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Yum! let me eat on this nutritionally enriching POOH! Well not me, but you get the picture. Beetle was huge!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6oLp2kl3nYUtUr4hQgAQhTvdnAahBiPPwg7SRPXipSj2CDJnqV0LR0pDKsC9CJVJPqACIUNBMSjtRr2_J8qo2BSUt8yWXfXlftAce42xb9wqhacMerxGX0r3uLrFx29F4zP5PJLAS14k/s1600/IMG_3662%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6oLp2kl3nYUtUr4hQgAQhTvdnAahBiPPwg7SRPXipSj2CDJnqV0LR0pDKsC9CJVJPqACIUNBMSjtRr2_J8qo2BSUt8yWXfXlftAce42xb9wqhacMerxGX0r3uLrFx29F4zP5PJLAS14k/s320/IMG_3662%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out this crater lake. PRETTY AWESOME, with rare forms of fish.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyBRFwi82eFVVkyipUroB4fCCV9xgeeu8hdcWRcy7TothK7zjerhdQms23iHgIAIyVDfHPVtqKUP7tjlmiVT4r8TebprcZZzMnuPb7PfqlxiW2mzHWpk9DftplzFqyMF5N4rk0Rmw927y/s1600/IMG_3669%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyBRFwi82eFVVkyipUroB4fCCV9xgeeu8hdcWRcy7TothK7zjerhdQms23iHgIAIyVDfHPVtqKUP7tjlmiVT4r8TebprcZZzMnuPb7PfqlxiW2mzHWpk9DftplzFqyMF5N4rk0Rmw927y/s320/IMG_3669%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yeah, I was struggling at this point. Warm, sweaty and sticky. That was about to change as the weather came in AGAIN!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look at how dark the terrain or soil is. Weather about to get crazy</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How do you do Mr.?</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Who knew there were gangs of dogs in Pacaya? Thankfully they didnt rob me or rough me up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-71085117253513895682011-06-26T21:19:00.000-04:002011-06-26T21:19:58.247-04:00Antigua: historic colonial city for the SpanishI have arrived in Guatemala safely. Already having a fantastic time and meeting so many new people. In fact I am getting ready to go out to dinner with a local I met. The people have been amazing, friendly and patient. For my Spanish needs a lot of work. I am currently in Antigua, which is a 45 minute drive from the capital Guatemala City. Tomorrow I am getting up very early to climb a volcanic mountain. On Tuesday I have setup an excursion to some blue lagoons and waterfalls. <br />
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I am going to try very hard to keep these posts short. I know I have a tendency to blabber on. I get excited what can I say. Anywho if you have any questions please holla back. Oh and videos will be up some other time. Gotta Run!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahH2n_0oeeeG0EFL4Z432z0mVwhMWTJ2gS_uzJytX3UcevfqFjyXfMgVBXTsWI7ksvoAlFdaStU92coiCEdUNkO-T7QvZUms7VVIgCtYwkWBL8G6gmnb5zOUnniKoNBR3ccYNGJdVyiME/s1600/IMG_3633%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahH2n_0oeeeG0EFL4Z432z0mVwhMWTJ2gS_uzJytX3UcevfqFjyXfMgVBXTsWI7ksvoAlFdaStU92coiCEdUNkO-T7QvZUms7VVIgCtYwkWBL8G6gmnb5zOUnniKoNBR3ccYNGJdVyiME/s320/IMG_3633%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Courtyard outside my room. Very nice hotel!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Merced Church (look at the detail!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jn0rudrT5R8FRZjuespW2T9H_vwoDztoAlmJLn_dWONYk9Mvk8sGXkKtB5TvuRWIn7haiWADUmWzausYxJSU8Rq12zIb4INtDga39H8MZnJvmmFV-umtLLPuBRqydMadcVlmeK_KmIIf/s1600/IMG_3642%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jn0rudrT5R8FRZjuespW2T9H_vwoDztoAlmJLn_dWONYk9Mvk8sGXkKtB5TvuRWIn7haiWADUmWzausYxJSU8Rq12zIb4INtDga39H8MZnJvmmFV-umtLLPuBRqydMadcVlmeK_KmIIf/s320/IMG_3642%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My students wouldn´t be surprised but I just had to sing along. I had to show them what a contestant on American Idol sounds like</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FCT_M9b0Nvnse6PqmnrkOC2wtJxnYInkRta4wAdTH4IG-43lccWy_nuZBR7Txpe9FN9zjRjahfz8BhBIiJrI458lKZwDBaFQPBwAiZ-lL7wsuIb3sxdTt9qEg2maPDMIu8DZ-ByyhTSr/s1600/IMG_3651%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FCT_M9b0Nvnse6PqmnrkOC2wtJxnYInkRta4wAdTH4IG-43lccWy_nuZBR7Txpe9FN9zjRjahfz8BhBIiJrI458lKZwDBaFQPBwAiZ-lL7wsuIb3sxdTt9qEg2maPDMIu8DZ-ByyhTSr/s320/IMG_3651%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pretty cool picture</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-87738403677402372782011-06-25T10:31:00.001-04:002011-06-25T10:40:04.811-04:00Facts and Figures on Guatemala<span style="font-size: large;">Well, I thought some of you may need some background info on Guatemala just like I did. So here are some facts about Guatemala. I esepcially found the fact that most Guatemalans live on less than $2 a day sad. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenArhPN4sR41LHy5dWdnHZywB3h5IGgwRZNWGq8ZSDA8z4HwwJ3sv2A8fUWvmX4MG-634tRwEIpA0nEom-GC0VXFbHKFnJ0THiXsluNmvHkDNmf5At3V2Cr-trpSSHQT2as_mL2bXmj2G/s1600/GUA_200805_WFPMaxime_Bessieres_3642_1_Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenArhPN4sR41LHy5dWdnHZywB3h5IGgwRZNWGq8ZSDA8z4HwwJ3sv2A8fUWvmX4MG-634tRwEIpA0nEom-GC0VXFbHKFnJ0THiXsluNmvHkDNmf5At3V2Cr-trpSSHQT2as_mL2bXmj2G/s320/GUA_200805_WFPMaxime_Bessieres_3642_1_Large.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Size: Guatemala is about the size of Tennessee</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Terrrain: Mountainous, fertile coastal plain</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Population: 14.36 million</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Literacy: 70.6%</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Workforce: 50% of people work in some form of Agriculture</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gov't: President with a one house legislature</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Goods: Oil, Coffee, Sugar, Bananas</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Population: More than half Native Americans (Mayans)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Language: Spanish</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Money: 51% of Population lives on less than $2 a day</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Infant Mortality, Child Malnutrition and illiteracy among the worst in Western Hemisphere</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Deforestation of the Rainforest by Drug Farmers and Cattle Ranchers</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Currency: Quetzal</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">More birds than the U.S and Canada combined!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2043190046431665198.post-51396044542742439782011-06-02T17:25:00.002-04:002011-06-25T10:40:36.359-04:00Summer is on the way!<span style="font-size: large;">Hello! This will be my third installment thus far in my blog chronology. I will be traveling to Guatemala and Mexico this summer from June 25-July 14th. I am super excited to be visiting my friend Cheryl and learning more about a beautiful region of the world. I have many things that I look forward to observing and researching. Fun, Fun!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I would really like for this blog to be interactive so please feel free to ask questions or make comments. I look forward to my next adventure. Check back for more : )</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0