forever young

well, friends, it´s been a while. turns out its not that easy to park myself in front of a computer to write about all of these amazing experiences because i am too busy having amazing experiences. without my handy dandy iphone gadgetry i was using to write and edit on the buses, it takes hours to transcribe my notes to this here blog. rest assured, though, that during my hibernation period in new orleans (before voodoo fest...dear lord what have i gotten myself into) i will be adding more stories...and there are plenty.

but first, a little bit of reflection. in just a couple of days i turn 30. i have had lots of time to ponder on this fact during long shuttle rides, wicked hikes, and sleepless nights. sure, it´s a mark of time that we as humans have set up to be of some signifigance, and doesn´t necessarily need to be taken with any seriousness, but i´d like to think there is a reason we pause on such occasion to study our lives. so i have.

i wanted to do something really different to celebrate, and i knew i wanted to travel. so i worked like crazy to make this trip happen, and now in the blink of an eye, it´s almost over. there has been some difficulty, some bruises and maladies: vicious bug bites, hikes that are meant for people waaaay more in shape than i, theft of my phone, sunburn, animal attacks, less than savory sleeping situations. and there is a time in every backpacker´s journey when the money runs out and you must swallow your pride and send word back home to friends and family that you need help. i also had the experience of learning of the unexpected death of a very dear friend, wayne sawyer, while i was all alone in leon, nicaragua. all i wanted was to fly back, to be with my friends who i know and love to help with their sadness and to deal with mine.

from all of these negative things one may assume i would have been in misery, would have cried for home, maybe done things differently. truthfully, i ended up finding the beauty in all of those things despite the trouble they caused. i felt accomplished after busting my ass on that volcano. and now that i have slept on a hammock and on a seriously crammed boat, i feel like i can sleep anywhere. and the support and help from my friends and family only reminds me just how freakin´ lucky i am.

when the memorial for wayne was happening in atlanta, i was on lago de nicaragua, on a boat toward isle de omotepe, witnessing the most gorgeous sunset. i held my own memorial.

i am not where i thought i would be at 30, if you asked me, say, ten years ago. i don´t have a husband or kids, or boyfriend, or even a plant. i don´t have a successful career in lounge singing, as i once thought i would. i don´t own a house. or a 401K. but i have friends i consider family, and family who are my friends. i am getting to see the world, in the way that i want to see it. and hey, i ain´t got no money, but honey i´m rich on personality...

and however did i convince three amazing women to come out here to peru to help me celebrate? the first three weeks had me traveling solo, but, you are never really alone unless you want to be. meredith met me in costa rica, and we surprisingly went to panama as well. beth and joy both met us in peru, and now we are four strong. i never dreamed i´d be in peru of all places on this day, let alone in such fabulous company.

the other day on the train to the inca trail head, the bob dylan song ´forever young´decided to pop up. i had to play it over again, more than once. once we started hiking the trail our guide took us to some ruins along the trail, before machu picchu, called wiñaywayna. wiñaywayna is quechua for ´forever young´....

may god bless and keep you always
may your wishes all come true
may you always do for others
and let others do for you
may you build a ladder to the stars
and climb on every rung
may you stay forever young
forever young, forever young
may you stay forever young.

may you grow up to be righteous
may you grow up to be true
may you always know the truth
and see the lights surrounding you
may you always be courageous
stand upright and be strong
may you stay forever young
forever young, forever young
may you stay forever young.

may your hands always be busy
may your feet always be swift
may you have a strong foundation
when the winds of changes shift
may your heart always be joyful
and may your song always be sung
may you stay forever young
forever young, forever young
may you stay forever young....


thanks, bobby d. and to you, friends, i wish you nothing but happiness, and that you stay forever young.

san pedro, lake atitlan, guatemala

was able to get a "shuttle" from antigua to panajchel, by lake atitlan. shuttle turned out to be a family of six, two parents and four kids. it was like crashing a family car trip, but since i had recently left some great travel buddies and was on my own, it was exactly the comfortable situation i needed. we stopped for roasted corn on the side of the road, the children shyly handing me an ear with lime and salt that their father had bought. the kids warmed up to me in no time, and though we did not speak the same language we had so much fun playing games and mugging for my camera. we spent almost an hour waiting for a landslide to be cleared before making it to the boat dock at panajchel. they gave me their email addresses to send them the pictures from out road trip together.
crossed lake atitlan by night to san pedro. san pedro is one of the beautiful towns surrounding the lake. lots of foreigners (gringos) fall in love with the spot and decide to stay on, or come back after visiting to continue life there.
i spent my time there walking around, exploring the steep and broken streets. i also hiked to the top of la nariz, which means "the nose" as the mountains look like the profile of a indian lying down. my guide, matt, is from the UK and moved to the lake after visiting there. he is a geologist, so i got the whole spiel about the volcanic activity that created the lake and its surroundings and the three volcanos in the area: san pedro and toliman, which are extinct, and atitlan which is dormant. the lake itself is also a volcano. the mayans believed that the lake was the birthplace of the world, that everything just kind of spewed from the spot and the lake and mountains and volcanos sprung up from the hole everything came from. i'd buy that for a dollar.
all in all i wish i could have stayed much longer at lake atitlan. san pedro has a few very cheap spanish language course that i would love to go do, even if only for a month. or longer....
BUT for now i had to make it on down to san salvador, el salvador to visit an old friend, jeannine. the weekend was approaching and since she is a school teacher and had those days off i needed to, once again, ramble on.

flores, tikal, lanquin, semuc champey

the ruins of tikal are a sight like no other. i was expecting the big stone structure while i walked through the huge park, and was totally taken aback. imagine the people who discovered these lost buildings while hacking their way to the jungle, and how surprised they were...
the view from temple 4, the highest temple there, was breathtaking. green jungle, everywhere. with just the tops of the other temples peeking through the treetops. and the cry of the howler monkeys sounding just like you think dinosaurs sounded.
my hostel, los amigos, was in flores. a very nice place, lovely garden and hammocks. parrots and cats and dogs. it was hot in flroes, but it would rain and cool everything down. i liked walking in the rain and touching the water that was coming off of the buildings; it was almost boiling from being on the tin roofs that had been heated all day in the sun.
next stop was lanquin. the 7 hour ride was hell: 15 people crammed in a smallish van. windy roads as we went through the mountains. once in lanquin i checked into el retiro, a very nice hostel on the river. the restaurant and bar had a dinner buffet, and happy hour directly after, which led to revelry and dancing on the rafters above the bar.
semuc champey is about a half hour drive from lanquin. once there, me and some of my new friends followed our tour guide, otto, into a cave with nothing but our bathing suits and tennis shoes on, armed with a single candle each. there was some walking, some one armed swimming, as we held the candle above the water. climbing ropes through waterfalls, jumping off huge rocks into the water, sliding through ridiculously small flumes, all through what looked like the set for the movie 'the goonies' (which no one on the tour with me had ever heard of). when a candle went out, everyone was quick to help re-light it. it was like some sort of wildly dangerous team building exercise.
after the caves it was back outside to the river. we jumped out of a huge swing into the water, then took tubes down the river. to the bridge. OH the bridge! when otto showed us how to jump from it, everyone kinda stood around looking at each other as if to say "no, i insist, YOU go first". i ended up doing it first, before i lost my nerve. i fell for what felt like half a minute before hitting the water. my heart: pounding.
by the time we got out of the water, i realized that all this jumping off of things had aggravated my back injury. pretty badly, actually. when the others went up to hike el mirador, i headed straight to the pools and found a conveniently located board to lay on. then a nice swim through the natural pools that all joined together until it started to rain.
after all this excitement, i decided to take it easy the next day, at the hostel. there was the most amazing sauna, so for hours i alternated sweating profusley and jumping in the freezing river. good for the body, good for the soul.
i swear to you, i have pictures, it's just extemely difficult to have the time to dump them on a computer to upload them. i promise, pictures soon.
also, on the bad news front: my phone was stolen. which means no writing the blog from the buses (which was so much better!). it also means no ipod. no translator. no currency converter. none of these things that make travel so much easier. i am truly upset but trying my best not to dwell on it as i am having such a beautiful time. don't cry for me.
now in san pedro, on lake atitlan. more about this beautiful place later, amigos. pura vida!

Caye caulker/Belize city/Flores

My first night at caye caulker was filled with fresh lobster on the grill, some belikins ( the local beer), new friends, and rum. My roomates, Dax and Seamus, are from Belgium and Ireland respectivly and have two of the coolest names ever. Dennis and Megan from Canada joined us for dinner then we all sat in the front of our hostel right on the water, in what was called "the vibe garden" (the sign says leave your mental luggage at the door). A bottle and a half of rum later and it was time for bed.
Next day megan, dennis, and I went to breakfast at a small place that prided itself with its burritos. The breakfast burrito consisted of an omelet with tomato and cheese, some cabbage and beans spread on the most delicious homeade tortillas. They were thick and pillowy, almost like naan. The best part was the hot sauce it was served with: habanero sauce with a carrot base. I mean GOOD!
Next we went snorkling.

 

No manatees, as planned (it was a little more expensive, and I was already splurging on going snorkling in the first place) we did, however, see some beautiful parts of the reef and tons of different fish, barracuda, and stingrays: the pancakes of the sea.
Early evening, as I had to wake up early for a taxi boat, but first a walk to the split, where part of the island was washed away in a hurricane. Bid Meghan and Dennis farewell, and was hassled one more time by some of the local men looking for a "girlfriend"...

Another near miss as I didn't make the early boat out. I thought for sure I'd miss my bus to Flores, but once again fortune smiled upon me and I made it to Belize City in plenty of time. I also met a lovely woman, Anna, on my taxi boat. She is from the UK and lives on Caye Caulker, working as a dive instructor. We talked at length about the environment of the island: how there is not enough education about recycling and conservation, with both locals and tourists. On such a small island, it's sad to think of all the waste going on.
The bus ride was a few hours to the guatemala border. As I checked my passport to get into guatemala, my new friend Harry, who was on my bus told me NOT to pay anything (we did pay legitamately to get out of Belize). The man stamping my passport asked me for 20 Quetzals, and I told him I was told not to pay anything. He started to hassle me, which was pretty damn frightening. What if he told me to fuck off and I couldn't come in? A woman behind the desk said something to him and gave me the stinkeye; he handed me my passport and said I could go in. Turns out, it's a regular occurrance. They see a bus of 20 folks coming up, charge them 20Q each, quite a profit. Good thing Harry warned me: he found out after he asked for a reciept and was just handed his money back.
Now in Flores, and a great hostel called Los amigos. A lovely central garden with hammocks everywhere, clean beds, a restaurant. For 30 quetzals (just under 5 bucks), it's a steal.
Tomorrow: the ruins of Tikal! I hear there are monkeys.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully I can upload photos soon...Writing from an iPhone is hard! Hence all the spelling mistakes and wierdly capitalized words. Um, sorry 'bout that....

Day 1 caye caulker

after a harrowing MARTA ride in which i thought i would miss my flight, I finally found myself on a plane toward Belize. I picked a cloud, as we descended through the cover, to place my worries on, and waved goodbye as we landed.

the cab driver took me through Belize city, where schoolchildren filled the streets. they were on their lunch break, all in matching uniforms.

the water taxi took half an hour to get to caye caulker. there is something surreal about blasting 'sympathy for the devil' while bouncing through unknown waters.

i arrived on the island and was greeted by a man who, for some reason, was singing Christmas carols. i joined him in a rendition of 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' before he pointed me in the direction of a hostel. Tina's Hostel. then a nap in the hammock.

now: dinner with hostel mates! fresh lobster, perhaps....

wish you were here.

half the clothes, twice the money

less than a week until my departure from the states. i am frantically trying to figure out bus systems, money exchanges, couchsurfing hosts...all things a normal person would have already figured out by now. i still stick by my plan of having almost no plan, though, and know that i will be able to figure most stuff out on the fly.

it's been real fun, visiting my hometown for the past couple of weeks. getting to see old friends, being spoiled by my mom, having fun with my sister, eating a ridiculous amount of southern cooking: all very comforting situations. though in hindsight, perhaps the trip home should happen after being out of the country; i fear all this fried food and security will leave me a little less sharp witted. still, visiting my old stomping grounds and haunts with old friends has been such a lovely experience. and since i haven't seen my family in over a year and a half, i'm glad i'm here.

packing, though, oh PACKING i am not always glad of. there is a saying about travel: "bring half as much clothes and twice as much money". i think i have effectively followed the clothing rule, with very, very few clothing items. while backpacking, you learn to wash your clothes in the sink at night and wearing the same thing...a lot. it ain't no fashion show. but what i love about traveling light is how each thing gains more worth. since you only have one pair of pants, those pants become your pants. each shirt is precious, each sock is lovingly looked after. your tennis shoes become part of your home.

as for the twice as much money rule, well, i am bringing just about all i have. which isn't a whole lot, hence the couchsurfing and volunteering. and i suppose i might try busking if i need to.

this time next week, i will be on the island caye caulker, right off the coast of belize city. so whatever you do, don't cry for me...

live better

i begin my journey kinda backwards, by visiting my hometown before leaving for central america. though i gotta say, there is something nice about being in a place i know so well, and being comforted by family and friends before launching myself into the unknown.every time i come home,-stone mountain, georgia- there are several places i must visit to make my trip complete. things that, while living here, i either deeply cherished or took for granted; things they don't have in los angeles. they are mostly restaurants (which makes it difficult to stay on any kind of healthy eating track i may be on), but there is also the drive around my high school stomping grounds in tucker, georgia. i found out yesterday that they have torn down most of the school and are rebuilding a rather huge structure; i guess there are just more people 'round these parts now.

there is one of the largest wal-marts known to man just down the street from my parents' place. i remember when it was built; it's always a big fucking deal when a new wal-mart opens. it started out as just a regular size wal-mart, but then grew into a monolithic beast that lies in the shadow of the great stone mountain.

i decided to visit wal-mart today, because there are a few things i need still for my trip but also because it is a completely different cultural experience than one can expect in los angeles. 

DISCLAIMER: i do not mean to offend people who do not live in los angeles, or big cities, or everyone who resides in small town southern america. i think there are so many quality, kind and caring human beings that live in my hometown, and i would never be prejudiced or judgmental to people who just want to live a nice life that fits their needs and wants, as long as it is not effecting anyone else in a negative manner. that being said, their are a lot of interesting characters found in a wal-mart, and if they ever want to write a blog about how funny my life is, more power to 'em.

i took the pickup truck down the street. it has been storming on and off (another thing you just do not see in southern california. there is nothing like a real thunder and lightning and pouring down rain STORM.) 

i walked in to find that they were doing a major overhaul and rearranging everything. that's ok, i still found some really great products. 

i also did some serious people watching. i was ecstatic to hear an old man use one of my favorite southern colloquialisms, "if it was a snake it woulda bit me" (used when finding out

 something you were looking for was really close the whole time). there was this other guy whose aim was to have a conversation with every person in the store. i saw him giving gun advice to a teenager in the gun isle, and shoe advice to another guy in the shoe isle. to me he said "you seen my wife? as soon as i turn my back she goes out and shops. cain't turn my back on that woman." aren't we in a store? isn't she supposed to be shopping? my reply, however, was a simple smile.

this wedding cake topper is just sad. it screams: "women! always tryin' to rope you into marryin' them when you knock them up!" 

cinnabon candles, for when you want your home to smell like a food court.

this lady sure seems excited about never having to leave her home. "y'all, don't tell anyone you can walk outside....for free."

guns and knives!

guns! yes, they're BB guns, but it just looks so sinister, all those guns in their packaging, up on a shelf. shivers.

you'll be happy to know that wal-mart sells live bait! see, they even want to take down the mom and pop bait and tackles. damn mega corporation.

"whadda you mean your sister wants to go fishin' with us?"

i am not sure how this product slipped by. bohemian, indeed....

i always show support for the shitty beer i drink by walking all over their logo. 

then the wal-mart turns into a full on grocery store. with the most impressive selection of jerky and preserved meat ever.

and the best part? it's right next to the soy milk.

i am sorry, but saving a few pennies by giving your already hyperactive child overly sugared cereal will not make you "live better".

i just loved these because they look like you could couple them all with big floppy hats and have yourself a ready made southern bridesmaid outfit!

"math is hard!"

i walked out of wal-mart with a grand total of nothing. all i wanted was a rubber door stop, and they didn't have that. perhaps i could have just used a WWF homoerotic action figure?