Tikal

One of our final great adventures was to venture to the ancient Myan ruins. We caught a shuttle at three in the morning so that we could arrive in the jungle to watch the sunrise over the city. The jungle waking up is a magical thing to witness, as the mist burns away under the sunrises golden fires the howler monkeys call out as the roosters of the jungle to awaken all the other creatures! On our three-hour tour through the city we got to see these animals as well as climb the ancient temples!

this is one of the howler monkeys

No words can describe my three days in Semuc Champey. Seven limestone pools spill into each other with crystal clear, azul water. This little heaven is nestled in the beginnings of the Guatemalan jungle. Giant beetles sing throughout the jungle in harmony with exotic birds and monkeys. One of the days there we went on a cave tour, this if possible was the best adventure of my trip. Armored only with a swimsuit and a handmade candle we were led, unrestricted, to the heart of the caves. We had to swim, crawl, fall, and climb throughout the caves avoiding jagged rocks hidden below the murky water. Although we could not take cameras with us the images from this adventure will stay with me forever!
PS if these pictures don't show up on the blog site just click on them and they should enlarge, I think they are just too large for the site.

After a day long bus ride on one of the famed chicken buses the ladies and I arrive in Coban, one of the larger cites in the Northern part of Guatemala. Our goal is to spend the night here and leave early the next morning for the famed pools of Semuc Champey. Our newly discovered traval picnic? One large can of refried black beans, chips/tostados, and if we are lucky the option of avacado, cheese, or salsa. The best place for these pic-nics? On the corners of the bus stops where the locals can view us and either laugh at us or show a shy hand and ask for one. By far my favorite meal of the trip! Our mode of transport on the 3 hour ride on unpaved roads into the remote Semuc Champey? A small pick up truck dressed up with four seats bolted into the bed of the truck and a cavas canopy to shield us from rain or shine. So much fun and slighly dangerous this trip turned into a small safari through the Guatemalan hillsides.

One Last Day by Lago de Atitlan

Before heading North we spent one last day on the lake visiting San Marcos and Panajachel...

chichi

Lured by rumors of a grand market just north of our favorite city by the lake the girls and I headed north to Chichicastananga with the intensions of weighing down our backpacks and lightening our purses...all went well on that front but after a long day of bargaining in the dusty, mazelike allies of the market we were tired and missed Lago de Atitlan. After capturing the most beautiful sunset we headed to bed and made plans to return to Panajachel and the surrounding cities on the lake for one more day of fun before heading East to the jungle!

A quick trip to the mayan caves led us to the most beautiful peak in the world!

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We begin this blog on the last day of our week long spanish school. Neastled in the highlands of Guatemala, Lago de Atitlan is possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been. For five days we have studied spanish five hours a day, each with our own teacher and in our own corner of a beautiful garden. This week has been strangly calm coming from our 12 hour flight to Central America and the 3 days of adventure in the touresty town of Antigua.

A BRIEF RECAP OF MY ADVENTURES:

Arrival in Antiguia-

Though the town is beautiful (paved with cobble and painted in bright colors) the eyes of the locals were impatient. I dare say that just as many tourest walked the streets as locals.

Created during the colonial times of Guatemala there are still beautiful ruins that remain along with elegant old churches, the particular one we visited opened up to a beautiful courtyard with great lookout points of the surrounding volanos and hillsides.

Panajachel:

This town is full of local Guatemalans mixed in with Hippies from all over the world. These people live off of selling jewlery to tourests and add an interesting mix of culture.

This is a picture of me and my teacher... I had never thought of myself as a giant before coming here.

Our favorite pass time here is to rent a Kayak and venture onto the lake with a few cervesas!

Climbing Volcan Pacaya:
Wake up at 6AM, catch the bus loaded with American tourests, one and a half hours on the bus of hell up into the green mountains covered with coffee bean crops, join the tour at the front the to aviod the Americans and armed guard carrying the automatic weapon, hike two hours up the dirt trail through the mystical jungle and increasing downpour of rain, at the end of the dirt trail climb the sharp jagged hardened lava rocks for twenty min. until you reach the pools of active lava ozzing out of the heart of the volcano. Breathe.