Apr 2007

Overwhelmed but welcomed! I have arrived in San Andres, seen my room and met some of the people I will spend this next month with. It is beautiful here and the people are very kind. It is so different from home!

The people here made us tasty spaghetti with fresh, warm tortillas. They have been incredibly nice and accomodating of our awkwardness and inability to speak Spanish.

Th room here is cement with a screen window (which I am thankful for as giant bugs seem to keep flying into it and making loud bangs) and a fan. It is so incredibly hot and humid. Like 30 degrees at night! It is like being in a sauna all the time.

The bathroom is outside, past the barking dogs so Im scared to go when everyone is sleeping. Jonno also said there is a giant bug in there right now that looks like a spider and a cockroach had babies.

There is electricity and some running water sometimes.

Worry dolls for the night
1) Afraid I wont adjust
2) Afraid I will get homesick
3) Afraid of the animals and bugs

I hiked up Volcan Pacoya today. It was absolutely amazing. I got to within about 5 metres from piping hot magma. Needless to say, it was really freakin hot. It was less scary than I had anticipated though. As you walk on the volcanic rock the lava is sometimes very close to the surface. Our guide threw some sticks down and they caught fire. I was glad I was not as flammable as a stick. I toasted a marshmallow on some lava that was close to the surface. I have to say it was the tastiest marshmallow Ive ever eaten.

To get to the volcano we went through a very small and (it seemed) povertystricken village. As we parked the bus some small children ran up with hiking sticks trying to sell them for 5 quetzals. After we came down from the volcano and were eating snacks they also kept asking us for them. It was incredibly humbling.

I also went to the market today and bought some strawberries. They were incredibly tasty and less than a dollar for a pound.

Spanish keyboards are different from those at home so i´ll need you to bear with me.

I have finally arrived in Guatemala! Horray! Èxiting the airport was completely nuts and involved me feeling like i had walked in a sauna. There were soooo many people waiting and we really didn´t know where we were going. We attempted to have an adventure and take a chicken bus but we needed quetzal chànge for that and had none so we took a shuttle to Antigua where we are staying tonight.

I´m finding hostelling kind of strange and hard to meet people. I´m not sure if it´s because I´m travelling with someone or because of a general lack of social graces but I ´m hoping it will get better.

Today is Easter Sunday and it is a fantastic celebration in Antigua. There was a float and a giant parade and the`y strew coloured sawdust in the streest. Much fun.

I also ate the best mango ever in the whole world today from a street vendor. It had chili powder on it and dear lord was it ever tasty!! And less than a dollar.

Yesterday I was in Seattle at Pike Place market and it is crazy how different the atmosphere at the market here is from there. There was music and people just simply enjoying themselves here. At pike place everyone was just taking pictures and trying not to get stepped on. The streets here also seem to always always have tons of people on them.

But I am exhausted as I have not slept in a couple of days and it is hot here so I will go. Profuse apologies for the disjointedness of this entry.

Much misses. Also to the rats. Tell them Jordan.

So I've officially begun my travels. Today I finished off all my last-minute errands and ran away. Somewhat boring way to begin a travel blog but there you have it.

The Clipper was nothing like what I thought it would be. I had imagined something like a BC Ferry where I could pleasantly sit outside the entire time on a somewhat confortable chair. Instead all the seats were inside and the outer deck was incredibly small and cold. Still, I managed to spend about half the journey outside and enjoy the beauty of the San Juan Islands.

Now I sit here in my Green Tortiose hostel drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon which I bought six of for the low low price of $5!! I think soon I will snuggle into my hostel bed with the solar system comforter and snooze away. Finally comfortable to be gone.