Happy New Years!

Greetings once again from La Paz, Bolivia! Our past week here has been a lot of fun and filled with great food, great beer, great people and of course great times! The transportation strike currently going on in Bolivia has been an incredibly interesting process to witness and surely an experience we all will never forget!... Especially since we all are essentially trapped in La Paz until further notice-- which hopefully is soon! Each day the hype and action surrounding the strike increases slowly and yesterday we witnessed protests throughout the streets of La Paz and as the protests continued to progress so did the police response: tear gas, power in numbers and weapons ready in hand! Our current hostel (Wild Rover) is in the heart of the political action and us gringo prostest gawkers had to make a running dart from down the street into our hostel yesterday as the tear gas was busted out by the police! Always an adventure... can't say I have ever had to run from tear gas before! Our plan is to leave La Paz and head south (or maybe even Chile) either on the 1st or 2nd of January-- hopefully the transportation strike will cooperate with us and the other billion (or at least the crowded streets feel this way) people stuck currently in La Paz! In any case, we are happy to be in this busy and spirited city to welcome in 2011...

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year! Being so far away from all my homes (Windsor, ON- London, ON- San Francisco, CA) and loved ones this time of year makes me miss everyone so incredibly much and appreciate the brilliant people and places that have so full heartedly enriched my life and added to the endless epic adventures over the past (almost) 27 years. I feel incredibly fortunate to have so many amazing people in my life and want to thank everyone for being who they are. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2011 upon my arrival back to SF and beyond and as always letting the good times roll!

Happy New Years!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

With Love,

Rachel

Lake Titicaca and Now Stranded in La Paz

Greetings from La Paz, Bolivia! After an amazing week or so spent on Lake Titicaca (on both the Peru and Bolivia side) we have now made our way to the chaotic, crowded and fascinating high elevation city of La Paz! We will be staying in La Paz to welcome in the new year and then heading south through Bolivia... That said, a major Bolvian transportation strike started yesterday and bus service is either not happening at all or in some cases has over doubled in cost-- hopefully things will get better by next week before we head off... Or else we will get to know La Paz and surrounding areas real well!

I should say here that I have wanted to visit Lake Titicaca for a long time. It all began when my dear friend Rebecca Fox-- miss you Fox-- came home from traveling around South America a few years back and made me a beautiful card on a printed photo she had taken at the lake. She also bought me an amazing pair of alpaca leg warmers-- which was just icing on the cake. Fascinated by the name and its beauty... a few years later I finally made it!

Our time on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca was lovely. We stayed a few nights in Puno and did a full day island tour of Taquille and the floating islands called Uros. Both beautiful and fascinating, it was a wonderful day around the lake. A highlight for sure was visiting Uros-- a community of many floating islands all made out of reeds! We even got to take a reed boat ride around the lake! It was incredible!

After Puno we headed to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. After a smooth but expensive border crossing (only US citizens have to pay $135 dollars to enter the country) we made our way to Copa and checked into one of the nicest hotels in town-- Hostal La Cupula! Well worth the splurge (mind you, the splurge ran us each $15 USD/ night) we enjoyed 2 nights in the luxury of a private room and bath, clean duvets, a small fire place, space heaters and access to the lovely grounds of the hostal-- of course including hammocks and gorgeous lake views. It was heaven! Copa was a nice little town and we enjoyed hiking around and eating good food-- especially at our hotel restaurant which was delicious and fairly cheap! The cathedral in Copa is gorgeous and is the site of daily car blessings where people from Copa and beyond line their cars outside of the cathedral and get their cars all decked out to be blessed... fresh flowers adorn their precious rides, champagne is poured, beers opened and wildly sprayed, lavish decorations are hung from the cars and of course confetti is thrown in the air over the car and the car owners. It was quite a fascinating sight to see! I am thinking of bringing my Pontiac Sunfire to Grace Cathedral when I get home and blessing my beautiful pewter chariot there! Who is with me?... Gabi?

The day before Christmas we took a boat over to Isla Del Sol to spend a night on the Island of the Sun! We took the boat to the north of the island and then hiked to the south, to the community of Yumani. It was an amazing hike and we were lucky to have perfect weather along the way. We got to visit some Inca ruins too and check out the small island communities as well as we hiked across the island. We had a great evening in Yumnai with our friends Catie and John from the UK: playing cards, drinking whiskey and watching the sunset. After a relaxing and early night, we awoke on Christmas morning to see that it had snowed on the island and everything had a nice coating of white! I thought I escaped white Christmases once I moved out of Canada... but I guess not! Due to the wet and wild weather, we caught the first boat out to Copa and thankfully enjoyed some afternoon sunshine and no snow back on the mainland!

And now, we are starting our second day in La Paz and are enjoying ourselves so far. Our hostel here is called the Adventure Brew Hostel and is a hostel and microbrewery! In the morning we get to enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes and in the evening we get a brew on the house. It is pretty awesome! Who knows, if the strike keeps up, we will be enjoying LOADS of free pancakes and beers! We shall see...

A Good Night's Sleep is Overrated

We woke this morning at 4:30 am to begin hiking up and out of the Colca Canyon by 5:00 am. Just 3 days ago, we were picked up at 3:00 am at our hostel to begin our Colca Canyon trek. This early morning routine is nothing out of the norm for a traveler. There are oh so many reasons that one could get a less than restful night's sleep; let me count the ways...

Well, of course as already described there are the hikes, tours and other excursions that require a ridiculously early wake-up. The early start can be to tackle the long drive ahead, to beat the bad weather awaiting at the top of the mountain or volcano or as was the case today-- to beat the blistering afternoon heat.

Sometimes you don't get any sleep at all because you stay at a 'party hostel' where sleep is just not an option. For us, we learned this the hard way at Luna's Castle in Panama City, Panama. No big deal, we only had a flight to catch the next morning at 7:00 am. Now, we only stay at 'party hostels', when we indeed want to party. It's a simple concept-- but it took us a little while to learn.

Sometimes you stay in a hostel that is just so disgusting, that getting a little shut-eye is nearly impossible-- as you lay still praying you do not move in your sleep and expose yourself to more of the bed than you have to. We experienced this joy at Casa Argentina in Xela, Guatemala. A few dollars saved on a hostel, often directly equates to a few hours of sleep lost. Now we splurge a bit, an extra peso, soles or cordoba can go a long way around here!

Then there are the overnight bus journeys that somehow always leave us exhausted and grimy. My personal favorite is when you are told you have a 'direct bus' and end up getting dropped off in the middle of the night/early morning at some random bus station, waiting in the cold for a connecting bus. Our latest bus trip from Cusco to Arequipa had this fate-- it was awesome visiting the fine town Juliaca at 4:00 am!

And lastly, there are those nights where the 'all nighter' is self inflicted: crazy nights out and/or an unyielding addiction to the rare opportunity for free cable TV (in English) and internet at a generous hostel. I will admit I sometimes fall victim to these type of all nighters...  it happens to the best of us!

The moral of the sleep story is, that no matter what the mode of sleep deprivation-- you somehow end up with a smile on your face the next day and enthusiasm for the upcoming adventure. The travel experience is just that incredible that no matter what comes your way and no matter how little sleep you have had... it's all good and just part of the experience. I must say Beth and I have gotten pretty damn good at functioning at a high level under the influence of very little (and sometimes no) sleep. We are proud of our progress.

And that is why I write this blog now with a smile on my face at 9:30 pm after waking up at 4:30 am to hike out of a canyon-- a canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon in fact!

Speaking of the Colca Canyon trek... it was AMAZING! It was the perfect mix of quality trekking and time to relax in beautiful places along the way. We got to visit and spend time in some of the small canyon villages, spend a day laying poolside in the sunny, green and palm tree filled canyon 'oasis', eat fresh fruit our guide picked for us along the trail and also enjoy hot springs on our way back towards Arequipa. The Canyon was gorgeous, our group of fellow trekkers amazing and the weather was perfect. An awesome adventure from beginning to end.

We are spending tonight (at a quiet hostel) in Arequipa and are catching the bus tomorrow morning to head to Puno on Lake Titicaca. I am incredibly excited to explore both the Peru and Bolivia sides of this ridiculously named lake...Lake Titicaca here we come!

Pouring One Out for Pachamama on the Inca Trail

The Inca Trail... Where to even begin? Well to start, I should say it was amazing, inspiring and truly an experience like none other!

After 3 days in Cusco, Peru-- drinking lots of coca tea to help acclimate ourselves to the 3,300 meter elevation, exploring the city and Sacred Valley and getting ready for our trek-- it was show time!

The Inca Trail is a 4 day/ 3 night journey where you hike through small villages, mountains and rainforest to end on the last day at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. The trail is challenging, the weather can be less than pleasant (rain and cold weather) and your knees will hate you for the primitive, rocky and steep trail you must follow-- but none of this matters, because you are hiking the Inca Trail and it is all worth it... every single step of the way!

Being on the Inca Trail made me feel like a camper again. The company we booked our trek with (Peru Treks) prided themselves on being locally owned featuring delicious food, ethical treatment of the staff and high quality equipment. Short of wiping our behinds after using the squat-over-a-hole-in-the-ground ´toilets`-- they took care of it all for us! The food was out of this world and plentiful-- seriously delicious! A typical meal had about 5 courses, complete with hot beverages, desserts and multiple meal options served family style with plenty to go around. I should mention that meals were served in a giant tent, with a banquet table, table cloths, proper silverware, lighting, etc.-- it was amazing! After a full day of hiking we would arrive to our campsite, sometimes wet and cold and often tired to find our tents neatly set-up and prepared for us. We were woken in the morning with what they called ´room service`-- hot drinks served to us from the comfort of our sleeping bags inside our warm tents! Every night at 5:20 was ´happy hour`-- hot drinks and snacks to tie us over until dinner, only a brief 1 hour away. It would have been luxuious treatment and service in a city... let alone backpacking in the mountains of Peru somewhere around 3,000 meters elevation!

The trail itself was gorgeous and was enhanced with Inca ruins which we visited along the way. Our guide Frank was incredibly knowledgable and provided us with information about everything we saw. Our assistant guide was a slightly overweight man named Ernesto, who was an incredibly slow hiker. We all got a kick out of  Ernesto our `guide´arriving to the campsite, huffing and puffing, dripping sweat-- about an hour after we all arrived! I was shocked to find out on the last day of the trip that good old Ernesto was carrying the 1st Aid Kit-- thank goodness no injuries arose, or else we would have been out of luck! Despite his slow hiking, he was a good guy with a great sense of humor! Our trip had 16 participants, yet a staff of 2 guides, a chef, an assistant chef and 21 porters who carried nearly everything along the trail for us from giant propane cylinders to chairs and our delicious food!... It was quite impressive! The porters are incredible, hiking along the Inca Trail with an unfathomable amount of weight on their back, strapped on with bungee cords, rope and who knows what else-- all while wearing sandals! One of our porters was 71 years old and was carrying rice, oil and other cooking staples along the trail! Needless to say I felt a little silly when the 71 year old barely shedding a drop of sweat, passed by me on trail while I slowly hiked along gasping for air! Once again-- impressive!

On the last night of the trip, there is an awkward ´ceremony` where all the trek participants give hugs and kisses (and let´s not forget tips) to all 25 Peru Treks staff members. It was one of the funniest things I have ever experienced and likely the favorite part of the trek for all the staff members-- money and some tourist loving-- score! 25 hugs and kisses later-- we were ready to hike to Machu Picchu the next morning!

On the last day of our trek we were woken up at 3:45 am to make it to Machu Pichhu in the early morning hours. Machu Picchu was everything I had hoped for and then some. I had dreamed of visiting for years and truly loved every moment there. The ancient city is fascinating and mystical and full of detail and lore to keep you endlessly engaged and peeking around every corner. In the first hours at Machu Picchu our guide Frank gave us a tour, which was very interesting. After the tour, Beth and I maged to hike our weary bones up to the top of Waynapicchu (the giant mountain that overlooks Machu Pichhu), which was also an incredible experience. The views were spectacular and the trail itself was a challenging combination of hiking, rock climbing and awkward side stepping down frighteningly steep stones-- pure awesomeness!

After enjoying some time on top of Waynupicchu we enjoyed more time exploring Machu Picchu... from temple to housing, watchtower to sundial-- it all was incredible!

The Inca people were devout believers in Pachamama-- mother earth. At all Inca sites, there are shrines to Pachamama and intricate artwork and design in her honor. We were encouraged by our guides at meals to pour a little of our drink on the ground in respect of Pachamama along the Inca Trail.

So on that note, I thank Pachamama for an amazing experience on the Inca Trail and even more so for our wonderful adventures in Peru... Next stop is 9 hours south of Cusco to Arequipa for some canyon hiking,  mummy viewing and warmer weather!

Eating Well in Bogota

We are now enjoying our final day in Bogota and have really enjoyed our time here! A little city sophistication is a nice treat after being off the beaten path for so long. We can use credit cards, enjoy a latte and drink the tap water-- this is about as fancy as we will get for a long time!

 

It rained (more like poured) for the bulk of our visit to Bogota. That said, we never let the weather get in our way and conveniently our hostel loans out giant and durable umbrellas which have been keeping us for the most part dry.

 

Highlights of our time here include a cable car ride to the top of Monserrate featuring epic views of Bogota from 3,150 metres above the city. We´ve visited a cathedral in a town just outside of Bogota called Zipaquira which is made entirely out of salt from alter to benches-- it was incredible! We licked various parts of the cathedral multiple times to confirm it was indeed made out of salt... and it was! We enjoyed a night out on a party bus hitting up clubs around Zona Roza-- the hub of nightlife in Bogota. We also treated ourselves one rainy day to a movie in English at a fancy mall and lunch in the foodcourt to mix things up! We visited the fabulous Botero Museum, full of paintings and sculptures of obese and often naked people and also checked out the Man Ray exhibit. Yesterday we did an incredible 5 hour bike tour of Bogota and saw everything from the red light district to the presidential palace. We even learned how to play ´toja´a Colombian billiards game, which is kind of like shot-put but also includes clay and gun powder. I hate to brag, but I had a natural talent for the game! But no tour is complete without food-- we also visited the fruit market and sampled rare and exotic fruits and also had lunch at the National Park, enjoying the delicious street food sold there.

 

The people in Bogota seem to enjoy celebrating on a daily basis!... The streets and parks here are illuminated in Christmas lights and the main streets are nearly always lined with people performing, food vendors and people out and about to enjoy it all. Every Friday night is Septimazo, where the main street is closed for over 30 blocks and the whole city, young and old,  is out to celebrate. We spent over 3 hours that night out roaming the streets eating, drinking and enjoying the various street performers from comedians, jugglers, midgets singing (I´m serious) and of course Christmas carollers.

 

The food here is incredible and cheap! I think I have developed a small addiction to the food-- namely the street vendor steak skewers that cost 1,000 pesos or 50 cents each. They are BBQed with love and topped with a potato... delicious! Other Colombian classics include:

 

Ajiaco: A creamy soup with chicken, potatoes, corn, sour cream, capers, and avocado. Oh and by the way, the avos here are the size of a melon back home. It is impressive!

Arepa: Bread made from cornmeal, similar to a thick pancake. It can be ordered with a variety of fillings or toppings... my fave is ham, cheese and pineapple!

Chocolate Santafereño: Hot chocolate served with bread/butter and cheese. The locals put their cheese in their hot chocolate-- I opted to enjoy each component seperately.

Obleas: A circular waffle cracker that is loaded with jam, carmel, cream, and sometimes cheese. It is topped with another waffle and makes a deliciously messy dessert sandwich!

Anyways, I could go on forever about the food here as it is just that good. I will certainly miss the Colombian cuisine as we continue to journey south... Peru here we come! I think I can enjoy BBQed guinea pig in Peru... perhaps I will give it a try!

This evening we are catching a flight from Bogota, Colombia to Cusco, Peru. We will be in Cusco acclimating for a few days and then leave to hike the Inca Trail beginning on December 10. The Inca Trail has been on my bucket list for years and I am beyond thrilled to start our journey to Machu Picchu!

Machu Picchu and alpacas... here we come!

Somewhere on the side of the road in Costa Rica...

Our journey in Costa Rica began when our bus abruptly dropped us off somewhere on the side of the road en route to Monteverde. As always, Beth and I persevered and we made our way in a fairly timely manner to Pension Santa Elena-- our awesome hostel in Monteverde. What would a travel day be without some sort of special SURPRISE!... You get used to it after a while and it makes for great stories!

Costa Rica felt like a vacation from a vacation (please don't hate me those of you who are reading this from behind a desk or bundled in warm layers due to cold weather)-- after over a month spending time in remote highland Guatemalan villages, a shanty Caribbean community in Honduras and ultra low-budget Nicaragua-- all destinations full of gnarly and fabulous backpackers-- we were now in a clean, somewhat developed and way more expensive vacation zone. Although not my cup of tea (or more realistically rum) in the long-run, a quick stretch in Costa Rica was the perfect addition to our tour of Central America and of course my tan.

In Costa Rica a common term used in pretty much every way imaginable way is PURA VIDA or "pure life"! From ordering food at a restaurant, to meeting someone new or even asking what time the bus may arrive-- all interactions end in a solid pura vida-- sometimes followed up with a fist bump, if you are lucky!

Allow me to share our pura vida adventures!...

We enjoyed a zipline canopy tour in Monteverde, high above a tropical cloud forest-- which was by far one of the coolest and most thrilling things I have EVER done. The zipline featured over 15 different zips, ending with the famous Tarzan Swing where you free fall off a tower and then are caught by a rope attached to you, to then swing high in the air from side to side just like-- well, Tarzan! It was epic-- loved, loved, loved it!

After Monteverde we headed to Manuel Anronio National Park where we got up close and personal with  monkeys, sloths, tucans, giant iguanas and the BEACH. A gorgeous park surrounded by equally as spectacular ocean-- it was wonderful! We enjoyed a gourmet pizza dinner for Thanksgiving and of course gave thanks for the amazing trip we are on! Although not turkey, some gourmet pizza beat the traditional dish of gallo pinto-- fried beans and rice mixed together. (I must say it is indeed quite tasty... just not necessary at ALL meals!)

Our last stop in Costa Rica was Dominical, a small surf town on the Pacific. We (notice a pattern here) spent lots of time on the beach and also went on an awesome day hike to Nauyaca Falls. Just the same as our entrance to Costa Rica, we ended up stuck on the side of the road after our hike, bus not coming for hours-- thumbs out and hoping to hitch a ride back to town. After being passed by approximately 30 cars who wanted nothing to do with us sweaty and muddy gringos, we finally were picked up by a friendly young couple. Icing on the cake, besides a safe and free ride back to town-- they played the only English music they had in their car... Barbie Girl by Aqua!

We had a long but smooth travel day and border crossing to get to Panama City from Dominical and enjoyed a full day today exploring this interesting, bustling and historic city. From the canal and Casco Viejo (old town) to the Causway and downtown--  we certainly made the most of our quick 24 hours here.

Tomorrow morning we leave Central America and begin our trek across South America, starting with Colombia. We fly directly into Bogota and will be in and around Bogota for a week (Chanukah, I believe) and then off to Peru to hike the Inca Trail... So much to look forward to it's a little ridiculous!

Adios Central America (it's been real) and hola South America!

Surfing Turtles and Bearded Monkeys

For some reason many hostels in Central America feel the need to name themselves after an animal doing or possessing something absurd. For example in Isla Los Brasiles we stayed at the Surfing Turtle Lodge and we are now currently in Grenada staying at the Bearded Monkey. Back in Guatemala we enjoyed a lovely lakeside lunch at the Lost Iguana and if all goes we will be keeping the trend up as we head south! I cannot wait to see what ridiculous name is next!

Now updates from the Happy Humans...

Our time in Nicaragua thus far has been fabulous! Our original plan was to breeze through Nicaragua and spend the bulk of our time before heading to South America in Costa Rica. We realized quickly however that there is a ton to do in beautiful Nicaragua and the price is certainly right. So now after a week, we are still going strong in this historic country filled with volcanos, lakes, colonial cities and bearded monkies.

Our first stop on our tour of Nicaragua was in Leon. We stayed at the Big Foot hostel (where I ran into a friend from Camp Tawonga-- small small world) and filled our days with visiting beautiful old cathedrals, touring the city, mojitos and volcano boarding. What is volcano boarding you may be asking... Well you see, volcano boarding is where you hike up one side of an active volcano and then essentially toboggan back down (on a giant slab of wood) in the volcanic ash on the opposite side. Some people go as fast as 80 km down the volcano-- I opted for a much slower (and safer) pace-- infact I went so slow that my speed was unable to register on the spedometer!... I was pretty proud of that one! To partake in the volcano boarding fun we had to wear orange jail-esque jumpsuits, goggles, bandanas, etc. We slightly resembled criminals picking garbage up from the side of the highway for community service!... We wore the look well! It was an incredible adventure from start to finish, inlcuding the crazy off-road style truck ride to and from the volcano-- transportation in Central America is always a wild ride. We were greeting back to the hostel with  mojitos (the house specialty of our hostel), which always were given out in twos-- I like how they operate!

After Leon, we made our way to Isla Los Brasiles-- about 20 minutes north of Leon. We stayed at the Surfing Turtle Lodge, an incredible oceanside oasis owned by some folks from Toronto! The Surfing Turtle featured (all oceanside) a sand volleyball court, bonfire pit, bar and grill. The sun was shining bright upon our arrival and we quickly got set-up, suitted up and enjoyed the afternoon laying out by the ocean, walking along the beach and getting our rest and relaxation on. Dinner was a delicious family style meal consisting of fresh caught grilled mackerel, potatoes and green beans in a delicous sauce... It was incredible! After dinner we introduced our new Aussie and Kiwi friends to the fine art of smore making as we enjoyed a classic campfire evening-- guitar, singing and all!

We are now in Grenada which features the usual line-up of churches, colonial architecture, a bustling central park area and a rich history to learn about. Our plans for today include a tour of a chocolate factory, a tour of a cigar factory, a walk to the pier, some swimming, sunset from a cathedral roof and an evening massage at a local spa to indulge ourselves just a little-- or I suppose to further indulge ourselves based on the amazingness of our journey so far! We will be in Grenada for a couple days and then off to San Juan Del Sur-- a surf, backpacker and party paradise, south of our current location.

Me gusta Nicaragua... Surfing Turtle, Bearded Monkey and all!

Team California and Captain Cookie

We have now been on the island of Utila in Honduras for 5 days and are loving the laid back island lifestyle!

We arrived to Utila on perhaps the most dangerous, scary and needless to say turbulent boat rides I have ever been on. We laughed when we first got on the boat and a crew member handed out plastic vomit bags to everyone on board-- this should have been a sign of what was ahead. The bags weren't as funny within 20 minutes when half the boat was using them! I am proud to say that Beth and I-- aka Team California-- did not use our bags and survived the crazy ride... although barely! I have never been so relieved to arrive to the shore. Amen.

Once you arrive on the island the next hurdle to jump is trying to find a dive school that fits your needs, budget, social desires, etc. Most people come to Utila to dive, as it is pretty much the only thing to do here in addition to eat and drink. Beth and I ended up at Cross Creek who offered us a fair rate, accommodations included and we really liked the set-up of the school. An added bonus to diving with Cross Creek is that they proudly employ the loudest and most outwardly joyful captain on the island... Captain Cookie! A true lover of life Cookie will tell you multiple times in a day... 'I am black, poor and ugly... but damn, am I happy!' Never sure how to respond to this statement-- we smile, laugh and enjoy his extreme optimism! Tonight Cookie is taking us on a sunset boat ride out on the ocean-- should be awesome! I am sure he will have some fine words of wisdom to share as the sunsets!

The waters surrounding Utila are absolutely gorgeous-- incredible reef, colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, dolphins, sharks-- you name it, Utila has it! Being a part of the dive school also allows us access to snorkel gear and kayaks-- also amazing fun! Being on Utila gives us the perfect dose of island life-- it has been great to stay in one place again for awhile. We still have a few more days here on the island and then we will be off heading towards Nicaragua, followed by Costa Rica. We have a flight booked from Panama City to Bogota, Colombia on December 1-- and with that we will say good-bye to Central America and begin the South American portion of our journey!

I find it so hard to believe that I have already been on my epic adventure for a month! The time has been flying by as the fun and exploration is taking place. I am REALLY loving traveling and am so excited for all that the months ahead hold. The truth is, traveling isn't always easy-- your stomach is never quite right, your bus always arrives late and leaves too early, when it rains--well, it pours and sometimes there are bugs in your bed-- or on the island there are crabs shimmying around your cabin. Sometimes the locals don't want to help or talk to you and sometimes they never shut up! Bathrooms are rarely clean and the sewage pipes can't handle  toilet paper, so it goes into gnarly waste baskets. Minor cuts get infected, air quality can be poor and you always have to watch your back-- and your friends'. And lastly whatever you do-- don't drink the water! All of this said, there is nothing quite as remarkable and inspiring as visiting new places, trying new things, experiencing new cultures and meeting incredible people along the way that help shape the journey. I would not trade a moment of this experience for anything!

Drunken Horse Races and Dancing on Graves

I am currently showered and refreshed after a crazy few days in Todos Santos for Day of the Dead. We are spending the night in Xela and then off tomorrow to begin our journey towards the Bay Islands in Honduras to learn how to dive!

Back to Todos Santos...

Todos Santos is known to have the wildest and craziest Day of the Dead celebration and in my humble opinion most eccentric as well. Many people in the community save money all year in order to be able to participate in the celebrations which include ellaborate costumes, drunken horse races and singing and dancing in the colorful cemetary. Oh, there also are chicken sacrifices (for good luck of course), a slightly dangerous but very fun ferris wheel, and of course lots of delicious street food up for grabs!

Throughut the year no alcohol is sold in Todos Santos (it is a traditional rural Mayan community) and community members for the most part do not drink-- with the exception of this glorious fiesta where they drink in extreme amounts. The men of the town get incredibly drunk and spend the 3 days of the fiesta stumbling around throughout the town, dancing and singing, getting into fights (and often getting thrown into the very public jail which we visited), racing horses and of course often passing out on the side of the road, in the road, on a store stoop or for the most drunk in the middle of a crowd.

After each lap of the horse race the participants need to drink and very quickly the race becomes quite sloppy, especially considering the participants have been drinking since the night before to prepare. Riders fall off their horses, fall asleep on their horses and occasionally (rumor has it they make the horses drink too) the horses take a little spill as well. The races go on all day and locals and tourists a like stand in the sidelines taking in the sights, sounds and spills of this drunken race.

Another highlight from our time in Todos Santos includes a Mayan ritual ceremony we attended to bless the men and their horses... It was extremely  interesting and awesome to be a part of. My favorite part was when the shaman leading the ritual spit rum in my face (it wasn't personal-- I just had really too good of a seat)... I think I am going to have really good luck from now on! I feel blessed.

Day of the Dead in Todos Santos was an experience never to forget... drunken horse racing and all!

From horseracing to diving-- stay tuned for our Honduras adventures!

Being a Chicken in Semuc Champey

We spent the better part of this past week in Lanquin and Semuc Champey-- living the good life in the jungle! Our journey to Lanquin began when we arrived 4 hours later than expected (at midnight) and were essentially dumped out of our shuttle at a hostel we were not planning on staying at. Happy to just get out of the van at last, we figured we would stay there for the night and then figure things out the next day. Little did we know in the darkness of the night that we had touched down in paradise-- the Zephyr Lodge.

The Zephyr Lodge is a pretty fantastic place!... We awoke in the morning to soak in 360 degree views of the lush jungle, surrounding mountains and the Lanquin River. The Zephyr Lodge sits high on a hill, with hammocks, scenic and hot (this is a rarity) showers, good food and colorful staff to make your stay just that much more memorable. There is not too much going on in Lanquin beyond a simple traditional Mayan village, cool hostels for the tourists and the Kan Ba Caves and the natural swimming pools of Semuc Champey. We spent our first day at the lodge relaxing in the hammocks, eating good food, floating down the Lanquin River in inner tubes and playing Jenga. We met some wonderful people at Zephyr, who we ended up travelling to Antigua with days later.

On our second day at the Zephyr Lodge we went on the most beautiful and sketchy tour of all time: the Kan Ba Caves and Semuc Champey. The Kan Ba Caves are amazing and also incredibly dangerous. With only a candle in hand to provide light we swam, jumped and waded our way through the caves with our fearless leader Carlos showing us how it is done. With bats flying overhead we spent a few hours exploring the dark and magical caves. Next on our tour de sketch was the opportunity to jump off a shady looking bridge from about 25 feet high above the Lanquin River. Although it looked like a blast, I decided to pass-- not wanting to die in Semuc Champey, especially under a rusty bridge. Carlos our guide could not handle my decision and continued to call me a chicken and kept it up throughout the day. Best tour guide ever. After bridge jumping we headed to gorgeous and refreshing Semuc Champey where we spent the afternoon swimming in the natural limestone swimming pools, jumping off rocks (I gained some forgiveness from Carlos when I jumped off some of the rocks there) and slid down natural waterslides. It truly was an incredible day.

After our 3 days in Lanquin and Semuc Champey we headed to Antigua for a day or two of good food and city sophistication. Antigua is a lovely colonial city and features cobblestone streets lined with great bars, restaurants and shops. We took a walk (which turned into a motorcycle ride) with the local tourism police (suggested for safety reasons) to the top of a hill with a beauitful view overlooking the city and the mountains surrounding it. We had a great time in Antigua and it was a nice change of pace after being out in the middle of the jungle for days prior.

We are currently in Xela again and will be leaving on a 4 day trek to Todos Santos tomorrow morning to celebrate Day of the Dead in stlye with their traditional drunken horse races (for us to observe, not to partake in) and celebrations in the cemetary and throughout the town. We have heard it is one of the greatest annual celebrations in all of Guatemala... I´ll report back next week! It´s not quite Halloween, but drunken horse raises in the Guatemalan highlands will just have to suffice! Good bye pumpkins and hello horses!

Adios Lago Atitlan!

It has been an amazing week in San Pedro and we will be heading off tomorrow morning towards Semuc Champey in Lanquin-- a jungle based, limestone structured, mineral pool oasis.

This morning we said good bye to our host family and are now back into the wonderful world of hostels-- staying at a classy little place called Yo Mama´s. I really enjoyed our homestay, but it was not without plenty of awkward moments, as is to be expected. Most awkward moments revolved around the bathroom I shared with the family-- I won´t miss that part of the experience! What I will miss though are the bountiful homecooked meals of Mama Maria, the challenge of piecing Spanish words together to communicate with the family, my very own bedroom and the opportunity to get a glimpse into the daily life of a Guatemalan family. It has certainly been an incredible experience... I will never forget my Guatemalan family!

Our time around Lago Atitlan has been full of adventure, with plenty of time to relax as well-- mostly in hammocks. Highlights include hikes around the lake from San Pedro to San Marcos, from San Marcos to Santa Cruz and a trip to Santiago to visit the shrine of Maximon-- the Maya god of drinking and smoking. Spanish school was a wonderful experience and although my Spanish is still significantly lacking-- I am much better off than I was before. Oh, and horseback riding out to the playa was a blast as well-- although a little scary due to my malnourished horse-- no big deal! And of course, needless to say it is the people you meet along the way that truly shape your experience and we certainly met some great people in our short time here... Matt, Townsend, Gary and Nancy, Jim from Allegre, Henry, my New Zealand peeps... Mucho gusto!

Come to San Pedro for church, Spanish Class and a live radio shout-out.

Beth and I arrived to San Padro on Lake Atitlan on Sunday in the early afternoon. We checked in at our school and then spent the day roaming around San Pedro-- mostly eating and drinking at the many fine establishments around town, nearly all offering amazing views and a serene setting. At 5:00 pm we went back to school to meet our homestay family for the week.

Let me introduce you to my Guatemalan family: Maria, Manuel, Juan, Lufi and Adimarie. Maria and Manuel are the parents and the kids range from 11 - 19 years old-- all living at home. Our home is nice, the family incredibly kind and the location is super close to school and the docks where all the action is. Beth and I have separate rooms and both are pretty decent, although Beth got lucky with her own bathroom-- I get the honor of sharing with the entire family. Our homestay inlcudes 3 meals a day and everything so far has been delicious! Maria buys all ingredients fresh each day (not even sure if they have a refridgerator) and makes each meal from scratch. Due to the fabulous reputation that Americans have, our meal portions are HUGE and finishing a meal is an incredible challenge. Knowing the economic status of many Guatemalans and especially as guests in someone´s home, you do not leave food on your plate-- so we eat and we eat well!

Our first night at Maria and Manuel´s they asked us if we would like to go to church with them and of course we said 'yes'! Before we knew it, we were at a GIANT (and surprisingly modern) Evangelical church, sitting amongst the congregants and singing along (or at least trying to). I cannot even put into words the experience, but I will try... Every member of our host family was involved in the church choir. Each portion of the choir wore a certain color and put on a well practiced performance. Many families brought tamborines with them and kept up with the beat the entire service. The service was joyful, the congregants enthusiasticly enagaged and the church was beautiful. It was one of those moments where you wonder how the hell you got yourself in the situation-- but are glad you did. Nothing says welcome to San Pedro like an evening at an Evangelical church!

Classes so far have been great! My teacher´s name is Lucy and she is a good teacher. I am not going to lie though, it is incredibly challenging (and at times frustrating) trying to learn a new language-- but I will try my best and keep an open attitude. It is also challenging to focus during class as our school (all outdoors) resembles paradise... I meet with Lucy in a cabana that overlooks the lake and the mountains and we are surrounded by tropical flowers and plants. The school grounds are unbelievably gorgeous and it feels like vacation just being on site. That said, I MUST focus and learn Spanish, as I am getting tired of playing charades everytime I need to communicate with someone. I have given more thumbs up in the past week than one should in a lifetime.

In other exciting news our host dad Manuel is a radio personality in San Pedro. Today we ran into him on his way to work and he invited us to come with him. Not only did we get to see Manuel in action, but he also gave us a shoutout on live air! It was pretty cool! Not every day you get your name mentioned on a Guatemalan radio station... Let alone an Evangelical one!

Tomorrow is a big day... Class in the moring, followed by horseback riding along the lake out to the playa, then a salsa dance class at school, and if that wasn´t enough next comes 'bacon and beer' night at a local pub and a pool tournament at another.

Anyways, off I go... Time for another one of Mama Maria´s fabulously large dinners!

Adios!

Volcan Santa Maria, Teatro Municipal, Mercado La Democracia and MORE!

Yesterday I spent a full day exploring Xela (actually named Quetzaltenango) by foot. I feel more than satisfied with the amount of ground I covered and have really enjoyed spending time in this historic city in theWestern Highlands--minus the abundance of mangy stray dogs, poor air quality and insane drivers. With a tourist map in hand, I set out to find a number of destinations I had circled earlier including: Teatro Municpal (beautiful concert and theater venue built in 1882), Universidad Rafael Landivar (a small private Jesuit university), Mercado La Democracia (a crazy, multi block market that has just about anything you could want-- and not want) and Parque Benito Juarez (a lovely and lively park dedicated to Mexico´s first indigenous President). Due to the fact that I don´t speak Spanish (yet, of course), I need to be super savvy to get around and use my best judgment at all times. Truth be told I really have little clue as to what is going on around here, from street signs, the words of passerbys, common etiquette, religious practices, etc. So far, so good though-- and I look forward to learning more. I loved all of the places I visited and particularly enjoyed watching the people of Xela go about their daily business. The Mercado La Democracia was certainly a highlight-- the colors of the goods for sale, the women carrying everything from fruits, vegetables, rice, etc. on their heads (usually with a baby wrapped on their back in a colorful blanket) and the local vendors trying so hard to sell you pretty much anything-- all ´hand made´ of course. It was a ton of fun and a good few hours of entertainment. I really enjoyed seeing the parakeets and other fancy birds for sale next to the lemons and bananas-- tempting.

I met Beth in the afternoon at my hostel (The Black Cat Hostel) when she was done class. We then went for a nice hike in the hills that surround the city and it was really lovely. Not too much to report from the hike except great views and fresh air, except we did nearly get attacked by a posse of bad ass street turkeys. It sounds silly, but it was actually extemely scary! It got even scarier when a surly dog came out to protect the turkeys. That is when I ran (although likely the worst reaction to the situation) and thank goodness the local farm owner came to our rescue and brought the dog back on their proprty so we could proceed. I guess what doesn´t kill you, only makes you stronger-- or scared of live turkeys.

I enjoyed dinner out with some friends I met at the hostel (it is amazing what $5 USD or much less can get you here) and then met up again with Beth and some of her friends from school for drinks and live music at a local bar.

Today, I thought it would be a good idea to climb a volcano-- so I did! I got picked up by the tour company at the delightful hour of 4:00 am to head to Llanos del Pinal, the small village where the trail begins for Volcan Santa Maria. The hike was 11 km round trip and an insanely hard climb due to the steep and unmaintained trail, high elevation of the volcano (12, 375 ft.) and of course the muddy and slippery conditions left as a little reminder of the just passed rainy season. Well worth it though for the gorgeous views, great workout and glimpse into Guatemalan life in a small village. I met some cool people in my hiking group: 3 girls from Spain and also 2 from Germany. We all got along really well, especially factoring in the significant language barriers amongst the group. Tonight we will be trying to catch the Giants game at a bar somewhere in town, heading out for some dinner and then likely relax at a bar again enjoying some live music. Minus the Giants game, I think this will be our standard evening routine... The life of a traveler is quite nice, I must say!

Tomorrow morning Beth and I leave Xela by shuttle and head to San Pedro on Lake Atitlan to move in with our new Guatemalan family and begin language school the next day!... Can´t wait!

Safe arrival in Guatemala!

A quick post tonight to let everyone know that I made it safe and sound to Guatemala City!

I need to be up bright and early tomorrow morning to enjoy a homemade breakfast in the garden at the B&B I am staying at, go on a mini tour of Guatemala City and then hop on a bus over to Xela-- which is a 4 hour ordeal that as I have been warned, may involve mud slides. All in all, it sounds like a fab first day in Guatemala. Tomorrow evening I will be meeting up with Beth, which is also incredibly exciting.

A huge shout-out to the one and only Gabi Moskowitz for graciously driving me to the airport this morning. Not only did she get me to SFO with plenty of time to spare before my flight, but she also rationally and calmly drove me to the San Bruno Best Buy when I realized just minutes away from arriving to SFO that I left my camera USB at home... Oops! $20 and a minor freak out later, the problem was solved. Thanks Gabi, I love you mucho!

Speaking of friends...

I already made 2 Guatemalan friends today and so far, I really like the people here. First there was Fernando, the man sitting next to me on my flight from Houston to Guatemala. We chatted the entire flight and truth be told, after all the information he relayed to me about Guatemala-- I don't know if I need tomorrow's tour afterall. In addition he showed me pictures of his family on his iPad and also showed me a clip from Star Wars that was filmed in Guatemala-- not totally necessary, but awesome in any case! When we parted at the airport, I stuck out my hand to give him a sincere handshake and rather than that he gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek, as if we were dear old friends. I instantly felt welcome in Guatemala! Next I met Gilda (who owns the B&B I am staying at tonight). She picked me up at the airport (sign in hand that read RAQUEL Kamen... I am guessing I will likely be called Raquel for the next 5 months) and took me home after a stop at a scenic viewpoint over looking the city lights and a visit to an ATM for me to take out some good ol' Quetzals. I am now in her kitchen, on her laptop and looking forward to seeing the gorgeous garden outside in the morning light. Gotta love Gilda.

Well, that wasn't a short post in the end. But honestly, when is any story I share short-- let alone that of an epic adventure.

Buenos noches y'all!

All My Bags Are Packed and I'm Ready to Go....

So, I really should be fast asleep right now... Enjoying peaceful slumber in my cozy bed located in my clean, bug free, modern and private apartment. Instead, excitement has got the better of me (and if I am honest-- nerves too) and I am keeping busy doing mostly anything besides sleeping. From Googling Guatemala destinations to no end, downloading music (most recently purchased was the 2002 Norah Jones "Come Away With Me" album-- sure to put me asleep in even the noisiest of hostels), to sifting through my backpacks as if there is going to be an earth shattering discovery of something that is missing and/or an item that must not come along on the journey and of course cherishing my last moments lurking around on Facebook-- oh how I will miss thee!

The truth is, I am incredibly excited for what lies ahead and also in slight disbelief that my epic adventure (as I have come to lovingly call it) is finally here! I suppose reality will sink in once I arrive to Guatemala and no longer speak the language of the country I am in or know my way around at all... I'll have to work on that! I feel fortunate for this exciting, humbling and powerful opportunity and plan to make the most of every moment... Bring it on!

I fly tomorrow (which I guess at this point in time is today) from SFO to Guatemala City to begin my journey. I will be spending the night at a B&B in Guatemala City and then will head to Xela sometime the next day (after a tour of GC) to meet up with my awesome travel buddy Beth. Beth has already been out traveling for a few weeks at this point and I am extremely excited to join her. Beth and I met in March on a service trip for Bay Area young professionals to New Orleans, where we were serendipitously assigned to the same hostel room-- it was pretty much love at first sight. Since New Orleans, we have led two trips to Yosemite together, grabbed many-a-beers around town, planned a trip to Central and South America and now it is time to actualize our glorious plans!

Excitement, some nerves and great anticipation... Guatemala here I come!