Lanquin

I'm checking in from Lanquin.  We had a very interesting day today.  We left El Estor and headed to Lanquin by what the guidebook called a "backdoor".  It was an amazing bus ride.  We began going through some small Mayan towns.  We were really off the beaten path and the road was not paved at all the entire trip.  It was a nice way to see how people really live here.  Then we spent the rest of the day on switchbacks through some of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen.  There were both pine trees and palm trees which is such a change from mountains in the states.  We finally arrived here in Lanquin about an hour ago and are staying at El Retiro a popular campy kind of place.  We already ran into a friend from Finca Ixobel in the first 10 minutes that we were here.  The place is on a hill with a river running right through it.  I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them tomorrow evening.

The real draw for this place is called Semuc Champay.  The river here runs underneath a natural limestone bridge  so you can walk around on what seems like solid stone but hear the river running below it.  I'll know more tomorrow...just wanted to check in because its been a few days.

Written 2/2 - El Estor

We thoroughly enjoyed Livingston.  We stayed at a nice hotel in a nice town.  Yesterday, after talking to Paolo and reserving our dinner for later that evening, we walked down to the beach for a dip.  Its certainly not the prettiest or cleanest beach but the water was Caribbean warm.  Later, we wandered towards Marie's for dinner with plans to stop for a coco-frio (thats just a cold coconut with a straw).  We ran into a couple that we'd seen at the beach who seemed up for an adventure and invited them to come with us.  When we arrived at Maries, there was another couple already there and we were all excited for some true Garifuna, off-the-beaten-path food.  The excitement was well worth it because dinner was amazing.  We ordered a portion of Tapado and another dish called Flado which was fried green banana fritters with a huge red snapper.  Both were amazing and as we finished eating, I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture so please enjoy these pictures of our already devoured dinner (sorry, internet is slow so I will post pictures later when I have more time).  It was a lovely evening with interesting conversation and amazing food.

We woke this morning and packed up to head to El Estor, a town on the southern end of the lake and part of the way to our next destination (Lanquin and Semuc Champay).  Our plan was to head to El Estor and stay for 2 nights, visiting these super-hot waterfalls that everyone has been raving about.  Well, we got here and realized that there is very little to do in El Estor.  We found an ok and very cheap hotel room and decided to go ahead and move on tomorrow.  This town is not really a tourist destination and now we know why...its just a town...probably more of the "real" Guatemala that we havent really seen in Flores and Livingston.  Its a nice peaceful place but we are ready to move on so we will skip the waterfalls.  Its a shame but I know that Semuc Champey is supposed to be spectacular.

There are some 14 or 15 year old boys outside playing futbol (soccer) in the street.  They are having such a good time.  One of them has this great laugh...a totally uninhibited laugh of a kid that is not at all self conscious and that is truly enjoying himself.  Its making me smile listening to them.

Oh yeah, the toilet in our room doesnt have a toilet seat.  Its a real workout.  We decided a few days ago that we actually prefer hotels with a shared bathroom because sometimes its just better not to have a 3rd world bathroom in your room...for some reason, since we agreed on that, all of our hotels only have bathrooms in the room.

Written 2/1 - Livingston

We are so happy to be back in the Caribbean for a few days.  After leaving our hotel on Lake Izabel near Rio Dulce, we took a boat ride down the Rio Dulce river to Livingston.  It was everything that we'd heard it would be.  A nice long ride on a boat.  The first leg was through  a very, very wide part of the lake.  We saw boats of all sizes, from wooden dugout canoes to huge motor yachts.  We stopped at a sulpherous hot spring for a little break.  After the hot spring, the river closes in with lush, green canyon walls...this part was truly beautiful.  Then, the canyons opened up and we could see the Caribbean and Livinston town.

We walked the town, checking out a few hotels...on our comfort/price scale, we were looking for a little more comfort than we've been having.  The caribbean always feels like a vacation and we want to really enjoy our time here with a comfortable, quiet room.

Livingston is a quiet town that is only accessible by boat.  It has the wonderful Garifuna culture and Guatemalan refugees from the civil war.  Rob and I love the friendly, laid back Garifuna - Caribbean vibe.  We love the reggae music, the way they talk, the outgoing friendliness.  Livingston is surrounded by water...not really a beach town but it has the feeling of the Caribbean.

I've been looking forward to eating some Garifuna food so last night we went for Tapado, which the guidebooks claims is the real Garifuna food.  Dinner was amazing.  Its been a long time since a meal has given me the kind of happiness that last night's had.  Before I get into the Tapado, I will mention that we also ordered some fish ceviche which was some of the best that either of us had ever had.  Then, they brought out a huge bowl of seafood stew.  Oh man, just thinking about it makes me happy...a whole fish, crab, shrimp, plantain, coconut milk and coriander.  It was amazing.  They served it with some coco bread.  The bread has such a subtle coconut flavor until we dipped it in the broth from the Tapado and BAM it took the flavors to another level.

After dinner, we were walking the street and found 4 new friends from our boat ride into Livington.  They invited us for a drink so we joined them.  The other thing that I've been wanting to try here was a Coco Loco and it was everything I'd dreamed of...they take a coconut, chop off a hole in the top...pour in some run and put in a straw.  It was beautiful and tasty.  We enjoyed each other's company until the restaurant closed (which really wasnt too late) and walked around a little more before heading to bed.

This morning, as we were eating our breakfast, Paulo, a local Garifuna guy, joined us and we shot the breeze for awhile.  I asked him, where in town I could find the best Tapado and he immediately educated me.  He pointed out how the main street of the town, all of the shops and restaurants are run by Latins.  He said that they serve "Garifuna" food but it is not real Garifuna.  As a matter of fact, what they call Tapado, is actually called Tapa-o (or something like that).  He took us for a walk around the Garifuna neighborhoods and took us to meet Marie who will be cooking us a real Tapao tonight.  He told us to also order something else...maybe Fatillo?  Which he described as a green banana, grated and then fried.  We will definately take his advice and our camera so that we can show this to you.  I'd love to get a recipe for Tapado when we get home, I've never eaten that combination of flavors and I just cant get enough of it.

For those of you who are meeting us in Honduras...the Garifuna people here, originally came from Roatan.  One night, we need to hunt down a real Garifuna Tapado...it is a little pricy with all the fresh seafood but it will blow your mind.  We will also be buying a bottle of rum and a pile of coconuts to make our own Coco Locos.  Please dont let me forget.

Rio Dulce - First Impression

We arrived a few hours ago and are already planning to leave. We are staying outside of town in a peaceful place that is only accessible by boat. It got a good review in the guidebook but it hasnt given a good impression yet. Its hot and muggy and there are biting flies. That is our impression and we will leave in the morning to head up to Livingston.

Funny conversation I just had with another guest who also just arrived:
I was watching her swatting the biting flies and I said "These biting flies are evil, huh?".  She said "Yes, they dont lay eggs in your skin do they?  We heard that some flies do."  "Oh, I hope not."  "How long will you be staying?"  "We are leaving tomorrow...we just spend a few quiet days and need some more excitement than this."  "Oh, I hear it gets more exciting at night...thats when the tarantulas come out."
Yes, its confirmed.  We will leave tomorrow!

This is an interesting place, though. This is a big lake that is just off the caribbean. It is a safe haven for boaters during hurricane season...the safest in the caribbean. There are a lot of nice boats around and we might be happier if we were staying in town and not back here in the jungle.

Rob paddled us out to a dock in the lake for a swim in this little canoe. It was not easy but we had a nice swim.

More Finca Ixobel Pics

Mmmm. Lamb Curry. The finca had the best food so far in Guatemala. I wouldnt say it was Guatemalan food but there was lots of it with nicely cooked meat and veggies and the freshest lamb I've ever eaten.

Finca Ixobel Pics

"First Class" bus from Flores to Finca Ixobel

Believe it or not, this was the first class bus..we think! It honestly wasnt too bad. They dont load them up with people like the chicken buses. Very few of the seat backs worked so every time the bus stopped, the guy in front of Rob flew forward.

3 weeks Written 1/29

We've hit our 3 week milestone and I cant believe how fast it has gone...well...I can believe it.  I think we've gotten in the travel groove and have developed a good pace.  I'll take a few moments to philosophize on what I have learned in 3 weeks of backpacking travel.  Everyone has packs and most are on the road for a month, 2 months, 6 months or years.  There are many British people and other europeans...Germans, Dutch, Austrians, French, some Israeli's, Canadians and only a few Americans.

There are 2 stages of travel, transport to a new place and spending time in that place.

Transport is the work.  We have our packs with us and our valuables carefully stashed in a few different locations.  This is the scarier part where we are most vulnerable to robbery or problems.  We are holding all of our important material possessions.  We have to figure out the correct form of transportation balancing price and comfort.  Since our spanish is poor, we are at the mercy of bus drivers to find the correct bus.  Our biggest concern on travel days...besides the safety of our stuff...is bathrooms.  We forgo breakfast and coffee and try to limit our water consumption to a minimum.  Then  we arrive at our destination and with our packs on our back, we wander around with the guidebook trying to find the best accomodations, again balancing comfort and price.  Our intention is to check out as many places as possible, but realistically, we check a couple and settle with somewhere that we think we will be comfortable and has a good writeup in the guidebook.  The guidebook is so important for determining our path and finding cheap but comfortable restaurants and hotels and we read it constantly.

Then comes the easy part.  We settle into our new town.  We stash our stuff in what we hope is our nice safe room.  We walk around to get our bearings.  We peek into every restaurant, checking out the menus to find the cheapest and best food.  We meet other travelers and compare notes of where we have been, what we did there, where we stayed and ate and what we learned.  There are only so many places on the tourist trail and those places are on that trail for a reason.  Those are the places that have something to offer and thats where the other travelers are.  The travelers are a community and we rely on each other for company and information.  We have met people of all ages, nationalities and situations.  Our backgrounds are different but we have so much in common.  Obviously we all love travel and seeing as many new places as possible.  In Central America, we are all on a budget and are always aware of how much things cost and how much we are spending.  On a deeper level, we all love the freedom of life on the road.  We research and we plan, less to be prepared and more because it is something to do.  Everyone has some sort of loose plan but nobody expects to actually stick to it.  People talk about a "goal", like ours to get to Panama or Mexico or Brazil.  We hope to reach it but few people know exactly where they will be more than 1 or 2 destinations in the future.

We try to talk to as many different people as possible because everyone has a different perspective on a place.  Many people find Flores only bearable for a day or 2 while we were happy there for a week.  Livingston has gotten the most mixed reviews.  After talking to some people, we had almost crossed it off our list but since we have been here, we've heard some good things and realized that the only way to know is to see for ourselves.  The worst case is that we check into a hotel and hate it and move on the next day...not such a bad worse case scenario.

I love to find out how other people can make this happen.  I truly love this lifestyle and always in the back of my mind am trying to figure out how I can fit this into my life, maybe not permanantly but definately regularly.  Most people I know, take a vacation and then say "I was ready to come home".  They miss their family and friends, they miss their bed, they miss their home.  I can honestly say that I have never felt this "ready to come home" feeling.  Home has always sort of felt like a rut for me.  It is so easy for me to settle into a routine which soon becomes un-challanging and easy.  Every day here is a new adventure.  What will we see?  Who will we meet?  What are the showers like?  Can we find something cheap to eat that isnt a taco on a corn tortilla?  I love the challenge to find this cost/comfort/value balance.  I'm enjoying keeping careful track of what we spend to keep under-budget.  I love that I can get into doing something, concentrating on a conversation or not stepping in poo on a walk and then look up and see something completely new that I've never noticed or someone new and interesting with their own story that will fascinate me or something utterly breathtaking like a sunset or a bird or a mountain.

I feel free.  Every day is truly what I make it.

Written 1/29 - Finca Ixobel - from my top bunk at camp

We have spent the past few days at sleep-away camp at Finca Ixobel.  Its been wonderfully relaxing and has taken me back 20 years to Camp Sabra...complete with Israelis and frisbee and bunkbeds.  Ok, the food is better...way better.

It was only a couple of hours bus ride south from Flores and the landscape was quickly covered with lush green hills and corn  farms.  For this ride, we opted for the "1st Class" bus which was only about $2 extra for each of us.  Rather than a school bus, this was an old "greyhound" type touring bus.  The seats were confortable and the bus was not stuffed to gils like a chicken bus.  We made a long stop in the town of Poptun for those continuing on to Rio Dulche to use the bano and buy snacks.  There were some little stores but the lovely thing here is that as soon as the bus stops, children and adults immediately climb on the bus, each calling out what they are selling...fruit, chips, tacos, drinks.  Some of the children were only 7 or 8 years old...helping their families earn a living and learning the serious business of hard sales.

The bus continued on for a few minutes from Poptun, when the drive called out to tell us that we would be stopping soon at the Finca Ixobel.  We hopped off the bus, grabbed our packs from under the bus and started walking down the road that the driver pointed out to take us to the Finca.  We didnt know what to expect at all.  It was a 10  minute walk, down a shady road until we saw the main gate and then another 10 minutes until the road opened up into a wonderful clearing with a driveway and buildings.  We found the reception area and they showed us some of the different accomodations.  There is a camping area where you can tent camp.  This area also has some "Tree houses" which are little cabanas on stilts for 90Q (around $10US a night) and some with bathrooms below for more than that.  There were also cabanas with bathrooms.  Full to capacity, this place could easily hold 100 people but seemed to have only about 10 to 20 people staying at the moment.  We had discussed checking out the dorm situation to try to save some money and were happy with what we found.  For 35Q (less than $5 each) we have a bunk bed in a room that has 3 bunk beds and a single.  It was only occupied by a quiet french couple who are traveling guatemala by bicycle.

We were happy to find that they serve breakfast and lunch all day with eggs from the chickens on the property and fresh baked bread for a very good price.  They offer some caving and horseback riding and discussed horseback riding.  There was nice sized group of visitors...my favorite...just enough to have interesting people to talk to but not so much that it felt crowded by any means.  We met an interesting set of characters, one British magician and an American who is working is way to south america with his dog, Banjo.  Of course, I was interested in the logistics of traveling by bus with a dog...which is apparently possible although the dog had a few rides in the cargo area under the bus.  It was nice to spend time with an American dog since they have such a different confidence than the Central American dogs.  We wandered down to the laguna with plans to swim.  It was nice and sunny until I went down to the water when the sun hid behind a cloud.  The water was chilly so I didnt spend a lot of time but mostly we chatted on hammocks in the shade.  Finally we were starving and went to see about dinner.  This was the nicest suprise of the day.  They have a delicious dinner with salad and veggies and a choices.  Most of the food here has been pretty bland, the meat is always cooked very well done...which we are ok with after seeing the meat market...although steak is generally pretty chewy.  This place was different...a stewed beef with sesame and squash and green salad and bread.  They filled the plates themselves with twice as much as I would ever put for myself but we ate every morsal.  Then we went down to the bar at the laguna and had some beers by the campfire, talking to the different people and listening to music until Rob and I were the last 2 and we went to bed.

We woke the next day to rain.  The french couple was pretty anxious to hit the road...the rain would let up a bit and they would load up their bikes and then the rain would get harder and they would come back in.  They even tried to check out but ended up staying the rest of the day.  Nobody wanted to leave with the bad weather so everyone took a nice day..reading, napping, chatting. We had an even better dinner last night but stayed in the main area since the walk the laguna would have been very wet.  An exhausted British girl checked into our room later in the day...ate and passed out immediately having had a long day of travel from Honduras.

This morning, the French couple left very early and silently...with all of us hoping for theirs and our sake that the rain would hold off.  We awoke and enjoyed our real (not instant) coffee with real milk and sugar and said goodbye as most of the people headed off for Rio Dulche.  We decided to spend 1 more day of camp and great food.  Rob and I wandered the property this morning, happy that the rain had changed to mist which was a huge improvement.  The finca was then inundated with 17 RVs on a caravan tour from Texas to Panama.  There were so many of them and it was a very different crowd than we have dealt with so far.  They came in for lunch and baked goods and then we happily waved as they left as quickly as they came.  I've spent the rest of the afternoon reading and rob wandered around some more.  I see sun out the window even though a little sun shower came through a few minutes ago.  It looks like tonight, the room will be us, the recovering british girl and another girl who has obviously worked here or spent a bit of time here in the past...Lucky Rob, just him and the girls.

This brings me to something that I've been wanting to mention for a while but now that I have nothing at all to do, I will menion.  There are more single girls traveling Central America than anyone else.  Sure we have met other couples and some single guys but mostly it is single girls or a pair of girls or 2 single girls that have met and paired up.  This definately has us feeling very confident to travel the rest of the area.  Dont get me wrong, when a group gets together, people definately share stories of being robbed and ripped off but most of these stories are first hand from people who were pissed at the situation but in no way put off to travel and happily and more cautiously continuing on their journey. Everyone else takes note of where the person thinks they made the mistake and we all move on, smarter and more safely.

I'd hoped to practice our spanish here but as we were warned, once we reach our destination, we are surrounded by travelers who find English as the common language so we have ended up speaking English the whole time here.

We've gotten great information about our next stop...Rio Dulche and Livingston.  We will head out tomorrow with 2 really nice Israeli girls who had been traveling South America with some bad luck and were supposed to go to Peru but because of the major flooding, they changed plans and came here.  We look forward to another big change of scenery.  This is one of the places that we have really been looking forward to.

Checking in from Rio Dulce

I'm sure you have been wondering if we are ok...and we are.  We spent a few days at a place with very poor internet which I will post about in a few.

We have just arrived in Rio Dulce and are safe and happy.