Because I have suddenly received a handful of emails in the past few days from various individuals asking about how things were going, I think it only fair to at least post on here that I am alive and well. A lot has happened in the past months, much of which will have to come out in bits and pieces of stories in conversation here and there in the coming months, since I am a huge SLACKER and can´t even type a few paragraphs more frequently than once per month. However, in the meantime, here is a brief update on what I have been up to:
I ended up spending five, yes five, weeks at the lake. It´s an easy place to get stuck for a while, and I am glad I allowed myself to do so. After four weeks in San Marcos I spent my last two nights in another village on the lake called Santa Cruz; I made sure I was there on a Saturday for the weekly cross-dressing party and barbecue held at the hostel.
It was difficult to say goodbye to the lake (for now), but it was time to move on. Next stop was the colonial city of Antigua, possibly the most beautiful city in this country (certainly that I have seen) surrounded by volcanoes, cobble-stone streets lined with blue, yellow, red and orange buildings and dotted with the ruins of old churches dating back to the 16th century (or thereabouts--I haven´t done my homework and my memory is currently failing me). The downfall of such an aesthetically pleasing place? Many, many foreigners. I stayed in the city long enough to have a quick look around and hike a nearby and active volcano called Pacaya (where you can walk right up to a flowing river of lava that is at least 1-2 meters wide--what an experience!).
Antigua was my home-base for a few weeks, as I left two times, once to spend a few days on the Pacific coast in a place called Monterrico and once to spend a weekend in Copan, Honduras. Monterrico is a black sand beach (from the volcanoes) and is home to a turtle sanctuary where they dig up turtle eggs on the beach and incubate them until they hatch, and then release them back into the ocean when ready. Right now, they release 150 baby turtles every evening around 5pm. So, both nights I was witness to these tiny little creatures, smaller than the palm of my hand, frantically racing toward the sea only to be washed away by the water into the deep, dark unknown; only about five percent of these little darlings survive out there. Later in the evening was reserved for strolling the beach with a flashlight in search of a huge mama turtle laying her eggs; we only saw one and she had already finished the job, but the five minutes with her was fascinating--and I got to rub her shell for good luck :)
My trip to Honduras was short, but the town of Copan Ruinas is only about 10 kilometers from the Guatemala-Honduras border and it was well worth the 12 hours total spent in a crowded and stuffy shuttle. The main reason for visiting this town are the Copan ruins that sit about a kilometer down the road (confusingly only called Copan, where the town is called Copan Ruinas). Finally, my first venture into some Mayan ruins. These particular ruins, in which the population was strongest between the 5th and 9th century (although existed earlier than this as well), are known for the intricate and detailed stone carvings (or, stalae), some of which still show remnants of the original red paint used.
The day after leaving Copan, I headed north to the city in which I am currently staying in, Coban. There´s not much to the city, but it was a nice stopping off point for just long enough to take a tour of a coffee finca, or plantation, and taste test the final product :) Just up the road, and where I am heading tomorrow, is the town of Lanquin and a place called Semuc Champey . A few days later it´s onward to perhaps the most famous Mayan ruins in this area, Tikal, and then to the Caribbean town of Livingston before making my way into Belize and Mexico.
Well, that´s what I have been up to for a while--I am on the move again and it feels good. There is so much more to say, so much more that I have seen and heard and smelled, so many fascinating people I have met, so many more experiences, but unfortunately, all of which I cannot produce in writing over the course of one hour of typing.
Oh yeah--and instead of flying back to Oregon this Friday, October 10th (happy birthday dad!) as originally planned, I decided to extend my trip until November 14th... :)
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