it's so hot

Lobsterfest was a week ago, boy this time is going to fly. I’m lying on the top bunk of the ‘Los Amigos’ hostel in Flores, Guatemala. It’s hot, humid, no air conditioning (rarely will you find that here) but the ceiling fans are trying their darndest. We just had a sunshower which cooled things for a good 10 minutes, but now it’s back to hot white light and too hot cobblestones and the bright colours of the street, which, due to my doxycycline-induced photo sensitivity, makes me seek shadier parts during the afternoon.

So, Belize. I was there for maybe 5 days. It was astonishingly beautiful. Pretty sure all 90s video clips which feature singers wearing white clothes walking along a white sandy beach happened in Belize. So that was a definite perk, boosting the morale, walking along the same shore as J.Lo in ‘My Love Don’t Cost A Thing’. Or Rico Suave.

But yeah, not my caper, at least not when I’m alone, poor, full of energy and pressed for time. My impression of San Pedro was that it was full of rich white couples and families, or 18 year old American kids on their first trip sin padres. Not really any middle ground. But just walking along the street I’d get called at, which was a shock to the system. Maybe it was more offensive cause it was in English? But yeah, just so not down with that. There’s something about Latino culture which (I think) is based on respect for other people, and people are generally warm, friendly, and inoffensive. But I had a few instances which soiled my walk along the beach, such as :

‘Hey girl, where you going? Come here I’ll show you a good time’.

‘No thanks, I’m heading home. Have a good night’.

‘I’d have a better night if I could DO YOU’.

...aggressive, uncalled for, not good. Made me angry, but how do you respond? It’s a fine line. I want to be friendly, and not cold, but that friendliness can so easily be exploited, and it makes me crazy. My guidebook says that women travellers should ‘use common sense, don’t walk alone at night’, and it’s been a long time since my ‘common sense’ needed to extend that far. Is it common sense that you should assume everyone is going to harass you?

That said, Lobsterfest was fun. The block party involved all of San Pedro’s finest restaurants competing to cook the best lobster, and the one I decided to eat from (Elvi’s Restaurant) took out the title, so there you go. The place was booming. They had a big stage with live music, and a Garifuna band taking us into the early morning. The San Pedro population were on the dancefloor in full force, responding to the tourists, and upping them. And what surprised me was the mix of ethnicities. Garifuna (hear creole everyyywheerreee!), Latino, white (and white from all over the world) have chosen to make this little town their home, and it’s all inter-mixed. There seemed to be no sense of hierarchy between locals, and to have three totally different, strong cultures coming together, I’m not sure if I’ve seen it work so well before.

So yeah that was fun, I didn’t bust a move but just sat on the sidelines and ended up talking with a guy called George who had worked for the Belizean government securing fresh water infrastructure. Pretty rad snakes. Then I left at a reasonable hour, went back to my hotel, and finished off the second season of Mad Men (so far behind, yes, but savouring every minute).

The next day, woke up early, checked out, went for a walk and found a place to hire bikes, then rode to an Eco Yoga Retreat, a few miles north of San Pedro town. I met a girl the night before who told me there was a class at 10am, and I got there just in time. Smashed out a yoga session in a palapa – one of those open-air shacks- at the end of a wharf on crystal blue water. Think I took a photo, cause boy! Best yoga location evahhhh. It was nice- I needed stretching and also just some chill time, but I hadn’t eaten Breaky so always a bit tough. Then I went back and grabbed my bag and caught the ferry to Caye Caulker –  supposedly a spitting image of paradise.

Caye Caulker was waaaay more relaxed then San Pedro, and no annoying hawkers. I just decided to spend one day there, cause I was getting impatient, and there was only so much lying on the beach on a remote island that I could take, especially within a 4-week time period. If I needed to chill, cool, but I wanted adventure.  Went out with some people from my hostel that evening which was fun, but relaxed, being Sunday night and all.

The next morning commenced a long trip to arrive in Flores, Guatemala. Going with a girl from my hostel, we hopped on the ferry at 7.30am, then chilled in Belize City for our bus at 10am. The bus was like 1.5 hours late, and was totally packed. The road up to the border was fine, but then Guatemala hit us in all of her shitty-road-glory.  The border was fine, way easier than expected actually. But the roads in Guatemala switch between asphalt and the boulders/cow/pothole/chickens combo that you never know what to expect. We were all so sweaty, bouncing everywhere, bumping heads, jarring tailbones, that we were a sight to behold.

But made it to Flores, and quickly upon arrival here at the hostel, got asked by an Israeli couple if I’d be interested on heading to the jungle for 3 days.

WHY THE FLUP NOT? They seemed pretty cool, and I did want to do some hiking. Luckily there was a French girl who wanted to come too, making our party of 4, and before we knew we were booked in for a 7am departure.

We headed to El Peru, the site of some Mayan ruins which are still mostly covered in forest. The trek to El Mirador, which is a massive Mayan site, would take 5 days in total, which was longer than what I wanted to spend. So this it was. We drove for ages, and through a really deep river- real fwightnin stuff- and then caught a boat to our campground along the San Pedro river. The next few days consisted of many jungle walks, seeing peacocks, deer, tarantulas (yikey), snakes, the Guacamaya Roja- big deal for the Mayans, beautiful big red parrot- the macaw in English?, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, everything in-between.
Walking through the jungle was beautiful, so green, so muddy, brimming with sounds and colour and animals and smells and life. Mosquitoes were absolutely mental- even my crazy strong DEET-ridden repellent did little to curb their excitement. We were covered in repellent, covered in sunscreen, covered in sweat, covered in itchiness, for the three days. Our guides were great- we spoke Spanish with them, and learned about their lives and listened in awe as they spoke Ka-Chi (sp?) with each other. We couldn’t swim, due to the large crocodile presence, but that made the whole earthly struggle enjoyable. At night they cooked us delicious food, we were in bed by 7.30pm with the sun, and waited for the nightly thunderstorms to approach. Loudest freakin thunder of my life- it sounded like the sky was getting torn in half. And the sound of the big rain drops hitting the rainforest leaves was even better than rain on corrugated iron.

The four of us got along really well, and last night, once we had returned to civilisation (after a shower, shave, last change of clean clothes) we went out to a local joint and watched the lightening way out over the jungle go crazy for the third night.

Today I awoke at 4am and took the tour to the Tikal ruins. Tikal was beautiful, though our guide was so-so, and not heap$z informative in the way of the Maya. But then he took me on a private tour to some prohibited areas cause I told him I studied anthropology. So that was good. I still need to do some research about the importance of that site. Only 15% has been uncovered, and the site was occupied for 1800 years, and 150,000 people lived there.

One thing I know is that I know very little about the Mayans! Talking to some travellers, a lot of people learnt about it in high school, but alas, we did not. But their knowledge of astronomy, medicine, architecture, etc, just mind-blowing. Imagine what they could have taught us.  

So now it’s almost 4pm and I might take a nap, or go and get some food. I have a few choices for the next two weeks. I could either find my way to Honduras, and go get my diving license, and then return to Guatemala, or I could just chill and spend some good time in Guatemala and maybe do a Spanish course. So many decisions!

Until next time,

G

Ps ‘Di One Dala Deal’ – is ‘The One Dollar Deal’ in Garifuna

AND ALSO

‘Tings’ for ‘things’ actually is legit. Happy days.

back south

And so another journey to Central America has commenced! After my US student visa expired on June 17^th, I flew Austin- Cancun and the 2-hour trip landed me in a different world altogether. I’ve never been to Florida, nor do I really see the appeal (I get it, but it’s not attractive to me). Even boarding the flight to ‘CUN’, I knew this wasn’t the Mexico that I’d visited before. The plane was mostly white people, all jabbering in loud American about their holiday plans. A few Mexicans sat quietly on the edges. The air hostesses spoke English, all the immigration forms were in English. Right from the get-go there just wasn’t that challenge that comes with the deep-end. But it definitely a good way to start the trip. I’m in Central America by myself for a month- the first solo travel I’d done. I was a biiit nervous, I’ve travelled before, but always with others taking the edge off it.  So the touristy place was probably the best place to get my bearings.

I got into Cancun and realised that it wasn’t yet 9am Monday morning Australian time and so my money hadn’t been transferred onto my card and so I had no money. NOT A GREAT WAY TO START!!! I got to downtown, tried to get money out, realised I couldn’t, tried to get a cab to my hostel, realised I couldn’t, and thus commenced the sweaty walk with my loved/hated backpack and the full brunt of the early afternoon Carribean sun and the sensitivity to light from my malaria tablets. Euuugh. Along the way I was greeted by a Mexican tour guide who offered to walk me to my hostel and then offered to go nightclubbing with me in the evening. Pass. He walked me to my hostel and then wanted money ‘for a soda’. But I couldn’t! Pass! Ha. I spent the afternoon watching Mad Men and drying not to die from heat. I found a potluck event on couchsurfing at a nearby hostel so ended up buying some Modelos and tostadas and Laughing Cow Cheese and heading down there (luckily, Parentals’ credit card worked at the supermarket).  That hostel was a hoot so I booked in to stay there for the next few nights.

The next day I took a ferry out to Isla Mujeres, a little island about 20 minutes from the Eastern side of Cancun. I found a snorkelling trip for the afternoon and got on it. Noice snorkelling there- we checked out an old ship wreck, plenty a fish, coral, etc. We also went to an Underwater Museum which was sculptures maybe 5 metres down on the ocean floor which you could snorkel above. There was one with all of these figures- similar style to the Chinese warriors- and they were covered with seaweed and algae. Cool/eeiry. We then had lunch and I found some people from Philly and New York to share a few beers and chat about their travels.

The next day I took the plunge out to the Zona Hotelera, the reeeeeallllly touristy part of town. I found me a nice spot on the beach under an umbrella, got out my Huckleberry Finn and began some serious easy chillzen for a few hours. Chatted to a Mexican guy trying to sell food – we ended up talking in-depth about Maté, strangely. Next to me was also a fatty old Russian woman who got me to take photos of her posing on her deck chair (euuughh) and then didn’t know where Australia was.  She also didn’t speak English or Spanish so I have no idea how she managed.  She brokenly asked where I was from and I answered her and she gave me a confused, wincy look. ‘London?’. ‘No, further south’ I replied. ‘Brasilia?’ wincy look again. ‘No, around the other side of the world’. She winced and shrugged her shoulders and went back to reading. Priiiity funny. No big deal, I guess.

All was well until a mother of a storm started a-brewin, the storm front spanning 180 degrees along the whole coast quickly getting darker and plumper. I packed up and found the closest hotel and almost made it inside (made it to the blonde American families in the beachside pools with designer bathers and their cocktails, at least) and it just started pissing down. Found myself inside the fanciest place I’ve ever been and spoiled myself to a Coca Cola and read more Huck Finn. Then got myself home, ate some pasta and prepared for one of Cancun’s ‘Biggest Nights of the Year’, a pool party at one of the hotels. Needless to say, it was messy, no one was in the pool, there was a bikini contest, and I lost my shorts. Not in a suss way though, don’t worry. Usually I shun people all hanging out in their hostel groups but it’s kinda nice when you don’t know anyone and it means you can party without having to worry about stuff. So anyway, that happened.

Theeen, the next morning, I awoke after 2 hours of sleep to catch a bus to Tulum with some Danish girls from the hostel. They both are legends at Spanish, so it was good practice to chat with them. Though sometimes I’d be like ‘WHY CAN’T I GET WHAT THEY’RE SAYING’ and then realise they were speaking Danish. Not to worry. We stayed in a Cabaña to ourselves at a weird hostel with an old fat leathery blonde sunburnt American with an open Hawaiian shirt and a waxed moustache called ‘Pepe’. He had a Mexican wife who didn’t speak English and he said he’d lived there for 35 years and still his Spanish was un disasteur. We didn’t do much that afternoon, just went for a walk around town and bought some groceries and cooked up a delicious bruschetta and pasta. I chatted with Pies and then we read and chatted and wrote in our journals. All very nice.

The next day we woke up early to hire some bikes and head out to the Tulum ruins. We got there at about 8.30am and already it was busy but not compared to when we left at 11.30, just huuuge groups of buses spewing in- a full operation. It was a bit drizzly, but nice because it was so humid. The ruins were beautiful and the Danishes had studied a bit of Mayan culture in their Spanish classes so it was good to learn from them about los dioses and la serpiente plumada. We don’t learn about Mayan culture at school at all, eh? Even at uni, not sure if any classes run on it. So much to learn but!

Then we parted ways and I went on a snorkelling tour of los cenotes, which are big underground caves with water in them. That was amazing. You can also dive it, but alas I do not yet have my license.  But we got all the gear and also a torch cause we went pretty far underground, through open caverns and spaces where only two people could fit. There were plenty of stalactites, some that went underwater too, and some that had turned into columns.  It was bizarre when you’d be going along and the ground underneath you drops away to 6,7 metres deep but right above you you have to be careful cause there’s stalactites 20 centimetres from your head above the water. A few times people bonked their heads and the yells echoed all through the caves.

My only downpoint on this voyage was entering a really confined space- that space where only 2 people could fit. The distance between the water and the roof would be only about 30 centimetres, just enough to fit your head out of the water. And the air in there was so thick, there just wasn’t enough oxygen. I went in there and was like ‘WHOA my heat’s going crazy’, and I was mentally trying to slow it down and be calm, but it just didn’t happen. I thought it was a psychological thing but there was just no air. I was in there with an Israeli girl who told me that she was scared and she was really panicked. I held her hand and tried to calm her down. Plus it was dark! Anyways she goes ‘What do I do?’ and I told her just to duck under the water and follow the light of our guide on the other side of the pool. But you had to dive under this rock wall to get there. Anyway she got there, though I think she bumped her head on the way out which did not help the situation at all. She got back to her boyfriend, but they sat the rest of the trip out. I gave her a big hug when we were out in the open again! Phew! I got out and had a throbbing head (lack of oxygen, no?)  but felt fine. Sooo anyway, NOT TO WORRY, but it’s just so easy to get panicked and work yourself up. My down to earth nature really helped in that situation though, so go me. No one worry I’m fine!

Last night I was super tired after all that so I found a Vietnamese place and got takeaway and chatted with an English couple at the hostel and had a few beers and then went and read up on my next destinations but generally took it easy. There was a band playing across the road, and it sounded fun, but I was just totally spent. My hostel was called the Weary Traveler and indeed was fitting last night.

Today I high-tailed it out of Tulum and now find myself on the island of San Pedro, Belize. I took a bus to Chetumal, on the Mexican/Belize border, and then a ferry out here. It’s a funny place, already. Bigger houses, plenty more whiteys, and also Black Carribeans. English is the national language, and there’s more wealth here. I just arrived and found a room for $US20 a night (expensive for these parts- but cheap in the US) and it’s my first double bed of the trip.

The weather’s been cloudy for a few days and I REALLY hope it clears up cause it’s paradise- white sands, crystal blue waters, coconut trees everywhere. Seriously.  San Pedro’s ‘Lobsterfest’ is in full swing (from what I hear) and there’s a ‘Lobsterfest Block Party’ tomorrow night which will be a hoot.

I might go take a walk now, suss the place out. I’ve heard there’s a place called ‘Rose’s’ which is a noice place to eat. Might try a lobster, just cause I’m here and all.

In summation: Things are going great, I’ve hardly spent time alone and when I have it’s been super enjoyable, health is good, mental health gr7, love travelling!

So much love to ya’ll, be in touch.

Chau chau chau. Xo g

five months to the day

YIII GDAY

Five months to the day I was in the US. I crept out before first light this morning.
I write to youse from a hostel dorm in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. I arrived early this afternoon after leaving the cousin peacefully snoring away at the tender hour of 6.30am. Indulged in a shitty breakfast bagel (that egg powder was definitely used) and then was on my way.

Before all of this, of course, was Bonnaroo. After I farewelled Dad at the Port Authority I met up with an old friend and walked her to her job interview near Washington Sq Park, then found a NYU pub and met up with Caitlin to have brews/ dinner before making our final journey on the Long Island Rail Road, meeting up with the Bonneroo (Boner Room) crew and commencing the long drive south.

The trip was about 24 hours, two cars, 7 people. We stopped and got cookie dough flavoured milkshakes from Sheetz at 4.30am, and had Bassnectar on full keeping the drivers awake.

BONNAROO WAS THE BEST. soooo many artists, suuuchhh good weather, everyone was bloody friendly, sahhh many costumes, such a good campsite/set up, such a good surprise from maggie and pong on their late arrival, everything was just miraculous. didn't want to leave, you know how it is.
On sunday night the heavens opened and everything got totally soaked. monday we packed up in the pouring rain, getting totally drenched, and parting ways a little too hastily.
Drove west through tennessee, encountered a full-on summer storm in memphis, kept driving, hit arkansas, and names like Social Hill, Friendship, and finally, Texarkana where we pulled off the highway and treated ourselves to Tex Mex.
We got into Austin around 3am, then slept, and occupied ourselves with wonderful austin things. It was plenty hot, so lots of water adventures in river pools, tubing, canoeing, etc. Maggie took us on a culinary adventure full of the best places to eat, drink, be merry.

And now I'm here and mexico is sweltering and crazy busy and beautiful. I'm in a dorm room- hoping it would be a social place but it's empty apart from me- and am about to nap/watch mad men and chill. Then there's a couchsurfing thing going down at a hostel down the road, so will mosey on to that later.
Many love to all,
Until next time. More coherent next time, i promise.

g

Hi Ya'll!

                                                      Giday from North Carolina!

After leaving Baltimore we headed straight west for the mountains. We passed through Frederick, Maryland, the middle ground in the civil war, then headed up to Harper's Ferry beginning our drip south along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I finished reading Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods' last week in Jay, and it came alive again straight away as we were passing through all of these little towns. Stopped at Front Royal, the entrance to the Shenandoah National Park, and reaped maxi benefits from the thrift stores there. Southern opp-shopping is outta this world.
We got a Chevvy from Baltimore--who we named The Ponce because we thought it was gonna be a Pontiac...but alas twas not to be. Still, The Ponce has been mighty faithful, and has been a noble steed in allowing dad and I to drive on the wrong side of the road and not sustain fatal injuries, yet. It was weird to get my eye muscles back into driving- I felt like I was going cross-eyed whenever I'd try and focus on the ashphalt. Maybe a trip to the optometrist is in order back home.

The driving has been friggin great. We took the Skyline Drive through Virginia, which is a thin little strip of National Park mountains, and the road weaves you around to views of both out west to west virginia and east to virginia and to the ocean beyond. We stayed at 'skyland' on our first night amid comments of 'Bill Bryson was here with Katz!!' from le farzha constantly. We dined with lots of old white people in the restaurant overlooking the setting. One particularly outstanding comment was from a morbidly obese old man chowing down waffles and a coke was that 'hey, I reckon there'll be a sunset tonight'. Gr7 one m7.

With a gift card from best buy that i found on the ground ($25- WIN!) we bought an ipod jack for our sweet tunes along the way. hank williams, band of horses, elvis, sufjan, bon iver, gillian welch, alison krauss, america, simon and garf, muddy waters, seeker lover keeper. Le pops is gettin a real treat.Any more suggestions for roadtrippin around america music would be grouse.

Last night we stayed at a place called 'Peaks of Otter' GEDDAROUND IT. It overlooked a huge lake and looming above was this triangular mountain called 'Otter'. Orright. Yesterday's weather was pretty bad so we got off the mountain and took the interstate through Virginia, Tennessee, then landing in North Carolina.
We had lunch in a tiny town called Erwin, and were treated to real southern hospitality by a crazy/enthusiastic lady who had a christmas themed model train cafe, with a bed in the middle and who made us a delicious strawberry salad (supposedly this is a southern thing). AND we had fried green tomatoes.
I found me a mad-ass tshirt from the 49th annual 'Autorama' in Erwin, TN and i plan on rockin it out today.
We drove 45 more minutes after lunch to Asheville, North Carolina and were met by a 5k running competition in the carpark of the visitor information centre where every ashevillian decided to run. It was drizzly but packed and there was lady gaga pumping and a sausage sizzle- i oddly realised how absent from small-town america my experience thus far has been. That community event where everyone is there, so different to the urban context. Found a room for the night, decided i should better start looking at anu subjects and enrolment for next semester. then we went out to a pizza restaurant/brewery where there were some finger-pickin hillbillies with big ears with banjos and a double bass. there was also a REAL LIFE COWBOY which made a table of kids sitting next to us gasp and turn wide-eyed when he swaggered into the room. A great night. Then we headed into downtown Asheville where a drumming circle takes place in the town square every friday night. EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT! a drumming circle! So dad and i shook it, no doubt the best groove we've both had for a while. There were old people, young people, tweeny boppers, dogs, hippies, you name it. There was that smell of freshness after rain, warm earth, coffee and food, and sweat. Today we're heading to an alternative university where part of the deal is that you have to put in hours on their farm to get your degree. Cool, no? They've got a music day lined up. Then we might head out and hit up the mountains again. I'm so close to tennessee which is where i'm heading next week for bonnaroo, but i decided to head back up to the City, leave dad, drop off the car, and come down REAL PROPER with the roadtrippin crew.

So, the next few weeks:
Bonnaroo
Austin
Mexico
and the final month of my trip in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras.

Chauuuu! Stay warm xox