Central America Part 1

The first part of our Central America Trip. So far I have finished through Costa Rica and halfway through Nicaragua. Lots more to come, just wanted to post this one now that I finished it. And yea, it only seemed fitting that I make the movie to our favorite song.

Recap

Man o'live. Right now I am on the plane, heading back to Atlanta, catching up on blogs. I can't believe that the trip is coming to a close. It has been an incredible month and I would advise everyone to do a similar trip sometime in their life. Visiting other people and other cultures has helped me to get some good perspective on my own world. The fact that there is this entire world out there, with hundreds of different cultures astounds me. At times we get so stuck in our routine of waking up early, going to the office, coming home watching TV, then repeating the routine the next day that we forget there is more out there. Things are about to get pretty crazy for Haley and I as we buy a new house, start medical school, and start looking for a job. I am glad that we were able to come on this trip.

This is where I give a special shout out to Haley. She is every bit as amazing as I always knew she was. She braved the foulest of bathrooms, climbed the most difficult of volcanoes, and faced some of her biggest fears. She did so without complaining, and I even think she had a little fun along the way. She is an incredible woman an I am grateful she chose me in life as a companion. We look forward to our next trip, whenever that may be.

Looking back, my favorite place to visit is probably the place I would be least likely to visit: Nicaragua. The way you could wave at people who see less money in a year then I may see in a day, and their faces light up as they smile and wave back to you was an event I will not soon forget. The people were so humble on the island of Ometepe, yet so happy and content that I think we could all learn a thing or two from them. I am also left with the memory of our taxi drivers, whose taxis were more run-down than the worst of cars you would see in the states, who races each other along pot holed streets, banging on the radio to get it to work. Of course they had no AC, and when they had a flat tire, it was changed in a matter of minutes.

Other trip highlights for me were all the amazing activities we did up in Monteverde, Costa Rica. From riding ATV's around mountain corners, to zip lining across the continental divide high about the rain forest. That was an incredibly fun place. Then there were the lava flows in Antigua in which the pictures tell the story of how cool it can be to get mere feet from lava. I learned that next time I visit an active volcano to take an egg so I can fry it on the rocks we are standing on. Another highlight of the trip would have to be the ATM caves in Belize. To be able to get so intimate with so religious a site it just incredible to me. I definitely have to read up on the Maya and their culture.

Of course the beaches and snorkeling were also nice and amazing, but they just don't seem to compare to the cultural experiences our trip offered. Having said that, those days we spent bumming on the beach probably allowed us to keep our sanity as our minds and bodies readily welcomed the rest.

In recap, I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to travel with. In the short month we were together, we really became great friends. Haley and I are sad that we won't be able to call you guys up to hang out sometime, but if we are ever in your countries, you better believe that we will give you a call (and you had better look us up next time you are in Atlanta). We need to start planning the reunion tour to cross trans-Siberia, and Gemma had better start learning whatever languages they speak there. We will all have to keep up with each other through websites and emails.

I don't know what next summer will hold, but I hope it is half as fun as this trip was for Haley and I.

Day 32 - Saying Goodbye

Last day of vacation. We woke up early, ate breakfast with the gang and then had to wish everybody goodbye. While it didn't get too emotional when we left, Haley and I were both really sad to leave all our friends we had made on our journey. We went through so much together, it feels as though I should be able to call some of them up to hang out sometime. Unfortunately, that will probably never happen. However, you guys had better call us up the next time you are in the US, and we may be calling you the next time we come to Finland, Australia, Scotland, South Africa, or Puerto Rico (but not Norway).

We had our final bus ride to the airport and were glad we got there so early because the power had gone out and Delta was doing everything manually. Took us nearly the full three hours to get through to make our flight. We did have enough time to burn the last of our pesos in the airport before boarding our plane for the flight home.

Back to the real world.

Day 31 - Last Day In Paradise

After grabbing a nice buffet breakfast with the gang down on gringo street, Haley, Erin, and I headed down to the beach for some relaxing in the sun. We found some nice, soft beach beds with large umbrellas covering them to set our stuff down on and then we headed into the water. It was a little strange after coming out of the water as many people had joined the area around us. Many of them were topless European women. I guess that's how they do things over there.

We forgot our towel at the hotel, so we headed off to purchase a new one. We thought we would only be gone a couple minutes, but it turns out we had walked much farther down to the beach than we had thought. After a mile of walking, we found a nice little place and got our "Playa Del Carmen" towel. Haley also picked up a sarong and a couple waters. When we got back, we learned Erin had gotten kicked off our sun bed. So after finding her we headed back into the water to try to escape the heat. I have never sweated so much in my life. You wouldn't believe the areas of the body that are capable of sweat; the backs of elbows, shoulders, and even knuckles. I didn't used to think I was a sweater, but central America has changed that aspect of my self-image.

On the way home, we ate a little ice cream for lunch. Then for desert Haley let me stop by this shack that was serving chicken. I got half a chicken, a dozen tortillas, rice, and other toppings for about $3US. It was some of the best chicken I have ever eaten. I would eat it again for dinner if I could.

Later on in the day, Haley and I headed back to the beach for some more fun in the water. It was nice to play in the waves, just the two of us. We have really enjoyed our time with the group, but it has also been nice to have some freedom to spend time with each other. This has been a great trip and we are really gonna miss these times of freedom once the real world starts up again.

Tonight we celebrated Antonia's birthday, complete with a pinata, Mexican hats, and music. I couldn't afford the Sobrero, so I cut my facial hair such that only a small line of a mustache remained. Don't worry, I got pictures. The unfortunate thing about the party was that there were a bunch of other GAP groups there on our last night, so things were strange as we tried to celebrate our last night together, but then there were other people there, so it was just odd. Not a bad night, but not the greatest either. After the party, we did hang out a little at a bar on gringo street and then a few minutes sitting on the beach as a group. It was a good evening overall.

Day 30 - Uggggh!

Today was a really long travel day. We started at 6:30 in the morning and got to our final destination in Mexico at 7:30. Today was a very bad day for intestinal cramping. At one point, I got quite sweaty, felt horrible pains shooting everywhere in my body, turned quite pail, and started to shake as my body tried to get rid of all its contents all at once. Everybody in our group kept asking if I was alright. They (and I) thought I was going to die. The bad part was that it was just after the Belize border. We re-boarded the bus to ride to the Mexican border (a few minutes away). Though the street is quite large, all along the way there are large 18-wheel trucks parked, effectively making the large street one lane, one way. In the middle was a white van, where the driver had apparently parked the car and left. This was when I was going through my ordeal. Did I mention this was on a very hot chicken bus?

So, we made it through the Mexican border and to the bus station, where I finally found a bathroom. I wouldn’t talk about it, but as a future medical student, I can appreciate the bodies violent efforts to get rid of what it no longer wants. I lost about 7.5 lbs in about 2 seconds. At this time I won't share with you how bad it was when I realized there was no toilet paper.

Much to Erin's pleasure, I finished reading Zorro, by Isabel Allende. She has been waiting in line to read the book as it has made it's rounds amongst our group. I highly recommend the book. It also helps the long bus rides much more enjoyable. After finishing the book, I got some good blogging in on the luxury Mexican bus. They really were luxury buses: Large Mercedes busses, decked out with TV's, lots of legroom, and AC (we actually got cold on the ride).

Playa looked interesting as we passed a Macdonald's, Office Depot, and Sam's Club on our way to the hotel. Tonight we had some awesome Mexican food. I could eat Mexican every meal for the rest of my life and die a very happy man (of course I would probably die earlier, but…). Mexico is going to be fun.

Day 29 - Swimming With Sharks (and big ones at that!)

We went out snorkeling on a sailboat today. We had three captains, all very rastafarian. They took us out to three different snorkeling spots in Belize's coral reef nature preserve. It has been protected for the past 25 years or so and as such has prospered. It is the second largest barrier reef in the world, second to Australia's. After our first stop, where those unfamiliar to snorkeling got to practice, we headed out to play with some sharks. As we were sailing along, we came to a spot in the water, where dozens of very large fish started swimming around the boat. A couple of the captains dove in the water at which time we realized the fish were sharks. They were each about 6 feet long, and looked a little intimidating. We had reached "Sharkray alley." It wasn't too hard to figure where the name came from. We all jumped in the water after the guides and got to swim with and hold large sharks and sting rays. The shark's skin was almost like sandpaper, which the stingrays was very fishlike and slimy. Apparently, the sharks were nurse sharks, completely harmless. Sting rays are also harmless, unless provoked or surprised.

Our last site was a large outlet between the channel that separates the island from the coral and the open ocean. I know that doesn't make any sense, but picture island - deeper water - coral - open ocean, in that order. The outlet goes through the coral from the deeper water to the open ocean. As we swam around an saw all kinds of fish, including a grouper the size of a small car, we found an underwater cave about 20-25 feet down. After I saw the guide swim through, I wanted to follow. I imagine that anywhere in the states would strictly forbid a snorkeler to do such a feat, but I really wanted to. I was surprised when our guide came up asking if anybody was going to go through. He didn't even finish asking the question before I started diving down. It was a little scary, as I had to equalize the pressure in my nose three times during the decent, and then be careful once I reached the bottom to make sure I had enough air to make it through and then back to the surface, but I made it (I made that sound scarier than it really was, but it definitely wasn't for the weaker swimmer). The cave was teaming with schools of fish who all scattered at the sight of me.

Between the different snorkeling sites, we had a lot of time to lay out on the sailboat deck, reapply sunscreen, and shoot the bull with fellow travel mates. It was a lot of fun, just chilling out in the sun and I am glad that we have all these beach days at the end of our trip. While the beach days and not my favorite of the trip, they are a much needed brake from all the hiking and bus-riding.

I almost forgot to mention one of the coolest things about the trip today. During the sailing, the captains would stop at certain sites, dive into the water and bring up some conch and lobster. I thought they were catching dinner for themselves, only to watch them cut up the catch and throw it in some lime juice to later serve us as ceviche. It was incredible to go straight from the water, into the ceviche salsa, into our mouths. Definitely some of the best ceviche I have ever had (and Haley loved it too).

Dinner was another amazing seafood meal. We had a seafood buffet which included lobster kabobs, grilled lobster in the shell, red snapper, barracuda, and some other food which I cannot remember at this time. It was all incredible and only cost us $13US each. After dinner, Haley and I took a couple of people out to a dark corner of the island to do a little stargazing. Some drugged up local kept telling us to not follow the light in the sky, but the light in our hearts that would never go out. He then took out his mini-mag lite which he used as an example of the light that would not go out in the wind. We all got a good laugh out of it. Poor guy. Then after looking at the stars for a while, we started talking about the galaxies and size of the universe, and other intelligent life. We decided that things were getting too deep, so we quickly turned the conversation to Nintendo, beeping out our favorite theme music.

Day 28 - Calicabuttah Lobster

Today was a nice easy travel day to Caye Caulker (that's pronounced Key Kawker). We had to wait on the side of the road by Trek Stop and wait for a bus to come by. Imagine all 13 of us suckers waiting in the hot Caribbean sun on the side of a busy road with all our luggage in a huge pile waiting for our bus to come. It was miserable, but also really cool looking back. Our bus ride was on a Belize chicken bus. Much different than Guatemala, it is unheard of to put three people to a seat, even if there is room. There is a strict two person limit, mandated by culture rather than bus regulations. It was fun riding along, watching the Caribbean colors on the houses, the people riding their bikes everywhere, and laundry hanging on clothes lines.

Once we got to Belize city, I got a little relief in the air-conned bank, but it was cut short as the BU started to cry out my name. I barely made it, and the relief was short lived. I don't know what's worse; constipation or the BU? Anyway, we got a little rest before heading out on our speed boat to get to Caye Caulker. With three 200hp motors on the back, we made it to Caulker in just under an hour. The Caribbean is very clear and blue. The pictures don't do it justice.

The island is smaller than Roatan, and I already like it better. Everything seems more accessible, as our hotel is right off the main pier and everything we need is within a five minute walk. Everybody here says the word man (or "mawn," as they pronounce it) after every sentence they speak. After a couple hours, we were all imitating the island accent (and doing a poor job at that).

Haley and I decided at the last minute to rent a two person kayak for an hour and see the sunset. We set off from main street (which is on the beach), traveled through a little channel that divides the island in two (created by hurricane Mitch a couple years ago) and paddled around a nature preserve while watching the sunset. There were starfish all around us, a giant Egret (or Crane?), lots of flying fish all around us, and beautiful skies as we made our short journey. I took a couple sub-par pictures which don't do the adventure justice.

After kayaking, we headed to Jolly Rogers for some incredible lobster on the grill. I should mention that Haley also had the lobster and if asked she may even admit to liking it. We also had some Ceviche for lunch, which was incredible. Haley may become a seafood lover after all (as long as it is fresh).

We also saw some topless Europeans on the beach, which was a new thing for us. You don't see that too much in the states.