All the bugs in the jungle want my blood

I left Antigua on Friday evening after my last class (sad). Took the overnight bus (9 hrs, plus approx 3 hrs in shuttles either end) to Flores and the Mayan ruins at Tikal. Probably not the best plan, but oh well, who needs sleep anyways. The ruins were impressive - limestone towers rising up out of the jungle, 70 meters high. It was hot, humid and filled with tourists but still a worthwhile visit. I took a guided tour, which was good but already I´ve forgotten most of the information but at least it was relavant at the time. Spent one night in the tiny island town of Flores, situated on a pretty lake in the nothern Peten region. The town wasn´t much but hotels and tourist shops and overpriced waterfront restaurants. I did get to stay at a hostel with a pet rabbit roaming around, so that was a plus. Sunday took a 7 hour shuttle to the town of Lanquin, where the famous aqua pools of Semuc Champey are located nearby. Unfortunately it rained a lot, so when we got to the pools on monday they were more of a mustard/mud color, but still nice for swimming and jumping into. Evidently this week is the anual festival celebrating the town or Lanquin, so we waded through crowds of people watching a parade of all the schools in the region, which was good fun except for having to walk against the tide and getting in everyone´s way. That was awkward. First we visited the Las Marias cave which was excelente; swam in the underground river with nothing but candles and a crazy spider monkey-like Guatemalteco for guidance. We waded through the murky water, scrambled up and down some sketchy ladders (while still keeping candles alight), ducked under a waterfall and got one little rock slide/jump in. Guatemala does not have the stringent safety requirements that we are used to (no hard hats or waivers here). Then we hiked to el Mirador to view the pools of Semuc Champey from above. A very worthwhile, albeit strenuous, hike. At some points it was more akin to rock climbing, and the trail was slick from all the rain. After sweating off a few pounds in the jungle climate, taking a dip in the cool water below was perfect. Even though the pools were muddied it was good fun. Our guide showed us all the best spots from which to jump/dive into the pool below. The day wouldn´t have been complete without a scenic ride in the back of a truck back to the hostel. I quite enjoyed it. The last few days have been spent doing a whole lot of nothing. Hammock, river, sun, get bit by unidentified bugs, hammock, eat, drink, climb through the window of the dorm after getting locked out, etc. I´ve been so busy I haven´t even been studying which was one of the main reasons I intended to stay here. But doing nothing just takes up so much time...

Subo el Volcan Pacaya

I visited the volcano that erupted in May. Before the eruption, the red rivers of molten lava were visible on the surface, but now it is only the cooled black lava rock. Steam and, in some places, sulfur vent up through the rocks on the lava field making it quite warm and humid. The peak was sheilded by clouds, giving no hint to the height or shape of the crater.

Sobre mas de Antigua

Las Capuchinas

Otras cosas

La Merced

Listening to American radio in Spanish

I've been spending many of my free hours this last week in Internet cafes and cafes offering free wifi, filled with foreign travellers. It's a sort of buffer around the reality of being in a strange country attempting to conduct life in a language I barely understand and can speak almost no words in. Forming a complete sentence is nearly impossible. In writing, and with the aid of un dicionario, it is not nearly as messy. I can express precisely, with proper grammar. But this has always been my problem. I have no eloquence in the spoken word. I expect it will continue to be my biggest frustration as the journey progresses. I think I can handle the aloneness, I have much practice in that aspect.

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Still, when I hear these familiar songs it is hard not to miss 'home.' I don't really have a good answer when people ask where I live. Here, wherever that happens to be, I suppose. The turtle carries his house with him. I know where I belong, but somehow it seems more personal than I care to explain to strangers.

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I feel innocuous in Antigua; pale in the reflected light of the rainbow colored culture. Though how much of that is just smoke and mirrors I haven't been able to decipher. It's all just a matter of perception though, in the end, isn't it?

La Antigua y mi casa