My Adventures and Travels

Who ever knew getting hermit crabs and racing them could be such fun? That is just what we did one night sailing. During the day, our captain and his two boys swam to a tiny island to round up contestants. To raise the stakes, he offered up a bottle of wine for the winner. After dinner and dessert, it was time for the hermit crab races! We were partnered up, and Birte and I named our tiny crab "Herbie"-like the Volkswagon. The first one to run off of the "table" won. Unfortunately, while little Herbie was a speedy guy, he'd always stop at the edge of the table. He was just too smart to win this game. Fortunately, the winners were generous with their prize, and we all got to share.

Going right along with the food post, is a "things that got caught" post. Lobsters, fish, lobsters, conch shells and meat, crabs...I am reluctant to eat seafood now that I'm back in Colorado, because there is just no way it can be as fresh!

I was rather eager to meet my fellow boating companions, as I would be stuck with them for 7 straight days-like it or not! It turned out to be a great group!! First of all, there was the crew: Raul, Carlos, and Zaqueo. They were marvelous-friendly, talented, and eager to make us all happy. Then there were Lisa and Paul, a couple from Canada. They were great fun! Birte (holding Lobster) was from Germany/then Denmark. Michael and Rich were traveling from California. Dan and Megan are both from the US (Cincinnati) but Dan has been living in Guatemala for the last 3 years installing water purifiers. Finally there was the captain, John, and his wife, Yesica, and their two boys, Sean and Jason. It was a great group-thank goodness!

What does one do when on a boat for nearly 7 straight days? Lots of things! When we stopped, we all went snorkeling in the clear water...if we got tired of swimming, there were paddleboards available, useful for exploring nearby islands! There were plenty of Adult Beverages on board...and when you're on a boat, it's always happy hour! Looking for our crew while they were out fishing for lobsters was a good activity (often good for hours of entertainment!)... Playing chess kept kids and adults alike busy for hours!

One of the best things about the trip was definitely the FOOD!! I was a little worried since I did not grow up eating a ton of seafood-for example, this trip was the second time I tried shrimp, and the first time I tried lobster! Well, my worries were unfounded, because our cook, and the crew that fished for us, was FANTASTIC. We ate well, and constantly! (Hey, all that swimming can make a girl hungry!). In between our huge meals, there would be trays of fruit, or in one case, fresh ceviche or crab legs to munch on.

A big group of these guys (I would guess 15-20) raced alongside the boat and under the hammocks for several minutes. It was so cool!

Up early enough to catch the sunrise. Livingston was our last stop before heading out to open sea!

We spent our whole first afternoon/evening sailing up the Rio Dulce, towards the Caribbean. It was beautiful!

This amazingly bright fruit tastes a bit like kiwi, but it doesn't just look pretty and taste good. It's functional. According to my host, the emptied out peel makes a dandy shot glass for tequila, or whatever it is you fancy. Another new custom I learned about was from an Austrian couple. If you sprinkle cinnamon on an orange slice, and eat it before your shot (why before and not after? Because that's the way they did it.) I suppose it makes the shot more tasty, or at least, in the case of tequila, slightly less nasty? Hard to say if it actually worked, but it was a surprisingly nice combination. Hey, it's all about the cultural exchange...

For months, I had been looking forward to this sailing trip! A 4a.m. pickup and 6-hour bus ride later, and I found myself in the HOT town of Rio Dulce. It is right on the river of Rio Dulce, and a popular starting point for many boat trips. Here's a picture of the boat in the harbor, the little lancha we took out to get to it, and a few pictures from the boat, Las Sirenas (the mermaids) itself. There will be many more pictures to come of this adventure! (There are ALWAYS more, and more recent, photos on Facebook!)

a t Amy and I had both decided that hiking the Pacaya Volcano was on our Must Do list. So, after the education delegation ended, and people started going their separate ways, we booked our tour. It was an hour and a half bus trip away. On the way up, we could see Volcan Agua, Volcan Acatenango, and the active Volcan Fuego. Our guide only spoke Spanish, but I was able to understand most of what he said. Once we got out of the trees it got tougher-and HOTTER. Carlos told us that there was lava flowing under the hardened lava we were walking on! The way we could feel the heat coming up through the ground was crazy. The rocks were sharp and really crumbly underfoot-sometimes they broke while we walked on them. After a while of this, we finally saw what we had been promised: LAVA! Picture-taking and marshmallow-roasting (seriously) ensued! But did I mention it was HOT ? We had to run up, pose, and run back as soon as the picture was taken! The creepiest thing was that when your back was to ...

Here's the thing about Antigua. It's really touristy. But, it's touristy because it's a nice, comfortable place to hang out. Lots of backpackers from all over the world, colonial architecture, and international cuisine choices. So, like a lot of places, it's touristy, but it's touristy for a reason. It also has little to nothing in common with the rest of Guatemala. With that disclaimer, here are some pictures from around town.