Central America

As a graduation present to ourselves in summer 2015, my best friend Nicole and I decided to head to 
Central America!! 


We took the trip with G Adventures, the same tour company my parents and I used on our trip to the Middle East a few years ago. Our trip was the Mayan Sun

STL -> ORD -> CUN 

16 May 

On the way to Cancun, I had to endure the world's longest security line and sitting next to a baby on the plane (little Ellie, short for Elliot - she was actually really sweet) but made it all the way to Mexico without any major problems!

MEXICO

Nicole and I knew the hardest part of the trip was going to be finding each other in the Mexican airport without cell phone service or wifi. We were right. I had to wait a few hours after my flight got in for hers to land, but after four hours waiting between customs and baggage claim, including an hour and a half after Nicole's flight landed, I gave up trying to find her and headed out of the airport to get a bus to our hotel, Ko'ox Caribbean Paradise Hotel, figuring we'd meet there. Two minutes later, there she was! She had somehow made it past me and was waiting outside. Relieved that the worst was over, we grabbed a bus to head to Playa del Carmen and meet the rest of our group, including our fabulous CEO Pam, over dinner at El Jurado


17 May

After a trip to the grocery store to get food and sunscreen, 10 of the 14 of us took a colectivo (van, 40 pesos) 45 minutes to Tulum, a Mayan ruin site seated on the Caribbean Sea. 

Left to right: Vinnie, Nicole, me, Hannah, Reagan, Melissa, Ynna, and Ed 

After a few hours, we grabbed lunch on site at Andrea's Tulum Restaurant, where Hannah, Reagan, and I split a huge pizza and chips with guacamole. 

Then six of us took another colectivo (30 pesos) to Akumal beach. It was so much fun. The beach and water were beautiful, and we felt safe to leave our bags and go swimming in the water. Some of us even saw a turtle pop up out of the water! I didn't see the turtle and just heard my new friends screaming bloody murder a few yards away before figuring out what happened. 


That night, we went to La Coronela for dinner. On the way, we walked by Nuestra Señora del Carmen, a famous Catholic Church. After dinner, we went to Fusion, where I had a frozen strawberry margarita with my feet in the sand, watching performances onstage and listening to the waves. 



18 May

TRAVEL DAY! 

We left Playa at 5:30am to take a bus, taxi, chicken bus (retired US school bus), and water taxi through Mexico, across the border to Belize and Caye Caulker

BELIZE 

The trip was a grueling 12 hours, but we made it in time to enjoy a great dinner at Enjoy Bar & Grill, complete with rum punch, the drink of the island! 

Although Belizean Creole and Spanish are often spoken by locals, English is the official language of the country, which made it easy to get around and interact with locals. Caye Caulker is the picture of a perfect vacation. It's a little island of only 5 miles by 1 mile, surrounded by beaches and an area called the Split, a spot where the island literally split in two, leaving a great swimming and hang out area. 

The Split 


19 May

Bright and early, Nicole and I headed to check out the Split then had breakfast at Amor Y Café, where I had the most amazing grilled cheese, watermelon, and an almond milk shake. Then 12 of us and Pam boarded the Ragga Prince sailboat from Raggamuffin tours to do a full day of snorkeling! 

Captain Chilo watching Vinnie feed the birds

At the first stop, we swam with two manatees, a lion fish, and a bunch of coral and little schools of fish. 


That's one of the manatees under all those swimmers

Nicole and me underwater 

Then we had a nice lunch of rice, vegetables, and seafood. Stop two we swam with nurse sharks, horse fish, needle-nose fish, barracudas, and many others. 

Nurse sharks! 

At the third stop, we saw an eel that our guide Chilo brought out like a snake charmer, even humming the song underwater! We also saw more nurse sharks and two turtles, an adult and a baby. 

Then we headed back to shore with reggae music and a seemingly unlimited supply of rum punch. 

Ynna, Nicole, and me 

Nicole and me with Chris, our trusty crewmate who also served the rum punch

We headed to the Lazy Lizard on the Split for some local beers, called Belikin, corn hole, and watching the sunset. 


Then we went to Bambooze for dinner, where Nicole and I were finally able to dine on the swings we'd been seeing everywhere! 



20 May

We spent the morning going slow, as the locals promote. Nicole and I headed to the water to do some swimming in the Caribbean then grabbed some cold coconuts to sip by the water. 



After lunch at the Paradiso Café, we grabbed a couple others and rented bikes to explore the island. It really is a beautiful place. 
Ynna, Nicole, and Reagan behind me

                     


Then it was time for ice cream and a nap before sunset yoga on the roof of the hotel.


We then ate an incredible BBQ chicken dinner at Wish Willy before heading to bed.



21 May

I ate an amazing banana nut bread breakfast that I got from a street vendor named Andrew the night before. We took it easy again all morning, swimming and resting on hammocks at the Split. 


After lunch at a Chinese place right outside our hotel, we got back on the water taxi to Belize City then took a 3 hour chicken bus ride to San Ignacio! We were really sad to leave Caye Caulker. It was truly the perfect spot. 

Ed and Melissa making a dramatic exit off the island 

In San Ignacio, we stayed at an ecolodge called The Trek Stop. That night, we played cards, drank smoothies, saw a parrot, then headed to bed. 



22 May

Next morning, we found out that Vinnie and Murray found a two-inch scorpion in one of their beds, which made the whole ecolodge experience dramatically more terrifying. And it was already pretty terrifying. 


I had an early rainwater shower then walked 5 minutes down the road to the river, which was lovely. 


Then Nicole and I paid a few Belizean dollars to go into the butterfly sanctuary on the property. 
















After coffee and breakfast at the ecolodge, I hopped into a van with Nicole, Hannah, Rose, Vanessa, and our guide Leo to go cave canoeing in the Barton Creek Caves! The drive was VERY bumpy, although Leo said he had a PhD in driving - pot-hole dodger. He gave us quite the nice intro to Belize. He told us the #1 export is sugar, and that it's all sent to the US to be refined. The #2 export is orange concentrate, and 70% of that is sent straight to Tropicana. Then the #3 export is bananas. 

We saw the cutest little puppy at the restaurant outside the caves before heading in! We used two canoes, and I got to paddle! It was actually a lot more exhausting and difficult than I thought it would be.



















We saw stalactites and stalagmites (because they might reach the ceiling one day) and ceremonial spaces where the Mayans made human sacrifices. We even saw the skill of a 9 year old boy who was sacrificed, and the oldest person whose bones they found in these caves was a 72 year old woman who was sacrificed. I thought it was interesting that sometimes the Mayans broke the pottery they used after a ceremony so no one else could use it. 





















Leo made us a lunch of tortillas, veggies, watermelon, and rum punch before we headed off again to take Hannah, Nicole, and me to Big Rock Falls


There were a lot of really slippery rocks (yeah, I didn't actually mean to get fully in the water so soon, but I fell!) and little fish in 12 or 15 feet of murky water. The three of us were pretty scared to get in at first - so much so that Leo made fun of us - but we finally made it in! We swam below the waterfall for a bit and met a bunch of other Americans, including an ex-Navy dive rescuer named Drew. Drew then helped Nicole and me up the 20 foot big rock so we could jump from the top! 

See the pale thing with the black bathing suit at the middle left? Yup, that's me jumping! 


23 May

Early start to leave the ecolodge (we survived!) and cross the Belizean border into Guatemala. The entrance was really easy; Pam actually grabbed all of our passports and got them all stamped for us. I saw a lot more guards with big guns here than I did in Mexico or Belize. 

GUATEMALA

Then with tour guide Miguel, we headed to Tikal


Seated in a rain forest, Tikal was the largest of 2800 Mayan cities, and it is now the largest protected area in Guatemala. There are 750 bird species in Guatemala, and we were treated to a keel-billed toucan sighting! Miguel told us that Guatemala means land of many trees and showed us the ceiba, the giant national tree, which has fuzzy balls and roots that point in the 4 cardinal directions. The Mayans used the roots to connect to shiva, the underworld, and the trunk as a way to get to heaven. 


We also saw the pimenta gorda tree, whose berries are used to make Old Spice aftershave. Miguel also told us that Tikal means voices in the air because you can hear (and later see) so many birds and other critters, including spider monkeys and howler monkeys, all around. 


   Spider monkey swinging through the trees                                Howler monkeys sound like dinosaurs 

We hiked through the rain forest to see the ruins, including Temples #1, #2, #3, #4 (the famous one), and #5. Miguel told us how the buildings used to be painted in pastel colors, mostly red. Tikal was occupied for 1700 years. It was officially discovered in the modern world in the 1850s, but it wasn't really explored until 100 years later. They've only restored about 22% of Tiikal, so there's a lot more to go! Around 500CE, the Mayans invented the screw top for their pots, which were often used in ceremonies. They also invented the concept of 0 and had a written counting system, where a dot was used for 1 and a bar for 5. 


Kings would offer blood sacrifices from their genitals, and when they died, they would be buried with a head of jade. The Mayans would also deface the head of the king in sculptures after he died. Pyramids (flat on top, only ground floor access) were used for burials, and temples (access on top and beautiful ceilings) were used for ceremonies. In 800CE, there were approximately 22 million people in the lowlands of this area, but then there was a big drought that wiped out 75% of the population. The limestone and rain created acid that dissolved the bones of the deceased. Historians believe that Tikal was abandoned by the Mayans because of overpopulation and too much deforestation. 


Bottom: Michelle, Vinnie, and me 
Middle: Nicole and Hannah
Top: Mel

We walked a total of 5.8 miles through Tikal, so we treated ourselves to a nice lunch at the lovely El Muelle, right on the lake. 


That night we headed to Hotel Peten in Flores, a nice little town with a swimming pool right in the lobby. After dinner we went to Los Amigos night lounge, where we enjoyed giant Jenga, beer pong, and foosball. 




Nicole and I left for a bit to grab some street food, and I got to try out some of my Spanish! Not that I was any actual help to Nicole because I couldn't understand what they said was in the tortilla. We went back to the night lounge, where Pam and I salsa-ed for a bit with her friend the bar tender and some other customers. Then Nicole, Pam, Tessa, Vinnie, and I left and went to get them some food before bed. 


24 May

We got up early to explore the streets of Flores for a bit. 


Then we drove to a hot spring water fall! The waterfall itself was hot (almost too hot at times), and the water below had pockets of hot and cold water. Some of us climbed the vines and rocks and walked to the actual spring, where the water was coming out of the ground. The water up there was too hot to touch, but Pam was able to get mud from underneath to make mud masks for her, Tessa, and me. 

Pam, me, and Tessa 

We came back down to watch people jump off the waterfall and eat a lunch that our driver David served. Then we took the bus and a boat over the Rio Dulce to our next hotel, Hacienda Tijax Hotel & Jungle Lodge. Hearing the word "lodge," Nicole and I were a little worried about seeing more creepy crawlies that wanted to eat us, but we managed to get away with only a beetle sighting and a couple of moths. All of the cabins and pathways were over the water, and we could see Lago Izabal from our back patio. 

Meet Nom, our jungle home


25 May

Nicole, Tessa, Ynna, Vinnie, Hannah, Reagan, and I woke up early the next day to do a sunrise howler monkey kayak trip! We didn't really see the sunrise, but man, we did see a lot of monkeys, some just a few yards away from us or above us in the trees. 


After that, I enjoyed a nice breakfast and coffee from the lobby. 


Then a bunch of us boarded a boat to the little town of Livingston



















These pretty little flowers only have a 12 hour life span






















There are three main types of people in Livingston: the Garifunas (decedents of shipwrecked Nigerians), Latinas, and people who come up from the river to shop. This was the first place I'd seen in Guatemala so far that I felt like the animals were actually well-fed, so that was pleasant. 
















We went to lunch at Antojitos Gaby I. It introduced me to my new favorite Spanish word, antojitos, which means little cravings. Adorable, isn't it? The others had something called topado, which was a scary soup that had lots of eyes. They loved it, but I quite enjoyed my shrimp pasta! 


















Then we headed back for a nice swim and nap at the hotel before dinner and bed. 


26 May


This was the second longest travel day at 8 hours. We took a boat and a bus all the way to...


Antigua! Antigua means ancient, and it sits very near the current capital, which has been moved around a lot over the years due to earthquakes and indigenous uprisings. Pam gave us a little orientation tour - including telling us that many in Central America believe that every time you go into a church for the first time, you get a wish - and walked around the markets and shops before going to dinner at Resaurante Tipico Antigueno. Nicole and I weren't very impressed, but the others seemed to like it just fine.






















27 May


Up at 5:30am to go for a Volcano hike on Volcan Pacaya. It was a 4.8 mile hike, mostly really, really steep and rocky. Exhausting, but there were great views!







At the end of the path, we stopped to toast marshmallows in tiny hot caves.





















After we got back from the volcano hike, we took a chicken bus to Valhalla Macadamia, a macadamia nut farm. Our guide told us that the macadamia tree, which originated from Australia, can transform up to 30lbs of carbon each year and has a productive life of around 150 years. Macadamia nuts can be harvested all year long, and Valhalla Macadamia has cheap machines that locals can replicate to process the nuts.


















After a shower and nap, we went to Cafe Sky for dinner and Cafe Nase for drinks.



















28 May


Cafe Barista for breakfast with a beautiful view of the Volcan de Agua.





















Then Nicole and I walked around town and visited the Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol and the hospital, pharmacy, optometrist, clothing store, and chapel inside.




















We then grabbed some AMAZING mangoes from a street vendor right outside our hotel .


And then...


...there were the chicken buses.


Pam said that the 2nd one we took (out of 4) was the most chicken-bus-y chicken bus she'd ever taken. As a reminder, a chicken bus is a retired American school bus. It has small seats, and only a little air can get through the windows.


All 15 of us barely got on the 2nd bus, and Murray and Mel were basically hanging out the door behind me with the assistant who takes the money grabbing a handle outside the bus. Then some lady with a basket came to hold on behind him. So Murray, Mel, that lady, the assistant, and I were all jammed by the driver on the bus stairs basically hanging out the door. Luckily a policewoman had been taking up an entire row for herself and realized that she couldn't really do that anymore, so she let Mel and me sit down with her. Once we made that little bit more space - with the rest of the group holding on for dear life in the aisle behind us - the lady with the basket turned a bucket upside-down and sat on it next to the driver. She then opened up her basket, which turned out to have a huge, hot meal in it, and started feeding the driver, the assistant, and the two police officers at the front of the bus. At one point the driver was eating two tacos, drinking water, talking on his cell phone, and holding onto the gear stick so he wouldn't fall out of his seat on the incredibly fast and sharp  turns. After she finished feeding the officials at the front, she took her basket and somehow made it through the bus to sell the rest of the meal to the passengers. It was crazy.



















Halfway through the ride, Ed gave up and sat down on top of the seat backs. Some of the others tried to take a seat, but the ride was so bumpy and had so many fast and violent turns that it was more comfortable fighting it standing up.



Luckily the bus didn't flip, all of us survived, and we made it to our next bus! The other three chicken buses were fine and went at a decent speed around sharp corners, delivering us safely to Panejachel. We stayed in a nice hotel and went exploring and shopping before having a surprise birthday celebration for Ed at the Circus Bar!




















We then found a good spots for him to destroy his piñata, drink 5Q tequila shots (less than $1), and have a great night, including some knightings and dancing.




















29 May


We went to Restaurante el Xocomil for breakfast. Then we took a boat to Cafe Jardin del Sol at La Casa Del Mundo, a beautiful hotel where we had lunch, swam, and napped on hammocks for a few hours. My Guatemalan hot chocolate was AMAZING, but some of the others got hot chocolate that had cardamom in it, and it was...unpleasant.





Then we took a 30 minute boat ride to San Juan. Before I could even see land, we saw trash everywhere in the water, the result of habits left over from when locals would only use decomposable items, like eating bananas, and throw the trash into the water. We met up with our host family for the home stay then met a guide for a tour of the city.


San Juan was founded in 1628 and was named after San Juan, or John the Baptist, the patron saint of doctors. The locals were inspired by the colors of birds and nature, so there are murals all over the city painted with natural dyes. We saw a beautiful one of Mayans thanking god for their large structure being built well.





















We had three cooperatives to visit. The first was the Carpinteria Emanuel, a fabrics cooperative. A lady who works there told us about how they collect the plants (including how the indigo plant makes a bright blue color when collected during the full moon and a darker hue when it's collected after a regular moon), grind it, dye the yarn, dry it, then weave it. I bought a new backpack and even took a picture with the lady who made it!





















Then we stopped at a church with a new facade that was finished this February after earthquakes destroyed most of the original church.




We then went to a medicinal plants coop, where 15 women grow plants and turn them into medicines, such as Altamisa, which is good for headaches and stomach aches.




Then we headed to the Galeria de Arte Maya, a coop where two women and eight men sell their art. My favorite piece used a technique called the ants' eye view, and I bought a small painting for myself and took a picture with the artist!

















After everyone bought what they wanted, we went to a grocery store to guy a few dollars worth of basics as a gift for our home stay families and went back home to them. Nicole and I stayed with Rosa, Javier, and their six kids. We helped one of the daughters make tortillas - which is much harder than it looks - and we spent the evening eating, talking, and playing with the kids and their two dogs, named Hachi and Slinky. Javier knows a little English, and I know a little Spanish, so we were able to have a decent conversation. Rosa taught us some of the local Mayan language and some recipes for the meal we ate. We went to bed early, and around 2am, Slinky snuck into our room to spend the night with us.


















30 May


In the morning, Rosa gave us some fruit for breakfast and a heartwarming thank you for supporting her family and the community. Then we said goodbye and left San Juan!

















Back in Antigua, a bunch of us went to the Choco Museo and spent the afternoon with Pablo, learning about the history of chocolate and different ways to drink and eat it.


The fruit must be cut from the branches and trunks of cacao trees and cracked open to get the seeds out. If you suck the seeds, it tastes good, but if you bite it, it's really bitter. To make chocolate, you take out the seeds, put banana leaves on top to create ethanol for 3 to 10 days. Then you sun dry the seeds and peel and grind the beans, which we did!




Traditionally, chocolate was a drink, NOT a food. It started in South America around 4000BCE and came to Central America around 900BCE. Mayans called the drink they made with it the food of the gods, and they drank it with spices and sweeteners. Chocolate in the Mayan language means bitter spicy hot water, and it is named such because cacao sounded like something bad to the Spanish when the Mayans offered the drink to the them as a welcome. But the Spanish didn't like it, so they put sugar and spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom, in the chocolate drink. We tried it the way the Mayans drank it with cacao husks, super hot water, and cardamom and didn't like it much either. We then tried it like the Spanish and liked it significantly better! We created froth in the Spanish chocolate by pouring it back and forth because they say that you should capture the oxygen in it to live longer.




















The Spaniards brought the chocolate drink to Europe and kept it a secret for over 100 years, but finally other Europeans found out about it and brought it to Africa to be produced more cheaply and quickly. The Irish were the first ones to mix the chocolate with milk, like most people drink and eat it now. Today, 80% of the world's production is controlled by the Dutch, who then sell it to everyone else.




After we learned about how chocolate was traditionally consumed, we made edible chocolate! I made ones that were cinnamon and mint and others that had orange, chile, or coconut.





The chocolate I made 

After that, we went to a salsa lesson and did solo and partner work!




That night we went to dinner at Casa Santo Tomas, where we were treated to a private room where we could play our own music and have amazing food and drinks. Then we went out to a couple clubs before heading to bed.



31 May


Next morning, most of us got up to catch a 3am bus to the airport. 
Despite how miserable it was that early, we made it back to the States without a hitch!















I'm so glad Nicole and I decided to take this wonderful trip with all of our amazing new friends! Miss you all!!













Gallery of Flowers









































Gallery of Animals

























1 comment:

  1. What a great trip. So glad you enjoyed it. Love the galleries of flowers and animals.

    ReplyDelete