Here it is, the much anticipated post! THe first two days are written out after that I just did bullet points of highlights. These are exactly transcribed from my journal-I knew it'd be too hard remembering everything after when I got home. Enjoy!
Day 1 May 23, 2009
And the adventure begins! Me and Sam met at the airport at noon for our 2:10 flight departure. Yeah, it was super early, but we heard we had to make sure our bags were checked two hours before. Anyway, we get on the plane and it’s tiny! Like seriously seated 50-60 people. It was called a Continental Express. It had two seats on one side and only one on the other. Sam couldn’t even take her carry-on they had to gate check it. It was a pretty good flight, they had a change in route plans and made us wait about 15 minutes which wouldn’t be so bad except we were already cutting it close with the connecting flight. We had turbulance going into Houston. Sam’s all hey look out the window as soon as I did I see the wing go bouncing yeah I decided not the biggest fan of little baby planes I’ll definitely keep that in mind next flight I book. We landed 15 minutes late to realize we’re in terminal B and need to get to E. We quickly realized how insanely huge the airport is. When I flew to Houston last time I just flew into Hobby airport which is still big, but in no way compares to this one. We head towards Terminal E signs including up an escalator to realize we have to take this monorail shuttle thing. Yeah it just may be the coolest part of this trip. We get to our stop and realize they’re already boarding our flight. We still had to go down an escalator down a really long hallway turn the corner and our gate was halfway down that. Throw in being on a hot stuffy baby plane and Texas humidity yeah we were out of breath and very tired. Luckily this was the part we found Lidia! It was like out of a movie we came running (well fast walking) and hugged her. We then had to get our passports checked and stand in line to board the plane. It was much bigger this time three seats on each side. They handed us two papers to fill out (up to this point it was the really only indication I was on an international trip I guess besides the passport) It was in Spanish first with English translation underneath. This is also how all communication with the flight crew has been. Originally they said there was a dime size indentation in the aircraft and a specialist had to come clear us for flight and would be at least 20 minutes. Wel 5 minutes later they said it was ok and we taxid out not long after. I’m currently writing this portion while the movie Marley and Me is playing. Yeah not a good idea for me to watch. I’d bawl my eyes out. They even gave us free headphones and we got a meal. It was a salad and an enchilada surprisingly pretty decent. We also got served drinks twice. I greatly appreciated since we didn’t have time to get anything in Texas. The plane landed and as we walked out of the gate they gave us a survey to fill out about the flu. We couldn’t get past a certain checkpoint without filling it out. We then went through to get our stamp and gave the other paper on the airplane saying we weren’t bringing anything into the country although they didn’t double check or go through our bags When we went outside we quickly found her family. Her step-grandfather, uncle, and cousin were all very nice to come pick us up. Her cousin is in a very popular band here as the drummer and we got to ride in his BMW-it was pretty sweet. It took about 20 minutes to get to her grandparents house. Oh I forgot to mention its very humid. They say it’s not normally this bad, but just cause it rained that day. We pulled up to the house. It’s dark out so we had a hard time seeing things anyway. The houses here are very different from the U.S. and even what I expected knowing coming into this. It just like a cement wall then opened it to the front door. The house has very cool tile everything else is like cement. We get to stay in the guest room a double bed where me and Sam are staying then they brought in a twin for Lidia. We also have a small bathroom with just a toilet and isnk in the room. We were very tired and grateful to see a bed we all climbed in. I tossed and turned most of the night, their two parrots were making noise and dogs were barking.
Day 2 Sunday May 24, 2009
We woke up about 6:30 AM I felt I was about half asleep all night. We wished Lidia Happy Birthday gave her her presents realized it was too early and slept until 9:00. I actually felt like I slept this time. We got up and had a breakfast of plantain, like bananas fried, tomales nothing like Mexican kind. A sort of Mormon coffee it was ok. Her step-grandfather took us to a sort of mall thing. I was able to buy bread and a cookie in a basket is what you shopped with. We also had the most amazing churro with cream and got her a birthday cake. I also got my diet coke from McDonalds about 23 of their dollars for two of them which is about 3 of our dollars. We stopped at the grocery store bought them out of bottled water and here its called Coca-Cola Light. We bought a calling card for the cell phone we’re borrowing from these little markets people run out of their houses on the side of the street. We’re staying in a gated community has an armed guard at the gate. We ordered chicken from a place called Pollo Campero-just like KFC more of a baked not fried taste and none of the sides. We rested for a bit then had cake. Her great-uncle was there we enjoyed trying to teach each other our languages and headed to bed.
After this I realized the writing everything out was too long, so I just made bullet points
Day 3 Monday May 25, 2009
-woke up at 6:30 we were out door at 8:30 for Lake Atitlan
-stopped for very good breakfast eggs, beans mush, bread, black tortillas
Got lost lots construction sign for Lake road gone went 40 kilometers too far
Road very scary I call it death road Sam kept pointing out crosses on side of road where people died
No street laws at all pass people on corners and pass cops even speeding
We took boat ride to get to hotel cottage thing
Prettiest place I’ve ever seen-pictures won’t do it justice
Very humbling, I knew to expect bad conditions especially in these little villages had no idea how bad
We able to have fettucine dinner here and carrot cucumber salad very good
We made our own hot tub in the bath here
I was even able to hop on interenet real fast to send email
We’ll do shopping in village tomorrow I’m so tired after the like 5 hour car ride on windy roads
Sam lit a fire in the room or let’s say attempted
We had little boy show us to hotel it was uphill and very long walk wish we would have taken a little cab called a tok-tok
I fell asleep very early over everyone else
Day 4 Tuesday May 26, 2009
Woke up around 8:30 got ready
Went to restaurant in hotel for an amazing breakfast. I had French toast with fresh strawberry jam and fruit French toast were just little breads best French toast ever had-tried Lidia’s omellete and biscuit soooo good
Went into village to shop took a tok-tok for it
Bought guitar-little wooden one, beautiful painting, giraffe that’s wooden like a puzzle with hidden compartment and a postcard I sent home
Checked out of cottage hotel discovered a lizard on wall of room-took a tok-tok to beach and again did boat ride to next place we were staying
Had scariest boat ride ver we had to stop at a little town first took a taxi to other end of village to get on another boat
It had to keep stopping at random docks kept putting more and more people on in total 24 people I honestly thought we were going to sink or tip to one side (its only supposed to fit 12)
Finally arrived at La Iguana Perdid out Santa Cruz hotel nice room three beds in it private bath- no shops or atm like other village only dinner at hotel during certain time.
They didn’t have diet coke either had to go to another tiny store for candy too
Been getting eaten alive by mosquitoes
Dinner was weird served family style carrot soup and pizza Lidia said nothing like authentic food
They told us we couldn’t do any of the things the website suggested you needed to plan in advance
I didn’t’ sleep well it was freezing everything was damp and I really had to use the bathroom didn’t want to get up plus saw lights through window all night
Day 5 Wednesday May 27, 2009
Craziest day ever!
Went to breakfast at hotel we all ordered fruit, yogurt granola crepes it was sooo awful tasted like rotten milk from two years ago
None of us ate, we checked out as soon as we could and caught the boat to Panachel
Boat ride not so crowded this time
So tired carrying our stuff there was a little restaurant we stopped at
Had a diet coke and the best fries at 10:00 in the morning
Lidia called her uncle he was just leaving it was a 2 and a half hour drive so we had time to kill
We knew of a butterfly sanctuary so she asked the waiter he told her where it was and said they have a zipline there
Took a tok-tok to the place
It cost Q175 for the zipline about $20-25
OH MY HECK craziest thing I’ve ever done Park City’s so called zipline is nothing compared to this
We hiked clear up this mountain over the tropical forest through a waterfall you could hear rattlesnakes during it I freaked out and freaked out at Sam for continuously pointing it out
Before they put all the gear on us the harnesses a dinky little helmet that I’m like this won’t do any good although I later realized it protected my head from the trees
They let us practice on a little cable
They hooked you up then let your body weight carry you-you have to stop yourself with a gloved hand
The hike was exhausting with the humidity and altitude change we had to keep stopping
There were bridges we crossed they said only held 7 people there were 5 of us and it looked to me like it could only hold one
It was very dinky and high up
The view was amazing it was over the trees you looked over and could see the Lake and volcanoes
There was 8 lines you’d have to hike a little to the next one it was soo pretty
It hurt my hands with the breaking but they said I did really good
Sam the first one lost her grip and the guy had to catch her so she didn’t hit the rock
We got done and walked the butterfly sanctuary
Took another tok-tok to meet her uncle at the dock
On way home we stopped few more places bought a jade necklace and wood horse
I got pretty carsick on way home luckily I was able to fall asleep
Stopped at a beautiful Swiss restaurant for sandwiches and pictures
I saw a firefly! Coolest thing ever like little lightbulbs
Came home took long time finally fell asleep
Day 6 Thursday May 28, 2009
Woke in the morning anticipating a trip to Antigua
Lidia said there was a minor earthquake in the middle of the night she almost woke us for to stand in the doorway
I didn’t feel it, later we found it was in Honduras like 7.4 magnitude in the ocean
After I showered I did not feel good
Went to the bathroom felt like everything I”ve been eating this trip came out
Decided postpone trip Lidia went to her grandpa’s grave and to visit a friend me and Sam literally slept and read all day
Don Carlos (Lidia’s stepgrandfather) took us to a fruit stand to get something when I got back felt like I was going to pass out Sam was nice to air me off while I layed on the couch
Toilet became our friend rest of day
Well that’s all from my journal I’ll do a quick wrap-up of the rest. Still felt sick into the night and Friday. Me and Sam decided to get a flight back home. It was full on Saturday so we got one Friday afternoon. We still really wanted to see Antigua so we went early that morning. It was really cool. My favorite was seeing a Jade museum and learning all about it. I didn’t feel very good at all, but I still enjoyed seeing it. As usual long plane rides and trip home. My first time through customs in the US they just asked questions didn’t go through our stuff.
All in all it was a crazy adventure! It was a ton of fun and definitely memories I’ll keep for the rest of my life.
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