The post cards show Hohenzollern Castle as this beautiful gothic-style castle high on a hill (http://www.preussen.de/de/heute/burg_hohenzollern.html) We didn't have that view going up as snow was predicted. So for me it was a castle in the clouds. But it was one of the coolest castles I have been to. The first room we got to go in had the whole family tree on the walls, Prussian Kings, Kaisers and all! Even the members of the family who are still living. It is one of the pictures on the official site above. We couldn't take pictures inside, so you might as well [View Full Entry]

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There ought to be an iphone app that tells airlines what your preferences are. For example, somehow Delta knew that I prefer aisle seats (except when Alex is with me and then I definitely need an aisle). But Delta clearly didn't know that I DON'T prefer a window in the row before the exit row. I like to put my chair back, but it was impossible. Shouldn't there be some sort of consciousness that this means that when the person in front of me puts their chair back, I get dangerously close to head trauma during turbulence? It should be a [View Full Entry]

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Tikal is officially one of the new wonders of the world....it may not have made the official list...but I imagine that is only because so much of it is still underground... in fact, I wonder if there has to be a certain number of visitors per year to become a wonder of the world? Chichen Itza (an actual new wonder of the world) was my previous favorite because of all the icons - from the Temple of Kukulcan to the Ball Court. But now it is over-run with tourists, and safety issues make it impossible to climb anymore. Tikal shines as [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick update to let everyone know that there is still a volcano on my leg. Note to self: lava rock is sharp, and if you fall it will hurt. Oh - and don't climb down volcanos in the dark. Also, note to others: North Face pants rip easily on lava rock. [View Full Entry]

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As I leave Guatemala, I have to take a moment to reflect on this experience of traveling in a Spanish speaking country with a group of 15...of whom only 2 speak spanish. I am travelling as part of a group led by GAP Adventures. GAP as in Great Adventure People, not the clothing store. I chose this provider for a number of reasons: first because it is an organization dedicated to sustainable tourism. They maintain small groups and tours are designed so that they benefit the local community as well as the traveller. They market to adventure travelers who want a [View Full Entry]

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Hotel Tijax was our home away from home in Rio Dulce. Or rather across the river from Rio Dulce. It consisted of mini-cabanas (ha- that is not an accurate image...um...cabins) on wooden pathways through the jungle. We had to open the doors with padlocks, and each cabin had 2 beds swathed in mosquito nets. Kind of oddly romantic, like a canopy bed. Oh - and a fan. No bathrooms. But some had pets...a spider named Stefan, and other little monsters that I am pretending don't exist. Sweet River. Hot. Humid. Jungle. Rio Dulce is an aquatic community. There is one highway [View Full Entry]

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Santiago Zamora is clearly a poorer rural area than the tourist meccas that we have been frequenting. It's history, however, is quite unique from other small towns. We hopped in our organized transportation...the back of a pickup truck. Note to self: can't take students this route. Within minutes we were bumping along the road to Santiago Zamora from Antigua. We were accompanied by a bee...or rather, I was. After swatting it it ended up down my shirt and I had the choice of getting stung again multible times or exposing myself to the world. Exposed I was. No worries. No pictures [View Full Entry]

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The trip to Chichi from Pana takes a long windy road. Fortunately we avoided the chicken buses and got a private van. An hour and 10 minutes later (the driver predicted to the minute) we arrived in Chichi to do some serious shopping. Unfortunately, rainy season showed up and drenched us and many of the stands. Despite the weather we went on a mission to find some textiles and handicrafts. Note to the traveler: the prices start MUCH higher here than in either Panajachel or Santiago Atitlan. Enjoy the environment, and look for harder to find items…everything else can be [View Full Entry]

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4 Hours We started the day with 4 hours of chicken buses. The first one went from Antigua to Chimaltenango. Apparently you don{t try to get to your final direction, but get to points along the way. We all got seats on the multicolored school bus (more on this later). We were on for about 45 minutes and waited impatiently for the moment when we would have to share with more than 1 person. John (tour leader) and I actually got 4 in our seat with a mom and kid joining us. The next one went to Los encuentros and [View Full Entry]

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El volcan Pacaya is 2500 m high, and erupted for 1 year and 3 months ending about 10 months ago. Fresh lava still flows today. It is one of 3 active volcanos in Guatemala and can be seen from Guatemala city. We climbed it today in about 3.5 hours. It should be noted that guidebooks and hotels say it takes 5 hours. About 3/4 of the way up we hit a windy ridge of lava rock. We hiked about another 30 minutes passing over flowing lava...well it was below the hardened lava we were walking on. Off to the side [View Full Entry]

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