So my friends I promised one last blog entry, and my newly married friend Taylor (Mazal Tov, Taylor and Jen, who are right now in Jamaica, not smoking the Sensemilla because Taylor wants to be a US Attorney) reported to me that his only diversion at work was reading my exciting travels while at his law firm. So here's my last travel entry in order to summarize my experience, post a few last photos, and tell you about SF. So Livingston was pretty. I drank rum from a coconut and had fish, watched the sunset over the Caribbean (ok, 'behind' [View Full Entry]

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All the photos from the last two blogs are up. Have at you. I realize I've used references constantly to movies, songs, tv shows and other ridiculous pop culture icons making this entire trip seem like an attempt to relive a truly fantastic weekend couch-potato homage to my adolescence. However, today I went to an actual Pirate fort in Rio Dulce, built in the 1640's to defend the principal Spanish towns in Guatemala. However, it seems the castle was sacked no less than four times, and even briefly served as a Pirate-controlled fort. I loved pirate history. My mother can attest [View Full Entry]

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First a quick disclaimer- photos are loading up about two per hour. It doesn't look good for a lot of pretty pictures. But hang on, I'll try again at th next backwater town internet dive... Sunday morning I arose at 5:30am to catch the mini-bus to Tikal. There I ran into a British guy from the bar at my hostel, Mark (of course), and we walked around for the next 5 hours at this giant city in the Jungle filled with stone temples and Mayan history. The city was built by a certain Mayan tribe out of the jungle between 600 [View Full Entry]

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First of all, I must thank my loyal readers. My 11 entries have been read 600 times so far, making this blog almost as popular as the local synagogue bulletin in Saskatoon. Yay! I'm very thankful. I won't be able to upload pictures on this one for another day; the hostel I'm at doesn't accept digital cameras. However it (Finca Ixobel just outside of Poptun in Eastern Guatemala) does have three amazing things: *Hot Showers *All you can eat food *Everything (including beer) on the honor system I love hippies. Also, thanks to my mom, who agreed to make me a [View Full Entry]

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So leaving Coban, a medium sized town, for the north and more rural part of Guatemala took me to places where most tourists whizz past on the highway without stopping, kinda like Bakersfield, or Compton. It took me to the town of Chisec for a bus change and then to the town of Raxruyjah (Ray-roo-haah). Being in two towns with absolutely no tourist appeal, let alone tourists, and no interesting indigenous Mayan practices or dress, I had an opportunity to ask the question that was on my mind coming down here: What is third world poverty like? First of all, [View Full Entry]

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First off, I'm very disappointed in my rabbis. Not one response to my sheilot on what is best to make kiddush on in a foriegn country: grape juice or Rum. Somebody please forward these messages on to Aaron Alexander (or throw in your 2 Quetzales) before I am forced to log onto Ravnet. Don't make me do it people. So on sunday I'll be going to Tikal, THE site of the final scene in the 1st Star Wars movie. But on Monday I got up early in Coban for a trip by bus to Semuk Champey. Semuk Champey, which in [View Full Entry]

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So I wanted to do an entry just on the mundanities, because thats a good way to really know what travelling in Guatemala is like. So, Food I love black beans. Which is good. Because the typical Guatemalan breakfast and dinner is eggs, rice and black beans. Lunch includes chicken or even beef instead of the eggs. Which means I eat eggs instead with rice and beans. 3 meals a day. For the past 2 1/2 weeks. Mom, make me a brisket for Shabbos when I get back and I promise you I'll never forget mothers day again. Showers There [View Full Entry]

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So I'm going to write three blogs at once, just because thematically it makes mor sense and you'll get to see more pics. Plus, I'm tired and would much rather sit at a computer than get on a bus. Although, I pretty much have to. So Sunday I got up, ate, davenned, packed, and caught the boat to Panajachel, where I wrote my last blog entry. I then took a *Bus to Solela *Bus to Las Encuentras *Mini-bus to Chichicastenago *Mini-bus to El Quiche *Mini-bus Sacapulos Ah, travel the cheap way. I like the local flavor so much I'm willing [View Full Entry]

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Lots to say, so, you know, if you have to pee, go now. Friday morning waking up in Panajachel I take a boat across Lago de Atitlan figuring I'd spend a few hours in a little local town. After an incredibly picturesque ride, I arrive at a beautiful little town with a few backpacker hostels, little cafes, two tiny markets, some cliffs for rock jumping and sunning, and 5000 Quat'chi'chel indiginos, children and dogs just sunning themselves and growing coffee and avocados. This is compared to Panajachel, which is like one long street from the main highway to the lake with [View Full Entry]

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I'm in the Guatemalan highlands. I am not Sean Connery, although the beard is coming in nicely. My guitar's new name is la ladronita ('batlan'). I'm psyched to have a useful time killer besides gemara. I'm not the go-go kid I was 7 years ago when I could party every night. Now I rest on the sabbath. So yesterday I earned my diploma from my Spanish school and went to a cafe for nachos and beer and met 3 other teachers. My favorite, Maryesther, is a Canadian born to Venezuealan parents who is working as a teacher in Havana, Cuba. So [View Full Entry]

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