rappin on the streets

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Well, something really funny just happened, so I figured I'd try to write about it. I just met this dude Bern who is a rapper from LA, but he grew up in Belize, and went to LA first when he was younger, and got deported back to Belize. But then he made it back to America again, got lawyers and got legal. Now he is livin his dream of being a rap star, he does dance hall reggea, he calls it. It's really cool. Anyway, he came down here to san ignacio and that's where we're at. I met him, he was playing chess in a cafe. He and his two friends, Aaron and John, played games, then finally I got a game. I won! But we had a rematch for the bill, and he won, and I had to buy everyone's drinks. Man I always lose when it's for money. So, Bern, or Berne, is a big rapper here. He's like this big black dude, pretty thick too, you wouldn't want to mess with him. He lives in LA, and he's known to be "gunna murda you."

The four of us were kinda hanging out, and then we ate some watermelon down by the river. Then Burn started rappin, and I did a little rap. We traded a few verses, and then he was like, Why don't we go get on the mic down here? There was a DJ right in the town center. We went up there and spit a few verses, hyping his show tomorrow, right out to the park. The bus station is right there too so everyone was looking at us like, what? I spit my verse...no, actually I was just freestyling. But man that pumped me up! It was awesome, I really like rapping.

But you should see what an unlikely rapper I look like right now. I have on my one pair of pants, which are zip offs. THe shorts part is way lighter than the pants part, because I've worn them way more. They are a faded green. I have on my white jamtigua t shirt. and no contacts on so I'm wearing my glasses. I don't know what I look like, but I think it's the most unlikely rapper. Also my hair is all messed up from travelling today and not washing it for about a week, it's starting to get really greasy. So everything is kinda humorous like that. Also I have on my old running shoes which are an integral part of my outfit, and I'm wearing my friendship bracelet that I got with tess in mexico way back. That's my only piece of jewelry! And Burn is just all looking the part, black shorts, white wife beater shirt, white baseball cap, and sunglasses. And there we were, getting on the huge speakers for a minute. At first, I was saying something like
The most unlikely white rapper from america
but don't worry I'm not a terrorist
not going to blow your buildings
didn't come here to kill innocent civilians
rather just to make millions
so I'm chilling, illin and dealin this feelin

something like that you know, but I was freestyling.
The DJ told me to try to keep it clean. Woops.

check out Berne's sight, he's got a music video up:

http://myspace.com/bernelifeafterdeportation

Yeah, seriously...you gotta check that out! This ish is tight!

Other than that, I made my pilgrimage to tikal.
I stayed in El Remate which was on this sweet lake, color blue green, I imagine like the carribean. There was some really nice jungle hiking there...then I got a shuttle to tikal at 530, got up at 5 am. I stayed there all day, and took the last bus home, at 6 pm. Tikal is so cool! I walked thru the jungle all day and saw lots of monkeys, and also had an interesting encounter with a fox like creature. But it was smaller than a fox. I stopped when I saw him down the trail. He kept coming closer and closer, until he sensed that I was a strange entity of some type and living. Then he turned tail and ran into the woods. It was gray, but had some interesting markings; not sure what he was....

Saw some parrots, lots of birds. There was a crazy kind of peacock there, with beautiful markings. We saw a few groups.

Oh yeah, then I hiked up to the tree that you climb up and view tikal from, that Gwyn told me about. NEar there, there was a crocodile pond. I went there to see if I could spot it. Walking up to it, I was very cautious, thinking one might jump out of the bush and just eat me. I didn't even have a stick to fight them off. At the waters edge, there was a good long stick, in case one came at you. A group of fifty seven butterflies sat by the water edge, all yellow with a few white (I think just six of them were) and they all flew off.

But then I saw the hungry crock! He was lying on the shore to the left, catching rays. I kept a sharp eye on him. He was big, big enough to eat me. But he was calmly sunning himself. I stared off into the pond, holding the stick ready. He was a good hundred feet away. I watched him, and he started to put his head up, with his mouth open. I forget why crocks do that. I relaxed a bit. Suddenly I looked over, and he wasn't on the shore. I can't say I didn't wait around to see what would happen, because I did. But I moved back. I was ready for him to jump out of the water and try to attack me. But I was back ten or twenty feet so I could have a chance to run, because I think they're fast. And I had my stick tensely in my hands, ready to battle. Nothing. I waited...Still nothing. I moved closer...I was still OK. I watched the water to try to detect signs, but couldn't figure anything out. So Finally I got away from there!

Also, in the forest, I was constantly hunting for a jaguar, or one was hunting me. But better you hunt them. Of course, you'll probably only see one if it intends to eat you, but I always dream of having a valiant battle with a jaguar, and winning. Don't ask me how I'm gunna do it. I've got plans...well not really. Just kinda depends on the moment I guess.

Also, at tikal, I went to find the undiscovered ruins, THis involved me getting lost in the "friendly" jungle. I call it friendly because nothing ate me, except a few mosquitoes, and there weren't even any deadly bites by snakes or anything. I went down a path that quickly turned into an overgrown trail, out of use. I found some small ruins, but no priceless artifacts.

Finally, I went to the lost world pyramid to see the sunset. It was fantastic. THere were some friendly people there. A few of them were staying in El Remate too, and had to catch the bus, so we all ran off together. The bus on the way home, we saw a big old snake on the road. We went to examine it, the bus driver stopped. He backed up, and it seemed he ran right over it. But the snake was already in the middle of the road, and so I think it may have been hit previously. This one tour guide grabbed it by the tail and had a girl try to take his picture. Apparently she was failing miserably because he took the camera himself and took one...he just had the snake by the tail, and the snake was slithering about. I got in close to take a picture. "Don't get closer!" He said, "it's poison!"

I backed up a bit. Getting back on the bus, the guy in front of me told me it was very poisonous, and it would kill you in one hour if it bit you. You'd be done for, because it is an hour to the closest place to get antivenom. Woops! I was getting a bit close. But the snake was already mortally injured, its neck gashed open, so it wasn't as frisky, I think. When it was time to get back on the bus, the guy holding it flung it around in a circle and threw it off into the woods.


Man I didn't realize tikal was such an adventure till I wrote about it. At the time, it seemed kinda chill. But it was, muy tranquillo. Finally after just a few more adventures, I got to bed. But they were pretty ordinary, like eating dinner and drinking a gatorade, and then a beer. Exciting right?

Well so far I like Belize.

My last day in Coban was really cool. I met some great people at the hostle, and saturday we had another party and jammed out. Gilberto did some cool jamba drumming, and I even joined in for a bit. Then Gorge and I jammed guitar and took turns doing our own songs. I did a few, and they were a great, attentive audience. I did my over the rainbow song,
I want a world without sufferring and pain
where depression and loneliness don't drive a man insane.

I think they enjoyed it. That song is dreamy.

Other than that not too much to report...San ignacio is a chill town...Funny how I just stumbled into the chess playing and rapping. All rolled into one! Man!

Well everyone, I'll tell you how the show goes tomorrow. Tikal was really nice, it's a magical place.

Tess wrote about our wonderful last adventures together. Tess, I'm still thinking of you and wishing you the best.

Anyway, not much more to say.

Peace around the world,
Colin

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Photos

.We Got your back Berne!
This is berne, who we saw in LA, which I figured out later. Maybe one of us will be famous some day. Berne almost is there!

.El remate...
This is near Tikal in guatemala.

.sunset over lake
again near tikal, on lake itzapa. Nice to be by water.

.your majesty
nice to be back in the jungle. Tikal, I walked all day soaking up the spirit.

.the lost stone
I found the philosophers stone! This one is hidden in the jungle

.I saw the real thing
at least there is only one crock in there, I think. Less to keep track of! He didn´t eat me.

.goin up
it´s so fun hiknig all these pyramids. To go up you climb fun stairs, it´s like an amusement park, but better.

.how to hold a deadly snake
this is the way...he can take a picture and hold it at the same time. This guy was pretty funny.