We arrived to the turtle project in Hawaii (in Guatemala, not in US!) on the 31st and stayed there two nights for ¨training¨. It is Olive Ridley turtle season but they also get some Leatherbacks during their season. The first night there, there was a nest of turtle hatchlings in the hatchery which we had to measure their lengths, record and then release the turtles on the beach by the ocean. They were so small, they fit in the palm of your hand, and surprisingly quite strong flippers. Typically once they hatch, they have a day or two to start eating [View Full Entry]

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I crossed the border sat in the back of Manolo's jeep feeling a little worse for wear after last night's party. I could have stayed in Tacuba much longer just chilling at Mamas y Papas and exploring El Impossible. But the clock is ticking and I need to get a move on, at the 10 month mark already! First stop back in Guatemala is the sleepy and inaccessible village of Monterrico. Despite being quiet it's one of the most popular spots on the Pacific coast, only a couple of resorts manage to find a pretty location on this sun beaten side [View Full Entry]

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We arrived in Monterrico after a very long confusing day of travel. We had 18 people in a 12 passenger van. Pretty crazy but if I remember correctly it only cost us around a dollar for an hour ride. In town we walked to our hostel and a little boy helped us find it. His name was Verando and he became our friend the entire time we stayed there. We walk into our hostel, JOhnnys, and it might be the most amazing thing ever. There are palm trees, hammocks, and sand everywhere. Each little shack had its own individual ´pool. The [View Full Entry]

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Hi! It´s a beautiful day in Antigua, and I hope that you are able to enjoy some sunshine today. As always, I am enjoying a short break from class. Yesterday, I had a test on Nivel 3, and today I got a new book so that is very exciting. Also, Edna made us banana pancakes served with chocolate syrup so I feel it will be a good day. She has made them often since we told her of our love for them. A very healthy start to the day... The weekend at the beach was really fun, though a little different [View Full Entry]

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Great title right? I really drew you in? Well, you're going to have to wait a little longer to find out about that, because I'm going to start at the beginning of the day: Well, the sunrise wasn't exactly ideal considering that the clouds from the storm hadn't fully moved away by 6 in the morning. I got a few decent pictures and did enjoy being alone for a while, just sitting and watching the waves crash onto the black sand beach (I know, I sound deep don't I? haha). I went back to sleep at around 6:30, exhausted from back-to-back [View Full Entry]

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Antigua is cold this time of year! I wish I had figured that out before I arrived carrying nothing with me except light t-shirts & clothes. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Guatemala City Airport except the hope that someone from my language school would be there to pick me up when I got out. As soon as I cleared customs - There he was. Sergio, my driver. It was going to be a 45 minute drive from Guatemala City to Antigua. I didn’t know what time it was. I was too tired to ask and [View Full Entry]

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Hey Everyone, So i finally arranged some time off and went on a vacation like i had been planning the entire time. I decided not to leave the country like i had originally thought i would do, and instead went to an island that is still part of Guatemala called Monterrico. It was only a 3 hour bus ride from where i was, but the difference in weather would be the same as going from Washington state to Hawaii. Monterrico even has the nickname of little Hawaii around Guatemala. The reason i decided to stay within Guatemala is because i knew [View Full Entry]

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After a relaxing couple of days, it is time to head to the beach for my last few days in Guatemala. We took a nice 2 hour shuttle ride(no sickness!) to the beach in Monterrico. Along the way, we saw a volcano erupt, which was pretty neat. We stayed at Johnny's, which is a cute little resort on the beach. The biggest decision of our days was whether to lounge in a hammock or on the beach. Lex did attempt to go swimming and almost drowned. The waves there were the largest that I have ever seen, and a local guy [View Full Entry]

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Dann endlich weg vom Regen und ab an den Strand!! Haben ein Shuttle nach Monterrico genommen. In Monterrico sind wir in einem Strandhotel untergekommen, mit direktem zugang zum Strand. Da gerade Regensaison ist, war es hier recht Ruhig. Sind hier 3 Tage geblieben und haben versucht zu schwimmen, hab in meinem Leben noch nie so hoche Wellen gesehen und wie wir gekaempft haben rein zu kommen. Der gesammte Strand ist hier durch die Vulkane schwarz, voll schoen. Das Meer hat so eine Kraft, das ist echt der Hammer. Wenn man nach einer Welle in der Brandung stehen bleibt dann zieht das [View Full Entry]

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Paradise island. Last weekend I went with a friend to an island near Monterico. We took three chicken buses and a boat to an island on such a hot day. It took about five hours but boy was it worth it! The local buses are interesting to say the least. You sit two to a seat but when the bus fills up which it always does people just tend to come and sit on your lap, forcing you to move up and they kind of put one cheek on the seat. When two people do this it works quite well [View Full Entry]

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