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Hello again my English speaking amigos,
It’s been over 2 weeks since I last published a blog entry and in that time I have complete a 2-week tour that has taken me around much of Guatemala. As anyone who knows me well, that means that I have a lot to say but to save you all the pain of reading blog entry that rivals the 1000 odd pages in “the Lord of the Rings” I have elected to break my story down into 3 or 4 more manageable chapters. Any complaints are to be sent to a non descript address in Guatemala - there cant be too many Lawrence Davidson’s in this country.
My story begins in the colonial city of Antigua...
Having spent a week living in a smelly, damp, noisy and oversized room at my Spanish school I headed to the Las Fuertes Hotel from which my GAP Adventures tour of Guatemala would launch. After my first hot shower for a week, I met my traveling party which consisted of 4 women, a Texan lady called Michelle (The tour leader), 2 Belgian girls, Geraldine & Tania, and a Dutch girl called Ninke. Alarm bells rang out;
“oh dear God” I was thinking - having 4 sisters I already knew the potential pitfalls of being cooped up with so much Oestrogen for a period of time.
We set out at half time in the England/Paraguay match early the next day and headed for the Pacific coastal resort of Monterrico famed for its black volcanic sands and swarms of Giant Leatherback turtles. The road was long and flanked by tropical vegetation, small impoverish settlements and just about every farmyard animal you care to name. I also got my first experience of a 3rd world ferry ride. It seems bridges are a nuisance to build in Guatemala so instead they used ferries which resemble a Chinese takeaway foil tray with a powerboat motor stuck on the back, but, to be fair, they work!
As we pulled into Monterrico our minibus was ambushed by about 10 toothless kids all smiling and screaming “Gringos” as they chased us all the way to our beachside hotel. Having settled in to my log cabin I stepped out to investigate the beach eager for a swim to freshen me up after my journey. I was in for a shock. The beach was
dirty, covered in litter and the remains of what stray dogs had eaten the day before, and to top it off 10-15ft waves pounded the coastline every 3 to 4 seconds causing the sand beneath my feet to vibrate. Still, there were a few mental people swimming in the surf so I fearlessly strode down to the waters edge to get my feet wet. BIG MISTAKE. I think the tide was coming in because the next wave to hit brought water up to above my knees and the subsequent undertow (strong enough to drag a tank to the bottom of the ocean) almost had me horizontal as it tried desperately to claim my soul. Need less to say, I made a hasty exit.
After a very drunken evening during which several non descript measures of rum and coke were consumed the group awoke, hung over and tired for a sunrise tour of the nearby mangroves. I wont dote on this. Best to check out the photos. Suffice to say I got an amazing view of Guatemala’s distant mountains and a close-up view of 100s of birds and other swamp wildlife and had a surprisingly good time. Later that day
I visited a local turtle sanctuary where to my disappointment I found lots of, Caiman alligators, lizards and many a jar of pickled snake or giant bug, but no giant Leatherback turtles. Its seems they are out of season. Did you see any in the Galapagos islands Mark?
I spent the rest of my second day in Monterrico chilling with a few cool beers in a beach side cafe and just after enjoying a beautiful sunset I joined the gang for a spot of dinner throughout which I was attacked by what seemed like hundreds of giant May bugs and was served by a Transvestite who much to my dismay kept smiling at me!
Despite the gripes above I actually really enjoyed this leg of the journey. There isn't a great deal to do in Monterrico and having been to more interesting places in this country i wouldn't put this near the top of places to visit, however it was chilled out and the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone in the group who by the way, are all very nice people, but then i've included them on the blog mailing list so i have to say
that!
For any that made it to the end of this blog entry and wish to brave a similar trip, bring lots of very strong mosquito repellent and visit in November when the turtles roll into town!
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mum
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my name is mum (as Peter Kay would say)..just a thought that transvestite might have been a case of too much oestregen....never underestimste its powers!! hope you're not too badly bitten. your trip sounds amazing -I'm really enjoying the blog . keep safe love you -mum