Up before the roosters & the sun today (5am!). The sky is clear & the stars are out in abundance. We waited in front of our hostal with Micros & watched numerous mini-buses drive by us. One finally stopped, asked for our ticket, handed it back to me & pointed behind him & drove away. I guess he wasn't our driver. Eventually our driver showed up. Jorge drove us to Tikal & we slowly watched the sky change color from black & starry to grey & brighter. The drive was beautiful a 2 lane road of dense jungle. We arrived at the gate to Tikal at 6am & waited for them to allow us through. Once we arrived to the parking lot (after 2 checkpoints where Jorge had to show a piece of paper to a ... read more

Up with the sun again. It rained allllll night. I would wake up ocassionally & listen for awhile to decipher whether I was hearing rain or the river or both. It was a fun game that helped me fall right back asleep again. I also woke up to the smell of coffee brewing from below the loft. My favorite morning treat! Non travel days I enjoy multiple cups of coffee. Yumm! It smells so good here in general. The plant life is so green & it smells fresh. Especially after the rain. Everything also looks greener & more vibrant after each rain. Smiling plants. They made us a yummers breakfast of banana pancakes & scrambled eggs. The dairy all comes from the Menonites & I could probably just eat the butter with a spoon. They also ... read more

I woke up with the sun & woke Geoff up to go watch the sunrise. First one we've gotten up for yet. It is warm already & clear blue skies with a few clouds on the eastern horizon. The bay is so completely flat it sorta looks like an ice rink but warm...Walked for some coffee, since we decided we're staying today to rent kayaks & trek around the cove in the calm water. Off tomorrow though, inland, into the jungle & toward Guatemala & all the bugs! woohoo. I LOVE bugs. Got coffee, got offered weed for like the 146th time and played on some teeter totters in a park. They are soo much fun. I think I want one in my yard. We just finished a delicious egg, butt bacon (that's what the package ... read more

Woke up to another beautiful warm rainy day (everywhere we go, it rains & the locals say "it hasn't rained in so long, but there we are in the rain almost daily). I walked down to De Tatch restaurant & got a cup of coffee & they had cocoa so I added that. Best cup of coffee! We bought some groceries at the local market & made breakfast at home. I had a delicious egg white sandwich on The Bakerman's bread with some cheese & lime flavored mayo & a little coleslaw. Walked around town & checked out some little shops & went back to Lydia's to read & wait out the rain. Finally in the early afternoon the clouds parted & the sun came out & it was HOT! Yippee!! We went promptly to the ... read more

Today we got up without the alarm but still woke up early. I always wake up with the sun. Once it hits our windows I can't sleep anymore. I went out to get some coffee & snacks & fully slipped in the mud flat onto my knee. Ouch. I was standing at the counter waiting for my coffee & let out a big sigh. The man next to me said, why the big sigh? I showed him my bloody knee & said, because I just fell down. Phew, glad I didn't get caught sighing for no good reason. He told me to go wash it off in the ocean & I'd be ok. So, that's what I did & so far he was right. ;) We packed up & waited for our water taxi to Belize ... read more