A Taste of Central America

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I was itching to go abroad again and realized there was no way I could wait until June for my upcoming epic trip to South Africa. I found some cheap airfare to Guatemala, started reading about it, and was sold. Then I paid a little extra to fly into Belize first for some diving, which kind of countered the cheap airfare that caught my attention in the first place. But whatever, I was psyched once I booked the flights.

I left bitterly cold New Jersey, landed in a timely fashion in Belize City and got a taxi to the water terminal. Belize City is a violent place so not many people really stop there. I immediately hopped on a water taxi destined for Caye Caulker, one of the many coral islands off the coast.

I arrived in Caye Caulker after a 45 minute speed boat ride and I booked into Tina´s Hostel. It was a dumpy place but it had a really good social scene. And so does Caye Caulker in general. It has a Caribbean vibe to it and the locals are really friendly. There are really only three roads on the island, no cars (only golf carts), and crocodiles. The food -- namely the seafood -- was incredible. Lots of roadside stands with fresh shrimp, lobster and chicken on a stick. And rum punch is everywhere. I don´t really like rum but it´s unavoidable here. I´ve gotten used to it. Speaking of alcohol, I don´t like beer at all from this region of the world. But the Belizean national beer, Belikin, is actually not that bad.

The whole reason I went to Belize in the first place was for the diving. The Belizean Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second largest in the world. Most appealing to me was the Great Blue Hole. At 1,000 ft. across and 400 ft. deep, it´s one of the world´s largest underwater sinkholes. It used to be above sea level, so there are rare underwater cave systems complete with huge stalagmites. It´s a very deep dive, so you need an extra tank for an extended safety stop, where you often see reef sharks -- and sometimes even hammerheads or whale sharks. Anyway, I had no luck with my diving due to poor weather, strong currents, and finally a “cold front“ as the Belizeans referred to it, and this is still is a huge disappointment for me.

So instead I signed up for a full day, three site snorkeling trip with Angel, from Texas, who I met on the island. The first stop was pretty boring, although we did see a huge turtle and some cool coral walls (I love brain coral!). The second stop was shark ray alley, which was awesome! As soon as we anchored up, they chummed the water and at least six or seven nurse sharks swam up. And in we went. It was a little unnerving swimming next to huge nurse sharks because, contrary to popular belief, they do bite, albeit rarely. Our guide grabbed a ten ft nurse shark with his bare hands. There were also a few sting rays, one of which he also caught. Definitely a great experience, although somehow it wasn´t quite as amazing as it is if a shark randomly swims across your path, sans chum. Not to mention snorkeling just isn´t the same as diving.

The third and final stop was the highly regarded Hol Chan Marine reserve. It´s supposedly home to giant marine life including all kinds of sharks and even manatees. Some of the dive masters in Caye Caulker say it´s their favorite site. We only managed to see a few more nurse sharks, a spotted eagle ray, barracuda and eels. All awesome sightings of course but I still feel like I have been shorted when it comes to encountering the giants of the sea. I want whales, whale sharks, manta rays, and hammerheads.

All in all, the snorkeling trip was really good. A highlight included our guide diving out of the boat to the bottom of the ocean, catching a live conch, and preparing the freshest conch ceviche you could imagine right on the boat. A lowlight was seeing way more old, flabby body parts than I wanted from a few care free Italian co-snorkelers. Although that definitely made for some interesting conversation at the bars that night.

Ahh, the bars. The nightlife in Caye Caulker is awesome. I like to think of it as a bit of a Caribbean version of Pai, Thailand. I partied with a great group from the hostel made up of Dutch, Canadian, Australian, and Danish people. We saw a reggae "band" and then there was lots of karaoke, lots of rum punch, lots of drinking games, and lots of hanging out on the docks at night.

I ended up leaving Caye Caulker the next morning sunburned and blistered with Mike, a Canadian guy from the hostel. We water taxied back to Belize City and then immediately bused it out of there. More specifically, we chicken-bused it out of there. The Belizean public bus system -- and Guatemalan, and most of Central America I think -- is made up of old school buses from the US. They are shipped down there and they paint them all kinds of crazy colors, and deck them out. We're talking rims, gradated tinted windows, and big chrome grills and bumpers. They're inexplicably called chicken buses and the seating capacity of 55 from middle school is at least doubled to a seating/standing/cramming capacity.

So our chicken bus experience took us west to San Ignacio, near the Guatemalan border. We were crammed in like sardines and I cut my leg on some guy's homemade backpack made out of sticks of wood and chicken wire. San Ignacio is a small town in the jungle made up entirely of guesthouses, travel agencies, many Chinese restaurants, a few non Chinese restaurants, a few bars, and little grocery stores. The main activity in the area, and the reason for our stop, was the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, aka the ATM cave.

The ATM cave was a Mayan sacrificial site, and still today contains human remains, and clay pots of religious and ceremonial significance. First there was an hour or so drive out there. We arrived at the protected park area and we continued on an hour hike through the jungle, including a few knee-high river crossings. Then we approached the mouth of the cave, geared up with helmets and head lamps, and triple dry bagged our valuables.

From there was a three hour hike through the cave. This consisted of wading through 6´ deep water, and climbing over numerous rocks and boulders from previous collapses. At the end of the hike, you are required to remove your shoes because it makes you more conscious of where you´re walking. You must also wear socks to prevent your oils from damaging the geology.

The cave itself was awesome. Tons of amazing geology in there. We learned about the stalagmites and stalagtites and how different minerals are responsible for the different colors found within. But more interestingly we learned about the Mayan motives for human sacrifice. It was believed that by sacrificing yourself, you are paying god back by giving your life back. Our guide was very interesting, definitely a professional at what he does. Probably one of the best guides I´ve had anywhere.

We passed by numerous clay pots that had religious significance, and of course the human remains. The highlight is at the end of the cave, a full skeleton of a teenage girl called The Crystal Maiden, named from the sparkling crystal appearance of it after water rises above it and cleans it off. All in all, a great experience.

Next we crossed the Guatemalan border and headed to Flores, an island in the middle of Lake Peten Itza. Flores is a charming town with eye-catching colonial architecture and narrow cobblestone streets. It´s nice to wander around but, similar to San Ignacio, there´s not much to do. We stayed at the Los Amigos Hostel though and met some cool people. The owner is an awesome and inspirational Dutch guy with his share of travel stories. A bunch of us went swimming later in the lake, which was surprisingly very clear. We also later downed a gallon of ice cream.

Just on the other side of the causeway that connects Flores to the mainland, is a town called Santa Elena. While not as "nice" as Flores, I much preferred wandering the streets of Santa Elena. This is real-deal Guatemala, with no makeovers to attract tourists. There is dirt, grime, street food, dead animals, pollution, and garbage. There is traffic and crowds of people in every direction. I was constantly reminded of my days traveling in Africa and southeast Asia due to the unmistakable smell of third world travel. I think mostly a mixture of exhaust, litter, sewage, and food. It's not a good smell, but not really a bad smell either. I've grown to like though it because I associate it with traveling in awesome places that are different in every way possible from home.

Anyway, we set off for Tikal, about an hour drive from Flores. Tikal is one of the largest Mayan sites and one of the most famous temple complexes in the world. Incredibly, they say 80% of the ruins have yet to be discovered or excavated. We first made our way to Temple V and climbed the hair-raisingly steep staircase. However it was much too foggy so we weren´t treated to the views that everyone raves about. We did later climb Temple IV though and got a great view there of the whole complex and the surrounding Guatemalan rain forest. Definitely an awesome view! Howler monkeys also graced our presence with their insane noises. At first we thought it sounded like a jaguar using a PA system with maximum reverb, and we assumed it was construction noise of some sort. I was amazed when I realized what the noise was coming from.

Later that day, Mike and I had planned on going to a local football (soccer) match with Ellie, an American girl from the hostel. In fact, I extended my stay in Flores a day to make the match. We had gotten a lot of conflicting information due to the language barrier though. We had no idea what time the match started or if we had to take a boat or a bus. But luck had it that Gabriel (one of the guides from the Tikal trip) was going himself.

Gabriel took us under his wing. And when a local in a country like this takes you under his wing, you know you are in for an experience. First, we got in a 16 passenger van, taking the total passengers up to 22. We made another stop and crammed another in. And then another. Then we stopped again with a group of five people waiting. I knew for sure they would tell them to wait for the next bus with some vacancy. But in they came. At one point, we had 40 people in the van. That is not a typo and I am not exaggerating. It was undoubtedly the most crowded vehicle I´ve been in anywhere in the world. And Mike and Ellie -- both well traveled -- agreed. People just sat on strangers´ laps, they opened the hatch and some people stood in the trunk, and some people just hung out the side door. One of my knees was jammed between an old Guatemalan lady´s legs, and I honestly have no idea what or who my other knee was touching. Women were holding babies (admittedly, three babies were part of the 40 count), and merchants were carrying their goods with them to the game. It was truly unbelievable.

We finally got to Estadio Julian Tesucun, the home stadium of Deportivo Heredia. It was a really nice location right on the lake. Heredia was playing Comunicaciones, one of the biggest teams in the country. Gabriel introduced us to his friends and they gave us jerseys for half the price the locals were buying them. We ate and drank outside and then entered the smallish stadium. Now, Gabriel didn´t tell us his friends were crazed, hardcore fans. I felt slightly embarrassed about asking if they´d let me in with my innocent backpack when they were carrying boxes of explosives right passed the heavily armed guards.

Right from the first whistle, it was a competition between our side and the other as to who can make the most smoke and noise. Flares, bombs, HUGE strands of firecrackers numbering in the 1,000s were in use. It was true Latin American football passion despite the smallish team and crowd. I´ve now seen games in seven different countries and it was one of the best experiences I´ve had.

That night, I booked an overnight bus with Elizabeth, an English girl from the hostel. We left everyone else behind and headed down to Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America and also one of the most violent. I had no intentions of staying there so I continued to San Pedro La Laguna, a small town on Lake Atitlan.

San Pedro is a small, laid back town with a lot of backpackers and tourists in general. I like to say that it's the Vang Vieng of Central America, which means most people go for a couple days, and many stay for a week or more. It's an incredible location, situated between the eponymous volcano and of course Lake Atitlan, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Many people come here to take Spanish classes for next to nothing, kayak the lake, or ascend the volcano on horseback. There are many very narrow alleys that connect everything together. Narrow meaning you almost have to turn sideways if someone is walking the opposite way. The vibrant nightlife is also a draw. There is a lot of live music, marijuana is smoked openly at many bars and restaurants, and free movies are shown every night.

I wanted to stay in an Israeli-run hostel called Zoola, which fittingly means "laid back" in Hebrew. It was filled to capacity though so I stayed at the inferior and much overrated Yo Mama's Hostel. However, I made some friends at Zoola so much of my time in San Pedro was spent socializing in the awesome backyard colorful tent setup with floor seating on pillows and low tables. Furthermore, Zoola undoubtedly had the best food I've ever had at a hostel. Definitely a world class hostel as far as I'm concerned.

Of course I didn't limit myself to hanging out at Zoola though. I divided my time between the Zoola crowd and a smaller crowd from Yo Mama's. My favorite place was the Buddha Bar, which features live music (saw an awesome blues band), hookahs, a free pool table, and a great rooftop lounge overlooking the lake. I also liked a reggae bar that had similar features. Humorously, there was a local guitarist named Paco and he was a bit of a minor celebrity. He walked around and handed out fliers to everybody. His fliers were found everywhere in town. At one point, every piece of white paper seemed to be a Paco flier.

After two short nights in San Pedro, I had to move on. Had this been an extended trip, I would have definitely stayed longer. For my last full day in Guatemala, I bused from San Pedro back to Antigua. I didn't spend too much time there but I found it to be disappointing. It's a big version of Flores so the architecture and cobblestone streets really create a nice, colonial charm. But there's just really not that much to do within the city. I remember I was struggling to divide some time between Antigua and Lake Atitlan, but Antigua isn't really worth it at all if you're sacrificing even a day on the lake.

I did however book a trip to Pacaya from Antigua just a couple hours after arriving from San Pedro. Pacaya is an active volcano, and has been continuously erupting for 45 years. This would end up being an incredible end to my trip, and in fact ranks among one of the most amazing things I've ever done.

The trek from the entrance gate takes about two hours. It's a nice hike through the forest, providing gradually improving views of nearby Guatemala City and surrounding areas as you continue to ascend. Local kids with horses follow you the entire way up, asking if you want a "taxi" every ten minutes. Eventually you clear the forest and are treated to a great view of the peak and the smoke billowing out from the crater.

Apparently, you used to be able to go right up to the crater, but a major eruption in 2006 changed the lava flows. So there is no climactic summit or dramatic crater view, which disappointed me at first. But Pacaya amazed in unexpected ways.

As you ascend towards the summit, you begin to see and feel the heat. Then you realize that you are literally standing on rock which is directly on top of flowing lava. And the higher you go, the closer the lava gets to the surface, and the less stable the surface gets. And it gets hot! I know it's a volcano, and I know it's molten lava, but I didn't expect the sheer heat. Sneakers were melted, leg hairs were singed and marshmallows were roasted.

And somehow, after all that, the scenery still managed to drop jaws. We could see what seemed to be all of Guatemala City, many other small towns, and even fireworks down below. I would honestly rank it as the best scenery I've ever seen. It was better than Kilimanjaro, better than the Swiss Alps, and better than the French Riviera. People were literally crying because of how amazing the scenery was. And as it got darker, the views just kept getting better and better, and more and more lava illuminated the cracks in the rocks.

And the experience didn't end there. We began our descent in the darkness. It was extremely difficult navigating down the unstable volcanic rock and scree. But as we rounded the trail and approached the forest, we were treated to one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen. There was a flowing river of lava oozing it's way down the side of Pacaya. Massive glowing molten boulders bounced effortlessly about two miles down the side of the mountain. This was all next to Pacaya's peak, which continued to emit thick smoke, now illuminated from the magma below. We sat there for a half hour, but to be perfectly honest, I could have sat there the entire night. Out of all the things I've seen, this really might rank as the greatest. It took my Guatemalan trip to new levels and I have a new favorite force of mother nature.

Pacaya pretty much wrapped up my time in Central America. It was a decent trip, topped off by the grandest of finales. I liked Guatemala a lot, and I already want to go back. It was a refreshing ten days as I was due to get away, I met a lot of great people, and discovered a new part of the world.

Now I'll be solely focusing on South Africa and the Cup. Just over four months to go and I am so ridiculously psyched! Stay tuned to this blog and I'll give you the dirt on the greatest event on the planet.

And don't think for a second that my Pacaya pics are even slightly as awesome as it is in reality.

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