Tikal, Antigua, now San Pedro

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Wow, I've been having a really good time and haven't been updating this as much as I should have been.... anywho....
I stayed in Flores, Guatemala (the jumping off point for the Tikal ruins) for about 3 nights I guess. Had no problems crossing the border, thank goodness, and was surprised at how hot it was in Flores. I was expecting it to be quite cool and only brought a pair or two of shorts. I signed up for a sunrise tour of the Tikal ruins and had to hop on a 3am bus to catch it... once we arrived at the park we hiked for about 30 minutes in total darkness to temple IV, on which we sat and waited for the sunrise. It was amazing hearing the jungle come alive.... it was quite foggy so it just slowly got light, and every now and then a cloud would roll back and the peak of a temple would be revealed, poking out of the jungle canopy. We saw toucans and parrots and howler and spider monkeys... heard them long before we saw them. Just amazing. It was really a magical experience. I spent the rest of the morning touring the ruins and headed back to Flores to hang out. Flores itself is an island in the middle of lake El Peten and it's fairly touristy. Everyone wants a lakeside hotel or restaurant and they're all about 2-3 stories high, so you feel kind of barricaded in.
I caught an 8 or so hour overnight bus from Flores to Antigua via Guatemala City. It was awful man, just awful. First class buses in Guatemala are like 3rd class in Mexico. I got the worst seat on the bus I think, because to my left was the fattest man on the bus who kept falling asleep and leaning on me, and oh he smelled.... and to my right should have been the clear aisle, but we crowded on as many people as possible, so there were people on stools and laying on the floor.... I had someone at my feet who actually used my shoes as a pillow and a little girl in the aisle who rested her head on my shoulder.... didn't mind her as much, she smelled good actually and after a while you just give up shrugging everyone off you. It was super hot and smelly though since I was in the back near the bathroom... got stepped on by people trying to reach the bathroom and crawl over the aisle sleepers... oh it was awful. Arrived in Antigua at about 630 am and gave myself a good walking tour of the town before it was really up and going. Had some excellent coffee first. I could have stayed longer in Antigua... I guess I was there three nights? But I have been keeping as active as possible, not lounging around the hostels like most backpackers all day long. I climbed the active volcano Pacaya, which was the most excellent experience.... oh it was unreal!! I met up with some English guys at the hostel and they took good photos and gave them to me so sometime I'll load them up here. Sorry, I'm just having fun... I don't spend as much time online now, because when I do I'll end up writing something very long on here adn then the flippin power shuts off and I lose everything and give up. But anyway the volcano was amazing....... our guide was quite nice, didn't speak a word of English and I had to interpret a lot and I have to say I didn't do too poorly. Guatemalans speak slowly, it's so nice and much easier to understand. Anyway the volcano, you're hiking up old lava fields and next to some new streams of it... I dunno my volcano jargon... but it was really freaking hot on one side of you from the lava and really freaking cold on the other side from the altitude and wind. We werent' able to climb all the way to the crater because earlier this year it was active or something and it's not safe. The view from where we stopped was insane! We saw the peaks of three other volcanoes, the ones that surround Antigua... Agua, Fuego and something like Acatitlan.. maybe. We stayed up there until it got dark, and saw the fire in the top of the crater shooting out little pieces of rock... although I suppose they were probably rather large really... oh it was just too cool. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.....
Now I'm in San Pedro on Lago de Atitlan....... oh so cool. Phil and I wanted to come here a while ago when we first went to Chiapas. The only problem is that there are a lot of hippies that came and just stuck around and they're so annoying oh I hate them. Such trash. But anyway, its beautiful. The lake itself is surrounded by volcanoes and it's really cool and tranquil. Spanish is DEFINITELY a second language here.... the boat I caught to san pedro was cool, I was alone and with probably 14 Mayan ladies all jabbering away... I love listening to them. At one point I could tell they were talking about my tattoo, I'm not sure what they thought but I was a bit uncomfortable and put on an extra shirt to cover it. I'll be sticking around San pedro for a little while, going kayaking on the lake later today... and I think I'll do language school here.
Next stop I'll go back to Antigua and then catch a bus to San Salvador, El Salvador. I think, ya know, anything could happen at this point and I love not knowing what's next. But I want to see the Pacific again. The people I'm hanging with are going to the Bay ISlands via Copan and I may do that but I dunno, the Caribbean is so familiar now.
All right time to go.... :-D I wish I could keep doing this forever... so great....

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Comments

[Dad]

Friends
Sounds like your having the time/education of your life. The pictures are great. I have quite a few friends at work that ask about you all the time. They ask how you are doing, what your doing and where you are at. Instead of me trying to recap everything (and not being able to remember crap) I gave them your travel site. So now you have expanded your audience. I honestly think they care about you more than I do...not possible...but very nice. Good people. Gotta go back to work. Please be careful and keep in touch when you can. Love and miss you alot.......Dad