Blogs from Honduras, Central America Caribbean - page 161

Does anybody know what gunshots sound like? 'Cause I swear, last night there was a shootout going on in the neighbourhood around our hostel last night. It doesn't make any sense at all, we're in what is probably Honduras' biggest tourist destination, a sleepy but prosperous little colonial town on the border of Guatemala, known primarily for being right next to the ruins of one of the major Mayan cities. We've been here for three days while Vanessa was recovering from a bit of fever, and the people here have struck me as leading as peaceful and relaxed a life as anywhere we've been so far this trip. I don't know, maybe it was the bikers. See, last night there was some kind of fiesta going on in town. There was a little charity event just ... read more

We left Guatemala today, after a trying day yesterday wandering around Guatemala City picking up my passport, trying to get my plane ticket replaced, and getting a special stamp in my new passport to confirm that I was in fact in Guatemala legally. I just wanted to leave you with a few parting thoughts about Guatemala, in no particular order and not at all related. Ten years ago, Guatemala ended its thirty-year civil war. That means that everyone you meet here between the ages of 15 and 45 grew up in an environment that threatened, and frequently erupted in, violence that remains practically unimaginable to us. This holds particularly true for the Mayan communities of the Altiplano, where a large number of massacres were perpetrated by the military (and occasionally by the guerillas) and entire towns ... read more

Where do I begin?? I have seen so much in the past week.... I don't have time to write much now, because I'm about to go out to Jewel Key, near Utila, one of the Bay Islands off of Honduras. I'll be out there for 4 days or so, with no access to internet... I'm going to get certified to scuba dive!! I can't wait. But before I go, I just wanted to send this to let everyone know I'm alive, and having an amazing time. Here a few highlights from the past week.... Tikal - in a word, incredible. Vast ruins from the mysterious Maya.. how can you go wrong? We climbed the ruins for sunset, sunrise and a couple other times in between. It's probably the hottest place on the planet, surrounded by thick ... read more

Ahhh...back to life on a tropical island. I guess that all island life is fairly similar, for I am reminded a lot of my semester in Malta as the laziness of island life takes over my body and I find myself lamenting the "long" walk of 13 minutes from my house to the dive shop. Speaking of which....yeah! i did my open water course! I wasn't exactly prepared for the barrage of studying and hurried pace I was expected to move at my first day on the island. I got reeled into the first dive shop I checked out, Cross Creek, and ended up staying because of the on site accommodations, kitchen facilities, low student to teacher ratio, and free fun dives. So at about 1 o'clock I signed up, and at 4 I started class ... read more

Hei Allesammans! Nu har jag kommit til La Ceiba, Honduras och jag bestämde mig för att skriva lite til dom där hemma, eller nu är ju Mamma o Pappa i Syd Africa men det är deras problem. Men nu är det dags för en uppsummering! Som nämnt tidigare sa drog vi til Palenque (fram med kartboken) pa tisdagen, fran Cancun ned til Tulum (ocksa det pa östkusten pa Ycatan Halvön), men eftersom vi inte ville spendera en extra natt i Tulum sa hann vi inte med mayaruinerna där utan vi tog nattbussen vidare til Palenque som var vart huvudmal. Staden ligger en bit innat i Mexico vid gränsen til Guatemala. Efter en natt pa ett alt för varmt hotellrum sa besökte vi Mayaruinerna i Palenque som gar för att vara bland dom bäst bevarade Mayastäderna. Ruinerna ... read more