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One from Guatemala
This picture was taken on graduation night in the school in Xela, Guatemala. I am giving my graduation speech and that is my teacher next to me. I know I left Guatemala weeks ago but I only now got the pic. OK? ´´It´s not where you are, it´s who you are´´ I heard a guy say, outside my dorm window, a few days back when I was just waking up from another crazy dream about something forgettable. And I couldn´t agree more. I have realised now, six weeks into the biggest trip of my life thus far, it not all about just going to these far flung places and saying you´ve been there, staying in hostels surrounded by white faces, not walking the streets at night in fear of fear itself or being overly pretentious about energy flows and karma in a hand-written hostel guestbook. I think it´s about doing something that matters no matter how small or big or just doing the right thing. And what that is?... well, I still don´t know yet.
That´s enough pretentious bullshit from me too.
Just to let you know, my last posting was from Nicaragua. I then spent 5 or so days in San Jose the capital of Costa Rica - which was great because the temperature was just right after being so uncomfortably hot in Granada, Nicaragua. San Jose was an edgy little city, the most Westernised I
Getting the drinks in.
This one also is on my gradution night in Xela. Getting a few quick ones in for Dutch Courage maybe? The other guy is Jon from Texas, but he didn´t vote for George Bush - be assured. have been in yet, with the usual traffic, relative amounts of smog and seething masses of humanity buying things they don´t need in shops they love, but when it rained - it really rained hard and fast, well, for a good 2 or 3 hours. There´s not a great deal to do in San Jose after visiting the parks, El Pueblo the village of bars and discos, the casino, the shopping streets and the local zoo (if you tolerate that kind of thing). On my final day there I went white water rafting on the Rio Pacuare about an hour and half from San Jose. It was fantastic fun to say the least and I can´t believe I haven´t tried it sooner - what a great buzz and I will definitely do it again soon methinks! They were class III and IV rapids and it got quite hairy at times, especially the class IV´s - I also had a great seat right at the front of the raft and got a good battering. Our guide, Sidar, was still learning his craft as a river guide and didn´t fully know how to control the raft - so we ended up going
When I was really ill...
This is taken on Lake atitlan, Guatemala, when I was really ill and about to be ripped off by the doctor. they are all from the spanish school..
Left to Right: Johnny from Newcastle, Dave from Ohio, Daniel from Oregon, me from Abertawe and Jon from Texas sideways-on into a few rapids which, if I am honest, just made it a lot more crazy and much more fun than just flying through them professionally!
In the hostel I used, Tranquilo Backpackers, I got talking to this half-American half-Lithuanian guy from Chicago - an English teacher and a real funny bloke whose sarcasm was hilarious. He told me how he used to work in Poland with a Welsh guy from Anglesey in North Wales and who reckoned, in his words, that the only thing he hated slightly less than the English was people from South Wales. I never knew such hatred existed !! Especially from scousers!! haha! The things you hear when you haven´t got a gun.
Anyhow, I have now reached Panama - not quite Panama city, but just over the Costa Rican border in a town called ´David´ (I could have just said ´´I am in David´´ - but that´s got slight implications). I am staying at a hostel called ´the purple house´ owned by a fiesty New Yorker called Andrea, a nice place with all the usual trimmings and a cute dog called Fluffy on the front door. Today I experienced my first minor earthquake! Sitting outside on the hostel porch studying spanish verbs, all of a sudden the floor started to shake and rumble, then the walls, then the roof, then me, then everything imaginable and the hostel owner comes out with, calm as you like :
´´oops, it´s an earthquake again´´. It lasted about 6 or 7 seconds and got slightly unnerving when I started to think the pillars and roof could collapse on me. But there you go, it´s all happening out here.
I also got scammed at the border crossing for Costa Rica to Panama - only ten dollars, where they insisted that I needed a return ticket to Costa Rica to get my exit stamp from Costa Rica!?! Figure that one out.
My flying tour of Central America continues!
"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." --
Robert Louis Stevenson
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