Under da Sea

A quick shout out to everyone!!

I am alive and well, though I have been in class nearly 24/7... I feel like I'm back at the University, with 75 page chapters to read, exams, and in-class sessions. SCUBA diving school is a blast! I cannot believe I'm getting certified in the Bay Islands. In between class sessions we play SCRABBLE out on the dive shop's front deck, watching the funny tourists walk by in their fanny packs, goofy hats and even an old man with a GIANT fish purse. Kristen and I are meeting all sorts of peeps through Johnny (JD) and Devin (Devo). They have become our family here, and we have family breakfasts every morning and either cook or go out to the local BBQ stands in the evening. Kristen is reading books like a madwoman cuz she has so much downtime while we are at school. SHe recommends reading "The Kite Runner" and "Eleven Minutes". (Auntie Carla, KK suggests this book to you especially. She thinks you'd really enjoy it!!!! Then you can chitchat about it!)

A theme that keeps arising during our time in Roatan is BEING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT. JD and Devo are both reading The Power of Now and other similar books. It was a theme in Kristen's latest book. And for me, it has been my personal diving ethic . . . to be present in the now. My mom's biofeedback/relaxation techniques have been VERY useful while learning to dive....deep breathing, relaxing, and thus, I am turning out to be resourceful with my air. KK is excited that I am not an "AIR SUCKER" so that when we go diving together, our tanks will last for longer!!! And YES, Jim, the dive company I'm with is very reputable . .. its the oldest dive shop in Roatan with the least amount of drama. My instructor is VERY excellent - knowledgeable, patient, thorough and quite handsome. :)

Everyday we have power outages for extended and unforeseen amounts of time, which has limited our internet usage and made the logistics of living here quite interesting. What I'm trying to say is that PICTURES are COMING . . . but we don't have the camera with us today. So . . . keep checking back :).

Love you more,
Hana T.

Sea Turtles ROCK!

Still in Roatan, still stormy, but had a few breaks in the weather, where yesterday and today I got to go diving! Yesterday, went down 66 ft for 51 minutes, and saw a SEA TURTLE! It was so exciting! Today went down 90 ft for 63 minutes, and saw huge crab, lobsters, and shrimp. Too bad I didn't have a net! I also found out about sea lice...and got eatin up pretty good on my legs. It stings! Also, the boat ride back we got to swim with dolphins! They were right up next to our boat so we jumped in! It was cool. This afternoon the weather is cloudy and raining hard!

Hana is in the process of getting her diving certificate and I am sooo excited for her! Now I will have a diving buddy in Idaho and we can go exploring the lake! I am planning on going on her last dive in a few days...so I can see how she is under the water!

So, we are still planning on being on Roatan for at least a few more days, becuase Hana has 3 more dives to complete before she is done! Life is great on the island!

Kristen

Did we mention that it's a SMALL WORLD?

A shout out to everyone saying i'm alive. it's been awhile since i've posted.

Thanks to all for the RESOUNDING responses to my request for notes of lovin' for KK's bday. She was surprised and delighted by the compiled card that Devin and I presented her last night during our Mexican dinner. KK and I headed home for a nap at 8:30pm and ended up sleeping the night away. No fire dancers or fiestas for us.

To go along with the whole theme of "SMALL WORLD" that seems to be a large part of our travels thus far . . . upon arriving in Roatan, Kristen and I were supposed to meet up with Johnny G, a buddy of mine from college who is out here working and living. Roatan is a very LARGE island with lots of little towns. We had no idea where Johnny was living and he didn't have a phone and we hadn't yet connected via email, SO . . . from the boatdock, Kk and I caught a taxi to the main tourist town of Roatan called "West End". We talked with other travelers on the boat ride over and decided on a place to stay. As we were checking in to "Milka's Rooms", I saw a strikingly familiar face walk by with ridiculous looking hair. The guy looked a lot like Devin Biviano, who was also a Seattle U acquaintance that I lost touch with. I was too shocked by the out of context possibility that he would also be living in Roatan (and by the hair) that I didn't say anything except to whisper his name under my breath.

A few minutes later, I saw Johnny G walking by. Turns out the two of them are roomates here. It also turns out that they live about 20 ft from our guesthouse! Talk about small world selection of a guesthouse. We did good.

So now, the four of us have been cooking daily breakfasts together at J and D's house and sitting out on their porch for long, lazy mornings. Feels like we've known them forever. Devin, Johnny and I have begun our diving certification process. We're watching the videos and waiting for the storm to pass until we go explore the underwater world. Might not be until Monday that we get our first dive in.

Oh yeah, another small world connection . . . Johnny introduced us to some of his buddies on the island. It turns out that one of them (Chelsea) was in middle school band with Kristen in SPokane and they both marched in the Lilac Parade together back in the day. What can we say.

Photos to come.

Love you more,
Hana T.

Birthday in Roatan

Today is my birthday, and I am in Honduras turning 24! Amazing.

Right now I am sitting at an internet cafe, watching as a storm comes in over the Caribbean sea. Looks like it is going to be a good Northerly storm.

This morning Hana and I awoke, went swimming in the Caribbean, went back to her friends house and they cooked me french toast and an egg scramble! It was so good! So far my birthday has started off right. Tonight there is a huge birthday bash for another girl on the island, with flame twirlers and the bar is staying open until 5 am, so we are celebrating my birthday along with the other girls. Crazy timing.

Oh yeah, and when Hana and I were walking to go swimming this morning, I found cash on the ground! Happy Birthday to me!

So far I am loving Roatan...There isn't much else to say, except that I am planning on doing several dives after this storm passes and Hana is going to try to get her diving certificate (since we are in the cheapest place in the whole world to get diving), which means we will be on the Island for at least 4 more days.

Just wanted to give a shout out to everyone, I am thinking about you all on my birthday!

Kristen

A look into the past and future...

Said Adios to El Salvador, and Hola to Honduras...

This weekend we spent it with my friend Lauren from camp. It was a bit of an adventure finding her, but with a bit of time with the spanish speaking pay phone, we got ahold of her. Here we are in Tegucialpa. The first night we went to this local bar called the Jaguar, where we all got our palms read by a local man. It was hilarious becuase Lauren and her friends had to translate Hana and I's reading. Amazingly, he was pretty accurate on my reading, knowing about two past relationships, the second one being more important than the first, a falling out with a good female friend, a past family tradegy...but he also read a bit into the future...and you will be happy to know mom, that I am going to have "un Hijo" (meaning one boy), as well as a good husband...but in my life, I will have mental problems. Hana's reading was a bit more fuzzy. It was said that she had 2.5 past relationships, her lifeline is long but very thin...also, that she will have one child as well. Lauren also said that her palm reading was pretty accurate.


(Hana getting her palm read)

It was nice to have a home to be in this weekend to chill. We didn't have to worry about getting around, because Lauren was an awesome tour guide with car and could translate for us. We met many of her friends down here and saw the local sites and towns surrouding the capital.


(Lauren, Hana and I at the flag memorial)

We have had a bit of plans changing. We are not able to do the rafting trip in Costa Rica (due to the company filling up their trip), so we don't have a time crunch anymore. Hana and I decided to head back out to the Caribbean sea! Roatan Island, a Bay Island off the north coast of Honduras. This island is the cheapest place in the world to go diving...so it will be more time of sun, snorkeling, diving, and hopefully meeting a friend of Hanas.

Kristen P.S. I fixed the pictures on the Model Gallo Post...Check them out!

Last night I fell in love with El Salvador!!

Ay yi yi, where to begin??
I came to El Salvador completely open and empty. No expectations. And now . . . now I think I am in love.

The people we have met are incredibly kind and engaging, helpful and hilarious. There has been much laughter for me here in E.S.

The country is beautiful - from volcanoes and crater lakes to expansive beaches with not a soul in sight, only the encounter with the crashing waves! And who can pass up playing SOCCER with the local teenage boys on one of these beaches at SUNSET??

The food here is MUY DELICIOSO . .. we´re talking piping hot Queso Pupusa´s right off the grill of a ma and pa shop with one or two tables. AWEsome!

(Hana eating Pupusas)

(Our Beach House in El Salvador)

It all began when we arrived one evening in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. The bus dropped us off at a hotel. But the hotel was full. We caught a taxi (with a delightful driver who showed us pictures of his entire family - we´re talking grandchildren, nieces, nephews) and asked to go to La Estancia hostel. But the taxi driver hadn´t heard of the place, so he took us to a different hostel called Ximena´s. We checked in and the next morning both the owner and hte manager of the hostel stopped by to wish us a good morning and see if we wanted to catch a ride with them out to their beach front guesthouse on the northwestern Pacific coast of El Salvador. Umm, YES! Within the hour, we were loaded up in their jeep and on the road. Along the way, we stopped in different towns and got a flavor for local shops and foods. As we drove, the husband and wife team told us of El Salvador´s history and stories behind the natural landscape as we passed through it.

We arrived at the beachhouse - a lowprofile set of rooms with a couple of hammocks and the ocean. OH! THE OCEAN!! I absolutely delighted in body surfing the waves. I had no idea of the enormity and power of the ocean until I was right there in it, listening to the low roar crescendoing as the waves formed, blocking out all other sounds and then being pummeled as the waves crashed down on me, around me, sometimes tearing at my hair and swimsuit. I loved it!


(Hana BodySurfing)


(Kristen BodySurfing)

Right at sunset, a hundred pelicans appeared on the horizon, flying in formation. As they passed overhead, they turned and took roost in the two towering trees in the very middle of our beachhouse lot!

The next morning Kristen and I met up with the neighbor boy, Hector and jumped in his dug-out canoe. Kristen and I took turns paddling as Hector (who paddled the ENTIRE way) guided us through a maze of protected mangrove forest. We saw lots of fishermen out in their launches, either standing in their boats and throwing their nets into the air or submerged in the water with their spearguns. We watched fish called ¨Quatro Ojos¨ worm their way across the water like a mini-muskrat. We stopped at one mangrove island and with barefeet, we followed a little path through maiz (corn) and frijole(bean) fields until we came upon the residence of several campesinos (farmers). Upon meeting one of them by the name of Narcicio Garcia, he proceeded to pull out his machete and chop open three sweet coconuts for us to drink out of. He also handed each of us an aguacate (avocado), which Kristen was quite content to receive (a favorite food of hers).


(Kristen Paddling the Canoe)


(Hana Paddling the Canoe)

(Fishing net)

(Our tour guide)

That evening, Hector came by to see us on his way to play the usual sunset soccer game on the shore in front of our residence with his buddies. He invited us to play, so I grabbed my bright green soccer shorts (gracias Mary Slav!) and joined them down by the water. We played and we played HARD! I picked out one of the guys from the other team (Yermo) - he was quick and good (and I like a good challenge) - and I stayed on him for most of the game. There were several times that I outwitted him! (though not nearly as many as he outwitted me, but I like to celebrate small victories!) Once I kicked the ball up and over Yermo´s head when he was goalie. I even made three goals! I was quite impressed with these guys - my teammates often passed the ball to me, even when I had just messed up the play before. I really appreciated their playing ethic and I know that made a difference in my confidence and playing ability. (Beline, you would be proud of me. I imagined your delight if you were here with me. I know you would´ve been first in line to play, so inspired by that thought, I got right in there with the guys! We ladies gotta show these boys what soccer´s all about :). I can´t begin to count how many times I stopped in the midst of the game to remind myself that I was playing soccer on a beautiful beach at sunset in El Salvador. It just doesn´t get much better than this!

And then it did. After the game and under a bright starry sky, Hector took Yermo, KK, and I to his aunt´s house for Pupusa´s. (Pupusa´s are a traditional El Salvadorean food, made of cornmeal grilled with cheese, beans, or a variety of meats in the middle. Think quesadilla-ish. I have been craving these since before we arrived in El Salvador, but hadn´t had any yet). We arrived at the intersection of two dirt roads, where a table and a grill were set up to one side. Tia (aunt) Malina was busy making Pupusa´s at the grill, while the whole neighborhood hung around eating or chatting. I ate FIVE Pupusa´s! They were fresh and piping HOT! Heaven to me, I must confess. The moment when I felt most alive and in my element (aside from the entire evening) was when I was trying to get a point across at the dinner table with my broken, simple spanish, and everyone was laughing, even Tia Malina! The entire evening was a highlight because of the SPARK of connection I felt with the Salvadorean people, first with the soccer guys and then with this community gathered around the dinner table.

(Sunset Soccer)

There is something about El Salvador that has me in high-spirits, my body feels light, I´m chatting with the locals, overflowing with joy, laughing for no reason and constantly grinning from ear to ear. I feel intoxicated, but I haven´t had anything to drink. Except the water.

On our way back to San Salvador this afternoon, KK and I stopped by the University of Central America (La UCA) to see the memorials for Oscar Romero, six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her 16 year old daughter - all of whom were killed here in the 1980s because they stood up for the marginalized peoples of El Salvador and spoke truth to power. This is a whole other story that is important for me to tell you, but I will wait for another day.

Love and prayers,
Hana T.

Adventures and Misadventures from Xela to San Salvador

Made it to San Salvador, El Salvador! It is hot here and we read in the quide book that a lot of people get colds when they enter into this country...and I feel a cold coming on. Maybe it has to do that Xela, Guatemala was freezing, and when we caught the bus to El Salvador at 6:00 in the morning, Hana and I had to wear 6 layers and we could see our breath in the bus! It was crazy cold!

We got here last night, and are staying in some guest house from the guide book. This morning when we woke up, we got an offer to ride in the owner's car to their other guest house on the beach. So, we are hitting up that offer and off to the beach for a couple of days. Finally going to see the ocean again and maybe hit up the surf, or go in dug-out canoes through the Mangroove forest. Should be fun!

Thanks for the comments, Lisa, MATT, Kyla and Dad! It is a small world Kyla, and Ryan says hi! Also Lisa, I am totally up for that cookie making when I get home! Sorry Matt for not saying goodbye in San Pedro! Also, not sure why the pictures are not working on the last blog...I will try to fix that when we get back from the beach.

-Kristen

From Xela to San Salvador . . . adventures and misadventures:

For those of you who know Shasti Conrad, she´s a dynamite woman and fellow student from SEattle U! A couple weeks before we headed to Central America, SHasti found out I would be in Guatemala and suggested I look up an awesome guy by the name of Ryan Richards. Ryan has been living in Quetzaltenago (Xela), Guatemala working at a wonderful school that I will tell you more about later.
... So Ryan and I kept in contact and sure enough, KK and I headed out from language school to go visit him in Xela. Have you ever met someone who you feel at home with right off the bat and a sense of familiarity? Well that was Ryan. And to top it off, it turns out he´s from Coopville (where my dad spent a few years of his childhood) and Ryan went to school in Oak Harbor with KK´s lifelong friend Kyla, who we visited in Oak Harbor back in the day! small, small world.

Misadventures:
1. 5 hour long chicken bus ride from San Pedro to Xela -- we bumped along winding mountain roads (w/ INCREDIBLE VIEWS OF THE LAKE!), stopped in construction for a LONG time, found out skirts make for great roadside-pee-stops-attire, met 2 Germans on the bus, I got sick, couldn´t hardly standup once off the bus, luckily one of the Germans grabbed my bag and we walked the half hour to Central Park (near Ryan´s house). I spent two solid hours in the restaurant´s bathroom. And to top it all off, I missed the curb by the park and with All MY gear on (front and back), I slowly fell and sprawled out in the middle of a busy street. My bags were so heavy, I couldn´t move, so I opted for the alternative, which was to lay there and laugh until some Guatemalan women ran over to make sure I wasn´t broken.

2. Upon arrival in San Salvador, woke up in the middle of the night with a giant cockroach crawling on me! Yikes! Slept with the lights on while the creature skiddered back into the darkness under Kristen´s bed!!

Take care,
Hana T.

San Pedro Highlights

1. BESOS de los NIÑOS! (kisses from the kids) There was no opportunity to feel down in San Pedro because the LOVE of the children was everywhere! My host sister Sindy always had hugs and kisses to share whenever she saw me. While Kristen was posing [en Vogue) for the camera, an 8 year old bread vender by the name of Rosenda Rosalia, came over to me, sat in my lap and whispered into my ear how beautiful I was. She gave me lots of kisses while we kept KRisten entertained and in good spirits to look natural for the camera.

2. THERE WAS A BLACKOUT one night in the entire town of San Pedro. At that moment, I was walking along the cobble stone streets with my host mom, both of us in a traditional Mayan shawl, heading up the mountain to a FIESTA of Evangelical churches. Two things happened the moment the lights went out: first, the NIGHT SKY came alive at once, as the stars shone brightly and innumerably in the utter darkness. Second, my little host mom (we´re talking half the size of me), grabs my hand and we continue up the hill, walking hand in hand with her leading the way by memory. When we arrived at the church, all was still dark, but as we entered, we were met with the wonderful sounds of a live mariachi band - playing from memory in the dark!!! I was blown away! I had never expected a mariachi band at church, but why not!? The darkness made for a great ambiance and the fiesta of music and preaching was wonderfully entertaining. Groups of women, including my host mom, went up on stage to sing. I was struck by the beauty of the mayan women, especially the wrinkly old ladies up there singing their hearts out!

3. 7am MORNING SWIMS with uncle PEdro ... Every morning, my uncle pedro headed down to the lake to bathe and every day he asked me, are you going with me tomorrow?? Finally I said yes. As we headed down to the lake just past sunrise, I was surprised to see the rocky shoreline lined with mayan women washing their clothes and bathing in the water. I dove in and being in the water made a refreshing start to another wonderful day.

The new model for Gallo, Cerveza

(Hana looking out at the sunset in San Pedro)

Xela, Guatemala

We finished with Spanish school with great success. Our last night in San Pedro, I took my host family out to the bar for drinks and dinner. It was a joke throughout the week that I like to drink a lot, (due to the fact that I couldn't work the keys in the door, so I crashed at Hana's one night, making them think that I was so drunk I couldn't find my way home), so I invited them out. They took me up on it and we went to El Barrio, where I bought them beers and dinner. Afterwards, the two daughters snuck back out of the house and met Hana and I at the bar. Good times!

I feel that I have learned a lot of Spanish, or at least got my mind refreshed from the Spanish I did learn back in high school. Well, pretty much I am not timid anymore to at least try to speak the language. My mind was a lot more interested in the local Mayan language, and I learned some words which made my host family laugh. I felt like I was everyone's entertainment for the week.

In San Pedro we met with Anthony for lunch and he filmed us, maybe for part of the Discovery Channel show, or just for fun...but after filming us, he told me that I should be a model. Well, as some of you might know, that was always a secret dream of mine, to either model, be on TV, or even better, in the movies! So, Anthony is this great photographer and journalist, so he offered to take my picture to start my portfolio. That afternoon we had a photo session over looking the lake. It was amazing. At first I was so nervous and was thinking about ditching out, it was the high school shy Kristen that came out fo me again. But, I sucked it up and showed up. Anthony was great. He totally made me relax and hopefully we got some great pictures! He even offered to develop them and make a contact sheet for me. I was so lucky to meet him and run into this situation. Later, we went back to his hotel and talked about life...It was a great conversation. He is planning on writing an Angel book, about certain people's encounters. I am going to write up my story of Eric for him to publish. Amazing how life just works out. Anthony was so generous and I am very grateful to have this opportunity...plus it was a blast!

(Photo Shoot with Anthony)


Now we are in Xela, Guatemala visiting a friend of a friend that Hana knows. Ryan met up with us and is kindly letting us stay at his house, called the Yoga House. Yes, they do practice yoga there, but we haven't done it yet. Last night we went to the market and bought food for a huge community meal and ate like kings. A lot of the house mates helped cook...it was wonderful, but didn't feel like Guatemala, more like a college setting in the states. Another crazy small world connection is that Ryan is from Coupeville, Washington and went to the same highschool as Kyla, and actually knows her! Strange! Today we toured around Xela and are planning on heading to San Salvador, El Salvador tomorrow.

(Ryan, Hana and I at the Market in Xela)


Other crazy spanish language stories...We were having break at school, where we get to eat snacks and rest our brains. Well, when the teacher came to tell us it was break time, I said ¨Tengo hombre¨. All of the students and teachers laughed, but of course I didn't get it until they explained to me that I said ¨I have men¨. I meant to say ¨Tengo hambre¨, I'm hungry.

Also, Hana and I have talked about every subject possible, so how we are sitting around the table, like old women, soley talking about our aches and pains, and of course our bowel movements.

Life is Good,
Kristen

San Pedro Photos

Just a view of our lives in San Pedro:
(San Pedro, Guatemala - our CoeurdAlene away from home)

(Kristen´s casa)

(Hana´s Casa - just around the corner from KK and RIGHT NEXT to the restaurant/bar Jarachik, i.e. I fall asleep to great music until all hours of the night!)

(Chicken Bus barn in San Pedro)

(Casa Rosario garden language school - Hana's lesson with her Maestra, Flory)

(Kristina and her maestra, Christina! NOTICE the intense concentration on KK´s face)

(Hana and KK´s Chicken bus ride)

(And more chicken buses - this photo´s for you, Jim!!)

Mi Casa es Su Casa (My Home is Your Home)

Happiness IS . . . walking into Kristen's casa (which is a restaurant on the bottom floor, with a spiral cement staircase up to the sleeping quarters), chatting (in spanish) with her mom and sisters, and feeling quite at home coming in and out any time of the day.

Happiness IS . . . hearing Kristen's voice each morning say "Hanita!" as she walks right into my house and climbs the cement staircase to the roof, where the kitchen is, and joins my sisters and I around the firepit stove while my host mom (Olga) prepares my daily breakfast of a banana pancake and locally grown Guatemalan coffee!! Yesterday during lunch, my little sister Sindy was dancing around the kitchen with a green halloween mask on. In her surprise, Kristen tried to say "Miedo!" (which means Scary!), but instead, she said "Mierda!" (which means shit). That sent the whole family off in laughter for a long while! We are good entertainment for them. Kristen's family in particular delights in giving her a hard time and we feel all the more at home.

Happiness is NOT . . . Chicharron (pork rind). When it comes to food, I'm up for just about anything. HOWEVER, last night was the most difficult meal I have ever eaten. I was served a plate of beans, eggs and a big slab of "puerco" (pork). As I cut into the pork, I realized that it wasn't meat, it was skin. In the US, pork fat is sometimes used to flavor baked beans, but I had never experienced eating it as the main dish. No one in my family was eating with me last night, so I tried to politely ask them in spanish if I was supposed to eat the "puerco" or if it was only to flavor the beans. With my limited vocabulary, I got the hint that I was supposed to eat it, so . . . I started to choke it down, even though the texture was completely unappetizing to me. About halfway through, the neighbor's (live) pig started SQUEALING like crazy. That's when I had to call it quits. No mas Chicharron para mi!

I can´t begin to tell you what a small world I live in. Just moments ago, here at the internet cafe, I ran into a man by the name of Anthony Lobaido. (Megs and T-ra, can you believe it????) The first time I met him was in San Pedro, Belize in fall 2004. MEgan, Tara and I were sitting out on the balcony of Ruby´s hotel, when Anthony nearly fell down the stairs in awe of Megan´s striking beauty. He was in Belize doing a story on military training in the jungle (of which he actually participated in the training). Adventure is his life, and he is currently in San Pedro, Guatemala shooting a mini-adventure series for the Discovery channel. You can imagine the surprise just now when I recognized him, asked him his name, and then before he could answer, it came to me and I said "ANTHONY LOBAIDO!" He was stupefied. Kristen and I are meeting up with him tomorrow.

As Kristen and I are entering more fully into our spanish immersion, it is quite SHOCKING to sit back for a moment and realize that we are carrying on conversations in spanish and surviving each day IN SPANISH! It´s AMAZING!! On the other hand, as our spanish is improving, our english is muy malo (very poor). We are forgetting how to say things in english. For example, yesterday we could not remember the english word for "piña" (pineapple). Our friends here tell us this is a good sign! :)

We send you our love! We have two more days of language school (and homework)and then are headed to Xela, Guatemala to visit the friend of a friend. And so it goes.

La paz (peace),
Hana T.

San Pedro, Guatemala Versus San Pedro, Belize

There is no comparison, only that they are both surrounded by water. San Pedro, Guatemala reminds me a bit of Coeur d´Alene due to the fact of the fresh water lake...it smells like CdÁ.

We made it to San Pedro, Guatemala...chicken bus from Anitqua to Chimal (1 hour), Taxi to Panajachel (2.5 hours), Water taxi to San Pedro (20 minutes), and then after walking around lost for 30 plus mintues, we got another taxi to Casa Rosario, which still left us lost...but eventually we found our spanish school. Last night we weren´t able to move into our host families house, but we stayed at the dorms that the school owns. We found the Buddha bar, which is fairly close to the school, and hung out there for hours last night, eating, drinking and watching ¨Big Fish¨ projected onto the wall. It is COLD HERE! I was freezing in my long pants and warmest long sleeve on. It must be the altitude that is making this place so cold...but the plus side to that is there are no bugs! During the day, the temperature is around 75-80 in the sun, but in the shade it is cold! Maybe I have just climatized to Belize weather and the humidity, who knows! Today´s goal is to find some warmer clothes, maybe a blanket.

We woke up this morning around 7 am to make it to our host families houses for breakfast at 7:30. Both Hana and I ate a pancake, which tasted so good! I live with Maria, who owns a restaurante just down the street from Hana, who lives with Manuel and Olga. At breakfast, I struggled to make conversation, but pretty much was silent. Our 4-hour spanish class was good. I am put with Christina (due to the fact that we both have the same name, as everyone here calls me Christina). She is 20 years old and has two jobs. She has never travelled outside of Guatemala and has lots of sisters. She likes to swim, cook, and is afraid of snakes. Pretty much we got the basics down in the 4 hours, all the small talk you can think of. Tomorrow I am told that we are going to work on verbs. Much needed, since I only have two in my vocabulary. My head is going ¨loca¨ with trying to come up with the spanish translation to my english mind. We will see if this week will help!

I ate lunch back at my host families restaurante, and ate chicken, mashed potatoes, y ensalada. I sat with Rosa, who is 19 and works in the laundrymat. Pretty much that is all I know of her, other than she used to work in Max Pizza shop. It is hard to be immersed in Spanish, solemente speaking spanish.

Off to go shopping and tour the town with Hana until 6, when dinner will be served. Talk to you in a few days!

Dad- The Chicken Buses are converted school buses that the locals use to get from one place to another...We took pictures and will post them another time.

Christina

Photo Recap

San Pedro, Belize.
Sailing adventures with Danny and Capt. David on the 44 ft catamaran. Snorkeling at ShaRK/RAY alley.
*Kristen and the Ray*

*I believe I can fly*

Headed to San Ignacio in Western Belize with our London buddy Chris. We got dropped off along the highway and started our trek into Clarissa Falls, the cattle ranch out in the Belize countryside.
*Walking into Clarissa Falls*

Cave ADventure near San Ignacio: ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL
*Cave Entrance*


*Kristen manuevering through cave*

*In the Cave with my Homies*

We had some time just sitting deep within the cave before viewing the bone remains. With everyone gathered around in a circle, I started beatboxing the tune 'At The Club with my Homies' but I changed the words to 'in the cave with my homies!' One of our tour buddies was excited and said 'Now this is what I call true UNDERGROUND hiphop!" ha!

*Mayan pottery, left as it was found*

*Stalactites and stalagmite formations near the grand chamber*

*Chris, Hana, Kristen prior to swimming out of the cave*

*Cave Exit*

And now we are in Antigua, Guatemala, hanging out with our new friend MaTT. He took us on a dessert adventure last night and while hunting for cheesecake, we came across the central park decked out in white Christmas lights. AFter dessert we had a mini fireworks show!! As soon as I finish this entry, the three of us are heading to San Pedro, Guatemala for this upcoming week of language school!
*Matt, Kristen Hana in Central Park, Antiqua*

Kristen's Entry, "When all Else Fails, Just Laugh"

I am amazed by our journey so far. I was spoiled by the cruise I went on before this trip, and the two wonderful weeks in San Pedro, Belize. We were taken into the community of San Pedro, and it was so comfortable. It was relaxing and down right just fun! We got to know people more than just their skin surface, and made some new quality friends. I couldn't have asked for a better time, and great way to kick off the journey.

After leaving the island, we were into the hustle and bustle of the world. We had to get from here to there in one day, and on our own. It is amazing how small you can feel. Thankfully we met another co-heart in crime to help us get to San Ignacio, and spend a couple days with us so we found another small community to help us transition. I have to admit, I was feeling a little down and out, and not really social. I was bummed about leaving San Pedro, but with seeing new sights and some crazy adventures...I got into this part of the trip...real traveling and exploring. The Mayan Ruins, Cave Spelunking, and crazy bus rides are a trip. Sometimes I could only sit and laugh at where we are and how we got there. Times would be so hectic, that is all we could do. For an example, when we were trying to exchange money and buy the bus ticket to Guatemala City, Hana and I were at such a lost for spanish words and translations that we just lost it in front of the poor sap. We made it though...

People just tend to come into our travels at just the right time. I keep thinking to myself...it is amazing how things just work out. Meeting Chris traveling to San Ignacio, helping us decide on what to do the next day. Elsa, for explaining that the taxi from San Ignacio to Tikal is the best option, (which saved us some huge hassle at the Guatemalan boarder). Adrian and his buddy on our all night bus ride from Flores to Guatemala City, who saved our butts at 6:00 in the dark scary morning...helping us catch a taxi to the next chicken bus to Antiqua and pointing us in the right direction in town...and our new friend Matt, who helps us navigate Antiqua and finding our Hostel. People just happen to come at the right time to guide us where we need to go.

So here we are in Antiqua, Guatemala. It is a beautiful city that reminds me a lot of European towns. There is the cobble roads and the cute little cafes all over the place. Not to mention, the three huge volcanos that surround the town...one being active! I am a little sad that we don't get to explore this area some more...but we are in DIRE need to go to this language school in San Pedro, Guatemala. School starts on Monday, and we are taking tomorrow to travel from Antiqua to San Pedro, which includes more chicken buses and a water taxi. We have a full week in San Pedro, living with our own separate host families and our own private spanish teacher...one on one help. I am excited and nervous for our next adventure. I can't wait to spend a full week in another place, to get to know the community, but very nervous to be apart from Hana and learning Spanish. As one friend told me...when you feel yourself becoming too comfortable...change something. So, I am changing and going out and immersing myself into the culture. Stepping outside of the box.

Hopefully the next time I write...it will be full of spanish words!

Also, a welcome to all my new friends who are added to this e-mail and blog!

Hasta Luego,
Kristina

Hana{s Entry, "When all else fails, just take a chicken bus!¨

If there was one piece of consistent advice that friends gave me for this trip, it was to AVOID SECOND-CLASS NIGHT BUSES!!!

Well, after a LONG night and day of (unintentionally) traveling the Guatemalan highway (CA13) on second-class NIGHT buses and chicken buses, Kristen and I have arrived safely in Antigua, Guatemala - a very beautiful town surrounded by volcanoes. By the grace of God, our connections and transitions thoughout the entire trip thus far have been timely and smooth. And people keep showing up in our lives at exactly the right moments. On our night bus, two young German guys somehow knew we were headed to Antigua, so they took us under their wing when we arrived in Guatemala City at 5 o'clock this crazy mawnin and quickly got us the heck out of the city to Antigua. We are now settled into the Black Cat hostel with a new friend, Matt (from Seattle) - my first experience of communal hostel living!!

To back track a bit . . .
So we left San Pedro with broken hearts . . . much like leaving family back home. There was hardly a spare moment as we caught the water taxi and bus to San Ignacio. We were dropped off along the highway in Belize alongside a sign that said "Clarissa Falls" and pointed several miles down an old country dirt road. The three of us walked along in the glowing evening light and found ourselves in the midst of a herd of free roaming humpback cattle. Upon arrival at the ranch, nestled in alongside one of Belize's rivers, we met the owner Chena. She is a dear friend of Gary Chamberlain and the Seattle University students. It turns out that right now is the busiest season for Clarissa Falls, but when Chena heard that I was associated with Gary and SU, she said she just couldn{t turn us away!! (Gary - Chena sends her love and wants you to know that they will miss you dearly, but are excited for you in wherever it is that your journey leads.) ANd thank you to all my SU buddies who encouraged me to stay at Clarissa Falls - it was a new adventure for me in Belize.

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) - a compelling cave tour - hands-on and AWE-inspiring every step of the way... to SWIM parts of the way, clambor through narrow passageways, climb rock elevators, ascend ladders up to burial sites deep within the cave, turning out our lights and sitting in the utter darkness for a few moments of silence... I am intrigued by the Mayan culture. Mindful of their history and curious about the mysterious collapse of their dynasty. Mindful that this cave was sacred space for them - it appears that sacrifical offerings were made, with bones remaining from both infant and adult sacrifices. Traces of fire pits in the great chamber. Was there dancing? What rituals occurred here and why? Do spirits still dwell in here? Approximately thirty tourists are allowed in the cave per day. Yet the Mayans do not eagerly enter - the space is intimately entwined with their heritage, yet I wonder why they do not return... if it is out of respect or fear of what occurred in the caves, or what presence remains in the caves? I do not know, but I wonder. At first encounter, the cave was seemingly lifeless, but as we began to explore and observe, I noticed life energy throughout - bats, crickets, spiders, WATER, energy continues to circulate - to create and destroy - stalactites and stalagmites are forming as we speak, though very SLOWLY (1/16th inch/yr) and bat guano slowly dissolves large bat holes into the limestone that are scattered spontaneously throughout the chamber ceilings. It is it's own ecosystem, very much alive. I can't believe I was allowed to be a witness.

Hablas Espanol?? Aye Aye Aye!

(New Years!)

New years Eve was spent pretty low key. San Pedro was sooo packed with tourists that we couldn't even move in our local bar, Fidos...we spent the turn of the new year in beach chairs watching the stars...keeping away from the noisy scene. Agh...just as well...that is exactly how I wanted it! New years day was spent all day pool side soaking up the last rays!

(Hana and the rest of our buddies in San Pedro!)

(Last night in San Pedro...our new friends)

So we have left San Pedro, and are now in San Ignacio, Belize. San Pedro was amazing...and it was very very very difficult to leave. I can't explain it all due to the fact that I don't have free Internet anymore...but let's just say it was the time of my life! We caught the water taxi at 11:30 am...with a direct boat to Belize City. But, just 10 minutes left on the boat ride...it broke down...We were stranded in the open ocean. It only took them 10 minutes to fix it and we were back on our way. We walked our way to the bus station, and happened upon catching the bus just as we arrived...amazing how that happens. But again...just a few miles out of town...one of the tires blew...must have not been that bad because we didn't stop or slow down. Crazy! We met Chris, from London, on the bus we he decided to join us at Clarissa Falls Resort just outside of San Ignacio for the night. It was beautiful there!

(Chris, our new friend from London...just as we got to the Clarissa Falls turn off road...)

The next day...we came into town and tried to figure things out. It took us awhile to decide if we were going to go this cave tour...or go to Rio Dulce in Guatemala...because we had to pick one or other other due to time. So...I finally made the executive decision to do the cave tour the next day and skip out on Rio Dulce. We booked the tour with Chris and made our way to some local Mayan Ruins in town. They were awesome! It felt like I was back in Europe looking at the old castle ruins! Crazy how we don't have anything that old in the states! The energy of these old places is so unique and all three of us ended up sitting in the quite for awhile...reflecting. After getting eatin' alive by bugs...we headed out.

(The new "trio" at some ruins in San Ignacio)

Oh...the ATM Cave tour was well worth it! Amazing and I don't quite have enough time to explain all that is to be explained. We crossed the river three times by foot...had to literally swim into the cave entrance...once inside, we had to swim, crawl, climb, and maneuver through all these intricate caverns, while hiking upstream. Something that would never be allowed in the states! We got to see many mayan pottery that was still located where it was found...and old bones! It was crazy!

(Mayan Skeleton)

(Just before enter the Cave!)


So...with running out of time...I will say that we are heading out of Belize tomorrow...and off to Tikal Guatemala for some more ruins...I guess the biggest around! Tomorrow night we are staying in Flores, Guatemala...eventually making our way to San Pedro, Guatemala to our Language School starting on the 8th. Goodbye beautiful Belize and welcome to Guatemala! I am ready for some cheaper costs, but I sure will miss Belize! Agh...how will we survive the Spanish?