joshuakickenson

[joshuakickenson]

3/7- This morning I took a tour at 6:30am through Rio Lagartos Natural Park. It was a beautiful tour down the river watching a variety of birds and other animals. This area is extremely rich in wildlife, with a wide variety from crocodiles to flamingos. There were so many different types of interesting birds like pelicans and a lot of other birds that they guide told me the name of but I forget since it was all in Spanish and I have a hard enough time remembering birds names in English. This area reminded me a lot of the Everglades in Florida, with the diversity of wildlife and the crocodiles. The flamingos were the big attraction. There were so many feeding in the shallow area of the river. Flamingos are such interesting and beautiful animals. They were so colorful, and when they flew they looked like pink missiles with wings. We stayed watching them for awhile. They didn't seem to be afraid as they let us get pretty close. The other attraction in this area is obviously the colored water. The area we saw, the water wasn't the pink I had seen the day before in the lagoon, but more of a yellowish-brown color. The guide said it had to do with the amount of salt in the water from the plant. It was still very interesting to see, especially contrasted with the greenish color of the water in the river right next to it. On the way back, we stopped to see multiple crocodiles we passed, and also went to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico that was deserted except for a fishing boat right off the beach. It was beautiful, with clear light green colored water making for a unique look just like the rest of this area. When I got back from this tour, my whirlwind 3 days in the Yucatán peninsula was done. I got to see a lot of what I had planned, though there is much more that I missed or that I didn't spend as much time as I would like at. Hopefully I'll have a chance to get back to Mexico to explore more, but even with just touching the surface the past 3 days was amazing.

[joshuakickenson]

3/6- After breakfast I left Tulum for my first stop at Choo-ha Cenote. I wish I could've spent some more time in Tulum, but with only 3 days in Yucatán I have to keep moving if I want to see the things I want to see. Choo-ha Cenote is a lesser known Cenote than the bigger ones like Gran Cenote but I was told it was worth a visit, and I thought it would be nice to experience a Cenote without the crowds. It was definitely worth it. I had it all to myself, and it was beautiful. This one was different than Gran Cenote because it was completely underground. It was really cool to swim around in a lake in a completely underground cave, with small black fish swimming around me, bats flying overhead, and stalactites and stalagmites above and below. After Choo-ha, I drove towards Vallodolid, and decided to visit a slightly more well known Cenote called Dzitnup. This was also a completely underground Cenote, but it had a circular hole above the lake letting in light, making a beautiful effect on the water. Not only were the stalagmite and stalactite formations all around, but there were rope looking things hanging down from the top over the water. I'm not sure what they were, but maybe they're roots from trees above, stretching down for water. They don't quite hit the water so that might not make sense. Either way, they add to the beautiful and unique look of this Cenote. I went swimming around, and was surrounded by very unafraid black fish. The water was deeper, and being an underground cave there wasn't much light away from the hole letting in sunlight, so there wasn't as much visibility for snorkeling, but swimming around was a lot of fun. After Dzitnup, I went to Vallodolid, a town in the center of Yucatán known for its proximity to many cenotes. It even has one walking distance away, so after eating I went to check out Cenote Zaci. It started pouring before I got there but the nice thing about going to cenotes is once you're in, you don't have to worry about the weather. This Cenote was more open, which was actually pretty cool with the rain as I stood in the cave under stalagtites looking out at the rain pouring down on the water. The Cenote had a path all the way around, so I got to see it from every angle. After it stopped raining and I was ready to move on, I drove to Las Coloradas, a small town on the north coast of Yucatán, on the Gulf of Mexico. Las coloradas is known for, and named for, its beautiful pink lagoon. This was one of my top reasons to come to the Yucatán, as I always thought it looked so cool and unique. It didn't disappoint me. The lagoon is pink because of a salt factory by it that has increased the amount of salt in the lagoon to the point where the reaction caused the lagoon to turn pink. Just like the silt from rocks grinding due to the movement of glaciers caused the spectacular turquoise blue color of the lakes in Alberta, Canada, the salt here causes a reaction making the water a dazzling pink. The salt factory is still running, and it was amazing seeing the humongous mounds of salt. They looked like snow capped mountains, except completely white. It was kind of beautiful. The pink lagoon was the main attraction though, and I couldn't get enough of it. It was hard to get a picture that showed how pink it really is. I had the same problem when taking pictures of the lakes in Banff national park in Canada. Las coloradas also has beautiful white sand beaches, so I hung out there for awhile until sunset. I went back to the pink lagoon to watch the sun set over it. It was beautiful. But without the sun shining straight down on it the lagoon didn't look as pink. The sunset made up for that though.

[joshuakickenson]

3/1- I left Honduras at 1am and arrived back in the US, in Fort Lauderdale, for the first time in 4 months. It was a little weird to be back. The biggest culture shock was being able to talk to people in English. Honestly though, there was almost as much Spanish in Florida as in Honduras. It was nice because I actually got a lot of opportunities to use my Spanish to help people out who were now in the position I had been for 4 months, a foreigner who doesn't know how to get around and doesn't speak the local language fluently. I was only back in the US for the day, but I made the most of it, going to visit my grandpa and spending some quality one on one time with him. Afterwards, I went back to the airport and caught my flight to Mexico City. I wasn't sure what to expect out of Mexico City. I was only going because I got a free flight, including hotel room for 2 nights, so I thought I might as well. 3/2- I got into Mexico City at 1am, and didn't get to my hotel until almost 2am. I hadn't slept the night before almost at all due to the 1-5am flight, so I was exhausted. I crashed immediately. I woke up refreshed and went out to explore Mexico City. I started out with the famous Chapultepec Park, the largest urban green space in Latin America. It wasn't quite Central Park in New York, but it was a fun place to explore. I went to the National History Museum in the park, also known as el Castillo de Chapultepec. It was actually a palace, and it had beautiful views and gardens that made it a lot of fun to explore. After that I walked around the park, and had a nice lunch of chicken burritos in the park. I went exploring some more after lunch, taking the amazingly cheap metro (5 pesos gets you anywhere) to the historic center. Alameda Central Park is beautiful, which I really appreciate while looking down on it from the viewpoint at the top of el Torre Latinoamericano. Before I got there, though, a street performer, with a large crowd around him watching, spotted me and pulled me into the middle, where he started making jokes about my being a gringo and especially about me being American. The crowd responded especially well to his joke about how I should go back to the other side of the wall. It was fun, though, and it was actually the second street act I was a part of that day. Earlier, at Chapultepec park, pretty much the same thing happened, though with a much smaller crowd. It was a little embarrassing being the butt of jokes in front of large groups of people but it was all in good fun and was a cool experience. I got up to the top of el Torre Latinoamericano a little before sunset. The view was amazing as usual on these big city skyscraper viewpoints, but it was a little sad to see how polluted Mexico City is, as the fog was very obvious. With a city of over 20 million people, it's not that surprising however. I stayed for the sunset, which was a good decision. Watching it set over Alameda park, el Palacio de Bellas Artes and the city skyline was beautiful. I stayed even longer to wait until it got dark and the lights came out, and that was a good choice too as the city took on a completely different look, and it was fun to watch the large fountains in the park lit up in different colors for the night.

[joshuakickenson]

2/26- Today I went on a tour to Punta Sal, about 45 minutes by boat from Tela. I had never heard of it before, but it was one of the top day tours from Tela so I decided to see what it was like. I'm very glad I did. It might be my favorite place I've been so far in all of Central America. Punta Sal is an untouched natural area with beautiful beaches backed by jungle teaming with wildlife. I was the only English speaker on the tour, as Tela is more of a beach getaway for locals, so everyone else on the tour was Honduran. It was a good excuse to practice my Spanish, and I was able to easily understand everything the tour guide was saying. I'm glad I did because it was very interesting. The tour guide told us that the jungle was home to jaguars, tigers and panthers, and they are regularly caught on night cameras throughout the jungle. We had nothing to worry about, though, walking in a group during the day. There was a funny moment when the tour guide showed us a tree that is named the tourist tree because it reacts to the sun by getting darker and peeling. Everyone looked at me as the example. An interesting fact I learned was when the tour guide pointed out a tree that had what looked like small bananas on it, and told us that the bananas we know today are the result of genetic modifications that started with the fruit we were looking at. The bananas we know today were first introduced in Honduras, which is why Honduras is also known as the original Banana Republic. During our hike, we saw a lot of monkeys. I actually spotted the first one, but as I was pointing it out other people started noticing many more in the trees above. They were howler monkeys, the "T-Rex monkeys" just like I had seen and heard in Tikal, known for their howl. They are very territorial, so it was fun making noise and hearing them respond louder to try to outdo us. It was really cool because there were so many of them and they were so close, so it was loud and you could see them howling. After a bit, we came to Playa Escondido. This is a cove that was well known for pirates. In fact, parts of Pirates of the Carribean were filmed there. The rest of the hike was fun and informative. We saw more monkeys and some cool spiders, and the scenery was beautiful. I was talking to our guide, and it turns out he had lived in Atlantic City, New Jersey since he was 13 and was only back in Honduras because there were problems with his immigration papers. He has married a German-American woman, and had 2 kids, but he had to come back to Honduras while his papers were being approved. They should have been , but 3.5 years later he's still waiting to get back to his life in the US. He was saying how difficult it is for him, as his family and friends are all in the US, and even though he lived in Honduras until he was 13, it doesn't feel like home to him. He also said it's hard making a living, with pay being much lower than even low pay in the US. I've had many conversations while in Honduras with people who have lived in the US or have friends who have, and the problems they face. None of them want to immigrate illegally, but the US immigration process is so slow and broken, that you have situations where a man from New Jersey who considers himself American and has a family there is stuck in Honduras just waiting hoping he can someday go back. I understand the opposing viewpoint about illegal immigration, but I wish that everyone could have the chance to travel in Honduras or other parts of Central and South America, and meet people going through the struggles caused by the American immigration system. It's not nearly as simple as many people want to believe. On a lighter note, when we finished the hike, we got back on the boat to head to Playa Cocalito. It was a beautiful ride, and I could see how Pirates of the Caribbean had been filmed here as looking around I felt like I could be in the movie. Playa Cocalito was, as great as everything else had been, the highlight of the day. It is the perfect beach. The perfect clear Carribean water you see on Caribbean vacation ads, palm trees providing shade for the hammocks swinging between them. Amazing snorkeling right off the beach. And the jungle to back it all up. I had a great time swimming, snorkeling, relaxing in the hammock and taking lots of pictures. I am so glad I came to Tela and took this tour to Punta Sal. I feel like a found a hidden gem, known to the locals in Honduras but not tourists from abroad. Tela is said to have potential to be the next Cancun if the tourist infrastructure is built up, and nearby attractions like Punta Sal are a big reason why. If Honduras can improve its reputation for being unsafe and build up the tourist infrastructure structure in Tela, I think Punta Sal and this area could become much more popular in the future.

[joshuakickenson]

2/25- I made a spontaneous decision this morning to go to Tela for the last few days until my flight leaves San Pedro Sula, instead of spending then in La Ceiba. Tela is known among locals as a great beach destination, it has beautiful natural areas surrounding it, and it is directly on the way to San Pedro Sula so it just made sense. I walked to the bus station and caught the chicken bus for the 1.5 hour drive to Tela. The city wasn't much to look at, but the real attraction is the beach and surrounding areas. I spent the afternoon on the beach, enjoying the sun. The Tela municipal beach is a very large and long beach, which was a nice change from the small beaches I had gotten used to in Utila and San Blas. It reminded me of the beaches I spent 3 months living by in Ecuador. The beach here is covered in palm trees for shade and plenty of soft sand. There is a pier, similar to the one in La Ceiba, that goes out into the water that was perfect for watching the sunset. The sunsets over the Carribean Sea from the Honduran coast have all been wonderful, as the contrast between the mountainous land and beautiful sea is a great recipe for a sunset.

[joshuakickenson]

2/22- I took the ferry back to La Ceiba today, leaving Utila behind. I had not planned to spend any time in La Ceiba, as I had never really heard of it as anything more than the gateway to the bay islands before, but it is also the gateway to pico bonito national park and other surrounding beautiful natural areas. After a week on the island, I'm looking forward to exploring the mountains and rivers. After checking into my hostel, I didn't do much but get some food from the supermarket, but I still had an interesting experience there. I ran into a guy who happened to have lived in the Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda area, working in construction, for 17 years. He's back in Honduras now because he lost his green card. I had an interesting conversation with him, and not only did it stand as another example of how small the world is, but it was also a different perspective of the current political situation in the US. While he said he was struggling financially now that he's back in Honduras, he said he doesn't hate the US or Donald Trump, because he is just doing what he thinks is right. He talked about how relatively good it was in the US, and how now he struggles not to drink because there doesn't seem to be any way out of his situation. It was sad, as he worked hard in the US and was making a living, but since being deported he has no hope. It shows the struggles of people who feel they have no options in life unless they can get to the US. Back at the hostel, while making dinner I started talking to a girl from Belgium in French. It was nice to be able to practice my French again, though it showed me that I have some work to do to get it back to where it was as I struggled to keep Spanish out of the conversation. After 4 months of speaking Spanish almost exclusively my brain is struggling to separate french from Spanish. It was an interesting conversation though, as she is working at the hostel in exchange for a place to sleep, and has been doing that for 4 months traveling through Central America. That is something I have thought of doing, and it was nice to pick her brain about how it's been working for her. 2/23: This morning I found the bus terminal and took the bus to El Pino, a small town from where I was told I could find the entrance to Pico Bonito National Park. I thought it would be easy to find, but this national park is nothing like American national parks in terms of tourism infrastructure. I asked at a food stand where to find the entrance to the park, and a man was nice enough to give me a ride on his motorcycle to a store where there was a map and where I could get a tour guide. I told them I didn't want a tour guide, and they were very understanding and gave me detailed directions to get to the park entrance. Everyone has been so helpful every time I need help throughout Central America. It's become a theme of my trip, not knowing what I would do if I didn't speak Spanish and being helped by locals who are more and willing to go above and beyond. With their directions, I went found the entrance. It was not very well labeled, and I had to walk on a path 2km on someone's farmland to get to it. I wasn't even sure it was the right place until someone saw me and said it cost 185 lempiras to get into the park. I wouldn't have even believed him if I didn't already know that it was true, as there was no booth or official area to buy a ticket, and there was no receipt. After paying, I went on a great hike up the mountain and through the beautiful jungle to a beautiful waterfall. I climbed to the top of the waterfall, and then hung out on the rocks at the bottom of it for awhile, eating lunch, reading and just relaxing completely on my own with my personal waterfall. It wasn't the most beautiful view or waterfall I've ever seen, but the fact that I was completely alone with no other tourists around or anything made it extremely relaxing and a special experience. I got a bus back to La Ceiba, and walked around for a bit before heading over to el Muelle Turistico, a large dock out into the ocean that they had recommended at the hostel as a great place to see the sunset. They were right. Sunsets are always better over water, and the view here has the added benefit of the mountains on one side of the sun and the ocean stretching out on the other.

[joshuakickenson]

2/15-2/22: It has been a fun and interesting experience on the island of Utila over the past week and a half. I have become certified as a scuba diver, met many interesting people and enjoyed the unique nightlife of Utila. The Utila Dive Center, where I took my course, has its own culture, as many people stay on Utila working and learning there for extended periods. One night there was a BBQ, at which a ceremony was performed for the graduating "divemasters", where an embarrassing or interesting story was shared about each one of them, before they were given a snorkel and mask into which beer and liquor and even sometimes raw egg were poured like a beer bong until they couldn't drink anymore. It was a fun tradition, and the stories were all very interesting. After the BBQ almost everyone continued on to a bar that included a large dock going out into the ocean where you could dance, drink and hang out. It was a fun experience, especially with the sky completely clear, being on an island in the Caribbean Sea, so I could see every star. The dive center organized a lot of fun activities, and seems like a fun place to stay, especially if you enjoy diving. I successfully finished my certification after 5 days, which was great. The day after I got to do my fun dives, which was great to just swim around and not have to worry about practicing skills. Just enjoying the underwater world. We saw a lot of colorful fish, even some huge dolphin fish that they don't see very often. Overall, it was a great experience learning to dive in Utila. The only problem with Utila is that there's not too much else to do on the island. Other than eating tons of cheap baleadas, which are great. There's only 2 real accessible beaches on the island. I hiked across the island one day to get to pumpkin hill beach, which I had completely to myself which was nice. As much as I loved the diving, I'm looking forward to heading back to La Ceiba to enjoy Pico Bonito national park and the other attractions on the mainland.

[joshuakickenson]

2/13- My shuttle to La Ceiba, Honduras, to catch the ferry to Utila, came to pick me up at 2am this morning for a long ride. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it was so much cheaper and more convenient than flying to San Pedro Sula. It was a pretty miserable ride, as I had trouble sleeping at all with the altitude change popping my ears and constant bumps in the road. But the driver was driving fast, and we were at the Honduran border in the north of Guatemala by 7:30am, way ahead of schedule. We got to La Ceiba without any trouble, and ahead of schedule. I still had to wait a few hours for the ferry to Utila, so I took advantage of the time buying a Honduran SIM card with Tigo and getting it figured out. It's pretty complicated but I decided it would but nice to have phone service for my 2 weeks here after relying exclusively on wifi for the past 4 months. When I got to Utila, I checked in to Mango Inn and walked around a bit to get my bearings. I bought some food at the grocery store, had dinner and got to sleep nice and early. After not sleeping almost at all on the night shuttle the night before, it was great to be back in a bed able to sleep through the night. 2/14- I woke up this morning with no plans but to explore. I found a nice small place to eat breakfast, brought my laundry to a local laundromat and got some money from the ATM. After taking care of my "errands", I went walking around to explore the island. I found a beautiful public beach called Chepes beach not too far away and hung out there awhile reading, relaxing and eating. The water here is as clear and blue as promised. After relaxing for awhile, I headed over to Utila Dive Center, where I will be starting my dive course tomorrow. Everyone there is so friendly, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better as well as learning to dive over the next 2 weeks.

[joshuakickenson]

2/11- This morning first thing I took a shuttle to Lake Atitlan. I almost didn't come, but I had heard from so many people how beautiful it was that I decided I had to see it for myself. I am very glad that I did. Our shuttle driver stopped at a viewpoint for us, before getting to Panajachel, the town on the lake where we could catch boats to our accommodation. The view was stunning, with the enormous blue lake surrounded by volcanoes. I've seen some beautiful lakes, from the beautiful lakes of Banff National Park in Canada to Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and Lake Atitlan is just as beautiful. I had decided to splurge and got myself a hotel room on the lake. It was only $40, so not outrageous, especially for what I got. The room had a beautiful view of the lake, and had its own private dock, meaning it was calm and peaceful, exactly what I was looking for for my 2 days on the lake. I went snorkeling, read in the hammocks, went for a short hike to the nearby small town of Jaibalito and just enjoyed my time away from everything. It's weird to think that this feels like a vacation, since it's part of my larger trip, but it's so peaceful here it really feels like a break from the stresses that come with travel. The sunset was beautiful, though my view from this hotel is probably more suited for the sunrise, so I'm looking forward to waking up early tomorrow morning to see that. 2/12- After getting a good nights sleep at the beautiful La Casa Del Munro hotel, I woke up early to catch the sunrise. It was pretty cloudy and foggy, so it wasn't what I had hoped, but it was still nice to be out on the dock of Lake Atitlan as the light started to slowly illuminate the beautiful lake. I decided to have breakfast at the hotel, as this was the easiest option and a friend had recommended specifically the breakfasts st Casa Del Mundo as being very good. She was not mistaken. I enjoyed my breakfast, and then packed up my backpack to check out. I made plans with Martin to meet up with him in San Marcos, a small town where he was staying on the lake very popular for people interested in yoga, vegetarianism and healthy living. First, I walked about 30 minutes on a trail to the nearby town of Santa Cruz. The views on the trail were incredible, and even that short hike was a great start to my day. I didn't spend much time in Santa Cruz, heading straight down to the dock to catch the boat to San Marcos. I met up with Martin at his hostel, and we went over to a nearby cafe to meet up with some other people he had met the night before. We had a good bilingual conversation, with 2 Canadians, a Colombian, an Argentina and me, an American. In another edition of "what a small world", the Colombian girl lived in Silver Spring, MD for a year while in the states, so we talked about specific places in the area we both knew. What are the chances of meeting a Colombian in Guatemala who lived in the same exact place I grew up? After hanging out for a bit, the girls and Martin headed over to San Pedro while I took a boat back to Panajachel to catch a shuttle to Antigua. I wish I could've stayed longer on Lake Atitlan, but hopefully I'll get a chance to return someday. Tonight at 2am I take a shuttle to La Ceiba, Honduras, where I will then go by boat to Utila, where I will be spending 2 weeks learning to dive, kayaking, snorkeling, relaxing on the beach and culminating my time in Central America. As much as I love to travel, it can be tiring and stressful at times, and I am very much looking forward to staying in one place for 2 weeks.

[joshuakickenson]

2/10- I arrived this morning in Antigua off the night bus from Flores. I was able to sleep surprisingly well on the bus, so it didn't feel like such a long trip. I met a traveler from Australia on the shuttle to Antigua from the bus station, and we went to have breakfast together before checking in to our hostels. I had a relaxing morning, walking around Antigua and reading, before a tour to Pacaya Volcano. The tour was supposed to be at 2, but they were late and I ended up getting to the volcano very late. It was still an enjoyable experience, though I may have missed out on some views when it got dark. It was also very cloudy, obscuring the views. The views I did see were amazing, especially the view at sunset. The top of the volcano was also very interesting. It's last large eruption was 3 years ago in 2014 (it had a major, much larger eruption in 2010). We saw the remnants of the 2014 eruption in the form of cold lava, which looked like black rock covering a large area on the volcano. It was interesting, as the guy showed me that every hole in the lava there was heat seeping out. Below the surface, it was still extremely hot even years later. If you stuck your hand too far down into the hole you could burn yourself. It was also hot enough to quickly roast a marshmallow, which we did and enjoyed. I hope to one day get to see hot, flowing lava, but this was still a fun and interesting experience.

[joshuakickenson]

2/9- This morning I left early in the morning for the 4:30am tour to the ancient Mayan city of Tikal. Tikal is about an hour and a half from Flores, where I was staying, and we got there around dawn. We had a great tour guide, who was very knowledgeable and kept his eyes open for animals, pointing them out on the many occasions he spotted them. We saw spider monkeys, howler monkeys, toucans, parrots and other birds. The howler monkeys especially were very interesting. They really howl, making a very loud throaty noise that sounds exactly like the T-Rex from the first Jurassic Park. I say exactly because the sound of the howler monkeys is what Steven Spielberg used for the T-Rex in that movie. Other than the animals, the big attraction was obviously the Mayan pyramids. And they didn't disappoint. I'm not really a huge history person, or particularly interested in architecture, but seeing these amazing structures built 2000 years ago, partnered with the history of the society that built them, was very interesting. The city had a population of over 90,000 when they abandoned it, probably due to lack of food and water brought upon by massive deforestation, kind of like major cities today. Many call Tikal the New York City of its time, as it is the largest Mayan city, and it also built its city up without regard for the nature that once called the area home. It's interesting, as seeing Tikal today it is practically part of the jungle, as trees and moss have grown on and around the buildings, and the animals have moved back in. I'm the Mayan times, however, there were no trees in the city, much like many cities today. An interesting thing our tour guide told us is that Tikal is called the city of echoes. This is because when you clap, the echo off the surrounding pyramids make the sound of the Guatemalan country's bird, the Quetzal. It was like a magic trick, but he said it is just because of the material (limestone) that the pyramids are made of. Not only did I learn a lot and take in the pyramids, but I climbed all the pyramids we were allowed to. The tallest one, at 70m high, had an amazing view of the surrounding jungle and the other pyramids that poked above the trees. It is also known as being the setting of part of the original Star Wars movie. I had an amazing time and learned a lot in Tikal, and I'm glad I dealt with the long trip to get to it. I'm taking a night bus all the way back down to Antigua tonight, so hopefully I can get a little rest before tackling Pacaya Volcano tomorrow.

[joshuakickenson]

2/7- I finally arrived to my hostel this morning in Lanquin. After changing, I was excited to finally see Semuc Champey. Lanquin is about 10 km from Semuc Champey. Many people go through tours or shuttles organized by their hostel, or hop on the back of a pick up truck for Q20 (about $3) to get their. The other option, if you're up for it, is to walk. I love to hike, so I decided to walk it. It was a great decision. It was a difficult hike, as it was very steep and it was a hot, sunny day. But it was also incredibly beautiful. Walking allowed me to take my time enjoying the views and taking pictures. It allowed me to greet the local kids and villagers as I passed through their towns. I bought some locally made chocolate from some local kids, who were very excited to make a sale. The chocolate was really good too. By the time I got to Semuc Champey, I was exhausted from the hike, even though it only took 2 hours. Maybe that's why I was so tired though, because 10km in 2 hours on steep ground is a workout. I was just so excited to get to Semuc I didn't want to slow down. The first thing I did when I got there was to head straight for El Mirador (the viewpoint). This is a 45 minute hike straight up the cliff surrounding the Semuc Champey pools to a beautiful viewpoint. It was tough to convince myself to do this first instead of going to cool off in the pools, but I'm glad I did. I got to the viewpoint with my legs burning and throat parched, but it was worth every bit. The green covered cliffs surrounding the clear beautiful pools was a stunning effect. The pictures couldn't do it justice, as the spectacular contrast in colors, as well as the sheer height of the vantage point looking down and around at this beautiful area of the Guatemalan jungle, can only really be appreciated in person with your own two eyes. I stayed at the viewpoint for awhile, catching my breath, drinking water and enjoying the amazing view. When I was ready, I went down to swim in the beautiful water I had seen from above. These beautiful swimming holes did not disappoint. The clear water was cold but refreshing, and the surrounding area was beautiful to take in. I swam, jumped and just sat there enjoying the refreshing water and the view. I had a late lunch here, and when I was dried off and satisfied, I continued on to see a few more beautiful swimming holes before heading back to Lanquin. There was no way I was going to walk another 10 km back, so I hopped on the back of a pick up truck to take me back. It was a fun experience standing on the back of a pick up enjoying the views from a different vantage point than before. When I got back to my hostel in Lanquin, I relaxed for a bit, and then met up with Martin, my new Argentinian friend I had met in Antigua, who was staying at a different hostel in Lanquin. He had met a few people on the tour he went on, so we all went into town to get dinner. The friends he had met were from Australia and Boston, so they all spoke English, so to help Martin out, I had to translate all of our dinner conversations. It was very good Spanish practice for me, so I didn't mind. Martin said he needs to practice English but he can't with me because my Spanish is too good. I was very happy to hear that, because one of the main reasons I went to Ecuador and Central America was to improve my Spanish, and while I am definitely not fluent, my Spanish is very much improved from 4 months ago. It might even be catching up to my French if I continue to practice. There are a lot of benefits to traveling with native Spanish speakers while in Spanish speaking countries. At the restaurant we went to eat, they normally charge tourists Q40 ($5.40 USD) for a meal. Martin was able to bargain them down to the local price of Q25 ($3.30 USD), which for the amount of food we got was a great deal. It was a very filling meal, and great conversation as well. One of the best parts of traveling is meeting people from all over the world, and sharing their stories and experiences. I did have trouble translating some things as we got into more complicated conversation, but I was able to help keep Martin in the loop throughout the dinner. It was tiring but I was fun to figure out how to translate everything. After dinner, we were all exhausted from the day, so I went back to my hostel and they went back to theirs. Me and Martin made plans to meet up this weekend in Lake Atitlan, so hopefully that will work out. It's always difficult when relying on only wifi and being in a foreign country, but we were able to meet up in Lanquin so hopefully it'll work out again in Lake Atitlan.

[joshuakickenson]

2/6: This morning I was supposed to catch a shuttle from my hostel to Lanquin to see Semuc Champey. I was a little worried because I didn't have all the details for the shuttle, I was just told it would be there at 8am. So I was waiting outside my hostel and a shuttle showed up and I hopped in. Turns out, this was the wrong shuttle as it took me to a bus station in Guatemala City. I had no service, and relied on wifi, so I had to walk with my bags to the nearest McDonald's (I barely ever eat McDonald's but I have been to McDonald's around the world to use their glorious free wifi). From there, I was able to use whatsapp to call the shuttle company. They apologized for the mix up, but they didn't have any other shuttles going that day. They said they would reimburse my costs of getting to Lanquin on my own. By the time I got off the phone with them, my wifi had ran out at the mcdonalds. This was a problem as I needed it to find a bus station to get to Lanquin. I walked about a mile with my bags to another McDonald's. Luckily for me, Guatemala has uber, so I called an uber from the McDonald's wifi and went to the bus terminal. Unluckily, this bus terminal didn't have buses to Lanquin. The guy at the counter gave me directions to another bus terminal that does. I walked there, and finally bought my ticket and got on the bus to Copan, which I thought was where Lanquin was. Through this ordeal, I don't know what I would have done without mcdonalds wifi. The bus ride to Copan was long and windy, but also very scenic. The bus was comfortable enough so it wasn't so bad. Just to add a little more excitement to my day though, a tire blew on the bus about 70 kilometers from Copan. Luckily there are many tires on a bus so we were able to safely continue until we got to a small tire stand to change the tire. It was actually kind of fun to watch, as changing a tire on a large bus is more intense than changing a tire on a car. Luckily it didn't take too long, and we were back on our way. The bus ended in Copan, and there were no more buses to Lanquin, so I had to stay in Copan the night. Apparently Lanquin and Semuc Champey are 2 hours away. I stopped in at a random hotel, which was luckily very cheap, and had rooms available. To add insult to injury, the wifi didn't work at the hotel so I couldn't contact anyone or figure out how best to get to Lanquin the next morning. Of course there's always McDonald's nearby, so I found myself at McDonald's once again. The next morning I searched around and finally found a bus going to Lanquin. I didn't have quite enough cash, however, so I had to search around for an ATM. When I finally found one it didn't work. I told the bus driver I didn't have enough and he was very friendly and said we could stop on the way at an ATM so I could take out money to pay for the trip. It's a good thing I speak Spanish or this would be practically impossible. One final addition to the story, the bus to Lanquin also needed a tire change. Not a big deal, just a continuation of everything going wrong that possibly could. This whole saga just because I got on the wrong shuttle that showed up at my hostel at the time my shuttle to Lanquin was supposed to show up. Definitely a big mistake, but in the end it worked out and I had quite an adventure through Guatemala and met a lot of friendly, helpful people along the way. If I take anything away from this adventure, it's that even when everything possible goes wrong, you can still rely on the goodness of people willing to help you out.

[joshuakickenson]

On the flight to Guatemala City from Panama City, I ran into John, an Australian I had met on the San Blas trip who happened to have the same flight as me. He was also continuing on to Antigua, so we planned to get a taxi and split it. The taxis were expensive though, so we found another solo traveler, Martin from Argentina, to split the ride. When we got to Antigua, we all went to our separate hostels, but I exchanged numbers with Martin so we could hang out while in Antigua. The next day, I met up with Martin to explore. Martin speaks some English but is much more comfortable in Spanish, and it gave me a great excuse to practice my Spanish all day. We explored the city, ate, and hiked up to the cerro de la Cruz viewpoint overlooking Antigua. Antigua used to be the capital of Guatemala, but due to the fact it got hit with so many earthquakes, the capital was changed to Guatemala City. Antigua maintains old colonial charm, with small colorful buildings and old churches highlighting the city. He streets are still all cobblestone and it doesn't look like it has changed in 50 years. This is a positive, as it is very easy and enjoyable to walk around. The surrounding volcanoes add a scenic backdrop to this already scenic city. This being super bowl Sunday, I had to watch the super bowl. I went over to Martins hostel where there was a bar with the Super Bowl on. It was an interesting experience watching the super bowl in Spanish, while speaking Spanish with an Argentinian in Guatemala. Definitely different than my usual super bowl experience. As much as I would love to be at a super bowl party back home, it's definitely a fun experience that will stand out from every other years super bowl.

[joshuakickenson]

1/30- I woke up early this morning to get my 5:15am ride to the San Blas islands. I was very excited so somehow I woke up before my 4:45am alarm. I had a good pancake breakfast before being picked up. During the ride, our tour guide started throwing up out his window, and we had to stop multiple times at gas stations to wash the car off. He told me he had eaten something bad the night before and probably gotten food poisoning. We dropped him off at the entry point to Guna Yala to get a ride back. Our driver thought that he was hungover but I explained to him that it was food poisoning. The rest of the ride went smoothly, at least figuratively. Literally, it was a bumpy ride with lots of sharp turns and steep hills. We made it to the dock safely, where we got the boat that took us to our island. San Blas is an archipelago of 365 islands (one for every day of the year), so there is a lot to explore. The islands are inhabited by the Kuna people, who are in charge of all the tourism and laws on the islands. While it is still technically a part of Panama, the Kuna people have kept a sort of autonomy, living their traditional lives while using tourism to make money. Before coming, I read an article that sadly said the entire San Blas archipelago will most likely be gone in the next 20-30 years due to global warming. These are very small islands, and I can see how that would be possible if sea levels continue to rise at the rate they are going today. It is very sad as the Kuna people have lived here for generations and the world would lose an extremely beautiful and interesting place. The boat left the dock and took us to the island Coco Blanco, where some members of the tour will be staying in bungalows. I will be camping in a tent on a different island. The ride was very bumpy and wet, as we were in a small motorboat and the water was really choppy. We all got soaked and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. It was completely worth it, though, once we got to the island. The wind had died down, the sky cleared up, and we looked around at beautiful clear blue water, white sand beach and nothing but other beautiful islands dotting the Caribbean Sea. After a small lunch, we hopped back on the boat for another island called Perro Chiquito. This was the site of a shipwreck right off the island, which we had the chance to explore by snorkeling. The shipwreck had created a de facto reef, housing many colorful fish. We spent a few hours on this island, snorkeling, swimming, and lounging on the beach looking out at the beautiful surroundings. We returned to Isla Coco Blanco to have a late lunch and relax. It was nice to just sit and stare out at the water, and read a little bit. When I travel, I usually pack my days, going from hike to landmark to view, only taking time to relax when eating or watching a sunset. I always feel like I need to see everything, which can be good, but sometimes just makes each experience less enjoyable. Being on this tiny island out in the Caribbean Sea, with no internet and surrounded by nothing but beautiful water forces me to relax and just enjoy the experience. While I can get bored just sitting on a beach, the group of people on this tour made it a great night. We shared beer and rum, listened to music, played drinking games and shared experiences. It was a diverse group, with people from Germany, Mexico, Australia and me from the USA. It was very interesting and a very enjoyable night. 1/31- We got to sleep in this morning, though I couldn't sleep past 7am. Not that I minded much, waking up on a beautiful island. I relaxed by the water reading for awhile before grabbing breakfast and then relaxing longer waiting for everyone else to wake up. Once everyone else was up, we went to another island, this one had a bigger beach area with a volleyball net set up, and was set in another beautiful location, as all these islands are. A bunch of us played volleyball for awhile, and it was a lot of fun. Some Argentinians joined in, and later some Australians and even a Kuna teenager joined in for awhile. It was by far the most beautiful place I've ever played beach volleyball, and a fun experience playing with people from all over the world. After volleyball I cooled off in the water and then sat in the shade to read while looking out at the water. We went back to our island at around 2 for lunch, and then a majority of our group left to head back to Panama City. I had one more night here. I was exhausted from the sun and lack of sleep, so I took a nice long nap, and then hung out with the people that were left. We had dinner then hung out late into the night, playing more drinking games and sharing stories. 2/1- Another lazy morning on the San Blas islands as I woke up without an alarm and had breakfast on the beach. The weather wasn't great this morning, as it started to rain pretty hard. Luckily, It cleared up enough for us to go out on a trip to another island, though it was still cloudy and rained intermittently. The island we went to was the biggest so far, with trails through the island. There was a volleyball net, and we played for awhile. The sky cleared up while we were there, giving us beautiful sunny weather right up until it was almost time to leave and the skies opened up for another downpour. It didn't last long, however, and we headed back to the island for lunch before heading back to the mainland. Overall, the San Blas islands were very beautiful and a nice, relaxing experience. I was a little underwhelmed though, just because I didn't realize how small the islands were, meaning there was nothing to do but sit on the beach and look out at the water. There are definitely worse things, especially when the surroundings are so beautiful, but I prefer to be active and explore. Hiking up mountains or just exploring the area is more fun to me, so I'm really looking forward to my time in Guatemala and the larger island of Utila in Honduras.

[joshuakickenson]

Saturday was my last day in Ecuador. It was a sad goodbye, as I'm going to really miss the kids and everyone else I got to know over the 3 months I was there. As tough as it was to say goodbye, I'm very excited for the next part of my journey, starting in Panama. Panama City is the exact opposite of the Ecuadorian coast. After getting used to mostly 1 story buildings, walking on the beach to get to town and seeing only local stores and restaurants, the skyscrapers, McDonald's and urban life of Panama City was a bit of culture shock. They even have uber here. I did miss the big city a bit. As much as I love being out in nature, I've always enjoyed the city. It was very satisfying walking into a big grocery store and grabbing a nice creamy jar of skippy peanut butter, paying for it with a credit card, and then eating it by the spoonful. Panama City is almost indistinguishable from major European and American cities. It has the skyscrapers, the malls, and the fast food. Of course, like every city, it has its unique charms. As I write this, I'm sitting on the water watching the ripples backed by the Panama City skyline, with the sun setting behind me. It's beautiful. Today, I took it slow, as I got reacclimated to the big city and travel. I visited the Panama Canal, as everyone who comes to Panama City is supposed to, and learned about its history. The locks system was pretty much the same thing as I've already seen on the C&O canal back home in Maryland, just bigger. It was nice to see, but I didn't stay too long. Next, I headed over to the Parque Nacional Metropotolino, not far away, to go for a hike that promised incredible views of the city. It did not disappoint. It was great to be able to see the Panama City skyline while surrounded by trees so close to the city. That's one of the unique aspects of Panama City. It has a small built up downtown, but is still surrounded by accessible jungle and hiking. With the weather at 80 degrees Fahrenheit in late January, there are many opportunities throughout the year to escape the city. Early tomorrow morning, I will already be escaping the city to spend 3 days on the San Blas islands. Also known as Paradise. I have a feeling it won't disappoint.

[joshuakickenson]

While the natural beauty of my new home was impressive, the most amazing part of my experience over the last few months was the relationships I made with the kids, tias and everyone else here. I fell in love with the kids from the first day, and it's going to be very hard to leave them. My 2 ahijadas Vanessa and Jessenia. All my boys from la Casa de Fatima. Todas las chicas who love dancing so much. Most of them have dealt with so much in their short lives, but I'm happy to be with them in a place where they are loved and safe, with the chance to just be kids. I will never forget my time here, and I plan to return many times to visit, if not to stay for an extended time again. As sad as I am to leave, I am looking forward to my upcoming adventures, starting in Panama City, Panama.