A Brief Update

Hey everyone! Just jumping on here to let you know what we´re up to. We left Utila, Honduras and headed for Nicaragua. We lost Michelle, who decided to stay and complete her Master Diver course (I'm jealous!), but we traded her in for Dave and Lucy - a Brit and a Czech. They both came along to Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua, before we dropped Lucy off at the airport. We had some run ins with the policia who are absolutely horrendous - I spent five days jumping from station to station tracking down my driver´s license after one of them chose to confescate it! Dave continued on with us as we made our way to Granada, a colonial city on the shore of Lake Nicaragua which is so big you can´t see the other shore. We got a tour of the city from Alan, a guy we met in the market. Nicaraguan history is crazy - look it up some time (especially a guy named William Walker!).
After a couple of days there, we decided to make a break for the Costa Rican border. Granada at least showed us that the country does have a nice side, but after paying $40+ dollars in fines and bribes for less than three days of driving, we were just fed up and ready to get the hell out.
The Nic.-CR border is easily the most frustrating crossing we have made thus far, yet ironically the cheapest. It took nearly six hours to get through the throng of offices and free-lance ´helpers´clamouring for tips. While I got to know a group of Central American truckers, all of us waiting on an old man with failing vision and a faulty computer to issue our temporary vehicle permits, Thai and Dave sat in the car and got serenaded by a thoroughly gay 15-year-old who danced to the radio and otherwise peddled Chicklets and cocaine - he took quite a liking to Dave in those couple of hours too. After I got my permission and we jumped the car battery (Thai killed it playing music for their newfound dancing queen), we said our tearful goodbyes and entered the country.
We quickly turned East, heading for Tortuguero on the Caribbean coastline via Hwy 4. We had to stop for the night in Upala, as the border crossing had taken most of the day. We continued on in the morning, making it to Cariari where we must leave the car and take a boat the rest of the way. Tortuguero lies in a permenant flood plain making it impossible to drive to. So we are stuck here for the night and must wait for a river boad first thing tomorrow.
As always, we hope all is well at home. We´ll try and post some pics as soon as possible.

The Proper Way to Roast Marshmellows... Lake Atitlan is Beautiful... The First Pangs of Car Trouble... Back to the Islands...

Before leaving Antigua, there was one last thing we had to do... You see, it had been a while since we had had marshmallows and when the craving hits, well, you just have to. Luckily, there just happen to be plenty of active volcanoes in Guatemala just waiting to help you out should you find yourself in a similar predicament. In my case, I made the trek up to Pacaya - the most active volcano in the country - with Michelle; we had a hunger to kill. Unfortunately, Thai was still feeling the effects of the fried chicken from before, so she decided to hang back.
After an hour of hiking uphill, we came upon an expansive field of cooled volcanic glass, the remnants of massive eruptions over the past decades. We crossed the precariously craggy landscape following the waves of heat emanating from just beyond the next hill. All of a sudden, the heat took us by surprise. It was coming at us from in front and, we eventually realized, from under our feet! Between the thick plates of already cooled rock, there were vents through which active lava could be seen coursing below the surface! And then we saw what was on the other side of the hill... An active flow bubbling out the side of the mountain! The heat was unbearable even from 40 feet away, but for those of us with marshmallows on the mind, it was a necessary speed bump. After loading up a stick with three of the tasty treats, I ventured out to within 4 feet of the flow and held out my hand. I came back triumphant, but lacking some knuckle hair. I wish that photos could communicate the feel of standing that close to liquid rock... Michelle had to move away when she discovered that her calves were burnt and her shoes were melting! Oh, but I do love me a good marshmallow... Yum.
With our craving in check, we headed West towards Lake Atitlan - the next typical stop on the Guatemalan tour (seriously, Guatemala is beautiful, but the tourism circuit is practically set in stone - Tikal to Coban to Rio Dulce to.....). While most of the foreign traffic finds its way to Panajachel, there are many cities on the lake that hold their own charms and perks. In our case, we had heard from a friend in Antigua - remember the one that got pistol whipped? - that we had to visit San Pedro. The town was much smaller, but it had a great atmosphere. We got a couple rooms in a hotel with a lake view and explored the waterfront which is strewn with all sorts of funky restaurants and lounges catering to the tourist traffic. In fact, while it was a wonderful break from the local food, the area was a bit overly foreign. So much so that there were visible signs of tension between the tourist area and the surrounding town. A couple of block from our hotel, a larger wall was scrawled with the words ¨Gringos go home!¨ Nothing happened to us or anyone we knew while we were there, but we definitely remained alert.
I haven´t even mentioned the rain! Our first night in Guatemala also brought our first encounter with the wet season. Ever since, we have been treated to showers at relatively frequent intervals. And they usually bring rolling thunder and lightning with them. Our first night in San Pedro, we sat on the roof of our hotel and watched a storm come in over the volcanoes that surround the lake - the clouds slowly creeping over the hills, only visible intermittently with the flashes of lightning back lighting the entire scene. It has been a nice change, but it has definitely increased the surrounding humidity.
When we were ready to leave San Pedro, we also had to say goodbye to Borja who was on his way to Cuba before starting his job as a mountain guide in Nicaragua later in the month. So, with teary eyes and a slightly lighter load, we began the steep climb out of the valley. Unfortunately, we didn´t make it very far before the Corolla (whom Michelle has lovingly named Fanny II, after her former Corolla which she took off a bridge!) began to sputter and the battery light came on. We pulled over, found that the engine was tremendously overheated, and flagged some one down for help. Eventually, after hitching a ride back into the nearest town and getting in touch with a mechanic, we discovered that, not only was our car over heating, Fanny also had a bad alternator. So, with no other choice, we left her with the mechanic and made our way back to San Pedro for another two nights. Michelle, who had become quite smitten with Borja, tried to keep her smiles in check while I groaned about the inevitable bill for new engine parts...
In the end, the mechanic was able to reconstruct a working alternator from available pieces which was much cheaper (and faster) than ordering a new one altogether. On our second attempt, we made it out of the hills and headed towards the border of Honduras with plenty of daylight.
Unfortunately, around mid-day, with 4 hours left to the border, Fanny got grumpy again - this time overheating in the middle of nowhere. After several stops to add water and allow her to cool down, we were able to eek into the small town of Sanarate. Now, I doubt that any foreigners have ever stopped in Sanarate, and they might not ever again. Nothing but teeming streets of markets and kids playing soccer in the open squares. And the staring! I have been stared at before, but something about this town made it exceptionally uncomfortable. Literally ALL eyes were on us anywhere we went. Although we did manage to have a great time one evening when we found a local pool hall and played a few games.
Of course, Fanny had to break down late on a Saturday so we had to wait until Monday to talk to a mechanic. When we did, though, we quickly found that we were horridly low on transmission fluid. In the end, we got away with a working car for only the cost of two liters of the stuff and 4 dollars in service. And thank god too, because we were seriously inches away from abandoning the car and going by bus.
So, with that out of the way, we were free to hit the border. Getting into Honduras was a bit of work, but it was really more costly in time than sanity. We got through with relatively limited trouble and began heading towards the Caribbean coastline where, we heard, there were a few islands to visit where Thai and Michelle could get certified to scuba dive quite cheaply. We stayed our first night in Santa Rosa (de la something) before making it to La Ceiba on the coast the following evening. From there, we caught a boat out to Utila, a small island that specializes in diving. I´m telling you, if you ever want to get certified, come here! I´m serious! For $270 you get 4 1/2 days worth of classes that include 5 dives, 2 fun dives, and accommodations at a hotel within walking distance of the dive center! That is nearly half of what I paid in Maui and I definitely didn´t get my room paid for at the same time! I even decided to get my advanced certification because of the price. We are taking classes at Utila Dive Center which has been ranked number one in the world by PADI. You just can´t beat the value or the quality. Both Thai and Michelle plan on doing their basic and advanced classes back to back so I´m going to wait and join them after they are done with the first. Then we will be able to take the second class together which includes deep diving, wreck diving, night diving... even underwater photography if you want! I can´t wait. Right now, I´m just lounging around the pool waiting. Oh well, it gives me plenty of time to update this thing, I guess.
As of now, we only plan on completing the advanced certification. Although the idea of completing the Rescue and Dive Master courses and seeking jobs as scuba guides does sound appealing... Who knows. We´ll have to see how we feel next week. It is a lot of money, but that would be one hell of a way to support ourselves in South America, don´t you think? Well that´s all for now. All the best to everyone!

The Color of the Water is Insane!.. UnBelize-able Island Getaways... Guatemalan Roads Can Be Loco... Fun With Food Poisoning...

So it's been a while since we've been able to update you all on our adventures. It can take a bit of will power to drag yourself into an internet cafe when you know you could be doing something else you've never done before. But I'm hear now, so here we go...
After leaving Celestun, we - Thai, myself, Michelle, and Matt - made our way East across the Yucatan. Along the way, we took in the ruins at Uxmal. While the complex itself is nowhere near as impressive as Palenque and others, it has an amazing array of very intricate and well preserved carvings and plaster sculptures - the largest collection of its kind in the region. The area was also teaming with iguanas which always makes for a distracting, but enjoyable day. By nightfall, we pulled into Cancun and located a hostel.
Upon waking, we made our way towards the beach and the heart of the resort strip. The area was obviously out of our price range, but curiosity got the better of us. We strolled along the white sand beach, trying to regain our breath after the color of the ocean took it away. Honestly, I always thought the photos of the Caribbean that you find in magazines were enhanced to make the ocean look more spactacular than it really is... Not at all... Absolutely beautiful!!! We worked up our hunger playing in the surf and then made our way across the road for an authentic Cancun meal at Hooters... Okay, so it was single-handedly the most expensive meal we had in Mexico, but it was a much needed break from cheap tacos. And it was a nice slice of Americana for Michelle who couldn't wait to tell her sister where we'd eaten.
After lunch we made our way south towards Tulum where we planned on finding a cheap cabana on the beach for the night. Unfortunately they were a bit pricier than we had been led to believe, so we pulled out the tent and found a place near other campers. After Palenque, we were more than excited at the opportunity to camp with other travelers. Unfortunately, reality turned out a bit different than we had expected. Our neighbor, who had been living at his present location for over a month by then, was a bit quirky to say the least - very earthy, VERY earthy. He was nice enough to let us use his fire to cook some hot dogs, but he made it clear that we were not to use any chemicals (lighter fluid, etc.) in the process. We honored his wishes and had a wonderful dinner before curling up for the night - Thai and I in our tent, Michelle in her hammock, and Matt tucked under an overturned scooner resting on the sand. The next morning, however, Thai threw a cigarette butt into the charred remains of the fire and sparked a prolonged monologue from its owner on the slow decomposition rate and pollutive aftermath of such actions, complete with "Man, I just knew you guys were going to do something like this..." Between this and Matt managing to get caught using the bathroom of a nearby cabana ("I'm calling the cops!" and such) we got the message and packed up early.
Before moving south, we went and saw the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Serving as a port for the Mayan empire, the city is set on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean. Though the site is not as large or grandeous as others, the location makes it absolutely breathtaking.
Tulum was also where we said our goodbyes to Matt who had to catch a flight the following day. So after exchanging e-mails we parted and headed towards the border of Belize. Originally, we had planned on making it to Calakmul - yet another ruin site, but between the expense and the fact that we were a bit 'ruined out' we decided to skip it for the time being.
The following morning, we began jumping through all of the hoops that a border crossing entails. Shifty immigration officials trying to squeeze extra money out of you, self appointed guides vying to help you in exchange for tips, untrusting and overworked customs officials who lack the patience to answer ANY extraneous questions you might have... After two hours of declining to pay the 'Mexican Exit Tax' (which doesn't exist), getting involved in the ongoing dispute between official and unofficial porters, and staving off a bloodsucking guide who demanded $40 US for his single hour of work ("You can pay me whatever you think is fair" my ass!) we crossed into Belize.
Our first night was spent in Corozal, a small northern coastal town where we found excellent food and wonderful company. It took us a few hours to unwind after the craziness at the border, but when we did we began to realize just how friendly the Belizean people really are! We met Che, a man in his late 20s who was involved in an ongoing battle with the government to allow him to open up a local radio station. He even took us to his hair salon which he is trying to convert into his broadcasting locale. We spent the better part of the evening letting him take us around town, telling us about the place he loved most in the world, the city where he had been born and which had lured him back after several years of hectic life in Chicago. Although we had originally planned on only spending a couple nights in the country (Belize is the most expensive country in Central America), we quickly became convinced that we needed to stay a bit longer. Che even came by our hotel in the morning to help us extend our auto insurance.
From Corozol, we made our say south to Belize City, parked the car in a secure lot, and caught a taxi boat out to Caye Caulker - a tiny spit of land 40 minutes off the coast. All I can say is wow... First off, I should tell you that Belize has more in common with the islands of the Caribbean than with the rest of Central America. The official languange is English, but everyone speaks Creole, which amounts to a sort of Island English. Just imagine a Jamaican accent, then multiply it until you can barely understand what anyone is saying! That is, unless they want you to. The pace of life out on the Cayes is amazingly slow. Nobody moves faster than they absolutely have to. Everywhere we went, there was somebody there to shout, "Slow down! You on da island now!" It is home to a very small and close-knit population of born-and-raised Belizeans and ex-pats from around the world. On foot, the Caye only takes two minutes to walk from its East to West coast, and only ten from North to South... Tiny...
We found a cabana on the beach for $20 US a night, rented a couple of bicycles, and settled into a much welcomed island getaway. In the morning, we took a boat out for a day of snorkeling around the reef. It was Michelle´s first time, and only the fourth for Thai, so it was quite exciting - plenty of fish, corals, sharks, rays, and even a few sea turtles. At one point, we watched our guide feed the nurse sharks before climbing in the water with them! Luckily, they aren´t partial to the taste of people, but the experience is still a bit menacing. For lunch oursleves, we made it over to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye (Madonna´s ´... last night I dreamt of San Pedro...´ That one). Nice, from what we got to see in two hours, but definately a bit more built up than Caye Caulker.
After returning, we wasted a bit more time lounging in hammocks, generally relishing the complete lack of places to be and things to do. We watched the sun set over the dock while children fished amidst the rusted and sunken hulls of the ships next to us. They turned three sardines, bought from a nearby fisherman, into dinner for their whole family in the time we sat there.
After three days, we pulled ourselves tearfully away from the cayes and returned to the mainland. After reuniting with our car, we headed South yet again towards Placencia, a town on the tip of a very narrow peninsula. It took us over an hour to drive the last 20 miles of rough dirt road, but we finally made it. When we arrived, we quickly found a guest house along the main sidewalk (Placencia has no main roads, only two central sidewalks running parallel to the shore). Our purpose there had been made clear a few days before when, by chance, we opened up a travel magazine on Belize and found a full page picture of a man snorkeling with a whale shark. It just so happened that we found ourselves in Belize just in time for their migration through the area. We were even there during the full moon, when they are at their most active. The following morning, we climbed onto yet another boat and made our way out towards the open ocean beyond the barrier reef. Over the course of three dives, we swam alongside a whale shark as well as a pod of wild dolphins which just happened to be in the area. No pictures for you unfortunately. You´ll just have to take our word on this one.
The next morning, we made our break for the Guatemalan border. Far less hassle than getting into Belize, although I did manage to lock the keys in our running car just to spice things up. Luckily, there just happened to be someone on hand with a broken-off coat hanger for just such an occasion. I thanked him for the rescue and bit back my curiosity about where he got the instrument so swiftly. We continued on to Flores.
Flores is a small city set on an island in the middle of an expansive lake. Quite beautiful, but populated almost entirely by backpackers... Seriously, at least 50% of the people we saw. We found a place for a couple of nights, and even sent our clothes in for laundry service, which was such a relief after surviving on half-successful attempts at self washing and otherwise dingy garbs. While in the North of the country, we took in Tikal - the largest complex of ruins in the Mayan civilization. Needless to say, it took a bit more time to explore than other sites that we visited, but it also managed to take our breath away anew. At its height, this was a city of 18 sq. mi. and a population of over 100,000. While the hutments of the outer lands are totally gone, the great stone structures of the city squares still break through the jungle canopy and tower over the surrounding landscape. Absolutely worth the humidity and 4-5 hour walk. And it has plenty of wildlife - from toucans to animals we didn´t even recognize! It was a wonderful introduction to Guatemala - a country which is still 50% Mayan in population.
From Flores, we traveled into the central highlands towards Coban, Lanquin, and eventually the remote jungle surrounding Semuc Champey. We stayed in the open loft above the restaurant of a guesthouse for $2 a night each. During the day, children from the surrounding villages would venture onto the house grounds - drawn by curiosity and rumors of free pens... Thai, having received them from another traveler in Flores, took to handing out pens and paper to those who were brave enough to come up to her. Soon, mothers were hauling their kids out over all arms to get in on it.
Semuc Champey itself is something one would imagine in the Garden of Eden. Its remoteness strips away any presence of people trying to hawk souvenirs and even most tourist traffic. At its heart is the convergence of two rivers. The first one, rough and powerful, travels through the center of the valley and into an underground cave about a kilometer in length before moving swiftly beyond. The second one rolls gently off the surrounding hillside and stalls in a series of tranquil, clear pools before cascading over a waterfall to join its counterpart. It reminded us all of Agua Azul in Mexico, but much more relaxed. We lounged in the sun and lingered in the pools, letting the fish tentatively nibble at our toes. We also traversed the strenuous hour and a half long vertical trail to the lookout (some more willingly than others) for a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle and falls.
After two days, we made the arduous journey back to Coban and began to head South... with a new friend in tow. This time, we picked up Borja (pronounced bor-ha), a Spaniard whom we had run into several times in Belize and Northern Guatemala. We figured after so many random encounters we should at least officially introduce ourselves... he ended up in the car. Although I think we appreciated his company much more than our car appreciated the added weight. Did I mention how rough the roads to and from Semuc Champey are? Seriously, you shouldn´t go without a four-wheel vehicle; I´ve never seen roads this steep! But our Corolla made it through... with a bit of wear on the transmission (she makes a bit of a groan when we start to move now, oops).
We moved along to Antigua, an old colonial city of colorful houses and crumbling churches. Hmm... where to begin... What does Antigua mean to me? Food poisoning and danger might roughly sum it up. On the way there, all four of us managed to eat some bad fried chicken - a moved which kept us confined to our room for the better part of a day. Even Borja, who was still recovering from his las case of intestinal fireworks, had a relapse! Travel sickness... it´s a necessary experience, but by no means pleasant.
Our first night, as we settled into a crampy and interrupted sleep, someone came knocking on our door. It was a man from the hostel telling me that I had to move my car or it was going to get smashed in. Apparently, NOBODY leaves their car on the street at night because, if you do, you WILL wake up to an irreparably vandalized vehicle. So, with my belly in utter protest, I got to spend an hour driving over cobblestone streets looking in vain for an open garage... No luck... So I had to completely unload our bags, remove the Oregon license plates, park it in a well lit center of town near policemen with shotguns, and pull some fuzes before going back to bed. Thankfully, the car was fine the next morning.
While we were there, we continually heard stories of people getting robbed in the markets. One girls we knew got mugged and pistol whipped less than a block from out hostel... It was definitely a dodgy place to be at night. None of us had realized just how tumultuous Guatemala´s recent history was until Antigua. In a country still reeling from brutal takeovers and police-led massacres within the last 30 years, the people are a bit untrusting at times. Spray-painted images of faces on buildings still attest to the tens of thousands of people who have and continue to go missing never to be heard from again. Although the growth of the tourist industry has provided much needed money and increased stability, it has also provided a new reason for increased petty crime.
After we recovered from our ailments, the four of us decided to move on in short order.

Camping in the Jungle... More Ruins... The Next Set of Crazy Passengers...

We finally broke out of the hills and hit the plains of the Yucatan. My God, it is so nice to be able to cover a decent distance in a day again! Our first stop in flat country was El Panchan - a small jungle community just outside of the Palenque National Preserve. We set up camp under the trees, took showers in the more-or-less open taps, and watched the monkeys overhead jump from tree to tree. And the bugs! Between the giant ants and the everpresent mosquitos we managed to get our fair share of bites, but we suffered them well. How often do you get to camp in the jungle, really?
In total, we spent three nights. Our first morning, we made our way up to Palenque - the Mayan city that functioned as the capitol for the entirity of the Yucatan for centuries. The massive pyrimids and temple complexes set against the jungle scenery were extraordinary. We were able to duck inside palaces, explore inner pathways, climb monumental staircases with breathtaking (in more ways than one) views. And all the while, the howler monkeys and mammoth folliage were there to set the tone. The humidity was insufferable, but we were able to forget about it intermittently.
After returning to our campsite, we bumped into Andre, a guy we originally met at a bar in Puerto Escondido! We spent the next day or so getting to know him better, as well as meeting other travelers. And that is how we found Michelle, our zany Irish lass - bald, bubbly, and full of life. We also met a 19-year-old Brit named Sebastian who was on a year-long world tour following highschool. Together, the five of us made a day trip to Agua Azul, which has to be one of the most beautiful system of waterfalls in the world. And you can swim in the pools between them! We wiled away the hotest hours of the day soaking in crystal blue water, swimming under and around falls, and learning to do backflips off of the rope swing. Honestly guys, life is rough...
When it came time to leave, we just couldn´t part with all of them so soon... So, we kinda picked up another backseat bum! Yah, we´re traveling one Irish lass heavier than we were before! And so far, no craziness! We even interviewed her beforehand concerning her views on machetes and 16-year-old girls just to make sure! Unfortunately, Andre was on his way back to the states for grad school - his first extensive trip back in 8 years - so I don´t think we´ll bump into him again any time soon. Although he did say he´d be down in Brazil come December, so who knows... Sebastian is currently traveling south to Guatemala, then swinging east into Belize and coming up the East coast of Mexico, so there is a good chance we will see him again in the next few weeks.
After our goodbyes, we headed northeast for Campeche, a moderately sized colonial town on the Gulf. The historical center of the town was absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately there didn´t seem to be much to do but sit and stare from our hostel roof, so we decided to move on the following day. We did, however, meet Matt - a Californian whom Michelle had met in El Panchan before we arrived. After a little bit of getting to know one another and figuring out all of our routes, he hopped in the car with us when we left. Thats right, the Corolla is currently shuttling four travelers and all their luggage across the Yucatan... Oh, but I can´t begin to describe how refreshing these two are compared to our last hitchhiker. The change is entirely welcome.
Yesterday, we made our way inland from Campeche and explored Edzna, yet another ruin site on our list. Once again, the site was wonderful, but the heat made us think twice about our direction of travel. In the end, we decided that a beach visit was needed before continuing on through the area. After consulting our guidebooks, we decided on Celestun, a small town near Merida which is situated near a flamingo nesting ground. And so, after hours of driving through ungodly heat, we caught a seafood dinner and spent the night floating on our backs in the green of the Gulf of Mexico deciphering the constelations of the tropical skies above.
This morning, we woke up early to catch a boat tour of the nearby mangrove forests and flamingo preserve. Okay, so the flamingos weren´t out in large number, but we did get alongside four of them while they were feeding and saw a flock flying upriver. We also got the swim in the narrow inlets amid the mangroves where the water was cool, crystal clear and indescribably beautiful.
Now we´re back at the hostel napping, reading, and otherwise recouping. Where we go tomorrow has yet to be decided. Hasta proximo!

Puerto Escondido is Wonderful... Our First Ruins... Little Mayan Girls are Ruthless...

After four days in Puerto Escondido, we finally managed to pull ourselves away. It was by far our favorite beach hangout - cheap hostels, cheap things to do, good people. We once again said our goodbyes to a new group of hostel mates (this time from Quebec, Argentina, and Spain) and headed inland towards Oaxaca City.
The plan was originally to make it there in time to see Monte Alban - the first ruins on our route - and continue on. Unfortunately, the road was much more treacherous than we had expected, so we arrived late and spend the majority of our time in the city just looking for a cheap place to stay (Oaxaca ain´t cheap!). After wading through over-priced hostels and motels that charged by the hour, we finally settled on a small roadside inn 25 minutes out of town.
The next morning, we woke up early and made our way to Monte Alban, which is situated on top of a large hill in the center of three converging valleys. The civilizations that lived there actually set about flattening the top of this massive mount so they could build their city! It was amazing to think of the work that went into that site. And the view was spactacular - or at least it would have been had the air not been so hazy!
Moving East, we made a quick stop in the small town of Santa Maria del Tule - home of El Tule, a 2,000-year-old Sycamore that sits in the courtyard of the town church. It is boasted to be the world´s largest in circumference (you could fit a house inside this thing!). So we paid our 3 pesos, gawked awhile at the most imposing tree either of us had ever seen, and hit the highway once again, thankful that we were finally driving across plains again rather than through hills.
After making our first drastic wrong turn of the trip which cost us about 2 hours (we made it to Ayutla, look it up!), we pulled into Tehuantepec for the night, found a cheap motel, and got some much needed pollo asado. Then, with another early start, we arrived in San Christobal de las Casas around noon the following day.
San Christobal lies in the heart of the Mayan highlands in the state of Chiapas. The streets and central couryards are constantly filled with the local indians who trek from the surrounding hills to sell their crafts. It is also thus far the most beautiful city we´ve come across - white stucco walls, red brick roofs, 500-year-old churches, etc. Truly the first time that a city´s heritage has been so visibly on display.
We once again managed to find a hostel for $6 a night per person and settled in for two days. The first night, we took in Palenque Rojo, a Mayan production at the local theater. The performance was all in Mayan and told the story of the last King of Palenque - very interesting, but rather hard to follow. We had to relie heavily on our programs for the plot. We also spent much of our time wandering through the street markets - some of the best in Mexico - which offered all sorts of indian goods. It took a lot of will power not to take away much more than we did! Oh, and if you ever find yourself in this part of the world, don´t ever underestimate the power of the six-year-old Mayan girls to sell you more bracelets and belts than you know what to do with! We are walking away with 5 charm bracelets, which is 5 more than we needed or wanted. They are ruthless! Beware! But I did find out that my (Andy´s) name in Mayan in Tesh. Thai´s is Thai, as always.
Today we are set to move North to Palenque, home of more ruins and a jungle campsite which we´ve heard much about. Adios for now! We´ll write again soon enough!

Beautiful Hostels... Winding Roads... Exquisite Beaches... Jackass in the Back Seat

We made it to Puerto Vallarta in good time, though the road was all over the place. From Tepic down, we wound back and forth through beautiful rolling farmland - learned the fine art of passing cars in Mexico (they could give a damn about the lines between lanes). Once we arrived, we made our way to the Oasis Hostel, the first place of its kind on our trip. It was nothing short of wonderful - free breakfast and internet, good conversation, and a short journey to anywhere in the city. For a little under $30 a night, we got a private room for two days and began meeting our fellow travelers.
There was David, the aging British movie producer who had lost his wallet at the airport and was waiting to hear from his friend in Baghdad about a Western Union wire. He had a hand in producing "The Life of David Gale" among others, which is one of our favorite movies! We also met Jo, Jess, and Charlie - three girls from the UK who were touring Mexico and Central America by backpack. We got a chance to go on a snorkeling excursion with them - unfortunately the water at Los Arcos (the arches) was a little less than optimal. Okay, it was terrible - like diving in pond water - but the day was still quite fun getting to know the girls. We also met a guy named Ben from Buffalo, NY who was on somewhat of a 'vacation yet to be decided.' He had landed in Puerto Vallarta for the time, but he was planning on making his way to Puerto Escondido on the south shore at some point. After a night of chit-chat, we offered to give him a ride around the coast in exchange for his portion of the cost.
The city of Puerto Vallarta was quite beautiful - old buildings, cobblestone streets, and such - but it was rather touristy. After the fifth teeshirt shop in a row sporting "I ate the worm!" type goods, we kind of lost interest. To us, the town really shined because of the people we met.
On our second night, we took out our mini-BBQ, went to the grocery store, and got all the fixings for kabobs. The Brits pitched in with a huge salad, and we all sat on the roof overlooking the city and ate until we were stuffed.
The following morning, we got an early start and set out along the coast, our new passanger in tow... Lets just say the first day of travel was really enjoyable... We wound through small towns (you could hold your breath and pass through them before you had to let it go), bought some CDs for Ben's stereo, and chatted about the things that brought us to this place. Unfortunately, after that, his true colors began to show. I don't even know how to explain the extent of his obnoxiousness! I think it all started when he explained that he, a 29 year old, was no longer dating anyone over 30; in fact, his ideal girl would be a 16 year old whom he could ' show the world,' who would love him for it, and never leave because of her complete dependence on him... The conversation just went down hill from there - the merits of prostitutes, the complete idiocy of all Mexicans, their lack of ability to keep anything clean, his need to buy a machete for protection (when we haven't had ANY trouble)... By the end, with Ben weilding a large blade out the window to 'ward off would-be bandidos' and Thai threatening to kick him out of the car, I got the pleasure of chauffering us silently through the most beautiful and remote part of Mexico.
And it was beautiful... From Puerto Vallarta, we drove to Manzanillo, then onto Lazaro Caredas, Zihuantanejo, Acapulco, and finally arrived in Peurto Escondido last night. We stayed at the cheapest places we could find - anything from $30 all the way down to $14 for all three of us. We made a game of food, finding the local hangouts rather than paying inflated prices in other restaurants.
Our first two stops were rather nondescript. Manzanillo has a bit of a touristy feel, but not much, and Lazaro Cardenas has none. Ben and I (Andy) made our way to a local bar in LC where we listened to a couple local teen rock bands cover American hits (the first American music we had heard since leaving the states), but that was all that was happening on a Friday night. Acapulco, we found, is past its prime - trash everywhere, dirty water, deteriorating high rise hotels. We stayed outside the bay mostly - saw the cliff diving show and explored Puerto Marques, the local place to get away from the hype.
Yesterday, we pulled into Puerto Escondido, found a place - Hostal Shalom - for $6/person a night, and went about separating ourselves from Ben. Although we are still staying in the same dorm room as him, the added freedom to roam apart has made it a much more livable situation. We went snorkeling at nearby Playa Manzanillo last night at sunset - the first real snorkeling that Thai has ever seen (Los Arcos does NOT count). We even saw a few manta rays among the rocks! Then we capped the evening off by going to a bar with some newfound friends from the UK, Spain, and Canada. Today the plan is to rent a couple of surf boards ($8 for the whole day!) and explore Playa Camarizalillo where the waves are supposed to be the best. Anyways, I'm burning precious daylight writing all this out, so I need to get going. Love to all! Hasta proximo!

Burnin' in Heaven

Hola from Mexico! We finally crossed the border! Yeah! After a few hiccups in Tiajuana - traffic and road signs are disorganized to say the least - we set out on our way South. By nightfall, we found a flat patch by the highway outside Sonoyta to camp for the night. We were surrounded by beautiful desert scenery - cacti for miles, and such - but it was a rather sleepless night. Note - camping on the side of the highway is a rather noisy endeavor! We stirred and whined about the choice of location until the first light of dawn. Then we got back on the highway and drove until dusk, pulling into Los Mochis for the night. This time, we sprang for a $25 room - just a bed and a bathroom, but much quieter than the night before.
By the next day, we arrived in Mazatlan, the first tourist trap on our route. Absolutely beautiful! Especially when you get a little off the beaten tourist path. We spent a night on the main strip, then made our way to Stone Island - la isla de piedra. It was amazing to say the least. Its this nice secluded beach/island. We camped there for a night, played in the water and ate the most delious food around - Andy got this chicken with nuts and pomegranate cream sause at the Copa de Leche. If you ever come the Mazatlan you have to stop here! We took an embarcadera - a ferry - for 20 pesos or two dollars. It was a cheap and enjoyable place to stay. We spent a total of 20 dallors in a full day. In the evening, we went coconut hunting amidst the palm trees and drank the milk under the sunset. Thai befriended one of the locals, a cute little puppy that followed us around until its fleas got to be too much for us. We could absolutely get used to living on sandy beaches and playing in the ocean til the sun goes down.
We were going to camp a second evening, but we returned last night to find our site usurped by a pack of local surfers - they had dragged our tent 150 feet towards the water to use as shade... Don't know why... Anyways, they seemed nice, more naive of our anxiety over the situation than maliscious. They greeted our questioning faces with smiles and helped us move it back to where it had been. Either way, we opted to retun early and spent the night in a cheap motel ($18 will get you a private bathroom, but no door to divide it from your bed).
Today we are leaving Mazatlan for Puerto Vallarta. It has been three beautiful days and nights. We are completely burned - a nice shade of ruby red. Aww how every good tropical adventure should start. We are having a lot of fun, but we can say honestly we're a bit homesick at the same time. We miss all of our friends and families very much. And we absolutely plan on dragging a few of you back to our little amazing island paradise the next time round.... Bring sun block!!!
Oh, and don't forget to check out our slideshow at the bottom as we will be updating it with the latest pics. And click on the link to see the rest! Love to all!!