Wow! Today I set the departure time for 9:00 am and we were packed up and ready to go by 9:02… pretty amazing for our second day packing up. It makes things so much easier on me when my pax are punctual and efficient.
We went right to the Uxmal ruins which are only 15 minutes from the campground. Then on our way to Merida I made a surprise stop at a secret cenote. A cenote is a crystal clear fresh water swimming hole. The entire Yucatan Penninsula is pretty much solid limestone and underneath this solid foundation layer run underground fresh water rivers. Over thousands of years these rivers have ate away at the limestone forming myriads of cenote sinkholes and cavern systems. There are hundreds of various types of cenotes that you can visit. Some are completely enclosed in a cave, some are open to the sky, several have been developed to look more “Indiana Jones-like” while others are completely untouched. The one that we visited is just about an hour south of Merida close to the small village of Abala. You have to drive down a small country road for some ways and then turn off onto a grass road so narrow that you have to pull in the side mirrors so they don’t snap off stone formations. Drive down that and after about 10 minutes you come to a little turn around where you park and suit up. The cenote is about 30 feet underground and you descend down a ladder through an opening about 20 foot in diameter. The water is crystal clear and as you are swimming you can see the tunnels underneath you that go even deeper into the unknown. I dive in and then just float there watching the bats flitter in the darkness around the giant stalactites that cling to the top of the cave. Most of the group came down with me and really thought it was an amazing experience.
After we dried off it was a straight shot to Merida. Right when we got there we brought our laundry to the lavenderia and then I gave the crew 4 hours to explore the city while I ran errands (phone calls, internet, chillin’, etc.) At 8 I met the group in the lobby and we went around the corner to Pancho’s for dinner. Tourism is one of Mexico’s biggest money makers, so they really treat guides well down here. Whenever I go to a restaurant, bar, activity, etc., I am almost always comped (given the service complementary). Pancho’s is one of those places that treats the guides real well. I ordered a shrimp entrée, oyster appetizer, a couple of beers, coffee and a shot of tequila and I didn’t have to pay a dime. After the meal we went to a cheesy Salsa bar down the road were some of the girls danced and I had a couple more beers (no dancing for the D).
Thursday, January 20, 2005
It´s Coming!
Hello folks... Just wanted to add a note saying that I have been keeping up with my blog, but I just have been unable to connect my laptop to the internet... wireless connections are really tough to find down here. When I do find a connection you will all be able to catch up on what had been happening since my last entry... Dave
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Arana HQ
Told the pax that we should leave by 8:30, but since it was our first time breaking down camp and loading the van I really didn’t expect to get out of there until 9:00. We left at 9:30 after a little chat about being punctual and teamwork (a group of about 4 girls did most of the work).
Then it was off for a super drive… the drive from Palenque to Uxmal is long and somewhat sterile. We stopped at lunch time in the city of Escarcega for some rotisserie (or is it rasta-ser Mom?) chickens. I don’t know where all the pollos come from, but this city is covered with restaurants that sell pollo asados. They must go through 1000’s of chickens everyday. The restaurant we go to is great. A couple of plastic chairs and tables and a huge grill in the back covered with hundreds of chickens. That’s all they have – chicken. One whole bird with tortillas, salsa, shredded cabbage and limes for $35 pesos (about $3 US). I can feed a whole group for about $12 US.
Then we pack back into the van and keep cruising north. We were about 2 hours away from our destination when Martina started looking pretty ill and just a short way down the road we pulled over for her to get some air. We were parked right next to a roadside garbage dump, but I don’t think that we could have made it any farther down the road because as soon as we stopped a white-faced Martina flopped out of the van a into puking position. Her friends walked her up a hill a little sat with her while we all waited. After about an hour, and a little pukeage, we were out of there. On most of my trips stomach illness is pretty much expected and I warned the rest of the girls that it was only a matter of time until everyone got their dose of ghetto stomach.
When we finally reached the campground in Uxmal the day was almost over and we barely got the tents set up before the sun totally set. I cruised into the little village of Santa Elena to try to find some pineapple juice for the Coladas (mission was unsuccessful) while the crew prepared dinner. Spent the rest of the night sitting around and chatting while a handful of the group were on a spider safari. The campground was full of all different types of spiders and as soon as the sun went down they were on the prowl. The walls of the bathrooms were crawling with them and I had a handful of girls getting really nervous about their “safety” while sleeping. They seemed to think that the spiders would climb up the walls of the palapa, scurry across the beams, make their way down the strings of their hammocks and then jump into their sleeping bags and eat their face. It probably didn’t help that I perpetuated the situation by telling them that the spiders can fly.
Then it was off for a super drive… the drive from Palenque to Uxmal is long and somewhat sterile. We stopped at lunch time in the city of Escarcega for some rotisserie (or is it rasta-ser Mom?) chickens. I don’t know where all the pollos come from, but this city is covered with restaurants that sell pollo asados. They must go through 1000’s of chickens everyday. The restaurant we go to is great. A couple of plastic chairs and tables and a huge grill in the back covered with hundreds of chickens. That’s all they have – chicken. One whole bird with tortillas, salsa, shredded cabbage and limes for $35 pesos (about $3 US). I can feed a whole group for about $12 US.
Then we pack back into the van and keep cruising north. We were about 2 hours away from our destination when Martina started looking pretty ill and just a short way down the road we pulled over for her to get some air. We were parked right next to a roadside garbage dump, but I don’t think that we could have made it any farther down the road because as soon as we stopped a white-faced Martina flopped out of the van a into puking position. Her friends walked her up a hill a little sat with her while we all waited. After about an hour, and a little pukeage, we were out of there. On most of my trips stomach illness is pretty much expected and I warned the rest of the girls that it was only a matter of time until everyone got their dose of ghetto stomach.
When we finally reached the campground in Uxmal the day was almost over and we barely got the tents set up before the sun totally set. I cruised into the little village of Santa Elena to try to find some pineapple juice for the Coladas (mission was unsuccessful) while the crew prepared dinner. Spent the rest of the night sitting around and chatting while a handful of the group were on a spider safari. The campground was full of all different types of spiders and as soon as the sun went down they were on the prowl. The walls of the bathrooms were crawling with them and I had a handful of girls getting really nervous about their “safety” while sleeping. They seemed to think that the spiders would climb up the walls of the palapa, scurry across the beams, make their way down the strings of their hammocks and then jump into their sleeping bags and eat their face. It probably didn’t help that I perpetuated the situation by telling them that the spiders can fly.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Dr. Simi Is Going Down!
Today woke up to the sound of my passengers knocking on my door. I woke up thinking “Huh?”. I had set my alarm the night before but for some reason it failed to sound, so at 9:20 (twenty minutes after we were supposed to leave) a couple of my passengers came to wake me up.
We drove into town where I collected the $4500 pesos ($410 US) that I charged them for our hotel and activities package (this trip we have 8 hotel nights, 1 night at Genisis Eco-Lodge, 2 nights on Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling trip, Cavern Snorkeling at Hidden Worlds and a couple other goodies). Then I cruised to the ruins where I dropped them off with Ernesto to do the tour of the Palenque ruins and then a tour of the surrounding jungle. Ernesto is the man… he’s lived in Palenque most of his life and really knows the ruins like the back of his hand. Most passengers really enjoy the day that they spend with Ernesto climbing pyramids in the jungle enveloped ruins and then hiking the trails in the dense bush looking for howler monkeys.
While my passengers were on the tour I ran to town and took care of errands (emailing my boss, filling up our huge water jugs, eating tacos al pastor…).
A quick aside… Tacos Al Pastor is some of the best food I have ever eaten. Big slabs of marinated pork are thrown on a spit and piled high. Then it is placed in the high intensity flame cooker (the same setup that you would see gyros being cooked in a Greek restaurant). The Taco Artist then heats up one side of the meat until it is crispy and shaves it in thin slices onto a small corn tortilla. It is topped with a sliver of fresh pineapple and a handful of chopped onion and cilantro and then served. It is SOOOOO good… like a little bit of culinary heaven. The best in the World – Tacos Orientales in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Something that I saw in town really bothered me. There is a chain of pharmacies in Mexico called “Farmacia Similiares”. They spread across the entire Mexican map from Nogales to San Cristobal. The mascot for the pharmacy is a mustachioed, overweight, balding pharmacist suited up in his white lab coat and sporting thick black framed glasses. What bothers me is that they really use this mascot to promote the stores and most of the time that you pass one of them there is a larger than life inflatable Dr. Simi Mascot hanging out. Usual scenario – there are speakers stacked outside the store blasting distorted Mexican Trance music and the lovable, cuddly Dr. Simi is outside either dancing the noise (with the churning butter dance technique), waving to the passing cars or giving all the little boys and girls big hugs. What is disturbing to me is the fact that in Mexcio you don’t need a prescription for drugs and this Mad Scientist version of Camel Joe is imprinting the young Mexicans with feelings of love and fun when they think about the pharmacy. “Hey kids, come shake Dr. Simi’s hand. Then come on in and buy yourself a bottle of yummy oxi-cotton. Hee-huh! With every bottle of vicodin that you buy you get a free sticker book and an inflatable Dr. Simi doll!! Dress him in our own line of Dr. Simi doll clothes in a variety of different colors – Propecia Purple, Adavan Amber, Viagra Violet or Paxil Powder Blue!” The whole thing is weird and twisted to me.
Picked up my group and then headed back to camp. I had a chill afternoon watching a bootleg of “Oceans 12” that I picked up in D.F. Then in the evening I helped the cooking crew make dinner. I set up the grill and cooked up the hot dogs that they had bought and then I threw on 2 huge arrachera skirt steaks that I picked up (DADDY!). Needless to say, the combo of my homemade guacamole and the duece attack of 2 ½ foot long marinated mexi-steaks saved dinner.
I cracked open the bottle of rum that I had been saving for Pina Coladas and chilled with crew for a couple of hours sipping Cuba Libres.
It is almost 12 midnight so I have to squeeze this entry in before the date actually changes. I am laying in my bed, laptop on my midsection listing to 2 families of howler monkeys verbally battle. It really is amazing. The deep, throaty growl that the monkeys make is almost unearthly… is sounds like the combination of the repetitive noise that wave make as they slap against the shore mixed with the scream of a rabid yeti.
We drove into town where I collected the $4500 pesos ($410 US) that I charged them for our hotel and activities package (this trip we have 8 hotel nights, 1 night at Genisis Eco-Lodge, 2 nights on Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling trip, Cavern Snorkeling at Hidden Worlds and a couple other goodies). Then I cruised to the ruins where I dropped them off with Ernesto to do the tour of the Palenque ruins and then a tour of the surrounding jungle. Ernesto is the man… he’s lived in Palenque most of his life and really knows the ruins like the back of his hand. Most passengers really enjoy the day that they spend with Ernesto climbing pyramids in the jungle enveloped ruins and then hiking the trails in the dense bush looking for howler monkeys.
While my passengers were on the tour I ran to town and took care of errands (emailing my boss, filling up our huge water jugs, eating tacos al pastor…).
A quick aside… Tacos Al Pastor is some of the best food I have ever eaten. Big slabs of marinated pork are thrown on a spit and piled high. Then it is placed in the high intensity flame cooker (the same setup that you would see gyros being cooked in a Greek restaurant). The Taco Artist then heats up one side of the meat until it is crispy and shaves it in thin slices onto a small corn tortilla. It is topped with a sliver of fresh pineapple and a handful of chopped onion and cilantro and then served. It is SOOOOO good… like a little bit of culinary heaven. The best in the World – Tacos Orientales in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Something that I saw in town really bothered me. There is a chain of pharmacies in Mexico called “Farmacia Similiares”. They spread across the entire Mexican map from Nogales to San Cristobal. The mascot for the pharmacy is a mustachioed, overweight, balding pharmacist suited up in his white lab coat and sporting thick black framed glasses. What bothers me is that they really use this mascot to promote the stores and most of the time that you pass one of them there is a larger than life inflatable Dr. Simi Mascot hanging out. Usual scenario – there are speakers stacked outside the store blasting distorted Mexican Trance music and the lovable, cuddly Dr. Simi is outside either dancing the noise (with the churning butter dance technique), waving to the passing cars or giving all the little boys and girls big hugs. What is disturbing to me is the fact that in Mexcio you don’t need a prescription for drugs and this Mad Scientist version of Camel Joe is imprinting the young Mexicans with feelings of love and fun when they think about the pharmacy. “Hey kids, come shake Dr. Simi’s hand. Then come on in and buy yourself a bottle of yummy oxi-cotton. Hee-huh! With every bottle of vicodin that you buy you get a free sticker book and an inflatable Dr. Simi doll!! Dress him in our own line of Dr. Simi doll clothes in a variety of different colors – Propecia Purple, Adavan Amber, Viagra Violet or Paxil Powder Blue!” The whole thing is weird and twisted to me.
Picked up my group and then headed back to camp. I had a chill afternoon watching a bootleg of “Oceans 12” that I picked up in D.F. Then in the evening I helped the cooking crew make dinner. I set up the grill and cooked up the hot dogs that they had bought and then I threw on 2 huge arrachera skirt steaks that I picked up (DADDY!). Needless to say, the combo of my homemade guacamole and the duece attack of 2 ½ foot long marinated mexi-steaks saved dinner.
I cracked open the bottle of rum that I had been saving for Pina Coladas and chilled with crew for a couple of hours sipping Cuba Libres.
It is almost 12 midnight so I have to squeeze this entry in before the date actually changes. I am laying in my bed, laptop on my midsection listing to 2 families of howler monkeys verbally battle. It really is amazing. The deep, throaty growl that the monkeys make is almost unearthly… is sounds like the combination of the repetitive noise that wave make as they slap against the shore mixed with the scream of a rabid yeti.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Liking The Group
Woke up early to take care of some bid-ness. I had to get copies of the itinerary and other information for my pax. Then we were off.
Today was a long day for me. I drove from 9 until noon. Then we stopped at a Walmart to go grocery shopping and since it was the first time that we did it as a group, I had to show everyone where stuff was and how much to buy in order to feed 11 people. Then we stopped for lunch and while they ate I filled the van. Then back in the van and another 2 hours of driving to Palenque. When we arrive I unloaded the van and spent the next hour demonstrating how I like my gear set up (OCD style) and how to set up a tent. Next I was in the kitchen preparing our first camp meal for the next 2 hours (and sipping the sweet Tecate nectar). We all sat down to eat; I briefed the crew on the next day’s events and then helped pack things away for the night. It was almost 10 pm when I could finally chill.
So far the group seems pretty cool. El unico hombre, Maurice, seems a little spaced out. He doesn’t talk much, just kind of sits there and stares/listens. Also he’s been sleeping a lot and seems to slack a bit when it comes to helping out with things. But my crew of Swiss and Korean girls pick up the slack. They really are good workers going above and beyond their daily assigned duties and doing whatever needs to get done. I really like the hard workers, it makes things easier for me. The only thing that bothers me a bit about the Swiss girls is that they are friends that booked the trip together and they spend the majority of the time speaking together in their language. This tends to isolate people… others can’t understand and feel intimidated and then it causes separate clicks within the group. I have mentioned it to the girls so we’ll see if things change. Besides these small complaints, the group seems to mesh really well.
Today was a long day for me. I drove from 9 until noon. Then we stopped at a Walmart to go grocery shopping and since it was the first time that we did it as a group, I had to show everyone where stuff was and how much to buy in order to feed 11 people. Then we stopped for lunch and while they ate I filled the van. Then back in the van and another 2 hours of driving to Palenque. When we arrive I unloaded the van and spent the next hour demonstrating how I like my gear set up (OCD style) and how to set up a tent. Next I was in the kitchen preparing our first camp meal for the next 2 hours (and sipping the sweet Tecate nectar). We all sat down to eat; I briefed the crew on the next day’s events and then helped pack things away for the night. It was almost 10 pm when I could finally chill.
So far the group seems pretty cool. El unico hombre, Maurice, seems a little spaced out. He doesn’t talk much, just kind of sits there and stares/listens. Also he’s been sleeping a lot and seems to slack a bit when it comes to helping out with things. But my crew of Swiss and Korean girls pick up the slack. They really are good workers going above and beyond their daily assigned duties and doing whatever needs to get done. I really like the hard workers, it makes things easier for me. The only thing that bothers me a bit about the Swiss girls is that they are friends that booked the trip together and they spend the majority of the time speaking together in their language. This tends to isolate people… others can’t understand and feel intimidated and then it causes separate clicks within the group. I have mentioned it to the girls so we’ll see if things change. Besides these small complaints, the group seems to mesh really well.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Here We Go Again
Today was the first day of my second trip down here in Mexico.
THE TRIP:
A three week trip that starts in Mexico City, circles around the Yucatan and into Chiapas and then finishes back in Mexico City. 7 of the passengers are continuing on for another 3 weeks on the trip that immediately follows this trip. The two trips combined are a total of six weeks beginning in Mexico and ending in LA.
THE ITINERARY:
1/16 – Acayucan – Hotel.
1/17 – Palenque
1/18 – Palenque – Ruins and Jungle tour with Ernesto.
1/19 – Uxmal – Ruins of Uxmal.
1/20 – Merida – Hotel.
1/21 – Chichen Itza – Ruins of Chichen Itza. Cenote Ik-kil.
1/22 – Ek Balam – Genisis Eco-Lodge
1/23 – Isla Mujeres – Ferry to Island. Hotel.
1/24 – Isla Mujeres – Hotel. Snorkeling/Boat trip with BBQ fish lunch.
1/25 – Xpu-ha – Ruins of Tulum.
1/26 – Xpu-ha – Hidden Worlds Cavern Snorkeling. Playa Del Carmen nightlife.
1/27 – Xpu-ha – Chillin’.
1/28 – Bacalar – La Laguna. Cenote Azul.
1/29 – Agua Azul – Misol-ha and Agua Azul.
1/30 – San Cristobal – San Cristobal at night (Club Blue).
1/31 – San Cristobal – Indian Village Tour.
2/1 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Huge Drive (12 hours). Sumidero Canyon Boat Tour.
2/2 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Ruins of Monte Alban.
2/3 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Ruins of Mitla. Mescal Factory. Carpet Weaving Demonstration.
2/4 – Cuernavaca – Hotel. Tacos Orientales. La Plazuela.
2/5 – Mexico City – Tepotzlan (Market and Nieves).
THE GROUP:
Passengers for 6 week trip:
Miriam S. – 23 - Switzerland
Miram H. – 23 – Switzerland
Martina – 24 – Switzerland
Anna – 22 – Britain
Sophie – 18 – Holland
Maria – 23 – Scotland
Sarah – 19 – Britain
Passengers for 3 week trip:
Maurice – 28 – Holland
Soo Youn – 30 – Korea
Lee Hokyong – 30 - Korea
It is never a good start to a trip when a passenger’s luggage doesn’t arrive. I spent the first 2 hours of the day trying to track it down. We stopped at the airport and Anna ran in and (thank the Lord) it was there.
Then we were off, but not without a little Mexican City Police interference first. As I was leaving the city on Avenida Zaragoza, I cruised through a yellow light and stopped at the red light that immediately followed it. Right then 2 police officers on foot stopped me. They said that what I had done was illegal and that I needed to show them my license. Well, I had learned my lesson from my first encounter with the cop in Cancun, so I handed him a copy of my license and said that the original was in the hotel. When he asked why I told him it was to avoid cops from taking it and trying to extort money from me. He laughed when I said this and then told me that I had broken a law and then flipped through his infraction book randomly pointing to things and said I needed to pay a fine. I pulled out a pad of paper and told him that I would pay, but first I wanted his name and his badge number. This surprised him… he looked at his partner and then gave me a totally bogus name… the name of a former Mexican president. I laughed and then asked again for his name and number and then he just closed his book and walked away. His partner walked over and waved us to move on. It was a perfect example of the Mexican Matrix – things are never as they seem.
We stopped in Puebla at one of my favorite rest stops so that I could go to The Italian Coffee Company and buy myself a Mocha. Then it was drive, drive, drive. Made a stop on the highway that stretches from La Tinaja to Acayucan to buy jugs of fresh pineapple juice and pineapple with chili. Then onto Acayucan where we unpacked, moved into our hotel rooms and I gave the crew some time to check out the city while I got all my info together and nailed out some last minute reservations. I met the crew for the “talk” and then it was off to the neighboring restaurant for our first “Mexican” dinner (most people ordered spaghetti… pretty typical). Then I bid the crew adieu and went to my room.
THE TRIP:
A three week trip that starts in Mexico City, circles around the Yucatan and into Chiapas and then finishes back in Mexico City. 7 of the passengers are continuing on for another 3 weeks on the trip that immediately follows this trip. The two trips combined are a total of six weeks beginning in Mexico and ending in LA.
THE ITINERARY:
1/16 – Acayucan – Hotel.
1/17 – Palenque
1/18 – Palenque – Ruins and Jungle tour with Ernesto.
1/19 – Uxmal – Ruins of Uxmal.
1/20 – Merida – Hotel.
1/21 – Chichen Itza – Ruins of Chichen Itza. Cenote Ik-kil.
1/22 – Ek Balam – Genisis Eco-Lodge
1/23 – Isla Mujeres – Ferry to Island. Hotel.
1/24 – Isla Mujeres – Hotel. Snorkeling/Boat trip with BBQ fish lunch.
1/25 – Xpu-ha – Ruins of Tulum.
1/26 – Xpu-ha – Hidden Worlds Cavern Snorkeling. Playa Del Carmen nightlife.
1/27 – Xpu-ha – Chillin’.
1/28 – Bacalar – La Laguna. Cenote Azul.
1/29 – Agua Azul – Misol-ha and Agua Azul.
1/30 – San Cristobal – San Cristobal at night (Club Blue).
1/31 – San Cristobal – Indian Village Tour.
2/1 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Huge Drive (12 hours). Sumidero Canyon Boat Tour.
2/2 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Ruins of Monte Alban.
2/3 – Oaxaca – Hotel. Ruins of Mitla. Mescal Factory. Carpet Weaving Demonstration.
2/4 – Cuernavaca – Hotel. Tacos Orientales. La Plazuela.
2/5 – Mexico City – Tepotzlan (Market and Nieves).
THE GROUP:
Passengers for 6 week trip:
Miriam S. – 23 - Switzerland
Miram H. – 23 – Switzerland
Martina – 24 – Switzerland
Anna – 22 – Britain
Sophie – 18 – Holland
Maria – 23 – Scotland
Sarah – 19 – Britain
Passengers for 3 week trip:
Maurice – 28 – Holland
Soo Youn – 30 – Korea
Lee Hokyong – 30 - Korea
It is never a good start to a trip when a passenger’s luggage doesn’t arrive. I spent the first 2 hours of the day trying to track it down. We stopped at the airport and Anna ran in and (thank the Lord) it was there.
Then we were off, but not without a little Mexican City Police interference first. As I was leaving the city on Avenida Zaragoza, I cruised through a yellow light and stopped at the red light that immediately followed it. Right then 2 police officers on foot stopped me. They said that what I had done was illegal and that I needed to show them my license. Well, I had learned my lesson from my first encounter with the cop in Cancun, so I handed him a copy of my license and said that the original was in the hotel. When he asked why I told him it was to avoid cops from taking it and trying to extort money from me. He laughed when I said this and then told me that I had broken a law and then flipped through his infraction book randomly pointing to things and said I needed to pay a fine. I pulled out a pad of paper and told him that I would pay, but first I wanted his name and his badge number. This surprised him… he looked at his partner and then gave me a totally bogus name… the name of a former Mexican president. I laughed and then asked again for his name and number and then he just closed his book and walked away. His partner walked over and waved us to move on. It was a perfect example of the Mexican Matrix – things are never as they seem.
We stopped in Puebla at one of my favorite rest stops so that I could go to The Italian Coffee Company and buy myself a Mocha. Then it was drive, drive, drive. Made a stop on the highway that stretches from La Tinaja to Acayucan to buy jugs of fresh pineapple juice and pineapple with chili. Then onto Acayucan where we unpacked, moved into our hotel rooms and I gave the crew some time to check out the city while I got all my info together and nailed out some last minute reservations. I met the crew for the “talk” and then it was off to the neighboring restaurant for our first “Mexican” dinner (most people ordered spaghetti… pretty typical). Then I bid the crew adieu and went to my room.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Vacation - Day 7
Spent most of the day preparing for my next trip: Cleaned up the van, organized my stuff, went shopping at Wal-mart, organized all the groceries. Then I spent a little "me" time roaming the streets near the zocalo buying bootleg dvds of movies still in the theater. When I got back to the hotel another trek leader was just arriving with his group. We spent a good portion of the evening talking shop and drinking beer.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Vacation - Day 5
Went to the ruins of Palenque, but not without talking to the farmer across the street from Maya Bell first. The trip to the ruins and back was unique. Spent the evening in the city of Palenque watching a group of 8 old men play syncronized xylophone. Ate at the same taco place as the first night in the city, I love tacos al pastor (ordered 18, ate 16... super lleno!)
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Vacation - Day 4
Palenque day. Cruised to Misol-ha and then to Agua Azul for some mid-afternoon swimming. Dinner at the jungle restaurant Don Mucho in Palenque and then crashed in the musky (that is an understatement... sewage perfumed is probably more fitting) bungalow at Maya Bell.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Vacation - Day 3
Sprinted (tour leader talk for "drove for a long time") from Xpu-ha to Palenque. Got off to a late start and managed to see the mass exodus of bats from a cave near Calakmul. Got to Palenque only with enough time to eat some tacos al pastor and pass out.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Vacation - Day 2
Spent the morning in Tulum and the evening in Playa del Carmen. This will be the least interesting of all my posts... ever.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Vacation - Day 1
Not writing much during vacation time, just a one or two sentence summary. Sorry... it's my vacation and I want to enjoy it. Went to watch the Packers play the Vikings with another guide from Minnesota. Needless to say I bought the drinks. Better luck next year.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Adios Amigos (And The Rest Of You)
Today is the last day. Hooray! This trip was so stressful for me going into it pretty much blind. After about half way I was pretty much done. Maybe had I been with a different group of people it would have been more of a success, but with this group it didn’t flow. Oh well, I guess that is how the business goes, you really nail some trips and others just flop. At least now I have the experience and if I am ever sent to Belize or Guatemala again I’ll know what I am doing.
In the morning we had breakfast and then Lee, the owner of Genesis Eco-Lodge took us on a tour around the block. The tour of the village of Ek Balam is really neat, a dive into modern Mayan culture and Mexican village life. Lee takes us to the homes of several of her neighbors. They all still live in palapas build of sticks and covered with palm fronds. Most of the homes are one room and everyone eats plays, works and sleeps (in hammocks) in that space. At one of the homes the mother (who speaks a native Mayan dialect, not Spanish) shows us how to make tortillas and lets us slap together our own and cook it on her fire. At another home a woman shows us how she weaves her own hammocks. It is a very fun and intimate tour. After the tour we said goodbye, packed up the van and headed to the ruins of Ek Balam which are only 5 minutes down the road. The pax spent about one hour there and then it was off to Cancun (Hooray!)
We stopped for gas and then we jumped on the highway, a straight shot to Cancun with virtually no exits. Right when we jumped on the highway I got shouts from the back seat about eating lunch. If you were hungry, why didn’t you ask about lunch when we were chilling at the ruins or at the gas station? Why do you ask right when we start our journey? These are the things I am thinking… but this is what I say “Well, we could stop at the next exit about ½ up the road or we can just shoot the extra hour into Cancun and you can eat there.” Immediate whines from Frank. I was starting to loose my patience… what I really wanted to loose was the group. Thankfully the majority opted for heading into Cancun (much to the dismay of Frank) and we headed straight to the hotel.
I dropped off the pax, but still no tip, so I made plans to meet them for dinner. When Jo came while I was sorting out things at the front desk and told me that he was having trouble collecting my tip from people, I realized that I wasn’t going to be getting a fat wad from them.
We met later at a restaurant across the street and had a final dinner. When a couple of people handed me their tip separate from that which Jo was collecting, I realized that they probably wanted to give it to me individually so I could see that they weren’t cheap. Sure enough, that was the case. The 4 people that gave me separate tips gave me a total of $200 US, the other 9 gave me a total of $200 US. I figured as much coming from some of them. It kind of makes you feel unappreciated, makes you dislike some people and also makes you resent working so hard when in the end they don’t even give you the amount that the company suggests.
Although I liked the trip and the majority of the people, I would call this trip a failure. Due to a lack of information and just general inexperience with the areas we were visiting things were destined to go wrong. Fortunately it wasn’t a disaster… just a trip the didn’t flow with a bunch of people that didn’t totally mesh well. I am glad that it is over and I am looking forward to my vacation and my next trip, an El Grande… something I am totally familiar with.
In the morning we had breakfast and then Lee, the owner of Genesis Eco-Lodge took us on a tour around the block. The tour of the village of Ek Balam is really neat, a dive into modern Mayan culture and Mexican village life. Lee takes us to the homes of several of her neighbors. They all still live in palapas build of sticks and covered with palm fronds. Most of the homes are one room and everyone eats plays, works and sleeps (in hammocks) in that space. At one of the homes the mother (who speaks a native Mayan dialect, not Spanish) shows us how to make tortillas and lets us slap together our own and cook it on her fire. At another home a woman shows us how she weaves her own hammocks. It is a very fun and intimate tour. After the tour we said goodbye, packed up the van and headed to the ruins of Ek Balam which are only 5 minutes down the road. The pax spent about one hour there and then it was off to Cancun (Hooray!)
We stopped for gas and then we jumped on the highway, a straight shot to Cancun with virtually no exits. Right when we jumped on the highway I got shouts from the back seat about eating lunch. If you were hungry, why didn’t you ask about lunch when we were chilling at the ruins or at the gas station? Why do you ask right when we start our journey? These are the things I am thinking… but this is what I say “Well, we could stop at the next exit about ½ up the road or we can just shoot the extra hour into Cancun and you can eat there.” Immediate whines from Frank. I was starting to loose my patience… what I really wanted to loose was the group. Thankfully the majority opted for heading into Cancun (much to the dismay of Frank) and we headed straight to the hotel.
I dropped off the pax, but still no tip, so I made plans to meet them for dinner. When Jo came while I was sorting out things at the front desk and told me that he was having trouble collecting my tip from people, I realized that I wasn’t going to be getting a fat wad from them.
We met later at a restaurant across the street and had a final dinner. When a couple of people handed me their tip separate from that which Jo was collecting, I realized that they probably wanted to give it to me individually so I could see that they weren’t cheap. Sure enough, that was the case. The 4 people that gave me separate tips gave me a total of $200 US, the other 9 gave me a total of $200 US. I figured as much coming from some of them. It kind of makes you feel unappreciated, makes you dislike some people and also makes you resent working so hard when in the end they don’t even give you the amount that the company suggests.
Although I liked the trip and the majority of the people, I would call this trip a failure. Due to a lack of information and just general inexperience with the areas we were visiting things were destined to go wrong. Fortunately it wasn’t a disaster… just a trip the didn’t flow with a bunch of people that didn’t totally mesh well. I am glad that it is over and I am looking forward to my vacation and my next trip, an El Grande… something I am totally familiar with.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Run Pig, Run!!
Gave the crew the morning to chill… good thing I did because I didn’t make it back to camp until about 11. I got some complaints about the fact that we were pretty much out of breakfast food. I really didn’t care so much because we were almost to the end of the trip and honestly I was a little sick of a handful of people in the group. We were supposed to have our final clean up and then leave by 2:30, but it turned out that only a couple of people showed up to help. The last day of every trip the group gets together and we clean all of our gear, the coolers, all the boxes that we carry our gear in, the van, etc. So people were so ready to leave the beach that they had all their personal stuff ready to go early and then they cleaned all the gear themselves.
I wanted to have the last night be kind of special, so I planned to go to Genisis Eco-Lodge in the village of Ek-Balam, near Vallodalid. I chanced upon the place last summer and really liked it, so now I try to squeeze it into all of my itineraries.
We got to Genisis and I showed the crew around the place. It was nice to see Lee, the owner, again. She is a really nice, inspirational woman. She moved down to the remote village all by herself and built the whole place pretty much solo.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out. I had Lee and her crew cook dinner for us at night. She makes a lot of Mexican fusion type dishes and uses many local traditional Mayan ingredients. After dinner I chilled with a couple of the volunteers that work there. We were just having a couple of beers when Lee came in from outside and said that we should be prepared for a pig slaughtering that evening. Apparently the morning before we arrived all the guests at the lodge were awoken at 5 am to the death screams of a pig. Apparently the neighbors were heading to Cancun the next day for a wedding and their contribution to the party was pig meat. So they woke up, brought the pig right up to the wall that borders Lee’s place and then stuck it in the belly with a pointy stick. Lee said the guests at her place were running around in hysterics while the screaming pig slowly died. Sure enough, a half hour after Lee warned us, the neighbors put down pig number two for the day. Nasty, when you actually see or hear an animal get slaughtered (not an uncommon sight in these parts) it’s enough to make you want to only eat greens the rest of your life.
I wanted to have the last night be kind of special, so I planned to go to Genisis Eco-Lodge in the village of Ek-Balam, near Vallodalid. I chanced upon the place last summer and really liked it, so now I try to squeeze it into all of my itineraries.
We got to Genisis and I showed the crew around the place. It was nice to see Lee, the owner, again. She is a really nice, inspirational woman. She moved down to the remote village all by herself and built the whole place pretty much solo.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out. I had Lee and her crew cook dinner for us at night. She makes a lot of Mexican fusion type dishes and uses many local traditional Mayan ingredients. After dinner I chilled with a couple of the volunteers that work there. We were just having a couple of beers when Lee came in from outside and said that we should be prepared for a pig slaughtering that evening. Apparently the morning before we arrived all the guests at the lodge were awoken at 5 am to the death screams of a pig. Apparently the neighbors were heading to Cancun the next day for a wedding and their contribution to the party was pig meat. So they woke up, brought the pig right up to the wall that borders Lee’s place and then stuck it in the belly with a pointy stick. Lee said the guests at her place were running around in hysterics while the screaming pig slowly died. Sure enough, a half hour after Lee warned us, the neighbors put down pig number two for the day. Nasty, when you actually see or hear an animal get slaughtered (not an uncommon sight in these parts) it’s enough to make you want to only eat greens the rest of your life.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Revenge Of The Nerds IV: Nerds With Snorkels
Morning was free and then I took all those interested (or those that weren’t too cheap to pay) to go to Hidden Worlds Cavern Snorkeling. Hidden Worlds is a company that runs snorkeling and scuba trips to a system of underground cenotes on a patch of land just north of Tulum. As I was leaving to drop my passengers off there I passed another tour leader heading into camp. So after I dropped them off I headed back to hang out and talk shop with him. His name is Jeff and although I had never really met him before we spent the whole 2 ½ hours shooting the shit. Made plans to meet him on Sunday to watch the Packers – Vikings (he’s from Minnesota) game in Puerto Adventuras.
After I picked up my nerds we headed back to camp and got ready to go into Playa Del Carmen for the night. It is surprising to see how geared up some people get to go out. Even though we are on a camping trip, some people still manage to bring their best threads (even high heels!) along.
I gave the crew a couple of hours to explore Playa, which basically means walking up and down the touristy 5th avenue. I went to a bar to waste some time and ran into a couple of my passengers. I was sitting at the bar when a little girl of about 7 years came and climbed her way onto the bar stool next to me. She sat up and asked the bartender in Spanish for a cup of water. There she sat confidently and relaxed drinking her cup of water at the bar. A couple minutes later she turned to me and asked, in English, if I could watch her cup for a couple of minutes. When she returned she sat up like she owned the place and grabbed the tray of limes. I thought her confidence was funny so I began to talk to her. Turns out that she is a 7 year old German girl on vacation with her mom, but what amazed me was her fluency in English, Spanish and German. Her grasp of language was amazing. Anyways, she asked me to help her squeeze limes into her water and I soon realized her plan. She had come to the bar without any money so she was making some free lemonade. After I squeezed enough limes to fit her specs, she went to the closest table, grabbed the sugar and added it to the glass. Then she kicked back and watched the drummers that were playing onstage. I found the whole situation to be hilarious. She was a really smart little girl.
I met my group, had dinner and then proceeded down to the Blue Parrot, a bar/dance club right on the beach, to watch the nightly fire show and have some drinks. Some drinks turned into many drinks and then next thing I knew my group had me doing the robot to Sean Paul and Shaggy songs. After that it was all over. Rather than take a cab back to camp and then get one back to town in the morning I decided to sleep in my ride. I woke up the next morning sitting up in the driver’s seat of my van… a true sign of a good (well, at least drunken) night out.
After I picked up my nerds we headed back to camp and got ready to go into Playa Del Carmen for the night. It is surprising to see how geared up some people get to go out. Even though we are on a camping trip, some people still manage to bring their best threads (even high heels!) along.
I gave the crew a couple of hours to explore Playa, which basically means walking up and down the touristy 5th avenue. I went to a bar to waste some time and ran into a couple of my passengers. I was sitting at the bar when a little girl of about 7 years came and climbed her way onto the bar stool next to me. She sat up and asked the bartender in Spanish for a cup of water. There she sat confidently and relaxed drinking her cup of water at the bar. A couple minutes later she turned to me and asked, in English, if I could watch her cup for a couple of minutes. When she returned she sat up like she owned the place and grabbed the tray of limes. I thought her confidence was funny so I began to talk to her. Turns out that she is a 7 year old German girl on vacation with her mom, but what amazed me was her fluency in English, Spanish and German. Her grasp of language was amazing. Anyways, she asked me to help her squeeze limes into her water and I soon realized her plan. She had come to the bar without any money so she was making some free lemonade. After I squeezed enough limes to fit her specs, she went to the closest table, grabbed the sugar and added it to the glass. Then she kicked back and watched the drummers that were playing onstage. I found the whole situation to be hilarious. She was a really smart little girl.
I met my group, had dinner and then proceeded down to the Blue Parrot, a bar/dance club right on the beach, to watch the nightly fire show and have some drinks. Some drinks turned into many drinks and then next thing I knew my group had me doing the robot to Sean Paul and Shaggy songs. After that it was all over. Rather than take a cab back to camp and then get one back to town in the morning I decided to sleep in my ride. I woke up the next morning sitting up in the driver’s seat of my van… a true sign of a good (well, at least drunken) night out.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
I Eats So Much Shrumps I Gets Iodine Poisonin'
Woke up pretty damn early due to that fact that I was probably asleep by 8 pm the night before. I spent most of the morning figuring out my accounts. Accounting is one of the least fun parts of the job. After collecting receipts for everything for 3 weeks, I have to go back and make sure that all of the receipts are there and that every expense is accounted for. No fun.
At 10 the group gathered up and we cruised south to Tulum to check out the ruins. The ruins in Tulum are some of the most scenic – amazing Mayan ruins set on a cliff that overlooks the turquoise Caribbean Sea – and the most visited. It can really be a zoo down there. So I sent my passengers in and had them meet me back at the van 2 hours later. After they did up the ruins we headed into town for an hour so they could shop around or have lunch.
After Tulum we cruised back to camp, switched out most of the passengers for their laundry and headed up to Playa Del Carmen. I dropped off their washing and then went grocery shopping for the night’s meal and beer. Then back to Xpu-ha. It was a really full day of zipping all over the place.
That night Nick cooked up a full on barbeque meal with chicken, corn, sweet potatoes, salad and tabouleh. It was delicious. I then spent the rest of the night sucking down cold Tecates and sipping on some Siz-urp.
At 10 the group gathered up and we cruised south to Tulum to check out the ruins. The ruins in Tulum are some of the most scenic – amazing Mayan ruins set on a cliff that overlooks the turquoise Caribbean Sea – and the most visited. It can really be a zoo down there. So I sent my passengers in and had them meet me back at the van 2 hours later. After they did up the ruins we headed into town for an hour so they could shop around or have lunch.
After Tulum we cruised back to camp, switched out most of the passengers for their laundry and headed up to Playa Del Carmen. I dropped off their washing and then went grocery shopping for the night’s meal and beer. Then back to Xpu-ha. It was a really full day of zipping all over the place.
That night Nick cooked up a full on barbeque meal with chicken, corn, sweet potatoes, salad and tabouleh. It was delicious. I then spent the rest of the night sucking down cold Tecates and sipping on some Siz-urp.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Regresamos A Mexico!
I felt like absolute shit (no pun intended) when I woke up in the morning. Still feeling ill and on limited sleep, I was in no mood to drive all day. We went back into Belmopan in the morning to finally work out the insurance issue. I wasn’t down with getting stopped by the police again and chance getting thrown into the Hattieville prison with the guy that just got put away for hacking up his wife with a machete (for real).
The entire day was consumed by driving. The border crossing wasn’t nearly as intense as it was coming in. Got my importation cancelled, paid the Belizean exit fee (every time a non-citizen leaves Belize they pay a $17 conservation fee), cross to Mexico, get our passports checked and stamped, take all the luggage off the top of the van to get it “inspected” by Aduanas and have the van fumigated. All in all the process took about 2 hours.
Then it was a 4 hour straight shot (with a stop on the side of the road to pick up pina rebanada con chile – Pineapple dusted with chile powder) up to Xpu-ha. Xpu-ha is the location where we camp when we are staying in the Riviera Maya. Set between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum it is the perfect set off point for any tourist visits or activities. The beach at Xpu-ha is incredible, like it was pulled out of a Corona commercial. Marbled aquamarine and sea green water slapping onto pure white powder sand beaches. The beach is as remote as you can find in the area and there is not a building over 3 stories to be seen. It is like a miniature Mexican paradise. We set up camp in a palapa (a palm frond covered hut) right on the beach and my passengers have the option of setting up their tents, throwing up a hammock on a couple of the random palm trees or just sleeping right on the beach.
We got to camp and set up right away as it was beginning to get dark out. Cath and crew made dinner again and I ate and then went to bed right away as I was still feeling ill.
The entire day was consumed by driving. The border crossing wasn’t nearly as intense as it was coming in. Got my importation cancelled, paid the Belizean exit fee (every time a non-citizen leaves Belize they pay a $17 conservation fee), cross to Mexico, get our passports checked and stamped, take all the luggage off the top of the van to get it “inspected” by Aduanas and have the van fumigated. All in all the process took about 2 hours.
Then it was a 4 hour straight shot (with a stop on the side of the road to pick up pina rebanada con chile – Pineapple dusted with chile powder) up to Xpu-ha. Xpu-ha is the location where we camp when we are staying in the Riviera Maya. Set between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum it is the perfect set off point for any tourist visits or activities. The beach at Xpu-ha is incredible, like it was pulled out of a Corona commercial. Marbled aquamarine and sea green water slapping onto pure white powder sand beaches. The beach is as remote as you can find in the area and there is not a building over 3 stories to be seen. It is like a miniature Mexican paradise. We set up camp in a palapa (a palm frond covered hut) right on the beach and my passengers have the option of setting up their tents, throwing up a hammock on a couple of the random palm trees or just sleeping right on the beach.
We got to camp and set up right away as it was beginning to get dark out. Cath and crew made dinner again and I ate and then went to bed right away as I was still feeling ill.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Beef Worms and Buffalo Wings
Canoe Trip/Caving Trip – Today was a jam packed day. We woke up in the morning and set off at about 9 for a 3 hour canoe trip. We drove the canoes down river a couple of miles and then dropped in at a particularly dense jungle area. The trip down the river was fairly chill… the current was really flowing so there was a minimal need for paddling. Most of us just floated and did a little paddle/rudder action. The fact that the current was really whipping along made for some pretty fun miniature rapids, with a couple of my passengers barely making it through without tipping. We saw a couple of iguanas and some birds, but with the exception of it raining, there wasn’t much of a difference from our previous river trip. Because the current was flowing so intensely we actually made it to the pickup point nearly a half hour early where some of us skipped stones and others listened as Craig (our 27 year old South African guide) regaled us with horror stories about the “Beef Worm”. The Beef Worm is a fly that lays it’s egg in your skin and then it turns into a inch long flesh eating larvae that hangs out in a big goose-egg boil under your skin… NASTY! Craig had apparently been host to 4 big Beefers.
After the canoe ride we got picked up and taken back to Monkey Bay where we all supped (well, actually we had lunch, but I think supped is a funny word) and prepared for part 2 of the day.
The second half of the day was a caving trip. We all packed into the van and cruised next door to the neighbors. Next door was a 2000+ acre citrus farm owned by a family from Ohio. In the back of the property the orange groves give way to steep, dense jungle hills that are home to more than 3000 caves. Craig and another guide Juan took us to the back of the orange groves and then we geared up hike through the jungle to some of the caves. They warned us about bugs, but the amount that we encountered even surprised me. When we turned off of the main path and into the thick foliage, we were enveloped in clouds of blood lusting mosquitoes. We had to walk fast and continually swat ourselves in order to remain remotely comfortable. We scrambled up a steep, muddy cliff and then came to our first of many caves. We entered through a small crag in the rocks which opened up into a fairly roomy cavern. The highlight of this cave was not the beautiful rock formations but rather the 11 inch scorpion spiders that we crawling along the dripping stalagmites. Laura really freaked when I grabbed the dead shell of one and rested on her shoulder… funny stuff. Then we moved through another patch of jungle to the second cave. This one the highlight was the Mayan pottery that was still in perfect condition in the cave, resting in the same place that it had more than 1000 years ago. It was really amazing to see large, delicate urns resting in tucked away places in caves in the middle of the remote jungle. Then Juan took us the last cave, the most expansive. It was a gigantic vaulted ceiling monster complete with vampire bats, animal tracks, an underground cenote and the bug that causes Chagas disease. Then we hiked back to the cars. I managed to talk Juan into giving me his machete and I plowed ahead of the group swinging the machete like a pro and imagining myself to be a modern day Indiana Jones. When we got back to the car Juan went to some nearby trees and picked us some of the juiciest, sweetest grapefruits that I have ever tasted. A great moment chomping into a grapefruit while lying on top of my van, machete in hand, watching a group of wild parrots passes overhead. Then it was back to Amigos for their kick-ass chicken wings. That night I went to bed only to wake up about an hour later with stomach pain. It was déjà vu… I felt exactly how I had the night that I ate Subway on my sprint to Texas. This time I managed to avoid actually puking, but I was still up for most of the night running back and forth between my room and the bathroom. I probably only managed to sleep for a couple of hours
After the canoe ride we got picked up and taken back to Monkey Bay where we all supped (well, actually we had lunch, but I think supped is a funny word) and prepared for part 2 of the day.
The second half of the day was a caving trip. We all packed into the van and cruised next door to the neighbors. Next door was a 2000+ acre citrus farm owned by a family from Ohio. In the back of the property the orange groves give way to steep, dense jungle hills that are home to more than 3000 caves. Craig and another guide Juan took us to the back of the orange groves and then we geared up hike through the jungle to some of the caves. They warned us about bugs, but the amount that we encountered even surprised me. When we turned off of the main path and into the thick foliage, we were enveloped in clouds of blood lusting mosquitoes. We had to walk fast and continually swat ourselves in order to remain remotely comfortable. We scrambled up a steep, muddy cliff and then came to our first of many caves. We entered through a small crag in the rocks which opened up into a fairly roomy cavern. The highlight of this cave was not the beautiful rock formations but rather the 11 inch scorpion spiders that we crawling along the dripping stalagmites. Laura really freaked when I grabbed the dead shell of one and rested on her shoulder… funny stuff. Then we moved through another patch of jungle to the second cave. This one the highlight was the Mayan pottery that was still in perfect condition in the cave, resting in the same place that it had more than 1000 years ago. It was really amazing to see large, delicate urns resting in tucked away places in caves in the middle of the remote jungle. Then Juan took us the last cave, the most expansive. It was a gigantic vaulted ceiling monster complete with vampire bats, animal tracks, an underground cenote and the bug that causes Chagas disease. Then we hiked back to the cars. I managed to talk Juan into giving me his machete and I plowed ahead of the group swinging the machete like a pro and imagining myself to be a modern day Indiana Jones. When we got back to the car Juan went to some nearby trees and picked us some of the juiciest, sweetest grapefruits that I have ever tasted. A great moment chomping into a grapefruit while lying on top of my van, machete in hand, watching a group of wild parrots passes overhead. Then it was back to Amigos for their kick-ass chicken wings. That night I went to bed only to wake up about an hour later with stomach pain. It was déjà vu… I felt exactly how I had the night that I ate Subway on my sprint to Texas. This time I managed to avoid actually puking, but I was still up for most of the night running back and forth between my room and the bathroom. I probably only managed to sleep for a couple of hours
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Moon Pie Pyramid
Went into Belmopan early to take care of some business. I wanted to straighten out my insurance and some others had errands to run, but unfortunately it was Sunday so everything was closed.
We spent the afternoon cruising north to the Community Baboon Conservancy near Burrell’s Boom. For $5 + tip (well, I don’t know about Frank and Sabrina) we got a guided tour of the local plant, animal and insect life. The tour followed a small path that wound its way around the outskirts of the village towards a more dense jungle like area. The guide let us know that this was where he last saw the group of howlers that is accustomed to people and he began to “call” the monkeys. If you have ever heard a howler monkey’s call it is you know that it is a sound like nothing you have ever heard. To the unknowing ear, it sounds like a monster or perhaps an angry jungle cat hunting you down. Just one howler can make this eerie grunting that can be audible for nearly a mile. Soon after the guide made his call, the tree tops began to rustle and several monkeys appeared. He picked some leaves from a nearby bush and held them up as an incentive for the monkeys to descend. “They love to eat this plant” he told us and sure enough within seconds three of the howlers were down within arms reach trying to get a mouthful of the greenery. It was really neat to see these animals up close but at the same time I felt guilty that I was party to imprinting these animals to human behavior. I asked the guide about it and he said that of the 2-3 thousand howlers in the conservancy, this was the only family that was used to human contact and would actually approach people.
After some time with the monkeys we headed back. Even some of the little things that our guide showed us were amazing. There was a plant that immediately folded its fronds with the slightest of touch and ants that had pinchers so powerful that the locals used them to stitch cuts in their skin or tears in their clothing (simply have the ant bite the tear and then pop its head off and it will stay clamped). We went back to Amigo’s again for happy hour. We all came back for dinner and then afterwards celebrated Peter’s birthday with a mound of Moon Pies (that’s all we could find that was even close to a cake).
We spent the afternoon cruising north to the Community Baboon Conservancy near Burrell’s Boom. For $5 + tip (well, I don’t know about Frank and Sabrina) we got a guided tour of the local plant, animal and insect life. The tour followed a small path that wound its way around the outskirts of the village towards a more dense jungle like area. The guide let us know that this was where he last saw the group of howlers that is accustomed to people and he began to “call” the monkeys. If you have ever heard a howler monkey’s call it is you know that it is a sound like nothing you have ever heard. To the unknowing ear, it sounds like a monster or perhaps an angry jungle cat hunting you down. Just one howler can make this eerie grunting that can be audible for nearly a mile. Soon after the guide made his call, the tree tops began to rustle and several monkeys appeared. He picked some leaves from a nearby bush and held them up as an incentive for the monkeys to descend. “They love to eat this plant” he told us and sure enough within seconds three of the howlers were down within arms reach trying to get a mouthful of the greenery. It was really neat to see these animals up close but at the same time I felt guilty that I was party to imprinting these animals to human behavior. I asked the guide about it and he said that of the 2-3 thousand howlers in the conservancy, this was the only family that was used to human contact and would actually approach people.
After some time with the monkeys we headed back. Even some of the little things that our guide showed us were amazing. There was a plant that immediately folded its fronds with the slightest of touch and ants that had pinchers so powerful that the locals used them to stitch cuts in their skin or tears in their clothing (simply have the ant bite the tear and then pop its head off and it will stay clamped). We went back to Amigo’s again for happy hour. We all came back for dinner and then afterwards celebrated Peter’s birthday with a mound of Moon Pies (that’s all we could find that was even close to a cake).
Saturday, January 01, 2005
2005... Already?
Happy New Year to All!! I hope everyone had a blast last night hanging of with family and friends!
I woke up this morning surprisingly early and hangoverless. Did some cleaning and then it was pack up and head out. Destination today – Monkey Bay. This was another part of the trip that was new… none of our trips had ever gone to this place, so we were the guinea pigs. Monkey Bay is a conservancy area just north of Belmopan owned by a Dutch woman Marga and her husband Andy. They offer eco-tourism and insight into ecology and culture and normally cater to university groups and Boy Scout type groups but offered us the opportunity to come and use their facilities as well. The grounds are really nice – there are bunk houses, an screened in dining area, a couple of bathrooms, even a screened in iguana habitat where Marga raises baby iguanas. They also offer many activities, including a canoeing and caving trip that we will do on the third day of our visit.
Didn’t really do much in the evening. There was a bar next door called Amigos and we all headed over there for happy hour before dinner. Then we cruised back for dinner. They had wireless internet, so I set up my computer so people could jump on the internet. We all crashed pretty early.
I woke up this morning surprisingly early and hangoverless. Did some cleaning and then it was pack up and head out. Destination today – Monkey Bay. This was another part of the trip that was new… none of our trips had ever gone to this place, so we were the guinea pigs. Monkey Bay is a conservancy area just north of Belmopan owned by a Dutch woman Marga and her husband Andy. They offer eco-tourism and insight into ecology and culture and normally cater to university groups and Boy Scout type groups but offered us the opportunity to come and use their facilities as well. The grounds are really nice – there are bunk houses, an screened in dining area, a couple of bathrooms, even a screened in iguana habitat where Marga raises baby iguanas. They also offer many activities, including a canoeing and caving trip that we will do on the third day of our visit.
Didn’t really do much in the evening. There was a bar next door called Amigos and we all headed over there for happy hour before dinner. Then we cruised back for dinner. They had wireless internet, so I set up my computer so people could jump on the internet. We all crashed pretty early.
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