El Mirador

Sasha and I had the most amazing week! We spent 5 days hiking in the jungle to a largly undiscovered Mayan city. It was Sasha, our guide, Adonis, his son, Alan and another guy...I can´t remember his name.

I was a little nervous when the trip started out. We started at 3 am down the bumpy road to Carmelita, the last town before the road ends and the hiking begins. I had been really sick the days before and still had lingering nausea, which made for a fun ride. The truck we road in, would have never passed inspections in any state in the US. It was awesome, except the door clicked opened while we were driving, while sasha was leaning against it. Thankfully it didn´t open all the way.

Finally we reached Carmelita, and we were served breakfast. It was NASTINCA! Sasha swallowed hers down, but I gagged with every bite. I don´t know what it was, but there was no way in hell I was going to finish it, especially with my stomach. I claimed the ¨I´m not hungry¨ card and ate a whole bunch of Werthers candies to rid the taste from my mouth...mmmm werthers















Carmelita

Adonis explaining some of the plants

After hours of walking, we arrived at Tintal, a city close to El Mirador. We relaxed, studied, and slept. That evening we hiking the highest temple to watch the sunset and the moon rise. It was beautiful!













Sasha and Adonis climbing the temple

The view from the top of the next largest temple

Alan looking up a word in Spanish for us

Sasha at sunset

The moon

Look how awesome my hair is

A group of new friends

The following morning we woke early and headed to Tikal, after serveral hours of hiking we arrived at the boarder of El Mirador. There we explored a Mayan prison.
















Sasha practicing juggling in front of a Mayan prison

Snake skin

Taking a break

Alan taking Sasha to prison

Peek-a-boo

I always wanted to be an archeologist

We arrived at El Mirador. The first day all we wanted to do was relax. So we read our dictionaries, played flash cards, and watched the spider monkeys above us.
















That was later our bath water

Sasha´s new favorite book...the Spanish dictionary

The following day we spent exploring the ruins. It was amazing to be in the middle of all of it.

On top of Templo mono



We didnt see the monos there, but we did listen to Toucans
(the toucans sound like frogs, and if you listen really hard you can hear howler monkeys in the background...right before Sasha laughs)

Climbing down from Temple Mono

Climbing up Templo Danta

Alan explaining this face to us

Sasha and Adonis standing at the end of a Mayan Clock

I am not sure what it is, but I know it´s cool

Mayan pottery
















My guide and I were both thinking ¨Damn that is high¨

Standing in front of Templo Danta

A mayan house--Suckers didnt have a bathroom

Alan showing us a recently discovery...Laynie, dont tell your dad!!

On top of Templo Tigre for the sunset

A recent discovery

This monkey had the right idea

We did not have the right idea...really all those stairs??

That night we watched the sunset from the top of Templo Tigre.











Sasha talking to a new friend

Alan and co. playing ¨damas¨ (Checkers)

Sasha and the sunset

Sasha and me

The sun is only this big in Guatemala

You know, just haging out on top of Mayan temple

The hike back was beautiful and full of studying. The trip was well worth it!










Sasha looking up another word in Spanish

This is what our hike looked like

Studying and hiking at the same time, that is what I call talent

Carmelita!

The trip home was an adventure of its own. Not only did we have to travel down a bumpy road for three hours, we also ran out of gas in the middle of the blazing heat. Alan was a good sport and walked to the next town.











What a trip!!

The End!

Feliz Cumpleaños

I love my birthday, it is one of my favorite days of the year, it is a fun reason to just have a good day. The 8th was an espcially fun day for me. I am so lucky to have a best friend here with me on my trip. Sasha is truely amazing, and made the day especially nice.

The day started at 6am, with a birthday wake up song. I´ve heard the music for other people at 4am and am grateful that Sasha, Dalia, and Génisis thought it best I sleep in. (see Sasha´s blog for a video)

I got my first phone call on Sashas cell phone from my mom

I found a coke waiting for me when I got back from church


Following church I took an hour siesta, and when I woke up I couldn´t find Sasha, Génesis, or Todd. One by one they trickled back and we started playing all sorts of fun games. I wonder what they were doing while I was sleeping...










The day was finished with CAKE











Thanks so much Sasha! I sure love you!

My body also had a great surprise for me, on monday. It was a day of no school, staying in bed, and writhing in pain...thanks self. We had to delay our trip as a result, but I am happy to report that we are leaving tomorrow.

Thanks Sasha for being willing to carry me ;)

Also thanks so much for all your loving emails, they made my day!

The Finca

On Friday Sasha and I went to a hostel a few hours away for a break away from our hectic lives. We both felt like getting out of San Andres would give us variety to our studying.

























On our way we saw probaby 20 armed police officers near the police station...normally there is 1. The police had confiscated a truck full of marajuana and arrested a man that was poaching toucans to sell stuffed on the black market. We were told later that he was going to spend 10 years in prison

El Mirador

On Monday Sasha and I are heading into the jungle for a week long adventure. We are hiking to the ruins at El Mirador. Coincidently, they are the ruins where my friend´s dad is an archeologist. I am excited for the adventure...although a little nervous about how I am going to smell when I get back.

Semuc Champey

This weekend, I took a break from San Andres. Sasha wasn´t keen on spending a lot of time in a car, so she opted not to go. Instead, I went with my friend from school, Todd. Had I known that out of 40 hours, half were spent in the car, I don´t know that I would have been keen on it either. I had heard the ride was 12, not 20...a little different.

The ride there was traumatizing. Tons of curves, hills, and bumps. Some of the locals were laughing at me as I braced for the turns and bumps at the end of the trip.

Although the ride wasn´t fun, it was beautiful. Gee wiz, I hated that road

Although I didn´t love the ride, the destination was amazing. Semuc Champey is a natural land bridge with bright blue-green pools on the bridge. Compredes?


We hiked up to a view of the pools. This is a photo of the hike. We read that it was going to take us 1h15min. It was hard, but it only took us 12 minutes.


The view from the lookout










Where the water rushes underground



The pools









Where the river comes out.


The pools were beautiful. Todd and I arrived early in the morning before anyone else was there. We explored the area and swam in the crystal clear water. It was breathtaking.

After exploring the pools we took a tour of a nearby cave. I didn´t bring my camera because it is not waterproof, and we had to swim through the majority of the cave. In the cave we didn´t have headlamps...just candles. Swimming through a pitch black cave with only a candle was definitely an experience.

The tour was amazing, and even more fun because it was just the three of us. He helped us with our Spanish and we helped him with his English...

I love it here!