First time for everything

So for the first time in all my travels, I had the exciting but anguishing experience of being robbed at gunpoint yesterday. Our car which included two locals, was ambushed on a dirt road outside San Pedro Laguna, Guatemala. Two strategically placed rocks blocked our passage and before we knew it 3 hooded guys waving guns and knives ran at the car. Since I wasn't able to get a picture of the banditos, I snapped a picture of this dog. Imagine a 2-legged versions of this guy running up to our car with handguns waving and you get the idea. The driver kept his cool and we all refused the urging of the thieves to exit the car. They seemed young and were probably as scared as us but given that at least one of the guns were real, and the knives were definitely real, we did not want to test who had more courage. Luckily I was able to hide my camera so I ended up giving up about $15 in Guatemalan currency and a cheap watch. The gals in the back lost about $100. But in the end we all escaped unscathed. First time for everything but one I'd like to not repeat anytime soon.

Antigua -- Impossibly Cute

"Impossibly cute," is how the guide books describe Antigua, Guatemala and
it's a perfect description. As you are wandering the cobblestone streets, picturesque architecture, semi-ruined earthquake structures, hearing a myriad of languages, and seeing picture-perfect volcanic mountains dot the surrounding landscape, you can't help but think you are in Disney's latest theme park, "Guatemala-land." But the town is a great central base to explore the stunning lakes, mountains, Maya ruins, and forests that Guatemala has. Antigua has a little bit for everyone -- Spanish schools galore, open air markets, exclusive art galleries, bars of every style and type, great restaurants, beautiful churches, and photo opp's around every corner. I was lucky to be enjoying the town in the company of my three lovely friends Karen, Lisanna and Allison. At the Black Cat hostel, Matt our roommate was so impressed by my "clan," that he kept asking for my secret. Well Matt, it's just how I roll baby!

Vulcan Pacaya

Yesterday we went to see Vulcan Pacaya, one of 3 active volcanoes around Antigua. After a 1.5 hour bumpy bus ride and a 1200 foot elevation gain hike, we were treated to an amazing sight. Lava beds flowing like molasses right in front of us. We stood so close that it felt like the hair on my legs were burning. We crested at sunset which made the view even more amazing. Then we had the challenge of navigating the tricky descent in the darkness, avoiding holes, roots, and, "horse shit in the right." Thank God for Head Lamp Guy.

Pool shark night

On Friday night, I hung with Shawn and Sarah from Portland, and Cara and Alejandro from California. Yes, Americans are everywhere. I'm pretty sure Cara and Ally were stalking me as they had seen me on a ferry and Roatan a week earlier. Jennifer our local friend took us to a local pool hall where I somehow played the best pool of my life with crooked sticks. Should have talekn some Honduran lempira from the locals.

Copan Ruinas

On the 3rd of Jan I said goodbye to Tanya, left La Ceiba, and bussed to Copan Ruinas on the west side of Honduras. The journey was supposed to be 6 hours but became more than 8 through rough roads and many accidents. Pulled into Copan at 8. Copan Ruinas is a cool but touristy


town of cobblestone streets just minutes from some amazingly well preserved Maya ruins. The Mayan city had an almost mystical feel surrounded by mountains and, on this day, low clouds and humid air. The ruins in Tikal in northern Guatemala are supposed to be more grandiose. I didn't get the chance to get up there, but any of these ruins really make you think about the life that these amazing people led.

Feliz Nuevo Ano

New Years Eve on Roatan was interesting. The power went off for our house and most of the West End at 6:00 pm. Not an abnormal occurence but it would remain off at our house and immediate vicinity all night. Not the best circumstances for putting on your New Years eve duds, especially when the water was not running. We gave up on the power round 9:30 and ventured into the village where there was some generator power at restaurants. Kelly, who had arrived that day from Chicago, joined us for the night. We dined on pizza at Pura Vida where my parents boogied with random South American tourists. We then rang in the new year at Fosters Bar with tequila and vodka shots. They apparently were saving the champagne only for staff. More dancing. more vodka, 5 bars, later and I stumbled back to a still dark house at 4:30 am, Jan 1 2008! Happy New Year everyone.

Garifunas and Iguanas

During an island tour of Roatan, we stopped in at an Iguana farm. These creatures are amazing -- like a dragon meets dinosaur meets lizard. Very docile and slow moving until one hovers a banana leaf over them and they climb all over each other in attempt to access the food. One thought I might taste good and kept licking my calf.

In the afternoon we made it to the eastern side of Roatan. Much poorer and less touristy but still beautiful. We stopped in for lunch at "Mom´s Kitchen¨in a Garifuna village, where Momma cooked us up some tasty lobster while her kids played around us.

The sunsets of Roatan

Every day we were treated to a spectacular sunset, each different from the last. Since we were on the western end of Roatan, there was really no bad place to watch sunsets. But we were lucky to catch one from the fishing boat, and many from the Lands End bar, where Heidi, Jenny and Adi kept our thirsts quenched while we soaked in the views. For snorkeling we ventured to West Bay, a spectacular beach and snorkel area, where I saw several fish that were about half my body length. Very cool!

It was not all nirvana-like perfection. The price of being on a beautiful, remote island is that one cannot assume basic things like electrical power. The electricity went out almost on a daily basis, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes, like on New Years Eve, for hours and hours. Not the worst thing in the world until one discovers that our running water needed electricity for the pump. A full evening with no flushing toilets or fans or AC is not that fun.

Roatan

The family and I arrived for 5 days in Roatan on Dec 27th. The Bay Islands of Honduras are beautiful, sun-soaked islands that are wrapped in the world´s 2nd largest coral reef. The diving and snorkeling are spectacular -- I saw some fish that were at least my half my body length (no short jokes Moffatt!). We also were lucky enough to catch a 20 pound barracuda on an afternoon fishing expedition that served as dinner that evening and breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next few days as well. Tasty fish kind of like swordfish. Our taxi driver, Lionel, became our island travel agent arranging everything we needed. I recommend you call Lionel for all your Roatan needs.

Honduras Take II

Back in Honduras again, this time with my parents and brother in law to visit Tanya for the holidays. After a mundane Christmas Eve at the Houston GEORGE BUSH Airport Doubletree with my parents, we met Jasen and his sister Christmas morning for our flight to San Pedro Sula. Slight panic when we arrived in San Pedro Sula as the one only airline that was flying to La Ceiba(where my sister was) on Xmas Day was full. J and Chris had there flight pre booked, but my parents and I needed to find another route. Through my broken Spanish I negotiated a reasonable van rate to La Ceiba which was about 2.5 hours away by car.

After a bit of rest we had a scrumptious Christmas dinner cooked by Tanya´s co-volunteers. This was quite impressive as none of them were really cooks and cooking in Honduran kitchens is far more archaic than Americans and Europeans are used to(No dishwasher!). Yesterday Jasen, Tanya, Christina and I did a heart-racing zipline canopy tour of the Pico Bonito forest.