Antigua and Marriage...

Alright!  I've been in Antigua now for 2 weeks.

I can't believe my field school is halfway done!  I'm spending the weekend catching up on school work, blogging, and other technical things (finalized my fall schedule - Graduating this December!!, paying bills, etc.)

So... what is Antigua like?

Antigua, Guatemala (6a Calle Poiniente)

Antigua is very similar to Granada, Nicaragua, except it isn't as hot here, the buildings are of different colors and the roads are quite unique to Antigua.



Sorry for the short blog, but I have to get some school work done!  Yes, field notes here we come!

Ceremony

MARRIAGE?  Yes, I didn't technically walk down the aisle, but a group of us went to San Antonio to learn more about the indigenous culture.  How they create their crafts, how they make tortillas, coffee (which is quite labor intensive), as well as eat local traditional food (pepian - which made me really ill for the next 48 hours), as well as how they get married.






Since I was the only guy in the group, I was hitched to Erin (pictured).  Hopefully, this isn't legally binding o_O


What we are wearing is traditional and the accessories symbolizes the work of each gender.  I am wearing a canteen which contains coffee and another pouch which contains tortillas, so I can head to work and provide for my family.



Erin is symbolically holding our baby, she also has a lot of responsibilities mostly tied to the home.  In addition taking care of the baby, she is to cook the meals (symbolized by the apron, which was gifted to her by my mother), keep the home clean and all the other logistics that involves the home.

I will post a whole blog with just pictures of Antigua.  

Have a great weekend.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Question time?! - Answers!

Mahalo for the questions everyone!  I only had 1 comment in the previous post, but thanks for asking via Twitter, email and SMS.

Question 1... What is your typical day like?

Since my Field School has started, my days have actually been quite hectic, in some aspects it is even more demanding than a normal school day.  I wake up every day around 5:30.  My alarm is set for 05:35, but I always turn it off before it goes off... I run everyday at 06:00.  Yes, running on my vacations, and actually next week, I will start spin classes here in Antigua to prepare me for my 100 mile bike race coming up in about 2 months (gasp!).  I run for about 45 minutes, I either run by myself or with 1 or 2 other members in my class.  After running, I return to my homestay, take a quick shower, and yes breakfast is there ready for me.  After breakfast, I have classes all day.  A morning class which either entails a class with all of the students in my Field School, or a more focused class with the individual groups (Gerontology, Pediatrics, and of course my group NGO Network and Health).  After class, I head home for lunch - yes freshly prepared.  I will post a future blog with the types of food, I've been eating - much probably to the dismay of my Century Ride coach. lol.  3 days out of the week, I have 3 hours of Spanish class and to be honest, its surprisingly going very well. I think coming out of my comfort zone and traveling all over Guatemala where I had no choice but to speak English really helps.  Not to mention, I've recently become a chatterbox on the bus, or anywhere really.  Then after class at 5, back home to relax.  A full day of class is quite a bit exhausting.  After than its pretty much relaxing, dinner, reading, typing field notes, and any observations.  The next 2 weeks will be particularly extensive because we will be conducting interviews (yes! we finalized our questions last week).  So that's sort of my current typical week-day.

Question 2 - Did you look for houses in Cuenca?

No, I did not.  I spent most of my time in Guayaquil, Ecuador and with not much time left, the decision was either Cuenca or Banos... and (http://hawaiiinsomniac.blogspot.com/search/label/Ecuador) will tell where I went and why!! (ha, sorry!! Next time!)

Question 3 - Animals in Antigua?

Antigua is quite a developed city.  To be honest, during the field school I can't leave, so the only animals I have seen is a lot of stray dogs (as opposed to large amount of stray cats in Hawaii), and random insects.  I don't recall seeing much birds either, but I will keep you up to date.

Question 4 - Postales or Pasteles?

This is actually a joke.  I was looking for postcards (postales) and you guys know I love desserts (pasteles).  Needless to say, I mixed the 2 up quite frequently and asked for the other at the wrong time.

Question 5 - Where are the pictures?

Well, I've taken nearly 400 pictures so far on this trip, and a few have been posted on my blog.  I am currently working on a 3G USB thumb drive from Tigo, which by the way is really cheap, $26 with 15 days of internet included - AND no data caps!

This weekend, I plan to mostly relax, finalize my school schedule for the fall, laundry and yes, take some pictures of food and Antigua itself.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I've a quite hectic week.

Thanks for the questions and just post more in the comment and I'll be happy to write more about what you want to know about Guatemala.

I'm currently working on my next blog: I wish I had, I wish I hadn't - Things and Travel Tips.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Question time?!

Aloha readers...

My field school has started here in Antigua and its officially 1 more month before I head home.  I've been sorta of lagging on blogging (yes, I will be blogging about Quetzaltenango) but before that, I wanted to give you the opportunity to ask me anything about my travels...  It could be about anything really, food, culture, Guatemala, Ecuador, my pre-travels in the U.S, Paris, my daily life... etc?!

All questions POSTED in the COMMENTS section BELOW, will be answered in a blog next week Tuesday.

Miss you all very much and can't wait to hear from you...

Yes.. you can ask in English, Spanish, French, Pidgin or Tagalog!

P.S.  We are almost at the $1,000 mark!  http://cyclingforacure.info  Special thanks to Emralino family for their recent donation of $100!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Happy Okole - Guatemala Bus Travel Tips!

I've been quite on the go non-stop for the past 2 months.  I am looking forward to a month of non-traveling in Antigua, Guatemala.

Yes, I can't believe it.  On May 17th, I went from Honolulu to Paris, via Houston and Frankfurt, then back to Honolulu via Frankfurt and Narita (a round the world trip in 10 days!).  Then headed to Los Angeles for 3 days, Orlando for 5 days (previous post CLICK ME and ME!), back to Los Angeles for 3 days, Washington D.C for the weekend (see previous post CLICK ME), then back to Los Angeles, before heading to Guatemala for a week, then Ecuador for 10 days (see previous posts tagged Ecuador), then back to Guatemala on a non-stop on.the.go mission. (I know, right!? BOO-HOO!?)

My okole is officially tired of sitting down.  I'm trying to calculate the amount of time sitting down traveling (on a plane or on a bus) and its quite daunting...  trying to add in layover time, preparation for travel time, taxi to bus time and vice versa... I will just be talking about my travels in Guatemala and some tips and tricks of the trade!

Ok... Let me show you guys what I've been up to... TRAVEL TIPS COMING (PROMISE)!!

Guatemala

Alright... First all of the triangles without the bottom are mountains.  Since my return from Ecuador, my route has been:

Guatemala City > Flores > Tikal > Flores > Rio Dulce (south point of Lake Izabal) > Livingston > Puerto Barrios > Guatemala City > Quetzaltenango > Guatemala City

Sure it looks small on the map... but Guatemala City to Flores is 10 hours.  Flores to Tikal an hour.  Flores to Rio Dulce 4 hours.  Rio Dulce to Livingston 90 minutes (boat).  Livingston to Puerto Barrios 30 minutes (boat).  Puerto Barrios to Guatemala City 5.5 hours.  Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango 4 hours.

GUATEMALA BUS TRAVEL TIPS!!


1.  There are many bus companies going all over Guatemala, my favorite is Linea Dorada (Pullman bus!).  The bus goes direct and does not pick up people on the way, if you are concerned with safety, also note, it will be cold.  If there is a "mas privado" seat available, take it, its normally $3 more, but its way more comfortable!
2.  All of the bus companies offer more routes and timetables that what is listed on their pamphlets or online.  Example, Linea Dorada does not have on their pamphlet a route from Flores to Rio Dulce (leaves at 10AM daily), BUT it is online.  So, see the next tip...
3.  If you have decided to travel from one city to another and decided on a bus company, CALL THEM!  Most information online or on handouts are likely to be dated information!  Example, Transportes Alamo advertises online routes from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango at 0830, and 1230 (but they actually leave at 10:30!)
4.  Most bus companies DO NOT take credit cards!  Also, get to the bus station 45 minutes early, especially if you traveling on a weekend.  You can call and try to reserve a seat, but they'll ask you to stop by an hour early to pay for your reservation.  Most bus companies ONLINE reservation DO NOT work (e.g., http://lineadorada.info/reservacion/index.php).  Sooo... if you know you are going to travel and a bus station is nearby and you have to take that bus... you may want to get information on 2 buses in case one is booked (e.g., Quetzaltenango > Guatemala City - Transportes Alamo 1430, Linea Dorada 1530).
5.  More than likely you will either walk or take a cab to get to your bus station or once you arrive at your destination, make sure BEFORE getting in the cab... a) the driver knows the location you want to go, b) you both agree on the price (yes, do not agree with the first price stated).  An extra side tip, I like to write down information on my notepad with addresses and phone numbers in case there is a problem while driving.  Example, my notes for Guatemala City - Bus states "Linea Dorada - 10a Avenida 16-41, Zona 1, Tel 2415-8900" and "Transportes Alamo 12 Avenida "A" 0-65, Zona 7, Tel 2472-2355"
6.  DO NOT BOOK BUSES FROM ANTIGUA!!  There are no main buses leaving from Antigua to Flores!? The tour companies in Antigua merely buy you a ticket from Guatemala to Flores and take you to the bus station in Guatemala!  A bus from Antigua to Guatemala is only 8Q ($1.05).  If you're traveling during the day, take the cheap route...

Useful Information:
Linea Dorada - 24158900 (this will route you to all of the stations) - ROUTES/TIMETABLE - accurate!
Transportes Alamo - 2472-2355
Transportes Litegua - 2220-8840

These are the only 3 buses I have taken.  I am also working on a Ecuador travel TIPS edition! You don't want THIS to happen to you!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Livingston, Guatemala

Livingston, Guatemala is a city that is like no other in Guatemala.

The people, the food, the location, all different that what you would expect or have experienced of Guatemala.  First tell tell sign is the only way to get there is by boat.

Now, you can either take a boat from Puerto Barrios or Rio Dulce to and from Livingston, I suggest taking both ways at least 1 time.

For me, heading down from Flores, I stopped in Rio Dulce, then to Livingston on a ferry boat (once you get off the bus, don´t be scared of the people hassling you yelling out "Livingston!", if its your first time there in Rio Dulce, the ferry isn't obviously located so just follow them, they don't cheat you, its a set price that you buy the ticket from the stand at 125Q, yes for a 1.5 hour boat ride, it is well worth the ride.



The boat ride from Livingston to Guatemala is beyond amazing.  This is where pictures really do not do this place justice.  The wind on your hair, the grandiose mother nature on each side of you tentilizing you with different scenery that you can't decide if you want to look at grand mountains and lush scenery on your left, or the more tamed lands on the ride side where residents live with their wooden houses and their boats and kayaks.

Oh yeah, if you take the boat the other way from Puerto Barrios and vice versa, there is a boat leaving every hour on the :30 mark (8:30) etc., get there early for your ticket as it will be packed.  The boat ride itself is only 30 minutes, and if you're using Puerto Barrios as a jumping boat (e.g., bus station) just ask around for the station and they'll point you to where you have to go, its about a 15 minute walk...

Alright, so what about Livingston?  This is one particular blog post that really won't go into details, lets just say, it is different that the rest of the country, you have to try the local rum, and the Tapado soup is awesome (especially if you like seafood).

Other quick tips about Livingston, its a small place, don't hesitate to walk outside of the main street to find cheaper hotels or foods...



UPDATED WITH VIDEO (You might want to MUTE IT.. its WINDY!)


Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Flores... Tikal... Guatemala

Excuse me... Hopefully this blog is cohesive... Drinking red wine then blogging may leave rational gaps in the thought process.  Then again, this may happen sans red wine... Hmmm. o_O  NOTE: the pics are all over the place, I'm quite tired. x_x

Leaving Guatemala on an overnight bus on Linea Dorada was actually quite nice.  Hueling introduced me to night buses, when we took one from Banos to Guayaquil and yup, another overnight bus, this one was quite nice, the bus ride took 9 hours, and I was able to sleep for most of it, except certain parts in the middle zig zagging through the mountains and being forced by gravity from one side of the seat to the other didn't help any...

Abruptly waking up in Flores after an overnight bus ride was quite scary actually now that i think about it, the bus was empty and apparently, I like to sleep.  As soon as i left the bus, half awake, I was off to an adventure, thanks partly to a driver who offered to take me to Tikal back and forth for a reasonable price and even helped me find a hotel.  (we'll get back to this), ok well I booked a hotel for 60Q (about $7.50) it was really shitty... and needless to say after the adventure I'm about to describe, I decided that I wanted AC, so I upgraded to a waterfront hotel room with AC and WiFi for 160Q (About $21).

Ok, back to adventure... To be honest, I was really filled with anticipation, I have read about these Mayan ruins where a game similar to basketball is played and the losing team dies. (ouch!) well that and the travel, the views of the beautiful island (Flores) and the scenic drive, sort of like you're heading to Jurassic park, coupled with what I've read and researched in classes, Tikal had a lot to live up to, and about a 45 minute drive later (about 0800) we arrived in Tikal and what perfect timing, the weather was cool, the sun was just starting to peek through the clouds to say hello, and here I was armed with a map of Tikal and my eager spirit ready to explore these ruins from many, many, many, many (many, MANY, MAAAAANNNNNNYYYYYY) years ago... :P

freaky white furry thing hanging

As soon as I entered the Preserve, I was walking through a light jungle like hike (does that make sense - ha! seriously, maybe a comment or two to keep me in check?!) I could hear spider monkeys telling each other my location, that i have impeded in their territory like a vocal GPS system, the various insects each with their own sounds of welcome (maybe panic, perhaps even warnings!) with every step I took.  Then there it was from 1000s of years ago, within my sight, it gave me chicken skin the closer I got, like I was about to intrude on something sacred and holy, there it was, the main square, where they played "basketball", I was sort of freaked out actually, i couldn't bring myself to enter certain parts of the ruins... Partly because it appeared sacred, but mostly because I heard howler monkeys, which I just took as a sign do not enter.  I've actually studied both spider and howler monkeys and they are both quite harmless, just lots of noise for intimidation's sake.

Each site had its own unique beauty, the crazy thing is how intricate the temples where.

Then it got crazy hot, yup around 11:30, the weather guy was right 94F and humid, which I didn't believe because it was so cold... ohhh no, it was humid... so on my way back, I took a different route, took some more pictures, thought I got lost and freaked myself out when i almost ran into this insect like thing that was just floating there, with no one around, i thought it was bait for a larger bug, which I really didn't want to find out, so I sorta ran out of there... ha ha.

View from my hotel (the latter one)

More exploring, more travels, and a different hotel (see tweet:  "That last picture suxxx. Lol ok here's a new one. Toast from Guatemala! Get ur drink on... http://t.co/12hKh8v)

small taxis in Flores

I was going to try to explain more, but sometimes you just have to see things for yourself, which is actually what my next blog is all about.  Imagine going from Rio Dulce to Livingston Guatemala on an 1.25 hour boat ride, where the water is calm and the mountain on your left look like Kauai and the swamp like vegetation on your right looks like Florida, or Mississippi.  The breeze going through your hair, and ladies in front talking to me in Spanish, wondering what a guy from Hawaii is doing in Guatemala...   Yup... next blog.

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Ecuador - So Much to See... So Little Time...

Originally, I planned my trip for 10 days thinking that that would be enough to see Ecuador, when in actuality I barely sort of skimmed the surface, Ecuador like many countries has a lot to offer, you just have to have an open mind and a propensity to try Spanish!  jajajaja (my new Spanish laugh)

Edu... yes he's petting an iguana...

When people ask me, is it worth it, I never understand how to correctly answer the question... Example, I'm talking about Baños and then someone asks me, is it worth it...  To be honest, sometimes, I'm on the fence, to me having an experience (even bad ones) are part of traveling and what shapes you as a person... but for the purposes of this blog.  Ecuador is worth it.

On this short trip, I managed to make a couple of friends in Guayaquil, party like a rockstar in Porto Lopez and do a lot of adventury-thingys in Baños... (yes, I just took an overnight bus from Baños to Guayaquil and waiting to check into my hostel, so if I'm making up words - you know what I mean...)

Ms. Adriu and moi...

Guayaquil is a pretty cool city, its mostly a business district with access to great boardwalk along the water, lots of cheap foods and hotels you won't find online.  For example, if you walk along Malecon (the boardwalk on the water) food is rather expensive, by expensive I mean cheap by US comparison ranging from $3-$6... where you can just walk inside the city and find many many many restaurants ofering breakfast, lunch or dinner ranging in the $1-$2 range... and they're complete meals with drinks, a salad and even soup to satisfy your hungry tummy...Thanks to Adrienne and Eduardo for showing me around Guayaquil and introducing me to cheap eats!!

In addition to finding cheap foods and cheap hotels (see tweet - Me encanta! Hotel Casa Blanca en Banos, Ecuador por $10 a noche! Un cuarto privado! http://twitpic.com/5lay8d)... It's possible to even find cheaper rooms... I would almost suggest not booking online (unless you're in a time crunch) as 90% of the hotels are not online!

Porto Lopez is a cool place!  Thanks to my Couchsurfing host, Patricio for dragging me along and allowing me to experience the city, an awesome party, great people and good food... did I mention caña?  Everything is just along the beach, this quiet town has a lot to offer... Maybe next time I'll stay a wee bit longer...

Baños was an adventure!!  See my previous posts... In addition to the small quaint city with lots of adventure, I was lucky to make a new friend... yes, we did a couple of activities together, such as rafting (CLICK HERE), canyoning - both a first for me and jumped off a perfectly good bridge... lol... Other than that, just hanging out, a little shopping - you guys know of my bag obsession... as well as lots of food and a half day of treatment! bwah hah hah... Sort of well needed as the overnight bus right from Baños to Guayaquil was somewhat brutal... A quick 5 hour bus ride at night, 7 on my way to Baños which was during the day..., sleep was hard... swerving through the mountains and the temperature change of the cold, mountain breezes of Baños to the warm, humid weather of Guayaquil...

New buddies!

Weird part is, I almost didn't go to Baños... My mind was set on Galapagos or Cuenca... But a $400 ticket and a $100 entry fee knocked Galapagos out of the equation... so spacial thanks to Patricio who told me of Baños... a city I've never heard of!!  Also, best of luck to Hueling in Lima - Macchu Pichu (consider me jealous!)!!




Thanks to all of you for making this trip so awesome!  and yes... I didn't forget about you Fernando, for which I probably would not have had this awesome opportunity...

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

ima wo ikiru - extreme edition part deux...

Prepping...

Sometimes people don't realize how hard life is for travellers, there are many things to consider on a daily basis... budget, weather, food, bills from home, what to do, etc...

Today was one of those days... after waking up and having breakfast with a newly found friend (see yesterday's blog - we went canyoning together), I went back to the hotel room and watched Friends in Spanish... because the weather wasn´t cooperating... after a couple of hours, around noon, I decided that I was going to just go jump off a perfectly good bridge... why? part boredom and i've been actually wanting to do it... so I had to walk 3 blocks to the bridge and luckily there was no other people wanting to jump off this perfectly good working bridge... so i was next...

Ummm... do what?

yes, the views were spectacular and the weird part is, I wasn't even that nervous... Instructions were given to me in Spanish, to which I nodded yes, which I normally do even if I have no idea what is going on... then, when i stood on the podium looking down to what felt like eternity and the sudden chill of the winds from the mountain taunting me and sending chills down my spine at the same time, I heard the the countdown... 1, 2 (which of course you know what 3 means)

The ride was short, yet exhilarating, jumping to what felt like liberation and release of all my inhibitions, to be suddenly yanked and swung like a pendulum under the enormous bridge.  I almost wished that the freefall lasted longer, to the point where you doubt your safety... but that's just me and my weird personal opinion...

Cheeeee hoooooo!!!

After this stressful adventure, I had lunch with my friend... we stuffed our faces over a 3 course meal and drinks included for $2.50... then I had to decide which massage package to get!! ugggggghhhh.  I originally opted for the whole sha-bang, but ended up with a massage, facial and some iodine foot treatment...

Then, I had to go shopping! I bought a shirt of Baños (which I can´t believe I didn´t pack many shirts)... and also headgear to keep myself warm... once I go treking through Guatemala...   Then of course, dinner, and more packing for my trip...

Don´t drop me!

It has been a short, but uber fun 2.5 (3 according to the hotel) days in Baños (check out my twitter to see pics of the hotel)... (where the keyboard I am using has a dedicated ñ key - ooooohh) now about to take an overnight train with my new friendfrom Baños to Guayaquil...

I you've read this far, don't forget to follow on the right ---> you may need to scroll up a bit...


Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

ima wo ikiru - extreme edition

Prior to Level 4 rafting... more pictures soon...

Yes, today my tattoo and motto lived up to its name... well it normally does, but today is an extra special extreme edition of just doing things that normally isn´t in my vocabulary...

Imagine... white water rafting on a level 4 river... but not just any river... a part of the Amazon river... imagine the mountains... covered with green lucious trees and low level clouds as if you were in the middle of an Asian action movie - like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...


That´s not all, imagine the 6 of you paddling through the river and sudden bursts of water come as if you were going to be covered in it and the chill of the cold water reaches the crevaces inside of your wetsuit, reminding you where you are and no matter now much safety precautions you may take, the river is still in charge....

The mountains are beautiful... you almost feel like a dinosaur is just going to come out of the trees and eat you... or King Kong may just pick you up and take you to the top of the mountain...

Once you have exerted your energy paddling every which way and screaming "iguanas" our team motto... you almost feel at ease, and you realize how lucky you are to be in the middle of the Amazon river paddling for your life and sharing this experience with awesome people you have never met before...
 

I actually know what I am doing...

As if that wasn't enough.... another type of -ing... one of my companions from the rafting trip was staying at the same hotel I was at... so yes... I ended up going canyoning with her... and it was so awesome...

down through 8 waterfalls with just a rope to determine the faith of your life...

arrgghh so much to share, but unfortuantely at this time, I am running out of internet minutes and I'd rather get dessert... LOL...

will write again soon with more photos!

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

Torn Apart... + Ecuador Edition!

Torn Apart...

Yes, torn apart... Not between external  forces, but within my own mind (be very scared...)

I've been fortunate to travel to 6 continents, tons of countries, made a few awesome friends along the way, but traveling is starting to have a different meaning for me...

Before my mantra... "if I waited for a friend to travel with me, I'd never go anywhere..."

Now that I'm actually traveling for an extended period of time, I might be having a change of heart...

Porto Lopez, Ecuador

Not saying that I'd travel with just anyone... But if you're probably reading this, you're a significant part of my life... I think I'm at the point of my travel career that I've done a lot of exploring on my own... And maybe I'm ready to travel with a friend to new places, or to just visit friends in general...

I've done a little bit of both on this trip... Visiting friends and family in southern California, Washington D.C., and Florida... whilst (ha! <3 that word!) exploring Guatemala and Ecuador...

Me + couchsurfing hosts...

I'm having a great time here in Ecuador... I'm currently in an awesome place called Porto Lopez, yes a place where not too many tourists venture to, and it if wasn't for my awesome couchsurfing host, I would have never explored this place on my own... An oceanfront restaurant celebrating his friend's birthday.  Great good, great company and great music...

I guess what I'm saying is it's about time that I head back to Australia and visit friends I haven't seen in ages... Yes, Melbourne! :) and perhaps also Portugal, and maybe a new place like Winnipeg, Canada...

Apple pie... Ecuadorian style...

I can't say it enough... I've been fortunate to have been to many places, but I am even more fortunate to have made some really awesome friends along the way...

Yes, I truly miss you and I can't wait to see you soon...

Ha... On that note, I'm still in exploration mode with 7 more weeks of awesome exploring to go!

Desserts and laughter!  :)

Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.