Serenity and Shopping at Lago de Atitlan

The shuttle van ride to our next location was a good decision since the Day gene of motion sickness reared its ugly head along the windy roads. The ride could have been much worse though as the local buses that Travis and I were accostumed to went speeding past us and showed no hesitation in taking corners at full tilt while the tires on the inside of the corner came off the ground, literally. Lake Atitlan, beautifully situated in the highlands of Guatemala, surrounded by three volcanos and numerous Mayan tribes speaking 16 different dialects awaited our arrival, making the journey more than worth the momentary pain. Travis and I felt privileged to share this magnificent location on our travels with my parents who booked a lovely home for us to enjoy for 8 days together. The view from our front belcony overlooked the water and proceeded up to Volcan San Pedro which rose above the water with a gentle demeanour. Most mornings would begin with a cup of delicious local coffee while curled up in a blanket on the front deck, yes a blanket because the mornings were surprisingly cool. Equally the evenings were brisk allowing us to enjoy the hot tub and sauna each night under the stars. It felt so good to be in a home again and cook for ourselves each day. Believe it or not, eating out does lose its appeal after awhile. Above all, this time with my mom and dad was precious, we didn't do a lot of activities throughout the week allowing for more time to visit, rest and enjoy each other's company. 

When we did decide to venture out of our cozy oasis we would climb in the back of an old pick up truck which was their local taxi service and head for the nearby town of Panajachel. On one occasion we took a Tuk Tuk ride (first picture) and visited a nature park where we enjoyed walking along hanging bridges, seeing a waterfall and a butterfly pavilion. However, one of our highlights was visiting the nearby village of Santa Catarina where the local women were weaving beautiful tapestries and clothing in the streets and open faced shops. We were so impressed with the friendliness of the Mayan people and we were very thankful for the opportunity to buy from them first hand. We infused more than a few dollars into the local economy and put Travis' bartering skills and Spanish to the ultimate test as he was the one to make deals for both mom and myself. On another trip we took a boat out across the lake and explored surrounding towns. We also went kyaking for an hour to soak in the views from a different perspective. Oh and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fabulous massage mom and I received on the deck one afternoon, the sound of birds and water greatly enhanced our relaxation.

As our time at the lake was coming to a close Travis remarked at how thankful he was for the opportunity to completely relax and rest as he did not realize how much he needed it. Some may think that we are on this grand vacation where we sit on the beach and sipping Mai Thais all day and that couldn't be farther from the truth. The real truth is we are travelling through developing countries that present new challenges every day for us to overcome. Travis carries a fair amount of stress down here (which is causing his beard to go grey) as he is always looking out for us, keeping us safe. Simple things such as buying food becomes an event, as we try to find a place within our budget as well as overcoming the language barrier all while performing currency exchange in our minds. I am very thankful for Travis' leadership ability as he carries most of the responsibility down here. So this week of release was very welcomed, by both of us and we were so glad to share this special time with my mom and dad. (Now if you want to see very good pictures from this time you best look at my moms, sadly I could not upload them on the blog as there resolution was too high.)

Magnificent Antigua

Transportation... You know where this is about to go if you have read any of our precious posts. The shuttle ride from El Cuco, El Salvador to the Guatemalan border took about 4 hours, it was at this point our driver informed us we would be escorted by police the next 3 hours until we reach Antigua. We were confused and shocked, as our understanding until this point was that El Salvador and Honduras were more dangerous. He explained to us all that along the road from the border to Antigua there had been many recent armed robberies, with a somber face as if looking into the past he told us that he has seen people dead on this road. I was sitting right beside him in the front as he talked and Travis on my right in the passenger seat.The whole shuttle, which was previously lively and talkative fell silent for the remainder of the trip. With suspicion my eyes jolted from one vehicle to the next as we drove into the descending darkness. I began to pray as I felt fear rising up within me. It was then I decided to visit more with our driver and get to know him to lessen the tension. We quickly discovered we were both Christians and he immediately switched the music to DC Talk for the remainder of the journey. I smiled and laughed inside to think that the songs I enjoyed in my teens were now lightening my heart along a dangerous road. Thankfully, we safely arrived in Antigua and found the hostel we wanted with ease. All they had left was the dorm but it didn't matter, we were exhausted. Travelling through dangerous and trying conditions always serves to make us more grateful and appreciative. In the morning we enjoyed the most delicious breakfast, visited with some inspiring people and peacefully sat on a very nice rooftop patio reflecting on the journey we had just endured.

Our first order of business in Antigua was to meet up with my parents who had arrived in Guatemala the day before. With eagerness and excitement we made our way across the city over the cobblestone streets and past the many ruins. It was so wonderful to see them after 3 months of being apart and together the four of us spent the next 3 days soaking in the spledor of the old capital city of all Central America. Antigua is a beautiful colonial city and the colourful Mayan people selling gorgeous hand crafted treasures add so much more culture than any city we had visited previously. Not to mention the three volcanos surrounding the city including an active one which hosted belows of smoke from the top. Without a doubt this was our favourite city so far. The ambience of the cobblestone streets, friendly people and delicious food made me wonder how come this place wasn't more expensive to visit. Someday we most definelty want to return.

                      

 

   

 

  

Tranquility and Turtles in El Salvador

Waking up at 1:30 am was a bizzar concept, however that is what was required to catch our shuttle from Leon to El Salvador. I was nervous to cross through Honduras as everything we had heard about the people and country had been negative. We drifted in and out of sleep as we bounced along the lightless highway as our driver sped and appeard to make it a game as to how close he could get to an animal on the road before swerving hard to miss it. Thankfully, he did take good care of his passengers as we never had to set foot in Honduras even though we crossed two borders in order to enter El Salvador. After 8 hours of travel we arrived at La Tortuga Verde (the green turtle) hostel resort on the beach and sadly parted ways with our Swiss friends once again as they continued on to Guatemala. 

For the next week we thoroughly enjoyed our beachfront home with each day playing out nearly identical to the last. It was like Groundhog Day for a week as we added or subtracted from the events until we had perfected our craft. Our private room had its own front porch with a hammock where each day started with Travis reading while I suntanned. We would play in the waves and a couple times I braved surfing with my sports instructor husband making sure I caught the right waves and performed the skill correctly. That feeling of gliding across the water was incredible and made up for all the times I crashed and the salt water rushed up my nose burning my sinuses and cussing me to gasp each and every time. We would play Crazy 8's and listen to music as we laughed and visited through the heat of the day before heading out to the large nearly empty beach which made for a perfect spot to catch the incredibly stunning sunsets. With the beach and colourful backdrop to ourselves we could play frisbee until the light dictated we stop. The bed we had made the experience even more enjoyable as it was very comfortable and came complete with 4 pillows! Not a bad day to reenact repeatedly and a welcome reprieve from the grind.

Our highlight came the day before we left when the resort informed us that they had baby turtles ready to be released into the ocean. They operate a conservation program where locals get paid to bring sea turtle eggs to the resort instead of eating them. Along with other guests we released about seven turtles into the ocean. I was nervous to touch them but Travis picked one up and carried it to the ocean, but the breaking waves kept pushing him back to shore so Travis scooped him back up and in his cloths walked him all the way out passed the waves. We were proud to give the little guy a great head start as the attrition rate for the endangerd leatherback turtles is very high.

We can not fairly say we seen El Salvador as we never left our resort area, with the increase in gang violence (12 murders per day) and the fast spreading mosquito diseases we decided to continue on to Guatemala. What we can say though is that the drive was beautiful as we traveled in the shuttle van once again. The lush plants, flowers, rolling hills and volcanos all the way up to the Guatemalan border were gorgeous. Maybe someday we can do El Salvador justice, but for now we are greatful for the lovely week we enjoyed on the beach near El Cuco.

                              

                                      

   

   

Esteli and the Impressive Somoto Canyon

Travel for us, as you know by now, is nearly always taxing as the language barrier makes getting around difficult, not to mention always having to be completely aware of all your surroundings as the giant backpack you're carrying doubles as a target for thieves. This time was different though as we travelled with a sense that angels were watching over us. It started with our taxi driver in Leon, I was so comfortable with him I almost fell asleep as he took us to the bus stop. Next, the chicken bus ticket man moved someone so Travis and I could sit together just before it pulled away 15 minutes earlier than the departure time, which if you have ever been to a developing country before you know that nothing leaves early or even on time. Along the way a big man whom we had a bad feeling about from the moment we saw him stood leaning over Travis on the packed bus, we kept looking up at our bags ready to jump up if he tried to grab one. After a while he moved back to the front and three locals quickly told me his hand was in my bag. Grateful for their help I checked the top of my bag and saw that his attempt to steal from us had been in vain and once again we were made thankful for the divine protection over us.  

Esteli is up in the northern highlands of Nicaragua and the temperature is much cooler than Leon. With the climate being so comfortable it reminded us of Boquete in Panama so we settled in for the week. Our Swiss friends met up with us and we decided to spend an afternoon checking out another waterfall together. As we travelled up a rough gravel road on the chicken bus talking and laughing, the bus came to a very unexpected stop. Travis was nearest to the front and told us that some locals on a motorbike were blocking the road. However, before Travis could even finish telling us why we had stopped, 7 men had quickly jumped out of the bus and proceeded to confront the men blocking the road. With a bunch of angry locals and Travis standing firm in front of me I didn't feel like this potential robbery was going to get very far. After a few minutes the bus was moving again and the potential crisis had been averted. The waterfall was nothing fancy and the water very cold but as always we had fun together. We went for a quick swim behind the waterfall, took some pictures and quickly swam back to shore. Upon exiting the water we were rudely reminded of how uncomfortable goose bumps can be. 

The next day was our big adventure, the reason we came all the way north. The four of us traveled by bus for two hours to the hamlet of Somoto, close to the Honduras boarder, where we were loaded into the box of a little truck to finish our journey. From the local family run farm, we were given our life jackets and headed out on foot for two kilometres to the famous Somoto canyon. Just ten years ago this canyon was discovered by the outside world and we are quite thankful it was. The canyon was impressive and awe inspiring, with the canyon walls reaching heights of 200 feet. We floated down the cool waters and jumped in multiple times, yes jumped. With Travis' instruction and encouragement I was able to do a little cliff jumping. I say a little because I only jumped from about 2 metres, which still beat my previous jump by nearly two metres. We had such an enjoyable experience together and with our friends, which as always, included lots of laughter and funny moments. With this being our last activity for Nicaragua, we felt satisfied that we had truly seen the country and we began to prepare for El Salvador.

                         

                         

    

                          

                          

  

  

Feliz Años Nueva on Volcan Telica

When we stepped out of the shuttle in Leon the sweat began flowing nearly immediately. We had heard that Leon was much warmer than Granada, but all the warnings now seemed understated. Compounding this inconvenience we realized that we had been lead astray by other travellers on Trip Advisor in their recommendation of the hostel we had booked. Regardless of these minor obstacles we were able to get out and enjoy Leon's incredible Cathedral and other lovely buildings. It felt like we were in Europe somewhere except for the lack of tourists, which we were very thankful for. Walking around inside and out of the largest cathedral in Central America we marvelled at the craftsmanship, paintings and sculptures. The streets were busy with people selling goods and picking up supplies for New Year's Eve which we learned is a time spent with family, not friends. You can really tell the value of family down here, children of different ages always helping and caring for one another and the elderly never walking alone. 

For our New Years Eve celebration we decided to book a volcano tour, as for the past month I had been picturing sitting on a volcano enjoying the sunset on 2014. However, even the best laid plans do not always work out as we have come to realize on more than one occasion during this trip. Our tour group was extremely unorganized and as a result we made it to the top of the volcano 20 minutes after the sun had set. Accepting our disappointment we still sat and watched the changing colors in the sky with thankful hearts that we could share this journey together. For Travis and I, 2014 had been a very challenging year for us as we dealt with a myriad of hardships that included grief, depression and lots of change. Discussing all of this in the growing darkness of 2014 gave us the freedom to leave it all behind and look forward to a new year. With our group of 11 we then proceeded to set up camp where Travis and I were informed we would be sharing a tent with a mother from Russia and her 3 year old son. We laughed to ourselves at the way our romantic volcano top evening was continuing to unfold. As a group we then hiked up to the crater of the active volcano and looked down at the glowing red lava in amazement. The smell of sulfur was suffocating at times and the sound of the volcano was like jets flying closely overhead. For the first time I felt like I was beginning to humbly grasp the power of a volcano. I smiled to myself as I often used volcanos to teach anger management to children and thought how anger is nothing compared to this monster. The stars shown brightly on our walk down to camp reminding us of home on the farm and then the coyotes howled in the distance and I closed my eyes and pictured myself there for a moment. In the early morning our guide woke us up to watch the sunrise on 2015. The wind was strong and the air crisp as we stumbled up a hill for the best view. As the sun rose over the peaks of distant volcanos our excitement for the new year truly began.