catching up on a few things...mexico city

while in Mexico City i was able to see some incredible art and my favorite was that of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. the blue house (casa azul) where Frida grew up also lived as an adult is now a museum. the next day i went to the national palace that holds some of the famous murals of mexican history by Diego. here are a few photos from those days...

kids are kids everywhere

three examples i must share of how kids are just kids no matter where they are...

at the National Palace in Mexico City, walking through the presidental sections (office, dining rooms, etc.) and as we are in the hall of presidents where the portraits of presidents past are hung i overhear a young man, probably 14 or 15 say (in spanish of course) to no one in particular,
" blah blah blah dead presidents...blah blah blah. when do we get to the good stuff?!"

a few days later i was at a cafe where a mother and her 5 or 6 year old daughter were sitting waiting for their order of food to take home. the little girl was in a pink leotard, pink tights and sandals and her mother was carrying a small backpack and a pair of ballet slippers. as they waited they had the following exchange:
mother: "come here and put on your skirt and shirt"
girl: "i cant"
mother: "what do you mean you cant?!"
girl: "because then i wont be a ballerina anymore!"

and then there was this exchange between two siblings (boy probably 12 years and girl probably 9 or 10) at the market.
boy: "why dont you ever listen to me?"
girl: "i listen"
boy: "but you dont do what i say. i am older you know."
girl: "yes but that doesnt make you smarter."

somethings just cross all cultures!

phots from Guanajuato

Welcome!

this is from the top of the steps as i walked down to the hostel...it is a city of stairs, and tiny, narrow streets.

some of the streets.

this is from one of the parks looking at the Juarez theatre.

this is another view of the same park.

one of the many churches...what amazed me at the moment i took this was the blue sky and the bright yellow.

new places are generally a good thing

i left Queretaro feeling...well check the previous post and you may get a sense...i arrived in Guanajuato rather apprehensive but hopeful nonetheless. what i found is a perfectly lovely place and 2 people who i swear were put in my path because i needed exactly what they had to offer and say.

this city is ridiculously beautiful and has this sort of Spanish-European-Mexican feel that just makes you want to laugh because it is just the right mix. of course charming cobblestone streets, incredible architecture and the bluest of blue skies are not enough for me anymore...at least not enough to make me say, wow this is a fabulous city! it is the people, the history, the culture...the history here is deep and the pride in the city and the history is strong. the people are friendly, open and hard-working from what i can tell and from what i have gathered from the Senora at my hostel. which by the way is the BEST of the whole trip. hands down the best. ok back the the Senora who made me a yummy mexican breakfast and talked with me for 2.5 hours this morning about...well everything. she has lots of thoughts, opinions, experiences and questions and was open to sharing them all. it was enough to make me consider staying in town for another day just so i would have more time to talk with her...

the other person who was thrown in my path was The Photographer (everyone has alternate identities on my blog if you haven´t figured that out so far). born and raised in Queretaro to a mexican mother and italian father, he was spending the day in Guanajuata taking stock photos. initially, thinking i was french (laughable i know!) he spoke to me in french, when i responded in spanish we spent the next 5 minutes conversing in spanish before he asked me where i was from and then the language switched to english. for the next few hours we walked through the city as he gave me a impromtu tour interrupted only by coffee breaks and the expected photo op.

in this new place i was afforded the opportunity to meet people who were open and willing to share their time, thoughts, experiences with me just when i needed their presence. there are times when talking with other travelers and-or tourists (there is actually a difference) just isn´t enough or isn´t quite what you are needing. times when you have questions about the culture, history or even just life...or maybe it isn´t just when you have questions so much as you are hoping to meet someone who shows you that in this big world there are people who ask the same questions as you and may or may not have the same answers.

i have been thinking a lot about cultural differences and similarities. having time with these two people allowed me the space to ask some of my questions but more importantly i was pushed to listen and consider not just the words that were said but the meaning and the emotion.

tomorrow i will move on, Guadalajara is next, who knows what i will find or what will find me there.

Queretaro Mexico

ok so i am going to probably going to confuse matters by posting photos from the past, writing overviews and reflections from the trip, and now posting about my present location and experience...it seems fitting that everything is all jumbled, it is how i feel at the moment.

here i am in this sweet colonial town with it's strong Spanish influence and important place in Mexican history and i am just wandering. i arrived yesterday afternoon, am here all day today and leave tomorrow for...well that has yet to be determined, Guanajuato or Guadalajara i suppose. anyway, it is a beautiful town, the kind all tourists to Mexico want to see with lovely colors and incredible architecture, small little streets that wind into fountains and ornate churches, and vendors selling art and textiles and fresh fruit and sweet candies.

and i wonder, "what am i doing here?"

i stop in the churches, walk down the streets, eat fresh mango as i sit in one of the many parks, drink strong coffee with the locals at the plaza, visit a museum, and take photos of the statues or streets or churches or whatever else seems to call out, "i am Queretaro!"

all the while there is this dumb song playing in my head...

smile, though your heart is aching

smile, even though it's breaking

when there are clouds in the sky

you'll get by...

if you smile
with your fear and sorrow

smile and maybe tomorrow

you'll find that life is still worthwhile

if you just...

light up your face with gladness

hide every trace of sadness

although a tear may be ever so near

that's the time you must keep on trying

smile, what's the use of crying

you'll find that life is still worthwhile

if you just... smile

i think it is just one of those days. just goes to show no matter where you are or what you are doing, you can have just one of those days.

catching up on photos

these are from my final days in Nicaragua...went to Chinandega and over to the beach, it was a fabulous afternoon and evening!a short bus ride northeast of Leon is the little town of San Jacinto. there you will find small but very hot springs with boiling mud and lots of steam. we had the best tour guide, all of 10 years old with a little sweetness and a lot of sass. of course i loved her!
Laguna de Apoyo, a 48 kilometer (yes i have to the metric system!) body of water inside the crater of the Apoyo volcano. We were there for a few wonderful days enjoying this view, swimming, kayaking, drinking coffee, lounging in a hammock and enjoying the stars...it was perfect!
A few days later we were off to Esteli in the north central highlands of Nicaragua. if you didn't know i love art and murals and street art...so i loved Esteli, there were murals everywhere!

The city and region is best known as being the one of the largest pro-Sandinista areas in the north (the photo is from the mothers of heroes and martyrs museum which is dedicated to those that fought in the revolution), as a producer of coffee, and...

a producer of cigars! did you know that the area is perfect for growing tobacco and after the Cuban revolution it became a haven for cuban cigar makers? i didn't. so of course we went on a tour of a cigar factory. i only wish a camera could capture the smell, strong and if you like cigars well you would be in heaven!

Next and last stop in Nicaragua, the very small and very quiet town of Somoto. The sole purpose of the visit to this place, to hike in and around the canyon.

it turns out you get to swim-float and ride a few rapids as well!!

the canyon adventure was better than expected and i would certainly recommend a visit. oh but if you go, bring your own coffee and your own coffee maker!!

the reflection begins

i didn´t realize it when planning this trip, but i now see that Mexico has been the perfect place to begin and end this trip. to start, it was a great way to ease back into the language and aid in my transition into the backpacking life. to end, it is nice to come to a country with which i am relatively comfortable, to places and people that are familiar, and still have new experiences awaiting me.

throughout my trip i have made attempts to understand and put some meaning behind all i have seen and experienced, but this has proven to be rather confounding. each country, each city, each person has offered me more to think about and added question upon question...leaving me with the feeling that i understand less than when i started.

yet i know that statement and that sentiment is not quite accurate. so it is now, while on the 6-8-12-14 hour bus rides ahead of me, while walking through the streets of familiar cities, while talking with friends and fellow travelers, while writing, that i will make the effort to reflect upon this journey without searching for "the" meaning, or expecting "greater" understanding. rather, the time will be spent remembering the experiences of each moment and how to possibly integrate the last few months into my life and my understanding of myself and the world i live in.

of course this is all very egotistical of me, which is something i have grown to understand about this entire trip. it is a selfish act, to take time to travel alone without work, without responsibilities and in lands far off from friends, family, community and country. it is a luxury not afforded to most and certainly incomprehensible to many. some have said i am incredibly lucky to have the support of my community and culture, others have said this trip is proof that the Western world has veered too much toward the external, and still others have refused to call this trip anything other than a grand vacation. all have elements of truth and yet there is more to be said and that is what i am hoping time will afford me...

Looking back...Copan Ruins (Honduras)

ruins, ruins and more ruins. it seems i just don´t get tired of them. today i went to Teotihuacan, but that is a story for another day. these photos are a few weeks old and i am way behind on the photos for the blog. however, i am in Mexico City where internet connections are fast when you can find an internet location that is! this one i found is on a side street and you have to walk through the first floor, up the stairs to a small room, it´s the 3rd door on the left!







we have internet access at the hostel, but you are not allowed to connect anything to the computers and there are 2 computers for everyone. this means we are limited to 20 minutes at a time. the hostel is huge by the way, probably the biggest i have been in since Panama, and it is in the perfect location, 1 block from the famed Cathedral and zocalo. curious about the hostel, check out the website, http://www.mexicocityhostel.com/



Anyway, back to Copan, the birds greeted us at the entrance and it was hard not to take a photo of them as there were so many of them!





i will let the rest of the photos speak for themselves. enjoy!

another day, another bus

getting ready for another bus ride, another night bus ride in fact. i think they are kind of addictive actually. well maybe not but they are a luxury, especially after being in so many countries where there either aren´t night buses or they are relatively dangerous. of course there isn´t much of a need for night buses in Central America since so many destinations are under 8 hours away (well not all but most). in Mexico it is a bit different, and of course i have a kind of ridiculous itinerary for the next 6 weeks, my last 6 weeks by the way. there will be lots of buses in my future...it´s a darn good thing i like being on the bus. truth be told i really like buses, all kinds, especially those in Central America. it´s a good thing huh? haha.

tonight i am leaving San Cristobol for Oaxaca where i will spend the afternoon and night and then get on a bus to Mexico City. there i will spend a few days exploring the city and the surrounding areas. yep i am finally going to see the sites instead of the airport and the bus terminals!

now it´s all about Mexico

24 hours and 3 buses later i am enjoying the festivities of the independence of Mexico in San Cristobol de las Casas. the morning started with a parade and has continued throughout the day with music, food and relaxation. The streets are full of people, vendors and the determined bus and taxi drivers who somehow navigate through the throngs of people. the colors of red, green and white are on every window and the flag is flying high from wherever one can put a flag. as the adults walk and enjoy the day, the children run through the parks with balloons and painted faces and i, one of the many foreign visitors on this day, watch and take it all in.

this is my second time in San Cristobol, i was here years ago, and i find it all very familiar. surprisingly familiar actually. the cafe´s, the churches, the zocalo, the streets made for walking and the markets...i remember them all and so i re-visit them once again. i am happily not taking photos this time around, it is kind of freeing to leave the camera at the hostel and just enjoy the city and it´s residents. of course it isn´t all aimless walking and eating (food is everywhere today and it is hard to resist the ice cream, fresh mango, corn on the cob and sweets made just for this day)...i also had to get some things done, like laundry.

i have to say that while the whole backpacking thing can get old, especially wearing the same 4 outfits over and over, the taking your laundry to someone else to wash, dry and fold for about $2-4 never ever ever gets old. because really, when in my life has that ever happened? when i was a kid perhaps, but actually that isn´t true, my mom never folded the clothes (haha it´s true i swear!)

my other mission for the day, updating the blog and returning emails. i fully recognize i am behind on the blog and as i keep saying there is sooooo much stuff to say. but here i am updating just on this day. but a few quick things:

1. El Salvador is beautiful, the people are gracious and in 5-8 years it will be on the Gringo Trail and tourists will be flocking to hike, surf, visit the quaint villages, and enjoy the fabulous museums. Here´s the thing, there are problems in this country AND there is so much to enjoy as well, including the Modern Art museum in San Salvador. i don´t want to compare it to those in the states, but i kind of have to compare it to something and so i will say that it is right up there with those in the states. but i suppose it isn´t the museum itself that is so great (although it is) but what makes it fabulous are the incredible Salvadoran artists. oh and the National museum, aka the Anthropological museum is also very good. granted all the explanations are in Spanish but the presentation of the material and objects is very well done. clearly there is money to spend in El Salvador on the museums because these two are very well done.

Speaking of San Salvador...i really liked this city. ugh i know, i know. there is all this negative stuff out there about this city- it´s the most dangerous capital city in Central America, the gang violence is out of control, the narcotrafficantes have taken over, the police and military are part of the problem, it is dirty, it is polluted, etc., etc., etc. and yet, i really enjoyed my day in the city. one day does not make all that stuff go away, nor does it give me any real evidence to offer a differing opinion. all i can say is that the people were friendly, helpful and welcoming, that i never felt unsafe and there was much to see and do.

pictures of El Salvador and my final days in Nicaragua will be up soon, probably when i am in Mexico City. tomorrow i will spend the day here and take a night bus to Oaxaca where i will have a day or so before i take the bus to Mexico City.

¡Viva Mexico!

quality time on the bus...Tica bus that is...

gotta love a bus line that has computers with internet access in the office. granted you have to pay but still. i am currently awaiting my second bus of the day. i left San Salvador this morning (6 am) and am in Guatemala city at the moment. my next bus leaves in about 30 minutes for Tapachula Mexico. yes i will be in Mexico by tonight. crazy.

one last thing...

i officially hate mosquitos.

El Salvador

as the country prepares for grand parades and fiestas celebrating it´s day of independence the general population also braces itself for continued problems that threaten to halt the buses, hinder their work and possibly result in more violence. it is unfortunate on so many levels that the people of this country continue to struggle as they could not be any more resilient, compassionate or friendly. and the country itself is incredibly beautiful with many wonderful places to see and things to do.

i am saddened by my decision to cut my time here short and am hopeful that in the future things will stabilize and i and many other travelers will be able to visit and explore this wonderful country. the decision to leave is based on safety, and really is a preventitive measure as there has not yet been a moment i felt unsafe. still i am in Suchitoto because the day before i left Perquin as i researched hostels in Santa Ana, my next stop, i learned that there was violence in Santa Ana and buses were stopped after a bus driver was killed. the following day, while in San Salvador i asked around and while buses were running intermittently the military and police presence in the city and on the bus route was increased and it was then that i decided to explore another area of the country.

Suchitoto is a lovely little town and i am quite happy with my decision. but that was not the only decision i made. i also decided this morning that while there are many other places i would love to visit in El Salvador the probability of continued trouble, be it transportation stoppages or worse, continue to grow day by day. and so, tomorrow i will leave this happy little town and go to the capital, San Salvador to purchase my international bus ticket, visit a few museums in the city and prepare for my return to Mexico. yes the plan now is to be in Mexico by the end of the week.

as for Guatemala....it will only be a country to cross. i will not be stopping except for food and the bathroom as the rains have done significant damage and many of the roads are slow to traverse.

two countries with so much beauty and so much heart battling demons and mother nature...welcome to central america.

Country # 6...El Salvador

this will have to be a quick posting as i am using the computer of one of the Peace Corps volunteers i met here in Perquin, El Salvador. i left Somoto, Nicaragua yesterday morning, passed through Honduras mid-day and arrived in El Salvador yesterday afternoon. buses were not running in the country yesterday...the 3rd day of some protests and restrictions but it only hindered my mode of transportation and nothing else. so rather than buses i rode in the back of pick-up trucks with everyone else who was making do without the usual buses. again i have found another country with incredibly welcoming and friendly people. oh i find i am becoming redundant i know...this is a beautiful country!!

more to come as i find a cyber cafe in a bigger town, probably during the week.
oh and if you see stuff on the news about protests and shootings and other such things, well know that it is only part of the story and there is more out there...read more online to get the real story and a more thorough explanation of all that is occurring.

sometimes you just can´t leave

the question has come up quite often recently as to why i have spent so much of my time in Nicaragua. of course the easy answer is, "oh it is a beautiful country with much to see and do" and that of course is a true answer but not quite sufficient. a country is more than it´s beautiful lakes, forests, beaches and mountains. we all know this. and a country is more than it´s food and traditions. a country is those and so much more. and what i have found here in Nicaragua is the opportunity to experience the ´so much more.´by visiting and revisiting cities, by discovering little known places with other travelers, through introductions to foods by locals, through inpromptu conversations, and certainly by spending hours with Nicaraguans.

i have been incredibly lucky in my travels to meet so many different types of people from all over the world and have been exposed to so much through them all. but i find myself even more grateful for the people who have opened themselves and their lives to me here in Nicaragua. from the owner of the local internet location who shares thoughts and ideas about life in Nicaragua and asks for help in his comprehension of english literature to the pre-teen girl who had infinite questions about music and films in the US and shared with me her hopes and desires for her life as a ´teenager.´the day to day interactions and the deepening friendships make it easy to stay longer and longer. and these are two examples of unplanned conversations that at least with the owner has become a regular thing. these types of conversations happen quite often and always leave me with a feeling of appreciation for the moment. there are other relationships though, forged on common interests, which have developed into deeper friendships where understanding culture and life circumstance are as important as language. these are the ones i will carry with me in my heart, these are the ones i will remember not for the stories or the content but for the emotional connection that was shared.

and still as my heart and mind hold Nicaragua dear, i know that my time is limited. with still 1 country to discover (El Salvador) and one to cross (Guatemala) before i end my time with more travels in Mexico, my day of departure is looming. in my trip i gave my self 2 weeks per country, knowing full well that in some countries i would want more time and in others less. it has worked out well thus far and i do not regret spending more or less time in any of the countries i have visited.

hmm...for the first time since Mexico, i am sad to leave a country.

Honduras...in a nutshell

a week in a country is never really enough time to get to know a culture or a people and i knew that when i decided to spend a week in Honduras. but as i look back now, about a week later, i find that in a week Honduras showed me much of itself through it´s beautiful landscape, generous people and fabulous food. It all started with a bus ride (see photos from past posting) and not surpisingly ended with one as well. i spent a significant portion of time in transit- on various forms of buses, vans, taxis and in the back of many pick-up trucks (hitching rides is common and relatively safe in Honduras!). i had two locations to visit before i arrived in Honduras, the island of Utila and the ruins of Copan. However i wasn´t overly excited about the island for some reason so when the trio from Floating Doctors (want to know more? check out the website) invited me along with them to Lake Yojoa i happily agreed. They had heard of the location from other travelers who spoke of the amazing waterfalls and the randomly placed brewery/hostel. i love water and who doesn´t love a waterfall? and a brewery/hostel? well this i had to see!
D & D Brewery...the only microbrewery in Honduras. Started, owned and operated by a man from Oregon. He also has a coffee farm, blueberry farm...and they serve amazing blueberry pancakes for breakfast with their very fresh coffee! yum!
now is the time that i admit that for the first time in my trip i was scared. yep, not just nervous or apprehensive but actually a bit afraid. the crew and i headed over to the waterfall which you can view and also get a guide to take you under-beneath-behind the waterfall and into the tunnels-caverns. the photo does not really do the waterfall justice, nor does it show the amount and force of the water. in only shoes, bathing suits-shorts we found ourselves completely submerged in the water which was fun, refreshing and yes at one moment a bit scary. standing in a cavern with water up to our chests and the falls at either entrance...oh and a guide saying "come on, just look down and feel for the rocks, oh and hold hands"...yeah the longer i stood there, the longer i had time to consider the stupidity of the options before me. however not one to be left behind or one to falter to my fears i forged ahead. of course i am glad i did, not just because i overcame the momentary fear but also because the view from the next cavern-rocks was fantastic! no photos of that though or any of the experience as my camera is not waterproof...note to self, next trip, bring a waterproof camera.
a view from the hills and mountains above the village of Pena Blanca. This region of Honduras is, in my opinion, incredibly beautiful...but here´s the thing, all the parts of the country i saw were in my opinion, beautiful...ok with the exception of Tegucigalpa...not so beautiful but definitely vibrant.

As i mentioned above, i found the people of Honduras to be incredibly friendly, helpful and generous. i cannot count how many times people approached me or one of the other travelers just to see if we were ok and ask us about our travels. one of the consistent questions i was asked by people young and old, women and men.."what do you think of my country?" there is so much pride and so much passion for their country and i was so happy to say that i found the country beautiful and to hear them tell me their thoughts on places to visit, things that made their country unique and foods-drinks i had to try to truly experience Honduras.