Welcome to the Jungle!

The last few weeks have been filled with traveling and adventure! I have been able to see different areas of Guatemala that I had yet to see and I was blessed with the company of my mother and step-father for ten days. We went to Lago de Atitlan and Tikal.

My adventure started as I headed out to Atitlan for the weekend. I was able to leave school at noon to catch the bus. I headed to the bus terminal with a few things to do on the way. It took me an hour to get to the place that should have only taken me 20 minutes! I had to wait for a bus for a little while but when my bus finally got there (a chicken bus, of course!) I happily boarded knowing that I would see my mother soon! After we had traveled the long and windy road, I hopped off the bus knowing that I could find the hotel on my own since I had driven through Panajeche before (this is my stubborn, independence coming out in full force!) As I headed up a hill (to get ‘onto’ of the city to see where I needed to go), I began to realize that maybe I didn’t know where I was going. There is a certain amount of pride that comes into play when you are walking down a street and you realize that you are heading in the wrong direction because you have to decide if you are going to turn around and go back the way you came (this allows everyone that you just passed to know that you were wrong) or if you are going to make the block (so no one will know, but you end up walking an extra three blocks to get back to the place where you began!). I decided to suck up my pride and just turn around, but I did do the ‘cool’ thing and went down to the next intersection and looked both ways and acted surprised that I didn’t see what I was looking for. I’m sure that everyone on the street could see through this whole act! As I headed back towards the way that I came, I figured that I should ask. I found an official looking guy and asked him where the main street was and he started talking really fast and said a whole lot. My Spanish is still lacking so with this, I just nodded my head and smiled. He saw through this act and finally just said, “Pana?” I shook my head yes and he pointed back to the bus. I had gotten off 15 minutes early! Luckily, the bus I came one was still there so I jumped back on the bus to be greeted by a sly smile from a young Guatemalan guy that knew exactly what had happened to me! When I finally arrived in what was actually Pana, my friend turned around and nodded at me in a way that I knew he was still laughing at me. It was pretty entertaining. I was happy to finally make it to Pana and I did find my way to the hotel. I had a wonderful weekend with my mom and step-father. We toured the lake and three villages around the lake.

The next week was a three day week due to Guatemalan Labor Day so we were able to head to the city on Wednesday and catch a flight to Tikal on Thursday morning. We arrived to the Jungle of the Petan region of Guatemala at 7:30am and the humidity was already there to greet us. It was truly incredible to see the difference in climate and landscape. I didn’t feel like I was in Guatemala anymore.

When we got to the National Park, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel (which was conveniently located right next to the entrance) and headed out on a tour. Our guide was a man that was raised at Tikal. His father was one of the men who was involved in the archaeological dig. He was very informed and it was absolutely incredible to see this ancient civilization that disappeared 1100 years ago. When we finished our tour, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and to get settled in our room. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool and watching the monkey’s swing overhead.

As we were going to sleep that night, we remembered that our guide had told us about the howling monkey’s and how they would probably wake us up in the night. Little did we know that not only would they wake up us but they would scare the mess out of us. I can’t remember a time that I was as frightened as I was that first night in the jungle. I knew that the noises I was hearing was only a monkey but all I could think of was something awful right outside my window just waiting to devour me and enjoy my mom as dessert! I had been told earlier that the monkey’s had been used as a the sound in Jurassic Park for the T-rex’s and I now believe it!

I had a 4:15am wake-up call (this consisted of someone coming and knocking on our door) for a sunrise tour from the top of Temple 4 (the largest standing temple in Central America) but just after the guy came and knocked on our door, the monkey’s started howling again. I was seriously considering just getting back into bed because I was terrified about what was in the trees right outside our little bungalow. However, I convinced myself that it was safe and if I did die, it would be a good way to go!

Needless to say, I survived the monkeys and the sunrise was breath taking. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to visit Tikal and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Mayan civilization or a jungle adventure!

The school year is coming to a close very quickly and I don’t know how often I will be updating my blog between now and then. I will update it when I get a chance with some of my final reflections and future plans!

Vive la vida!

Liz
Playlist:
River of Dreams by Billy Joel
Bad by Michael Jackson
Oklahoma Hills by hank Thomas
Merry Christmas From the Family by Robert Earl Keen
Sleeping To Dream by Jason Mraz
I’m A Mountain by Sarah Harmer
We Love You Jesus by Shane and Shane
Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes
Shadow by Ashlee Simpson
Red Red Wine by UB40
Beat It by Michael Jackson
Be Careful by Patty Griffin
Don’t Forget to Remember Me by Carrie Underwood
Beloved by Caleb Carruth
Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles
In Da Club by 50 Cent
All You Need Is Love by Lynden Dale Hall