1-2-3-4, I Declare an ANT War!

1-2-3-4, I Declare an Ant War!

Peace Corps Volunteers are not allowed to carry guns or machetes, hence the word Peace in the sentence; however, we are able to concoct bombs of boiling hot water and bleach.  This is what I found myself doing after returning from a nice, enjoyable weekend in the border town of Alianza, where my friend Rakesh lives, as we put together the latest newletter edition of ¡Que Barbaridad! for the Municipal Development team. 



Enjoying the fine Municipality of Arianza, learning how to cook Honduran style



Imagine my shock and awe as I walked into my ‘outdoor’ toilet, where I discovered a line of sugar ants crawling up the right side of the wall, from the back of the commode.  (Note: The fact that I even know these are sugar ants and not regular ants prove that I have been in Honduras a little too long and am in fact well-integrated into this land).  Moving on, I proceed to see where these ants are coming from and notice they are located behind my toilet and coming in and out of the lid.  I then see that there are a lot more ants crawling under the lid.  This leads me to the very important thought of 1. How to protect my ass/crotch in a diarrhea like moment, which are likely to hit at any possible time in this country.  Curiously, I lift the lid off and find what has to be a billion ants scrounging for any and all water that is located under the lid.  No sooner have I done this that the little suckers start trying to claw their way onto my skin. 

This we cannot have.

So, I head into my kitchen where I boil up a big pot of water, and after about 20 minutes, add half a bottle of bleach to it.  I’m sure that will do the trick.  Don’t mind me, I remember Googling this attack somewhere; it has been working well for months in places like my shower drain and pila.  After flushing all the water out of my toilet, I toss the water in at a fast and rapid pace, only to see ants flying for their life up into the rafters (literally, I do have rafters), until I fling scalding water that way, too.  I continue flushing hot bleach water down the toilet until I’m pretty sure I’ve killed them all.  I return two hours later to see a tiny stream edging their way back in.  It is late and I have to leave for Teguz tomorrow; I’m too tired to care right now.  But, let this be a warning to all the ants of Honduras.  When I was growing up in Texas my dad used to ‘let’me mow the grass (hence, he chored it off to me while he watched football).  There were ample fire ants for me to get stung by and piss off along the way as I drove them over with the lawn mower and watched them scuttle to build a new bed.  I now know this merely dispersed thousands of ants deeper into the tough, Texas grass, but if you come messing with me, I will go after you with a vengeance.  So, you got it ants…I strongly suggest you stay clear of my toilet.  I might not be packing a gun, but there are lots more buckets of pila bleach.

Home Sweet Home

Sunday, April 6, 2008-Day 29-San Diego, California

This evening I arrived home to San Diego. I swear my studio apartment was cleaner than when I left a month ago; perhaps it's because I have been looking at chicken coops and farms for a month. Whatever it is, it's nice to be back and I gladly took a nice long shower in my own place, with my own towels, and large bottles of shampoo. No more travel bottles. Tomorrow I'll worry about laundry and unpacking; tonight I watched the first two episodes of American Idol that I missed...the important things first!!

Thanks to everyone who sent me emails and posts over the last month. It was always nice to log onto my email and 'hear' your voice so far away. I had an amazing time and look forward to sharing many stories with all of you. For all of you who were worried about me, don't be...I am fine.

Until next time....Jenifer

Miami to Grand Cayman to Jamaica and Back...

Saturday, March 29, 2008-Day 21-Florida
This morning I wanted to go for a run, but it was stil dark in Florida, so I hit up the continental breakfast instead. After we left Palm Coast, FL, where we spent the night last night, we headed south on I-95; the side of the freeway has a brick fence with colored fish on it. Near the port we stopped at the mall so I could buy some "cruise" clothes, since all I had were backpacking clothes, and apparently they aren't the same thing. By then it was 2:20 and the ship was setting sail at 4. The port parking was very confusing, so after circling several times (which means being 13 again in the backseat of the car with mom yelling at dad over directions), we finally dropped off our luggage and parked super far away from the ship. After making it through security, we walked on board at 3:45 and headed straight to eat...we were soooo hungry. The food was okay; it reminded me of a Vegas buffet; actually the whole ship reminds me of Vegas. Later, I went to the spa raffle, where I won 50% off of some service I have never heard of before, but it was recently featured on Oprah, so I guess it must be good. I go ahead and book it, but cancel later when the only time they have is when I will be in Jamaica. After that there is free liquor tasting on the Promenade deck, so I head up there and taste something called "Sheridans" from Ireland...it is like chocolate milk for grown ups. Before dinner I head up to the Olympic Jogging Track; there's a strong breeze, but there is no one else around and it's the only place on the ship where I can get some peace and serenity. In the middle of the track is a miniature golf course, which I might have to check out later (turns out I never did in 5 days of cruising). We are signed up for the late dinner at 8:15, and when we arrive there is a young couple already there named Kelly and Brian; they are from Oklahoma. There are 5 empty seats at our table and I don't know if they just missed the boat or came, saw us, and left. After dinner, Kelly, Brian and I head upstairs to the karaoke bar; where the old men on the ship are singing enough slow songs to make you want to jump off the side. After a while I throw down my rendition of "Preacher Man," but it's hard to follow a nine year old singing Michael Jackson. We eventually head to the dance club, where Kelly and I are the only 2 white girls on the dance floor (see cruise, day 2), but the music is good and we have fun. I don't know what time it is, but we decide to call it quits and go out on deck. What we learned is that you can't see anything at night from a ship out in the middle of the ocean.

Sunday, March 30, 2008-At Sea
This morning began early as mom woke me up to see if I was interested in running. My headache (hence, rum and cokes, karaoke, dancing late on a ship) were not so interested, but I drug my ass up anyway to visit the "Olympic" jogging track, where I logged 2 miles, then rewarded myself in the steam room. It is a funny feeling laying there, while the boat is rocking underneath you. After breakfast in the Pride Dining Room, I decide to visit the pool up on Lido deck. Once I got there I see 3 empty chairs, except for one pair of flip flops, so I gently move them over and make myself comfy before some lady says she has been sitting there for two hours and so has her family of ten. I bust out my Carnival Information sheet that reads "you can't reserve seats" which only makes her want to be my friend even less (since I am not here to make friends, I am fine with this). So, I point to the sign that indicates you can't reserve chairs which is right behind her head before I move to a chair on the opposite side (because I am so nice). Later in the afternoon I team up with the women to play "Battle of the Sexes." At a score of 17-12 the women handily beat the men, a big thanks to the drunk lady with umbrellas in her hair. I find out there's a library on ship and head over to check out a book...soon it's dinner time and we will have formal night tonight. Now, some people need to look up "formal" in the dictionary. Because to them it's simply changing out of their hunting gear and into jeans. I'm not really one to talk RIGHT NOW, since I've been backpacking for a month, but at least I found time to buy a semi-formal dress between Belize and Miami and some glittery heels. There are 2 new girls at our table-Anna and Erika-they are from Michigan and are cruising with their mom. Our table is a lot of fun and we are having a blast! For dinner tonight it's the lobster and shrimp and dessert is a Carnival Classic of warm chocolate melting cake. OK-this stuff is like liquid crack-it is addictive as hell and we all order 2 every night for the rest of the cruise. After dinner, me, Kelly, Brian and dad headed to the show titled "Coming to America," which was pretty ironic since none of the ships workers are from the USA and none of them know the words to the songs. ha ha At midnight there was an adult only comedy show by Perry Cruse II-he also gave a show last night-and he was hilarious. He gave a bit about the club last night and how there were only 2 white girls on the dance floor (hmmm....)...After that I decided to go to bed since we have to get up for Grand Cayman tomorrow.

Monday, March 31, 2008-Day 23-Grand Cayman
6:00 am came way too early. Since I had no idea today was even a port day, I was totally unprepared for the madness that lay before me. As mom and I had breakfast, the Imagination ship pulled into Grand Cayman Island. The ship anchored off shore, and we were shuttled in a boat to the island. Once we land, we looked into renting scooteres, but are told they are "Dangerous" as most drivers don't keep an eye out for scooters. As we tour around on foot, looking at all the banks Grand Cayman is famous for, we see a memorial set up the maritime soldiers and a mini bus operator. We shell out $2.50/pp and head North to the turtle farm. Once there we pay $18 US and join up with a tour from the ship (except we didn't have to do the ship excursion) to learn about sea turtles. They have big ones, little ones-tanks full of them! We get to hold them, pet them and learn how they are hatched, etc. Afterwards, we walked to HELL!!! Literally, HELL, Grand Cayman, BWI. It's about 1.5 miles South of the turtle farm, but it was like 85 degrees outside with a beach bag. Once I arrived in HELL, I visited the 2 places there (post office and gift shop) before leaving and heading to Cemetary Beach. It was supposed to have the best snorkeling on the island. As soon as I was in the water I saw fish, and decided to venture farther out. There were fish EVERYWHERE!!! They were following me all over the place and the fish even swam right into me! I videoed it because I know you people won't believe me. When we were done snorkeling we headed back to the shipa nd I gave myself a tour; I suddenly found an adult only area with 2 hot tubs-why have I been hanging out on Lido all this time? I get lost in the hot tub for 2 hours and watch Grand Cayman disappear. At dinner everyone orders 2 desserts (b/c we can) and the waiters dance for us while we spin our napkins around. Kelly and I think it's a GREAT idea for everyone to go back to karaoke; I urge all the girls to sing and Brian nicknames us "The White Supremes." After looking over the songs we choose "I will Survive," but it gets sung twice before us so we change to "Proud Mary." This means I have to go back to the room so I can incorporate my harmonica-it's the only prop that might save us. Now, I must tell you that there are 2 types of karoke singers on a cruise ship: 1-the kind of singers who sound like me. Those that suck and are tone deaf, but still sing and have a good time and know it. 2-the kind of singers who sing at church and the choir director tells them good job, then they come on a cruise w/ all their church fiends who tell them good job, even though they suck just as bad as me. So, needless to say, this evening is hillarious and the four of us are drinking fast for liquid courage (even though they don't know I could get to the lamplighter and landing in my sleep). When we get up there it's going OK, until I bust out my harmonical skills, at which point the room erupts into cheers and then we all just laught and I get so flustered I run out of breath. The end of karaoke.

Since our cruise fame has ended, we decide to give the dance club another try. There's a lot more people in there tonight and mom joins us on the dance floor to show everyone what moves we have brought to international waters. At some point we all decide we should get some sleep since apparently we are headed to Jamaica tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008-Day 24-Jamaica
I am tired, so very tired. And today I am supposed to go hike Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica. At 6:20 someone knocks on the door...Room Service...oh', yeah', I ordered coffee delivered. Thank God. I drink coffee on the way to breakfast and eat as I watch Jamaica pull into view. It is beautiful-all green and mountainous. We are in Ochos Rios, which is on the Northern Tip. I head off the boat and take photos while I wait for mom and dad. We are shuttled over to Dolphin's Cove, where we are supposed to snorkel with stingrays. They give us some band and write a number on it, but we end up sitting around for 45 minutes while they help people swim with dolphins. I asked the lady when we were snorkeling with stingrays and she said after we watched the dolphins, so I informed her (not so kindly) that we didn't pay $89 to watch other people swim with dolphins. In the meantime, we walk around and spot an iguana, which the guide lets us hold, so I guess the wait was worth it. After only seeing one stingray the entire group angrily leaves shouting something like "I want my money back from Carnival." Our next stop is Dunn's River Falls; apparently, this is THE THING to do when you go to Jamaica. It's a 600-feet climb up rocks and waterfalls. We throw our stuff in a locker and follow the guide; there are like 20 people in our group and we are all supposed to hold hands as we go up this thing. The falls are beautiful and I am so happy I am in Jamaica doing this. It is a once in a lifetime experience; hiking the falls with my parents. After the falls mom and dad go shopping at the Taj Mahal and I head to Snorkelers Point Beach. The sand is golden, just like a piece of gold and very soft. The water is clear blue and there are jet skis running through the water and a party yacht with P-Diddy blarring. I park myself under a tree and don't leave until Carnival makes me. Once back on the ship I head to the gym and run on the treadmill as Jamaica disappears then hit up the sushi bar (YUM!!). Once we get back out in the open ocean I head up to the front of the ship and listen to my IPOD as the sun disappears; it is so beautiful. The ocean is such a dark, deep, blue and the sun is so dark. What a nice evening. I am the only person up here...After dinner I head to bed early and rest up. Tomorrow is the last night on the cruise and I want to enjoy it.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008-Day 25-At Sea
This morning I slept late and it felt really good. I headed to the gym and got in a good run before enjoying the steam room and breakfast all to myself. Even though there are 2,700 people on the ship, it is easy to find quiet moments to yourself. After breakfast I threw on my bathing suit and headed to the adults-only area where I remained until 6 p.m. I finished my new book and continued reading my old one. Occasionally I would doze off and listen to my IPOD. I had a lot of plans to join up with the ship's activities today, but that just never panned out. At dinner tonight it was very enjoyable to talk with everyone for one last time. Tomorrow I am going to try and join Anna, Erika, and their mom Sherry in Southbeach. We all headed to the show tonight, which was a collaboration of this week's best karaoke singers (I am so happy we were sitting in the back).

Thursday, April 3, 2008-Day 26-Miami, Florida
Today I fell in love...with Miami. This town is awesome!!! The architecture is amazing, the beach is so clean, the lifeguards actually save people, and apparently no one works (which at this moment is suiting me just fine). I walked down the street at 11 a.m. today and every restaurant was packed, like Richard Walkers Pancake House on a Saturday morning. I am staying 2 blocks from the beach and tonight I'm heading down the street to a place I saw today; I met the General Manager while walking by today and I was snapping photos and he gave me the 411 on Miami. Also, everyone here is beautiful and the sushi is good, too. I love it here. But, tomorrow I must move on. See you girls in Palm Springs and I'll be back in San Diego Monday.

Caye Caulker, Belize to Clayton, North Carolina

Tuesday, March 25, 2008-Day 17-Caye Caulker, Belize
Last night I headed over to Syd's restaurant, a local favorite on the island, known for their fried chicken platter. I tried to order it, but the guy told me that it would take almost an hour, so I splurged on the fried shrimp platter; which costs $18 BZ. Everything here is the same price as in the US, they just double it on the menu. It ends up taking nearly 45 minutes anyway, but once it arrives it is well worth the wait...the mashed potatoes are the best I've had since I last made my own and for a moment I think Syd has somehow gotten ahold of my own recipe. There is a creepy guy at the bar who keeps trying to make small talk with me, so at this moment I think it's important to write that there are 2 types of men in Central America...there are locals (those born and raised here) and American transplants (those who are retired or divorced and forced to move here b/c of the restraining order put on them by their ex-wives).

This morning I woke up early and went exploring the island. This didn't take long as Caye Caulker is only 4 miles long and about 650 yards wide. All the island is sand...there are no roads and no cars; only about 20 golf carts, which are shared by everyone. Early in the morning it's mostly kids ont he streets, riding their bikes without any shoes on. No one here wears shoes in fact, and I have found myself doing the same. The houses aren't really houses, just shacks-wooden 2x4's on top of 4 poles-painted bright colors of turquoise blue and flamingo pink-it's a crayon box gone wild. Everyone has their laundry hanging in their backyard and trash litters the street. This is the part not written in the travel books. There is trash EVERYWHERE. Yesterday I watched a lady unwrap a snickers bar and throw it on the ground. If the 2nd largest barrier feer wasn't just a mile away, this island would certainly never see tourism. After enjoying some nice coffee and a cinnamon roll for only $1.50 BZ (75 cents US) at a place called Glenda's, I walk to check and see if my Turneffe tour is heading out today, but it turns out the wind is still a little to much for the boat.

Instead, I signed up with EZ-BOYZ tours to go to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark Ray Alley, and the Northern Cayes. On the trip out there the water is choppy from the wind and I get scared as we bounce up and down. O close my eyes and imagine my tour guide Salvador is really George Clooney from that movie with Mark Wahlberg, so that when we sink it's George I'm gonna die with, not Salvador. We end up making it to the N. Caye safely. There are seven people on my tour, one guy and six women, they are all from Canada and I'm the lone American. After hopping in the water, I realize that my day is about to be spent in a huge grown up aquarium! I saved the best snorkeling day for last. Right away I see fish so big they don't fit in the lens of my camera! Salvador leads me to more green moray eels and I find out those blue fish I like are called blue chromis. There is something called a peacock flounder, which floats on the bottom and is just as beautiful as the bird. Just as I am enjoying all of this the Canadian guy kicks me in the face with his flippers. Okay, once no harm, but then he does it 4 times! So do the other family members-if you don't know how to snorkel, then DON'T COME! You don't see me coming to Canada and riding a moose, do you? Our next stop is Shark Ray Alley; we have been told there are nurse sharks and as soon as we pull up they swarm the boat. The Canadian wife sceams 'I'm not going in there'...good, more for me to photograph! I jump in and as soon as I do I realize what the hell I just did...there are 7 nurse sharks right beside me...okay...just breathe. More stingrays follow and as I get back in the boat I look behind me just to make sure "JAWS" isn't back there. The boat heads into San Pedro for lunch, which is North of Caye Caulker on Ambergis Caye. This is where the resorts are, more nice restaurants too. Ambergis is about 25 miles long and its Northern side adjoins MX. For lunch I head to Elvi's, a local place known for great seafood. I think about a salad (for like a mili-second) and decide it's my last day in Belize, so I go with the lunch special of fried conch, fried shrimp and fried fish w/ fried french fries. YUMMY!!! A Carribbean Breeze completes it and I enjoy a very nice lunch all to myself.

At 3 pm the group reconvenes and we head to our last stop at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, the 1st marine reserve established in Central America. The park encompasses about 5 square miles of protected area and is 100 feet deep in some parts!! It's dotted with coral formations and I feel like NEMO! I see the biggest fish in my life, like grouper and barracuda, but the main thing I notice is the hundreds of schools of fish. Often times I think they are coral formation and then realize it's a school of fish. There is a cave Salvador says we can swim through, but I can't hold my breath that long. I have learned to pressurize my ears though, so I am able to swim deeper and get better photos. As I swim out, I suddently come to the 100 foot drop off, which scares the crap out of me, so I think it's best to turn around; who KNOWS what might be lingering out there, looking for my yellow fins? On the boat ride home, everyone begins noticing my camera and suddenly wants to be my friend. The Canadian guy become real chatty; however, until he takes a few swimming lessons I'm not that interested in discussing Olympus photography with him. My mouth is very salty from all the water today and I'm really looking forward to brushing my teeth tonight.

When I return to the island I find that a BBQ is planned at the hostel for everyone's last night, so I shower and cleanup before we all head to the veggie market. ON the menu: rice, veggie curry, tuna salad/bread, fresh fish and rum punch. There are 20 of us peeling potatoes, chopping onions, mixing rice-someone puts their IPhone into some speakers and the dancing starts! A party is going on, stories are flying and friendships are being made. Tomorrow I will leave Belize, most of my new Caye Caulker friends will head to Western Belize or North to Mexico. Tonight was the perfect way to end my time on the island.

Wednesday, March 26-Day 18-Caye Caulker, Belize to Clayton, North Carolina
Today I woke up and finished packing my backpack. I went to Gladys' again for some coffee and drank it as I watched the sunrise over the ocean. I said goodbye to everyone in Caye Caulker and caught the 8:30 am water taxi to Belize City. I approached a couple to see if they wanted to split the cab fare to the airport, so we shared a ride; when I got tot he airport the driver tried to up the price (double it in fact from $25 BZ to $50 BZ) and I told him "NO." So, then he went to the male of the couple as I simply walked over to US Airways to check in. I had no problem checking in, but I was a little worried about my luggage since I'm meeting mom and dad in Charlotte and not continuing on to San Diego; the bag is tagged to SD. There was no food in the Belize airport-only 4 Duty Free shops so I waited until the plane to buy food. Although US Airways mastercard urges you to shop on the plane with your plastic, the lady would only accept cash and then wouldn't take my Belizian dollars (funny how that works) so she told me I owed her $7 for my stupid airline sandwich, but she never came calling. The plane ride to Charlotte was short...only 3 hours and 15 minutes...but once I landed I got stuck at US Customs behind another plane from Jamaica and EVERYONE had hit up the duty free there with their bottles of liquor. My parents were very excited to see me and I ran through the airport to give my mom a big hug! On the way to Clayton I shared some stories (mainly mom wanted to know why I picked such dangerous places to go visit) and we stopped to get some American food-a nice big, healthy salad. Once arriving in Clayon (or C-town as we call it) I got a nice night's sleep with no roosters and spent today doing my laundry. I am on a tight schedule though as tomorrow we ship out at 1:30 prompt for Miami where I'll sail around the Carribbean for a week on the Carnival Imagination. Keep you updated and see you soon! Happy Birthday to all my friends!

Caye Caulker, Belize

Saturday March 22, Day 14-
Last night I joined my 2 new friends, Nathan from San Diego, and Jirgen from Germany, at the islands sports bar for Trivia Night. Nathan has won the last two times so there is pressure. Obviously they have never played trivial pursuit with me...however, b/t the three of us we don't miss any sports questions, but we come in a dissapointing 4th due to some lame question regarding whether or not you can bite into someones hamburger in Oklahoma. This morning I woke up and did nothing. I slept late and then put on my bikini. Then I threw on some sunscreen and took my towel 20 steps out to the pier with my book "The Kite Runner" where I read for a few hours. When I got hot, I moved to the shade of the hammock and listened to my IPOD. In the afternoon, I watched Dave, from Rhode Island, catch live Barracuda with his bare hands and a baby nurse shark. It was like Survivor. He went ahead and borrowed some tackle from Rob, from Toronto, and went out a little farther to catch more-then Rob fileted them in front of my eyes while Amy and I made rice and potatoes and a big BBQ was had by everyone at the hostel. Tommy, a chef from Pittsburgh, threw together a fresh cucumber/tomato salad and we enjoyed the feast as the sun went down. That night Christy, from Milwaukee, and I went to the Bamboo Bar...where the floor is sand and the chairs are swings...and had pina coladas, before a group of us attempted to find a bonfire. We had to settle for a bonfire, which isn't my style, so I headed home and went to bed. Tomorrow I have a full day of snorkeling to Turneffe Atoll, where we will see sea turtles! YEAH!

Sunday, March 23-Day 15
Today I awoke for a full day of snorkeling. Louise, from London, who has been traveling for 2 years after quitting her job after 6 years (hmm...ideas?), heads over with me and we find out both our tours are canceled. So, we go to Tsunami tours and sign up for a 9:30 am snorkel trip to see manatees and Shark Ray alley, and Caye Chapel Aquarium. On the boat ride out, the guide lets me steer the boat! It's a good thing Jason lets me steer his sailboat and has prepped me for this a little bit...people actually think I know what I am doing. At our 1st stop, we see about 5 manatees and one dolphin so big I think it is a shark...he is in the mangroves. We head to St. George's Caye for lunch, a secluded island that has no grocery stores and where the homes don't go for less than $1 million US (Michael Jordan has a home here). This is a postcard place-it is so beautiful. I have a fish sandwich and a FANTA (the "official" drink of the islands), then we head to Caye Chapel Aquarium for more snorkeling. The coral is so beautiful; radiant colors of purple and gold-I go swimming down so deep that my ears are popping, but I want to see the fish!! There are little blue ones that are my favorite; however, we also sea a sea cucumber and turtles which I get to hold! We go to Stingray Alley again-I am not afraid of them anymore! On the way home there's a cool breeze and it's very peaceful. This evening I gave out travel advice to people going to San Ignacio and Tikal before showering and heading to the sports bar for tria night. There are 8 of us from the hostel, so we divide into 2 teams; mine is me, Vicky from London, Jergin, and Christy. We win! I must say that the last question involved what year was the Superbowl played in San Diego...1998! Thank you very much-I LEAD MY TEAM TO VICTORY! We won $50 BZ so we drink to our win and have some chicken nachos. Then we all head home and get some sleep-many people are leaving tomorrow. But not me, I have another long day of sleeping late, sunbathing and reading. Today I finished "The Kite Runner." It is a hard life I am beginning to discover.

Monday, March 24-Day 16
This morning I woke up to hard rainstorms outside. For a while they subsided and I hit the pier to read my new book, but soon the rain came back. After a nice lunch of fresh watermelon, papaya, and pineapple/granola/yogurt I get a Scrabble game going. (I haven't been backpacking with travel Scrabble for no reason). Of course my roomie is an English major, so this game is deadly, but in the end I am out of letters first; however, she still wins. There is no better way to pass a rainy day. I have some Aussie hostel mates who are playing now, but a different version called "Speed Scrabble" and they're gonna teach me when I come back...it doesn't involve the board. After Scrabble we all treated ourselves to ice cream (Dad, I have tried ice cream all over Central America) and walked down to the split. Then I took a nap. That was pretty much it today. On Wednesday I leave Caye Caulker and head to North Carolina for a few days-thank goodness, a hot shower, my own bed, mom' s loving touch, Chick-fil-A-before heading down to Miami and catching the cruise ship around the Caribbean. Hope you are all well.

Copan Ruinas to Antigua to Caye Caulker

Day 10-Copan Ruinas to Antigua
This morning I had set my alarm to wake me up at 5, but there was no need as the rooseter crowed outside around 4:30 am. I wanted to kill it. I went ahead and go up, then left some words of advice in the hostel gust book. In the shuttle mini bus the driver packed 27 people inside, not counting the 3 babies that were crying. In Chiquimula we caught a bus to Guatemala City; it's only 7 am and I wouild give anything to see a Starbcks right now. A coca cola will have to do and I settle in the seat behind the driver for the three hour bus ride to GC. On the way he is passing cars like a NASCAR driver and I am pretty sure I am going to die. Once arriving in GC, it is dirty and polluted; htere is traffic everywhere, even though Kyle Britten has sworn to me that there is a Westin here somewhere. I see a sign for a McDonald's, so I am obvioudly back in civilization. At the bus stop, we head righ into McDonald's and I get a Big Mac, after 1 1/2 weeks of travling, sometimes you just need a taste of home. Once back outside, a scumbag taxi driver refuses to give us directions to Zone 3, which is where the bus to Antigua is and this city is disgusting. Another taxi will take us to the bus station, but I don't speak as he is telling Jorge that he hates Americans. Awesome. At the bus stop my backpack barely fite in the rack above my head, but I am not letting it out of my sight. I know for sure I am in a red zone from the DOS and after this posting will be receiving some words of anger from my mother or Aunt Carolyn Poe. In Antigua, we find a place to stay, despite being told the city is sold out 4 months ahead of Semana Santa. We are so tired, we just throw down our bags and don't even catch the name of our hostel. I head to the middle of Antigua and start snapping photos-it is beautiful, the lamp postas, fountains, architecture, there are cobblestone streets. It could be Charleston. There are many churches; I visited Iglesia de San Francisco, Catedral de Santiago, and Iglesia y Convento Nuestro Senora de la Merced. In the middle of town is the Parque Central, which is the gathering place and has beautiful fountains. I also saw the Palacio de los capitenes. Since I wanted to hike a volcano, we cheked out tours and booked one with a sketchy guy on the street. He wasn't too convincing, and then he walked us into another tour company who vouched for him...his name was Manolo and after some bargaining we paid $40 QZ each so tomorrow we will hike Volcano Pacaya. Tonight I just want to get clean, I am so dirty, I want to put on some real woman clothes and feel like a lady. I need a manicure and pedicure. Apparently 1 1/2 weeks without makeup is my limit b/c all the other girls in this town look like they fell out of bed w/out trying and I look like the smelly backpacker I am. So, I came back and took a nice shower, cleaned up and put on the one dress I am backpacking through CA with. We go out to dinner, although I don't think Jorge recognized his backpacking buddy. For dinner we go to La Fonda de la Calle Real, where I attempt to order a martini (in the middle of Guatemala...hey, if they have vodka, I can make it happen). When I return home, I go to the roof, sit down, look at the starts and the volcanoes surrounding town. I am very thankful to be here, for all the new friends I am making and the great time I am having.

Day 11-Antigua
Once again my TIMEX is set for 5:30 am, but there is a new rooster crowing. I look and it says 1:30 am...I am going to KILL that rooster and make him into soup...he crows all night! Finally, my alarm goes off and it is time to hike the volcano! YEAH!!! Something I have never done before.!! We wait on the corner for the shuttle for 30 minutes and are sure that Manolo has run off with our QZ$. Finally, it pulls up...everyone has food bug us. The drive is long, Manolo didn't say anything about a drive, he just showed us pictures of lave and rock. We are basically heading back to GC. We are also passing a lot of food places. Finally, a road and we get there. I ask where the restroom is and a little girl says 'Follow the chickens...' ha ha There are dogs eveywhere, and since I think my roommate Jessica has rabbies since she just got bit by a dog, this is hilarious. The hike to the volcano begins, by a guide who only speaks Spanish. Hmmm...are walkie talkies available? I go through a forest and dirt road, you can take a horse, so I must watch out for manure along the way. It's pretty strenuous, even for me, which Manolo also didn't mention as he was swindling me on the street. At least my camelback is full of water. Soon we come to a clearing and see the volcano, as the clouds move, you can see the top and it is beautiful. I soon find out that there are a few girls from Oregion on my tour and let them know I have some good friends in SD who are big duck fans, too! As we summit to the laava, the smoke filled air is very harsh on my lunch; if Aunt Kelli was here, her asthma would definately kick up. This tour is def dangerous as I am soon climbing over heated rocks, which are very sharp and jagged...no waivers were signed... and when I reach the flowing lave my legs feel as if they are going to peel off. The tour guide pokes his stick in the fire and kicks it up even more; people's shoes are beginning to melt. That was amazing thoug, I just hikes a volcano in Guatemala! The climb down is all downhill and hard on my knees. On the way back I meet a girl named Irene from Switzerland and the three of us go to lunch. Next, the children have their Semana Santa procession...the boys are dressed in deep purple robes and the girls in white lace dresses. The old men are in black suits with band instruments and the music starts. At 6 pm, I head to the main plaza and meet Kelly, my friend from SD, who's here in the Peace Corps. We haven't seen each other since Aug, so the hugs are lo9ng and hard. She introduces me to her friend Rob, and the 3 of us head to a bar called Kafka, where we pick up Jorge on the way. Rob tells us there is a Cuban band playing salsa at Ricky's, so we head over and dance until 1 am! It was so fun; the cuba libres and Brahva's were flowing, the music was loud and the dance floor was packed. I needed some lessons, and anyone who has ever danced with me knows I am not a good follower, so I'll be heading to Cafe Sevilla more when I return home, but oh' what fun!

Days 12 and 13-Antigua to Caye Caulker
This morning I met Kelly by the coffee shop in Antigua's market square. She takes me to breakfast at Dona Luisa's, where I have pancakes-they are very good. We catch up w/each other and discuss Guatemalan/Cent Amer politics. For two strong, ind women, it is hard for us to see women so repressed here. Soon after, we head to trade in my Hemingway "Old Man and the Sea" book, which I read on this trip. I decide to donate it to the PC library instead. Since it's market day in Antigua, we head over; it's important to keep an eye on your backpack here, so I attach it to my front. There are children as young as 4 working to shine shoes and sell fruit. At Kelli's house near Antigua, the young girls help to make 400 tortillas a day and shell peas, which will be sent to Green Giant. In the market, I only buy a shot glass for my collection, as everything has been marked up for Semana Santa. In the streets, they are being painted for the celebration. The carpet colors are a deep purple, red, yellow, and green. There are patterns of crosses, flowers and heart. The painters hands are stained from the long hours of work. There are hundreds of tourists working-it is like the 4th of July in PB. At 6 pm the bus to GC is supposed to pick us up, but at 6:30 I am still waiting, so I head to get a burrito. Soon, the guy comes and we end up following him about 20 blocks to the other side of Antigua-I have officially walked ALL OVER this city and am so ready to get to Caye Caulker. In the shuttle there is a funny lady who shares her experiences of the last few weeks-they mimick mine. Once in GC, we are dropped off at the bus station to connect in Flores. The city is dirty and dangerous. We will arrive in Flores at 5 am. Once the bus gets going there is a 'problem' with the clutch and the driver goes around the block twice before heading back for maintenance repairs. Oh, lord! Soon, we leave the city and I experience the worst nights sleep ever...and I have slept in a lot of different places...airports, camp, aunts/grandmas floors...the road is windy/bumpy/cold/uncomfortable and I just want the hell out of Guatemala. How long is it until I get to Caye Caulker. Turns out it takes me 19 hours to get from Antigua to Caye Caulker, but now I have arrived. 2 buses and 1 water taxi later I rolled up to the beautiful caribbean water and 5 steps off the boat I grabbed my room. The warm weather has finally arrived and 30 minutes after checking into my room I had on a snorkel mask and was on another boat jumping in the water. This afternoon I snorkeled 2 coral reefs and with sting rays. That was one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life!!! My heart was beating so fast but it was so amazing. Tonight I am going to hang out with my new hostel mates, including the German guy who's been here for a week now and knows everyone on the island. He only walks around in his speedo and likes to call me 'Jenny from Czechoslovakia.' I said call me whatever you want, but don't call me Jenny. On Sunday there's a huge celebration on this island (which is officially in the middle of nowhere and I LOVE IT) which will include a BBQ, music, beach volleyball, etc. and I can not wait. I am staying here until Wednesday when I catch a plane to NC for a few days and then down to Miami for a cruise around Jamaica/Grand Cayman. At this rate, I am never, ever coming back to SD. Love you all!

Day 9-Copan Ruinas

Last night after using the slowest internet cafe ever, I head over to the bar across the street called the Red Dragon. They are playing Motley Crue and Snoop Dog...it is very Americanized and the bartender is from Chico (he actually asks me if I know where that is while he wears a Coronado Shores t shirt). After two long hard days I drink plenty of rum and cokes while sitting on a tall bar stool overlooking the town. Jorge and I are minding our own business when the town Gringo transplant begins to hit on me. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I did not come all this way to get hit on by a retired vetirinarian from Colorado, although my travel buddy thinks it is hilarious. The local guy gives us some "insider" information, since he noticed the 2 "journalist" at the cockfight earlier today. He actually sews up the chickens for the townpeople here. He sends us to another local bar, which is across a bridge and it is very dark...I tell Jorge I am going to die because this is where they send blonde Americans, although I speak loudly since I am pretty drunk at this point. Once we decide it's not that safe we turn to head back and meet 4 people from Spain who are environmental scientist researching near Antigua. We all head back to the Red Dragon where Quinn, the local guy, has moved on to a 16 year old Honduran. Good luck to her...The Spainiards are very nice, although I really need to learn some Spanish...Caridad, that will be your job when I return. Our group closes down the bar and in fact the bartender gives us our last beer in a to-go cup and basically kicks us out, even though it is only midnight. On the way home I walk right past the hostel and the worker of the hostel laughs as I stumble in...doesn't he know I am on vacation? This morning I wake up with a slight hangover, but it is nothing that the cold hostel shower water can't cure. I write all my postcards out to my loved ones, but it turns out the post office is closed all week for Holy Week, so you people won't be getting any mail from me. It is so hot here that I tell Jorge we must find a pool, which is at the nicest hotel in town. There are 3 little kids there with their dad and grandpa and I play with them until I fall asleep under the trees. My skin is almost the same color as my Columbian buddy even though I am lathering on the SPF 30. It is now time for the Rodeo!! There is one of those trucks blaring through town with the speakers on top and they tell us we can hitch a ride down to the rodeo park with them....good, because it is hot. Once there we grab some food of carne, salsa, tortillas and this good Honduran beer...I must find it in the states. I am the only woman there and believe me I am working very hard to look my worst everyday. There are more police here then in the Gaslamp on a weekend and their guns are amazing. The bulls are getting revved up so I begin to take my journalistic photos. I also get some of the cowboys as they change their clothes (you know, for all my girlfriends back home). Their muscles are amazing! Pretty soon the queen shows up and then a little tuk tuk car like in India, except this one has bull horns on the front...just like in Texas, I kid you not. As the people pile in the singing starts and it is none other then the winner of the Guatemalen American Idol. OF COURSE I got my photo with him because I may never have that opportunity ever again. After the cowboys draw their placement numbers out of a hat more music starts. It is Alan Jackson and then the Gambler by Kenny Rogers. I am loving this! I know every word and can dance but I really hope it's not how the Honduran people learn their english, by listening to Alan Jackson sing "Chasing that Neon Rainbow." After watching 5 bulls I decide to head back to town. It is hot and tomorrow will be a long day traveling to Antigua. I will try to meet up with my friend Kelly while I am there. She is working for the Peace Corps so the 3 of us should have a great time hiking volcanoes, swimming in the lake and celebrating Holy Friday. Saturday I plan to head back to Caye Caulker where I'll meet up with Iris, a girl from Germany, who was my roomie last night at the Green Apple (the hostel where we are staying in Copan Ruinas). Have a great night.