Farewell 2016. I have not been very good at keeping up this travel blog. I have yet to write about my experiences in India, Nepal and Poland. One day...I hope! :D They are all very fond to me so eventually.
Things I learned in 2016:
1. My word that describes this year is GROW. Not only have I grown as a person but in my profession as a teacher, as a colleague and as a friend. It's never too late to grow.
2.. God's plans are far greater than mine. I may not be where I thought I'd be at this time in my life but I am so grateful for the experiences and adventures He has lead me on. Better than I ever expected or dreamed.
3.. Forgiveness is the most freeing experience. Do it...not for the people who hurt you but for yourself!
4. Poland is Europe's hidden gem. If you ever have the chance to go..do it! You won't regret it. So much love for my Polish fam!
5. Friendships come and go but people who truly love and appreciate you will always stick by your side even though tough times.
6.. God uses all people we encounter and every situation we go through to help us grow closer to Him.
7. God is for you and loves you and only wants the best for you no matter who you are!
8. You can work at a place you love! For the first time in my teaching career I love going to work... every day. I get to do what I love with awesome people that I respect and wonderful children at a phenomenal school.Thank you STEM! It's not perfect but it's perfect for me and for that I am grateful.
9. Spiritual warfare is legit. The closer I grow to God, the more attacked I feel by the devil. Our world is crazy but it's not our home and it's not my battle to fight.. He's already won the war and there great hope in that.
10. Trust in His plan.... fully 100%....and life seems to fall into place.
11. Love has come into your life to change you and make you better. No love is ever wasted.
Lots to look forward to this year! I'm starting my teacher blog, my teachers pay teachers account to sell teacher things, traveling to Moab Utah with some friends, running a half-marathon in Phoenix, my 30th disco dance party, hoping to go to Africa or some place exotic and always striving to grow in His love to be the best version of myself!
Grow!
All my love,
L
Friday, January 6, 2017
Thursday, September 29, 2016
The Day I was Attacked by A Monkey in Central America
“Save yourself, let me die!” the lady said as the monkey was
sitting on top of her head. It was at that moment that I knew that I needed to
help. What kind of person would I be if I let that monkey take her life? I knew
I needed to do something but I had no idea how I was going to do that. I also
had to help myself.
It was mid-November in the year 2011. My friend Amy had asked
me to backpack Central America with her and all my traveling heart could scream
was yes! We planned a six week adventure. We were on a backpacking journey starting from Panama and planned to end up
in Mexico. We had the best of time traveling together and it was all smooth sailing
at the start anyway.
The traveling life really seemed to be the best kind of life.
We sipped coffee in Panama, visited the Panama Canal, went horseback riding as
we traveled along to Costa Rica, zip-lined in Monteverde, hiked in the
rainforest while spotting howler monkeys, and sailed a boat to a little remote
island in Nicaragua called Ometepe. Life really couldn’t get any better. That
is until it got worse. Much much worse.
When we reached the island, it was very peaceful. There was
not a whole lot that you could do besides relax, read, eat and hike. My friend
and I decided to go on a hike but unfortunately, she ended up getting sick. I
decided to take it easy for the day. I hung out and meet a gal from Spain. She
was a fellow backpacker who was in her mid-forties and was alone for the day because
her daughter was hiking a volcano. She asked me if I would like to go kayaking
and eagerly I agreed.
I went to put my things away in the hostel and met her by the
kayaks. We jumped in and started paddling. She offered me a small banana and as
I declined, she threw her peal into the water. We kept paddling towards some
tree branches and noticed some monkeys on the trees. The lady took out her
camera and was very excited to capture such great photos of the animals. I
noticed that our kayak started to get closer to the tree and to the monkey. I
told the lady that we needed to start paddling away from the branches and the
monkeys but by that time, it was already too late.
The monkey jumped on top of the lady’s head. I was
dumbfounded and didn’t know what to do. The lady started to panic, so the
monkey started to panic and attack her. I yelled out, “What should, I do?” That’s
when she answered very sarcastically, “Save yourself, let me die.” But I knew I
couldn’t do that. I am a Christian and to live fully you cannot live just for
yourself. I had to help her.
I took my kayaking paddle and swung it towards the monkey.
Monkeys, I found out are very strong. It grabbed the paddle away from me, which
turned the boat. The paddle ended up in the water. Now what was I going to do?
I then noticed that there was another monkey on the branches
and before I knew it, it was on top of my head. Because I saw the lady panic, I
told myself, “Stay calm, stay clam.” I wasn’t sure what I was going to do but I
knew that I couldn’t freak out. I said a quick prayer and asked the Lord to
watch over me.
Then
the monkey started digging it’s sharp claws into my skull. It started to hurt
so I took left hand and grabbed the monkeys arm. I twisted it’s arm and threw
him into the water. Little did I know, monkeys cannot swim so it dragged me
down with it. I was at a total loss. What in the world was I going to do now?
How were we ever going to make it out of this mess? At that moment, I saw the
lady’s camera floating by. I thought to myself, “If we make it out alive, she will
probably want her pictures and camera because I know I would want mine.” So I
began to reach for the camera.
As I reached for the camera, the
monkey by me saw me reach for it. He quickly grabbed the camera before I got to
it, probably thinking, “Oh, shiny object, “showed his monkey friend and
together they both climbed back up the tree. That camera is what saved our
lives that day.
We screamed for help and luckily a
couple heard up quickly. At first, the thought we were little children playing
until they realized that wasn’t the case. They got us on their kayak and
brought us back to the island.
We took an emergency motor boat to the hospital which was an
hour away. When got there the lady exclaimed, “This hospital is worse than the
monkeys!” Keep in mind that this is a third world country with FREE health care
so what do you expect. Since she was bleeding profusely, the doctors treated
her right away.
They were not even going to check on me but I told them that
I was very dizzy and they needed to look at my head. The doctor was very nice
and spoke some English. He had the nurses place ointment on all my scares then
he checked my scalp and gave me 5 stiches. I then got a shot and some medicine.
He asked me if I wanted to stay overnight. Without hesitation, I said no and my
friend and I were on our way back to the island. When I got back, I told all
the other travelers what had happened. They were in shock and fear but glad the
lady and I were ok. I emailed my parents and notified my friends and family via
facebook.
It’s the instances like these when something crazy happens
and I am still safe and alive that make me realize that God had a big plan for
my life. I am still alive because He is not finished with my story. There are
still things that I need to accomplish. Life is a true blessing and when I take
it for granted, I remind myself of the day I was attacked by a monkey, how I am
still alive, how I should be grateful and it puts everything back into
perspective.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Joy of the Journey. ASB Peru 2012
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
I come from an average middle class family with parents who
have instilled in me that with hard work, education and faith you will be able
to go far in life. I have never had real worries about where my next meal would
come from nor where I’d sleep at night. My parents’ parents however, grew up
real poor. My Grandma and Grandpa Murillo have always shared stories about
growing up, working long hot days out in the field, sun up to sun down and how
they had to stop school after 8th grade to provide for the family.
I’ll never forget my grandma Murillo telling me, “Kids these days don’t know
what hard work is.”
Because I feel that God has blessed me with so much, I have
always been filled with an enormous need to give back. God has called me to do
great things with my life and because of this I decided to go to Peru on a
mission trip with the High School Youth Ministry that I volunteer with.
Mission trips are NOT a vacation. On a mission trip, you go
to a location and bring Christ’s light to others by doing service work. We were
told that we would be working with the locals in the slums of Lima to build
steps and plant trees. And that’s exactly what we did once we made it to Peru.
But God had other plans for our journey and how long it would take us to get
there.
Even though this trip had been well planned out for about a
year, God continued to show us that He truly is in control of every situation.
We flew out of DIA expecting to land in Houston as planned in order to get to
Peru. Due to bad weather we couldn’t land so the plane coasted until it landed
in Austin where we waited for a few hours on the plane. We were all really
happy when the captain announced that it was clear and we were able to fly into
Houston. One thing I really love about traveling is the people you meet along
the way. I sat by this guy who was also going to Peru and was a financial
advisor. On the way to Houston he gave me really good financial advice and
taught me the importance of investing my money in stocks. He drew me a map and
everything so if all goes as planned and I invest properly I should have 2
million dollars by the time I’m 55. ;) Ask me about it in 30 years……
By the time our plane landed in Houston, we of course missed
our connecting flight. BUT God always provides for his faithful servants and
after two hours of waiting, Sue told us plan B. Houston only flies to Peru once
a day and all 17 of us needed a seat so we ended up staying at a nice hotel,
free of charge for two nights and each of us got 3 food vouchers to use. The only drawback was we weren't able to get
our luggage. We have 3 days worth of
pictures in the same clothes at the same spot in the same airport, playing King
Mau….life kind of felt like we were living that movie Ground Hog Day. At least
we got to take a shower with the free shower bag the airport provided us with.
Some of the teens saw this as a way of preparing ourselves for the trip because
some of the kids we were going to work with wear one outfit until it is worn
out.
\
In our instant-gratification culture, we don’t like to wait
nor do we know how. In those 3 days we learned A LOT about waiting and patience.
By day 3, all of us were getting anxious about leaving and getting to Peru. We made our way back through the VERY familiar Houston Airport, and waited at the C gate. Within a couple of hours we boarded our plane and were finally, happily off to Peru! The flight lasted about 6 hours and we were fed a lot! We landed around 10 PM and tried to find our luggage. Security said it was in the airport but they were not sure where it was. So we did a little more waiting…….
We were all happy to
have our suitcases and finally stepped into the land of llamas to meet Andres,
our tour guide for the trip! Andres got us on the bus and took us to the place
we were going to stay. By the time we arrived and got settled in our bedrooms,
we were exhausted and ready for bed as well as excited to start working with
the locals in the morning.
The next morning, refreshed we headed to the slums for a day
of work. When we arrived it appeared very depressing. It was foggy outside and
there are just mounds and mounds and mounds of houses all stacked above one
another on the hill….this was known as the slums in Pamplona Alta. It goes on
for what seems forever.
We met some of the locals that we were going to be working
with. People around the neighborhood would also just stop by and help or tell
us thanks for doing this and what a difference it would make.Our first job was to gather rocks…lots and lots of rocks.
The rocks were used to give the frame for the cement a steady foundation. Once
we were done with the rocks we would load buckets with sand. With the sand, we
added a cement mixture as well as agua. We all took turns mixing and would load
the buckets with cement. Then we would make a long chain like lines and would
pass the buckets to get poured into the frame for the stairs. This is what we
did for most of our time at Pamplona Alta. The teens would make the work fun by
playing games like telephono or we would sing or they would name the stray dogs
that surrounded us.
The hardest part had to be the smell. Something that you
would think you would get used to after a while but man it was HORRIFIC. Indescribable
but just imagine the smell of sewage mixed with urine and pig.
Our days were spent working from 9 to noon and then we would
say The Angelus and have a lunch break in the bus. It was kind of hard to eat
with the stench and the flies but we were always thankful for the food. After
lunch we would get back to work until 4 or so. Some days when we would finish
early, we would get to play with the kids at the top of the slums.
One of my favorite days was when we rented a bus and were
able to take some of the kids from the slums to a mini-amusement park. We each got paired with a couple of kids and had
so much fun. It was a joy watching the teens and David try to manage and keep
track of “their” child. The 3rd grade classes at St. Thomas More
donated $900 to our mission so that we could do this.
Although we worked hard, we also played hard. Andres gave us
a grand tour of the city, we enjoyed and ate at the Peruvian restaurants and
more importantly had loads of Inca Cola and became addicted to it. We also took
a bus tour, had tea time, helado, did some bargaining and spent a evening at
this awesome place called Parque de Aguas. It was a water park of so many
pretty fountains. One was an awesome dancing fountain with hieroglyphics in it
of dancing people…very cool. And I thought the dancing fountains in Vegas were cool….this
tops it by a million! One day we even headed to an island to see some penguinos
and seals. I was sad we didn't make it to Machu Pitchu but the prices were
outrages. More reason to come back someday.
Our last day in the slums, we painted the stairs and planted trees. I always believed that beauty inspires you to do something great... by leaving our mark and making the stairs beautiful, we left our imprint to inspire. The people were so thankful for our hard work. They had a blessing ceremony for the stairs and made us a traditional lunch with potatoes and corn. It was very bittersweet to leave but we all felt that we did what we were called to do and left on a very high note.
Every night after dinner we would have group time. During
this time we would go through the ups and downs of the day, and pray. Sue took
down notes and wrote a Gospel (Good News) according to us. I thought I’d end
with some of my favorites:
*I had so
much fun working because I felt like I was actually helping someone.
*I was
overwhelmed by the reality of life in such an ugly, horrible, desperate place.
*The dogs challenged
me. I wanted to kick them off the hill.
* I really
miss the sun.
*It makes me
think of the things I take for granted. I just feel really selfish sometimes.
*Today I
moved a lot of buckets.
*I really
liked how we were working with them instead of just for them.
*It doesn’t
really matter where you live- if you have a community that supports you, you’re
proud to call it home.
*Andres
knows all of our names. When someone knows your name you feel special.
*You don’t
really think about where you’re born, but it’s crucial to who you become and
the life you live.
*Beauty is
so important for our souls. Beauty is one of the ways we encounter God.
*Think of
how much easier the stairs will make it for people to get around, especially
since their lives are not easy at all.
All my love,
L
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tenemos Mucha Suerte! (Central America Tour)
6 weeks….8 countries….32 buses…..8 boat rides….1 horse ride….3 planes…numerous taxis and best of all…….. many wonderful new friends along the way…….
Weather wise it was warm but not a lot of sun like I was expecting. Most days it starts out nice but rain just comes out of nowhere and it pours for the rest of the afternoon. Due to that it is very green!
Yep. This trip was a pretty epic adventure. :)
PANAMA
Last April I remember lying on the hammock in Belize listening to my friends Amy and Cali talk about plans to travel Central America when they were done with their Peace Corp service. I thought to myself how awesome of a trip that would be but never actually thought I would be doing it with them! Oh where life takes you!
I flew from DIA to Atlanta at 6:15 AM on Wed the 9th of Nov. Early flight! Had a 5 hour layover in Atlanta and ended up arriving in Panama City at 9:30 at night. Took a taxi and met my friends at the Panama by Louis Hostel.
The life of a traveler is pretty fantastic! Not only is the goal just to see as much as you can and have an adventure everywhere you go, but you meet so many great people along the way. Many of other travelers you meet in hostels quickly become your friends and then you hang out with them for a few days or happen to run into them in another city. I have met many wonderful people from all over the world and it is what usually ends up making the trip great!
Our first adventure in Panama was to see the Canal. What a great invention! My friends waited for me to see it and our German friend and a couple from Sweden came along with us! My stay in Panama City was quick because we took an express bus that night from Panama City to a city named David. From David we went to Boquete and had a nice 3 night stay where we took a lovely coffee tour, bathed in the hot springs, ate some local food of carne, arroz y frijoles and went white river rafting! So much fun and I can brag that I didn’t fall out! Also can’t forget to include the night Amy and I wanted to celebrate 11/11/11 at 11:00PM at a disco and came back to our hostel to only then realize we never received a key. Luckily the hostel owned some lawn chairs and had some sheets hanging that kept us somewhat warm. We even found an outside toilet….what luck!
Randoms about Panama:
*Currency- Same bills are used as US but they use their own coinage.
*People HONK all the time! It is a way of saying hello!
*Main greeting from locals is BUENA and they always end with CIAO CIAO.
*In Panama you can swim the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in the same day.
*The canal generates 1/3 of Panama's entire economy
COSTA RICA
Getting to Costa Rica was an all day bus ride- 8 hour event but some of these buses are impressive. They are old US school busses that have been decked out colorfully and many I have seen are equipped with a flat screen TV’s!
We made it in San Jose around 4:30 PM. San Jose is known as the drug capital and un-safest places in all of Central America. Good thing for us, it was only a one night stop in order to get to our next destination!
The next morning we got a good fill of the free pancakes the hostels like to feed you and were on our way to La Fortuna. La Fortuna was a cute little town where we spent a few days wondering the rainforest called Rio Celeste. There was a beautiful part where the water went from clear to extremely blue. We also saw many cataratas (waterfalls), animals(frogs and turtles) and swam in the hot springs! This awesome French couple we met in our hostel taught us how to play gin and dominos so it was all around a good stay.
I have enjoyed seeing many churches and taking part in the celebrations. Many churches are Catholic in Central America and what is so cool about being Catholic is taking part in the universal church…no matter where I go the mass is in the same order and the celebration is the same. I was able to witness an awesome praise and worship celebrations where people were dancing throughout the church as well as holy adoration! The only difference is that at the end of mass the priest greets you with a kiss on the check instead of a handshake!
After La Fortuna we horseback rode to our next destination. The ad said we would get a bi-lingle Cowboy so we were all for this experience! My horse’s name was Dynomate and he was a good white horse while he would trot but he also liked competing with the other horses and would race so fast making me feel ill. Amy’s horse was well mannered and liked to trot while stopping numerous times to eat! We made it to Santa Elena around the afternoon and just spent time exploring the town.
The next morning we had a tour of many bridges, saw many holler monkeys (one adorable baby), a viper snake and then went zip-lining down 9 cables. It was the best adrenaline rush! A train takes you to the top and then you latch on to a hook on a cable and ride it down! We had fun going upside down and screaming! Later that day Amy and I herd of a community talent show so we decided to walk to the school it was held at which took about an hour and then had fun watching all the acts. The school kids served pizza and desserts and anyone could participate. After the show we luckily met one of the acts which was a young Canadian couple who have a band called Atom and the Volumes .They offered to give us a ride back into town which was fortune because it was pitch dark and we didn’t have a flash.
The rest of our time in Costa Rica was spent hiking and going to see the host of our hostel play a show with his band. Lots of people have bands and there are many venues that they play at.
Randoms about Costa Rica-
*Money- $500 Colones are equal to 1 US dollar so 2, 500 =$5
*Oranges are green.
*Costa Rica means “Rich Coast” in Spanish.
*People who live in Costa Rica are called “Ticos”.
*Christopher Columbus discovered and named Costa Rica in 1502.
*Costa Rica prides itself on being the “Land of Peace” as they have had over 100 years of political
stability.
*The national dish of Costa Rica is “Gallo Pinto”, pre-cooked rice and beans fried together.
NICARAGUA
Hello sun. Hello heat. Instantly feel in love with this country.
After numerous buses and 8hours we made it to San Juan Del Sur around 4 in the afternoon. Just in time to take a walk on the beach and enjoy the beautiful sunset. We also added a couple people to our traveling posse…Alan- a Canadian we met in Costa Rica decided to come with us and teach us how to surf. Then at the border crossing we met Lars….a gentleman from Switzerland that wanted to tag along as well. The more the merrier, I’d say!
San Juan was a pretty popular place for tourist with lots of hostels and many travelers. My time there was spent doing yoga, going sailing, learning to surf and enjoying the musical parades the locals put on. We spent Thanksgiving there so Amy and I made a chicken feast with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and rolls for our friends. We also took a little hike to see the huge statue of Jesus that overlooks the town. After a week there I was ready to move on and so was Amy. Cali caught the surfing bug with Alan so they stayed for a few more days and Lars headed in another direction.
Our next stop was an island called Ometepe. We heard about it from some guys in San Juan and thought we check it out. It was quite lovely and peaceful, not a whole lot of people which was relaxing. Amy and I were going to go on a full day hike up a volcano but both woke up not feeling so hot so we canceled. By mid day I was back to myself but Amy still needed some rest so a lady invited me to go kayaking with her. I thought it would be a wonderful idea as I have never done it before. It started out great and I really enjoyed it that is until our boat got too close to the island of monkeys. Yes we were attached, yes I twisted a monkeys arm and no it wasn’t very fun. It’s a better story to tell in person so if you want to hear it just ask. I though, will never forget the lady saying, “Save yourself, let me die.” And “This hospital is worse than the monkeys.” She was very dramatic. Although truthfully we are both very blessed to make it out alive and our cuts were not as bad as they could have been. God was really watching over us and I am very thankful. Fortunately, the scares on my face cleared up within a week, and the ones on my arms and hands are healing nicely. If I was looking for adventure, I sure found it here!
Moving on…..we took a ferry from Ometepe to Rivas and found a couple girls who wanted to share a taxi with us to Granada. The taxi drivers were fighting over who was going to take us so we made them flip a coin…it was so funny. Our taxi driver was hilarious….he kept talking about how he thought American girls were so pretty and cool but the girls we were with were Canadian and so one of them asked, “What about Canadian girls.” He just looked at her, shrug his shoulders and continued to talk about how much he liked Americans. Amy and I were laughing the whole ride!
Granda, Nicaragua was a really fun week. Amy and I splurged to stay at a nicer hostel for $9 a night because it included a pool. Funny enough we never even used the pool but they also included free yummy scones and coffee for breakfast so it ended up working out! We spent the week taking Spanish lessons at a really cool school called Casa Nica. Our class included 3 guys from Montana, a lady from Switzerland as well as Amy and I. Classes were fun and would start as whole group were we would play Spanish musical chairs or a silly group game and then we would go with our teacher one on one. Amy and I also got a tour of Granda from our instructors and they taught us how to make empanada from plantains and gallo pinto (white rice mixed with black beans)! We invited the boys to share the meal with us and then we started to have “family” dinners with them. One night Brad even made this killer chicken pot pie using pancake mix as the batter. YUM!The Spanish class also included a free week pass to the gym and salsa classes which we took to full advantage!
We were in Granada in time for the 8 day celebration of Mary’s conception. Such a fun place to be for this because they go all out! Every night was a BIG party where they would have a procession of Mary along with fireworks. The streets in Granada though are very dirty…covered with in markets, clothes shops, shoe stores, pharmacies and casinos. But the church was beautiful and the town was colorful!
After our week in Granada we headed to Leon! When we made it to Leon were we took a bicycle taxi to our hostel. Most fun ride of my life! Poor guy though got so tired! In Leon we went volcano boarding! You could either ride a slide down or stand up like snowboarding. Amy and I chose to stand. Although it is much different then snowboarding. You have to stand facing the volcano, knees down and one hand touching the black rocks. I did it all wrong but still had a blast and want to do it again!
Randoms about Nicaragua:
*22 Cords = 1 US Dollar
*People do not know where the library is but as them about a cock fight and they will personally show you.
*If you see light us devil horns….you know there is a big celebration going on.
*If you are blonde you stick out like a sore thumb and get lots of whistles and the occasionally serenade with the song, “Pretty Women.”
*In Granada every 5th smell, you get a whiff of something nasty….sewage, horse manure…etc.
*It is the 2nd poorest country in Central America only to be outdone by Hati.
HONDURAS
After our week in Nicaragua it was time to move on. We didn’t see much of Honduras besides our night stay. It was funny because everywhere we went had children working and in charge. We were curious as to where their parents were. There however were real department stores which was impresive! But we moved quickly though because we heard El Salvador was the place to be!
Currency- 18 Limpera’s = $1 USD
EL SALVADOR
We were super nervous about getting the right busses to make it to our next destination El Tunco. We took 6 different busses and traveled 10 hours before we arrived. We were so lucky and blessed to sit by the right people who were friendly enough to not only tell us where we needed to go but also walk us there. One lady and her child got off at a stop with us, took us up this bridge and showed us where the bus would pick us up. Without her doing that we would have been so lost. The people (guys I should say)that I sat by on the busses would tell me that they felt so lucky to be sitting next to me and that they also wanted to go to America. It was flattering and funny at the same time.
El Tunco was the most beautiful beach that had enormous waves and black sand. Extremely hard to swim in though so we did take advantage of the pool at the hostel where we meet some really cool Israel’s who invited us to hike a volcano with them. The next day they rented a truck and two hours later we made it to the volcano where we paid $1 for the guide. It took us two hours to get to the bottom of the volcano and 1 hour up. It was extremely hot and slippery. Amy wore her shoes that are similar to crooks and they actually melted because it was that hot! It was a really fun but exhausting day!
The next day we enjoyed the beach and went into the city La Libertad to have some delicious ceveche! That night there were a ton of bonfires on the beach complete with music and fireworks! So perfect! We meet a cool local couple that invited us to join their bonfire and party! Had fun dancing the night away and meeting many El Salvadorians!
Randoms about El Salvador:
*Currency- has used the US dollar since 2001.
* El Salvador has some of the world’s most active volcanoes. The Santa Anna Volcano is El Salvador highest.
* As of 2009 El Salvador’s population was over 7,000,000 with 3% of them daily making the dangerous trek to the United States for their families.
*El Salvador’s main Religion is Catholic which makes up about 85% of the population
We weren’t planning on going to Guatemala since we backpacked it back in April but found out it was an easier way to get to Belize. We ended up back in Antigua for a couple of nights and it was grand! After seeing so many new places there is just something great about being put back into the familiar. The night we arrived, Amy and I went for some chocolate caliente and then happened to stumble upon an awesome procession of Mary. We really do have good luck. They were celebrating Mary’s appearance to Juan Diago in Mexico. Indeed it was a beautiful procession with a band and a firework show! And the procession ended with a soup dinner. The next day all the little boys were dressed up like Juan Diago and had hats, the outfits and a mustache. It was so cute! Sitting in the central park, Amy and I got a hair wrap put in by an 11 year old girl. We also made many new friends and met up with our friend Ramon who we met during Semana Santa last April! It was nice to be back for just a bit!
BELIZE
After we totally got ripped off by some locals in Guatemala who sold us bus tickets for a certain price but ended up buying cheaper ones for us at a way later time, we ended up trading in our tickets and paying a little more to make it into Belize by the afternoon. We made it into Punta Gorda but were too late for the school bus to Santa Teresa. Luckily Amy knows tons of people there and we ended up crashing at her friend’s house. The next day we had some Jonny Cakes for breakfast and were on our way to Santa Teresa! We were both so excited! When we made it to the village it was raining really hard and was cold which was much different then I experienced last April which was only sun. When it cleared up a bit, we visited some families that had new adorable babies and then separated to stay with different families. I stayed with the Ack family whom I just adore. There are 6+ children and I just love them all very much. They were so in awe of my clear retainer and just thought it was the strangest thing. They also still loved me taking pictures of them. During my stay I slept on a wooden board with Yanera. The Ack family took good care of me.....always made sure I had plenty to eat and when I needed a towel Lisa found the one that had USA on it....making me feel at home.
At school, it was their Christmas celebration so each child brings a bowl and silverware to have BBQ chicken, rice and beans with a soda! The students were so sweet and eager to show me things and tells me things. I remember this little boy Brian saying, “Look at this Miss, look at this!” in which I responded, curious to know, “What is it?” and he said so seriously, “It’s shit Miss.” Alrighty then. lol
In Belize I ate so much. When you visit people they also feed you so I had a great fill of rice, beans, tortillas, caldo, cake, fry jacks, and Amy and I also made Arenkank which is a flour tortilla filled with dry beans and then cooked…delicious!
I also got to experience a Belizean funeral which was very sad. One of the teachers I met last time- Mr. Fern Cohn died right before we arrived because he was drinking and driving and drove off the bridge. It was a really sad time to be there. The children he taught were 5 and 6 so they didn’t really understand. They all wanted to go to his funeral because they wanted to see their teacher and thought that if someone sowed his head back together, he would be alive again. The school bus took the children who wanted to attend and I was impressed because this time, it was much more organized and they had a check list of students. The viewing and church service were in Silver Creek…..a nearby village so we all went to see the body, and pay respect. Mr. Cohn had a wife and two young children.
It was hard to say goodbye to the people in the village. Amy and I were both terribly sad but we had to be on our way because our trip was nearing it’s end. After Santa Teresa, we spent a couple of days at Placencia…a lovely little beach in Belize. It was fun but super cold. Then we made our way to Belize City hoping to catch a bus that would take us to Tulum, Mexico but that turned out to be harder than expected. The bus station only sells the tickets at a certain time and we found out they are most likely always sold out if you are not first in line. Plan B- we had time to visit Amy’s first host family in a village called Valle de Paz. It was nice to see them again if only for lunch. We also got to go to Cayo to see our friend Molly. Our plan was to stay with her and try to catch a bus to Mexico the following morning. But as our luck had it one of her friends was also going to Mexico, taking the night bus and we asked him to call us if the bus had extra seats. It did! We ran and made it on the bus! What luck!
MEXICO
We arrived in Tulum, Mexico at 3 in the morning. Got dropped off at a gas station and the only thing open was a Spanish Karaoke bar and disco so we dragged our bags over and sang Spanish Karaoke as well as danced until around 5. At that time we meet some new friends and went to the beach to watch the sunrise. Around 7 AM, Amy and I decided to find a hostel that was recommended to us by our friend Megan. After hours of walking we found this hostel around 10 AM. Even though it took us a while, they only had 2 beds available for 1 night. Just what we needed! They also had a lovely free 3 course breakfast and gave us bikes to use during our stay! Our short stay in Mexico was spent riding our bikes to the beach (which had the most bluest water!!), explored the town on bikes, ran into some friends we meet in Panama (It was so cool because they were the first people we hung out in Panama, saw them again in San Juan and they were the last people we saw in Mexico) and took a quick tour of the Mayan ruins. We got to experience the beautiful beaches of Mexico but want to go back to see more of the country and experience the culture. It was however a great end to a grand adventure!
USA
Made it home super late on Dec 21st but just in time to celebrate my brother Nikolos’ 26th birthday with mi madres enchaladas, arroz y frijoles…yum! And in time to head to NE to celebrate Christmas with my fun big fam in the good life!
What’s next you ask? Normal life is totally not as adventurous per say but I have wonderful jobs that I happened to be very fond of. I started teaching dance which has been loads of fun! I also continue subbing at STM as well as working the afterschool program…..the children are a hoot and my monkey attack is already the talk of the school….even the high schoolers at Breakaway think that it was my highlight of the trip. Some parents come up to me and ask if it really happened because they don’t believe their child. Ha. One 1st grader drew what it looked like. I am very impressed on the accuracy.
As far as traveling goes…..going to keep it state side until July where I will head to Peru on a mission trip with my church!
Travel to wherever your heart desires and let me know what you have been up to!
All my love,
L
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