tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51097240312828541842024-03-05T00:19:00.898-05:00Diarios de Camioneta"So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute..." -Wendell BerryAdam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-46034827162606601842009-08-12T22:00:00.002-04:002009-08-12T22:36:59.233-04:00The Grand FinaleJust in case you feared we were in captivity somewhere in Mexico, unable to blog or possibly being held by the US Border Patrol for smuggling swine flu in Adam's beard, we thought we were due to post our final bit of travels. <br /><br />We last wrote from Chihuahua, Mexico. A surprisingly pleasant town that is former home to revolutuionary Pancho Villa and home to an unsurprising amount of Chihuahuas. From Chihuahua we rode a train through MExico's Copper Canyon. A beautiful canyon that is 4 times the size of the Grand Canyon, the train ride was not a let down with stellar views and the fun of a 15 hour train ride.<br /><br />After a night in Los Mochis, we headed to Topolobampo to catch a ferry across the Sea of Cortez to Baja California (still in Mexico). The ferry was fresh out of seats and was an overnight ferry. After getting kicked out of the restaurant for sleeping on the floor, we headed to the top deck and laid out on the metal floor, catching some sleep while seeing periodic meteors fly across the sky and enjoying the breeze off of the sea. <br /><br />We spent a few days in Baja, though with such little time, it was hard to soak in much of the beauty that Baja has to offer. Instead we ate lots of fish tacos and tried to catch a bit of beach between 12 hour bus rides. We finally arrived to Tijuana and headed to the border. After a quick conversation with a relatively friendly border guy, we were rushed through the border crossing and into the US.<br /><br />We took a trolley into San Diego and wandered about town for a bit. We finally found the Greyhound Station and continued into LA. We spent three days in LA exploring the sites, seeing some beaches, riding public busses about town, seeing Hollywood (unimpressive), and finally met up with our good friend, Drew to continue heading toward home.<br /><br />With Drew, we rented a car and drove Historic Route 66 to St. Louis. We were previously unaware, but Route 66 is only a historic road and does not actually exist in its entirety any longer. However, with a handy guide book and step by step instruction, we weaved through back roads across the country on thew hisotic route. Of course, this involved frequent stops at burger joints, ice cream shops, places of general weirdness (Crazy Fred's Whorehouse and Truck Stop) and the occassional cheese factory or museum. We also saw the Grand Canyon and managed to camp each night, mostly without having to pay. We also learned that lots of Europeans drive or bike Route 66 while vacationing in the states and got an interesting new perspective on travel in the USA. The west was particularly impressive and we generally felt like real cowboys, especially after our stop for lunch in Oatman, AZ. <br /><br />We then spent a few days with Drew in St. Louis, visiting the wonderful Christian Activitiy Center in East St. Louis and seeing old friends there. We then took a Greyhoud to Chicago, stopping off to see an old friend, Kerri (and having the unfrotunate experience of being on a train when it hit a person). After a well cooked dinner and a good night sleep, we jumped on another Greyhound, for 20 hours, to Washington D.C. There we toured the Capitol Building, walked around a bit and then spent time with our college friend and his wife, Matt and Lori. (We also went to see the movie Food, Inc. which we highly recommend!)<br /><br />We learned that Amtrak was Sold Out and Greyhound was hard to get along with for the last leg, so we lured Matt to Richmond with the hope of Bojangles (how did we eat Bojangles after watching Food, Inc.?) and lured Adam's parents to Richmond with the hope of bringing us the rest of the way home. Finally we made it back to North Carolina, and at that our journey ends. <br /><br />While travelling across LAtin America was challenging and figuring our way to nooks and crannies and especially between Colombia and Panama is challenging, the real challenge of our journey begins now. As we enter back into our own part of the world, how do we live differently? What do we do with the things we have seen and how do they really change us? We hope that we can find ways to not just answer those questions with words, though we think that will be important as we continue to reflect, but with real actions that are tangible in our lives. <br /><br />Thanks for reading our blog and following along with us.<br /><br />Orale!<br /><br />Tracy and AdamAdam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-8497960329104859912009-07-17T19:58:00.003-04:002009-07-17T20:49:56.607-04:0010 Top 3´sA busy few days catching busses (including running through the streets of a city at 345am trying to find a taxi to the bus terminal) and hurriedly exploring the places we get to finally caught up with us and we have a little break to throw up a blog post. We tend to spend evenings relaxing on roof top terraces and on balconies and occassionally we make lists and such to pass the time with the intention of possibly making them a blog post. So, more of these might be coming. This one is our top 3 (with some honorable mentions) for various categories for our trip:<br /><br /><strong>COUNTRIES</strong><br />1.Colombia-the perfect mix of landscapes, friendly people, great cities, good beaches, awesome fruits and a road slightly less travelled.<br />2. Bolivia-The altiplano including the salar, great and interesting cities, intriguing politics, fascinating indigenous cultures, beautiful art, and full of the world´s highest __________ (fill in the blank, almost everything is the worlds highest here)<br />3. Guatemala-It got our LAtin American addiction started and we still love it. Great colonial cities, beautiful landscapes, some of the worlds best archaeological sites, fascinating cultures, and good friends make this place stay at the top of our list.<br />HM- Nicaragua and El Salvador didnt quite make top 3, but both are places would love to go back to.<br /><br /><strong>CAPITAL CITIES</strong><br />1. Quito- We wanted more time here. Lots to see, good museums, great weather, near the center of the world and a lively place.<br />2. Buenos Aires- Ultra hip, ultra modern but still with a latin american flavor of its own. Its almost too big, but with so much to see and experience, a year here wouldnt be enough.<br />3. Bogotá- Great weather, good views, nice neighborhoods, huge student populations, nice public transport, good museums, hot chocolate with cheese in it, Botero.<br />HM-La Paz- Worlds highest capital city, feels a little rough around the edges, but with lots to see and an intriguing clash of cultures.<br /><br /><strong>CULINARY REGIONS</strong><br />1. Oaxaca, Mexico- See our latest post. <br />2. Coastal Belize- Main ingredients are lobster, shrimp, coconut milk, garlic and plantains along with caribbean flare. Cant go wrong with food anywhere here.<br />3. Buenos Aires- It is true that there is lots of great meat here, and we mean LOTS. But, with empanadas of all varieties and homemade stuffed pasta on every corner, plus the amazing gelatto along the streets it deserves credit for more than the meat.<br /><br /><strong>LODGINGS</strong><br />1. Campground in Ancud, Chile- Check back at our blog post from Chiloe for a photo of this spot. Unbeatable.<br />2. Wasi Masi, Sucre, Bolivia- Nice locally run hostal. Sleeping can be a tough call on a tight budget, so the good hostels that are cheap and nice are memorable.<br />3. D&D at Lago Yojoa, Honduras. Decent lodging, but good food and a local brewery onsite as well as a British birding nerd with a huge beard onsite, makes for a pleasant stay.<br /><br /><strong>VIEWS</strong><br />1. Salar de Uyuni from Fisherman´s Island- A rock formation covered in nearly thousand year old cacti surrounded by pure white salt as far as you can see in every direction. Feels like you are not on earth. This was number one by a long shot.<br />2. Machu Picchu from Wayna Picchu- A tough hike from Aguas Calientes to MP made us question whether we wanted to scramble up Wayna Picchu, but the view justified the fame that Machu Picchu has.<br />3. Mountain peak in Parque National Llao llao, Bariloche, Argentina- Snow capped mountains over a giant river feeding multiple lakes. <br /><br /><strong>RUINS</strong><br />1. Machu Picchu- We almost didnt go. Worried about our budget and worried about the huge crowds that pour into the place, we debated opting for another site. Glad we didnt. This one is impressive and has a deserved reputation for being breathtaking.<br />2. Yaxha, Flores, Guatemala- Almost as big as Tikal, large excavated sites and you only have to share it with the howler monkeys. There is something about being nearly alone in an ancient site that makes it remarkable.<br />3. Tikal, Flores Guatemala/Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico- Two great sites we could not decide between. Both are great sites with lots to offer. Our list, so we dont have to choose.<br /><br /><strong>BEACHES</strong><br />1. Tulum, Mexico- We actually just thought people flocked to resorts in the Yucatan because of the moderate prices. Now we realize that the powdery white sand on the bright turqoise water probably has a lot more to do with it. Add in the coral reef and sea turtles swimming right off shore and it makes sense. <br />2. Parque Nacional Tayrona, Santa Marta, Colombia- Gorgeous and a bit challenging to get to. Dont like this beautiful beach with crystal clear water, hike 10 minutes through the woods and you can have another one all to yourself.<br />3. Mahahual, Mexico- Again with the beautiful Yucatan. We timed it right and were almost the only gringos in the town. Eating every meal right on the ocean makes a beach even more memorable.<br /><br /><strong>FAVORITE FARMING ACTIVITIES</strong><br />1. Milking sheep- Seriously, we really liked this job a lot. Hopefully we can introduce sheep cheese into the high country of NC within the next 5 or so years.<br />2. Plowing with a mule- We didnt get to do much of this, but it was a great experience. Inefficient, sure, but tractors lack personality.<br />3. Herding sheep- The jumpy, crazy, intelectually lacking animals can be frustrating, but we admit we loved trying to solve the puzzle of getting them to herd into whatever area we wanted them for the day.<br /><br /><strong>THINGS THAT WE WOULDNT HAVE TOLD OUR MOTHERS ABOUT BEFORE DOING</strong><br />1. Hitchhiking in various countries. Sounds more dangerous than it is, but in a lot of places this is a perfectly acceptable mode of transport. <br />2. Waterfall jumping- 10 meters high, and make sure you jump far enough because that rock juts out some at the bottom. weeeeee.<br />3. Hiking a very active volcano to the point where you can touch the lava with a stick- The irony is, we took our mothers here. However, we failed to mention the part about the lava flows before they were already there and feeling the rubber melting on the bottoms of their shoes.<br />HM-taking a small boat between Colombia and Panama in 15 foot seas. Scary and painful.<br /><br /><strong>COUNTRIES FOR ARTISANS</strong><br />1. Guatemala- Just go there, you cant miss them. When art is entrenched in culture and clothing, it gives it an additional beauty that we love.<br />2. Bolivia- Again with the art that cannot be separated from daily life. Traditions passed on for thousands of years thrive here and are breathtaking.<br />3. El Salvador- Beautiful Naive art in El Salvador. The way that such beauty oozes out from such painful tragedy in this country gives the work an extra meaning.<br /><br />Alright, that is all we got for now. Let us know if you want us to list any other top threes.<br /><br />Here is a little something for your computer wallpaper: Adam Zapata and Tracy Pancho Villa.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uFowehXN3NdiQnqiwrsnZsK7jF7rN9ObncdmMdgjwFNNjx3jyz1oPc9SaJosgZMkuGVQOZCfntAvLsPl9NY2YMDKSJE7St2BUocSK2s01d73c4LOhPRM_nVCJaTbJSbs2jQ_yXYz1YM/s1600-h/IMGP3394.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uFowehXN3NdiQnqiwrsnZsK7jF7rN9ObncdmMdgjwFNNjx3jyz1oPc9SaJosgZMkuGVQOZCfntAvLsPl9NY2YMDKSJE7St2BUocSK2s01d73c4LOhPRM_nVCJaTbJSbs2jQ_yXYz1YM/s320/IMGP3394.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359594780293137602" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-79837334830552123582009-07-14T14:00:00.008-04:002009-07-14T14:23:40.624-04:00Viva MexicoAnother week down, but not wasted. We soaked in big city life with a mix of political tensions and normal city life, saw more ruins dating back to 1000 b.c., and enjoyed the wonderful food- from cheese to homemade ice cream- that Oaxaca has to offer.<br /><br />We then headed for a short stroll through Puebla, the site of the historically insignificant, but drunk American college student very significant Cinco de Mayo battle. (The battle was between Mexican and French soldiers. The French outnumbered the Mexican soldiers 600 to 200, but the Mexican soldiers won. However, the French would go on to occupy the city for the next 4 years. We have been told that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated as a day off of work in Mexico, but is rather insignificant on the whole, it was compared to Flag Day).<br /><br />Finally we landed to Cuernavaca where we had the privelege of two local tour guides. Susie, who we know from Pullen and her husband Carlos, a native of Cuernavaca, showed us the sites, but most importantly they showed us the best places in town to eat local Mexican fare. <br /><br />The Oaxacan sampler platter- 2 types of cheeses, golden taquitos, cecina (pork with a spice rub), beef strips, chile relleno, guacamole, tiny stuffed tortillas, fried pork rinds (chicharron), and fried grasshoppers (which were out of season and not on the plate, a major disappointment).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWyLpzp9nS8hx9rlckwNGT5YX5IaGsM9U4fOUYaCQW8otlmyebZL-8yaPrQhyphenhyphenPPOaNw5zp1urS2LbcQqXqAlLkXqZpYj3lqvNgxx9ajKuSX3LWOTRhL13oD1B-9rtUwc0DGgV3LzldWw/s1600-h/IMGP3325.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWyLpzp9nS8hx9rlckwNGT5YX5IaGsM9U4fOUYaCQW8otlmyebZL-8yaPrQhyphenhyphenPPOaNw5zp1urS2LbcQqXqAlLkXqZpYj3lqvNgxx9ajKuSX3LWOTRhL13oD1B-9rtUwc0DGgV3LzldWw/s320/IMGP3325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358379844358161394" /></a><br /><br />Tracy digs in to a Gordita in the Cuernavaca market. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BPvF31mAvwPPCjCr6EWfjhCIFffWGLprLjm8zJofxt4aSzH5TesYbAM1xa_G1Dc43uOG2WMiAwS4lLEx1hgy5Bsi5OjB8KpLiG3NVrAKG0jCnQ92NAzJzX0Bt2c9m7iQSkdYSgQ0Y74/s1600-h/IMGP3352.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BPvF31mAvwPPCjCr6EWfjhCIFffWGLprLjm8zJofxt4aSzH5TesYbAM1xa_G1Dc43uOG2WMiAwS4lLEx1hgy5Bsi5OjB8KpLiG3NVrAKG0jCnQ92NAzJzX0Bt2c9m7iQSkdYSgQ0Y74/s320/IMGP3352.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358380661360559282" /></a><br /><br />If you go to Cuernavaca in search of the delicious gorditas, look around the corner from the pig head...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFiRc1TF4k4ynhgSzhuBfb8ApjwPkgqq50Q6-SE0C4KdmCN_mEFRPjGi1TqH4Kd-Oupd_rIn8XTPEnRvGQUHvWvtU-NyAMU7LSifuUk-jT0GIid3YpitiYBZQ4uErGKo61pmSTKhfO78/s1600-h/IMGP3353.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFiRc1TF4k4ynhgSzhuBfb8ApjwPkgqq50Q6-SE0C4KdmCN_mEFRPjGi1TqH4Kd-Oupd_rIn8XTPEnRvGQUHvWvtU-NyAMU7LSifuUk-jT0GIid3YpitiYBZQ4uErGKo61pmSTKhfO78/s320/IMGP3353.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358380985992851330" /></a><br /><br />Taco con Cecina for breakfast. Large blue tortilla, covered in a thin slice of spicy pork with beans, cheese and cream. Absolutely delicious (oh, a note the giant cup of horchata).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjZONSVdMpikuU5-uKee0ts4YvFdFB4Dj6R5_2UebVdjyEH9W06e6Omb2MKOtCEYnlvYuTw-UWULPPeewUs7gv6PcXJngRD6iYoYXxPlt88kZdTCCfY5u4tBHDTedWHfEtT95rOKxvEU/s1600-h/IMGP3359.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjZONSVdMpikuU5-uKee0ts4YvFdFB4Dj6R5_2UebVdjyEH9W06e6Omb2MKOtCEYnlvYuTw-UWULPPeewUs7gv6PcXJngRD6iYoYXxPlt88kZdTCCfY5u4tBHDTedWHfEtT95rOKxvEU/s320/IMGP3359.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358381246252898146" /></a><br /><br />Stewed lamb and goat being prepared in this wonderful kitchen in Guadalajara (since we are on a food kick).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeypMYLKH-sqPy4iqOHJNxq97yhNxqgM7UB6IJy23NhLqdGvO2FOzxHznTmnLBPEhgkTFdo3MUKA-O3Z24OQ4GrK_VHoSc6EuCspAOPAtQFBG89JoJY5CplNLToDEBswj4rNeQ0zN3CJ8/s1600-h/IMGP3385.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeypMYLKH-sqPy4iqOHJNxq97yhNxqgM7UB6IJy23NhLqdGvO2FOzxHznTmnLBPEhgkTFdo3MUKA-O3Z24OQ4GrK_VHoSc6EuCspAOPAtQFBG89JoJY5CplNLToDEBswj4rNeQ0zN3CJ8/s320/IMGP3385.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358381937728783746" /></a><br /><br />Affter a filling breakfast of pork tacos, mushroom stuffed quesadillas and a stuffed tortilla full of beans and cheese, we took a strenuous hike to a pyramid in Tepoztlan. A stunning view, well worth the climb. <br />-A huge thanks to Susie and Carlos for their wonderful hospitality and for giving us their insider knowledge of Mexican cuisine and culture (Carlos recommends the pig eye tacos, though we did not get a chance to try them). THANKS!!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaocd6ePShVcabWKD7Ub0U9qs4i0wiw0EvLwmwEZ-BV9Xx_WrCjNYk8ygEw5azN2lyDIzGwExcxxgDmxHIwT2EW3SBdo478JG7vSMczx20e7HXqdmOwivPW7l5hk8D4D5isgVXCSlmsU/s1600-h/IMGP3368.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQaocd6ePShVcabWKD7Ub0U9qs4i0wiw0EvLwmwEZ-BV9Xx_WrCjNYk8ygEw5azN2lyDIzGwExcxxgDmxHIwT2EW3SBdo478JG7vSMczx20e7HXqdmOwivPW7l5hk8D4D5isgVXCSlmsU/s320/IMGP3368.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358382307149056322" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-4513265689773165362009-07-06T19:54:00.002-04:002009-07-06T20:21:00.166-04:00We are now in the United States...of MEXICO!<br /><br />It is interesting that there is no good name for us. Americans doesnt do the trick as there are lots of Americans: North Americans, South Americans, Central Americans. So we tend to call ourselves whatever the locals call us, sometimes that is gringos (in South America that is all white people, but in Central America and Mexico it is specifically for people from USA). Sometimes it is estdounidenses, which seems to be the most common thing to call us, however, beings that we are now in the Estados Unidos de Mexico, or United States of Mexico, that also does not seem to specify very well. Oh, well, gringo it is!<br /><br />We have gone from sheer relaxation to a sudden realization that our time is getting short and we have a lot of ground to cover, so here is what we have been up to.<br /><br />We last posted from Hopkins, Belize. From there we went to Corozal, Belize. We intended only to stop over to break up our travels, but the threat of a tropical storm held us there for an extra night. The extra night gave us a chance to soak up a local party involving a Caribbean band. They were sponsored by Happy Cow Processed Cheese, the number 1 cheese in Belize. An enjoyable night and a nice way to say farewell to Belize, a country we expected to pass through casually, but ended up enjoying every minute of.<br /><br />We then headed into Mahahual, Mexico. A beautiful Caribbean beach town that was completely destroyed in 2007 due to a hurricane. Tourism is their money maker, but since it was down season, we got to just relax with the locals who were taking it easy and our friend Danny and Adam got absolutely destroyed by two local females in a volleyball tournament. (Destroyed, as in did not score a single point)<br /><br />From Mahahual we went to Tulum. Tulum is well known for its Mayan ruins. The most impressive part of the ruins is that it sits atop a cliff overlooking a beautiful white sand beach with bright blue water. The least impressive part of the ruins is that huge busses of people from big money resorts and cruise ships pile in, taking away from much of the mystique of being in such an interesting location (I expect that someone from the resort is blogging about having to see the ruins amongst bearded, smelly, ragged looking backpackers). While in Tulum, we snorkeled a bit more with no less than 20 sea turtles (it is great fun following them around since they are never in a hurry and could not care less that you are swimming with them) and snorkeled a cenote, which is an underground river system, essentially snorkeling a cave full of beautiful rock formations. <br /><br />We then hopped a 17 hour bus to San Cristobal de las Casas. A beautiful colonial city with lots of character. It is located in Chiapas and in 1994 was held by the EZLN, better known as the Zapatistas. Political tensions still exist because the demands for more justice, equality and self-determination for local indigenous groups have not been met (nor does it appear that there are any intentions of meeting those demands). <br /><br />We were also able to visit local indigenous communities that have been able to beautifully retain their traditions and who welcome those who would like to observe and learn about those traditions. We saw everything from the beautiful clothing that we have talked a lot about with almost all of the indigenous groups we have encountered to religious rituals mixing pieces of Catholicism with traditional Mayan beliefs (the church floor was covered in fresh pine needles and several families had brought chickens to be sacrificed in order to address a physical or spiritual ailment). We were able to get very informative explanations of these traditions and beliefs and we were fascinated by the way the local governing bodies, police forces and spiritual leaders operate in the villages. <br /><br />On a landscape note, we traveled by boat through a large Canyon in which a river cuts through cliffs up to 1000 meters tall (that is 1 kilometer for those that are metrically challenged). Really amazing scenery, especially once you add the monkeys in the trees on the banks, the hundreds of crocodiles that live along the river and the many birds that fly around the steep cliffs.<br /><br />On another note, Mexican food is awesome.<br /><br />We mentioned our time is getting short. We will likely be back in NC in a little over a month. So start hoeing your gardens, get your cookingware ready, clear off your couch or extra bed and buy some extra NCSU football tickets. We cant wait to spend some quality time with our friends and family back in NC.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-89603125788917039662009-06-27T17:49:00.008-04:002009-06-28T10:24:20.915-04:00Moving through Guatemala and into BelizeWe havent been able to do as well blogging as hoped for, but internet has not been great lately and has been a bit more pricey making it difficult to do more than an email check (OK, and see whats going on in NCSU athletics because we have a very unhealthy masochistic addiction).<br /><br />We last posted from Antigua after an exciting visit from our parents and Adam's sister. Since then we joined back up with a couple of travelers from the states who are on a similar timeline as us, Danny and Jody. We headed out of Antigua with them and met up in Coban to do a bit of traveling together.<br /><br />We first stopped off at Semuc Champey, a beautiful site in the junglelike highlinds of Guatemala. Tracy and I visited an orchid nursery containing over 400 types of orchids (only about a third were in bloom). We (minus Tracy who doesnt do things that require her head to go under water, except with snorkel gear) took a tour of a cave that was about 2 hours long, half swimming and half walking. The only light was that oif candles which we had to hold over our heads while swimming. Caves are remarkable places and this one was no let down. Bats do, however, give Adam nightmares, resulting in more than one girlish squeal.<br /><br />From there we hit the highlight, a series of pools on a natural limestone bridge than runs across a river that is deep and an amazing valley. The water is crystal clear with white and turquoise tints and is amazingly beautiful. Unfortunately, we were swinging from a rope swing into the river when Adam went in sideways and burst his eardrum.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ95hS3dZ8xZs3Zx4lH607IBlnyHo0r8VyPk0avY1WQU38oZOe5i9Rnwrujns3p6W7VNbAYh4XRqnV1lANiNsG9rDIk_TIlCUMfXAu4mkxvSqqjisE6o0fVC2qTovbSoNZI7mhuvWlpg/s1600-h/IMGP3002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ95hS3dZ8xZs3Zx4lH607IBlnyHo0r8VyPk0avY1WQU38oZOe5i9Rnwrujns3p6W7VNbAYh4XRqnV1lANiNsG9rDIk_TIlCUMfXAu4mkxvSqqjisE6o0fVC2qTovbSoNZI7mhuvWlpg/s320/IMGP3002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352135667786200658" /></a><br /><br />We hit the northermost state of Guatemala where we found Mayan ruins dating back to 1000 b.c. We first hit Tikal, the most famous of the Mayan ruins and then the following day we hit Yaxha, a lesser known but equally impressive set of ruins that are much more difficult to get to. Being do-it-yourselfers, we passed on the tours and took local transportation and tried to hitchhike the remaining 11kms. However, hitchhiking is much easier when vehicles actually pass you, so instead we got a good workout. Luckily, we were able to talk our way into an employee of the national park's truck to get a ride out. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeUDpApTcihVE-diy6OqcvniUsZdY2hfW-kUEvAte8ypeNFFOZJJQd4u0ulLDd3mKhFq-TDSJFlPu4Tw4JMjWjXi_V4dKehYf81t6exNPpPgX8fl5bSjfN6JYZ8wmd8iTh7Ftli2iRLo/s1600-h/IMGP3051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeUDpApTcihVE-diy6OqcvniUsZdY2hfW-kUEvAte8ypeNFFOZJJQd4u0ulLDd3mKhFq-TDSJFlPu4Tw4JMjWjXi_V4dKehYf81t6exNPpPgX8fl5bSjfN6JYZ8wmd8iTh7Ftli2iRLo/s320/IMGP3051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352383272347924402" /></a><br /><br />From Flores we passed into Belize where we still remain and are exploring the offerings of the country. We knew it would be odd to be in an English speaking country, but we grossly underestimated just how interesting and beautiful Belize would be. The majority of the country are descendants of Africans, brought to what is now Belize to be slaves. However, one group, the Garifunas, successfully resisted the enslavement and still thrive as a wonderfully interesting culture with its own language, foods and traditions to this day. Pockets of Mayan groups, hispanic groups, Asians and Mennonites exist throughout the country in a very visible way. <br /><br />We first spent time in Caye Caulker (pronounced, key corker), a small island overflowing with local life (and snorkeling/diving trips). We were fortunate enough to arrive about a week after lobster season opened up. Neither of us had previously tasted lobster, but after a few days on the island we had eaten at least 3 or 4 of them, lobster burritos and other lobster dishes served with a Caribbean flare of lots of spices and often coconut rice (as a side note, Adam and coconut have had a long held disdain for one another, however, during this trip they have had several long talks and sorted out their differences and now look longingly at one another, especially when coconut decides to flavor lobsters or rice or any other seafood dish. Adam remains suspicious of coconut's cousin, dried coconut in a plastic bag). We also were able to enjoy the wonders of the barrier reef by snorkeling with sting rays, eagle rays, at least 100 species of tropical fish, nurse sharks, manatees, turtles, moray eels (got to see the eel fight a fish, the eel won because he has really sharp, scary teeth), barracuda (scary in the water, delicious on a plate as we were served this guy as part of one of our Garifuna dishes), conchs, lobster, lots of reef, and more. <br />A nurse shark swims by right before we jump into the water.<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VBV3TJo2XoTOua9QV8PWtHzHyh5cM6nCIuprxBlQhFrTSABIurKWrHxvnt7yVivw1PBDsirPevcDf9k6U-GJBZSAfYzlPlRVA-HwESOvga9t9FVkzU2zrxeveUzhN5RVRmMTh_h15gA/s1600-h/IMGP3119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VBV3TJo2XoTOua9QV8PWtHzHyh5cM6nCIuprxBlQhFrTSABIurKWrHxvnt7yVivw1PBDsirPevcDf9k6U-GJBZSAfYzlPlRVA-HwESOvga9t9FVkzU2zrxeveUzhN5RVRmMTh_h15gA/s320/IMGP3119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352136821164510722" /></a><br />Island life.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6LCt4nSnsuLE9JLk98sdsWELnhftkGBoODDzpCajK3D9cbYgn7TjEcV0YkwGJPAmO_QgR_kNyv3AH2x7EnUzl3U6UoE_IVNLwgCYQSpEcymTl_4t6NqqKokGW_cJR4NQrMzhAyFu_70/s1600-h/IMGP3148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6LCt4nSnsuLE9JLk98sdsWELnhftkGBoODDzpCajK3D9cbYgn7TjEcV0YkwGJPAmO_QgR_kNyv3AH2x7EnUzl3U6UoE_IVNLwgCYQSpEcymTl_4t6NqqKokGW_cJR4NQrMzhAyFu_70/s320/IMGP3148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352137439623764210" /></a><br /><br />We headed to Hopkins from the island. On the way we stopped off for a locally famous treat, a tour of the Marie Sharp hot sauce factory. After setting our mouths on fire, we settled into our room on the beach and basically sat in a hammock on the edge of the warm Caribbean water for a couple of days. Hopkins is a small town with much beauty. The Caribbean gets top billing, but the people make the place. Warm people, most of Garifuna descent, greet you as you walk the streets and excitedly serve their local dishes. No one moves too fast and others are encouraged to move at a similar speed. (at this point in our trip, we don't really do fast, so we think we fit in). <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-8rSlJUE2dDn7VMe6OEKgPWfk-EvCsqj2fSvqd2BI9XQ9G4LXRq6NW9CKyDo4QqTPLXNv4jIR5oVPyf9JZ7tquoVJjtbhfWBmD1qvKcpGVvQ_2cbkOBhvk_-dxB9QhHePyFa9xDhu5A/s1600-h/IMGP3173.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-8rSlJUE2dDn7VMe6OEKgPWfk-EvCsqj2fSvqd2BI9XQ9G4LXRq6NW9CKyDo4QqTPLXNv4jIR5oVPyf9JZ7tquoVJjtbhfWBmD1qvKcpGVvQ_2cbkOBhvk_-dxB9QhHePyFa9xDhu5A/s320/IMGP3173.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352137770063147394" /></a><br /><br /><br />We can't seem to get enough of this new local culture and the amazing food, so who knows when we will move on, but we will try to throw more updates up as we move along. Our time is getting short, so we will try to share as much as possible along the way. <br /><br />Go slow.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-89854865077065197152009-06-12T17:28:00.016-04:002009-06-12T18:20:59.129-04:00OK, OK, heres what weve been doing...Alright, I guess time for laziness is over. Here comes an update complete with some photos (many more can be seen on Facebook) from our past few weeks in Antigua.<br /><br />We started off staying with a local family. Iris and her two children provided us with the usual overwhelming amount of hospitality and delicious food. We got to host Adam´s sister, Maria for a week, had 5 days to gather our thoughts and then both sets of parents came down for 10 days. We have since transitioned to another house (not because we didnt love Iris, but because we had other old friends in Danny and Ana and their children that we wanted to spend time with). During our parent´s stay Tracy and her parents lived with Iris while Adam and his parents lived with Danny and Ana, making for a true Guatemalan experience. Because we are not in the mood for a narrative, here is a list of things we have done since arriving in Antigua with our parents and Maria:<br />-Walked cobblestone streets surrounded by 16th century architecture<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5y3Qw2yQ0hPJFRmMjQTotnbpn0zV-aK1MtbD2IDj3GcHI6mlNIdf_vQOawZAbk6S3JiBAnZajn5b8jf0zyjgJuhxXWdNW9t8_yFkQYaeBDVA6S6q3o1hBBrdnIbQSocP4qyQXIe8r_U/s1600-h/cerro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5y3Qw2yQ0hPJFRmMjQTotnbpn0zV-aK1MtbD2IDj3GcHI6mlNIdf_vQOawZAbk6S3JiBAnZajn5b8jf0zyjgJuhxXWdNW9t8_yFkQYaeBDVA6S6q3o1hBBrdnIbQSocP4qyQXIe8r_U/s320/cerro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346564315074349106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoK7_xqsvmdU00HWmlwoQNW4quNAAI5l1O8sSdgvfH2WKXIz0IkD1H6KJZKUPIYzb5KSC_fUSIHXJiVh3dbn6oNPGvKYLGQ1j2q-fmxfLGaSSKPxE1UUhHfvHPWAuoSpLpOPE6nDUNAmI/s1600-h/street.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoK7_xqsvmdU00HWmlwoQNW4quNAAI5l1O8sSdgvfH2WKXIz0IkD1H6KJZKUPIYzb5KSC_fUSIHXJiVh3dbn6oNPGvKYLGQ1j2q-fmxfLGaSSKPxE1UUhHfvHPWAuoSpLpOPE6nDUNAmI/s320/street.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346564961204739554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafl_fR_inurVygYVYWDeMp3uBY2dfYWq5bxyPR9OEK3BTygoFFVAztGivEtLVQJxLsk5h-HwaZep51mR26yAzFkLYv6dCrU5jlPQyBBqAx6jsTOahER8m0XxxaRrIWQRBUVmvh1jqKPc/s1600-h/catedral.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafl_fR_inurVygYVYWDeMp3uBY2dfYWq5bxyPR9OEK3BTygoFFVAztGivEtLVQJxLsk5h-HwaZep51mR26yAzFkLYv6dCrU5jlPQyBBqAx6jsTOahER8m0XxxaRrIWQRBUVmvh1jqKPc/s320/catedral.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346564629286365122" /></a><br />-visited villages of indigenous communities (Guatemala´s majoirty population remains indigenous Mayan, speaking a total of 22 languages and keeping beautiful traditions alive for thousands of years)*Photos are best not taken due to sensitivity in indigenous villages<br />-shared meals and conversation with local families<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YzrET-sB9rXPyHzI6r_bL5sk-PnQy98jnaNRsktcm_hJUYsuRuOKq0aXNprWN88zlTP71y4hTxXv9l37L-5mJ5_hhUrYibDez19kX7u8opU_TNsME44OBGotnuZoYTx_jkardh1jNgc/s1600-h/IMGP2935.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YzrET-sB9rXPyHzI6r_bL5sk-PnQy98jnaNRsktcm_hJUYsuRuOKq0aXNprWN88zlTP71y4hTxXv9l37L-5mJ5_hhUrYibDez19kX7u8opU_TNsME44OBGotnuZoYTx_jkardh1jNgc/s320/IMGP2935.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346562445675682370" /></a><br />-Tracy and both mothers took a class on traditional Mayan backstrap weaving (moms-send us some pictures of this)<br />-visited traditional street markets in Chichicastenango and Sololá<br />-rode "chicken busses" (old USA school busses with souped up paint jobs, new transmissions and a load of courage and adrenaline coupled with no fear of death behind the wheel) here and there and everywhere<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYgrQ0BwzZJIyo0U0_em9ozBd17MG8lmORd0Z3tXOXZfTjkQoMrmMKlerIU2wG4VX6ycdvGHw60z2SAFWI9x7g8d8yo1vGX0Oc-wOkehC7-FAD1y2txgvIIb6S4c8sSBmb6kev4ARIik/s1600-h/chibus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYgrQ0BwzZJIyo0U0_em9ozBd17MG8lmORd0Z3tXOXZfTjkQoMrmMKlerIU2wG4VX6ycdvGHw60z2SAFWI9x7g8d8yo1vGX0Oc-wOkehC7-FAD1y2txgvIIb6S4c8sSBmb6kev4ARIik/s320/chibus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346568761904314530" /></a><br />-caught rides in the backs of pick up trucks with out parents to visit and make an offering of a wild necktie to a Mayan saint (Maximon, look it up, it is fascinating)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBNJoeUjzqzu2uIsChcVM7CuBQIiYbIxdLbVKoEv_PXbMn4rGC_LEPE0vlfCBm5h9lziwK-UpIcrv0fI1jFTNUlrOk8QLjaUt6DlHirbZpjnD2aECE_esB5YW5ClbMPAkszK_5zWCpXg/s1600-h/truck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBNJoeUjzqzu2uIsChcVM7CuBQIiYbIxdLbVKoEv_PXbMn4rGC_LEPE0vlfCBm5h9lziwK-UpIcrv0fI1jFTNUlrOk8QLjaUt6DlHirbZpjnD2aECE_esB5YW5ClbMPAkszK_5zWCpXg/s320/truck.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346565363416877906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhud3Dz8j8qUavgAoEXKymaJ57SGPB-F5ZtugByVuJCzo5FmfCau7-3-bF-BizGDYt0hTlqzsttDepi_6eNwHzT4RsnG_t7AtUzqK4C3IGRw-B-FP_DfA3JooNCF0XNYoHOIFG_9efJnk/s1600-h/Maximon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhud3Dz8j8qUavgAoEXKymaJ57SGPB-F5ZtugByVuJCzo5FmfCau7-3-bF-BizGDYt0hTlqzsttDepi_6eNwHzT4RsnG_t7AtUzqK4C3IGRw-B-FP_DfA3JooNCF0XNYoHOIFG_9efJnk/s320/Maximon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346563631040601858" /></a><br />-Tracy, Papa Juan and Adam had their feet traced by master shoemakers for a pair of custom fit boots in Pastores<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZJRF-bPUmUtwlZXhSTyezhGI-ylDcHJrBQwhWAnR9BqEuUmtB9Ap7Omfx-aPbQiradzvwUSVuJWDQG4I5Opfc9Je6mjfgBeiqNxVViZ8jB-J1T0jtUM0Q5krtoOTAebOB8d7W7Hu9EI/s1600-h/IMGP2860.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZJRF-bPUmUtwlZXhSTyezhGI-ylDcHJrBQwhWAnR9BqEuUmtB9Ap7Omfx-aPbQiradzvwUSVuJWDQG4I5Opfc9Je6mjfgBeiqNxVViZ8jB-J1T0jtUM0Q5krtoOTAebOB8d7W7Hu9EI/s320/IMGP2860.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346567865991878370" /></a><br />-hiked an active volcano to the lava flow and roasted marshmallows on the lava flow with sister Maria, fathers and the Mami Pumas<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeXBW6bKo6GVXE0avOXgOXsFbOTqBhgoV3YhT8ZvXX5GnvbhaTgpk6HVQJhSTY7XY6D4OAaIv4MvfdSXZuyPX-3Ux72YbSSdTkJk4wSB_W9uajwiQmm29fGG4FX1u9IN7gGW-JGojn2c/s1600-h/volcan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeXBW6bKo6GVXE0avOXgOXsFbOTqBhgoV3YhT8ZvXX5GnvbhaTgpk6HVQJhSTY7XY6D4OAaIv4MvfdSXZuyPX-3Ux72YbSSdTkJk4wSB_W9uajwiQmm29fGG4FX1u9IN7gGW-JGojn2c/s320/volcan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346563126270324194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXneh3URNP8_f7ATOLFYgbazwcxdd_t9PS7AGWPy6fw79b9iYu_CoN_T0p33DhQd_qaRPWjWvQyJbiBGDp32yMcyvBhOIIbt00iuzR55kLNdob_Jz_E6jsl12ftzVH0iCvwZbGOGJGpc/s1600-h/momvolcan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXneh3URNP8_f7ATOLFYgbazwcxdd_t9PS7AGWPy6fw79b9iYu_CoN_T0p33DhQd_qaRPWjWvQyJbiBGDp32yMcyvBhOIIbt00iuzR55kLNdob_Jz_E6jsl12ftzVH0iCvwZbGOGJGpc/s320/momvolcan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346566817226295330" /></a><br />-visited and learned about a sustainable macadamia nut farm from a wacky, foul mouthed ex-pat and his loveable Guatemalan wife<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrz_NZZp8JD7UGki0SBgx56Z1ImNJ6bm5XMLTlMhy2G8VWbyCrF5WvoonkZc8oRGb8-9vDTlqd2SKInkWQ2tP9TWDhBWsJ-uNs-J0Cw1Oj6HiVdnNwEBLKRJ8b3QuZD5IgPZxGjZihbQ/s1600-h/macnut.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrz_NZZp8JD7UGki0SBgx56Z1ImNJ6bm5XMLTlMhy2G8VWbyCrF5WvoonkZc8oRGb8-9vDTlqd2SKInkWQ2tP9TWDhBWsJ-uNs-J0Cw1Oj6HiVdnNwEBLKRJ8b3QuZD5IgPZxGjZihbQ/s320/macnut.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346564003321913714" /></a><br />-rode boats between small villages in Lake Atitlán<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgOraOz_e6BQ2ij8Y2eltEccLU-xMZOtyxR3hiRfatPlKArfKF419wZSvjJTGJqVcAJjBhmaGKlTeaFk0rRU8bwNo7SGncVm9NRQgktuV0BHjQ0hizoERmQSw2G45nwHVCTGDOS4r718/s1600-h/lago.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgOraOz_e6BQ2ij8Y2eltEccLU-xMZOtyxR3hiRfatPlKArfKF419wZSvjJTGJqVcAJjBhmaGKlTeaFk0rRU8bwNo7SGncVm9NRQgktuV0BHjQ0hizoERmQSw2G45nwHVCTGDOS4r718/s320/lago.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346565574393158002" /></a><br />-watched hummingbirds feed off of a wild array of flowers <br />-did a crafts project with children at El Buen Samaritano in Jocotenango where Adam and Tracy have been spending afternoons helping 3rd, 4th and 5th graders with homework<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCE4YTGs9A6NxOnQeGyqLwVO_52QZa7DbpuWLmWdndako_SpD3VBEnqFyzLrKk71jjBVBZH_Amnidgw_goSx5RNtNt04CFfPmBD3Lo9DYJD3Eo_JIIASRXOT38m536gOlUfeFvHgudso/s1600-h/kids.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCE4YTGs9A6NxOnQeGyqLwVO_52QZa7DbpuWLmWdndako_SpD3VBEnqFyzLrKk71jjBVBZH_Amnidgw_goSx5RNtNt04CFfPmBD3Lo9DYJD3Eo_JIIASRXOT38m536gOlUfeFvHgudso/s320/kids.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346566300017170242" /></a><br />-delivered lots and lots of supplies to El Buen Samaritano to aid in their work to help with nutrition, education and development of children in Jocotenango<br />-took salsa lessons (with what we considered to be impressive results)<br />-celebrated Tracy´s birthday with our Guatemalan friends and our parents, eating a traditional dish called Pilojada, a dessert called molé (made with platanos, not chicken for you Mexican food buffs), a piñata and horchata<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6b5qeULI23_1uPgp6DDUAfaOvhO975DOinx8pSvoIEt1VFErZQ6dagSHa98lQjMd9K1rmWg_HxHX90ykUCpmeaYNMQUCCmhXNgGYZB6TrRIDGD0fCrwpmESnuOdTHAbjCbdT4hKgGRI/s1600-h/IMGP2878.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6b5qeULI23_1uPgp6DDUAfaOvhO975DOinx8pSvoIEt1VFErZQ6dagSHa98lQjMd9K1rmWg_HxHX90ykUCpmeaYNMQUCCmhXNgGYZB6TrRIDGD0fCrwpmESnuOdTHAbjCbdT4hKgGRI/s320/IMGP2878.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346567383720335730" /></a><br />-more? maybe our parents or Maria will want to be more specific or will add something we forgot about in the comments section.<br /><br />We will try to get back on our blogging A game as we enter the last leg of our journey. Orale pues!Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-78086071609303436292009-05-26T13:24:00.002-04:002009-05-26T13:30:52.117-04:00Home Sweet GuatemalaWe have now been in Guatemala for a couple of weeks and we are enjoying our time. Having both spent two other occassions of about 8 weeks here in Antigua, we have lots of friends and know our way aroun Guatemala well. After 8 months of travelling and making only occassional friends who we would only have the occassion to spend a few days with, it was a breath of fresh air to see people we know and walk streets that feel familiar to us. <br /><br />On top of our familiarity with our Guatemalan friends, we had a week long visit from Maria (Adam´s sister) and have been planning for 10 days with our parents, who arrive on Friday. <br /><br />Keep checking back, we will post another update and some photos in a couple weeks before we head to Belize and finally to Mexico (despite reports from Fox News, crossing into Mexico is not instant death), before we enter California for one last hurrah seeing a bit of our own country.<br /><br />Hope all is well for all of you. Since we are on a bit of a blogging vacation, send us an email and let us know how you are and what is new with you.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-45178261883583324772009-05-12T17:54:00.019-04:002009-05-12T19:45:05.644-04:00San Romero and the Martyrs, art, and waterfallsWe spent the last 10 days in El Salvador. It seems this is a country many travelers skip, but we found it to be a remarkable place. <br /><br />We started the week at a moving museum that displays the events of the revolution/civil war in El Salvador, the majority of which was fought in the 1980´s.<br />The museum was very well done and informative regarding the events of the war and it was heartwrenching to hear about the many massacres that occurred in El Salvador at the time. Nearby is the site of El Mozote, a site of one of the biggest massacres. The El Salvador National Guard was using a strategy referred to as scorched earth, fish out of water, etc. The strategy was based on the fact that the FMLN (revolutionary army) had a majority of its support in rural areas. Thus, by "depopulating", a.k.a. murdering, civilians in rural villages, the FMLN army would lose it base of support. El Mozote was the site of a small village of nearly 1,000. All but 1 of its members were murdered by the Atlacatl Battallion, a majority of whom were women and children. (It is no coincidence that similar tactics were used against civilian populations in Nicaragua and Guatemala, other countries who received training and funding from the USA). Our guide during this time was a veteran of the war (fought for FMLN) who had some speech problems due to having been shot in the head and showed us a bullet still lodged in his arm. Needless to say, this introduction to Salvadorian history made the ugliness of much of this history come alive for us. <br /><br />Several days later, we found ourselves in San Salvador. There we visited the sites of Archbishop Oscar Romero, now referred to by many Salvadorians as San Romero de las Americas. Oscar Romero was named Archbishop in the 70´s by the Catholic church. He was a loved and respected leader by the Salvadorian people, however, his homilies and speeches as well as his basic theology denounced the exploitation and violence against the poor he was seeing in San Salvador. As the situation in El Salvador declined during the early years of the war, several priests were assassinated because their work with the poor and their theology that the exploitation of the poor was sinful and should be opposed was seen as subversive. Romero, having come from a poor community himself, held similar views and only became more outspoken as his friends were being killed. In 1980, while Romero was conducting mass, he held the bread representing the body of Christ in the air and at that moment received a bullet to his heart. He died nearly immediately in front of the church. Although there was a planned and well thought out cover up, it became clear that this was carried out by the Salvadoran National Guard, trained by and funded by the United States. The killing of civilians as in El Mozote as well as priests (6 Jesuit priests would be assassinated along with an employee of the Jesuit Univsersity and her young daughter several years later) continued throughout the war. <br /><br />So the sites we visited had a incredible meaning for us. As US citizens, as people of faith and as humans who have trouble seeing human suffering, the things we saw and learned we challenging. We stood in Romero´s bedroom where he no doubt had many sleepless nights knowing how real the death threats he was receiving were, yet he continued to preach the good news to the poor. We stood at the altar where he was assassinated and looked on the chapel and could only imagine the horror of that day where people had come to worship and were instead witnesses to murder. We also ventured to the Central American University where the 6 Jesuit priests were murdered. We saw the bloody clothes with bullet holes and got to talk with people who were a part of this history. We also witnessed during the 10 days a people full of joy and hope. These travesties are not long in the history books, yet the hope and hospitality deomstrated to us in El Salvador was second to none and we left today having witnessed the ugliness of history as well as the beauty of a people who refuse to live joylessly, despite the ongoing presence of extreme poverty in the country. There is a link between the joy of the people and the sadness we felt at the sites of massacres and killings, but I am not sure if words can really describe the connection or if either of us are yet able to put into words the meaning of that connection. <br /><br />A part of that hope and beauty can be witnessed in 3-D in La Palma, El Salvador. We visited this small artisan town for a few days and were struck by the art. The style is called "naife" and was made famous by Fernando Llort. Llort moved to La Palma and began cooperatives that continue today. 75% of the income in the town is based on its art. The biggest cooperative contracts with Ten Thousand Villages (the art often seen on crosses, depicting scenes from the countryside in a way that looks like maybe a 9 year old colored it). <br /><br />We also visited a couple of locations in the western part of El Salvador. One of which had a weekend food festival where we partook of frog and rabbit among other things. Even aside from the food fair, Salvadorian food is outstanding. From pupusas (stuffed tortillas, usually stuffed with beans and cheese, maybe some meat, and then topped with pickled cabbage and hot sauce), baleadas (kind of a taco with beans, eggs, cheese, and this cream stuff that is truely amazing), and tortas (a grilled sandwich). <br /><br />Finally we visited a small national park with a local guide who promised us some adventure. We hiked through tropical dry forest (20 years ago tropical dry forest accounted for over 70% of El Salvador, today, less than 2) to arrive at a series of about 7 waterfalls. Tracy admired the beauty and even rappelled down one. Adam jumped from 3 to 10 meters into the pools below in order to continue the journey. <br /><br />Today we arrived in Antigua. We have already seen a few old friends from our time studying here. We look forward to seeing more in the coming days and feel we have reached a big milestone in arriving in such a familiar place. <br /><br />OK, now for some photos with possibly some captions we think are witty, but in all likelyhood aren´t:<br /><br />If anyone watched Voces Inocentes, this was the radio station that the child was tuning in to. Adam is standing with our guide. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFCRasyiHbeHeTgGYhrHCYtqLyd-35nHuXZUvK5Unk0g4Jvi_SkiHgkRiTMIMeXwpu3Ns6hT6dC9Ues-uIgbXj-xMknXv2fSXqz3TFVm2Zop-zZ76SlktpyBA9Zh_JKyK0Jt5Rr9Rk2g/s1600-h/IMGP2644.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFCRasyiHbeHeTgGYhrHCYtqLyd-35nHuXZUvK5Unk0g4Jvi_SkiHgkRiTMIMeXwpu3Ns6hT6dC9Ues-uIgbXj-xMknXv2fSXqz3TFVm2Zop-zZ76SlktpyBA9Zh_JKyK0Jt5Rr9Rk2g/s320/IMGP2644.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335070285216965826" /></a><br /><br />This is the chapel, called El Hospitalito by locals, where Monseñor Oscar Romero was assassinated.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmZ9ELyyV1iy47GMb__VOpi3wp8b1vgsCRfWUvGhOorKFh96fQ7OoCQUjt-LC8uk3x6p4vDgaw4cVeOpdNcL3uuI-0azXjQWDJP1zCOtA5PY1x0xI6dyxWn36hgx9JU-j8p7acqBBuMg/s1600-h/IMGP2694.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmZ9ELyyV1iy47GMb__VOpi3wp8b1vgsCRfWUvGhOorKFh96fQ7OoCQUjt-LC8uk3x6p4vDgaw4cVeOpdNcL3uuI-0azXjQWDJP1zCOtA5PY1x0xI6dyxWn36hgx9JU-j8p7acqBBuMg/s320/IMGP2694.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335070785294787746" /></a><br /><br />Cathedral in San Salvador. Romero stopped construction to this cathedral before it was completed, declaring that it would be completed once the needs of the poor in the country were met. The gaping holes served as a reminder of the poverty of so many in El Salvador for years. The art on the outside was later added after being designed by Fernando Llort (the La Palma guy)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogNJbqD-ZPESCuUPhZK6ndguS9qleK5KBQXdOWnY9sbej2GDgC0asZLgs2wcE8_iVIRt14Kc3oYtAVsFexThi0iMNGeYjk2go7mkja5xPJzHhf3tvnhvWQCR_eF19rIEgfLQ_yJnhfcc/s1600-h/IMGP2709a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogNJbqD-ZPESCuUPhZK6ndguS9qleK5KBQXdOWnY9sbej2GDgC0asZLgs2wcE8_iVIRt14Kc3oYtAVsFexThi0iMNGeYjk2go7mkja5xPJzHhf3tvnhvWQCR_eF19rIEgfLQ_yJnhfcc/s320/IMGP2709a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335085960458187842" /></a><br /><br />The light poles for many kilometers in every direction from town were painted in the naife way. The buildings throughout town were covered in additional murals and figures. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6qgz-edlb8rOzFSSg9Gr3KYO_8lNyjeHrMuq2dgMZQ9QBW7CapgyGZe0PJG2gC_ZvhAYvrj-Np0anEfOiyYKxrWmXlbZqy7HmLG9DhkNv41JOGYxivCWKHsZ8ubUvc_eEGHwseS3zno/s1600-h/IMGP2665a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6qgz-edlb8rOzFSSg9Gr3KYO_8lNyjeHrMuq2dgMZQ9QBW7CapgyGZe0PJG2gC_ZvhAYvrj-Np0anEfOiyYKxrWmXlbZqy7HmLG9DhkNv41JOGYxivCWKHsZ8ubUvc_eEGHwseS3zno/s320/IMGP2665a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335085962665907410" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNxzc1Rk3RWwE7j5nNg_xszM9G-TICjVErkxGsL2qA8RVW4JRw2oyZwKEKilCZ7Yd6OH0wFCTtdK_x6Ilybr4O4oHu_MbF9XquaaS001ov7l3Ha7ziLRpdNgtEhydCCrOpEysxficc7E/s1600-h/IMGP2668.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNxzc1Rk3RWwE7j5nNg_xszM9G-TICjVErkxGsL2qA8RVW4JRw2oyZwKEKilCZ7Yd6OH0wFCTtdK_x6Ilybr4O4oHu_MbF9XquaaS001ov7l3Ha7ziLRpdNgtEhydCCrOpEysxficc7E/s320/IMGP2668.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335072245835148690" /></a><br /><br />Tracy prepares to eat Kermit.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_xSCmxGhYlgN6hPPZinSSo7gFJf70XjA8nCBwmki-xeh36jEEqkKQET_BVId5CBi5zLoQ50kTAltmf2ZF1W4mg4qsNhqer7-21AnjGR9HFKwLjUXMXE9WgB8UdHdcyoL9cMuMFwQrD0/s1600-h/IMGP2727a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_xSCmxGhYlgN6hPPZinSSo7gFJf70XjA8nCBwmki-xeh36jEEqkKQET_BVId5CBi5zLoQ50kTAltmf2ZF1W4mg4qsNhqer7-21AnjGR9HFKwLjUXMXE9WgB8UdHdcyoL9cMuMFwQrD0/s320/IMGP2727a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335087445689852914" /></a><br /><br />Ayyy, ayyy aaamor. Ayyy, ay que dolor...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKUtE7_VJiAGxSAK1bOxtKQ7N7TFSaeAb_Cvo4ElSIfDMVA6mgI-wempzkipAlMu5dKbBETfHiuMu_dQYS1C629OpP_wfyZkl0AKhtY4ifAbDOd1tFSHH-q30pqNEkLv5h8Q7vGoFBpk/s1600-h/IMGP2730.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKUtE7_VJiAGxSAK1bOxtKQ7N7TFSaeAb_Cvo4ElSIfDMVA6mgI-wempzkipAlMu5dKbBETfHiuMu_dQYS1C629OpP_wfyZkl0AKhtY4ifAbDOd1tFSHH-q30pqNEkLv5h8Q7vGoFBpk/s320/IMGP2730.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335073432654135842" /></a><br /><br />Tracy, unwilling to let her head go below water, shows off her skills with timing photography.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qPNverQO3202Ot257AIz3H9JKMahtkcAPDcZ5l-B4P71tVwYtktDn43t46siFJtp971zwJuwOM2my_7npkIZEbDmVuGDThIVt73VgKwaHRo9PKHI7kbnBiXrgR76eM5IDq8j7LnbJUM/s1600-h/IMGP2744.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qPNverQO3202Ot257AIz3H9JKMahtkcAPDcZ5l-B4P71tVwYtktDn43t46siFJtp971zwJuwOM2my_7npkIZEbDmVuGDThIVt73VgKwaHRo9PKHI7kbnBiXrgR76eM5IDq8j7LnbJUM/s320/IMGP2744.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335073732750964258" /></a><br />weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjUsnUxV9s79JOyX_tPizmj4MSPkGSd8n89E-i_KRf5HghbWcera9YsQXnzcJwCa_mFGWbm9aKT4wjJ8OZWuRRUhMaGwEyRifhwZNlruJwl-nCzgTb16uPspyE5_7XYCnwkYc1iltVpI/s1600-h/IMGP2745a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjUsnUxV9s79JOyX_tPizmj4MSPkGSd8n89E-i_KRf5HghbWcera9YsQXnzcJwCa_mFGWbm9aKT4wjJ8OZWuRRUhMaGwEyRifhwZNlruJwl-nCzgTb16uPspyE5_7XYCnwkYc1iltVpI/s320/IMGP2745a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335085957908556898" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhImq1sCsEd85SBu058ulL01m01dWtFIjWlYNI6CRDUfaHLzRLnAxMtMbOE8rT5E1ATwxiADkauTPFw9Q9xW1n57zgH0toRr8bOLHrS6hHCUpqSe9oXbPwxrkiJhwf-fgXAijX9rbD6Q/s1600-h/IMGP2651.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhImq1sCsEd85SBu058ulL01m01dWtFIjWlYNI6CRDUfaHLzRLnAxMtMbOE8rT5E1ATwxiADkauTPFw9Q9xW1n57zgH0toRr8bOLHrS6hHCUpqSe9oXbPwxrkiJhwf-fgXAijX9rbD6Q/s320/IMGP2651.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335074386682364370" /></a><br />We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways. --Archbishop Oscar Romero, December 24, 1979Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-35314661554539036462009-05-04T19:42:00.002-04:002009-05-04T19:47:05.182-04:00El Salvador CinemaHey, we forgot to mention this in our last post, but think it is important for those who might want to do a little travelling with us from your DVD player. There are two fantastic movies about the civil war in El Savador that we highly recommend as they are well made and are histories that we all need to know.<br /><br />1. Voces Inocentes (Innocent Voices). About the war from the perspective of children in El Salvador who are trying to avoid being recruited by the Army. Sapnish with English subtitles, we know it is at North American Video at Cameron Village for those in Raleigh.<br /><br />2. Romero. About Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assassinated while giving mass in San Salvador due to his beliefs regarding liberation theology. Romero will likely play into our future blog posts as we plan to go to the Oscar Romero center in San Salvador (I hope this does not get jinxed by putting it on the blog beforehand as well). <br /><br />Enjoy, let us know what you think.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-51513459234481463802009-05-02T19:11:00.029-04:002009-05-03T20:57:02.019-04:00Honduras recapWe are back in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. From here we will head to El Salvador bright and early tomorrow morning. Here is a photo recap of our time in Honduras:<br /><br />This is the Parque Central in Comayagua, Honduras. Comayagua was the political capital of Honduras until the late 1500´s. The cathedral seen in the picture has an annex next door. This annex stored documents dating all the way back to the 1500´s as well as religious art and various other very important artifacts. A week before we arrived, a fire destroyed about 95% of the building and its contents. We saw where they were trying to salvage many of the documents, which appeared to be a frustrating and depressing task.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEvN4qFnvX-RBPCHlOHrSHWWn0XLn9MMEIxb6qJl4ZtNT7zji3R8EhuuxJO6Z2KIJY6i_gKsHbRI8ruGXnO_x5zIGiMpM15OmPMiW_QJHFFum9dken9P7hr9cgQJUTx-xEeV9xfpI13Y/s1600-h/IMGP2562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEvN4qFnvX-RBPCHlOHrSHWWn0XLn9MMEIxb6qJl4ZtNT7zji3R8EhuuxJO6Z2KIJY6i_gKsHbRI8ruGXnO_x5zIGiMpM15OmPMiW_QJHFFum9dken9P7hr9cgQJUTx-xEeV9xfpI13Y/s320/IMGP2562.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331368755366289458" /></a><br /><br />From there we went to Lago Yojoa, a nice and rather secluded lake in the middle of Honduras. We visited this nearby waterfall. This was the dry part. We were guided down by a local and were actually able to get behind the waterfall (a feat considering the massive amounts of water pouring from about 48 meters).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVch-ODbZuugfmRvgfD6mlBz42xE9tgdmkl21bHGtcII3NtsW2zDt2qiqBEp1A-OUe3488_sA8Re_brzNqESAvmeeuaPgDoSCZt0VFpJ6YIHdKkw68TIABPtl2YlD14HxBLjOk4H2lmWc/s1600-h/IMGP2570.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVch-ODbZuugfmRvgfD6mlBz42xE9tgdmkl21bHGtcII3NtsW2zDt2qiqBEp1A-OUe3488_sA8Re_brzNqESAvmeeuaPgDoSCZt0VFpJ6YIHdKkw68TIABPtl2YlD14HxBLjOk4H2lmWc/s320/IMGP2570.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331369574461430770" /></a><br /><br />Neither of us have ever been interested in bird watching, but the guy with the huge beard (a beard I aspire to) was so enthusiastic about it that we couldnt help but become interested. He is a brit ex-pat living near the lake who knows his birds. I think for one to really enjoy nature, you need a Brit to tell you to look at the "immature yellow bellied warbler" (say it with a thick Brittish accent and you´ll see what I mean). The other gringos in the picture are two folks we met at the hostel who are doing 6 months in Central America.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByCK8p3pOqVVzMmQklwmVYeSDvmTmkTs4MYpozCQo5X-OY-SzPN_4hecQshglAsoQgwMmuaGspIzKMl6Qzh6sTYgkMIUG7G0EG5fre4QfbciRYHPY-U1U4CbQgQRu3jXaNK3m3-LLgDo/s1600-h/IMGP2584.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByCK8p3pOqVVzMmQklwmVYeSDvmTmkTs4MYpozCQo5X-OY-SzPN_4hecQshglAsoQgwMmuaGspIzKMl6Qzh6sTYgkMIUG7G0EG5fre4QfbciRYHPY-U1U4CbQgQRu3jXaNK3m3-LLgDo/s320/IMGP2584.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331370213246175442" /></a><br /><br />The lake: (taking pictures of birds with our camera is a lost cause)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8LMil6SVfN-y7kJw8lgJiRgVt7xOd3AiNEeJOQpENoCSYaswo6ZNNkiCpy1_15YnTg0zulbi_wf4lL9gpZrGqGTj8ayenK1neplb60xyoYKplGP98BQHdJTushQ9ermLql4eZhyphenhypheng1yI/s1600-h/IMGP2582a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8LMil6SVfN-y7kJw8lgJiRgVt7xOd3AiNEeJOQpENoCSYaswo6ZNNkiCpy1_15YnTg0zulbi_wf4lL9gpZrGqGTj8ayenK1neplb60xyoYKplGP98BQHdJTushQ9ermLql4eZhyphenhypheng1yI/s320/IMGP2582a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331761961564719522" /></a><br /><br /><br />From the lake we went to Santa Rosa de Copan. A small mountain town with very little to take in aside from a huge cigar factory. Neither of us are cigar smokers, but it was fun to see how they are made from fermenting the tobacco to putting them into the boxes. About 50 different cigar companies contract with this factory, the most recognizable name being Romeo y Julieta (the non-Cuban R&Js so that they can be sent to the US). Sorry, no pictures allowed inside, we might steal all their trade secrets. Oh, everything is done by hand and we saw almost no machinery, which we thought made it much more interesting. Also about 97% of the workers we saw were women in the factory. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZzlRMccnVtaWtSBLqr_zDhpGjAHIoTKhDCRLeLEUUyxxsQ-BuswQfoqRVHFMl2_3k31ecA7V2SiwkzTBQIOJms4q0soJ7v4LJGT-lmO5R5biyt0BizpBtOysJ5NmuLwEIavO-ylCr30/s1600-h/IMGP2591.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZzlRMccnVtaWtSBLqr_zDhpGjAHIoTKhDCRLeLEUUyxxsQ-BuswQfoqRVHFMl2_3k31ecA7V2SiwkzTBQIOJms4q0soJ7v4LJGT-lmO5R5biyt0BizpBtOysJ5NmuLwEIavO-ylCr30/s320/IMGP2591.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331371366497461810" /></a><br /><br />Our next stop turned out to be our favorite in Honduras. It was with a community called San Juan, not to be confused with the San Juan 1 hour down the road. This community collaborated with PEace Corps several years ago to develop community based tourism. This is essentially a way for a community to pool its existing resources in order to give travelers an authentic experience in their community and to aid in the need for additional money in the community. We arranged a home stay with a local woman and were able to arrange several other activities with community members. The people who receive tourists generally make double what they would generally make by allowing travelers in on what they might already be doing anyway or by sharing their local knowledge.<br />This is a family of artisans who work with clay. They generally make roof tiles by hand, but also make nice floor tiles and these two were mastering their dog making abilities. We got to work along side them a bit and learn how they make their products (apparently they did not fear us stealing their trade secrets). The mother told us she has eleven children and we saw that they are all very talented and contribute something to the family business no matter their age.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSSe1lwcOvp5N0-nI8dSRSKbdrjvvSV8z9Y6OMyxZTpk54JmwaqGvabSgiMomq-WN1jalSQn9DjoXwz-hSt4MuLzyJerAt8B6C2rYaaN7nUD06Lh8U4Mc2lrInj2riIaeLU8dqxULY7c/s1600-h/IMGP2601.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSSe1lwcOvp5N0-nI8dSRSKbdrjvvSV8z9Y6OMyxZTpk54JmwaqGvabSgiMomq-WN1jalSQn9DjoXwz-hSt4MuLzyJerAt8B6C2rYaaN7nUD06Lh8U4Mc2lrInj2riIaeLU8dqxULY7c/s320/IMGP2601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331372383092098290" /></a><br /><br />Me and the 13 year old making a tile. He could make about 15 of these in the time I made one. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_8RDC0Bnd-hBMmfWordDbyT7tkm9ml45oZ-P7e2EX3E8tbIULgVC33O7BdA6wwy8R0equiJgK6hl061qU_dCubyY8opV01gRf-aMyqVIuxJa7GXXapGXX_R5inAYqC_zlSpCY5sE3oo/s1600-h/IMGP2599.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_8RDC0Bnd-hBMmfWordDbyT7tkm9ml45oZ-P7e2EX3E8tbIULgVC33O7BdA6wwy8R0equiJgK6hl061qU_dCubyY8opV01gRf-aMyqVIuxJa7GXXapGXX_R5inAYqC_zlSpCY5sE3oo/s320/IMGP2599.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331374039408686082" /></a><br /><br />Roasting coffee with Doña Soledad. She taught us how to roast coffee, and we got to drink plenty of it afterward.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQKYYSh2A2n4lIFKKfP-sknchCviNoxwE4KswWyF3uD5Mj7EkJjaIwtqO-W0GX4gw2XkdWQyOaULnS_TnL1CbQEobmw7-2NaO_EIhkODKSMt4WbN-3SlvYyu2EkR-p7TIAIljOV-lhyphenhyphenI/s1600-h/IMGP2606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQKYYSh2A2n4lIFKKfP-sknchCviNoxwE4KswWyF3uD5Mj7EkJjaIwtqO-W0GX4gw2XkdWQyOaULnS_TnL1CbQEobmw7-2NaO_EIhkODKSMt4WbN-3SlvYyu2EkR-p7TIAIljOV-lhyphenhyphenI/s320/IMGP2606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331374279454000706" /></a><br /><br />You can only imagine how good this smelled.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvcqxDABKgCrklj-5fF_vnVChSdO2Y7nFA9lVZjkUF71F2vjiY5npTm9USDUtC7sotknlJuMBGfMSviFjr1pnmb1H7ywfUCMqfecOR90F6GljgOOmrcc08H988ao4jekcnQKkBWYR4VA/s1600-h/IMGP2610a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvcqxDABKgCrklj-5fF_vnVChSdO2Y7nFA9lVZjkUF71F2vjiY5npTm9USDUtC7sotknlJuMBGfMSviFjr1pnmb1H7ywfUCMqfecOR90F6GljgOOmrcc08H988ao4jekcnQKkBWYR4VA/s320/IMGP2610a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331761962363147954" /></a><br /><br />Tracy and Juan in the cane patch on the way to the waterfall. Chewing raw sugar cane makes the hike all the better.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFL0ojRFY9r51Bkg8t1bGoCM-6Sc-OITDEWpkPozOxdSlxydHk7cg8M9ynmIPmb0qrwiRK5ZtJRjljteSu76K5eLevzXt3eNVagY_-O_3Z5z1vCOg2LLhIFhQvyP7qZEE7W1pBvwPpho/s1600-h/IMGP2621.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFL0ojRFY9r51Bkg8t1bGoCM-6Sc-OITDEWpkPozOxdSlxydHk7cg8M9ynmIPmb0qrwiRK5ZtJRjljteSu76K5eLevzXt3eNVagY_-O_3Z5z1vCOg2LLhIFhQvyP7qZEE7W1pBvwPpho/s320/IMGP2621.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331374832923175474" /></a><br /><br />The canyon and waterfall were worth the three hour hike. It is the Canyon Encantado. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb8ySdxiUzFTQ0VHqDEpAnqXatmIzJh-5ktsWArrurGXZpxmitOUYDpvLdIqZL332XvKDDujqNgYwzlbkc5hsRGuJlNA3fCPdER_9ewSaL4KblBN_lNl536XJYyzV7B2FieDrayWtJbE/s1600-h/IMGP2631a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb8ySdxiUzFTQ0VHqDEpAnqXatmIzJh-5ktsWArrurGXZpxmitOUYDpvLdIqZL332XvKDDujqNgYwzlbkc5hsRGuJlNA3fCPdER_9ewSaL4KblBN_lNl536XJYyzV7B2FieDrayWtJbE/s320/IMGP2631a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331761965909985538" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow it is in to El Salvador. We will post photos from there in a week or so.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-20691838086293100892009-04-24T16:05:00.002-04:002009-04-24T16:10:54.174-04:00Food post**Don't forget to scroll down and look at our final Nicaragua post.<br /><br />Well after allof that excitement, there was no Bojangles after all. The sign remained, but it was being transformed into a disco. Oh, well, we will save the butter biscuits and sweet tea for another time. It did get us thinking. If we were in Raleigh, we actually would want many other things before Bojanlges, which we would be low on the list. Help us think of good local restaurants in Raleigh or Boone. Here are our favorites that came to mind:<br /><br />(Raleigh/Raleigh area)<br />Biscuit Station-puts Bojangles to shame and there is nothing more delicious than their Bologna/Egg/Cheese biscuit.<br /><br />Mitch's-It was our last meal beforeleaving and will likely be one of our first coming back.<br /><br />Bali Hai-Sketchy looking from the outside, some of the best food in Raleigh on the inside.<br /><br />Tir-Na-Nog- Irish food is great here and the veggie sandwich is also excellent.<br /><br />Baja Burrito-oh sweet baja burrito<br /><br />Amedeos-ok, the food is really good, not really great, but the walls are covered in Wolfpack memorabilia<br /><br />Lily's Pizza-good and weird<br /><br />Abyssinia Ethiopian-delicious and unique<br /><br />Goodberry's-nuff said<br /><br />McClean's- Zebulon favorite, though it was better before it moved<br /><br />Gallery Cafe-best restaurant in Wendell and well worth the drive from Raleigh for a great lunch.<br /><br />(Boone)<br />Coyote Kitchen-awesome tex-mexish sort of place<br /><br />Tupelo's-used to be Angelica's. I think it is just as good, but I know Helms disagrees<br /><br />Peppers-awesome sandwiches<br /><br />Parkway Cafe-RC Cola on tap, huge burgers, greasy vegetables, you have to go outside to use the restroom...highly recommended (actually closer to W. Jefferson than Boone)<br /><br />Casa Rustica-Eye-talian deliciousness<br /><br />OK, help us out with some others. Put the name and some description so we know what it is. It has to be local. (All of this makes Bojangles sounds kind of nasty actually)<br />Feel free to throw stuff out from other areas as well. (St. Louis-Sheebah Burger!!!)Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-45847182679694232842009-04-23T14:59:00.012-04:002009-04-23T19:05:15.486-04:00Into Honduras, Nicaragua photosAfter nearly a month in Nicargua, we finally departed for Honduras. We spent about 11 hours yesterday on old US school busses, designed for small children and still got stuck in the capital, Tegucigalpa as we just ran out of time. So we figured we should upload some photos during the heat of the day and recap a bit since it has been a little while.<br /><br />We last posted photos after leaving Granada. From there we visited Masaya. We hiked a volcano and walked the town, known for its artisans. The museum at the base of the volcano had a familiar painting. (Can you figure out why it is familiar?)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1HJIi7QQ4K0_wBGTxTSYQURIjgn113rLU2FSBbLyi9hbUPUkuAEwWvngiFbguZQXDaqyrHrPIkraWiCGDbMYAdcwW9JCT-d7WgB8C7KDF-rUWngEriqemUe3hlQAkjbekoM1_eSaLu4/s1600-h/IMGP2518.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1HJIi7QQ4K0_wBGTxTSYQURIjgn113rLU2FSBbLyi9hbUPUkuAEwWvngiFbguZQXDaqyrHrPIkraWiCGDbMYAdcwW9JCT-d7WgB8C7KDF-rUWngEriqemUe3hlQAkjbekoM1_eSaLu4/s320/IMGP2518.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327965249940874786" /></a><br /><br />Historically this crater was believed to lead to the physical gate of hell. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvJrnxsE7cUr2kRtlOd1CRjPAF4EILI8HCCH1cIj8biAzCa03-En4aqPZmV4BTJgIURq1_X939dQpsx0xvE3JXcFY2q4yurawxC8SAvy-zsZ9eJiwGaUF4TkOSyFF-HvYVWfIuivq8s8/s1600-h/IMGP2512.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvJrnxsE7cUr2kRtlOd1CRjPAF4EILI8HCCH1cIj8biAzCa03-En4aqPZmV4BTJgIURq1_X939dQpsx0xvE3JXcFY2q4yurawxC8SAvy-zsZ9eJiwGaUF4TkOSyFF-HvYVWfIuivq8s8/s320/IMGP2512.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327965701165872946" /></a><br /><br />From Masaya we headed to Leon. Another colonial city, as evidenced by the photo. It is more populated, has more traffic and is further from water. This all adds up to it being almost so hot that you cannot move.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoGR8BBzSEOgt2RW_NSqqBLcMjB3L90xtnfhcDbukdUKJ6Q7ro9zLMuL3dtKn9-DhGmc-bbhgs67FdA4sXEx-MyZfpTfmBRCnsXGUaxru0gTGDmk_sLxpcSbmpauCzSMU9g4WkOvxME0/s1600-h/IMGP2521.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoGR8BBzSEOgt2RW_NSqqBLcMjB3L90xtnfhcDbukdUKJ6Q7ro9zLMuL3dtKn9-DhGmc-bbhgs67FdA4sXEx-MyZfpTfmBRCnsXGUaxru0gTGDmk_sLxpcSbmpauCzSMU9g4WkOvxME0/s320/IMGP2521.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327966034304101794" /></a><br /><br />We found out about a baseball game in a smaller town north of Leon and decided to check it out. It was really good baseball, decent weather and quite a cultural experience. Man to woman ratio was 20:1 and everyone was allowed to bring their own liquor into the game, so by the 7th inning things were really getting interesting. We ducked out around the middle of the 8th to try to beat what may have been a slightly unsteady crowd.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6V4AT-hVsoFvU2U2BJNGROqf25sHJj4xnWKaK-bDH2X46OUAd34DgNU5nIqbbMUehauZa0KQxzNFgG3pSabt6qvBrj6fBedewN90nSYeD3mcpulJzbSzTFVCvW4GhliPdC5KRJT6aUM/s1600-h/IMGP2531.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6V4AT-hVsoFvU2U2BJNGROqf25sHJj4xnWKaK-bDH2X46OUAd34DgNU5nIqbbMUehauZa0KQxzNFgG3pSabt6qvBrj6fBedewN90nSYeD3mcpulJzbSzTFVCvW4GhliPdC5KRJT6aUM/s320/IMGP2531.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327966425071180690" /></a><br /><br />Finally unable to take any more heat, we headed to Matagalpa. Matagalpa is a beautiful little city in the mountains with pleasant weather a surrounded by very nice mountains. We did some hiking amongst birds that made beautiful noises (we could never find any of them) and howler monkeys along with various other wildlife.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj-o1TJO8OfIJRYu4zzqoytOuf5cztSksOuGVb4l26Pjbcrjuo_GW6gk_dku_0h5QOiPJMQ6JX52FkO3NlYYsf1dIiY9sOKA5-c5TFOhjZT2WXGO4hO7OeFXhczkn-jO4Nac2kMjVU3M/s1600-h/IMGP2533.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj-o1TJO8OfIJRYu4zzqoytOuf5cztSksOuGVb4l26Pjbcrjuo_GW6gk_dku_0h5QOiPJMQ6JX52FkO3NlYYsf1dIiY9sOKA5-c5TFOhjZT2WXGO4hO7OeFXhczkn-jO4Nac2kMjVU3M/s320/IMGP2533.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327967202283862162" /></a><br /><br />We then went to a chocolate factory. El Castillo is the copmpany name and we found their chocolates all over Nicaragua. They are wonderful chocolates. The tour they gave was really nice and it is a small operation that seems to be more concerned about quality than growth and the employees took time away from their activities to explain the processes to us. If only cacoa grew in the mountains of NC!<br /><br />The workers still crush the cacao with this stone (name??) giving it more texture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqhsnBTllfr7sarcvgRK_e6bp1TPYNLv80whgfaw7RIwyCh2mx4yXWmitEtwRp6KKHoS53Q7ci5riZ5UCYSeiPNYPRlQlIAd2uq9JvEFlSayocmDOprw0ufpW1LVKShve5-PY_CRmAvU/s1600-h/IMGP2541a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqhsnBTllfr7sarcvgRK_e6bp1TPYNLv80whgfaw7RIwyCh2mx4yXWmitEtwRp6KKHoS53Q7ci5riZ5UCYSeiPNYPRlQlIAd2uq9JvEFlSayocmDOprw0ufpW1LVKShve5-PY_CRmAvU/s320/IMGP2541a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328026645880091874" /></a><br /><br /><br />It was nothing short of miraculous self restraint that kept our heads out of this machine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7vzuhmLibidNeDix_N1ATYbtDQ0rCsFaK87MTtZq0fY5GTptN1D2hyphenhyphen_hikSmSb9JizbFb8vaSb-Zn-8mLheqVAg5ncabHiOvULzG2PMYy9cNq_bG1xm415nesMqKhiRURKzGjoWt1tU/s1600-h/IMGP2542.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7vzuhmLibidNeDix_N1ATYbtDQ0rCsFaK87MTtZq0fY5GTptN1D2hyphenhyphen_hikSmSb9JizbFb8vaSb-Zn-8mLheqVAg5ncabHiOvULzG2PMYy9cNq_bG1xm415nesMqKhiRURKzGjoWt1tU/s320/IMGP2542.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327968473099623378" /></a><br /><br />We finished our time with a hike to a waterfall (trying to recover from a chocolate induced bellyache).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNHDDvL829A9XsuvjugvDLRWVXdhPcg09w3wG-8rmdnNAoXdKGmBCFi6dLvuPbDaRfzgKF7vw7C26yV7ZnOSRHYGLKY0FjGrPXQvjVc8Zx8gEwvhkiBljF0tOsNGbvNCg41IuAkmIO5g/s1600-h/IMGP2555.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNHDDvL829A9XsuvjugvDLRWVXdhPcg09w3wG-8rmdnNAoXdKGmBCFi6dLvuPbDaRfzgKF7vw7C26yV7ZnOSRHYGLKY0FjGrPXQvjVc8Zx8gEwvhkiBljF0tOsNGbvNCg41IuAkmIO5g/s320/IMGP2555.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327968889729847778" /></a><br /><br />At every stop bus salesmen come on to try to sell whatever baked goods or fruits they might have. These kids help out their parents, but they are easily distracted and much more interested in playing with the gringos than calling out their product. A digital camera is a big hit since they get to see themselves right after the picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT1vUg0C14x1jLhKpXTsDyMG56xAkFIZgkDduS5P7jTPzo3iO19Xy6Di4oMsVw0XHxc5I9cmzP4JcZ7yrJwNM0g4MNIrsJyZR8LmFH3r0qELh4toKwHje5FumV-KPxQRYntBgpnl9Jhc/s1600-h/IMGP2559.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZT1vUg0C14x1jLhKpXTsDyMG56xAkFIZgkDduS5P7jTPzo3iO19Xy6Di4oMsVw0XHxc5I9cmzP4JcZ7yrJwNM0g4MNIrsJyZR8LmFH3r0qELh4toKwHje5FumV-KPxQRYntBgpnl9Jhc/s320/IMGP2559.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327969398744749666" /></a><br /><br />A follow up from our last blog. Helms asked us about McDonalds and you can go there to see our response. However, we are only human. We just arrived to a colonial city in Honduras and there is a... Bojangles! There is only so much temptation that two North Carolinians who have been gone from home for so long can take. We will eat extra local in the future to make up for the Southern fried deliciousness we plan to consume tonight.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-69579094392174424882009-04-16T21:09:00.002-04:002009-04-16T21:42:35.258-04:00Q and A with HelmsHello from Leon, Nicaragua. It is hot but we are trying to continue to explore Nicaragua. We will try to throw a few photos up sometime soon.<br /><br />We got an email from Helms with some good questions, so we figured we would answer them here just for fun:<br /><br />When's the next farm? <span style="font-style:italic;">No more farms. It has been odd to look back on our original plan. We planned to spend several weeks at about 8 or 9 different farms and we left the USA with a list of over 50 farms in Latin America. Now, 7 months in, we have visited 4 farms and no longer have any plans for any farms. This has been a combination of multiple problems. The main one is that farms have just not responded back to us. The farms sign up to host volunteers and provide their information, but for whatever reason, they dont write us back. A couple have written back and have wanted us to pay them to work on their farm, which was not all that appealing. One of the farms was missing a farm (see Colombia posts) and the further north we get, the less farms are on the list. At first we were stressed and upset over this as this was the plan, however, we learned a lot and got some great ideas from our farms and have found we have learned many other important things by just travelling in these beautiful places. We still see farming as a big part of our plans and look forward to figuring out ways to learn more and start doing some farming little by little once we are settled back in in the states. So to answer the question, next farm is when we return, hopefully soon, and more than likely in or around Boone while Tracy is doing school.</span><br /><br />What good things have you eaten lately?<span style="font-style:italic;">We had a long spell from Panama to souther Nicaragua of lots of chicken, rice and beans. It is good and we have no complaints, but variety is the spice of life, so we always appreciate it when things are mixed up a bit. Here in northern Nicaragua, a common dish is jalapeño chicken. It is chicken covered in a white jalapeño sauce that is really delicious. It comes with the usual rice and beans and cabbage salad, but we still enjoy rice and beans, so it is OK. There is also more local pizza in Nicaragua, so we do take advantage of that.</span><br /><br />Especially breakfast food...I'm interested.<span style="font-style:italic;">Breakfast food tends to be the same as lunch and dinner food in most places. Some places offer an "American breakfast," but that is not so interesting either and tends to be for an American price. One consistent part of our trip is our love for panaderias (bakery). We usually go to the panaderia in the morning and then grab a fresh fruit juice to go with some type of sweet or cheese bread.</span><br /><br />Are you still glad you're there?<span style="font-style:italic;">Yes, we are still really enjoying our time here and have lots of things in Nicaragua, El Salvador, honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico to look forward to.</span><br /><br />Are you ready to come home, really?<span style="font-style:italic;">Yes. We are not wishing away any of our time here. We really are loving our travels, but at the same time, we miss seeing family, hanging out with friends, going to church, participating in and being part of a community over a long period of time among other things that we just cannot do here while travelling about. Our April Fool´s joke was fun, but we have learned that there are some things we need and dont need personally. We dont need comfy beds, air conditioning, our own bathroom, personal transportation, more than a few pairs of clothes or even the ability to throw toilet paper in the toilet. However, we do need the things we said we miss and we think it would be very hard for us to have those things we need in another place.</span><br /><br />When's the last time you took a long and hot shower?<span style="font-style:italic;">hmmm... maybe back in ecuador when it was still cold enough for there to be hot water, we dont really remember.</span><br /><br />When's the last time you used a toilet that flushes?<span style="font-style:italic;">Almost all of the toilets flush. However, a good question is when is the last time you were able to put toilet paper in the toilet and not in the trashcan. We cannot remember the last time, but it must have been ages ago.</span><br /><br />Have you seen a McDonald's lately? If you did, would you consider eating there?<span style="font-style:italic;">We last saw McDonalds in Panama. Luckily not since then. We really had absolutely no urge whatsoever to eat there. If we want an upset stomach, we will go drink some tap water. We were tempted by a Taco Bell in Costa Rica, but we stayed strong and managed to eat at a local joint, as we have done 99.8% of the time on our trip.</span><br /><br />Can one person eat too many deviled eggs at Easter?<span style="font-style:italic;">Heck no. Pickeld deviled eggs are all the better.</span><br /><br />If you had been at home for Easter, what would have been the perfect celebration/meal? <span style="font-style:italic;">It would be the same meal we plan to request when we get home: Brocolli casserole, black eyed peas, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, squash and onions, tomato sandwich, deviled eggs (pickled?), macaroni and cheese and sweet potato pie. And sweet tea!Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-62691301063122579582009-04-09T12:20:00.008-04:002009-04-10T12:56:55.669-04:00Nicaragua...various thoughts and photos.We are in Granada expecting the Semana Santa (Holy Week) festivities to really pick up today. We thought we would put up some photos from our time in Nicaragua so far and throw up some random thoughts.<br /><br />This is a photo of the front wall of the small church in Solentiname. Really beautiful and is in a close tie for Adam's favorite church art with First Baptist Church of Matanzas, Cuba. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSbNUJWxeit5vLXLJkg9rhweyAZBAmmTNiyy0aJqDCsWFCRw2JQcCSObRf5KIDrdTHT_Nh99XPLd-MgVJp1-tCGNoKz656Fjmi9cfEZ7_88FTVApB-qPBQZCNHj1HhnTkO8lRDK7rRxc/s1600-h/IMGP2440.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSbNUJWxeit5vLXLJkg9rhweyAZBAmmTNiyy0aJqDCsWFCRw2JQcCSObRf5KIDrdTHT_Nh99XPLd-MgVJp1-tCGNoKz656Fjmi9cfEZ7_88FTVApB-qPBQZCNHj1HhnTkO8lRDK7rRxc/s320/IMGP2440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322728274975313522" /></a><br /><br />We got to meet our first tarantula. For as beautiful as Solentiname was, it was really hot and full of bugs and such. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwx3xp7_qtRG3llgnzviGj7uWRfV_vPK_2EF4dWQf3HelfsI4uclsUkxQ_sJxUMJckkZr_aGA0x6hyphenhyphenyjj_ByM8lFljaS_08y25dknMNXyIojvACSmFPOt3ZJE0Bz-ro29ND_WsWdWnVU/s1600-h/IMGP2444.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwx3xp7_qtRG3llgnzviGj7uWRfV_vPK_2EF4dWQf3HelfsI4uclsUkxQ_sJxUMJckkZr_aGA0x6hyphenhyphenyjj_ByM8lFljaS_08y25dknMNXyIojvACSmFPOt3ZJE0Bz-ro29ND_WsWdWnVU/s320/IMGP2444.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322728713597776930" /></a><br /><br />This is a picture with our friend Richard. This is a fun story that tells a lot about Nicaraguan culture. We met Richard because we wanted a drink and went into a little store. But stores are not just stores, they are usually also someone's living room. The bottles are considered valuable and the stores are persistent about getting the glass bottles back, so part of getting a drink is sitting down in the living room in a rocking chair and chatting with the people there. Richard's mother sold us the drinks and we quickly started chatting with Richard. He is a big Creedance Clearwater Revival fan, so we knew he must be a good guy. We ended spending a few days in San Carlos and spent a lot of time with him. Anything we expressed interest in, he would help us find more information about, would tell us his own stories or help us to find it somewhere. We told him we were trying to track down a Sandinista t-shirt for a friend. He went to the local headquarters, but when they were closed, he showed up the day we left with shirts from his own closet. We tried to refuse the shirts or at least pay for them, but he would have none of it and instead threw in some of his mother's home made jam and some Guayabas from the tree in his yard. A warm welcome to Nicaragua to say the least.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzGtLObOBu73En9VLpBangW-lRpi0MypahARIq4pCaNLyt06Pq6lnSkeUY3Mw5KO9cFLFev-_714X0buTkBJ14MdvIxpQcnUJ7AoGDgBat8xHL0jWOr8M77M0MUk6hQH4o2pf0nJ0Xqk/s1600-h/IMGP2446.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzGtLObOBu73En9VLpBangW-lRpi0MypahARIq4pCaNLyt06Pq6lnSkeUY3Mw5KO9cFLFev-_714X0buTkBJ14MdvIxpQcnUJ7AoGDgBat8xHL0jWOr8M77M0MUk6hQH4o2pf0nJ0Xqk/s320/IMGP2446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322729083215622002" /></a><br /><br />We headed to a small island made up of two volcanoes, one active, the other not with a small isthmus connecting the two. The boat ride there across Lago Nicaragua took about 13 hours, so we set up the hammock and tried to rest as we rocked all the way there. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxtTO2NQWtfbp7cVwWdjuc12MBoAnAhImSXRWsNub1qUdKSPK_H9lEhnmDvJYqXjihc10Fi1Hu-W2c8nlHrtHYHxt1CP813szRorSasQKRRSrbuDW61hzLK_W9enH4K96GkFoepx30U0/s1600-h/IMGP2448.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxtTO2NQWtfbp7cVwWdjuc12MBoAnAhImSXRWsNub1qUdKSPK_H9lEhnmDvJYqXjihc10Fi1Hu-W2c8nlHrtHYHxt1CP813szRorSasQKRRSrbuDW61hzLK_W9enH4K96GkFoepx30U0/s320/IMGP2448.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322730670921346578" /></a><br /><br />The island is full of neat little communities, great swimming spots and nice hikes. This is the active volcano.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFESeCoFhmRgcbo1XFIaJgbRs_CZwB3foGx1bQcs1QdzH8BvFKPZcFh8Vf2nR2PIXgMW9irvbraLISOSIks1mDedLsh03w2jtt3mCzjVwH8kvc8n2lMLMljZtGYkzGHGPX9WvQiEmMlEA/s1600-h/IMGP2453.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFESeCoFhmRgcbo1XFIaJgbRs_CZwB3foGx1bQcs1QdzH8BvFKPZcFh8Vf2nR2PIXgMW9irvbraLISOSIks1mDedLsh03w2jtt3mCzjVwH8kvc8n2lMLMljZtGYkzGHGPX9WvQiEmMlEA/s320/IMGP2453.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322731189829103602" /></a><br /><br />One of our longest hikes ended at the base of this waterfall. Really beautiful little place. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGWMyps6pl6qW2bIYs99dLDRYZlhwlE3UsShSSoAKovYW1un3uTwJ4zeg96o0BIrADRdfYIqZtdtTbIK6f50Hx2LR-AtXVQeLG5T4PsHNlJP2JQBlmT76utb3xMVMHKD-rANMpZ8bmbQ/s1600-h/IMGP2464a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGWMyps6pl6qW2bIYs99dLDRYZlhwlE3UsShSSoAKovYW1un3uTwJ4zeg96o0BIrADRdfYIqZtdtTbIK6f50Hx2LR-AtXVQeLG5T4PsHNlJP2JQBlmT76utb3xMVMHKD-rANMpZ8bmbQ/s320/IMGP2464a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323106136519074258" /></a><br /><br /><br />We found a quiet little hostel to relax in for the week. We have little to do except for read in the hammock and wander around town watching the Semana Santa festivities develop. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhdJCQ0A7xaTeOadNcHL0TEP2N9_CNwt2-MvoTxmTqpRPJh8QUap-WXzxK5j_lbKjqXdFA7_0hzXdzm9fVIr0vbBrDOCvpgRhylqD2HhbRUbE0LcaLA6bjz1NKIFeCf7SrcJ-0Ys3MBA/s1600-h/IMGP2478.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhdJCQ0A7xaTeOadNcHL0TEP2N9_CNwt2-MvoTxmTqpRPJh8QUap-WXzxK5j_lbKjqXdFA7_0hzXdzm9fVIr0vbBrDOCvpgRhylqD2HhbRUbE0LcaLA6bjz1NKIFeCf7SrcJ-0Ys3MBA/s320/IMGP2478.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322731861410262402" /></a><br /><br />We are suckers for colonial cities and colorful cathedrals. Granada is a very picturesque place with a fairly nice vibe although the ex-pat invasion has really changed its dynamics and hearing English walking down any street is not out of the norm, in fact we ran into two guys from NC that went to UNC when we unfortunatley went to watch the basketball finals.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAys_DiJWe8YYt64BNFiXRG_rajfsL6zHKcci0WCtiBo5iR4wgZk4pxxqArGVYCrNFumh8azFQ7kl3UFRyudgI5bzTjUSa2QZ-EaI4i8XA_NqQCDwK0_VLrYCttRHVPCWKt8uNWsOlVs/s1600-h/IMGP2479.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAys_DiJWe8YYt64BNFiXRG_rajfsL6zHKcci0WCtiBo5iR4wgZk4pxxqArGVYCrNFumh8azFQ7kl3UFRyudgI5bzTjUSa2QZ-EaI4i8XA_NqQCDwK0_VLrYCttRHVPCWKt8uNWsOlVs/s320/IMGP2479.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322732239913265522" /></a><br /><br />Speaking of language, we had a request for an entry on language. We still speak English with one another, however, language has been a fun thing for us. Each country has its own set of slang or its own set of accents and it is fun for people who speak good spanish to constantly try to adjust spanish to fit in with the locals. It can sometimes take a few days for the brain to catch up with a new accent, but it always happens. Here are a few examples to illustrate the point.<br />The word for street in Spanish is 'calle.' In Argentina, one must pronounce this 'cah-shay' or else you will likely not be understood. Here in Nicaragua, no one would have a clue what you were referring to if you said 'cah-shay' as it is pronounced, cah'yay. Another fun example of the differences also has a cultural aspect to it. In Argentina as well as several Central American countries, there is a verbe tense that is considered to be very informal. It is Second Person. The cultural aspect is particularly present in Central America. If two men are speaking to one another, it is somewhat taboo for a man to use the 'tu' form with another man, but instead is expected to use the 'vos' form (the form I refer to before as the very informal tense). It has a different conjugation from the tu form as well. In case there are aspiring Spanish speakers, I will attempt to share the conjugation, though I have never formally learned it and may be wrong (if someone sees an error, let me know).<br />'Vos' conjugation is just the tu form, but with the accent moved to the last vowel. The biggest difference is with irregular verbs, which become regular. For example, the tu for of querer is quieres, however the vos form would be queres, with the emphasis on the last 'es.' Tener is tienes in tu form, tenes in vos. <br />It is acceptable to use between women or between men and women, but is not as expected as between two men. Non native spanish speakers get a pass (as they do on many cultural expectations), and no one thinks twice if you use the tu form as a non native speaker, however, if you are able to use it, you gain points and most people are rather impressed. It can also gain machismo points, which is a whole other cultural point that is not worth going into today. <br /><br />-Politics here are very interesting. We have had no less than 4-5 people in the past week and a half show us bullet wounds in their bodies and even more discuss people they lost in the war. They tell us this, usually, with a great deal of compassion in order to teach us about what they went through. They express a great deal of anger toward Ronald Reagan, but thankfully for us, they differentiate between what a former president did and what two backpackers should be held responsible for and desire our friendship. We welcome these conversations with people as they tend to be a fascinating window into that person's experiences. We often apologize on behalf of our country for its behavior in the 80's, not really sure what else we can do. We are not sure we have been granted any authority to do this by our government, but we do it anyway. Perhaps a controversial subject, but this has been a big part of our experience here in Nicaragua thus far (more so than in any other country) and thus deserves to be shared. <br /><br />-Hope everyone thoroughly enjoyed our April Fools joke. We planned that one for a long time. The one thing that was true is that our parents are coming to visit us in Guatemala at the end of May. We are trying to plan lots of adventure for them.<br /><br />-The beard. Adam has now been either called or compared to the following people-Osama bin Laden (ouch!), Jesus, Santa Claus, Chuck Norris (double ouch!!!), the unibomber, and Kenny Rogers. <br /><br />-With the sad events of the week (the evil college basketball empire winning again), we were glad to run into this guy, sporting a happier, more holy and righteous jersey.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvB4Rcd5mufdraWLSUrPGa5sZenB650ibnmNYi89n6g8_Hds5NhdXYFdkfjuyMDF2I6ANqIvFNkJ2s1eJfGsicYR1OOcP1dZSsTaVXwBMPtzZ1QSYZJXM23uJl2vpfKhZjEVxYYDbC5Q/s1600-h/IMGP2475a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvB4Rcd5mufdraWLSUrPGa5sZenB650ibnmNYi89n6g8_Hds5NhdXYFdkfjuyMDF2I6ANqIvFNkJ2s1eJfGsicYR1OOcP1dZSsTaVXwBMPtzZ1QSYZJXM23uJl2vpfKhZjEVxYYDbC5Q/s320/IMGP2475a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323106210197541970" /></a><br /><br />-We mentioned Semana Santa a few times during this post, but it may deserve a bit more attention. Semana Santa is the week leading to Easter. If we were to rate holidays on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the biggest and most celebrated, Christmas in latin america would be a 6, Carnaval would be a 4, New Years would be a 5, and Semana Santa would be an 11. The streets are often filled with processions, each church brakes out its own marching band, with an instrumentation of about 4 trumpets, 4 trombones and 4 sousaphones. Palm leaves are used liberally and many processions carry an altar that is high enough to require a person in charge of lifting the power lines up with a long wooden stick. We haven't seen the best of it, as today is Maundy Thursday and the real beginning of the festivities, so we look forward to sharing more as the week goes on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09dYJ0x-D3eda5wBwQ_rGhEiIFbY4brTDv7q-nRZG363vsWJUYKlPZDWs7OEZ2xY5B2ywSDUgmidpq1RWRhM11gI160whfNz0vBu9FYVzvaA4Z_19gqp3OeZtIpp66URSQRkMpjfI8uc/s1600-h/IMGP2482.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09dYJ0x-D3eda5wBwQ_rGhEiIFbY4brTDv7q-nRZG363vsWJUYKlPZDWs7OEZ2xY5B2ywSDUgmidpq1RWRhM11gI160whfNz0vBu9FYVzvaA4Z_19gqp3OeZtIpp66URSQRkMpjfI8uc/s320/IMGP2482.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322739447128731874" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-26861472923156431732009-04-01T01:00:00.002-04:002009-04-01T01:00:44.048-04:00BIG NEWS!Hello again from Nicaragua. We have been waiting for details to become more certain before sharing this as we have been in contact only by email until finally getting to meet with a NGO here in Nicaragua. The NGO is doing work with sustainable agriculture and we have been spending some time learning more about their projects. When we have time, we will go into detail, but they are doing really good work in the wonderful area that cris-crosses between social work and sustainable agriculture. <br /><br />After having met with the folks doing the project (A group of Nicaraguans), we have been able to talk some logistics about doing volunteer work. We have been offered housing and food along with a basic living stipend in exchange for a 2 year commitment to working here in Nicaragua. So we will be spending a few weeks here doing some more training with the organization. We will then head to Guatemala to meet with our parents for a couple weeks, since they already had plane tickets to visit us, then we will return to Nicaragua to work with the project. <br /><br />This is, of course, good and bad news as we were looking forward to seeing everyone, but we plan to make sure to have a few weeks back in the states around Christmas to try to see everyone´s faces, but we are excited about getting involved in something long term. More details to come.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See you in August!</strong><br /><br />(Don´t miss our last post about Solentiname, posted a couple days ago)Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-61346215623388678102009-03-30T17:50:00.000-04:002009-03-30T18:16:35.676-04:00Last Stop in Costa Rica and into NicaraguaWe made one last stop in Costa Rica. When we went there for our honeymoon, we made a day trip to Volcan Arenal, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. We did not realize you could not see the lava until it was dark and we werent able to stick around. So we decided to stay a night or two in the area this go round. Both days we had great views of the volcano , and then as the sun just started to set, thick clouds descended upon the volcano, making it impossible to see any of the lava. Apparently there was no flow at the bottom to see, so it may not have been very active at the time anyways. This area is very touristy and extremely expensive, so we spent our days trying to find free things to do. Mostly, playing with the locals by swinging from trees into rivers and hiking trails up until the point where they ask you for 10 bucks and turning around. <br /><br />We crossed into Nicaragua through a small boat on the Rio Frio. About a 2 hour boat ride led us into San Carlos, Nicaragua. A smoltering hot town full of warm Nicraguan people. <br /><br />Our next stop needs a bit of history to realize its significance. One of the reasons I (Adam) became interested in Latin America and was easily talked into going to study in Guatemala (thanks Aaron) is because I had begun to read some things about Liberation Theology. This is a movement out of Latin America that began from the poor in the churches reading the Bible and challenging the conventional wisdom that their poverty was deserved and should be tolerated and instead understand the Bible to tell them that they are created in ´the image of God and God suffers when the poor suffer (it goes a great deal deeper than this, so go read more about it). The movement became a powerful force and was considered to be a threat by the powerful in Latin American countries and in the high ranks of its neighbors, especially the big powerful neighbor to the North. One of the leaders of this movement was a man named Ernesto Cardenal. Cardenal studied under Thomas Merton for a time in the United States before returning to Nicaragua and starting a community in a small archipelago called Solentiname. <br /><br />Our next stop, thus, was Solentiname. A beautiful little archipelago in the southern end of Lago Nicaragua (a freshwater lake that contains freshwater shrimp, and even more impressive, freshwater sharks!). The islands are well known around the world for their artisans. Wood carvers and painters on these islands have become well known for their unique style that is referred to as being "primitivist." There is little to do on the islands aside from reading and admiring the beauty and talking to the local people. The island contains a library and we were able to pick up copies of "The Gospel in Solentiname" and read the conversations had by poor campesinos on this land about the implications of the life of Jesus for poor people like themselves. We were also able to speak with people around the island who knew the people in these books and were able to learn about there current whereabouts. Many of the people who we read in these books making profound observations about the Gospels, we would learn after reading, were tragically and violently killed during the 80´s in the war. We highly recomend that all try to pick up a copy of this book as we found it to be a wonderful read, especially being in its setting. On that note, we also recomend that folks read up on Nicaraguan history, as it is a history that is full of lessons that must be learned, but that, it would seem, have certainly not yet been learned. <br /><br />Tomorrow we leave on a slow boat for another island in Lake Nicaragua and then to Granada where we will celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week). These festivities are supposed to be a big deal, so we look forward to witnessing them, participating in them, and sharing them.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-35240899531387554052009-03-23T17:37:00.001-04:002009-03-25T15:28:19.712-04:00Panama City, Santa Catalina, David and into Costa RicaWe really should update this more often. <br /><br />We last left off somewhere around Panama City. We spent a few days enjoying the city. A strange place that was enjoyable on some levels. We stayed in an older part of town that was enjoyable and felt very Panamanian. But it does not take long to wander into the Panama City where Donald Trump is building skyscrapers and ex-pats are running you over in their BMW SUVs. We were also able to visit on of the locks on the Panama Canal. A very impressive piece of engineering. We were not aware, but the canal is not just a long area where a hole was dug to let ships pass. It actually connects large inland bodies of water with the oceans through shorter segments of big holes. The problem for the engineers was that the inland bodies of water were at a higher elevation that the sea on either side. So the locks were built to raise and lower the ships to the various elevations. <br /><br />From there we went to Santa Catalina. We expected a rather remote coastal town with a nice beach and some coastal culture. What we got was an expensive town with a gringo local ratio of 3:1. The beach was nice, but only stuck around for a day as the college spring breakers were just too much for us.<br /><br />We then got on a bus to head to another slightly more remote beach/island on the Pacific coast. However, we had some difficulty getting busses along the way and then we learned of a festival occurring in the city of David. So we switched our destination to David and settled in there for a few days. <br /><br />The festival in David was much better than any beach we could have hit. It was almost identical to the NC State Fair. Livestock judging, produce competitions, agricultural displays, street food vendors (hot dogs and drinks for $1, kabobs for .50, but no deep fried twinkies and no blooming onions to puke up after a few poorly constructed rides (Sorry, Emily!)), tractors galore, music, cultural events, etc. We ended up hanging out at the fair each of the three days we were in David. <br /><br />We finally stuffed our stomachs full of enough fair food and went into town and got our final fresh fruit snow cone (street vendors sell these heavenly treats everywhere for $0.30) and headed to Costa Rica. The border agent gave us a stern look when we told him we did not have a ticket to leave the country. He explained that this was a requirement and that we would need to go to the internet and buy an onward ticket and print it out and bring it to him...long pause...next time we cross the border into Costa Rica. We agreed that we would do this. (oh, side note. I hinted at border issues in Panama. We did immigration in Puerto Obaldia, but when we flew into Panama City, the immigration folks looked bored and we looked white, so they decided maybe it would be fun to do it again. Well US citizens as well as Aussies and a few others have to purchase a tourist card. We knew this and planned to do so at the airport. Well the immigration agent was kind enough to sell us a card for $10, despite the fact that it is widely known that they cost $5 and it says on the card that it should only cost $5. I questioned her on it a couple of times and asked for a receipt, which of course was not available. My bag had still not been searched and we were not in the clear, so I decided it was not worth it to keep pushing the issue and acted like I bought her lame story. Once we got through, I asked an official in the airport if it is normal for a tourist card to cost $10. I just wanted to express my frustration. This turned in to me being on the phone to the head immigration office, making a police report and being surrounded by multiple police officers. They took our passports and toursit cards back to make copies of them. The immigration officers wanted us to return the next day since the lady who sold them to us had left for the day. Since a taxi to and from the airport would have cost way more than the $10 we lost, we told them we could not do this and we wanted to either resolve it then or just forget it and leave and act like nothing happened. So with the police on one side angry at the immigration officers and the immigration officers extremely angry at me for opening my mouth and our passports somewhere in the airport, we stood around for 2 and a half hours. Finally an immigration officer showed up and had another lame story about what had occurred, gave us $10 dollars out of her purse and told the police she would resolve the issue with her staff member. She was able to retrieve our passports and cards and we finally went on our way. We half expected for our photos to be in up in the office where we exited the country, but we left without a problem. To be fair, we do think this was an isolated thing and the fact that the police took the incident way more seriously than we ever intended for it to be is a credit to the countries desire to keep corruption out of their officials.)<br /><br />We made it to the Caribbean town of Cahuita (pronounced cow-eetah). The locals in Cahuita are of African descent and mainly speak English. This is a very Caribbean English and is still difficult to understand, but it is really interesting to see little pockets that speak different languages from various historical events. We were told that the village used to be called Cow Eaters, as the village raised cattle and ate a lot of it. However, as things became more official in the country, a more spanish name was needed and given the Caribbean accent, Cahuita was essentially the same name. We dont know if this is true, but we love the story. This is a really nice, laid back village, but it is quickly being flooded with ex-pats, making the local culture a bit harder to see. <br /><br />A local National Park in Cahuita houses a large coral reef. We set up a morning of snorkeling to try to enjoy the reef. We ended up being the only ones on the reef, with our guide, meaning the reef was full of life. During the morning we saw lots of coral of various colors, thousands of fish that were brightly colored, many swimming in schools by the hundreds, an octopus, a giant lobster, a sting ray, a giant brightly colored, spotted flounder, spider star fish, conchs, and a 4 foot nurse shark. The shark was large, but it was resting completely still on the bottom. We assume he was no danger as we got pretty close to him and really could not have cared less. We were dropped off on the other side of the national park to hike back. The guide warned us that we may have to scare some monkeys away so they dont try to steal our stuff or bite us. The fun part was that he was right. The monkeys were quite daring in trying to inspect us to see if we had any food. We saw several species of monkeys in the trees, sloths, a Palm Eyelash Viper, racoons, butterflies, lizards, brightly colored birds, and probably even more. <br /><br />We are now in San Jose as a strike has the roads blocked and we werent able to catch our second bus. Hopefully we head out tomorrow to continue north. <br /><br />Here are a few pictures from our past couple of weeks. <br /><br />Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal:<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY8q3XDp4beNXVrxXyrUmyvL6Eos1JZVwuVFPr5_Qc2jpROVEapUnKoyTu45OGlAHYwEuhcibl6Xs0Jt5gJCvO800x9VUVaE-GOaAgG3Ddxx-CDfPtNxyzua2HMoyzh3VltR8cShWp5k/s1600-h/IMGP2381.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyY8q3XDp4beNXVrxXyrUmyvL6Eos1JZVwuVFPr5_Qc2jpROVEapUnKoyTu45OGlAHYwEuhcibl6Xs0Jt5gJCvO800x9VUVaE-GOaAgG3Ddxx-CDfPtNxyzua2HMoyzh3VltR8cShWp5k/s320/IMGP2381.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316512509175379138" /></a><br /><br />Casco Viejo in Panama City:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOzDi4SJWe4fAAnx9ThTaklgCfvTTIGhyphenhyphenTivUXQMy9Coz-h66qJb6jHPYYbcCmv-DSZzrhkYv8bXReS9qhw_hgfpd43p5xcamjtE_ch5CUcIjWXRQKVY-DP4GMsTu6CDSsTSFh2f-Ppg/s1600-h/IMGP2363.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOzDi4SJWe4fAAnx9ThTaklgCfvTTIGhyphenhyphenTivUXQMy9Coz-h66qJb6jHPYYbcCmv-DSZzrhkYv8bXReS9qhw_hgfpd43p5xcamjtE_ch5CUcIjWXRQKVY-DP4GMsTu6CDSsTSFh2f-Ppg/s320/IMGP2363.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316512794417720338" /></a><br /><br />Big, modern, Panama City:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigOAPXsgvyWOg7yOjpaZAJie2O3LUQdBG7vy_6lsg4Yv8ciyCEK0kLd6Ze5Zgepn3TMyU1uqRnjq6RdHdhFr1YukP27X2fuu9KppN3XWFmEr73GbfRUV7ou3z1d-xBj0UY68FM6YWFag/s1600-h/IMGP2386.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigOAPXsgvyWOg7yOjpaZAJie2O3LUQdBG7vy_6lsg4Yv8ciyCEK0kLd6Ze5Zgepn3TMyU1uqRnjq6RdHdhFr1YukP27X2fuu9KppN3XWFmEr73GbfRUV7ou3z1d-xBj0UY68FM6YWFag/s320/IMGP2386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316513111207815250" /></a><br /><br />The David "State Fair":<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NLCX7a0GXoFDXAaJleR8mLd8McCrlZ3AeG3w4LCFmswJcNtKtZqa-oku_X4IgnQtt_hbQZV5rHmzbWdNRT7NMSGktWAW8rwByMXkxKE5jLnKtVpzjq73KIZdo6ZdBCBSeTKY91EWdjo/s1600-h/IMGP2402.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NLCX7a0GXoFDXAaJleR8mLd8McCrlZ3AeG3w4LCFmswJcNtKtZqa-oku_X4IgnQtt_hbQZV5rHmzbWdNRT7NMSGktWAW8rwByMXkxKE5jLnKtVpzjq73KIZdo6ZdBCBSeTKY91EWdjo/s320/IMGP2402.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316513451502012114" /></a><br /><br />Snow Cones. We ate our weight in these things. Made with fresh fruit juice and topped with sweetened condensed milk. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQo_ni8FaXZFdjtWkB1OtmX4ocTlPblOOuM_MZ-Z0SOVNj00wvRyEib-vqOt69tPyHcD4Q4s8LM1BDLjH4SNgjARv0KRBByFYqk6LOsOfj7WMPk3AIBYGNO_3XkjSJWFWkDlDaHHR2go/s1600-h/IMGP2405.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQo_ni8FaXZFdjtWkB1OtmX4ocTlPblOOuM_MZ-Z0SOVNj00wvRyEib-vqOt69tPyHcD4Q4s8LM1BDLjH4SNgjARv0KRBByFYqk6LOsOfj7WMPk3AIBYGNO_3XkjSJWFWkDlDaHHR2go/s320/IMGP2405.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316513714904570578" /></a><br /><br />This is the rodeo-esque event we went to at the Fair. If you closed your eyes and smelled the grilling sausages and hot dogs and listened to the Allan Jackson Greatest Hits CD playing during the event, you might think you were back in the southeastern USA. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSp44w7ckuxocVMTZQSro0SoxgpX-q5Y1HfBGQZJbhg5c1pkwqqHwywon7IExcSi0zVhhaEed31UxRspTprkN4EF9E44jWtzsKdFZmdUpS4InBm5DhuWzueVXza8toUNMuMrAWfN3puo/s1600-h/IMGP2410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSp44w7ckuxocVMTZQSro0SoxgpX-q5Y1HfBGQZJbhg5c1pkwqqHwywon7IExcSi0zVhhaEed31UxRspTprkN4EF9E44jWtzsKdFZmdUpS4InBm5DhuWzueVXza8toUNMuMrAWfN3puo/s320/IMGP2410.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316517833225407682" /></a><br /><br />Snorkeling at Cahuita National Park in the Caribbean.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5EsdzX_iMijjMon-aEyQOjEN6pGK_eT46j6vW-2aDcxS9_kCvhZYtY3gapiEbPXHYrTmdrwIamg-WUVZUVPoOUSeHFB6AQScmjLOPkca01hnNG-LIsXg1PYWGyYWEOnOiVsj9OjJiZk/s1600-h/IMGP2415.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5EsdzX_iMijjMon-aEyQOjEN6pGK_eT46j6vW-2aDcxS9_kCvhZYtY3gapiEbPXHYrTmdrwIamg-WUVZUVPoOUSeHFB6AQScmjLOPkca01hnNG-LIsXg1PYWGyYWEOnOiVsj9OjJiZk/s320/IMGP2415.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316515791374087026" /></a><br /><br />Monkeys. We had a stand off with one on the trail. He wanted to check us for food. We wanted him not to bite us. He showed his teeth, we showed ours and we both moved on.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZn5L1gpnzXX6bgDs3R65MO2TFVXs3Vljj2gY_Q3k3zssm1EBSj7bDXTIVaH3l-PmhXB1jjfNaPs659nJ8GLddcHhQcVUtJKA9zeMI1JNXCLhhXZBKDgNhTCyaHGy1zGX4MU7NkzE1Qzo/s1600-h/IMGP2418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZn5L1gpnzXX6bgDs3R65MO2TFVXs3Vljj2gY_Q3k3zssm1EBSj7bDXTIVaH3l-PmhXB1jjfNaPs659nJ8GLddcHhQcVUtJKA9zeMI1JNXCLhhXZBKDgNhTCyaHGy1zGX4MU7NkzE1Qzo/s320/IMGP2418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316515999679046546" /></a><br /><br />This is the eyelash viper. We were told we would have a good hour to get to a hospital if it bit us (it is venomous), so we figured we should get close enough for a good picture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuEGwZ9cD0NwZqUPpZ41S09gZfDCp-PaCvdf8ugcSPWUlmMDn-qPo62qSNoWEs10BbPd-RlQd-kB8chw1cnl_iQxntljY7yvLToqniv1Ssavui8Zi6Cy-U17OfMdXF0Ims-Mw-GHHrXc/s1600-h/IMGP2422a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuEGwZ9cD0NwZqUPpZ41S09gZfDCp-PaCvdf8ugcSPWUlmMDn-qPo62qSNoWEs10BbPd-RlQd-kB8chw1cnl_iQxntljY7yvLToqniv1Ssavui8Zi6Cy-U17OfMdXF0Ims-Mw-GHHrXc/s320/IMGP2422a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317209223569569058" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Colonel puts the moves on Tracy in San Jose, Costa Rica. He thinks he is smooth with his greasy fingers and his nasty chicken and biscuits (which are actually tortillas here, first country so far with tortillas). Tracy wasn´t having it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ytTnRr4qqdcK52v4G0oaVVxWY2NA4tfstCcItQ3fhea-AUNA2qMkUk3U3bD7JevTLUdMZXxO-jKJymV2PU-dusVhSFXOdscJ7euPDcjaYV8Q5cqcdZ1C4ShBATpwdaF-8K2qLDu4mQc/s1600-h/IMGP2424.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ytTnRr4qqdcK52v4G0oaVVxWY2NA4tfstCcItQ3fhea-AUNA2qMkUk3U3bD7JevTLUdMZXxO-jKJymV2PU-dusVhSFXOdscJ7euPDcjaYV8Q5cqcdZ1C4ShBATpwdaF-8K2qLDu4mQc/s320/IMGP2424.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316516659924574978" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-81765115851920202102009-03-13T16:36:00.000-04:002009-03-15T13:28:59.491-04:00Stranded on a Not-So-Deserted IslandWhen we last posted, we were just about to leave Colombia and head to Panama. One of our goals for this trip was to avoid air travel, so we have been trying to find alternative ways to travel between these two countries. The Pan-American Highway exists in very nice condition through Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, however it ends in Northern Colombia and does not begin again until Panama, on the other side of a land mass called the Darien Gap. The Darien Gap along the border has a well deserved reputation for robberies, violence, kidnapping and other undesireable things, so walking this 100 mile stretch while possible, would be very unwise. <br /><br />We learned of an option of taking a sail boat from Cartagena to mainland Panama where we could then get on a bus. The problem was that this would have cost us nearly 800 dollars and it seemed there might be other alternatives that might be cheaper and where one could see more along the way. We then learned that it would be possible to jump between a few villages in Colombia, only accessible by boat, into a Panamanian town only accessible by boat and from there we could find a cargo boat headed north that might carry us the remainder of the way. We heard this from a couple of reliable sources and decided it would be worth having extra patience to wait out a cargo boat. So this is how our journey went---<br /><br />We left last Wednesday from Cartagen and took a bus to Monteria. From there we took a pick-up truck to a town called Turbo. Unfortunately, no seats remained in the pickup, and we had to ride on a bench in the back. The other unfortunate part about this was that we could hear the tires screeching around the curves and when approaching potholes (of which there were many). We finally arrived with white knuckles and checked in to a little hospedaje off the main square. We mingled with the interesting array of locals in the square and asked for more information about the next part of our trip. <br /><br />On Thursday we hopped a water taxi to the town of Capurgana, one of the northern most towns in Colombia, and only accessible by boat. For two hours we sped through the water, literrally catching air off of many of the large waves and slamming our backsides against the fiberglass seat. All the while getting soaked by the water flying into the boat. Another rather firghtening 2 hours, but we once again arrived and began to get settled and ask around for more info about the next leg of our journey. <br /><br />The following day we woke up and saw the sea still churning and looking really rough. We had met a traveler from Finland who was hoping to accomplish a similar overland/water crossing as us and so together we organized a boat to the next town in Panama, Puerto Obaldia. This boat was considerably smaller and we would have been dryer had we swam the 5 miles to Puerto Obaldia, but we made in considerably less pain that the previous two rides. <br /><br />In Puerto Obaldia we settled into the only small guest house in the town, ate dinner at one of the two small restaurants and wandered the 5 or 6 streets, asking locals about cargo boats and when they might come. The more we asked, the more we learned that the sea conditions were not just something we would have to get used to, but were actually the reason that no cargo boats were at Puerto Obaldia and were the reason it was unlikely any would arrive for perhaps one to two weeks. That evening we began chatting with 2 other Colombians and a Swiss cyclist (who has covered more or less the same ground as us, but on a bicycle) and organized a small boat with a big motor to take us to another, supposedly larger town where we were told we would be much more likely to find a cargo boat. After making these plans a few locals got wind of our plans and began pulling us aside to tell us that this would be stupid to leave in these conditions and we were risking our lives going into the ocean on a small boat. After hearing this from many people, we decided we would need to find a way out. Tracy feigned illness and we told them we could not go on with them and would wait in Puerto Obaldia. Unfortunately, everyone took great pity and decided to just postpone the whole trip a day. Unable to continue the acting job the whole day, Tracy eventually felt better. The following day we were set to leave again and were told that the sea had calmed to a condition that would be very uncomfortable, but not necessarily dangerous. However, another set of circumstances prevented our departure. Finally on day number 4 in Puerto Obaldia, town of 150, we departed. We had read a bit about Puerto Obaldia, most people saying it was very dirty and unfriendly and it was best to take an immediate airplane out of the place. Having spent 4 days walking the streets and having nothing to do but chat with the locals, we found it to be a very friendly place. The forced boredom was also a welcome time of relaxation after months of going non stop, trying to absorb as much as possible every day.<br /><br />We arrived at Mulatupu. The trip may have been safe, I am not sure, but it was not comfortable by any definition of the word. No words can describe bouncing over 15 foot waves the way that we did this day. At risk of being crass and providing too much information, Adam currently sports two scabs on his posterior from where the repeated bouncing actually broke the skin (this is NO exaggeration). Mulatupu is 2 hours from Puerto Obaldia in boat, but it is a whole new world. Mulatupu is an island that is home to a indigenous group called the Kuna. The Kuna live in bamboo huts on the island. The southeastern half of the Caribbean coast of Panama is lined with islands inhabited by this indigenous groups. It is thought to be one of the most powerful indigenous groups in the world as they are fully autonomous. The Panama coast guard and drug enforcement and any other government agency is not allowed to patrol the areas where the Kuna live. The women wear a very beautiful and well known clothing called a mola. This is a hand stitched design of a geometric pattern or a picture of a local animal (turtles, monkeys, etc.). On the arms and legs of the women they wear beaded bracelets that cover the length of the forearm and the calf. The beads also have various goemetric shapes. The Kuna speak a Kuna language as well as Spanish. <br /><br />When we got off the boat in Mulatupu, we were greeted excitedly by all of the children who were grabbing our hands and shouting greetings and smiling at us. We received a similarly warm welcome from the adults in the village. We were shown to a small room with a few beds, shown to the home of a local man who would be cooking for us during our stay (they were unaware of our arrival until 4 gringos arrived in the boat that very day) and showed us the bathroom, which is a small outhouse built on the end of a dock with a hole going into the water. We would spend the next few days wandering about the small village and continuing to be greeted, smiled at (mostly) and chatting with the locals who were very curious about us. This island is not easily accessible from either direction, and thus receives very few outsiders. The one source of friction, from our perspective, was that we were unable to live up to our reputation. White people who visit the islands in the northern part of the islands tend to spend mountains of money. We had not seen an atm in many days and had no idea when the next one would come, leaving us unable to go much beyond our usual, tiny budget. We only ate once or twice a day and we could not afford to eat foods other than that which the locals ate. We sensed that this was a big disappointment, which was hard for us, but we tried to make up for it with friendliness and by spending time chatting and getting know people in town. <br /><br />Decision making in a Kuna village is a very unique process. There is a chief in the village and all decisions must go through him. So when our group found out that cargo boats were still docked and the one that was planning to leave was going in the wrong direction, we started asking about renting another small boat to go a bit further in the islands where we hoped to have better luck (no worries, Adam had planned to take additional padding for this boat ride). A few locals agreed to a reasonable price, however, the village cheif felt the sea would be too dangerous and the idea of any boat leaving the village was vetoed. We waited the sea out for another day, but it continued to give no signs of letting up. Locals stated it could be another week or even two before it might be possible to make the trip. Somewhat defeated, we decided we should go ahead an book a ticket on the next airplane, which would leave on Thursday. <br /><br />After a couple more days in Mulatupu, we loaded our bags onto a dugout wooden canoe and made the trip to another small island where a tiny airstrip was located. We waited about a half hour in the open-air, thatch-roof hut terminal and finally boarded the plane for Panama City. The 12 seater plane makes occassional flights to several of the islands. We sat right behind the pilot and co-pilot and watched them read their magazines and newspapers while we flew (Gail, is this normal?). <br /><br />So now we sit, in Panama City. We thought we would feel disappointed about flying, but 1) flying a 12 seater from an island air strip out of the bamboo terminal is not the same as just flying and 2) instead of booking multiple boats, we were forced to sit still and get to know a really fascinating village and a really fascinating culture. No internet, 1 telephone in the whole town, etc. It was a really beautiful and memorable time. <br /><br />We have many more side stories, as we do with any time of travel, but especially with this trip, so hopefully they will come up, but we can only tell so many things at one time. (I will tell you why we had to spend 2 extra hours with immigration and the poilce at the airport some other time)<br /><br />We were unable to take many picutres in the Kuna village as photography is a very sensitive thing for the culture. We were not even able to get a photo with the resident monkey at our restaurant/house. But, here are a few photos from the Colombia-Panama crossing.<br /><br />Capurgana, Colombia. Beautiful beach town, mostly used by upper class Colombians for vacationing. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-ib51KlhK-SnuhyphenhyphenXnUAqt2A0h5OgpknCm6wQ0jefIz4szJNxqcDFrJx7zz4eAIAsXD63ziK9q7deX8pvWugp-x9ZmtmyDSrdddR6pAJhOAG1UkEASFMqs0HFY0m_NaR3ePgHKY6qF8/s1600-h/IMGP2286.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-ib51KlhK-SnuhyphenhyphenXnUAqt2A0h5OgpknCm6wQ0jefIz4szJNxqcDFrJx7zz4eAIAsXD63ziK9q7deX8pvWugp-x9ZmtmyDSrdddR6pAJhOAG1UkEASFMqs0HFY0m_NaR3ePgHKY6qF8/s320/IMGP2286.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312786473976409954" /></a><br /><br />The only possible lodging in Puerto Obaldia, Panama. Luckily, Cande charges a fair price of $5 per night.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCvZdrxP3Lto-QDxH9MxpJUzbN55Akgp3aYN06nqUG85LvO9y1XZPVeyYfdQO9CMZX9wpXhQOONF4VlriMMji-QhRwv1mmPWQsFl2zxCOp0NuQZk1cPqyJyxOuT73kRi77EUnxjAYSEE/s1600-h/IMGP2307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCvZdrxP3Lto-QDxH9MxpJUzbN55Akgp3aYN06nqUG85LvO9y1XZPVeyYfdQO9CMZX9wpXhQOONF4VlriMMji-QhRwv1mmPWQsFl2zxCOp0NuQZk1cPqyJyxOuT73kRi77EUnxjAYSEE/s320/IMGP2307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312786823565984642" /></a><br /><br />The local kids enjoy fishing in Puerto Obaldia. This whopper was caught with a string wrapped around a bottle, a hook and a piece of banana. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRWxA7-m2l1E8HtkK7gNCJreevVwq4V5Z7JFphynRsH1iDT59txli3jBX9c-wIEnI7_hpW1R7jzzY8OoyXL8VPDliV4Fda6EsNtZFYaGE9g9bMDWYYeQRIUqZ22nrWcZSajyvgaWTJZQ/s1600-h/IMGP2328a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRWxA7-m2l1E8HtkK7gNCJreevVwq4V5Z7JFphynRsH1iDT59txli3jBX9c-wIEnI7_hpW1R7jzzY8OoyXL8VPDliV4Fda6EsNtZFYaGE9g9bMDWYYeQRIUqZ22nrWcZSajyvgaWTJZQ/s320/IMGP2328a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313467576283079058" /></a><br /><br />This is our taxi to the airport. The small structure at the end of the dock is a bathroom.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyItTaRWRdDTWcUfJ7tl76GTnoc1nmC8qotRHLjdqz14LMKwyCRHwzFQc9DSuWG9cuJSa0wmGrvTbr4vF3ubNkbTAKaCPXPpQ41iSQ5MBes_Easzv4iGciW4Jd_e9MH4qVe5efupdDLaE/s1600-h/IMGP2338.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyItTaRWRdDTWcUfJ7tl76GTnoc1nmC8qotRHLjdqz14LMKwyCRHwzFQc9DSuWG9cuJSa0wmGrvTbr4vF3ubNkbTAKaCPXPpQ41iSQ5MBes_Easzv4iGciW4Jd_e9MH4qVe5efupdDLaE/s320/IMGP2338.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312787523837039218" /></a><br /><br />Food was very expensive in the village, so we often had to supplement our meals with a snack or two. Yummy, Pork and Beans!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmIhjzVzCQ7xNsdvHMERDrelS3rh8-sj1skmKxbxBE9FaXlrizly_-JNh6kMvo0e4uUv-Yx-tzHqGhnoptwwjyY-sGyvVqyVWfeEUhbwnHvQAmuTPwzFq9RWD34aVx0nmN3P0IPiIKMg/s1600-h/IMGP2334.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmIhjzVzCQ7xNsdvHMERDrelS3rh8-sj1skmKxbxBE9FaXlrizly_-JNh6kMvo0e4uUv-Yx-tzHqGhnoptwwjyY-sGyvVqyVWfeEUhbwnHvQAmuTPwzFq9RWD34aVx0nmN3P0IPiIKMg/s320/IMGP2334.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312787778458679506" /></a><br /><br />The island of Mulatupu.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFGENU0hfo7crkF2g487RKpnHwpB3yi43ten7VmwcJPF4rMyi4b5XHgQuVWH3JwrcVc9Mt5bMKH1G4xuBm29dt_5kQSzwaBgx3Aw29brmx9PqW8SBesHJTtnnOtUPxYQXDDtdLprsHOc/s1600-h/IMGP2331.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFGENU0hfo7crkF2g487RKpnHwpB3yi43ten7VmwcJPF4rMyi4b5XHgQuVWH3JwrcVc9Mt5bMKH1G4xuBm29dt_5kQSzwaBgx3Aw29brmx9PqW8SBesHJTtnnOtUPxYQXDDtdLprsHOc/s320/IMGP2331.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312788118718740578" /></a><br /><br />Dont worry, buddy, this plane can probably fly itself.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis4KTiXEc8IO_bRtw_P94mNlOzP8dqotmDHU2ou7GuflK0IdAy-cA7IkQst3tx6O11nD295jMG6NrZ8Sr6SzocDzGc1b0uZU8qQXIgGzpfUJsI7FbNgUlFBz3gLOYM9a2AbVoav73610/s1600-h/IMGP2350.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis4KTiXEc8IO_bRtw_P94mNlOzP8dqotmDHU2ou7GuflK0IdAy-cA7IkQst3tx6O11nD295jMG6NrZ8Sr6SzocDzGc1b0uZU8qQXIgGzpfUJsI7FbNgUlFBz3gLOYM9a2AbVoav73610/s320/IMGP2350.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312788381001053826" /></a><br /><br />Panama City.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZL42W_7wsxszZzhnQytevkOCCiFw4r6kIgdKN9pDoResaj6KssMZE9JORRvNBYyAs9lm1wc2DsyGVTJ7uZsnYeF1kyX_vF1WmuuWz7WJjPH_-9GSFy37X0gsLhcHj6KHnWigNWdThxHU/s1600-h/IMGP2356.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZL42W_7wsxszZzhnQytevkOCCiFw4r6kIgdKN9pDoResaj6KssMZE9JORRvNBYyAs9lm1wc2DsyGVTJ7uZsnYeF1kyX_vF1WmuuWz7WJjPH_-9GSFy37X0gsLhcHj6KHnWigNWdThxHU/s320/IMGP2356.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312788656921761074" /></a><br /><br />For those who are curious, a Google image search will likely reveal lots of photos of Kuna arts and people that we were unable to photograph.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-6710561289278962472009-03-03T15:01:00.001-05:002009-03-03T15:21:09.718-05:00South America at a glanceTomorrow morning we head toward Panama, though we are not sure when exactly we will be there. Here is a list we have been keeping of our bus rides through South America. The number listed afterward is the number of hours the bus ride took. An asterisk indicates boat travel. a Plus sympol indicates train travel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">URUGUAY</span><br />Montevideo-Colonia Valdense:1<br />Colonia Valdense-Colonia:1<br />Colonia-Buenos Aires*:3<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ARGENTINA</span><br />Buenos Aires-Puerto Iguazu:18<br />Puerto Iguazu-Cordobá:20<br />Cordobá-Mendoza:10<br />Mendoza-Bariloche:21<br />Bariloche-Epuyen:3<br />Epuyen-El Bolson:1<br />El Bolson-Esquel:4<br />Esquel-Bariloche:5<br />Bariloche-Osorno:5<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">CHILE</span><br />Osorno-Ancud:2<br />Ancud-Castro-Dalcahue:2<br />Dalcahue-Osorno:4<br />Osorno-Valdivia:3<br />Valdivia-Santiago:12<br />Santiago-Valparaiso:2<br />Valparaiso-La Serena:12<br />La Serena-San Pedro de Atacama:18<br />San Pedro de Atacama-Uyuni:24<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">BOLIVIA</span><br />Uyuni-Potosí:9<br />Potosí-Sucre:3<br />Sucre-Candelaria:3<br />Candelaria-La Paz:16<br />La Paz-Copacabana:4<br />Copacabana-Puno:4<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">PERU</span><br />Puno-Cuzco:8<br />Cuzco-Ollantaytambo:2<br />Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes+:2<br />Santa Theresa-Cuzco:10<br />Cuzco-Arequipa:12<br />Arequipa-Lima:14<br />Lima-Chiclayo:14<br />Chiclayo-Loja:11<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ECUADOR</span><br />Loja-Zamora:2<br />Zamora-Macas:11<br />Macas-Baños:5<br />Baños-Quito:4<br />Quito-Ibarra:2<br />Ibarra-Popayán:10<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">COLOMBIA</span><br />Popayán-San Agustín:9<br />San Agustín-Cali:9<br />Cali-Armenia:5<br />Armernia-Bogotá:9<br />Bogotá-Medellín:12<br />Medellín-Cartagena:14<br />Cartagena-Santa Marta:6<br />Santa Marta-Cartagena:6<br /><br />According to calculations in our head, this makes 387 hours on busses, a boat and a train to make it from Montevideo, Uruguay to Cartagena, Colombia. <br /><br />With potentially Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico to go, we look forward to lots more adventures, and more hours on public transportation.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-74157002086900245672009-03-01T15:24:00.001-05:002009-03-01T18:24:52.721-05:00Cartagena, Santa Marta and Parque Nacional TayronaWe know it has been a while since our last update. But here it is,<br /><br />We took a long bus from Medellin to Cartagena, arriving with no problems. We were pleased to see that Cartagena is able to live up to its name by being so beautiful. One of South America´s oldest cities (colonial cities), it has recently been the center of massive development and has been a focal point on Colombia´s tourism department. The Old Town is filled with narrow cobble stone street lined with buildings painted brightly and with large flower covered balconies. It is surrounded by a large wall that once protected the town from invaders of the human and weather type alike. As of about 6 months ago (so we hear) it began receiving a new type of invader... the cruise ship tourist! (We only kid if there are cruise shippers out there). Although slightly annoying to wade through the crowds of gringos in their Panama Hats and matching shirts with name tags, it seems to be a testament to the efforts toward Colombia throwing off its bad rep and wanting to show off its beauty. <br /><br />We took a day trip to a small village about 4 hours southwest of Cartagena and were able to meet with a man who is conducting a project using sustainable agriculture practices to assist a village which has suffered at the hands of the civil war. Although the work is not quite far enough along to be able to host volunteers, it seems to be a great idea that looks like it will grow into a fantastic project for the community. It was nice for us to meet with Oscar and hear him discuss the project from its beginning stages and what its implementation will look like down the road. <br /><br />We then headed to Santa Marta, a smaller version of Cartagena but with much of the same beauty. Santa Marta was our jumping point into the Tayrona National Park. A large, beautiful national park along the north coast where the jungle meets the shoreline. We were able to grab a little spot to sling our hammocks (we have now traded in the tent for a couple of hammocks) and spent a few days of relaxation in the national park, hiking to various beaches, swimming inh the Caribbean and watching for monkeys and tucans. <br /><br />We have some extra time today, so we will try to load some photos from Bogota into the present:<br /><br /><br />Tracy enjoys what has been our favorite treat in Colombia, even up against the tough to beat fruits- Chocolate Santafereño. It is a cup of hot chocolate (real hot chocolate!) with a big hunk of cheese. Bogateños (people from Bogotá put the cheese in the chocolate and let it get nice a stringy and eat it with a spoon. Breakfast of champions. It however is not the most unhealthy breakfast we have had thanks to the deep fried fried egg Adam ordered for breakfast (not knowing exactly what it was). We missed the state fair, so this made up for it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeR5z68j_FhLKB9QXXx-T1FB438FqCRP0oRykZOpqUTHXUrv-Hyj2mII3bSCkmFmVVgwiqf2e5pxNf-MbRqJCD1fIz1AJ4BFFM_bg1zK8JAlJBz1QY5-KbLqWquaL4p1zAYY6oTqsoew/s1600-h/IMGP2198a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeR5z68j_FhLKB9QXXx-T1FB438FqCRP0oRykZOpqUTHXUrv-Hyj2mII3bSCkmFmVVgwiqf2e5pxNf-MbRqJCD1fIz1AJ4BFFM_bg1zK8JAlJBz1QY5-KbLqWquaL4p1zAYY6oTqsoew/s320/IMGP2198a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308363398866922658" /></a><br /><br /><br />View of Bogota. A huge expansive city. Unfortunately it rained or was very overcast the whole time we were there, making the pictures, like this one from the top of a skyscraper, not do the slightest bit of justice to its enormity. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQnxTfPvqgXpa9jF8l2OF58vdbvpWfyagS2GyxowQeS47TmPlDJDLBqlcTY6OAuH0F6-4rGaVbCbV-wYBkVgHLHSWIGr0P-Bxam9GY6YaE2TrcpcUqv57r-vfvKBupXqdH8fJeFI9bgc/s1600-h/IMGP2203a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQnxTfPvqgXpa9jF8l2OF58vdbvpWfyagS2GyxowQeS47TmPlDJDLBqlcTY6OAuH0F6-4rGaVbCbV-wYBkVgHLHSWIGr0P-Bxam9GY6YaE2TrcpcUqv57r-vfvKBupXqdH8fJeFI9bgc/s320/IMGP2203a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308363536167959986" /></a><br /><br />This is our host from our farm that didn´t quite exist. Nice guy, big dreamer.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0mgJTQqXMRyotZtAY9ZrwW12vaky917p72DAGQlnpnUWy-KA72r40EruWbp_2hHH-TNwpH-Hb2L7FXGWgoXLMwQFLfmLk93rwCN2pSItB-zAZNSMN9wjfLlnV_R1bAx9xBCR0zmxw5M/s1600-h/IMGP2215a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0mgJTQqXMRyotZtAY9ZrwW12vaky917p72DAGQlnpnUWy-KA72r40EruWbp_2hHH-TNwpH-Hb2L7FXGWgoXLMwQFLfmLk93rwCN2pSItB-zAZNSMN9wjfLlnV_R1bAx9xBCR0zmxw5M/s320/IMGP2215a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308363633348640306" /></a><br /><br />This sky tram is linked in with the Metro system in Medellín bringing people from the hills into the city for both business and pleasure. For the 75 cents a Metro ticket cots we could ride it around checking out the city from above.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiiFLmB-W_0GVIdAnH9hS5V7cDmyvNOrWv61kvLmsrKQK_b8I2T47b4UJzo4fiFPQZol3fGgxwc0sgc35BRRzGJnqJ-yanSQJMSw0YxE5YsHbfYwl-ZsS7mH0f7Tzfy_zzgQalKuDbls/s1600-h/IMGP2217.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiiFLmB-W_0GVIdAnH9hS5V7cDmyvNOrWv61kvLmsrKQK_b8I2T47b4UJzo4fiFPQZol3fGgxwc0sgc35BRRzGJnqJ-yanSQJMSw0YxE5YsHbfYwl-ZsS7mH0f7Tzfy_zzgQalKuDbls/s320/IMGP2217.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308342141232980034" /></a><br /><br />Cartagena, city of one million on the Caribbean coast. About one square kilometer exists within the big protective wall.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTy9f895Dj6cY0gUTOe7coSiV0kckLl5QdW_LxhIhRy154JaHwYgVPdyhJSCHzjFppshL5oV9XSi6MmAYebp3MMp7k38yecOObsvvdaNXJjaDyHRq5_-_4aJKHo0y4YkLHBZmvJd0B98/s1600-h/IMGP2257.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTy9f895Dj6cY0gUTOe7coSiV0kckLl5QdW_LxhIhRy154JaHwYgVPdyhJSCHzjFppshL5oV9XSi6MmAYebp3MMp7k38yecOObsvvdaNXJjaDyHRq5_-_4aJKHo0y4YkLHBZmvJd0B98/s320/IMGP2257.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308342870964633890" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFUjmR8HlBDzQVKK2UD_cNAYrwRuMgir-HhjW4Uvj9gHIDMbliSa0KJyfIhxq1hpburaT9uOxg10u_d8qnEXDMO9AjShTO2wx4uhMWylS4sLUUI2EUbbVZOQaq0Ah597IIpCNPVTwyBw/s1600-h/IMGP2258.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFUjmR8HlBDzQVKK2UD_cNAYrwRuMgir-HhjW4Uvj9gHIDMbliSa0KJyfIhxq1hpburaT9uOxg10u_d8qnEXDMO9AjShTO2wx4uhMWylS4sLUUI2EUbbVZOQaq0Ah597IIpCNPVTwyBw/s320/IMGP2258.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308343533827985250" /></a><br /><br />Old Town sits in the distance over the Caribbean. We were very proud of ourselves when we realized we had seen the Atlantic Ocean in Uruguay, the Pacific in Chile and Peru and now the Caribbean in Colombia with no use of airplanes. We still have plenty of Caribbean and Pacific coast to cover. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJvaKJfRdUMgSPMRvWBpd2cNn1NHXQQYEOnptCQOIHPGXB31QZAw1fD1n3xQAGr78-b3YSBnYz0Gp2HuJl2pDyYfNu24uLVFRJlL0vTRNdbR7v582DQslRpZxqeYSPPQ9ivWQmqppNVg/s1600-h/IMGP2260.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJvaKJfRdUMgSPMRvWBpd2cNn1NHXQQYEOnptCQOIHPGXB31QZAw1fD1n3xQAGr78-b3YSBnYz0Gp2HuJl2pDyYfNu24uLVFRJlL0vTRNdbR7v582DQslRpZxqeYSPPQ9ivWQmqppNVg/s320/IMGP2260.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308343998927942738" /></a><br /><br />We are sad to know we are missing a great year of snow, but scenes like this make us get over it pretty quickly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0C1I_sAnQTVpIEL8Ol42zvdWsfDgrRC3Skc-Aq5CNskHX3WkxJIMZ2spVq-MXoFFmfz8ZVC6-kwnsNUH3E4tOsPVaGVnhkCEb0QFn5Z7oDfZdfUdMSMegg-UL7BG5AijqTEMDS8xynk/s1600-h/IMGP2266.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0C1I_sAnQTVpIEL8Ol42zvdWsfDgrRC3Skc-Aq5CNskHX3WkxJIMZ2spVq-MXoFFmfz8ZVC6-kwnsNUH3E4tOsPVaGVnhkCEb0QFn5Z7oDfZdfUdMSMegg-UL7BG5AijqTEMDS8xynk/s320/IMGP2266.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308344610988132978" /></a><br /><br />Our lodging in the national park. Our food included fresh juice for breakfast with a piece of chocolate bread and beans and rice for dinner.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kp0r84uEB3KgmCEg6pT2yK8xqFghoar-0TBh-zx0FPwzu0dzDHgc6ZJHJ6tqE2Y2LJ4mTOaKLn1AsE0rV8cteIy3CfHL54ddFzR-v-dNQYN1ymyOuyZDoLU_ftJ5hh-dU7XaT51ssmQ/s1600-h/IMGP2280.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kp0r84uEB3KgmCEg6pT2yK8xqFghoar-0TBh-zx0FPwzu0dzDHgc6ZJHJ6tqE2Y2LJ4mTOaKLn1AsE0rV8cteIy3CfHL54ddFzR-v-dNQYN1ymyOuyZDoLU_ftJ5hh-dU7XaT51ssmQ/s320/IMGP2280.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308344982418139538" /></a><br /><br />Hiking to the beach was through jungle, often much thicker that the jungle seen here and climbing over giant boulders. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7FAe4ztOchszdhf9-eI-9tJ6yeu46UGYAv17ssu4HeAxhrUlak3zdXBXGvl5OOmvgPDQLlwk2QCMy5QvtDNLer4Q-rxuMsMqCLTqDxSxZffRIRhokiaINwDNNoCSQVZmTT9cFzbcC2E/s1600-h/IMGP2273.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7FAe4ztOchszdhf9-eI-9tJ6yeu46UGYAv17ssu4HeAxhrUlak3zdXBXGvl5OOmvgPDQLlwk2QCMy5QvtDNLer4Q-rxuMsMqCLTqDxSxZffRIRhokiaINwDNNoCSQVZmTT9cFzbcC2E/s320/IMGP2273.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308345339871978770" /></a><br /><br />We arrived to miles of beaches like this one.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVgY3HSO-w76dgBp4XC9ShTC9KajZe1cMjU1MMGGaPnK-5kG8CiQJC59OO1hNR5jPtOpMHCSEQu5Oy6oWoXX2arMr5l4xSiyPpjZ_1TNcoy-SlC9IaYbkvyEcImlfiMP2m7C4RrfifJs/s1600-h/IMGP2277.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVgY3HSO-w76dgBp4XC9ShTC9KajZe1cMjU1MMGGaPnK-5kG8CiQJC59OO1hNR5jPtOpMHCSEQu5Oy6oWoXX2arMr5l4xSiyPpjZ_1TNcoy-SlC9IaYbkvyEcImlfiMP2m7C4RrfifJs/s320/IMGP2277.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308345769044380674" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-793201980144148632009-02-21T13:52:00.000-05:002009-02-21T14:10:31.714-05:00The "Farm" and MedellinWell, funny story, the farm we thought we were going to for a couple of weeks did not actually exist. We were in contact with the supposed farmer through wwoof and had a description of the farm: <blockquote>"This is a small farm located in Cucunuba, a small and pretty town one hour and a half from Bogota. We plant vegetables, make compost, suckle chickens, sheeps. We live like peasants, simple, shy and as cheaper is possible. The life of this town is like in the old times, many people still use the donkey for carrying products and staff from town to home, people is friendly and kind. we like met friends make fire and play music in our free time. Live in the Positive timing!!!!"</blockquote><br /> OK, it is an odd descirption, we have no idea how you suckle a chicken or a sheep, but we figured parts of it are just difficulty with English. What we did not expect is for the farm to not even exist. The farmer is actually a 27 year old guy who lives with his parents in a very nice colonial home without even a yard or flower pot. He did have some wealthy relatives with land nearby and so we spent some of our time weeding flower gardens in their yards. As you can imagine, this was a bit frustrating. We will admit that the town is a friendly place and it was nice being in such a nice place. We eventually got to laughing pretty hard about living with some guys parents and weeding rich people´s flower gardens and tried our best to live in the positive timing. After his mom dropped a few hints about not being all that excited about her son bringing strangers to the house for her to feed, we decided we should continue on our journey and get out of their way. We dont think there were any bad itentions of misleading us, but maybe just some really strong wishful thinking and not really thinking things all the way through. <br />We are in contact with another project using sustainable agriculture to address the needs of a village discplaced by the war. No idea if it will work out, but we plan to meet with them and see if we might be of some use there. <br /><br />We are now in Medellin, Colombia. Former home of Pablo Escobar and stronghold of Colombian drug cartels. Nowadays, Medellin prides itself in its modernity, and instead of drugs, the big money maker in the city is cut flowers. Having the best Metro (kind of a subway but above ground) system we have encountered, we are enjoying seeing the sights. The Metro system is tied into a couple of lines that are not rail, but are sky trams, carrying one over the mountains and over pieces of the city built up the sides of the steep mountains surrounding the city. The city is also home to a large, very nice museum filled with works of Fernando Botero. Google him as his works are lots of fun. A few of the parks also have large scultures by him. <br /><br />Tomorrow, hopefully, we will head to Cartagena on the northern coast. Supposedly the most beautiful city in Colombia and possibly in all of South America, we are anxious to see what the hype is all about. <br /><br />Live in the positive timing!Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-25850913054581670082009-02-14T14:41:00.000-05:002009-02-14T15:29:42.182-05:00In Bogotá, headed to a FARM!Yay, we have finally been able to arrange another farm north of Bogotá. We are not sure exactly what work we will be doing or for how long we will stay, but we are very excited nonetheless. <br /><br />In the comments section yesterday, church Lady Melanie mentioned how our trip has evolved from our original idea and wondered what we might be learning. This is something we reflect on together often and since we are almost halfway and about to head to another farm for more learning, this is a good time to briefly talk about what it is we are learning. <br /><br />It was our plan to do a lot more farming along the way in our travels. This did not work out exactly as we planned, but it has really been a benefit to us as we have not had to rush through countries that have such rich and interesting histories. We have been able to really take our time and try to wrap our brains around the Peruvian and Bolivian and other peoples and make attempts at connecting current culture with the thousands of years of history that exist in these countries. It has also given us opportunities to venture off the main roads into places full of beauty. But as readers, you know this, so what have we been actually learning?<br /><br />Well, for us learning is a process that extends well beyond the experience. However, we are really excited about how things have worked themselves out. We were able to start out with a couple of great farming experiences where we learned lots about caring for sheep (including milking them and making cheese!), planting, some harvesting, beekeeping, and many other aspects of organic and sustainable farming, including eating local and in season when there is not a whole lot in season. <br /><br />This set us up really nicely for the things we would see next, that we did not realize we might see. We see now that through taking our time and learning about indigenous groups and their arts and how the agrarian socieites worked along with interacting with indigenous people and seeing them struggle to keep those traditions and their own culture alive in settings that have often made it difficult if not dangerous to do so. This has helped us to put the meaning into what it is we ultimately hope to do with our knowledge and experiences. We have seen and been saddened by exploitation that runs rampant making us understand the urgency of new local economies that include local food economies in our own town (wherever that ends up being). We have seen the value of beauty in art through our interactions with artisans and through learning about cultural practices that utilize arts not for entertainment, but as a way of making life beautiful and preserving a culture that they see, and rightly so, as worth preserving. From this we have learned little about how to grow food, but have learned lots about the value of local cultures and beauty in those cultures, as well as the work that comes with this art and preservation of local culture. We have learned about the value of hard work in the face of the pressures of industrialism. Having met a family who still plows with a mule, not only because of the economic impossibility of owning a tractor, but also because they feel it is the best way to interact with the land and cultivate their food. They also would be unable to continue thousand year old traditions of cutting the mule´s hair before each field is plowed as a ritual as tractors do not have hair. To value passing on cultural traditions and to value passing on your small tract of land with its fertility in tact (not chocked full of poison and matted down from overuse) to your children more than you value profit is something that Americans including ourselves need to learn. We hope that by seeing the faces of people who live such simple lives and struggle so hard to pass on things that they find to be valuable and not just profitable, the experiences we have had will be transformative and not just educational. <br /><br />Now we move on to a new farm, ready to learn more and with new eyes through which to see some of the things we may learn. This farm will not be without some sad irony. At the same time that we are working on a small organic farm in Colombia, we will be paying our taxes, part of which go to fund programs supporting aerial spraying of high powered Round-Up on large parcels of land in Colombia in the name of coca erradication. A fact that we find both disheartening and frustrating. We understand the negative effects of cocaine, however, after our experiences with small farmers in Latin America, it seems unjust to put the burden on them, especially with careless spraying of poisons that effect water supplies and cause harm to both human populations and to future hopes of food production on that land. <br /><br />So, to sum it up, we feel we are learning. We also feel we are changing and seeing things on our journey that we hope will change the way we live when we return to the United States. With this in mind, we also are enjoying every moment of being in beautiful Latin America while still looking forward to our return to be with friends and family who we miss and can´t wait to partner with and continue to learn from (we know our parents and grandparents have years of agriculture and North Carolina culture in them that still needs to be passed on) in figuring out how to live in a way that reflects our experiences on this journey.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-31803345108810878372009-02-11T16:01:00.000-05:002009-02-11T18:51:56.706-05:00Popayan, San Agustin and CaliWe are having a wonderful time thus far in Colombia. The country is absolutely beautiful. The people are friendly and outgoing and the landscapes are incredible. <br /><br />We spent a few days in Popayán, a whitewashed colonial city with a small town feel. There was very little to see specifically there, so we just wandered the streets and took in the architecture and did our usual people watching. <br /><br />From Popayán we decided to take a detour to a small town called San Agustin. Located about 120km from Popayán, the road there is the absolute bumpiest ride we have been on. After about 5 hours of bumping along, unable to read and definitely unable to sleep, we heard a loud pop and felt the bus slide to one side of the road (which happened to be the side of the road with a steep drop-off) but foruntately we lacked another 10 feet on being in any danger. We got off the bus and saw the leaf springs lying on the ground and the back axel sitting at a 45 degree angle to the front axel where it had completely broken off of the bus. We were told later to wait for the bus to be fixed if we did not want to be responsible for the rest of our travel. Figuring the fix would be closer to a few days than a half hour, we jumped in the back of a passing pick up truck (which is actually a rather normal form of travel in the countryside) and made our way in 3 different vehicles to our destination. A longer day than planned, but a good story nonetheless.<br /><br />We stayed at a little hostel run by a family and located on a farm. The farm grows everything from coffee to fresh fruits. Our morning coffee was amazing and the food in general was fantastic. The countryside in San Agustin is an amazing array of greens covered in flowers with steep canyons dropping off in every direction. The region was home to an indigenous group, about which very little is known. however, hundreds of burial sites have been found with statues marking the grave sites. The statues are carved from volcanic rock and were interesting to see. We visited sevceral sites during a day on horseback, making for an especially interesting mode of travel. The horses were rather competitive and were not hesitant to start an all out sprint to get in fron of the other, no matter the desires of the rider. See some of the pictures at the bottom for pictures of the many canyons, waterfalls and statues in San Agustin. <br /><br />We are now in Cali. A big city known as the Salsa capital of South America. So we will be trying to show off our salsa skills in the evenings while taking in the big city during the day. Being much closer to sea level and about 2 degrees north of the equator, it is hot and we are spending the rest of the day trying to keep cool by drinking some of the most amazing fruit juices we have ever tasted. (Colombia is known for having an amazing variety of fruit). <br /><br />Tracy ready to go from Ipiales (at the border) to Popayán.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0PpkjH3bT3-Dkq_UkKJrO4dBH3DfNvLvj2hGAzasyaCQqk9b46LCe2vhCBEoR8TNDHFtf6KjgtPWZPO1ACq58ylIKYqXZyZg-u7W3V1Lokraf8idwihMki8ABQ-GuLkmp5AmDdYNMX8/s1600-h/IMGP2114.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0PpkjH3bT3-Dkq_UkKJrO4dBH3DfNvLvj2hGAzasyaCQqk9b46LCe2vhCBEoR8TNDHFtf6KjgtPWZPO1ACq58ylIKYqXZyZg-u7W3V1Lokraf8idwihMki8ABQ-GuLkmp5AmDdYNMX8/s320/IMGP2114.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301652697012583922" /></a><br /><br />Popayán after our morning climb.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrVDEdN56DzleG-srOrkYVKqwA-vdHvpX7Q5EF5mBbSOpJgXHQYa7SHGuezF8-Nk0rPsibyvjYGF-T6v4znfchQE1fRhB7UYQkrxoWaJvNjQJv0DiK95-g4LZj_hRsiGAsVavgfejacA/s1600-h/IMGP2119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrVDEdN56DzleG-srOrkYVKqwA-vdHvpX7Q5EF5mBbSOpJgXHQYa7SHGuezF8-Nk0rPsibyvjYGF-T6v4znfchQE1fRhB7UYQkrxoWaJvNjQJv0DiK95-g4LZj_hRsiGAsVavgfejacA/s320/IMGP2119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301653095498013954" /></a><br /><br />One of the fun statues we visited (there were literally hundreds). This one has been well preserved and retains its color. It is more fun before you learn that the woman represented is taking the child in her arms to be sacrificed (or so anthropologists believe). <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNQkI1vv2eDlTUngLn3emTtMUcs8IZQ8brxGQC5yjD8WB7qFPjL-weHZiQsPEV6fIqBQLEa_dzDLGL3whZXDjrtSTqPFK9gnoQNXw-yl0RoZ3-7bHrJcm4eQDHUbvQd0o8YNbsIVV7ZA/s1600-h/IMGP2129.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNQkI1vv2eDlTUngLn3emTtMUcs8IZQ8brxGQC5yjD8WB7qFPjL-weHZiQsPEV6fIqBQLEa_dzDLGL3whZXDjrtSTqPFK9gnoQNXw-yl0RoZ3-7bHrJcm4eQDHUbvQd0o8YNbsIVV7ZA/s320/IMGP2129.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301653550421322914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwcSbqg11ZHWKL1BQnpekp4XILJEjw2t_UvBzwVYYa9mmWfedfMA4tJfAQ_-ZiofXRztNqJU3lAkPIdZnua-YtBmYHFcWLmUOco-h7XhoJDDHujMIdsNHM7VFQllZ51syYhpiG0dCTiA/s1600-h/IMGP2140.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwcSbqg11ZHWKL1BQnpekp4XILJEjw2t_UvBzwVYYa9mmWfedfMA4tJfAQ_-ZiofXRztNqJU3lAkPIdZnua-YtBmYHFcWLmUOco-h7XhoJDDHujMIdsNHM7VFQllZ51syYhpiG0dCTiA/s320/IMGP2140.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301656928987855650" /></a><br /><br />Transportation with a mind of its own.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQTR6uoa0MtpzD6InplfOS-4Rqvwlgv18QZ256SfKigmRssXlUBUa66Bs7jbBLy6yH8ncZssah_Inw0As7XGrANdE8FofZCNJwO3oOjRF2jAr3jtym23HE-wlpSJVGgNR7Sg-tvHSyww/s1600-h/IMGP2132.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQTR6uoa0MtpzD6InplfOS-4Rqvwlgv18QZ256SfKigmRssXlUBUa66Bs7jbBLy6yH8ncZssah_Inw0As7XGrANdE8FofZCNJwO3oOjRF2jAr3jtym23HE-wlpSJVGgNR7Sg-tvHSyww/s320/IMGP2132.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301654157218086690" /></a><br /><br />Purdy flowers (there are lots more pics where this came from for the flower lovers)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXMf-UCzL7NUR_z8Yfx9nmjv2jHqc1w13AKvTqsQsiMRSriM6dTpwajzyq4m9LND04CI40UKRVax2OkU431oruZQqpyrrd-_eD6hzwERVh3Ad8t_IeIvgyK9fiPiXvZh1o1Gm2X0jTCI/s1600-h/IMGP2154a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXMf-UCzL7NUR_z8Yfx9nmjv2jHqc1w13AKvTqsQsiMRSriM6dTpwajzyq4m9LND04CI40UKRVax2OkU431oruZQqpyrrd-_eD6hzwERVh3Ad8t_IeIvgyK9fiPiXvZh1o1Gm2X0jTCI/s320/IMGP2154a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301690586045854370" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlCv0tvyFnDu4cs8c6RHaa0TEhskRwLVE373j3V6LegzBjAaMnIKjAiutVbVdiFBTXGjIFre-ly7H9zzF8V2AYE-ULdzv9IZP4LZK6c6JTsT3pkGDh-tWYXuVldYK2oAjSyvR7GG_hGY/s1600-h/IMGP2192a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlCv0tvyFnDu4cs8c6RHaa0TEhskRwLVE373j3V6LegzBjAaMnIKjAiutVbVdiFBTXGjIFre-ly7H9zzF8V2AYE-ULdzv9IZP4LZK6c6JTsT3pkGDh-tWYXuVldYK2oAjSyvR7GG_hGY/s320/IMGP2192a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301690812882882642" /></a><br /><br />This 9 year old met us at the waterfall and gave us a wonderful history regarding its name, its altitude, the height it drops and more. Her name is Jessica and we estimate she will likely cure cancer, create world peace and solve world hunger before age 25.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuYogEo0wT60OmwtPvnWA5gl3yfbrrpXsTnBB24n_TuaCWZYvdhRhpIcmKTHvG-6LMhCYRuKnlX5UEeiuFnXXa19bQ1QZuTsSPoIYeCM6Cdr4HuIzES9f8Mb7aUrgC15AbLYpioWvH-0/s1600-h/IMGP2160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuYogEo0wT60OmwtPvnWA5gl3yfbrrpXsTnBB24n_TuaCWZYvdhRhpIcmKTHvG-6LMhCYRuKnlX5UEeiuFnXXa19bQ1QZuTsSPoIYeCM6Cdr4HuIzES9f8Mb7aUrgC15AbLYpioWvH-0/s320/IMGP2160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301654984214691922" /></a><br /><br />The next few are from a sugar cane mill we visited. The men are making a local treat called Panela. It is very close in taste to molassess and the process is basically identical. (But nothing is as tasty as molassess made in Todd, NC) Panela is cooked a little longer and a bit of oil is added. It hardens when cooled. We got to scrape the table for the extras that dripped outside of the mold. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlFGi2nUje32l5pyWkyadiHd7sOXCXvFFlVNIX5rxElzTJyi7HlxLPRLhR4ahla5E_mrku190Cb6AoSpW6aODcFwN6gZzBhc8Dj109C6cXMOfpO2ZshkfUMnKg1zX6s48Lw8gHjSX3fE/s1600-h/IMGP2161a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlFGi2nUje32l5pyWkyadiHd7sOXCXvFFlVNIX5rxElzTJyi7HlxLPRLhR4ahla5E_mrku190Cb6AoSpW6aODcFwN6gZzBhc8Dj109C6cXMOfpO2ZshkfUMnKg1zX6s48Lw8gHjSX3fE/s320/IMGP2161a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301690698866081298" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7ahUIDH9iPic3z735xxFcHOBOFZD4NP5NA5yS2Wn-iiMrJPMwRC_7__I7HOib2a3HoK_NZo9Ac94ku63jIPV25VecpojjW4I43nYVty9V9IFDlNGigfNklYOa_5KppXn2YL7XJoSIIw/s1600-h/IMGP2167.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7ahUIDH9iPic3z735xxFcHOBOFZD4NP5NA5yS2Wn-iiMrJPMwRC_7__I7HOib2a3HoK_NZo9Ac94ku63jIPV25VecpojjW4I43nYVty9V9IFDlNGigfNklYOa_5KppXn2YL7XJoSIIw/s320/IMGP2167.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301656313004319746" /></a><br /><br />Tracy standing over one of the large green canyons characteristic of this region.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-yKAxz7CdPhy1Ksp9Ys0RQ9SvmX0sVGMTrD79B7W_lF3miuaXcyHFRAGsbxt39hoSLzaaw84326NH973eSK5KbQXaVLihkSytEhtQ8LIkBizCsd6U6j6jUL-5mb7oE8-LC3jaQEzyA/s1600-h/IMGP2143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-yKAxz7CdPhy1Ksp9Ys0RQ9SvmX0sVGMTrD79B7W_lF3miuaXcyHFRAGsbxt39hoSLzaaw84326NH973eSK5KbQXaVLihkSytEhtQ8LIkBizCsd6U6j6jUL-5mb7oE8-LC3jaQEzyA/s320/IMGP2143.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301657414726131282" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-77212220674641318172009-02-06T15:07:00.000-05:002009-02-06T15:11:39.308-05:00In ColombiaJust wanted to give a quick update. We have made it into Colombia and are now sitting in Popayán, a small colonial city south of Bogotá. We mae it here after a very important stop in Ibarra, Ecuador. Why was Ibarra important? Because they have the Southern hemisphere´s best ice cream shop, a little place that makes homemade ice cream in a big copper bowl. <br /><br />We will be gradually working our way north, taking our time and visiting various parts of Colombia along the way, as we continue to be in less and less of a hurry as our continued efforts at farm (or any other volunteer activity) work fail (even though the farming was supposed to be a big part of the plan on this trip, the lack of response from the farms has generated lots of extra time to see ana amazing variety of things, so we certainly aren´t too upset over it... how could we be upset over anything when in an apparent paradise?)<br /><br />We will update more as we move along.Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109724031282854184.post-81798240308184202592009-02-02T17:32:00.000-05:002009-02-02T18:45:35.438-05:00Baños and Quito and the Colombia DilemmaOK, time for a new update since we found a decent computer.<br /><br />We spent a few days in Baños, yes plural for bathroom, but really the city is called Baños de Agua Santa (Baths of Holy Water), named for its plethora of hot springs. It has also been blessed with an abundance of waterfalls and has the curse/fortune of a nearby volcano (curse for obvious reasons, fortune because that is the source of the hot water and because when it is erupting normally it is not a danger and it amazing to look at). We did not get to see the volcano as it was cloudy the whole time we were there. <br /><br />We have arrived in Quito, the capital of Ecuador for those who did not pay attention in geography or for those who are US citizens. It is a beautiful capital at a relatively high altitude (which means great weather, high of bout 70 year round). The colonial architecture abounds and the modern skyscrapers sprawl. Capital cities in the mountains are especially impressive as you can get great views and really see the magnitude of the city. <br /><br />We spent part of today in the Northern Hemisphere with the rest of you. It was only a short amount of time where we visited a monument that is located on the equator. BUT, the best part of the monument is the classic story of a great error that is not widely acknowledged today. The French used their fancy instruments (fancy in terms of the 1700s) and marked where they thought was the exact spot of the equator. A monument was eventually built, museums go up, more and more people start to visit and the tourist trap cycle starts. However, along comes GPS technology and shows that the mounment is about half a kilometer away from the equator. The beautiful part of the story is this- about 12 years ago, a local group discovered ruins from indigenous groups from Ecuador that mark the equator as well, built a couple thousand years ago, and this site is on the exact location of the equator, according to GPS. We also learned the history of beliefs of the indigenous groups regarding the equator, which pose quite a juxtaposition to the monument. The monument has etched in it, something to the effect of "This is the line that divides the two hemispheres." In indigenous language, the word for equator, a word which was used to named the city of Quito and the country of Ecuador, means balance and justice and the equator was believed to be the site that brought the two parts of the world together. The man who explained this to us and gave us a fantastic history lesson was really kind and lent us his $350 GPS device to wander down the street with until we found the exact (within 3 meters) location of the equator. <br /><br />More myths about the equator- water does not spin in different directions in different hemispheres (only large systems are effected by this, not your toilet or sink) and you do not weigh significantly less on the equator (about .3% less, meaning if you drink a bottle of water you effect your weight a lot more than travelling from a pole to the equator).<br /><br />This afternoon we wandered a bit around Old Town Quito and came across a church reminiscant of a larger Duke Chapel that does not have to worry about liability insurance. We were able to climb in and around the towers on the church, ring the bells, admire the architecture and get great views of the city below us. <br /><br />Tomorrow we will continue our exploration of this big capital city.<br /><br />From here we head north and will be crossing into Colombia. Since it is no secret that Colombia has not always been considered a safe place (prior to George W. Bush´s stupid war it ranked number 1 for kidnappings and is up there in the rankings for unexploded landmines), we thought we would explain our thought process along the way about how to deal with the geographic necessity of going through Colombia if we are to not ride any more airplanes along the way. When we departed, we were very unsure of whether we would go into Colombia or Bolivia because of the political situations in both countries. We decided that we would consistently ask for local knowledge along the way and would ask other backpackers in order to make the best decision. All we ever heard about Bolivia was about the marvelous people, the beautiful landscapes, the literally breathtaking altitude and the potential for very uncomfortable busses. No one really discouraged us from going there, although they did warm that as US people we might be given a little harder a time, something we never really experienced aside from jokes (we are never afraid to tell people we are Swiss or Canadian, or maybe even Swedish if we feel adventurous). We have done similar, albeit more extensive research regarding Colombia and have heard very similar things. We have met both travellers as well as Colombians who have told us that travel in Colombia is equally safe at this time as in Peru or Ecuador or Bolivia as long as you remain along the Panamerican (Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena and places in between). We are also told that travel outside those areas is generally safe, but just requires a bit more research to make sure (we dont plan to go outside of this area as most of what we want to experience is there). The landmines, the war, the kidnappings, from what we hear are very much limited to the jungle area of eastern Colombia (where we will not go). The kidnappings are strategic and are of wealthy businessmen, army officers and other folks who could benefit the kidnappers politically or economically (from what we have heard from everyone, this does not include smelly backpackers with torn clothes and with unkempt hair and one with a particularly bushy beard). So we are headed in to continue our journey, expecting to see beautiful people and beautiful country, taking our usual precautions (and maybe a few extras along the way). Lots of people travel in Colombia every day and have no problems at all. We could have gone without mentioning this, but we don´t think Colombia´s reputation is a secret and thus figured we would share our thought process and planning with everyone.<br /><br />OK here are a few pictures.<br /><br />Waterfalls in a wonderful lush valley around Baños-<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S_QxhYK_CFaYACy10vju9d0xzcGg-gqkdQZzMjJDAcoOTwencwYdoHeowHqlwLV8xd8GHKgXt15xcmiqxSWVneUt3lbicY2oFxPmmtMi9rCS3BvvCIB_39w5JHJ-8sDisLwfSkleDwU/s1600-h/IMGP2056.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S_QxhYK_CFaYACy10vju9d0xzcGg-gqkdQZzMjJDAcoOTwencwYdoHeowHqlwLV8xd8GHKgXt15xcmiqxSWVneUt3lbicY2oFxPmmtMi9rCS3BvvCIB_39w5JHJ-8sDisLwfSkleDwU/s320/IMGP2056.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298340525270450418" /></a><br /> <br />White mans monument to the Equator that is .5km away-<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJMkuc6ZaYAlJKvLvdtpo1XFaZmjXsTM4-KDv2CO0rUR-NB3Q04rLu-RfsxJjP60eeDSb9ChuZmmjM8bprukBpyX90uSAInpd93wpWPY_1BgFAN19yTTYRApVuw1IHjCFOUxdOIYX_5Q/s1600-h/IMGP2074a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJMkuc6ZaYAlJKvLvdtpo1XFaZmjXsTM4-KDv2CO0rUR-NB3Q04rLu-RfsxJjP60eeDSb9ChuZmmjM8bprukBpyX90uSAInpd93wpWPY_1BgFAN19yTTYRApVuw1IHjCFOUxdOIYX_5Q/s320/IMGP2074a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298349368481130466" /></a><br /><br /><br />We found the real Equator down the street, zoom in on the GPS and you will it read all zeros.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoiQybliIqapciFCSDZAFtVxPZuqn5D4at5KfKs6psQ78nNsKodo0IAV8cq5GyZ1bK75foJzlE1JeR2zDlzwpZ_xPG46c4bM1AWKns9sSNMbX3nZYSWSKklJ1hn8-8qw7_gDT8xEDGZ4/s1600-h/IMGP2081.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoiQybliIqapciFCSDZAFtVxPZuqn5D4at5KfKs6psQ78nNsKodo0IAV8cq5GyZ1bK75foJzlE1JeR2zDlzwpZ_xPG46c4bM1AWKns9sSNMbX3nZYSWSKklJ1hn8-8qw7_gDT8xEDGZ4/s320/IMGP2081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298341496191359058" /></a><br /><br />Quito from the belfry in the Basilica del Voto Nacional-<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xnWnU9Jth7GGL8gEmNsIJHV3ty5GvwQVckROZ7-dNzFqxburm2muoxKEvIJCz8imiDKgE6xPRlmxrr8fwociGctSJ6QqkBCTJLNZD70YeW3hP6FPwie9ADEZWkVRLzkaPr5HG2zMAyQ/s1600-h/IMGP2095.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xnWnU9Jth7GGL8gEmNsIJHV3ty5GvwQVckROZ7-dNzFqxburm2muoxKEvIJCz8imiDKgE6xPRlmxrr8fwociGctSJ6QqkBCTJLNZD70YeW3hP6FPwie9ADEZWkVRLzkaPr5HG2zMAyQ/s320/IMGP2095.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298342152952031874" /></a><br /><br />Tracy with one of the gothic towers jutting up behind her (this place was an ametuer photographers dream, there are 30 more where these came from)-<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OEYAI9lm4XD1Sgw9RyAsQC0SYXXaTDMG7CiXQ54h8RyQWrw-wuKpRbjkgtzT18j_Z8ZpXLOWdZI5Gy0Z0gH0kMMn1nyIXq4ZW_gdtZOnyIDdddmOqpTfnlhNS_2uaEk2dksTxsd70NI/s1600-h/IMGP2106a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OEYAI9lm4XD1Sgw9RyAsQC0SYXXaTDMG7CiXQ54h8RyQWrw-wuKpRbjkgtzT18j_Z8ZpXLOWdZI5Gy0Z0gH0kMMn1nyIXq4ZW_gdtZOnyIDdddmOqpTfnlhNS_2uaEk2dksTxsd70NI/s320/IMGP2106a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298349523014125378" /></a><br /><br />OK, here is a little game- Who can find Adam (really he is in this photo somewhere, maybe someone with good photo software can shop it and post it somewhere if you find him)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs6J8QgOMiLYu-RTM6EEwZ009zh4fnx6GEk2J2-BGsbcCUhDU7_nLDCzEcEY5mRFauJPD4f3DExc59H5yBFoDXBtyGlEFJrXRHy8DYRUW85DzzsoCIV7L9RC5USTvYa_b0vv-7YxRXZE/s1600-h/IMGP2109a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs6J8QgOMiLYu-RTM6EEwZ009zh4fnx6GEk2J2-BGsbcCUhDU7_nLDCzEcEY5mRFauJPD4f3DExc59H5yBFoDXBtyGlEFJrXRHy8DYRUW85DzzsoCIV7L9RC5USTvYa_b0vv-7YxRXZE/s320/IMGP2109a.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298349669399841122" /></a>Adam and Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08795324680508798189noreply@blogger.com6