Completely skipping some things again. I have a few posts started but I haven't actually posted anything in forever so I'm just writing a quick update. We crossed the border from El Salvador to Honduras yesterday morning. We were trying to get to a town called Copan Ruinas, but long story short, ended up in Santa Rosa de Copan. By the time we got to the next town to try to get the bus to where we wanted to go, they had stopped running for the day. Being that we were in a town known for its narcotics trafficking, we decided to cut our loses and pay the $50 for a cab ride to the city we wanted to be in, thinking that at least we would be there to go see the ruins in the morning when we woke up.
That didn't happen. We got to Copan Ruinas just fine (well, minus the crazy car ride) but when we woke up this morning, both Steph and I were feeling absolutely horrible. It's now almost 7pm and we have done nothing but sleep in bed all day. Hopefully we will both wake up feeling better in the morning, especially since it is her birthday. And hopefully then I can catch up with some more posts!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Volcan Pacaya
While riding on the back of a horse, looking up at the peak of the active volcano we were getting closer and closer to, I suddenly felt that all of the 70+ hour workweeks, the multiple jobs, the missed parties and get-togethers were worth it. Even though it was not the best year of my life, making those sacrifices to now be able to be doing this was necessary. And if I hadn't done it then, I would not have been able to say I roasted marshmallows at the top of a volcano.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Falls, of the Water and Slipping Varieties
Before the trip, Steph and I did just a bit of planning, finding general ideas or guidelines for different countries but not going too much in depth. For this, Guatemala was the country I felt most prepared for thanks to Humberto. However in our research, neither of us had come across Semuc Champey, on of Guatemala's national parks. As we made our way through Mexico, Belize and into Guatemala, multiple people said that it was something we just could NOT miss. After hearing this from 4 different people, we decided to make a point to stop in Lanquin, the closest city to the park.
A brief sidenote about our trip from Flores to Lanquin. It was definitely one of the least enjoyable rides I've had in quite a while. The very beginning wasn't so bad, just a lot of bad 80s music. But before we left Flores, we stopped to pick up who we are assuming was the driver's girlfriend/wife and kid. For the rest of the trip, she proceeded to kiss him and hit the baby whenever it cried, both of these things causing the driver to drive pretty recklessly. Additionally, we had to stop for them to have food and for the driver to take a nap. After about 7 hours, they piled in three more people with only one available seat, and we rode packed like sardines down the worst part of the drive. It was only 11 km, but took nearly 2 hours because it was through mountains, downhill on a one way, unpaved road.
So we finally arrived in Lanquin and got posted at El Retiro, a relaxing hostel (minus the Frederico incident. Something came into our loft the first night and took our bread. We assumed it was an opossum because Steph saw one close to our building, but it's just a guess. Either way, we switched to a room with a door the next day). We spent the first day just lounging about since we got our third night at the hostel free, and booked a tour based solely on the fact that it was the cheapest and that we thought it included everything we wanted to see.
We had no idea just how much we would be doing. To start the day, after waiting for an hour we piled into the back of a pickup truck to make our way 10 more kilometers down in the mountains on that same bumpy road from before, only this time while standing. Once we got to the park, we did a hike to the top at the lookout point. This is where I had my first mishap and slipped on the wet wood, cutting my hand as I tried to catch myself. But it was minor enough, and after some quick photos we were heading down to the river.
It was during this time that the big spill happened, again thanks to the slippery, wet, wooden steps. I could tell that my shoes did not have very good traction, so I was already going slowly, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Before I even realized what happened, I had somehow grabbed one of the posts with my elbow and was hanging by that and nothing else. The drop wasn't extremely far, but it still would not have been fun...not that this was ideal either, as immediately following the fall my arm was numb and limp, but it beat the alternative.
Luckily there were no more falls after that, though my legs were wobbly for the rest of the day. And even though it was painful to get through, thinking back now on what we did, it was totally worth it. After descending from the viewpoint, we swam through various pools of water. Then where the pools ended, we scaled the rocks near the waterfall to get down to cave area where the river spout back out after going underground for a bit of a distance.
Once we were done seeing the caves, we looked around to see a way out and failed to see anyway but how we came, which is exactly what we ended up doing, climbing back up the ropes and swimming back through the pools (for some people, this was after they cliff jumped one more level down, though I thought best not to risk it after my previous misfortunes). We did a bit more hiking and then went "tubbing" at a different spot on the river before breaking for lunch.
We finished our day with what was the highlight for me, as we went on a guided tour through a water cave system using only candlelight to see. As we swam with one hand, climbed ladders, bumped into rocks and each other, we could only see the very bit of the cave we were in at that moment. Once all of us had moved ahead just a bit, where we had just come from vanished into the darkness completely. This gave the entire tour a mystical feeling, sort of eerie but crazy fun at the same time.
After having this experience, it was completely clear why everyone we met had told us not to miss it, and it will definitely be a piece of advice we continue to pass on to other travelers.
A brief sidenote about our trip from Flores to Lanquin. It was definitely one of the least enjoyable rides I've had in quite a while. The very beginning wasn't so bad, just a lot of bad 80s music. But before we left Flores, we stopped to pick up who we are assuming was the driver's girlfriend/wife and kid. For the rest of the trip, she proceeded to kiss him and hit the baby whenever it cried, both of these things causing the driver to drive pretty recklessly. Additionally, we had to stop for them to have food and for the driver to take a nap. After about 7 hours, they piled in three more people with only one available seat, and we rode packed like sardines down the worst part of the drive. It was only 11 km, but took nearly 2 hours because it was through mountains, downhill on a one way, unpaved road.
So we finally arrived in Lanquin and got posted at El Retiro, a relaxing hostel (minus the Frederico incident. Something came into our loft the first night and took our bread. We assumed it was an opossum because Steph saw one close to our building, but it's just a guess. Either way, we switched to a room with a door the next day). We spent the first day just lounging about since we got our third night at the hostel free, and booked a tour based solely on the fact that it was the cheapest and that we thought it included everything we wanted to see.
We had no idea just how much we would be doing. To start the day, after waiting for an hour we piled into the back of a pickup truck to make our way 10 more kilometers down in the mountains on that same bumpy road from before, only this time while standing. Once we got to the park, we did a hike to the top at the lookout point. This is where I had my first mishap and slipped on the wet wood, cutting my hand as I tried to catch myself. But it was minor enough, and after some quick photos we were heading down to the river.
It was during this time that the big spill happened, again thanks to the slippery, wet, wooden steps. I could tell that my shoes did not have very good traction, so I was already going slowly, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Before I even realized what happened, I had somehow grabbed one of the posts with my elbow and was hanging by that and nothing else. The drop wasn't extremely far, but it still would not have been fun...not that this was ideal either, as immediately following the fall my arm was numb and limp, but it beat the alternative.
Luckily there were no more falls after that, though my legs were wobbly for the rest of the day. And even though it was painful to get through, thinking back now on what we did, it was totally worth it. After descending from the viewpoint, we swam through various pools of water. Then where the pools ended, we scaled the rocks near the waterfall to get down to cave area where the river spout back out after going underground for a bit of a distance.
Most of the group with the pools behind us.
Once we were done seeing the caves, we looked around to see a way out and failed to see anyway but how we came, which is exactly what we ended up doing, climbing back up the ropes and swimming back through the pools (for some people, this was after they cliff jumped one more level down, though I thought best not to risk it after my previous misfortunes). We did a bit more hiking and then went "tubbing" at a different spot on the river before breaking for lunch.
We finished our day with what was the highlight for me, as we went on a guided tour through a water cave system using only candlelight to see. As we swam with one hand, climbed ladders, bumped into rocks and each other, we could only see the very bit of the cave we were in at that moment. Once all of us had moved ahead just a bit, where we had just come from vanished into the darkness completely. This gave the entire tour a mystical feeling, sort of eerie but crazy fun at the same time.
Inside the caves!
After having this experience, it was completely clear why everyone we met had told us not to miss it, and it will definitely be a piece of advice we continue to pass on to other travelers.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
So a dogwalker, a devil and a Mexican walk in to a bar....
Actually it was a bunch of Mexicans walking in with us. Eric was the paseador de perros, I was la diabla, and Steph went as a Mexican. We were dressed up for a Halloween party that we had been invited to earlier that day by some locals who were friends with the guy working at the hostel we were staying in, Mezkalito. When we insisted that we did not have costumes, we were told to put something together quickly and that it wasn't a big deal.
We ravaged the markets for anything we could find. I came across some light-up devil horns and paired that with a red dress, Steph had just bought the poncho she had been wanting and added a hat from the hostel, and Eric bought two blowup dogs off the street. We thought our outfits were pretty creative, but when we got to the bar, those already in attendance were not too impressed. Granted, they had gone all out, full face paint, wigs, props and costumes, but we were getting proper dirty looks.
However after a bit of Mezcal got flowing, that changed quickly and everyone was super friendly, offering us nonstop drinks and food. It would have gone all night, but around 3:30 we decided to head back to the hostel because some of the guys were feeling the Mezcal a little too much. When we got back to the hostel, I was very confused about the time. As it turned out, Mexico's daylight savings started that night, a week before the rest of North America set the clocks back.
On top of that, Steph woke up with one of Eric's blow-up dogs in bed with her, which had actually been left at the bar. I discovered why when I woke up and was startled to find that the guys from the party the night before were actually staying in the same dorm as us. Later that morning we were able to get more information from them about advice for the rest of our trip, including into Belize since the main guy was actually Belizian, and swapped information so that we could share photos and in case we had any more questions.
We ravaged the markets for anything we could find. I came across some light-up devil horns and paired that with a red dress, Steph had just bought the poncho she had been wanting and added a hat from the hostel, and Eric bought two blowup dogs off the street. We thought our outfits were pretty creative, but when we got to the bar, those already in attendance were not too impressed. Granted, they had gone all out, full face paint, wigs, props and costumes, but we were getting proper dirty looks.
All dressed up with somewhere to go.
However after a bit of Mezcal got flowing, that changed quickly and everyone was super friendly, offering us nonstop drinks and food. It would have gone all night, but around 3:30 we decided to head back to the hostel because some of the guys were feeling the Mezcal a little too much. When we got back to the hostel, I was very confused about the time. As it turned out, Mexico's daylight savings started that night, a week before the rest of North America set the clocks back.
On top of that, Steph woke up with one of Eric's blow-up dogs in bed with her, which had actually been left at the bar. I discovered why when I woke up and was startled to find that the guys from the party the night before were actually staying in the same dorm as us. Later that morning we were able to get more information from them about advice for the rest of our trip, including into Belize since the main guy was actually Belizian, and swapped information so that we could share photos and in case we had any more questions.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Trusting Tony in Mexico City
So it turns out that after all this time, watching Anthony Bourdain has finally done me some good.
Well, not really, because I actually never saw the Mexico City episode. But someone else did, and tried one of the restaurants he visited. And then she told us about it on the plane. And then we went there, and got free stuff.
We had spent the earlier part of the day visiting the ruins at Teotihuacan, just outside of the city. In the native language, it means "City of the Gods" and the two main structures there have been known as the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, although recently the Pyramid of the Sun has been thought to actually be a Pyramid for the Water God. The civilization was thought to have begun around 600 B.C. and the earliest of the ruins were believed to have been built in 100 A.D. We were able to climb up and around most of the ruins, and did that for a few hours before heading back into the city for our much anticipated dinner.
The place is called La Mascota, but all we had to go on was that it might be located at 20 Mesones street. After consulting with Google and a few different maps, we figured out the best route to take using the efficient and extremely cheap Metro system. After walking a bit, we came across what we thought might be the place. While we weren't completely sure about it, we heard live music coming from inside and there was a decent crowd, so we figured either way it couldn't be bad.
After a few of the staff members debated amongst themselves for awhile about who would help us, we were told to pick any table and decided on one towards the back but not far from the band. We saw that almost the entire menu was alcohol. There was a small corner listing a few different sandwich options and a daily specials menu over the door, which we couldn't see. We ordered a round of drinks and then finally someone came over and gave us a copy of the daily menu, which listed 7 different options. After asking for assistance from someone in translating, the server explained that we could get as much of anything off the menu that we wanted. Without really knowing what she was ordering, Steph chose a couple of options and we waited to see what we would get.
A short time later we had two orders of steak and one of chicken on the table. Soon to follow, we ordered a quesadilla and some soup, which ended up being something with cactus in it. All of the food, especially the bistec mexicana, was really good, and, as we were told, when the bill came the only thing on it was our drinks. We spent more than we probably should have on margaritas, but justified it with our free meal for the night. This tidbit of advice we stumbled upon means that I am going to try to watch the "No Reservations" episodes available for any city we visit on this trip.
Well, not really, because I actually never saw the Mexico City episode. But someone else did, and tried one of the restaurants he visited. And then she told us about it on the plane. And then we went there, and got free stuff.
We had spent the earlier part of the day visiting the ruins at Teotihuacan, just outside of the city. In the native language, it means "City of the Gods" and the two main structures there have been known as the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, although recently the Pyramid of the Sun has been thought to actually be a Pyramid for the Water God. The civilization was thought to have begun around 600 B.C. and the earliest of the ruins were believed to have been built in 100 A.D. We were able to climb up and around most of the ruins, and did that for a few hours before heading back into the city for our much anticipated dinner.
The place is called La Mascota, but all we had to go on was that it might be located at 20 Mesones street. After consulting with Google and a few different maps, we figured out the best route to take using the efficient and extremely cheap Metro system. After walking a bit, we came across what we thought might be the place. While we weren't completely sure about it, we heard live music coming from inside and there was a decent crowd, so we figured either way it couldn't be bad.
After a few of the staff members debated amongst themselves for awhile about who would help us, we were told to pick any table and decided on one towards the back but not far from the band. We saw that almost the entire menu was alcohol. There was a small corner listing a few different sandwich options and a daily specials menu over the door, which we couldn't see. We ordered a round of drinks and then finally someone came over and gave us a copy of the daily menu, which listed 7 different options. After asking for assistance from someone in translating, the server explained that we could get as much of anything off the menu that we wanted. Without really knowing what she was ordering, Steph chose a couple of options and we waited to see what we would get.
A short time later we had two orders of steak and one of chicken on the table. Soon to follow, we ordered a quesadilla and some soup, which ended up being something with cactus in it. All of the food, especially the bistec mexicana, was really good, and, as we were told, when the bill came the only thing on it was our drinks. We spent more than we probably should have on margaritas, but justified it with our free meal for the night. This tidbit of advice we stumbled upon means that I am going to try to watch the "No Reservations" episodes available for any city we visit on this trip.
Wonderful Land of Disney
Although we started our LA trip with a night in this gorgeous room overlooking Disneyland
we didn't actually get to spend time in the magical place itself until the end of our stop in Cali.
As someone who had never been to any Disney Park, I was very much looking forward to this new experience. And as Steph put it, the best way to experience Disney is with people who can really appreciate it for what it is, and I definitely had that.
There is not much to be said about Disneyland that does not seem to be too cliche. We met characters, went on Splash Mountain, ate junk food. Jon's mom was so nice and gave us many fast passes so we didn't have to wait in line for most rides, and felt it was worth it when we had to queue for over an hour to meet three of the princesses.
We also went over to California Adventure to try out some of the bigger rides. I was completely amazed by the California Screamin' rollercoaster and both impressed and stunned when I finally got to experience the Tower of Terror I had heard so so much about.
The only let down of the day was that the "Small World" attraction was closed. Looks like I will be making my way down to the Disney on the other coast once I return from this trip.
we didn't actually get to spend time in the magical place itself until the end of our stop in Cali.
As someone who had never been to any Disney Park, I was very much looking forward to this new experience. And as Steph put it, the best way to experience Disney is with people who can really appreciate it for what it is, and I definitely had that.
There is not much to be said about Disneyland that does not seem to be too cliche. We met characters, went on Splash Mountain, ate junk food. Jon's mom was so nice and gave us many fast passes so we didn't have to wait in line for most rides, and felt it was worth it when we had to queue for over an hour to meet three of the princesses.
With the Big Mouse himself.
We also went over to California Adventure to try out some of the bigger rides. I was completely amazed by the California Screamin' rollercoaster and both impressed and stunned when I finally got to experience the Tower of Terror I had heard so so much about.
The only let down of the day was that the "Small World" attraction was closed. Looks like I will be making my way down to the Disney on the other coast once I return from this trip.
Physically in LA, Mentally in BKK
For being my first time in California, when I think back on it now, what it really does is evoke memories of Thailand.
First, our primary reason for stopping off in Los Angeles was to visit Jon, who had lived next door to Steph and worked at her school for the summer semester. Simply having the three of us together again was so reminiscent of the long weekend we spent camping in Khao Yai National Park. Seeing Steph again just seemed normal since we had stayed in constant contact since I left Thailand, but having someone else from our life there with us in North America was just surreal.
To add to that, our first night in LA we had planned to also meet up with Tony, who we had met because he worked at the same school as will in Nakhon Pathom. On of Jon's friends from home who had also lived in Thailand joined us as well and we all went to L5 to enjoy some Thai food.
But we didn't just get the food, which was some of the best I have had since coming back from Thailand. We also got the entire Thai experience. From Karaoke to disco lights, Sangsom to a Chang Beer tower, the only thing missing was a bucket.
Thai poses, Chang/Singha Beer and all.
Because that just wasn't enough, the next night we had another treat. We were out in Hollywood celebrating on of Jon's friend's birthdays and had the pleasure of seeing Meaghan, who happened to be 'home' from Thailand for a few weeks in Santa Barbara.
Reunited and it feels so good.
Having this time to relive and rehash all of our amazing Thailand memories was a great way to get us going with our next trip.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Seattle: WTF?
Of course we went to Pike Place Market and saw the guys tossing fish. Obviously we went to the originial Starbucks to get Pumpkin Spice Lattes to warm us up. Clearly we stopped at the gum wall--- to chew, blow and stick. And while the title of this post could easily be referring to the attitude we got from one guy at the fish market when we passed by multiple times while waiting to meet Pat, what it actually is about is something much more entertaining; not something Seattle is exactly known for, but at the same time something that fits the city's reputation perfectly.
After we met up with Patrick, we walked around the city a bit but soon realized our flip flops were not sufficient for the chilly weather we were encountering. We were searching for a place to eat that needed to meet about 10 critieria, when we stubbled upon Can Can, which advertized to be "kitchen, cocktails & cabaret." This caught our attention, so we walked in to find out more about it.
A girl at the front told us a show was starting in a few minutes. When we asked what type of show it was, she described it as a mix between can can, burlesque, and modern dancing. The program for that night was called "WTF." We were cold and it sounded interesting, so we decided to give it a shot.
The lights went down and what appeared on stage was pretty much the farthest thing from what any of the three of us were anticipating. It started with a guy wearing a long beard, speaking in a Russian accent and dressed in a raggedy fur coat. Then the fur coat came off and two more guys came out. The tree of them, dressed in spandex, then did a dance which made us question what type of place we had walked into. Effectively, I am pretty positive everyone in the audience was actually thinking, WTF.
The show continued with different dance routines, each using the 5 different actors and actresses as different characters. Some were very creative, some were rather risque, and others were just plain funny. By intermission, everyone in the audience started to really get into the show, and the second half of the show was just hilarious. They do a different show each night of the week, so whenever I get back to Seattle, I will definitely be checking out the others.
After we met up with Patrick, we walked around the city a bit but soon realized our flip flops were not sufficient for the chilly weather we were encountering. We were searching for a place to eat that needed to meet about 10 critieria, when we stubbled upon Can Can, which advertized to be "kitchen, cocktails & cabaret." This caught our attention, so we walked in to find out more about it.
A girl at the front told us a show was starting in a few minutes. When we asked what type of show it was, she described it as a mix between can can, burlesque, and modern dancing. The program for that night was called "WTF." We were cold and it sounded interesting, so we decided to give it a shot.
The lights went down and what appeared on stage was pretty much the farthest thing from what any of the three of us were anticipating. It started with a guy wearing a long beard, speaking in a Russian accent and dressed in a raggedy fur coat. Then the fur coat came off and two more guys came out. The tree of them, dressed in spandex, then did a dance which made us question what type of place we had walked into. Effectively, I am pretty positive everyone in the audience was actually thinking, WTF.
The show continued with different dance routines, each using the 5 different actors and actresses as different characters. Some were very creative, some were rather risque, and others were just plain funny. By intermission, everyone in the audience started to really get into the show, and the second half of the show was just hilarious. They do a different show each night of the week, so whenever I get back to Seattle, I will definitely be checking out the others.
Lindsay and Stephanie....or Lucy and Ethel?
Remember that episode of "I Love Lucy" where she goes to the vineyard and stomps grapes? (If you don't, here's a clip) That's all we had in our heads when we made our way to the Gulf Islands for the Salt Spring Vineyard annual grape stomp this past Saturday.
But let's back up a bit first.
Because we just didn't get enough time in transit to and from Banff, we decided to drive down to Vancouver on Friday. This was technically my only day in the city, and we spent a good part of it doing Steph's favorite activity, biking the seawall. From there we went out to dinner and then drinks with one of Steph's friends and Eric and one of his friends, who was nice enough to let us crash at her place in the city that night. This was a very good thing because it saved us from having to drive to Chilliwack to sleep and then back to Vancouver in the morning to catch the early ferry.
Though we missed the first ferry we wanted, eventually we made it to Victoria, British Columbia's capital city on Vancouver Island. But this was just to connect us to the next ferry to Salt Spring Island, on of the Gulf Islands, where we then took a bus to get to the vineyard.
The island itself is pretty small, only 70 square miles, and you definitely get a very small town vibe immediately. Aside from the tourists, all of the people on the bus, including the driver, seemed to know each other well. It is also known as being one of the artsier communities, so we passed different shops along the way.
At the vineyard we had a free wine tasting and some snacks as we waited our turn to partake in the grape stomp. We soon discovered that not only would we be stomping grapes, but that it was a competition to see which of the four teams could fill up a large wine bottle first. One person started in the grapes while the other held the bottle and a long stick to unclog the spout from mashed grapes and stems and halfway through we would switch. The stomping part was actually easy; it was getting the stream of juice to flow nicely that we had problems with, meaning that we had a great time, but lost the competition terribly.
We then ferried back to Victoria where we met up again with Eric and another of his friends for dinner and then a walk around the city. Since the sun had gone down already we were able to see the Parliament building all lit up and the harbor at night was just beautiful, if a bit chilly. Though we were only in the city for a few hours, I think it was my favorite city in Canada. It just has a great feel to it, with restaurants and pubs on every street and corner and seemed to be geared to a younger crowd because of the high student population. And of course, it is right on the water.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
O Canada, Steph's home and native land....
I can't believe it's been a week since I left. And then when I look back at everything we have already done, I can't believe it has only been a week. Time is getting back to playing its usual tricks on me.
It seems as though we have been on the move pretty much since I arrived at the Seattle airport on Monday afternoon. Since then, we have driven from Seattle up to Chilliwack (3 hours), from Chilliwack over to Banff in Alberta (9 hours), back to Chilliwack (8.5 hours) and then down to Vancouver (1.5 hours). We also spent a good chunk of Saturday on ferries to Victoria and Salt Spring, one of the smaller Gulf Islands, which totaled just over 4 hours.
But all of that time in transit was well worth it. Up in Banff we saw Lake Louise, surrounded by mountains and fed by glaciers, it's an amazingly blue-green-turquoise color. We did a short hike up to a lookout point and really got to take in all of its beauty. Unfortunately, it began to snow. At first it was just flurries but after we had gone in to get some hot tea it was coming down pretty hard and the tops of the mountains were no longer visible, so we headed back into the town of Banff. We went on a hike searching for some Hoodoos but there were no markings on the trail and after trying a few different options with no luck, it began to get pretty chilly out so we went back to the hostel.
The Banff Hoodoos, which evaded us.
The hostel we were staying in was advertising that the pub downstairs was having a Full Moon Party. Since Steph and I are kind of pros at these, we figured we had to make an appearance. Of course it was nothing like Koh Phangan, though they did have body paint, but we still had a nice time meeting people there.
I had forgotten that one of the best parts about staying in hostels is how easy it becomes to meet other travelers. This time was a little different because most of the people we met were actually in Banff for a job fair that one of the ski resorts was holding. So while they weren't exactly other travelers, they were still interesting to chat with. Most of them were from Australia and New Zealand and one Kiwi in particular was drilling Steph about Canada, specifically its wildlife. It was hard to take his questions seriously, and a large part of that conversation was actually Stephanie teaching him the Canadian national anthem and her learning the New Zealand one, which is apparently partially in another language. (I just did a quick Google search to ensure that this was not fiction.)
On another note, after spending so much time with Steph in Thailand and talking to her since she has come back home, I arrived here already feeling like I knew most of the people in her life. It's been nice to actually get to meet some of them while at the same time seeing parts of Chilliwack and for the most part, I was surprised that most of them were exactly as I thought they would be.
***Have not yet uploaded photos. Will add those later rather than supplementing with ones stolen from the internets.***
It seems as though we have been on the move pretty much since I arrived at the Seattle airport on Monday afternoon. Since then, we have driven from Seattle up to Chilliwack (3 hours), from Chilliwack over to Banff in Alberta (9 hours), back to Chilliwack (8.5 hours) and then down to Vancouver (1.5 hours). We also spent a good chunk of Saturday on ferries to Victoria and Salt Spring, one of the smaller Gulf Islands, which totaled just over 4 hours.
But all of that time in transit was well worth it. Up in Banff we saw Lake Louise, surrounded by mountains and fed by glaciers, it's an amazingly blue-green-turquoise color. We did a short hike up to a lookout point and really got to take in all of its beauty. Unfortunately, it began to snow. At first it was just flurries but after we had gone in to get some hot tea it was coming down pretty hard and the tops of the mountains were no longer visible, so we headed back into the town of Banff. We went on a hike searching for some Hoodoos but there were no markings on the trail and after trying a few different options with no luck, it began to get pretty chilly out so we went back to the hostel.
The hostel we were staying in was advertising that the pub downstairs was having a Full Moon Party. Since Steph and I are kind of pros at these, we figured we had to make an appearance. Of course it was nothing like Koh Phangan, though they did have body paint, but we still had a nice time meeting people there.
I had forgotten that one of the best parts about staying in hostels is how easy it becomes to meet other travelers. This time was a little different because most of the people we met were actually in Banff for a job fair that one of the ski resorts was holding. So while they weren't exactly other travelers, they were still interesting to chat with. Most of them were from Australia and New Zealand and one Kiwi in particular was drilling Steph about Canada, specifically its wildlife. It was hard to take his questions seriously, and a large part of that conversation was actually Stephanie teaching him the Canadian national anthem and her learning the New Zealand one, which is apparently partially in another language. (I just did a quick Google search to ensure that this was not fiction.)
On another note, after spending so much time with Steph in Thailand and talking to her since she has come back home, I arrived here already feeling like I knew most of the people in her life. It's been nice to actually get to meet some of them while at the same time seeing parts of Chilliwack and for the most part, I was surprised that most of them were exactly as I thought they would be.
***Have not yet uploaded photos. Will add those later rather than supplementing with ones stolen from the internets.***
Monday, October 10, 2011
And It Begins
Sitting in Reagan National Airport waiting for my flight to Seattle by way of Denver. Since I found out I had to leave Thailand, I was already looking ahead to my next trip, and I can't believe it's actually now here. For the months leading up to now, almost everyone I told I would be backing through Latin America had basically the same response of shock and horror that I would even consider to attempt such a thing. Don't I know it's dangerous? There are so many drug cartels! Whatever I do, do not go to Aruba. None of this bothered me. I was still off the high I had from my last trip and remembering those feelings was enough to shut out the anxiety that a trip of this magnitude should reasonably bring.
But now, it's a different story. I've had a feeling in my stomach for the last few days that I have not been able to shake. It's not something I've felt before any of my other trips, but then again none of the others have been quite like this. Simply thinking of a map and the land we are going to be covering is completely daunting and sends me into a mini panic attack. As Steph pointed out, not having a set plan probably isn't helping this situation too much either.
Thinking about it one city, even just one country, at a time alleviates some of the anxiety, and I am thinking and hoping that once we get going we will be so caught up in it that we wont really be able to think too much about it. So right now, I am going to dig deep and try to find the person I found while I was in Thailand, the one who was super easy going, who shrugged off a beach robbery, and took one day at a time. I am not even going to think about anything beyond Vancouver. I have ten days to enjoy there and I intend to make the best of them.
But now, it's a different story. I've had a feeling in my stomach for the last few days that I have not been able to shake. It's not something I've felt before any of my other trips, but then again none of the others have been quite like this. Simply thinking of a map and the land we are going to be covering is completely daunting and sends me into a mini panic attack. As Steph pointed out, not having a set plan probably isn't helping this situation too much either.
Thinking about it one city, even just one country, at a time alleviates some of the anxiety, and I am thinking and hoping that once we get going we will be so caught up in it that we wont really be able to think too much about it. So right now, I am going to dig deep and try to find the person I found while I was in Thailand, the one who was super easy going, who shrugged off a beach robbery, and took one day at a time. I am not even going to think about anything beyond Vancouver. I have ten days to enjoy there and I intend to make the best of them.
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