Quintana Roo and Yucatan

Quintana Roo - isn´t it pretty the name? I like it. I spend my first 3 nights in Mexico in Tulum. A town 1 1/2 hours away from the  with Belice and directly on the beach.

The beach is really pretty, white sand, blue water, not many people, not so high waves - perfect for a beach day. But I´m not a water freak, so I haven´t done a beach day. The first day, I couldn´t enjoy it, because I was too worried about my boyfriend. He didn´t arrived with the bus he was supposed to, and he also didn´t come with the 3 ohters from that city. Very late he called me and told me that he couldn´t cross the border. He tried Mexico and Belize. To bad that we can´t travel togehter in Yucatan and he can´t visit some Maya Ruins.

We both try now to live our lifes with little contact, I spoke to him in the last 5 days maybe 15 minutes. It is really hard and I wish that to nobody. He hasn´t a phone nor the knowledge how the internet works. I tried to teach him how an Email adress works, but I think he is unsure and because of that he isn´t going to an interntshop to read my mails.

In Tulum I visited the Ruins there, made a walk to the beach and made my plans where to go next.
The ruins are tiny there, but so beautiful directly on the coast. It is also posible to go swim there, but I didn´t went - too crowded. That was a weird thing, this site is so tiny, but welcomes so many visitors. It is more like a castle and at one building it was posible to see some paintings. I haven´t seen paintings before and I think there are real and no fake. I think it is a must to go there. After that you can walk 10 minutes to the public beach and relax there or book a snorkel trip.

Then I left to Valladolid, which is more in the north. Had to go farer away from Guatemala to avoid myself driving back for a couple of days, which wouldn´t make sense in my head, but for my heart yes. But saying goodbye would be even harder.

Valladolid is a nice town, it´s clean and has some interesting buildings. There is a lot to do around here. And I found an awesome hostal. The name is Hostal Candelaria, when you are coming, you have to stay here! And the city is worth to stay here 2-3 nights, too.

Here is one Cenote in town, the entrance is 15 pesos (1 Euro = 17 pesos). It is like a cave with a lake inside. All over Yucatan and Quintana Roo there is under earth water in tunels which are connected with each other. At around 10 000 places there are holes where these waters reach the surface. The one in the town Valladolid is huge, but leaves and flowers on the water surface made me not swimming in it. But honestly, in the heat here, it is really refreshing.

Yesterday, the 9th of June I went to the Maya ruins Chichen Itzá, but the only thing I can say - Tikal is better.
Why? You can´t climb the temples (and only one temple is there), no rain forest around and a lot of sellers are on the ways, so it is not enjoyable to walk from one building to the next, because you are always watched. The good thing is, that a lot of reliefs are still intact and not destroyed.

Today I made a bike tour (since 9 months the first time on a bike) to another Cenote out of town. It was an easy ride and not that hot. The name of the Cenote is Cenote Samula or also Dzitnup. You pay 52 pesos for the entrance. This cave has a hole at the top and a tree let grow there roots through until it touched the water. To sad that the tree is dead, but the roots are still there and it gives a fantastic picture. You can also swim there and the water is cold in the first moment, but feels awesome after a few seconds against the heat.

Soon at home again!

This time I feel like writing in german, this means for my english speaking friends, please use google translator!

Wiegesagt, bald findet man mich wieder in saechsichen Gefilden, genauer gesagt, am 17. Juni landet mein Flug in Frankfurt/Main. Am 5. Juni verlasse ich allerdings Guatemala schon, obwohl ich gern noch ein paar Tage länger bleiben oder meinen Freund mit nach Mexiko nehmen würde.

Aber mein Touristenvisum für Guatemala läuft am 5. Juni mal wieder ab und Nigland hat keinen Reisepass um mit mir nach Mexiko zu kommen. Das heisst, wir müssen uns am 5. Juni auf unbestimmte Zeit verabschieden.

Was ich in diesem Beitrag noch vorhatte, war einige Unterschiede zwischen Deutschland und Guatemala aufzuführen.

Hier gibt es keine Eisenbahn, alles beschränkt sich auf den Bus. Und viele Strecken werden durch die alten Schulbusse aus den USA zurückgelegt. Diese sind total bunt aufgehübscht und haben alle einen Jesusspruch drinnen über der Frontscheibe. Aussen über der Frontscheibe dagegen kann man lesen, welche Strecke der Bus fährt. Doch ab und zu stehen Städte dran, die nicht direkt angefahren werden, sondern man führt zumindest zu einer Kreuzung, von wo man einen anderen Bus nehmen muss, um zum Ziel zu gelangen, was einen nochmal bis zu einer Stunde dauern kann. Des weiteren gibt es in guatemaltekischen Bussen immer einen Fahrer und einen Helfer. Einen Helfer??? Wozu der??? Ja, der hat ganzschün zu tun. Es faengt damit an, dass er immer aus der Tuer brüllt, wo der Bus hinfährt um Gäste anzuwerben. Gibt es Gäste mit viel Gepäck, muss er das auf das Busdach hiefen und festzurren. Beim Runtersteigen fährt der Bus meistens schon wieder, also wird während der Fahrt vorne zur Tür wieder reingeklettert. Er sammelt das Geld ein. Sitze für normalerweise 2 Schüler werden in Guatemala fuer 3 Leute genutzt, Kinder stehen zwischen den Beinen. Der Helfer sorgt dafür, das sich auch Unwillige zu dritt auf die Bank quetschen. An den verschiedenen Dörfern ruft er die Namen der Gemeinden, damit niemand verpasst auszusteigen. Sollte jemand Sachen auf dem Dach haben, steigt der Helfer noch während der Fahrt hoch, um die Sachen schonmal loszubinden. Fuer diese Busse gibt es auch keine festen Haltestellen, Ein- und Ausgestiegen wird, wo man möchte. Dies kann die Fahrtzeit ins Unendliche ziehen..

Letztens war ich auf einer Geburtstagsfeier, wo der 15. eines Mädchens gefeiert wurde. Feiern fangen üblicherweise erst am Abend an. Sind die Geburtstagskinder noch jünger, wird eine Pinata zerschlagen, oder auch zwei, die mit Süßigkeiten gefüllt sind. Danach wird ein Kuchenlied gesungen, in dieser Zeit werden die Kerzen auf dem Geburtstagskuchen ausgeblasen und jeder Gast bekommt ein Stück. Abendessen wird auch verteilt, an alle auf Styroportellern und mit Plastebesteck. Getränke auch in Styroporbechern. Dies wird nach der Benutzung verbrannt. Ich habe auch beobachtet, das einige Gäste gleich nach dem Essen verteilen wieder gehen und die Mahlzeit unangerührt mit nach Hause nehmen. Einige bleiben länger, evtl wurde eine Disco aufgebaut wie bei dem 15. Geburtstag. Wenn nicht, ist nach dem Essen schon alles wieder vorbei. Es kommt auch, wer will. Nicht jeder eingeladene kommt, oder wenn er kommt, dass evtl zu spät und ohne Geschenk und nur zum Essen. Aber das wird den Leuten nicht krumm genommen. Für mich ist das allerdings gewöhnungsbedürftig.

Auch mit dem Pünktlich sein hat man es nicht so. Wenn man sich einen Termin am nächsten Tag ausmacht, heißt das noch lange nicht, dass man auch zu dem Treffen geht. Genauso wenn einem gesagt wird: Ich komme gleich! Da kann man schon mal 3 Stunden und mehr warten. Letztens hatte ich Nigland zum Cucos kaufen geschickt, was so um die 5 Minuten dauert. Nach einer Stunde war er immer noch nicht zurück. Das sollte aber kein Grund sein, um sauer zu werden. Das gleiche, als wir und in Flores treffen wollten, er aber nach der Arbeit erschöpft war und nicht aufgetaucht ist. Daran muss ich mich erst gewöhnen, an den Satz: Ahorita vengo! Ich komme sofort! Nigland frage ich schon immer, in wie vielen Stunden das ist ;)

Bei den Mahlzeiten wird sich auch nicht vor dem Essen `Guten Appetit` gewünscht, sondern sobald jemand fertig ist. Derjenige steht dann vom Tisch auf, bedankt sich und der Rest erwidert ein `Buen provecho`. Auch wird nicht zur gleichen Zeit angefangen, sondern jeder nimmt sich, wann er Hunger verspürt.

Steht man vor dem Haus oder Tor eines Freundes (es gibt natürlich keine Klingeln), wird entweder ewig an die Tür geklopft, oder man pfeift, bis man gehört wird. Das gleiche auf der Straße. Man will einen Freund grüßen, aber er hat sieht einen nicht, wird nicht etwa sein Name gerufen, sondern solange gepfiffen bis er begreift, dass das Pfeifen ihm gewidmet ist.

Soweit so gut, dass die auffälligsten Sachen. Meine 11 letzten Tage auf der anderen Seite der Erde werde ich in Mexiko verbringen, baden gehen, relaxen, noch ein paar Mayaruinen anschauen und mich schon auf Deutschland freuen: mein Bett, Maulwurfkuchen, dunkles Brot, Capoeira, Parks, mein Fahrrad, im Garten mit meiner Mutti wirtschaften, mit meiner Schwester von Angesicht zu Angesicht reden nicht mehr aus dem Rucksack leben usw. Aber ich werde auch Guatemala und den ganzen Tag spanisch sprechen vermissen!!! 

Nachtrag: Ich wollte mit Nigland eine Woche zusammen in Mexiko reisen und zusammen mit ihm Tulum, Playa de Carmen, Chitzen Itza und Cancun erkunden. Leider haben sie ihn nicht über die Grenze gelassen. Jetzt ist mir die Lust am Reisen vergangen und ich würde lieber zurück nach Guatemala oder morgen schon nach Hause fliegen!

7 weeks Petén

Cockroach in the Aktun Kan cave

with Nigland in the kitchen

Ok, now you maybe want to know why I spend 7 weeks in Petén, the last two weeks in a small village with 1000 inhabitants.

The reason is a guatemalan guy, Nigland, we are together now. I spare you know with the details how he got me. But he is great, of course.

The last two weeks of my time there, I changed to a hotel in his village, which made it easier to meet and he didn´t had to come with the canoe all the time. I also ate always with his family or he cooked for us...I´m scared of cooking over open fire. He is living very simple, charing the house with a sister, his dad and two brothers, all in one room, no privacy. The kitchen is next to the house, always open, and they cook with firewood. The bathroom is also the place to wash the dishes and clothes. The toilet is an outhouse with soem walls around. It is not luxury at all, but the hammock outside and the trees around makes it beautiful. I love to hang around there.

cat Diablo (devil)

the house

When I came to Flores at the end of March I first was hanging around with Eugen (from Bremen) and Tim (USA) which I met in Xela, and I knew there were there. We went swimming everyday and I showed them around the forest in San Miguel, I already knew a bit at that moment. We also went to the cave Aktun Kan in Santa Elena and we got to see bets, a monster cockroach and a big cave. I  also made dreadlocks, finally 52 on my costumers head. What a work!!!

lake Petén Itza

When they left another girl I know from Xela was coming to Flores and we spend time together. After this I went one week to Coban, because I knew that Nigland was working all the week. Then I met German Mike in Flores, and we both moved at the same time to San Miguel. He is travelling by bike from Canada to Guatemala. Then he left last week to fly home from Mexico, and I left Sunday. My last night I spend with Nigland sleeping on the Mirador in the forest of San Miguel.

with Mary in Flores

Now Iam in Antigua and I changed my plans. Iam tired of moving around since January 2010, so I´m not going to fly back from Panama, it´s too far away. I feel like staying in one place until the end of my trip. So I go back to my boyfriends village, it is relaxeg, people are nice, know me already, nature around, I can swim in the morning. And if we want some ¨buja¨ and o dancing, we go over to Flores by canoe and to a disco in Santa Elena.

living house, after that the kitchen and the ´bathroom´

 Oh yes, my plans now?? I have a flight at the 16th of June and you can welcome me the 17th of June at 13:05 in Frankfurt. Of course, I know that´s far, so I will let you know, when we can meet at the BRN ;)

One week out of Flores!

forest near Coban

Since I left Xela at the end of march I´m in Flores, in the north of Guatemala, the department Petén. But I needed a break and went for some days to Baja and Alta Verapaz.

a Quetzal

In Cobán I met a friend in the hostal and the next day, the 12th of Abril, we visited the Biotopo del Quetzal. What´s a Quetzal? It´s the national bird of Guatemala, living in the cloud forests of Latin America. But there aren´t that much anymore, because of the deforestation in that areas. At least I hoped to see one in the Biotopo del Quetzal. It is not that easy, but when we went inside, the guide told us 30 minutes ago there was one in the visitors center. He also made the voices of the bird, that we know, what we should listen for. Suddenly there answered a Quetzal, we had a look and it was a female one. The male ones are the more exciting ones, blue, green and red with 3 or 4 one meter long tail feather. But he didn´t come. So went inside the parc, it was a nice walk, we decided to make the 4 km round and we also saw a 450 years old tree. The trunk was amazing big!

the old tree

The next day we (my italian friend and another german woman we met in Cobán as well) left to Laguna Lachúa. This is a national parc in the north of Alta Verpaz next to the Mexican border with a really nice lake in the heart. As we left the minibus in front of the entrance, a guy explained us the way to the Ecohotel. This is first a 2.4km way through the forest to a viewing point over the lake and then another 1.8km to the hotel and the bathing point. The forest is great, rainforest as yiou know it from pictures, very green and tall trees. Nice shadow and fresher air, which is awesome in the midday heat. The ecohotel was really eco, we only had a compost toilet, cooked with firewood and the electricity came from a generator.

The beach was awesome, better with less people and less noises. Fishes were swimming around you, you could see the bottom of the lake, nice sunset and listen to howler monkeys while watching the stars and the moon on the night.

Laguna Lachua

I can recommend going there, you have to take your own food, but there is a kitchen you can use and also drinking water (we didn´t know that and carried our water trough the forest). The beds are nice with mosquito nets, very clean and it´s not to hot to sleep. You can also camp there, but with your own tent, which is better, because so much cheaper. It´s not touristic at all, we were the only foreigners there and you should go there. They are also building the street, which is a plus to get there less dirty ;)

different prices for foreigners and guatemaltecos

Katja (Germany), Fabio (Italy) and me at Laguna Lachua

reforestation from I.C.A.

The most of my time in Guatemala I lived in Quetzaltengo, like most of you should know alreday. After my first 2 weeks in Xela having spanish classes I went to a coffee farm, but that wasn´t what I liked. So I moved back to Xela and started working voluntary in the reforestation project of the Spanish school I.C.A. I talked to the director Enrique on a Friday and on Monday Carlos picked me up to go with him to Zona 10, where the tree nursery was. But before we collected seeds in front of a hospital from the Eucalyptus.

The Eucalyptus isn´t actually the main tree in the nuersery, because this tree needs a lot of water, what isn´t that helpfully in the dry season. Other trees are : Alder, Cypress, Pine, Lang Oak, Peruvian Pepper Tree and the Guatemalan Fir. I was only working with the Cypress, Pine and Alder.

What I have done is watering the plants, weeding, transplanting, filling bags with soil, seeding and building protection walls of the cold night wind.

But unfortunately in december almost all of the taller Pines died, so I came to the reforestation in January and the joke was, that the trees now have the same color as my hair. But for me it was kind of a pitiable sight and not funny at all. Later on in January I went twice with Enrique, Carlos, Cesar, Eugen, Luis and his little brother to the mountains to collect seeds of the Alder. This was fun, except the early stand up. Enrique picked me and Eugen up at the school at 6 am and we arrived in the mountains at around 7 to walk a bit more up. Because of the dry season it was very dusty and I have never been that happy to take a shower afterwards. We worked until one and were back in Xela at two. To see the sunrise over Xela from the mountains was worth to stand up that early. And as soon as the sun was out, it got nice warm.

In total it was a lot of fun to work there, now is the season to transplant the babytrees in there bags. That is a lot of work, so the numbers of workers raised from 2 to 10 in the last month. 

To say goodbye I went there with a cake, but I underestimated the numbers of workers and that in the break other family members are coming to have breakfast as well. So finally I coulnd´t catch a piece of my blueberry cake.

collecting seeds

If you want to know more about the reforestation, how they finance thereselves and stuff like that, have a look here: ICA page

Pictures:

tiny Pines

tree nursery

mostly dead plants

breakfast

Xela in the morning

me working

2 and a half week travelling..

To renew my visa for Guatemala a second time, I decided to go to Belize. So I started my trip with my flatmate from Xela and we drove together to Antigua and couchsurfed there with a really nice host. Gepke continued the next day to El Salvador and I visited a Reggaeconcert in Guatemala City. The argentinian band Nonpalidece played, but we couldn´t stay until the end. I moved on to Chiquimula, because it is close to the border with Honduras and I made a daytrip from there to visit the mayan ruins in Copán. I wrote about it. Unfortunately I forgot to change my rest Lempiras back to Quetzales. I asked at the belizian - guatemalan border, and there was a guy to change me that...but for such a bad rate, so I decided to keep them.

One strange thing going to Copán was, that they ask me, if I want a new 90-days visa for Guatemala. Normally this shouldn´t work at the honduran-guatemalan border, so I declined friendly ;)

Next day I took a bus to Puerto Barrios to go from there to Punta Gorda, Belize. I had to pay 80 quetzales to leave Guatemala, and 175Q for the boat. The boat ride was one hour long and I went straight to the house of my couchsurfing host. But she wasn´t there, I started talking and playing with the neighbour kids until the dark. These children told me, that my host sometimes sleeps at a friends house, and I was kind of scared, she forgot about me, so I started to find a hostal. On the way a man started talking to me and we went out for soem beers, after he showed me a hostal. So I got to see Punta Gorda by night, and he wanted to give me a present the next day, that I don´t forget Belize. But he wasn´t there the next morning, so I left PG without seeing him again.

Placencia, my next stop was very relaxed, and I think a lot of British people live there. One woman asked me, if I am from the United Kindom, because my ¨Hello¨ sounded very British english. I don´t even know the differences between the ¨hello´s¨ from the different english speaking countries. But so far, nothing else to say about Placencia, very calm and hot!!!

After that I took a bus and drove on the Hummingbird Highway, which was cool. So many orange trees, over and over the valleys, Orangetress. Cars on the road full with oranges. And all was so green. I would recommend to everybody, take the James bus and drive along the Hummingbird Highway...better, drive it with your own car, then you can stop and make pictures, and you can also stop at the blue hole, a lake in the middle of the rainforest.

In Belize City it was crazy. I didn´t really know, where to stay, so I wanted to go to a bookstore first and have a look in a guide book. But, ha, I asked people about one street and that I am looking for a bookstore. They probably thought, what need this girl with a bookstore, so everybody told me, where I can cross a brigde to find the water taxt to Caye Caulker. So, not my question. An old man showed me a place to stay, finally. His name is Frank, or Volt called by local people. He told me his was a police officer for 20 years, but he is retired now. He showed me a bit of the city and said, Iam safe now, because people saw me with him, and he is respected by everybody in Belize City.

frank in front of the old hospital

the blue water in Caye Caulker

One day I went to the belizian zoo, very cute, I recommend going there. I will probably make an extra post about it. I spend then to nights on Caye Caulker, relaxing and swimming and sweating (haha). Caye Caulker is tiny, but beautiful. Unfortunately we couldn´t find nightlife, we are not sure, if there is nightlife. There is one mainstreet, and it seemed, that local people and tourists walking this street up and down all night long...
If you like snorkeling, you should go there, the reef must be beautiful. That told me all the people who came from one.

Belize zoo

Then I went to San Ignacio, but I hadn´t belizian dollars anymore, so I decided to go to Guatemala earlier and skip making trips around Cayo (San Igancio called by locals). They day I was in San Ignacio was a holiday, so almost all was closed, but in Cayo they made a city bbq at there river. So families and couples were swimming there, relaxing, and listening to the reggae music. I went there, too and juggled a bit. Some people came over asking what I were doing. That showed me what I miss since September, hanging around in the parc, sitting on a meadow, talking to friends, juggle, listen to music. I´m looking foward to do this again in June in the Alaunpark in Dresden...juhu!!!

I crossed the border to Guatemala and went to Flores. I have been there in December with Erin, but I didn´t go to Tikal, the ruins. So I wanted to do it this time. The day I arrived in Flores, I took a boat in the afternoon to San Miguel, because there is a Mirador to see the Itza lake. A man showed me the way, he recognized that I don´t know the way and showed me a shorter one. I am actually not sure, if it is really shorter then the normal one, haha. From the Mirador you can see how huge this lake is, and the water is so blue. I think, I like this lake better than Lago Atitlan, because the water is cleaner (compared to San Pedro at Lago Atitlan). Later a guatemalan guy from San Miguel came and two italian travellers. I ended up going to the beach, the guatemalan guy recommend us, and later drinking some beer in Flores together with the Italians.

you can see the Flores island

Next day I made Tikal, but I wrote about it already. The day after this was really hot, I couldn´t leave the hostal, haha. But at maybe three I left to go to the beach again in San Miguel. But I had bad luck, 2 minutes in the water and it started to rain with thunder. I waited probably a bit to long, it was raining really hard when i decided to go back. I met Sebastian again on the way back (the guatemalan guy from two days ago) and we went to a place to protect us. But I was already wet and the wind was cold. But we waited maybe 45 minutes until the storm was over. We left, it was still raining, but it was raining into the night. He showed me the ruins of Tayazal and also a tree were spider monkeys are sleeping in the night. But it was getting dark, and I couldn´t see one monkey, they slept too high. Sebastian offered me to go to the zoo Petencito the next day with his canoe (which is more than 25 years old). I said yes.

So next day he picked me up in Flores. The canoe is kind of shaky, so I were thinking if I come back dry to Flores. It was cloudy, so it wasn´t too hot and an enjoyable ride by canoe to the zoo. My spanish works, but often I can´t discribe things as adequate as I would like to. So I got free entrance to the zoo and a lot of monkeys and parrots to see. Other animals too, but, I can´t remember all the spanish names I heard this day. Sebastian told me that the zoo is full at Eastern, a lot of families are coming, to hang out there. In the zoo they have a nice bbq-place with a playground for children and also waterslides. Later we watched some americans using the slides. The first guy was very slow, because there wasn´t a lot of water in the slide. So some parts he walked down. His friend couldn´t wait and started sliding while the other were still walking down. The second guy was very fast, and the other one: OH, NO, SHIT!!! He started running down the slide, tried to be out before his friend comes. But his friend catched him 2 meters before the end of the slide. It looked so hurtful! He made a loop into the water and landed on his friend. I think his back hurt very bad, and it was red. In the same manner one guy died last year on the slide, because of this they have the sign: Only one person on the slide at one time! You can get really really fast....

After the zoo we drove, or better, I let me drove ;) to the museum island near flores. They had some mayan stuff which they found in Tayazal and also from Tikal. Another things were old maschines, like telephones or flat irons.

my boatsman ;)

The next day I took the bus to Guatemala City at 8:30am to go to Antigua. In Guate I catched the last bus to Antigua and arrived there a bit later then 9pm. I couldn´t sit anymore. The first bus was so slow, they made long breaks in every bigger city, then there were an accident on the road and finally the motor hadn´t enough power to make it uphill fast. Sometimes I felt like I am faster walking....

But now I am back in Xela, there is somebody in the flat now, so I can go there!

In the heart of Petén - Tikal

I went two days ago to one of the largest archaeological sites of the mayan civilization. I think El Mirador is bigger, but its a five days hike to get there and back.

This city was alive around 700 years and was a big center politically, economically, and militarily.
Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikal

I was impressed, that this site is still in the deep jungle, no phone access there and so many beautiful trees, also a lot of ceibas, the national tree of Guatemala, I really like this tree. And you can also see wild animals walking trough the ruins or listen to howler monkeys, and they scream really scary. I saw them while walking from one temple to the next, alone on my way, and howler monkeys aboveme in the trees. I made a video, to show the noises to my family, when I am back home, but I then I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Later I watched one single monkey in the trees and a guide appeared behind, oh wow, he really affrighted me. But he apologized as he recognized what he had done to me. He also told me, that he really like to work in his part, because not a lot of tourists come ther, so its quiet and there are still Mayans coming, making ceremonies.

There are three temples to climb at the moment, one was kind of dangerous, more like climbing a ladder, than stairs. But everytime when you reached the top, the view was great. They are so high, that you can watch above the trees and see the tops of other temples.


It was really worth to go there, but take a lot of water, its hot and it is more expensive inside Tikal.
Some pictures now! ;)

working ants

a sprirituel group singing and catching positiv energy

huge trees

really huge trees

me in front of the great place

the most dangerous temple climb

great place with the temple Jaguar on the right site

4220 meters - Tajumulco (highest volcano of Centralamerica)

This 2-day hike was made by a group of I.C.A. students and me the 19th and 20th of February. We started the Saturday very early in the morning, we met at 6 and drove to San Marcos to have some breakfast there, of course rice, bean, platanos, eggs and tortillas. We continued with another bus to the village, where the hike starts. Our guide Perro (Miguel, but nicknamed Perro, which means dog) organised a pick up who drove our stuff the first 3 kilometers up the hill, I jumped on the car and also 3 others of our group, so we saved some energy.

just before the sunrise

sunrise, on the right side: other volcanoes

We hiked then 4 hours to the base camp, put the tents and collected firewood. As soon as we had the fire made, it started to hail and clouds covered the base camp. We unfortunately couldn´t see the sunset, it was too cloudy, but at 8 we could see the stars and the summit of Tajumulco shining because of the fullmoon.


As on top of Santa Maria, I couldn´t sleep again, because of the cold and the snores from Nelton. The sleeping bag was so much better (thanks again Marcus), but my feet were cold.

We started climbing the last 150 meters to the top at 4:45am. Sometimes I didn´t need a flashlight, the fullmoon was very bright. It was very beautiful to see the lights of the villges to far away, it was cold and hard, and I was very slow... I were also the last who stood up. The soil sounded like walking on snow, it reminded me of winter in Germany, haha, I love the sound of walking on fresh snow. On the summit were a lot of people, it was cold and windy, around 0°C, brrr. I made some pictures and then went to Eugen with his tiny group of ´we warm each other´.

fullmoon

too cold, brrrrrr

The view was amazing, we were waiting apprx. 20 min to the sunrise, the skycolors were awesome and the view to other volcanoes. As soon as the sun came out, Eugen asked: And where is the heat? Yeah, the heat came two hours later, but everybody was freezing, so, some last group pictures and back to the base camp.

We had breakfast, took the tents, packed, cleaned up our space and walked down Tajumulco (started at 9:30am) and drove back to Xela. We arived at home at around 3:30pm and the only two things we wanted to do: take a shower and sleep ;)

his shadow during the sunrise

view to Tajumulco from the base camp

Copán - ruins in Honduras

At the beginning of my travel to Belize I went a couple of hours to Honduras to visit the Copán mayan ruins. Unfortunately I forgot to change my rest Lempiras (the currency in Hoduras) back to Quetzales.

I really liked it, I joined a guided tour and our guide said that Tikal (the biggest ruins in Guatemala) is like New York and Copán is like Paris, more decorated and has mor art.

I really liked how the nature kind of destroyed the ruins and the roots of huge trees grow down stairs.

They also had a ballgame, and they sacrificed the best player after the game. So my questions, who wants to play very good with this end?

Wikipedia again is very good: so if you want to know about the ruins, you can read there and I show some pictures here.
wiki german: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop%C3%A1n
wiki english: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copan
wiki spanish: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copan

The English one again is the best...spanish, somebody should work on this site.
Now: my pictures!

ceiba - I loved this tree

one lempira with the ruins printed on it, and the ruins in the backround

ruins, the main plaza

also the main plaza with the ballgame place

 If you want to see the pictures larger, click on them.