Coming at you from somewhere in east Texas on the way to Houston for the night and thought I'd crank out a quick New Years Eve edition post!
Long hours on the road back to AZ have given me some time to truly reflect on what has been a absolutely monumental year in my life. Things started getting interesting back in April when I said goodbye to my job, coworkers, friends, and comfortable life in Arizona in search of adventure abroad.
That adventure took me to colonial towns, pristine coasts, the tops of volcanos, picturesque lakes, remote villages, lush jungles, raging parties, and even a surprise stop in Las Vegas.
I picked up a few new tricks along the way too. Among the highlights were:
...and then conquering iMovie (after much frustration) to have some cool videos to go along with
And then there was surfing, a new life passion!
And I cant forget celebrating my 30th birthday with the wonderful family I was living with at the time, and learning their special birthday cake custom haha
I got to see mother sea turtles lay eggs and watched in awe as those eggs hatched and hundreds of baby turtles came crawling up out of the sand and into the ocean. I swam through caves, climbed to the tops of volcanoes, jumped off waterfalls, surfed waves over my head, and even got a tan! I explored new cultures and entirely new ways of life, which have given me a broader perspective of the world and deeper new perspective of my own. I reconnected with myself and set a new precedent for a more balanced life going forward.
But as I reflect back on the places I've been, things Ive learned, and crazy experiences I had, what sticks out above all else are the amazing people I met along the way and had the pleasure of sharing those things with.
I Love you guys!
And a big thanks to everyone who has followed along and supported me in reading this blog. I really appreciate it! I love you guys too! :)
So with 2014 looming only a few hours away, I wish I could cling to 2013 and can't help but feel a little bit sad to let it go. It's been a heck of a ride and an incredible year of growth, which is going to make it nearly impossible to top, sadly. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. In fact I'm looking forward to the challenge ;)
I am typing away from my old casa in Boca Raton, Florida, having returned from my trip a few days ago. It's so weird being back. So dull here compared to living in Nicaragua the last several weeks. But maybe that has something to do with the fact that I'm hanging out in my parents house in Boca. Hmm...
Anyway, about a month ago I took a trip to the Island of Omotepe in Nicaragua. I had been meaning to go there for quite some time, as it is one of the major stops among the backpacker crowd, or the "gringo trail" as they call it. And rightfully so - it's an island of two volcanoes that rises up into the skyline out of Lake Nicaragua, the 9th largest freshwater lake in the Americas. In fact, it is the largest volcanic island within a freshwater body of water in the world. Pretty cool. Oh yeah, and the lake has bull sharks in it...which adds to the mystic. And sawfish. Creepyyy.
We began our adventure with a long ferry ride to the island.
As the skies greyed and the silhouettes of the two volcanoes, shrouded in mist drew closer, someone remarked that it felt like we were sailing into skull island from that cheesy King Kong movie. We chuckled, cause it was true.
After about an hour and a half we finally made it to shore.
Tentatively, we exited the safety of our ship and stepped foot into the unknown. Thankfully, instead of being greeted by this:
...we were greeted by a swarm of taxi and shuttle drivers jockeying for our business. Much less menacing. We got to our hostel, bought a cheap bottle of rum and some coke, and after a few drinks we meandered through the pitch darkness to the party hostel down the way.
Upon arrival, the girls were approached by a large intoxicated Swedish man wearing women's clothing, who apparently needed a kiss to complete the drinking challenge he was participating (alone) in. Gotta love backpackers.
The next day we rented bikes and rode a few miles to some mineral springs we had heard about. My bike had a bum chain which I couldnt get out of first gear, so I was peddling like a maniac and not really going anywhere. Theres me, way in the back, having much less fun than the girls.
Upon arriving, we were informed that once upon a time a ninety year old man took a dip in the springs and after swimming around for a while, felt like he was forty again. Amazing. We had discovered the fountain of youth, and it only cost us $3 to get in.
We could hardly contain our excitement.
Miracles abound, soon enough I was walking on water.
Which believe it or not, works up quite a hunger. Food became an urgent priority, and boy did we hit the jackpot. We rode into one of the roadside cafes to find out they had just pulled two fat tilapias out of the lake. Yes, please!
This was something special. And what started off as a normal civilized affair, using utensils and proper table etiquette quickly went out the window as our animal instincts took over. Like a wake of vultures, we stripped those fish to the bone in record time, snarling at each other through clenched teeth as we faught over the last few edible bits.
Fat and happy, we made our way back to the hostel to sort out the details of our big hike the next day - the main event, Maderas Volcano! This was the main reason we came, which makes it all the more puzzling why I failed to pack any sort of footwear that even remotely resembled something I could hike in. Truth is, I didnt even own anything suitable for something like this, since my trusty vibrams had been stolen a few months back (still a little butthurt about that). And this was no joke, it was a tough 8+ hour hike with steep elevation gain through slick muddy terrain. I knew this. As I was packing for this little trip, with nothing more than a pair of flip-flops, the thought did cross my mind but I figured ehhh I'll figure it out (my default response to something I don't feel like dealing with at the time). The universe will provide right? Well it did, sort of. Quickly shooting down my proposal of hiking in flip-flops, our guide offered to lend me his old pair of boots, to which I warily agreed.
The next morning rolled around and we filled our bellies with a nice big breakfast for the day ahead. As our guide strolled up with my loaners in hand, I cringed. For the past few years I've subscribed to the minimalist mindset in regard to footwear - favoring my vibrams and other super lightweight designs for all activities. What the guide carried in his hand looked like something you would wear for moon exploration. But it was a really nice gesture on his part, and it was my only option so when I stuffed my foot in and felt my toes mash up into the front of the toe box I nodded. "Yep these'll work", through a fake smile.
Needless to say, within the first two minutes of walking I could feel the blisters beginning to form. We made a quick pitstop so that I could address the issue. Sensing the severity of the situation at hand and the propensity for it to worsen, the team came together in a combined effort to tend to their wounded comrad.
It took a lot of courage, but like Curt Schilling in game 2 of the 2004 World Series, I dug deep. Amidst all the doubts and concerns, after a few layers of bandaids and a shoddy tape job, I rose to my feet, determinted to continue.
So on we went, and after passing some random petroglyphs, we began our muddy ascent.
It was a pretty sweet hike, as you can see from the pics:
Especially as we started getting up into the cloud forest, near the top of the volcano.
It was like we were hiking through some sort of enchanted forest, cool and misty with a layer of moss covering just about everything. But nothing could compare to reaching the top. The crater lake. Wow...it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Definitely the highlight of the trek for me and one of the coolest things I saw in all of my travels through Central America. So cool that I was like ok bust out the camera, it's VBlog time.
It had been a while since I had done any VBlogging so I was a little rusty, and I had a crowd staring at me so I was a tad nervous and didn't hit on all the points I wanted to but still I thought it came out pretty cool for being so spur of the moment. As you could see from the video the crater lake was completely enveloped in fog when we first arrived. No joke it was like being on a different planet or something, it was so freaking cool. And totally different than what I expected. I envisioned this small little pool atop a barren, rocky summit, not a huge lake surrounded by this incredibly lush forest, encased in a dense fog. Really incredible sight!
It was pretty darn chilly at the top, but of course we had to take a quick swim. I mean, when was the next time I would get to swim in a lake formed in the crater where a volcano had erupted? Probably never. Shivering, we peeled off our sweaty clothes and inched toward the freezing water. Did I mention I hate cold water? Ughhhh we took the plunge and after a few moments I had had enough. I wanted out fast, but as I tried to do so I sank waist deep into muck which slowed that whole process down.
We were riding high most of the day up to this point, but a low point came when, cold and wet, it was time to put our sweat-soaked clothes back on. I would have died for a set of fresh dry socks and boxers and I was kicking myself for not thinking of that. But the worst part was getting my feet back in those damn boots, or "blistermakers" as Tom referred to them as. I remember staring down at them like look I dont like you and you dont like me, in fact we hate each other, but we are going to have to coexist for the next few hours and then I swear you'll never see me again, ever. By this time the tape and bandaids which served as crappy mediators in our toxic relationship had worn off and so as I squeezed my foot back in and felt the raw blistered skin slide across the rough unforgiving hell that was the inside of those boots, my heart filled with a mixture of anger and resentment. Everyone was waiting on me now, and as I slowly and begrudgingly laced up the boots I did my best to conceal the scowl on my face. From here on out it was all business. Just get me to the bottom. Needless to say, the hike down was not fun. And it seemed to go on and on forever, tormenting us. We were told the entire hike would take about 8 hours and figured since we were a pretty fit group we could make it in about 7. Well the 7 hour mark rolled around, then the eight hour mark, then the nine hour mark. At about the nine and a half hour mark I couldnt take it anymore - I ripped the boots off and put on my flip-flops, which thank goodness I brought along just in case. That gave me a bit of a second wind, at least enough to finish but at that point I was completely over it. The damage was done.
Finally, at nine hours and fifty minutes we made it back to the hostel. We had no sooner arrived than I grabbed the nearest can of gasoline, doused the boots, and cracked an evil smile as they went up in flames (I wish).
Haha but no seriously, overall it was an awesome day with such a fun group. But would I do it again?
I am coming at you from San Jose, Costa Rica - quick stop over before another quick circuit through Costa Rica and then on into Panama (haha not really I'm sitting on my couch in Boca Raton, but I was in Costa Rica when I wrote this). Figured it would be a good time to hammer out a new post! Wow, this one has been backlogged for a while but now that I've finished up editing it is easily my coolest and most engaging video yet. So let's do this!
It was around the third or fourth day of my trip, way back in May, sitting around the dinner table in Antigua when my new awesome friends proposed the idea of heading up to Semuc Champey. "Semu what??", I thought. I had no idea what they were talking about. But as they started to describe a place where you toured caves, rafted down a river, and swam in natural emerald green pools, I was 100% on board. So that Friday, the first weekend of my trip, we hopped on a shuttle and began our 10 hour journey to this mysterious place in the jungles of northern Guatemala. It was a fun ride with five or six other people, including the four of us, from around the world. Not being able to remember the name of the place for the life of me, the Norwegian dude in the backseat, obviously having had the same issue, calmly said to me "just think of smoke and champagne", as he mimed the two activities. Brilliant! And from then on Semuc Champey became known as Smoke & Champagne - a much cooler, and classier name.
We motored through the pouring rain for what seemed like eternity, passing through tiny villages, rolling hills, and finally remote jungles. We finally arrived around midnight to our tiny little jungle hostel, which conveniently turns all power off at 10pm. Sweet. Tired and in the dark, we had nothing better to do than pass out. As I laid in bed, I had a very vague idea of what to expect of the following day. Based on the rugged remoteness of where we were, I knew that this was going to be a legit adventure, and not some cheesy tour. That said, I never could have imagined what an incredible day we were about to have. Possibly the single most adventurous day of my life. As we sat around the table that night toasting beers, we all agreed that it was a full-on 10 out of 10. All of our expectations were completely shattered. But don't take my word for it, check out the video below and come along for the ride!!
Wow...I've watched this video at least a dozen times now and it still never ceases to amaze me. What an incredible place, easily the hidden gem of Guatemala. This was no joke either - in fact it was downright dangerous at times, especially traversing through those dark slippery caves. We each took a few spills along the way and there was one really scary moment when Olivia took a nasty tumble down the slippery rocks and into the water below. Fortunately it looked way worse that it actually was and she came out of it with a few minor cuts. Battle wounds. At certain points we were twisting and contorting our bodies through small crevices into the pitch black below. It was really pretty nuts! The whole time I'm thinking there's no way in hell they'd let us do anything remotely close to this in the states without signing a fat stack of liability waivers. Needless to say, we were all quite relieved to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Next up was the river rafting portion where we got to leisurely float down the river for a bit. A very welcome change of pace after the slow tense trek through the caves. However, not before passing by the most insanely massive rope swing I have ever seen. Seriously, this thing was legend.
Finally we hiked our way up to the emerald pools. And as you can see from the videos, this was no walk in the park. Steep, slippery, and pretty darn strenuous. But man was the payoff amazing. Beautiful picture perfect emerald green pools that were just an absolute pleasure to swim around in. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in the video the GoPro battery died right before we made it to the pools, but I think that the pictures we were able to capture do in fact do it justice. Such a sweet spot!
On our way back to the lodge, we passed back over the massive yellow bridge, which earlier in the day our guide informed us that he would be jumping off. I wasn't sure if he was kidding at the time but sure enough as we made our way across the bridge he ripped off his shirt and jeans and started climbing the ledge. At that moment I was gripped by fear and excitement, knowing that there was no way I was going to cross that bridge without also taking the plunge. So while the girls rolled footage, Brett and I followed our guide to the edge. Now let me just say, I LOVE jumping off things, always have, but this was HUGE, and looking over the edge I was legit scared. But there was no backing down. So after a several moments of hesitation, Cathy began the official countdown and I stepped out over the edge. WOW. It was nuts. And the impact of my arms smacking against the water hurt like hell, but it was so worth it. We busted out a few smaller jumps from below before making our way back to the lodge for dinner, feeling very very accomplished. Since the GoPro battery died earlier, I actually wanted to go back and do it again, but as I was about to head back to the bridge it started pouring rain, and honestly, as bad as I wanted that footage, I was a little relieved ;)
As the rain stopped and we started making our way down to the lodge for dinner, this took a bit of a bizarre turn. We noticed a stump outside of our room absolutely erupting with what seemed to be winged ants. I mean these things were absolutely spewing out into the air by the thousands. At the time I remember thinking wow this is cool, and took some video of it, not thinking much else of it. But as we sat down for a beer before dinner to recount our epic day, the onslaught began. For hours we swatted and did our best to evade the swarm but it was relentless, and we were severely outnumbered. Our only hope was to barricade ourselves in the room. But the swarm followed, and soon we were completely under siege. While this all may sound quite comical, and it was, at the time it was slowing going from annoying to maddening. And then it happened. Olivia snapped. Armed with her water bottle, she went on a murderous rampage. We mounted a spirited counter attack but were just too outnumbered to really be successful. In the end, we just had to wait it out, for the swarm to subside, which it did after a few hours.
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