out of the fish bowl...

2007-04-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Each time I leave Vancouver and come back, I find this city more and more beautiful. Today, the cherry blossoms were out, new green was upon the trees, snow still on the mountains, a shining sun and a cool breeze. It was perfect. It's no wonder that Vancouver is one the most desirable places to live.

IPCC

2007-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

Overall I'm a pretty optimistic person, but sometimes the world looks awfully dim.

New York on steroids

2007-04-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

...that's probably the best that I've heard Hong Kong described as.

There are just SO many people here. It's pretty nuts, particularly this one district called Mong Kok, which directly translates into "Busy Corner". Let's see, what's a good way to describe it... take Robson and Thurlow, make it about 2.5 times bigger, then pack it with the dense crowd of people you might find right after fireworks, but add to it the semi-organized chaos of people going in multiple directions. And this is on a normal day! (My dad, on the other hand, likes to describe it this way: "If everyone there had swords and sheilds, then it would look like one of those epic Middle-Ages battles you see in the movies").

Several of my relatives here have asked if I would move to HK, but I don't think I can. Too much noise, too many people, super fast-paced; I don't think I could deal with it long term. Even just being here for a little while I feel a bit 'claustrophobic' and a bit crazed by the constant information overload. I'm also slightly annoyed I haven't been able to perfectly communicate here... although I speak Cantonese, I don't really know enough of the idioms/slang and true mannerisms to get my point across effectively. The style of humour is totally different and people are much more 'in your face'.

Nonetheless, I'm enjoying it here while I can and eating as many "weird" things as possible. That being said, I'm also really looking forward to some plain yoghurt and granola! :P

"It's like watching TV"

2007-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Last week Dad and I went to Thailand - more specifically, Patong Beach in Phuket. What a crazy tourist ridden place! Like many major tourist destinations, the place was packed with foreigners and the streets lined with locals trying to sell you stuff (or in this case, trying to pull you in to their massage parlours). The place was crowded, sunny, and damn hot!

The first day we got there we walked all around town to find a good diving school and finally settled on Sunrise Diving - a small diving outfit located right by the beach run mainly by South Africans. He signed up for the Open Water while I signed up for the Advanced. What a great place to go diving! Because of our different courses, we didn't get to do any dives together but the water is chalk full of fish and we both saw plenty. The most exciting for me was diving through a ferry wreck (the toilets were still intact!) and swimming for a bit alongside a sea turtle before it headed up to the surface. Dad, on the other hand, didn't seem to impressed. After his first open water dive he said "It's not really what I expected. It's not that exciting... it's like watching one of those nature shows on TV". Gah! It's true, except when you're diving you're actually in National Geographic!

Facebook

2007-04-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

What is the deal? I just joined it... finally ...though I'm unsure of exactly what I've just joined. In a matter of minutes there were already messages and people writing on my wall - crazy! - and connections with people I haven't talked to in years!!

Weird. We'll see how this goes.

Is this just another one of those fads?

Lucky 8

2007-03-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

It turns out I remember a little bit more Chinese than I thought! I found the link I needed to change the language and it appears I've magically remembered my correct login info. Bizarre.

Anyways, I was wrong. That building is 88 (!!!) stories high.

HK first impressions

2007-03-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

The 20-odd hour journey to Hong Kong began in the wee hours of Thursday morning. We flew to San Francisco (note: if you have a stop-over in SF before heading to overseas locales, hang out in the main terminal and not the international one) then took a 14.5hr flight from there to Hong Kong. Stepping off the plane, the first things that struck me were Starbucks, the "Free Duty" shop, and the humid haze outside.

Starbucks: Hong Kong is a very modern city (if you ignore the few remaining dot-matrix printers) replete with 7.5million cell phones for it's 6.9million person population. Cell phones are a huge part of life here - it would be a sin to leave home without it. Even second hand phones are more leading edge than the ones we can get back in Vancouver! Being modern and stylish is huge and you can find every designer fashion house here. I don't think I've ever seen this many places that sell Prada, Gucci and Burberry is such close proximity. Starbucks is trying to nudge it's way into the market here, and they make a really big point of advertising when a location is nearby. I don't know that people will gravitate towards it though, I don't think western-style coffee suits pallettes here. Small food shops are absolutely everywhere! And it's all SO good.

"Free Duty": The last time I was in Hong Kong, it was 17 yrs ago and I remember English grammar here being a complete abomination. Things seem to have gotten a lot better since then with nearly all signs written in multiple languages. There's also still plenty of British influence - when walking onto the subway train, you might not "mind the gap", but you do "mind the space" and "alight" at the desired destination.

Humid haze: Yick... it's only about 25C outside, but it feels warmer and because of the humidity and means you can feel pretty sticky after walking around outside. The haze is in part due to the pollution but I don't know that it can be attributed to cars like the way in can be in most other places. The public transportation system is amazing. If you can name it, they have it. Subway, skytrain, double decked LRT, double decked buses, mini-buses, ferry... and it's all heavily used! There's still a fair bit of pollution, though, and it would be hard to imagine there not being any with this many people in such a small space. There was a building I saw yesterday that must have been 80 stories high - it was literally in the clouds! Buildings are typically no shorter than 20 stories and when you're talking about condo/apartment/housing developments, there aren't just 2 or 3 buildings, but 10.

Crazy. Maybe this is what development looks like.

When my parents visited me in Guatemala, they commented that Guatemala City was a lot like Hong Kong 50 years ago. Lots of crowded markets and street-corner shops, dirty and polluted, disparity between the rich and poor etc... These elements still exist here, but with an ever rising middle class modern technology and western influence and standards have infused into the culture and way of life. The romantic charm seems to have gotten lost in the process - I see that in the nostalgia my Dad and Aunt show when they talk about what they enjoyed while growing up.

But for now... I'm the tourist. And for the first time I can pass under the radar without obviously being the one out of place. Haha - oddly enough, I find it really strange to see other "foreigners" ( i.e. white people) here... :P

no Photoshop involved

2006-02-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

The following aptly illustrates some of my frustrations here:

Entrance to the old office.

Entrance to the new office.

...and this is where they are located in relation to eachother.

The time it took to move?

3.5 weeks.

The de Aparicio's

2006-01-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

(from Nathaly's birthday dinner)

From left to right...

Nathaly: Just recently turned 9 years of age. Drama Queen. Loves Hello Kitty and all things related to stationary. Likes to draw and paint, and aspires to be an actress in the future.

Roberto: At the hyper-active age of 10, he is Real Madrid's biggest fan. Intrigued and fascinated by techy "toys" (eg my camera, cell phone, discman). Biggest dream: to fly to Spain and watch a Real Madrid soccer game.

Esmeralda: 34 year old mother of 3. Separated from her husband for about 1.5 years. She spends most of her time taking care of her children and selling chocolate covered fruits, enchiladas, and hot drinks to the students at the Spanish school across the street. As well, she is studying to become a lawyer and wants to help woman fight for their rights.

Alejandra: (or more often Alejandrita) Only 8 months old and is one of the most well-behaved, happy, and cutest babies I have ever seen. She can sometimes mumble out the words "mama" and "papa", but overall is eager to speak and interact with her older brother and sister. Also an eager independent as she loves to grab the spoon from her mom while she's being fed.

Jolanda (Joli) [on the left]: 21 and has been more or less working since she was 5. Things seem to have smoothed out between her and Esmeralda and she'll be staying for another year before moving on. Super hard worker (she wakes up at 5:300am and then starts to clean and cook until about 10 or 11pm) and always smiling. She hopes to be able to go back to school one day and looks forward to taking care of her own family. Expert tortilla maker.

Faulty Math

2006-01-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

me: How much do the avocado's cost?

vender: 2 for 5Q and 3 for 10Q.

me: Umm, ok. But doesn't that mean it's cheaper to just buy 2 avocados?

vender: (slightly puzzled look) 2 for 5Q and 3 for 10Q.

me: Yes, yes, I understand (as in I understand Spanish). Ok, so how much does it cost for 1 avocado?

vender: 2.50Q

me: Alright, but it costs 10Q for 3 avocados.

vender: Yes.

me: But what if I want 4 avocados? How much would that cost?

vender: (very puzzled look) 2 for 5Q and 3 for 10Q.

me: Right. But you said 2.50Q each, so shouldn't I be able to buy 4 avocados for 10Q?

vender: 2 for 5Q and 3 for 10Q.

me: Riiiiiight.

note: also works with apples.

... in briefs

2006-01-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

So on the first day back to work, we had a big office meeting and told we were moving offices. Everyone packed everything up and has been half working ever since. Would you believe we still haven't moved offices??? It's been 3 weeks!!!

But on a brighter note, Laura and I have more or less taken over the Big Boss' computer which happily is relatively quick and even has internet access! (mainly for online research). As well, it appears that we have become official English-Spanish, Español-Ingles translators, translating everything from the CEDEPEM webpage, to applications for EU Grants, and technical papers about Agriculture.

We're hoping to be able to have the most impact by helping the organization restructure itself. Up until now, we still haven't been able to talk to the Big Boss and haven't been able to move forward... at all. Very, very frustrating. We see a lot of potential, but it never fails to be lost in the inefficiency. *sigh*

We voted! Last week Friday we hired a private shuttle to take us to and from the Canadian Consulate in Guatemala City. Canadians must be really trust worthy because they didn't check any of our ID's before handing us our voting ballots! And I guess knowing who the candidates were in our respective ridings ahead of time would have been helpful :P On our way back to Quetzaltenango, we stopped in Antigua to take this (left) picture for Andrea's article - we ended up on the front page of the Terrace local paper!

The Japanese are working on a water project here in Xela where they're trying to get potable water to every household. So in that process, they shut down water in parts of the city (more specifically, my part). The idea was that the water pressure would end up being lower (i.e. I wouldn't be able to take a shower for 3 days), which was fine by me, but come day 3, the water pressure had not returned and in fact, had stopped completely. You learn quickly how dependent you are on water, even if there's only a little bit of it. Good thing MacDonald washrooms weren't very far away and thank goodness for friends willing to let me use their showers!!

H.R. 4437 - There was a newly proposed bill in US Congress last December (you might have heard about the extra length of wall that's going up at the Mexican-US border). It basically cracks down quite harshly on illegal immigration and doesn't address the root of the problem. Some Guatemalans here, the ones who know about this new bill, are joining the fight against the passing of this new law, also not addressing the root problem. What do you think?

Who will you be voting for?

2006-01-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

The election back home is coming up fast. I plan on exercising my democratic right... but I'm really not quite sure who to vote for - ???

I'm not so sure the Liberals are the correct choice, and the idea of Stephen Harper as PM frightens me. NDP policies, although lovely ideas, could very well leave us near bankrupt and there's no reason for me to vote for the Bloc (even if I could). So that maybe leaves the... Green Party?

What to do, what to do...

The Art of Relaxation

2006-01-08T17:33:00.000-08:00

Dec 16th: Convivio with the compañearos. Piñatas, regalos, Cuba Libras and plenty of merengue

Dec 17th: Sleep? What means sleep? Andrea and I are off to the bus station at 3:30am. One bus, a shuttle, a pick up truck and nearly 12 hours later, we arrive at Las Marias in Semuc Champey.

Dec 18th: Enter the caves. Need to see? Light a candle. Need to swim in the cave and still want to see? Swim holding the candle (ideally above the water). Need to climb a rope up a waterfall and STILL want to see? Close your eyes and pray.
Spend the afternoon lounging in a series of aqua marine pools. Enjoy the free skin exfoliation from the fish.

Dec 20th: Finca El Paraíso - Lonely Planet said it was a SHORT walk, but really they meant a 30min hike to the finca. Spend the afternoon enjoying swimming in the lagoon of a natrual HOT waterfall.

Dec 21st: After hitching a private ride into Río Dulce in the back of truck, be thrilled that you were convinced to stay at a lovely hostel called Tortugal. Chill in the restaurant and hang out with the yachties also staying there.

Dec 22nd: Take a lovely boat ride down Río Dulce to Livingston. Topado - seafood, coconut and plaintains together at last!

Dec 24th: Walk all around Tela looking for a restaurant that's open. Mamma Mia's - didn't they tell us earlier they would be open? Los Angeles - it's a Chinese restaurant... they're actually closed on the 24th? Café Azul - be seated and decide what you'd like to eat, only to be told that they're closing when you're ordering. AutoPollo - can't believe we considered eating there, but we couldn't because they weren't serving anyway. Sherwood's - *finally*, a pleasant hotel restaurant on the beach.

Dec 26th: Arrive in La Ceiba. It's raining. WHY are we here in the carribean again???

Dec 27th - 29th: Hang with the Kiwi guides at OmegaTours - rafting, kayaking, horse back riding in the morning, followed by delicious dinners and Port Royal beers in the evening.

Dec 30th: "Sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name..."
Andrea and I divorced at 4am - She's off to Nicaruaga and I arrive on Utíla (Bay Islands), Honduras, apparently famous.

Dec 31st: Eat, drink and be merry. Watch sunrise with the presence of good company.

Jan 1st: Spend all day lounging in the sun on the dock with a good book, or jump into the ocean to cool off.

Jan 4th: Become a certified open water diver! Then Get up close and personal with the fishies =)

Jan 6th: It's going to take me HOW long to get back to Quetzaltenango???

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Thank-you much to all of you who visit this blog regularly. However... I should inform you that there will likely be no new posts until the new year as I am currently travelling with Andrea, another CCI volunteer. We have 3 weeks off for Christmas holidays and are spending it on the carribbean side of Guatemala and Honduras. We're not having lots of luck encountering internet cafés as frequently as we're use to so I apologize if I can't reply to your emails right away.

In the meantime... Feliz Navidad y Prospero Nuevo Año!

If you're bored though, here's a game I always enjoy that you can check out: Spaced Penguin

Until 2006... Best Wishes and Happy Holidays!!

PS - Evo "the United States' worst nightmare" Morales won the Bolivian election!

CAFTA

2005-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

“Our opposition to CAFTA is not ideological. As immigrants, we have a deep understanding of the potential benefits of improved transnational cooperation. We would welcome an agreement that would increase economic opportunity, protect our shared environment, guarantee workers' rights and acknowledge the role of human mobility in deepening the already profound ties between our countries. However, the CAFTA agreement falls far short of that vision.”

(Salvadoran American National Network, May 2004)

Unlike what the acronym seems to imply, CAFTA isn’t an agreement solely between Central American countries. It is an agreement between Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. Modeled after NAFTA, the goal of CAFTA is to liberalize markets by reducing trade barriers, facilitating the flow of goods and money. The neo-liberal economic views believe that artificial economic supports or restrictions, such as tariffs, subsidies, quotas, corporate regulations, etc., hinder the process of development within countries.

Although free trade might work well between nations having similarly competitive economies, it’s difficult between unequal partners - the *combined* GDP of Central America (CA) is only equal to 0.5 percent of US GDP. You might say that you could make the playing field more even by adding certain protectionist measures while eliminating others or weighing it in favour of the disadvantaged, but that is not the case here. The asymmetrical agreement is much more in favour of the advantaged requiring “market liberalization for the majority of goods and services in CA - including agriculture, manufacturing, public services and government procurement. In return, the U.S. has promised increased market access for certain sectors in Central America, including textiles and a limited increase in sugar quotas”.

What the people of CA are afraid of:

There will indeed be benefits for people in CA, but the question is “For whom?”. When multinational companies set-up factories or businesses, they are only required to comply with minimum work and environmental standards. For them, profit is the main goal, not human development. Similar to the impacts of NAFTA displayed in Mexico, CAFTA will mainly benefit the well established rich, but push the poor into deeper poverty and weaken human rights, labour and environmental laws. What’s more, is Chapter 10 of CAFTA, based on Chapter 11 of NAFTA, transnational companies are granted the right to sue for any loss or potential loss in profits resulting from any governmental law, regulation or court decision. This includes those that might be intended to protect public health, worker’s rights, or the environment.

CA citizens also afraid of being inundated with cheap imported agricultural goods threatening the livelihood of farmers and traditional culture. As part of the agreement, CA governments will not be allowed to place tariffs on these artificially low-priced foods large US agricultural corporations are able to produce through mass production and government subsidies. And although privatization may bring about better education and health services, many are afraid that these essential services will become inaccessible to a large portion of the population. Many people live in poverty and can barely afford much more than basic life necessities. This would have a particularly severe impact on women who depend heavily on these public services.

There also exists a provision in CAFTA that outlines "test data exclusivity" for pharmaceuticals. Producing test data is expensive and can generally only be afforded by large companies. Smaller companies tend to reuse the test data to produce low-cost, generic medications. But “test data exclusivity” means when a pharmaceutical company submits test data to a regulatory agency to approve the safety and effectiveness of a medicine, smaller companies will be forbidden to reuse that test data to create low-cost, generic versions of the drug. As a result, it would be possible for companies based in rich countries to hold an effective market monopoly and prevent the accessibility of life-saving medications to many poor.

There will also be negative impacts within the US as well, not just in CA. When NAFTA was implemented, 766 000 jobs were lost in the US. But the main differences are there exists a social system to help those who become displaced and there are many more opportunities to find other livelihoods.

The CAFTA controversy:

NAFTA took over 7 years to be negotiated while CAFTA was completed in one calendar year. CAFTA negotiations were aggressively pursued by the Bush Administration on a very short timeline following the approval of “Fast Track”, a bill approved by Congress to give the White House “Trade Promotion Authority”. Under “Fast Track,” Congress is only allowed an up or down vote and cannot amend a trade agreement. What’s more, CAFTA was approved by the House of Representatives by a narrow vote of 217 to 215 around midnight on July 28, 2005, after keeping the voting process open for an additional 47 minutes to garner the necessary support to win.

It is also a little disturbing that these CA governments are agreeing to ratify or have ratified the treaty despite widespread opposition and protests.

There are 12,701,000 people in Guatemala living on 42,042 sq miles of land. 32,225,000 people populate 3,849,670 sq miles of land in Canada. Guatemala rates 117 on the Human Development Index. Canada rates 5. Canada’s GDP is $1.023 trillion while Guatemala’s is $59.47 billion.

Canada is having a hard time fighting in the Canada-US Lumber Dispute that violates NAFTA rules. If Canada can’t deal with proper fair trade between us and its southern neighbour, is it fair to expect countries like Guatemala to be able to?

I am not necessarily opposed to CAFTA or market liberalisation per se, but I think a better job could be done with the rules of engagement.

Calor

2005-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Last night I wore a tank top, long sleeve shirt, t-shirt, hoodie, sweat pants, wool socks and a fleece toque to bed. On my bed I had a travel fleece blanket, towel, heavy synthetic (?) blanket, and thin bed cover on top of that. Although it wasn’t too bad, I was still kind of cold.

Oh I miss central heating.

And have I ever mentioned I miss consistent hot showers? Or even just water to shower with for that matter?

Where to now?

2005-12-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Joli is leaving. I can’t tell if she was fired or if she wants to leave… though it’s probably a mixture of both. Esmeralda and she have come head to head more than a few times in the past 6 weeks and I think they’ve had enough of each other.

At lunch yesterday, with swollen puffy red eyes, she hastily stuffed a note in my pocket asking for my cell number and briefly wrote that she may be leaving today. I talked to her this morning and she said will still be here… but only until a replacement is found. In the meantime, she will be looking for new work. I’m not sure how this is going to happen because she never leaves the house except to go to the market, go to church with the family, or visit home on the rare occasion.

New Project!

2005-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

A recent addition to the office is a girl from Germany by the name of Laura. We were both struggling with work - I stopped trying to make a program that already exists, and she was new without a project. So after a little chatting with her, her boss and my boss, we’re coming up with a proposal for a training module that both the Mujeres and Credito programs can implement.

It’s also interesting because from what we can tell, this will be the first joint project between the Mujeres and Credito programs. With the large overlap in their clientele, you might think that they do lots of projects or programs together, but sadly that isn’t the case. So with this new project, we’re hoping not only to have a training program that CEDEPEM can use, but also demonstrate it might be worthwhile to have joint projects between programs.

Although they all work in the same office, people for the most part seem to only have a vague idea about what’s happening in the other programs. Even Administration doesn’t know where all the program projects are!

Winning the Lottery

2005-11-29T06:48:00.000-08:00

Dad: Well, if this is THE ticket and I win the lottery, I will give you ¼
Me: If you win the lottery you’re ONLY going to give me a quarter??
Dad: What? ¼ isn’t enough for you?
Me: You’re only going to give me 25cents?!?!

I remember that conversation clearly from when I was 12. Dad and I were driving home from the gas station and he had just bought a lottery ticket for a $10mil jackpot. I had CLEARLY misunderstood what my dad had meant when he said “1/4” and we still joke about the 25cents he owes me the day he wins the Lotto 649.

Here, often times I complain that people don't believe me when I tell them that I am from Canada. Usually they poke and prod with however many questions necessary until they receive an answer they find acceptable (YES I am a descendent from the grand ancestors of CHINA!). This can often be tiresome, but it has stopped bothering me so much when I remember I have something that most Guatemalans can only wish for: a Canadian passport. I am not suggesting all Guatemalans want a Canadian passport per se, but rather the freedoms and opportunities it holds for those who possess one.

As a Canadian, I can go pretty much anywhere and at anytime I would like. I hardly ever need to apply for a visa when traveling. When crossing borders, I am not a suspected drug trafficker or terrorism, and I am not suspected as an illegal immigrant. I am general well-respected and well-liked simply for my nationality and I can be proud that my country is recognized for its peace and solidarity. Living in Canada, I am guaranteed access to education and access to universal leading-edge healthcare. Work opportunities are abundant and I can count on fair wages. If I happen to be unemployed, there is unemployment insurance, and even welfare, if needed. My government isn’t perfect, but for the most part it isn’t corrupt and I know my voice can be heard and my opinion represented fairly. Measures have been put in place to protect the environment and prevent foreign companies from deteriorating the land.

I don’t see 6 year olds shining shoes to make money to support their families. I would be paid more than $2 an hour for teaching a language and applying for a visitor’s visa to Canada will not cost me a week’s salary. I don’t have to be disenchanted by the fight for my rights. I do not have to carry the burden of my country’s history of war and corruption. I don’t have to be afraid of what my future holds for me.

I am grateful for everything I have and I work hard to take advantage of all the opportunities available to me. But all of it came to me by the chance of where I was born. I didn’t work for it. I didn’t earn it. There was nothing that said I deserved those opportunities and privileges more than anyone else.

For me, I’ve already won the lottery.

2005-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

My most recent endeavour...

Typical day:

2005-11-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

6:15am If I am up for a run… this is the time to go! Otherwise…
6:45am Alarm clock goes off
6:55am Actually get out of bed
7:00am In the shower and hoping that I got up early enough that there will be sufficient water pressure to create enough flow through the electric shower head. (Not enough water = cold shower... that is if there IS any water)
7:30am Read, listen to music, or dilly dally until breakfast
7:45am Breakfast is on the table. Typically a small bowl of warm mosh (kind of like oatmeal), 2 pieces of bread, some fruit and water.
7:55am Out the door for work
8:05am At work. Make the morning round of greetings – “Buenas dias” + kiss on the cheek (still trying to get use to this!)
8:07am Turn the computer on, wrestle with the stiff keys of the keyboard, try to use the scroll button that doesn’t exist on my mouse and have a field day with WindowsME. Internet only exists for very particular and special persons in the office – I am not one of them.
9:30am Thought: I’ve been working for nearly 1.5 hours and most people in Vancouver aren’t even at work yet!
10:45am Stomach is growling. Make a trip to the nearby XelaPan for some sweet bread or the nearby corner store for a chocolate covered frozen banana.
1:20pm Walk home for lunch
1:55pm Sit down at the table for lunch with mum, the kids, and student from the language school. Mum and Joli are excellent cooks – Best meal of the day!
2:20pm Back at work
5:30pm Finish work. Head to the nearby internet café for a little bit.
6:15pm Walk home or wander around a little bit and see if I can’t encounter something new
7:00pm Home. Watch some TV with the kids or read either as much of the local paper as I can (with my best-friend the Spanish-English dictionary of course) or work my way through a Spanish children’s novel.
8:00pm Dinner – usually one fried egg, beans and tortilla. (Don’t work up too much of an appetite during the day because dinner is small!)
8:45pm Either go out or stay home to watch TV or read or play with the kids
10:30pm In bed and ready for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (if I’m not out that is)

The Chicken Bus Experience

2005-11-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Over crowded, loud, and dirt cheap... and if you're lucky, a free thrill ride!... the infamous Guatemalan chicken buses are the preferred mode of transport by locals. They are old US school buses that have been repainted, fitted with roof racks for transporting goods and added handle bars along the inside ceiling for those brave enough to stand. Speakers are usually placed at various locations inside blaring some kind of music (some good, some bad, but usually bad) at volumes too loud and at ranges too great for the speakers to reproduce with quality. In seats designed for 2 children, you typically sit at least 3 adults to a bench (no avoiding coodies on these buses!), and if you're the third person, it's advisable to get as much of your bum on the seat before your bench buddies get too comfortable. In that bit of space between you and the other 3 people jammed sitting on the bench across from you, there may be another 1 or 2 people standing. And just when you think they couldn't possibly fit another soul on the bus, it will stop another 10 people will somehow make themselves fit.

Just to add to the confusion a little bit more, when the bus stops to drop off and pick up more people, kids and teens jump onto the bus and walk (or push) their way down the aisle selling drinks, bread, hot food wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks, fresh fruit, nuts or little toy trucks. They’ll usually walk back and forth 2 or 3 times tempting you to buy their goods… that is if you haven’t already bought something from the person shoving food and drink through your window. If these kids are lucky, they’ll be able to make their round and get off the bus where they started, if not, get off a little later along the side of the road – or the alternative that is sometimes taken is to run out the back door of the bus while the bus is speeding away (a neat trick that I’m sure would give any mother a heart attack). And every once in awhile, to add a bit more to the chaos, someone will start evangelizing at the front of the bus or try to convince you to buy “magic” bright green health pills.

But the thrill really comes when your driver puts the pedal to the floor - pulling G's you wouldn't think possible in a school bus, beaning around blind corners along a cliff-side highway (that has no guide rails) passing all other cars and trucks. On the wrong side of the road of course.

Ahhh... good times ;)

It´s not the same

2005-11-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

I bought a set of computer speakers here for 50Q so that I might have some music in my room. When I turned them on for the first time I was sorely disappointed with the quality of the sound and wistfully thought of the speakers I have in Canada - a set of Harman/Kardon Soundsticks.

The comparison isn´t even close to being fair - what was I thinking??? Siiiiiigh

The Day of All Saints

2005-11-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

Halloween isn´t a very popular holiday here... it´s the day after that gets all the attention. But despite that, we did see some kids last night dressed up in various costumes, mostly as witches. That´s mainly a result of American influcence and depending on who you talk to they´ll either embrace it or hate it.

But anyway... today, Nov. 1st, is a national holiday where people have the chance to spend the day with family and pay their respects to the dead. The 2 blocks surrounding the cemetary are packed people and vendors buying and selling flowers and decorative wreaths (For once this place actually smells good!). These are taken to decorate the graves of loved ones who have passed away and they fly kites as a means of communicating with God and the deceased.

They also eat a special dish called Fiambre. It´s a host of different vegetables topped off with various cold meats and cheese. Sooooooo good!! Traditionally you make tons and tons of it and then you share and trade your food with family and neighbours. Everyone makes it a little differently so it never tastes the same one to the other.

Work & Play

2005-10-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

I spent a back-breaking day all of Saturday at work packing food stuffs that will be brought out to various communities this week. Corn, rice, beans, powdered milk, mosh (kind of like oatmeal), sugar. It was a ton of work... but at least I got a good workout out of it!

Yesterday, the crew of CCI volunteers and other various gringos hiked up Las Muelas, a mountain not far from Xela. We were led by one of the Spanish teachers, Bayron, from Celas Maya and what a day! It was a beautiful hike and just what we all needed to ¨get away¨.

It was pretty tough too... having been at a higher altitude for 3 weeks, you´d think I´d be use to the lesser oxygen by now! But for many of us, we were gasping as we headed up!

(Picture taken by Yasu, the Japanese guy on the far left)

Undecided

2005-10-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

In the household I am living in, there is an "Assistant" - at least that´s how my host-mom introduced her to me, but really she´s more of a servant. She does all the chores in the house (clean, cook, laundry, etc.), takes care of the kids when necessary, and makes the food the house sells as a side business. She gets up early and goes to sleep late. After making meals she eats alone in the kitchen and not with the family at the table and she sleeps downstairs in a room separate from the family (and students) staying upstairs. I´ve never seen or heard her call or talk to friends, or even family for that matter. Every 2 months, she gets to go home - she leaves early Sunday morning and returns early Monday morning, the next day. Joli is Mayan, a member of one of the many indigenous cultures found in Guatemala. She is 21 years old.

She started working when she was 10.

She, her cousins, and most other girls in her village were taught by their mom´s how to cook, clean etc. starting at the age of 7, and by the age of 10 they are out in the bigger communities and cities of Guatemala working as ¨servants¨in various households. She speaks Quiché, local indigenous language, and learned her Spanish from working. The longest she´s ever stayed in one household is 3 years and her 11 years of working experience is split between Guatemala City and Xela - the 2 largest cities in Guatemala.

I don´t know how much she makes or whether she sends the money she makes home or ....? And I wonder if she ever gets lonely without really having a close friend she can relate to.

Don´t get me wrong, my host-mom is really great and she and Joli get along really well together. Honestly I think Joli is probably being treated better in my house than many other Mayans in similar positions and she seems quite happy to be where she is. She´s always smiling and happy to help.

So really, I don´t know what to think of the whole situation. I was brought up in Canada with the idea of human equality. The idea of someone eating alone while the rest of us enjoy eachother´s company at the table is completely foreign to me and I can´t say I´m completely comfortable with it. I´m not sure if I´m breaking any cultural rules, but I often bring my dishes into the kitchen after meals and do what I can to help her in the kitchen before meals. She´s definitely needed in the household because I don´t think my host-mom has the time to do what she needs to do and everything Joli does as well. But... I´m not sure if I´ll ever completely get use to her status in the household - still don´t know what to think...

Disaster Relief Aid or Relief Aid Disaster?

2005-10-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Of what I´ve seen and heard so far, relief aid has got to be one of the most haphazard and disorganized operations ever. At least it appears as the truth here.

I haven´t been able to really do anything all week because I´m committed to Spanish school in the morning from 8am-1am. By the time I got to work in the afternoon everyone in the office had gone out to work in the communities, so there wasn´t really even anyone for me to talk to. Andrea, another CCI participant, was in a similar boat and we´ve both been itching to help out and be a part of the relief effort. Since we couldn´t, we decided yesterday to go out to the Xela airport as we heard they needed extra hands there.

It was an excess of hands more than anything.

We spent the first 30min standing and watching, asking the other 80 gringos (foreigners) questions to figure out what was going on. The answer? ¨We´re waiting for the helicopter¨. What the operation at the airport consisted of was an excess of people forming a line so that water or food could be passed from one person to the next to get it from A to B, and another excess amount of people waiting in the back of trucks to load food into the helicopters that were flying the aid to affected communities.

A little disappointed we wandered over to a corner where a few people sat puzzling over a pile of small boxes. ¨Hey, do you guys need a hand?¨ we asked. ¨Sure do,¨ they replied, ¨do you have any medical background or can you read a bit of Spanish?¨

We had finally found our little help niche.

What did they want us to do? In front of laid a large pile of small boxes varying in colour and size, and with our incredibly expansive medical knowledge, they wanted us to sort the different types of donated medicine into various boxes marked ¨pain¨, ¨parasitic infection¨, ¨vitamin¨, etc. This proved to be quite the challenge not only because it was in Spanish, but also because these were behind-the-counter medications and nearly all different. Eventually, with the help of some doctors nearby, it all got worked out and sorted. What kills me is what we did after this.

The boxes were lined up all in a row so that we could bag x number of medications from each, and then have them shipped off to the various doctors in the communities. In other words, we sorted everything so that they could be mixed up again and resorted by the clinics/doctors again later.

Right.

I couldn´t believe what was happening or what I was seeing. Tons of people wanting and ready to help with really nothing to do. From all the various stories and efforts I´ve been hearing, I wonder how effective this Relief Aid stuff actually is. There´s really no one coordinating all the efforts making sure people who want to help can help, or making sure affected families are really getting the aid they need. It´s really quite frustrating because you know time and energy is being wasted where it isn´t needed.

For example, another account from an afternoon in the Xela Airport hangar (by Andrea):

So Id say the highlight of the day for me, humour wise was acting as a translator for this American military officer. I guess, I failed to mention that of the eight helicopters present I’d say half were probably American. So this woman was trying to talk to the Guatemalan Red Cross but was having no success since she had a thick southern accent and was talking way to fast. It was painful to witness so I approached her and asked if I could translate for her. She was trying to say that she had been out in Concepcion and a doctor there had told her that they really needed medicine. The Guatemalan Red Cross wanted to know if this woman could go in her helicopter to take it. She said no. So translation successful now comes the ridiculous part. The woman goes on to tell us that she is a "Medical Assessment Officer" She does exactly what the title says with a translator. So does this mean that she relays her information after her assessment by simply approaching the Red Cross without a translator! What the hell sort of system is this. One can only hope this was an extraneous circumstance and not normal practice of the American military.

Sigh. There´s no question that aid money is absolutely necessary when it comes to emergency relief, but it also really makes me wonder how effective that dollar you give actually is.

------

Would you be surprised if I told you while everyone ate the simple Guatemalan lunch that was being served, the American soldiers there came in with giant bags of McDonalds?

Spanish Lesson

2005-10-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Learning Spanish is one thing.

- Speaking Spanish in a casual conversation is another.

- - And using Spanish in the workplace in an entirely and completely different ballgame.

I met a girl in the micro-credit office this afternoon, and nearly broke down and cried because I could barely understand her, and I felt as if I was more of an annoyance to her than anything.

(It´s funny, in the midst of all the Guatemalan disaster, there´s someone here giving me a rundown about a micro-credit program that they´re using and some of the problems that they´re having with it. But, there´s no one else really in the office because they´re all out in the communities helping with immediate relief efforts. Jeez it really put some things in perspective and made that hour seem entirely useless).

She spoke really fast. Really really fast. And even though I asked her to slow down, there really was no slowing down. So I thought to myself - I am screwed.

But I went back the following days and felt waaaaaaay better. I could understand what people were saying! I hope it´s just that one girl I have a tough time understanding... but vamos a ver because supposedly I am working in the micro-credit office and inevitably with her. Soooooo... two things can either happen: she speaks more slowly and clearly, or I start understanding Spanish better.

I have a feeling all the ownest will be on me with this girl.

email: a new home!!!

2005-10-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

i just changed host families last night... and WHAT a difference! i´m suppose to be there on my own, but because some people are having trouble leaving the city at the moment, there is another student there as well. the room i´m in now, even though i´ll have to change later,
is much much better than my last, and the mother, kids and nanny(?) are incredibly nice. usually they´re referred to as ¨the people who sell chocolate covered fruit across the street¨ :D

the food is also fantastic - i´ve only had one breakast and lunch there so far, but i´ve actually been able to have a full serving of vegetables and fruit! amazing (talking to many other people, this is indeed a true rarity)

so... this still isn´t suppose to be the family i stay with. but we´ll see, maybe some negotiation can be done and maybe i can stay =P

take care everyone!

Mr. Stan

2005-10-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of a hurricane.

There is rain here like I have never seen before.

My room is big, damp, dark and absolutely miserable.

Thank goodness for working batteries and some good ol´ Collective Soul =)

email: Xela

2005-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hello!

So... I made it to Xela! But not first with a stop in Antigua and a short trip to Copan, Honduras.

Right now I´m staying with a family through the language school... I´m suppose to be staying with a family through CEDEPEM, the organization I will be working with, but ít´s a long and complicated story that I won´t go into. This family is only temporary (thank god) - the family
is nice, but my room is, as Kathy nicely put it, very simple. I think of it more as a sh*t hole - i.e. I´ve stayed at some cheap skethcy hostels, and this doesn´t even measure up to that. It´s a crazy not so wonderful adventure everytime I want to leave my room meaning I have to encounter 3 large dogs (one rather not so friendly), open-close 4 gates and manouvre my way through a maze of stairs. And this is simply to go to the bathroom. So... hopefully I will be able to move in with my original host family soon. CEPEDEM is also going to try and find me
a different family sooner =P

Anyways... other than that, things are great! My Spanish teacher is awesome and the school is really good. Class in the morning and work in the afternoon make for longer days, but it´s all good ;)

Cheerio!

Missing

2005-09-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

It's really unnerving to see the word "Missing" printed above a picture with the familiar face of a friend.

It's one of those things you never want to expect to have happen to you or someone you know.

Where are you?

Summer 2005

2005-09-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

During final exams in April
Send application to CCI for one of their Bolivia volunteer placements postings

April 25th
Last exam. Ever. (...maybe)

April 26th
Leave on a flight from Vancouver to Lima, Peru.

May 3rd
While travelling in Cuzco, Peru, I find out via email that I've scored an interview for a volunteer position. I can't get to the CCI-West office in Vancouver for an interview (for obvious reasons) and arrange for a phone interview.

May 12th
By now my travel companion (Robin) and I have made our way from Cuzco and across Lake Titikaka to La Paz, Bolivia. From an internet phone call-centre I make a 1 hour long phone call to CCI for the interview. At 1 Boliviano per minute, I get a decent connection and do the best I can to ignore the delay and echos over the line.

May 24th
I am in Huacachina and Woohoo! I find out I've been offered a placement in Potosi, Bolivia as a Database Programmer and Manager.

May 29th
Arrive home after spending 4.5 weeks in South America. Get a haircut.

May 30th
Graduation ceremony at the UBC Chan Centre.

June 23rd
Fly to Edmonton for CCI overseas placement training and meet other CCI participants.

June 26th
Fly from Edmonton to Toronto. Spend a "as comfortable as can be" night at Pearson Airport...

June 27th
...and after a delayed flight due to mechanical problems, fly to Montreal, hop on two busses and a taxi to arrive in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec at UQTR (Universite de Quebec Trois-Rivieres). Spend the ensuing 6 weeks immersed in Franglais... err, I mean Francais!

August 5th
Return home.

August 11th
Start work at Harman/Becker. *phew* - it's more driving than I anticipated! But being able to take home the Charger is kinda nice.

August 20th
Amanda gets married!!

August 24th
Fly to Montreal for 4 days of Netcorps overseas training in St Jean with Netcorps participants from all across Canada. Meet lots of great people and have a wonderful time! Pleasantly surprised by the number of ultimate players.

August 29th
After Netcorps training, I spent a night/day with Erica and Andrea (from CCI) wandering the city of Montreal.

August 30th
Then I spent a shorter than expected night on a bus from Montreal to Toronto. Lacking sleep, ended up taking two separate naps in two separate locations in Toronto's downtown while waiting for SL to finish don training for the day. We met up later towards evening and had great Thai food for dinner while catching up on everything that's been happening in our lives. Conclusion: we don't see eachother often enough. After some dessert and steamed soy milk, we're both more than ready to crash.

August 31st
While waiting for my luggage at the Vancouver airport, I realize that my greatest pet peeve are people who stand right beside the luggage carousel. If everyone simply took 3 steps back, then everyone could see the luggage that was coming and one could quickly step in to claim their luggage and step out. Instead, people like me who tend to stand back a little, look like jerks when they move in end up elbowing people out of the way to pick up their bag. Grrrr.

September 2nd
Finish contract job and am super excited to be leaving on the 15th for the volunteer position in Bolivia.

September 8th
One week before my flight, Foreign Affairs Canada makes a decision not to allow any more Canadian volunteers to be sent to Bolivia. Period. FAC believes Bolivia to be dangerous because of possible political unrest surrounding the December 4th elections. According to the Canadian consulate in Bolivia and the Bolivian Ambassdor in Canada, all is calm and there is no reason to worry or prevent the volunteer placements from happening.

September 13th
We're all hoping FAC will change their mind. But no miracles happen.

September 15th
Am a little sad I am not on the flight I was hoping to be on all along. But CCI presents an alternative and now I have to opportunity to be placed in Guatemala. The date set is September 30th. Andrea and I want to go to Guatemala early and ideally would leave on the 25th.

September 17th
Spend a weekend up at Elfin Lakes with the EWB-UBC exec crew. Gooooood times :)

September 21st
It is evident we will not be leaving on the 25th

September 22nd (today)
But we get some good news and are told we can probably swing leaving on the 27th! Woohoo! Now...what were the things I needed to do before leaving again?

Les choses me manquent:

2005-07-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

cool Vancouver air - not this humid crap
being able to sleep through the night
not waking up sticky because it's so hot
not sweating immediately after taking a shower
family and friends and their company
Asian food
edible food in general
stuffing my face with summer fruits
not feeling like I am in highschool
not feeling like a loser because I don't want to go out drinking... on the 5th consecutive night that is
having conversations that don't involve making fun of other people
not feeling like I'm part of a fashion show each day
knowing what's really going on in the world
my WIRED magazines
my mp3s
my piano and my guitar
the mountains
hiking
driving
my fit ball
my toenails
my pillow
speaking English without worrying about getting a carte-rouge
understanding everything that's going on around me

blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah =P

A Day in the Life at UQTR

2005-07-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

UQTR... Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

5:00am
«look outside» Looks like it's going to be a nice day... meaning it's going to be HOT. «look at the clock» Right, it's only 5am. So I grab my handkerchief and throw it over my eyes to keep the light out while I try to snooze for the next 3 hours.

6:30am
Screw it! It's too bright and I can't sleep. I'm glad to be up, but am still a little pissed off because the heat makes it really difficult to get a decent night's sleep.

The alarm hasn't even gone off.

I get up and go swimming or head outside for a run along the bike path that passes through the university residences. ((I was one of the luckier ones and got a room in the brand new Michel-Serrazin residence. The old campus residences are pretty run down and definitely need a thorough cleaning! But being in my building is a mixed blessing. It's a nice apartment style abode with 4 rooms, 1 full and 1 half bathroom, a kitchen and a main common room. It's on the top floor (3rd), however, and there is no air conditioning or even a ventilation system. As a result, it get's unbearably hot))

7:45am
Shower. Dress. Makde bed. Tidy room. Books. Food coupons. Keys.

8:20am
In the cafeteria for breakfast.

((Caf side-note: If you ever lived at the UBC campus, namely Totempark or Vanier, and complained about cafeteria food... well, that was gourmet compared to whatever it is we're getting here. Except for breakfast, each meal is a surprise and you're never really sure what you're about to get. Mystery meats and cold over-boiled vegetables, or questionable pasta with a bit of salad seem to be the staples. How do you screw up pasta??? And amazingly, as Y noticed today, there's a new soupe du jour each day but they all somehow end up tasting more or less the same. Bizarre, non?))

My go-to breakfast: Muslix cereal with soy milk, fruit and yogurt.
And on the occasion: les oeuffs tourner, sausage, fried potatoes, toast, milk.

9:00am
Class begins.

((I'm in a class entitled 2Q where Q indicates the level of difficulty you're at. 'A' is beginner and 'Z' is the most advanced. How I ended up in Q I'm not entirely sure because I was only expecting to be in something like G or H after having not taken any French in Grade 11! But the class is good and challenging enough it keeps me constantly on my toes without making me work too hard. I quite like my teacher as well and it really helps that he talks with a LOT of exagerrated hand gestures to make understanding français easier.))

10:45am
Pause-Café

11:00am
Back to the grind. Write a short composition, attempt to decipher the lyrics to a song you've never heard in a different language, or complete a particular activity in a small group.

Brain is begins to shut down. Can't wait for class to be over!

12:00pm
I'm starving. Attempt to acquire at least a semi-nutritious meal at the caf. Meet up and chat with Y, C, M and J.

1:30pm
Monday and Wednesday: Chanson de Musique Atelier
(i.e. expect and learn to sing 2 different songs in the span of an hour that includes the workshop leader explaining the lyrics in detail before singing the song once and having you sing it the second time. I've had a fair bit of musical training and find this a bit more than difficult to do even decently well, not sure how other people are faring!)
Tuesday and Thursday: possibly check out the movie playing in the library, do homework or nap.

3:30pm
Tuesday and Thursday: Conversation Atelier
(Chatter chatter chatter)
Monday and Wednesday: homework, sleep, email, swim or run.

4:00pm
On special days - group sports. Ultimate Frisbee has only happened once!

6:00pm
Typically reconvene with the crew for soûper. Hmmm,wonder what surprises are in store for the evening...
Talk about what to do later that evening.

7:00pm
On the other special days - group sports. Volleyball, soccer, basketball, etc.

9:45pm
Meet up with the crew at some pre-determined location before heading to:
Monday - «Campus Pub» for karaoke
Tuesday - «Manchester's» for $1 ladies drinks (though we don't usually go)
Wednesday - «Chasse-Galerie» pub on campus connected to a high school gymnasium style dry dance floor
Thursday - ???
Friday - ???
.

Québec

2005-07-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am back in Trois-Rivières having just spent an awesome 2.5 days in Quebec City. I am super tired, which should be of no surprise after all the drinking that was done.

The entire school was corralled into a series of school buses at 8:30am Friday and taken to Québec City. Because the school doesn't feed us on weekends, we all ran into restaurants for brunch as soon as we got there. Mmmm, paninis! You might find it a little ironic (well, at least I did) that we went to the capital of Québec for CANADA Day. There wasn't anyone burning the Canadian Flag, but close! We saw a group of 30 or so separatists marching there way through Vieux-Québec shouting «Indépendence!!» and carrying several Canadian Flags defaced, torn and upside down. Crazy! It kinda made me mad because I'd like to keep Canada as Canada!!

It wasn't all like that, though. That night (after the crazy rainstorm), we checked out the open air concert that featured "The Tea Party" and enjoyed a grand display of fireworks - almost as good as the Symphony of Fire!

The following two days were pretty chill. For the most part I hung out with Y, enjoyed good food (the cafeteria food at school is crap), ate gelato, and had an excellent time shopping. Shopping - what more can a girl want? ;) Although that probably sounds a bit lame and boring, the relaxing time was just what I needed. That evening, we met up with C, M, J and R, and again drank to our hearts content, dansed it off at Dagoberts, and ended the night at a small bar with live acoustic music.

You know you were having a good time when you don't go to bed until 4am!!

small piece of paradise

2005-06-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

ahhhhh.... English! it's like a breath of fresh air after having been stuck inside a stuffy, smoky bar. «inhale»

i won`t lie.
i`m feeling it...
a bit-o-that isolation stuff
there's a lot a lot a lot of French running through my head and it's going to take awhile to get my head around all of it.
A is most beginner; Z is the most advanced
i'm in a class titled Q.
how i got there i'm not entirely sure (as in i wasn't expecting to get this far after having not learned french since gr. 11) ... but here i am.
made some friends
but no one really close
and dang it's hard to express oneself in a language you're not completely familiar with

guess i better get use to it though
i can bet you Potosi, Bolivia will be similar

«exhale»

Self

2005-06-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

I was out climbing with Cene and JtB yesterday and while we were walking the question of "what is self?" came up. I hadn't ever thought of that question before, so I didn't have an answer. So here's a shot at it:

Self is your core, the absolute essence that defines your existence. It is forever true. What you do, your actions, are reactions to the environment and others around you. The driver behind those reactions is the self sending ripples through the fabric of the universe as it strives to make itself felt.

Google defines it as:

The Self is a key construct in several schools of Psychology. Usages differ between theorists and fields of study, but in general the self refers to the conscious, reflective personality of an individual. The study of the self involves significant methodological problems, especially concerning consciousness. Some of these are taken up in philosophy of mind and metaphysics.

=P
.

'Lilo & Stitch'

2005-06-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you might think Disney is evil with all their mega-marketing ploys. But every once in awhile, they come up with really good stuff! ...like 'Lilo & Stitch'. I love that movie :)

Happy Birthday Suu Kyi.

2005-06-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

I got royally pissed off by the Sportchek manager today at Metrotown. There's a lot I could say, but here I'll just write that he was a dork. I don't think I've ever gotten that mad before. Mad to the point where I was actually upset and nearly cried. I couldn't believe how undeniably anal he was, and don't retailers typically have a "customer first" policy? Guh! Anyways...

Had a lovely evening today enjoying drinks on the patio of Fiddlehead Joe's with a few friends from EWB and Alan. It was just what I had hoped for - a relaxed end to the day overlooking water, no rain, and pleasant company. As we left I got to thinking about friends who have had an impact in my life. Many of these I met during university and many of them are gone or about to leave. It sucks. I guess I shouldn't complain as I'm among the ranks of those who are spending the next bit of their lives away from Vancouver, but really, it still sucks.

Hehe, I suppose I should try to focus on who is [still] here.

But there are so many I miss. And will miss.

fresh

2005-06-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

I love Vancouver... especially when the clouds begin to break right after it rains. The air is thick with moisture, but clean and cool; the roads are dark grey accented by bright glints of light; the trees are bright; and the dark sky is breaks with the emerging sunlight.

So
incredibly
beautiful.

blah.....................?

2005-06-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

I had thought of something that I wanted to write about, but now I can't remember. I hate it when that happens. It was something important.

This morning JH become ordained as a deacon. The cathedral was packed and each of the newly ordained deacons were stars in their own right.

It's pissing rain outside and I should be on my way to AK's birthday BBQ on the beach. This is nuts. But I'm a die hard... see you at the beach.

Truly Canadian

2005-05-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

There really isn't a hell of a lot to Huacachina. The "town" consists of a lake (or maybe better described as a pond) that takes maybe 10 minutes to walk around and about 2 rows worth of buildings surrounding it. There's not much to do there other than chill out by the pool in your hostel/hotel, or go dune buggying and sand boarding.

Proudest moment: being the only person who could consistently board down the sand dunes (on a 1 inch think piece of "shaped" wood) standing up. Hells ya.

A Cut Above

2005-05-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Obviously, even when you're in a less developed country, not everyone around you is poor and our last night in Aerequipa probably provides the best example of the upper class.

It was Saturday and I wanted a night out. Following the recommendation of one of the hosts working at our hostel, Tambo Viejo, we headed downtown to the plaza to a place called Daddyo's. The line-up there was HUGE - longer than what you might see outside The Blarney Stone in Vancouver - absolutely ridiculous. So following another lead, we walked a few blocks to what turned out to be a truly upscale club called The Forum. Inside the club looked like a tropical paradise complete with multiple bars, palm trees, bamboo walkways, and a lagoon (and a giant bed). And drink prices were nearly the same as those you would find here in Canada. The bartender had an excellent command of English and so did the group of locals we hung out with that evening. They were all in university pursuing degrees in either business administration, accounting or engineering, and nearly all of them had spent a significant time abroad in the US or Europe travelling and/or studying English. It was also obvious from the way they carried themselves they were from a different class.

I wanted to ask them how they viewed the "common class" in their city and wondered how they thought they were viewed by other people in their society. They were obviously much wealthier and far more educated than the majority of people there, and I wanted to know what it meant to them to be a cut above. In the end I didn't ask because it just would have been too inappropriate... but at least we got a couple of free drinks :D
.

The Anti-Atkins Fat Camp

2005-05-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Despite having just finished a bloody long 18 hour bus & taxi travel journey from San Pedro to Aeriquipa, we got on yet another 6 hour bus the next morning. This bus was part one of a 3 day, 2 night tour and trek of the Colca Canyon - a place famous for the revered Peruvian condor.

We, our guide and group of 8, arrived in Cabanaconda at about noon and piled into a small gringo stricken restaurant for lunch. That afternoon, the first part to the trek, was practically straight down. The path was hot with the sun and the dry earth made for a slippery and dusty trek - my least favourite part of the three days. But at least at the bottom of the canyon we were able to enjoy a few hot springs! As true Canadian girls, Robin and I washed our hair in the river at the bottom of the canyon (We had originally intended to take a shower at the hostel that morning before setting out, but there was no hot water. Ironically, the water in the river was probably colder than the cold shower we would have taken at the hostel).

On day two, after an extended morning of hiking along a "Peruvian flat" trail, we came upon a lush green oasis. There, we were greeted by bamboo bungalows and a series of small swimming pools that offered a much appreciated escape from the heat of the sun.

Before I go on here, I should describe the series of meals we had...
breakfast - pancakes and bread
lunch - soup and mashed potatoes (from a powdered mix) with a dab of spaghetti sauce
dinner - soup and spaguetti (with a two-inch piece of tuna fish I found in on my plate which I shared with Robin)

Can you say "anti-Atkins"??? Might I add that each day we were doing quite a bit of hiking and trekking so overall we weren't treating our bodies very well.

On the last day, wake-up call was at 2:30am and our 1100m ascent began at 2:50am. No breakfast. The moon at this point had also set behind the cliff so there was no light except for headlamps we brought (I had to borrow one from the guide because I left my flashlight back at the hostel). Despite not being able to see, I was glad of the dark as we set out on this last part of the trek. It would have been almost unbearably hot had we had to hike up the steep cliff face with the sun out, and in the dark I couldn't tell how high we had go - ignorance is bliss. But honestly, it was a hard hike up and we were given no food. Not even bread! I don't think my body was particularly happy with me that morning...

About 4/5ths of the way up we were finally able to stop for about 20 min to buy and enjoy some chocolate, bread and coca tea being sold by two ladies waiting quietly for trekkers to arrive. They must make a killing because everyone stopped there for a break.

Finally at the top, we made our way into town and ate breakfast before cramming ourselves onto the bus that would take us to the nearby national park. There, we waited for the condors, giant birds with wingspans of up to 2m. Don't let one of these birds scare you into falling off the mountain...........

travel day

2005-05-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

San Pedro de Atacama to Arica: 11 hours by bus, $9800 pesos

Arica to Tacna: 1 hour by taxi, $2000 pesos

Getting grounded and booking next bus in Tacna bus terminal: 30 min

Tacna to Aeriquipa: 6 hours by bus, 18 soles

Finally getting to stand up and walk around as I pleased: Priceless

San Pedro de Atacama

2005-05-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

The first thing we noticed when we crossed into Chile was the paved highway with guard railings, painted lines, et al. What a refresher!
We spent about a day and a half in San Pedro de Atacama mostly just relaxing. A lot of the time we bumpted into and hung out with 2 American med students that kept us well entertained.
After 3 days of "fine" cuisine served by the tour, we treated ourselves to a really nice dinner, complete with some excellent Chilean merlot.
The restaurant had an open pit fire right at the centre - a nice touch
We toured San Pedro's version of "Death Valley" on horseback. There is nothing quite like galloping across untouched sand dunes. (Things to note when riding a horse: A horse is NOT a car. It will not necessarily go exactly where YOU want to go. A horse can also get tired.)
It felt like forever when we had 2 errands to run and 7 hours to kill before our bus ride out.

Salar de Uyuni

2005-05-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

We were FREEZING when we got to Uyuni. I couldn't feel my toes - a good reminder that it's winter in the southern hemisphere. Desperate for some warmth, we sat in the sun along with some Brits and waited for the Colque Tour office to open.

That morning, we embarked on a 3 day tour of Bolivia's salt flats and multi-coloured lagoons. Our driver, Juan, really should have been named "Speedy Gonzales". Throughout the entire tour he HAD to be the first to arrive, wherever the destination was suppose to be. On the second morning, he was going so fast he screwed up the axle of the Land Cruiser (this tour was done pretty much completely off-road), and we had to stop a couple times so he could fix it. This was the first time I had seen someone take a sledge-hammer to a car for fixing purposes. Nonetheless, it worked! And although we had to stop, he managed to still catch up and pass the other cars in the tour convoy.

Anyways, the salt flats were amazing. All you could see for miles around was a plane of salt and mountains dotting the distance, and everyone once in awhile you would come across an "island" oasis covered in giant cacti. I'll post pictures when I get home - it's hard to describe what this all looked like.

Something I definitely did not expect to see on this South American trip was flamingos. And yet we saw flocks of them... at well over 4000m. Amidst the mountains in Bolivia, there are lagoons of varying colours and many of them are home to flamingos. I don't know about you, but usually I think of some place hot, like Florida, when I think of flamingos. Not mountain ranges 4km above sea level of a land-locked country with temperatures that drop to -20C in the winter!

Highest altitude I have been at: 4850m (air is thin at this altitude, do not attempt to do any running)

Note1: always bring a deck of cards when travelling
Note2: there is no such thing as a set of international rules for the game of "ShitHead"

Rude Awakening

2005-05-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

The bus ride from La Paz to Oruro was great. We arrived on time, it was smooth and the scenery was spectacular.

The bus ride from Oruro to Uyuni, on the otherhand, left much to be desired for. It was crowded, it was dark and it stank of diesel. This was to be a 7 hour bus ride through the night that stretched into 10 hours. Water froze on the INSIDE of the window panes and the bus stopped nearly every 10-15 minutes to make repairs.

At one point, we woke up to locals on the bus yelling and whistling for the driver to stop. "Do you smell burning?" we overheard the travellers next to us comment. The tires were indeed burning and it took the driver a good 10minutes before he decided to stop and take a look.

The best/worst part (depending on how you look at it) was the road itself - or rather, lack thereof. About 2 hours after the bus departure, the bus began to rattle furiously. The chairs we were sitting in *almost* felt like massage chairs - except they weren't. It was absolutely nuts.
I'm surprised we were able to sleep at all that night!

Hostal Naira (La Paz)

2005-05-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

...or rather "Hotel" Naira.

We had been roughing it for awhile so it was a true treat to stay at a nice place for a change. It really makes you realize how much you take for granted at home and really helps you appreciate the littel things - like toilet paper and a toilet seat! They even came in and made our beds midday. Ahhhh... it was great.

The toilet seat was even padded.

Just a few blocks up the street from the hostel is the infamous "Witches Market". Lots of odd charms and things you can buy to offer to good ol' Pachamama (i.e. Mother Earth). Every store had it's own collection of dried llama fetuses. What were they for? Good luck for the house they assured us. And what about the dried armadillo and the dried cats? - Same thing. For how much? - Oh about $2.

from Cuzco to La Paz

2005-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Soooooooooo...

After a final great night in Cuzco, we took a bus to a little town called Puno, located on the shores of Lago Titikaka. The lake - beautiful. The town - pretty blah. We didn´t do much in Puno other than sleep.

From Puno, we took a 1.5 day tour of some trippy floating reed islands and checked out the islands of Atmantani and Tequile. Would you actually believe people LIVE on these floating reed islands? They harvest the reeds growing around them and lay them down layer by layer every few months, making what looks and feels like a giant mattress. The houses and boats are made of the same material making these habitats completely organic - it´s nuts! However, this population of reed dwellers is dwindling fast so there probably won´t be too many ´natural´ habitats in the future other than those made purely for tourists.

On Atmantani Island, we had the opportunity to stay with a family in their home. It was an incredibly rustic scene - each family had a plot of land where they grew their crops of potatoes (3-5 different kinds), maize, tomatoes and quinoa. Each had a small heard of sheep, the token noisy donkey, a cat or two, chickens, and a few guinea pigs running around in a hut seperate from the house that was used as the kitchen. When we got to the island, our host, Delia, a 19 year old girl, met us at the dock and brought us into her house. Robin and I wanted to get to know the family and their way of life, so in out badly spoken Spanish we offered to help cook lunch. The only problem was... we sucked at peeling potatoes. Delia would peel/pare 3 or 4 potatoes in the same amount of time it took us to do one (mind you we were trying to do this with really small potatoes and blunt knives). Lunch was served in our room, but because we wanted to get to know the family we asked if we could have dinner all together. So... we had dinner together, except that meant Robin and I were at a small table facing the wall while the family ate behind us on the floor beside the bed. I guess they don´t get many requests like that! After dinner, we opted to relax in our room only to find that 10min later, Delia and her mom came into the room with armloads of clothing. They made us stand up and dressed us in a matter seconds with the islanders traditional clothing. Phew! They cinch those belts tight! When we got to the main plaza, we found that all tourists had been dressed in traditional clothing and were hopelessly trying to follow the dance. There is a lot of twirling and spinning, and a LOT of running around in a deformed circle at deliriously high speeds. I´m surprised no one got flung against the wall!

Having had enough of Peru for a little while, we spent yesterday on the other side of Lago Titikaka in the small town of Copacabaña, Bolivia. If anyone is looking for a cheap hippie hideaway, this is the place to be. The place is small, beautiful, and very very relaxed. There are no taxi´s honking at you and no locals hollering at you at every turn trying to make you buy their goods. And the word ¨cheap¨ doesn´t quite describe this place completely. $1US = 8Bs (Bs is Bolivianos). We had really nice clean room with a private bathroom for 40Bs, and a huge dinner (complete with salad, soup, entree and dessert) for 30Bs. You could stow away in Copacabaña for ages. The only crappy thing there was that last night Robin got food poisoning there. It was a looooong and not so memorable night. I had a hell of a time trying to use the public phones trying to make a collect call to our health insurance companies, but luckily it all worked out in the end. She´s doing a lot better now and we´ve been able to track down some antibiotics and ginger to settle her stomach. So for today and tomorrow, we´re splurging a little bit in La Paz, staying at a hotel rather than a hostel. Things are looking up! We´ve met some great and really helpful people along the way, but more on that later...

All´s good =)

at 10

2005-05-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

When I was 10, I would have been in Grade 4. I went to school Monday to Friday, and was forced to take Chinese lessons every Saturday. During the week I practiced piano and had piano lessons Sunday. That year my parents took my brother and I to Hawaii and Hong Kong.

In Cuzco we have encountered 10 year olds, in fact kids from age 5-12, running up to every tourist they see and offering to either shine their shoes, or to sell postcards or finger puppets. Some of them do not appear to go to school. They have learned to pull the saddest face possible to make you, the tourist, feel badly for them. The services they offer will help supplement their familys income. The likelihood they will travel beyond anywhere in South America in slim to none.

English, French, Cantonese, Spanish

2005-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Some have been inclined to call Robin and I social ringers. That may be true.

Yesterday was our last in Cuzco. We had a relaxing morning, spending most of it in an internet cafe and then splurging on a lovely lunch at a crepe restaurant near the Plaza de Armas. Something you need to know about Cuzco is that it is very much a tourist centered city. Nearly EVERYONE we have met from that area is or is studying tourism (typically a 4-5 year program at the local university) so that they can become a guide, work in the hotels, or be a server at a popular restuarant. So every one in awhile, Robin and I get approached by students who want to practice their English. This typically means spending a good half hour or so chatting in the main square about schtuff and then being offered to be taken out somewhere. The crepe restaurant was no exception. We ended up getting a quick Spanish lesson and giving a quick English lesson to our server, and made plans to meet up in the evening to check out the local night scene.

During the afternoon, we hopped on a City Tour of Cuzco and got driven around in a bus to places we could have probably simply walked to or taken a quick taxi. But at least the tour included a guide that explained what was going on...in English. The tour was alright, but after the hike to Machu Picchu, the city sites seemed a little mundane particularly because the explanations were all about the same. We really wanted to try cuy (guinea pig) in Cuzco but heard the plate was pretty big and was good for sharing. So we made some quick plans for dinner and ended up inviting 2 French guys who were staying at the same hostel we were, and a bunch of people from the tour including 2 guys from Hong Kong, 2 Dutch girls and an electrical engineer from Kentucky. The 2 Dutch girls never ended up coming, but even without them we had quite the international crew and carried conversations in French, English and Cantonese, whilst putting our heads together to work out whatever Spanish was needed to order dinner. We ended up not having cuy yesterday evening, but tried some alpaca instead. I quite liked it, though Robin claims it tasted a bit like liver.

Afterwards we met up with Danny, our server from lunch, and a friend of his and headed towards a line of bars nearby. As we walked there, we were literally surrounded by people trying to give us little flyers and tickets for free drinks to the various bars. You might think this is great, but it was actually quite frightening. They were all really aggressive and the swarm took us by complete surprise from behind - it was nuts!! Anyways, the rest of the night was less scary and we had a really good time doing a little bar-hopping. The mix in music was great! The DJs make mixes that flawlessly go from trance to hip-hop to good old 80s classics.

I do not think they measure their alcohol when they pour drinks...
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I am

2005-05-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Where are you from? - Japan? Korea? China?...

Canada? Really? But you are Asian!

I do not believe you.

The Happy Bus on the Inca Trail...

2005-05-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

What you Need:
1 pair of good hiking boots
1 walking stick
1 tour guide and assistant guide (Freddy and Omar)
16 porters
11 gourmet meals
1 bottle of sunscreen
4 Brits, 2 Aussies, 2 Germans, 2 Canadians and 1 American
4 days of fabulous weather
1 Inca Trail
a generous helping of YeeHaw

Day 1:
Wake up at 5:15am, get ready, and meet with your group in front of the SAS office at 6am. Pile into a bus and enjoy your first real dose of Freddy-ism. Stop a half hour later to enjoy breakfast over-looking Ollantaytambo. Stare wide-eyed at the 3 year old boy short-changing himself by trying to sell you walking sticks for 1 soles each. Buy walking sticks for their actual price, 3-5 soles.

Get back on the bus, stop at the town below to buy a rain poncho you will not use, coca leaves to chew and a water bottle sling, and continue on your way to the final stop, Km 82.

Slather on sunscreen and bug repellent before beginning your trek on the Inca Trail and receieve the first stamp in your passport Freddy was raving about. Start walking at a steady pace alon ght etrail and get to know the people you will be spening the next 4 days with. Feel good about doing the 4-day hike ahead of you and allow your jaw to drop when you see the porters running past you carrying 20-30+ kg of cargo on their back wearing mere sandals on their feet.

Get caught up in the energy and enthusiasm Freddy has for being an Inca Trail tour guide.

Enjoy the excellent company of your companions during your fabulous meals of lunch and dinner. Attempt to understand the idea of having "tea time", complete with two giant piles of popcorn and plates of snacks, immediately prior to dinner. Listen to the passion with which Freddy speaks of the Incas and Peru, and his views on the corrupt government and the impact of tourism on the local economy - he obviously cares much for his country and cultural background.

Be convinced the next day will be brutal (that way it´s not so bad when you actually begin your trek).

Day 2:
"Vamos a la playa!" - Begin to understand decipher what Freddy is actually saying. Laugh at his bad jokes and sarcastic humour. Realize that Freddy time is very ... flexible.

On the trail take it slow and steady, especially right after Elevensies. The stairs up to the top of Dead Woman´s Pass is a steep one. Chew a wad of coca leaves and take frequent breaks ...to, uh, admire the view of the valley of course. Once at the top, cheer, clap and jump for joy because you´ve made it! Allow ample time to savour the breath taking view.

Arrive at camp by 2pm, eat lunch and siesta. This nap will prove to be important as you might find it difficult to sleep later on. Braving the cold showers is optional.

Enjoy a lovely dinner served by the "so amazing people" (i.e. the porters) and end the meal with a warm cup of well-deserved mulled wine. Play a get-to-know-you game such as Two Truths and a Lie. Follow this with drinking games like "The Happy Bus on the Inca Trail..." and "YeeHaw!". Do not forget to keep the neighbours awake - they will thank you in the morning.

Before you head to bed, take a moment to admire the clear sky and the multitude of stars. Soak in the sight of the MilkyWay and make a wish on a shooting star. Once in your tent, wrap yourself in as many warm layers as possible because you will be in for a cold night. Sleep may only be an option for the lucky.

Day 3:
Eat a good breakfast - today will be a long day. You will find that you warm up quickly once you set off on your trek and forget how miserably cold you were the night before.

On your trek, stop at Inca ruins you see along the way. You will get a thorough explanation of Inca history and the different purposes of each building from Freddy. You may find yourself amazed by the accomplishments of the Incas. Try to sit in the shade and do not forget to re-apply sunscreen or you may regret it later.

At the last Inca ruin stop, you will be offered a choice of going straight to the campsite, or taking an extra long route that will allow you to see Machu Picchu from a far away perspective. Choose option 2. Once you have chosen option 2, be prepared for a fast paced hike along the narrow, original Inca trail. Walk fast - Freddy may not wait for you. Once you finally reach the top of the mountain, you will get your first glimpse of the acclaimed Machu Picchu... and will finally be able to catch your breath. Take lots of pictures and overload Freddy with as many cameras as possible. When you notice that there is only a limited amount of sunlight remaining, book it to the camp site. Follow your trusty guide and practically run down the mountain along a dried stream bed. Avoid the prickly cacti. Be careful not to twist your ankle by making good use of your walking stick as you plunge through the jungle at break neck speeds. Freddy may decide that you still aren´t going fast enough and will suggest a short cut that leads vertically down the mountain. Your childhood dreams of being Indiana Jones will be fulfilled here.

You will be relieved once you reach the campsite and be excited about the available hot showers. However, no matter how bad you smell, it is OK if you decide to forego the shower because the line-up is miles long. Dinner is served inside the lodge. You may be tempted to laugh at the bad music videos playing overhead. Beers and cheers all around for a good day and sore muscles.

Say farewell and thank your porters for all their hard work and the phenomenal job they´ve done.

Drink to YeeHaw!.

Day 4:
Awake at the un-godly hour of 4:00am so that you are packed up and ready to leave. Be super enthusiastic as you set out on your trek to the final destination, Machu Picchu, but stop 50m later and queue to enter the final stretch.

Once through the gate, you may feel as if you are racing 400 other people to get to Machu Picchu first. You will be passing groups of tourists while other groups of tourists pass you. Stop at the Sun Gate to watch the sun rise over the mountains and strike the Incan city. Stop again at the terraces just outside Machu Picchu and revel in the site. If a marriage proposal should take place, congratulate the happy couple and let the mountain know with a loud "YeeHaw!".

Within the city of Machu Picchu, Freddy will guide you through and explain the different sites. Themes of the condor, puma and snake will appear and reappear throughout your tour. The Incas revered the sun and earth, and they followed the three fundamental rules of love, and work. Each time you sit down to listen to Freddy´s stories you may find it difficult to get up and move again. You may find that you have also developed a fear of stairs.

Be adventurous and climb the mountain overlooking the city. It will be a hard-core 45min hike up, but the view will be worth it. Do not forget bug spray.

Your muscles at this point may be beyond tired. Take the bus, rather than hike, to Agua Calientes and regroup for a final lunch and good bye. Look around the table and enjoy the company of the people you have gotten to know and care for. Together you have accomplished and shared something amazing that will be unforgetable. It will be these who make your 4 days and 3 nights an unbelieveable and wonderful experience.
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30cents an hour

2005-04-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

yep - that's how much internet costs here. it's great!

Robin and I are at an internet place a stones throw away from our hostel. we arrived in Cuzco yesterday by plane, and were immediately *attacked* by a bazillion people trying to get us to stay at their hostel. we followed one girl (actually, her counterpart in Lima accosted us first and had someone here with Robin's name written on a piece of paper) and checked out her place. it was definitely nice, but we ended up opting to wandering around the city a bit more and followed a recommendation from Lonely Planet. the place is called "Hostal Qorichaska" and the owner (?) is Sonja - a really nice lady with a motherly kinda nature about her. our room is very basic with two beds and a bathroom down the hall, but very clean and has a homely feel.

we spent yesterday taking it easy running errands like booking and paying for tours, including our Inca Trail tour with SAS (note: many people told us we could book the trail tour when we get to Cuzco, but I would advise doing this in advance. we just bumped into a fellow hosteler from Lima and he's having a heck of a time finding a tour that leaves within the next month - I think some of the rules regarding the trail have changed and require a bit more planning). the food here is awesome and incredibly cheap - imagine paying the equivalent of $3-5 for a days worth of good food and never at all being hungry. we've yet to try (...vegetarians may choose to skip what I'm about to say next...) guinea pig.

today, Robin and I took a tour of the Sacred Valley. Sacred because it seemed to be unaffected natural disasters, had rich soil that allowed them to grow food for the empire, is absolutely beautiful and was considered the naval of the world. the views into the valley are breathtaking and some of the villages are still being built ON old ruins (and there's really no reason for them not too. the Incas knew what they were doing and the roads and aqueduct system they built are still in fantastic shape). we were suppose to be on the "English Only" tour - in hopes of meeting fellow travelers - but ended on the English & Spanish tour anyway. we were a little disappointed at first - because eventhough we're picking up on the Spanish it's still difficult to have a conversation - but it worked out in the end and we met some great people from Spain and Brazil who knew some English, particularly the Brazilian guy, Fabio. everyone was raving about how great Bolivia was, particularly the cities/towns(?) of Uyuni and San Pedro. and we've been recommended time and again to bike "the most dangerous road in the world", so... lots in store! I can't believe it's only really day 3...

anyways, we should be off to bed soon. we need to be up EARLY (i.e. at 5am) to get ready and start our Inca Trail tour. soooooooo excited!

hasta luego :)

2005-04-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

There's an adventure at every turn.

Robin and I weren't able to fly to Cuzco until this morning, so we spent yesterday in Lima. Our hostel - The Point Hostel - was located in a suburb of Lima called Barranco, but we spent a better part of the afternon in Lima. We got into a taxi, bargained for what was considered a decent price - 8 soles (i.e. $2.50) - and found ourselves gripping the seats of the car and watching our lives flash before our eyes ...several times. The driving here is, to say the least, is crazy and much less organized than anything in N. America. In Lima, we walked around Chinatown - which incidentally didn't seem to have any Chinese people - and ended up in areas that would be considered "off the beaten path" by most travelers. We had a huge lunch at a restaurant that was literally a whole in the wall (not uncommon) and were glad to provide the locals with entertainment as we whipped out Spanish-English phrase books.

That evening we went to a football match between Peru and Argentina with the hostel. We were cheering for Peru, but they got their asses kicked ...badly. The score was 0-3 at half-time and remained that way until the end of the game. Too bad. =P It was fun to be among a huge cheering crowd and eating I'm-not-completely-sure-what's-in-this vendor food (travelers are advised not to - Oops, but we didn't get sick, so I assume it was ok...?)

What was great about the hostel we stayed at is it had it's own bar. So after the game we headed back there for some good drinking and good crack (no, not THAT kind of crack. It's an Irish expression for a good laugh or good time), and headed out to a local club for more partying when the neighbours complained we were being too loud - hehe ;)

6.5 hours 'til take off

2005-04-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

gawwwwd - i should be sleeping! not creating another blog.
you can bet i'll be zonked on the plane. hopefully they won't ask too many hard questions at the gate =P
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