Hotel San Francisco Tapachula

... Cultural Festival de Meso America” happening this coming weekend. It was still fairly early in the day, and there were no performances going on yet, but we could tell it was going to be something big and hoped they would begin before we had to head back to the ship!

SO we wandered, first into the town hall to view the beautiful stained glass windows, then around the square checking out the performance venue, the fountain, the amazingly ...

... of the morning was spent doing spanish homework.

For lunch we had yet more seafood - this time the best (and largest plate) of shrimps I had ever had (espcially for the equivalent of two english pounds). With a migraine brewing I headed for an afternoon sleep and Jody headed out to take on the pacific waves in a thunderstorm, in his element taking on the elements.

Eye of the tiger death defying driving
The next day after a ...

... me to people as ´her daughter´. I even got to do a mini-fashion show wearing one of her special party outfits. The clothing here is very brightly colored, and rather fun to wear, but it´s also quite heavy!

From here, we´re heading to Lago de Atilan to continue our journey across Guatemala.

... this part was even more difficult than the previous sections of the hike. Here, when jumping from boulder to boulder, there was not a riverbed just below (should you fall) but instead the edge of a cliff. There were many times when losing your footing would be... traumatic. For those at home. Who survived. (just to skip quickly to the end, everyone is alive and safe).

Shortly after beginning their ascent, the entire process became even MORE ...

Depois de 3 horas de viagem cheguei na entrada da cidade de Tapachula. Tive que passas por uma cancela da immigracao Mexicana onde duas pessoas vestidas com uniformes de oficiais da immigracao me pediram para parar. Mostrei meus docmentos e um deles me disse que deveria ir a outro posto da immigracao para dar baixa no registro de entrada da minha pickup. Me perguntaram tambem se poderia dar a eles uma carona te a agencia. Sem ...

... way that the women always carry their children with them, the ever friendly locals and the desire to communicate with us not only about their county but about ours as well. I mean thats a quality you dont get in england with thoughts towards foreigners and it something that, no matter how rich our country is, that we all could learn from because in many ways they are a lot richer than people appreciate but you will have to see it to believe it.

... for Guatemala and points SE at 7 a.m. The Lux Hotel was directly across the street and for about $24 we were able to get an air-conditioned room with a television. The weather was much warmer than Oaxaca and quite humid. But with a nice little restaurant down the block and next to an Internet shop - we were set! Before we went to find a place to eat, Neal turned on the television to see if he could get an English news channel. CNN was just ...

... helpful cyclotaxi drivers guided us to immigration, where they realised the moron at the Mexican office had stamped the wrong date in our passports. Joy. I pulled the long straw and guarded the bags. My friend began the walk over the bridge with our passports...

A M20 bribe later and we were in Guatemala proper...I know you shouldn´t pay them, but what are you going to do? It´s hot, humid, a Sunday, there´s only 1 guy in the office...and he´s got the stamp!

... for a place to stay?' Classy, I know.

Dave and Guy, two French Canadian ****ers (they were quite clear that I refer to them this way), in the military and on leave from Afghanistan. We hung out all night. At first, the conversation was deep and important-- the nature and nurture of people, good and evil, perspective. After quite a few beers though, we talked about sex. Exclusively. It was fun...and ...