Rise and Shine Lake Atitclan

Waking up at Lake Atitclan is one of the most serene scenarios possible. It's sunny but cool outside with a refreshing lake smell. MMMM YUM!
This morning Emmy and I took advantage of the gorgeous day by renting a couple kayaks and riding them out to these rocks in San Marcos famous for jumping. And WOW did we figure out why they were famous or what! It was so cool to scrample up the sides of the rocks and then jump off holding all limbs and as tight to our bodies as humanly possible. It's a lot higher than it orginally looked!
Last night Emmy and I met the only other guests in our high-end Guatemalan hotel ($10 each a night), a couple of Texans and an Aussie. The five of us grabbed some dinner in town and then headed out to a local pub where we sat down to play some dominoes. LOVE dominoes. Anyway everything was going great, and Blake, one of the Texans ordered us a few shots of this really amazing teguila called Mescol that is actually illegal in the states. It was a really yummy smoky flavored tequila with a vanilla finish - YUM. We were sipping the tequila respectably when a local guy came over and stole the rest of Jay's shot! ARGH - it was so weird and uncomfortable, but he was just too intoxicated and should have just been ignored. Well in proper Texan fashion Jay found it impossible to ignnore this frustration and he THREW his shot glass at the guy in order to persuade him to purchase a new one. OMG! WHAT? WHO does that!???? Emmy and I were so confused as to what the unnecessary gesture really displayed. Blake successfully calmed both parties down, but WOW was that just plain dumb.


Tomorrow is a new day and Emmy and I are headed to the traditional Mayan market in Chichicastenango. Neither of us is too sure what this will entail exactly but we are excited nonetheless!

Where the Mayan's Go

I am in Guatemala! On a travel whim, I flew here a few days ago to meet a girlfriend from Royal Palm Junior High, Emmy Epperly! Jake and I ran into her about a month and a half ago in Costa Rica and she continued to travel around the area. Meeting her here was the best idea ever! We have been having a really great time.
Guatemala has managed to maintain this authentic culture that I have not experienced anywhere else in Central America. The indigenous people, mostly the women, wear extremely authentic Mayan attire. Their clothing consists on long vibrantly colored skirts and blouses with these thick adorned belts and then covered with an apron/skirt. I have tried to capture a couple pictures but it is something they are not open to and if they are, they are quick to charge you roughly 5 Quetzals per photo which is approximately $.75 US. What is the most interesting about their attire though is the baskets and bundles the women carry on their heads! It is incredibly impressive to see just how much they can balance comfortably on the very tops of their heads and then walk all over town in this state. Their necks must be among the strongest in the world!
Emmy and I met up in Xela, which is a town that is really known for its Spanish lessons. The tourism there is a lot lower than the rest of the popular places in the country because most tourists who pass through Xela are doing so in order to improve their Spanish. Guatemala is one of the best places to learn Spanish because the Guatemalans speak much more slowly than the rest of Central Americans, and they also have a really impressive amount of patience. Even in the hostels, the employees encourage you to use your Spanish instead of speaking English which they all know well.

The first day in Xela we explored the two markets that the town offered. The first one was mostly food and common household goods like blenders, suitcases, bathroom utensils, etc. The second one, however, was like the world’s biggest swap mart! It was like Goodwill from the states had sent a shipment and all the Guatemalans had just dumped everything into heaping piles and then the customers go digging through to find their next 3 Quetzal purchase. Emmy bought a Grateful Dead tie-die shirt that is the size of her whole body because it was only $.50. Some things are SO cheap that you feel like you have to do it! I bought a purse that is now broken so there was THAT smart purchase! Other than that I resisted… ok… a back pack too…but I needed that!


We hiked another volcano! This particular volcano was RIDICULOUSLY hard! We woke up at 4AM in order to get to the volcano and complete the hike before the daily rain comes around 2PM. The first couple hours were pitch black and groggy, but when the sun rose it was totally gorgeous. We were really high up and overlooked the entire city of Xela. After another steep and difficult 2 hours we arrived at the top of the volcano and what did we see! – COWS! At the top of the volcano! COWS! SO random!


Now we have arrived at Lake Atitclan which is a really beautiful place. Last night we stayed in the main town, Panajachal, but today we are going to head to the more hopping one called San Pedro. There are three volcanoes that surround the lake. Yesterday evening when we were taking pictures we had the luck to have some bright blue sky… take a look! Amazing. The shopping here isn’t bad as well! Actually, I kind of love the shopping! AH!

Last little huge party in Santa Teresa

Wild night in Costa Rica last night!

Yesterday Stamatea, another Ocean Healing Group volunteer and I headed to Montezuma to meet my Isreali friend Sharon. It took us about 45 mins on a quad and was a really gorgeous and fun ride. Although we saw a baby kitten get run over in horribly slow motion. I will spare you all those details because it was really, really sad!

In Montezuma we sat down to lunch at Puggos (yes, named after pug dogs!!) with Sharon and a laRge group of Isreali boys that we had met in Santa Teresa a few days before all pulled up on their quads and we had a large Isreali lunch party. I just have to mention that Hebrew is the hardest language on EARTH to understand! Stamatea and I were SO confused for a lot of the lunch! But the group was fun and they were really considerate to speak a lot more English than normal so that we could be included. Moti, the tallest Isreali I have ever seen, convinced us to come back to Santa Teresa for one night for a HUGE party! (it must be noted that around here, every night is supposedly a HUGE party). Regardless we let Moti talk us into coming back and we stayed for one night at the local Isreali hostel in town called Casa de Gingi... it was ALL Isrealis! Very nice people even though they are impossible to understand.
We went out to this "huge" party at the Irish pub which turned out to be the smallest HUGE party in all he land! We managed to have a great time though. I met the local tattoo artist, Ryan right before the power went out at the bar because of a sudden storm! A group of us piled on Stamatea's quad and drove up to Ryan's tattoo shop to wait out the rain. There must of been 8 of us on that quad! We were at the shop for roughly half an hour before the power came back on... JUST enough time for me to persuade Ryan to let ME give him a tattoo!!! I did the black outline for a tiny flower on his inner thigh and Stamatea colored it in! QUITE the experience. Ryan said I have a very steady hand... maybe I will become your next tattoo artist!

OHG / JAWS 6 Commenced

My second week with Ocean Healing Group has begun with a bang with their JAWS 6 program (Just Add Water Surfing). This week brings us two teenage boys from Southern California. Cody is 15 and he was born with a condition called Spina Bifida. For those of you that do no know, my niece, Alice was born with this same condition. The severity of each case varies drastically. Throughout Cody's entire life he has had several different surgeries on his spine and brain. As a result of the Spina Bifida, Cody has a condition in his brain that causes an inability for the spinal fluid that his brain produces to discrete correctly to the rest of his body. During one of the procedures to help correct this, around the age of five, Cody awoke with a loss of feeling in his legs. Other than his chair, Cody is a totally typical teenager. He battles his Dad for another cup of coffee, and he gets embarassed when his Mom kisses on him obsessively. The coolest thing about Cody though, is his immense support group. Cody has brought with him his Mother, Father, Step-father, Step-mother, and half brother (11). It's really inspiring and admirable. The fact that they can all come together for something like this that is clearly about Cody and his experience in a civilized and friendly manner= it is really cool to see. It is also remarkably obvious that they all care a GREAT deal about Cody. He is truly lucky to have so many people behind him.

The other boy here is Christian. November of 2008, Christian was in a dirt bike accident in Southern California and is now a parapalegic. Christian is 18 and about to start college in the fall. Like Cody, Christian has a really strong support system. His Mother, Father and two little brothers are both here in full support of Christian's surfing experience. His Dad, Tom, is really involved in the daily surf sessions for both kids. Tom greatly encourages Christian to be more independent and strong. MAN that kid has got some SERIOUS upper body strength. When he just paddles out to the waves on his own, he FLIES! Tonight he showed me some pics of his dirt bikes, and toy hauler back in CA. Tom told me that he has sold most of the bikes, and Christian doesn't think he would ever be interested in riding again. He is, however, incredibly active in other things, surfing included. He showed us pics of his brand new Scion car which he isn't proud of AT ALL, AND some of his sea kayaking trips. Truly adds another meaning to the other program most of these guys are involved with called "Life Rolls On".

Tonight the SIX parents all went out to eat together and we are here at the camp watching the three little kids and two teenagers. Mostly playing dominoes and watching movies... but it's great fun! I am sure it will be a really nice, and much needed vacational break for the padres in town. I hope they don't get too crazy! We have a 6AM surf lesson tomorrow!!! This is the life... My surfing hasn't progressed mucho personally, but that is NOT for lack of trying!!! I get out there at least once a day, and fall A LOT!!! But it's great fun!!!

Farewells, and be wells, one camps ends and another begins...

In this lifestyle, goodbyes get harder and harder to do! Today a few of us Shaka volunteers who are working with Ocean Healing Group for two weeks said goodbye to the first groups participants and most of its volunteers and tomorrow we welcome a new crew. All the volunteers have been living very closely in a house at Shaka for the past week, and it was beyond difficult to say goodbye. The things we have experienced together with these kids have really been beyond words. I feel so lucky to have been included in something of this nature. Last night Sean (one of the volunteers) put together a collage of images of the past week. Going through them as a group and laughing, and joshing together, felt a lot like being amongst a family unit. I cannot wait to see what the next group entails.
As a nice group treat, OHG took the group out to an INCREDIBLE restaurant here called Buenos Aires. SERIOUSLY, incredible doesn't actually effectively describe the time we had there. it's this really cool outdoor restaurant attached to a hotel at the top of the hills in Santa Teresa. That particular evening we were remarkably lucky to get a clear night and as a result we saw a really amazing sunset. The kids and their families were some of the happiest people I have been around in a long time. Just to be there and be able to see all the kids' smiling faces made the experience more than worth it. The totally mouth watering ahi tuna was just an added bonus.






Earlier that day, the kids went with some volunteers (myself excluded) to go ZIP-LINING! Seriously, with this group, there is nothing that any disability can hold them back from. Instead of asking what barricades there are in life now as a result of their disability, they ask what barricades there are not. The glass is half full around here and I want to soak up every bit of inspiration left over.
I cannot get over the attitudes of the kids. In particular, Chad, one of the kids, is ridiculously hilarious. A couple days ago he told me he was not into other men, but that in he actually has a thing for red heads. HA! Thanks for clearing that up Chad cause I was really worried!!!! Jake has this hilarious knack for answering any and all questions with "ya.... NO!" I seriously never know what his real answer is. He just has this really great free spirit that allows him to view everything as a blissful joke. I WANT to be more like them both! Brooke is much more sweet than the other two hooligans that were here. She and I talked a lot about her new outfits and how and where she got them. Just like the shopping buddy I always wanted :) HAHA - she has style too! Her surf gear is not something to be reckoned with!!! SUCH great kids! They will be seriously missed!!!

Oceans Healing Group at Shaka Surf Camp

Embarking on the first week of Shaka surf camp has been an inspiring experience to say the least. There are three surf participants at the camp this week that all three have what is commonly known as A.T., or otherwise called ataxia-telangiectasia. In brief, A.T. is a rare genetic disease that targets children specifically. It directly affects the balance and immune systems of its carriers. Because of the drastic effect the disease has on balance, people with A.T. cannot walk at all, and many cannot complete simple tasks such as eating or even speaking. You can read more about it here; http://www.communityatcp.org/. The three participants here now are Jake, Brooke, and Chad. Jake is from Huntington Beach who has been surfing MANY times and whose father plays a large role in Oceans Healing Group and its purpose. Brooke is here for the first time from Michigan. Her mother is her sole caregiver and keeps her closely guarded in a variety of ways. To have here here surfing right now seems like a MASSIVE achievement to say the least. Chad is here with his mother and brother. It's clear that his family envourages Chad to live a wildly active lifestyle despite his disability. He owns a quad back in his hometown, Sonora (The Bay Area of CA), of which he makes his own monthly payments.

There are roughly 15 volunteers and team members that are all here to make surfing for Jake, Brooke and Chad possible. Everyday for the next 7 days we take the kids out for one surf session that goes like this. A few people carry the participant out to the water clad in general surf gear, goggles, and a life jacket. Others carry the board and wait a few feet into the water to place the participant lying on top where there are two handles for him to grab on. Once steady on the board, the participant and three volunteers head out to the best location for wave catching. One volunteer stands in the front of the board and keeps the nose above the waves to avoid any submergion. A second volunteer holds around the waiste and keeps the participant secure on the board. The third person hold the back of the board straight and, if possible, or neccesary the participant's legs steady on the tail end of the board. Once in deep water, these three volunteers pass the participant off to the "deep water" volunteers who all have flippers on. These volunteers take the participant out to the perfect location for catching a wave and turn him around to get him ready. When they are ready to catch the next wave they signal to the remaining volunteers and let the participant know. Within seconds the participant is OFF launched into a wave much like boogie boarding. All the remaining volunteers run in a V-like shape toward the participant in order to be there in case he falls off. In general, the participant makes it all the way to shore and then a few volunteers turn him around and do the whole process over again. We are generally out there for 2-3 hours depending on how long each participant surfs.
I cannot even begin to explain how amazing this experience is for everyone involved. These kids are more excited and happy than you could possibly predict. Here they are in the circumstances they are in and they have made a decision to live life to its fullest despite everything. Oceans Healing Group's motto is "Carving the dis out of dis-ability", and it could not be more true here. These kids are PART of this group and PART of this experience more than anything else. They themselves and their spirit and strength are what makes this entire thing inspiring. It feels really good to be able to contribute in any way. In another sense it is a real awakening kind of feeling. Like, nothing can be so bad that it should hold you back from what feels great and what makes life worth living... like we should all be more grateful with what we have everyday.

Borders Made Easy

Along the gringo trail, it is well known that the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica is an extremely complicated process. Anna from London told me that it took her over 2 hours AND she chartered a bus to get it done. I must admit that I was really, really nervous about the whole ordeal. And doing it alone! I left San Juan Del Sur at around 1 for a bus headed in the direction of Rivas, but it dropped me off half way through just in the middle of what looked like nowhere to catch another bus headed toward the border. Luckily I got off at this invisible stop with an EXTREMELY helpful family. The mother sat next to me on the bus and explained that her son is a tour guide and they travel between Nicaragua and Costa Rica almost daily for work and such. Her son, Norman, who was with her is 18 years old and it seems a lot like he supports the family. They were three of the most helpful and amazingly nice locals I have met my whole time in Central America. Norman was the only one among the three that spoke any English. He explained the complicated process to me in a way that I could understand which was more valuable than I think I could have imagined. The stamp I received from Nicaragua when leaving the Nicaraguan side of the border was really faint and hard to read. They were going to send me back to the VERY long line to get a new stamp, but Norman explained to them that he was with me in line and that the stamp was legit. The ONLY reason they took his word for it is that he crosses the border SO often that they all knew him by name. This says TONS especially because the border patrol are NOT nice looking people… On the Costa Rican side, Norman stayed behind while his family grabbed a ride home in order to ensure that I was able to get through the process despite the faint stamp. AND because I was with Norman, the patrol-man did not make me pay the taxes or return ticket purchase that are usually required of foreginers. Thanks Norman!
From the border I grabbed a bus to Puntarenas which is really confusing because all the buses are going to San Jose, so they made a special stop for me in Barranca. I spoke with a local man on the bus who told me to grab a taxi ASAP when getting off the bus because at night it’s a really dangerous place for a gringa like me. True to his word, this city is SCARY. I grabbed my bag and a VERY nice elderly woman helped me grab a taxi ASAP but not before she also stressed that I needed to be careful. WOAH! Jose, the taxi driver was REMARKABLY nice. He explained that unfortunately there is a lot of robbery in Puntarenas during the evenings and that he would make sure I arrived to my hotel safely. He sure did, too! Carried my bag and ensured that the reception came down to help me into the locked gates. OH MY! I will not miss being so worried and afraid but I need to take some serious time to appreciate the immense amount of help I have had today. It is astounding how hospitable all of these people are. In a country, a city, where crime is rampant, there are still people who will do anything to help a stranger.