30BE Part Two: Chichen to Cancun

OK, so as Mike mentions, we got up real early and took the first bus possible to the ruins of Chichen Itza. He does a good job of writing about it, so I'll just show you my pictures with a few comments...

The above shot is mine - I just manipulated it a bit on the 'ole computer. Kinda looks like a Holga shot, if you know what that is. Below is our buddy shot. Damn, look at those socks.

Below is one of the famous feathered serpents...

Funky noses...

Nice foreground/background juxtaposition...

I amped the shadows on this one so you can see more details. The eagle is devouring the heart of a sacrificial victim...


Where the Mayan CEOs lounged, watching the ball games below. Very Roman of them...


Another method of doing-away with people was throwing them in large sinkholes, or cenotes, as they are called here...

Chief Smoking Snake, in the Observatory, with the Jade Sword...





Say hello to my little friend (baby preying mantis)...


By the way, I'm REALLY looking forward to Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. If anyone knows how to indulge in the finer details of violence, it's Mel. I think he'll do the Mayans (or Azteks, or whatever) right.

So we hopped back on another bus and rode on to Cancun. Yes, we were pestered by a little kid. Yes, I hit him in the head with my guidebook, but it wasn't in the back of the head - it was in the face. Not hard, just a swat. He was looming over the back of my seat, literally breathing down my neck. Like Mike, I actually started to warm up to the little brat by the end. He earned points for perseverance.

In Cancun we found a hostel in town rather than accomodations out on the strip. Shared a four-person dorm with a couple of German kids coming over to do humanitarian work. After a wonderful dinner of rice and shrimp, Mike and I tried to brave the bars and clubs on the beach, but just couldn't handle the "WHOOO!" factor. Too much. However, there was a lot of nice scenery. Still, we came back in and called it an early night.

30BE Travel Tip #2: Men, talcum powder (polvo de talc) can be your best friend, especially in hot, sticky climes. Oh, yes. Now when the ladies leave the table, saying they need to powder themselves, you can say, "Me too!"

30BE Part One: Merida

June 15th, 2006: First day of vacation

Good thing I was already packed, because I did not wake up until my ride to the airport called to say she was on the way. Turns out that three of my co-workers were taking the same flight from Southville to Atlanta (on their way to vacation in San Francisco), so it made things convenient. I stayed up late the previous night, drinking with Matt, who would be meeting me weeks later in Costa Rica. The spark for this last-minute binge was a last-minute break-up with the girl I’d been dating for the past few months. It was more implied than explicit. We had an argument in the afternoon, separated on bad terms, and didn’t speak again (until about a week into my trip). But, good ‘ole MySpace let me know exactly what she was thinking. “Single” again - no strings. Probably a good thing for an extended trek through Central America.

So, after some Ben & Jerry’s in the Atlanta airport (to make my head feel better) I took leave of my friends and trekked down to my next gate. There was Mike, ready and waiting. If you have read this blog before, you might remember Mike. We met in Beirut awhile back and planned this trip out several months ago. He’s actually ahead of me on the blog re-caps, so rather than write anything redundant, I will direct you to his version for shared portions of the journey. I will add my pics and additional anecdotes.

Post #1 from Mike

This is Mike watching the in-flight movie -- Schindler's List.


30BE Travel Tip #1: Don't use the bathroom for any long stays (you know what I mean) in the International Terminal. Whoa. Lotta cross-cultural stuff going on in there. Doesn't come out too well.

So we hopped down to Merida, capitol of the Yucatan state of Mexico (for details, see Mike's entry, linked above).









Mmmmm... ice cream.



This is what was going on in a plaza near our hostel...



La Plaza Central in motion...



Whew! This catch-up posting takes longer than I thought! I still have travel laundry to do, so check again in about 24 hrs for another post...

30BE Quickie Update 5

Back home, and at work, now. Promise that extended entries, pics, and now video, will be up by the end of the weekend. Birthday was great. 30 went down smooth with the help of my sister Audrey, my friends Matt and Nick, and a whole lot of other unsuspecting tourists and locals in Jaco, Costa Rica. Not too crazy, but just crazy enough.

30BE Quickie Update 4

So I finally got a sunny day in Belize. Kung Fu Mike and I kayaked out to the reef and did some snorkelling. Got a little burnt doing it. The next day I took the boat taxi back to the mainland and caught a flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. There I rejoined M&M. Over the next few days we skipped through Honduras and Nicaragua, stopping only in Tegucigalpa and San Juan del Sur. We hiked in La Tigra national park and took a day trip to the Isla de Ometepe. Two days ago we crossed the border into Costa Rica and spent a night in Playa de Coco. I woke up at 3an to catch the early bus to San Jose. I found a bar to watch England get beat by Portugal, then met my buddy Matt at the airport. Pretty crazy night. Matt managed to lose his passport and wallet. Then we found them this morning, by a river. Not kidding. Long story. Later today Nick gets in and we will go down to the condo in Playa Herradura.

30BE Quickie Update 3

Some of you seem to think that the last entry was a reference to getting drunk. It was not. Think more creatively.

I'm now sitting on Caye Cauker, Belize. Mike and Mick went on to see Tikal and Copan. I've seen these ruins already, so I let them go ahead. I'll be meeting back up with them in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in a couple of days. One reason I decided to stay here on the island is that I ran into an old friend at the boat launch. Kung Fu Mike rented a room in the same house where I lived in Guatemala three years ago and his sister lives here on Caye Cauker. We've been hanging out, watching World Cup, and getting into trouble. Tomorrow we hope to do some snorkling on the reef. Weather has been horrible up 'til now.

You will just have to wait for pictures and more details, dammit. I'm talking to you, Molly.

30BE Quickie Update 2

Sitting in an airport internet cafe in Belize City right now. Mike and I managed to get here at about 11:30 last night in order to meet his son, Mick, on-time. We bussed from Cancun and then bummed a ride from the Mexican border. So, what else happened in the past few days? I can't remember. It's almost as if I'm being vague because there should be no proof of where I went. Maybe Mike remembers. Check his blog. It's linked to this one.

Now we decide what to do next. We might split up for a bit. I've seen Tikal and Copan before, so I might sit at the beach here and meet up with them later in Honduras.

30BE Quickie Update 1

The 30th Birthday Extravaganza has begun. Hard to believe it is only my third day on the road. I flew from Southville to Atlanta, where I met up with Mike Wigal, then to Merida, Mexico (in the Yucatan). We found a hostel, checked out town, and took a bus to the beach. The next day we took the 6:30 bus to Chichen Itza in order to miss the hordes of tourists. Mission accomplished - they showed up just as we were leaving. Took the bus on to Cancun. Found another hostel and made arrangements for the next few days (more on that later). Went to the strip, but it was too much for us - we came back in. We make our next move this afternoon. More detailed accounts and pictures will come later.