On to Guatemala!

The day after ATM a group of us decided to explore the surrounding area in search of come cliff-jumping that we'd heard of. We set off with the intention of taking a bus to the next town, but somehow ended up renting 2 canoes off a local man and the six of us, along with a couple bottles of rum, ventured upstream. It didn't take long for chaos to ensue- flipped canoes, surprise rapids, war wounds. All in all one of the funniest days so far this trip.

On Friday, Katie, myself, and our friend Mark packed up our stuff and headed to Xunantunich to check out our first Mayan ruin site. A word to the wise- if an old man named Star (who smokes way too much pot, and talks like Cookie Monster) assures you that you can find a safe spot at a hotel to store your gear while you hike Xunantunich... don't listen to him. Luckily a nice bartender we spoke to named Ismenia agreed to put our stuff behind the bar while we adventured. Overall it was an epic experience. Looking at this towering ruins and realizing that the ancient Mayans shaped and placed each stone by hand is just mind-blowing. It was great that we were allowed to climb up to the top, and have this incredible view of Belize and Guatemala.

After that began a trip into Guatemala that can be described as nothing short of disaster. Crossing the border on foot was a piece of cake- however, if you are a "gringo" and you are driving a car across, be prepared to stop for a couple of hours while your car is thoroughly searched. Once across the border, Katie and I ignored the the slew of taxi drivers following us who assured us the last bus had departed for the evening, and that the colectivo was a 2km walk away. Rule #17- never trust a taxi driver.

The bus ride itself was uneventful, aside from the two stops during which soldiers with AKs boarded the bus and searched the compartments. Unsettling, to say the least. Overall, we made it to Flores safe and sound and met up with our friends from San Ignacio (minus Mark, plus a new friend named Sofia) and the six of us have been exploring the town and drinking beers on the docks by the lake. Pretty rough life, eh?

Final note: this may be the last post before THE END OF THE WORLD! No one down here actually believe this- from what we can gather, it's seen as a new beginning, focusing more on the start of a new calendar than the end of the old one. However, that hasn't stopped people all over from organizing End of the World parties, and many tours are offering special deals to the ruins. At least four of us plan to spend The End at El Mirador, an ancient Mayan site way up in the jungles of northern Guatemala. It will be a 5-day trek, with us reaching El Mirador on the 21st. It's one of the harder journeys you can take, and we're all pretty stoked about it. Expect a lengthy blog entry about our journey when we get back! That is, if the aliens don't get us.

Much love,
Regan and Smitty

Actun Tunichil Muknal

Actun Tunichil Muknal ("Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre"), abbreviated ATM, refers to an expansive network of caves outside San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. Inside it are immaculately preserved Mayan artifacts and human sacrifices. The ancient Maya believed caves to be a passageway connecting them to Xibalba, or the underworld. Offerings of food, water, and sometimes humans were brought deep inside the caves, and used in elaborate rituals- some asking for better crops or rain, others for guidance in matters of war. As the Maya civilization began to decline, the offerings became more and more frequent.

The tour we booked through Mayawalk allowed us the opportunity to see these ruins and experience the history up close and personal. Our guide's name was Aaron Juan, and he has been running these tours for about 15 years now. Before tours were offered to the public, he worked closely with archaeologists studying the caves, and knows ATM inside and out. He is hands down the most experienced and most thorough guide in all of San Ignacio. During the drive to the site and the hour-long hike to the cave, Aaron was full of stories, Mayan history, and jokes. He pointed out various plants that have practical uses in the jungle, and got us all psyched for the cave itself.

We reached the opening to ATM, and after a quick dip in the pools outside the mouth of the cave and some lunch, our crew was ready to head inside. Overall it was an eerie feeling; I'd never been deep inside a cave system before, and therefore had never experienced such a profound and total darkness. Our headlamps did little to mitigate the blackness that enveloped us, and many times Aaron had us stop and switch off our lamps, holding hands as he told us a story or simply had us imagine what it would have been like a thousand years ago, being guided by torches instead of headlamps. The other groups rushed through the tours, so many were heading out as we were heading in, resulting in the 8 of us being the only people in the entire cave network for a majority of the adventure.

I'll let Katie tell you the specifics of what we saw, but overall it was an epic experience. I can't deny a feeling of unease that I carried with me throughout the journey until we reached daylight again. The relief I felt at emerging back out in the jungle sun was more profound than I'd expected. Maybe it was being engulged in complete darkness, or imagining what the ancient Maya felt and saw as they journeyed to Xibalba. Aaron told us at the beginning that Actun Tunich Muknal effects everyone differently, and for me it was definitly an adventure I'll never forget.

When you first set your eyes on the entrance of the cave, it just might take your breath away. Like something out of the jungle book, the tall stone mouth of Xibalba is surrounded by lush green plants and from the mouth a deep stream flows down into a series of refreshing pools which we happily took a dip in before gearing up with helmets and headlamps and heading in.  

We swam into the mouth of the cave like a line of little ducklings following one another and soon found ourselves in another world.  The first cavern makes you realize just how small you are, and suddenly you sense the foreigness of your environment.  As Caitlin said before, the atmosphere of the cave affects each person differently, some feel scared, some sad and so on.  For me, at first I was simply in awe, but the ominous beauty of things creeps over you slowly and for a few moments my heart was beating faster and my mind was racing.  Soon after Aarons introduction, we moved further into the depths and he pointed out a few cave dwelling insects such as cockroaches, spiders (yes, just sitting on rocks and crawling up walls) crickets, and catfish.  We walked through wide shallow passages filled with stelagtites and stelagmites, and maneuvered through small crawl spaces that made you feel like a contortionist.  

Upon arriving at the point within the cave system where we would need to climb up into higher caverns where the offerings and sacrifices were made by the Maya, Aaron told us we had only gone 1/4 of a mile in even though it felt like we were in the belly of the beast.  We helped eachother make the ascent into the dry cave system where we were very careful to stay in line and listen closely to Aarons instruction -well, most of us anyway... ;) we wont name you fellow blogger.  The first things we saw were many offerings, broken pots of all sizes, and stones where fires were made with scorch marks on the cave ceiling.  Calsification has left many artifacts unearthed but also has done a phenomenal job at naturally preserving the skeletons as well. Many skulls were believed to be from royality, and the Mayans would alter the shape of the skull by placing a board on an infants forhead, making it long and flat as the bones fused together.  The teeth on some skulls were also visible, and were shaped into petals .  

The last skeleton was by far the most amazing , and was reffered to as The Crystal Maiden , a fully preserved skeleton body whose sex is still in debate as of today. The body is located at the highest and deepest part of this section, signifying great importance and is believed to be the last human sacrifice made there before collapse.

The overall feeling was unreal, you emerge from the cave back into the jungle feeling relief that the light of day is back in your sights, and a great appreciation for being able to go back in time and actually feel the presence of that era all around you. To ATM and this adventure, I hold great admiration.

Last Days on the Caye

Our last few days on Caye Caulker consisted of blissful days lying on the beach by the Split and enjoying great food with new friends. Katie and I had originally planned to leave the Caye on Monday, but this awesome Aussie couple we met convinced us to stay and relax a bit longer- not that we needed much convincing. By this point we'd met a decent amount of locals that were wicked helpful pointing out hole-in-the-wall eating spots that we never would have discovered on our own. The Kitchen, located a few blocks off the main strip, is a perfect example. The tables are located two flights up on a deck, with a great view of the island, an amazing breeze, and even better conch fritters and chicken salbutes!

By Tuesday we were ready to head on to our next destination- San Ignacio, by the Guatemalan border. Some of the coolest Mayan ruins in Belize are located in the area, and that was our main objective for heading there. We hopped on a water taxi to Belize City, where we met an American guy named Mark- he and Katie bonded over their epic amount of bugbites. My theory is that if I keep hanging out with these two I will NEVER be bitten. I have perhaps 10 bites total compared to their 100+ apiece. Mark didn't have a destination so he decided to join us, and me and the two insect-magnets hopped in a cab and headed to to San Ignacio, with a quick detour at the Belize Zoo.

We arrived in San Ignacio, tossed our stuff down, and set off to book a tour of the ATM caves (Actun Tunichil Muknal) about an hour outside the city. Once that was accomplished, we settled in to have some beers and dinner, and hit the hay early in preparation for our tour the next day!

Raggamuffin Love

While Regan and I had a fun night out at I & I and Oceanside Bar the night  before, nothing could keep us from being stoked about our snorkel trip the following morning (Not even the Rum!)  We had asked people we met over the previous days about the different tours out here and every time we were recommended to the same tour company- Raggamuffins :) 
Located right on the Main Strip, Raggamuffins has a little booking spot right next to the beach on the right as you're walking towards the Split.  They offer half day and full day tours of all different kinds but Cait and I did the full day snorkel tour.  For $140 BZE, your trip includes 3 awesome snorkel destinations (45 minutes each), fresh lunch of your choice, good quality equipment, a very cool laid back and knowledgeable crew, a never-ending refill of rum punch (trust me, its unlikely that you will hear anyone say "why's the rum gone?"), beautiful scenery, and MOST importantly...An amazing experience with tons to see!!!

Our first stop was the Coral Gardens, where we saw tropical fish of every variety and plenty of beautiful corals. Our first mate Shane jumped in the water with us, and while you had the option to self guide, he was happy to point everything he saw out to you and share his ocean wisdom.

Stop # 2 was called Shark and Stingray Alley and you might be able to guess what we saw here.  They chum up the water to get the Nurse Sharks and the Stingrays close to the boat and we scooted right in for an up close and personal interaction with these amazing animals.  Shane jumped back into the water and with his understanding of what calms the sharks, he was able to hold one very lightly in the water so that we could see what they're really all about.  For Caitlin and I (who both have seen Jaws at a very young age) this felt like the first baby-step towards changing our initial outlook on these docile and mellow dudes.  The Stingrays were also an outstanding sight, I have always been a big fan as I love the way they just glide through the water and always look like they're smiling.

Our final stop was Hol Chan Reef where Shane and our Captain Kimani both guided us around in 2 small groups.  We saw even more intricate reef, sea turtles of all ages, and the prettiest of the rays, the eagle ray.

We finally sailed back towards Caye Calker, rum in one hand, fresh ceviche in the other, and island reggae comin through the speakers.  This experience will treat you right, and leave you wanting life to always feel that sweet.

You Better Belize It!

So we touched down in Belize City midday on Thursday. The first thing we did once we cleared customs and got our bags was to find a cab to take us to the docks where the water taxi to Caye Caulker departs from. Pretty much everyone we had talked to told us that the first thing we should do once we got to Belize City, was to bail out of the city and head for the islands. And that was just fine by us!

After roughly an hour's boat ride we landed in paradise, aka Caye Caulker. We dropped our bags off in our small dorm-style room near the beach and went to explore. The main streets run roughly a mile long by 4 blocks wide, and sport mostly bars, restaurants, and little shops and bodegas. The island itself is approximately 5 miles long and less than a mile wide. A lot of the locals we've become friends with are originally from Belize City, and came here to escape the violence and crime of the city, and just "Go Slow", which is the motto of the island. There are no cars, only bikes and golf carts. Things move at a leisurely island pace... more than once as I've been walking down the main strip I've heard, "Ay girl where ya gon' so fast now, this is the Caye- go slooow!"

On Friday we decided to move onto a larger, but less expensive room at a guesthouse near the other end of the island. We spent the day near "The Split", a beach-bar area where the island is split in two by a channel about 300 yards wide or so. There's a bar there called the Lazy Lizard, which was appropriately named given that most of us backpackers spent the day sunning ourselves on the concrete piers adjacent to the beach. The water is beautiful- crystal clear with white sands.

Around mid-afternoon we got pretty hungry, and after listening to a few fellow travelers rave about the lobster on the island, and how they've literally eaten it for every meal, we decided that sounded like a pretty solid plan for a late lunch. Not too far from The Split we noticed a sign for Wish Willy  advertising a lobster meal for 18BZ (which is $9 US) with free rum punch drinks while you eat. Not gonna lie, it was the second part that really hooked us in. We wandered over there, and inquired about eating. A few men in the yard doing some work informed us that the restaurant did not open until 6:30 pm that night. As we turned to leave, with the intention of coming back when it was open, a tall local came out of the apartment above the kitchen. It was Maurice, the owner and head chef.

"How can I help you?" he asked us. We mentioned the sign and said we'd been craving lobster and his place looked ideal, and that we could come back later on. Maurice quickly waved us to a table, "For you, I'm open" he said as he sent one of the guys to grab some fresh lobster from the market. He then came over and chatted with us, asking us where we were from and how we liked the island. After a few minutes he disappeared, returning with a pitcher full of rum punch. A local favorite and the most affordable drink around, it's always delicious and refreshing. Shortly after that, he presented us with our late lunch: two lobster tails each, cooked to perfection with local spices. It came with an epic rice side seasoned with ginger, sautéed with carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and onions. It was hands down the best meal we have had so far on our trip, and Maurice was a great host. Definitely check this place out if you ever travel to the Caye!

That night we cruised down to the I & I, a local reggae bar where everyone goes at night. Katie and I ended up having a few "small world" moments. We ran into two other UVM grads with whom we had a ton of mutual friends. I also met a kid named Tyler from Keene, who used to live with a friend of mine. Pretty random, right? We made some new friends as well, and cruised to Oceanside nightclub, the favorite late-night spot of the island. All-in-all a really great first full day on the island! I'll let Katie fill you in on the EPIC snorkel tour we took the next day...

Adios everybody!
Caitlin

We're in Miami Trick!

So if you want a little culture and some crazy friendly people, then Miami is the spot to be. Caitlin and I got in around 10:30 am on Tuesday and were ready to venture out right away.  After being picked up at the airport by a family friend of Caitlin's' we got sorted and made our way straight to Miami Beach boardwalk just scoping out the north side.  After a friendly intro of Miami by  bartender  locals we made moves to South Beach with our host, John, and friend for a dinner on the infamous Lincoln Road, a pedestrian only, shopping and eating Mecca with every style of cooking and every style of people.  After a tasty bite, we broke away from our hosts and continued just us to a street-side Hookah Bar were we met a lovely array of very interesting people.  The beautiful thing about Miami Beach is the fantastic mix of people that constantly surround you.  Caitlin and I both argreed that we would make a solid effort in our bi-lingual efforts after seeing how effortlessly people can speak both English and Spanish there.  Our Hookah experience was fun but put us to rest pretty early (that and the size of their mix drinks was unreal- one glass could tranquilize a small pony) so that was that. 

The next morning we made moves back to the boardwalk and after a quick breakfast smoothy ( half of which Caitlin watered the beach with) we strode along towards south beach.  As we got into the heart of South Beach, we were drawn into a cool local tour that bused through the city and then cruised the harbor and showed us the Mansions of Top A list Celebs like Shakira, Jlo, Ricky Martin, Antonio Banderas, Caitlins Mr. Right George Clooney and my Mr. Right Leoonardo Dicaprio.  Our day shaped up to be a pretty solid one and after bumping around town it was time to call it a day.  Although we didnt rage the club scene, our time in Miami was a solid prologue to our epic adventure.  

Alright, so I honestly did not expect to like Miami. It just never seemed to be my kind of city. However, a few short hours there definitely changed my mind. I love the Spanish-style architecture of Miami City itself, and the unexpected lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous aspect that we were informed of during our tour. There's a history to the area that is very different from the New England culture I'm used to. Like Katie said, we were typically addressed in Spanish first, and English second (they probably switched over out of pity after seeing my panicked expression. I understand a solid 75% or so of what I hear, but am still not fluent or confident enough to just roll with it and attempt to respond in Spanish). Our tour guide (yes, we did a tour, and it was awesome) had loads of info to explain the Spanish-style feel of Miami. Allegedly, the founding builder or whatever of the city was in love with a Spanish woman, and wanted to build her a city in tribute that felt like home. So he completes the masterpiece that is Miami, and asks her to marry him. She says something along the lines of, "Aw that's wicked sweet, but I just married someone else..."... BURN. Rough go, my man. 

One stop we made was to a church where apparently if you touch the stones of the church and think of someone, that is the person you will marry. As the driver cautioned, "Good luck, just don't think of your dog!". Also he went on a small rant along the lines of married people only thinking of their spouses or don't bother touching it blah blah blah... seemed like a touchy subject. Who did I think of when I touched the wall? I'll never tell :) 

Little Havana really caught my attention- from the older Cuban men playing chess and dominos in the park to the delicious authentic Cuban pan con bistec at the stand where they filmed a scene from Scarface- it was a great experience. We also saw THE house where they filmed a large part of the movie. Say hello to my little friend! 

We wish we could have spent a little more time in Miami- John (a good friend of my family) was an awesome host, and we really did fall in love with the city. However, the clock caught up with us and before we knew it, it was 4am on Thursday and we were hopping in a cab bound for the airport, and ultimately... BELIZE! Currently we are absolutely lovin' life on Caye Caulker, an island off the coast of Belize. Katie is deep in talk with a German and a Wisconian (Wisconsonite?) and we've got some bars to hit, so this post must reach its conclusion. More to come mañana! Buenos noches! 

Much love, 

Cait and Katie 

Aloha from the Airport

Hey everyone! So we decided to do a joint blog to document this epic adventure we're about to embark on. We figured two heads are better than one, and with the both of us blogging we should (hopefully) be able to crank out some posts fairly often.

For those of you who may not know, the two of us (Katie and Caitlin, just to keep things confusing) are headed down to Central America for a months long backpacking trip. We are starting the trip with two days in Miami, and then we continue on to Belize on Thursday. Right now it's approximately 6:26 am and we haven't slept yet. Well, Katie is currently working to resolve that issue at the terminal gate. She's giving it an A for effort trying to contribute to this post, but it's slightly less than coherent. She claims she can type better than she can talk at this point, so here we go...


*Just to try and keep things a little simpler and easy-to-read, Caitlin Regan will be writing in regular font and Katie Smith will be rockin' the italics*


We're off. Truth be told I could have definitely used one more day to get things together, and sort out life at home, last minute chrismukah gifts, visiting family, self gifts... it all got a little crazy for a minute.  I think at one point my mom and regan were wondering if I was really going to pull it off, and well, we made it to the airport so, so far so good! Everyone who knows me well probably knows that my version of "on time" is about ten minutes late so the last minute run around was very typical Smitty style. 

Ive gotta say right now more then anything I am completely elated that we are leaving this god forsaken weather behind us.  Regan does a little bit better than I do in the cold being that she is from Newport NH and I am from Newburyport which is probably just slightly warmer at any given time.  We both went to UVM though so you would think I would be able to tough this chilliness out no sweat! (no pun intended either.) Honestly after our Australia travels I just forget what it's like to be really cold.  This is one of the main reasons I wanted to make this trip a reality.  Aloha beaches, here we come.  I really couldn't EVER over-indulge in sun or sand or waves.  Beach bumin' for life.  Boarding call...time to catch up on some sleep just in time for some Miami Madness! 

Smitty and Regan, signing off