Hallo all!

I would like to start this post by apologizing to you all for being the absolute worst blog writer on this trip. It has just been too difficult to carve out time for it as we have been so busy and having such an abundance of fun. With that said, I am going to forego an extremely long post wherein I chronicle the last week of my life and do something much simpler. This is going to be what I like to call a Gentry blog. And yes, he will be okay with me referring to it as such. 

For those of you feeling left out of an inside joke- my oldest and best friend Gentry doesn't care much for reading and is notorious for only looking at pictures in things and filling in the gaps from what he doesn't get from the actual text of things. Therefore, this is going to be a Gentry post and your mind is about to be blown with pictures of dayzzz. Like. Really. Literally, days. I've been gone a week people. 

Let us begin with Frankfurt. 

We saw the Old Opera House downtown

Then I had my first German sausage

Then we found what I refuse to stop referring to as the levitating circle of meat

Then Cara made me put the fluffy ball hat on and we climb to the top of the cathedral that has a scalped skull inside. Yes. You read that correctly. 

Then we visited the Christmas market and of course rode the carousel, from which angle this picture was taken of the market. 

And most importantly of all, we found the beginning of the biggest mystery of the trip so far. 

A banana. Now. When we first saw the banana, I said something to the effect of- "I bet that's some secret code and you have to follow it to find a certain group of people or a place or the black market". Fast forward to Nuremberg and what do I see just as we are walking into the National History Museum? Yep.

THE SAME BANANA. THERE IS SOMETHING THAT GERMANY KNOWS AND THEY ARE NOT TELLING US. In the moment that I saw the second banana, I reacted something like this:

https://youtu.be/ay3dSzkfswE

Alright. Back to Frankfurt. We had Apfelwein for the first time, which is simply German apple wine and it is delicious. And this is the bartender that taught us some key German words while we enjoyed our Apfelwein. 

Frankfurt was excellent. We had amazing food and saw so many gorgeous things and really settled into Germany very nicely there. Then one night when we were walking home, we stumbled upon a hidden Jewish cemetery that had partially survived WWII. And the wall surrounding it was cover in brick ends. On each brick end was the name of an individual from Frankfurt that had been killed in a concentration, detention, work or death camp during the war. Also listed was the camp they were in. 

So that was pretty powerful. Amidst all the fun and food and silly times we had been having, it was sobering to be hit by the dark history of this country right in the middle of a bustling downtown area. It was definitely a moment of perspective. 

So we left Frankfurt for Nuremberg on Saturday, with many more memorable and fun times than those I've documented above. That's just the highlights for length's sake. 

So Nuremberg. This was a hidden jackpot full of things to do. I never imagined we would have to prioritize things we really wanted to do here because there was not enough time to do everything we absolutely wanted to get to. 

Our first stop was to tour the historic art bunkers underground where they stored all the precious art during WWII to protect it from ruin. That was absolutely one of the coolest things I have done in my entire life, to be completely honest. The bunkers were originally beer tunnels used to keep it after it was made- because it was absolutely freezing down there. 

And then these were the original containers that held stained glass from St. Katherine's Church.

While in Nuremberg we also tour the Nazi Rally Grounds

As well as one of my favorite parts of the entire trip, visiting the first globe ever created. 

This globe was the first time that anyone ever tried to map the earth as a whole and it was in 1492, the same year Columbus stepped on America, therefore America isn't even on the globe. They got the size all wrong, by almost half and had formation all over the place, but still. 

How big is that? This is more than just saying there are things outside of where you live, this is actually giving the go ahead to branch out from what you know, where you know it and go search and explore this space that is all around you. It was the first time that people there than scientist had access to this information and obviously things went from there. Absolutely one of the highlights of this trip for sure. 

We also visited some torture and prisoner dungeons under the old town hall from the 1500s.

That was super cool as well. Then of course, Christmas market.

Hokay. So. That catches everyone up to the current city, Munich. We rolled in here yesterday and then Cara flew home this morning so I am left to adventures of my lonesome now. I have some plans for tomorrow including Dachau, the concentration camp after I went to the Austria/Germany border today to see the Disney Castle. 

I will provide those updates in a few days after the completion of my time here in Munich. I do not want for this post to get much longer than it already is and I know some of you sat down with your popcorn and are probably running low by now. 

Germany- I completely and totally dig you. I really, honestly do. I have had two dreams come true while here- seeing a German Shepard in Germany and telling a German person gesundheit after they sneeze. My life is a little more complete now. I am a happy, happy woman. 

Go lives your dreams, you wonderful people. I'm going to head off in search of some schnitzel. Because it is delicious like that. 

Until the next adventure..

Bonjour! Wait. Wrong country. Erm.. I ashamed to say that I have safely landed in Germany, yet still have no idea how to say hello in German. This is my ultimate travel fail. 

Shrug. I regret nothing. 

I am in Germany! Cara is still en route and I will pick her up from the airport in a bit, but for now it's just me and Frankfurt. And by me and Frankfurt I mean the apartment we rented and the shower/couch where I intend to take the ultimate nap momentarily. 

Travel today was quite uneventful. I would say that the most mentionable moments were as follows:

-When I got felt up by security because I left my headphones in my tshirt pocket. Let's just say it was a thorough security check. My sternum in particular was very happy once the lady with the heavy Boston accent was finished making sure I was travel ready from the waist up. Oye. 

-When I got on the wrong transit bus as the Boston airport and wandered aimlessly for half an hour before finding proper direction to my correct terminal. 

-I was given snacks from the delightful pair of older ladies next to me on my flight it of Boston. This was also the flight where the attendants wore Krispy Kreme hats, but in purple/pink. 

This is Helga.

And in case I was confused, everything was labeled. 

So that was fun. I think the winning part for me though was waiting in the walkway to board and seeing the woman in front of me just toting around her back pack with a rogue banana sticking out like it was sightseeing as well. 

About half an hour after getting off of this flight while sitting in the middle of the airport I pulled the banana picture up and was looking at it again because I found it so entertaining and just as I was doing so, I look up briefly and I see the banana pass right in front of me and all I could think was- SHE KNOWS. 

German transportation takes the cake for today though. I don't know if it's the 24 hours I have been traveling, or if it really is that difficult to understand. Either way it took me two hours to get from the airport to the apartment. Only a half hour of that time was spent actually in transit. Sigh. Directions are hard sometimes and when it is 28 degrees outside, they become that much more difficult. 

But for real. let's discuss this, Germany. WHY DO YOU NEED 43 S-BAHN ROUTES THAT ALL STOP AT THE SAME DAMN PLACES. Okay. I just had to get that out. First you have to decide if you need a regional train or a long distance train because the tracks are separated on opposite sides of the earth. The catch is that the only maps you encounter are down at the actual tracks. In what version of this life does that make any sense? So you think it'd be regional, I'm not leaving the city yet. BUT NO. It's long distance. Why? I have no idea. So I go the mile and a half across the network of mythical transit tunnels and steps and escalators and moving sidewalks. Then I was on the S9 and then the S8 and then something was green and then magenta and then I wound up on a street and walk the wrong direction for a few blocks, then there was a bank vestibule and then I think I rage blacked out and appeared in front of the apartment. 

It's been an emotionally trying 24 hours to say the least and just as I suspected, when I am finally somewhere with a bed and can take a nap until I have to go meet Cara- I can't fall asleep. So here I sit, writing to all 3 of you reading this while I listen to a German cooking show on the tv in the background. The only word of which I have understood in the past half hour has been sauerkraut- and you know what? I'm calling that a win, damnit. Because I can.

Big sigh. Alright. I like it here so far. I think. Despite the colder than expected temperatures and the derpy struggles thus far- I think I like Frankfurt. I am, however, still concerned about the fact that I didn't interact with a single customs agent once I got off my plane. I literally walked off the plane, through baggage claim and then onto the streets of Frankfurt. Casual. Maybe I'm German and don't know it. THERE'S SOMETHING THEY AREN'T TELLING US. 

I did get a stamp during my layover in Iceland though! 

All the more reason to actually go back and explore. 

I believe that is all for now. I must bundle back up now and set out to the airport once again to retrieve my fearless travel companion. From there we shall secure food and then more than likely call it a night and settle into the apartment for some catching up time since it has been a year since we have seen one another. But hey, the plan could completely change. I mean, that's how it goes 99% of the time anyway and at this point I couldn't care less. I saw a banana riding in a backpack today- the day is already a success. 

Go and do and be. My self imposed goal before the next post is to learn 3 German words that I do not already know. And yes, hello will be one of them. Hopefully. 

I'm off! Wish me luck. 

It's time to throw on your reindeer pajamas, lace up the snow boots and wear that Snuggie as if it was born to be a jacket.

Wallace and I are headed to Germany!

As we start a new month today, the last month of 2016, I am reminded that this trip will mark my 4th new country for this year alone. Every time I think about that I end up feeling some kind of way.

We are about 5 days and 500 errands away from departure and the ensuing two weeks of Bavarian experiences. There have been many alterations and changes along the way concerning trip companions, travel dates, plane routes and departure cities. However, finally- FINALLY- things are set in stone and happening in less than a week. I cannot wait to meet my Chicago friend, Cara, in Frankfurt next week. We met in Italy almost two years ago and have been super nosy about the other's life since- so it works out well.

On the list of places we will be while gone are Munich, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Frankfurt. Cara will head back home after the first week because she's got a new big kid job being an amazing Counselor and stuff. After her departure I will continue on for about another week making snow angels and admiring lederhosen while strolling through Christmas markets.

So from here we just wait and pack and wait and pack some more. During the preliminary packing phase, I made an executive decision to purchase my first pair of boots as I do not own any particularly snow friendly pairs of footwear. I am not really a boot person, so deciding to purchase them was something in and of itself. Then came the searching process. Then the purchasing process. I am currently in what I would call the acclimation process. I wouldn't exactly say it is going well either. I constantly feel as if I am stomping around town like an angry toddler. Boots are just so much shoe and it's a huge commitment for your feet to be trapped inside of them. I have taken to calling them "big feet" instead of boots because that is essentially what is happening.

So. The big feet and I are still actively getting acquainted and now you all can live the next two weeks of your life picturing me stomping around Germany with my actual big feet stuffed inside of the big feet that I purchased for this trip. The scene in your head should look a lot like Nessie stomping around the marsh. I fully expect German citizens to see my boot prints in the snow and wonder what kind of large monster has passed through the area and should they arm themselves with pitchforks and sticks ablaze with fire on the off chance they encounter the beast lounging in lederhosen. 

So I think that is all for now on the front end. In the spirit of keeping everyone actively engaged in learning things about this new country between now and departure next week, I will leave you all with a little game called- 

Name That Famous German Product:

May the odds be in your favor while you guess at the products and may the odds be in my favor as I track them all down beginning next week. Well. most of them. 

As it stands I have safely returned to the states and somewhat successfully re-entered normal life. I guess you could say that's a success. I won't lie though, it's just as difficult re acclimating this time around as any other time I have left the country for an adventure.

All that aside though, I have a Caribbean adventure to finish reporting on so let's get down to business. You'll need some underwater gear, a shot glass and some sunscreen for this post. Take all the time you need and when you are ready, proceed with reading this. No rush. 

Here's an image of the Belize countryside dotted with banana trees to enjoy while you compose yourself-

What was happening when I last wrote? Ah, yes. We had settled into Belize City for the evening after a long day of ruins and chicken buses. I won't lie to you all, Belize City is a seemingly dodgy place. Not to say I didn't meet some great people, just noting that's it's a tough city as I like to call places I encounter that don't exactly make you feel uncomfortable- they just keep you on your toes and alert during your time there. It's kind of like shoe shopping on Black Friday- it's not completely unsafe, but you feel the need to brush up on your self defense skills in case you need to fight a middle-aged woman over the pair of boots that are 75% off and they only have one in your size. 

We had a lot of great adventures during our time there though, including a tour of a rum distillery (which we crashed) and some putzing around the city admiring a few sites. 

First, the rum distillery. 

Let it be known that in Belize they drink rum like water. Travelers is one of the biggest and most widely consumed brands in the country and they are proud of what they do and justly so. As we found out, they are actually very environmentally conscious and treat their employees very well from what I can tell. 

So we arrive at the place and inquire about a tour only to find out they aren't having any, until a prearranged tour group of older adults arrives and we finagle our way into their outing. So here we are, two spry young adults attempting to blend in with a group of individuals ranging from 55-75. I think we pulled it off without anyone knowing. 

There was a grand amount of tasting and touring and tasting and more touring. I have toured numerous distilleries and breweries so I am decently familiar with the processes, but it was fun watching Vincent take in his first tour of this kind. This was a big trip of firsts for him and I'm glad I was there for them. Watching people experience new things brings me so much joy. There was one thing on the tour that we both experienced for the first time together and that was a little party with a Garifuna group that required us to dance. Before we get to the dancing let's discuss the Garifuna. This is a collection of individuals that live mostly in the southern part of Belize and they hold very tightly to their rich traditions and roots. They are a tribe-type congregation. Their music is similar to traditional African music and according to anyone you ask "your body cannot resist the urge to move when you hear the drums. It starts in your feet and moves throughout your body" their words, not mine. 

Well, the movement happened. It started in my feet and then took an awkward turn into what I guess you could consider dancing. So, I danced. We danced. Which is a feat in and of itself. I'm not a dancer. I lack rhythm something fierce, but I think I may have found my people because their style of dancing is spot of with how I dance when I do actually decide to do so. One dance was about Pelicans and literally all you had to do was move your arms kind of like you're pretending to have airplane wings. In that moment all I could think was- yes, this is real. I have found my people. All my life I thought I was just awkward when in reality I was just thousands of miles away from people who understood my method of dance. Ah, sweet acceptance. 

After the dancing and tasting and touring, we set out to find more gems in this city and find them we did. Mostly notably, the giant Belize sign. 

Thank you to the very excited bystander that took this picture for us. She even left a little piece of her to take with us forever- her finger in the top right corner of the picture. We will cherish it forever, very excited bystander. In all my sweaty glory, I managed to slip and slide my way onto the letters and feel as if I had accomplished some grand feat as I towered a solid five feet above everyone else standing in the area. 

Sometimes you just need to feel like you have some power. Even if it's only by standing on top of a painted cement letter beside the ocean with dying patches of grass surrounding you as a local man in the background tells the very excited bystander that just took your picture- "I am the only man in the world that can impregnate you just by looking at you".

No one ever said life is always glamorous.

After this, Vincent and I split up for a bit while waiting on the water taxi. He went for the Belize museum and I went for a stroll. I happened upon this lighthouse (yay!)

And then this piece of street art which got me thinking- surprise, surprise

What we consider patriotism in the states does not translate the same in other countries. Something as simple as the intent behind placing these words in a public place can be considered patriotism. It doesn't have to come in the form of waving your country's flag in everyone's face and singing your national anthem loud and clear for all to hear. There are no guidelines for how we take pride in the things we love and enjoy. None at all. It can just as easily be simple and beautiful as it can be loud and obnoxious. 

After a sweat filled day of leisure touring about, we boarded the water taxi and set our sights on the island life at San Pedro for the remainder of our trip. Not without catching the sunset from the boat though-

Island life is great. I am very pleased to have started this adventure and ended it on the islands. I would not have wanted it any other way. 

We breathed in the ocean air, watched a soccer game from the top of a cement wall and had the best salbutes I have ever tasted in my life (because obviously we are experts on them now after having them only once before). 

The big news from San Pedro was that we went snorkeling and swam with sharks. Now, I am not ashamed to admit that I have a small fear of the ocean. I just can't get down with the fact that it's so big and dark and scary like my soul. It has so much water and there are things that live in it. It has a life and mind of its own and that sends a small sting of fear down my spine when I think about just hanging out in it. BUT, I set that aside and we went snorkeling in the barrier reef. We actually ran into Dory from Finding Nemo while swimming around, so that's my famous person siting for the trip. Fun fact- the reef in Belize is the second largest in the world. #themoreyouknow

That's us post snorkeling- pre shark swimming. More accurately I should say pre paralyzing fear.

After snorkeling came the shark interaction. These particular sharks are nurse sharks which I admittedly know nothing about. I also didn't know that they were nurse sharks until yesterday when I was discussing it with a professor of mine because I couldn't clearly understand our guide and thought he was saying "nose sharks". Again, I will not lie to you all. This was emotionally compromising. These sharks were larger than me. Larger than any human, really. Certainly much larger than what I would consider a comfortable size for interacting with sharks. In reality though, is there really a size that makes sharks comfortable creatures to interact with? So the situation goes as follows- we got into the water and the guide proceeded to feed the sharks fish scraps to get them near so we could ogle at them. Wonderful in theory, right? Of course. 

Except not.

Here's a little picture that Linda, the third party of our snorkeling group, captured with her GoPro and sent to me just today. 

As a first-hand victim of the fear associated with said shark swimming, I do not think the picture does their viciousness or size justice. But this is coming from the same person that got startled when a fish tickled her leg while snorkeling. So. Take it with a grain of salt. 

I told you guys the ocean wasn't my most shining moment. 

So the feeding to keep the sharks at bay so we could ogle, wonderful in theory yes? Except for the moment when he runs out of food, the sharks become disinterested and begin to disperse. 

Life became very real, very quickly. It was in this moment that I realize they are starting to swim in my direction and I immediately wanted to Kool-Aid man out of the situation. Straight up, I was not okay. Somehow- and I have no idea how- I was able to have rational thoughts and kept repeating in my head- 

Emilie, don't you dare flail a single body part. Don't you do it. Become one with the ocean. You are blending with the water, the sharks can't see you. You're wearing an aquatic cloak of invisibility. If you want to make it out of this ocean you better pull yourself together and make it back to the boat in a calm manner. 

So I see the guide reaching for the ladder for us to climb into the boat with and I swear to you all in one fluid motion I ripped both flippers off under water, threw them over the side of the boat and had both feet on the ladder before he even had it secured to the side of the boat. I was not playing around and I definitely was not going to be dessert for those fellas swimming around me. Not happening. I can count on one hand the amount of times in my life I have moved that fast and one of which happens to be a time in college when I heard there were free tacos in the student center. Because I mean, tacos. 

So I made it out alive. With all of my limbs, most of my dignity and a new respect for sharks. Prior to the sharks, Vincent had become sea sick from the mixture of the strong current while snorkeling, the gas fumes and the boat ride in the ocean so he sat the shark interaction out. For a slight moment I envied his motion sickness. But to be honest, I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything. It truly was amazing. 

The remainder of our time on the island was spent just purely relaxing. Isn't that the point of islands to begin with anyway? So that happened and it was glorious. Sunday we woke early to catch the water taxi back inland and head to the airport but not before I got pooped on by a bird on the way to the water taxi station. Not just pooped on, but right in my hair. Yes. My hair. As I was setting out for a solid 24 hours of travel back home. This is my life, people. Vincent saved the day by removing what he could from my hair and I did triage once arriving at the airport. Lets just say the shower I took when I got home yesterday was hands down the best shower of my life.

After one interesting cab ride later- a song played the entire journey explaining that "plain" women make better partners because they're lacking so much on their looks that they make up for it with inner qualities. The exact phrase was- "it's not what's on a woman that makes her a winner". My inner feminist was raging so hard that all I could do was laugh uncontrollably. At the end of the day if you can't laugh at life, then what good is it? So one interesting ride, a long flight delay- during which evening the ground crew took a little nap

and an increasingly drunk group of undergraduate college females later we finally make it back to the states.

Celebratory selfie while in line for customs:

Vincent set off for his return flight to the Ham and I settled in for a 12 hour layover. A few hours of sleeping on the floor of the airport later and two flights more, I landed back in the ham yesterday.

So what did I take from this trip? You all knew this was coming. You know I process everything. Don't act surprised. 

Being my first trip to Central America, it was very different from any other trip I have taken. I think the thing that sticks out most in my mind is that quality of life and happiness are measured in so many different ways. I encountered some of the most amazing people on this trip and they are people who, compared to American standards, have very little. But in a place where you do not value happiness, wealth or success in material gains, you don't care very much about what fills your home or the amount of things that you own. I envy a culture that operates in this way. I truly do. We all know that I measure my life in experiences and this is a culture that I very easily identified with in that way. 

The biggest joy I got out of this trip was watching a thirst for travel grow within someone else. This was Vincent's first trip out of the country and being able to watch him grow through travel was pure bliss. One of my favorite things in life, as those of you that keep up with this blog know, is watching others grow and evolve. I believe it is one of the most magical things in life. It's not a feeling you can place in a nice neat emotional box- it's kind of a messy blend of several different emotions. All the more reason why I love it so much. 

So. That's it. That's the end of this adventure and it was everything I had hoped it would be and so, so much more. 

To all of the amazing new friends I made on this trip- 

I wish you continued safe travels (if you are doing so) or successful re acclimation back into your every day life (which I know is difficult). 

To the country of Belize- 

Thank you for being raw and real and so, so culturally rich. If you could do something about the bugs though, that would be amazing. Just a suggestion. 

To Vincent-

Thank you for being a wonderful travel companion and for allowing me to be a small part of your first experience abroad. 

To Adele-

Thank you for accompanying Vincent and myself through this trip. We know very clearly now that you cannot love us in the dark.

A return to real life, adulting and responsibility happens this week which is always a slight bummer after such an amazing trip. Fear not though, Wallace and I will be back at in March when we take on Canada, so there's a little something for everyone to look forward to, eh?

Until then, I encourage you all to chase your own adventures and live your life for yourself- even if just for a brief moment. We get so caught up in living for others and putting others first sometimes. Stop for a minute. It's your life. Shouldn't you be happy with it?

Go and do and be- feels and stuff.

Party pants: on. Grab hydration. Grab sunscreen. Grab a snack. Grab a cozy blanket or Snuggie and prepare yourself for the latest of this Caribbean adventure. 

At last check we were putting our right foot in and our left foot out to catch the Hokey Pokey water taxi across the way to Independence and then settle in for a day of chicken buses and Maya ruins- and we did just that. 

See, proof that boats exist and we were on one and we know how to take a selfie:

If you want to feel like a local, catch the first Hokey Pokey taxi of the morning from Placencia to Independence with everyone that is commuting in for work and still half asleep on the boat. That's a sure ticket for local flavor. 

After several chicken bus adventures and some very unsuccessful attempts to sleep on what is quite possibly the worst road to have ever been paved- Dangriga to Belmopan- and passing what may be my favorite sign in the entire country (proof that saying no to drugs and drug recovery can apparently be cute and animated all at the same time)

 

we arrive in Belmopan and after some half asleep deliberations and decision making we end up having a wonderful local by the name a Halle take us to Xunantunich for the day. 

Lets take a break for a moment and discuss the temperature the last few days of our trip. Apparently the cold front that was looming over the country the past week decided to pass through and we sky rocketed into the middle and high 80s. Shock? Yes. Going from a comfortable mid 70s to that? No. If you know anything at all about me, you should know that I do not care too much for hot weather. Give me a scarf, button down with seater combo or pea coat any day, but hot weather? No thank you. Needless to say there's been a lot of sweat happening. All the damn sweat. Sweat here, sweat there, sweat in places that haven't seen sweat since the French Riviera or Rome. 

Moving on. Halle. Xunantunich. Things. They happened. 

Halle- who is she? What is her life? What does she do for fun? What are her dreams and goals? Again, if you know me then you should not surprised by the fact that I actually have the answer to every single one of those questions. So here- character development:

Halle is 18 and she goes to the university in Belmopan where she is studying English and plans to be a teacher when she finishes. For fun, she enjoys driving which I totally understand- you go girl. But the real moment I saw her eyes light up was when she began telling us about how she truly wants to one day open a fresh juice business. You know when someone is talking about something that they love and you kind of see the angle of their eyes and the vibrancy of them shift into something brilliant? That happened. So I say to you, Halle- you open that juice business and you get that big machine that makes it perfect and you chase every dream you have. I believe in you and I support you (because that means so much coming from some rando girl from Alabama that rode in your backseat for a day). You do you.

During this car ride we learned so much about Belize. We learned all about the Mennonite population and how they raise and control most of the chicken sales in the country and the Belize government actually gave them a large portion of land in the countryside/mountains in return for carrying out this contribution to the country. We also learned that the new Guatemalan president has his eyes set on acquiring the entire country of Belize as he claims that is Guatemalan land. So apparently there are court proceedings happening to figure that little situation out. You hold strong, Belize- if you can say no to drugs, you can say no to Guatemala. 

One of the most important pieces to the car ride was finally getting the lingering question about the yellow coconuts answered. This has been plaguing us for days. 

See? Turns out that the yellow ones are sweet. They go from green to yellow and as they turn yellow they get sweeter. #themoreyouknow

On the drive in, we stopped for lunch at this wonderful place in Santa Elena where Halle introduced us to Panades and Salbutes. I just.. I can't even. They were so wonderful. It's like unlocking a craving you never knew you had. 

Curtesy of Vincent and his aspiring photography skills-

In hindsight, I didn't get a picture of Halle, BUT here is the closest thing I have- the back of her head while on the hand crank ferry (which we will get to in a bit)

How she wasn't having a constant heat stroke wearing those jeans I have no idea, but it makes me appreciate her even more. 

So, we arrive at Xunantunich which is right outside of San Jose Succotz on the Guatemala/ Belize border. Xunantunich is one of those words in my life that no matter how many times I practice saying it and no matter how many times I hear it spoken, I just cannot master it. So I have settled for calling it 'tuna and itch' because that's what the pronunciation sounds like. I apologize in advance for anyone that is offended by that. Mostly to the Mayans. Don't hold this against me please.

The time has finally arrived- the hand crank ferry is a mere feet from me. I wish I could say I did a decent job containing my excitement but that would be a huge lie. Halle was very aware of my excitement over said ferry due to the amount of times I mentioned it on the ride over. So here it is in all it's glory-

And here is the lucky guy that gets to crank it all day long, back and forth

You know he loves his job. How can you not? IT'S A HAND CRANK FERRY. 

Over the ferry and thru the woods we went, up a giant hill, until finally we arrived. Hello Maya ruins, it's nice to see you again. As I have mentioned previously, ruins are ruins and I just don't get as excited about them as most people do I suppose, but I do have to say that climbing the largest structure here was a little terrifying. 

I know it's deceiving because we appear to be the same height in this picture, but trust me when I say that El Castillo had a few feet on me. Just a few though. Let's not get carried away here. It's not like it was a commanding structure that was responsible for human sacrifice or anything. Cool it with your wandering mind. I also don't know why my arms are like that- we all know I suffer from inherent awkward arms. Embrace it. 

After I got my arms under control, we began the journey to the top of this bad boy

Now. Lets discuss rocks. Some rocks are rough and have wonderful traction. Some rocks run the middle ground where they're kind of smooth, but still have a little traction. Some rocks run the side of the spectrum where they are gloriously smooth and magical to the touch. Which rocks would you choose to make steps for a giant structure reaching thousands of feet into the air? 

I don't know about you, but I definitely would not choose the smooth ones. That's probably why I wouldn't have made it as a Mayan- because that's what they chose. Why? WHY? 

Remember in the Swiss Alps when I was convinced I was going to die on a mountain in Switzerland? That feeling came back as we were maneuvering these steps on the way down without railings. Vincent and I turned to each other at one point and almost simultaneously said- 'I refuse to die in Belize.' I made it down off that mountain in Switzerland and you better Belize it when I say I am going to make it down off this Maya ruin. 

Back on track- after a long, sweat laden, expletive filled, exhausting trek- we made it to the top and it was oh, so worth it. We even decided to use the selfie stick, but first we had some trouble making it work which resulted in this gem

We all know I have no shame, but forgive me Vincent for posting that.

So the top-

And then I selfied Vincent's selfie

And then finally we gave some love to Guatemala which was lurking to our left. Belize in the front, Gautemala in the back (along with the Ukranian gentleman who made Vincent his personal photographer)

In a previous post I commented on the dog population in Belize. They are everywhere. Every single place you can imagine, there is a dog. I kid you not with this statement because it is literally true and I realized that as we were sitting at the top of El Castillo and what is it that I see come putzing past me? 

A dog. HOW? WHY? 

Guess he just wanted to take in the view as well. OR he is the reincarnated spirit of a former Mayan and has come back to check it out and make sure that people like me are not making a fool of themselves at the top of the structure. In which case I salute your persistence, Mayans. Sigh. 

So we finally decided if we stayed any longer we might upset the Mayan spirits and neither of us needs that kind of karma resting on our shoulders so we headed out to begin our journey back to Belize City. But not before someone stole my phone and took a few pictures of himself with it

I guess Wallace just wanted to use the selfie stick as well. 

Halle dropped us off at the Bus station in San Ignacio and then we boarded our final chicken bus of the trip

Which as fun as they have been, I was glad to see it was the final one. I have been under mosquito attack on the buses and my poor skin just needs time to recover from this invasion of personal space. After a long journey and many, many stops we arrived in Belize City and found our guest house for the evening. I don't even think my body had been on the bed for more than two minutes before I was passed out- it had been that kind of day. 

Looking back at this post just now, I realize that was a very eventful and full day judging by the length of this post. Therefore, I am making the executive decision as I sit here by a pool on San Pedro Island to call this post a wraps at the conclusion of Friday and create a separate post for Belize City and San Pedro Island as I enjoy my 12 hour layover at the Miami airport tomorrow evening. 

I imagine your eyes are very grateful for this decision. I'm here for the people. Don't think a thing about it. Today we are off to snorkel in the barrier reef and visit the shark trail which should be an absolute blast. If I make it out of the shark area alive and without haven been eaten, I will report to you all the extent of our adventure. If I don't make it out alive because the sharks were unable to find a lunch place, then, well, this is it my friends. It's been a wonderful journey and don't forget to chase all the dreams. 

Something tells me I will return though, so for those of you that got your hopes us- have a seat. 

Keep my skin in your thoughts today as there is not a single cloud in the sky and I got some sun yesterday without realizing it. I suppose my move today is sunscreen. Adulting and responsibility are so difficult some times. 

For those of you curled up on your cozy couch enjoying your Saturday morning coffee- enjoy that deliciousness and have an extra cup for me. 

Last but not least. Here's a little delight I found that I knew all of my counselor and mental health friends would greatly appreciate

Happiest of weekends to you all. Rememeber- adventure doesn't have to be an activity in a foreign country, it can be something that you simply have not done before. So here's to your weekend being as full of adventure as mine.