Weekend Warrior - 15/16 - i should log off

Review- Omega Tours, La Ceiba, Honduras

June 1, 2009 By Jillian

We planned to whitewater kayak with Omega Tours, but unfortunately water levels were low and ultimately we found out that only 3 km of the river was available to Kayak. [ad#reviews-image-only]Being adventure travelers on a budget we decided that $50 for a 3km whitewater kayak trip was unjustifiable. Having gotten ourselves out there we decided to spend two days at the Omega Tour lodge exploring the surrounding Rio Cangrejal valley. Omega tours offers a number of tours in the area from hiking to whitewater rafting to horseback riding in and around the Rio Cangrejal. None of these were within our budget, but other guests seemed to have great time on all of them. We spent our two days hiking from the Lodge up the mountain through orange groves and hiking in the Pico Bonito national park which is just down the road. With the water level so low it was also easy for us to hike along the Rio Cangrejal, taking a swim whenever the weather got too hot.

Accommodations at the lodge range from tent space to a guest house, to private upscale cabins. I highly recommend the outdoor solar shower in the afternoon. Meals were reasonable compared to US prices and a daily happy hour kept guests chatting all night. Despite not whitewater kayaking we had a great time at the lodge. It would be a great place for a vacation, and even though the tours are expensive for backpackers, its a great place to just enjoy the surrounding environment on a backpacker budget. Tours are reasonably priced for families or couples on vacation from the States, Canada or Europe, especially because tour prices include accommodation and lunch. The atmosphere is laid back and comfortable with plenty to do in the surrounding areas. Overall this is a great place to stay, the grounds and accommodations are clean, the staff is fun and friendly, and the tours sound like a lot of fun.

Sharing is Caring….

May 28, 2009 By Jillian

**This post was created prior to the earthquake of 5/28/09– We are NO longer in Utila.**

Let’s face it, we do a lot of what most people would call “extreme” sports. We mountain bike, whitewater kayak, compete in off road triathlons and do as many adventure races as possible. Generally if there is an adventure sport/activity out there we want to try it. For one reason or another, neither of us had ever tried SCUBA diving. Not exactly a sport, but certainly an adventure. I have a hard time snorkeling, really who likes to breath through a straw, so when we inquired about taking classes in DC last fall I was needless to say, thrilled when it turned out to be too expensive. However that was not the case in Honduras and after almost every traveler we met moving north or south was going or had been to the Bay Islands we felt compelled to include it in our journey.

I’ll be completely honest with you, we only learned how to SCUBA dive because we were in Honduras and it is the cheapest place in the world to become certified. We figured that since we’re traveling around the world, we might as well get certified since showing up at the Great Barrier Reef and not being able to dive would just be lame. (Although I later found out that Australia is full of sharks.) Plus, this trip is all about new experiences. Therefore, we headed off to the Bay Islands of Honduras for a PADI Open Water Course.

At the recommendation of our friends Tracy and David (two years around the world themselves!) we signed up for PADI Open Water Certification at Underwater Vision on the island of Utila. Thrown into the reading right away, we read the part about sharing air with your diving buddy and well, we were glad to have each other as buddies. Admittedly I did not share well in Kindergarten, or in 4th grade, especially when it came to Barbies, but its been a long time since then and I can safely say I would share my air with Danny, even if he never shares his ice cream with me!

An hour into our confined water dive I was shivering 3m down practicing how to clear my mask and share my air. Needless to say the heavy equipment and dry air, coupled with the temperature underwater and extremely low visibility made for a lousy first diving experience. The next day, 30 minutes into my first open water dive I was 12m down staring into the home of a lobster surrounded by coral and big tropical fish. It was about 180 degrees away from the confined water dive and I felt like I was in a deep sea aquarium. The feeling of breathing underwater was surreal, I didn’t even notice how deep I was until I looked to the surface.

Over the next five dives (we did a few fun dives as well after our certification), we swam in what seemed like an endless aquarium of tropical fish, coral and even some wrecks. We learned the unofficial rule of wetsuits, “don’t pee in a wetsuit, especially one that isn’t yours” and how to gracefully, if somewhat awkwardly get in and out of a tight wetsuit.

Although I have nothing to compare it to, the diving around Utila was incredible. Excellent visibility (except for the first day) and nothing but beautiful coral reefs, blue water and thousands of marine creatures. We saw entire schools of fish and even swam with a sea turtle! Unfortunately our timing did not coincide with Utila’s famous whale sharks and there were no sightings of manta rays or other large marine animals. Swimming underwater with all the marine life I felt a little like Ariel (sans the red hair, but with the sidekick) from the Little Mermaid and I’ll admit that I sang “Under the sea” into my regulator more than a few times. Maybe that’s why I was having buoyancy issues!

So now that we’re certified to dive, who is coming with us under the sea? I hear you can dive with Penguins in South America….

Hike and Help, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

May 15, 2009 By Danny

Recently we paid for and took a hike up the Volcan Santa Maria with Hike & Help here in Xela, Guatemala. A non profit that supports libraries on local communities, we chose to go with them because their guides are actual Guatemaltecos rather than gringos. I have recently begun to dislike the concept of gringo ¨vacationing¨ in a place and in the process taking jobs away from locals. This particular hike took place at night, during the full moon, and so it was a special occasion for all of us.

This was about the point where my good feelings toward our guides ended. While I don´t think groups need to be hand held, there are a few points that I thought should have been discussed before heading up the mountain given that the group had very mixed experience.[ad#final-review-ad]

Meeting at their office at midnight we were quickly on our way to the volcano to begin our hike. Given that we were beginning at 7500 feet and climing to 12,400 – during the night, when it is both dark and cold – I expected there to be some discussion, even in Spanish, on the effects of hypothermia and the importance of regulating your body temerature in addition to telling us the importance of staying together. This never happened.

The hike up was a difficult one and it was not long before some participants began to fall behind. One person even began vomiting shortly after the start of the hike. Quickly we split into two groups, one with the front guide, who was tearing up the mountain at breakneck speed and another group with the enfirmed.

Generally the pattern was to hike with him very quickly, work up a sweat, then sit in the cold for 20 minutes allowing the sweat to cause shivers while the slower portion of the group caught up. Walking slowly, in the middle became our best option as we could take more frequent breaks for less time but then we were alone, in the dark, in a stange country…why did we hire the guide? Additionally, the fact the group was almost never together and the majority of the hikers had no hope in keeping pace with the first guide meant that had we encountered more trouble it would have been a much longer time before help would have arrived as the guides would not have known. This breackneck pace was repeated on the way down only without a single opportunity to rest our exhausted, trembling legs.

I do not belive these guides were malicious but rather that they are not actually qualified guides. I write this as someone who has wilderness first aid training in addition to having led many groups on hikes and other adventures. I do not belive these guides, themselves, have had any training in wilderness first aid, hypothermia, group safety, or anything other training a paid wilderness guide should have. Luckily there were no repercussions this time but it really is only a matter of time before something serious does happen.

In the end, I do not recommend using Hike and Help as an outfitter when in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

24 hours, two volcanoes, we’re spent

May 12, 2009 By Jillian

Because we haven’t had enough of lava and volcanoes we signed ourselves up for a full moon hike of Santa Maria, an active volcano just outside of Xela. Although it last erupted in 1922, the best part about hiking Santa Maria is being able to look down on the ever erupting Santiaguito, a vent off of the main volcano. Full moon + hiking up a volcano + potential to look down on a volcanic eruption? Clearly we had to sign up.

Fortunately our school scheduled a hike for Saturday morning up (The Molar) La Muela, a mountain formed from Santa Maria’s 1902 eruption. Overlooking Xela, La Muela was a good warm up for the overnight full moon set to begin mere hours later. Beginning our ascent, we walked up a cobblestone road before turning onto a steep path heading up the mountain. An easy climb with some fun bouldering on the exposed spires, we made it to the top only to find ourselves in the middle of an evangelical religious ceremony. Only in Guatemala. Climbing further, we sat atop the mountain listening to bits of the sermon below. “Gracias Dios por los rios!” “Gracias Dios por la tierra!” Munching on snacks, we admired the view of Quetzaltenango below before watching the indigenous women pick their way back down the mountain in traditional clothes and high heels. So much for complaining about my hiking boots!

Heading home for lunch, we took a brief nap before meeting up with some friends. At midnight we met at our outfitter and headed out in the darkness for Santa Maria. About 55 degrees Fahrenheit when we left Xela and thankfully for the first time in a week not raining, we were in good spirits with clear skies. Somewhere along the way the group split in two and we found ourselves racing up the muddy path at a rapid speed trying to keep up with the guide only to break for 20 minutes waiting for the other half. Needless to say we were sweaty and cold and having a difficult time regulating our body temperature. Not really sure what to expect at high altitude, Xela is about 7700 feet, we felt the air thin as we climbed the volcano. Both tired from our lack of sleep and from hiking uphill for several hours, it was clear that as we climbed higher and higher we were having more trouble breathing. Rising to about 12,400 feet, the top of Santa Maria has about 40% less oxygen than sea level. Although we were well acclimatized to the altitude of Xela, our ascent proved to be challenging. More challenging for Danny since he carried our pack of water and warm clothes. It’s amazing what a difference a mere 6000 feet can make, well that and several inches of mud. Although the trail was cut and well troddened up the mountain, decent switchbacks didn’t really exist so we were essentially walking vertically up the mountain. The last hour of our ascent I felt completely out of shape, it was probably the highest I’ve ever climbed and the altitude really started to affect me. Others in the group were walking erratically up the path, probably because of the lack of sleep and altitude, but we held our steady pace and eventually began to see the top.

Reaching the top, we found an incredible full moon to the west and the first signs of dawn to the east. I felt like I was literally straddling the line between day and night, which was a very incredible and powerful feeling. Our pictures don’t really do it justice. Looking to my right I tried to etch the image of the moonlight over the mountain range in my memory before sunrise. Unfortunately the change in temperature and extreme exposure ruined the moment and we quickly bundled up in sleeping bags. Like time lapsed photography, the sun rose quickly and soon we could see the entire mountain range spread out below us. Until that moment I didn’t really understand why people climb at high altitudes for enjoyment.

Walking around the top we looked down at Sanguelito, an active volcanic vent formed off the western slope of Santa Maria, just in time to see an eruption of smoke and steam. One of the most active volcanoes in all of Central America, Sanguelito erupts every few minutes, although usually only smoke and steam are visible. Sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time. You can actually hike up Sanguelito if you want. No thanks! Freezing, exhausted, and with legs trembling from exertion we headed back down the mountain at breakneck speed. Back in Xela we searched for an open restaurant at 9:30 am that was serving something besides eggs but only managed only to find Pollo Compero (fried chicken). Collapsing in our bed sometime around noon, after calling our mothers for mothers day, we slept all afternoon attempting to recover from our first all-nighter since college. Two days later we are still recovering. 🙂

Super Chivos 3 – Cremas 2

April 28, 2009 By Danny

The last time I was here in Guatemala I managed to make it to two soccer games. The first was against a team unknown to me. I went, I watched, I went home. The second game I went to was against Municipal, one of two teams from Guatemala City (think Yankees). To be honest, I don’t remember much of this game, but what I do remember is this:

Bottle rockets being shot from the bleachers at the field
All trash (100%, no lie) was thrown on the field…generally for no rhyme or reason.
There were not enough seats so we sat on the stadium wall, so if we had leaned back we would have fallen out of the stadium and onto the concrete outside.
We went to the game to learn all kinds of new and fun words that they don’t teach you in Spanish class.
The other team’s mascot was burned in effigy.

This time the game was a bit different but still just as incredible. We were set to play Los Comunicaciones (Crema) which are also from Guatemala City. I’m not sure what the stakes were last time but this time they were quite high. With the season winding down both teams needed a win to remain in the top 6 (playoff bound), with the defending champions – Crema – looking for payback from their previous meeting. Here is how the game compared to last time around:

Bottle rockets being shot from the bleachers at the field.
All trash (100%) was thrown on the field. However, with no alcoholic drinks allowed in the stadium and the soda served in plastic bags with a straw, this did not amount to much. To make up for the lack off trash, fans used toilet paper (which is generally in short supply here) instead. Added bonus was that the bottle rockets were also used to ignite the toilet paper.
The wall where we’d sat previously was now covered with advertisements, how American.
We went to the game to learn all kinds of new and fun words that they don’t teach you in Spanish class.
The other teams mascot was not burned in effigy; instead I saw a Super Chivos fan with a ram’s head (a chivo) hanging from his neck. Yes, this was an actual ram’s head.
Before the game began, two unmanned hot air balloons were launched into the air. The first kept going up, up, up and away…who knows where it came down. The second got a nasty gust of wind when it was only 50 meters off the field and caught fire. Naturally it began to rain fireballs but luckily no one was standing below and the toilet paper was at the other end of the field.

The game was extremely close the entire night. Crema scored first followed immediately by Xelaju. The score stayed at 1-1 until sometime through the second half when we scored again, mere minutes later our goalie failed to chase down the ball, leaving the goal untended for an easy pot-shot by Crema with 15 minutes or so left to play. Finally, with the time on the clock reading 40 minutes Xelaju was awarded a penalty kick. We scored, everyone cheered, and we were showered in “illegal” beer by the people behind.

Next thing I knew, I thought I was back in America watching the NFL as the official ordered a redo because the player kicking the ball crossed the line too soon. Throughout the night I had been getting tutored in vocabulary by a nice lady who was only too happy to oblige. The words that were coming out of peoples mouths at this point were so incredibly numerous that we simply could not keep up with our translations. After a few moments, we kicked again, scored again, and Jill and I were showered in beer again. A few minutes later, proudly wearing my new Super Chivos jersey to go with the hat I have back in the States, we walked out champions.

Review- Omega Tours, La Ceiba, Honduras

Sharing is Caring….

Hike and Help, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

24 hours, two volcanoes, we’re spent

Super Chivos 3 – Cremas 2

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