Lakes, Mayan Ruins, and Tacos

Just a few weeks to go in our travels. It feels a bit strange to be sad over "only" having weeks to go when we know someday soon we will relish having a few weeks off to travel. But still, after six months on the road and over two years out of the US, our travels are at an end.

We are in Mexico now, in the Yucatan Peninsula. I spent a month here nine years ago and have always had fond memories. It is one of those places I swore to myself, "Someday I'll be back..." I guess someday has arrived.

We have visited ruins, swam in cenotes, and snorkeled in the Caribbean. We've had a great time. Some of the places have barely changed in nine years, we've discovered a few new places together, and one of my favorite towns has exploded into a major party destination.

Since Erica's last post we have traveled all of Central America, from Panama to Mexico, overland. Let's backtrack a little...

We arrived into Panama City from Buenos Aires on an afternoon flight. We were a bit sad to be leaving South America, but excited to see Erica's parents in Costa Rica and begin the final leg of our journey.

Flying into Panama was cheaper than flying directly to Costa Rica and since the bus ride between the two was only 15 hours, we figured we would go for it. The actual travel time turned out to be over 24 hours, with an overnight in Panama's second largest city, David. Here is the Panama-Costa Rica border. It was hot, but otherwise uneventful.

We arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica in the evening and went straight to Denny's. This particular Denny's is the same one that we visited the year prior while in Costa Rica for a wedding and the same one I had breakfast at during my long layover from Panama after knee surgery. We would eat there one more time with Erica's parents and I think it now ranks as the "Denny's Location Most Visited" for me.

After a night in the capital Erica and I boarded a small plane for a 25 minute flight to the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific Coast. There were four of us on the plane and it was full.

Erica's parents had rented a car and they picked us up at the landing strip. It was great to see them again and realize the Costa Rican adventure that lay ahead of us. We spent the next three days on the Pacific Coast in a small surfer town. We took surfing lessons with Erica's dad and were all able to catch some waves. Unfortunately, John had a freak eye accident that prevented him from surfing the next day, but it did give him an unforgettable Latin American doctor experience.

He was walking along a path at the hotel when he thought he got a bug in his eye. He tried to take care of it himself, then Erica helped wash it out. After a few hours his eye was getting worse. Luckily, right across the dirt road was a doctor. We went in, a teenage boy asked us what we needed, shooed the dog off the waiting couch, and told us the doctor would be right in. The Doc spoke perfect English and said he had practiced many years in Texas, his son was his assistant. After a short examination he determined that John had several small cactus spines embedded in the conjunctiva and the white of his eye. Ouch!

With his teenage assistant by his side the flip-flopped Doc put anesthetic drops into John's eye and began probing. He had a powerful magnifying glass through which we could all see the spines in John's eye. Ouch! After a few tense minutes he removed the spines from the white, but announced that he was having trouble in the conjunctiva and would need other tools. At this point he turned around and pulled a plastic sealed hypodermic needle out of a drawer. The fifteen year old held the glass and a light while the Doctor slowly scraped away at the inside of John's lower eyelid. The room was tense and the Doctor had a few harsh words for his assistant. At one point the Doc said to his son, "Si muevas el foco, le quito su ojo!" -- If you move the light, I'll take his eye out. -- While John and Judy have learned some Spanish, Erica and I were grateful that neither of them had studied that particular phrase.

After a few more tense minutes the Doc exhaled and proudly declared success. He had removed all the bits of cactus and had spared John his eye. He fit John with an eye patch, they paid the bill, we said goodbye to the son and dog, and gladly left. We all let out some nervous laughter, and later over drinks we explained the full extent of the Doc-son conversation.

Two days after the Cactus Incident, we left the Pacific for the interior of the country and to the base of the Arenal Volcano. We spent the next four days marveling at the active volcano. We stayed in an observatory lodge built by the Smithsonian Society for scientific research. Each night we were treated to displays of red hot rocks tumbling down the mountain and could hear explosions all day. We were also able to see many cool birds, coatimundi, and monkeys. There were hot springs in the area and did a zip-line tour through the jungle canopy. We also happened to be there on Superbowl Sunday and I watched the game on a big screen while Arenal Volcano erupted in the background.



A kinkajou eating breakfast.

From the interior we went to the Caribbean coast for our last few days. There was a storm just beginning and our four hour drive was delayed by a truck crash and a washed out bridge. We made it to the coast in around ten hours. The rain did not let up while we at the coast and we ended up leaving one day early due to flooding. On our way out of town two large trees fell and blocked the road. We were the second car on the scene and all four of us got and helped to clear the road. We had to stand in thigh high water and avoid the fallen telephone wires. I asked John if he thought this was dangerous, he replied, "Yes, so hurry." We did and soon we were on our way back to San Jose.

Erica's parents flew home two days later. We were sad to see them go but felt very satisfied with a fun, adventure filled two weeks together.

Erica and I spent two more days in San Jose before boarding a bus for Nicaragua. We had heard good stories of Nicaragua and were intrigued by its lower profile compared to Costa Rica. We had an easy day's bus ride into Nicaragua and crossed the border with no problems.

Our destination was Lago Ometepe -- a double volcanic island in the center of the largest lake in Central America. Lago Nicaragua was once a Pacific Ocean bay but volcanic eruptions over time created a small barrier from the sea. It is the only lake in the world with true freshwater sharks.

After a night in transfer we arrived on the Island and found a locally owned coffee plantation where we could pitch our tent for $3 a day. We rode a small ferry to reach the volcanic island.


Due to recent storms the lake's water level was very high and most of the beaches were underwater. We did find this cool tree though.

Leaving from just behind our campsite were trails leading up the volcano. One afternoon I set out to make an attempt at the 4,500 ft peak. The trail was steep and in dense jungle, about halfway up was this clearing at a small mirador.

Looming in the distance is the larger of the two island's volcanoes.

The trail went back into the jungle and became very muddy. It was already late in the afternoon and I was not making good time. I hiked up for another hour or so, then decided to turn around. I had brought a headlamp along, but decided I really was not up for a jungle night hike.

So in order to go on with the rest of the island story, I need to give an update to my graduate school application process.

The process of applying to graduate school is long and tedious, with bursts of frantic moments. Keeping track of deadlines and checklists are not my strongest skills so I was a bit disorganized during the process. I am sure I would have had some similar experiences had I applied from the comforts of the USA, but we were not there. I would generally NOT recommend applying to graduate school while traveling around Argentina, taking the GRE tests in a foreign country, spending a month in a tent, hitchhiking, using internet cafes, calling from public phones, and storing all important documents inside a backpack with dirty clothes. Despite these extra challenges, I met the deadlines for five schools. I applied to Master's in Counseling programs at University of Oregon, Boston College, and New York University, and I applied to PhD programs in Counseling Psychology at University of Miami and Western Michigan University.

One of our first days in Costa Rica, while at Denny's for dinner (no, really) I found out that I was an alternate for an interview for the Miami program. Bummer. Then a few days later, checking my email on the beach after a surf lesson, I found out I had been granted an interview for the PhD at WMU. I was overjoyed. Applying for a PhD was intimidating for me since I do not have a MA degree and my undergraduate GPA was not so great. But, I counted on my teaching and PC experience, my GRE scores, and my Spanish ability to make up for weak points. It was Jan 28 and the interview was scheduled for Feb 20.

We celebrated and then I began looking at flights to Michigan and the best way to get to Kalamazoo, where WMU is located. We decided the cheapest option would be to fly out of Managua, Nicaragua into Detroit, rent a car and make the two hour drive into Kalamazoo. I was going to stay with a current doctoral student and arrive a few days early to visit a barber and a Men's Wearhouse. I hadn't wore a tie or dress shoes in over two years at this point.

So, back to the volcanic island... In the weeks leading up to the interview I had to submit funding requests. I wrote grant applications from the porch of the coffee plantation with a view of the lake and the volcano. In the afternoon when the electricity was on, I used one of the two plantation computers to upload and email my money requests to the university. I also took breaks to nap in the hammocks.


So with my grant application submitted Erica and I caught the ferry on Saturday Feb 14. My flight was not until Monday morning from Managua, but we know how travel in Latin America can be sometimes. We decided that Erica would wait for me on the island while I went to Michigan and back. Here are pictures of us on the ferry back to the mainland and the last picture of my lovely beard.

I arrived late Saturday night in Managua and spent Sunday seeing the sights of Nicaragua's capitol city. The city center has been rocked by earthquakes over the past 150 years and was mostly abandoned after a massive 1972 quake. The result is a capitol city unlike other Latin American capitols in that it lacks a main central plaza and central market. Instead, small neighborhoods each have their plazas and markets.

The National Cathedral was badly damaged and the government decided to leave it as a monument. The clock towers are frozen to the time of the quake.

The National Palace of Culture was not as badly damaged and the government decided to restore the buillding.

A few blocks away is this monument to the people. The man holds a picaxe in one hand and a flag wrapped rifle in the other, the inscription translates as, "Only the workers and peasants will go to the end."

I left Managua early Monday morning on a flight to Detroit with a connection in Houston. It would be my second time in the United States since we left in January of 2007, and the first time since flying home for the funeral of my brother. I was filled with emotion as the plane took off, and then again as we touched down in Houston. It was strange to be around so many tourists on the plane -- mostly older folks who had come to Nicaragua to spend time on the Caribbean islands and fish or dive. The people sitting next to me asked me in broken Spanish if I was Nicaraguan. They were from Cleveland.

I arrived in Detroit late Monday, picked up my rental car, and checked into a Super 8. The next morning I made the drive over to Kalamazoo. I had never been to Michigan and had only driven a car once in two years. I was in quite a shock with the cold and the snow.

I spent Tuesday in a Kalamazoo hotel and visited a barber and a Men's Wearhouse. I must say both places took good care of me and helped me feel comfortable. On Wednesday I met my host student - Raymond - and stayed the next few days with him. He was a great resource for information about the program and helped boost my confidence. On Thursday I attended a social with current students and the other interviewees, then Friday was my big day. I think I cleaned up pretty well and even I had a hard time believing I had recently spent a month in a tent.

My stress levels came down as I spent time in Kalamazoo reading, writing, and reflecting on my choices and opportunities. Raymond helped me think about my non-master's status in a different way. There were 28 interviewees for 8 spots, 26 already had master's degrees. He said while everyone would be trying to one-up each other regarding their MA programs, no one would have anything to say to compete with my Peace Corps experience. There were no other interviewees with teaching experience and no one else was bilingual.

Friday consisted of four 30-minute group interviews, one 30-minute individual interview, and then an hour full group "social." I was on my game and did the best that I could. I felt I made connections with the professors and had strong answers and asked good questions. I felt especially good about my individual interview. Back in November from Buenos Aires I had sent emails to professors I was interested working with at each of the schools to which I was applying. The WMU professor I corresponded with happened to be on an island off of Guam completing research while we exchanged emails. He remembered me and was the professor who conducted my individual interview. I left Kalamazoo later that evening, exhausted, but confident. I was told all interviewees would be called in the next two weeks to inform them of their status. The next day I returned my car and boarded a plane back for Nicaragua.

One day after arriving in Managua, Erica and I met up in a small colonial town in the center of the country, Granada. We spent one night there and then moved on to Honduras. Here is a picture of a smoking Nicaraguan volcano taken from the bus window.

We had an easy bus ride and border crossing and arrived in the Honduran capitol of Tegucigalpa. We spent one night there and were able to visit with our friend and former PC Bolivia volunteer Tim. When we were evacuated Tim was one of the few people who decided to transfer to another country. He signed up for one more year of service in Honduras. Erica and I left on an afternoon bus for the north of the country and the beginning of the former Mayan lands. We spent one night in San Pedro Sula, then left on a morning bus for the town on Copan Ruinas, which is a only a few km from the Mayan ruins of Copan.

There were a half dozen Guacamayos, or Scarlet Macaw.

Experts say Copan was the Paris of the Mayan culture. The city was known for its art and carvings. The site was beautiful and there were not too many people there. Here are some examples of the carvings.

Erica mimicking the pose of the Jaguar God.

The most famous structure of Copan is the Hieroglyphic Staircase. It is the longest such carved structure in the Mayan world and tells the story of the rise of Copan. At the base is a massive carving of the king who commissioned the staircase.

Like other Mayan sites, Copan has a ballcourt. I imagined playing a game of tag football.

Back in the modern town of Copan Ruinas we could feel the influence of Mexico and found our first street taco stand. Ahhh, so good.

On our last night in Copan Ruinas I received an email from Western Michigan.... I was their first alternate. I was disappointed, but grateful to still be in the running for a spot. Erica was very supportive and encouraging by helping me realize that in a sense I had met their criteria, but there were just not enough spots. We were both a little frustrated that we would have to continue waiting. The top 8 people have until April 15 to accept or decline their offer. So I need just one person to accept an offer to a different university. We're keeping hope alive!

The next morning we boarded a small shuttle for an 8 hour ride to Antigua, Guatemala. Again, the border crossing was very mellow.

Our destination in Guatemala was Lago Atitlan, in the western highlands of the country. We spent one night in the hip colonial town of Antigua then got on an older bus for the five hour ride to the Lake. This time our luck of easy bus rides ran out.

About two hours into the ride the bus began spewing smoke and making a horrible sound as we climbed a hill. A few minutes later we were stopped on the side of the road unloading our luggage. There were many tourists on the bus and most took the breakdown quite well.

We waited about 15 minutes and then an even older bus, already packed with locals pulled over for us to get on. This time some of the other tourists were not so amused with the lack of personal space. We were packed three to a seat, can you see me in the second to last row?

One of Erica's seatmates.

The three hour cramped ride was well worth it as we arrived at Lago Atitlan. The lake is surrounded my small communities and volcanoes. The beauty was difficult to capture on film, but here are two attempts.

Erica and I spent four days in a small community called San Marcos la Laguna. It was about a 40 minute ride in a small boat from the main town of Panajachel. San Marcos has become known as a New Age kinda place. We joined a yoga group each morning at 7am and participated in a group meditation sessions. We also had massages and spent time reading and writing. On our third day there I received notification from New York University that I had been accepted into the MA program in Mental Health Counseling. Yeah! We celebrated that night by playing music on the beach. Soon a local family came to wash and swim in the lake. The children were very curious about us and we gave them a turn with the guitar and harmonica.

We left Atitlan and headed for the northern part of the country, the town of Flores, and the massive ruins of Tikal. We had a 14 hour overnight bus ride that turned out to be one of the most uncomfortable rides for me of all our travels. The seats did not recline enough and I just could not find a suitable sleeping position. I think I slept about four hours and arrived in Flores feeling very stiff.

We knew the ruins were very large and popular, so we decided to camp once again in order to have access to the park in the early morning and late afternoon. We pitched our tent about 300 yards from the park's entrance.

The ruins were amazing. Tikal is the largest of the Mayan sites and has temples surrounded my dense forest. In the mornings we could see and hear monkeys, coatimundi, the large rodent agouti, and the huge bird the great curassow. Again, the beauty of the park was hard to capture on film, but here are a few attempts.

Recognize this scene from the Star Wars Trilogy?

After three days in at Tikal we departed for Chiapas, Mexico. This time our journey would be an 8 hour minivan-boat-minivan trip. Surprisingly, the trip and border crossing was very easy. Here we are on the small boat on the river separating Guatemala and Mexico.

We stayed in the town of Palenque and visited the nearby jungle ruins. Although smaller than Tikal, the jungle setting was impressive and provided a beautiful backdrop to the white temples.

From southern Mexico we rode a bus to the Yucatan Peninsula town of Merida. In Merida we rented a small car and spent the next eleven days exploring the peninsula. We split our time between small and larger ruins, and beach towns. Before setting out we stopped at a Wal-Mart and bought rice, beans, and tortillas to make lunch.

One of the smaller ruins, Dzbilchaltun.

The Yucutan Peninsula has no above ground rivers due to its makeup of porous limestone. Water seeps through the earth and flows underground and occasionally causes a sinkhole. Where there is water under the hole it is known as a cenote. The Mayans used these cenotes for drinking, washing, and irrigation. In some sites, such as Chichen Itza, they also used them for ceremonial and religious purposes. Dzbilchatun had a swimmable cenote that we took advantage of after climbing around the ruins in the hot sun.


In a small town enjoying a cerveza.

Our second day of visiting Mayan ruins brought us to the large site Chichen Itza. The main attraction is the large Kulkukan pyramid, named for the Mayan feathered-serpent god.

Doing my best serpent impression.


The Great Ball Court.

Palace of the Nuns.

The Observatory.

Leaving Chichen Itza we went to another place I'd vowed to return to almost ten years ago. In a small town about 30 minutes from the ruins is a special cenote. This swim hole is underground in a cave. The limestone has eroded away, but the roof remains intact. There is an opening in the ceiling where light comes through and around noon lets in a brilliant bean of light. There were cool rock formations, tree roots hanging from above, and catfish swimming around. We were lucky to have the cave almost all to ourselves.

Erica and I in the beam of light.

The next day we visited the smaller ruins of Ek Balam.

We saw this man, Martin, carving wood into the shape of Kulkukan. He told us it takes him about three days to make each piece. We bought a small carving for 50 pesos.

We left the interior of the Peninsula and drove for the Caribbean Coast. Cancun was an evening stopover for dinner and then we drove south to Playa de Carmen. Nine years ago Playa de Carmen was a quiet town that was just being developed. Today it is a major spring break destination and party stop. We were disappointed with the new vibe of the town and the amount of people there. We only spent one day in Playa de Carmen before driving further south for the smaller villages of Punta Alen and then Majahual.

In Majahual, about 1 hour north of the Belize border, we found what we were looking for. We spent four nights in a 10 room lodge right on the sea. The lodge provided use of kayaks to access a coral reef a few hundred yards out. We went out each day and snorkeled, sometimes twice a day. The coral and fish were amazing and on our last day we say six large tuna that freaked us out.

Sunrise over the Caribbean.

Yoga at sunrise.

While in Majahual we received an email from Boston College notifying me that I had been accepted into their MA program in Mental Health Counseling. Yeah!! We were very happy to now have options and excited to be able to choose between BC and NYU.

So we are now in Mexico City enjoying the last few days of our Latin American Adventure. We have eaten many tacos, climbed the Pyramids, seen Diego Rivera murals, and are attending a World Cup soccer game tomorrow and the ballet on Sunday. In three days we fly into LAX and begin a new adventure. We are still hopeful WMU will move me up on the list, but are happy with the options of New York or Boston. Stay tuned to find out where we choose to go.

Hasta luego,

Marcos