VIVA VINALES!!!

Vinales.

A town. A national park. A landscape of fantastic Migotes. Limestone mountains, with trees and bushes on top. Hidden valleys. Caves. Underground Rivers. The cliff faces were so sheer and beautiful. The whole place was a magical wonderland. It was really cool (and as I've talked to people it is one of the main places people go when in Cuba). Which doesn't make it any less awesome.

The only other places I've seen landscape like this were in Vang Vien, Laos and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.  (Southern China has them as well, or so I hear).  I had no idea Cuba would have them until I got there, and they were awesome.  Awesome to ride horses around, to hike, to climb, to sit and stare at at sunset.

 

To Get to Vinales I went to the Viazul bus station in Havana to buy a ticket the day before I was planning on leaving. A thing about Cuba... you have to be thinking one or two steps ahead of where you are in order to keep any sort of momentum or flow to your trip. Because buses get full, cabs leave early, there may be only 1 scooter for rent in an entire town. And it isn't like you book it on the internet. You have to do it old school style by showing up!  It was kind of awesome :)

So I go to the Viazul bus station and.... its closed for remodeling. No sign. No other information. Just people inside working. Keep in mind this is the PRIMARY BUS LINE that runs around the country. And this is their MAIN OFFICE in the capital city. Ahhhh Cuba. 

There was a helpful Taxi Collectivo (group taxi) dude outside that said you could go to the main terminal somewhere 3 km away, or he would do a collective taxi and take me there for 23CUC, which is basically the same price as the bus. I said sure, signed up. (You don't pay until you are there, so no scam. This is the way it is done). 

Since I was across from the zoo, I went to the zoo. Saw some animals. Spoke with a cool Cuban who used to work on a fishing boat all over the world. He had some amazing stories of searching for Diamonds in Africa and learning fishing in Northern Russia. Now he works with the animals including a 53 year old Chimpanzee who has 50 kids. 

The next day we head out, the Taxi shows up mostly on time. And inside is a dude that looks Jason Statham (I mean, EXACTLY like Jason Statham!) and some other folks. The Cuban music was BUMPING in the cab and we were off. This cab was a classic American car. So cool.

Just travelin with Jason Statham... no big deal.

We stopped at a (The afore mentioned) Cigar plantation on the way and learned how that all worked. Got to try one. It is one of those things you expect in countries like Cuba, that on the travels you end up being taken to additional coffee or tobacco plantations. They want you to buy something. Jason Statham bought 20 cigars.

In Vinales, the main town has tons of places to eat and drink. It is very tourist friendly. Which some may view as good and some as bad. I'm curious what it looked like 5 years ago. Or 10. Definitely 15. Because Cuban's used to not be able to advertise the rooms in their houses. They could rent out up to 2, but no ads. No Signs. Now pretty much everyone rents a room or two or 5. (The 2 room limit has changed).

I managed to book a sunset horseback ride. It was sort of weird, the guide basically didn't want to give me the full time, it was so strange. I paid for 3 hours, he wanted to end in two. ANd most of the time was spent at a... you guessed it,... coffee plantation!  Ugh. Here was a situation I wanted to just enjoy the ride, the valley and sunset. It was weird, he literally would not ride any further. Even though horse riders were coming from futher in the valley, he said he couldn't go further. I have no idea why. He spoke some English. My Spanish sucks (as will be mentioned repeatedly) and so....

I decided to enjoy it. I bought a Mojito sin Azucar. And sat and waited for the sunset. There were puppies and kittens (Heather  you would have loved it!). And a nice French gal and her guide who rode up. So we hung out. Took pictures. As you do.

 

After eating I headed to the live music bar on the square. There's only one. It's easy to find. It's 1CUC to enter. I enjoyed the music. Was grabbed by a Cuban man who used me as a wing man to dance with some tourist gals. Then a Cuban woman who looked to be around 55 or 60 grabbed me and started Dancing. Some Salsa, but really she was drunk as a skunk and was bootie dancing on me. She'd bend over and rub her butt all over me as her Daughters and sisters laughed and shot video. (she introduced me while bumping on me, just so it wasn't TOO weird. lol).  After the song (and in Cuba the songs are like 20 minutes long when they're live), she drug me to the bar, asked if I liked Cerveza. I said sure. She ordered two, and when I reached for one... she took them both! And told me to order myself one. I did. And of course paid for all 3.  $5CUC total!

The next day I woke up early and went to go rent a scooter. I was given advice in Havana, from some folks who were on their LAST day of the trip, that I should get there by 7:30, even though they don't open till 8:30.  I got there at 7:15. I was the only one who got a scooter and not until 10:45am. But I was chillin and just going with the flow, cause that is what you have to do in Cuba!

 

It was AWESOME! I rode out to a cave. the 2nd largest cave in the Americas. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the only bigger one I think. I almost had a solo tour, but a Cuban couple showed up last minute. And if you can believe it, the guy tried to break off formations THE ENTIRE TIME.  The guide did nothing. Literally nothing. Didn't even say anything.  And my lack of Spanish made it hard for me to do anything about it. (And to be honest, I was so shocked the guide didn't do anything that I just shook my head which did nothing useful). In the end he succeeded in breaking off a 6 inch piece of a curtain like thing.

Ride on.

To the gas station.

Strange thing about Cuba. Gas stations... few and far between. And the one in Vinales... had no gas today. Guess that happens. There's talk of building a bigger one. Maybe it'll happen someday. Maybe it won't.

So 25 km away I found a gas station.

How did I find it you ask?

I had been told before I left to get Maps.Me.  In fact every single traveler I met had maps.me.  It's an offline Google maps. And with GPS you can see right where you are at. It even has hiking trails on it. That's awesome!

I tried to get it... but since Apple is an American company, the app store does not work in Cuba.

Doh!

So I had a terrible tourist map, and had been given vague directions on which way to go and where it would be (and told that I had 1 liter of Gas, with which I could go... 20km? 30km?  The guy didn't really know. )

I found it. I put in 6 liters. Filled it up!

And RIDE!

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to rent a scooter and go. You meet cool people. See things off the tourist track. It's a great way to explore an area.

On the way back I stopped at the LOS AQUATICOS Trail head. These are a few families that learned the healing power of water from a shamen hundreds of years ago or something like that. It sounds fascinating, but I didn't make it all the way there. 

The trail, which was paved with stones and hand carved steps, went up and down over the Mogote's. Gorgeous views of the valley abounded. The hike was mostly shaded since it was late afternoon. So I sat and enjoyed the breeze. Then I came to a junction... the sign to Los Aquaticos lay on the ground. Did it point along the ridge or down?

Looked like down. So I chose down.

(HE CHOSE DOWN!!! (To almost quote Labyrinth!)

Well down dropped me to the valley floor pretty quickly.

It was getting late ish so I figured I'd just walk along the valley floor till sunset.

Then I saw goats.

And then I saw a cliff face... with a cave entrance in it!!!

SWEET!!!

Waterproof headlamp on (yes, of course I have one in my backpack. As you should too :)

And I plunge into the slot in the rock.

It led back, split left and right...

left a dead end. Right leads deeper.

Maybe 2 feet wide.

Slippery mud.

It splits again, with only the left going anywhere....

50 meters back, I found a pool!!! With a wooden structure above it.

It wasn't huge, but it was awesome!!!

And the end of the cave. Or as far as I was going to dare go as I'd have to submerge myself to explore further and as much as I love to explore the unknown, I'm not that crazy.

So I head out and ... hear voices off to the right.

So I head back the way I came and out of sight.... and then I hear they are AMERICAN voices.

So I turn around and walk back and surprise a family, their Cuban guide family (who all spoke English) and the owner of the property.

I made friends and they told me about a BIGGER cave around the corner.

I asked if it was okay to explore (since it was on his property).

He smiled and off I went.

 

The cave was like a tunnel all the way through the Mogote. Maybe 30-50 feet tall, and pitch black until you came around a corner to see out the other side... and a BIGGER POOL!

So I did what everyone would do, right? I got down to my underwear and went into the pool. It was waist deep. I half swam around in it and eventually went back to the side I started on.

What lay beyond....?

I'll have to come back to find out.

On my way out of the cave, I enjoyed a song written by my friend and former Feet Firster, Brandon Miquelon called ROOTLESS TREE.  It's a song he wrote after a multiple month trip through Europe he went on a few years ago. In truth, this was one of the main songs of this entire trip. I love it. He captured the feeling of the traveler so well. So thank you Brandon for the song, if you are cool with it I'll share it with people on the email thread.

I headed out of the cave, up to the farmer's house. Where they offered me coffee and I sat and enjoyed the coming sunset with people who mostly spoke a different language, but it didn't matter. We shared a nice time, looking out at the valley, as the guide drove off in his 1952 Pristine condition car...

 

I've still got a smile on my face as I write this.

Awesome.

CraigO

Indiana Jones would be proud

"Some guy named Oscar knows where the secret cave is."

That´s how it started. The quest. The adventure.

Jason, this guy I´ve bumped into in Punta Viejo and now Bocas said that there is a hidden cave on Bastimentos Island in the Bocas Del Toro. You have to hire a boat, that´ll take you across the bay, and then up a snake infested river lined with mangroves, drop you on a dock and there is a cave that you swim into that has a waterfall and a swimming hole underground.

Ummm... sign me up!

Thing is, no one´s heard of it. No one in Bocas town, where I`´m staying. Bastimentos is two islands over, and half of it is a national park of some sort. It has a small town, and apparently, a SECRET FRIGGIN CAVE!

So on my last day in Bocas Del Toro, I decide I´m going to find it or die trying... okay, I´m kidding about the die trying part. It would be a symbolic death.

The day dawned...wet. Very wet. Rainy wet. Lots of rain. Now, naturally this might deter a sane person from questing for a cave filled with an underground river, but they might have more than one more day to find it. I figured if worse came to worse, I would at least find the darn mysterious cave.

So I ran into Mandee, Crystal, Laura and Jason at breakfast on the moored boat restraunt and asked if they knew anything other than the fact that Oscar knows of it. Nope. I asked the folks running the restraunt... no idea what I was talking about it. Mandee said I shouldn´t ask people, it´ll give it away. I figured if no one knows, very few people are going to suddenly spread rumors of something they don´t believe exists in the first place.

So I went to good old Mondo Taitu and asked. Nope.
I suited up with swimsuit, water, waterproof headlamp and waterproof camera, sandals and some balance bars (gotta have the snacks!), and headed to Hostel Heike. The folks there had been helpful on day 1 getting oriented, so I figured it was a good next stop.

"Have you guys heard of the hidden cave on Bastimentos? Do You know Oliver?"
Nope. and Nope.

they were trying to figure out where I might go ask when a guy named Pete from england with lots of arm hair said... "I think i know a guy I could ask".
So he gets on his cell (yes they have them here, in fact, it seems everyone has them here), and calls Cristo over in Bastimentos town. After a minute or two he hangs up and says "Cristo says he can take you there".

SWEET!

I get the directions to find Cristo, write them on an already wet map of the area, and head out. But not before Pete gives me a tshirt he bought in Nicaragua for Cristo.

I head over to the water taxis. Now it´s realy raining hard. But they are glad to take me to Bastimentos town for 3 bucks. Me and a woman from San Francisco who is down here for some indeterminate amount of time for unclear reasons. The crossing is rough and wild, rain splashing on top of water splashing. My rain coat is pretty useless when it gets this wet, so I´m already soaked, but I´m planning on swimming in a cave, so I´m not to concerned.

I hop off at "the dock next to the Reef restraunt", and walk to the path that runs through town. No cars here. I walk along till I find "Hair by Cristo". He´s a barber. I go to his front door. Knock on the yellow door next to the pink walls with fish on them, and... he comes up from downstairs. He says its raining, and will usually be 25 bucks a person, but they would charge 50 for one person. Yikes.... but this is a quest, so pay I will.

He talks to his brother Alberto, and Alberto is to be my guide. Though he doesnt seem to excited to go out in the rain. But cash is cash. Chat with Cristo a bit about living in town his whole life, 32 years. Meet his 84 year old dad. And get our picture taken.

Then Alberto, complete with trashbag poncho, head to the boat. Its a rear stearing deal with a canopy, like all the water taxis around here. We get in, I help bail water out with cut up milk jugs. Alberto wisely grabs an old wooden oar from a junk pile by the dock, and weér off... the the gasolnaria. We get 4 gallons. It costs 18 bucks. that´s why they have to charge so much, since almost half goes to the gas cost. Yikes.

And we´re off. Rain pouring. Mist over the hills and jungle of the mountains. I´m taking too many pictures, but that´s what I do sometimes.

After 20 minutes or more of waves and splashing we reach a cove surrounded by Mangroves. It seems Alberto is lost a bit, searching for the way into the hidden river. After a couple minutes he finds the opening and we glide into a narrow channel with overhanging tree limbs and mangroves everywhere. They looked like they could walk out on spiderly legs, marching into the river and grab us (yep, I´ll put that in a movie someday). The river snaked for a good 20 to 30 minutes, getting smaller and smaller. We would scrape under tree limbs and they would drip and reach to grab the canopy... and eventually they did. We hit one that decided it would bend the front of the canopy back. Alberto saved the roof by jamming us into reverse, but the poles were bent. Yikes.

Eventually the channel was only a couple feet wider than the boat, which is about 6 feet wide, and maybe 18 to 20 feet long. Alberto decided we should take the canopy down, so we lifted out the supports and layed it down. Not an easy task and one of the poles broke because it had rusted through. Alberto sorta shrugged about it, but I could tell he was bummed. He´ll fix it he says. Hope it isn´t expensive.

A lone wooden canoe sat on a river bank.
The trees now reached to grab at us.
The rain still fell...

... and we reached a little wooden dock. Alberto did a 3 point turn in the boat. We moored up, and hopped out onto muddy land.

After about 5 minutes of squishing through the mud we reached a slightly elevated hut with a family living in it. Naturally they spoke only spanish, but here was to be my cave guide... Juan. He was a smiling fellow of about 5 foot. He led the way, along with his maybe 8 year old son Alberto (yep, same name as the boat captain). We squashed through more mud... a lot more mud. Saw a sloth. And reached the entrance to NI VIDA cave.

Aparantely it was discovered 8 years ago by an American who was traipsing through the jungle of the island exploring for days. No one has found the end of it. No one knows how deep it goes.

With two headlamps, and an energetic Nino in tow, we head into the cave...as the river flowed out of it.

And it was awesome! We move along, snapping a few pictures. Bats sweeping down from above. A couple missed my head by inches. They are white nectar bats that fly out to feed on the fruit nearby. Rare to have white bats apparently.

The cave split in two brances. We head left first, and the roar of the waterfall could be heard long before it was seen. Occasionally we had to swim in the river, other times it was knee deep. Little alberto would straddle the sides and cruise along with us just fine. The waterfall was powerful, if only 4 feet tall. And was more like Spouting Rock than a falls. But tehre was a 5 foot formation we could climb up and jump off of into the pool below. It was surreal to climb up there, leap off, and go completely under the pitchblack water. There was enough current to push me forward into the rocks. I naturally had to jump off 5 or 6 times.

Then we head back and goto the right (as the waterfall is the end of that passage). Juan would say ¨"Watch your head" a lot. First in spanish, then english. Even if it was my leg or my hand or knee that needed to be watched. Like me with spanish, i guess that´s the english phrase he knew. It was clear what to watch and am glad a number of times for him pointin things out that i nearly hit with my head.

Happy Hat´s younger brother was along for the ride, and saved my head once too. and got nice and muddy.

We reached a spot where Alberto stopped and waited, and Juan and Imoved forward.... to a passage with MAYBE 4 inches of headroom over the water.

Juan went first. You had to duck under the water and pop up in a tiny chamber, then slide under another low section, and so forth for about 6 feet or more and 4 or 5 chambers. Now, if you tilted your head right you could keep your eyes out of the water and see where you were going. But not on the last one... that one you had to go all the way under and slide through. Creepy! It took a few tries for me to control my mind so I could do it. I passed the hat and camera and light ahead, and then did it slowly and carefully. the rock walls sliding by right next to my temples. My feet not touching the ground, but having to press on the sides of the rock. The first chamber was big enough to get my head up in. The second too. The third Ihad to tilt to fit, and the final opening wasn´´t wide enough for my head at its widest part. So I felt below, made sure it was wider underwater and I could get through, and ducked down... and came back up. This is scary. I remember in Guatemala, a cave thing you had to slide through underwater and how terrifying it was to come up and hit rock instead of air. So I focused, knew I could hold my breath for 30 seconds or more, and then ducked under...

... and I´m writing this to you from heaven because I couldn´t get out...




... kidding! I made it through! Juan and I continued a bit further, through some more swimming channels and more places, and eventually stopped whre there was another low part. And we were both thinking of the fact that if the water even went up an inch or two from the rain outside we´d be fucked. So, following wise advice, we took a picture, and headed back to the low part to get out. It was easier to go out, as I´d done it before now. But still, took some concentration. It really is weird to have only a half inch of space between your mouth and the water, and rock pushing in from above.

I made it through, Juan handed his light through, and then SWAM the whole ducking part. It´s wider down below, and he swam through, coming up right next to me. Sweet.

We grabbed ALberto and headed out. Juan would hum some song as he went, and it sounded sorta like Indiana Jones. So I started humming that. Hoping that it would be known here in Panama as well, and that we would have an Indiana Jones theme hum along as we went. Turns out, given that they live in the jungle with no TV, I guess they´d never heard it. But that´s okay, because they get to LIVE IT every day as they lead people into the cave.


On the boat ride out I felt really good. It was great to have found the cave. To have seen it. To have gone alone, and not had any travel buddies. It made me realized that I´m ready to really go off on my own on this rip. Even though I said I have my "see legs" back on day one, I really didn´t. I´d been talking almost exclisively to other travelers, most of whom are American´s down here, and been able to rely on others Spanish abilities to make things happen. I´m excited to head to the mountains of Panama (where I just arrived today in Boquete, it´s rainy, cool, and awesome)... and other than running into the German guy, everyone else I´d been seeing has turned back to goto Costa Rica or stay in Bocas.

Things like this really make me happy. Traveling like that. Not knowing how it´ll turn out. Meeting people who live different lives from mine. It was wonderful. And scary. It´s scary to not have language to communicate with someone. To be in a situation where we had to rely on each other, but had to do it with instincts and not words. It´s scary to head off and have no idea where I´ll land. But it inevitably feels great to have done it.

This quote was painted on the wall of Mondo Taitu (along with the one written on the back of the toilet that said "Feed Me Your Poo. I´m Hungry"). But this quote fits a bit better:
"It´s only by going into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. That´s why the very cave you were afraid to enter turns out to be the source of what you were looking for."

So, will you enter the cave?

you are NOT going to BELIEVE this!!!!

So I'm in this little tiny ass town in western belize called San Ignacio town. It's actually the largest city in the area and I think there are like 2500 people here. Anyway, everyone is chill and friendly, and I was hanging out with this amusing Rastafarian dude named... Yes, RastJ, and we ended up going to the club that had people at it last night. It was pretty packed and there was some good and some not so good music bumping. :)

Everyone looks like they live in LA as far as fashion goes, belize is the westerner-safe 3rd world country I think. Anyway, we're dancing and I look next to me and who is dancing... looking at me... and I realize Dancing with me... but Angelina Jolie!!!!

What the crap?

So we danced most of the night! Like, come on, I'm in San Ignacio Town, and I'm dancing with one of the hottest (and turns out coolest) movie stars around! I won't get to carried away with the details, but come on, I live in LA and that would Never happen, but I come to Belize, and that would never happen here either! Shit! One can dream!

But would you believe I got fricking SICK again! Woopie dooo!!!!!

Yep team, now I got a cold, possibly more, though I think it might just be a cold. Though I slept all day again and was achey and weak and sorta felt a little feverish, but that might just be that my hotel room is kinda hot.

Oh, as for story above, everything but Angelina was true. RastJ is an interesting dude, who's got my back and I got his,but I had his back a bit much for buying booze so I said I was out of money. I saw him today and it's like we buds, but its all good.

So no "sucky-sucky" offers here, but lots of offers for "the ganja weed" etc. People can't seem to fathom that i'm from Cali and don't smoke up. I think I was offered 5 times in one walk down the street.

On a not sick note...

I went to a kick ass, AWESOME, amazing Mayan Cave, whose name is so complex they call it ATM. The tour is 70 USD.... um, really? Yep, and that's low season prices. But it was really cool. I went with these 5 students from America and our awesome guide francesco took us into the jungle, fording 3 streams, to the start where you leave everything but your swimsuit and helmet behind.

Then you swim into the cave, climb over rocks and waterfalls, and along the way he stops and tells you about what the Mayan's used the cave for in ancient times. Offerings to Shak (?) the rain god and such. There are obsidian blades that were found there too.

THen you climb out of the water, put on only socks, and head up into this amazing limstone cavern, which spectacular stelagtites and mites and bacon and flowstone. And... pots! 1000 year old pots! that have been left right where the mayan's left them after their rituals. You can get withing a foot of them... you could touch them if you wanted, but that would be silly and illegal.

Then, further in... you get to SKULLS. There were at least 6 human remains, all likely sacrifices to the rain god as the drought that caused the collapse of the mayans' spread. so the deeper underground you went, the closer to the gods you got, and they sacrificed people. spines, and bones, and skulls, and at the top of a passage there is an entire skeleton of a 20 year old woman laying perfectly preserved! wow! (next to her is the prisoner from another tribe who was killed with his hands behind his back... hm, I wonder if thta happened at the same time?)

it was really cool and actually not that creepy, more fascinating. A great experience.

So...

now we come to the "I'm lonely" part of the email. Traveling alone can be kind of hard, especially in low season... and they mean LOW season. The place is like a ghost town. Belize has 225,000 peeps total, and over 800,000 tourists per year... and six of them come in september and october. The street artists say they haven't sold things all week. (could be a hard luck story, but we had been chatting for awhile). So yeah, I'm kinda lonely. Unlike last year when I left for SEasia, this year I was sorta lonely in LA too. Last year things were happening and it was exciting and busy and such, and this year I'd had so much time to myself before I left, it's ironic to need more time to myself, and I think I've maxed out my self time right now. And I keep getting sick, so the usual stuff that would keep me interested is exhuasting and so I lay around in my hotel room and sleep to much (because Im' sick).

Anyhoo, I'm lucky to be able to travel, and always glad to do it. But it doesn't change how you feel sometimes.

So, if anyone wants to buy a ticket to meet me in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye for the next week, get your asses down here! Fly to Belize city and take the water taxi over! That is likely my next stop, and then we'll see... supposedly there are people there. I was going to goto Caye Caulker, which is the smaller of the Cayes, but the students said it was like a ghost town, most of the shops closed up for slow season.

so, come on down, San Pedro has people! Lets snorkel, swim, scuba and dance!

Anyone?

:)

Craigo

WELCOME TO BELIZE!!!!!!

> well team, today I made it to belize after my sickness delay. I went

> to Tikal yesterday and saw the pyramids that are really awesome and

> surrounded by jungle, and yes indeed the top of templo 4 is Yavin 4

> from star wars. it still looks exactly as it did when filmed 30 years

> ago for that. apparently there was a survivor:guatemala last year at

> a nearby temple as well.

>

> belize... well, its' awesome!

>

> everyone is like the coolest neighbor you ever had. super friendly,

> there is a group of folks playing drums on the street right now...

> why... no reason. the food is actually good. the language is

> english... holy shit, I can actually TALK to people here@!!!! (THAT

> IS more of a shortcoming of mine than of guatemalas though). I'm

> really glad to be here and looking forward to seeing some sights...

> like a mayan sacrificial cave where tere are skulls and entire

> skeletons 1000 years old waiting to be seen....

>

> kick ass.

>

> how are all of you? Especially those I haven't heard from (dad, hint

> hint, rachel, hint hint), fill me in! :)

>

> Craigo

>

> --

Boats, Buses, CAves and more Runs!!!!

I´m alive team, fear not. I have had a week of no internet access in the wilds... well, relative wilds, of El Retiro lodge in Lanquin. A beautiful area of central guatemala where there are caves to explore and rivers to tube. One cave is dry and muddy and is lit, so you can see the formations but you have to stop where there is a 20 foot cliff... naturally on our second expedition, Yif and myself tried to figure out a way beyond the cliff (as the caves extend for 50 KILOMETERS!!!!) underground... but it definitely requires repelling gear. A french team spent 2 1-2 months underground a few years ago to get that far... I bet they smelled great as the cave is very humid! Also saw a cave spider with legs and antennae about 8 inches across... hmmm.... The Descnet anyone?

The other cave is filled with water, and you have to swim and climb ropes and use candles (or a trusty not so waterproof headlamp) and there is even a spot where you can jump off the wall into a pool and swim UNDER the floor and emerge through a tiny little hole at everyones feet.... it’s actually pretty scary, as you have to go over 3 feet deep and squeeze through this hole... I hit my head a lot (I know Cadry, big suprise!) but made it out... Yif and I once again wanted to go further than the tour and the guide said we could when we were outiside, but in standard guide form backed out once you reach the terminus of the tour.... we went anyway, maybe another 300 meters and got in trouble... oh well, they watch their caves better than in laos.

On the way out of the cave we passed another tour and I saw two folks I had ran into on the shores of Lago Antitlian a week earlier... "oh hey Teresa, what´s up?¨ Kinda strange small world you travel in here.

Tubing down the river was a highlight, you just pay 2 bucks and get a tube and off you go.... it’s actually quite fast and you have to dodge trees and rocks. They suggest you get out at the lodge or the first brigdge.... but the float was nice, so we kept going... past the second bridge, a few minor rapids... and then we came around a corner... Yif said ¨"You´ve got some tree trouble up ahead". I saw the tree.... and then I heard the ROAR.... "We got more than that! Get out!" We paddled like mad as the river vanished into spray and rapids in front of us...

... we both made it to the side about 10 feet from the rapids start... whew! (that´s why they say get out at the first bridge...) We climbed up to the road and looked down.... it was a class 3 rapid I´d guess. If we´d happened through it on the left we would have been fine though it would have been wild... had we gone through on the right.... well, lets just say its a damn good thing we didn´t go on the right.

Also at El Retiro they had some family style food, which on Wednesday was bbq.... not texas style, but good, and some kick ass dancing. Made a lot of good friends (in the way people you see for 2 days are good friends). Yif, Ziv, Martina, Julia. It was fun. There were a number of israilis and on Friday for Yom Kippur they all gathered for a new years feast... there were 4 of us not israili, and 26 israilis... we sang songs, ate food, and rocked the Hotel California....

... oh, and got sick.

Yep friends, for the last 4 days I have been sick as shit. You know that thing they call the Runs? I´ve done 2 or 3 marathons by now.

WARNING... the following contains graphic descriptions of shit and vomit! :)

Yeah, well, yeah... sucks. I could barely walk, and enjoyed the eco-toilets at the lodge a great deal. Me and the bugs and the little frogs hung out. I tried to eat stuff and would immediately.... yes, withing 30 seconds shit it out... and then puke up the rest. After 12 hours it was only water, lots of water, bottom and top. Weeee..... I slept saturday... and thought I felt better sunday... NOPE... slept sunday.... drank some gingerale and water.... shit that out...

Then finally monday said, screw it, I`´m going to Flores (home of Tikal) because I hadn´t gone in 12 hours.... So I took a 10 hour bus ride and somehow made it to the island town (which is really pretty and tiny in the lake) and got a nice hostel with private bath and hot showers (with an actual hot water spicket which is different from the usualy electric heaters) and a fan, and it’s heaven, and I relaxed and slept for like 15 hours and now...

.... I still don´t feel well. The diahrrea cholonic is gone (mostly) but I think when you lose like 15 pounds in two weeks it has an effect. Wait, I´´ve discovered a new DIET! The Traveller-Diahhrea diet. Note, that when traveling I had lost 5 pounds alreay in two weeks, as its very active and the food isn´t as shitty as we have in America (okay, cadry, I also don´t eat fast food here!) But, throw the Runs on top of it and WOW... another 10 to 15 pounds in 4 days, that´s fucking incredible! I think everyone should do this! It’s so effective and so much fun! Sure, you don´t have any energy and basically sleep all the time and must stay within 20 feet of a toilet (preferable not a squat toilet... thank GOD I didn´t have to deal with those and this). It’s really amazing... I had no idea all that can come out of me....

So, there is my main tip... and the great thing is, you odn´t know how you get it? It wasn´t food, others ate food, the waters been clean. Another guy got it to but he and I had not hung out during the day we both got sick. So who knows.... Yeah, I´ve had the travelers runs...

Enjoy...

Hopefully Tikal Tomorrow... but its hot as crap and I don´t feel well still. I´ve got a handful of things I still MUST do while down here, and plenty of time, so go figure, I´ll take it easy and buy some souveniers. I´d read, but Children Of Dune is not processing with my current state of illness... Muad´Dib!

Hope all is well,

Rock on

Craigo