View From the Volcano

This picture was taken about half way through our hike on Volcán San Pedro in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. The hike was definitely hard, appropriate footwear/ broken in shoes are HIGHLY recommended, i’d recommend strong sun screen too, the sun at the top is very powerful. The view from the top was absolutely incredible, and I felt super accomplished by the end. I’d recommend taking a taxi to the gates of the park, we skipped out on that extra expense, but definitely started our hike a little low on energy, as it’s a 40 minute walk from the town to the entrance. We also started at 5 which I definitely recommend, because then it’s not too hot on the way back down. The hike is about three hours up and two hours down, and it is a bit steep. It’s a work out for sure, but absolutely worth it. The view is amazing, and the area surrounding the path, which passes through jungle-y bits and farms with corn and coffee, is really beautiful too.

Lake Atitlan

This picture was taken on Lake Atitlan, in Guatemala. The lake is accessible by bus or shuttle from Antigua, and probably other nearby cities. The lake is surrounded by towns that can provide you with plenty of places to stay and plenty of shopping. Santiago de Atitlan also has a very cool tourist attraction. If you are looking for an authentic experience here this is the place to go. Ask any tuk tuk driver to take you to see Maximon (pronounced Mashymoan). He is the patron saint of gamblers and drunkards, and going to see him in the house where he is currently being hosted is quite an experience. The room is usually decorated with streamers, lots of fruits hanging from the ceiling, and bottles of Quetzalteca rum around on the floor. The room will also likely be filled with smoke from the cigars that are burning away in the statues mouth, and maybe some incense. It’s really cool to see, and I would highly recommend it. All the towns have shopping and places to stay, but I’d recommend Panajachel.

Arch Street

This picture was taken in Antigua, Guatemala on the Arch Street. The street is actually called 5th Avenue, but the name Arch street is a bit more descriptive. The arch served as a place for nuns to walk above the streets from a school to a convent, and back. Now the arch is one of the defining characteristics of Antigua. The street is closed to cars on the weekends and offers loads of nice restaurants and some good shopping too. This street is really lively on the weekends and it’s fun to walk along, seeing the street performers and listening to the music that is almost always playing. The street also leads directly to the central park, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, you aren’t to far away from the city center. Also lots of places around here have access to wifi, so if you want to do a little more research about the town, you’ll be able to in one of the cute coffee shops along the street or in the square.

Girl in Santa Maria de Jesus

This photo was taken in Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala. This town is about a thirty minute bus ride from Antigua. It’s not really a touristed area. Though there is a cool old church up there. I’d recommend a visit to Santa Maria if you want to get a better feel for what guatemala is actually like. While Antigua is really lovely, it’s a colonial city, and as it is a UNESCO world heritage site, not much has changed there. In Santa Maria, or some of the other small town areas that surround Antigua, you can get more of a feel for the general every day life of the people that live there. This young girl, like most, if not all, of the young girls that live in Santa, is in tradition dress. Huipiles (the top she is wearing) are often made by hand, and are typically worn along with a plainer fabric skirt that is tied together by an embroidered belt.

Vulture on the River

This picture was taken at the Amazon Ecopark in Brazil. The lodge here offers a few day trips that you can go do, as well as jungle walks led by a guide. In our experience, the ecopark also had a plethora of wildlife in the surrounding areas. Of course with nature there’s no guarantee that you’ll see something, but we had great luck here. We saw a few different varieties of monkeys, including the endangered Pied Tamarin, as well as two sloths, and a ton of birds including this really cool vulture. The Amazon is not the easiest place to spot animals, a lot of areas have such dense forest that it becomes difficult to see things, but the wide variety of bird life that can be spotted here is absolutely astonishing. If you’re up for the challenge of spotting some very cool wildlife this is a great area to visit!

Amazon Shore line: Adventures in the Flooded Forest

This picture was taken in the Amazon Rainforest somewhere on the Juma River. The Juma is one of the many offshoots of the Amazon and the Rio Negro. Taking boats along any of these river areas gives you an opportunity to see birds, monkeys, and sometimes Caimans or Iguanas; all of which are pretty difficult to see when hiking through the dense forest. Boats are also a pretty good way to stay cool and still cover a large area. It’s a fun, not stressful, way to spend a day!

Howler Monkeys at the Juma Lodge

This picture was taken at the Juma Amazon Lodge in Amazonas State, Brazil. We stayed in the Amazon for about a week, it was a very interesting trip. The Juma is a cool place to stay, but be advised that none of the place that you’d be staying in the Brazilian Amazon are likely to have air conditioning, there are going to be bugs, it’s going to be hot, and there are going to be limited dining options. That being said, the stuff that we saw was absolutely worth any discomfort. This lodge was nice and they have activities for tourists/ travelers to do. These include jungle hikes, tree climbing, visiting an indigenous village, fishing, canoeing, and more! I liked the lodge a lot, but it’s definitely a little on the secluded side, so bring some books and be prepared for some downtime, it’s unlikely that you’ll be out during the hotter parts of the day.

Albino Alligator

This photo was taken at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California. The Cal Academy is an awesome place to go for a day, and if you’re interested and 21 or over, they also have nightlife programs every Thursday. It’s not exactly a regular museum, kind of more like a science center; it’s got a planetarium, an aquarium, and a bio dome. It’s a great place to visit with kids, or to go for a date, or just a fun day of science! So, If you’re in the mood for some super cool learning, and you’re in the bay area, you should definitely check it out!

Black Bear on the River

This picture was taken in Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Park in California. The parks are absolutely gorgeous and definitely worth visiting. Both parks have a lot to offer, including; a plethora of wildlife, tons of hiking trails, camp sites, lodges, cabins, and fantastic scenery. The parks are SUPER impressive no matter where you’re from, but if you’ve never seen a giant sequoia (redwood) before, then prepare to be amazed. We went during the summer this year and we saw tons of animals, including this Black Bear (and seven others). There are easy trails and trails for backpackers, and the people who work at rangers stations are really helpful if you have questions. Just a reminder, if you’re going to be hiking here to bring the appropriate footwear and outdoor gear for the type of hike you’re going on!

Hello Again!

Hey everyone, sorry for being completely MIA lately, this blog was connected to an email account that was disconnected when I graduated school, and I’d forgotten my password. I JUST figured out what it was again, so the blog should be up and running again in no time! I’ll be posting lots of new pictures 🙂