Ok, so I just have to mention it - writing from a high speed train on my
way from Barcelona to Madrid, and kind of halfway watching "School of
Rock" dubbed into Spanish.  I'm not sure how this might affect my
babble.  I have noticed that I am the only one watching it...  I think I
saw it before on a flight somewhere.  I like this film probably more
than I should - even in Spanish.

Anyway, a bit of the text below was from my non-blog on the web page
written yesterday, but then I decided to write more here instead.  I am
still trying to figure out the purpose of and relatinship between these
two forums.  Also, as always I am aware of and a little embarassed by
the self-indulgent nature of posting and sending this stuff.  Thanks for
listening!  I'll admit I like some parts of this better than others...

----

August 12, 2005:  Ending my three days in Barcelona, and like many
(most) places I have visited, I want to stay longer, or at least come
back, or maybe live here.  This is what makes such decisions so
difficult.  I like everywhere too much.  I guess I have been enjoying
enough that I haven't gotten around to writing much.  Well actually I
have been writing, but as always stuff that I am not quite ready to
share - not to imply that this is really ready...  Ah well...  Here's a
quick update, which I suspect will be in reverse chronological order.
   Kind of.
-----
Sailing:  Well, I'm glad I didn't go on the sailing trip across the
Atlantic earlier this year.  It had been a difficult decision for me.  I
hoped I was wrong in my assessment of the situation and that the voyage
would be a thrill for those involved - or at least end safely.  I also
knew that if I was entirely right it would be extremely unpleasant and
possibly deadly.   Anyway, the good news:  I heard from Howard (owner of
the boat) and everyone's fine.  Bad news: They only made it to Bermuda
where Larry decided enough was enough.  Howard couldn't find new crew,
so the voyage ended there.  I was really glad I finally heard from
someone, as I was beginning to fear the worst.

I often think about trying my own transatlantic venture, but with a more
methodical approach than I saw in this one.  In such a venture I think
it is important that everyone have confidence in everyone else's
abilities, and also have the atmosphere of open communication.   So...
   Who's game?  Feel like taking a few months off a few years from now?
   Ok, likely to cruise to the Carribean first...   Sounds good?  (I'm
actually serious about thIs...  anyone?)  Important to remember that
sailing when done right is 90% relaxation verging on boredom.  Then
there's also that 5-9% hard work and/or annoyance and 1-5% sheer terror.
     Yep, that's a good sailing trip.  The transatlantic that I skipped
looked to be at least 50% on the annoyance scale.  Not sure about the
terror and boredom.

Speaking of hard work, and thrills or possible boredom - how about a
bike ride across the country?  You pick the country...  Must be larger
than say, Monaco.

Ok, back to the moment.  Back to Europe....

-----

Spanish:  Well, my skills weren't so great in the first place, but I
definitely know less than I did when I left Honduras in April.  Actually
the peak of my abilities was the end of my two weeks of study back at
the beginning of February.  Sometimes I seem to understand almost
everything, and other times nothing.  That being said,  I do understand
enough - and I did manage to make hotel reservations for Madrid over the
phone - after calling many places that were full.  Phone communications
are the most difficult as one realizes how much is often said with
expressions and gestures.  It's even more difficult when one dials a
wrong number...  I usually don't make reservations, but I guess I'm glad
I did this time.  Oh yeah - ended up with a euro cell phone - if you
want to call me while I'm in Spain, email and I'll send you the #.  If
you do call, just be sure to start babbling at high speed in Spanish,
because that's what I'm expecting!  Ok, German, Greek and French are ok
too...

-----

Barcelona:  I didn't know much about Gaudi before - and I still don't
know much I guess, but the works I saw of his were uniformly amazing.
   And these we think such fantastic structures are computer generated
special effects.  Incredible.

Also lots of entertaining street performers here.  Particularly liked
the guy in the gorilla outfit who would sneak up on people and scare
them.   He also followed people and mimicked their actions.  For awhile
I thought he was doing this just for fun - and he was obviously having
fun, but I didn't see any way to collect any money for this.  The purity
of art and entertainment for its own sake?  Well maybe not.  Last night
I spotted him while having dinner at a table outside.  He happened to
pick an area right in front of me to work his interactive and humorously
confrontational routine.  He was generally silent, except for the
occasional squeak or squeal.  Even when he was not visible in the thick
crowd his position could be determined by the screams of surprise and
subsequent laughter.  Eventually people began to stop and watch the
spectacle and when the spectators began to outnumber the people passing
on the street, he stopped and passed the hat - I mean gorilla glove -
around for donations.  Making me laugh repeatedly during dinner?  That's
worth at least a euro or two...

Ok, so I coule babble about having dinner at one of Picasso's old
hangouts.  I could talk about Dali's digs in Figueres.  Ok, great
experiences also.  Other people might write about those?  I seem to
write about crossing streets and people in silly costumes.  Ah well...
   There are web sites about the other stuff...

Links of a few of my experiences:
http://www.sagradafamilia.org
http://www.salvador-dali.org
http://www.4gats.com

Note:  I haven't actually looked at any of the above websites.  They are
on tickets and receipts in my pocket.  Let me know if any of them are
any good...  I'll probably throw in a few more unverified links in this
note...
-----
Paris, but only for a moment:  I was passing through Paris between two
overnight trains between Berlin and Barcelona.  Having been in Paris a
couple of years ago  - arguably on the same trip, it seemed familiar and
comfortable.  I was little slow in adjusting to speaking French after
all of the Greek, Italian, Czech and German I had heard in the last
couple of months,  but still, there was a certain calming feeling.  I
know that for many Paris probably doesn't exude calm and contentment,
but that day it did for me.  I had from 10:00am or so until 8:30pm.
   Most of the time I spent walking around aimlessly or sitting in cafes
and writing.  Great food, good times.  A little expensive though.

Paris is one of those places for me that sometimes seems to have it all.
   Every way I turn I see something I want to photograph or experience.  A
cafe, a performer, music, people gathering and sitting around somewhere
sharing a bottle of wine or dancing along the Seine.    Could I actually
live here though?  Compared to the speed and pressure of suburban
America?  Well yes...  It is somehow comfortable and relaxed.  I do feel
more at home here than the address on my drivers license...

Then there are the French people.  Parisians in particular.  Actually I
have had only good experiences with them.  I make my attempts at
speaking French, and they are always helpful and friendly.  Really.  I
know others may claim otherwise, but I think people and situations live
up to (or down to) their expectations.  Showing respect - and learning
at least enough to learn a greeting or two in the local tongue seems to
go a long way.  Expecting everyone in the world to understand your
language just because you are spending money is probably worthy of
contempt.

Anyway, I thought it was finally happening - someone in Paris was being
rude to me.  It has to happen eventually.  Would this shatter my image
of the French?  The woman behind the counter at the train station seemed
somewhat preoccupied and disinterested.   Did she understand what I had
asked for?  My simple request?   What was taking so long?  I waited.
   Well eventually she turned and smiled - in broken English presenting
two options for my overnight to Barcelona - the one I had requested and
another that arrived an hour later but cost 75E  ($92) less!  Ah, the
French.  Lovely people.  Really.

That evening as I walked back towards Gare Austerlitz for my train I
stopped along the Seine and watched people relaxing and people dancing.
   I looked longingly at the group in the dance lesson in front of me.
   Yep, something that would definitely benefit me.   Catching my hint,
someone signaled me to join in.  At that moment I wanted to quit my
travels and stay in Paris forever.  I am still not sure why I didn't.
   Unfortunately though, it was time for my train.  Paris, I will return.

-----

Ok, I guess I'll be more brief about the rest...

Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Florence.  That's where I was before Paris and
Barcelona.  Ok that's all...

Well maybe not.  Trying to be brief though...

Berlin:  Ok, so tracing the path of the wall is kind of interesting,
though it has gone from a fascinating time in history to a low grade
tourist trap.  I appreciate the historical significance of "Checkpoint
Charlie," but having the fast food of "Snack-Point Charlie" right next
to it made it kind of a joke.  Better in the history books.  I'll admit
though that "Czech Point Charlie" the Czech tourist bureau having an
office there was  a nice touch.  It's that fine line between clever and
stupid.

Ok, other Berlin moments?  The first night there I wandered into a
building of artist spaces and experimental music.  Beautiful.

Also enjoyed the new art at Hamburger Bahnhof (
http://hamburgerbahnhof.de ) The most featured exhibit "Do it Yourself"
was decent - but do I really need to see anymore Warhol...  ever?  The
other stuff in the museum - particularly the Friedrich Christian Flick
Collection was absolutely stunning.

After a morning of this, I headed to Kronprinzenpalais for an
installlation on Einstein.   Yes, I am a bit of a physics geek, and tend
to bring up the uncertainty of science and scientific method perhaps
more often than it is welcome?  I guess 2005 has been declared "Year of
Physics" or something like that in honor of Einstein's 1905...  Anyway,
the installation was huge, well put together and a great presentation
and review of history and concepts.  It was also one of the few museums
open on Mondays, so I promised myself I would be back the next day, also
wanting to check out the film museum.   (
   http://www.einsteinausstellung.de   )Ok, the film museum was good I
suppose, but following two impossibly good experiences, well...

There was more, but...  Brevity.  Need to work on brevity...

Prague:  In no particular order...  Great architecture, wonderful
walking city, too many tourists, good fun, vegetarian hell, lack of
little markets and neighborhood feel...   Ok maybe that was too brief.

Ah well.  It's now another day later and I am in Madrid.  Had a really
disturbing experience last night - by choice - I went to the bullfights.
   Clearly I am from a different time and culture.  It was interesting
seeing something so far from my reality, though thoroughly disgusting at
the same time.  After this I kind of felt the need for a completely
different approach with respect to the cow, so I had dinner at an Indian
restaurant...

That's more than enough for now I think...

What's up?

-n

Markets to supermarkets to Costco...

June 22, 2005:

I am sitting at a sidewalk cafe in a little market area in Rome -
Campo de' Fiori to be more exact.  The market in front of me has
many small vendors under large white rectangular umbrellas as
protection from the sun.  Mostly I see fruits and vegetables, though
there are also people selling everything from CDs to t-shirts to
wine glasses.  This morning I have been partial to the fruits,
peaches and cherries specifically.

I realized this morning that I have been partial to the markets in
many cities and countries around the world in both places I have
lived and places I have visited.  I am still not entirely sure of
the attraction, but clearly there is one for me and I am not alone
in this.  Perhaps this morning it was a woman at a fruit stand
picking out a most particularly ripe peach for me, giving me a
knowing look that that this was more than a financial transaction.
The look told me I would enjoy my purchase - and she cared that I
did.  Yes, this is part of the sales technique, but somehow much
more satisfying than "100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money
back" (if you stand in a really long line...) Dealing with the same
individual on a daily or weekly basis - and depending on that
person's integrity is an entirely different relationship than that
between an individual and a corporation - and depending on the
corporation's integrity.  Aww geez...  can't I just enjoy this peach
without consideration of the socio-economic justice of the
situation??  :)  It was excellent, by the way...  It's the little
things that make such a difference...

As promised, my updates are inconsistent and incoherent, running In
parallel with life itself.  The original purpose of my mailing list
was to provide basic updates of my whereabouts to friends and
family, so here goes:

After reluctantly leaving Honduras I spent a month or so mostly in
DC, trying on some level for stability and "normal life."  I have
realized that in my last couple of years of travel what I miss is
friendships and relationships and allowing them to progress and
grow.  Clearly I also miss a sense of community.  I meet wonderful
people everywhere and then I move on.  Thinking that I might
eventually (soon?) live in DC or thereabouts, I allowed myself to be
closer to people than I had in some time, knowing I would feel the
hurt when I left for the summer, but comforted in expecting I would
return.  It seems a shame to sum up the joy of my DC experience so
far with this one little paragraph, but that's what's going to
happen...  for now.  Will I end up in DC, Baltimore, Vancouver,
The Yukon or ???  Who knows...  but I'm feeling the need to be
somewhere for awhile.

I was supposed to sail to Europe - Miami to Bermuda to Azores to
Portugal, but when I arrived in Florida the boat was not properly
prepared, and neither was the crew.  With the near disaster of my
last ocean sailing experience it didn't seem like a good idea to
continue this one.  I sincerely do hope to be proven wrong, and want
very much to get a note from Howard and Larry about the great times
I missed.  Perhaps another time I will try a sailing venture of this
level.

Anyway, I am now making my way towards a friend's wedding in Greece,
on the island of Ikaria.  I leave Rome tomorrow morning and with a
series of trains and boats should arrive in Athens in a couple of
days.  Kind of funny that in making it to this wedding I seem to be
missing five?!? yes, five weddings of close friends back in the US.
The wedding was my excuse for the Europe trip, so I should make a
decent effort to get there I suppose.  The wedding being on a
relatively obsucre island is of course a great motivation.

Before I left DC I did manage to get some Guatemala and Honduras
photos on the website, though I still didn't finish Alaska and the
road trip.   All of this will happen eventualy, but I seem to do
better with the present and near future than the past I guess.
Perhaps this was why I decided to write about buying a peach instead
of answering yet another interview about Gold Dollar and White
Stripes.  Ah well...  Life is what one makes it, moment by moment by
moment.

I have to stop here and note that it does feel a bit self-indulgent
to be babbling along about my thoughts and experiences.  I mean who
cares really!?!  It seems especially odd noticing that there are
more people that I don't know personally on this list than people I
do know?!?  Every once in awhile I feel as though I am starting a
cult.  Not really sure where to go with that one.  I'll work on
being more creative with the next posting...  While my propensity to
go on and on is known - and implied in the name of this list - what
I really value is input, interaction and experience.  I think that
must be why I am wandering...  So, friend or stranger...  What made
you smile today?  Let's try to make meaningful eye contact...

All the best,
-Neil



http://golddollar.com
(now featuring the non-blog...)

Feb-Mar 2005

Most of this was written in Coban, Guatemala a few weeks ago, and then
I forgot to send it...  As always, no proofreading or second
guessing...  I was in Belize for awhile, and am currently in Honduras
and will be heading for La Mosquitia (aka Mosquito Coast) in a few
days, which means no internet... and no roads... and???

There are a few long rants in the middle here, but the ending bits are
a bit faster, so feel free to skip all or none.  I won't be offended.
  Sections are divided by
"-----"

-----

Well, it seems that I have given up any attempt at making any sort of
coherent essay out of my ideas of the moment.  It'll be a paragraph or
so on whatever comes to mind.  Sometimes not much comes to mind, so it
might only be a sentence or two.  I was also hoping to do weekly
updates, and that was supposed to start almost a year ago!  Oops...
Welcome to my second travel note.

-----

Extended stay...
A few days after sending my last big note, I realized that I wanted a
little more time for my trip.  This is what happens when I finally get
around to looking at the books and seeing what sound interesting.  I
realized that I did in fact want to get to Belize and more of Honduras
on this trip, and that I would be a bit rushed with my current
"plans."  I also had the realization that it's much less expensive to
hang around here than in Baltimore or DC - even if I'm sleeping on
friends' couches!  Yep, being cheap as I am, it looks as though an
extended stay on the beach will be necessary.  I'll be back in the USA
on April 7, just in time to do my taxes and all of that.  Now that's
something to look forward to...

-----

Hooray Horray... It's National Marimba Day!!
Ok, so a few weeks ago (Feb 20) was National Marimba Day here in
Guatemala, so what better than a marimba concert in the park in Coban?
  The marimba is the Guatemalan national instrument.  There seem to be
quite a lot of concerts in quite a lot of parks here, though this is
only the second marimba concert I have been to...

Does the US have a national instrument?  An official national sport?
I have no idea.  Interesting to note that I have yet to meet a
Canadian who knows that lacrosse is Canada's national sport.

-----

On a somewhat related note, I seem to spend many hours sitting around
in many parks.  It is a common practice here, and notable that it
seems to have pretty much disappeared from the suburban USA lifestyle.
  I got to thinking about what it means to me after a woman from Israel
complained "there is nothing to do here..."

I was quite enjoying just sitting and watching the interactions of
people of the community.  Technically I suppose I was "doing nothing."
  The various vendors circled and approached each new face shouting out
and hawking their wares.  I watched the ice cream vendors, newspaper
sellers, shoeshine boys and taxi drivers.  Certainly there was some
level of competition, but it all seemed friendly.  At times there were
clearly there were not enough customers to go around, so a couple of
shoeshine guys worked on eachother's shoes while ice cream vendors
chatted in the shade and taxi drivers seemed more intent on the shine
and polish of their well beaten rides than on finding a fare.
Meanwhile more people from the town filtered through saying hello to
friends and watching the children chase the pigeons.  Sit on a bench
for awhile, visit and eventually move on.  Repeat, enjoy.

How did I fit into this?  Well, I suppose in most ways I didn't, but I
guess I wanted to.  After a few days in Coban, I was starting to
become something of a fixture in the park, at least to some of the
food vendors.  The trailers selling steak sandwiches for the most part
had given up on me.  I don't think they wanted to hear "vegetariano"
again.  The woman at the empanada stand was sure to tell me if they
had cheese empanadas on a given afternoon, and the old woman selling
fries from the small cart, well after a few days she gave me
preferential treatment.  I was a repeat customer.  I did manage the
occasional clumsy conversation with whoever else happened to sit down
on a bench near me, and it all felt great.  Nothing to do?  Not the
way I see it.

What am I getting at here?  Community...
Though I realize that there inherent flaws in any attempt at
comparison of the experiences, I'm going to go for it anyway.  In
common USA life, the park is where the kids go to soccer practice.
Later in the teens it's where one goes to find the "bad people" who
have the booze.  Yes, for me it was soccer, lacrosse and underage
drinking.  Where to go for activities that are not organized or
illegal?  Are there places we can gather where we don't have to buy
anything?  Places to sit around and wait for something interesting to
happen?  Well I guess there are two difficulties - time and place.
It's not just that in many (most?) places the town square has been
replaced by the mall, but also that somehow sitting around is
considered wasting time.  That time could be productive... working...
  And why is it that time sitting in a park seems to be interpreted as
more of a waste of time and is generally less socially acceptable than
watching television?  Reality TV?  What about reality?  Communities
exist, but they all seem so specialized - interest groups really.  I
suppose this is fine, but my interests don't seem focused enough for
this sort of thing.  The popularity of the internet is evidence that
we all want to connect and communicate with others, but can't we do it
in person - without pressures, commercial interests, fears and
assumptions?  Maybe it's not about selling something.  Maybe it's
about communicating and learning.  Maybe someday.


-----

I'm not a real doctor, but I play one in countries where prescriptions
are not necessarily required...  (Alternate title:  I bought some
drugs...)

I was having stomach problems sometime back in Xela, and remembered
that a doctor I had seen insisted that I bring some antibiotics with
me - ciprofloxcin? actually.  Well, it worked, so I figured I'd buy
more in case I needed it.  Of course drugs are much cheaper here,
about one third the price.  I ended up meeting someone who needed them
more than I did at the moment, so I gave 'em away, with specific
instructions - twice per day for three days, etc.  Everything went
well, but I still think this will be the end of my medical (mal)practice.

-----

Catching a ride:  Another view.

So you're walking down an empty dirt road, having only half an idea of
where you're going.  It seems that there is only one road, so this
must be the right one, and according to the compass this should be the
right direction.  There has been no traffic in either direction for
almost an hour as the hot sun beats down upon you.  A pickup truck
slows down next to you, and the driver signals you to get in.  You
notice the knives sitting on the seat between the driver and
passenger.  Well, these are more than knives.  The blades have to be
at least two feet long!  Without a moment's hesitation or second
thoughts, you hop in the back of the truck and you're on your way.

The view from here is spectacular, and of course there are choices.
Sitting in the back of the truck if there is room can be a rough ride,
but good for taking photos.  Standing just behind the cab and holding
on to the roof rack gives the best view though, the full 360.  The
wind rushes around you, and you duck down behind the cab every once in
awhile to avoid low branches or dust and rocks from vehicles passing
in the opposite direction.  A smile is unavoidable.  You've never
really eaten a bug until you've done it at 60mph.

Ok, so it occured to me today that many of the things are against what
we are taught in North America.  I remember being told it was
dangerous to ride in the back of a pickup truck.  I still think that
it probably is?  Hitchhiking and picking up hitchhikers are also
activities we are warned against, though I have never had serious
problems with either.  Ok, the hippie types can get annoying when you
give them rides, but that's another story altogether.  What about
talking to strangers?  We aren't supposed to do that, much less get in
cars or trucks with them.  Truth be told, I really haven't talked to
strangers as much as I would have liked because my Spanish is a bit
lacking.  Ah well.  Everyone's a stranger sometime.

Anyway, these things do not seem particularly unsafe when they are a
part of daily life.  Riding in trucks with people carrying machetes is
pretty normal.  It just got me thinking once again about the many
different attitudes that we have developed, most only on hearsay.
Amazing how many people have told me how bad the city buses are
wherever they live, and how dangerous they can be.  Of course when
pressed, hardly any of these people have ever taken a city bus or
Greyhound.  Despite the lack of direct experience, unfortunately they
are still somewhat correct.  From my experience, most city buses and
Greyhound can be quite annoying though not dangerous.  It's good to
try before judging.  One day of standing out in the cold for an extra
hour or two does tend to discourage repeated ridership.  Of course if
there is no other option...  There are plenty of people in North
America who do manage to use public transportation successfully, but
no if they have the means for the luxury of other options.  Yes,
believe it or not, a car is clearly a luxury.

Well if there is no other option two things seem to happen.
1) Service is generally better - less expensive, more complete and
more reliable.
2) Even if 1) isn't really true, it sure seems that way when you can't
think about getting into your car.

At times I have lived without access to a vehicle, and it does take a
bit of adjustment.  I can't make many stops on the way from place to
place, and I do quite a bit more walking.  My recent thinking is that
this isn't so bad.  At first it seems impossibly difficult, but then
the lifestyle adjusts.  I tend to plan better and actually waste much
less time.  Most of the time it seems that I am going places I don't
really need to go.  On the bus - or waiting for the bus I read the
paper.  I have no stress in traffic, and sometimes when I feel like a
nap... well that's better on the bus than when driving...  Sometimes
it's hard to keep that in perspective when waiting out in the cold
rain though.

Why am I thinking about cold rain and snow waiting for a bus in
Baltimore or Detroit?  I am in Guatemala facing entirely different
public transportation realities.  Buses are entirely overcrowded,
there is no snow, and somehow buses and other options seem to appear
more often than scheduled.  Riding in the back of a pickup or on top
of a bus or van, now that's what it's all about.   Yes, I have been
riding on top of buses also...  I'll post photos when I'm back...

-----

Ok, that's the end of the long rants...  more fun from here on out.
Really.

-----

Breakfast here is relatively standardized.  Eggs, black beans,
tortillas and fresh cheese with coffee for about $1.00.  It's quite
good actually.  I have been eating at the little counters and sheds in
the markets and near the bus terminals.  It's about the same food as
in the tourist areas for usually less than half the price, and it
makes me work on my Spanish.  People are friendly, though often
surprised to see a gringo here...

-----

Women balance baskets with all kinds of things on their heads and walk
to wherever they are going.  I have seen a basket of watermelons, a
bashet of chickens (live) and many other things.  Balancing without a
basket is perhaps more impressive though.  Long stemmed flowers are
nice, but the most impressive were two women walking in Xela each with
216 eggs on their heads?!?  Yes, that's a stack of six (6x6) pallets
of 36 eggs each.  Every once in awhile they would steady the load with
a hand when turning to look in a shop window or talk to eachother, but
usually they didn't.  Yeah ok, try that one.  216 eggs balanced on
your head.  The men carry heavy loads balanced on their necks and
shoulders.  The gringos carry heavy loads in expensive backpacks...

-----

Of boats, waves and lifejackets...  and tires...

I have been riding on a lot of small boats.  Like the buses and
trucks, they are loaded way past capacity.  Every once in awhile I
count the number of lifejackets.  It is much easier and faster than
counting the number of people.  It's kind of like looking at the tires
on the buses and trucks.  Not a good idea.

-----

Fabulous Migration of the Bluebird...

This was going to be the big epic tale of this note, but I think I
have written enough already! Ask me... maybe some other time.

-----

Hello sportsfans...

Xela Super Chivos(Super Goats) =3, Jalapa (tigers?) =2.

Ok, so that's my report on the futbol (uhh... soccer) game that I went
to.  I secretly wanted the visiting Jalapa team to win for two
reasons.  First, their mascot was much cuter, and managed to carry out
very cat-like movements in the confines of the costume.  Quite
impressive.  Secondly, I felt bad for Jalapa, as they were having
various bottle rockets and fireworks launched at them throughout the
game.  Trying to achieve a decent corner-kick while worrying about
being hit by an explosive seemed challenging.  I'm really not much of
a spectator of sports, but this was definitely an interesting experience.

-----

Cheese Fries! (or Poutine for an exotic Canadian evening)

Even though I haven't had a home in a few years, I do get homesick.
It comes out at strange times and in strange ways.  In Coban I wanted
cheese fries from American Coney Island in Detroit...  A day or two
later I was quite comfortable with the fries sold in the park -
garnished with catsup, mayonaise and hot sauce.  Hey, that's how they
do it here.  Now I'm homesick for Coban...

-----

That's more than enough for now!

All the best,
-n


Note...  The opinions expressed in this note may have changed by the
time you read this.  Who knows...

Ok, so I finally decided to post something to this list...

First, about the name.  Though not originally intended for this forum,
the "Neil Yee Speaks" concept IS meant to be taken lightly.  I think
the idea was that my friend Carol Maki was going to compile some of my
many rants and edit them into something coherent.  Well, that never
happened, so only the name remains...  Coherence is not a part of the
plan.

I clearly have kept my promise of not filling up everyone´s inbox with
a bunch of junk.  One posting a year or so?  Who knows.

I still haven´t finished posting my photos from last year´s road trip,
but hope to get it done in April.  Why April?  Because I am gone until
March 25.  Too much text below...

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050129 Saturday - One from the road...

  Yep, it's a status report or "blog" of sorts.  Who knows if I will
ever actually get around to doing another one.

  The disclaimer first:  The following text has not been edited in any
way, and was only mildly premeditated.  It started out as a quick
email about what I am up to at the moment, and ended up looking more
like a journal entry.   I'm spewing all of these words at a small
internet shop in Xela... Maybe it´s the Nyquil talking?

  Well, I've been in Guatemala a little over a week, and things are
going quite well for the most part.  My only complaint is that I seem
to have come down with a bit of a cold.  I'm sure it has not helped my
concentration in Spanish class and has curtailed my nightlife
experiences - including Salsa lessons.  Then again, getting to sleep
early might just be helping my concentration for Spanish.  Who knows.
  Either way, not much to complain about - and I have already gotten
all complaints out of the way.

  Please bear with me - or hit "delete" - as I babble a bit on a few
topics - those being:  Living in Xela, Spanish, Tajumulco, Danger! and
what's next...

  Living in Xela:

  Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela is just about all that I know of
Guatemala so far.  I came here one day after my arrival in Guatemala
City, and have been living here ever since.  I am staying with a
family in a large and open home.  By open I mean open air hallways.
The house seems typical of much of the city, though by design it is
very difficult to tell what is behind most doors.  Some lead to
moderate homes, some to elegance and some to open fields and empty
lots.  High temperatures during the day are in the 70's (F) and lows
are in the high 30's ?!?  It's one of the more extreme temperature
changes between night and day that I have ever experienced, and of
course there is no heating here so the temperatures are experienced in
their full glory.  Dressing in layers is pretty much the rule.  It
took me a day or two to get used to this.  It seems quite normal now.

  A few other things have also become normal to me since I have been
here...  Wonderful meals, many involving black beans, rice, eggs and
plaitain.  Fresh salsa and fresh tortillas are always present.  By
fresh tortillas I mean made within the last few minutes.  Also the
fresh cheese here is phenomenal, and fresh fruits are plentiful, cheap
and delicious -  once you get past the warnings in the guide books.
(See Danger! below...)

  Other things that seem normal?  The roar of colorful buses speeding
down the rough and narrow streets spewing exhaust fumes and amazingly
not seeming to crash into anything.  Unlike the US where the
pedestrian's rights in a crosswalk vary from state to state, there is
no gray area here.  Vehicles clearly have the right of way in all
cases, and crosswalks exist only in the minds of foreigners.  It does
get interesting at some of the many busy and entirely unmarked
intersections.  I did once drive in a place like this, and there is
definitely an element of faith involved.  Perhaps that even more
explains the need for "Dios es Amor" somewhere on almost every vehicle.

  One more thing that somehow seems norrmal to me now?  Not having
water pressure in the house during the day.  That's just the way it
is.  Schedules adjust accordingly.

  Sadly, it often takes me a few tries to remember names.  It seemed
more difficult when those names were surrounded by a language that I
had not yet begun to study.  In my first day living with the family
here, the only name I could remember was Congo the dog, a huge and
friendly German Shepherd.   Later I did manage to figure out Maria and
Hugo, though I have yet to figure out the names of their sons or their
granddaughter.  I think part of the problem is that it is a large
house and everyone seems to keep different schedules.  Sometimes
everyone is together, but often my meals are with Hugo only.  He and
Maria are quite kind and entertaining, and of course things are more
fun the more my language skills progress.  Last night at dinner I
learned a new word or two that I probably won't end up using very
often, except in this house.  I'm probably spelling them wrong in my
notes.

  I am robot - or something like that?  "Soy cibernetico" because I
don't seem to notice the cold temperatures much and I don't have sugar
in my coffee, that is when I actually have coffee, which is not
particularly often.  Yep, such oddities make me a robot or a hologram,
though I can't even try to remember the word for that one, that is if
I was understanding correctly in the first place.  Western pop culture
is everywhere as we also discussed whether or not I was a Vulcan.
Suffice it to say that pieces understood and misunderstood are all
good fun.

  While the culture shock of my first day or two has almost left me, I
must remind myself that my first impressions were dust, cold and
poverty.  Hot showers only in the cold of night, and only a trickle
then?  Yes, these conditions and much worse clearly do exist, but the
celebration of living and enjoyment is also strong here.  Is a
wealthier society a happier one?   Somehow we are encouraged to
believe such things.  I have always known it isn't really so, but it
is good to have such a strong reminder every now and then.  Happiness
can be sitting in the park, a meal of rice and beans, a clever pun or
a warm blanket.  It is a respect for and understanding of the
surrounding chaos rather than a need to control.  It is not for sale
and not something to plan for in the future.  It is living in the
present.

  Hmm...  didn't expect that paragraph to go quite so far that
direction.  How do I transition from that?

  Spanish:

  Anyway, one of my present goals here is to learn a bit of Spanish.
It seems that it will of course that I will not attain the level of
proficiency I had hoped for in the short amount of time I am giving
myself.  That being said, one on one instruction for five hours per
day does do quite a bit.  I can have very basic conversations, though
I still tend to get confused when put on the spot in a store, bus or
taxi.  I tend to use French words all too often, though they are
sometimes similar enough if delivered convincingly.  Gestures also
work well.  I noticed this in France too...  Even if you are entirely
wrong, people try harder to understand if you speak with confidence.
Well at least sometimes this seems to work.  I will complete my two
weeks of study on Wednesday, and then travel for awhile before taking
another week or two of language study somewhere else.  At least that's
the plan.

  Hey - that can almost transition into the next bit?

  The Plan:

  Of course there really isn't much of a plan.  Other than contacting
the language school, the Guatemala and Central America books received
no more than a cursory glance until I was on my second of three
flights to get here.  As the second flight began, it seemed that being
in Central America for over two months might be a bit too long.  Then
I opened the books.  Here's the idea of the moment.  Now I only wish I
had more time.

  ...spend a bit of time at Lago De Atitlan - called perhaps the most
beautiful lake in the world...  Visit the city of Antigua - though I
probably won't stay long as it has been over gringoified I understand
- though still beautiful... then on to the clouds of Coban, up to
Flores and finally to the Maya ruins at Tikal.  After that I might
head through Belize to the coast, or go through Guatemala to the
Caribbean coast at Livingston.   It's then on to Honduras with beach
and diving at Utila and Roatan.  These $3 hotel and hostel stays keep
things much more reasonable than they sound.

  Ok, well it looks as though I missed two of my intended targets in
this writing, Tajumulco and Danger!  Here are the quick takes.

  Tajumulco:

  Last weekend I went on a two day hike with a group up Tajumulco, an
inactive volcano and the highest point in Central America.  It was
cold camping at altitude and my sleeping bag proved to be almost up to
the task.  We watched an incredible sunset from a lower peak, feeling
the onset of the cold as the sun sank below the clouds and off of the
horizon.  At 4:00am after a cold attempt at sleep, we headed for the
summit with flashlights, headlamps and some help from the moon.  The
idea was to be at the summit for sunrise, and it was worth it.
Hopefully I'll get around to posting a photo or two when I'm back, but
of course nothing replaces the experience.  A few photos are on the
neilyeespeaks group page - check under photos...

  Of course part of the experience is the cold, the tiredness and the
blisters.  During most hikes, and including this one, I wonder why I
am out here and if I am only pretending to enjoy this.  At the outset,
each hike will be my last.  This is not fun.  By the same token, each
trip will be my last.  Why can't I just sit at home and read a book
while lying in bed?  Oh yeah, now I remember... I sold my house and
gave away my bed (which was subsequently lost to fire) and there are
always moments that make it all worthwhile.  Somehow those moments are
always with me as I choose to torture myself in seeking them.  Yep,
had a great time and will do more hiking on this trip and in the
future.  Just as long as my knees hold out.  Maybe longer.  Yep, and
also never again... that too.

  Danger!

  I was a little bit apprehensive about this entire trip.  Maybe it was
not knowing the language?  Maybe it was all of the warnings in the
books about contaminated food and diesease?  Maybe it was the warnings
of armed bandits on the buses and trails.  Yes, reading that sort of
thing over and over again can cause a bit of paranoia.  Then I got to
thinking that I had heard this all before.  Once when I mentioned
moving to the Detroit area...  "You'll get killed... you should have a
gun or something just in case..."   This of course from people who had
spent little to no time in the area.  When I moved into the city I
heard the same thing from people in the suburbs - about how I was
going to get killed and should have a gun and all of that.  Oddly
enough, I felt safe enough in my Detroit neighborhoods to crash
parties on a relatively regular basis.  I haven't experienced that
anywhere else.  When I opened the bar/venue in Cass Corridor - "You'll
get killed..."  and the same warning about the bears last year when
solo backpacking in Alaska.   You need a gun, or at least pepper
spray, or something as a backup.  While I understand this logic on
some level, when I did have pepper spray at the bar it caused more
fear than it prevented.  The first thought was "where is the
backup/weapon" rather than thinking the situation through.  Rather
than giving confidence it caused paranoia and panic when not at all
necessary.  I felt more confident without the "backup."

  That all being said, yes, it is possible for things to go wrong.  I
am aware that I could be killed by armed bandits, tropical diseases,
bears, street thugs, WMDs, etc., though hopefully not all at the same
time.  If any of this should happen, at least I have had many moments
to enjoy.  Of course statistically I'm more likely to be killed
driving my car to work, so which one is really more scary?  Despite
appearances to the contrary, I don't think I like to push my
boundaries or test my confidence.  This is clearly becoming more true
as I get older.  On the other hand, what is life if motivated and
controlled by fear?  Make sure all decisions are out of love and not
out of fear.  Something about this seems to ring true.   I'm trying...

  Ok, that's more than enough for now. Heading to the staduim to
experience futbol Latin American style.

  All the best,
  -Neil

  PS If you made it all of the way here to the end, please let me know...