Guatemala......yup, still here.....

I spent a couple days in Antigua where I randomly met up with my israely friends (Idan 1, Idan 2, Mor and Shirry) and from Isla utila in Honduras. We hung out for a couple days before heading off to the amazingly beautiful Lago Atitlan. While in Antigua we saw Buena Vista Social Club and I got a picture with the singer. They were great! And I have never heard anyone play a cowbell so well before :)

I also did a volcano hike/tour where we actually got withing a few feet of red hot lava rivers flowing next to us. It was crazy, and im sure that there are very few places i nthe world where you are allowed to do such a thing, and probably for good reason too. It was so hot near the lava we were sweating, and when we went away we were freezing cold because of the altitude. it was a neat contrast.

On the way to Lago Atitlan, after extensive research into the cheapest and easiest way to get directly to the lake, our express bus broke down midway through the journey. I had an incredibly bad case of food posioning and had been up ralphing al night long the night before so I wasnt feeling quite right that day. And when the bus broke down, not only did I not really care, I was kind of happy because i didnt have to deal with it rocking me back nad forth. We all had a great time of hit and just hung out in the back of the bus for like an hour wwhile everyone else frantically caught passing chicken buses. I started feeling alot better and al of the sudden a chicken bus pulled up and we had no choice but to get on because they decided to just take our luggage without even asking. The next 3 buses were insanely crowded, but again, we had alot of fun. We then caught a ¨ferry¨across the lake. From those bus rides, we gained a few more people in our lil gang and we all stayed together and had a great time for the next few days. We spent alot of time just hangin around and eating. There were little girls all over the place conning us into buying their delicious fruit breads and we used the bread along with massive amounts of fruit to make excelent yogurt, fruit, granola and bread breakfasts. At one point, while hanging out on the dock after breakfast, Matt and Eyal (2 of the guys I met on the bus) and I started trying to shove each other off into the water, but most of the time just wound up pulling each other in with us. We got a good video of it, but that probaby wont be uploaded for a couple days til my lil bro can get around to it.

All this week I had started getting to know Mor pretty well and we developed quite a fondness for one another, and I have been staying here alot longer than planned so that I can spend more time with her. We went to another side of the island called San Marcos; a very alternative place with a chill vibe and lots of yoga/massage. When we arrived that night, we passed a restaruant with a crackling fire inside, and I immediately knew that that was where we had to eat. The meals were ridiculously cheap and some of the best pasta I have ever had, accompanied by a glass of exquisite red wine, great company and one of the most sincere and friendly owners I have ever met.

Mor and I came back the next day to the restaraunt and checked out the rooms they had. the rooms were realy beautiful and cozy and extremely inexpensive. We got a room with a private bath for 130 quetzals, which is about $15. The next day. Mor and I got up early and had a 3 hour yoga session, followed by hour and a half long massages and by far the best meal ive had on this trip a the hotels restaraunt. We were incredibly sad to have to leave back to San Pedro and got a picture with the owners of the hotel/restaraunt and talked with them for a bit before mosying down to the docks and back to san pedro.

I am now in Coban and meeting mor and friends in semuc champey tomorrow since i left them to buy souveniers and do the touristy thing for the first time on my trip. I will spend a few days here before heading off to mexico and leaving mor and everyone behind.

Lila Tov (goodnight in Hebrew; mor has been teaching me a bit)