Punta del Este, Uruguay: I love this place! If I had to describe it, I would say, crowds like Pacific Beach on the fourth of July, vibe like Miami´s South Beach, and lots of Brazilians! If I didnt know any better, I would think I was in Brazil. I was fortunate enough to room with four Brazilians, so I was in the loop. In total they were a group of 8.

We were at a concert the other night and the singer was yelling out countries. Well, really just three. You know, the whole, ¨is Argentina in the house?¨ And parts of the crowd erupts, and is Uruguay in the house (and we´re in Uruguay), and another small part of the crowd erupts, then she gets to Brazil, and what seemed like over 70 percent of the crowd starts cheering. Its like that in the hostel as well.

The guys I am rooming with also have a car, or a mini pick up truck, so they allow me and my friend to go with them everywhere. And a car is essential out here, because there seem to be no taxi´s. The beaches are amazing, the whole atmosphere is fun, you can definitely tell New Years is approaching.

A little catch up on my whereabouts. I arrived in Uruguay on the 26th of December, a day after Christmas. I spent Christmas in Buenos Aires. Its like the 4th of July out there. At midnight, fireworks go off for about an hour. Its fun. Its a huge city and lots of people got to BA for Christmas, so there was plenty open on Christmas day, and plenty to do.

I took a boat from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Uruguay. It was nice. Like the Love Boat on TV. I guess like a mini cruise ship, but i´ve never been on a cruise, so I can´t say for sure. From Montevideo, we headed straight for Punta del Este. And here we are. This place is great, definitely a great place to end the year. Very ritzy, with yachts, and expensive cars crusing the beaches, but still affordable for folks like me if you stay at a hostel. Although I am paying 50 bucks a night for the 30th and 31st. Thats more than double my daily budget for countries like Bolivia, and Nicaragua. A lot more expensive here, but its to be expected.

The Brazilian guys I met sometimes cook, and always invite me to join them, so I save some money there. I´m actually pretty lucky to have met them; sometimes we go to beaches that are about half an hour away from our hostel, and there is no way my friend and I could have gotten there without a ride.

I feel like the backpacking portion of my trip is over. From here it is all much more expensive. Iguazu falls, and Brazil after the New Years, then my South American part of the trip is over. The trip has been fantastic. I guess at the end of the year its time to reflect, and when I stop to think about how great this year has been, I wish it wouldnt end. But I guess ill just carry it over to next year.

Its also the end of a decade. And a great decade for me. Graduated college, law school, passed the bar, started work. All sorts of great things. Of course, not without adversity, but with Gods help always overcame it. I´m really looking forward to this next year, and the next ten years! Life is good. Really good. God is good. And I am so grateful for all I have. I think in the next blog i´ll reflect on the last ten years. The thing about traveling, it allows you the time to do that sort of the thing. lol.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Out here there is a tradition where people throw trash out their window, well really white paper, so the streets are littered with white. Its supposed to represent getting rid of the old, and in with the new. So I hope if anyone had a crummy year, you let it all go and start fresh. You got to love new beginings. And if things are going well, let´s continue to build on them. I have a few prayers and goals for the next year, maybe ill share in the next blog. I think its always good to set goals.

Hope all is well at home. Love you mom, love you family and friends.

Michael

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Wow! I guess I have to start there. I don´t know if it has to do with the time of year, but the people here are incredibly nice. Very hospitable, going out of their way to make sure you have a good time here. People who minutes before were complete strangers, invite me to Christmas dinner. This has happened multiple times. I haven´t spent a dime on accomodations for the last four nights. They insist I stay with them. So i must say, the people in Buenos Aires have been the kindest of all the people i´ve met. Not sure if its was just luck running into the right people, or everyone being in the Christmas spirit, but its going to be tough to leave this place.

Although i did manage to escape once for three days and head to Mar del Plata. Its their coastal getaway town. Very nice beaches, reminded me of Miami. As I always say, check out the pics. Except you may have to wait, because although this is one of the coolest cities i´ve been to, the internet service is horrible! At least thats been my experience. Well, at least uploading photos is difficult.

I think its three days until Christmas, but it really does not feel like it. I can´t say i´m looking forward to some time off, because ive been off for about 6 months! And i cant say im looking forward to being with the family, because I wont be with the family. But there is a sense of Christmas out here, at least in the commercial sense. Lots of folks out and about doing what i think we do best: shop. Lots of Christmas shopping going on. And being the scrooge that I am, ive never been fond of that part of Christmas. But i´ll find something productive to do on that day.

Can´t say enough about this city, but wait on the photos to see what its like. Ive not blogged in so long that i dont know where to begin.

Arrived in Buenos Aires right after Roasario, which I believe was the 10th or 11th? Not sure anymore. I took an overnight bus and found some girls I had met in Santiago, Chile at the bus terminal and they asked if I wanted to share a cab with them to Milhouse hostel. I said sure, and so I was on my way to Milhouse, intending to stay only three nights because I wanted to head to Mar del Plata. Three days turned in to seven, and that´s just how it is out here. There is always an invitation somewhere. The food is amazing, great steaks at great prices. Just last night I was invited to an asada, it was on someones rooftop, of their apartment building. Great views, reminded me of New York. The steak was incredible, probably the best ive ever tasted in my life!

The city never sleeps. One of my first nights here i was invited to a concert that did not end until 3am, followed by a dj playing until who knows when. I thought we were waiting for another band to come on, but at 5, I told my friends i was going to bed. I walked back and the sun came up by the time my head hit my pillow. Its like that most nights. And dinner doesn´t usually start until 11am, ending at about 1am. If you show up to a restaurant at about 9pm, youll be alone.

Which also means breakfast consists of only toast and juice or coffee. Your so full from last nights dinner, that you´re not hungry for breakfast. And its not just the youth that carry this schedule, youll see grandmas and grandpas out at all hours of the night. Walking the streets, having a coffee, or whatever else.

Ill post pics as soon as possible. Ill be here for Christmas, but then am heading to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Its said to be the St. Tropez of the south. Something like Miami, but even more exotic. The kind of place where the rich and famous go to ring in the New Year. Im not rich, nor famous, but ill be there. Ill take lots of pics.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New!

Love you guys!

Rosario, Argentina: Its already December, and as they say, time flies! I can remember getting in the plane with my grandma, to Mexico City, wondering where i´ll be for Christmas. It think its clear now i´ll be in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 15 days til Christmas, if you´re keeping track at home! Still the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion.



But its a bit different out here. For one, its summer time, and that means heat! Think about how weird it would be if December averaged 90 degrees! We´d freak out! But that´s how it is out here. It´s one of the reasons I had to leave Santiago, Chile a little early.



I left off (the blog, that is) in Viña del Mar, a beautiful coastal town in Chile. From there I headed back to the capital, Santiago, with plans to stay a week. Turns out I lasted two days. The primary reason was the heat. I couldnt take it! About 90 degrees during the day, and the sun does not set until about 9pm. Its hot until about then. Unbearable, at least it was for me. So I took the next bus to Mendoza, Argentina. But, Santiago was nice, very nice. I loved it, and as always, you can see pictures on Facebook. So far, maybe the nicest capital city. A little bit of NYC, a little bit of L.A., and even some SF. Really nice city. And the people, great!



But just couldnt take the heat, so off to Argentina I went.

I spent 5 days in Mendoza, and I loved every minute of it. I was not as excited as some travelers to visit Argentina. I had heard too much hype. A lot like Europe, the Argentinians consider themselves more European than Latin, and on and on. But I found none of it to be true. At least not in Mendoza. Not that there is anything wrong with Europe, but if you´re in Latin America, you should consider yourself Latin American. And they do! And they have great steaks, and great wine, and yes, the women here are absolutely gorgeous. Just had to throw that out there. Of course, they dont compare to California girls, but thats neither here nor there.

My first night in Mendoza I was sick. A horrible sore throat; I sounded like Froggy from the little Rascals. It was a friday night. So I slept all day hoping I would get better. And I did, eventually. Well enough to go rafting, horseback riding, and on a really cool wine tour in the next few days. Not to mention the zoo, which was fascinating and scary at the same time. I swear the animals could have escaped at any time. And im talking about bears, and tigers, and lions. But we were able to get so close, it was cool. And I was well enough to enjoy the food in Mendoza. The meat is amazing. I attended a few BBQ´s or Asada´s. All you can eat; I was in heaven!

The town was great, but I had to move on, so I headed to Rosario. Its a town near the river, and about 4 hours north of Buenos Aires. Also the birthplace of Che, and also home to most of the models in Argentina. At least that´s what some old man in Mendoza told me. But that´s not why im here. At least not the only reason...lol.

So far the town is ok. You need to take a bus from the city center to get to the river, which they call a beach. And, yes, it appears that most of the models in Argentina are from here.

Im currently at a hostel, and though ive mentioned that i dont prefer hostels, I think its hostels from here on out. In other countries I had the choice to get my own room at a hotel. In Chile and Argentina, prices wont allow me to do so. But so far ive enyoyed the experience. Yes, there are lots of foreigners, but you also meet lots of locals, because Chileans, and Argentineans travel more often, then say Peruvians, or Bolivians. So, for instance, there were lots of Chilean girls at my hostel in Mendoza because they had a four day weekend. So, even though I was at a hostel, I was able to hang out with ¨locals¨. Though I also met other folk who i really enjoyed spending time with.

But one Chilean girl made it clear that I had a long way to go with my spanish. She kept making fun of my pronunciation, and I kept reminding her that even if I was fluent in spanish I wouldnt speak like her because im not Chilean or Argentinean. In L.A. we speak Mexican spanish! She still continued to mock me! But i´m working on my spanish, and I think its getting pretty good. I´ll let you be the judge when I get back.

Times are good. Im deep into a book about Sudan. What is the What? is the name of it. By Dave Eggers. I recommend it to anyone interested in a good historical autobiography. The situation in Sudan is still on going, by the way. Also currently getting through Corinthians. Just finished the first part, will start the second after I log off.

I hope everyone is having a great December. If you have not yet gone out and bought a tree, do so! The longer you have it up, the better!

Love you mom, great chatting with you today!

Love you family,

Love you friends.

Michael.

Viña del Mar, Chile: In Chile! Love it here! Really nice. But significantly more expensive than the last two countries.

A bit of catching up first. I left Cochabamba and got to Uyuni via train. Great train ride, 8 hours. Was in town for a day and found a tour of the Salt Flats, 3 days. I was grouped with 3 Bolivians, and they made it a great trip. They were older guys, friends since childhood, and vacationing together. They were hilarious. And the Salt Flat tour was incredible. Check out the pics, I would do it no justice trying to describe it.

From there I arrived in Chile. Because I thought I was in a huge hurry I jumped on a bus straight to the capital, Santiago. Turns out I have a lot more time than I thought. But I met up with a friend in Santiago, and we headed to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is a coastal town near Santiago. It has lots of character. Again, check out the pics. We spent Thanksgiving in Valparaiso. It was a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. Of course the place was dead because no one out here knows or cares that it was Thanksgiving. I looked everywhere for Turkey, but they just don´t serve it out here. But we did find a delicious chicken, and we had mashed potatoes to have some semblance of Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoyed it.

From there we moved to Viña del Mar, which is like a mix of Pacific Beach and Laguna Beach. Its obvious that there are lots of rich folks here. Not a single backpacker anywhere. I suppose its too expensive. But we found a great deal on a room across the street from the beach. We haven´t done much exploring yet, but today we´ll probably walk around and see what´s going on out here.

I plan on returning to Santiago tomorrow or the next day. Chile is definitely a beautiful country. Very modern, almost like a different world compared to Bolivia. It is quite puzzling how one country can be so behind in terms of infrastructure and technology, and all that sort of stuff when they are neighbors. I understand it has to do with financing and lifestyle choices, but it still boggles my mind a bit. Not to say I think any less of the people in Bolivia, I think they´re world class people, and the country is as beautiful as any i´ve seen. But, fix your streets! Modernize your plumping! Things like that.

I´m at the beach right now, but the weather is a bit cold, and windy. I hope it warms up soon.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It´s incredible to see how much we have to be thankful for, year after year. And after nearly six months of traveling, I think I have a greater appreciation and am more grateful for the opportunity to live where I live. Again, not to take anything away from all the beautiful countries I have visited, but I do believe I live in the greatest country in the world! And I am talking in terms of opportunity, and resources available to people to allow them to progress. Of course we can get better, but we´re doing pretty good. Just ask the dozens of people who remind me from time to time how much they would love to live in the states. Or at least work in the states. It is something to be thankful for.

Love you all,

Love you mom,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Relief! That´s what I felt when I finally finished painting. Who would of thought painting a room and a staircase would be so difficult! I was not so much happy, as relieved when the job was finally completed. It must of took three to four coats to get that done. Let´s just say it wasn´t Sherwin Williams paint. But it got done! And the tile work got done, and I took care of the roof problem, I think. I did my best, and they asked when I was coming back to visit, so I must have done ok.

All in all, it was a great experience, and i´m going to miss Cochabamba when I leave tomorrow morning. One of the days I had to just stop working, because the kids just wouldn´t let me work, but it was much more fun playing with them. They wanted to be on the swing most of the time, which made it easy. Just a push. And the kids are pretty brave; they kept saying, ¨mas fete, tio¨. ¨Mas fuerte, tio¨. They wanted me to puch them faster. They were great. Funny, as most kids are. It´s a great organization, check them out on the web. Casa de Amor, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Just Google it. You´ll find a great story about Jennifer, who started the orphanage in her early 20´s. The whole staff is terrific, modern day Mother Theresa´s is the way I see them.

I also got a nice tour of the city from a local. Great town, bigger than I thought. Look for pictures on Facebook in about a week. I won´t have good enough internet service to upload until then.

Every town has its little sayings, or manner of speaking. Cochabamba is no exception. After every sentence, it seems, they say, ¨no ve.¨ It´s almost comical. Talking about almost anything, they end with, no ve. So, they´ll say, the place you want to get to is over there, no ve. Or, I´ve lived here for 20 years, no ve. And every time someone would say it, I had to crack a smile, so they were probably thinking, what´s so funny? But it was hilarious to me. I even had to ask someone why they said it so much, but I guess when your so accostumed to it, you don´t notice.

I´m off to Oruro tomorrow, but just for about an hour, then i´m taking a train to Uyuni (in Bolvia), where I plan to take a tour of the Salt Flats. I´m hoping I can do a 2 or 3 day tour. They´re usually 4 days. It turns out i´m in a bit of a rush again. Not yet confirmed, but I may need to be in Brazil by December 17th. That means I have less than a month to finish Bolivia, then visit Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Should be a fun next couple of weeks.

I´m also thinking I may be in Central America for New Years. Was going to be in Brazil, but since I will be there so early, I could just leave a little earlier. Depends on plane ticked prices.

Great news from back home, my uncle and aunt just had twins! I hope they post pictures so I can see my new cousins (hint, hint)! Congratulations Uncle D and Aunt Yvonne!

No place like home for the holidays, but i´ll make the best of the next few months. I think i´ll be in such a rush I won´t even realize I missed Thanksgiving, or Christmas. When is Thanksgiving, anyways? They don´t celebrate it out here, so I may not know that I missed it. Christmas is obviously international, so I may notice that it´s Christmas time. I´ll probably be in Brazil.

Hope all is well at home!

Love you mom,

Love you family, (and its getting bigger!)

Love you friends,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Going to go out on a limb here, and proclaim Cochambamba my favorite city thus far. I reserve the right to amend this later, but I have to say, I have not been this satisfied with a city in a long time.

Now, there is nothing special about this city, and as I have said before, not many tourist, but that may be precisely why I enjoy it so much. For one, I can´t speak english here. No one in this city speaks more than four words of english! (Of course, that´s probably not true, but its nothing like other cities i´ve visited). Which is a good thing. I have really been able to practice my spanish here.

Two, I love what i´m doing at the orphanage. I started painting today, after a long morning trying to buy paint. Finding the orphanage was an ordeal in itself. I called for directions, and really could not get them. The phone was full of static, and there really wasn´t a proper address for the place. The best info I received was: next to Imba Pollo. And that proved to be the best way to get there. Tell the taxi to take me to Imba Pollo. From there I walked around until I found it.

The next day, which was today, I got up early to buy paint. Almost three hours later I had my paint, and off to the orphanage I went. Turns out i´m not a great painter, but I get by. It took me the whole day to paint a room. I have a bit more to do tomorrow. The kids are all under 5, and can´t help me, in fact they hinder more than anything. But, I love it! They call me tio, which is funny to me, but they always ask what i´m doing. Pintando, I keep telling them over and over. But again they ask, que haces tio? Its funny, but great to have them around. Once in a while they´ll get in trouble for being in the way, but not by me.

I left the place with wet paint on the walls, I hope its still on when I get back.

I´m also splurging again, and staying in a pretty nice hotel. Hot water, cable tv, clean bed, nice view...all luxuries when ¨backpacking.¨ There´s also a gym near by, and cost only a dollar for a day pass. I had to go, since its been months since i´ve done anything that remotely resembles working out. Of course I over did it, and will pay the price tomorrow. I even did squats! (That was dumb). I probably won´t be able to walk without pain in the morning, but it was good to get some kind of workout.

And, as an added bonus, and to my surprise, there are lots of really good looking girls in Cochabamba. Everyone talks about Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, and yeah, i´m sure the girls are good looking there, but who would of thought Cochabamba. And i´m talking lots of good looking girls. Not that its important, but there was enough to notice. And, yeah, it makes my stay here a little nicer!

If I can find the Pac-Cotto fight tomorrow night, i´ll be even happier. I´m thinking it will be the best fight in a long, long time. I think Pacquiao will win. Though Cotto is also a great fighter. Just think in a fight like this, you also have to have a great corner. I don´t think Cotto did himself a favor by hiring a friend.

So all is well. May stay here a bit longer than expected. At least until next Tuesday.

Love you all,

Michael

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Finally remembered my password! It´s been a month since i´ve entered anything, so this may be a long blog....or really short.

I think last time I wrote, I was headed to Machu Picchu! Hopefully you´ve seen the pictures on Facebook. It was all its cracked up to be. Certainly was not disappointed. And my brother went with me, so it was that much better. If you have not seen the pictures, do so. If you don´t have Facebook, sign up, its free.

Shortly after Machu Picchu, Ruben left, but I was stuck in Cusco, Peru because another friend was coming to visit. I was certainly glad she came, but if I could have chosen any other city, I would have. I was in Cusco for about 3 and a half weeks. About three weeks too long. I did not enjoy my time there.

The city is much too touristy, and really nothing too exciting to do there. Its more of a launching point to Machu Picchu. Three days is about as much time as anyone needs there.

I was able to volunteer for a week. So that made it a little better. I volunteered with Bruce Peru, an organization that helps educate poor children in Cusco.

But even with that experience, I was happy to leave Cusco, first chance I got. Which was the day after Clarrissa left. From Cusco I headed to Puno with Maddie and Nicole, two other volunteers from Bruce Peru. One thing is certain, you´ll always meet great people volunteering.

Puno was great! We spent about three days there, and visited some islands on Lake Titicaca. We even stayed with a local family one night, that was fun. We also splurged when we stayed in Puno and stayed at a really nice hotel! Probably on par with the Marriott back home.

From Puno, Peru, I crossed the border into Bolivia. I had to pay a Visa fee for the first time. 135 dollars! Quite expensive, but Bolivia is so cheap, it all works out in the end. My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. Its another small town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. I also visited some islands, but only for a day. And while in Copacabana, I ran into a friend who I met in Ecuador, and traveled with him to La Paz. Also went with two American girls, one of which found out a few days ago she passed the NY Bar! She was pretty excited about that, as was I.

I was in La Paz, the defacto capital of Bolivia, for a few days. Great city, I enjoyed it. Each capital city has its own character, yet all are very similar. I think I liked La Paz more than Bogota, but not quite as much as Quito. I don´t think I really saw the real Lima, but that was probably the nicest capital city thus far.

I´ll post La Paz pictures soon.

And now i´m in Cochabamba, and very happy about it! There is not a single backpacker in this city. Atleast I have not seen any. Its not really a popular stop for backpackers, nor is it on the so called ¨Gringo Trail¨, which is the trail most backpackers follow. Most popular cities in South America are part of the Gringo Trail, and really you could come to South America, and never really experience the culture or even have to speak spanish if you follow this trail. You stay at hostels full of foreign travelers who all speak english, and visit the same tourist attractions, and eat at the same foreign owned restaurants, and hang out at the same bars, and never really have an authentic experience.

But if you come to Cochabamba, you won´t find that. But i´m not here to meet other backpackers. I came to do some work for Casa de Amor, an orphanage here in Cochabamba. I wrote them a few weeks ago and asked if there was any maintenance work, or cleaning I could do for them. I have been in contact with enough orphanages to know that I can best serve by doing things that most people do not like to do. I love playing with kids as much as the next person, but most orphanages need monetary help, or help with the upkeep of their facilities.

So they wrote back and said, yes! They need someone to paint, lay tile, and fix a Bolivian style roof. Not to mention massive yard work. And of course I said, yeah, I can do that. But now I find myself a bit nervous, remembering that i´m in Bolivia, not California, and i have no idea if there is a Home Depot near by. And i´ve seen people lay tile millions of times, it seems easy enough, but is it? And Bolivian style roof? What´s that? So i´m not sure exactly what i´m in for, but I´ll stay until all the work is done. There is no doubt about that.

So i´m nervous, but happy. This is really what I came out here for. To be of service. I love traveling, and visiting new cities, but truth is, i´m kind of over it. Meeting new folks from Australia or Britain is not what I came to do. Though i´ve met some wonderful people. The whole backpacking circuit has lost its novelty. I don´t really enjoy hostels or meeting new folks from other countries, unless their from the particular country i´m visiting, but this I do enjoy. Taking on a new challenge, and helping in any way I can.

Tomorrow morning i´ll take a look at what I need to do, find a store to buy the materials (which I assume may be the toughest part), then i´ll get to work!

I´ll try to keep up with the blog. I know i´ll regret if I don´t.

Hope all is well back home. This last month has been the toughest. Traveling at 28 is a lot different than traveling in your early twenties. Lots of young folks out here love it and wish they never had to go back. But admittingly, they say they don´t have much to go back to. I feel like I have everything to go back to. Besides all my family and friends, I´ve finished school and all that good stuff. So I can´t wait to go home! But I also realize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I thank God every day for the opportunity. I know when I get home you´ll be able to tell the difference in me. Its hard to see it in yourself sometimes.

You´ll also notice how much weight i´ve lost! I´ve confirmed the other day that i´ve lost close to 25 pounds! The food in South America is ok, but nothing like home, and there is no good Mexican food! Good food is expensive, and not easy to find.

Love you mom,

love you family,

and love you friends!

Michael

Cusco, Peru: Arrived in Cusco today at 7am! Our plane left from Lima at 6am, which meant we had to be at the airport at 4...which meant I had to wake up at 3:15am. I´m tired! But glad to be in Cusco, because tomorrow we go to Machu Picchu!

Last time I left the blog I had arrived in Quito. Absolutely loved it there! I stayed at the Secret Garden hostel. Great hostel, I highly recommend it if your staying in Quito. Great view from the terrace. Also lots of great people there.

Met lots of locals in Quito, and they were extremely nice. Also met up with Uncle D´s and Aunt Yvonne family, who took us to church and showed us around town. Ricky and Gaby were great!

The city itself is beautiful. Went to Mitad del Mundo, which is allegedly the middle of the earth. It´s said that the equator is not actually on the spot that the museum indicates, but that the real line is a few yards away. I visited both spots. It was cool.

Also went to Otavalo, which is supposed to be the biggest market in Ecuador, maybe even South America. It was nice, and actually did some shopping there.

I was pressed for time in Ecuador because my brother was coming to Lima on October 8th. So we left Quito prematurely, and headed to Banos. Banos was beautiful, we took a 3 hour tour of the waterfalls, which was nice. We left Quito in the morning, and arrived in Banos at 10am...15 minutes later we boarded a tour bus to see the waterfalls. We were in Banos less than 24 hours.

From Banos, we headed to Guayaquill, a port town in Ecuador. We were told to see Las Penas, and the Malecon, which we did. Again, we were pressed for time, so we did everything in a rush. Though we did have time to go to the mall and catch a movie while we were there. We watched ¨Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.¨ Don´t judge me! lol.

From Guayaquill we took a 24 hour bus to Lima. Its amazing to me how I manage to get around. Hours before I had no idea how I would get to Lima, but somehow when faced with necessity, you figure it out. I also got help from a random stranger who decided to walk me two and a half blocks to the bus station to buy my tickets. He just offered, and asked nothing in return. This was crucial because the main bus terminal had no direct buses to Lima, and I needed to be there the next day. And the Ecuador and Peru border is supposed to be one of the worst, as far as people trying to rip you off. We had no problems at the border crossing, and made to Lima on time.

From the bus station in Lima, we headed straight to the airport to find my brother. There he was, with Sean Lambert, waiting for us. It was great to see both of them. What a break. For the first time in months I could relax! And Seans place was amazing! Beach front high rise condo! The place looked like Santa Monica. I´ll post pictures soon.

Lima was nothing like I imagined, but maybe we saw a different part. We stayed in Miraflores, where all the rich folk live. Though we did venture one day to the center of Lima, which of course was a bit more dodgey.

But Lima was great. I felt like I was on vacation!

From Lima we flew to Cusco. I had no intentions of taking a flight during my time in South America, except from Brasil, but because of time constraints we flew to Cusco. A 45 minute flight.

We arrived today, and are getting acclimated to the elevation. Tomorrow we got to Machu Picchu. Looking forward to it!

Look for pictures soon!

I love you mom,

I love you family and friends,

Michael

Quito, Ecuador: Just got to Quito, and must say it feels good. I don´t know why, but I feel like i´m safe here. Not that I plan to put my guard down, or that it is actually safer here than in Colombia, but feel like I can breathe a bit easier. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my uncle was here a few months ago. I feel like he scoped out the place for me! lol.

I also have some contacts here that I hope to connect with. It always make the trip easier. Thanks, aunt Yvonne!

But Colombia was great! After the whole incident, things calmed down. Enjoyed Bogota, and had a good time in Cali. Of course, all too short. I needed a few more days in each city, but i´m in a bit of a time crunch.

Stayed an extra day in Bogota, at the recommendation of a few friends. By the way, thanks for all the insight, Andrea and Jason!

Visited Zona Rosa, or Zona T, which was cool. Parque 93, and Alex Campos Church. He wasnt there. Bogota also had great museums, and a great cultural vibe. Saw someone getting beat with a stick just outside the hostel on the next to the last day, but turned out he was a thief. Crazy town, but just like any other capital city. It has it all.

While in Cali, we met up with a friend we met while in Pamama City. Joe let us stay at his place for a few nights! He´s from England, but teaches english in Cali. Thanks, Joe and Karla!

Its always great to be with someone who lives in town.

Cali is hot, so one day we went to a public pool. We stayed in the water for a grand total of 10 minutes, but it was worth the trip. Also visited a mall called Chipechape. Known as Sillicon Valley, because of all the plastic surgery the ladies who visit the mall get. It is pretty obvious.

Cali is known for Salsa, but I have a feeling we did not see the best of Cali, as far as Salsa goes. I only went out one night, so im sure the place I went to was not a good representation of Cali Salsa. But one girl did tell me I was a pretty good dancer. I´ll put that on my resume, girl from Cali said I was a good dancer! lol.

Took a night bus to Ecuador. 11 hours to the border, which was an experience. All border crossings are fun. Got to be on your toes the entire time. Everyones out to get a buck. I remember Panama crossing from Costa Rica. If youre not careful, you can really be taken to the cleaners.

Same at the Colombia-Ecuador border. Money changers everywhere! And others letting you know they can do the immigration procedure for you. What they really want is your passport so they can charge you to get it back. Yes, some people are dumb enough to give it to them. But, common sense tells you who and who not to trust. Just annoying that you have to be looking out for yourself so much.

But then there are the good folks who make the crossing pleasant. They´ll help you with directions, or suggest a cheaper form of transportion. The crossing was hectic, but fine.

From the border, there is another bus to Quito, 5 hours. Except ours took a little longer because some folks tried to block the roads. I´ve heard about this happening in Peru, but never here, but I guess its common in all of South America. Just folks trying to have their voices heard, so they create road blocks to stop traffic to draw attention to their cause. Usually has to do with elements of fairnes and justice. Didn´t get the whole story, but had something to do with access to water. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. They delayed our trip, but did not manage to block the road. I hope if its justice they seek, it´s justice they get. It was obviously a poorer area of the country we were driving by.

Arrived in Quito about 5pm, headed to a hostel, but not sure I will stay there long. Probably off to another tomorrow. Also plan to check out Middle of the World tomorrow.

Hope all is well at home.

Love you all!

Michael

Bogota, Colombia: Felt I should update this sooner rather than later, since last blog was a bit much. It was as crazy as I thought, and now the details are bit clearer.

Turns out there were 7-8 guys who jumped and robbed the guys I was with. One guy was stabbed repeatedly in the arm and robbed. He got stitches in his arm, and was lucky they didnt get a major vein on his wrist. He´s left town. Another robbed and beat up. He's out of here as well. Another got away after getting passed two guys. Two of the guys were over 6´2", the other just a bit bigger than me.

And still, incredibly, I was not touched. Tried to reason that maybe I looked Mexican, or at least Latino, so they decided to not bother me. But found out later that a cute little Colombia girl was stabbed and robbed just a few hours later. Obviously these thugs care not where your from. I would also like to think they took one good look at me and thought, ¨better not mess with this guy, it would a huge mistake!" lol.

Its becoming absolutely clear that God was protecting me. I didnt have to even fight these guys. They completely ignored me. Didn't lay a hand on me, and whisked right by. Nothing short of a miracle. I thank God for that.

And definitely have given Bogota another shot. Turns out its pretty cool here. Still have not gone out at night, but really have no desire to. The day brings plenty to do. Spent the day at two amazing museums today. One was the Botero Musuem, which is full of Fernando Botero art. Check out Facebook for photos. He exxagerates all his paintings. Very popular Colombian artist.

Also turns out that today was the last day of the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was amazing! Couple more museums tomorrow, then off to Cali, Colombia.

Definitely felt better about walking the streets today. The other night was humbling, and made me realize that you can't get too comfortable out here. I became accostumed to putting my wallet in my front pocket, instead of hiding it in my sock, like I did in Mexico City. Today it was shoved in my sock! But still walked around not fearful. As my brother reminded me, I have not been given a spirit of fear. Just need to be cautious. I will be.

The city has a great vibe. Definitely unsafe at night in parts of town, but overall a great place. Thanks for all the comforting comments that were left on here and Facebook. It was an unsettling experience when you're on your own, but good to know my family and friends are still with me.

And, Harvey and Uncle D, you're right, I was born in Inglewood, so I should be used to this stuff. This place is Disneyland compared to some spots in LA. I'll stay tough.

Miss you all, but loving every minute of this trip!

Love,

Michael
(Biggum Raider-SUN) That one's for Harvey...lol.

Bogota, Colombia: Arrived in Bogota last night after a 10 hour bus ride. Left Medellin, which I regret greatly at this point. More on that later. But first have to get the frustration off my chest!

Not so much frustration as shocked! We get to the bus terminal at 10pm. Late, but everything had been going so well, that I wasn't too worried. Every capital city can be rough, but after visiting Mexico City, San Salvador, Managua, Guatemala City, I figured this couldn't be too bad. I had no idea where we were going, but after being shut out of two hostels in Medellin, I did not want to risk not finding a place this late at night.

So I tell the taxi guy to take us to Hotel San Sebastian. Its a bit pricey according to the Lonely Planet travel guide, but I figured they would have rooms available. They did. But even more expensive than I expected. I was with Cindy, and we had all our stuff with us, so I knew walking downtown Bogota with all of our stuff was a bad idea. I told her to stay in the hotel lobby, and I would look for a better budget option. Walked about a block and a half and felt uneasy about continuing. Call it a 6th sense, common sense, or the Holy Spirit, but I didnt continue.

But at the same time i'm thinking, there is plenty of people out right now, it cant be so bad. I'm basically walking in circles when I run into three english speaking guys, and think, they must know where a hostel is near by.

I approach them, and ask where they're staying. Turns out their hostel has no beds available, but there is another just down the road. They're headed that way, so I follow. Its about 12:15am at this point.

We walk up a side street, no street lights, when out of nowhere we're ambushed by at least four guys. I'm walking behind the three guys I met, and see one of them getting punched in the head, and another "thug" running up. So i'm bracing myself for someone to attack me. I'm in defense mode waiting for something to happen. I cant tell who's who, I reach to see if my camera is still in my pocket..it is. I feel to check if my wallet is still in pocket; it is. I hear one of the guys yell, "run." I do. I look back to see if anyone is chasing us, but he yells again, keep running! So I do. He's way ahead of me, he has long legs, but im thinking, what about your friends? His friend was the one I saw get punched in the back of the head.

I take off back to the hotel where I left Cindy, huffing and puffing. Cindy freaks out, I forget all my spanish, so I tell Cindy to tell the receptionist to lock the front door. He does. Eventually I go back outside to see if the guys are still out there. Turns out one of the guys was stabbed and bleeding, and the other was just punched a few times.

Oddly enough, they came from behind and completely skipped me. I should have been the first person they attacked, but they didnt even touch me. But it still shook me up. I put the dresser in front of the door before I went to bed. Worst hotel ever, by the way. I finally used my own sheets that I brought in case I found myself in a roach motel. The day finally came when I had to use it.

So fairly or unfairly, I hate Bogota! I want to leave, today! But I know that I should probably calm down first. Maybe just leave this area. Although its supposed to be a touristy area. I guess no where is safe at night. Just feel kind of home sick after that.

Its tough when there is no one to look out for you. When you have to be on your toes 24/7. No breaks. You have to plan everything, and be your own bodyguard. And sometimes look out for others. Its all taking a toll.

Yesterday could have been bad. I had my wallet with my credit cards in them, and my camera. Apparently at least one of them had a knife. But I do know that there are plenty of people praying for me, and I do appreciate that. I can still stay, so far so good. No one has robbed me, yet.

Last night was almost surreal. Seeing three guys get jumped by four guys. No one daring to bother me. Why? I´ll never know. I just thank God nothing happened to me, and hope those guys are ok. But still don't like it here.

Even folks from Medellin and Cartagena say Bogota is not as nice as the rest of Colombia, and neither are the people. I think its unfair to overgeneralize, but so far that has been my experience. But of course were talking about 12 hours in the city.

Medellin on the other hand, was amazing. Downtown, though tough, brought us no problems. People are very friendly. When we finally left downtown for a nicer part of the city, near Parque Lleras, it was even nicer. I regret leaving, but we were scheduled to pick someone up from the airport today. We did.

Still a bit shaken up. But i'll live. Cant wait for my brother to get here, in about three weeks.

Please don't tell my grandma about this, she'll be worried! lol. Really though, don't tell her. And dont worry mom, its not as bad as it seems. Just shook me up, that's all.

Check out the pictures of Medellin on FB, i'll post more soon.

As always, thanks for the prayers.

I miss you all

Love,

Michael

Medellin, Colombia: Made it to Medellin after a 13 hour bus ride in an ice box! You'd think i'd learn by now, but got on the bus with shorts and a tank top, flip flops, and no jacket. It was very hot in Cartagena. But the bus must have been 20 degrees! I was freezing the whole way! But it was my fault for not being prepared.

Cartagena was great, though! Very hot, but bearable with light clothing. The cities architecture was amazing, at least in the old town, inside the fort. It was as they say, very romantic. It is a city for couples, but single folks can enjoy it just the same. I did.

The people are incredibly nice, and very helpful. One lady practically walked me to a restaurant when I asked for directions. Its safe, clean, everything you would want from a city. As always, check out pics on Facebook.

The city was a launching pad back to Europe for the old spanish settlers, and it was raided many times, hence the fort built around it. The old colonial buildings are very much kept up, and it makes for an amusement park-like setting. Walking the streets at night makes you feel like your walking down Main Street at Disneyland. Very surreal.

We stayed at a hotel, so did not get much of the backpacker crowd. I enjoyed that part. As I said earlier, I was sick of spending most of my time with Europeans and Israelis, no offense, they're nice enough people, but I wanted to experience Colombia with Colombians!

Same story here in Medellin. I am at a hotel, but may take the recommendation of a friend and try a hostel tomorrow night. Backpackers can be funny in that they come to a city, spend most of their time at the hostel, and leave only in huge groups, and think they actually experienced "traveling." Of course they're not all like that, but too many are. Hotels are cheap enough where I have been able to avoid hostels in South America. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

I'm loving Colombia, it has been amazing. Of course i've been to only once city, but still incredible. Medellin seems really nice. I hope to visit Pablo Escobar's old home. I saw a documentary, years ago, about Medellin, and the effect the Medellin Cartel had on the city. It was quite violent, but since the death of Pablo Escobar, has calmed down.

A few years ago people would avoid Colombia, sort of the way I am avoiding Venezuela now, but Colombia has really become quite safe for traveling. I'm looking forward to seeing Medellin. Look for pictures soon!

Love you mom,

Love you fam and friends,

Michael

Cartagena, Colombia: South America! And what a voyage to get here. It was horrible! But an experience I will never forget.

Let me start with Panama City, which is where I left off. The City was great. Stayed at Luna´s Castle and did a bit of touring of the city. There is a great contrast in the city, one part being high rise condos and buildings, very similar to Miami, and the other run down town with much to be desired. I visited both, but was escorted out of Casco Viejo by a lady who said we were about to get robbed. She cautioned that we should not walk around that part of town, so we left. 20 minutes later we were in the nice part of town, worried that we would get escorted out of one of the hotels, this time because we did not look rich enough. We looked like backpackers, which we were.

The Panama Canal was great. Truly amazing human feat. There are some pictures on facebook.

From Panama City I got on a sail boat to the San Blas Islands. The San Blas Islands were amazing. We were on sail from island to island for about 3 days.

The next three days we headed for Cartagena, Colombia. Worst three days of my life. The captain was inexperienced, and I was sea sick the whole time. Threw up six times, and basically wished the whole ordeal would end. It did. And here I am. I´ll post pictures soon.

This keyboard is very sticky, so i´ll write more later.

Panama City, Panama: Just arrived in Panama City today. Took the overnight bus from David, Panama, which left at 10:45 pm, local time, and arrived at the bus terminal at about 4:40am. I slept great on the bus! Window seat!

I got to Panama about a week ago, from Costa Rica. The last few weeks have been very exciting.

I think I last left off in Samara, Costa Rica. I remember saying it was one of the nicest beaches I had ever seen? Well, forget all that. I've seen about five nicer beaches since then!

From Samara I traveled to Monetzuma. (It would make more sense if you take a look at a map). But there is no direct way to travel to Montezuma from Samara. So I had to take a bus to Nicoya, which connected me to another bus heading to Naranjo, where I caught the ferry heading to Puntarenas, get off, and immediately catch another water ferry to Paquera. From Paquera I had to take a bus to Cobano, and finally a bus to Montezuma.

To give you an idea how detoured the trip was, imagine being in Dana Point, and wanting to go to Santa Monica. From Dana Point you drive to Newport to catch a ferry to Catalina Island Once you arrive in Catalina, you jump off the ferry and jump onto another heading Long Beach. From LB, you catch a bus headed to Santa Monica. No direct routes! And they say Costa Rica's infrastructure is the best in Central America!

But it was a fun adventure. I love taking the local buses in any country, and the ferry was fun. And the trip was worth it! Montezuma was beautiful. Went on a hike, met some girls from Canada, hung out with them for the next few days. Its the kind of place where people go, and never leave. More than once, and at least three time, I heard stories of girls intending to visit for two or three weeks, but never leaving. In fact, I met one guy who was in town for his daughters wedding. It turns out she came to vacation when she was 19, and never left. She met a local, and was getting married. He was from Topanga Canyon.

From Montezuma we headed to Santa Teresa, which was amazing. It's definitely not a huge tourist destination, as there are no hotels with more than a three star rating. But the beach is absolutely beautiful. The whole place has a laid back vibe.

From Santa Teresa, I headed to San Jose to grab my stuff. I left my big bag with some friends there. I was there for less than two hours before I caught the bus to Puerto Viejo, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

Puerto Viejo was very nice. Just to the south was Manzanillo, a very laid back beach. Pictures on facebook. And to the north was Cahuita, which as of right now gets my vote for most beautiful beach! Its a national park, so its protected, and when I went there was almost no one there. At some points, there was literally, no one there. Just me and a friend. That is one place I may have to return to some day.

From Puerto Viejo, I made the border crossing to Panama. Border crossing are always an adventure when done on foot. Everyone is trying to rip you off, even the immigration officials, for extra fees. My spanish is good enough at this point to not let them get away with it. And i'm darker than i've been since I went to Acapulco for a week when I was 8! So border crossing are fun.

We were even able to get a great rate on a taxi to our next destination, once we got past immigration. Bocas de Toros is a group of islands in Panama on the Caribbean side. It was beautiful, and I had a great time, but because I had been at the most beautiful beaches in the world for the last two weeks, it was hard to fully appreciate.

Such is traveling. You have to really purpose not to take it for grant it that you're visiting some of the coolest places on Earth, and you're fortunate tobe doing so. A few days later I retreated to the mountains to try to regain my focus.

The mountains were fun. I stayed at an Eco-hostel, called Lost and Found. The owners were cool. But the solitude was the best. I went on a four hour hike in rain, and thought and prayed and read, and tried to more or less savor the moment. I was at Lost and Found for four days. Yesterday was my last.

Today I am trying to find some friends that are in Panama City. One of them has a brother going home today, and I want to say bye before he leaves. I arrived very early, so they are surely sleeping. But later today I hope to find them and explore the city.

So far the trip has been amazing. Absolutely incredible! And as they say, you meet lots of people when traveling, but most of all, you're introduced to yourself. That I can say is true. I'm learning and growing, and loving it all the while!

Thanks for reading, and John T. and Carol, could you guys send me your email, please? I can be reached at mrivera87@yahoo.com.

Mom, I love you!

Family, I love you!

Love you all,

Michael

Samara, Costa Rica: Looks like I stopped writing, and people stopped reading! I have not received a comment in about four posts! I feel like i´m writing to the wall! just kidding.

I guess its my fault for not keeping up, or not keeping it interesting. But a quick recap, and then a few thoughts.

I believe I left off in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. I was fortunate enough to stay at a friends, friends, house. From San Jose we headed to the Word Surfing Championships in Jaco, Costa Rica. It was quite a fun atmosphere. People from all over the world were there to cheer on their country men. I think France won, not sure. But we missed the entire competition because of traffic. But did meet some locals that we hung out with, which is always fun.

From Jaco went back to the capital, then to Tamarindo beach, and currently in Samara. I´ve only been here about 6 hours, but I think this may be the nicest beach I have seen in my entire life! I´ve thought this about eight other places, but i´m definitely coming back!

Costa Ricans have this saying, Pura Vida! And it´s true, they all say it. I was getting on the bus today, and handed the driver my money, and he says, Pura Vida! I was thinking, okay, seems contextually out of place, but I guess it works with anything.

Costa Rica is as nice as advertised, but very expensive. Especially for someone trying to budget for a year! But it is beautiful.

August 15th marked my third month on the road, i´m a quarter of the way through. So far so good. Like anything else in life, you adapt to traveling. You miss your family and friends, but get used to not seeing them. You get used to changing beds almost every day, and get used to eating out for every single meal!

I am sad to report that I have not worked on my spanish lately. Everywhere I turn, they´re speaking english! But I will make it a point to speak more spanish. I´m hoping it gets better in South America.

I´ll post pictures soon, with lenghty comments to explain what´s going on. And when I say i´ll post picture, I mean on Facebook!

Love you all,

Michael

San Jose, Costa Rica: I'm here in Costa Rica, and finally got around to blogging. I'm really going to regret not keeping up with this, but it's just so hard to find motivation to sit down and write when you're having such a great time. And it's easier to stay in touch via Facebook, because pictures tell a much better story than a blog.

But, let me try to recap my last two weeks.

I think I left off at the Islands. Merida was cool. Took a hike to a beautiful waterfall on the island. It was tough, but definitely worth it. From Merida headed to Moyogalpa, where I stayed at a 3 dollar a night hostel. And it's true, you get what you pay for. I was in a dorm with three other girls, two of which I knew, and the other I met while there. She was afraid to stay there alone, and I couldn't blame her. But she felt better once she realized we were all just as creeped out by the place as she was. But it was a fun experience. Paper thin mattresses, and filthy sheets. I used my jacket as a pillow.

The next morning I headed off the island and over to San Juan del Sur. It's a really nice beach town, (I think there are picture on facebook). I stayed for three days, but left because I had finally met up with some friends I was expecting.

We headed to Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Stayed for few days, then went to San Jose, where they were going to meet some friends that lived there.

So far so good, and so many stories to tell, but just can't get myself to write. Stories like the fight that broke out in Moyogalpa, where the weapons of choice were plastic chairs, or the gun fight that broke out in San Jose. We were all told to get on the floor, that was crazy!

But i'll keeo uploading pictures on Facebook.

Eevrything is great, so far. I am losing weight, but actually eating quite well. I miss you all!

-Michael

Merida, Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua: Made it out of El Salvador on Monday morning. But no before heading to El Tunco, a beach town in El Salvador. Two other friends I was traveling with had been there before, and let's just say, made good friends with some of the locals, so they knew most of the crowd. The town itself was fun, beaches are always fun. There are pictures on facebook. Its tough to transition from doing something purposeful everyday, to just laying on the beach. I felt kind of lazy, but I enjoyed my time there.

On Sunday night we went back to San Salvador, to catch the bus to Managua, Nicaragua the next morning. It was also the last night that I would travel with Clarrissa and Cindy, together. I'm supposed to meet up with Cindy somewhere, eventually. But it is nice to travel on your own. Its a different kind of experience. Although it never lasts long, its the time when you get to discover the most about yourself. And you get to think about things, and ponder, and just learn. Though being alone does not last long, you always find some people to travel with.

Monday morning I left El Salvador, and headed to Managua. The bus left at 5am, or was scheduled to leave at 5am, we didn't hit the road til about 20 past. The bus ride was 12 hours long, and I slept most of the way. I sat towards the front and by myself, which allowed me to lay down and sleep. The border crossings were fun. Show your passport, pay a fee, sometimes, get out to get inspected for H1N1. This mostly consists of a visual inspection.

Once I got to Managua I was dropped off at the Tica Bus station. Let's just say it wasn't the nicest part of town. Because my initial plans were to head to Honduras, I had no idea what I was going to do once I arrived in Managua. I also forgot to look at my travel guide for hostels during the 12 hour bus ride.

I arrived with no idea of where to go or sleep, or anything. As soon as you get off the bus, you're bombarded by taxi drivers asking where you're going. I don't know! I really didn't. So I walk out and a kid asks me where i'm from. El Salvador? no. Nicaragua? no! Honduras? no!!! I never told him where I was from, but I did let him show me a place to stay near the bus station.

I paid ten bucks for a basic room. Very basic. I need to remember to take pictures of these places. I'm sure 90% of you would never stay in such a place. It was quite a dump, but i'm getting used to staying in rooms like it.

I put my bags down, and headed to the mall, called inter-plaza. Read later that the route I took was very dangerous, and I should avoid it. Besides some mean stares from some guys, and dogs barking at me, I had no problems. The mall was ok, I walked it in half an hour. I then walked over to the Crowne Plaza hotel, just to check the rates for kicks. 50 bucks a night! Forget it! So I walked the streets a bit more, before it got dark and decided to head back. Even without reading anything about the neighborhood, it was obvious it was not a place to be after dark.

The next day I decided I would head to the tourist information office, and find out a little about the place. I woke up at 5am, to do some more walking, and avoid any rift raft ( I assumed no one would be up at that time). I was right, except dogs never sleep, so they kept barking at me. Dogs are mean in Managua, at least in the neighborhood I was staying in. Never quite made it to the tourist info office, but a taxi guy offered to drive me around town, and show me the highlights of the city. That took all of ten minutes. The truth is, Managua is not that nice. Its a place to land and move on. I think most travelers would agree with that statement.

I then was dropped off at the bus station, where I caught the next bus to Grenada. Grenada was a 45 minute bus ride from Managua, for 2 bucks. Grenada is a lot like Antigua in Guatemala. A colonial town with lots of old buildings and churches. It was ok, but not that exciting. I'll upload pictures soon. I stayed at the Bearded Monkey, a backpackers hostel, but didn't meet anyone I cared to travel with.

I guess I like to be alone at times. Or i'm kind of picky with who I travel with. Had some people ask me to join them, but wasn't feeling it, so I declined. I stayed in Grenada and toured the city alone Tuesday and Wednesday. Visited museums, a convent, and a cultural center, as well as the pier and some restaurants.

Wednesday I headed for the islands. Asked a local how to catch a bus there, and I was on my way. It was a nice walk to the bus station. The coolest part of the trip is walking through dangerous neighborhoods, but there will never be pictures of these scenes, because I dare not take my camera out when i'm walking through.

The bus ride to the island was lots fun. Nothing but locals, except for three gringos. Which is a change from nothing but gringos, except for three locals, like in towns like Grenada. The bus to Rivas took about an hour, then a connecting bus to San Jorge took an additional 20 minutes. I met a girl from London named Rachel, and we made the trip together. From San Jorge, we took a ferry to the island. The ferry drops you off at the main port, named Moyogalpo, and from there you can choose to go to any small town on the islands. For a price, of course. The taxis were very expensive on the islands, but we were able to get to Santa Domingo for 15 bucks, between 4 people. The taxi dropped us off at Buena Vista Hotel, and that was our place for the night. Nothing eventful the first night, but the next day, which would be today, was fun!

Woke up and headed to a place called Ojo de Agua. It was a cool watering hole about 2 miles from our hotel. Most of the terrain is dirt, check out pictures on facebook (I will try to upload soon). The place was cool, but even cooler was meeting two girls from LA. One was from Lennox! Small world, after all. I would not have thought in a million years I would find someone out here from Lennox! The other girl was from Long Beach. They both were really cool, and we hung out the rest of the afternoon. We went swimming in the lake while waiting for our food, since it takes an hour to prepare your food here. No joke, one hour!

After lunch, Rachel and I caught a bus to Merida. To be honest, I wanted to stay in Santa Domingo, but I had told Rachel I would go with her. Rachel is from London and is traveling alone.

So here I am. There are plenty of people here. I jumped online as soon as I got here, so haven't had the chance to meet anyone yet. I'll do that soon.

The islands is amazing. I'm sure it'll be lots of fun here in Merida. I'll take lots of pics, and upload the ones currently on my camera.

Someone asked me the other day if I prefer to see nature or history of countries. I told her that I think I like a balance. I think I was wrong. I definitely prefer the nature and and natural scenery of Latin America. Some places out here are absolutely beautiful. This island is one of those places!

ps, Clarrissa, if you're reading this, thanks for the scent balls, or whatever they're called. My bag smells great!

I love you all,

Michael

pss, internet is unlimited here, so I should blog more often for the next few days.

San Salvador, El Salvador: Still in El Salvador, waiting on Zelaya to make his move. If you've followed at all what has been going on in Honduras, you know that he is attempting to return to Honduras after being taken from his Presidential Palace at gun point. He's re-entering via Nicaragua, so border crossing until he makes his final move, is ill-advised.

His return could spark violence. There is a curfew in Honduras, and getting to Nicaragua from El Salvador requires going through Honduras. I'm sitting tight for now, but will make my decision by Sunday, if Zelaya keeps messing around. I think he's making a mockery of himself by pretending to return, then retreating. No one is taking him seriously. And it doesn't help that he aligns himself with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

But mockery or not, his presence could incite a mini civil war and I don't want to be around when that happens, or if it happens.

My final thoughts on El Salvador, since i'm still here: I loved it!

Truth is I saw about 1% of the country, well maybe 5%, it is a small country. But everything I saw and experienced was amazing. I've already written about La Casa, (see last blog), but the rest of the country was also a treat! The people of El Salvador are terrific.

I spent most of my time in San Salvador, the capital, and you would think you're in a big U.S. city by driving around. KFC, Burger King, McDonalds. And huge entertainment centers with world class shopping and theatres, bars, restaurants.

But of course, there are the rural and urban areas where poverty is prevalent. With a new President things are bound to change. Hopefully for the better. Speaking to one local, the problem is the government is broke. There is no money for improvements. Sound familiar? Today California finally signed a budget, and it appears that everyone is going to take a cut. We're broke as well.

One of the things that is often spoken about when discussing El Salvador are the Maras, or gaings. Specifically MS13. While they do exist, they are not visible in the capital. I saw them once, but we were on a field visit in a rural area. They are not as abundant as the media would make it seem. The city is safe. I took a taxi at one in the morning and never felt in danger.

Spanish here is different than Mexico. Everyone uses "voz", and I never really picked up how to use it. So I didn't. I learned a few new phrases. But they may be exclusive to La Casa. They had their own vocabulary there, it was funny.

All in all, a great experience here. Definitely too short. I'm positive i'll be back, and I think sooner rather than later.

Hope everything is well at home. Miss my family and friends, but truly having the time of my life out here.

Right now i'm at Kurt's house, he and his family have been wonderful hosts for a week! Their moving today, so I should help. Gotta go.

Love you all,

Michael

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We are unworthy or unprofitable servants, we have only done our duty." Luke 17:10

Today is my last day at La Casa, and as promised I have lots more to write about. Everyone warned me that this trip would change my life, but you never really know in what way, or when exactly it will dawn on you that you're changed, or in what ways it really matters in your everyday life.

My time here, albeit short, has truly been life changing. But not in the ways that are so obvious by just looking at me. I look exactly the same, except maybe ten pounds lighter. But I have really learned valuable lessons, taught without any words by the staff here at La Casa. I'm writing it down in hopes that I never forget.

Duty. What i'm supposed to do. To fulfill my duty is to have done all the hard work to get there, but no profit, or no credit. Just fulfilling my obligations.

But to live beyond duty, beyond what is expected of me, is to live the way I was intended to live. I begin to live the way I was intended to live, the abundant life, at the exact moment when I pass from the duty stage to the freer atmosphere of voluntary investment, going the extra mile. And that's precisely how everyone here at La Casa lives their lives.

I'll give you just one example. Yesterday I was invited to go on a field visit with Katherine, one of the staff members here at La Casa. A field visit to a school, to check up on the siblings of one of the girls at La Casa. Of course, she didn't have to go, but she was not only interested in the well being of the girl under her care, she wanted to make sure her brothers and sisters were also going to school.

Off we went in search of the school. We found it, went in and spoke to the principal/director. It turned out the kids were not in school and two of them rarely attended. One, the sister, was pretty good about showing up, but hadn't on this particular day. How nice, I thought, of Katherine to care enough to pay a visit to their school, though really she was under no obligation to do so. Oh well, they're not here, let's go, I thought. But no.

End of mile one.

She decided we still had a few minutes, we were going to go look for them. What? There was no way we were going to find them in a large coffee finca. Picture a huge mountainous jungle, with spiders and all, over a few miles long. These kids could have been anywhere. There was no way we were going to find them. Oh, and not to mention the entrance was a street fillled with the infamous MS13 gang members. The writing was on the wall, as they say. But off we went.

Headed to the finca and found a little boy who was willing to tell us where the kids may be. It turned out there was no road where we could find them, it would be long walk down hill through a maze of plants and trees, and shrubs, spiders, the works.

End of mile two.

Off we go. Through the finca until we spot the boys. She yells at them to come over. I'm thinking, there is no way these kids are going to listen to you. Their going to take off running, let's just go. But no, she called, and waited. Eventually one came. Good I thought, better than nothing. Then she asks, where's your brother and sister. Go get them. Aw man, I thought now were really going to lose him, but no, he returned with his sister. Returned for a speech that he knew was coming. And she let him have it about not attending school, and getting into other troubles. But, he sat there and listened.

Alright, I thought, our job is done. But no. Where's your mom, she asked. I want to speak to her. Great, now we have to find her mom in this huge jungle.

End of mile three.

Off again we went to find her mom, so she could make clear the deal she had cut with the kids. If they went to school, there would be a cool prize for them. Incentive to attend school. They didn't even have to maintain any particular gpa, just go! We found the mom, went over the deal, she encouraged them to go to school, and praised the sister for attending, and let them know above everything else that she loved them. End of mile four, five, six...

And that was just one example. Everyday I encountered Patty, Kurt, Katherine, Gary, Raquel, Alexia, Gerardo, and the rest of the staff go the extra mile, beyond their duty.

The organization goes beyond their duty in every respect. Beginning with their model, which strives to go beyond what they call custodial care, meaning just feeding and clothing the kids, but to reach to provide therapuetic care, where they meet the kids needs with respect to psychological and spiritual needs. These are kids that come from very tough backgrounds. I had only a glimpse and realized, this stuff is deep.

Beyond that, they strive to reach the families of the kids. Many of the kids were taken away from their homes from reasons ranging from extreme poverty, to neglect, to abuse. The staff at La Casa attempts to reach back and improve the situation of the kids families in an attempt to reconcile the families, a very lofty goal, but they do not hesitate to go the extra mile.

They go even further and attempt to improve the community where the kid comes from, because of the strong possibility that the child will someday return to his original home when he is grown.

Truly every project or task undertaken here goes beyond the call of duty. They truly live the abundant life! Not driven into it by duty, but lured into it by love. That's where I want to be. Going the extra mile at every opportunity. In giving, in kidness, in work, in everything.

Go the extra mile.

My time at La Casa and El Salvador is something I will never forget. El Salvador is a beautiful country, but it's the people that really make this place unforgettable. And the lessons I learned I hope I never forget. My friends here are incredible!

Next stop is Nicaragua. I'm skipping Honduras because of the situation there. Although news today reports that Zelaya, the ousted President of Honduras, is attempting to reenter the counrty via the Nicaragua border. This may delay my trip to Nicaragua as well. We'll see how that goes, stay tuned.


If you want to learn more about La Casa, check out their website. http://www.mfh-elsalvador.org/

Check out photos on Facebook.

I love you all,

Michael

San Salvador, El Salvador: Favorite city, so far! I love San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Where do I start? Where did I end? Let's see. Arrived here on Thursday, the 9th, in the afternoon. It was pouring rain, and I had forgotten to write down my hotels address. What a dope! So I go to the bus station and ask to use the internet. No luck. No one would let me use their computer. Finally got a cab, and asked if they knew where the Hotel San Mateo was located, and of course they said yes. What I would learn later is that a taxi guy will never tell you he is not familiar with the location you're trying to get to. They will always assure you that they know exactly how to get there.

Half hour later we arrived at my hotel that was ten minutes away from the bus station. But apparently they were overbooked, so they sent me to another hotel. I spent my first week in San Salvador at Villa Serena Hotel, my first proper hotel during the trip. I asked for a single room, but was given a double, with two beds, its own bathroom (which is a luxury when "backpacking"), and a tv, and a fully functioning air conditioner!

The second bed came in handy when a few friends crashed one night. Actually they crashed twice. But it was nice to see them. The hotel offered breakfast for free, and was extremely secure, but otherwise, it was just ok.

It served its purpose, a place to sleep, and close proximity to La Casa de mi Padre, where I am volunteering for the length of my time here in San Salvador.

Friday, the 10th, was the first day at the La Casa. It was a great first day! I arrived at 2pm, and was a given a quick tour of the home, and then had an hour introduction to what the children's home is all about. More on that later.

The director, Gary Powell, (more on him later, as well), then took me and a group from Georgia, on a tour of new land that was purchased to build a permanent center for the kids. The land is just jungle for now, with a prayer chapel at the entrance. Soon it will house close to 90 kids, and maintain a school, and housing for staff and volunteers.

Currently, La Casa is located in a house that is home to 37 kids. I will write much more on the program later, but now i'll just update on what i've been doing.

Saturday and Sunday was spent at a beach house, that was offered by a really nice guy. The kids loved it. There are pictures on facebook.

Monday was the first day at La Casa. I spent the first part of the day with the youth group from Georgia, fixing, or trying to fix the water drains, that were plugged. The second part of the day was spent with the kids, helping them with their homework, and playing.

Monday night I got back to the hotel, and did nothing!

Tuesday I helped the group pour concrete at La Casa. The afternoon was spent with the kids. Wednesday was the same schedule.

Wednesday night, Raquel took me to eat Pupusas, the traditional food in El Salvador. It was delicious. We also had other typical food. It was all really good!

Wait, i'm getting my days mixed up. I think it was Tuesday that I went to eat typical El Salvadorean food, and Wednesday, Cindy and Clarrissa came to visit me. They're going to kill me for telling this story, but it's hilarious. At least it was to me.

We went out, at night, in El Salvador, and it was very safe. We went to a place called Multi-Plaza, that has a few places to go out. The girls were told it was lady's night, and a place called Stanza was a cool place to go dancing. So they get dressed up, and drag me out. I wasn't in the mood to go out, but I went. The place was like any other club in L.A. Door man with a suit, who decides who gets in and who doesn't. Of course these girls from the States think they'll waltz right in to a club in El Salvador! So we walk up, and I let them know that they should do the talking, since it was "Lady's Night", and they were ladies. We walk up to one of the promoters, and ask what the story was for that night. He let them know that it was member's only! Member's only? What? I convinced them that it wasn't worth it, so we went to a spot with a live band, playing great covers. An hour later, the band stop playing, and they decided to give the club another shot.

We walk up, but first ask a local what members only meant? He let us know that anyone could get in, it was just a matter of paying a 10 dollar cover. So they get in line again, and get to the front, where the door man let's them know that it's members only, and they weren't getting in. I was cracking up! And of course by then they knew that it wasn't members only, it was just that they did want their kind in their club.

It was funny to me because i'm sure these girls were never rejected from a club in the U.S. And under normal circumstances they would not have been rejected from this club. But they are backpackers, meaning they didn't exactly bring clothes for going out. And on this particular night, they kind of stretched the whole "casual" look. I don't know why, but seeing them (and I should say us, because I was there as well), rejected, was hilarious to me.

Thursday I went with the group from Georgia, and Kurt, a missionary here in El Salvador, to ancient ruins. After seeing Palenque and Tikal, these were just ok. We also went to a small colonial town, and visited a family that La Casa built a house for a few months ago.

Friday we were back at La Casa with the kids

Saturday was visiting day at La Casa, and today, Sunday I went to church.

I'll have a lot more to say about La Casa in the next blog, but my internet time is almost up.

No time to edit, so please excuse errors in writing.

Love you all,

Michael

San Salvador, El Salvador: I`m in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, and allegedly, a VERY dangerous city. But of course, it`s dangerous, but not any more dangerous than some neighborhoods in L.A. In fact I used the ATM machine last night at 10pm, and went for a bite to eat a half hour later. It`s like any big city, it has its nice spots, and ugly parts.

I arrived yesterday, from Guatemala City, which does appear to be very dangerous. I was only there for 3 hours, but you can just feel the tension. I was mostly at the bus station, but gained the courage to walk four blocks on either side of the station. Didn`t get mugged, but felt uneasy enough to not take another step further from the bus depot.

But, Guatemala, generally, was an amazing country. I arrived in Guatemala, via Palenque, about three weeks ago. The border crossing was fascinating, a van, a boat, and another small shuttle. I headed to Flores, Guatemala, a small island town, where I spent the night, only to be close to Tikal (ancient Mayan ruins). I contracted a virus (on my camera`s memory chip) along the way, so couldn`t take any pictures. But luckily, my friend did, and i`ve tagged myself on some of her photos on Facebook. Check them out.

From Tikal, I headed to the orphanage, in Rio Dulce, for two weeks. Then to Antigua. The next stop was supposed to be a lake town, called Panajachel. But after consulting with other travelers, I changed the destination to San Pedro. It was a good move.

San Pedro is a hippie town. The two girls I was traveling with, loved it. Since they`re a bit hippiesh (is that a word?) themselves. Or at least they love the whole hippy culture. If you know me, you know that I am quite the opposite. Very straight laced, conservative, etc, etc. So the trip to San Pedro was a growing experience for me. I was trying to become more "open minded". I guess it worked, i`m not sure. There are a few things I can learn from such a laid back attitude. One is to relax. The folks there were in no hurry, for anything. And they seem to get by just fine. Two,... I can`t think of two things I learned from them. But one is better than nothing!

San Pedro is also a nice place to visit for the scenary. Set among a lush green forest, overlooking Lake Atitlan, San Pedro could be atop anyone`s vacation destination list. We kayaked for four hours, and had lunch on a private beach one day. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! It was delicious. We went with a couple of Israeli soldiers, who had some pretty interesting stories to tell. I`ve heard lots about Israeli travellers, but these guys were cool. Of course, there are two sides to every story, but hearing their side was interesting. They say they love the Palestinian people, and most of them have no problem with Israeli`s, but it`s the leadership of Hamas that hinders peace. I`ve thought that all along, but i`ve never had the opportunity to speak to a member of Hamas, so I only know one side of the story. Who knows? I just hope they figure something out over there. A lot of history in that region.

Last Wednesday we were supposed to leave San Pedro, but there was only one shuttle bus leaving town, and it was full. So we took a 15 minute boat ride to another lake town, Panajachel, and hired a shuttle from there. A three hour bus ride turned into 5! We were waiting on the side of the road for a connecting shuttle for what seemed like forever. But eventually we got back to Antigua, so I could be closer to Guatemala City.

From Anitgua, caught a bus to Guatemala City, then to El Salvador, where I am today. Sad story about a traveler on the bus. Apparently immigration in Guatemala stamped his passport incorrectly, so they wouldn`t let him into El Salvador. He had to get off the bus, and fix his situation. The bus (we) left him. I felt horrible for the guy. He would probably have to spend the night on the border. The most dangerous part of any country. I hope he`s ok.

I`m staying at the Villa Serena Hotel; quite expensive, but safe. 26 bucks a night, with breakfast. Way out of my budget, but it was the place closest to the orphanage, and safest.

The accomodations are nice. I even have a TV in my room. I haven`t watched TV in weeks! Probably a good thing.

I`m off to the orphanage...

Everything is going great, hope all is well at home.

I love you all,

Michael

San Pedro, Guatemala: Still in Guatemala. A very beautiful country. No one really has it on the top of their lists of places to visit, but really an amazing place to visit.

I need to do a bit of catching up, i´ve been slacking off on the blog. Let´s see. I left the orphanage last week, and can truly say I miss it. The way I planned my year long trip was six months of scheduled travel, and six months to re-visit favorite places. As of right now, it would be the orphanage.

From the orphanage went to Antigua, a very touristy town. But lots of history. I took salsa lessons while I was there, but I don´t know if I improved. But it was fun. Also took a walking tour with two other friends, with me as the guide. I made up most of the historical information, but about 30% was factual. They didn´t really care. Because the town is so touristy, I really didn´t speak spanish while I was there. In fact, I don´t think i´ve spoken spanish all week. I need to leave the tourist zones!

From Antigua, headed to San Pedro, where I am now. Very beautiful. Check out the pics on Facebook, if you don´t have one, sign up, it´s free. If you´re opposed to Facebook, thenlog on to your friends facebook and check them out. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1366841075&ref=profile&__a=1

Traveling is great. There is no doubt that this trip was definitely worth it, and i´m just getting started. You learn a lot about yourself, and mostly from people your traveling with. They have some of the same complaints about me that people back home have. Hey, i´m working on it. But things are going generally well.

Of course, the news of Michael Jackson passing away made its way over here. Like everyone else, I was shocked. Besides his poor choices toward the end of his life, he was a man who for a day stopped LA traffic, and really the world. What an impact! They say the number of people you have at your funeral depends on the weather. I don´t think a blizzard would have stopped people from visiting Staple Center yesterday.

Next up for me is Antigua. Back to Antigua, then to Guatemala City, where i´ll catch a bus to El Salvador. I´m there for two weeks at La Casa de mi Padre children´s home. A much smaller operation than Casa Guatemala, but very much looking forward to it.

Hope all is well back home.

Love you all,

Michael

Rio Dulce, Guatemala: Today is Tuesday, I think. You really do lose track of days out here. I´m still at the orphanage, and loving it. As I explained before, I don´t stay at the orphanage, but I take a boat to the orphanage at 7:30 in the morning.

I get to the orphanage around 8, and head to the library, where I work as the proctor. Basiscally just make sure everyone is on task and reading a book at their appropriate reading level. The kids are pretty good about coming in, grabbing a book, and sitting down to read. Discipline problems are very limited.

The kids are extremely courteous, and never disrespectful. Although some do get tired of reading for an hour and start walking around, but I guess that´s normal. I know a number of adults who can´t read for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Weekends at the orphanage are great, because all we do is play. Last weekend we set up a slip and slide for the young boys, which they loved, and went fishing the next day. The kids are very brilliant and resourceful, and can fish with a piece of string, a hook, and a homemade weight. If they can find a worm, they´ll use it, if not, a small piece of tortilla does the trick. They caught about ten fish in an hour. These are 5,6,7 and 8 year olds.

The volunteers, both long term and short term, like myself, are really great. I spent the last week hanging out with two folks from Australia, John and Josie, and a young guy from Scotland named Leeman.

I´m sharing a dorm room two other girls, one from Spain, and the other from Phoeniz, AZ. Both very cool, and fun to hang out with. The one from Phoenix may even join me on my trip to Antigua. That´s on Thursday.

Thursday is my last day, and as these trips always go, it´s felt as if its flown by. I have not yet had the opportunity to sit down with the president and ask her questions about the creation and development of the orphanage and hostel, but I will definitely make time for that between now and Thursday. They are doing an amazing job here.

I´m feeling a little under the weather today, and I felt the same yesterday. I´m sure i´ll be fine.

Hope everything is well back home. As far as pictures, still no memory chip, and i´m afraid that any attempts to mail one here will be unsuccessful. I´ll try to buy one in Antigua.

Love you all,

Michael

Rio Dulce, Guatemala - Today was my first full day at the orphanage. A full day is from 8am to 4pm. It started a bit hectic. Being the ¨punctual¨person that I am, I asked numerous times what time the boat to the orphanage was set to leave. In was repeatedly told 7:30am. I planned accordingly.

Of course at 7am the boat driver was yelling, ya nos vamos! What? I thought I had 30 minutes to get ready! I went out and explained that I was told 7:30, and that I needed the additional 30 minutes. Well, I didn´t need them, but someone else who was headed to the orphanage did, so I fought the additional half hour. The boat driver was none to happy, but we got there, eventually.

I´m staying at hotel backpackers, which is a 20 minute boat ride from Casa Guatemala orphanage.

The orphanage is huge, and holds up to 250 kids. On the weekends its a bit less, since some kids do have parents, but only see them on the weekends, since they don´t have the means to take care of them full time.

The kids are great. Everything you would expect. The younger kids don´t wait to ask your name before they´re hanging all over you. Some are more outgoing than others. All of them eventually warm up to you if your willing to show some love.

And the full time volunteers are amazing as well.

I´m volunteering for two weeks, which make me a Turismo Solidario. I´m not sure what that means exactly, but more or less, it means i´m a junior volunteer. I don´t stay at the orpanage, and my stay is not longer than three months.

But there are at least 20 volunteers who have committed at least 3 months of their live, most more than 6 months, to live and work at the orphanage. And they don´t get paid, in fact they have to pay.

They´re a diverse bunch. Some from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, the U.S., and a number of other countries. And of course, all speak spanish, but not great.

But their commitment to the kids is amazing. Not all of them have formal training to work with kids, but all have the desire to serve. Their schedules are much more demanding than mine. I leave at 4pm everyday, they live at the orphanage. I´ll be in Anitgua, Guatemala in two weeks ) a huge tourist destination), they´ll still be here.

Today we played futbol, I got burned. Both literally and figuratively. It was fun. And the kids went swimming. Sundays are as they say, fundays at the orphanage.

Tomorrow school starts. I was told i´ll be working in the library, helping the kids with their reading. I´m looking forward to it.

As always, internet time is limited here.

Please excuse any errors.

Hope all is well back home.

Love you all.

-Michael

Rio Dulce, Guatemala: This time it was closer to the real thing! I told you the other day about a kid who threatened my life, but his gun was his fingers. This time the gun was real, well real fake, allegedly. I arrived in Rio Dulce today, checked in to the Hotel Backpackers, and went to the center of town to look for a new chip for my camera.

No luck finding a chip, so I decided to grab a bite to eat. Was eating at a river side restaurant, when a crazy looking guy came by with a gun in his pants. He was waering sweats, and showing it off. I tried to ignore him, but it was clear he was crazy. He proceeded to disrobe and bath in the river. He got out got dressed, and saw me.

He starts yelling at me, something about Americanos, and nothing positive. And something else about ¨tengo un pistola¨. I´ll be honest, I was nervous. It was a restaurant with a bar, so I went up to a group of locals standing near the bar to try to blend in. The crazy guy clearly saw me and did not like me. And made it clear he had a gun. I started asking aimless questions, and the waitress kindly let me know that she did not understand a word I was saying. I let her know, in perfect spanish, that the reason I was over there was because this crazy man has a gun, and is yelling at me. I didn´t know what to do.

¨Don´t worry,¨ she says. Apparently he´s the town looney, and the gun is fake.

What a relief. But I was still uneasy. Where are the cops, I demanded.

Cops? That idea seemed foreign to her. Let´s just say i´m not in the U.S. anymore. Things are certainly different here. But a few minutes later I was back roaming the streets.

Hotel Backpackers is on the other side of the bridge from the center of town. Look it up on youtube, and look up Casa Guatemala. I may have to wait til I get to a big town to buy a new memory chip for my camera. Until then, no pictures.

Accomodations here are nice. The staff is friendly, mostly graduates of the orphanage.

One girl said she thought I was Guatemalen when she saw me. The crazy earlier in the day obviously didn´t think so.

Being here eases the homesickness. I´ll be here for two weeks, with a purpose. I´m looking to meeting some of the kids tomorrow, and finding out what exactly i´ll be doing.

The ride from Flores to Rio Dulce was short...three hours. I sat in the front row, listening to my Ipod most of the way. Lots of Radiohead and Chili Peppers, with Classic Rock and other various artists mixed in. I love music. Puts me in a good mood no matter where I am.

I know i´m jumping all over the place, but back to the hotel (although its more like a hostel..with dorm rooms); they have a great book exchange. Started a book today called Living Faith. A collection of sermons by...I forget his name now. But he gave them back in the 20´s and 30´s. Lots to think about.

As always, hope all is well back home. Keep saving your pennies and come visit me at some point,

Love you all,

Michael

Where did I leave off? I forget. But i´m currently in Flores, Guatemala, but will be leaving to Rio Dulce, Guatemala in the morning. Casa Guatemala, the orphanage, is in Rio Dulce.

I visited the Tikal ruins today, about an hour and a half from Flores. The best ruins yet, but have no camera to prove it. Actually, I have a camera, but no memory chip. Apparently while plugging it in to the computer, it contracted a virus. I don´t like public computers!

But somehow my old pictures were saved. Check them out on Facebook.

I arrived in Flores on Wednesday, after an 8 hour bus ride from Palenque, Chiapas, which included two buses and a boat ride. My first border crossing was easy. Jump on one bus. Get off. Walk to immigration, in the middle of nowhere. Walk a few feet to a boat that takes you across the border. Jump on another bus, which drives for 30 minutes to the Guatemalen immigration office. Then get back on the bus and on to Flores.

Lots more to write about but my time is limited. I´ll have much more time tomorrow.

Hope everything is well at home!

Love,

Michael

This was the bus to Guanajuato. Nothing like the bus to Guatemala. The bus to Guatemala was not nearly as comfortable. More on that later.

TBC