Preparing for Volcan Tajumulco and Costa Rica

Hello friends. I would just like to give you an update on where I am and what I have been doing, as well as what I am doing next. For the last week and a half, I have been relaxing at beautiful Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Before here, we climbed some insanely-tall temples at the Mayan ruins of Tikal, and tasted the mushrooms and frolicked with the monkeys among the jungle ruins of Palenque. I met three Swedish guys, Oscar, Per, and Magnus, in San Jose del Pacifico, and traveled with them for about a month or so throughout Southern Mexico. We also picked up a few other friends along the way, including Thiago and Casandra from Brazil, and Mara from Spain. I also ran into my friend Ben in San Cristobal de las Casas, whom I had first met while volunteering at the Bosque Village. He traveled with me to Palenque, then departed afterwords. Everyone has gone thier own ways now, and I am once again by myself. It is quite different, and I miss the company of having friends around all the time. It is also nice though, because it gives me more time to work on my own projects. I have started writing more, and I also have a new website in the works, which I will reveal pretty soon.


I am leaving tomorrow to go to Quetzaltenango, where we will shortly after embark on a two-day trek to the top of Volcan Tajumulco. Tajumulco is an inactive volcano, but nonetheless, is the tallest is Central America at 4,220 feet. After that, I am taking a bus straight down to Costa Rica, where I am going to volunteer on another farm. I have been accepted onto the Earth Rose Farm, which is located near San Isidro del el General in Southern Costa Rica. It will be good to start working and learning again, and being productive. I had wanted to WWOOF again in Southern Mexico, and had applied to several farms, but was not accepted. I am flying back to Santa Cruz, California at the end of April, and will spend the remainder of my trip in Costa Rica. The Earth Rose Farm requires six hours of work a day, five days a week, with weekends off. So on weekends, I will have the chance to explore around the area.

Really looking forward to Costa Rica...and returning to California as well!

New Mexico photos

I finally have some new Mexico photos up! I still have many, many more to go, but you can check out the ones I have uploaded so far>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjgaudette

Travel Story - "El Volcan"

Whenever I see an incredibly tall object, whatever it may be, I feel an irresistable urge to climb it. As soon as I spotted Volcan San Pedro from the boat, I knew I was going to climb to the top of it. Little did I know that it would be one of the most challenging and rewarding hikes of my life.

I started asking around, trying to figure out how long it would take and how difficult the climb was. I discovered that it was on National Park land, and that there was a hundred-Quetzal entrance fee. A guide was included in this price. Numerous local people kept trying to set me up with a guide, no doubt because they wanted a small fee for their services. "Why would I need a guide?", I asked myself. I have been hiking all my life, and there is no way I would take a guide unless it was an extremely difficult and dangerous trek. I figured I would pay the entrance fee if I absolutely had to, but I would definitely not take a guide.

I headed out the door the next morning feeling a bit more unprepared than I would have liked to have been. I didn't have a chance the day before to buy extra food and to locate the entrance to the trail. Also, the memory on my camera was full, so I didn't have a camera to use. So I packed the only food I had, which was a bag of granola, and headed out the door. I also picked some fresh oranges from a nearby tree, picled up some extra water, and started searching for the path. I could not locate the main entrance, so I just found a dirt road that led toward the base of the volcano. After the road ended, I continued on paths that led through rows of hundreds and hundreds of coffee plants. Every once in a while I would come across a local working in the fields, or hear voices in the distance. I followed these many trails, laughing to myself about the need for a guide or a hundred-Quetzal entrance fee. I came to a clearing atop a high ridge, and stood on a rock, looking out over the vast lake below. I thought about how much my life has changed in the last year. I thought back to when I was sitting in my bedroom in Santa Cruz, wondering what to do with my life, and dreaming about traveling the world. Now I was standing on a volcano, looking over the majestic Lago Atitlan in Guatemala. "Now I am truly living!", I thought to myself. It made me realize that you can do anything you could possibly imagine in this life if you really want to.

Eventually, the paths I was follwing came to an end, and I began walking through the rows of coffe plants. Then, the fields of coffee plants ended, and I was forced to look for another way up the slope. I spotted what seemed to be a dried-up waterfall. It was the only accessible path up the mountain,so I began climbing up the rocks. It started to get very steep, and I was forced to ditch my walking stick so that I could use both my hands to climb. I began questioning if I knew what the hell I was doing. I arrived at the top of the ridge and continued pushing my way upwards, even though there was no path. I pushed my way through the brush and tall plants, wishing badly that I had a machete. I was soon over-joyed when I came to a well-defined path. I was also very surprised when I turned a corner to see a local man hacking away at something with a machete. I said hello to him, and I think that he was just as surprised to see another person that far up there as I was.

Pretty soon, even this path became hard to distinguish. Sometimes I would find something that sort of resembled a trail, where some other crazy bastard, like myself, was also trying to hack a way to the top. The foliage became very thick and steep, and I grunted and clenched my teeth as I used all my strength to push through masses of vines and pull myself up steep inclines with loose soil. I began thinking how ridiculously insane this was, but there was nothing I could do except go up, and I was certainly not about to go back down. I just knew that if I could reach the top, I could take the main trail back down the mountain. There were times when I just wanted to give up, but my survival instincts kicked in, and I knew that I had to get back down before dark. I soon noticed that the sun had dissapeared, and when I looked up, I could see white clouds drifting through the treetops. This had to mean that I was approaching the top, and with this observation, I recieved a fresh burst of energy. The only thing that mattered, was going up. I barrelled straight up the steep slope, with disregard to everything except making the most prgoress in the least amount of time possible.

All of a sudden, I saw a clearing a few feet in front of me. I jumped out into the opening...THE TRAIL!!! I had finally made it, but I could not believe it. I used the last bit of energy I had to climb the remainder of the way up to the peak. I had never agreed with paying an entrance fee to parks...I mean, do they think they own the volcano or something? But now I seewhy they charge for it; it must have taken a hell of a lot of work to build that trail. I have built trails myself in the past, so I knew exactly what kind of work it entailed. And without that trail, you would need to blaze your own trail up the mountain, just as I did.

I would suggest taking the trail.

As I approached the top, I knew there was going to be a great view, but I could not have anticipated just how spectacular it would be. The tops of the trees fell away to give way to one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. It felt as though I was looking down at the earth from outer space! The lake appeared to be miles and miles below, and the only company I had there with me were the surrounding clouds and the two neighboring volcano peaks. It was one of the most incredible views I have ever witnessed in my life, and I didn't even have a camera! I laughed aloud at this realization, and thought that maybe it was better that I didn't have one, because there was no way the magnificence and beauty of the sight could have been captured on film. I carved my name, "Zig-Zag", into one of the rocks, finished off the last of my food, and decided I had better head back down before it gets dark.

I passed two guys on the way down who were camping out, probably to see the sunrise in the morning. They probably saw me and thought, "crazy gringo", as I went rushing by. I had about an hour and a half before it was completely dark, and the sun was going down fast. I was basically running down the mountain, and my legs felt like rubber. My survival instincts were the only thing that kept me going;the fact that I had no warmth and no light. Whenever I thought I must be getting close, I would come to an opening in the trees and see the lights of the town miles below me. I was using the power of the mind to override what my body was telling it. My body was saying "stop", but my mind was saying "must keep going."

I came over a little hill and suddenly there was a building in front of me. The lights were on, and there was a man inside lounging in a chair. "What is this place?", I thought. My brain was not even functioning enough to think that it might be the ranger station. My water had run out long ago, and so when I spotted a water fountain, I went straight for it. One of the men working there came up behind me and started asking if I had a ticket, and if I had payed. I said no, and explained how I had went up a different route. They asked me to pay only fifty Quetzales, and so I did. I figured it was only fair, since I used the trail coming back down, and now I knew how much work had been put into making it.

I started walking down the nice, paved road back to town, and a car stopped within three minutes to give me a ride. I knew that the first thing I wanted to do when I got back was to get a giant burrito and a cerveza from Jarachi'k. I definitely learned a few good lessons from the adventure, such as:

1) Be more prepared.

2) ALWAYS bring a light, extra food, and a layer of warmth, because you NEVER know what may happen.

3) Don't be so stubborn; use designated paths when you don't know the area, and follow the guidance of others who have gone before you.

4) Don't be a cheapskate. Show respect when somebody provides you with a service, and pay up where money is due.

Until the next adventure, this is Zig-Zag signing out.

Leaving Guanajuato - Time for sun and sand

I was lying in bed the other night, unable to sleep, and I realized that it is time for me to leave Guanajuato. It has been an extremely productive time for me here, but I am not meeting many people, and I don't really have anything to be involved in. And I want to get down to the beach as soon as possible! It is not unusual for me to leave a place within a moment's notice. I will usually decide that it's time to go, and leave within a couple days.

I am going to stop in Paracho for a day, and check out guitars. The town is known for it's many guitar makers. In between Guanajuato and Paracho, I am going to try out a new style of traveling. During this distance, there are enough small towns that are close enough together, that I think I can take collectivos, or small buses, from one to the next. Presuming there actually are collectivos between all these towns, I think this method would be faster than hitch-hiking, and cheaper than a large bus. If it happens that I come to a town in which I cannot find a collectivo, I can always hitch or do a big bus. But beyond Paracho, there are not many towns. So I think I will have to take a big bus from there to the coast. And from there, I will hitchhike South along the coast, living on the beach and being a complete beach bum. And hopefully, I can find a farm to WWOOF at somewhere in Oaxaca.

Looking forward to hitting the road again!

Misconceptions of Mexico

Coming to Mexico from the U.S., I have found that a good majority of people have many misconceptions about the country. Peope ask my friend Brian, who lives in Mexico, if it is a dangerous country. He replies, "Yes, it is dangerous. There are many uneven surfaces and you have to be careful not to hit your head on anything." I have found both of these statements to be completely accurate. Fact is, people hype up the negative aspects of Mexico so much, that the positive ones often get overlooked. In the first month or so of when I arrived here, I was so paranoid about getting robbed that I hardly ever went out after dark.

Now, there is usually at least a little bit of truth to be found in every stereotype or rumor. People don't just make up stereotypes based on nothing. But stereotypes can oftentimes get blown completely out of proportion. On one or two occasions when I mentioned to someone that I was going to Mexico, they would flat out say, "You're going to get robbed." Come on, give me a break. Have you ever actually BEEN to Mexico, or are you just basing your misinformed prediction off the stereotypes that you have heard from other misinformed people? In actuality, it is all relative to where you are at. For exemple, I know certain places in the States where there is just as good of chance of getting robbed as in Mexico. And likewise, I know certain places in Mexico where there is just as good a chance, if not better, of getting robbed as in America.

The truth is, if you look any different from the majority of the people in Mexico, you are going to draw attention to yourself. I know this all too well, as people stare at me everywhere I go as if I am an alien from another planet. And you probably know that Mexico is not one of the wealthiest countries. So when people see a foreigner, they assume that they must have money in order to be able to travel. (Actually, I spend a lot less money traveling than I would if I was living a stationary life.) That is, unless you look like a complete dirtbag. You have to accept the fact that some people are going to try to get money from you in one way or another, whether that is through robbery, pick-pocketry, begging, or over-pricing on food and merchandise. In order to have a good traveling experience, you need to be aware of these things, and not subject yourself to risky situations. The most important thing is to use your brain, as well as common sense. DO NOT carry large amounts of money when you go out, and DO NOT take shortcuts down dark alleyways. Do not keep your money or other valuable items in easy locations for pickpocketers, and use locks on your bags. Be cautious when riding in taxis and purchasing things; if it seems like someone is overcharging you for something, they probably are. You may have to learn these lessons the hard way, but once you do, I guarantee that you will NOT let it happen again.

I am writing this in hope that you will have an accurate idea of what to expect when visiting another country. When you hear lots of different advice from lots of different people, it can de difficult to determine what to listen to, and what not to. I believe that most people are genuinely good at heart, but there are some who have been led down the path of wrong-doing, and those are the ones to watch out for. I would say that the majority of people I have met in Mexico are extremely good-natured people. I would also say that Mexicans in general are even more friendly and hospitable than Americans. I have met a few people who have been so extremely excited to help out travelers in need, and went so far out of their way that it almost reached a point of ridiculousness. It is nice to know that there are people like that out there, who see foreigners as fellow human beings, rather than walking bags of money. Meeting people like that are one of the high-points of traveling for me. So the next time you leave your country, listen to the advice people have to give you, but take it with a grain of salt until you are able to experience firsthand for yourself.

A Life of Luxury in Guanajuato

After living in the forest for a month, I am living such a comparitively plush life here in Guanajuato, that I wonder if I am really deserving of such generous hospitality. The universe always has a way of presenting me with exactly what I need at exactly the right times. About a week ago, right before I left the Bosque, I began to take notice of the emerging gap in my life that was once filled with music. I knew that I needed to settle down someplace where I could focus on playing music for a while. I found myself in Mexico City with an endless number of directions I could go, and waiting for guidance from good ol' Mr. Universe. Right around this time, my good friend Joseph informed me that his mother owns an empty studio that I can stay in in Guanajuato. Guanajuato, here I come!

The studio is much, much more than I ever could have asked for. It is a little walk from town, but it is situated on the side of a hill, overlooking a valley and nearby mountains. The walls are made of adobe, it is fully furnished with wooden furniture, and there is a patio in the front. There is a huge bed, a stove, oven, toaster...even a blender! I feel so incredibly blessed to be living in such luxury! I want my time here to be spent as productively as possible. I want to learn more and experiment with cooking, practice yoga every day, and also make a full re-emergence into the world of music, writing, and photography. I might even attempt to read a book that is completely in Spanish! (I can't find any in English anyway.)

Trading Paper for Pixels

I accidently left my journal behind in Mexico City a few days ago, as well as my baja hoodie. I know exactly where my journal was left; sitting next to the computer at a hostel, where I was last using it. Not sure about my sweatshirt. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. I don't care much about the sweatshirt, because they are cheap and abundant in Mexico, and I can easily get another one. But my journal was not just some material object that can simply be replaced. It was a collection of my thoughts, insights, and dreams from over the last three months or so of my life.

All I can do at this point, is understand that it is out of my control, and that everything happens for a reason. Around the same time that I discovered my journal was missing, I was toying with the idea of retrieving my laptop, and starting my blog back up. If all my writings had been stored online, there would be practically no way that they could ever be lost...even if something happpens to my computer. I think it may be time to make a re-emergence into the digital world...