A Journey of 10,000 Miles to Antarctica

Thief of License Plate

2015-01-07T14:06:00.002-08:00

Even though I have traveled thousands of miles through Mexico, Central and South America for almost 3 years with only one problem, the thief of my laptop. I have only been back in the Lynnwood Washington State area for a few months and I have had my little cargo trailer broken into and now my license plate stolen. You all thought that I was in danger while I traveled, NO! More things have gone wrong here in the short time I have been back then ever did during my travels. Thank you Lynnwood PD for the caring attention to these events
— in Lynnwood, Washington.

Uxmal Ruins

2014-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

South of Merida is where you will find the Uxmal Ruins (pronounced oosh mahl). This is an impressive Maya archaeological site with some fascinating structures that display ornamentation that adds to the appeal.

Uxmal was an important city that extended to nearby towns of Labna, Xlapak, Kabah, and Sayil. Xumal means “Thrice Built” in Mayan and is reported to have been built five times. First settled in about 600 AD and shows influence from the Mexican highlands in the architecture as seen in the serpent imagery, phallic symbols and columns.

The fact that water was scarce in this region led to the supreme importance of Chac, the rain god also known as the sky serpent as seen in its image abundant throughout the site. The use of stucco masks protrude from facades and cornices. It seems that the site was abandoned around 900 AD, not sure why. Drought conditions may be the main reason.

I have seen many ruins sites during my travels this last two and a half years. But this one is uniquely different than any of them; with its smooth sides, rounded corners and lack of stairs leading to the top portions of the main pyramid.

I am glad that I took the time to stop by and take a look.

Chichen Itza Ruins: One of the “Seven Wonders of the World”

2014-09-09T18:07:00.002-07:00

This sight is one of the “Seven Wonders of the World” that I can now cross off my bucket list. It cost M$204 and parking was M$22. It took me about three hours to see it all and take the photos I wanted. I went early, first in. I almost had the place to myself, but within two hours it was full of tourist and local vendors selling their crafts: this changed the feel of the place so more photos needed to be taken.

Only about 30 building have been fully restored and to keep them looking good there is no climbing on any of them. So the walk around is an easy one that allows for wheel chairs and strollers. Many of the sights I have visited are not as accommodating.

The Mayan people have displayed a talent for building temples and

ceremonial centers, developed an astronomical calendar, predicted solar and lunar eclipses, mathematical concept of zero, and produced the refined hieroglyphic writing system. There are many other accomplishments as artists, historians and road builders. The earliest Mayan settlements date back to around 1800BC. They were and still are an amazing people…

Cenote Ik-Kil and Cenote Dzitnup (Xkeken) Yucatan, Mexico

2014-09-05T06:53:00.002-07:00

Cenote Ik-Kil also known as Cenote Sagrado Azul (Blue Sacred Cenote) is a crystal clear, round, open cenote that is strategically located in the heart of the “Chichen Itza” archaeological zone (only 3km away). This cenote is about 150 feet deep and down 85 feet from the surface so you do need to be able to handle some stairs but the incline is not a steep one. It
does have several ways you can enter the water; jumping in, going down the side ladder, and the brave ones diving in from a high point. This cenote is mostly for swimmers I did not see any reason to use my face-mask and snorkel and not really for divers like the Dos Ojos. There are long roots hanging down from the surface to the water that helps give you that underworld felling. There is a small waterfall within this cenote and that is a first for me in my cenote exploring. It cost M$70 to enter with free parking.

The Mayan Connection: Cenote comes from the Mayan word “dzonot” or

“ts’onot” which means sacred well. Mayans believed the cenotes contained curative elements and considered many of them to be sacred. They also believed cenotes to be portals to the underworld and a way to communicate with the gods. The Sacred Cenote (Cenote Sagrado) at Chichen Itza was used to perform human sacrifices!

Cenote Dzitnup (Xkeken) is a semi open cenote just outside of Valladolid. This is a smaller cenote and is mostly for swimming no real need for snorkeling and definitely not for diving; the best for diving is still Dos Ojos. This cenote has a small hole at the surface and man-made stone stairs into a cave like setting. The need for artificial lighting does add an eerie look to the stalactites hanging down from the roof. But the cold clear blue water is still very refreshing and well worth the side trip for a visit.

Cenote Dos Ojos

2014-08-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Cenote Dos Ojos or “two eyes” is located a little over 9 miles north of Tulum on highway 307. This cenote was named Dos Ojos because it is actually two circular cenotes. This is a world famous cenote and there is a large cave system below where divers can explore almost 500 meters of the underwater world in the immediate area. IMAX filmed part of their film “Journey into Amazing Caves” here.

There are areas for swimmers, snorkelers as well as scuba divers, be sure to bring or rent a strong underwater flashlight or you might be able to piggyback a long with a scuba or snorkeling group because it can get dark, spooky and a lot of fun. You will get to see some impressive formations you don’t get to see otherwise.

The water crystal clear and was delightfully cold for me, I spent four hours snorkeling and was comfortable the entire time but others thought it was too cold. For those people you can rent a wetsuit. I recommend going to the first cenote first and then on to the second, the order is important once you go, you will see why that is true.

This cenote was the most expensive one at M$150 so far, I recommend going to the Gran Cenote first at M$120 then to the Dos Ojos Cenote you will be even more impressed.

Bacalar on Laguna Bacalar (Bacalar Lagoon)

2014-08-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

This town is an old Spanish settlement here before Chetumal and now is a little local resort; with an old fort in the heart of town called “Foerte de San Felipe Bacalar”.

Bacalar as it turns out is quite a nice little town located just north of the Belize border on Hwy 307 between Chetumal and Cozumel, Mexico. It has everything you need; ATM, hospital, bars, restaurants, street vendors, souvenir shops, one campground that is right on the lake, hostels, hotels all on a great seven color lagoon. The lagoon is big enough for motorboats, water-skiers, jet-skies, sightseeing watercrafts, sailboats and much more.

This fresh water lagoon is known as “Las Lagunas de Siete Colores” (The Lagoon of 7 Colors) and is landlocked. It is very shallow with a light reflecting bottom that changes colors depending upon time of day and lighting conditions. It is an excellent place to swim and camp.

The water is beautiful, clear and with colors changing from white to the deepest blue. At this location there are special live formations called Stromatoites that date back some 3,500,000 years. At night the moonlight prances on the water like thousands of fireflies were dancing on it. An added bonus is right now there are not many mosquitoes or other biting insects to spoil the night’s enjoyment.

Cenote Azul (Blue Sinkhole) is separated from Laguna Bacalar only by a narrow strip of land but entirely different and reported to be more than 175 feet (57 meters) deep. For M$10 you can access this great swimming hole through the restaurant. Spending a hot sunny day in a cool deep blue sinkhole is great way to spend time and have a bite to eat.

Sinkholes here are caves of soft limestone that collapsed and exposed the freshwater rivers within. There are more that 6000 of them and are unique to the Yucatan peninsula; the freshwater within is considered to be sacred waters. The Mayans thought that the underground rivers and streams that are found in these cenotes are gateways to Xibalba or the underworld. Another theory is that some 65 million years ago the Chicxulub meteor impacted the area and a huge proliferation beginning at a radius of more than 100km (62 miles), but looking at a map the cenotes are not in that area. This meteor is the one that is thought to be the start of the ice age and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.

My first plan was to stay for just a few days then head on up to Cozumel where I had planned to sell my two scuba tanks and maybe a wetsuit to one of the dive shops. That would have given me some extra cash then I could afford to snorkel with the whale sharks ($150US) and do a few other things, but that has fallen flat. Now I am planning where to go next.

The Balneario Cocalitos Campground is $7.50US per night for me; it is lovely and right on the lake. I need to stay a bit longer to balance out my month and money, and then I will be on the road again.

Belize gas prices were $6US per gallon and I got bad gas millage too. Mexico gas is run by the government so it will be the same price throughout the country at $3.80 per gallon, I can sure use a price break.

I am very much looking forward to getting back home…the grass being greener as they say.

Caye Caulker-Belize City, Belize

2014-08-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many islands off the coast of Belize.

I drove my own car into Belize so I had to store it for the days I was on the island and I did at Cucumber Beach Marina (Old Belize Shipyard) at 5.5 Miles Western Hwy (at the police check point), Belize City (www.oldbelize.com) email marketing@oldbelize.com. You might be able to stay in you RV overnight there too. They have bathroom, showers, saltwater pool, restaurants, and laundry for your use. I was charged Bz$15/7.50US per day. I rode the local bus for Bz$1.50 (that pick me up right in front of the shipyard) that takes you into town, about a 20 minute ride to the end at the terminal and for Bz$7.00 you can take a taxi to the water taxi. The Caye Caulker-Belize City Water Taxi round trip ticket cost me Bz$45. This was an enjoyable ride for about 45 minutes and then I was there. I took the local tuk-tuk for Bz$5 because I did not know just how to get to the Bella’s Hostel. After that I walked everywhere around the island.

This little island town is a quiet laid back village with an ATM/bank, a clinic, many bars and restaurants, grocery and souvenir stores and street merchants. Your choice of places to stay are from hostels to hotels, and tuk-tuks for getting around if you don’t want to walk (no cars on the island); but you can walk around the island in about 30 minutes.

I snorkel the reef via a tour; I was hoping for the freedom to see the reef on my own but that is not allowed anymore. Because it seems that a hand full of people last year ruined it for the rest of us. They took lobsters, to small and out of season, along with many other things; they in effect rape the coral reef here. Tourist!!!! What are you thinking! This is not yours to do with as you please, that is true for the whole world; people from all over the world have a right to see undisturbed what is here; so take all the photos you want, but leave everything alone for the next person to enjoy along with the sea creatures that call this place home.

After going on the Caveman Tour (Bz$130); I believe it is the best way to go. The Caveman is very good, knowledgeable on the sea creatures and proud of this coral reef. The rules here are strict in order to protect this section of the second largest coral reef in the world and the largest in the northern hemisphere, not to mention all the sea creatures that call it home; as it should be. I got to see a manatee, two different kinds of turtles, sting rays, sharks, and many other fish, a shipwreck, Hol-Chan Park, seahorses, and fed the Tarpon (large endangered protected fish). The Caveman is #1 on Trip Advisor too.

It was well worth the money for the day’s excursion, but if you are going to do this please be sure to wear a hat, T Shirt, bring an underwater camera (you can rent one on the island), and sunblock; but only put it on when the tour guide say it’s OK to, again to protect the coral reef.

Enjoy the underwater world it is amazing.

St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park, Belize

2014-07-29T04:40:00.001-07:00

The Belize Audubon Society is in charge of this national park in an effort to create a balance between people and the environment. The Bz$8 ticket price contributes to the conservation in Belize (www.base@btl.net).

At first I went to the cave, there are two ways to get there; the highlands and the lowlands, and I took the low road. It was an easy enjoyable walk that took about 20 minutes. I also went for the unguided tour; if you want the guided one it can take four hours and requires getting wet, down and dirty. There is a crystal cave too, but that is several more hours and more dirt. It sounds like fun for another trip.

Next there is the “Blue Hole”; this has two trails one that take you around through the jungle for one mile giving you a chance to see many birds and other wildlife, or you can walk about five minutes down some stairs to a beautiful lagoon. The lagoon has two parts; one goes into a cave with bats, stalactites and dripping water from the ceiling, the other has delightful turquoise blue water inviting you in for a cool swim. I went early Sunday morning and I had the place to myself this I highly recommend.

You can spend a little more than an hour to all day. I spent three hours; it was a delightful way to spend a morning.

Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve, Belize

2014-07-28T15:31:00.003-07:00

Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, well within sight of the Guatemala border – which is a mere 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) to the west. It served as a Maya civic ceremonial center in the Late and Terminal Classic periods to the Belize Valley region.

Xunantunich’s name means "Stone Woman" in the Maya language (Mopan and Yucatec combination name), and, like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, is a modern name; the ancient name is currently unknown. The "Stone Woman" refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, beginning in 1892. She is dressed completely in white, and has fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of "El Castillo", ascends the stone stairs, and disappears into a stone wall.

The first modern explorations of the site were conducted by Thomas Gann in the mid-1890s. Gann’s successor, Sir J. Eric S. Thompson, implemented a more methodical approach, and was able to establish the region’s first ceramic chronology.

Carvings on the peak of the El Castillo pyramid (Structure A6) at Xunantunich, has an Artistic rendering of plaster frieze on the west side of the 13 story building. The frieze is more than 9 feet high and 30 feet long, which dates back between 800 and 900 AD. The frieze features a three dimensional image of a Maya ruler, ancestor gods, dancing figures and earth monsters.

El Castillo pyramid it is the second tallest structure in Belize (after the temple at Caracol), at some 130 feet (40 m) tall. El Castillo is the “axis mundi” of the site, or the intersection of the two cardinal lines. Evidence of construction suggests the temple was built in two stages (the earlier dubbed Structure A-6-2nd, which dates to around 800 AD, and the later Structure A-6-1st). Structure A-6-2nd had three doorways, whereas Structure A-6-1st only had doors on the north and south. The pyramid lies underneath a series of terraces. The fine stucco or "friezes" are located on the final stage. The northern and southern friezes have eroded, and the others were covered during the reconstruction and over time. There is a plaster mold on the Eastern wall frieze. The frieze depicts many things. Each section of the frieze is broken up by framing bands of plaited cloth or twisted cords (which represent celestial phenomena). The frieze depicts the birth of a god associated with the royal family, gods of creation, as well as the tree of life (which extends from the underworld, the earth, and the heavens).

This site has a well maintained park with easy walking pathways so wheelchairs, strollers and walkers can get around, you just will not able to climb the pyramids. The hand crank ferry is a wheel on off one.

The price was Bz$10. For the day, open 8am-4:00pm every day.

It was a very nice ruin to visit and I recommend it to all. I know my grand-kids would have love it.

Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve, San Ignacio Belize

2014-07-26T06:01:00.001-07:00

Cahal Pech is dated from 100 BC to 650 AD and was discovered in 1950 and is located in the town of San Ignacio in the Cayo District of Belize. The site was a hilltop home for an elite Maya family, and though most major construction dates to the Classic period, evidence of continuous habitation has been dated to as far back as far as 1200 BC during the Early Middle Formative period (Early Middle Preclassic), making Cahal Pech one of the oldest recognizably Maya sites in Western Belize.

Cahal Pech site core consists of 34 large structures. During the Classic Period, the site and its sustaining lands may have encompassed a realm of approximately 16 square km. A large collection of Formative Period figurines (1000 BC-250 AD) have been found on site.

The name Cahal Pech, meaning "Place of the Ticks", was given this site during the first archaeological studies in the 1950s, led by Linton Satterthwaite from the University of Pennsylvania Museum. It is now an archaeological reserve, and houses a small museum with artifacts from various ongoing excavations.

The primary excavation of the site began in 1988. Restoration was completed in 2000 under the leadership of Dr. Jaime Awe, Director of the National Institute of Archaeology (NICH), Belize. But actually it is still going on with the help of archaeology students.

Archaeology students that where there working on the Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve have come from all over the world; this goes on each year for up to two month in June and July.

Green Iguana Conservation Project, San Ignacio, Belize

2014-07-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

It now cost Bz$18 dollars for adults, you will have a guide that explains everything and helps with you and the iguanas. This project is housed within the San Ignacio Resort Hotel grounds, where the work to breed and raise the endangered green iguanas is done, before releasing them into the wild. This project is self-sustaining through the fees charged to visitors. It is an interactive exhibit so come prepared to touch, hold and feed the iguanas. You can also sponsor and name one of the dragon like reptiles (www.sanignaciobelize.com).

The green female iguana lays 30 to 90 eggs at a time. They mate once a year (Nov through Jan); females carry the eggs for 60 days, and then lay them, 90 days later they hatch. Once they are laid in the ground then they are left unattended. Temperature controls the sex of the eggs; 85 degrees gives you females. This project is only producing females at this time do to the severely depleted iguana population in Belize.

These iguanas are then released onto the hotels back protected property to get used to being in the wild and then migrate off on their own.

Iguanas have been eaten by Belizeans here and if the female is full of eggs they are eaten too (these eggs are thought to be like Viagra and to help with male fertility, but not true), but only animals eat the eggs once they have been laid.

Green iguanas grow about one foot per year. The males have the taller spikes on their backs and change color to bright orange and red during mating season. Males can get up to 6 feet long and female only get to three feet long. The green iguanas will live for 35 years or so. Green iguanas are vegetarian whereas the black ones are carnivores or scavengers and they will eat the baby green iguanas.

Uaxactún Archeological Site

2014-07-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Uaxactún is quite different than Tikal; it is within a quiet sleepy little village. It is 23 km (15 miles) on the north side of Tikal National Park, but the road there was a rough white limestone dirt road and took me over an hour to drive. The road was very dry and dusty so when I arrived my wonderful green Toyota 4Runner was now white with dust and in desperate need of a washing.

This site is far less developed than Tikal but still well worth a visit; it is situated within the confines of a working community so you need to walk through the village to get to the different sections of the site. I stayed there for three nights and it only rained a little so it made for a very pleasant stay (their rainy season can be intense and extreme).

Uaxactún was founded around 500BC and was occupied until shortly after 900AD, giving it a 1400 year history. The archaeological site is divided by an esplanade made into two main compounds. Group A and B had the most complex buildings and compounds. Group D, E, F, and H are the oldest in Uaxactun and present much monumental architecture and sculptures.

Uaxactún’s name was proposed in 1916 by U.S. Archaeologist, Sylvanus Morley. It is composed of two Mayan words Uaxac (eight) and tún (stone) and makes reference to the Mayan date 8 Bak’tun engraved on stela 9 and means 328AD.

Both sites are within the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, the largest tract of forest in Guatemala and protected from threats from fire, deforestation caused by the expansion of agriculture and ranching, illegal hunting and logging, trafficking of wildlife, water pollution to name a few.

The tropical forest consists of six different layers, emergent, canopy, under canopy, shrub layer, forest floor and the organic soil strata. It provides food and homes to wildlife such as jaguars, spider and howler monkeys, peccaries, deer, ocelots, and more than 400 different bird species.

As I left Uaxactún to go back to Tikal, planning on camping there again for a night or two, there I will be able to give my great car a good washing. But as it turned out it has been raining at Tikal since I left. The dry dusty road was now wet, slippery and the mud got packed into the tread of my tires so they were as if they were bold. It is good that I have “low 4 wheel drive”, which makes my car trudge through just about anything. It is still raining and hard at times, so my car got a natural washing and is back to being green.

Some of the main products produced in the area are:

In Mesoamerica the Sapodilla sap was chewed. 1860Thomas Adams figured out the “chicle” or sap could be used for producing chewing gum. 1875 Thomas Adams launched the Adams New York Chewing Gum brand. 1890 Guatemala starts production for export. 1891 Wrigley’s added mint to the chewing gum. 1918 Chicle Development Co and Wrigley Import Corporation are established in Petén.

To facilitate the commercialization of chicle or white gold, in 1926 a landing strip for light aircrafts was built. It was not until 1980 the first road was built. The Sapodilla is one of the tallest trees in the Tropical Forest: up to 130 feet high and three feet in diameter.

Allspice grows naturally in the rainforest of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It was discovered in the 15^th century by Spanish conquistadors who thought it was black pepper. In the 16^th century it was introduced to Europe and quickly became popular as a new spice, mainly in England. Allspice also has many uses not only as a condiment and seasoning for dishes and beverages. The fruit and leaves have medicinal qualities: as disinfectant, antiseptic, sedative, painkiller, and helps with digestive problems, as well as many other things.

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Tikal Archeological Site

2014-07-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Tikal Archeological Site is very nice, touristy and commercialized with hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. The road (CA-13) into it was good by Central America standards. When I got here it hadn’t rained much for quite a while, this made it nice for me to climb the hillsides and ruins (when its wet it can be very slippery).

The Holy Tree of Life

Tikal National Park is the sites official name; UNESCO World Heritage designated was made in 1979 at the 3^rd session in Cairo Egypt.

The ruins lie among the tropical rainforests of northern Guatemala that formed the cradle of lowland Maya civilization. The city itself was located among abundant fertile upland soils, and may have dominated a natural east-west trade route across the Yucatan Peninsula.

1849 the plan to excavate was started but not till 1882 did it really get underway and is still going on today.

CEIBA, “The Holy Tree of Life” for the Mayans, one is at the beginning of the park.


Acroplis Center

The Grand Plaza is the best all. It was the center of civic ceremonial actives for the Mayans and it contains Temples I and II, the Acroplis Center to the south and the Acropolis Norte to the north.

Acropolis Norte

Temple I, Grand Jaguar Add caption

Temple I, Grand Jaguar is the most famous and widely photographed. Inside was found the tomb of the ruler Jasaw K’awiil Chan. It was built in 734AD and rises 47 meters (154 ft) high with GPS coordinates of 17°13′19.54″N, and 89° 37′25.01″W.

View of Temple I from Temple II

Temple II

Temple II located on the west side of the grand plaza, known as the “Temple of the Masks” It stand 38 meters tall and was built in 700AD by ruler Jasaw K’awiil Chan. Its carved wooden lintel sapodilla seems to portray the wife of the ruler.


Temples I, II and III as seen from Temple IV

Temple III known as “The Great Temple of the Jaguar Priest” is still being unearthed and is the tallest of the three at 57 meters high. It was built in 810AD and it stands tall above the jungle as seen from Temple IV the most westerly part of the park.

Temple IV

Temple IV is known as two headed serpent and is 800 meters to the west of the great plaza. It consists of seven bodies and reaches 70 meters tall. It is the tallest temple of Tikal and Mesoamerican, higher than the Temple of the Sun in Teotihuacan in Mexico. The builder was Chan K’awiil Yik’in around 740AD. It is still under renovation.


Temple V

Temple V is located to the south of the Central Acropolis, and east of the Plaza of Seven Temples. Stand 57 meters tall and is believed to be built during the Early Classic Period (550-650AD).


Sloping Panel Temple in the Lost World

The Lost World Pyramid was built around 900BC, is one of the oldest in Tikal and the last to be excavated. It was used for astronomy by the Mayans. At each cardinal point it has four masks representing Chac, god of rainhz.


One of the Twin Temples

Complex Q, is to have the largest twin pyramids but there was only one as yet uncovered, that I saw. The south side of the structure has nine entries and the pyramid has nine plain stelae and altars in the front.

There are two museums to see that were Q10 each, but now it is Q30, and that gets you in to both. They are both worth visiting.

Camping on site is Q50 per day and they have good bathrooms and showers. But best of all, you get covered areas for your tent that keeps it cool and protected from the hot sun and hard rains.

Jaguar Inn also has a very small camping space but it only has one covered areas that when I look it had 4 tents under it, at Q50 each, bathrooms but no showers.

Maya Ruins of Quirigua, Guatemala

2014-07-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Maya Ruins of Quirigua, Guatemala; near Lago de Izabal, north of Honduras and south of Belize. It is set in an isolated rainforest pocket, surrounded by banana plantations and home to some of the finest Maya carvings (only Copan in Honduras are better they say).

The sites magnificent stelae, altars and zoomorphs, are covered and well preserved. The stelae were built during the reign of Causac Sky and depict his image. The nine stelae are the tallest in the Maya world. The tallest one is eight meters (26 ft) above ground and weighs 65 tons.

This site is small and well maintained with a very small museum (free) which explains the sites history starting from 250BC to 738AD when Causac Sky was beheaded. Jade Sky in 790 took the throne and for more than 50 years the area embarked on a building boom including radical reconstruction of the acropolis. From the end of Jade rule to the mid ninth century the historical records fade out, as does the time of prosperity and power.

The price for this site was 80Q ($10US) I found that was too much, but if you plan on staying overnight then it is OK.

Camping is available overnight in the parking lot free. After about 5pm you have the place to yourself except the night guard. This spot is quiet and restful, without hookups but bathrooms are available.

Snorkeling the Pacific Coast from Mexico to Chile

2014-06-21T11:14:00.002-07:00

Over the past two years, I have traveled and snorkeled my way along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Chile. Frankly I have found only one spot worthy of the time and money to dive or snorkel and that was Coral Beach at Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo just northwest of Acapulco, Mexico. But if you have never snorkeled or scuba dive before than add the beach at Soggy Pesos in San Carlos north of Guaymas, Mexico.

There have been some different spots that have been fun but far from special and overall the Pacific Coast has been disappointing.

The major reason for this disappointment has been the lack of preservation and/or marine controls or laws from country to country. I was going to say the poorer countries are the worst offender, but in fact, we back in the United States, are for the most part just as bad. Everyone thinks that they can take all they want today and there will still be more it to take tomorrow. But I have seen firsthand that is not true. We must, worldwide, work on conservation and proper management of all of our resources. There is a limit to what we have and what we can use…

The abuse that has been going on for hundreds of years now must come to an end; the world is at a precipice and it is our children and grandchildren that will pay the price for our greed today.

We as people of the world can and must work harder to conserve and protect or we will not have anything for tomorrow. This is a fact that can be seen throughout the world…

Please open your eyes and do something; do not just sit on your hands!!!!!!!

Thousands of Fireflies; the Best Show Todate

2014-05-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

My one night camping stay in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica gave me solitude (no other campers), but not the feeling of isolation. I had many visitors, a young buck, iguanas, numerous birds, and some howler monkeys in the trees, several other noisy critters rustling in the brush. But the best was hours of the greatest firefly show I had the good fortune to witness. The fireflies flitted around at two or three feet (.5 to 1 meter) above ground in the grassy areas; like a blanket of tiny twinkling lights constantly on the move in the near distance. I placed a chair a few feet away from my tent and set there watching with delight; I grab my camera and tried several ways to photograph what I was witnessing but without luck.

The fireflies started showing up at dusk and carried on well into the night, but it did seem that after about three hours their quantities diminish. As I sat in amazement the fireflies buzzed all around me, like I was being included in their evenings presentation.

There were only two things that would have made this night better, first is that I could have afforded to stay more than one night in the campgrounds ($12 a night when just eight months ago it was $2), second more than ever, I wished my grandchildren could have been there to witness it with me… and help catch some.

Once again this will be one of those stories I will only be able to tell, over and over again… like a fish story that grows each time it is told.

Note: If anyone knows how to take photos of the fireflies please let me know. I hope I will get another chance before I finish my travels in November 2014.

Eight Months of Backpacking Through Central and South America

2014-05-14T12:10:00.002-07:00

My eight month backpacking part of my journey has now come to an end. I have my car back and will be hitting the road again camping my way back to Seattle.

My time in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chili was awesome. Riding the bus throughout these countries is the cheapest way to go. It was nice leaving the driving to someone else most of the time. I frequently took the night bus that way I would also save on the price of a nights logging.

I saw and did most everything on my way south throughout these countries, so I was able to do 6 countries in six or seven weeks on my way back north mostly just passing through. The longest bus ride was 48 hours which was from Santiago Chili to Lima Peru. I did need several days rest and time to walking about the town before continuing on.

I did take the five day sailboat trip from Colombia to Panama on the Jacqueline Catamaran; a tremendous trip through the San Blas Islands. Full of sun, fun and snorkeling, even diving 2 ship wrecks; one was an old pirate’s rum running ship that the captain ran aground to prevent losing his cargo, the other is a more current sailing ship that as the story goes:

By Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com -

Don North disappeared from his sailboat in the San Blas islands in January 2011. Shortly thereafter, the body of Jean Pierre Bouhard came floating to the surface of the ocean near Portobelo. Bouhard had been murdered, and his body had been tied to an anchor and thrown into the ocean.

Friends of Don North contacted me on Thursday, 10 February 2011, to let me know they thought something was wrong. They put me into contact with North's nephew, Ezra North. He immediately flew to Panama, and I helped him file an official complaint with the Panamanian authorities on Friday, 11 February 2011. The next day, on Saturday, we went with the DIJ and FBI agents to the area of Portobelo, to search for Javier Martin. Nothing happened on Sunday. Then on Monday, 14 February 2011 - Valentine's Day - I called an impromptu press conference outside of the offices of the DIJ and announced to the Panamanian media that we were looking for Javier Martin as a suspect serial killer, in the murders of Jean Pierre Bouhard and Don North. Martin's photo aired on the channel 2 TVN news broadcast at 12:00 noon that day.

The judge responsible for the trial of the Spaniard Javier Martin, for the murder of the American expat Don North, has established a date for the trial.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, 16 April 2014, starting at 10:00 am.

Chile

2014-03-19T10:21:00.002-07:00

As it turns out, Chile is even more expensive than Costa Rica. So my time here will be short and exceptionally low key, I will be doing things that are free or at least of the ultra-low cost variety.

Chile lies west of the Andes, between the foothills of the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. For some reason, I thought that it would be a country of high cliffs and rugged mountains, but it is a country of barren sand, rainless weather, and a long way between nowhere at least as far south as Santiago. This has been common to what I have seen since I left Ecuador. At least Peru has the advantage of the Amazon Region on the eastern side of the Andes, which Chile does not have. So if you are a giant fan of dry, plant less land, with bright sunny days; Chile is for you.

I was hoping to move on into the southern part of Argentina next, but it is as expensive as Chile this time of year, add to that the $180US Reciprocity Fee charged when entering it is now over my $1200 US budget I have for each month. I will have to turn around start heading back north and for home on the 26^th of March 2014. That means there are 4 countries in South America that charge $130US or more for United State Citizens to enter them; Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina (this is of course in return what we charge them to come to the states).

Santiago is at an elevation of only 520 m (1,706 ft) with a mild climate and is the capital of Chile. Santiago founded in 1541 and has been the capital city since colonial times. The city has a downtown core of 19th century neoclassical architecture and winding side-streets, dotted by art deco, neo-gothic, and other styles. Santiago's cityscape is shaped by several stand-alone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River. Mountains of the Andes chain can be seen from most points in the city. These mountains contribute to a considerable smog problem, particularly during winter. The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards, and Santiago is within a few hours of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

My time in Santiago has been intriguing; it has an extensive transit system of Metro (subway) and a large network of surface street buses. The city looks to be well planned out with many sub zones, city parks, and a wide variety of restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, cinemas, performing arts, sports and shopping. Santiago has good streets with few potholes and wide sidewalks with easy walking and wheelchair ramps all over the city.

I have found the people here to be friendly and mostly well dressed (not much saying poor) giving the impression of a not being a “3^rd world country” but more of a modern metropolis. I am sorry to say I have not found much in the way of street food here. Too bad, I do love eating the local people’s food. Now, I will just have to wait until I start going back north of Peru, the more north the better.

Machu Picchu, City of the Incas, Cuzco, Peru

2014-03-03T05:50:00.001-08:00

Machu means old, and Picchu means peak, so we have Old Peak. The Inca site built in the 15^th century, at about 8000 feet above sea level and located in Cusco a sacred valley which lies 50 miles NW of the current city of Cusco. It is thought that this site built for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti (1438-1472) and is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas”.

The estate built around 1450 but abandoned around the time of the Spanish Conquest, a century later. It seems that the Spanish did not know of this site, so it remained undisturbed.

Not known to the outside world till 1911 when an American historian, Hiram Bingham, brought international attention to it.

It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Then in 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.

From what I have seen of this site and the Inca descendants, short stocky people that are strong and proud. They continue to live and farm in some of the most rugged and inhospitably steep land. I have seen these people clear and farm this land by hand; a backbreaking labor intensive effort that has gone on for centuries.

An Inca bridge was built to the west of Machu Picchu, the tree-trunk bridge, at a location where a gap occurs in the cliff that measures 6 meters (20 ft). It could be bridged by two tree trunks, but with the trees removed, there was 570 meters (1,870 ft) fall to the base of the cliffs.

Dr. Maria Reiche: Great Lady of Nazca

2014-02-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

Nazca has the driest desert in the world; it only gets one hour of rain each year and that is more of a drizzle than a rain. The water the people use flows from the Andes Mountains and an underground water source that is down over 15 meters. The rainy season is only 6 weeks long in February and March. It has been dry for two years now.

The lines are shallow designs made in the ground by removing the reddish pebbles and uncovering the white ground underneath. Many are simple lines or geometric shapes; more than seventy are zoomorphic designs of animals such as birds, fish, llamas, jaguar, monkey, or human figures. Other designs include phytomorphic shapes such as trees and flowers, the largest figures are over 200 meters (660 ft) across. Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but in general they ascribe religious significance to them.

In 1939, Maria was teaching in Lima, the capital of Peru, and doing scientific translations. By then, Germany was already at war in Europe, so she did not want to go back to her home country. Then Maria heard from an American scientist in Lima about the mysterious Lines and Figures of Nazca, which he had recently seen from an airplane. She was intrigued enough to take a flight herself in a small plane over the Nazca desert. When she saw the figures from the airplane of the spider, the hummingbird and the monkey, she was so fascinated by them that she moved to Nazca to study the lines herself.

Maria made many flights, taking photographs of all the etchings on the desert floor. She was especially drawn to the image of the monkey, but when she enlarged the photos she had taken, she was amazed to see that one hand had only four fingers just like her. Due to an infection in Maria’s hand she too lost one of her fingers to gangrene. At that time, she had not even heard about the Lines of Nazca.

She asked people who knew the old Nazca stories what this might have meant. Finally, she learned that this was a mark of the God of Thunder, which gave significant power to communicate with the gods. Had Maria, herself, been marked to uncover the secrets meant only for the gods?

Maria Reiche (1903–1998) was a German mathematician, archaeologist, and technical translator who carried out research into the Nazca Lines in Peru, beginning in 1940, and had success in gaining recognition and preservation of the property. She helped educate people about the resource and gain government recognition and preservation. In 1995, the Nazca Lines were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Maria Reiche - Astronomical Theory

Maria Reiche, the most famous Nazca-Researcher, prefer the astronomical theory. Lines should show in the direction of the rising of influential stars and planetary events like summer and winter solstices. Formations like the spider and the monkey could show star constellations like Orion and Ursa Mayor (Big Dipper).

The big problem of all astronomical theories is that age is unknown. The direction of stars change over the centuries because the phenomena of precession.

Maria Reiche has led a determined effort to discredit the von Daniken theory of extraterrestrials. The strategy of this attack has been to argue that the Nazca Indians constructed the lines relatively recently - sometime between 300 BC and 800 AD. In support of this possibility, some scientists have put forward ingenious ideas on how the geoglyphs could have theoretically been designed from the ground. The important evidence, however, that attempts to link the lines definitively to the Nazcan culture. Here, neither of the two key pieces of evidence survives scrutiny.

As it stands today the truth and origin of these lines is still unknown and may never be known.

Maria Reiche lived her last 25 years rent free at the Nazca Lines Hotel; where they also constructed the Maria Reiche Planetarium. They hold nightly shows in four different languages to explain Maria’s ties between the stars and the Nazca Lines.

Ancient Geoglyphs, Nazca Lines, Nazca, Peru

2014-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, in southern Peru. They were designated as a UNESCO World

Heritage Site in 1994. The high, arid plateau stretches more than 80 kilometres (50 mi) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana about 400 km south of Lima. Although some local geoglyphs resemble Paracas motifs, scholars believe the Nazca Lines were created by the Nazca culture between 800 BC and 800 AD. The hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, and lizards.

Whale


Astronaut

The lines are shallow designs made in the ground by removing the reddish pebbles and uncovering the whitish/grayish ground beneath. Hundreds are simple lines or geometric shapes; more than seventy are zoomorphic designs of animals such as birds, fish, llamas, jaguar, monkey, or human figures. Other designs include phytomorphic shapes such as trees and flowers. The largest figures are over 200 meters (660 ft) across.


Monkey

Hummingbird

Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but in general they ascribe religious significance to them. Other theories have been summarized as follows: "The geometric ones could indicate the flow of water or be connected to rituals to summon water. The spiders, birds, and plants could be fertility symbols. Other possible explanations include: irrigation schemes or giant astronomical calendars."

Spider

Due to the dry, windless, and stable climate of the plateau and its isolation, for the most part the lines have been preserved. Extremely rare changes in weather may temporarily alter the general designs. As of recent years, the lines have been deteriorating due to an influx of squatters inhabiting the lands. Archeologists, ethnologists, and anthropologists have studied the ancient Nazca culture to try to determine the purpose of the lines and figures. One hypothesis is that the Nazca people created them to be seen by their gods in the sky. Kosok and Reiche advanced a purpose related to astronomy and cosmology: the lines were intended to act as a kind of observatory, to point to the places on the distant horizon where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set in the solstices.

Many prehistoric indigenous cultures in the Americas and elsewhere constructed earthworks that combined such astronomical sighting with their religious cosmology, as did the later Mississippian culture at Cahokia in present-day United States. Another example is Stonehenge in England. But Gerald Hawkins and Anthony Aveni, experts in archaeoastronomy, concluded in 1990 that there was insufficient evidence to support such an astronomical explanation. Reiche asserted that some or all of the figures represented constellations. By 1998, Phyllis B. Pitluga, a protégé of Reiche and senior astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, had concluded that the animal figures were "representations of heavenly shapes. But she contends that they are not shapes of constellations but of what might be called counter constellations, the irregular-shaped dark patches within the twinkling expanse of the Milky Way." Aveni criticized her work for failing to account for all the details.

Parrot

In 1985, the archaeologist Johan Reinhard published archaeological, ethnographic, and historical data demonstrating that worship of mountains and other water sources predominated in Nazca religion and economy from ancient to recent times. He theorized that the lines and figures were part of religious practices involving the worship of deities associated with the availability of water, which directly related to the success and productivity of crops. He interpreted the lines as sacred paths leading to places where these deities could be worshiped. The figures were symbols representing animals and objects meant to invoke the gods' aid in supplying water. The precise meanings of many of the individual geoglyphs remain unsolved as of 2013.


Hands or Frog and Tree

Henri Stierlin, a Swiss art historian specializing in Egypt and the Middle East, published a book in 1983 linking the Nazca Lines to the production of ancient textiles that archeologists have found wrapping mummies of the Paracas culture. He contended that the people may have used the lines and trapezes as giant, primitive looms to fabricate the extremely long strings and wide pieces of textile that are typical of the area. By his theory, the figurative patterns (smaller and less common) were meant only for ritualistic purposes. This theory is not widely accepted, although scholars have noted similarities in patterns between the textiles and the Nazca Lines, which they take as sharing in a common culture.

Phyllis Pitluga, senior astronomer at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum and a protégé of Reiche, did computer-aided studies of star alignments. She asserted that the giant spider figure is an anamorphic diagram of the constellation Orion.

This information was gathered from Wikipedia, while I was in Nazca, Peru.

Rio Amazonas (Amazon River)

2014-02-18T05:43:00.002-08:00

Woolley Monkeys

On this one day tour, which was organized, by the Golondrinas Tourist Hostel in Iquitos, with two people it cost 90 soles – a boat rented for the day. The first stop was at the Paraiso Del Amazonas where we were greeted by a family of Woolley monkeys and the young family that lives there. We got to see macaws, sloths, prehistoric turtle, toucans, and several anacondas.


Macaw


3 Toed Sloth


Baby 3 Toed Sloth

The buildings built several meters above ground because of the regular high water mark during the rainy season. The last significant rain was in 2012.


Anaconda


Anaconda

Prehistoric Turtle


Panoramic view of the Amazon


The Climb Up and Down

The 2^nd stop where the El Mirador a tower that overlooks where the three rivers come together to form the Amazon River; that flows from the Andes Mountains into the Atlantic Ocean.


Largest Tree


Girl and baby 2 toed Sloth

After climbing the tower and enjoying the view, we walked the see the largest tree of its kind, and it is only 300 years old. We did see the smallest monkeys as they scurried through the trees – no I was not able to get photographs this time. The walk back gave us an opportunity to see a two toed sloth, held by a young girl. Drinks, food, and souvenirs were available for sale.

Largest Fish in the Amazon

The next and last stop was to the Puerto Fundo Pedrito; where we were to see large lily pads, Paraná’s, largest fish in the Amazon River, alligators, and a macaw.


Parana

The largest fish have exceptionally big mouths and will put their young in their mouth for protection from predators. Parana’s will eat each other if they feel other food in not available. I am sure glad that I did not want to go swimming in this water. These alligators have two eyelids, one that is to protect their eyes from the Amazon River water. These large lily pads are more than a meter across and are mightily impressive.

A Pisco Winery Tour of Ica, Peru

2014-02-14T15:24:00.001-08:00

The pisco sour cocktail, made with a grape brandy called pisco, egg whites, lime juice, ice, simple syrup, and bitters, served by people around the globe. In the Ica region of Peru, about 180 miles south of Lima along the Pan American Highway, pisco produced for nearly four centuries. Here, in valleys surrounded by sand dunes, dozens of bodegas (wineries) welcome visitors to taste pisco—Peru’s national spirit—at its source. The weather here does not change; it has not rained for more than ½ inch a year for over 150 years.

This is an 18th-century vineyard where free sips of acholados (blends) and puros (single varietals) of pisco. “Try the Albilla,” The grapes are from vines that are more than one hundred years old.” It is sweet, with touches of banana, lime, and tangerine. The other wines are from 20 types are Peruvian grapes, and the rest of the grapes are from France.

All in all, I enjoyed the diversion with today’s visit to this winery and the town of Ica before heading off tomorrow to Nazca for several days

Pisco has 44% alcohol; referred to as the under-the-table drink. So enjoy but only a little at a time.

Islas Ballestas, Paracas, Pisco, Peru

2014-02-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Ballestas Islands are a group of small islands near the town of Paracas located within the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region, on the south coast of Peru. Composed largely of rock formations; these islands are an indispensable sanctuary for marine animals like the guanay guano bird, the blue-footed booby and the tendril. Other notable species include Humboldt Penguins and two varieties of seals (fur seals and sea lions), amongst other mammals.

These islands are accessible from the resort town of Paracas (near Pisco) by tour boat which typically lasts 2 hours. During the visits, it is not uncommon for the sea lions to approach the tourist boats and make spectacles for the visiting tourists. The sea lions are also responsible for a unique audio spectacle; with their wolf-pack cries that echoes around the Ballestas and creates an effect of a 360 degree surrounding choir.

On the way to the islands, on the Paracas Peninsula, visitors will notice El Candelabro, a large-scale Geoglyph that may have served as a beacon to mariners. The mystery as to the origins of this particular Geoglyph is ongoing with much speculation. The visit to the Ballestas Islands is, from an ecotourism point of view, probably the best known along the Peruvian coast.

Pilpintuwasi Nature and Wildlife Conservation in the Peruvian Amazon

2014-02-11T10:52:00.001-08:00

Pilpintuwasi is located on the Nanay riverside near the village Padre Cocha, about a 20 minutes boat ride from Bellayista. I took the public boat at 3 soles each way; you can take a privet boat for 30 to 50 soles round trip. Once on the island you can walk the 15-20 minutes or for 1 soles take the island transport moto-taxi. That is what I did both ways, when it is hot or raining you will appreciate it. I also recommend eating lunch on the island before heading back. You do need a guide and the fee for the park is 20 soles for adults and 10 for students.

I was delighted to be greeted right away buy a group of Huapo Rojo or Red Uakari monkeys they are rare and can only be found in the Amazon.