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28 February 2003

"Truckin´"

I just completed day 2 of spanish classes. I am learning a TON seeing as my teacher doesn´t speak a lick of english! I´ll be fluent in no time....right? (haha, I wish) AND our family is feeding us very well....well, except for today...we had liver for lunch. I had no idea what it was and I took a bite...let´s just say, it tasted good until I knew what it was and then I couldn´t bring myself to finish it.

Here´s the bad news....it´s costing me $40 USD to get my new VISA card shipped here. What´s up with that? Donations anyone? I´m still excepting them....

I love Antigua! Who wouldn´t love a town that plays "Bridget Jones Diary" the first night I´m here?

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26 February 2003

"Anti"

So my biggest pet peeves these days isn¢¥t all the cold showers, not the chickens crowing at all hours of the night, not the 12 hour bus rides, but the INTERNET! It crashes more than the stock market down south. But lo and behold, I have to keep my readers happy and I won¢¥t give up!
*I JUST typed this message, but I will do it again.....*

Jen and I have managed to settle down in less than 12 hours. We arrived this morning after a 9 hour bus ride from Flores and an additional hour from Guatemala City on a ¢¥chicken bus¢¥ to Antigua Guatemala!!! This city is beautiful, it¢¥s surrounded by 3 volcanoes, there are many churches to explore and a huge fountain to do my studying by. Studying? That¢¥s right my friends. We have found a school to start our espanol classes. It¢¥s SO insanely cheap! $100 USD gets us 4 hours/day of one-on-one classes, all the materials, 7 nights accomidation with a Guatemalen family, 3 meals/day, salsa dancing lessons, free movies, excursions, bike tours, cooking classes, picnics, volunteer work, and tours around the town! Can you see my ear-to-ear grin from there?

We¢¥ve finally found a place to call home...for 4 weeks at least...and I am a happy camper, er, backpacker!

Tomorrow is my first day back as student Cindi. Which of my 2 outfits should I wear? ;-)

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24 February 2003

"I'm In LOVE!!!"

Yes, it's true! I have found my passion, why I am here on earth, what I was born to do....DIVING!

Jen and I left Cancun Friday night at 10 PM, arrived in Chetumal at 4:15 AM and found that the bus to Belize didn't leave until 10:45 AM. So we found ourselves a nice corner in the bus station to rest for a bit. Who needs a Holiday Inn? The bus station had everything 2 backpackers could ever need. From now on, if I can't find a hotel, I'm taking the bus station hands down! Anyway, some guy woke us up at 7 and told us his bus was going to Flores and could drop us off in Belize City. So we hopped on board. 4 hours later, we arrived! It wouldn't be a trip for Cindi and Jen without some sort of problem, so here's the latest...

Apparently ATM's are a new thing to Belize. Jen and I tried to run out of all peso's and just figured we'd find an ATM upon arrival to Belize and get money for our weekend here. The taxi driver took us to 3 ATM's and none worked. If you remember, my card was stolen, so Jen's was our only hope. It was Saturday and all the banks were closed. We were screwed! We decided to try one last ATM and finally it worked...so we got out just enough money for the weekend. The cab driver (who ripped us off ROYALLY!) dropped us off at the water taxi station and we got on our way.

The island we spent the weekend on is called "San Pedro", also "La Isla Bonita". Sound familiar? Madonna wrote a song about it, Temptation Island AND Gilligan's Island were taken place on it. It was beautiful! Sunday we hit the ocean. We went on our first 'real' dive. Our first dive was through "Tackle Box Canyons" and the second was through "Toffee Canyons". We explored tunnels, a small cave, we saw many fish, coral, and eel, barracuda....and MUCH more! It was the most amazing feeling in the world. We dove 95 feet, not bad for a first timer. I was not nervous at all. Like I said, it's my passion. If you have never been diving...don't wait another minute, get out there, get certified and join me! Now I am anxious to get to Utila to learn more about diving...

I am sitting at the water taxi station in Belize City (which is not somewhere I'd recommend spending more than a few hours). We are taking a bus to Flores, Guatemala tonight at 5 PM and at 5 AM tomorrow we will head to Tikal to watch the sunrise. From there we will head to Antigua and get our butts in some spanish classes.

Sorry if I haven't returned your e-mails. I read them all and I love you for sending them. But it's $5/hour here and I must run!

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20 February 2003

"Movin` On"

So guess who finally got her fine self something accomplished while in Cancun? Yesterday and today were spent at the beach with Antonio, and now Jen and I are PADI open-water scuba certified!!! Diving is amazing and I can`t wait to get to Belize this weekend to dive in the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world!

We`re leaving Cancun tomorrow to head to the border town, Chetumal. Saturday we`ll head to Belize and I most likely won`t be doing any updating while there. I`ve heard it`s $7.50 and hour! YIKES!

After Belize we`ll head to Guatemala...first stop? Tikal...and HUGE Mayan ruin. Then we`ll arrive into Antigua and get started on some spanish classes. I`ll update as soon as I can....

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18 February 2003

"I Got Robbed!!!"

It´s true. It sucks. It´s reality.

Jen wasn´t feeling well the other night. She has many problems with her back as a result of 8 or 9 car accidents. So she decided to stay home. Renee and Angels´ (our friends that we´re staying with) brother came in town, so we decided to go dancing at Dady O´s. I danced my little butt off and was done with all the fun for the night, so I got the keys of the truck from Angel and went out to sit in the truck. I put my purse inside the truck and sat in the bed. Apparently I ended up falling asleep in the truck because I heard a noise and woke up only to find a man in the truck. I told him to leave me alone and to go away. He walked away and I thought nothing of it. Then it hit me! This idiot wasn´t just looking through the truck for the good of his health....he took my purse! I totally panicked and went inside the club to get Renee and Angel, but couldn´t find them. So I went outside and asked people around if they´d seen this guy....no luck! So I sat in the truck crying. Crying like I never had before. I didn´t care about the $500 pesos, or my spanish phrasebook, or my credit card, or anything...but my camera! MY CAMERA was gone! If you know me, I LOVED this camera more than anything. All my pictures were on there from San Cristobol, Palenque, Merida, Valldolid, Cancun, Cuba....all gone! I was so pissed at myself, how could I be so careless?

Anyway the guys came out and I told them everything and we made a run to the phone to call my bank. In the meantime, we got pulled over (twice) for having 4 people in the front of the truck. When the cops saw me crying, they´d thought these 3 mexicans had kidnapped me. It would have been funny at the time if I wouldn´t have been so upset. Anyway, after we took care of the money situation, I went to sleep feeling horrible all over.

Bottom line....no pictures to update. You all will have to just read and not see where I´m going for awhile until I can figure out a way to get more pictures. Luckily I brought my good old 35mm for back up and I have Jen´s doubles. I spent the day yesterday pouting and then realizing how lucky I am. I could have been really hurt by this man, as I was alone in a parking lot. Yet, he spared me and just took my purse. Big deal. I can get another one. I will never be able to replace my life...so for that I am grateful.

We will be in Cancun until Thursday or Friday and then move on to another country. I know I keep saying that...but really, Cancun is beautiful and we´ve made lifelong friends. Don´t worry about me...I am safe, healthy, happy, and my tan gets better everyday. I don´t have to sit in a cubicle everyday and my biggest stress is where we should eat. No complaints. But if you feel bad for me and want to see more digital pictures...I am ALWAYS up for donations (see bottom of this page....click on "Make a Donation" in the white box). I will send you a postcard with love.

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10 February 2003

"Havana Daydreamin'"

(Dad please file this one under lecture #407...I`m ready for it)

Jen and I decided to spice things up a bit and visit the Caribbean for the weekend. Our pick? Here`s a hint, it`s the largest of the islands....CUBA!!!

As an American citizen, am I not supposed to do that? Rest easy, I KNEW I wasn`t supposed to go, but really, it was no problem! They actually WANT US citizens there. It was a beautiful, inticing, exciting, wonderful place, and our first country without a guide book...what to do! Unfortunetly we could only stay a few days (it`s a bit pricey) so we stayed in Havana (or as the locals call it, Habana). No stamp in my passport, so no one can prove I was there, right? No ATM`s meant we had to plan ahead and we pulled out some USD and went on our way. Internet access? $6-hour. Therefore, no updates. It was a bit of time travel....old American cars, `camel`buses, little yellow bug taxis. We spent hours walking around just gasping and loving everything we saw. The people were welcoming and friendly. Music was playing everywhere. Everyone was dancing. Many many pictures to come!

Another episode and another country has come to and end....Guatemala anyone???

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06 February 2003

"Still Alive and Kickin´

Life in Cancun has been quite enjoyable. So much that I am still here and will be until Monday or so. It´s rough trying to fit in updates between all the time at the beach, going to islands to snorkel in reefs, laying in hammocks, winning chess, going out to Senior Frogs, Fat Tuesday, and none other than Margaritaville. I´m very grateful for Renee and Angel for letting us stay at their home, buy us bus rides, dinner, taxi rides, ferry rides, etc. We have been saving some cash for a big adventure we´ve concoxtioned, but I will tell you about that later. Sorry about the lack of photos and what not. Once we get settled in Guatemala I will catch you up on everything! For now, know that I am safe, happy, tan, and healthy. Congrats to Shon for his new job, I am SO happy to hear that. And dad, stop making ME cry!

Hasta Luega!

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01 February 2003

"I think we missed our exit...am I back in the USA?

We just rolled into Cancun. Everything I could ever want back home, except twice the price. Oh well, free lodging, no complaints!

Today Jen and I took a 14K bike ride to some underground caves/swimming holes. It was great, except my butt is paying the price. I can´t remember the last time I was on a bike, but I don´t remember feeling like this. The caves were amazing though, so it´s all good!

Went to Chichen Itza yesterday. More tourists than I like to see. Oh wait, what am I? Oh yeah, a tourist.

Sorry for the rushed and LAME update...but our ride is here!

Ciao.

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