..keeping it on.. :)

hi out there :)

I was pretty busy over the last days.. well, in the night I could have been busier, but for some reason I didn't feel like going out too much. Also needed my personal space and used some of the time to study for the classes. I can't complain about not having good vibes with the people (and knowing a lot of them randomly on the street ;) but maybe I just need some time apart of that.. AND, I can't always agree with the excessive party vibe that can be found on this island.

So I'm a certified Rescue Diver now and have an idea how to save people and give first aid (was about time to refresh that, because after my drivers license 10 years ago, I haven't done anything like that). Was pretty fun.. we had practical exercises, where other people simulated every imaginable problem various time, so we had plenty of opportunities to practice ;)

I just finished some hard core chapters and made theoretical tests.. so I'm really good in time and can take days off or just slow down my pace, if I want to (don't worry, I'm not stressing myself anyway.. just enjoy having a certain "drive" HAHA :D

my kitchen fills up with food and edibles what makes the small ants really happy ;) but I'll stop the invasion with some ant-trap that I will buy exiting this place. Otherwise I really enjoy the place where I live.. couldn't imagine not having my little "habitat" haha ;) :D

I started to make new didgeridoos.. already got a replacement for the one I lost and now trying to make more sophisticated/wicked ones but this needs a bit of try-and-error. Keeping you updated about it.. I'm glad I found the right tubes to do so.

Hasn't to be mentioned that the Divemaster course is more than four weeks of fun diving ;) but I enjoy it despite the work it gives.. well, some things I just want to know and to learn, so it makes it really easy ;) other things like marketing of PADI courses are not THAAAAT essential to me :P ..will spend some more money for specializations.. maybe they come in handy one day and on the other hand.. 50 or 100 dollars to "upgrade" your status a little bit isn't too much.

okay.. I'm off.. making some paperwork and chilling and having a small introduction tonight into Coral watching (yes, there is quite some stuff going on here..)

hear from me soon and wishing you all the best!! here changed the weather finally to sunny days, after it was raining and cold in the night.

be blessed and Namaste!

..it has started.. :)

Well, just briefly an update from here.. I started my Rescue Course today and will take until Tuesday. It's pretty interesting, you learn about automatic defibrilators and CPR (what is not taught in Switzerland to the mass).
I had already 6 fun dives and have seen some marine life and enjoy diving a lot! :D just still waiting for my own gear :/
after the ATM has been out of money for two days, I finally could get some cash and paid my rent and moved into a smaller apartment (for 1 person only) but with bigger bed, more TV chanels :P ;) a hot shower and more economic fridge (well, the hot shower had to be insulated with duct tape because it's unter current :P but yeah.. I think, I should be safe now ;) hehe :)
out of the old apartment I had to remove a tarantula (just a small one though) and after I'm already used to them, I could do it without being scared ;)
the next days I'll learn how to reanimate dead people ;) and having some physical excercises with the Rescue Diver course.. but I'm sure I'll handle it with a smile and next week I begin my internship here.
Still getting credits for my bike ;) knowing more and more people and it's a cool place to be!!
just not really cheap (half price as back home I guess) but I can afford after all ;) I just pre-paid my electricity (it's funny, kinda works like with cell phones.. no more credit, no more power :D
I haven't been partying too much here.. I guess I still have a long time to do so and it's not my primary mission on this island :) but there will be some party for sure ;) I'm going back to my new place and study some of the theory.. what's done is done! ;)

have a good time! ..here the sun came out after 3 days.. hope it stays for a while! :)

..stranded on the island.. :)

hey there! :D

let me briefly update my blog, before I spent my first night on Utila island in Honduras..

it was good to leave Tikal.. I spent enough time there and felt need for a change. So I was driving to Rio Dulce, where I stayed a last night in Guatemala, talking to some people who have a yaught and getting some ideas about a future trip.. maybe 6 month with my own sailing boat in the Caribbean Sea.. haha :D let's see.. just seeds that were planted and I would have to learn all the sailing stuff before.. but why not.. might end up on my bucket list ;)

then I spent 6 hours to cross the boarder into Honduras.. burocracy as in Switzerland (I wouldn't have been sad to pay some corrupt extra dollars to get it done different.. but then I don't want to support corruption.. anyway it wasn't even possible)
first they asked me a lot of money to follow a truck to the 50km away town where I could get my papers.. I mean, I didn't need a babysitter to do so and it cost a lot of nerves to be "ripped off" that much.. then it was so much of paper warfare.. paying at the bank, standing in line, taking off my licence plate to make copies getting everything checked a hundert times.. then finally I paid about 1000 Lempiras for all of it, what is about 60USD.. would be bareable, but because my registration ends end of April I have to be out of the country or do the same stuff again :((( Well, I will renew my registration in Alaska online and see that I get the paper but apparently it's too late already to prolong my bike papers within the country.. so I would have to ship my bike over to the mainland, get out of the country with it and do the same stuff again (won't happen). So I just try to speed up my course here and then leaving the country without having done a lot more than my Divemaster.
hmm.. well have to say, that the problems came with the boarder crossing that I took, that only makes these papers there on Saturday and Sunday and me being there on Monday was very complicated..

but then in the end I could already use my papers.. got stopped by a police man and everything seems to be correct! :D ..when I told the guy that I want to get to La Ceiba this day he told me, I have to drive fast and when I was asking how fast you are allowed to go on these roads he just said: as fast as you want! :D haha :) I like that!! ..was a quite "speedy" ride to make it to La Ceibe before dawn but made it.. spend a rather chilly night in La Ceiba and got on the boat to Utila this morning. For once I got the perfect timing.. arrived with my bike 1.5 hours before the cargo boat leaves (just leaves today and Thursday). Payed 750 Lempiras (about 50USD) to get it over here and could pick it up at 2pm at the docks.. was really easy and even if the bike is a lot oversized for here, it gives me a good amount of credit! :D haha ;))) it's not that a new face arrived on the island, it's a new bike that arrived ;)

I like the place here.. it's really super small, but I think my Karma will bring me many wonderful moments and meeting really cool people!! there are a lot of black people here, speaking Caribbean English and I read that this island was even a pirate hideout in the 17th century :D

what more.. with my usual speed to set up things I have my own apartment here, already cold beer in the fridge and I'm sure I'll have hell of a good time here!! :D

so.. going to see some friends and tomorrow at 7am I'll be at the diveshop (already met a lot of people there :) and having some fun dives to refresh my level and after tomorrow hopefully start with my course! :D

you'll here from me! I'll be here for 5 weeks and therefore probably not writing as much as just being on the road..

Namaste and my best blessings to all of you!!

All done! :)

hiho out there :)

tomorrow I will journey on to Rio Dulce and I think the day after, I'll be already in Honduras (looking forward to some change and to less mosquitos ;)
I fixed the stuff of my bike and found some missing bolt, that I replaced with something that I found here in a small home depot store :D hope it holds for a while ;)
made a pretty good job and only a strange noise exists at a certain RPM, but might be a loose part.. will have 2-3 days to test the reliability of this bike again, until I get to Utila.
I met a Japanese girl and we went out camping a night in Tikal (well, outside the ruins in the official camping). But if it would have been full moon, I might have spent the money to bribe the people to camp on the ruins (everything is possible here in Guatemala.. even has a standardized price ;) we wanted to enter in the middle of the night, but didn't hear the alarm.. maybe better, like this the daytrip was after a good rest.
Was not too much about the ruins but more the beautiful nature, good company and all the wildlife we've seen on our way.. there were a lot of humming birds (a tree full of them!! :) and it was wonderful to watch these little birds that hover in the air :) we've seen spider monkeys and tucans (they look really beautiful!) and my encounter of the day was a tarantula that I hold in my hands and climbed up my arm (soooooo totally wicked!!!!! I always wanted to do that and really like these big hairy beasts! :D
we met an Austrian couple that rides a Honda Goldwing with a trailer from Argentina to the states.. their full load weight is 1100kg (that's so super crazy! ;) probably the first and last people in my life who make the trip like that.. I'm so happy to be on a pretty easy handable bike where you don't have to be mechanic to keep it going ;)
today I will be busy with packing and maybe find materials for a didgeridoo.. and then in the afternoon chilling on the roof and playing guitar :)
have a great day as well and be blessed!

the big adventure.. and fixing the stuff afterwards ;)

HA! :D ..I just made it back from some offroad adventure and more important, I feel being more centered again, after I was pretty stressed the last days.. but let's hear the story :)

I bought for about 60 bucks food and water, with the plan to get to El Mirador and/or stay at least 4 days out camping in the jungle. Getting up early in the morning, I expected to be at El Mirador at noon. The first part to Tikal is all asphalted and easy to ride.. there I got quickly the needed registration to enter the place with a bike (free) and paid a small fee to pass through (without seeing Tikal). The road was still pretty good, even if not asphalted and I arrived at the last village, called Uaxactun, where I bought some more gas in bottles and asked for the way.. another 50km to Dos Lagunas, where nearby are some ruins and supposed to be the backroad to El Mirador.
Well, on the way there I figured out that there is NO WAY to drive to El Mirador (because the road I was on was more than challenging and the people said it's still 1-2 days walk from where you have to stop your bike (and the trail rather complicated if you don't know it.. :-/
so I changed the plan to go to El Mirador (postponed to do it from Carmelita) and just wanted to see these other sites.. but on the way there I encountered so many problems, that it kinda broke my mind doing this stuff.. first of all, the overheat lamp of my bike.. AAARGHHH!! why 30km out in the jungle on a road where I can't drive fast enough to have a strong airflow (radiator might be dusty as well). So on the way there and on the way back I got stuck in the hardened mud tracks of the 4WD cars.. glad to have a engine protector but hit the ground with the panniers and my breaking pedal got bent over, so I had to drive 3/4 of the way without rear brake :P So I decided to drive 30km back instead of making another 30km there and then 60km back and it was the right thing! but heading out I fell at a speed of 20km/h (slipped off a small slope.. no idea how this happened) and it ripped completely off a pannier and I got a scratch on my arm.. first time my jacket helped me :) just a little scratch, but would have been really nasty if I would have decided to ride in a T-Shirt.. also my brand new 6 dollar viser got badly, but badly scratched by branches in the way.. but well, better than loosing an eye ,)
I made it to Uaxactun, where I camped in the middle of a temple (really cool you can do that :D and met a local guy, that knows a lot about the jungle, getting Kautchuk and robbing graves (kinda Tomb Raider.. haha ;) yeah.. was really fun to talk to that guy! it's a hard job to go to some sunken ruins and dig for treasures.. staying in the jungle for months, having no convenience getting out as animals, without having guaranteed, that there efforts will bring fruits. Well.. of course, old knowledge gets lost like this (things getting sold on the black market, ending up in private hands), but whatever.. these people are so poor, it's just fair to get back something of their ancestors. And the stuff wouldn't be found for many, many years.. might never be found if not somebody goes there on his own. there are more than 10 000 sites here (some of course very small).
so was very interesting to hear about such a life and I even had 1000 year old plate in my hands :D fascinating this Maya stuff.. their rules, wars, traditions, ballgames... they were about 60 different kings and cities and they were fighting quite often, as I heard.. surprisingly, because it was all so close together..

well.. I drove out of Tikal that morning and stopped in El Remate, where I run into a German couple that lived here for 5 years.. because of some nasty neighbour fight they could even tell something about the Guatemalan prison.. you don't want to be there, but it's survivable (advice: call your Embassy :P ) was chilling out the whole day with these guys, talked about starting an adventure rider motorbike business in Guatemala and what it would take (I like the idea! :) and had some beers and cooked together in the evening.. spent the night in a hammock at their place and had a good day of rest (after being frustrated by not getting to where I wanted).

So I drove over to Yaxha, where you pay half the entry of Tikal and get 3 sites.. Yaxha, Nakum and El Naranjo.. just passed Yaxha and went to Nakum.. also pretty rough road, but nothing compared to what I experienced a day ago.. the site is really cool (see pictures) and I was tripping out the whole day, enjoying the dance of the fireflies in the night and cooking (yes, me ;) at the kitchen of the workers there.. they are digging out that stuff and restoring it for about 2.5USD/hour, being out there for 22 days and then going back to their family for 8 days. It's quite a vibe.. 30 male beings for three weeks away from everything.. hehe ;)
they have cool campsites.. small hutts on piles with a bana-leave-roof.. keeps off the bugs from the ground.

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on the way back I encountered a big branch fallen on the road, but could pass it by taking off a pannier (bikes just rule!! ;) haha :D
and for having a lot of time I bailed out to El Naranjo, where there is not much too see, except for hills in the jungle.. this is how ruins look like after 1000 years.. plants grew over and decomposed and you barely see any walls.. dirt hills with trees on it, whose roots rip out the stones of the structure.. so the people are working for 1 year now in Naranjo and they have just a few rooms restaured.. an endless work. They told me in 10 years, the first pyramid will be restored :P ;) hehe :) I might be back ;) ..climbed on a scary looking lookout to see over the tree tops.. ah yes.. and on the way there I fell of course and broke off a blinker, another latch of my pannier (deshaped the good one as well :(( and a little bit nastier.. my clunch lever broke in the middle.. ah.. I was quite frustrated.. but at least could move on. Not much left to break.. but well.. the panniers get fixed both for 13USD, the lever can be solded, pedal bent back and the rest is more or less adjusted.. found some people here.. actually.. every workshop can do it for you.. it's Guatemala.. they fix everything for cheap. I just have to learn to let things be for a moment, if it's out of my power to change it in the very moment. So all these things added up and tore down a bit my happiness.. then I lost also my didgeridoo (after 9 years having it and traveled all over the world) and I haven't even used it in these 4 days.. well.. it's just matter and I'll head out to a store to buy some plastic tubes.. if I'm lucky I find good materials to make another one :)
so having not much found in Naranjo, I headed back to Yaxha to spend a night in this place.. because I hit my foot on something while driving, I had pain to walk and didn't see the whole place.. first I was worried that something could be broken, but it's already a lot better today.. just having worn tennis, this would have been much worse!! (glad to have good leather boots ;)
Yaxha is also nice, but a bit stretched out and I didn't appreciate the ruins that much any more (probably have seen too many of them in a short time ;) there were almost no tourists (well, Nakum where NO tourists whatsoever) but guards were hanging out at the sites (makes it a bit less chilly ;) but enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the highest pyramid..
I understand the Maya.. if you have jungle all around you, you want a stone place with no plants, you want to build high, to have at least a bit of a view.. so I'd have had a tall pyramid myself ;) haha ;))
I met two other travelers that night and we cooked together.. so I could at least use some more of the food that I bought.

yes.. and know.. know I'm back in Flores.. have to eat something and then I will take care of my bike and my stuff.. all planned out as I learned it from my Mom ;) haha :) all really easy stuff.. some tasks to do, keeps you busy traveling ;) and I think, I got a lot more experience.. know the limits of the bike, the trails, some more places to go, met awesome people and was inspired, lived advernturous things, learned more how to ride my bike, lerning about fixing it as well ;) and how to deal with certain moments.. when I ripped off my pannier and got that scratch, it took me a good while to put it on it's wheels again, but there was nobody to help me and I'm glad I achieved this (small moments of success, as making a fire to cook ;) hehe :)

I might head out a day to Tikal, but maybe not.. depending of the people that I meet here. Maybe I just head on to do a lot of diving! :)

after having peed in the Grand Canyon and in a hot crack on the volcano (makes a lot of steam ;) I now can also claim to have peed off a Mayan pyramid ;) hehe :) ..ah.. life's fun!!

so I'm still alive and continueing my trip.. will be busy the next days, but you'll hear from me :)

Carpe Diem!


P.S. the jungle doesn't seem to like me.. after a few days I'm full of stiches, scratches and bugbites.. itching as hell. Looking forward to take a shower and shave ;) it's good to be back in good ol' civilization ;) haha ;)

..from Lanquin to Flores..

hi there :D

had quite some great days lately and keeping it up with my blog ;)

I enjoyed the time in Lanquin.. visited Semuk Champai, went swimming with a candle in caves, jumped down a freaky hole, floated down the river for a while and saw some awesome natural pools, all in one day (the most made excursion in Lanquin).
the last 11km are dirtroad and pretty nasty to drive, but an Enduro takes it all ;) hehe :)
on the way, I unfortunately rolled over a dog.. :((( first roadkill after 25000km and I just couldn't brake. I figured it out later and I guess it's the back tyre I have.. the profile is already partly eaten up and it's more and offroad tyre that doesn't really grip on asphalt and makes my ABS interfering a lot (but not having ABS would make it more dangerous). So well.. I adapt my speed to this new condition and I won't be riding that much more on roads until I get to Utila.. there will be 6 weeks of just riding in town and then when I get to Nicaragua, I will see that I get another tyre.. I think this one anyway won't last very long :-/ but it's at least perfect for the stuff that I want to do here around in Tikal..
but yes.. back to Lanquin.. I did also some zip-line, where you have a harnish and jump of trees, along metal wires, kinda "flying" over the tree tops :D ..it's quite expensive (for here) considered how short the fun is, but once there was not too much more to do in Lanquin, I'm glad I checked it out :)
then I had awesome all-you-can-eat buffets in the evening, enjoyed hot sauna and jumped in the cold river inbetween the sessions :D had a neat, cozy room with big bed and could even share it with somebody after my wish sent to the universe had been fulfilled ;)
yes, I would have left 2 days earlier, but I met Lissa, a fellow traveler with whom I share a lot! was healing and inspiring to give and receive in such a way and I feel blessed to have had such a person in my life!! we went hiking and talked about a lot of things..
I had a great time in "El retiro", this popular place in Lanquin.. must be good Karma that people like you and you just start making friends and having a good time! :D
so also my birthday turned out to be really fun!! :) there was even some fireworks for me and the bar had special Happy Hour until midnight and the crowd got pretty drunk ;) hehe :) really enjoyed the vibe! I'm glad I was not just somewhere on the road but in a enjoyable place!

..so after some moments of magical beauty and fullfillment, I moved on to Flores, Tikal. Here there are a lot of sunken ruins and I will find out today, which ones I should visit.. there is a 5 day hike to the biggest pyramid and I want just to drive there (see if I get a permit or just do it :D ..while people walk 2 days each way and spend 1 day there I will just hopp in and then stay for 2-3 days.. cheaper, more adventurous, more awesome!! :D haha :D
it's great to have a bike!! yesterday driving here it was the whole day covered but at least not raining. In the morning I got into fog (or clouds) while getting out of the valley I stayed in.. once more, glad to have some horsepower to move my stuff up the mountains ;)

today I want to make a plan where to go and organize some stuff.. supplies for the trip and walking around in Flores (small island on this lake here and really looking.. old town style). I still have time until 22nd to be on Utila.. probably a few days early to get my bike shipped over and to organize a place to stay on the island. So that's why I want to spend a good amount of time around here.. having an Enduro bike in Tikal is the shit!! :D haha ;)

you will hear from me in the next days.. have also some pictures to upload (before my cam dies entirely ;)

hugs and blessings to all of you!!! may you enjoy your life as much as I enjoy the mine!! :D