i's Journal

Time:

5:31 pm.

i forgot to mention the three state of the art and absolutely awesome suspension bridges on the highway heading north from villahermosa. sadly, there were no photo ops.

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Time:

5:17 pm.

palenque was stunning, of course. we got there before the gates opened, so i was able to rush in and take pics before the hordes swarmed it. then i just wandered. on the way there from san cristobal, we stopped at the cascadas agua azul, which were magnificent, like havasupai in the jungle. what a magical place. there are two other waterfalls en route to palenque, but we didn't have time. i imagine they are just as spectacular. the movie predator was filmed at one of them. today, we got up early to attempt the drive all the way to oaxaca. unfortunately, there was a horrendous accident on the highway, blocking traffic for miles. i behaved like a good local driver and jockeyed my way to the front of the line, but it still held us up long enough that we had to stop in tuxtepec for the night. i'm glad we did, though, because we had the best shrimp coctails either of us has ever tasted.

paz

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Subject:	back in san cristobal
Time:	8:00 pm.

had a productive and pleasureable time in san pedro. we still don´t own the land, but we are much closer. i should be back down this fall to finalize the deal. jane and i had a couple of romantic days at a nice hotel across the lake in san marcos, and before she got there, i had four spanish classes, getting a start on the subjunctivo. espero que haya opportunidades para practicarlo en los dos semanas mas de nuestro viaje! tomorrow, we drive to palenque! poor jane has to work :( i wish she could be here for this part of the trip, even though she´s seen most of the places we are going to. i miss her already.

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Subject:	disneyland, central america
Time:	12:09 pm.

if you are visiting guatemala, you absolutely must see antigua. it is a lovely city, full of old buildings and older ruins, cafes, bookstores, and nice hotels. however, if you are travelling around the country, excluding tikal, don't buy any souvenirs here, they are ridiculously expensive. it is also by far the most expensive place to sleep and eat in the country.

just saying...

off with jane (woohoo!) to explore some more of the pueblos around the lake starting tomorrow.

a coup in honduras, wow.

all michael jackson all the time on the news because he died, meh.

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Time:

7:13 pm.

i'm home!

well, future home, anyway. it was a wonderful feeling cresting the hill and seeing the lake for the first time. a bit rough on the brakes on the way down, and i had to do most of it in first gear, but the farbeltruck made it with flying colors. am staying in the hotel owned by the brother of the guy we are hoping to buy land from. the title registration still isn't complete, so i'll have to come back again later this year. awww. so far it looks like we will own the land sometime this fall. i went over there today and envisioned what it will look like filled with fruit and shade trees, terraces, gardens, a solar hottub, and our passive solar water collecting home! it took eleven days to drive here. about 5 hours driving a day and three with no driving at all. on the way back we are going to palenque and then heading up through the interior with a brief jog to the coast to avoid mexico city. that trip doesn't start for 11 days, though :)

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Time:

11:01 am.

an hour uphill, through the fog, with occasional glimpses of stunning mountains and canyons, and we are now in san cristobal de las casas, chiapas, where we will stay for at least three days. this is my kind of town. old, colonial buildings, rich culture, cool weather, good food, inexpensive hotels (we are paying about $16 a night for a double room in the center of town and another $8 for secure parking), and lots to do and see. jane, you will love this town when you come here. lydia, any recomendations for restaurants, sights, etc?

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Subject:	hola, chicos y chicas
Time:	5:44 pm.

estamos en tuxla, chiapas, casi un hora de san cristobal. desfortunadamente, hay lluvia, y no podemos explorar. espero que sera posible en la mañana.

mucho manejando hoy. ahorita, negra modelo...

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