Hot Brew - Guatemala Travel Story
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Title: Hot Brew
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HOT BREW I first caught sight of the volatile Mika as she sat upon an assembly of modest luggage that was nevertheless still just as large as she. She looked bored, miserable any I also detected the type of eye movement and pouting that suggested there within lay a hidden cauldron of young female mischief ness; my kind of girl. I would venture to guess that she wore less than a hundred pounds soaking wet. The look of discomfort on her face was not out of place as the sweltering hot and humid Central American bus station was not playing favorites to anyone, locals included. Mika however stood out from the energy depleted, profusely sweating patrons of the bus station in several respects. If a sweat was at all in her repertoire, then she hid it well and ladylike. Second amongst the assembly of brown faces and black faces that ran the color spectrum her paleness and classic oriental features made a noticeable presentation to the landscape. Interestingly, the Country we were in happened to have a large influx of Asians and I guess what you could label as Central-Asian Americans. Most of the ones I had seen their bore either the cultural appearance of the locals, some of them, right down to the dreadlocks or were the products of intermixing thus producing some of the most beautiful children to grace the earth. Now I see why God placed so many peoples on the Earth. I think He wanted us to not merely sit on the plate in our own portions but He wanted us to eventually mix it up and create one grand tasty ala the ‘Matrix 3 (Revolutions)’ salad. Now back to Mika. She was definitely not Central American and by dress and appearance I gathered that she was also neither American nor European. Therefore she must be from the orient and by the generous portions of hair and pettiness’ of body I would assume Japan . This struck me as strange. I myself had become quite a seasoned and observant traveler and seldom had I seen Asian women hailing from the orient travel alone. This girl had some gusto and bravado to add to that slight trace of mischief. It was getting better by the minute and I was no longer plagued by the humidity and heat. Fascination and desire now held the reins to my motor drive. Belize like many other places in Central America less frequently set upon is an excellent destination for travelers. Although the outlaying regions of the country has it share of tourist, taking advantage of the scuba diving and cruise ship like amenities, the interior of the country is wonderful, raw and unfortunately not prone to receive the revenues generated by the tourist industry. At this point allow me make a distinction between travelers and tourist. Tourist are generally financially well off or at least command the itinerary and crave the secure amenities of someone financially well off. Travelers are generally not so financially well (even poor as in the case of your author) or at least seek the accommodations and mode of travel and experiences of someone not as financial well off. Now I am not hating, maybe someday I too would like to take a cruise and kickback just, not yet. And for all you prospective travelers a word of advice: Seek out the Germans. They are the best at being world class travelers (must be because of all that generous vacation time their country affords them; America take note). I usually have to quit a job to get in a decent vacation. These adventurous and studious Germans can tell you about every nook and cranny in the place you happen to land in. Heck! sometimes they know about stuff and places that even the locals don’t know about. So don’t be shy get a hostel card, bunk with your fellow man, see the world and really meet its people. Belize is also a country of direct face to face confrontation be it in bartering or flirtation. I chose to emulate the Belizeans on the latter application. Sure enough I was right Mika was from Japan and once I got pass the language barrier proved to be quite a fireball. Her Spanish was just as bad as mine but it was better than her English so she forced me to clumsily use the language of the day. Still most of our language was non verbal and consisted of much pointing and much smiling on my part. We made our way south through Belize courtesy of Batty Brothers Bus Service and sample much of the local fare and customs. The bus really takes you to places and villages straight out of a National Geographic photo shoot. Belize is also rich in Mayan History many pyramids sights are still being excavated. We did not visit any of those grand sights. They were not written in the cards for me to see, google: Escape from America , Phillip Ghee. The peoples of Belize are primarily of African and mixed African-Hispanic descent. The indigenous population is quite sizable and more than likely under represented in the census. As alluded to earlier, there is also a sizable Asian community there. For those of you, like me, who struggle with the language, that is until they are hungry; English is the official language so rest at ease. However knowledge of Spanish would be most helpful in the more interior regions. Mayan and Mayan dialects are still commonly spoken in certain areas so you lingualfiles can enjoy yourselves also. By the time we arrived in Guatemala , several days later, you could say that we had found each other at least in cuddly sleeping time. Besides the reggae music this was the only amenity I praised by going Batty. As we approached Guatemala City , my time together with Mika was coming to a close. I, like Doctor Who from the BBC science fiction series, had assembled along the way a host of traveling companions. I had started my Central America Odysseus almost two months earlier at the North-West point of Mexico, at Tijuana . I had made my way through the entire country aided and befriended by traveling companions Turban Guy: An American Born Hippy Dippy now immersed in the ethereal white clothed and turban adorned order of American Sheiks. Tijuana –Malzatlan Family Guy: A native born Mexican now living in the states, proudly and longingly taking his American acquired family home to visit his roots Tipoc, Ixlan and all point south east. Puff Poppy: Mayan traveling through Mexico working odd jobs and carrying a satchel of unspecified and assorted flora. I will elaborate no further. Guadalajara to Mexico City , I think??? Yuppie Boy: This guy was either Jack Bowers the All American Boy or a Mormon masquerading as Canadian Mountie while on his way to the Peace Corps. Mexico City English Chick: Angel (literally) Merida and points throughout the Yucatan Peninsular. The guide who led me to my first pyramid encounter, again google: Escape from America , Phillip Ghee. Puff Professor: Another partaker of enchanted weeds who joined with and accompanied Mika and I on the latter part of our journey. Although American Born he was of German Quality, proficient in several languages, a big help to the less than communitive Mika and I. He also spoke some of the local Mayan Dialect, not to many vowels and tongue/roof of mouth sounds to boot, my hat off to ya man. He could probably teach at college level but chose to work in inner city schools as a substitute teaching. Actions like that could change the world. The mystic in me believes that each companion had been either miraculously sent by divine intervention or been sent as a test. I believed that Mika was a test. As much as I had drawn close to her I still did not want our travel time to end as some fanciful rump in the chili patch complete with vain promises of future rendezvous. Just outside of Guatemala City is a place that quickly became my third most pleasurable place of my known world. 1. Venice Beach, California the place that when I can afford the rent, I like to hang my hat. The bohemian atmosphere is rapidly dissipating due to the gentrification process. The freaks and geeks and other wonderful components of the Venice week-end fair will possible always exist but their use to be a thriving and predominate bohemian-hippy-counterculture community there. So unless you have a time machine and can travel back to the 60-70 or 80’s, I say get it while you still can. There are at least three welcoming hostels in the immediately area and one just slightly north in Santa Monica . 2. Jerusalem, Israel In spite of all my “New Age “, Alien Visitation, Metaphysical and Supernatural rants; you might think it odd that I still am based and hold to a certain belief and teaching. And I find it just amazing and fulfilling to have spent so much travel time in the place that affords so much history to that belief. Oh! If only I could spend a few years in retirement in Antigua , Guatemala . This place has got to be one of the best sanctuaries for exhausted travelers. First to preserve the historic beauty of the small city, most buses and vehicles are resigned to parking on the outskirts of the town in a super sized lot. This prevents traffic clogging up the narrow and heavily pedestrian traveled streets. This mandate also prevents the soot and all manner of yucky things that fall from the sky to settle on the remnants and ruins of the classic colonial style buildings. Many of these building were destroyed by both earthquakes and volcanic activity in early centuries yet their exteriors bare the scares and tattered paint in such a way as to make nearly early door and archway a photogenic treat. The town has a predominate Mayan presence. Many of the citizens can’t even speak Spanish. The local indigenous people flood the streets of the city with their goods; beautiful and multicolored hand woven scarves and hats and all manner of dresses. They present the buyer with beads and hematite jewelry so cheap that one feels guilty paying so a ridiculous low price. Barter is something you don’t need to do with these folks. During the day, many of the structures seem to be fortified by heavy Spanish doors more suited for castles and churches than businesses. However at night these majestic doors are swung open to reveal restaurants, villas, clubs and bars. Commingled and seated around the generous community tables are travelers and extended-stay visitors. There amongst the fine and unpretentious cuisine, stories, tips and advice are offered. Itinerary and schemes are hatched and, perhaps even some of the more detailed points of smuggling are revealed to everything from museum curators to private plane and boat pilots. The bulk of the travelers are European, from various countries. Stand aside French, English is used as the primary language of conversation even though many of the speakers may not as of yet been to the United States of America .
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HOT BREW I first caught sight of the volatile Mika as she sat upon an assembly of modest luggage that was nevertheless still just as large as she. She looked bored, miserable any I also detected the type of eye movement and pouting that suggested there within lay a hidden cauldron of young female mischief ness; my kind of girl. I would venture to guess that she wore less than a hundred pounds soaking wet. The look of discomfort on her face was not out of place as the sweltering hot and humid Central American bus station was not playing favorites to anyone, locals included. Mika however stood out from the energy depleted, profusely sweating patrons of the bus station in several respects. If a sweat was at all in her repertoire, then she hid it well and ladylike. Second amongst the assembly of brown faces and black faces that ran the color spectrum her paleness and classic oriental features made a noticeable presentation to the landscape. Interestingly, the Country we were in happened to have a large influx of Asians and I guess what you could label as Central-Asian Americans. Most of the ones I had seen their bore either the cultural appearance of the locals, some of them, right down to the dreadlocks or were the products of intermixing thus producing some of the most beautiful children to grace the earth. Now I see why God placed so many peoples on the Earth. I think He wanted us to not merely sit on the plate in our own portions but He wanted us to eventually mix it up and create one grand tasty ala the ‘Matrix 3 (Revolutions)’ salad. Now back to Mika. She was definitely not Central American and by dress and appearance I gathered that she was also neither American nor European. Therefore she must be from the orient and by the generous portions of hair and pettiness’ of body I would assume Japan . This struck me as strange. I myself had become quite a seasoned and observant traveler and seldom had I seen Asian women hailing from the orient travel alone. This girl had some gusto and bravado to add to that slight trace of mischief. It was getting better by the minute and I was no longer plagued by the humidity and heat. Fascination and desire now held the reins to my motor drive. Belize like many other places in Central America less frequently set upon is an excellent destination for travelers. Although the outlaying regions of the country has it share of tourist, taking advantage of the scuba diving and cruise ship like amenities, the interior of the country is wonderful, raw and unfortunately not prone to receive the revenues generated by the tourist industry. At this point allow me make a distinction between travelers and tourist. Tourist are generally financially well off or at least command the itinerary and crave the secure amenities of someone financially well off. Travelers are generally not so financially well (even poor as in the case of your author) or at least seek the accommodations and mode of travel and experiences of someone not as financial well off. Now I am not hating, maybe someday I too would like to take a cruise and kickback just, not yet. And for all you prospective travelers a word of advice: Seek out the Germans. They are the best at being world class travelers (must be because of all that generous vacation time their country affords them; America take note). I usually have to quit a job to get in a decent vacation. These adventurous and studious Germans can tell you about every nook and cranny in the place you happen to land in. Heck! sometimes they know about stuff and places that even the locals don’t know about. So don’t be shy get a hostel card, bunk with your fellow man, see the world and really meet its people. Belize is also a country of direct face to face confrontation be it in bartering or flirtation. I chose to emulate the Belizeans on the latter application. Sure enough I was right Mika was from Japan and once I got pass the language barrier proved to be quite a fireball. Her Spanish was just as bad as mine but it was better than her English so she forced me to clumsily use the language of the day. Still most of our language was non verbal and consisted of much pointing and much smiling on my part. We made our way south through Belize courtesy of Batty Brothers Bus Service and sample much of the local fare and customs. The bus really takes you to places and villages straight out of a National Geographic photo shoot. Belize is also rich in Mayan History many pyramids sights are still being excavated. We did not visit any of those grand sights. They were not written in the cards for me to see, google: Escape from America , Phillip Ghee. The peoples of Belize are primarily of African and mixed African-Hispanic descent. The indigenous population is quite sizable and more than likely under represented in the census. As alluded to earlier, there is also a sizable Asian community there. For those of you, like me, who struggle with the language, that is until they are hungry; English is the official language so rest at ease. However knowledge of Spanish would be most helpful in the more interior regions. Mayan and Mayan dialects are still commonly spoken in certain areas so you lingualfiles can enjoy yourselves also. By the time we arrived in Guatemala , several days later, you could say that we had found each other at least in cuddly sleeping time. Besides the reggae music this was the only amenity I praised by going Batty. As we approached Guatemala City , my time together with Mika was coming to a close. I, like Doctor Who from the BBC science fiction series, had assembled along the way a host of traveling companions. I had started my Central America Odysseus almost two months earlier at the North-West point of Mexico, at Tijuana . I had made my way through the entire country aided and befriended by traveling companions Turban Guy: An American Born Hippy Dippy now immersed in the ethereal white clothed and turban adorned order of American Sheiks. Tijuana –Malzatlan Family Guy: A native born Mexican now living in the states, proudly and longingly taking his American acquired family home to visit his roots Tipoc, Ixlan and all point south east. Puff Poppy: Mayan traveling through Mexico working odd jobs and carrying a satchel of unspecified and assorted flora. I will elaborate no further. Guadalajara to Mexico City , I think??? Yuppie Boy: This guy was either Jack Bowers the All American Boy or a Mormon masquerading as Canadian Mountie while on his way to the Peace Corps. Mexico City English Chick: Angel (literally) Merida and points throughout the Yucatan Peninsular. The guide who led me to my first pyramid encounter, again google: Escape from America , Phillip Ghee. Puff Professor: Another partaker of enchanted weeds who joined with and accompanied Mika and I on the latter part of our journey. Although American Born he was of German Quality, proficient in several languages, a big help to the less than communitive Mika and I. He also spoke some of the local Mayan Dialect, not to many vowels and tongue/roof of mouth sounds to boot, my hat off to ya man. He could probably teach at college level but chose to work in inner city schools as a substitute teaching. Actions like that could change the world. The mystic in me believes that each companion had been either miraculously sent by divine intervention or been sent as a test. I believed that Mika was a test. As much as I had drawn close to her I still did not want our travel time to end as some fanciful rump in the chili patch complete with vain promises of future rendezvous. Just outside of Guatemala City is a place that quickly became my third most pleasurable place of my known world. 1. Venice Beach, California the place that when I can afford the rent, I like to hang my hat. The bohemian atmosphere is rapidly dissipating due to the gentrification process. The freaks and geeks and other wonderful components of the Venice week-end fair will possible always exist but their use to be a thriving and predominate bohemian-hippy-counterculture community there. So unless you have a time machine and can travel back to the 60-70 or 80’s, I say get it while you still can. There are at least three welcoming hostels in the immediately area and one just slightly north in Santa Monica . 2. Jerusalem, Israel In spite of all my “New Age “, Alien Visitation, Metaphysical and Supernatural rants; you might think it odd that I still am based and hold to a certain belief and teaching. And I find it just amazing and fulfilling to have spent so much travel time in the place that affords so much history to that belief. Oh! If only I could spend a few years in retirement in Antigua , Guatemala . This place has got to be one of the best sanctuaries for exhausted travelers. First to preserve the historic beauty of the small city, most buses and vehicles are resigned to parking on the outskirts of the town in a super sized lot. This prevents traffic clogging up the narrow and heavily pedestrian traveled streets. This mandate also prevents the soot and all manner of yucky things that fall from the sky to settle on the remnants and ruins of the classic colonial style buildings. Many of these building were destroyed by both earthquakes and volcanic activity in early centuries yet their exteriors bare the scares and tattered paint in such a way as to make nearly early door and archway a photogenic treat. The town has a predominate Mayan presence. Many of the citizens can’t even speak Spanish. The local indigenous people flood the streets of the city with their goods; beautiful and multicolored hand woven scarves and hats and all manner of dresses. They present the buyer with beads and hematite jewelry so cheap that one feels guilty paying so a ridiculous low price. Barter is something you don’t need to do with these folks. During the day, many of the structures seem to be fortified by heavy Spanish doors more suited for castles and churches than businesses. However at night these majestic doors are swung open to reveal restaurants, villas, clubs and bars. Commingled and seated around the generous community tables are travelers and extended-stay visitors. There amongst the fine and unpretentious cuisine, stories, tips and advice are offered. Itinerary and schemes are hatched and, perhaps even some of the more detailed points of smuggling are revealed to everything from museum curators to private plane and boat pilots. The bulk of the travelers are European, from various countries. Stand aside French, English is used as the primary language of conversation even though many of the speakers may not as of yet been to the United States of America .
