Carribean Sunsets and.... Hurricane Dean

On an impulse I decided to add a quick trip to Jamaica for some sun and surf before heading home (thought a tan would be a nice touch). I arrived on Wednesday the 15th and enjoyed one idealic day in tropical paradise. Then along came Hurricane Dean!

Hurricane Dean was the first hurricane for 2007 Atlantic season and one of the most severe on record. On Friday 17th August Jamaica started to receive notifications that Hurricane Dean was building strength and heading straight for the island. Check out the picture showing the hurricane and the yellow outline of Jamaica!

Two days before the hurricane....

• Call the airport (are there any flights off the island?). NO!
• Travel back to Montigo Bay (to be closer to the airport). I was in Negril, about 1 hour west.
• Find a hotel off the beach, out of flooding zone and away from hills with mud slide possibilities.
• Do a quick shop for supplies (I was advised to buy water, candles and bully beef!).

One day before the hurricane....

• Freak out when it is predicated that Dean will be a Category 5 by the time it reaches Jamaica and will be a direct hit.
• Try and find another hotel (mine was very small, and I thought a bigger one would be a bit safer), but everywhere is full!
• Phone the airline again... Are you sure that there are not any planes leaving the island, I can hear them flying out!
• Abide by the national curfew (which was in place 2 days before the hurricane hit - to avoid problems with looting etc).
• Watch as the hotel boards up windows and glass doors.

The Day of the hurricane....

• Listen to the Prime Minister of Jamaica give a national address and call a state of emergency.
• Watch the weather channel (who called Dean a "terrifying catastrophic hurricane").. Things looking slightly better. The hurricane is passing the south of the island (I am in the North), but 'could wobble'. What the heck is a wobble!
• Get the room organised and plan best way to stay safe. Put up towels on the windows, move all furniture away from the doors, took down anything that could fly around, set up the bathroom (this was where I was heading if it got really bad). Work out strategy for putting matress up against the french doors.
• 3.00pm day of hurricane.. Power goes out. I am stuck in my room with no power and no information.
• I am just waiting and watching the rain gets heavier and the wind blows harder and harder. Hope that tree doesn't blow over into my room!
• 8.00pm fall asleep exhaused from all the waiting.

The day after the hurricane...

• Power and water still out.
• Found out the island was spared a direct hit, with Dean's eye passing just to the south Sunday night. Still experienced winds up to 240km/h. More info can be viewed in the Age, Wikipedia and NPR. CNN also have some great live footage also.
• Head to the aiport (my Sunday flight was cancelled, and I had been rescheduled to Monday 1.30pm). However, all AA flights had been cancelled and I was told my next available flight not for another four days!
• Phone the airline every few hours. Phone Qantas and advise I will miss my flight home.
• Get call from Australian High Commission to make sure I am ok. Yes, using the australian travel registory does work. How great is that.. I love my country!

Two days after the hurricane..

• Head to the airport at 8.00am to line up in the standbye cue. Lots of very irate people who can not get flights home. Almost a mob scene.
• Go on standby for a 2.30pm flight. Wait at the airport some more.
• 4.30pm finally leave Jamaica on a flight recalled from Guatamala. Power and water still out in Jamaica.
• Arrive at Miami, missing all connecting flights to LA. Looks like another night waiting.

Three days after the hurricane....

• Get on a flight to LA, and here I am waiting for my flight to Sydney. YIPPY. Three days late, but most importantly I am safe!

Flores por de Lago & Tikal

I have finally arrived in Flores, on the way to Tikal. I can honestly say, I never want to get on a bus again (never mind the fact that I have to get back to Guatamala City on one!). The bus from Xala to Guatemala took 7 hours (it is only suppose to take 4). It arrived with 5 minutes to spare before my 11 hour bus to Flores. To top off my marathon bus ride, I arranged a tour to Tikal for sunrise, which departed at 3.00am (yes I am a glutton for punishment). But the lack of sleep was absolutely worth it.

The morning started with a ladder limb to the top of Pyramid 4, to sit in silence and watch the sun rise, with towering pyramids peaking through the rain forest canopy and mist. All to the sound of the forest waking up. It was truly amazing.

• A little bit of pop culture for you. Tikal was also featured as a scene in one of the original Star Wars trilogies - do you know which one?
  

Xala Who

My three week stay in Xala has finally come to an end, and it is time to pack up (again) and head off for the next adventure. So what will I miss about Xala:

My host family, mi amigos Luis and Ingrid, mi abuelita Gabriella and mi hermano Luis Fe.

My salsa teacher, who every day risked having his feet trod on, close calls for elbows to the face.... all in an attempt to teach me salsa. Also the salsa clubs, boy can these latin american chicos move!

The amazing chocolate caliente. You haven`t tasted hot chocolate until you have had a hot chocolate at Cafe Luna.

The terrimotos (earthquakes). I experienced a small one on my first week and throught the nearby volcano was errupting.

The weather. Four seasons all in one day - bit like Melbourne really.

The food. I am officially addicted to tortillas and frijoles.

My Spanish School. I especially enjoyed the graduate dinner, with speeches and all!

The chicken busses. Found out that there are companies specifically to decorate the buses, talk about 'pimp my rid'. Although did not enjoy sharing my seat with a whole family (mum, dad and 3 kids!).

Hippys & Mojitos - The Lake of Contrasts

Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlán) certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful lakes in the word. Formed by a collapsed volcano cone, it is is surrounded by mountains and three volcanoes. Approximately fifteen towns or villages lie on the perimeter, mainly inhabited by traditional Mayan people. It is a volcanic archipelago, with Lake Atitlan floating in the sky, a mile above sea level.

After wagging school on Friday, and a three hour journey (and 3 chicken bus changes) we arrived in Panajachel. Travel to our first stop (and for all other villages) involved a boat ride across the lake. Similiar to chicken buses, boats don´t go anywhere until there are enough people on the boat. The more the merrier....

Each village is also known for a particular speciality. Our first night was spent in San Marco, an alterative or ´relajando´community. The town is set amongst a tropical forrest, with narrow alleyways acting as streets. Ther e was endless opportunities for massage, reiki or even water rebirthing??

In total contrast our second night at San Pedro, the backpacker town, provided the chance to hit the local night spots and salsa the night away (with the assistance of a mojito or two... happy hours was awesome... $1 cubra libras and $2 mojitos!).