When traveling there I times when expectations don’t meet up with expectation. Traveling from Flores, Guatemala to Copan, Honduras was a good case in point. When I booked our transportation for $40 I was feeling pretty good. When a private van picked us up 15 mins. early I was ecstatic. When the private van dropped us off at the bus station I got quizzical. When we boarded the hand-me-down Greyhound bus with broken windows I started to get worried. By the fourth stop in some unknown town I gave up and accepted it for what it was. A very slow, hot 12 hr. trip to a different country. All is well that ends well. Although it took us a long time to get there we arrived to Honduras safely. The border crossing was the smallest I had ever seen. Basically just two toll type gates and a couple of booths on both sides. We were charged $3 usd for entry visas. Unfortunately the power went out when we arrived and didn’t come back on until the next morning. It was a very long windy to get somewhere, but over all I enjoyed it. I got to see a lot of the countryside I would have otherwise had not been able to see. I particularly remember being at a market staring at some of the largest carrots I have ever seen (unfortunately I didn’t get a picture).
“Stay on the path while in the jungle or a jaguar may eat you. Don’t swim in the lagoon or you might make the crocodiles mad. Have a good time, and I will see you in a few hours,” said the boatman as he left us on our own. Arriving by boat to a tiny island in the middle of Lake Peten we knew that this was going to be a much different zoo experience than we were used to.
Passing the ticket counter to the zoo we were immediately greeted by some free roaming boars. They seemed pretty friendly. I am sure if I wanted to they would have let me touch them. However after watching them roll in the mud I decided to let them be. Walking through the zoo, some of the animals were caged and others were not. Some of the more dangerous animals such as the jaguar and the puma were separated by big pits. Going to the zoo, one needs to be prepared for a lot of walking. Terrain wise I’d say it is comparable to the San Diego Zoo (a lot of going up and down hills) in California. The main difference is there are no shuttles within the zoo and you are walking through a very hot jungle (should of brought sun screen). After about 2 miles worth of walking we were done, but there are trails that go out to about 4 miles.
The Petencito Zoo in Flores, Guatemala is a nice little diversion to those staying in the Flores / Santa Elena area. For 130 quetzales ($19 usd) you can hire a boat to the zoo. (That’s per boat, not per person.) The boat fee also includes a scenic tour around Flores Island. From the boat we had great views of Flores, Santa Elena, and San Miguel. The zoo tickets cost us 40 quetzales ($7.25 usd). Being under 6 AJ wasn’t required to pay. The zoo operates from 7 AM-5PM.
“How far is it to the cave?” I ask. “Oh, about 2 kilometers, Senor.” Responds a small man in Spanish. Two KM is about a mile and a half. We can do that I thought, so off we go marching across the bridge into the small town of Santa Elena. We are now walking for about 20 mins. and so I ask a stranger again “How far is it to the cave?” Again the response “Oh, about 2 kilometers, senor.” I begin to get skeptical and ask, “Are we going the right way?” “Oh yes, straight as an arrow and soon you will be there.” We pass the bus stop, the town is now starting to disappear. I go up to a small house and ask about the cave. “About 2 kilometers, senor.” Oh forget it! I say to myself, as I stick out my hand and call a tuk-tuk (a little three wheeled motorcycle taxi). How much to the cave I ask. Ten quetzales (about 1.50 USD) comes the reply. And after about another ten minutes in a tuk-tuk we finally arrived at the caves.
Yeah, go into a dark cave wearing black. Good choice!!
La Cueva de La Sierpiente (The Cave of the Snake). Is not much of an advertised attraction in the Peten area. I only knew about it because I had briefly read about it in a wikipediapost. The entrance fee is 25 quetzales (3 USD) paid to a park ranger on site who will let you open the gate to the mouth of the cave. It wasn’t until we got to the cave that we found out there are no lights in the cave. Luckily, however we found one in the cave of wonders (aka Denise’s purse). So armed with a small LED flashlight we timidly made our way into the darkness.
Hey papi, the rock is wet!
Hey honey where are you?! *FLASH* Oh...
AJ exploring some arch structures.
AJ finds the "Dinosaur Tooth"
Having only tennis shoes and one flashlight is probably not the best way to explore a cave in a foreign country, but there we were. The cave is ancient as manifested by what appeared to be ancient fire pit built at the end of one of the passageways. Also, I could see that at some point someone had attempted to illuminate the cave with candles. Following the trails in the passageways we were able to climb rockface and then following a winding passageway we were able to see many interesting formations.
Can you see him? I certainly couldn't
On the way out of the cave the caretaker’s wife came up to me pointed to a pond and told that I should say hello to the crocodile. OK, I thought to myself as I started to look for a fence in which I was going to be able to view this crocodile. I never did find that fence, but I did see this little sign in both English and Spanish “PELIGRO! DANGER!” Not being one to ignore signs I immediately started looking around and there he was. Just one foot away from me was a seven foot long crocodile. It’s a good thing there was that sign there or I would of stepped on that crocodile and then this would have been a very different blog post!
That crocodile really blended well with his surroundings (click to enlarge).
I never thought it would be that hard to get Guatemalan money.
So we arrived today in Guatemala City. I am happy to report so far we are safe and sound. We did however have a few bumps on the road getting here today. We arrived via the Aurora Airport in Guatemala City. Immigration was very easy. I saw all these money exchange places on the way to immigration and I was afraid that I was going to be charged for entering the country, but I wasn’t. So that was good.
What wasn’t good was the fact that the person I thought was going to be at the airport for us wasn’t there. My hotel reservation was mysteriously evaporated in the Internet and the hotel was now full. I didn’t fret, I had plenty of US dollars with and even though I didn’t like the exchange rate they were giving at the airport I thought I could easily change some US dollars to quetzales and I would soon be on my way. I tried going back in the airport the way I came out, wrong, that was only an exit. So then I told Denise to watch our stuff and I would go upstairs to the entrance. I get upstairs to the entrance and I was told you can’t enter unless you show us your passport. That was weird but I went with the flow and went back downstairs to where Denise was, got my passport, and then went upstairs. The guy let me in and I went to the money exchange place.
Strangely, all the money exchange places inside the airport were from the same company (and they all had a really bad exchange rate). I gave the guy 100 dollars and he told me if changed 200 dollars I would get a better rate (that still would have been a really bad rate). I told him I only needed $100 dollars and then he asked me for my departing pass. I told him I just got to the country and if I was about to leave I wouldn’t need any quetzales. He asked me when was I going to leave. I told him next week. He then said if I came back next week he would be able to change my money. All I can hope for is that he isn’t there again next week.
Luckily we were able to find a guy off the street who happened to be a licensed tour guide and he called a taxi from the center of the city who agreed to be paid in US dollars who then took us to a different hotel that we read about in a book we had. The hotel also took dollars and then the receptionist sent us to the pharmacy where I was able to use my ATM card to get quetzales (at a fair rate). I know that different countries do things differently, but I have to say a pharmacy would have to be the last place I would of thought of to get an honest exchange rate.
I like to read a lot of “travelers blogs” and one thing I read over and over is the complaint that Americans (USA) refuse to get out of their “comfort zone”. That go to other countries and then go to McDonalds. They write about it as if all Americans are ignorant fools. This could be true but personally, I love to go to American export stores in other countries. It is fascinating to me because I like to see how and why the store works in that country. Case in point, a few blocks from my father’s house in Mexico City is a 7/11. For the most part it looks like any other 7/11 one would find in the United States. Then when you look closer you start to notice differences.
Last time I went to my local 7/11 jalepenos were not standard issue on chicken salad sandwiches.
I am not saying you should spend all your time going to American export stores, but if you have the time it could be interesting.
So in less than a month now we will be in Guatemala for a trip that I think will be pretty epic. We are going to go hike in jungles in search of ancient ruins, ride power boats across a lake with a semi-active volcano, and if we are lucky even ride a horse along a cobblestone road. To do all that we are going to need fuel, which for us means food. I unfortunately don’t know a lot about Guatemalan food. Here in California we get a lot of Mexican food, El Salvadorean food, a little Peruvian, and even a tad of Argentian and Brazilian food. I didn’t think we had anything remotely Guatemalan in California let alone the Inland Empire. So not knowing much about the food in the region I started to look it up (Internet search mostly). Then I saw some very strange commercials about how Guatemala is going multi-national by exporting fast food chicken with a company called Pollo Campero.
I have to say fast food chicken is not what I think about when I think about Guatemala, but the name kind of got stuck in my head. I kept on saying to myself “I have heard of this place before” it was almost like I had seen this place often. How this could be I didn’t know, because I have never been to Guatemala. Then one day while I was going to Best Buy (a place I am know to frequent often) and I saw it. It was right across the street!
I knew I had seen this before.
I had never given the place much though before, but once I knew it was Guatemalan I knew I had to go. Kind of funny, there are 38 of these places in the USA and I had been staring at one all this time.
Very clean.
The inside reminded me a lot like El Pollo Loco. It was very clean and it had that signature salsa bar I am used to at all Mexican chicken places. Some things were the same at the salsa bar like chopped onions and cilantro, but other things were not. The big difference there instead of things like Pico de Gallo and Salsa Verde that I am used to I saw different sauces that were not labeled so I had no idea what they were. I just scooped them up and hoped for the best. They had a lot of things on the menu that wouldn’t be any different from a KFC like fried chicken, french fries, mac and cheese. I however wasn’t there for something that I could get at KFC so I ordered the grilled chicken, yucca fries, and sweet plantains.
I think AJ was thinking "what the heck are they going to make me eat next?!"
It was definitely different, but it was good. The chicken was really moist and the blend was salty and had a defining citrus taste to it. Mostly lemony but I could of sworn I could taste a hint of orange in there. The yucca fries were different, a lot like french fries in taste but lighter. Speaking of lighter, I got a nutritional guide and my entire meal was only 600 calories and that included the 4 corn tortillas that I ate on the side. It was also reasonably priced, the three of us ate for $19.00 USD, but we didn’t get try any of their desserts.
Anyhow, it was a fun alternative to our normal chicken adventures. If you are ever in San Bernardino and you ever find yourself at Best Buy try going across the street for lunch, you might like it. Oh, and if your wondering why this is part one it is because we are planning on visiting Pollo Campero in Guatemala. It will be interesting to see what is the same and different there as well. If anything this little visit taught me, it was that I still have a lot to learn about Guatemala.
One of our small perks with our Disney Visa card is that they have a special "meet and greet" area just for Disney Visa card holders.
After seeing our adventures as Disneyland two weeks ago my mom was anxious to get in on the action. So she bought a two day pass (currently $99), we picked her up at her place, and we promptly headed out to Denny’s.
Start the morning right and you will be happy.
Yes, Denny’s isn’t Disneyland, but it starts with a D and if your going to a Disney park I always suggest you get a good breakfast. You will need the energy and the less you pay for inside the park the better. We did not go to the Denny’s right next to the park however, it is often crowded in the morning and the prices are higher. We opted for the Denny’s next to Angel Stadium, regular prices and not crowded, but still close to Disneyland.
I kind of miss the big Calfornia letters.
Also known as DCA, Disney’s California Adventure has changed a lot since the last time we went. One of the things you notice right away is that they have taken down the giant California lettering and now the entrance looks like a 1930’s turnstile. It looks pretty much the same to me as entrances at Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Lots of contruction walls are still up at DCA.
There were also a lot of construction walls still up. This is mostly the reason for getting the deal we got on our tickets. The biggest attraction coming to DCA will be Car’s Land, but the new Carthay Plaza is pretty amazing looking too. The Carthay Circle Theatre was where Walt Disney first showed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original theatre is long gone, but this 3/4 scale version of it at DCA is still pretty impressive.
Some new attractions that were open when we were there was Ariel’s Enchanted Under the Sea Ride, Goofy’s Flight School, and Electronica (a glimpse into the world of Tron).
Mommy's girl ride.
At first AJ did not want to go see Ariel, but then he relented saying “mommy needs to go on a girl ride.” He must of liked it because he went again on it later on in the day. Unlike Disneyland we did split up a a group on various occasions. I(John) was the only one to go on many of the thrill rides (although AJ did go on Tower of Terror with me).
AJ was not freaked out at the Tower of Terror. I think mostly he was clueless.
I (John) also split off to go see Electronica, basically it was a Tron inspired disco club. What was cool was that earlier in the day at one the Fastpass machines I got a free token at Flynn’s Arcade.
A picture of my veggie wrap lunch box. The lemon bar cake was really good.
One of the things we did that helped speed us along was to pre-order our lunch at DCA. It cost us $15 a meal, which sounds expensive, but after you see all the other meal options you find out it isn’t out of the ordinary. Plus, for that $15 you get a cool themed tote bag and a fastpass to World of Color (kids also get a light up bracelet).
By the time World of Color show came the group was pretty tired. Overall though I think we had a good time though. We still have one more Disney day coming to us. When we take that last Disney day we don’t know, but it will fun when we do.
I work for a police department. I like working for a police department. In general it is a rewarding experience. I wear a uniform but I am not a police officer. I wish I could be as cool as a police officer, but at 270 pounds that is not happening anytime soon. Still, I have a very good job. I get to supervise several sections in the Records department. I am good at what I do. For the most part I keep my cool, help people with the information they need, and they are soon on their way.
You see, no one ever wants to really go to a police department. Think about it. Why do people go to the police department?? See what I mean? It isn’t like someone (as least a sane person) wakes up in the morning and says “gee whiz, I think I want to get some stuff stolen today so I can stand in line and make a police report!” Don’t worry when you walk into a police station the front counter people know what you are thinking. All I can say is just hold on, we promise to get you on your way as soon as possible.
A lot of times people don’t come in or even call us. Sometimes we call you. In fact today I had to the opportunity to call one of my fellow citizens. In this particular situation I was calling this lady to tell her that she had contacted our department, but she really needed to call a different department. So I get on the phone and the phone conversation goes something like this:
Me: Well you need to call X department. Can I give you the phone number.
Her: Oh, well I don’t have a pen can you wait?
Me: Sure
(So I proceed to wait on the line while this lady I assumes gets a pen, but I can still hear her on the phone)
Her: (speaking to someone in the background)Yeah, and so I guess I filled out that dang report wrong because this dumb police officer just called me and now I am on hold with the police department.
Me: Um, mam, your not on hold.
Her: I am not on hold?
Me: No, can I give you that number now?
Her: Uh, yes…
Me: (gives her the number)
Her: Thank you, sorry (very abrupt hang-up)
She probably thought I was really mad at her, but the truth is as soon as I hung up with her I started laughing so hard that my fellow employees started to wonder what was wrong with me. Like I said, we know what you feel. Just go with the flow and we promise we will get you out of there as soon as possible.
I have a list of 29 life goals. Most people would call them “bucket list” goals, but I just call them life goals. Some of my goals take a lot of work (still working on that weight goal), some of them are just plain silly (like in 1995 when I entered a pie eating contest), and some like today just come unexpectedely.
Today I accomplished goal #18 (yes, they are numbered). Goal #18 was to make, publish, and get a video on youtube up to 5,000 views. The video that made it is called “Calle Revolucion, Tijuana, Mexico“. Last time I checked it the video was at 5,479 views. I posted this video to basically show my walk in Tijuana last year. I have over 100 videos now posted to youtube. This one is not in my opinion one my best works; sloppy editing, and no real soundtrack. I made it because I wanted to show how empty the street was. Calle Revolucion used to be a very crowded place on Saturdays when I was growing up in San Diego, but now it is just a shell of what it used to be. The things that were always there are still there, but it is like the lights went out and someone forgot to tell all the vendors to go home.
I had another video called “Diakokuya 6/12/10” that I thought for sure was going to make it first, but it didn’t. It was a short (30 secs), well edited video of my favorite noodle shop in Los Angeles.
Oh well, I guess I will never be able to figure out what makes the Internet tick. I am going back to Tijuana briefly in March, maybe I should make another video.
Mornings at Disneyland are special times. If you are like me you could have the most comfortable bed in the world, but the excitement of what lays ahead will give you a fitful if any sleep. Waking up on a Disney morning I am always raring to go.
This last Saturday was no different. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning it would be a good 2 and half hours before the park would even let us in. With morning light barely shining I dawned my tennis shoes and set out for a run around the kingdom. It was a very interesting run. From our hotel and around the park was a perfect 3.5 round trip run. Kind of short for most of my morning runs, but considering all the walking I would be doing it was more than enough. It was a very quiet run, it wasn’t until I got to the end of the run did I see the many cast members getting ready for work. While jogging past Disney’s California Adventure I was able to catch a glimpse of the Ferris Wheel that was still lit up.
Having eaten breakfast we were ready to make the long two block walk to Disneyland.
Coming back to the hotel I had enough time to take a leisurely shower and have a big breakfast. Having a good breakfast before going to Disneyland is a good thing. For one thing, you need the energy and for seconds, the less you pause for eating the more time you have for attractions (those in the know call them attractions not rides). Along with that if you can you should get your tickets before hand, it will save you a lot of pointless ticket booth waiting. Any ticket you can get at the ticket booth you can also print online at home. Just print the ticket and you will be good to go at the turnstiles.
AJ decided the turnstiles were too slow.
Unless you are lucky enough to pay for a magical morning ticket (lets you get in one hour early), you will be allowed into Disneyland a half an hour before the park officially opens, but you will not be able to get to any attractions.
Some picture spots are too iconic to miss.
It was at rope drop that we met some very nice college interns for rope drop. One of the ladies we met told us she was from New Mexico and it was her first time at rope drop. I wasn’t sure who was more excited, her or us! Depending on your strategy is where you will want to position yourself for rope drop. If you get to the park right at opening you can guarantee yourself an easy entrance to at least one attraction. The top three opening attractions are the Flying Dumbo Ride (stay towards the middle), Indiana Jones (go to the left), and Space Mountain (go to the right). What we ended up doing is getting a fastpass for Space Mountain and then headed straight towards Finding Nemo.
AJ couldn't wait to go on his first ride.
Careful use of the fastpass system is key to making the most of your Disneyland visit. You are allowed to get a fastpass as soon as you current fastpass is active. If you play the game right you can have up to three fastpasses at a time. At the very least you should always have two fastpasses in your hand. Do this and you will never have to wait more than 15 minutes for most attractions.
AJ wasn't too sure of his real roller coaster. He kept saying "this train goes fast Papi!"
The natural tendencies for most parks is that the attractions in the front of park fill up first, so to beat them we went to the back of the park first. After we got off the Finding Nemo submarines we headed straight to Big Thunder Mountain. As predicted there was hardly any line, we didn’t even have to use a fastpass for that attraction. We headed back to Space Mountain but first got a fastpass for Star Tours and took a detour to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. The first time AJ rode on the Buzz he was very scared, but after he found out they gave you a laser gun he was very excited. He kept on saying for the rest of the day “Buzz has a job for me.”
I think there was a glitch in the computer our scores were higher than that.
We decided we wanted to have a fancy lunch so we went on the Pirates of Carribean attraction and on the way out made a reservation at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. Making our way across the square we went to the Haunted Mansion (where AJ was not afraid), Splash Mountain (Denise sat one out), Winnie the Pooh (I liked it better when the bears were there). Finding Denise back at the perfume shop we rode the train around to ToonTown station. At ToonTown we took a spin on Roger Rabbit’s Toon Spin, rode Gadget’s go coaster and met three of our favorite characters (Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy).
We couldn't go to Disneyland and not say hi to Mickey.
After sailing the “happiest cruise that ever sailed…” (still can’t get that song out of my head) we were very hungry, but we still had enough time to see Captain EO (a tribute film to the late Michael Jackson).
How much is the fare to Crestline?
Four and half hours and we had already seen 15 attractions. That is what I love about Disneyland mornings, a little bit of planning, and a lot enthusiasm and there is so much to be done. There was still lots more to do at Disneyland but we had a good start to our day.
