Some new photos...

Hey all have some new photos uploaded.... have plenty to write but am a little too tired at the moment.... my first shift of work was intense but great fun and I learnt a great deal... have to work like 45hr/wk in this pub.... don't know how you can do it Em.... so tired after my first 9hr shift....not used to standing up for such a long time.

Take care all and will post more on my next day off... whenever that is. But rest assured I am having a great time!!!!

Photos (also on gallery side bar - Look at righthand side of screen!):

http://lucas.intercate.net/gallery/hondurastolondon

http://lucas.intercate.net/gallery/firstdaysinuk

Oh and Poms are lovely!

A different universe....

Here I am in London! After 6 months of travel I hardly believed this time would ever eventuate, but it has. Does it bother me that such a great journey has come to an end, am I sad to lose that freedom, those cultures of such depth and diversity? Hmmm, yes sad, but not depressed. I am glad that it is over for now. I felt that I had travelled enough, each new experience was becoming less and less confronting, inspiring and amazingly enough less 'real' or was it more real? That world was becoming my world, I was growing accustomed to crazy things... so much so that crazy was becoming normal and normal becoming crazy..... Well London aint normal! It is definitely CRAZY!!!!

The last week of travel is a bit of a blur.... as much of the time was filled with anticipation for London, what to expect, where to go, what to do.... all that kinda stuff... which I admit is a bit silly as I wasted my last days of the journey thinking about the future not living in the present ("here and now boys!" - cries the birds of Aldous Huxley's 'Island'). But that's me in general, always thinking about something... and afterall how exciting is the future with all its uncertainties! Also my time in Miami offered me something different too, which involved stepping out of time for a while… an experience well worth it :-)

Miami was hot, humid and American... but also very Latino too.... I have this feel that although US culture is dominating the world, the US culture itself is heavily influenced by the Latin culture.... plus every culture of the world.... So I harp on about the spread of the US culture around the world destroying cultural diversity in its wake but US culture is nothing more than a collection of the world's cultures. From Africa to China, Italy to Cuba the people of the world have influenced the US.... Leaves me a bit confused.... What is the US? Why, if they are a mesh of the world, do they feel the need to go off and destroy the rest of the world when afterall all the US is a mix of people from every corner of the world. Two possibilities: (1) The US that goes out conquering the world is the Govt. not the people, given only 40% vote (mainly anglo-saxon decent ~ note the massive generalisation), few of which are black or Latino etc... the Govt. represents the views of the 'old American', the patriotic person who would have the whole world with it's 6billion people die to ensure the 'American Way of Life' OR (2) The people of the world once joining the US as citizens get caught up in it all... and forget their roots, from then on they are happy to be ignorant to the plight of the rest of the world (as the traditional US citizens have always been ~ big assumptions here.... but hey that's the way theories start, right?). But either way the days of the US empire are numbered and it has served it's purpose.. has helped stopped the rise and dominance of fascist govts. (well that's not true..... and hey the US is a fascist Govt. in a way too.... so strike that one)... so what did they do that was so good? Umm.... well Sienfeld was awesome and so were the Simpsons.... and ummm well hey it gives us in Aust, Uk and the rest of the world in general someone to blame for all that is wrong with the world... and afterall if it wasnt them it would have been someone else.... You can tell I have lost my head of steam for criticising the US…. I know the truth about it so that’s enough for me for now… and hey besides given the fact the Yankies on average are ten times dumber than they would have us believe, it is up to us to be the mature sensitive ones and let it slide… for a while anyways…

So now to the times at hand.... The flight over from the US was comfortable, half empty plane which was a nice final experience of transit after 6 months of all extremes of getting from A to B via X, Y & Z. But didn't sleep on the flight and arrived in London at 7am on Wed morn.... so I now have my first case of jet lag... I ask myself why I didn’t I have it after the trip to Rio from Sydney and I realise that (A) it was 84hrs of transit so i had no idea what time it could be and hence my body accepted what it was given time of the day wise, and (2) I got so wasted on my first night in Rio time ceased to exist for a while and I was ready to start again on South American time... So this morning I have dragged myself out of bed at 7am after getting to sleep between 3-4am this morning, in a final attempt at riding myself of the lag... if I fail now it's sleeping tablets all the way!

Airport was fun (esp for Nick, who had to wait at the tube station for 4hrs whilst George and I found my box of clothes from Oz and proceeded to experience the joys of the Uk Govt. as I got it cleared through customs...). Yep 4hrs of time plus £37 extra to get that box into my hands.... was it worth it??? Hmmm well it was as I now have 4 suits, which will come in handy.... but it was a tough start.... two days with no sleep, trying to be polite to staff at the airport so I could get my box which was sent by another party (my mum) and I had no letter of authority from mum to allow me to pick up the box.... well Aussie charm does work on the Uk people.... yes!!! So it's not just those in South America!

After the stuffing around I got into my new home (wow, realising that entries will be of the 'I' and 'My' variety now, no more 'us' and 'we'.... this is going to be weird I think. Nick and I have grown so close over the past 6 months, I am going to truly miss him..... hopefully he decides to live in London. But for now it's just me, alone in my fight for a place in the world..... well it's about time I became independent... see Jess I finally am doing what you demanded of me 4yrs ago!) the Thatched House in Hammersmith, London.... lovely place, pretty fancy and cool people. I almost passed out that afternoon from shear exhaustion.... had an arvo nap and then went to Nick's brother's house for a lovely meal and good conversation and an insight into a life in London, which didnt seem too bad to me.... Then back home to find all the bar staff drinking etc and the fact that our first night here allowed free alcohol and well the rest as they say is history.... guitar songs and stories and then finally at 4am sleep..... rest assured I woke up with the worst headache of my life..... first time on the beer since Oz and man was I feeling it! So my second day in London was a painful one (after I woke up at 1pm...). Had my meeting with the recruitment agency at 5.30pm, so yep had to drag my body/mind out of the pain of why why why did I drink last night(???!?!?!), and be on the ball for the 1.25hr meeting.... but at least I got the impression these guys are interested in helping me find a job (hmmm so I wonder what their commission is?!?!). So had my first solo tube experience, and really after getting a bit lost first up and dealing with the fact that the directions I got from the agency involved getting off at a tube stop that is now closed due to the July 7 (why do we refer to terrorist attacks by their date?) thing, so yep had to walk between three tube stops, work out where i was and find the place, which was right smack bang in the middle of London.... got there on the dot of 5.30pm!

Vibe is: London is way way cool.... will be a bastard in winter and they work hours that are stupid too.... but this is what I want.... like weights and climbing mountains... pain is weakness leaving the body and I plan on getting rid of a fair bit of weakness here..... long hours for a year wont be so hard I don't think.... And it is part of my plan anyways... Not really for the money... rather the experience in what seems to be a 'world' city.... this is not the UK rather it is the EU and man does this place have a lot to offer people.... I doubt I will have time to get bored here I think.... fingers crossed I find a good job with good people.... but hey I think I can handle pain too..... but rest assured there will be some London posts that are deeply cynical and depressive, seems to be what London does to people, will I be any different??? Time will tell....

God bless....America?

WellI expect to hear a respective sigh of relief from across the globe ....mum....dad.... I am out of South/Central America...I am healthy and alive..... so you can all chill out...unless your worried about terrorists....will be in London on Wednesday morning.... Will write more later.

PS This place is not cleaner or better developed than South America, only dif is that the cars are richer looking and everything costs more....so is it all really worth the price we pay for the American lifestyle???? I think not!

el final entrada de Latino America

Last day.... last day and I say it like it is the last day and also the first day as here is not where the journey ends but rather where it changes continents and causes. The shaking off of my old life and all the guilt and regret that it had held in my heart is over and I am ready to start to create an adult life for myself.... the child I was in Australia is slowly become the adult I dreamt about many years ago. I remember when I was 7 in year 2 at Farmborough Road Public School and I thought of the future... I thought of the HSC and how amazingly hard that would be and how that one day I would be an adult and look old and have to make all my decisions for myself and could do anything I wanted....and I thought that would be so weird to be me and to be this responsible intelligent adult, I really didn't think such a creature would be created from the child I was then.... and now 17 years on (17!!!! Can you believe that, I never thought there would be so much time held by my life...) I am that adult I never believed I would become.....I guess now the man with children, family and etc is just a step away too... But now as an adult I no longer fear that picture... I don't view it from the selfish viewpoint of a child (well I still do sometimes ;-) rather I see it as another journey and something that can be shared with other people.... a person whom one day I will meet (or have already met and don't know it yet...) and the people we create together....

But for now my eyes are fixed firmly on London and the next year of my life, the possibilities it holds for me... it is all very exciting for me. I have already sorted accommodation and a job in London to get me on my feet so I can start to see my life taking shape there... And that's what it's all about when you get down to it... being about to see things in your mind removes fear and uncertainty... I see Latin America in my mind now.... I will no longer buy into what people say about it... I have painted my own picture, my own reality of the place... as is the case for London.... the picture in my mind is starting to be formed... in a year the work of art will be finished and once again my scope of vision, wisdom, understanding of the world will have been increased again. And that is what is the most valuable thing of all... as God said to Solomon.... it is Wisdom above all that should be sort as a pirate seeks gold throughout the oceans of the world... and that is what I seek more than anything... as with wisdom, understanding I will no longer be a slave to my immature emotions, I will be able to view things as a whole.... like why do relationships end, why do I get robbed, why do my loved ones leave/die all these things are approached much more constructively with wisdom..... And man although I am still young, and very nieve (and a bad speller as my posts will attest to!!!) I feel twice the wisdom and understanding in my soul and mind compared to when I left Australia..... and as long as the law of diminishing returns applies to the attainment of wisdom (which I doubt it would because God is eternally and completely wise, hence there is unlimited wisdom to be gained.... hence the function cannot be an inverse geometric curve...) I can hardly imagine myself as a 30 year old.... haha more likely than not I will have discovered away to go backwards by then and be like a 17 year old again... maybe that will be for the best ;-)

So that's just a quick ramble as I sit here in the most western, and luxurious place I have been in 6 months... 6 free internet terminals, a massive big screen tv with cable, a pool with lazy chairs.... lots of british 'backpackers' lying about around it in bikinis.... wow this is a far cry from earlier on in the journey..... showering above toilets.... sleeping on the street....treking for 4 days with 30kg backpacks, 84hr transit stints, naked swims on deserted beaches, fights in Colombian streets, police, army, cargo planes, disgusting boats, crazy bus rides, the list is long and a summary I will have to write....

And for the past few days.... where to start....well did havc my credit card stolen... I thought I had lost it but no... it was stolen and now reduced of valor by $AU2100 including a $AU12 maccas transaction.... what spastic would serve an ugly Guatemalan with an Australian Gold Credit card!!!! Anyways.... will get it back but yes have another admin task to add to my list....

Stayed in Tegucigalpa for three nights.... went walking aimlessly about the town as I have discovered that I love to wonder about capital cities... it seems most people want to experience to 'culture' of a country so they avoid the city and stick to country regions but most people live in cities now.... hence the capital city of a country is now the dominant culture of a country (sad I know!!!) but only in these cities do you see the real culture and also where the future of that country lies.... and yes it all points to the Americanisation of everything I have seen thus far....

Tegucigalpa is filled with burger king, maccas, dunkin donuts....etc etc and yes I ate there... and you can hardly blame me as I have had the runs for a month now and am trying to get that issue fixed prior to London.... current chances of this are slim :-( Also managed to run our hostel for a night... was great fun.... running the bar and front door. I have missed the joys of phyical tangible work for so long... so the bar job in London will be a welcome break from the office for a little while.... Just being able to serve and chat to people... so fun and so easy on the mind... although you have to be on the ball too... alert but not alarmed as they say :-)

The road to change....

After three days of buses we get a quick break from travel for a while..... Forgot how much I was sick of riding on buses and realised why I was so happy to stay in San Pedro for 2 weeks. Getting on and off and organising buses is a bugger of a thing to do let me tell you!!!!

Well we left San Pedro on Thursday around 10am after running around trying to get our clothes dry.... sun drying in a town that has rain everyday just isn't that great an idea!!! Well once that was sorted out we got on the bus and this one was great..... flying up a hill from about 1500m to about 3000m altitude, crazy corners at speeds that you wouldnt believe, with three or more per seat....never a dull moment!!!! Arrived in Guatemala City around 2-3pm, found the cheapest hostel we could and I proceeded to call back to Australia cancelling my credit card, which magically disappeared on the bus trip..... Man that's the third new credit card I have had on that account, St George must think I am insane or something.....

Once that was sorted had a quick look around and indulged in some Burger King... not sure what the excuse for eating is this time... but I am sure that there was a good one at the time.... The people in that city are a bit crazy.... Like you go into a clothes shop, supermarket, fastfood joint and there is a guy at the front with a pump action shot gun to greet you.... hmmmm so I think in my head, if I steal a hamburger this guy is going to shot me and the shot gun pellets are going to get any bystanders within 10m of me.... interesting.... Went to the movies and saw Batman.... mmmmm... the idea of solving all our problems with money and violence!!! I loved it, got to eat popcorn and drink coke so really I can't go wrong... not a bad movie all in all... easy to watch and simple plot, something you need after a day on a bus... The as I was walking out of the movie there's this guy next to the security guard... and he's making this click click click noise... and I am thinking like, what is that noise.... then I look closer and he's playing with a hand gun, pulling the trigger and pointing the gun at his mate.... and I start laughing and the guy looks at me with this smile on his face..... Man that place was crazy!!!! Apparently you can buy guns over the counter in bread shops in some places... and the banks have a sign at the front saying "please don't bring your guns in..." And you thought the US was nuts!!!!!

And then we're off again on Friday morning..... this time a bit longer and town buses.... leave GC at 10:30am and arrive at the Honduras boarder at 7pm.... we had a stop halfway and were told our bus would leave at 4pm, we went off to get something to eat, returned at 3:40pm, our bus was gone... had to wait to 5:30pm for the next bus. Because of this we got to the boarder after the last bus.. it left for Honduras at 6pm... So we're there at the boarder in the dark, lightning going off in the distance, rain approaching.... and we don't have enough money (well we did but there was no way we were going to let the locals charge us $US20 to go 10km....bastardos!!!!) to get from the boarder to Copán, the first town in Honduras..... so we wait and luck should have it we hitch a lift for free siting on the back of a ute.... sucks to you dudes trying to rip us off... we ended up paying nada for the lift...and we so would have waited there all night to avoid getting ripped off.... all part of the adventure I reckon!

Saturday morning was ruins time.... not really my thing I have to say but a box to be ticked... yep now Mayan ruins have been seen by Lucas. But the place did have a vibe the night before... Like I had these very vivid dreams, really intense and I woke up all mad..... but then at the ruins there really wasn't too much of a vibe..... Too organised for tourists... like hand rails on the towers and stuff.... bloody soft tourists being catered for... takes away from the vibe of a place... But there was this lovely tree covered in butterflies... so that made it lovely for me.... and the jungle there was really nice....i.e. no mossies!!!!!

Then Saturday on a bus all afternoon and arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras Capital last night at about 10:45pm... buggered completly.... as I said over buses.... So we hang here for a few days... just organising stuff on the Net for UK.... and buy supplies for UK, given everything there will cost a billion dollares! Walked around the place today... seems pretty cool.... people look pretty cool, but still pretty poor....

Anyways not much else to say.... just getting ready for the end of it all.... Man this is going to be weird...

Cerca al fin

Wow... well here I am with just 14 days before I enter the "real world" again.... It's been 12 days in San Pedro, which is the longest time I have spent in the same place for longer than I can remember... last place was Canberra I think (wow, was I actually really there...seems like a dream.... so so so long ago in my mind). Although a bit sad to be ending this phase of the journey I am kinda excited and happy about it too.

This town has been lovely and has existed in two seperate parts completamente! The first half we stayed in one side of the town... the "Gringo Side", which really was unproductive, but allowed me to take a well deserved break from running around the world.... it really is hard work travelling from place to place around these parts of the world and a recent email from a friend made me realise that rather than being an acception, this difficult (well I call it difficult, but after a time it really isnt that hard, and in fact becomes quite an adventure... imagine catching the bus/train/plane/boat to work everyday and each day the transit offered something amazing and new... well maybe it does, but being on a bus at 7am on a freezing Canberra morning seemed rather dull to me, but hey maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough......) way of life is the norm for about 5 billion people on this world... hence I am in the "real world" and London, Sydney, Los Angeles and the rest are just abberations...

The Gringo Side involved pretty much just eating.... drinking.... and that's pretty much it..... but we made the right decision and moved to the other side of town, moved in with a family and started studying, which although painful for me (I don't know where I got this from... but when something is hard for me to learn/do I get so mad.... like really agitated.....) was a very worthwhile experience, and provided I put some effort in London to continuing my study, rather than drinking beer, which is what it seems most people expect you to do there I should be well placed to make it a language I can actually speak. In a way it has been like living a normal life the past week. Up the same time everyday... breakfast....second breakfast (with coffee *2) then off to class.....break halfway through class.... after class home to lunch.... then a bit of internet.....then gym....then post gym food.....some study....dinner.....then some study..... Hmmm real life does have its advantages.... It's nice to have routine.... but I will however enjoy these last two weeks of travel.... And the family we have been living with is really lovely.... the Dad's (Felix) a bit grumpy (I think the stereotype Alpha Male grumpy father thing is still very common in this part of the world). Francisca Snr is a happy mother, lovely cook and enjoys our presence... Odit the 15 yr lady is a local fox from what we can tell...you just can tell i reckon, and the youngest Francisca Jnr at 7 is so bright and cheerful.... nice to be with a family for a change... and they don't want to screw us for our money..... got them a cake, a basketball (for Francisca) and some chocolates as a going away present.

This town is so so so so funny.... It in a kinda way represents me (and someone else I know...you know I am talking about you!!!!). Like 80% of the people here are Christians, mostly evangelical by the sounds of their church services... really full on, they have signs everywhere saying "Busca a Dios" (look to God), "Sonreir Jesus Te Ama" (smile Jesus loves you) and "Dios es Amor" (God is love), so yeah like hard core Christians... And this big group of North American Christians (I no longer refer to people from the US as Americans as it is so disrespectful to the other 500 million people that live in the Americas) arrived today, usual type, one eyed, probably Repulicans, lovely people as long as you're on their team or about to be converted to their side (ie. NO MUSLIMS ALLOWED CHRISTIAN BROTHER!!!) so I am walking along the street.... and low and behold in two of the restaurants I pass a circle of christians playing the guitar, singing "Jesus lover of my soul" are there....and I smile to myself (whilst resisting the urge to take a photo.... ), I at first think something cynical... then I realise they are happy and not hurting anyone... and hey everyone has a hole in their life they need to fill... probs better God than porn hey..... Well after walking past them.... I get offered drugs and pass a few bars where people are taking drugs and drinking.... and then I think... This town is like me!!!! Loves God and the sinful way of life as well.... Anyways I feel things here will come to a head in the next few years as from what I hear the place has been growing out of control of late, mainly due to increased numbers of tourists.... but tourists come here to not only learn Spanish but take drugs also so the drug problems are growing (with locals as well)... but tourists = money... so decisions have to be made.... Seems to be a story all over the Americas... in different forms but the key problem is the same... White anglo saxon people with money destorying communities..... Like remember in the Matrix when Hugo Weaving (it was him?...anyways Agent Smith..dude that says "Mr. Anderson" all the time) says that humans are like a disease.... and like everyone who watched (mainly white anglo saxons...) said to themselves and their friends, by Joe I think he's right!!!! And then continued to live their lives as per usual.... Well I don't think people in general are the disease.... maybe white people.... And even as i write this i change my mind... white people arent the disease...rather it is our way of life that is a disease... a way of life that just doesnt work in the longrun.... but a way of life everyone thinks is the way to go..... Watch out for China!!!! But maybe we are meant to destroy everything on this planet, maybe nature is the enemy....note the commencement of a circular argument with myself....entonces... I stop this topic aqui!

Well I guess it would be an apt time to sum up my adventures..... oh do I really want to start such a mammoth task? I defer to no, maybe another time, maybe never.... Like the whole tale telling thing is a bit lame I think.... SO many people like to tell everyone how good they are about the cool places they have been... me all I know is who I am when I am in these places and really I am not vain enough to think people care that much about my opinion... entonces.... ask anything via email and I will answer all questions (bar 7 ;-).

Seriously it has been cool. I have only a hand full of mental explosions during the past six months, which is pretty good considering the life I led in the last four months of my time in Australia (sorry to everyone who knew me during that period of my life...). I have proven so much to myself and am ready (fingers crossed) for phase two of the journey.... London here I come.... suits here I come...expensive cigarettes here i come....really good dance/techno music here I come..... snobbery here I come..... everything costing a billion dollars here i come.....lots of blonde haired chicks here I come..... Yes it will be hard.... if I hate it heaps I am out of there in a flash..... but I will give it a burl as what have I got to lose???? Nothing! And what do I have to gain.....Things I probably haven't even dreamt of.

Thanks parents and friends for your emails... and general support and esp Mum for all her work on my Financial/Insurance/Clothing/Musical issues whilst I have been being Indiana Jones in this part of the world...(If you have seen my hat you would understand!).

Cuidate mi amigos!

Este me gusta!

News article on G-8 summit, 8 July 2005:
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/world/12088025.htm

Excepts from article:
Leaders from the world's top eight industrial nations ended their annual summit Friday by agreeing that humans are a major cause of global warming and pledging to work toward reducing it, but they didn't commit to any specific actions or timetables......provide up to $9 billion over three years to the Palestinian Authority to assist its drive to become an independent state.......Bush administration officials also called the summit a success, especially on climate change....."The most striking thing about the G-8 communique is it largely adopts the U.S. position," said Myron Ebell,

Comments:
Hmmm well that's interesting, I always thought it was the frogs who were to blame for global warming!!!! And now we've worked out that there is a problem we promise to solve it but then do nothing to change it.... is this logical??? Man with people like the ones that go to these conferences ruling the world is it any wonder that we are all doomed!!!! And what's the $9 billion for the Palestinian Authority??? Is it like the "aid" the US gives to Israel????

¡La vida nunca es facil! ¡Pero es bonita!

Life is such a funny thing and the mind... wow it is even more crazy I think. It is hard to know what part of my mind is the new person I have become and what is related to the old person I was... I know the old me still exists within and it raises it's ugly head from time to time and does something crazy.... but also it has value too as it grounds me in what is the life to which I will eventually return. But the new me offers so much more insight, a much calmer approach to life and so much more rational.... Guess these two parts of myself will battle for sometime yet I would say.

I am in an instrospective mood.... as like everyday here in San Pedro the afternoon storm is coming over and thunder rumbles on the other side of the lake. The grey sheets of rain will start there journey from the other side of the lake to our little San Pedrito.. We will have some refreshing rain, it may or may not stay for the evening and then awaiting us in the morning will be perfectly calm sunny day... smooth waters and mild breezes. I sit here on the computer with the odd truck or motorbike driving by the front of the internet cafe, thinking.. thinking...

It's funny as I have been confronted with something negative, something that would have normally bothered me, but I am not bothered... The only thing that bothers me is that i am not bothered... hence, I see that the new person I have become has taken the dominance in my personality.... And I have to say this is great as I normally would go and have a coffee and a smoke.... now I might just forget about it and will be fine.... that's is great news as I doubt I will die of a stoke now.... I still do stupid things but no longer to I beat myself up about them, I apologise to those involved (if it's not just me who suffers) including myself, learn the lesson, what went wrong etc and get on with mylife..... Something tells me just by gaining this I have succeeded in this trip... And that is only one of many of the things I have learnt!

Aha! That's why I am feeling introspective, I only have 19 days left on this trip and it's time to "sum up" and get ready to move to another part of my life. Once again thanks family, friends and God for making this all possible! I have loved this trip so much, it has been truely amazing... and I am definately travelling again asap but no need to worry parentals I want to work and study more too.... just want to be efficient with my life... you know get the most out of it and use it to give the most to others also....

So what are some of the things that I have learnt?

Some español (hopefully more after this course);
People are great, crazy, bastards, boring, selfish, giving etc etc;
My family is so great and amazing!!!!;
All you need it food and shelter and maybe a good book to read;
You can travel anywhere as long as you have some cash (and even when you don't ;-);
I have the ability to put my head down and achieve anything (even if I still have doubts about my worth as a person! That matters little and can be ignored...);
No place in the world is perfect and yet every place is perfect;
People are all the same at heart, only what is on the surface differs;
Sex and money are the most important things to people.... and people only want money so they can have sex... hence Sex is the most important thing... you can tell that we haven't evolved too far from the apes just yet;
Travelling with someone is a blessing if you pick the right person (thank God I picked the perfect person!);
Things from home never really leave you if you don't want them to (and sometimes they stay even if you want them to leave);
South America is not dangerous, neither is anyplace I have been, people who have never been to these places say they're dangerous;
Always trust your gut instinct;
Don't trust anyone except your family and close friends;
People here are more efficient at making happiness (I could analyse this one all day, but rest assured it takes $US30,000pa to ensure the average Aussie is stressed out and not satified with their life, whilst it takes the average Guatemaltecan $US1,800pa to always have a smile on their face and say g'day (and they don't want money from you...));
I do believe in God and always pray.... even if my rational mind doesn't like it!;
Many people come in and out of your life.... it's best to keep a few close and accept the exit of the many with a happy heart, you can't keep everyone around you forever;
My biggest problem is with women and given I am not gay I have a bit of work to do in this area... maybe I will become a monk (with a massive porn collection of course;-);
I have a hell of a lot more to learn... like man I feel I know a lot less now than I did at the beginning of this trip.... but that makes me realise that the vaile of ignorance is slowly getting lifed!

Classes are going great.. got the weekend off so will do a hell of a lot of study, but I am not meant to be smoking.... man I feel my mind already justifying a few smokes to reward my study.... but then what, when I am in London, have a hard day at a new job... have a smoke.... I will always have a good excuse for a smoke so I will just have to resist... Oh yeah fyi I have quit (AGAIN!!!!) smoking.... "Bien suerte!" I hear you all saying.... Watching a movie tonight, hang around and hopefully practice some spanish with our homestay family and people about the place.... Oh and given I am with Nick I am sure some gym session will be involved somewhere, maybe another kyack on the lake early tomorrow....

Reality check

Don't forget to check who is winning the war for collateral damage (an adjunct of the wider war for/against global equality).... there are always two sides to the story and when the book is written by one side can you really trust it to tell you the whole story???

http://www.iraqbodycount.net/

http://icasualties.org/oif/

¡Pensar para se! ¡Autoridad de la pregunta!

Staying put for a while

Well after tossing around the possibilities in our heads we have decided to stay here in San Pedro and learn Spanish for a week... Then see some ruins and race down to San Jose and catch a flight to Miami and then good old London town..... This place is incredibly relaxing, which is a great way to finish off our trip, cause in a month I will be hitting the city and the developed world big time....

We had considered doing a dive course but thinking about it it appeared too expensive and really something I have never thought about doing before, I would mush prefer to improve my spanish before i leave as it would be a waste not to use my time here to learn a new language.

Just realised that the disk of photos from Cuba we got burnt did not work...grrrr seem to be having no luck with photos on this trip. Lost the first half of our trip when my iriver died... and now one cd out of 4 did not burn..... Man this is so frustrating!!!!!!! But being annoyed and learning to get over it and put it into perspective is one of the most important parts of this trip i figure.... Just think i hav learnt enough about that and would like things to work a bit more smoothly from now on....

The Plan (for today anyways..... as always subject to change)

So anyone who was wondering anything about my plans, here they are.....

Feburary 2005 - July 2005 - PHASE ONE - The Latin American Oddessy

August 2005 - June 2006 - PHASE TWO - The English Oddessy (possible quick jornt home for Xmas)

July 2006 - PHASE THREE - The North American sojourn to see a Crouch tie the knot

August 2006 - November 2006 - PHASE FOUR - The Europe to Asia Oddessy (by land!!!)

December 2006 - PHASE FIVE to INFINITY - Yes I know it's about time.... the real world, steady girlfriends and jobs, career, possible further education, then hmmm marriage.... mortgages, kids..... and obviously eventually death (that is a certainty)

Questions anyone?

Getting ready for the change....

Well after the journey to get here, and I do say journey as it was a killer getting from Cancun Mexico to Central Guatemala, like 21 hours on the Mexican Spew bus with Soccer Dog as the only entertainment.... It's funny how I have learnt to endure extreme pain and just go crazy and laugh about it... Like exams at school and uni, you know the time just before the exam when you have studied too much and it's all too painful and you start running around going crazy... Well I say spew bus, cause we went through these mountains, really windy road, plus the bloody local communities put speed bumps everywhere, so the bus twists and turns and slows down and speeds up the whole time, and like everyone on the bus except Nick and I spewed, I think our extensive time in buses (over 300hrs now) has made us immune to any travel related sickness.... They actually had a designated post windy road spew clean up stop..... Nice. And during all this we had a movie, Soccer Dog http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/PD--10121056/Soccer_Dog_The_Movie_(dvd/video_release).htm?sOrig=CAT&sOrigID=18882&ui=9510F8BF8AFD4C098E350F0E55223B57 to keep us amused.... Bloody hell it was a crazy bus trip... and a family of three annoying kids who took turns crying the whole time also kept us amused also.... I love pain!!!!

Arrived in this boarder town and we waited in the dark and rain for five hours to catch a bus that I am sure came directly out of the Twilight Zone, once it dropped us off I am sure it returned there... I sat in the corridor between the seats and in front of me was this drunk crazy guy that wanted to talk about sex the whole time... And when I was sick of talking about it he called me a faggot.... So I ignored him and pretended I was asleep... Whilst this was happening we had our bus searched by cops, the driver kept turning off the lights (driving lights too - imagine being in the jungle in the dark, in a bus driving like a maniac with no lights..... rest assured mum he did turn them on quickly) and they put on Blondie full ball on the stereo..... After this we get into the bus station at 1am and this aint no bus station, just a street with buses, and we have to wait till 5am for our bus... well we thought it was 8am but found one by chance at 5am... luck once again.... So at the bus station we sleep on the street but not before we have a guitarathon with the locals were I have to sing like 4 songs out loud about the señoritas in Australia... romantica and all that... made them up on the spot but they loved them and we managed to attract quite a crowd at 2am in the morning.....

And then another bus to the lake.... and was half asleep the whole time, and then BAMM Nick yells we're getting off!!!! And then onto another bus down to the lake, get off this bus to find out it's another 8kms to the lake so get on the back of a 4x4 down to the lake, get out drop our packs and get brekky.... 40hrs of continous travel.... man and you think I am on a holiday!!! Not a chance mate it's a constant battle to get from one place to another, that's why this is a JOURNEY not a holiday... holiday's are for tourist and last like 4wks as people can't bear to leave the comfort of their job that they hate anyways.....

Now am here by the lake, went for a kyack this morning and got a great workout from it.... planning to climb a mountain tomorrow, then well who knows.... Just have to be in San Jose, Costa Rica by 22nd that's all that's certain for now.

This place is truely amazing, a big lake surrounded on all sides by massive mountains and volcanos... There are little villages smattered about the hillsides and I am staying in one of them, San Pedro (like my Cusco friend), which is a little hippy hangout. Last night had fire twirlers and all that sort of stuff. Really chilled out and so beautiful. Eating dinner by the large, watching the weather change... as it does so often when there is water and high mountains about.... Love it!!!!

Have started the other part of my life also... Registered with two employment agencies in London... Man it is hard to believe that I will be there soon. Having showers and being clean, wearing fancy clothes and behaving like a mature adult... Wow, but unlike people i have met on this trip I am not sad about finishing up this trip as I view this whole time away as the trip. South-Central America was phase one, and England will be phase two. I have travelled enough in crazy lands for the time being. I miss working, I miss having to get up in the morning (crazy I know, I am sure I will read this in three months and say "what the hell was i thinking, getting up and going to work every morning sux big time!!!") to go to a place people need me... I also miss progressing in my career... So I am ready. The next three weeks will be a holiday before I hit work. I am sure it will be fun, but no regrets on entering phase two....

In Guatemala and will be offline for a few days.....

No need to worry parents am safe just heading to a village with no internet and will probably stay there for a week. This place is so beautiful, green and mountainous.... At this lake surrounded by volcanos... Really amazing place. Will write when I return.

Oh also sorry for the negative bent on my last two posts, guess the whole Cuba experience mixed with returning into such a concumer orientated society got to me. It really is easy to turn into one of those ´there is no hope´ kind of people if you let yourself go... rest assured I wont become that kind of person...