Water, wheels and a wedding

We were both really excited to be back in familiar territory when we crossed from Belize into Mexico. I think in some ways we wondered if the reason we liked Mexico so much a few years ago was because it was at the very beginning of our trip and we would have been excited about traveling anywhere. But this doubt was put to rest when we reconnected with friendly welcoming locals, beautifully diverse landscapes, flavorful food and mouth-watering pastry shops.

We spent our first few days in Tulum, a town on the western coast of the Yucatan that was built up around a fortress of Mayan ruins of the same name. One of the highlights of our time there was renting bikes to get ourselves around. The wheels wobbled from side to side with every rotation and I wasn't sure if I was going to still have both pedals by the time we returned the single speed cruisers, but it was an awesome way to get around a conveniently flat town with wide shoulders and even some multi-use paths. One of our rides took us to Gran Cenote, an incredible fresh water aqua pool in a stalactite-filled cave that opened up to beams of sunlight streaming down. Sea life was not the focus of this snorkeling trip, but swimming through the geological formations was unlike anything we had ever experienced.

The next morning we woke up well before sunrise, put on our headlamps and biked along the deserted highway to the ocean side of the Tulum ruins. We walked along the beach until we found a comfortable outcropping of rocks where we could sit, enjoy some Mexican breakfast rolls and attempt to watch the sunrise. The sky certainly got lighter, but there were too many clouds for a clear sunrise. Because we got such an early start to the day, we avoided the hordes of tour groups that surfaced later in the day and were first in line to enter the famous ruins situated on rocky cliffs overlooking the aqua sea below. Although the craftsmanship and size of these ruins were not as impressive as Chichanitza or Tikal, the backdrop of crashing waves below certainly added to the majesty.

From our backpacker accommodations in Tulum, we left bright and early for Playa del Carmen where we would be living in style for the next three days at the all-inclusive resort that our good friends Erik and Katie had selected as the location for their wedding. It took a little while for us to get used to our beautiful air-conditioned room, people waiting on us, and eating and drinking whenever and wherever we wanted. But we managed. Although devoid of any local culture, it was a wonderful couple of days of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Erik and Katie have already heard this a number of times, but we were so excited to discover how cool all of their friends and family are. On any given morning after walking a few steps down the beach, we would find a group familiar face, pull up some lounge chairs, strike up a conversation and enjoy the day. Along with playing in the waves and getting drinks from the swim-up pool bar, we enjoyed learning to sail a four-person catamaran, a night of karaoke, a bonfire on the beach, and of course a beautiful wedding that so perfectly represented our two dear friends. It was a wonderful end to an amazing month of travel.

From one hammock to another

After a week of studying, we decided that lounging around in a hammock and swimming in a crystal clear fresh water lake sounded perfect. Casa del Mundo, a beautiful terraced hotel that is built into a steep rocky cliff overlooking Lago Atitlan was a place we thoroughly enjoyed on our trip three years ago, and we decided we had to go back. It was almost just as we had remembered except for the minor detail that the lake had recently risen 10 feet and many of the terraces are now underwater. We've heard a few theories for this rise, but the most likely one has to do with the previous two years producing unusually high rainfall which also collects more sediment and since there are no overland rivers flowing out, the sediment has been clogging the underground exits. At least the sunken terraces made for some interesting snorkeling.

At Casa del Mundo we enjoyed waking up early every morning to do yoga and go for a relaxing swim when the water was the most calm before breakfast. Every night a delicious set four-course dinner was served at large community tables where it was easy to get to know other guests and chat until the candles at the table had burned all the way down.

From Lago Atitlan, we spent one night in Antigua during semana santa before setting out on our longest travel day of the trip. Unfortunately we didn't realize that Good Friday was the most difficult day of the year to catch public transportation when we decided that would be our big travel day to get all the way to a small island in Belize. The next 20 hours were filled with chicken buses, several taxis, a shuttle bus, a night bus with reclining seats, an air-conditioned van that was owned by a generous man who offered to take us where we were heading for the same price as the bus would have been, and a launcha (motor boat) that was only running because the owner was driving his own family over to the island for the Easter holiday. We finally arrived on Tobacco Caye and checked into our rustic, but awesome white-washed private cabin with a porch overlooking the water. Because the tiny 200 yard long island sits on top of the barrier reef, we were able to snorkel right from the dock each day to see amazing coral formations, tropical fish of every color and size and some majestic eagle rays.

Although we enjoyed our time on the island, we quickly realized that Belize didn't resonate with us the same way most other Central American countries had. We noticed the culture felt more aggressive overall and less welcoming than other indigenous Central American cultures and we found that English with a heavy island accent (their official language) was actually harder to understand than the Spanish we had become accustom to. So after a handful of days in Belize it was time to continue our trip north.

Back to school

The second part of our time in Xela was filled with a week of classes at the very friendly Utatlán Spanish School and a homestay with a wonderful local Guatemalan family. Arturo, Dora and their children welcomed us into their home with open arms. While sharing three meals a day, we became familiar with their progressive ways of thinking, their sincere interest in getting to know more about us (along with their eagerness to correct any misspoken Spanish), and their caring nature toward one another. Dora let us use the kitchen to prepare a meal for a pot luck at our school one night, and Jon was thrilled to discover the family had a guitar in the house that they graciously let him take to class so his teacher could help him learn a few Spanish songs.

During the week we had five hours of one-on-one Spanish classes and a few hours of homework (that we typically did with a beer or coffee in hand) each day, but we still found time to fit in some extracurricular activities. One afternoon we visited Fuentes Georginas which are amazingly relaxing hot springs set in a high-altitude jungle that is continually encompassed in waves of fog. We also caught a professional fútball game where we quickly learned that the fans cheer and ignite homemade fireworks regardless of the actual activity in the game. It was quite a scene - and did I mention how big the beers were? One of our last adventures in Xela was a bike trip accompanied by the owner of our school to El Baul, a very steep hill that overlooks the whole city. It was a perfect view to take in before bidding farewell to Xela.

Gaining a new perspective

From Antigua, we headed to Quetzeltenango by way of some proper chicken buses. If you think it's a mouthful to say the name of Guatemala's second largest city, rest assured, most people call it Xela (pronounced Shay-la) for short. Our first few nights in town, we had the opportunity to meet up with our buddies Dave and Julie from Colorado who were a month into a year-long trip similar to what we did a few years ago. The conversations we enjoyed with them over a few beers reminded us just how much we learned in the year we were away from home.

When we think back on that trip, it's easy for us to only remember what things were like by the end of the year - the personal growth we had both made and our ability to communicate in Spanish. We realized in talking to Dave and Julie, that if we can stretch our memories and remember back to the beginning of that year, there were some real challenges too. In hindsight, these difficult and confronting events were absolutely necessary. They were the catalyst that made us realize we even wanted to create change.

One of the most obvious shifts was in our ability to roll with life's surprises and disappointments. During our month of travel this April, there were a few things we tried to plan out ahead of time in an attempt to control the outcome. It's funny how we have the illusion of being in control - but in reality, we can only do so much and then life just kind of happens around that. We have learned in the last few years that every situation provides us with the choice to fight what is, attempt to change it, or accept it. Instead of holding on more tightly to the things that are out of our control, it seems that loosening our grip helps create a more fluid experience.

I think these ideas continued to sink in as we headed into the wilderness and up to the summit of Tajumulco - the highest point in Central America. Accompanied by our Spanish-speaking guide, we hiked up steep paths though pine forests to a base camp of about 13,000 feet where we spent the night. The next morning we woke up at 4am, left the warmth of our sleeping bags and hiked to Tajumulco's 13,845 foot summit to watch a most spectacular sunrise. It was incredible to know that on a particular day in history, we were the first people at highest point in Central America. The sunrise was amazing to watch as little by little more light crept into view. The clouds that seemed so far below continued to change shape and color. It was a magical hour to watch the transformation of night to day.

First stop: Antigua

As soon as we landed in Guatemala we welcomed the sensation of exercising our traveling legs and spanish skills once again. Our first stop was Antigua - a gorgeous colonial city that seamlessly combines beautifully colored houses and flower-filled balconies with cathedral ruins that allude to what the city must have been like hundreds of years ago. Our first order of business was lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Rainbow Cafe, immediately followed by a visit to Yogen Fruiz, which offers a perfect combination of frozen yogurt and fruit. I think we had a cone in our hands at least once a day trying to get our fill for the next few years.

Our first few relatively calm days were a sharp contrast to the time we spent in Antigua during semana santa (holy week), just a week and a half later. In many Central American cities, the entire week before Easter is filled with festivals, parades, floats, and beautifully created alfombras (decorative carpets made of flower petals and colored wood chips). Antigua is at the heart of it all which made for some great parades, people watching and exploring, but a small dose of the crowded streets was about all we could take before moving on.

From Antigua, we were able to hike nearby Pacaya, an active volcano that still has smoke rising from its summit and some sauna-like caves a little further down. Unfortunately it's not currently as active as it was three years ago, so we'll have to save seeing hot lava for another time.