* HOME / DOM

and so i have made it home...

wrocilam do domu...

* ostatnie latino podrygi w mexico city

ostatnie dni naszej podrozy spedzamy w miescie meksyk. jedzie sie przez to 22-milionowe miasto i jedzie. w europie tak nas wszyscy straszyli (podobnie jak rio de janeirem) ale ani przez moment nie czulam sie tu zagrozona. chyba przesadzamy w europie, myslac jak tu jest niebezpiecznie. a moze my mamy szczescie? a moze po prostu trzeba na siebie uwazac nie zaleznie czy jestesmy w trzecim czy w pierwszym swiecie? w koncu na pare dni przed tym jak mnie okradli w kambodzy, okradli mnie w dublinie? ale to juz inna opowiesc.
schadzmy obowiazkowe turystyczne zocalo, katedre (pod katedra wyhacza mnie trojka uczniow z kamerami i rodzinami i myslac ze jestme amerykanka (????) prosza mnie czy im udziele wywiadu do szkolnego projektu z angielskiego. wiec trzy razy odpowiadam na te same pytania: ile mam lat, co mi sie najbardziej podoba w meksyku i jaki jest moje ulubione jedzenie). rzucamy tez okiem na templo mayor i freski diega rivery. spedzamy poranek w muzeum antropologii i jest naprawde imponujace, ale tyle tam garkow, bizuterii, kamieni i takich tam ze trzeba by chyba przychodzic przez rok codziennie na godzine zeby to wszystko ogarnac.
pol dnia nam schodzi na ruinach teotihuacan, ogromnych piramidach zbudowanych przez niewiadomo kogo, ktore potem zostaly zniszczone przez pozar, a pozniej jeszcze zamieszkale przez aztekow. gorac nisamowity zwala sie na nas z nieba w czasie gdy przechadzamy sie droga umarlych i wspinamy sie na piramidy slonca i ksiezyca.
zagladamy do museum fridy khalo - bardzo ladnie i kolorowo i kupujemy troche rupieci na rynkach san juan i citadela.
ostatniego dnia jade do tlaxcala (nie moge sie nauczyc wymawiac tej nazwy wiec chodze wszedzie z kartka) odwiedzic manuela i grete - znajomy z dublina, w sumie bardziej grzesiowi to znajomi ale jade z wizyta. sa tacy serdeczni, i ich rodzina tez i tak mi zal ze nie moge zostac na dluzej , zwlaszcza ze cos przebakuaj o imprezie i ze ich mama chciala ugotowac na moj przyjazd! czuje sie jakbym byla jakas zagubiona krewna a nie kims kogo ledwo znaja. tego ciepla ludzkiego zabraknie w zimnej europie...
wieczor i noc spedzam w hostelowycm barze i na placu garibaldi gdze graja mariachi (orkiestry panow poubieranych w meksykanskie tradycyjne stroje). podpici ludzie tancza na ulicy, a my udezamy do baru gdzie hasamy do rana. rano przykladnie wstaje na snaidanie, pakuje plecak i ruszamy do.... domu.

* back to mexico - san croistobal and oaxaco

our last days on the latino continent.we are back to mexico, but it seems that we feel tired of visiting colonial towns with baroque churches. or maybe we can feel this is almost it and no matter how much we enjoy it we will have to leave in a few days? in one of the churches in san cristobal we meet a guy who works in an orphanage for children, whose parents were killed by the government army duing the fights with zapatistas (kind on indigenious people's rights guerillas) and he invites us over. we walk in horrible rain and it turns out that the place he invited us to is just an office and kids live somewhere else. lost in translation i guess. later we will see a demonstration in front of the un's headquarters. some of the zapatistas are told to be held with no trial and their supporters demand either a trial or their relese.
the highlights of our time in san cristobal was definetly a visit to two mayan villages: san juan chamula and zinacantan, where mayas' ancestors under the cover of christainity practise their ancient believes. their church (not recognised by the vatican) from the outside looks like any other christian church in a any other small town. the difference makes what you see inside. there is no benches, no preists, no sermons. people come to make offerings of chickens, liquids (from coca-cola through water to alcohol), lit candles, sit with their families and pray. it may sound silly but i really felt there that there is one God, regardless what we call Him. the walls are covered with the pictures of christain saits and people seem to be praying to them. the truth is that when the spanish came there was not much choice given to the local mayas so in order to survive they pretended to accept the rules of christanity, at the same time continuing their own believes. so they still pray to the gods of the sun, the rain etc. the cross was used prior to christianity and it simbolised the relationshp between time and space. the main problem they had with christainity was the one of human sacrifice. the priests told them that it was bad, but could not expalin why the christains killed God's Son as a sacrifice. they were simple people, withouth our double standards.
the families here work as cooperatives, everyone contributes to the common wealth. they might have low-income jobs but all together are stronger. that's why people get married early to have kids early so they can start contributing early.
in oaxaca we wander around the museums and churches and cant belive that our time is almost up...

* san marcos nad jeziorem atitlan

6 rano, czas skonczyc impreze i poimprezowa gadanine i wsiasc w tzw. chicken bus i dojechac nad jezioro atitlan, do panajachel. wlewam w siebie kawe, wpycham kanapke, wsiadamy w autobus stylizowany na zolte amerykanskie szkolne autobusy i razem z odwswietnie poubieranymi gwatemalynczykami ruszamy w droge. jest niedziela, dzien targowy , dzien matki. chicken bus wydaje mi sie bardziej komfortowy od turystycznych minibusikow, wbrew oczekiwaniom nikt nie wiezie kurczakow. a moze to zmeczenie sprawia ze od razu zasypiam i budze sie tylko co jakis czas popodziwiac widoki i piekne haftowane kreacje gwatemalan?
w panajachel probujemy znalezc lodke do san marcos, co nie jest latwe zwarzywszy na fakt ze na drugi dzien musimy sie stawic na autobus do san cristobala o 7 rano. nie wiem czy wogole nam sie uda doplynac do san marcos. ale uparcie chodze i pytam i pyam i chodze az w koncu ktos mnie kieruje na druga przystan ktora ma wiecej lodek i tam mowia ze powinno sie udac wroic na czas. mkniemy wiec po jeziorze. otaczaja nas gory i wulkany. plecaki na dachu troche sie zamaczaja ale po pierwsze to lodka chlapie, po drugie deszcz pada wiec niedorzecznym byloby miec tu pretensje do kogokolwiek.
san marcos jest maciupka wioska na brzegu jeziora atitlan. wiekszoc backpackersow kieuje sie do san pedro - bardziej imprezowej miesciny. my wybieramy leniuchowo- relaksacyjna osade, po ktorej snuja sie hipisi, jogini i nawiedzone filozofki.
ide poplywac w desczu.
trafiamy tez na obchody dnia matki wiec gapimy sie bez konca na pieknie poubierane mamy w wieku od nastolatek po babuszki. sa przemowy i modlitwy i konkursy tanca w ktorych mozna wygrac plastikowa miske. ciagle leje...o swicie mkniemy lodka przez osnute mglami jezioro zeby zdazyc na autobus z panajachel o 7 rano. z nami przysypiajace dzieci plynace do szkoly, ludzie z koszami ananasow i cebuli zmierzajacy na rynek i cala reszta gdzies indziej podazajaca. wieczorem bedziemy spowrotem w meksyku.

* antigua - let´s climb a volcano, let´s find an illegal bar

antigua is a lovely, colourful, colonial, cobbled-stonned town. it takes a few hours to see its main attractions, churches, churches and some more churches. some figurs of saints are missing heads from the earthquakes (i thought it was the robbers like in ankor wat but someone said the earthquakes). ok, maybe im not being fair, there is also a plaza there and a food and artesanias market. still not that much to see. but still you can just hang out there, talk to people,walk around and chill... it seems that this is becoming my new favourite passtime.
we spent the first night at somebody's birthday party. we met some guys who knew some guy... there is always a party to go if you are up for it, i guess. the music was quite psychodelic but with a help of a few drinkies we ware mad on the dance floor. the second night is supposed to be tamed (i keep saying im going out for ONE). we have dinner (somehow we collect a big international group of hungry and thirsty people) and we hit the town. first to the bar, which was too sleepy for our moods, then to the club,which was absolutely perfect vibe for us. we danced and danced till they closed... but noone was really up for going to bed. luckily we met some people who knew where the illigal, after hours bar was so we headed there and spent some more time and guatemalan quetzalez there. every now and then the bartenders switched off the music and told everyone to shut up coz the police was passing by. so so funny, when a bunch of intoxicated people is trying to be quiet and hush one another - felt like being back to high school! on the way home we mangaged to get lost, regardless the size of the town, but a friendly police patrol gave us directions, they even gave a lift to some couple who we met, who also got lost. after that we just chated away in a hostel till it was time for me to get up and catch a bus.
oh there was also a day, dividing these two nights which i spent at the pacaya volcano. wow! so much running lava and so close to me. runing just next to my feet.it was all even more beautiful and unreal as we climed through the clouds and we couldnt see much until we reached the top with the lava flowing. amazing. how will i ever go back to life when days are spent by doing things other than seeing volcanos and attending illegal parties? well, i ll think about it later, for now i need to catch a chicken bus to panajachel and chill some more on the lake atitlan :)

* semuck champey

we loved tikal so much and im very excited to see more of guatemala. we only have a few days left here (and i admit with horror and goose bumps) we only have a tiny little bit of our whole trip left. we decide to go semuck champey to see natural swimming pools and chill out there for a day. we are staying in a really cool hostel - just by a river, with great food and hammocks, my new love :)to get to semuck we hop on a truck full of locals and take almost an hour long bumpy ride through the winding roads (or maybe i should say : paths). it feels a little bit like bolivia. ladies with thier traditionla outfits, street vendors, similar landscape. maybe a richer version of bolivia? we climb a steep hill to see the pools from the top and we get sweety and tired but it is all worth it! the structure is amazing! we see the river entring something like a cave underneth the pools and coming out on the other side. i swim and swim and swim. me likey :) i could easily spend a week here just swimming, reading, swinging in a hammock, just hanging our really, but we need to keep moving! and at this stage we need to keep moving fast! we hop on a bus and after a day we are in antigua.

* guatemala - zalane ulewa tikal i flores

wcale nas tu nie mialo byc. gwatemala nie byla w planie nic a nic. ale po drodze naspotykalysmy tyle ludzi ktorzy mowili ze jest przepieknie i niesamowicie i super ze zdecydowalysmy sie skrocic czas w meksyku i zajrzec co tu maja w tej gwatemali. przede wszytskim maja pore deszczowa i hordy komarow i robali....wiec sie psikamy odstraszaczem i zjadamy nasze antymalariany krorych nie wykorzystalysmy w peru. instalujemy sie na malej wyspie flores (mniejsza niz sobieszewo, w 20 minut mozna ja obejsc wzdluz, i pewnie w tyle samo wszerz, bo sie zdaje okragla). spedzamy tam noc i rano zaczynamy od ruin tikal, ktore zamieszkane byly po raz pierwszy w 7 wieku przed nasza era, potem stanowily wazne centrum majow w 4 wieku naszej ery i zostaly ostatecznie porzucone w 1o tym wieku, z powodu wojny z sasiadami, przeludnienia i suszy. no moze nie tak ostatecznie porzucone, jest tu teraz sporo turystow i nawet widzimy kilku chlopakow w strojach majow tzn. prawie nagich - kreca tu film historyczny. otoczone gesta dzungla swiatynie, grobowce wladcow i cos jak piramidy, choc przewodnik mowi ze to nie jest poprawnie mowic o budowlach majow jako o piramidach. z nieba sie leje gesty deszcz i probujemy sie schronic w budce z chipsami, ale kto go tam wie, moze bedzie padac caly dzien wiec idziemy ogladac w deszczu. przemakamy do bielizny i skarpetek ale nie jest zimno wiec powiedzmy ze jest ok, poza naszymi pomarszczonymi stopami. w koncu przestaje padac i mamy ruiny prawie na wylacznosc bo wiekszosc ludzi wywialo w czasie ulewy. jest przepieknie! wylaza nawet zwierzaki - malpy i nieznane nam gatunki ptakow i motyle i cos jak borsuki albo rakuny. i kto powiedzial ze jedyna pora zeby miec ruiny dla siebie i zobaczyc zwierzactwo to 4 rano? ogladamy swiatynie masek i jaguara i zaginony swiat i wszystko inne ale kluczowym punktem programu jest dla nas wspiecie sie na swaitynie numer 5, z ktorej to roztacza sie widok na czubki drzew dzungli, nad ktora to unosi sie wata cukrowa chmur z ktorych dopiero co lalo i wystaja wierzcholki swiatyn... jets przecudnie spokojnie. zgodnie zaliczamy tikal do najfajnieszych rzeczy jakie widzialysmy w podrozy i o poranku ruszamy do lanquin zobaczyc semuch champay i sprawdzic czy reszta gwatemali tez nam sie tak bardzo spodoba.

* nieplanowany nurkowany wypad do raju

nie udaje mi sie zanurkowac w meksyku bo za duze fale i piasek sie unosi wiec jest kiepska widocznosc. poza tym bardzo trzesie i mozna sie pochorowac na lodce, a na co to komu? wiec wpadam na pomysl ze wlasciwie to moznaby odrobine odbic do belize w drodze do gwatemali. i dostac jeszcze jeden stempelek do paszportu :)ktory swoja droga wyglada juz jak psu z gardla... kupujemy wiec bilet do chetumalu na granicy, spedzamy tam noc, jemy pizze z dominos i rankiem wsiadamy w autobus do belize city. na granicy pan celnik mnie pyta czy moja kolezanka jest singlem. wobraza sobie ktos takie pytanie od polskiego celnika? belize mowi po angielsku wiec odkadamy na bok nasza dukanine. a na wyspie mowia po kreolsku wiec w koncu moge uslyszec to o czym sie uczylam na lingwistyce. radosc ma wielka! z belize city wsiadamy w lodke i doplywamy do caye caulker - mala wysepke 40 minut od wybrzeza. jest absolutnie rajsko. palmy, bialy piasek, niebieska woda. wieje przyjemy wiaterek ktory przynosi ulge po goracu meksyku. prawie nie ma samochodow, jedynie rowery i male autka golfowe. fale zalamuja sie daleko od brzegu, tam gdzie zaczyna sie rafa koralowa i to wlasnie tam plyne na swoje pierwsze nurkowanie. sporo z tym zachodu i nie jest to najtansza przyjemnoc ale gdzies trzeba zaczac. jest fajnie, moj instruktor kaze do siebie mowic daddy. odmawiam i pytam czy ma inne imie. troche nam sie mijaja poczucia humoru ale wydaje sie ze wie co robi. wysluchuje teorii co i jak dziala, probujemy sprzet i schodzimy pod wode. jest super. plywaja wielkie ryby, jakies tam plaszczugi, rafa jest przepiekna (choc chyba nie tak piekna jak w malezjii czy kambodzy ale moze to fakt ze sie bardzo skupiam na oddychaniu i na operowaniu roznych kabli i rurek a nie na podziwaniu rafy jak przy snorklingu). dostaje swoj maly certyfikat i spedzam wieczor drzemiac pod palma. rano wsiadamy spowrotem na lodke i udaljemy sie do gwatemali. babsztyl w biletowni nas oklamal ze autobus jest bezposredni do tikala gdzie chcemy zobaczyc ruiny jeszcze dzis a u sie okazuje ze jest przesiadka we flores i ze bedziemy w tikalu dopiero wieczorem bo jeszcze kierowca ma spoznienie! wyklocamy bilet na drugi dzien i spimy we flores gdzie wlasnie trwa pora deszczowa...

* playa del carmen with fi and si and tulum

we are finally meeting fiona and simon in playa del carmen! it is so great to see them and it feels as if nothing has changed and it was just a few days ago that we all partied in the Rathmines Mansion :) after dark cuban streets with empty-shelved shops playa is such a shock to our systems. our eyes are popping out at all the shops and all the stuff to buy. literally the whole town jsut screems : ´buy , buy , buy´. no wonder, it is full of americans. no offence. but the beach itself is beautiful with white sand, clear blue water and palm trees. im delighted to chill for a bit... sunbathe, swim, eat nice food, go danicing and just wander around. we go to see mayan ruins in chichen itza and get the most ridiculous guide ever, so we eventually ditch him and just wander by ourselves. we also get to go to a lovely cenote and i swim around. agnieszka breaks her toe (!) but thankfully she doesnt get to wear a cast, and hopefully she will be able to limp around central america... i so wanted to go diving around the playa but they cancelled it coz the sea was too rough. boooo. i guess we will have to find another place where i can see the coral reef.
we say goodbye to fi and si and start making our way down south through the yucatan penisula. we stop in tulum to see the most beautifully located mayan ruins. the ruins itself are not too impressive (or maybe we are becoming ´ruined out´) but they are located on the clif just next to the lazur caribbean sea and that makes tulum one of the most beautiful places i have seen. i jump into the sea and enjoy the view from below. wow :) (photos will follow shortly).
we were supposed to go straight to guatemala as we are really running out of time now, but i want to make a little detour and try diving in caye caulker in belize so we are getting ourselves there for a day.

* santa clara and a few more days in la habana

we spent two days in santa clara, and to be honest that seems to be more than enough. we stayed with very nice senores and they told us how hard it was to get the most basic things. our senora loves baking, but she cant buy even the simplest things to decorate her cakes. we saw the che monument and the museum and as there was not much else to do there we spent our evenings in the park watching kids playing baseball. we were approached by all sorts of old men offering their services. one of them says he was a journalist at the angolan war, invites us for a glass of wine, tells loads of stories and says we cant possibly leave cuba without tasting a cuban man. he seems like a 100 years old to me but agnieszka says he means himself. then there is this other guy who also offers himself to us and to prove he is ready, takes out a condom from his pocket and say that he ´might be small but he can many times´. weird town.
we decided to come back to la habana for our last days in cuba. we found a lovely place near the centre and malecon, with the nicest senores who would chat away with us for hours (not seeming to mind our limited spanish). we went to the museum of the revolution and saw all the propaganda nonsence there. all the posters saying how fantastic the crops are and how well they fought analphabetism and how well they are promoting spors. well, if only we heard the same stories from the people... we saw the grandma yacht who made its way from mexico and took a crucial part in the revolution and all other memorabilia.
we also went to yoruba / santeria association and the girl there told us a bit about their saints, believes and how the faith miracolously cured her little daughter.
we spent a sunday morning at callejon de hamel - one of the most lively places i have ever seen. people gather among colourful buildings to play drums, sing and dance. it is all very rumba, very cherful and very energetic. you would never think this happens in a country which lacks so many basic things. people still want to gather, dance, play and sing away. so much enegry and so much live! im loving it! we also see a british crew shooting some videao clip on the street and i cant wait to see it on the telly! we also visit the colon cementery and are very happy coz the guards let us sneak in without paying (locals go for free but gringos have to pay) and as it is the mothers´day the cementry is full of people bringing flowers to their mums. beautiful place (if you can say so about a cementery).
we go out dancing to the deauville hotel and even though they olny play horrible regeeaton i have a great time with guys dancing like the mad ones! we wonder if it runs in the blood or is it that they dance from the very early age so they get so much practise?
we wonder around vedado and see all the huge hotels where during batista times american mafia used to spend their millions on ladies and parties.
we also spent a day at the guanabo beach, which is nothing as beautiful or peaceful as the one near trinidad, but it is still nice and water is still clear and amazingly green and the bus ride is only 1 peso!
i so would love to stay longer but we have fiona and simon waitnig for us in playa del carmen so we pack our stuff and catch a flight to cancun.