Well, I made it. It was my first time taking a bus system in a poor country and it is a little crazy to say the least. Not to mention that it was insanely cheap. $3.50 US to get here. It's a bit different than Caye Caulker, but I like it. In some way it feels more comfortable. Doesn't hurt that I got my own hotel room this time cause it was only $2.50 more than the hostel. Don't get me wrong Caulker was cool, and if I wasn't doing tours here, I'd probably not spend more than a day, but the city makes it a little easier transition. However, it's way more muggy and hot though than the coast.
So here are a few updates. I already lost the little maglite I pack because I forgot to close the little side zipper that contained it and my compass (already came in useful twice).
I think I was foolish in not bringing my plug converter and wall plug for my phone. The solar charger isn't as efficient as I thought and am constantly worried about my phone dying.
I signed up for a tour called ATM for short. I'll let you know how it goes.
One of the things that I wanted to accomplish on this trip was to see different cultures ruins, so I think I'll do Caracol (Mayan Ruins) on Wednesday and then head back that night to Belize City so that it's easy to go to the airport in the morning.
I am feeling much better now about how things are going. I didn't realize that there'd be the transition period. Still, I realized, I planned the hardest part of my trip for the beginning. Poorer regions like Central and South America are quite a culture shock. So much poverty and poor infastructure make me uneasy. I am trying to stay keenly alert as to my sorroundings because I feel (unjustified so far) like half the people are going to mug me. Part of that is that I don't understand the culture, but part is also do to the fact that a lot of people just look menacing. I know that it isn't fair to judge them so without a full understanding of the culture, but that back pack is my life line.
One thing that has been tough for me to come to grips with is filling the void. What I mean by that is, for example, right now it's 7:30 and I don't have anything to do. I'm not staying at a hostel, so I don't have anyone to talk to. I feel like I should be doing something, but there really isn't much to do. Read, write, shower, get a couple drinks with some other backpackers (easy to find). I really don't want to waste money on alcohol, and I'm not feeling like I really want to talk to the backpackers I've seen here, so scratch that last one. OK, so read, write, and shower - that's my night? Really? That'll take 2 hours max. This is what I mean. What do I fill that void of time with? Well, since I want to write, that's good. Maybe try to relearn Spanish prior to being totally immersed. I think that's a good one. Maybe I'll try to find a used book store tomorrow after the ATM tour. Still, there's a lot of time unaccounted for and I need to adjust to moving a little slower and just being OK with a slower pace.
Oh and another thing, I get offered drugs everywhere and by everyone.
My time is up, so that's all I got for now.
D
P.S. Not sure how I'm going to post pictures (haven't taken any yet, partly because of the whole charging issue). My camera doesn't want to transfer stuff at the moment, and the only way to do it is with WIFI (which drains my phone - ahhh! it's a viscous circle)
The ATM Cave is amazing. I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Hope you didn't forget socks!
ReplyDeletehaha lovin how you added how your getting offered drugs. Remember, drugs are BAD! i love you dylan!
ReplyDeleteDon't know that I have a profile, so it might show up as anonymous. This is Nadine by the way...That loneliness will be easier with time. Not that this really compares with your journey, but I'm just finishing up a 2 month stint at the NYC office. I've never really lived anywhere away from MN or my family, but I knew I wanted to do it before I have kids and to have an adventure. It was really lonely the first week. I got that panicky feeling when I realized that this wasn't some vacation, and this would be "home" for a while. For some reason it was always hardest when the day was winding down. I always felt like I should be doing more--going out with people, etc. I felt super lame at night, and it made me sad. I'm thinking, here I am in one of the most exciting cities in the world, and my night is going to consist of walking around by myself to find something to eat and perhaps surf the internet. In MN I live with my fiance and my parents are 20 min away, but even when I'm alone in MN, I never really feel alone because I'm still "home." My parents and fiance could both be away, and I'd probably actually enjoy having a night of solitude. Here I was in an unfamiliar city that was so different that I felt like I couldn't really relax. What you're feeling is normal. After a few weeks, you'll have adjusted to this way of life. You'll learn a lot about yourself just by doing this alone--the extent of which will probably become apparent later on or when you're heading back home. Right now I'm actually really used to being alone--it's probably going to be hard adjusting to living with my fiance again! Anyway, keep writing. Not only is it going to be great to read it all sometime in the future, but you'll probably want to share it with your future little dylan grant jrs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nadine, that is exactly what I´m experiencing. It is getting easier like you said
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