We left Mexico late morning on Monday, arriving on Tuesday, London time 7AM, all of us rather tired. Our plane was delayed and we ended up circling Heathrow airport for a good half-hour before actually landing, then were stuck on the stationary plane for an additional thirty minutes. After all the kit dumping, singing and goodbyes we all went off to parents and such.
Enough of the ‘we’ form, it’s hard to maintain. Anyway. Leonie and I shared lifts home and were surprised by a) seatbelts that WORKED, b) the soft cushiony chairs and c) smooth roads.
Can’t think of what else to say, except that I consumed a large amount of saucisson upon arrival of my home.
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August 19th, 2008
7287pwkr
I’m sorry Joe! :< The jungle made me a carni- there were so many things biting me so I wanted revenge and took it out on a pepperoni pizza the other night (and was sick afterwards)… approval? I promise I’ll have higher standards, too… o_O
The jungle trek was hellish, being hot every night and squished up with Lor and Leonie (however pleasant they are) was not very nice for me at all. Also now we all have bite and scratch ridden legs which look oh so sexy… and Kate, I reverted back to the shortest short shorts possible on the trek as my mid-length ones didn’t quite cut it for the jungle warrior/savage look. Neither did the backpack, though…
OH and if you hadn’t already heard, we were at the waterfalls during the jungle trek and Leonie was falling down a waterfall, Peake came to help, then her top started falling off- brilliant timing and a great thing to have witnessed (no, not for the ‘goods’ -which I made sure that I didn’t see- but for the memories and for Leonie’s embarassment).
…And back in time to Tikal, before the trek, I just want to say that that evening was the worst sleeptime I’ve had in all time and space due to the PAINFUL heat and also a resident tarantula and his scorpion/cockroach buddies. However Leonie managed to sleep straight away is beyond me… she doesn’t realise the sufferings of Lor and I! Oh yeah, I forgot to add that watching the sunrise from a Mayan Temple was pretty cool, but it was a bit foggy so didn’t really get to see much.
And somewhere along the line (not sure which day anymore, everything’s all mixed up and I keep forgetting what I’ve done the day before) we went to some lovely looking pools (Semuc Champey) and then had lunch, paying the lady -who had only one tooth and kept staring- 100 Quetzales instead of 150. This resulted in our bus being surrounded by her family. We decided to pay when we saw her son was carrying a machete.
So… in Cancun now and I have hardly any money. BUT… I’ve realised that I can get away with buying clothes from the children’s section! And in Zara the children’s clothes are fantastic. Except now I’ve spent all my money on a cardigan. We’ve just come back from an hour’s sunbathe and I’ve realised that sunbathing is so unbelievably boring… but it’s all I can afford, especially when they won’t change my only $20 into Pesos. I therefore can’t buy a drink or pay to get the bus to the bank to ask to change up my dollars. Sigh…
Don’t know if I’ll be writing anymore before I come back (will arrive Tuesday morning), so have fun all etc. etc. etc. and such. See you all later x
I was going to add something to my blog entry but I can’t remember now… over and out.
>>I remember now, it was that I have lots of doodles to scan. Also I preordered WotLK (haha).
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August 16th, 2008
7287pwkr
……..TREKKING deep in the jungle and also am exploring Mayan Ruins (TIKAL!) tonight- and in response to Amy´s message, we camped last night- with no tent. Above a lake. Mosquitoes still got in my mosquito net! I couldn´t sleep all night and am still feeling ill 
Anyway, errrrmmmm sending my CV to Game, hhahaha (yes, I am desperate for money and that couple of hours extra stuck in Nebaj meant I could write it up and send it to my parents…).
Looking forward to Cancún, Mexico, which should be excrutiatingly sunny but lovely nonetheless. Bought tanning oil- wicked…? I´ll probably next post just before we return to Good Old England, where I belong. Am looking forward to it a lot…. PIZZA EXPRESS and all that yummy stuff along with it.
And a note to Chloe and whoever else, I ate meat. And it wasn´t particularly satisfying. The meat consumed thus far, in chronological order, includes:
1. some chicken flavoured soup
2. a miniscule piece of minced beef
3. 10 chicken mcnuggets (/HIDE)
So anyway, I don´t think I´ll be coming back scoffing on meat or anything. But I´m not a veggie anymore :O
Ended with a shocker. Good night x
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August 9th, 2008
7287pwkr
so anyway, we were meant to go to Coban today on a bus. 4 hour journey and all. but adrenalina tours- they came with a 13 seater. 13 SEATS FOR 19 PEOPLE. Therefore we couldn´t go. So now we´re probably stuck in Nebaj for ANOTHER day after looking forward to our departure for 3-4 days. AND WE´RE MISSING JAMIE T.
Leader is ringing world challenge, but nothing seems to be happening. We MAY get a bus there from some nice man in El Descanso but it depends on World Challenge, whether or not they will find a place in the hearts to refund us for the already-paid-for trip. The adrenalina drivers just went off into the distance, we´d already paid them1!! BASTARDS.
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August 6th, 2008
7287pwkr
Our last day in Nebaj has been pretty boring. After a week exploring, there´s not much else to be discovered (well, there would probably be some interesting finds, however I´m ill right now and quite lazy).
We´ve just been eating out and lazing around today, quite a few people are not 100% and everyone´s just looking forward to the Samuc Champay visit and camping in the Tikal Ruins. Which should be great, hopefully I´ll get some good photos.
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August 5th, 2008
7287pwkr
So we´re off to Coban on Wednesday and if any of you have been reading the news… Then eeek…
we met a group of boys on World Challenge and we´ve just found out today that when they left this town where we are (to Our next destination), they were stopped in the road at night, held at gun point, tied up and robbed =O
But do not fear! We will have a police escort following our coach and we are travelling in daylight.
Anyway, today we went to see the school´s parade which involved lots of drum banging and curiously some girls dressed (what would be considered here) as hos dancing in front… Also we spent 2 HOURS in the bank just trying to change up $30! Some bastards here don´t know how to queue or give people personal space. One woman tried to push me out of the way and push in front so I squished her up against the door for revenge… the bitch.
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August 4th, 2008
7287pwkr
Hmmm, so I missed out the last part of the 4 day trek, but frankly, I´m too lazy to type up the rest of the journal entry (it just says stuff like OWWW MY FEET and also yay, it´s over).
Right now we are at the Project Phase of World Challenge. This involves painting school classrooms for a ´NUFED´ school (dunno what it stands for). There are two really cool little girls there who run around with hand puppets and join in the painting. I´ve been living on wafers and Shaka Laka milkshakes recently, though I must confess that I -and Lor- have eaten… a marshmallow and have become disillusioned vegetarians (that is, I´m tempted by and considering eating Meat). We will see how that goes, however.
The End x
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August 2nd, 2008
7287pwkr
Ok this is a massive post as I´ve been writing a ton in the Journal to save myself from insanity during four days of ´hardcore´ trekking. And to think, I found DoE bronze hard… The ´–´s indicate intervals between my writing. When I get back I can scan the accompanying doodles =)
The Beginning:
This is worse than Buxton. It seems that the point of World Challenge is to learn how to suffer. Alex was very ill, so her and Tara (Sleggs) had to go back to Nebaj- we gave them 350QTL just in case. Also, Leonie is feeling ill- likely cause of the altitude and ´low morale´. The trek was a gruelling, exhausting upward climb towards a cold, damn ´camp site´ infested by mountain kids who threw mud in our Trangias!
Aye, I´m tired so here is a brief summary:
-Food Management (my role for today and tomorrow) is so stressful that I could stab someone in the eye with a fork (¿our leader?). We had NO TIME the other day to get food and NO TIME to get any today as shops were closed early morn before the trek. People complained. But I tried ;.;
-Lor´s poetry was cheery uppy- she´ll probably post it in her blog =)
-The children are little Shits!
-And the food was bad too (dinner) as people didn´t bring all the trangias- it took forever to cook.
-I rolled my trousers up high- I want cut offs and/or hotpants! But Kate told me not to bring my shorties =(
The Worst Day:
…Began with an improvised breakfast (oats and pancake mix and chocolate powder and sugar and egg) which was surprisingly good. The morning weather was almost unbearably hot.
–
We´re going even further uphill to Choritz and Leonie´s still ill =( It´s so hot whilst we walk. Breeze would be appreciated.
We´ve stopped now and Leslie, our leader, is trying to get hold of World Challenge to check that Tara and Alex are safe. Lor´s poetry is flowing.
–
Ok, so now we´re going back to Nebaj as we´re worried about what´s happening with Alex and Tara. Also, I´m quite relieved for my own sanity and with Leonie being ill. But we will be FUCKED for money!
–
We´ve heard from them now and the group is split- continue going up the mountain or return down. I don´t want the struggle and lack of food, as I could be blamed for it. Food management and accounting really, really sucks.
–
Now, we´re going up.
SIDE NOTE: I have reverted to hot pants. Sorry, Kate.
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Been walking for ages now and still not peaked the mountain. No food, really, either. We´re walking through cloud now and it´s so cold. The guid still says it´s 20 minutes after over an hour.
–
Nearly at the top, but we cant stop ´til we have some water, river, or rain, as it´s needed to cook dinner.
–
Finally we have reached the camp site, the mountain has been conquered. It is so cold, the toilet is horrendous and kids are running around as per usual. I am so glad that the hell day is over- though I´m apprehensive about the last day , as my shoulders are raw… I also got to accompany Leonie to the toilet… which was odd.
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Day Three:
Had such a bad sleep due to kids runnin g around at night (pulling out tent pegs and actually pissing up the side of 2 tents) and about 10 dogs barking non stop. The trek seems a bit easier except we are still ascending. It´s easier to breathe, we must´ve gotten used to it.
Lor and Leonie told me to write now about my outburst last night. The kids were poking around the tent and I was all ARR so I shouted: FUCK OFF YOU SHITS! And they were shocked at my language. Apologies to family/parents.
Ok lalalala it goes on for ages and I´m bored of typing. Take care. I´d just like to say that now it´s over, I´m proud and all yayyay it was a good experience but next time I will not take so much useless CRAP in my backpack. x
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July 30th, 2008
7287pwkr
Hmmm the 25th was an interesting evening for Leonie and I- we ended up lost in the town on the way back from the Internet Cafe… We were walking down some cobbled street (they all look the same around there) and realised that we had no idea of our surroundings. What followed was a lot of cursing, etc. So we ran around aimlessly- ´til we found a gang of English people who´d already noticed us running around, swearing and asking Guatemalans ´donde esta… Lake???´ We spoke to them for a while, after shouting and pointing: you speak English… SHIT! but this was to no avail as we were still lost somewhere… Luckily we found a nice group of people who managed to point us to the hostel, the end.
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July 30th, 2008
7287pwkr
Hmmm… eventful day- we had to wake up at 5AM for a morning mountain-ish trek, which involved mud slopes and seeing a cow being taken to slaughter by a joyous family >: A plus side of the trek: we got to sit up on top of the peak and took some nice photos.
A bout of swimming in COLD COLD water (I would like to listen to some Damien Rice come to think of it… though a little too mellow for these times) followed, most of us picking up a little tan and a lot more burn. We then were taken by boat to a village festival- a religious one including a large procession which I accidently stood in front of… but never mind, I did say Lo Siento. Also during the festival: Drunkards groped, begging kids nipple-crippled one of our leaders (Dr McPeake! for anyone who knows)- this being the most amusing part.
Anyway, now its around dinner time and we´re considering watching Little Miss Sunshine… forgot to mention yesterday that I HAD TO LITTER to save Lor´s life (we were climbing up a steep mud slope and I had a 7up can in my hand which I had to sacrifice for Lor). Heroic. Epic. etc. You can tell I miss my computer.
Good day to all, tomorrow we´re going travelling to Nebaj x
EDIT: oh oh oh and we sat in the back of a pickup truck!
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July 26th, 2008
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