Cochin
Omani
Street Market, Mumbai
Making tea
Spices
Muscat, Oman
Fish market, Cochin
Washing clothes, Dhobi Ghat Cochin
Tag: people
A journey through Guatemala
It’s a strawberry shadowed full moon and I have that beautiful song in my head about being followed by one. I am smiling, because just like Cat Stevens I would not have to cry no more if the colors in my eyes had to run dry. Colors so vivid and textures so pleasant and soft have embellished my senses to the extent that I am now convinced that I might just, for the time being, be passing through a rainbow. Becoming more and more infatuated with what is being revealed every new day here in Guatemala is making me wonder; why has it taken us so long to come to this captivating place?
Victor is holding up the sign with our hostel name on it as we exit the terminal at Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora in Guatemala City. My last minute efforts on the plane on how to say “ Hello, nice to meet you” in Spanish, becomes scrambled at my first attempt to seem like I am not ignorant, but all that comes out is a mixture of Afrikaans and Xhosa. Victor doesn’t seem to mind, but I know that he must be thinking that I am such a gringo. He does not speak a word of English and I can only say ¿Puedo hacer fotos por favor? (May I take photo of you?) and ¿huevos fritos vuelta y vuelta, con la yema blanda? (Can I have my eggs over easy please?)
Antigua Santa Catalina Arch
Contemplation
It seems a bit inappropriate asking him these kinds of questions after just meeting him so it’s a pretty quiet ride to the hostel. Our first night in Guatemala is spent wondering where exactly we are. Eventually we wake up at the usual 03:30am as per international jetlag criterion and as the loud minute hand ticks by the sound of birds and chickens also start getting louder and louder. We don’t know what it looks like outside in Zona 13 because we arrived at night. It is amazing what a difference that can make to your perception of things. After learning that Zona 1 and 18 are pretty dangerous places, I don’t know what to make of the Zona we are in, seeing that it is bordered off and you can only enter through a beam manned by guys armed with rifles. In the short ride to where we will catch our connecting transport to Antigua, I see about a million colourful chicken busses and I have myself imagining what it must be like to travel on one of those. I decide there and then that it will have to be done before the end of this trip.
Vulcan Agua dominates the lush landscape as we descend down one of the many hills we have to navigate to get to Antigua. It is seriously hilly here. We enter Antigua and it is as if you drive into the sixteenth century. The cobble stone roads are bustling with people and every beautiful wooden door leads to another world. It is a multi coloured colonial town with incredibly beautiful views of three towering, smoking volcanoes. When I see a Mayan woman in traditional clothing sitting under the Santa Catalina Convent arch I cant get to my camera fast enough so I take a picture with my eyes that wont fade in my mind.
Vulcan Agua
Sunrise
Through our colourful bedroom windows we have a beautiful view of Vulcan Agua. The sunrise on this still and quiet morning painted the sky in magnificent shades of red and yellow and left us well inspired to go hiking up a volcano that is still active. We heard loud explosions throughout the evening and after being reassured that they were not bombs but Vulcan Pacaya puffing like a mad dragon, we also understood why we felt that incredible tremor of an earthquake earlier. Walking up Pacaya is not as easy as it originally seemed to be. I managed to walk all the way but Tam had to catch a ride on a horse at some point. Breathing becomes difficult with each meter you ascend and in the tropical heat I felt like a fruit fly being smacked by an electric flyswatter when least expected. We are in a group of mixed nationalities with posh chickas from England and a cool couple from Belgium. One of the things I enjoyed on our trip through Guatemala is that there are not too many tourists, but just enough of them so you don’t feel like you should be worried. We toast some marshmallows over the hot lava that is setting into black volcanic stone while moving around so that our shoes don’t melt. It just goes to show that you should follow your wildest dreams because I never thought I would be eating a perfectly toasted mallow on top of a volcano.
Daily life in Antigua
We have two weeks to explore as much as we can in this beautiful country so we decide to head down to the laid back town of Panajachel. The best thing, I reckon, since guacamole nachos my amigos. The town of Panajachel lies at the edge of the volcanic crater lake Atitlan. No words in all the worlds’ dictionaries can put a sentence together to explain the breath-taking scenery. From there we catch a boat to the neighbouring hippy towns of San Juan, San Marco, San Pedro and Santiago Atitlan. We learn about Mayan plants used for medicine and about the intricate weaving methods used to this day. I can see myself staying in any of these small colourful places drinking the best coffee in the world, learning Spanish and becoming vegetarian. Back in the Transkei we say that people get Pondo fever, never wanting to leave the place. Here around lake Atitlan I see people getting the same fever and I recognise many of our friends back home in the faces of the folk who got trapped here. Trapped is the wrong word, it’s more like they are hummingbirds flittering about living off the sweet nectar of a very fertile place. I leave a piece of my heart down here in lake Atitlan, not only because I found my namesake in one of the towns but also because of the realness I see in the reflection of an old mans eyes as he asks me for something in return when I take his picture.
At Chichi the activities will leave you mesmerized
Tomb at cemetery
Cemetery tombs at Chichicastenango
I don’t know why the American government issues travel warnings like they do. I wonder if the person who wrote it actually went to Guatemala. Even though the country recently went through a civil war and police presence is very obvious, I did not feel unsafe once during our stay here. We jump on a bus and take it to Chichicastenango, the largest market in Central America. It only happens on a Thursday and a Sunday and we chose to go on the Sabbath. The place is unreal with thousands upon thousands of people selling their craft, vegetables and livestock in stalls ranging from the size of a small bag to that of a large tent. The buzzing sound of bargaining and the colours of the traditional clothes is like something only Joseph would have dreamed up- extremely vivid. There is a fascinating cemetery just outside the market that we want to go to and are advised to take a guided walk there as people have been robbed at gunpoint in the past. Alfredo guides us through the colourful necropolis while I buy us some ice cream from a vendor ringing his eerie sounding bell. There is a Mayan priest swinging a tin can full of smoke while a family is burning piles of tobacco and candles, hoping that the wind will take the smoke straight up and not sideways. The tombs are painted in bright colours and some stand as tall as a small house. As we exit the cemetery, a priest throws a type of pepper into a can filled with a burning concoction of petrol and incense and it explodes with a loud bang. I don’t quite understand much of what I have seen in this crazy colourful place but it fascinates me beyond my belief. I don’t have much experience with psychedelics, but I rate that Chichicastenango is probably similar to a psychedelic experience. You either love it or hate it. My eyes were tired from all the looking when we left there and my ears were happy to have some peace and quiet on way back to Panajachel.
I see you
Vegetable market at Chichi
There is one more place we are going to visit in Guatemala and we chose to experience it at the end of our trip. We have to catch an overnight bus to this destination and I know that it is going to be one experience we will never forget. Even though our once empty bags have become heavy and my memory cards are full of pictures, we are excited and ready for the world that awaits us in Tikal, the lost world of the ancient Mayans.
Wala
With a local Tusker beer in my hand I trudge behind Roy while the song of exotic birds above makes me breathe in deep as I relish that wonderful feeling of being somewhere new for the first time. After a while I cant help but notice that he has a slightly widen stance to his stride and its almost as if he is hopping along the clay-like path through the jungle. I admire the fact that he is without shoes but there is something strange about the growing silence between us. At the beach he was very loquacious but the deeper we wander into the dense tropical forest, the less he wants me to speak. I have to keep up as he darts left and right then ducks under branches and roots of prehistoric trees, trekking further away from the narrow main footpath. I try to remember where we are going and pick out distinctive trees for beacons, but soon I am lost. I don’t know if he is really taking me to where he said he would and I am starting to get the feeling we are not supposed to be going there in the first place. I get paranoid and think about turning around to run away from him before its too late. No one will hear my screams out here and he is probably a master at slicing through flesh with that machete he is carrying. After all, he is taking me to an ancient cannibal-feeding site…
Jungle trekking
Before my little adventure into the jungle however, my eyes were blessed with some sights that you will only find here on this small Vanuatu Island of Wala. As I stroll pass the impeccably tidy island houses made from palms, I get to admire the children and their tropical pets. It makes me reminisce about my furry childhood friends and although I did not have any exotic pets, we did have eleven dogs at a time. The children here have all kinds of domesticated creatures. From colorful birds and patient chickens to chilled out iguanas and graceful turtles. The best thing about these pets is that they are not kept in cages. The brilliantly colored iguana chills on a Melanesian girls’ head while the baby turtles go back to their big tidal pool at the end of the day. Earlier on in the day I gave a small boy that was playing with his pet iguana a soccer ball as a gift. He was pretty stoked, but when I happened to walk pass their house later in the day I noticed the ball discarded far to one side, the boy clearly preferring to play with his pet Iguana named Roy. Two things came to mind; An Iguana is obviously a far better thing to play with seeing that a ball can’t sit on your shoulder and secondly most things here are named Roy. It makes me happy to observe the contentedness of these islanders. I don’t know it yet but at the end of this day I will have newfound respects, learn more about trusting strangers and have an admiration for the parents of this place.
Where else will you see this?
Starfish and baby turtles for pets – any child’s dream
A baby Hawksbill turtle
Although the island is not very large I quickly find myself wandered far away from all the tourists at the beach. I like being away from everyone else and I feel I get to see things that no one else does. As I stroll around the village, I see a local man dressed in nothing but a piece of rope around his genitals, the kind of rope-like sack material you buy your oranges in. Although it doesn’t look very comfy, it looks like the ultimate commando setup. He notices me looking and I hesitate as he calls me over, thinking there can’t be much more the rope man can show me as much is already revealed.
“ Hello, my name is Roy. Do you want to see something interesting?” Yes, another man named Roy wants to show me something. I say OK but as long as it does not involve anything to do with rope coming off. “ I want to show you how I make a fire. I can make a fire with no matches.” We walk to his back yard and he asks me to sit as he gathers his materials. “ This is the only way I make a fire every day. I never use matches, a real man makes fire like this.” Roy proceeds to show me a method that I know if I had to try it I will end up with blisters on my hand and a definite night in the dark. In a matter of seconds he has the husk of a coconut in flames, keeping a close eye on my reaction to his natural and ingenious lighter. Very impressive. As I say goodbye to my new hero in his red rope setup I keep quiet about the fact that I have a lighter in my bag. I cant help but thinking that this guy must be pulling a lot of chicks with an attire and fire making tricks like that.
No, they don’t grow that large on this island. Roy in his island vibing rope undies.
How to make a fire like a champ:
Step one: Be a man and try to wear nothing but your undies.
Step two: Have your stuff ready. You don’t want to be running around looking for husk after an ember is made.
Step three: Be patient and don’t let sweat ruin your efforts
Step four: Be a man and don’t cry when you get smoke in the eye.
Step five: Braai
… We stop at what looks like randomly scattered concrete blocks covered in moss. All thoughts about being eaten by another human disappear when Roy breaks the tense silence with a whisper in the shadows. “ Look there, under the tomb. The last skull of a human being that was eaten by cannibals, more than two hundred years ago.” I can’t help but get the creeps as I imagine the episode of savageness that played out here centuries ago. I do however also become aware of the antithesis of the scene. The top of the skull is eerily hidden in the undergrowth but exposed just enough so a plant can shoot new green leaves through it.
Cannibal tombs in the jungle
Skull in the undergrowth
Roy became his normal unreserved and gabby self when we got closer to the beach after the sinister little tour, telling me all about his ancestors and the many different things he believes. He introduced me to his wife and children and insisted that we have some kava together. From the varied experiences of just one day on this beautiful island in the Pacific I realize a few things. I learnt that you could trust strangers, even if they take you into the unknown with a machete. I have a new found respect for the real men out there, living without the essential things that have turned many western men into pansies, and I have an absolute appreciation for the parents out there that teach their children to live in harmony with nature and its many wonderful creatures.
New York
When I wait in line at JFK airport to clear customs, I know that my brother is waiting for me on the other side. I have not seen him in 6 months and I can’t wait to see that familiar face. I get agitated by the fact that the queue to see an immigration officer zigzags for ages, but then again, it is better in some ways because as I clear customs my baggage is already off the carousel. There are big smiles as we hug and give each other a brotherly punch on the shoulder. “ How long have you waited for me?” I ask. “ Four hours you bastard!” We leave the airport and my head is spinning after the 48-hour trip to get here. The network of highways and off ramps confuses me even more and I ask him if he knows his way. “Yip its only 20 minutes from here, no worries, I know how to get home”. Three hours later we arrive at his place after getting lost in places that he claim to have been to before. Nothings changed.
Time Square, busy any time of the day
The quiet area in Long Island where he stays reminds me of my digs in London when I was living there. The only way to get over the jet lag is to crack into the case of beers he has waiting. “ Tomorrow is going to be a big day in the Big Apple, you better be ready” are the words that send me off to sleep.
We jump on the 10:30 am train from Locust Valley and change at Jamaica station to catch the connection to Penn station. My ears pop as we go under water, and when the train exit the under water tunnel my eyes go wild when I first see the New York skyline. When we get above ground at Penn station my senses are completely overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the surroundings. Yellow cabs honk their horns, men and woman in suits are rushing around, a vendor selling bagels speak in Arab and a NYPD cop pose next to his horse while a tourist takes a photo. The buildings reach for the sky like trees in the Amazon smother each other to get sunrays. I don’t know where I am and I like it.
Concrete Jungle
We walk towards Time Square and the activities of my fellow human beings blow me away. Artists perform incredible pieces, rappers give away free music for a $10 donation, cyclists dodge traffic and good-looking people are just doing their good looking thing, looking good. There are shops and food joints of all kinds but the one that stands out to me is Five Guys. After an epic burger there, we make our way to Central Park. My brother points out where some celebrities live and tells me of time he saw Brad Pitt make the girls cry. When I see the John Lennon memorial in the Strawberry Fields section of the park I feel nostalgic, and wonder why the legends always die too soon. The park is massive, and it feels good to be trapped in here for a little while. We exit on 5th avenue and walk all the way down to Madison Square Park. We walk up Madison Avenue and down Park Avenue. There are so many people walking and around every corner there is something interesting happening. I see so many faces and I feel completely absorbed by the city. When we go to the top of the Empire State building I get a clear view of this ginormous city, the sun sets in the distance and the lights start to flicker in an array of beautiful colors.
View from the top of the Empire State Building
The time goes by as quick as the tread on my slip slops are wearing out. I should not have worn the slops, my feet are aching and swollen from the long flights and the walking is taking its toll. We cross over to lower Manhattan and stumble upon a bar that keeps us cool and hydrated. It is still hot in New York, at least 30 degrees Celsius. So we stay inside for a while. After a couple of brews we set out for round two; find one more bar then start making our way back home. The last train we can catch back to Locust Valley leaves Penn station at 01:01 am.
At the corner of 8th avenue and 34st we find a pub. We are literally 5 minutes away from Penn station and we still have 2 hours before the last train leaves. I think it was the shot with bourbon and pickle juice that made us loose complete track of time. We run to the station and anxiously scan the screen for our train platform. Shit. We missed the train. To catch a cab back to Long Island will cost at least $100.
The only thing you can do in this situation is to carry on exploring the city that never sleeps. We walk all over Chelsea, staying away from the bars with rainbow colored entrances. We sit in front of the Flatiron Building and talk philosophy. We walk the streets of New York City with tired eyes and feet, but it feels good. We stay out until 8:30 the next morning before catching our train back home.
Central Park viewed from the top of The Rock
We sleep the day away and I dream of all the sights and funny moments. I love the time with my brother and I am proud of what he has achieved. The next mission, he promises me, will not make us miss any trains.
After we walk through the financial district and get a photo of Wall Street for my mother, we cross over to the Brooklyn Bridge. The architecture is a magnificent feat. Watching the skyline from there while the clouds move swiftly across the sky makes for awesome time lapse photography, so we spend at least an hour on the bridge just taking photos and watching people. We cross the bridge all the way to Brooklyn and back. The new World Trade Center is still under construction, but already casts a monstrous shadow. When we visit the 9/11-memorial site I get shivers down my spine. Where the Twin Towers use to stand there are only two deep pools with water cascading down the sides. All the names of the people who lost their lives on that day are engraved around the edges of the pools; some names have fresh white roses placed on them. I walk away when I see an elderly lady crying while touching one of the names.
It starts to rain as we enter Greenwich Village. The village is filled with awesome buildings and the iconic fire escape staircases on the side of the buildings make me feel like I am walking in on a FRIENDS episode. At Wicked Willy’s Pub we find $1 beers and celebrate this rare find.
Grand Central Station and the iconic Yellow Cabs
The five days I spent in the city went by faster than the escalators take to get up and down in the Rockefeller Building. The sights and sounds, the music and the food, the friendly cop we had a beer with at 2am and the walk-until-we-find-something-cool missions was worth every minute I had to wait for during my 20 hour layover in Qatar. There is so much left to explore in New York, so many corners we did not turn down, thousands of interesting people I did not get to converse with, whether on a subway or in a trendy bar downtown. I did however find that the millions of lights in New York could, most definitely, inspire you.
Skyline from Brooklyn Bridge
Flatiron Building
Brooklyn Bridge
Reflections
New World Trade Centre
Statue of Liberty
Rockefeller Building
Brothers
NY Stock Exchange Building on Wall st
Thanks for a memorable time brother
Hongkong
It is a miracle that I found Tam in one of the busiest cities in the world! I got off the ship earlier in the day while Tam stayed on board tending to patients. So we made a meeting point based on what she had seen there before (because we do not have cell phones with us) so when the big teddy bear where we were supposed to meet up wasn’t there anymore, I thought there is no way I am going to find her among the 7 million other people.
Lucky for me she stayed in one place while I walked around trying to find her. If you have been to Hong Kong before you would know what a feat this is as there is a million nooks and crannies to get lost in.
Hong Kong is amazing. The city is alive at all times of day and there is an infinite amount of things to discover here. After having a really good Chinese lunch at Kings Dumpling, we spent the afternoon walking around Kowloon.
The place was bustling with people, cars, busses and Indian hawkers selling all things fake. I hope to come back here and spend more time exploring the possibilities.
The cruise ship was docked in the container port. This specific container port is extremely busy, so when the captain announced our departure I was ecstatic about the fact that he was going to navigate as slow as possible through the thousands of boats and ships.
We cruised through Victoria harbor at about 1 knot and were in luck to see the start of the Light and Sound show that is held nightly. The buildings come to life with a myriad of colors and spectacular laser displays. As Murphy would have it though, a sudden downpour crushed all hopes of getting some nice photos of the show. Everyone got soaked! Ever seen three thousand 60 year olds rushing for cover? Needless to say some folk got hurt from slipping and spirits were somewhat dampened. I came back to our cabin for a change of dry clothes and decided to go back upstairs a while later. I was in luck. The rain had cleared the air and the cityscape was unbelievably crisp and clear, with light of all colors painting the black night.
The warm sunny days are over for now. We are in the middle of the South China Sea and it is rough and cold outside. As we make our way to Shanghai I reminisce on the warm sun on my face, whether it was chilling next to one of the many pools on deck or just walking down some beach in Vietnam. Suppose it is also ok to just lie in bed with a fat book in hand to kill the time before our next adventure in Shanghai.
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