Squidbits

Remembering why I love to travel

Charlie, Katherine, and I recently returned from a vacation trip to Guatemala. Charlie and I are seasoned travelers, and we knew going into this international trip it would be like no other we had done before: we had a kid with us for the first time. When I got pregnant I cannot tell you how many people told me "Oh, now that you're pregnant you can kiss your traveling days goodbye." Experiencing different cultures is in my blood - it is part of me as a being and just because I have a kid now does not mean I have to stop being who I am. Sure, there are some adjustments to be made, but I still have wanderlust. Have kid? Will travel!

And so it was with great anticipation we embarked on Guatemala. The plan was to rent a nice house on Lake Atitlan for a week and then spend a couple nights in Antigua before heading back to Houston. We would chill out at the house, taking in some Mayan villages, and enjoy a different country at a more leisurely pace than usual.

We arrived to Guatemala City a little later than expected due to a flight delay. I went to an ATM machine at the airport and got out Q2000, which is essentially about $240. Well, I should say I wantedto get Q2000 out. I heard the machine churning away, counting out what I thought would be my stash of cash to get us started. Out popped a Q100 note. One. Measly. Note.......$12 out of the $240 I thought I was getting. Of course there was no one around to complain about this and no receipt was given. OK - we can handle this. We'll just have Geovanni the driver take us to a different ATM on the way.

Unfortunately we did not get a good look at Lake Atitlan on the way in as it was dark by the time we got there. We hopped into a little boat (sits about 20 people on bench seats) and Katherine got her first taste of adventure: wind ripping through her already dusty hair. She wasn't too thrilled. Nothing a little milk couldn't cure. The house we rented looked SO welcoming pulling up to the dock: lights lining the garden and a warm glow of fairy lights around the outside porch. It was just as we had imagined.

What we had not imagined was a broken water heater. "Tooth Fairy", the property manger, assured us that this would be fixed the next day. We're seasoned travelers, right? We can handle anything for a day. We awoke the next morning to a stunning view of the San Pedro volcano - every window looked out on it and it was obvious why the owner had bought the place. It was almost surreal seeing fishermen with their fishing "poles" of twine and a tin can methodically, almost trance like, winding and casting, winding and casting, in the shadow of the volcano. Perfect.

The hot water didn't get fixed until Monday afternoon. In the meantime, we set out exploring part of the lake. We first hit Panajachel for food (no grocery stores in our village). We had lugged the jogging stroller with us to Guatemala with the thought that it would be great on the cobblestone streets. Katherine hated it. And by hate, I mean every time we'd start moving with her in it she would scream. The rest of the trip we ended up carrying her around in a baby carrier, which was a lot easier moving around than the stroller to say the least. Lesson #1 for traveling with a baby: bring the carrier, not the stroller.

Once the hot water was fixed, our celebration was short-lived. Charlie inadvertently drank the (unbottled) water and proceeded to have some serious gut cramp issues. Several days into this I went to one of the tiendas in the village and explained to the guy there what the problem was. He gave me some pills which ended up being for giardia. We found out when we got back that was the problem. Amoebas in my honey!

We enjoyed a really lovely tour of some of the villages around the lake with a Houstonian guy who lives there named Lee Beal (http://www.kayakguatemala.com/). It was great traveling around with Kat because EVERYONE wanted to stop and say hello. Charlie probably didn't think this was wonderful, but I thought it was awesome because you see how welcoming the culture there is, especially related to families. Plus, who can resist those curls and big, blue eyes :-)  One of the places we visited in San Juan was a women's co-op where they hand make textiles. They showed us how the yarn is made, colored, and woven. It was incredible to see the artistry in such every-day things that most of the Guatemalans wouldn't think twice about as art. And here was one place I was thrilled to know Spanish - the entire explanation was in Spanish and I understood it all. It was incredible to hear stories about their lives as weavers and the history of their village and its traditions.This was the Guatemala I was after.

The following morning the power went out in the house, but we were told it would be back on "this afternoon or this evening". We walked to the village for dinner as we still had no power, and come to find out that unlike what we had thought earlier, the village had power! The reason we did not have electricity was because Tooth Fairy hadn't paid the electric bill in 3 months! When we found this out, Charlie and I let out a collective groan. This wasn't the relaxing, chill-out house experience we had hoped for. It was a really, really expensive camping trip. Tick, tock...Thursday comes and goes....tick, tock...Friday arrives and we are leaving the lake for Antigua and still no electricity.

Antigua was very charming - the World Heritage site had all the elements of fun and culture packed into a little town. I had my shopping fix tamed at several textile and ceramics stores, and enjoyed experiencing an actual town versus the lake village. Locals from Guatemala City come to Antigua to party on the weekends, so we got to see a little flavor of that.

So the trip was a manic roller coaster: down one minute, up the next. Reading about everything that happened to us you might think that I had an awful time. But I didn't. I remembered why I love traveling, and I remembered it's not just about experiencing other cultures, but also getting to know yourself a little better. I have a better understanding of what's a necessity in this world vs. a want. I also cherish my Spanish language skills, however dismal they may be, because they allowed me to dive more deeply into the Guatemalan culture than if I did not speak it. I was humbled by locals and foreigners alike working so hard to make a difference for health, sanitation, and women's rights in the lake area. And, maybe most importantly, I started my daughter on a path of discovery that will hopefully spark that passion - almost an obligation - to understand the world outside of America. I hope she will be a better citizen of mankind for it.

Rocky Mountain High

There’s something about hanging out in the wilderness that really brings a calm and peacefulness to my life like nothing else can. Charlie and visited Estes Park, and subsequently Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) following the SPE convention. Nothing could have prepared me for the beauty we found there. I had been in the mountains in Colorado before of course, but never during the fall when the brilliance of the aspen trees’ fall colors are on full display. As we made our way into the area I gasped:

“It’s beautiful,” I said softly. If I spoke it louder than a whisper the colors may have disappeared. However, they did not, and for two glorious days we hiked 18 or so miles in RMNP. The park rangers gave us brilliant advice for the trails: minimize the uphill and go on some trails with spectacular views. The two hikes we did certainly did not disappoint.

I wish I had brought a geological guide to the area – it was obvious there were igneous rocks all over the place, with some metamorphic ones scattered in between.  Several times we came across outcrops and boulders of gneiss with some of the most intricate patterns in it. Rocks: mother nature’s stone paintings and sculptures. I heard a day or so ago that a scientist in Canada found what are now the oldest rocks on earth: 4.3 billion years old. Incredible.

While we were hanging out in the park we got to use our ears as well as our eyes. Across the valleys came the the haunting yet melodious calls of the bull elk. I don’t know if they were screeching at other bull elks or to the females. Either way it is a sound I will never forget. I heard this noise and had no idea what it was, and then I saw the half ton creature lower its head and then in a half-moon motion raise it to the sky and belted: “reeewwwwwwaaaahhhhhhh! Rrrrreeeewwwwwwaaaaahhhhhh!” Unmistakable now.

We were only in RMNP for a couple of days, but I got just the rejuvenation I needed. The last month has been stressful to say the least: from getting back from Washington and having Jack die two days later to Hurricane Ike, I really needed to get re-centered and ready to function “normally” again. RMNP did that for me.

Picture: A large bull elk hanging out in the Alpine Tundra in RMNP at about 12,000'

Do you have your original boarding pass?

I honestly could not believe the woman on the other end of the phone was asking me that question.  I had tried to check in online for my return flight from Seattle back to Houston yesterday.  For some strange reason only Charlie was showing up as a passenger.  Hmmmm......so when I called Continental to find out what was up, I found out they had no record of me flying with them to Seattle the previous week.  I simply stated, "Well, I didn't walk here."  I left it with the woman on the phone with having a reservation and a seat assignment, but if I couldn't produce my boarding pass from a week ago, I would have to pay the full price of the fare to get home.  One, it just goes without saying that just wasn't going to work.  And two, who keeps their boarding passes!!??  Well, I do now, that's for sure.  With some quick thinking I remembered Charlie had a PDF file of the boarding passes in his email, so we printed it out, wallah! It was accepted by the check-in agent and all was right in the world.  Never mind the serious security lapses this whole story is shedding a light on.  I had checked a bag from Houston to Seattle.  Wouldn't it reason if I wasn't on the plane my bags shouldn't be on there either?  Just a thought.

So, this whole episode got me thinking about best practices I've learned while traveling and how I always think I have the whole process down and then something like this pops up and lets me know I am in fact not done learning what to do and what not to do while traveling.  Here are some good ones I've used over the years:

 

1. We'll start with the obvious one now - keep your boarding passes through the end of your trip. You actually might need them again to prove you did in fact fly somewhere, and you might also need them to claim frequent flier miles.

2. When taking a taxi from the airport to (fill in the blank....usually a hotel), always, and I mean always, get a taxi from the official taxi queue.  Sometimes I think, "Oh, it's ok - we can take a "taxi" from outside the airport doors that isn't official and it will be ok."  And every time I do that, I get burned, either by being charged too much or having it be such a hunk of trash of a "taxi" that I fear for my life.

3. Speaking of taxis....when you get in, ask them to use the meter and if they don't use the meter ask how much up front.  This will alleviate many, many problems on the back end of things.  If they say they're using their meters, then have them point to where the meter is to make sure it's operational and they actually turn it on when you start driving. And if it's in India and you're taking a tuk-tuk, then have them show you (and explain) the wacky meter pricing because it may say 19 on the meter but that equates to something like 47.23.

4. Beware of things that go bump in the night. Or the daytime. One of my co-workers got bumped by someone in the Beijing airport and had his wallet and passport case swiped out of his briefcase without him knowing it. Later he watched the whole thing play out on the security tapes. I got bumped in Madrid around 2am after drinking myself silly for probably 6 hours, and my wallet and camera got stolen. That was not a pretty scene. It is also the one and only time I've ever been pick pocketed, and that's saying a lot considering how much I've traveled.

5. Always ask for a discount for services rendered. If you don't feel comfortable asking for the "D" word, you can phrase it like, "Is that your best price?" etc. This is especially valuable in the off season.

6. Use an ATM to get foreign currency.  Usually you get a better exchange rate, even with the ATM fees. Speaking of money - I don't carry all of mine in one place, especially if I have a large sum of it. I also make sure it's in as pick-pocket proof a place as I can get it.

7. Take some time to get your bearings. Do you really want to arrive at 2am and then set out to another city after catching a few Z's?  Staying in your arrival city a couple of days at the start of our trips has allowed us to get the flavor of the country, meet locals, meet other tourists, and get ideas of what to do (and get off the beaten path a bit).

8. Bring a guidebook. I was in Cambodia and the manager of one of the hotels there (small hotel) was lamenting at all of the tourists "being led through the city by their Lonely Planet guidebooks". I was a little offended by that remark, as not all of us have the luxury of working a lazy job in a 3rd world country so that we know every nook and cranny of a place. Obviously take what guide books say with a grain of salt, but how else am I supposed to start touring a place in my short 10-12 day vacations without one? Bring a guidebook on work trips as well (or at least surf the internet). Who wants to eat hotel food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?  Be adventurous! Go out and see the city in which you are staying and working. No one said a work trip needed to be boring or filled entirely of room service meals! You might find a park on a map nearby in which to stroll and unwind as well!

9. You're going to get screwed on prices for goods purchased in countries in which you cannot speak their language (and even some that you can!!). You need to accept that fact and then move on to my next point: if you haggle the other person down to what you think is a fair price, then go with it. Sure, the local may get it for 50 cents cheaper, but as I said - if you can live with the price, then you got a good deal. And once you make the deal, do the deal. I was haggling for one of those Mui Thai headbands once in Phuket and totally got the exchange rate wrong in my head.  I agreed to a price and when the guy said "OK" just a little too quickly I knew I had made a mistake.  It turns out I had agreed to pay $7.  Well, it was about $4 more than I wanted to pay, but I had said "Yes" so went with it. I figured karma would even it out somewhere else down the line.

10. Always learn how to say a few words in the local language. Here are my favorites: hello, goodbye, thank you, where's the toilet?, beer, water, some sort of food I like to eat, receipt, and if I'm really ambitious I'll learn how to count to 10 (it helps with shopping and just purchases in general/dealing with money). Grab a business card from the hotel you're staying with the address so all you have to do is show the card to a taxi driver the address and you're good to go.

11. Last but not least, be flexible.  Charlie and I rarely have our entire trip planned when we arrive into a county.  We usually have the first place figured out, but then we plan the rest of the trip as we see how we're feeling and after talking to other people. This allows you to change something at the last minute to see that awesome festival you didn't know was happening or to leave early when the amazing tourist attraction doesn't turn out to be so amazing.

Picture: Lighthouse at the American Camp on San Juan Island, WA taken August, 2008.

Meeting new people........

In life as in travel, I never know who I’m going to meet and where that relationship might take me.  For all I know it could be as simple as meeting a guy from Peru in La Boca in Buenos Aires and talking about his home country for 10 minutes, or it could lead to a longtime friendship.

 

One of my dear friends, Traci, visited me when I lived in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, she was the only non-family member to visit Charlie and me when we lived there.That amazed me – free lodging and free tourist guide in Asia and only one friend took advantage of it!!.  Traci has this contest going on with her dad to see who can visit all of the continents first (she’s in the “there are 7 continents” camp, rather than 6 like some others in the world).  Her dad had a leg up on her as he was a pilot for UPS for years, traveling all over the place. So, this trip to was a great way for her to tick off one continent and see some amazing things at the same time.

We started her trip by hitting the usual hot spots in KL – Batu Caves, hocker stalls, KLCC, night markets – and of course, the Petronas Towers.  We were on the skybridge awing at the magnificent architecture and the view over the city when a woman about our age asked if one of us would mind taking her photo. We struck up a conversation with the stranger, whose name was Katy. Katy was from South Africa–Cape Town specifically – and had been working in Taiwan for a about two years as an English teacher. She was on her way home – as in moving home from Taiwan. She had an 8 hour lay over so decided to catch some sights rather than spend it trapped in the KL airport (and having spent countless hours in that very airport, I didn’t blame her).

I invited her to join my guided mini-tour:  “Cool!  Have you seen the KL Tower yet, because if not you’re more than welcome to join us for the rest of the day as we’re doing the tourist thing ourselves today.”

 

Luckily Katy accepted the invite, and Traci and I had a lovely time getting to know her.  It was one of those times in life that you make an instant connection with someone and you know that if you lived in the same city you would become fast friends.  Katy had this kind of sparkle in her eye that could only be in a person full of soul and adventure, and a spark in her personality that welcomed new experiences and any person to join her in her life’s journey.  I can’t tell you how rare that is – to actually find someone with that same yearning to seek out new things and to be open to them.  I know there are thousands – if not millions – of people like that, but frequently fate must bring us together.  The stars were obviously aligned that day in 2005, because Katy and I could have been separated at birth.  She also plays the flute and our cats’ names were even close to each other:  we had adopted a cat in KL who we named Stumpy, and she had one named Stompy.  We had a good laugh over that.

 

So, we exchanged contact information when it was time for her to head back to the airport, and I made a vow to keep in touch with her.  And we have.  What’s so amazing in this age of technology is the ease with which you can keep in touch and nurture relationships that would have been dead on arrival in the past.  We’ve shared brilliant times in our lives and sad times – from her being published (Read “A ChopstiX guide to Taiwan by Katy Roberts!!) to me having a miscarriage. She was a stranger who became a good friend. One of these days I’ll actually see her again (maybe for the World Cup in 2010??)

On so many occasions I’ve met remarkable people who enriched my life, even if just for the quick moment I was with them.  They create the memories that allow me to look back fondly on certain places, and a smile usually comes across my face when those memories pop up.  When you’re traveling you are naturally open to exploring new places and meeting new people.  Keeping that openness going when you return home means you can continue the excitement of uncovering the unknown even in the day-to-day grind of life.  Remember you never know who will ask you to take a photo……..