Adios Guatemala!

Its finally come.... and Im feeling a tear coming on. I am sad to leave this beautiful country. I am leaving Guatemala this morning at 6:25 a.m. by airplane.... how boring, I know. I have grown to love Guatemala. The culture, the traditions and most of all the Amazing and purely crazy people. Guatemala you welcomed me with open arms and treated me so well I will return one day. Im so grateful I spent my summer here. Ive learned so much and my eyes have been opened to so many different things words canno't explain. My favorite part of this trip was volunteering in the orphanage. Those kids are so wonderful, so full of life. They have next to nothing but yet they make the most out of what they have. The children survive off of one another, care for eachother and hold eachother together. I hope and pray each one of those kids makes a better life for themselves after they leave the orphanage. They all deserve it. I couldn't Imagine growing up there. Those kids are stronger than I will ever be.

This Journey has been amazing one that will go in the record books as the greatest travels of my life... I never ever ever thought I would drive a motorcycle 100 miles let alone 5,000! I sure am glad I bought that motorcycle. Thanks David for convincing me that driving to guatmala would be the greatest thing we would ever do!! your the best brother in todo el mundo!! Thank you for keeping me alive, watching after me and gathering my belongings on the highways. I love you!!

Shawny... what can I say?? Crashes, Maps, Speaches, and paint jobs. Im always laughing when Im around you. I have had so much fun traveling with you, When you get home Ill be the first person to help you gather thousands of people for your master plan to bring down Wal-Mart.
I love you both and have an amazing time embarking on your next adventure rescueing the Panomobile in Costa Rica!! http://www.bringinghomethepanamobile.blogspot.com/
Check it out!!

To the lovely Janet Lee, Thank you so much for taking us in to your casa and being an amazing friend! Your the most inherintly good person I have EVER met. Love you and I hope I get to see you again. It was so fun to travel with you every weekend thanks for the great times. mucho gusto and Suerte Vida!!

Thank you to all my friends who supported me in my crazy Ideas and believed that I was actually driving here. (Hill's really the only one who believed) Buuuuut, to the others I understand I would have laughed too. I love you all and cant wait to see you soon!!!

Mom and Dad..... I know we gave you heartattacks and kept you up in the middle of the night but thanks so much for not slashing our tires before we left. That would have delayed us just a little bit. Im so Grateful for your prayers and support. David and I didnt mean to ignore your begging pleas not to go but we had a journey to fullfill!! I hope you both understand by now and appreciate our spirit of adventure..... I love you and cant wait to give you hugs!!

Lexi, Anna, Aaron, Chris, Becky and New Baby I cant wait to see you!! Ive missed you all so much. Thanks for your support, Good luck wishes and, kisses and hugs!
I Love you mucho!

Farewell Guatemala until next time DIOS CON TIGO!!!

!!!!ADIOS!!!!

Guate Vs USA

El Estadio Olimpicio

Cheering for Guate so I wouldn't get shot. We chose not to sit in the US section because we didn't want to get rampaged after we won!

only in Guatemala will you see grown men in diapers.
I Love this place.

IM FREE!!!

After a long awaited, depressing, sad, boring few weeks, I finally sold Che!!!!!!!!!! (the motorcycle). I now am free to leave the country, I feel like a bird with new wings! I will return home soon,
but before I leave this magical land I am going to the Guatemala VS. Estados Unidos Soccer Game tonight!!!
Im so excited Its going to be an awesome game and a really exciting way to end my travels!

Murder Central Rio Dulce

This is a really old castle with cannons surrounding it...



Murda Hostel



Here I am still in Guatemala... Its ok but Im getting really antsy to get home and hang out with my friends... also I start school on Thursday so I should get back!
I still have had no luck selling my motorcycle and Im getting to the point where I may just give it to a poor guy sleeping in parque central.
This Last weekend David, Janet and I drove to Rio Dulce.. the prettiest river in all of Guatemala.... possibly Central America. It empties into the caribbean between Belize and Honduras. We arrived at the hostel to find it almost vacant. There were 30 dorm beds all of which were empty. It was Friday night and the place looked like a deserted building. We thought it may have been a slow weekend.... little did we know. Janet and I sat down to eat when the server came to take our orders. We had read about an incident that happened that week near the hostel. A couple was attacked on their sail boat by pirates, the couple didnt have enough money to give to them so they killed the husband with machetes and seriously injured the woman. We were interested to know if this was the correct story and asked him about it. He then went on to say "yes that happened but......you didn't hear about what happened here??" hmm no we hadn't, but he wouldn't even tell us he just left us hanging. Curious and anxious to know Janet and I ran up to the internet to search the noticias (news) We found a short paragraph about a local prostitute called Queen of the South and her 14 year old son who was a drug lord. The two of them had been shot in the bathrooms 2 nights before we arrived. Our nights rest was the worst we have ever had.
The next morning eager to get out of there we took a boat ride down the river. The river is Gorgeous and the people there have the most incredible house. It was amazing to see how the locals live... commuting by little conoes and boats.
We stayed in Livingston, the majority of the people are Garifuna and its much more surreal than the other places I have visited. We had a wonderful time, Despite our friends bag was stolen from the window in her room.
We returned to Guatemala city last night and now I am back to trying to rid myself of this motorcycle. wish me luck and hopefully I will see you all soon.
Peace and Love!

Honduras and Back

This Last week and a half has been the nightmare of our trip and an adventure that has put us into a slump of misery. We walk like zombies, read for hours, and our tempers are on the verge of rage. David is snappy, Shawny is going insane with boredom and, I am seconds away from jumping off the balcony that is calling my name. Its been a wonderful few weeks! haha

Heres the short story
2 weeks ago we packed up our things and headed to honduras riding 360 miles to sell our motorcycles. After long hard days of work we had them sold.... for alot of money! Unfortunately it is illegal to import a vehicle over 10 years old and impossible to bribe someone to get the papers. I had 7 days to sell my motorcycle before my flight left from Honduras. After exhausting long days trying to pirate up hundreds of solutions and work our way around the rules. We had enough of Honduras and packed our things and rode 360 more miles back to the beautiful lands of Guatemala. We left the day before my flight in Honduras. Im really sad I didnt make it home. I really hated that day STILL riding a motorcycle on the 5th of August!!! The only thing that kept me sane in Honduras was going to the dirty beach and sneaking into the nice hotel to swim and lounge for hours on end to pass the time. I made friends with Guadalupe the security/waitor who I convinced him I was staying at the hotel, he welcomed me with open arms everyday.... little did he know I was just skeeming my way around.
Meanwhile here we are in guatemala city, the crew is hanging out at lovely kind generous Janets beautiful apartment. We are doing everything we can to sell the bikes here. The rules and regulations make it so difficult to sell anything here hopefully they will sell soon. I long for the day I can return to my family, friends and, the valley of zion. haha Until then VIVA GUATEMALA!! Im still here and going to soak up every minute of this amazing country.

Fotos De los fin de samanas

Coban
Semuc Champey
BAT CAVES!!

Grant!


As the sun goes down and the night begins the bats swarm free.
There is a huge cave in Lanquin, it was so fun to explore and when the bats started to leave the cave we all stood at the opening and watched thousands of bats swarm around us.
It was one of the craziest things ive ever seen!!

Copan Ruinas

Shawny taking a nap on top of the ancient mayan temple dreaming of the sacrifices that took place on the bloody alter in front of him....

JUMP!

Mayan temples and stuff


Xela!




Monterrico

cars on wooden planks??

this Pelican was on crack

Party Bus!! scariest bus ride ever.

Adios Niños, Adios Lago

Until next time blessed Lago de Atitlan

Thanks for the best breakfast ever Juan Carlos.

Tracy and I stayed at the most beautiful guest house my last night at the lake... It was paradise.Thanks to my most generous friend Juan Carlos

biron hates cameras.

Look at this cutie. . Edwin Josue

Dulce

Anna Skeet

Abrham

Abrham and Dulce

my last days at the orphanage were hard for me to leave I miss the kids so much! I always had such a great time with them. They need so much and get so little I wish I could do more for them. They all deserve to be somewhere better. The orphanage was run so poorly I felt so badly for the kids, They didnt have running water, the little toddlers were given so little to eat they never had any energy, and the donations were hardly ever being used. . The orphanage is in need of someone who can better organize and commit to making it a better place for the children to live. I hope and pray someone who has the resources to better the orphanage comes along soon. The kids need it.

My experience was wonderful I enjoyed every minute of it. I have so much respect and admiration for Tracy. . . who has been at the orphanage volunteering for the last 2 months and will be there until october. I dont think I could be there for that long. your an amazing person Tracy!!

thanks to everyone who brought donations to my house to send down. And thank you mom for sending those to guatemala.

I hope to volunteer at other orphanages and do more projects throughout my life. I want to make a difference in peoples lives.... .