Off the beaten path...but not in a good way

My upcoming visit to Guatemala has me traveling down memory lane...and down - or almost off - some scary lanes.

I'm not talking about rare, off-the-beaten-path, supposedly "non-touristy" local finds. Instead, I'm thinking of near misses - and, in one case, an actual accident - while traveling cheaply in Guatemala, Mexico, and the Philippines.

What got me started is the memory I have of leaving San Marcos La Laguna on Lago de Atitlan after my first visit there, in 2003. I had traveled to San Marcos like most people do - on a launcha across the lake from Panajachel, the starting point for most travelers visiting the lake. But when I left, I hopped in the back of a pick-up truck charging a modest fee (was it $1? $1.50?) to take passengers up to the road where buses to other destinations went by. The back of the truck was fairly full, but not jam-packed, and there were incredible views as we went up, up, up to the Santa Ana road. The road up away from the lake isn't the most treacherous road you could ever encounter, but, if memory serves, it is a windy, curvy road with some sheer drop-offs. The kind that give you a fright when you realize the driver doesn't know what's coming when he barrels around a curve. That day, we just had one, fairly non-scary, near-miss. Our driver honked before rounding a curve, as did the other driver, and both vehicles screeched to a halt mid-curve, without actually colliding or sending anyone tumbling. A few shrieks and exclamations of fear as it was happening, and then we were on our way again. Well, after the laborious process of backing DOWN the curvy road until we could idle somewhere where the other driver could pass by. Phew. No big deal. I had one other incident like that, on my way to Lago de Atitlan, traveling through Guatemala from Tikal and avoiding the major hub of Guatemala City. That time, I think bumpers actually touched, but again, no real damage to vehicle or passengers, and we were soon on our way.

But these were minor events. Another near-miss, in the Philippines, was far more exiting. In 2001, I spent the summer volunteering with an environmental organization on the island of Palawan. I would frequently travel across the island from where I was based, in Puerto Princesa, to the town of Sabang, where a gorgeous national park and underground river offer lots of opportunities for hiking and exploring. On one such trip, I got stuck in Sabang longer than I'd planned, due to a monsoon. The roads were flooded, and the jeepneys weren't running.

A jeepney is like the Filipino version of a Latin American chicken bus (see the generic photo above). Old, ex-US military vehicles, they are the cheapest way to travel distances in the Philippines. What's best about them is that you can ride on top. I confess, I disregarded local practice a bit by riding on top, as usually women and children ride inside the vehicle. But riding on top was way more scenic, and fun. And, truth be told, I'm positive it was safer. Although men gallantly gave their seats up to women and children, being forced to hang off the back or the sides if there is no space left on top, the inside was often jam-packed. I rode inside once. In the case of an accident, I'm sure no one could have gotten out. And it was just plain uncomfortable. Instead, I preferred to ride on top, preferably claiming a prime spot on top of a sack of rice (which provided padding over the roof-rack type rails).

So, on the day in question, I found a spot on top and happily watched the scenery pass on my way back to Puerto Princesa. That is, until we rounded a corner in the mud...and went up on two wheels. On the edge of a somewhat impressive 30-40 foot drop down rugged terrain littered with rocks, trees, and general jungle growth. I'm talking about a big, rugged military jeep slipping and sliding and eventually tilting over to one side so much that two wheels came off the ground. On top, I gripped the rails and felt the jeepney hit a point of equilibrium. We hung there, balanced on two wheels, for what seemed like a full minute or two. But I'm sure it was about 5 seconds in reality. In that moment (seconds), it could have gone either way. We were either about to go toppling, top before bottom, down the hillside, or gravity would manage to pull us the other way, back into position on the road. I'm happy to say, four wheels ended up on the road again very soon. And the rest of the ride was uneventful, if a bit cautious and slow. [Incidentally, had we gone tumbling, I think being on top would have provided the only real chance of surviving...at least I could have TRIED to throw myself clear.]

But what takes the cake is the time my collectivo driver fell asleep at the wheel in Chiapas, Mexico, (on a paved, not at all scary road) and the van, crammed with at least 14 people, crashed off the road and through about 30 feet of growth until we were finally stopped by a big mudpit. I have no idea how we missed the trees. As branches and debris crashed through the windows and I saw the person next to me go crashing forward into the person in the seat in front of him, I covered my eyes with my hands, my natural instinct being to protect my eyes. Not from the sights, but from the objects crashing in and the window glass flying around. When we finally came to rest, the van starting sinking into a vast mudpit. We had to crawl out the windows into several feet of mud and wade back up to the road. There were many bumps and scratches, but - thankfully - no serious injuries.

We weren't too far down the road from a military checkpoint, and officers soon appeared to document the events. In reality, they mostly shared cigarettes and chatted with the passengers while we waited for another collective or bus to come by with some spare room. And, after awhile, they seemed to realize that some work product might be a good thing...so they made my new friend, Eric, lift up his shirt while one solder took a photo of another solider pretending to examine his injuries. Of course, he didn't have any injuries (well, except for some scrapes on his leg - but they didn't photograph those). But the photo was dramatic enough, and they seemed satisfied.

I'm assuming my upcoming visit to see Colleen and Shad won't produce another story in this vein. But as my trip reminds me of old (and hopefully inspires some new) adventures, I'll be documenting them here...

Connecting with an old friend: lago de atitlan

So...this summer will mark 4 years since I started - and promptly ended - this blog. I started blogging because I was inspired by my 2006 trip to Brazil. Sadly, that trip was the last of my exciting travels outside the U.S. (little did I know it then) for several years. What can I say? Two words: law school. Three more: SAD, but true.

Last year, I got to head back to Dublin and visit with old college friends. Not the most exotic of destinations (although our excursion to the west did remind that Connemara can feel like the end of the earth), but it was fun, reassuring, and even exciting to dust off my passport after so many years of neglect. And - luckily - I get to return to Dublin again this summer for what is sure to be a fabulous wedding - and weekend of wedding-related festivities.

BUT FIRST, I just booked a trip to Guatemala FOR NEXT WEEK. Nothing says getting back into the game like a spur-of-the-moment decision to support Taca Airlines. In fairness, I have been intending to return to Guatemala ever since my little sis moved to Lago de Atitlan two years ago. But life just kept getting in my way.

Until two nights ago, when I realized I have a week off between my current work and my new job. A quick search came up with a roundtrip ticket for $362. Not bad. Some scrambling around online and a quick (and pleasant, and helpful) call to the Guatemalan Embassy reassured me that I will not have any problems related to the fact that my passport actually expires in July. [Note to self: renew passport immediately upon return - nothing says Congrats on your Wedding! like leaving an empty seat at the table because you were too careless to get a renewal in time.]

So, next weekend, I will dust off the ol' rucksack and hop on a plane, and a chicken bus, and a very small boat...and eventually end up in Tzununa, where my sister and her boyfriend are in the middle of building a home. On this, my fourth visit to Lago de Atitlan (but the first since Colleen moved there), I vow to take millions of photos and even post a pic or two.

In the meantime, I'll share some memories from the days I first visited the area. Coming soon.