Vagabondette

Ch-ch-changes

One of the best things about not being on a schedule is that when opportuniities come up I’m able to take advantage of them.

As I wrote a few days ago, I’ve begun volunteering at Na Bolom a local non-profit that has just a ton of stuff going on.  I was brought on by my friend Julio to re-design the website and, if I had time, offer some suggestions for operational improvements.

Things have been going well and I’ve very much enjoyed working with Fernando and Julio but I thought it best to finally have a chat with the president of the Board to get her take on the project - and it’s a good thing I did.

She has a very detailed, very involved viewpoint of what they want the new Na Bolom web presence to be and it was nothing like what I am currently designing.  It will also take much much longer than the original 2 weeks.  In fact, it will probably take closer to 6 months - so it looks like I’ll be returning to San Cristobal after a few side trips.

This was something I had already been contemplating as there are some operational improvements that could really make their lives easier and I just wasn’t sure how I would be able to get it all done in time.  But now it’s official.  Fer also mentioned something today about maybe getting paid in addition to the free room and board but we’ll see how that goes.  I’ll be satisfied without the paycheck just because of the new skills I’ll be learning, new friends I’ll be making and the great addition to my resume and portfolio.

The New Plan:

I will leave San Cris @ the 22nd of June and start making my way back to Cancun via Palenque, Merida and maybe Chichen Itza.  I will then fly be in the US from July 1-7 before I fly to Guatemala City.  I will most likely stay in Guate for several weeks taking Spanish classes as most of the people I’ll be working with on this expanded project have limited English skills.  I will then return to San Cris to finish the project.

Return to San Cris

After spending about a week on the road I’ve decided to head back to San Cris for a bit.  It’ll give me not only a chance to get out of the heat but also to recover from whatever’s making me feel like crapola.  I should probably also visit a dentist - which is always fun.  I’ll stay there for a bit then head south to do the southern loop around Chiapas and then back up to Palenque.

So much to see! (Maps of places to see in Central America)

In the last few weeks I’ve really started reading a lot of forums on Central America and several books trying to form a plan of attack.  I was getting information overload so I decided to start plotting all the places I was reading about on Google Maps.

These maps are far from comprehensive and I’ll continue updating them as I continue reading and talking to people and traveling.  If you have suggestions for things to do/see, please feel free to leave a comment!

These maps track cultural and natural sites of interest, activities, places to stay and volunteer opportunities.  Most of them have notes I’ve copied from elsewhere about why I should go to that place but they’re kind of rough.

So, if you want to get an idea of some of the places I’m considering going, check it out:

• Mexico - I’m starting my trip in Cancun and making my way through the Yucatan and Southern Mexico.  I will not see the sites in the North.
• Belize - I’m not sure if I’m going to Belize or not.  It depends on my budget.
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama

To jab or not to jab?

Figuring out vaccinations and what medication to bring has been a big challenge for this trip.  This will be my first extended trip in a developing nation so everyone is recommending the following shots:

~ Hepatitis A
~ Hepatitis B
~ Typhoid
~ Polio
~ Tetanus
~ MMR
~ Yellow Fever (I’ll need it for Panama and when I head into South America)

The problem is that two of the vaccinations (Hep A&B) are in a series and I won’t have time to take them all before leaving.  Also, when you add all the shots together I’m looking at $1000 which is 1.5 months of my traveling budget!  So the debate begins…to jab or not to jab.

After doing some research I’ve decided that I want the vaccinations and I’ve learned that I can get everything I need for about $150 if I get the shots there.  So, I think one of my first projects when I land in Cancun will be to find a doctor and get my vaccinations as well as a supply of malaria pills and antibiotics.

I’d much rather spend the money on traveling than expensive pre-departure care that I can get elsewhere for a fraction of the price.

Yay!  One question down!