This Time Last Year in Guatemala

The most adventurous year (so far)  is coming to an end and I'm nostalgic for the very place I found myself this time last year. It was an epic way to end 2012, a three day hike from Xela to Lago Atitlán with the non-for-profit group Quetzaltrekkers. If you're seeking a memorable adventure in Guatemala or Nicaragua I highly recommend checking them out.



Photo taken of Group B departing Xela by fellow traveller, Elise Leijstra.

After a long first day of trading the high density of Xela for the freedom of rural Guatemalan landscapes, I was captivated by the night sky above me. Our resting point was a town-hall made of concrete walls and a roof with a wood frame shielded by corrugated metal. Since we arrived at nightfall the village of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan  appeared to be surrounded by only a few small structures, the homes of locals and the closed tienda (a small grocery shop). It was dawn the next day that revealed a town much vaster.  As if I was lost in time and space, I stared up at the calm night sky to admire every star visible to the naked eye. It was an odd realization that the moon was in hiding. At 11:00pm in the Northern Hemisphere, the sky seemed incomplete without its bright, white luminescence.  After cramping the muscles in my neck, I retired to my sleeping bag laid out on a tiled floor accompanied by forty-one other travellers and the dread of 6:00am wake-up call.

By the time 5:55am had rolled around I had given up on falling asleep hours ago. Instead, the consequences of sleep deprivation kicked in and I wrote this weary passage:

The howling wind rumbles through the fragile tin-like ceiling. There's a smell of mildew rising from the vibrating floor. The metal door barely holds, its strong resistance from the wind eager to knock it down. A creak. Metal sways back and forth. No sleepers in this holding. Perhaps just one. His heavy breathing gives him away. Shadows and light illuminate the ground but darkness still hides in the corners. A gust of wind blows through a heavy cloud of dust, intoxicating us all. A warm chill. We are safe beneath these blankets, pressed hard against the earth. Dare we walk today in the sun after this restlessness. The dogs that howl warn us of something. An impending doom or the dawn of another day? Perhaps it's animal instincts we'll never understand. Are we that out of tune? Too busy building concrete walls, playing with machines, carrying heavy wood stacks on our backs, climbing mountains, breaking into a sweat, starving, gorging, sipping, smoking to speed up our heart rates when we could be slowing down.  Somewhere in the village there's a constant alarm from the horn of an unknown vehicle. Noise always consumes us. Even in the middle of nowhere, even when it's time to rest...

I was interrupted by one of the guides announcing it was time to get moving. With about 15km of walking ahead of us and the challenge of tackling what our guides called, Record Hill (a steep incline that takes an average of 15-25 minutes to climb and one that left me feeling like an asthmatic kid who decided to run up the playground slide without an inhaler), rolling over onto the hard floor and playing dead seemed rather appealing. Yet looking back, I'm glad I was forced to rise early and carry on. On the road it seems we rarely ever fail to seize a great opportunity despite our discomforts. Moving forward is always a constant, an unwritten necessity in our pledge to see the world. Here within the comforts of home it's too easy to fall asleep, stay ravelled in our bed sheets, miss out on a great opportunity because we'd rather stay still or avoid the risk all-together. This leads me to reminiscence about these defining moments in travel. The moments I very reluctantly but somehow willingly made the choice to rise and take the steps forward that propelled me into the great unknown.

Whether you're at home or out on the road Happy New Year! Keep on taking one step forward and don't forget to stop every once awhile to look to the sky above or the land below.



Elise admiring Lago Atitlán from the mirador. Photo taken by me.

I Almost Chickened Out of Hiking Ben Nevis

I almost chickened out of hiking Ben Nevis... twice. Reaching the top of the highest peak in the UK was a must-do on my backpacking adventure around Scotland. As a first time mountain trekker the thought of heading up Ben Nevis alone was rather intimidating. The plan was to stick to the tourist trail, which I’m sure is mocked by more advanced hikers. Someone assured me that the trail is like walking in a single file line of tourists, all the way to the top. Not exactly my idea of the perfect climb, in fact I vividly remember that time in grade two when I was given detention for forgetting to walk in a single file line. But this was good news if I were to accidentally twist my ankle or fall off the side of the mountain.



I spoke to many people about heading up the Ben. One Scottish local who had made the climb several times, advised me to arrive in Fort William the day before, get a good night sleep and then wake up early to make the hike. He recommended staying at the Youth Hostel located at the very bottom of the Ben. When I called to book the hostel, they were completely full for the weekend. In fact all the hostels in Fort William were full.

I’m a firm believer in the theory that everything happens for a reason. After spending a beautiful week in the Outer Hebrides, I decided to head back to mainland Scotland. My destination was Oban, a lovely town on the west coast. I would spend a night in Oban and decide where to go from there. Little did I know that Ben Nevis was not completely out of the picture.

It was at the hostel in Oban where I met Monika, an Aussie who was living in the UK. We started talking about our plans for the next day, and I mentioned Ben Nevis. Monika was immediately interested when I explained that it is the highest peak in the UK. We decided to get up early and drive to Fort William, eager to face the challenge of conquering the Ben.

After a light breakfast in Oban, we arrived in Fort William around 11:00 am to find the parking lot packed. There was an event taking place, eleven teams would be heading up the Ben to raise money for a charity. Monika and I were tempted to skip Ben Nevis and hang around for the BBQ. Instead, we headed to the information centre for a map and some much needed guidance. The guy behind the counter warned, “It’s Saturday so the Ben is busy. I recommend another trail that’s more relaxing.” He suggested we hike along Glen Nevis, a four hour trail with beautiful scenery of the woods and a waterfall.



We walked out the information centre and debated. Trail that leads to a sanctuary or trail that leads to possible death. I voted possible death.



An average of 1 in 10 days is clear on the summit of Ben Nevis. It just so happens that the sun was shining brightly with few dark clouds in the sky. I knew I would regret chickening out on the challenge... again. So we stocked up on Snickers, candy, some water and a protein bar. The guide recommended we come prepared with a sweater and a waterproof jacket. Hiking boots are of course the other necessity, unless you are Monika. I predicted the pair of runners on her feet would be totalled by the end of the climb. It turns out these runners magically survived the rough terrain.




In my mind, reaching the top of Ben Nevis would be the toughest physical challenge I have ever endured. It definitely was, but what I did not expect was that it would be a challenge almost anyone can accomplish. Nuns dressed in sandals, children under ten, and elders in their eighties. Even dogs were spotted heading up the Ben. An estimated 100,000 people ascend to the summit each year.





As the Ben got steeper, the trail became rockier and the view became more and more breathe taking – not just due to the thin air. Each time I looked back over the stretch of forest, majestic highlands, and the mist rising over the lochs, the sense of beauty wowed me. We even got a great view of a waterfall tumbling down the side of the Ben.






Monika and I stopped for many photo opportunities. We picked a nice spot, midway up to relax and munch on rice pudding and chocolate. Of course, in Scotland you can’t stop for a picnic without being offered a swig of whisky by some locals. The rest was much needed, we had surpassed the section of the trail titled, "The Red-Burn" and encountered, "Five Finger Gully" the rockiest bit of path that zigzags to the top.

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The average amount of time it’s supposed to take to ascend Ben Nevis is five hours. It takes three hours to descend. Monika and I reached the top in four and half hours. We spent half an hour on the plateau, taking photos of the proud moment. We found the most picturesque place facing the north, away from the tourists, to quietly take it all in. Great photo opportunities included standing on the official highest point - a large stone, cairn. Posing in front of an emergency shelter that was built on top of the abandoned ruins of a meteorological observatory. Or boldly standing at the edge of a cliff – after all it’s only a 1,344 metre drop.



Despite the epic view on a clear day, it was hard to stand still for long. The wind nearly knocked us over while posing for pictures. The sub-Arctic climate meant that the weather could turn unexpectedly and snow on us. We began our hike wearing t-shirts and gradually found ourselves adding our sweaters by the time we reached the top.





As we stood on the summit feeling a sense of accomplishment, I couldn't help but ponder this – how on earth is the record for reaching the top 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds? Secondly, how did a man single handily manage to push a piano to the top? My legs of steel were beginning to feel a lot like jello, a good sign that it was time to descend.




I was in no rush to get to the bottom; in fact I always find it easier to ascend rather than descend. The rocky trail makes slipping easy. Take it from the woman we passed who had fell and twisted her ankle, not too far from the top. Then there was the elderly man behind us. The man slipped and proceeded to roll off the trail, down the Ben. Luckily, he caught himself in the grass and was okay.


When we reached the bottom, night had fallen and my feet were in massive pain. I wobbled back to the parking lot and crawled into the car. Back in Oban, we treated ourselves to some fish and chips, which I devoured in mere seconds. After rightfully bragging about our experience to the other backpackers, we passed out in our bunks. The next day, my legs were killing me, a pain that would be summoned anytime I tackled the hills of Edinburgh for days that followed. Soon I’ll be conquering Mount Everest.

Swimming in Loch Ness.. Well Sort Of..

I had a remarkable experience exploring the Loch Ness nearby Drumnadrochit 14.3 miles southwest of Inverness. Approximately seven weeks ago, I first dipped my feet in the frigid waters of Loch Ness while on a three day Macbackpackers tour to Isle of Skye. We pulled over to see the Loch and Collin the Scottish tour guide challenged his passengers to go for a swim. “Who here is thinking about swimming in Loch Ness?” he asked. I boldly raised my hand and shouted out “Me,” from the back of the bus. I was the only one out of twenty seven passengers. Collin then tried to convince the others, “Think ahead in time to when you’re a grandparent. Your grandchildren are over for a visit and you pull out an old photo album to show them what life was like when you were young. As you flip through the album you stop at a photo of yourself swimming in a lake. ‘What’s that?’ they will ask. ‘This is me swimming in Loch Ness,’ you will reply. Their jaws will drop. ‘You mean where the Loch Ness Monster lives?’ Now imagine how impressed they will be. In fact they will be so impressed it will inspire them to achieve great things with their lives. They will study very hard in school, become doctors, astronauts or firefighters. So will their children and their children’s children. Generations of greatness and it will all be because of you. Now who wants to go for a swim in the Loch Ness?” Silence, snickers, one hand goes up from the back of the bus... mine.

The most fun I’ve had in Scotland has been from the moments when I would burst out of my shell, throw caution to the wind and do something daring or perhaps absolutely insane according to my spectators. It was very cold that day, grey skies hovered over the loch and even though I was bundled in a sweater, warm jacket, jeans and a scarf the wind had no problem keeping the exposed parts of my body chilly. I couldn’t imagine braving the cold in a bikini. Not to mention the only place to change was on the bus. Then there was the thought of sitting on a bus soaking wet afterwards. So instead I rolled my jeans up to my knees, took off my runners and strolled along merrily through Loch Ness. Well almost merrily, the rough rocks at the bottom made wading through the water a wee bit tricky. As my spectators gawked at me, I posed for the camera and the chill began to burn. I decided a few minutes was plenty enough for my frozen toes.



What attracts most to Loch Ness is not just the fact that it’s the first largest Loch in Scotland by volume (700 feet at its deepest). It’s those mysterious sightings of Nessie that gather a large crowd of tourists in hopes that will perhaps catch a glimpse themselves.

There have been many claims that Nessie has been spotted lurking in the Loch over the years. The earliest sighting of a creature happened in 565 AD by Saint Columbia, an important figure among Gaelic Irish missionary monks. One day Saint Columbia was addressing a group of Picts (a tribe that lived in the northern and eastern parts of Scotland) about Christianity. He came across a few Picts who were burying a man that had been murdered by a creature. Saint Columbia ordered one of his followers to retrieve the victim’s boat that had been abandoned on the other side of the river. As the servant bravely journeyed across the water, a creature surged out and attacked. Apparently Saint Columbia was able to scare the creature away by commanding, “You will go no further.” It has been recorded that this event occurred in River Ness, a gateway to the Loch.


A view of River Ness in the heart of Inverness

Then there are the photos, the old fashioned black and white photographs where a distorted shadow among the waters proves that Nessie must exist. This one is my favourite among them all...


Seriously? ( Source:http://www.loch-ness.org/ )

The latest “sighting” of Nessie was made on Google Earth a few months ago. Check out an article on the event here:
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1209118/Is-Nessie-Google-Earth.html

Visiting the Loch is great not just for the thrill of possibly that one might have a run in with the infamous Loch Ness Monster, but for the gorgeous view of the sparkling water and the miles of trees and green fields that surround it. There is much to do in Drumnadrochit – a town that thrives on the Loch Ness. There is the ‘Loch Ness Monster Centre and Exhibition Experience’ located beside the Drumnadrochit Hotel. The exhibition takes a look at the Loch’s natural history and explores the mysterious notion that a Loch Ness Monster could exist.

If you want to get a closer look at the Loch there are many boats that will take you around for a few hours. The admission price of these boat rides ranges from £18 to £35 a person. If you are staying in Inverness “Jacobites Boat Cruises” will take you from the Inverness bus station to their boat on the Caledonian Canal. It stops at the Urquhart Castle and includes a viewing station on the boat to keep an eye out for Nessie. There is also a company that runs a horseback riding tour “Highland Riding Centre” on Borlum Farm, which has a program for disabled riders as well.



If you have little time to spare, on a tight budget, love to walk and hate being surrounded by tourists, I recommend hiking along the Loch instead.



It was 11:00 am when I departed from the Inverness Bus Station and took the scenic bus route to Loch Ness. The plan was to explore Urquhart Castle and then find a trail to the Loch. Stepping out of the bus and overlooking the Castle from the roadside gave me major de ja vu. I remember arriving at the Castle on the Macbackpackers tour and wanting to photograph the Castle from a different angle then everyone else. So I hopped a wee fence and jumped onto the grass covered roof of the Castle's admission centre. It was not long before others followed and the attendants of the Castle caught on. Imagine an old Scotsman yelling at me, “Hey, get down from there! Your not allowed up there.”



As you may or may not have figured out by now, I’m a firm believer in refusing to pay for overpriced tourist attractions. However, there are many attractions in Scotland that are worth the cost for their historical significance and absolute beauty. Luckily, a very awesome Canadian I met in Castle Rock was kind enough to lend me her Historic Scotland Pass. This pass allowed me to get into many historical attractions around Scotland for free. There is also a 10% discount on cafeteria food and 20% off souvenirs. Valarie said she paid about £40.00 for an annual membership – a sweet deal if you know you’ll be visiting many attractions. They also offer an explorer pass if you are only traveling for a short amount of time ( check out www.historicscotland.gov.uk/ ) If it were not for this pass I have to admit I probably would have missed out.







Urquhart Castle is magnificent and it overlooks the beautiful waters of Loch Ness. The top floor of the Grant Tower is a great spot to keep a look-out for Nessie. Just be careful climbing the narrow stairway. I was stuck on the stairs heading down for five minutes because I couldn’t pass the traffic of people heading up.



After the Castle I decided to grab some food from the cafeteria, taking advantage of my 10% discount. Pre-made sandwiches that come in a triangle plastic packaging have become my first choice for lunches. They cost anywhere from £1.50 to £2.50 – sometimes you can get a real bargain at the grocery store that’ll include a bag of chips and Fanta (or whatever your beverage of choice might be). Hot rolls are also a nice cheap option in Britain – they come with sausage, bacon, cheese, ham, tuna mayo or egg on a bun. Either way I’ve found the sandwiches / wraps are a bit tiny in filling. So finding a decent take-away place that wasn’t skimpy on the “meat n’ lettuce” was always gold.

When I sat outside to enjoy my sandwich in the sun I realized I no longer had my water bottle on the side of my backpack. Panic set in. Had my water bottle fallen out my pack into the depths of Loch Ness? Of course it’s only a water bottle... it could’ve been worse... I could have been missing my camera. But this is an authentic Canadian Film Centre water bottle, it represents the many hours I spent on-set making coffee, organizing paperwork, standing around in serve winter conditions and lugging heavy film equipment. No way was I going to let Nessie eat it for lunch! So I frantically ran around Urquhart Castle retracing my steps. Every once in awhile I peaked over the massive castle walls into the Loch to see if I could spot my water bottle floating above the surface. It was a long drop into the Loch from the Castle, a plunge no water bottle could survive.



After searching every corner of the Castle, asking the souvenir shop, admissions, and the cafeteria lady several times... there was only one small hope left. I decided to wait for the bus I had arrived on to see if I had dropped the bottle while getting off.

Sure enough the bus pulled up, the door swung open and there was the bus driver holding my water bottle! After this incident I became severely paranoid about objects stored on the outside of my pack. It’s always a good idea to double check that you have everything before leaving the bus, airplane, taxi, hostel, restaurant or in my jacket’s case... one of the many pubs in Edinburgh.

Travel Tip: In the chaos of travelling from one place to the next you are bound to leave something behind eventually. If a valuable is irreplaceable leave it at home.

After a stressful run around the castle it was time for a peaceful walk to Loch Ness. The trail I found was on the internet and the directions were described word by word ( Check out: www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochness/Urquhartwoods.shtml ) At the time I thought jotting down the directions in my notebook would be enough – however in hindsight a map and some visuals would’ve been useful. I spoke to a few people who worked at the Castle for directions; one man drew me a tiny map on a napkin and told me to find the bridge outside of the castle. Another man said I had to walk along the roadside for a few minutes until I reached the bridge. Both men gave me an estimate of ten minutes to find the trail.

In the UK locals tend to give directions in distance, “It’s about 2 miles down the road.” Therefore when calculating the average time it takes to get to place, the estimate is never accurate. Ten minutes = Twenty minutes and one hour = two. This is a theory that was proved correct time and time again. I walked down the road for an hour, admiring the long stretching fields full of sheep, stables containing beautiful horses, and passing by a few other hikers. I finally arrived in the edge of Drumnadrochit where I stopped by a gas station for further directions... after that I had to stop once more for further directions... and once more again for even more directions.

When I finally found the trail I referred to the internet’s directions. I found them a bit confusing given when I jotted them down I was in a rush to catch the bus on-time. I had no choice but to rely on my instincts and guess the right directions. As someone who is directionally challenged my instincts are 99.9% of the time wrong... which means 99.9% of the time I end up lost.

So my friends and fellow hikers here is my version of the directions to find the trail that runs between Enrich River and Coiltie River to a secluded shore overlooking Loch Ness.

Adventure Trail Leading to a Tourist Free Shore of Loch Ness:
Starting Point: Urquhart Castle on the roadside.

1) Face the road with your back to the castle.

2) Turn right – follow the roadside until you reach a gate. Walk down the path through a field until you reach a house. Path ends. Head back onto the road (unless you want to hike downhill through acres of farmland). Don’t forget to: Stop and admire the view overlooking Loch Ness. Gawk at many sheep eating grass.



3) Keep walking along the road – it will seem like ages but believe me you will get there eventually. You will pass by a camp site on your right hand side and a ranch on your left.



4) You will reach a gas station on the left hand side of the road. This is a marker for the first turn. From the gas station follow the right hand side of the road. At the first street on your right - turn right. You will see a Church on your left hand side. Continue down the road and you will pass a graveyard on your right.



New Kilmore Cementary
 
5) Continue until you reach the end of the road. Make a right – passing by a construction site on the left and a small forest on the other side.

6) On the left hand side you will reach a hotel called “Ben Leva.”

7) Double check these directions by popping your head into the “Ben Leva” pub where you will be greeted by Scotsmen and woman watching football. Really, it’s just a good excuse to stop for a pre-trail pint.


Ben Leva Hotel

8) Keep walking you will reach a coy residential area; white picket fences, child riding on their bicycles, fathers mowing the lawn and all.

9) On the left hand side you will encounter another ole cemetery surrounded by a stone fence, and morbidly obese cows.

10) Pass the cemetery and you will see a gate that states something along the lines of “This is not a direct trail to the Loch Ness.” Ignore the sign and carry on. You have officially reached the start of the trail.

11) Make sure you study the sign / map at the beginning of the path. I recommend taking a photo if you have a digital camera that way you can always refer back to it if you get lost.



12) Head down the path until you reach the first junction. Take the path on the right hand side that leads you directly into the forest. As I ventured into the forest I spotted a baby deer frolicking away.



13) The trail is a very peaceful walk as you follow the path through the forest along the river. You will encounter little gaps where you can venture off path to take a closer look at the water. Keep an eye out for birds as they fly overhead and colourful mushrooms on the ground. Beware of piles of poop along the path. Stick to the path to your left at all times.





14) Enjoy the leisurely part of the trail while you can as adventure lurks just around the corner...

That’s when it happened. Out of nowhere a Frenchman with a long, black umbrella, top hat and moustache appeared out the bushes whistling Frere Jacques. Alright so maybe the top hat, moustache and whistling was all in my imagination. What's key is his umbrella in this story. It turns out the Frenchman's name is Gael and he was just as lost as I was among the trail. Gael said that he had made it just a bit further up the path. He decided to turn around when he discovered that he would have to cross a river. I was little help to him. My directions told me that I would encounter a dry river with a bridge to cross (in hindsight I had misread this information). We decided to scope out the situation together.

This river was no joke. It was about ten feet wide with a few tree branches laid across but nothing sturdy enough to step on without falling in. The pebbles at the bottom made for an unsteady crossing and the water reached up to our calves. Already convinced that we should kick off our shoes and attempt to cross, Gael was not very enthusiastic. He wanted to turn around to find the other trail. That is when we heard the voices of a male and female walking through the path on the other side. “How’d you get over there?” we asked. “Crossed the river, it’s easy,” they responded. Gael was concerned about his camera and mobile getting wet. I offered to stuff his belongings safely in my backpack, wrapped in my waterproof jacket.

I took my time crossing, as the hundreds of pebbles beneath my feet did not make balancing easy. Success! We crossed the river and introduced ourselves to the young English couple who had waited for us on the other side. They mentioned that there was smaller stream to cross ahead. We decided to refer to the map Gael had taken with his digital camera. After studying it for a few minutes we concluded that we had all taken the wrong path. It turns out we were on the right path, it just involved more adventure then we had bargained for.

Once again, I was up for the challenge!



We had made it to the mouth of the river that meets the glimmering Loch. When I set off for the Loch, I knew that I wanted to go for a dip so I packed my swim trunks and towel. Last time I had let a little cold weather and the intimation of jumping in on my own scare me off. This time I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. We ended up crossing two more streams to reach the shore of the Loch Ness.



According to the directions from ‘Walking in the Highlands,’ there was once a bridge over the Coiltie River that was destroyed by a flood in August 2007. The website cautions, “Only after a long dry spell will it be possible to cross the river and complete the walk. If a crossing is possible, which should only be attempted if it is safe to do so, turn left on a fainter path.”

Boys can be so chicken. In fact sometimes I think women have much more sense in these situations than men. When crossing the water the English girl and I had no problem taking off our shoes and getting our feet wet. The boys on the other hand decided to take whatever route possible; no matter how more risky and dangerous it seemed to avoid getting a little wet. This included crawling along branches, and jumping across rocks with the aid of Gael’s long, black umbrella.




Gael retrieving his umbrella that had fallen in while
he was crossing the branch.

We made it to the Loch alive and we were greeted by a very unusual creature. Out the Loch emerged a rather friendly duck covered in black and white feathers, masked with a red face. The duck miraculously waddled right up to us with a sly look on its face. We tried to reach out and touch our new friend, but it would never let us get close enough.









The view from the shore was amazing and I couldn’t wait to change into my swim trunks and take a dip. Once again, I was the only one bold (or crazy) enough to go in.







After saying good-bye to Nessie’s laddie we decided to head back to Drumnadrochit for well-deserved pint and burger at the pub. It was 7:00 pm when I arrived back at the hostel in Inverness. I was exhausted from the eventful day, but had an entire day of hiking in Glen Affric to plan. Sleep is for the weak...

Stay tuned for more adventures hiking and backpacking around Scotland.



Could it be? Nessie?!!!