I could see three of those puppies from my front porch... a stroke or two more dangerous than Tam, and as intense, if not more. It was awesomely beautiful, and Mei-Mei, my main man, lovaholic parrot could not stand to be parted from me, even to go to sleep.
He curled up in my hair to snooze. I had VERY long hair... as you may recall from the images of my babetude.... In fact, Mei-Mei would climb all over me, rarely settled for my shoulder. Hung out on my table to test my coffee for me and catch toast crumbs, etc. I saved him from a seven-year-old antichrist when I first arrived and he stuck with me like white on rice ever after... until I had to leave. I don't know if he was as heartbroken as I was, but I couldn't stay and I couldn't take him home with me.... I hope he's happy there. He'll probably outlive me by a few years... if some bratty little boy doesn't nail him.
And, you know what, BB2, I went down there to begin with in order to break the lock on me of insomnia. I could NOT go to sleep. For months. I knew there wasn't anywhere in America where I would be able to sleep. I arrived in Belize City, got a cab to a guesthouse, got shown my room and dropped. Then was the famous plane ride to Punta Gorda and then the epic ferry ride to Puerto Barrios and then the maniacal bus ride to Atitlan, with a short ferry packed to overflowing to Arca de Noe, saved Mei-Mei, whereupon I also immediately dropped. Slept like a baby the whole month. That was how we established that it is definitely the world keeping me up.
A little grinning Myan man in a cowboy hat sat in my lap the whole way from Guatemala City to Panajachel. The bus driver was passing trucks on blind mountain curves. The excellent part is that it's thereby a very fast trip. The downside, of course, is it's only about 60/40 that you live to see your destination.
Whenever I find myself in situations like that, I bliss-out instead of freak-out. Darnedest thing. When I have NO control over life and death in any harrowing situation, I get IMMEDIATELY in the cosmic consciousness zone. And, that trip was full of moments that brought this up. Not advisable for the faint-hearted, but good stuff anyway.
Naw, the Chermans had come in and paved the road to Pana just a while before I'd arrived, which inspired the bus drivers to cast caution to the wind... to the dizzying drops from the side of the road. Dead pedestrians can frequently be found along that road. We're talkin' a definite helicopter trip for the tenderfoots, or no way to Atitlan.
[click image]
For a moment there I thought it was Mt Tamalpias
ReplyDeleteI could see three of those puppies from my front porch... a stroke or two more dangerous than Tam, and as intense, if not more. It was awesomely beautiful, and Mei-Mei, my main man, lovaholic parrot could not stand to be parted from me, even to go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteHow did you sleep with a parrot on your shoulder?
ReplyDeleteOr is that why and when your insomnia started...
He curled up in my hair to snooze. I had VERY long hair... as you may recall from the images of my babetude.... In fact, Mei-Mei would climb all over me, rarely settled for my shoulder. Hung out on my table to test my coffee for me and catch toast crumbs, etc. I saved him from a seven-year-old antichrist when I first arrived and he stuck with me like white on rice ever after... until I had to leave. I don't know if he was as heartbroken as I was, but I couldn't stay and I couldn't take him home with me.... I hope he's happy there. He'll probably outlive me by a few years... if some bratty little boy doesn't nail him.
ReplyDeletethat's that...I'm going to Cuba this year.
ReplyDeleteTAKE. ME. WITH. YOU.
ReplyDeleteI have to see Fidel.
And, you know what, BB2, I went down there to begin with in order to break the lock on me of insomnia. I could NOT go to sleep. For months. I knew there wasn't anywhere in America where I would be able to sleep. I arrived in Belize City, got a cab to a guesthouse, got shown my room and dropped. Then was the famous plane ride to Punta Gorda and then the epic ferry ride to Puerto Barrios and then the maniacal bus ride to Atitlan, with a short ferry packed to overflowing to Arca de Noe, saved Mei-Mei, whereupon I also immediately dropped. Slept like a baby the whole month. That was how we established that it is definitely the world keeping me up.
ReplyDeletefamous plane ride to Punta Gorda and then the epic ferry ride to Puerto Barrios and then the maniacal bus ride to Atitlan
ReplyDeleteSounds like the description my cousin gives of her trip to Machu Picchu!
A little grinning Myan man in a cowboy hat sat in my lap the whole way from Guatemala City to Panajachel. The bus driver was passing trucks on blind mountain curves. The excellent part is that it's thereby a very fast trip. The downside, of course, is it's only about 60/40 that you live to see your destination.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I find myself in situations like that, I bliss-out instead of freak-out. Darnedest thing. When I have NO control over life and death in any harrowing situation, I get IMMEDIATELY in the cosmic consciousness zone. And, that trip was full of moments that brought this up. Not advisable for the faint-hearted, but good stuff anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe view from 99's bus...
ReplyDeleteNaw, the Chermans had come in and paved the road to Pana just a while before I'd arrived, which inspired the bus drivers to cast caution to the wind... to the dizzying drops from the side of the road. Dead pedestrians can frequently be found along that road. We're talkin' a definite helicopter trip for the tenderfoots, or no way to Atitlan.
ReplyDelete