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Ally's page December 11, 2001 I like to leave the narration to those who do such a wonderful job, I think James is the right poet for the main page. I do feel a little obligated to fill this space since the boys have done such a wonderful job on the website and to add a little personal touch. So far things are galloping along at the usual bus driving pace. We had our first "experience" with the locals in the state of Chihuahua when we were blocked in by other folks who had come to protest the toll road. Our timing was impeccable. It's remarkable that we were news worthy for just showing up, when the locals had been working for years to remove the toll. Group dynamics are almost as entertaining as getting directions. Everyone comes with different notions or expectations of what the trip will or should be. My Spanish is coming back to me very slowly. Rushing back to me are my memories of the time I spent in Costa Rica and Guatemala. In between listening to the wild dogs old memories occupy my dreams at night and an occasional day dream or two. Traveling to Mexico and Central America is not just another reason to drink and purchase things for a third of the cost as some may think It is a beautiful, friendly place to visit and stay. Just past the border town in Mexico I feel the pace around us melt to a slow jog. So much character in each town we stroll by. That slower encompassing pace is reason enough to venture south. The lyric 'changes in attitude and changes in latitude' holds some truth. As I speak we are less than 100 miles from Mexico city...again. This time it is a conscious decision to go through the city rather than around it. My aren't we bold, or may be just a little too comfortable. I don't think it is stupidity...yet. We will be traveling through by daylight. It will be interesting to see if that will work for or against us. It is always a grand adventure. I hope everyone is enjoying the snow back home. Take care and miss you. Ally December 31, 2001 Hello, hello. Here we are in Sittee River, Belize. Taking a day off from heat and bugs relaxin' at Sharon's place. Sharon has been very kind to let us (all ten of us) take over her house. Her house sits on the Sittee River which is the name of the town as well. Sittee River is very close to Hopkins which may be what you would look for on a map if you were looking. We are South of Dangriga and North of Placencia. The river is similar in size to the lower Skagit. With no current it is perfect for kayaking either up or down river. Levi, Sharon's housekeeper, took us upriver in his boat. We saw three crocodiles, a toucan, numerous iguanas, and a variety of other birds. Mace, Clark, Marth, Sharon and I went diving last Saturday. Mace and Clark recently got certified and Sharon already has quite a bit of experience so they were on the boat with us but dove separately. The last time I dove was when I lived in Hawaii so I decided to take the short introductory class with James and Marth. It was fun getting to dive again but once was enough for my budget. I went down to about 42 feet. The visibility, just like in Hawaii, was great but we didn't see anything that you wouldn't see snorkeling. Even so it was fun just drifting along amongst the coral and marine life. I also enjoyed introducing James to the sport and I think he enjoyed it...a little. Like any new sport it usually takes a few times, which includes a lot of money, to adapt and feel comfortable. Since we don't have gills and weren't made to swim to great depths scuba diving may take even more than a few times to feel perfectly comfortable. I really enjoy diving and plan to continue to dive occasionally but I think most of my time and money will go towards kayaking and rafting and snorkeling will just have to suffice. So many things to do...so little time. Sunday while Mace, Clark, Sharon, and Marth went diving again James and I decided to kayak to Hopkins. I wanted to get some paddling time in my river kayak so I paddled that while James paddled a sit-on-top. You can read about this trip, James and Ally's excellent adventure, on the main page. We didn't see any crocodiles on this trip but I 'm sure they saw us. Today is a day of R and R for most of us. Sharon is out diving at the Blue Hole, a natural occurring 400+ foot sink hole about two-and-a-half-hours boat ride off Belize's coast. The max depth for a recreational dive is 130 feet. We'll pick her up this afternoon and then it is off the Jabiru for a new years eve celebration. We have reached that point in the trip where folks are looking to go their separate ways for awhile. Most folks are headed out to Caye Caulker. James and I are headed down to Placencia with the bus to drop of the care package of food and clothes that folks donated. We'll probably hang there until Saturday. We have plans to head out from here, Sittee River, on Sunday to Glover's reef. It seemed like the best Caye (key) for camping and snorkeling. James and I will stay there until the 14th and then join up with everyone for one last night at Sharon's before heading to San Ignacio. In San Ignacio we are hoping to get on a river, maybe the Macal, at least for a day or two. Then on the 16th or 17th we'll be headed home. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new colors on the ol' homestead look. No more yellow trim. So that's the update...stay tuned for details. I hope everyone has a lovely New Years. Love, Ally January 24, 2002 Homeward bound. We've exchanged the sweltering heat for the cool, and becoming colder every mile, desert of West Texas. We stopped in Austin, a lovely place, and had a nice visit with a few members of James' family. James' brother Mike and sister-in-law Eleanor so kindly put us up for two nights. Since leaving Austin I've quickly become enveloped in every piece of warm clothing I brought. James and I slept outside last night even with snow in the forecast. I prefer the fresh air to a stagnant, who knows what is living inside it, bus. As it turned out it wasn't that cold and it only snowed a little in the morning. Truth be told the bus really isn't that bad and I don't believe we were in the tropics long enough for things to mold. So I am almost at the conclusion of my third bus trip. Shall I reflect and reminisce...ok maybe a little. Each trip was, obviously, a little different. Different travelers, different places, and different bus designs (the interior of the bus is always improving and can always use improvement). Without comparison it will always be hard to beat the first exploration, remember Frank? All the way to Panama and threatening to go further. Some thought we wouldn't make it. Was there a wager on how far we would get? I remember James' sigh of relief when we did finally cross the Mexican border, I'm sure he had his doubts as well. That trip was all about Frank, the bus (I had lost my Grandfather Frank earlier that year...kismet?..maybe). We couldn't go unless we could get the bus started and that didn't always happen when you turned the key. I believe there were about four breakdowns, each lead us on a new path. We learned a ceviche recipe near our second break down and met Carlos of Amigos Del Rios during, I believe, our final break down. On that trip I didn't know when or how I was coming home, wasn't even sure if I was going go until a few days prior to departure. The appropriate timing of a fortune cookie is what convinced me. It read: Your venture will be a success. I had my resume all ready for job searching in Costa Rica. How silly was that?...Either you can guide or you can't, resumes are irrelevant. Home for the next 5 or so months became Manuel Antonio and later Quepos, Costa Rica. The next trip was Baja for the "millennium". What can I say...an extension of Southern California, great beaches, a few good waves and fish tacos. Finally, the Belize trip. We never made it to Belize on our first bus trip in 1998, so here we are. Belize is nice. Nice folks, nice beaches once you get to them, and a great zoo (architects from Seattle, WA assisted in the design of the Belize zoo). Belize is, however, home to a few bugs which they may not mention in that brochure you're looking at. Belize is also, just as we were told, one of the more expensive Central American countries. Even so it is still affordable especially if you have your own get up as we do. So... if you like diving and snorkeling, don't mind a few bugs, and don't want to bother with any language other than English Belize is a nice tropical getaway. That's about it. After seeing Belize I think I'm going to stick with Mexico. As I said Belize is nice but I prefer Mexico, both its culture and diverse landscape. There are still so many places in Mexico I haven't seen or spent enough time in. I would also love to get back to Costa Rica someday. Well, it is my turn to drive again. I think we're going to try to make it to the Desert Rose Cafe in Willcox, AZ tonight. We had breakfast there on the way down and it was just too good not to stop in again. Take care and hope to see y'all soon. Adios. Love, Ally
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