Barefoot and Napless in Guatemala

I've spent a lot of time this week with my head in the toilet. 

Chris, Bryan, Femke (my travel partners for the week), and I arrived in Lanquin on Sunday night, me plastered to the floor of the shuttle, trying to find sleep. My digestive system lost another battle with something I ate this week, and I spent the whole 14-hour journey incredibly nauseous and running for the toilet every time the bus stopped for a break. Unable to function or be nice to anyone when we arrived, I immediately put myself to bed and was sad to hear on Monday that I missed an epic dance party. So it goes.

I awoke refreshed the next morning, promising my body I would take it easy, eating only bread until I felt 100%. I soon broke that promise, sweating it out at Semuc Champey, with some hiking and natural pool jumping. I paid for that decision later in the afternoon, finding myself unable to move from the hammock, nauseous again. I was so hungry having not eaten for two days, that I stuffed myself full of carbohydrates at the dinner buffet which felt really good for a minute. But when I tried to join that night's dance party, it only ended in me barfing up my dinner and in bed early again. 

Yesterday was better, but every time someone asked me if I wanted to do something, anything, my only reply was, "I'm so lazy, I can't even take a nap." It was beautiful, and after trying for several hours to take a nap unsuccessfully I joined in some of the wood-burning sauna fun. I basically spent the whole day jumping from the sweaty heat of the sauna into the cool river water hoping to shock my body back into shape. I kept dinner down last night and am still going strong this morning so here's hoping tomorrow's bus ride will be better. 

This place is amazing. Everything is green. All the buildings are thatched roofs and open air. At different times during my attempted nap a cow, chicken, and frog almost entered my room. There is great music, bare feet, dancing, and hammocks. If I didn't have a flight out of here next week I would get lost here. 

And I'm learning all sorts of interesting and important cultural things. Like, have you ever wondered why elephant's ears are so big? I never did, aside from questioning the overly large ears of poor Dumbo when I was a kid. But last night, in a round of tenacious storytelling by candlelight I found out. Now, this is one of those things I choose not to confirm with a Google search because honestly, if this isn't the truth, I don't want to know it.

An elephant's balls are inside the body, and the ears are used as cooling mechanisms to keep the testicles at a lower temperature. It's much more detailed than that, but when our gregarious Aussie friend Nate (who is quite possibly the best storyteller ever) relayed this information with such vigor last night I thought I was going to fall out of my chair laughing. He knows more about animal penis than anyone I ever met and wanted us all to be informed. So now you know. And if you find it necessary to debunk this possible myth and it turns out to be false, I don't want to know.

Also does it make me a loser that I was excited it rained today so I could wear my rain jacket? I love my rain jacket. 

Don't go chasing waterfalls...

Semuc Champey

Femke and I

El Mirador - overlooking the crystal clear pools (Nate said I look constipated in this pic)

El Retiro Hostel - view from the hammock

Bryan traded his bed for a hammock pass out

Nate's version of gangsta dancing