Deb’s Travels

This category brings you to my diary-type posts. It’s here for my friends and everyone else I have met since 2011 who have asked me to keep them up to day with my adventure. It’s here for anyone who wishes to follow my travels. To read any full post, click its header.

Easier travel between USA & Brazil coming?

 in Deb's Travels

I am happy to have just read an article entitled: “Visa Waiver for Brazilians May Become a Reality” written by Joel Stewart at The National Law Review and posted there on Friday, August 10, 2012. This isn’t happening yet. They US and Brazil simply agreed to set up “…a working group to study the possibility…” But I am a huge advocate of travel so I am happy to see something that opens the doors for people, particularly of two stable and respectable countries, to get to know one another better. I understand the issues of international travel. Sometimes we Americans focus on the issues of people overstaying their visas, working when they are not supposed to. But the flipside of that is the great number of legitimate tourists that want to come, see the USA and spend their money there. I have been following the issue for a year as […]

Write a letter

 in Deb's Travels / Traveling with Technology

When I traveled in the days before the internet, I mailed letters to my friends. One of those friends, and my father, both saved my letters and gave them to me upon my return. Even though you are keeping a journal, writing a blog, calling home via VOIP and Skype, etc, I strongly recommend that you — that every traveler — sit down and pen a letter home to a family member or friend. Hand-written letters are priceless memories.

Power outage in San Salvador

 in Central America / Deb in El Salvador / Deb's Travels / El Salvador / Traveling with Technology

Last night’s rain and lightening storm brought more than the usual light storm beauty. Around 10pm it brought an extra loud pop and with it, darkness for some seconds, followed by another pop and some hours of darkness. I unplugged the house Mac, made sure any PCs here were unplugged. The owner opted to leave the wifi routers plugged in. (I also unplugged my TV and AC.) Around midnight the other women here and I went to bed. I wondered if the power would come on in the morning and If the routers would be back to normal. At 3:30am I had my answer when my roommate turned on the light. I am impressed with the electrical infrastructure here that withstands the rainy season so well.

Batman movie at Gran Villa

 in Central America / Deb in El Salvador / El Salvador / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in El Salvador

I was invited by my local friend Frida to join her and a family seeing the new Batman movie at the Gran Villa, the nicest of the malls in San Salvador. In Los Angeles I would not have gone to see this film, but here there was no question of not going as I have not yet been to a movie in El Salvador. I loved this film. It started out with so much action that I was lost, and I was trying very hard to catch it all and remember it to tell Adrain as he was joining us. But after that first scene it got easier, and soon Adrian arrived. Good story, great mix of emotion and action and humor, great use of action. The theater was beautiful as well. It was very much like the one at The Grove in Los Angeles in every way. The only […]

The productivity loss is difficult

 in Deb's Travels / Traveling with Technology

I just found myself writing this to a software developer who is releasing a game I am looking forward to having. “One up-side of having my Air stolen has been seeing how far I can use or push the iPad. Life is frustrating without a Mac. Even though I am loving being out in the world doing all sorts of amazing things, the productivity loss is difficult.” I am able to do a lot on the iPad but I sure wish it would provide the fabulous MacOS Finder! That, alone, would give me back much of my good old Mac Efficiency. Given the choice between a small Windows or Ubuntu netbook and an iPad I am not sure if which I would choose.

My iPhone screen is replaced

 in Deb's Travels / Traveling with Technology

On my first morning in Caye Caulker, Belize, trying not to wake a roommate, I pulled out my bag, which sent my hiking shoe to the ground a few feet below — with iPhone inside it. It was the one day the phone was out of its Gelz Silicone case, which gave it bounce and kept the screen from touching the ground when dropped — and the result was a sad looking screen one-quarter full of fractures. Over the next days I found a plastic protector and I kept the top peel-off plastic on too, adding tape to allow continued use and keep the fragments in place. But I pretty much stopped using this iPhone as it is my sole Internet connection. A few nights ago I showed it to the fantastic Danny Aisenberg, of Datek, a systems programming company. I had known Danny for exactly two minutes but he […]

First great shirt down – not yet!

 in Deb's Travels / Packing

Weeks ago I lament the loss of use of the beautiful turquoise shirt I bought in Kohl’s with Marjie and Naomi in New York. I loved the color. I loved that it was thin so it dried quickly, it was bright, fun, friendly looking, and easy to wear. It was my best, most comfortable shirt. I wondered if I could convince people the stain going down half my breast is the shirt’s design. In Sandy Bay I used my bath soap, Zest with aloe, in the bathroom sink and didn’t do a thing. I looked up from my writing, saw it hanging over an empty bunk in this dorm, and was saddened by the stain that is so blatant. There is lots of bleach around the homes on Roatan…. Maybe soon, I thought to myself, you will see me wearing a thin, white or pale blue v-neck shirt that looks […]

Wish I’d packed sandals

 in Deb's Travels / Packing

Too late, I remembered clearly — when I’d traveled so much of the world for three years, I packed sandals and spent much of my waking time in them. I have been looking for a great sandal for a while now. This is not an easy quest for a size 9.5 (or larger) woman in Central America.

American Independence Day

 in Central America / Deb's Travels / El Salvador / Sight-seeing

I spent July 4th, the celebratory day marking my country’s independence, traveling from Guatemala City to San Salvador. I tweeted that it was odd to be in a place where the 4th of July was just another day. I also rejoiced a bit on that day, happy to be lucky enough to have been born into a country where I have the freedom to travel so easily. I knew that there had likely been a July 4th celebration in San Salvador, for Americans who are stationed or working here. However, I would miss it as the 4th was my travel day. But I didn’t miss all of the celebrations! The following Saturday, thanks to Malcolm, the owner of Hostal Cumbre de Volcan, a fabulous hostel in San Salvador… I was surrounded by American flags, eating a hamburger, enjoying Club Salvadoreño Corinto on Ilopango Lake, socializing with the American Ambassador, Mari […]

Tica Bus from Guatemala City

 in Central America / Deb's Travels / El Salvador / Guatemala / Transportation

Leaving my great friends in the Guatemala City area was hard. They were amazing. But it was time to move on. A new friend awaited in San Salvador. Pedro and Tere dropped me off at the Tica Bus station on their way to work. I spent several hours in that bus terminal before my bus. However, Tica maintains its own terminals (each with its own hostel next door) so it is safe and comfortable. It was fun to see the people come and go, most on a great adventure or to see family. I felt comfortable and safe on this trip. The staff in Guatemala City was impressive. (Added note: I wasn’t impressed with my next Tica trip starting anew in Salvador and had problems due to lack of information that passengers starting in Guatemala City were given.) The Tica bus terminal in Guatemala City: My lunch in the Tica […]

Surprise party in Guatemala – for me!

 in Deb's Travels

I woke early and loved the sign that greeted me in the under-construction dining room. Later, as I sat quietly watching a DVD on Terre and Pedro’s TV, people came and went. Living in a home under construction where the owners are amazing people and hosts, I thought nothing of it.

First birthday wish from a friend

 in Deb's Travels

My friend Lorrie wrote today (2012): I know it’s not yet your birthday, but I don’t know when you’ll be checking in. Here’s hoping that you have a great day!   It was so nice to hear from a friend and to know that I am remembered. Out of sight is not always out of mind. Travel and you learn that well. Your true friends don’t forget you. (And don’t need facebook to remind them that it is your birthday.)

Salsa at Pelicano’s restaurant in Guatemala City!

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Food / Food in Guatemala / Guatemala / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Guatemala

I am dressed in my nice new skinny jeans for the first time on this trip. Blue jeans, white shirt, makeup, the necklace my sister-in-law gave me for the trip, a bracelet I bought in San Marcos de Laguna, and as always, the bracelets my good friend Andrew gave me to wear and think of him. On my feet are the flat black bit-of-sparkle-on-the-strap Aerosoles that I bought in NYC for this trip. It is fun to be dressing up for a night out. I came to Guatemala City to meet Jewish Guatemala – and Motzie Shabbas found myself at Pelicano’s tropical style rooftop seafood restaurant having Margarita on the owner while my friends were the band to which everyone danced. On another weekend visit I actually danced. Salsa, me. Life never ceases to amaze me when I give myself the liberty to say “sure” or “I’d love to” or […]

A Guatemalan home

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Guatemala

I was privileged to visit some new Guatemalan friends in their Lake Atitlán home. This family is not from the lake but moved here a few years ago. They rent this home from the landlord who lives next door. This home is off a paved street that is rather wide, has a proper car area and a sidewalk (albeit narrow) that is more of a height that someone in the US is used to as opposed to the very high (you need steps) sidewalks I have experienced in Honupduras and Mexico. Stepping out of the tuk-tuk we stepped up onto the sidewalk, then through the gate onto this property, then down a step inside the gate. Directly ahead was one home, the landlord’s. This home is beside the landlord’s closer to the road, so we walk along a short dirt path toward the right that followed the sidewalk’s line, just […]

My alarm fly

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Guatemala / Traveling with Technology

I have a personalized Guatemalan alarm that ensures I get out of bed by 7. It’s my alarm fly. At 6:45 it starts buzzing around my head, then lands on various parts of my body. It simply won’t stop. By 7 I have had enough of the twitching to get it off so I get out of bed. (Maybe it isn’t a single alarm fly, but an alarm fly team. I haven’t asked.) I am not retiring my iPhone though as I don’t expect that flies re so well trained every place I will be visiting.

Ron Botran Guatemalan rum, friends, lightning, and my radio show

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Guatemala

I am sitting outside in perfect air, talking and hanging out with some traveling friends. They are enjoying Ron Botran – 12 year old Guatemalan rum, 80 proof, loving how smooth it is. 1/2 of a 5th cost 50q here, about $7. One friend here, Kevin, just recorded my Computer Talk Radio segment with me, talking about his Nook. Wi-Fi is slow here so instead of Skype we recorded on Voxer on my iPhone. My iPhone battery was fully dead so my Scosche battery ran the phone. (I have lost count of how many times that Scosche battery has kept me going.) We are also enjoying a lightning show in the distance. I am so happy that I heard from my great Los Angeles friend Andrew tonight.

5th Grade in Jaibalito, Lake Atitlán

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Guatemala

I am a guest sitting in the last chair in the middle of three rows in a 5th Grade schoolroom in the Jaibalito public school. (This was at the invitation of 11-year-old Sirena, a California girl who is attending school here for a month and spoke to her teacher to have me join them.) The students here all live within walking distance and are Maya. Jaibalito is a small village of approximately 1,000 people, mostly children. There are no cars, no vehicles. You arrive to this village by launcha (boat) or by foot. I have my iPad with me but don’t take it put as it would be a distraction. I write on a sheet of paper torn from a child’s notebook with my single non-electronic writing tool, the 3 or 4 inch stub of a child’s pencil. The morning started with cleaning, sweeping of the floor. A wall chart […]

FABULOUS place to stay during travel on Lake Atitlán

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Guatemala / Sight-seeing / Sleeping Accommodations

This is what I walk out to in the morning. It is the view from the dormitory of Posada Jaibalito. (You can have a similar view from a private room, too.) Morning is 6 a.m. for me here — and I love it! The smell of smoke from the homes of surrounding Mayan families greets my nose. The air is full of chipping and other animal sounds that are better than music. The sun comes up behind a volcano mountain so it doesn’t get bright and warm until close to 8. Before that it is a bit of a romantic hazy light and its own warm color. I love it all! Morning is laundry time. My clothes dry in the fresh air. I love the view from the roof — these rooftops and the hazy smoky sky being one. I don’t recall what time of day I took each of these […]

Quest for chocolate

 in Central America / Deb in Guatemala / Deb's Travels / Food / Food in Guatemala / Guatemala

I have heard over and over that the best cocoa beans are in Guatemala. Staying here among the lush vegetation in this volcanic region in the rainy season I can understand why. But I was not finding the people behind the chocolate and am not into taking a paid tour. Today I met the former neighbor of “Chocolate Bob,” the man behind ixcacao — so now maybe I will have to change my plans to go see him.