My Trip, In Runs

So it was impossible to keep up with my regular running schedule while backpacking across Central America...especially with a breakup that frequently brought me crying on me knees while running, crazy travel days, amazing beaches, and better things to do...but I was able to get in solid regular running...

I didn’t run as much as I should have. I ran almost daily, but my long runs were few in far between. Excuses included: getting my heart broken so running was difficult; staying in places not conducive to long runs; the beach sounded more fun than running for eight hours; not enough time.

December:

15^th: 1:15:18 (Panama City, hot along the water, decent pace)

16^th: 1:00:28 (Bocas del Toro, legs felt tired, 3x speedbursts)

17^th: 1:34:07 (Bocas del Toro, legs, chafing, thirsty, beach!)

                PM Run: 18:07 (with Chris)

18^th: 47:22 (Bocas del Toro, with Chris, we didn’t have enough time before snorkeling to do more)

19^th: 59:13 (Bocas del Toro, with Jarrett, on beach)

20^th: 1:01:00 (Bocas del Toro)

21^st: 1:01:08 (Bocas del Toro)      

                PM: 1:12:18 (Bocas del Toro, on beach, love it!)

22^nd: 1:00:56 (Bocas del Toro)

                PM: 1:02:28 (Bocas del Toro, fartlek)

23^rd: 1:01:08 (Bocas del Toro, with Rio)

24^th: 1:02:09 (Bocas del Toro)

25^th: 2:07:15 (Bocas del Toro, ran all the way to Bluff!)

27^th: 1:44:19 (Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on the beach!)

28^th: 1:25:43 (Santa Teresa, hills)

                PM: 51:58 (Santa Teresa, beach sunset, ahhh!)

29^th: 1:44:23 (Santa Teresa, beach with a Tico I met)                               

                PM: 59:55 (sunset barefoot beach running)

31^st: 1:22:17 (Leon, Nicaragua, got lost)

January

1^st:  4:28:30 (Leon, awful chafing, low 90s, sunny)

2^nd: 2:32:14 (Leon)

3^rd: 58:20 (Leon)

5^th: 2:10:47 (Little Corn Island)

7^th: 1:31:09 (Little Corn)

8^th: 1:12:28 (Little Corn, ankle hurts)

9^th: 31:03 (Little Corn, ankle hurts)

10^th, 11^th: Time off for ankle recovery and travel days

12^th: 1:00:23 (Granada, ankle mostly okay)

13^th: 1:01:26 (Granada, slow)

14^th: 1:11:04 (Ometepe, trails, bushwhacking, yay!)

15^th: 22:44 (Ometepe, had to stop because chased by wild dogs)

16^th: 1:01:01 (San Juan del Sur, hills, beach inc barefoot running)

17^th:  1:05:56 (San Juan del Sur, barefoot each running)

19^th: 1:33:48 (Xela, Guatemala)

20^th: Climbed a volcano instead of ran, so hard!

21^st: 1:13:21 (Xela – with Luis, a Guatemalan I met on the street)

22^nd: 1:12:52 (Xela, with Luis again)

                PM: 1:20:44 (Panajachel, hills!)

23^rd: 1:14:29 (Panajachel)

24^th: 1:16:42 (San Jorge, hills)

                PM: 1:05:09 (San Marcos, hills)

25^th: 1:09:39 (San Marcos, hills)

                PM: 48:00 (San Marcos, hills)

26^th: 1:13:43 (San Marcos, hills)

27^th: 1:13:43 (San Marcos, hills)

28^th: 1:22:34 (San Marcos, hills)

29^th: 1:01:05 (San Marcos, chased by a weird local)

30^th: Tikal

31^st: 2:04:49 (Bullet Tree Falls, Belize, part with Rio)

February
1^st: 1:06:02 (Bullet Tree Falls, Belize)

2^nd: 3:25:26 (Bullet Tree Falls, Belize)

3^rd: 1:53:26 (Bullet Tree Falls)

4^th: 1:15:26 (Caye Caulker)

5^th: 1:01:39 (Caye Caulker)

6^th: 20:15 (San Pedro)

Asthma Connection

 I got to San Pedro, not knowing if all the rumours were true, but hoping to have a super fun last night. I love Caye Caulker, but it’s mellow and I wanted a wild last night. Dance without abandon and all…

I arrived on Ambegris Caye and went to my hotel – only stupid Tomas’s Hotel claimed they had no reservation for me. Luckily, I got a room at Pedros’s and bargained the price down. A shower and a backpack reorganization later, I went to the bar at Pedro’s, asked directions and got two guys offering to walk into town with me. They pointed out various hot spots, things to do, and we got dinner today, that was def pricier than Caye Caulker. We headed out for a drink.

They were right, I thought, shortly after we got to the bar. It was very touristy, full of Americans, older Americans. Maybe if I was middle aged and married with 2.3 kids living on a street with geometrically arranged shrubs, I would fit in. But I didn’t. The two older guys I was with were different, party guys, nice. But still, where are my backpackers, my peers? There was an awful cover band the crowd loved and my asthma bothered me. I coughed, I coughed, I coughed.

I took a walk on the beach and realized that if I’m at the beach, it can’t be that bad. I felt the sand in my toes, heard the water lapping up, and felt happy.

I headed back, had some English guys tell me how in England, guys aren’t friends with women and the guy bought me a drink. Then he left to flirt with some woman, and I told the guys I came with that I felt like crap – my asthma was really bothering me. There wasn’t heaps of smoke, but I was so sensitive that I just needed to get out of there.

I was walking when I suddenly wasn’t sure what to do. A guy in a golf cart (what people drive) asked if I needed help. I asked him where Pedro’s was, and he offered me a ride. I hopped in. “I was out, but I had to go home to get my inhaler. I have asthma – all the smoke bothers me,” Ulysses told me. I covered my mouth with my hand – what a bizarre coincidence! We ended up chatting, and I somehow ended up going back out with him to a much less smoky place. New friends, new possibilities - I love that about traveling. You barely know someone but put your trust in them because good things are to come, for sure!

1755 was a lot of fun. All of his friends were super nice, and welcomed the new friend to their group, and one guy was apparently a billionaire. He was the same as everyone, nice, except because of him, we got to ask the dj to play whatever songs – because apparently, he has that kind of clout.

We danced in the lounge, which had a sand floor – sand between our toes, so beautiful. I flung my arms in the air, dancing into oblivion, knowing that when I returned, I wouldn’t be able to hear the same music. Sometimes I danced alone, sometimes with new friends, sometimes with strangers. It was all the same: pure happiness.

I sang in Spanish. We danced. Drinks were bought, handed to me without even asking. Another pantyripper, sure. (That’s Belizian for pineapple and coconut rum.) And the night went on.

When 1755 closed, we headed to Jaguar. Much better now, the dance floor was packed. We danced. There were seven of us, one who was considered “heartbroken” – he and his girlfriend had broken up in November and he was still utterly depressed, even on a fun night like this. We talked a bit about our recent breakups, about the healing process. I hugged him and he seemed full of sadness, in his hug and in his eyes when I pulled away.

It got late, later. 3:30. Ulysses wanted to go swimming in the ocean or his pool, which sounded fun – but I was tired. I had to get up early for the water taxi to Belize City so I could make my flight. We hugged, I hopped out of the orange golf cart, and passed out, oversleeping.

An interesting last night. A fun one. Was it meaningful? Does everything have to be meaningful? I think it was so fun, met some cool new peeps, it was a nice way to close out my trip, dancing on the beach to music people don’t know back home – but maybe I can help make “Cuando Cuando Es” popular when I return.

Caye Caulker - Snorkeling!

I had the most amazing day snorkeling - so peaceful, beautiful, chill. This was my favourite time snorkeling ever, though it was not just a day of snorkeling. We spent the day on the boat, going to three different spots, snorkeling for hours, on our own and with a guide who pointed out all sorts of things (you know, fish, coral, nurse sharks, picking up sting-ray, that sort of thing), ate lunch, had rum punch ("Have more, have more." Okay, pour it in!), chips & salsa, cerviche if that was your thing. Good reggae music completed the atmosphere, and it was so amazing as we gently sailed back to listen to the music and simply daydream, simply be. A truly wonderful day.

I love snorkeling because it reminds you there is an entire world - like cities, with department stores and groceries and subways and such, under the water. All those fish, going every which way, and how they hide in the coral, and all that exists below the surface. I remember the first time I went snorkeling with my marine biology-studying ex, and how I truly understood why he studied marine biology; how could you not - it is beautiful and fascinating and I want to know everything. Except, of course, please keep the sharks from me.

Caye Caulker, Belize

There’s nothing to do, people told me, but that’s fine. Chill on a beach. Get a drink or two. Eat. Snorkeling trips on the barrier reef. Have a wander. Meet new people, because everyone is so remarkably friendly. Get a new necklace (of course, with my jewelry addiction).  Met up with about twenty or thirty members of the British Army – my papa would’ve been proud. Ended up swinging on swings in a bar, drinking Monkey Lalas (banana, chocolate and RUM!), dancing, watching them pole dance (including some sergeant who was apparently pretty high up!), speed date, and embarrass the name of the British Army. Fun nights.

As I was dancing, I realized I haven’t danced that much recently – yes, on this trip a few times, but I kind of haven’t been dancing much the past few months. And it feels GOOD to let loose.

But Caye Caulker is a pretty chill place – the beaches aren’t great, so I can’t settle here.  I need to live by a beach. As I ran on the sand around the island this morning, I thought of how a 10 year relationship with a marine biologist, plus growing up on Long Island close to the beaches, has instilled a love of beaches in me. One day I’ll live closer to the beaches, or on the beach – it’s just something I know, like when I was in high school, I knew I’d live in New York City. I don’t know where it will be, but one day, I’ll have that little beach cabana with Luna (or Luna Junior, if it isn’t that soon), enjoying the sunrises, sunsets, and everything else in between. I want it to be like the cabanas on the Corn Islands where from bed I could see the sun rising or setting or just the beach, ocean waves crashing, that soothing sound. The soothing sound of home.

C is for Cayo

Cayo was great.

I had originally headed up to Cayo to chill with Rio, a new friend who I met in Bocas del Toro (amazing place!). Rio is actually planning on settling in Cayo, and after a few days in Cayo, and with Rio, I was pondering settling there as well! It’s inland Belize, beautiful mountains, really great hiking, waterfalls, caving, tubing, rivers, all sorts of loveliness. Mostly I enjoyed healing my broken heart by a beautiful river, chilling with Rio, meeting new friends, driving all over, drinking the “panty stainer” (aka fresh watermelon juice with coconut rum), relaxing. I really feel heaps better.

And it’s one day at a time, and one day at a time to pure happiness.