There's always a first time

There is always a first time, for everything.

First kiss.
First beer.
First time having sex.
First time traveling.
First time hitchhking.

This is not the place and I won't discuss the first three. I'm going to write about my first time hitchhiking.

For most of the people (if not all) in my circle of friends it's a very known fact that Spain is one of the hardest countries to hitchhike. Ironically, the person that introduced me to hitchhiking is Spanish!

I was very active on CouchSurfing back in 2009. I saw a post in one of the Guatemala forums, it was a Spanish traveler asking a few questions about Guate. I replied. We met and after a few beers I decided to take a couple weeks off from work to travel with him.

We agreed to meet in the cute little village of Monterrico on Guatemala's Pacicif Coast. I took the bus. After a couple of days we left, destination Xela (Quetzaltenango). Not more than 230 Km but it took us the most part of the day. I was amazed of this new way of transportation. I got to Monterrico by bus btw.

Now, having hitchhiked for more than 5 years and gathered experience, I would say that that distance is easly covered anywhere... well, almost anywhere.

It was a hell lot of fun. Riding in the back of pick ups which is one of the things I miss about hitchhiking in Latin America. 

I was a newbie to traveling and specially to hitchhiking, I didn't know how and what to pack. As you can judge for yourselves: the backpack on the right is mine. I traveled two weeks with that huge backpack (now about to close my sixth year of travels, my current back pack is a third smaller than that!)

That was the beginning. I got hooked. I have been hitchhiking ever since.

I hitched new cars. Old cars. Family cars. Sports cars. Lorries. Trucks. Pick ups. Coca Cola trucks. Buses. Minibuses. Horse and cart. Taxis. Ambulances. Boat. Sailboat. Sailship. Motorbikes. Ferries. VW buses (my favourite). Tractor. I still have to hitchhike a donkey.

This last photo was just to show you some of the impressive beauty of my country.

Este post es para vos Jotikas, gracias!

"My life has taken an interesting curve"

Indeed it has.

Having been born and raised in the tropics, when I think of a beach the first thing that comes to my mind are palm trees. Black sand beaches (Guatemala's Pacific coast is all made of volcanic origin black sand). The sound of the waves breaking up right in front of the beach. Watching the sun coming up from the water and at the end of the day watching it going deep into the mighty waters (this can happen given to Guatemala's particular coast line) and try to see the last (green I think) ray of light before the sun continues its path of warming up us earthlings. Wow... did I just had an homesick attack? no, probably not but it was nice to remember the sunset in Monterrico. At least the last time I saw was last summer.

Then I traveled abroad for the first time, I was 9 when I went for the first time to the States and for the first time I saw white sand. Later I found out that Guatemala has also white sand beaches in the Caribbean coast. For me palm trees are something that had been part of my life that I even found it funny when I was told by the person I was travelling with in Colombia that it was her first time looking (and touching) a palm tree. I just couldn't believe it, but it was true.

When I think about a sea (or ocean) I think about warm weather and warm (more or less) waters. Me wearing shorts and showing off my spaghetti legs.  Seagulls and pelicans and other aquatic birds flying around and shitting everywhere. First time I came to Europe I was in shock: I chose Norway in the winter! Sea level but no palm trees, no sand, snow everywhere and no warmth! It was strange for me to be at sea level and being that cold. One other thing that shocked me were the very short days: about 4-5 hours of sunlight! 

Now, I'm in different latitudes. I'm about 800 kilometers from the Arctic circle. Let me put it this way, a beach is different around here. Instead of palm trees there are pine trees! Instead coconuts you see birches. Instead of, ok not instead but aside from seagulls you see woodpeckers and herons. Instead of stray dogs if you're lucky you could see a bear or a deer!

"Life has taken an interesting curve" as I'm living a different life now. Healthier. I'm breathing the purest air. Every time I wake up I can hear the sound of hundreds birds singing but ok I could also hear them when I was in Panama City. I'm actually gaining weight for the first time since I lived with my auntie in early 2010 (not counting my time in mummy's house) which wasn't a lot. I thought about working out but then realized that all the work I was doing was worth the work out! I was asking myself today why I haven't gone to the beach and see the sunset, I've seen it from Linnahall twice, why not the beach near by away from everything and everybody? Maybe unconsciously I'm waiting for someone to go with...

In a few weeks I will move to Tallinn and live on board a boat but I'm coming back often to the country side. It's going to be nice, switching back and forth two completely different and opposite places.

I was walking the other day when I was in Tallinn and realized that it has been almost two years since I walked in its street without snow! It's very nice although I miss the sound the snow makes when you're walking over it. It's funny how accustomed to weather I am now, it's 14C and I working in shorts and a tshirt, which actually was the first time in more than half a year that I was able to wear shorts outside! The last time I did that was when I was in Mexico last year. The other day it was 9C and I was only wearing a polar. Ok, standing on the road when it's windy it's not very wise but in the city was fine.

My iPod was stolen the other night. Shit!