Saturday, October 30, 2010

A chat about the universe




So far I have not written much on this blog. This is largely due to the time (and internet situation) required for an in-depth post. But I will give it a whirl.


Though I have been distracted by amazing jungle excursions, swimming adventures and local cuisine sampling, I have had the opportunity to engage in some intellectual conversation. I will warn you up front, this story does get a little new-age-hippy.

Julie and I have been spending a fair bit time in Antigua, the historical capital of Guatemala. As you can imagine, we have made some friends along the way. The other night while socializing, I am introduced to Guatemalan twin brothers. They are in their late 20s and both are studying with Mayan Shamans. One of the brothers, Emilio and I randomly start chatting about the workings of the universe. We decide that rather than try and talk about the theory of entropy in a bar, we should meet for coffee the next day to have a more comprehensive discussion. Well why not?


The following day, Emilio and I meet at Rainbow Café. This restaurant feels like an appropriate place for a chat with an aspiring Mayan shaman. The walls of the restaurant are painted with vibrant murals of mountains and trees. The celling is draped with sunset painted cloth gathered in places for a textural effect. I can only wonder if the work was done by a local artist or the owner.


Emilio stands as tall as I do, which is quite tall for a Guatemalan man. He speaks excellent English, Spanish and a decent amount of the local dialect. We select one of the wooden tables surrounding an open air courtyard.

Sitting over my liquado con pina (pineapple smoothie), Emilio explains his studies of the Mayan calendar. Unlike the Gregorian calendar that is based only on the earth’s rotation around the sun, the Mayan calendar was designed with consideration to the position of every known star, planet and galaxy at every given point in time. Based on the position of all celestial bodies, the Mayans can calculate daily changes in the vibrations of universal energy.


According to the Mayan calendar, a universal day is 26,000 earth years. The 26,000 years in a universal day are broken up into five segments: sunrise, morning, mid-day, afternoon and night. Each of the five phases lasts for 5,200 years. Currently we are two years away from the end of the night phase of the universal day. The phases do not change from one to the next instantaneously. Each phase change requires a 20 transition time. On December 21st 2010 we will enter one of these periods. “The time of no time” exists between universal night and the dawn of the next day.
What does the next universal day bring? An energy transition. The energy vibrations will be the opposite of those that we are currently experiencing, starting in 2012. Another way to think of the transition is in relationship to the yin/yang symbol. Currently we are in the Yin phase of the universe, soon to transition to the Yang energy flow. So what possibilities might this bring beyond the collapse of modern civilization? Some popular ideas are brain wave shifts from the left to the right side of the brain, a power shift from men to women, a reversal of the earth’s electromagnetic field, and really who knows what else.


This kind of conversation is right up my alley. The 4 hours of knowledge smack-down has given me quite a lot to think about. I look at the indigenous people around me in an entirely different way. They operate on a completely different energy frequency than I do. To get the full cultural experience, I am determined to slow my personal energy vibration. As a result, I am swinging in a hammock while I write this.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

















The Mayans consider Lake Atitlan a place of increased universal energy. I must say I agree. Within the first hour after arrival, this energy led me to some classy earrings that were just too irresistible to pass up. Look closely, I think you will like them.
Our hostel has a rooftop area with a beautiful lake view. The tienda next door provided a $4 box of wine. The only thing that is lacking is a hammock set up.
A quick kayak trip allowed for some amazing lake views. On a Thursday at 2:00pm, I was stretched out in my kayak soaking up the sun.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Semuc Champey, Guatemala





































































































The 9.5 hour bus ride to Lanquin (the jumping-off point for Semuc Champey) sucked. This morning we rose early to stand in the back of a pickup truck for 45 minutes on a very rocky road. But it was all worth it to get to Semuc. We swam, jumped, sat under waterfalls and even rallied for a straight uphill hiked to the view point.
When we got back to the hostel, there was a really awesome tarantella that greeted us.



Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tikal Mayan Ruins


























































































































































Well, neither Julie or I heard my watch alarm go off at 4:30 am. Luckily, I have a bad-ass internal clock and woke at 4:50. In a mad rush we got ourselves downstairs to catch our 5:00am bus to Tikal.

Upon arrival, we were two of 10 people in the entire park. We had the place largely to ourselves which was ideal for photo ops. We were also early enough to get a glimpse of some of the wild life. Mini-toucans, spider and howler monkeys, a strange raccoon like creature called a white nosed coati and leaf cutter ants were among the creatures we encountered.

Around 10:00am a ton of indigenous families began streaming into the park. They carried coolers and picnic baskets. Some even had large boxes perched atop their heads. A little confused, we asked a guard what was going on. Turns out that on Oct. 12 they hold a yearly celebration of local culture, complete with a bon fire, dancing, music and chicken sacrifice. We felt really lucky to have the park to ourselves in early morning and then to witness the cultural celebration later on.

Monday, October 11, 2010

More Pictures



































































Rio Dulce




Imagine me floating on a noodle (long foam pool toy) in front of this house. In my left hand I have a mango and rum beverage and in my right I have a tortilla filled with cheese.