Prologue-A Paraque's Dream

As promised, I begin my journals today on Guatemala.  This blog post is about getting ready for these big trips.  They always start with an idea. Then they are followed by a financial plan.  Doubt and anxiety are followed.  Most of us call this a vacation.  For me, it's escaping into a new world full of unknowns.  I find that the older I get, the more anxious I become about those unknowns.  I've been on enough of these trips to prepare for those feelings.  And yet.......

Sun rising over the Avocado farms

I fall in between the lines of young and old. Many times on these trips, I'll come across the younglings who have just graduated from high school or are in the middle of college.  It's grand being a young person.  You know everything and everything is soooooo.....you know......cool!  It's like......spiritual.  To prepare for these "free spirited" people, I now try to remove myself from the kinds of places they stay. It doesn't always work. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not antisocial.  But I've been there and done that in my life.  Sadly, for many young people, it's their last big international party before settling down, getting married and having kids.  They have opinions about everything and of course will list off all the places they've traveled in this world to make themselves appear much more intelligent.  Later at night, they will drink lots, speak loudly, and have plenty of free love.  This is the way of the dirty hostels:)  And I admit that when I was their age, it was pretty damned exciting.  But one grows older........

Rufous-collared Sparrow

I avoid these places as much as I can, but as you can imagine, some towns don't always offer these accommodations.  And then you're stuck.  Such was the case in Panama several years ago.  The drunk young ones declared they would be rafting in the morning. We've heard a thing about drinking and driving or texting and driving, etc.  I'd like to add to that list, "Drinking and Rafting".   Needless to say, I did not go on their raft as they had flipped it several times.  I don't know how many panicked kids we pulled out of the water, but it was fun utilizing our safety procedures until I went in trying to help someone out of the water in the middle of the rapids!  It was an adventurous day.

Howler Monkey

So this time, I planned for some quiet and magical places where my thoughts were my own. The night before my trip, I dreamed of birds. I sat at the internet and researched all the birds asking myself, "Can I find all these birds?  Will I be able to enjoy this stay without birds taking over my mind? I dreamed that I was a Paraque.  I flew everywhere.  Seeing everything. Nothing could hide from my night vision.  I knew where to find them all.  As I flew back at dawn, I saw Red Crossbills drinking from a fountain!  Since I've begun this birding quest, I find myself fighting to keep sane. On this trip, I brought my first ever hummingbird feeder.  Would I remember to look up and breathe?

Groove-billed Ani

It was a strange dream.  You know the ones that make you cry?  In this dream, my mother gave me a wooden bug cage that I used once to capture butterflies, spiders and flies.  The gift came from my deceased Grandmother a long long time ago.  But the cage was now open and I remember my Grandmother smiling. I held the item in my hands and began to weep.  I woke up with tears staining my pillow case.  It was one of those intense dreams that kept me up for the remainder of the early morning hours.

Black Vulture

How many times have I gone to so many countries and never really watched birds? I've spent my entire life learning about people and their habits. But now it's different.  I'm finding myself  pulled in the opposite direction.....away from people.  It is precisely why I returned to Guatemala a second time.  I remember birds everywhere while we were on this trip and yet I was only focused on photography.  As of 2011, much of my work was photography based on cultural trends or themes. My friend Lynda reminded me to expand my views and hopefully, I'll present something new and fresh beyond birds. Over the next several months, I'll weave in these adventures and reports with my current AZ treks. There is a lot to share! More to come....