What's up everybody!!!!!


This is Shun and I am typing this from Guatemala, yeah, Central America!!!!!

I'm sorry that I haven't written you back your email and comments to my blog. I left Japan about a week ago(?) and then next day, I left for Guatemala.
It's been seven days and this is my 7th day of my travel. I have been to see Tical in Guatemala, some of you might remember from my blog on January 2nd, "Returning back to water and soil". I watched the TV program in Japan and I was so impressed and inspired by the Maya people and their culture, so I decided to come to see Tical this winter!!

Yeah, it's been a great days... You know what, not only GREAT days, 'cause there are some tough days too during this travel, hahaha. Anyway, when I come back to the States 4 days after, I will write about it more specific on my blog, so stay tuned!!


Just let me write about a few things. Well, I got only half hour left so what should I start from...

Today is the 7th day of my travel as I wrote above, and this is the first time for me getting connected to the Internet. I didn't have a chance to get on line so far, and also I didn't have enough money... I only brought $240 for this travel, and that's it!!
Why did I bring only this much money? Because for the first reason, I just couldn't afford more than that, and the second, I just wanted to try myself if I could survive with this much money for 10 days in central America.
It is easy to bring a credit card with me, but I will be using more money than I expected if I brought it, so this time, I just decided to use only that much money.

Is it enough for me? ...Yes and No!! Haha!!
I am managing not using much money every day, and today, I got 40 more dollars to go on! I am sure I can survive, if not, I'll do something!!

That's it for the money issue. I don't wanna discuss it now,
let me write about other stuff.

Today, I am in Panajachel, this is a small town next to the Atitlan Lake in Guatemala. This lake is called as "the most beautiful lake in the world".
Is that true? I didn't know about it, so I just came here to make it sure.
Answer? ...oh man... it was so beautiful. When I saw this lake from the bus that I was taking, I almost waned to cry 'cause it was so beautiful, hahaha.

I took a bus from Guatemala city today, and it was only 20Q (which is about $2.5) and it took me about 4 hours to get here. Bus driver was CRAZY and he drives like we are in action movie. Hey guys, all the bus driver in Guatemala and El Salvador drives CRAZY, sometimes I feel like I am going to die for sure. Haha!

Yap, I went to El Salvador too. When I visited Tical on the 3rd day of my trip, I met a guy from El Salvador. His name was Miguel, and he said he was there to see Tical. He said he's been wanting to visit Tical for his life, and he finally made it this time. He was from San Salvador in El Salvador, and he said he was going back to his country the next day that we met 'cause he had a work.
We became a good friends and he invited me to his country. I was gonna go to Belize, which is the country next to Guatemala, but since I thought that would be so much fun going visiting him, I changed my plan and got a bus ticket to San Salvador.

I left Tical on 2 day after, and actually I was nervous a little bit, 'cause I didn't know if he would really welcome me at his place.
When I got to the bus terminal in San Salvador after 11 hours bus ride, I called to him (when I called to him I didn't know how to use the pay phone so I asked the lady at eating place and it was so funny what was going on there. I will write about it when I get back to the states.), and he said he will come pick me up at another but station.

I took one more bus and this was the beginning of the REAL El Salvador trip...
I will write about it too when I got back to the States, okay?

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that when you travel, unless you stayed with some local people at their place, you would never understand what the life in those places are like.
When I traveled in the States about 2 years ago by myself, I stayed at many people houses just asking them if I could do that. That was actually very dangerous thing to do because you might get harmed or killed if you were in bad situation.
But at the same time, if you take a chance, there are more things to get 'cause you are taking a risk.
This time, I took a risk visiting somebody that I didn't know well, but it turned out that he was such a NICE guy in El Salvador and I had so much good experiences with him and his girlfriend.

This morning when I was leaving at his place, he came to the International bus stop with me to show me how to get there, and he took care of me all the time when we were going somewhere since yesterday.
When I said him, "Thank you so much for taking care of me and I really appreciate it. I don't know what to say.." He said, "It was my honor inviting you to my country. I you had a good time in my country, I am so happy. Before somebody else did the same things when I was traveling other countries, so this time, it is my turn to take care of you, someone from other country. People say my country and Central America are dangerous place, and they say bad things about our countries. Sometimes it's true, but it is NOT right all the time. There are nice people too and I just wanted to show you my country in a real way.
Now you saw my country and it is your time to judge if it was a bad country or good country. I am glad to have been a help for you to see my country."

Man, can you tell how nice he was??

I know it is not good trusting people all the time, 'cause people try to take your advantage if you are not paying attention.
BUT, there are always good people in this world and if you have a right eyes to judge them, you can meet those people in your life, and you can have such a wonderful moments in your life.

I am sure he will be a friend in my life forever, and I swore myself when I make my restaurant in 8 years, I will invite him to Japan. He said that the ticket to Japan and everything in Japan is too expensive so that he can't come to Japan even if he could, so I will invite him with an airplane ticket and hotel and everything.
This is one of my dream to make come true. "Inviting all of my friends and people that took care of me in my life to my restaurant and give them a best service in ever".

I will do it for sure.

Alright everyone, sorry I just wrote what I wanted to say right now. Maybe it was kind of hard to read it, but I appreciate it that you spent some time reading my thoughts.

Let me write more when I got a chance. I will see you guys soon!!

Take care,
Shunsuke