One of Many Mayan Sacred Sites

We only made it one of the Mayan Sacred sites but it won't be our last visit.  Here is a view of the lake from there. It was a bit risky trekking up the steep cliff but here I am sitting beside a couple of ancient stone candle holders, possibly hundreds of years old.  The red spots on these rocks are natural and our guide says not animal blood,  Could they be a result of thousands of ceremonies held in this spot?

Antigua, Guatemala

Although not our favorite part of Guatemala, Antigua is still a beautiful city.  I especially loved the lactating fountain. 

Wildlife Volunteering

It was only a few hours after arriving for my volunteer position at ARCAS that I knew I could not stay there. I had been told that it was primate baby season and I would be needed to help with the babies but really I was given very little contact with any animals and only about two hours of work a day. I only stayed there for 48 hours, instead of a week, because I knew I was wasting my time and would be better off just traveling more. But I soaked up all the info I could and got the opportunity to hold a baby howler monkey. They are the hardest primates to rehabilitate due to their extreme sensitivity. Here is a video of me and Pearl the Howler baby.Pearl the Baby Howler Monkey

Volcan Pacaya

We had a wonderful climb up Pacaya the Volcano.  It was an intense hike, beautiful and well worth it.  This last image is of a smoking volcano in the distance.  In the photo next to it, A and I stand by the hot lava flow.  Simply gorgeous. 

Baby Duck Rescue

Baby Duck Rescue

I got called on a rescue of baby ducks in May. With a yardstick taped to a butterfly net I was able to scoop them all out of the storm drain they had fallen into. It took several hours and I almost thought I’d lose a few when they kept getting scared down the unreachable water pipe below but with patience I was finally able to get them. Returning them to their mother in the pond across the street was a beautiful sight. Here is the video of the very comical rescue. In the picture, mama duck waits in the parking lot watching the rescue. She flew by every once in a while trying to protect her babies. The last picture is of the mama and babies being reunited. See the video of their rescue by clicking on the link above.

A Small Contribution to Saving Wildlife

Love the last bit of this video. I almost lose the babies down the drain again trying to show them off to the camera. We scooped them up and got them back to their mama though. It was a joyful day.

Venice Beach

It’s amazing how California just runs with something when it is finally accepted. I saw these all over the place there. Prescriptions seem quite easy to come by too.