So Rainbow Gathering, read the link above, but for those too lazy to click, wikipedias definition is...
-- Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities,[1] typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstreampopular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.
Rainbow Gatherings and the Rainbow Family of Living Light (usually abbreviated to "Rainbow Family") are an expression of a Utopian impulse, combined with bohemianism, hipster and hippie culture, with roots clearly traceable to thecounterculture of the 1960s. Mainstream society is commonly referred to and viewed as "Babylon", connoting the participants' widely held belief that modern lifestyles and systems of government are unhealthy, unsustainable, exploitative and out of harmony with the natural systems of the planet. The original Rainbow Gathering was in 1972, and has been held annually in the United States from July 1 through 7 every year on National Forest land.[2] Throughout the year, regional and international gatherings are held in the United States and throughout the rest of the world respectively. --
Basically a big hippy gathering. What they stand for is cool and all that, but I went to disconnect from the world a bit. Its held in the middle of nowhere and is a place of freedom with NO rules (except: NO meat, NO alcohol, NO electronics, NO hard drugs, NO cutting down the bamboo, NO using soap in the river, you can't camp there, or there... but over there is cool, no not over there, over there.... right.).
When we got there, there being miles from any town in the middle of the Guatemalan rainforest, we were greeted by rain and mud... lots and lots of mud. The first three days it rained straight, but we had to set up camp anyway. We had to get tarps because the $20 walmart tents we set up were definitely not waterproof. Wet, muddy we finally had a camp set up. Which i ended up moving from a few days later because our area went from the original four people up to a population of 26 people within four days. Got a little too crazy so I moved camps while others from the original population left all together.
Now the location of this place was absolutely beautiful. There was a river for swimming, a beautiful meadow (where my camps were located) forest in the hills next to us. I wish I had pictures but me being the smart one failed to charge my camera... oh that was another rule too, No pictures.
There was this incredible lagoon with a huge waterfall about a twenty minute walk away. The walk there was along this most beautiful forest path along the river, think Lord of the Rings beautiful and the lagoon was, I'm pretty sure what heaven must look like, absolutely insane. And when it was sunny, people would swim there and not a bathing suit was in sight. Thats another thing about rainbow gatherings, lots of (mostly) beautiful naked people.
But alas it wasn't sunny alot. Lots of rain and as I said mud. So we spent most of the time underneath the tarp waiting for food, eating 'sandwhiches' basically doing nothing. We did spend some time building things out of bamboo, that was cool. We built a bench for our camp, a table and sink for the whole gathering to use for washing dishes, and a table.
Another thing was the health and water situation. The water that was going to the gathering was tested for diseases and it was found to have E. Coli in it. But on days when it was sunny, it would get hot and people would drink it anyway. Including myself. Why would a man knowingly drink water that has E. Coli in it you may ask yourself?
...
Thirst.
Some people did end up getting really sick due to the water or the food or whatever the hell else makes you sick in a rainforest but fortunately I did not.
I was supposed to be there for a month, but cut it short after two weeks due to weather and massive boredom. We got out and hitchhiked back to Guatemala City, a trip which on a bus going the other took 7 hours, but in the back of a pickup truck took 4.
Hung out around Guatemala City for a few days, got clean, took a shower, used a toilet (instead of the forest) for the first time in 2 weeks and then headed to...
Antigua (3rd time)
Ah hell, this place again... exactly what I thought so I stayed only one night and caught the next bus out to...
A Natural land bridge, the river goes under the land for 300 yards, and on top is a bunch of pools and stuff. Absolutely beautiful.
The tour included going into caves with just candles. And you didn't walk in these caves much, you swam as they were filled with water. I dare you to try in swim in a cave while one hand is holding a lit candle above water. Its fun. We explored this cave for a few hours, swam, climbed up a waterfull (yes, up, it had a rope) and jumped of some rocks about 10 ft high. This whole cave thing was really cool, probably one of the cooler things I've done.
We then went tubing down a river for about an hour and as we passed a bridge over the river the guide asked if anyone wanted to jump off it. I sad %#&$ it, and said yes. A 30 foot jump off a bridge into a river is quite exhilerating, although I was the only one who would do it. If your friends jump off a bridge would you? Well apparently I'm the friend jumping of the bridge.
Why? Other than an obvious lack of concern for my own health and well being, it seemed like fun. Its also becoming apparent to me that I am developing a healthy addiction to adrenaline.
Oh and gentelman, if you ever decide to follow in these footsteps and jump into water from this height, hers a tip. Make sure you close your legs when you hit the water. Landing family jewels first from that height doesn't exactly feel like a massage. Trust me. Ow.
After we saw the land bridge and went swimming in the pools above it. Check out the pictures in the link, absolutely beautiful.
Part 3 is tomorrow.
