Spark of Life

This is a blog devoted to my various adventures, both big and small. It is a space to document my personal exploration and to keep me motivated to really engage with the world around me.

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Taken between Erseke and Korcha in Albania~

This was a gorgeous, overwhelming view on the side of the winding, bumpy, and unpaved mountain road. The layers and layers of mountains fading in the distance contrasted with the valleys present beneath us, full of farms and crops. We were on our way to pick up our new roommate in Arlene's trademark blue truck, but we had to stop to take in the view.

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The Silk Cayes~

These are tiny little islands surrounded by gorgeous reefs. We spent an afternoon here eating fresh coconuts and sun bathing. Then, we went snorkeling along the reefs. We saw angelfish, rainbow fish, and zebra fish. It was so colorful and surreal, like diving into Finding Nemo. I wish I had an underwater camera to better capture the corals and sponges.

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Pictures from Hatchet Caye~

After leaving the rain forest, it was a huge surprise and blessing to have sunny, beachy weather. The island in dotted in palm trees that sway in the breeze.

I've heard that more people are killed by coconuts than sharks. Well, we swam with sharks, and they let us be, but a coconut did almost knock our professor unconscious....

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Placencia,Belize

This was our first day seeing the coast, or the other side of Belize. The sky was blue-gray, the ocean was calm, and the water was so clear that we could see the needle fish weaving in and out of the dock.

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This small swimming hole was tucked away from our lodge. While I was climbing on the rocks, I slipped and busted my ass like the graceful swan that I am. Still, I can't believe that a place like this actually exists, or that I was actually there! The colors were so vibrant. It was like walking into HD.

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Pictures from Tikal, Guatemala. I was so excited that I burned out my camera battery before we climbed all the temples. There were no guard rails separating us from the jungle sea below. It was a truly intimate experience, climbing these ruins, feeling the stone, experiencing the remains of these Maya temples (as much as we could as outsiders and even as intruders). Our guide for the day was a Maya man who was both intense and brilliant. He told us that we shouldn't call these temples ruins, because they are still being used: as places of learning and for genuine religious purposes. 

The view from the top of Temple IV, the highest temple, was both stunning and terrifying. My fear of heights was in full swing. My legs were shaking as I inched up every step, toeing the line between solid ground and nothingness. Of course the view at the top was worth the struggle and the strain. You can even see the other temples peeking out from the foliage.

As we descended the steps, we could hear howler monkeys in the distance. If you've never heard howler monkeys, they sound like they're sucking out souls. The noise was just haunting enough to draw me out of my own skin and imagine what it must be like to hear those calls all the time.

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Passed a Guatemalan lake on the way to Tikal~

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This is the view from the highest point on the island, otherwise known as the Crow's Nest. We were told we could sleep up here but the wind was too intense.

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Rolling fog in the Belize countryside

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This was the view from Black Rock Lodge. Every morning we'd wake up and listen to the sound of the birds and bugs waking up with us. Despite the painfully early mornings, there was always fresh fruit juice and coffee as black as the night to start the day. In evenings we'd lie in the hammocks and let the jungle carry us away.

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These toucans were everywhere. I took these photos at Black Rock Lodge, where the staff put out fresh fruit every morning for the birds. I learned two things from observing these beautiful birds: 1. Toucans will bully other birds to get more fruit for themselves and 2. They love to pose for photo ops, but as soon as they've had enough, they'll fly directly at your face and try to impale you with their beaks.

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That's me on the stand up paddle board (sitting down, ironically). This was taken off the dock of Hatchet Caye. Obviously I did not take this photo, but this captures an extremely beautiful moment.

Right after this photo was taken, we spotted a pod of dolphins. There were two of them. They surfaced a few times, exposing their dorsal fins, before silently submerging themselves back into the water. I'll never forget that moment.

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I know I've been MIA. I'm attempting a blog revival~

I have tons of photos to go through. I'll start posting pictures/stories from my trip to Belize. Bear with me, please!

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I really like the framing on these photos. I think it encapsulates the building itself so well. A series of contrasts: darkness and light, creation and destruction, structure and chaos.

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So some exiled Tibetan monks came to the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg to create a mandala. The sand art itself is richly colorful and intricate, and the process to create it requires a great deal of focus and skill.

I loved listening to the translator talk about Buddhism. This is the first time that I've been able to speak to an actual Tibetan person about this particular branch of Buddhism. He said that the goal of Buddhism is to perpetuate peace, that religions are connected across cultures, and that understanding of each other as human beings is the most important thing. I think I'd like to take another class on Buddhist philosophy.

As for the sand art itself, the monks spend a week creating the mandala, and then they deconstruct it, swirling the sand together and releasing it into natural running water. I couldn't go to the deconstruction ceremony, but my lovely roomie got me some of the sand to keep! It reminds me of the impermanence of life.

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I like the opposition that these photos create. On the one hand, we are trapped inside with all of the industrial hand rails. And yet, there's a distant light, an open wall, freedom. Every time you turn you face something new. The open air, or a closed off room.

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Taking a quick break from building photos~

Amicalola Falls in Georgia. It's a short hike, very easy, but pretty. I've spent many childhood summers and falls around these rushing waters. The falls connect to the Appalachian Trail. One day I hope to hike part of it, or at least backpack the 5 miles to that kitschy hotel in the woods.