Children of the World

Kids in Boats (part four)

 

OK, last part of this (kids in boats) travel series.

This was nearing the end of our boating portion of the adventure.

We're still in Guatemala, on some river flowing thru a rain forest.

My camera was still dry, but some of my fellow tourista's kept saying

 "Bob, your all wet" (I have no idea what they meant)!

 

Here I divert from the Children and gravitate to a couple photo's I like of the birds of the rivers!

 

 

Spectacular 

This Egret's (I think it's an Egret, Stork?? Big White Bird!) white plumage really stood out
against the dark green foliage of the surrounding jungle.

 

 



 

 

 

Piranha's aren't the only thing you need be wary of,

some of these rivers are loaded with cascading water falls

just around the bend.

A leisurely float down a river could end up an adventure

you may not have been prepared for!

 

 

 

 

Night (dusk) was coming on quickly, I noticed this tree

was loaded with birds, you can see their silhouettes on the branches.

(if you click on the pictures you'll get a larger view of the birds in this tree)

 

 

 

And last but not least,

 

 

"In every life some rain must fall"!

 

The temperature dropped to the 40's, the rain, a real monsoon, came down in buckets,

we were soaked to the skin, darkness was quickly setting upon us,

rivers do get treacherous in a good storm, we were miles from our starting point.

 

(So who wants to join my next adventure?? Can anyone say Royal Caribbean Cruise Line?)

 

Children of the World

Kids in Boats (part three)

 

Boats in third world countries come in all sizes and shapes!

 

 

And at times even the Touristas get in the act!

(No, this boat didn't overturn, someone ate too many re-fried beans)
 

 

 

It was just a time for the Tourista's to become kids once again!
 

(Of course they may not have noticed that Piranha's frequent shallow slow running water)!

(The guy in the middle should be careful, he has to look like a Big Mac to a hungry Piranha)!

 

 

Children of the World

Kids in Boats (part two)

 

 

A family outing on a Guatemalan River!

 

 

OK, I give up, what is she (girl in front) paddling with?

 

 

A family size boat (much more my style).

 

 

Even some Touristas have to get in the act.

 

There are many young female adventure travelers in America,

(all our women folk aren't wimps, many are awesome).

 

Did I try this dugout (you may ask)?
 I would have but didn't want to get my camera wet,

 (that's my story and I'm going to stick with it)!

Children of the World

Kids in Boats (part one)

 

 

 

 

It's always fascinating to see the children of third world countries in a boat

(canoe, dugout, hollow log, whatever floats)

Life Jacket?? What's a Life Jacket??

This little boy was probably born on the water and can out swim any of us!

 

 

 

 

These boys were spending a leisurely day on the river.

Life Jackets?? Sun Visors?? Sun Burn Creme? You gotta be kidding!

When they got hot they simply jumped in and splashed around for a bit.
 

"Piranha's"?? "Who's afraid of a little Piranha"?

"Dad will probably catch a few today for some great Piranha soup"! 

Just a normal day fishing for Dad and Son.
How in the world do they keep their balance on that hollowed out log??

Boats of every kind imaginable are used for transportation.
Roads? What Roads??
The river is the main and (in many cases) the only means of travel in third world countries,

(yes, even for tourists but that comes at the end of this story).

 



Children of the World

OK. just so you don't think I only take pictures of children (actually I take pictures of everything imaginable including creepy crawly things), here are a couple pictures of the local Guatemalan ladies.
 

 

 

This lady (above, red blouse) was cooking Tamales

(I believe she was washing dishes in a garbage can at this point).

 I also don't believe she wanted her picture taken at that particular moment.

But she did give me a little smile when I winked at her and thanked her!

 

 

 

These two pictures (above) are great examples of the character of this lady   

in her bright flowery blouse and the many wrinkles in her face.

She had no problem having her picture taken

 but wasn't about to smile.

 

These pictures were taken as I strolled the many back streets of Chichicastenango.

(I love that name).



Children of the World

Guatemala City, Guatemala, town square on the courtyard of the Federal Building. A place to congregate, sell handicrafts, gossip and simply socialize. A place where locals and touristas rub elbows and  exchange pleasantries as well as stares. A cacophony of bright colors, musical sounds and aroma's to pleasure a persons many senses.

At this particular time and place, with not a care in the world, these young ladies were probably discussing the same things young girls all over the world discuss. Boys, clothes, parents, school and (of course) boys!

If you're going to travel, you may see monuments, statues, modern cities and antiquities but you will never see something as beautiful and inspiring as The Children of the World!

Children of the World

Another day, another "waif" in Guatemala. I was traveling down this dusty, dirty, pot hole littered road at about 3 MPH. We had just left Chichicastenago on our way to hike in Tikal National Park, one of the largest Mayan ruins in Central America (but that's another story).

All of a sudden all traffic stopped, seems there was a bit of a land slide in front of us (OK, in truth the entire hill side had come down). Our bus stopped (of course) and we all piled out (what else could you do on a dirty, dusty road somewhere in the back country of Guatemala?)

Most of the Turista's were watching the road being cleared by locals. While the locals who were delayed by this display of Mother Natures total lack of consideration for us were sitting around smoking, drinking or having their lunch at the road side. Only the Tourista's were a bit frustrated, the locals simply accept this type delay as a normal occurance and a time for a siesta.

I've always believed there's a picture just around the bend so I grabbed my handy Nikon and took a stroll (it appeared we'd be stuck for an hour or two anyway). Walla, this little "waif" comes strolling down the highway with her little brother on her back. Although I speak very little Spanish and she spoke no English, we both smiled and I pointed to my camera and at her. With a nod of her head she seemed to be saying OK, so I snapped several frames before she smiled once again and continued her stroll down the highway.

About an hour later we were on our way, the road crew having leveled an area just barely wide enough to allow passage without tumbling down the hillside. I've always wondered where the little girl lived, where she was going and where she had come from. She was probably Mayan, her family were probably farm hands. I'll never know however she will always come to mind when I reminisce about my trip to Guatemala.

Children of the World

On a trip to Guatemala, South America, I traveled to a fascinating village called Chichicastenago on the day the village had it's outdoor market in full swing.  If you've never seen a South American outdoor market with it's dazzling display of fruits, vegetables, colorful clothing, gorgeous hand woven blankets of dazzling colors, hand crafted native art, toys and massive crowds, it is truly something to behold. Chichicastenago's native market is by far one of the most colorful in all Central America.

I've always found children of the world to be the perfect subjects for photography. They will pose with joy and delight without a hint of apprehension or hesitation.

This little waif was just standing there all bundled up in her bright plaid blanket, not a care in the world, watching this odd looking Americano (me) taking pictures of everything and everyone totally in awe of the scene unfolding in front of him.

As soon as I saw her I knew I found the picture I was looking for. I snapped several frames before looking up at her, she gave me this great big smile and a little "under the blanket" wave, and turned to catch up with her mother and the rest of her family as they shopped for their weekly needs.

If you travel just to see the monuments of the world you are missing out on one of the greatest pleasures you can experience, the unfettered joy and delight of childhood in foreign lands.

May I suggest you "Google" Chichicastenago, Guatemala, Images or Outdoor Market, for a sampling of  pictures of one of the largest outdoor markets in South America.

"The Fossil that will end the world"

Frances Fox Piven, (pictured above) 

Professor Francis Fox Piven" that is! 

Has said;

The problem that could 

potentially end the life of the planet is;

"Pollution and the use of Fossil Fuels"!

She puts the full blame on America! 

Yup, she blames us, (you, me, all of us who may actually 
"Love America")

She also derided both parties for making;

 "Claims That Make People Feel Good About America"

GASP,
   Obama and Romney actually had the audacity to want us 

to feel good about our country? How dare they??

Here's a woman (at least I think she's a woman) 

who has been living off  public tax dollars all her life,

who has the freedom to spout off all sort of hatred and nonsense,

who, as a professor, has tenure and can't be fired for any reason,

who hates the country who has given her all these freedoms,

who also hates the idea of someone actually loving their country.

Folks, I humbly disagree with the Professor,

 It's much more likely, 

the "Fossil",
(pictured above),

  will be the end of life on our planet!

Francis Fossil Piven is a Marxist, Communist who 

(along with all the liberals and progressives,
 who swoon over her every word)

will bring America to its knees if given the chance.

"She" is the hatred that will destroy all that we hold dear!

She is also an adviser to someone who recently won re-election!

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid!

"Black Tuesday" Nov. 6th, 2012

Black Tuesday,

the day "Entitlements" became more important 

then "Pride" and "Self Worth"!

"The New Face of America"

"The New Depressed Value of the American Dollar"

"America's newest allies and BoJangles bed partners"

"The Future of America (in a nut shell)"

"The Future of Marriage in America"

"More Stimulus Spending costing Trillions of additional debt"

"The Value of the Dollar"

"The NUTS and SCREWS in Government today"

"And more stimulus spending"

"The newest addition to Obama Motors"

"The Newest Standard for Medicare"

"Our Newest Navy Battleships"

"The feeling among American Patriots"

"The Newest Subsidized Housing for Seniors"

"The America we once knew and loved"

"America's Underground Society"

"The Future of America if (and only if) America Wakes Up"

"The Future of America if we Don't Wake Up"

"Black Tuesday, a truly sad day that will live in Infamy"

Pass this on to everyone on your E mail list if you wish, 

(or not) 

the future is in Your Hands!

As Ben Franklin said to a citizen asking him what kind of government he created,

"A Republic, if you can keep it"

We lost that Republic today, lost to a Socialist, Narcissist with Marxist leanings, only YOU can get that Republic back!

WAKE UP AMERICA!

The Destruction of a once Great Country !!!!

BoJangles wins, 

America goes the way of past Empires 

like Greece and Rome.

Black Tuesday (no pun intended) and 
America Burns While Barry Fiddles.

Headline in our newspaper today, 

"The Best Is Yet To Come" 

Like the totally inept and incompetent handling of the disaster in Libya.

Like more Fast and Furious disasters and fiasco's.

Like the totally inept and incompetent handling of our economy!

Like spending OPM on many more Solyandra's!

Like Gas prices skyrocketing well above todays levels.

Like borrowing many more Trillions from China thus allowing China to assume our place in the World.

Like allowing Iran to get nuclear power and shortly thereafter nuclear armament.

Like taking the Muslim Brotherhood in as a bed partner.

Like disavowing Israel as an ally.

Like the Taliban regaining absolute power in Afghanistan.

Like Iran gaining power in Iraq.

Like Al Queda becoming a much more powerful force.

Like the Muslim Brotherhood taking over many more Muslim countries.

Like Sharia law being put in effect all over the world including America.

Like more severe terrorist attacks on our country and other countries.

Like the USA falling into a deep depression.

Like the Dollar losing most of it's value.

Like Corporations abandoning America.

Like Unemployment skyrocketing.

Like welfare and food stamps skyrocketing.

Like seniors being refused life saving procedures due to their age and usefulness.

Like America becoming an "Entitlement" country similar to Greece and on the way to bankruptcy.

Like "Taxes"  which WILL go up for everyone except the multitude on welfare.

Like "amnesty" for all illegals so that the liberal progressive party keeps it's power base.

So   THANK YOU.

Thank you the uninformed, thank you the uneducated, thank you all you government dependent folk, thank you Unions, thank you Socialists of America, thank you Progressives, thank you to all of you who believe your loose morals and promiscuous desires should be paid for by the rest of us, thank you the lady that wanted freebies from the BoJangles stash, thank you all you black panthers intimidating others at polling places, thank you all you brain dead politicians, ie; harry reid, nancy pelosi, barney frank etc etc, thank you all you who knew better but didn't vote, and thank you barry hussein obama for all your lies and deceit and bs and thank you BoJangles, for your "middle finger salute" to the American people and the America I love.

Yes, "The Best Is Yet To Come"!

How we pick a President!

In America you can win at Monopoly (or become President)  even if you don't have the common sense to use a handkerchief to blow your nose in instead of a shirt sleeve.













In America you can get to be President no matter how little you've ever accomplished or how totally incompetent and inept you actually are. As long as your "Perception" of yourself is much greater then the sum of your accomplishments! And, as long as you can convince
(aka dupe) the American public of this!

Don't believe me??

Happened in 2008, could happen again in 2012 !









In a private corporation, to get ahead, you must work your way up the ladder of success. You start at the bottom of the corporate ladder and, if you do a good and competent job you get a promotion. As you progress and continue to do a good and competent job you continue to get promoted until you reach the top of the corporate pyramid and become the CEO! However you still need to report to a board of directors and stock holders so you can't simply slide at this point  (true for most corporations).

In Government however all you need to do is to cover your..........................
(back side, front side, what ever side is most vulnerable) and lie thru your teeth
(the bigger the smile the bigger the lies).
(This picture, on left, seems to tell it all).





You can go from total obscurity (such as a community organizer, for instance) to top dog,
 (aka President of the most powerful country in the world)
 in one leap without so much as having ever shown an ounce of true leadership nor true competency and having absolutely no ability to actually  handle the job.

All you need is a Cheshire Cat Smile
and a
Bojangles Song and Dance!

You can even get away with the "middle finger salute"  if you pander enough to the gullible public
and give them enough handouts and freebies.

You can spend OPM (other peoples money) with absolutely no regard for the future of the young'uns who will have to eventually pay for your incompetence, mismanagement and total disregard for anyone but yourself and the power you crave.

It will take

"We The People" 

to send you packing to those other
"Liberal"
 places where all you need do is to demand your right to total government support without so much as a modicum of effort on your part.

"We The People"

 will even allow you  your Constitutional rights to "oogle" whatever you like just so you don't actually "touch" our Constitution ever again.

That's what a truly free country is all about!!

"You Betcha"











So

"We The People"

need to vote on Tuesday,
we need to kick out the totally incompetent (you know who)
and Vote In a return to sanity in government (you also know who this is)!



IF YOU AGREE, PASS THIS ON, IF NOT, THAT'S OK TOO, JUST SO YOU VOTE,
IT'S YOUR DUTY AND THE OBLIGATION ALL FREE PEOPLE HAVE IN A TRULY FREE SOCIETY.

"God" Bless America !!!