Well I trust everyone had a good Christmas. We spent our Christmas on the Belizean island of Caye Caulker. This island has no cars - everyone gets around on golf buggies and bicycles. There are no paved roads, just sandy walkways. Unfortunately there is a distinct lack of a proper beach, but everyone gathers at the Lazy Lizard by 'the split.' The split came about following hurricane Hattie which split the island in two. This is now the place to go and swim and drink cocktails (Rosie and I even treated ourselves to a massage yesterday on the beach!) It took a bit of getting used to speaking English again as Belize speaks English, took a while to stop saying gracias!
We had a lovely Christmas on the beach with a lot of rum, snacks and even a cheese board! We met up with a few people we had met during our travels, so it was kind of like getting together to meet up with family. It was the best possible Christmas I could have had away from home. We are still on this little island, and I'm afraid we don't have much to show for it apart from hangovers and injuries. We moved hostels yesterday as our beautiful and clean, albeit militant, hostel didn't have enough space for us. So we moved to the more party hostel on the island. We went out for dinner and came back to a couple leaving due to a bed bug infestation and puddles of blood all over the hostel from a guy who was so drunk he couldn't remember what had happened. Fair enough, you can't control the drunkards, but the owner sat there smoking weed all night and the blood still wasn't cleaned until 9 am this morning. So we have moved. We had an attic room which had an amazing view, but Rosie and I literally had to climb through a hole to get to it. We are now paying 10 BZD less for a cleaner accommodation. Go us!
One thing we do have to show for it actually is 2 snorkeling tours. The first one took us on an adventure through snake infested mangroves to see Manatees, which we actually saw. The second one was more noteworthy with a company called Raggamuffin. Surely the name says it all. We went to 3 separate snorkel spots, one called shark and stingray alley. Not quite as good as Stingray City though... but the snorkeling was the best we have had. The fed us heartily between snorkels and once the snorkeling was all done we struggled to finish off the vat of rum punch they had brought for the trip. We walked off that boat sozzled at sunset. What happened for the rest of the night is a bit of a mystery to all. (I left early, but still managed to be rather inebriated). Well, the next time I write hopefully it won't just be of lounging in the sun, as much fun as it is, I want to be traveling again. Stay irie!
30 Dec 2011
20 Dec 2011
I'm in a fucking cloud!
Yet again it has been a while and a lot has happened. Guatemala is a smaller country and they pack an awful lot into a small package. We started out in Xela which we didn't really spend too much time in. It is a city with quite the city feel. There are amazing treks to do around there, but as we didn't arrive on the weekend, we missed out. From there we went on to Fuentes Georginas, natural hot springs high up in the mountains. We stayed the night there which was one of the best last minute decisions we have made the whole trip. We had our own little bungalow with a fire place (wood provided), candles for when the electricity turns off at 10, our own bathroom (a proper luxury), and, get this...our own hot spring in the bungalow. We lived like rock stars for a night, and all for a fairly small fee. We couldn't believe our luck when we walked down to a less trodden hot spring in the middle of the jungle. I look back at pitures and remind myself that I was actually there. The hot springs close at night so we had the run of the place. We ate smores and hot dogs cooked over the fire and got a bit drunk. Heaven.
We then moved on to Lake Atitlan and stayed in the smaller town of San Pedro. This is hippy central, and brit central. I have met more brits in Guatemala than Mexico hands down. We stayed in a hostel called Zoola which had excellent food, but scorpions and spiders of all sizes in our room. Egad! But we went kayaking along the lake, both myself and Pricsilla took a 'dip' during our trip. Despite being unintentional, it was very refreshing! It is a shame as the water levels are rising dramatically, something like 20 feet in 2 years, and you see so many houses, hotels, restaurants and brand new docks submerged. Also, the Guardian apparently wrote an article telling people not to go to the destintation, and the lake has felt the brunt of that bad advertising. We were there in peak season and it was very quiet. Buit it is a lovely higgeldy piggedly place with amazing street food. They aso sell Osama Bin Laden fireworks that you can let off in the street. Mega. We also did a full moon party on the top of a mountain along with a full moon zipline with a shot of tequila at the start and one when you have done all your ziplining. It was breathtaking, but I'm sure the tequila adds a bit of sparkle! We were hauled up on a chicken bus, the very same chicken bus that took us in to San Pedro. Her name was Wendy, old, reliable, Wendy. The guys on these buses who take money and put your luggage on the top are like olympic athletes. One minute they are hanging out the door, the next they are on the roof of the moving bus, then at the back, then magically back at the front. People here work so hard it is unbelievable. The graft, the hard graft by men, women and children alike puts me to shame. Although there are a lot of men who seem to spend a lot of time standing around and staring. Staring is a popular pastime, and not at anythng in particular, just watching the world go by. It's something we seem incapable of doing. Just sitting with no purpose, we have to prove that we have a purpose or friends by getting out a book or a phone or a music player. I envy the simplicity sometimes.
Sorry, I digress into culture. Priscilla and I nearly killed ourselves hiking up the largest volcano on Lake Atitlan called, wait for it, San Pedro volcano. 10 points for creativity. I didn't really know what I was getting myself in for and my feet are still suffering. I nearly didn't get to the top. Pricsilla nearly didn't get to the top because I nearly throttled her for convincing me to come. But we got to the top and saw a view like nothing I have ever seen. I believe we were 3,000 metres, maybe a bit more. I would never do it again, but it was worth it.
We then moved on to Languin and Semuc Champey on a 9 hour mini bus journey. We had fold down seats that beat us in the kidney every time we went over a bump. As the roads here a prone to subsidence and random bouts of unanounced roadworks, there were a lot of bumps. But we arrived in high spirits to a beautiful hostel that had no water. But it was a picturesque valley between mountains and volcanos with a blue green river running below. The view out of my window in the morning was something out of a postcard, or those coffee table books. But it was a place of drinking. We woke up the next morning to tubing down the river with beers for 2 hours. Then back in the afternoon for more drinking. The next day we went to Semuc Champey just down the road in the back of a flatbed. Rather a lot of us crammed standing up for an hour on trecherous weaving roads. We got there and the first thing we did was mount a swing over a river and swing and dive in. Then onto the caves where we trekked, swam, climbed and jumped through the caves with candles. Then onto a mirador (a viewpoint) to overlook the river. It brought flashbacks of the volcano and murderous feelings, but again, it was worth it. Oh, nearly forgot the bridge jump that bruised my flailing, terrified arms as I plunged into the depth. Still bruised now, but a good war injury. We then swam in beautiful river waterfalls and were lulled over to another jump. It was apparently 20 metres, and for the sake of a story, I'm going to say it was. Again, smacked my arms but rose triumphantly and having done the jump.
Unfortunately the next day I came down with a stomach virus and the next 2 days were spent doing nothing while travelling friends and companions got progressively more drunk. Oh well, I saved a lot of money! And what a view to have while you're spewing...couldn't complain too much.
Another 9 hour bus journey and we are in Flores, a little island in the middle of a lake. We have a room that has no walls again, just a lean to with sheets of plastic for walls. But we woke up at 4 this morning and did Tikal, the highest altar in the Mayan world and an amazing set of ruins. We had a great guide who showed us Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, a local anteater type creature, as well as the ruins. it is the winter equinox tomorrow night so we are going back to Tikal to climb one the ruins and watch the sunset and look at the stars the way the Mayans did. Still a lot to look forward to, and still so much I have omitted due to memory and time.
One conclusion I have come to though is that travelling takes a while to adjust to. I've felt this over the last month. The first few weeks were intense and scary. Not knowing where you're going, having to talk to people all the time. But you get into a rythym, and we finally found ours. It's not all plain sailing, but the next view, the next place, the next friendly person remind you why you're here. I consider myself very lucky to have seen the things I have already seen, and can't wait for what's around the corner.
We then moved on to Lake Atitlan and stayed in the smaller town of San Pedro. This is hippy central, and brit central. I have met more brits in Guatemala than Mexico hands down. We stayed in a hostel called Zoola which had excellent food, but scorpions and spiders of all sizes in our room. Egad! But we went kayaking along the lake, both myself and Pricsilla took a 'dip' during our trip. Despite being unintentional, it was very refreshing! It is a shame as the water levels are rising dramatically, something like 20 feet in 2 years, and you see so many houses, hotels, restaurants and brand new docks submerged. Also, the Guardian apparently wrote an article telling people not to go to the destintation, and the lake has felt the brunt of that bad advertising. We were there in peak season and it was very quiet. Buit it is a lovely higgeldy piggedly place with amazing street food. They aso sell Osama Bin Laden fireworks that you can let off in the street. Mega. We also did a full moon party on the top of a mountain along with a full moon zipline with a shot of tequila at the start and one when you have done all your ziplining. It was breathtaking, but I'm sure the tequila adds a bit of sparkle! We were hauled up on a chicken bus, the very same chicken bus that took us in to San Pedro. Her name was Wendy, old, reliable, Wendy. The guys on these buses who take money and put your luggage on the top are like olympic athletes. One minute they are hanging out the door, the next they are on the roof of the moving bus, then at the back, then magically back at the front. People here work so hard it is unbelievable. The graft, the hard graft by men, women and children alike puts me to shame. Although there are a lot of men who seem to spend a lot of time standing around and staring. Staring is a popular pastime, and not at anythng in particular, just watching the world go by. It's something we seem incapable of doing. Just sitting with no purpose, we have to prove that we have a purpose or friends by getting out a book or a phone or a music player. I envy the simplicity sometimes.
Sorry, I digress into culture. Priscilla and I nearly killed ourselves hiking up the largest volcano on Lake Atitlan called, wait for it, San Pedro volcano. 10 points for creativity. I didn't really know what I was getting myself in for and my feet are still suffering. I nearly didn't get to the top. Pricsilla nearly didn't get to the top because I nearly throttled her for convincing me to come. But we got to the top and saw a view like nothing I have ever seen. I believe we were 3,000 metres, maybe a bit more. I would never do it again, but it was worth it.
We then moved on to Languin and Semuc Champey on a 9 hour mini bus journey. We had fold down seats that beat us in the kidney every time we went over a bump. As the roads here a prone to subsidence and random bouts of unanounced roadworks, there were a lot of bumps. But we arrived in high spirits to a beautiful hostel that had no water. But it was a picturesque valley between mountains and volcanos with a blue green river running below. The view out of my window in the morning was something out of a postcard, or those coffee table books. But it was a place of drinking. We woke up the next morning to tubing down the river with beers for 2 hours. Then back in the afternoon for more drinking. The next day we went to Semuc Champey just down the road in the back of a flatbed. Rather a lot of us crammed standing up for an hour on trecherous weaving roads. We got there and the first thing we did was mount a swing over a river and swing and dive in. Then onto the caves where we trekked, swam, climbed and jumped through the caves with candles. Then onto a mirador (a viewpoint) to overlook the river. It brought flashbacks of the volcano and murderous feelings, but again, it was worth it. Oh, nearly forgot the bridge jump that bruised my flailing, terrified arms as I plunged into the depth. Still bruised now, but a good war injury. We then swam in beautiful river waterfalls and were lulled over to another jump. It was apparently 20 metres, and for the sake of a story, I'm going to say it was. Again, smacked my arms but rose triumphantly and having done the jump.
Unfortunately the next day I came down with a stomach virus and the next 2 days were spent doing nothing while travelling friends and companions got progressively more drunk. Oh well, I saved a lot of money! And what a view to have while you're spewing...couldn't complain too much.
Another 9 hour bus journey and we are in Flores, a little island in the middle of a lake. We have a room that has no walls again, just a lean to with sheets of plastic for walls. But we woke up at 4 this morning and did Tikal, the highest altar in the Mayan world and an amazing set of ruins. We had a great guide who showed us Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, a local anteater type creature, as well as the ruins. it is the winter equinox tomorrow night so we are going back to Tikal to climb one the ruins and watch the sunset and look at the stars the way the Mayans did. Still a lot to look forward to, and still so much I have omitted due to memory and time.
One conclusion I have come to though is that travelling takes a while to adjust to. I've felt this over the last month. The first few weeks were intense and scary. Not knowing where you're going, having to talk to people all the time. But you get into a rythym, and we finally found ours. It's not all plain sailing, but the next view, the next place, the next friendly person remind you why you're here. I consider myself very lucky to have seen the things I have already seen, and can't wait for what's around the corner.
5 Dec 2011
Guatemala!!
Well, we have finally made it into Guatemala. We didn't realise how much Mexico had to offer. Despite the love of all things loud, and being ripped off left right and centre, it was amazing. But loud. Everywhere you go there are cars with megaphone speakers attatched to the roof - sometimes they are selling things like water, or gas, or a politician even.
We stayed in San Cristobal longer than anticipated, but it held a lot for us. After our sheperds pie, all the people in the hostel took turns to cook. One night we had a Swedish pasta dish, then a German bread ball dish, a curry and a Spanish omlette. Worked out quite well! We already miss the homeliness of El Hostalito. They have a website where they show how the hostel came into being. I recommend checking it out as it's very cool. We ended up doing a Temascal, which is a cleansing ritual done in a form of sweat lodge. You pray for your family, yourself or anything you feel needs praying for. There were seven people in this tiny igloo looking tent which has a deep hole dug in the middle. You are sat in the mud and leaves as more and more red hot rocks are passed into the tent. Songs are sang, prayers are made -it's a bit like a sweaty girl scout camp. But it is meant to be a spiritual experience. I found it quite emotional, and coming out of it I did feel like a shrivelled up newborn, and bawled like one too. But it is meant to be a re-birth experience. However, I have found that being born once is traumatic enough, let alone doing it twice. I'm glad for the truly unique insight into ritual.
Getting into Guatemala was beautiful. The word of the trip is Epic, and the scenery exemplified this word better than the word could ever express. Mountainous and treacherous and you careen along the road in a little mini-van, you feel alive. It is poorer here and you can tell that by the litter and the dirty buildings, but still incredibley colourful as they make the best of their situation. Or perhaps that's my romanticised version of things. The people here seem instantly more friendly. Tomorrow we hope to trek up a volcano, or, well, half way up as we are realistic about our physical fitness. Although we nearly didn't make it here - Rosie misplaced a tiny slip of paper we were given on our way in to Mexico which we were meant to psychically know to keep. They acted as if this had never happened before, but it was found at the last minute!
It's still cold here, so we are hoping to hit the warmth soon. Bienvenido a Guatemala!!
We stayed in San Cristobal longer than anticipated, but it held a lot for us. After our sheperds pie, all the people in the hostel took turns to cook. One night we had a Swedish pasta dish, then a German bread ball dish, a curry and a Spanish omlette. Worked out quite well! We already miss the homeliness of El Hostalito. They have a website where they show how the hostel came into being. I recommend checking it out as it's very cool. We ended up doing a Temascal, which is a cleansing ritual done in a form of sweat lodge. You pray for your family, yourself or anything you feel needs praying for. There were seven people in this tiny igloo looking tent which has a deep hole dug in the middle. You are sat in the mud and leaves as more and more red hot rocks are passed into the tent. Songs are sang, prayers are made -it's a bit like a sweaty girl scout camp. But it is meant to be a spiritual experience. I found it quite emotional, and coming out of it I did feel like a shrivelled up newborn, and bawled like one too. But it is meant to be a re-birth experience. However, I have found that being born once is traumatic enough, let alone doing it twice. I'm glad for the truly unique insight into ritual.
Getting into Guatemala was beautiful. The word of the trip is Epic, and the scenery exemplified this word better than the word could ever express. Mountainous and treacherous and you careen along the road in a little mini-van, you feel alive. It is poorer here and you can tell that by the litter and the dirty buildings, but still incredibley colourful as they make the best of their situation. Or perhaps that's my romanticised version of things. The people here seem instantly more friendly. Tomorrow we hope to trek up a volcano, or, well, half way up as we are realistic about our physical fitness. Although we nearly didn't make it here - Rosie misplaced a tiny slip of paper we were given on our way in to Mexico which we were meant to psychically know to keep. They acted as if this had never happened before, but it was found at the last minute!
It's still cold here, so we are hoping to hit the warmth soon. Bienvenido a Guatemala!!
28 Nov 2011
Bloody Cold!
Well, we have been through a few places now since I last wrote. We stayed too long in Merida. We got ripped off left, right and centre and it was incredibley busy. Not a place I would recommend visiting, although the colonial architecture was impressive. They lay claim to being the safest city in the world, and that may apply to violence, but not taking advantage of tourists. I have come to realise that in Mexico, and probably much of central and south America, they will make money out of you any way they can. I find it increasingly frustrating, but we have the luxury of living in a culture where we don't need to take advantage of tourists. Sometimes that reasoning doesn't come to the front and I just end up in a sweaty rage.
After Merida we headed toward Palenque and into the jungle. We got an overnight bus which we nearly missed. We only got there because our taxi driver completely ignored all rules of the road as we kept shouting 'mas rapido!!' at him. An absolute legend that deserved the large tip we gave him.
In the jungle though, a totally different pace. We had a cabana that was mainly mesh and the one wall was covered in grafitti. Bearing in mind that Palenque is reknowned for its magic mushrooms, some of the grafitti was quite abstract. One thing which kept reappearing was a quote which included the phrase 'chucking yews.' I still am not sure what that means. But again we found a certain level of pretence. We stayed just outside the main town of Palenque in a little traveller oasis called El Panchan which was a collection of campsites and restaurants. Ours was called Jungle Palace and we were sent to sleep every night to the sound of psytrance and drumming. There are drums everywhere in Mexico and I wouldn't mind ramming some down some people's throats at this point. But we could also hear Howler monkeys in the distance at quiet times. One night we decided to stay in and have a bit of a smokey evening when I decided to go to the bathroom. I walked out and had what looked like the biggest rat sat on the only exit down - a metal spiral staircase. It sat there and stared at me as if to say 'and what are you going to do about it?' He obviously wanted the remains of food in the bin outside. Rosie hates rats and got into a panic. It turned out to be an opposum - which I was fairly certain from the get-go, but it was so brazen. Even if we walked towards it it didn't budge, just wondered why on earth we wouldn't go away and leave it to eat in peace. After a few paranoid dodges and weaves (at one point it actaully ran at us) we got it down the stiarcase and we were freed from our cabana.
During our stay at El Panchan we headed to Agua Azul and Misol-Ha which are 2 beautiful waterfalls. Agua Azul seems to go on forever and has milky blue water flowing all through it. We had a rather 'refreshing' swim and absorbed the luck people must feel when they look at their surroundings in this place. Truly amazing. Misol-Ha was not so stunning, but you could walk under the falls and over the rocks. You spend a lot of time waiting for people to take photos that you don't want to spoil, so it would have been nice to see it during the quiet times. We also got to go into a cave and see a waterfall within a cave, but you had to pay 10 pesos to do this. I'm not exactly sure where the money goes, but as I said, they charge you at every entrance. We also went to see the Palenque ruins, which were also immense. I get the feeling we are going to be 'ruined out' by the end of our travels as the Mayans were quite keen on their epic buildings, but these ones were worth it. We found an older tour guide who didn't charge the moon and the stars. He gave us the basic details - stuff which I'm sure he learned from National Geographic programs as he said he knew all about Australia as he had seen many documentaries on it. He never climbed the ruins with us but waited at the bottom while we got our fill. I unfortunately had a bit of a hangover so my enjoyment of the ruins wasn't complete, but the appreciation was still there.
We are now in the mountain city of San Cristobal de las Casas. We all feel very at home here. It's cold to the point of having a fire in the lounge of our hostel. In the day, when the sun is out, it's lovely. At night the temperature dips to about 0 celsius. But there is a very bohemian vibe here, and I think the homeliness of our hostel only adds to the feeling. It admittedly makes me a bit homesick. But we played bike polo with the owner of the hostel yesterday and were appalingly bad, albeit fun. The day before we were taken up a little higher to the village of Chamula - one of the few places that resisted the Spanish takeover. The local drink here is Poche, a very sweet maize based liquor flavored with fruits. We were taken up to someone's house overlooking the tops of the mountains and consumed a few bottles of this before decending back to the hostel. They use this liquor here for religious ceremonies, along with coca cola. I wish this were a joke, but there is video footage of ceremonies where they spit cola at people as a cure, or simply circle the body with the full bottles. They believe when they drink it it makes them belch and evil spirits are dispelled. Sometimes I really hate what the western world has done to cultures that don't know the dangers.
The fire has just been lit in the lounge, which is nice as we have spent the day walking around the food market. This was the most pleasant sensory overload I've experienced yet, aside from the salted fish which abounds. Tonight there are only a few of us in the hostel, so Rosie and I are bringing a little bit of England to Mexico and are making everyone cottage pie. It's been cloudy and cold all day so it just seems fitting. Our next move is back to the jungle where we will no doubt find the sun and warmth again, but for the moment I'm enjoying this home away from home.
After Merida we headed toward Palenque and into the jungle. We got an overnight bus which we nearly missed. We only got there because our taxi driver completely ignored all rules of the road as we kept shouting 'mas rapido!!' at him. An absolute legend that deserved the large tip we gave him.
In the jungle though, a totally different pace. We had a cabana that was mainly mesh and the one wall was covered in grafitti. Bearing in mind that Palenque is reknowned for its magic mushrooms, some of the grafitti was quite abstract. One thing which kept reappearing was a quote which included the phrase 'chucking yews.' I still am not sure what that means. But again we found a certain level of pretence. We stayed just outside the main town of Palenque in a little traveller oasis called El Panchan which was a collection of campsites and restaurants. Ours was called Jungle Palace and we were sent to sleep every night to the sound of psytrance and drumming. There are drums everywhere in Mexico and I wouldn't mind ramming some down some people's throats at this point. But we could also hear Howler monkeys in the distance at quiet times. One night we decided to stay in and have a bit of a smokey evening when I decided to go to the bathroom. I walked out and had what looked like the biggest rat sat on the only exit down - a metal spiral staircase. It sat there and stared at me as if to say 'and what are you going to do about it?' He obviously wanted the remains of food in the bin outside. Rosie hates rats and got into a panic. It turned out to be an opposum - which I was fairly certain from the get-go, but it was so brazen. Even if we walked towards it it didn't budge, just wondered why on earth we wouldn't go away and leave it to eat in peace. After a few paranoid dodges and weaves (at one point it actaully ran at us) we got it down the stiarcase and we were freed from our cabana.
During our stay at El Panchan we headed to Agua Azul and Misol-Ha which are 2 beautiful waterfalls. Agua Azul seems to go on forever and has milky blue water flowing all through it. We had a rather 'refreshing' swim and absorbed the luck people must feel when they look at their surroundings in this place. Truly amazing. Misol-Ha was not so stunning, but you could walk under the falls and over the rocks. You spend a lot of time waiting for people to take photos that you don't want to spoil, so it would have been nice to see it during the quiet times. We also got to go into a cave and see a waterfall within a cave, but you had to pay 10 pesos to do this. I'm not exactly sure where the money goes, but as I said, they charge you at every entrance. We also went to see the Palenque ruins, which were also immense. I get the feeling we are going to be 'ruined out' by the end of our travels as the Mayans were quite keen on their epic buildings, but these ones were worth it. We found an older tour guide who didn't charge the moon and the stars. He gave us the basic details - stuff which I'm sure he learned from National Geographic programs as he said he knew all about Australia as he had seen many documentaries on it. He never climbed the ruins with us but waited at the bottom while we got our fill. I unfortunately had a bit of a hangover so my enjoyment of the ruins wasn't complete, but the appreciation was still there.
We are now in the mountain city of San Cristobal de las Casas. We all feel very at home here. It's cold to the point of having a fire in the lounge of our hostel. In the day, when the sun is out, it's lovely. At night the temperature dips to about 0 celsius. But there is a very bohemian vibe here, and I think the homeliness of our hostel only adds to the feeling. It admittedly makes me a bit homesick. But we played bike polo with the owner of the hostel yesterday and were appalingly bad, albeit fun. The day before we were taken up a little higher to the village of Chamula - one of the few places that resisted the Spanish takeover. The local drink here is Poche, a very sweet maize based liquor flavored with fruits. We were taken up to someone's house overlooking the tops of the mountains and consumed a few bottles of this before decending back to the hostel. They use this liquor here for religious ceremonies, along with coca cola. I wish this were a joke, but there is video footage of ceremonies where they spit cola at people as a cure, or simply circle the body with the full bottles. They believe when they drink it it makes them belch and evil spirits are dispelled. Sometimes I really hate what the western world has done to cultures that don't know the dangers.
The fire has just been lit in the lounge, which is nice as we have spent the day walking around the food market. This was the most pleasant sensory overload I've experienced yet, aside from the salted fish which abounds. Tonight there are only a few of us in the hostel, so Rosie and I are bringing a little bit of England to Mexico and are making everyone cottage pie. It's been cloudy and cold all day so it just seems fitting. Our next move is back to the jungle where we will no doubt find the sun and warmth again, but for the moment I'm enjoying this home away from home.
17 Nov 2011
On the other side
Well it has been a while since my last entry, and I knew there would be more paradises but our last place took the biscuit. I abandoned my shoes for 4 days and walked around in the sand. We stayed in a little cabana by the beach - even the restaurant floor was covered in sand. We decided to move to these cabanas after staying in the Weary Traveller Hostel in Tulum. We had a roach in our room, the shower was like being pissed on from a very low height, mosquitoes everywhere and fans louder than a police raid. It was good for meeting people, but not on the feeling clean front.
We loved our little cabana, apart from the mozzies again. Our travelling companion, Lex, had another Cabana which contained 2 kittens and their mother with a little sign that said 'This family have chosen to nest here, can you please feed and water them.' So he went out and bought cat food for Chitchen, Itza and Maya. Painfully cute.
We went to see the Coba ruins which were incredible. Chitchen Itza is amazing for its incredible acoustic design, but Coba has thousands of unexcavated ruins over a grand distance. Plus it's higher. As you stand over the canopy of trees atop the main pyramid, you can feel the immense power the priests and royalty who allowed to ascend must have felt. It is very overwhelming. But most of the ruins are covered over by jungle. This is something I am learning about Mexico - it is a place that resists settlement. At every turn the jungle is trying to reclaim its land, if your back is turned on it for a second it overruns. Houses are nestled in little coves as the owners hack away at the shrub around it. On the bus from Tulum to Merida, there were trees that were all leaf - it looked as though time had stopped and prehistoric animals had been enveloped by the leafy wilderness.
Back in Tulum though we had some lovely nights gazing up at the stars with our cocktails - made for us on the first night by candlelight as they don't turn the electricity on until 6pm. We met a guy called Vincent who has been travelling and sleeping in a hammock since 2008. We visited the incredible cenote Dos Ojos (2 eyes) and snorkelled into a bat cave in crystal clear water amongst stallagmites and stallagtites. We went to Akumal and snorkelled with turtles, stingrays and the biggest barracuda I have ever seen. I must admit to having to clench a little bit - I hate barracudas!!
We are now in Merida where we are staying in an old colonial building. The area has a distinct European feeling, having been overrun by the Spanish years ago. We had the best Italian meal last night in a little ex-pat haven. We were a bit sick of Mexican and needed a change -a glass of wine even! Our room overlooks the main square where musicians line up along the road waiting to play to some poor, unsuspecting couple. We were awoken this morning by a marching band at 7:50. This distinctly reminded me of my dad deciding it was time for me to wake up so would walk in my room singing 'Good morning! Good monring! You slept the whole night through!' I would like to say that the novetly of it being a marching band made it less irritating, but I was looking forward to a lie-in today!
We plan to be here for a few days as there is an amazing all day and all night market near-by. But we do seem to be getting 'stuck' in places so we shall see!
We loved our little cabana, apart from the mozzies again. Our travelling companion, Lex, had another Cabana which contained 2 kittens and their mother with a little sign that said 'This family have chosen to nest here, can you please feed and water them.' So he went out and bought cat food for Chitchen, Itza and Maya. Painfully cute.
We went to see the Coba ruins which were incredible. Chitchen Itza is amazing for its incredible acoustic design, but Coba has thousands of unexcavated ruins over a grand distance. Plus it's higher. As you stand over the canopy of trees atop the main pyramid, you can feel the immense power the priests and royalty who allowed to ascend must have felt. It is very overwhelming. But most of the ruins are covered over by jungle. This is something I am learning about Mexico - it is a place that resists settlement. At every turn the jungle is trying to reclaim its land, if your back is turned on it for a second it overruns. Houses are nestled in little coves as the owners hack away at the shrub around it. On the bus from Tulum to Merida, there were trees that were all leaf - it looked as though time had stopped and prehistoric animals had been enveloped by the leafy wilderness.
Back in Tulum though we had some lovely nights gazing up at the stars with our cocktails - made for us on the first night by candlelight as they don't turn the electricity on until 6pm. We met a guy called Vincent who has been travelling and sleeping in a hammock since 2008. We visited the incredible cenote Dos Ojos (2 eyes) and snorkelled into a bat cave in crystal clear water amongst stallagmites and stallagtites. We went to Akumal and snorkelled with turtles, stingrays and the biggest barracuda I have ever seen. I must admit to having to clench a little bit - I hate barracudas!!
We are now in Merida where we are staying in an old colonial building. The area has a distinct European feeling, having been overrun by the Spanish years ago. We had the best Italian meal last night in a little ex-pat haven. We were a bit sick of Mexican and needed a change -a glass of wine even! Our room overlooks the main square where musicians line up along the road waiting to play to some poor, unsuspecting couple. We were awoken this morning by a marching band at 7:50. This distinctly reminded me of my dad deciding it was time for me to wake up so would walk in my room singing 'Good morning! Good monring! You slept the whole night through!' I would like to say that the novetly of it being a marching band made it less irritating, but I was looking forward to a lie-in today!
We plan to be here for a few days as there is an amazing all day and all night market near-by. But we do seem to be getting 'stuck' in places so we shall see!
9 Nov 2011
Paradise Lost
We have no left paradise and are in a sort of mini Cancun called Playa Del Carmen. We´ve only been here a night and have already been told off for being too loud - despite whispering at the time. Perhaps it´s when our English friend Alexis slid down a wrought iron staircase and landed flat on his arse. But what can you expect when provide free tequila between 8 and 9? We had arrived at the hostel about 10 minutes before this happy hour so of course we took full advantage.
Our dorm here has only one real wall and is very visible to the general sitting area, it´s actually quite hilarious. We had dinner last night and decided to splash out and treat ourselves. They roped us in and we ordered filet mignon - what travellers we are! My steak was overcooked and as they were closing they watched us like hawks. We were so angry at the service we received that we left no tip, which is a grave insult here. But they made us feel so unwelcome for the prices we paid for our food.
Anyway, Isla Mujeres was beautiful. A small island where people mostly get around on golf buggies and scooters. So we hired a golf buggy for the day and motored off. We soon came across a drive though liquor store, so we obviously felt obliged to stop in. It may have been 10 in the morning, but we´re a bunch of Aussies and Brits, so we figured it was expected of us. It was loads of fun and we went to a turtle sanctuary and saw turtles with disabilities. Their shells had folded over so their poor little legs were on the top.
We spent most of our days on the beach by a hut called Tarzan manned by a guy who could have been the true original Tarzan. We befriended him and he took us to the local bars where we were all scooped up by locals to dance. Beer was $15, which translates to around 75p, awesome. But they had some interesting versions of English songs. It was all very fun. The next day we went out on a snorkel trip and saw some beautiful fish. Not the best snorkelling I think we will experience, but it was nice, and we got to see turtles. This was after we complained that for $200 we had been promised 3 - 4 hours and we were out for 1. So they took us back out to another reef. Not too shabby!
The hostel we were staying in felt a bit like Bristol in paradise. Lots of crusty hippies, hula hooping and poi. Pretentiousness was rife, but it was beautiful surroundings and luckily you can overlook the smell of patchouli when it´s wafted away by the sea spray. Our last night was spent dancing on the beach to old 90´s tunes, lamenting the knowledge we were leaving the next day. But there will be many more paradises to come, and hopefully it won´t be full of tourists complaining how touristy the place has gotten. But, as someone once quite aptly put it ´Call a place paradise and kiss it good bye.´
Our dorm here has only one real wall and is very visible to the general sitting area, it´s actually quite hilarious. We had dinner last night and decided to splash out and treat ourselves. They roped us in and we ordered filet mignon - what travellers we are! My steak was overcooked and as they were closing they watched us like hawks. We were so angry at the service we received that we left no tip, which is a grave insult here. But they made us feel so unwelcome for the prices we paid for our food.
Anyway, Isla Mujeres was beautiful. A small island where people mostly get around on golf buggies and scooters. So we hired a golf buggy for the day and motored off. We soon came across a drive though liquor store, so we obviously felt obliged to stop in. It may have been 10 in the morning, but we´re a bunch of Aussies and Brits, so we figured it was expected of us. It was loads of fun and we went to a turtle sanctuary and saw turtles with disabilities. Their shells had folded over so their poor little legs were on the top.
We spent most of our days on the beach by a hut called Tarzan manned by a guy who could have been the true original Tarzan. We befriended him and he took us to the local bars where we were all scooped up by locals to dance. Beer was $15, which translates to around 75p, awesome. But they had some interesting versions of English songs. It was all very fun. The next day we went out on a snorkel trip and saw some beautiful fish. Not the best snorkelling I think we will experience, but it was nice, and we got to see turtles. This was after we complained that for $200 we had been promised 3 - 4 hours and we were out for 1. So they took us back out to another reef. Not too shabby!
The hostel we were staying in felt a bit like Bristol in paradise. Lots of crusty hippies, hula hooping and poi. Pretentiousness was rife, but it was beautiful surroundings and luckily you can overlook the smell of patchouli when it´s wafted away by the sea spray. Our last night was spent dancing on the beach to old 90´s tunes, lamenting the knowledge we were leaving the next day. But there will be many more paradises to come, and hopefully it won´t be full of tourists complaining how touristy the place has gotten. But, as someone once quite aptly put it ´Call a place paradise and kiss it good bye.´
5 Nov 2011
Screw Cancun
Basically, Cancun was everything I thought it would be. We ended up having English military men staying in the hostel. Don't get me wrong, they were all lovely guys, but I don't think they had decided which way they swung yet. All of them had some form of encounter with the lady boys who were popular around our back end of Cancun (no pun intended). I'll leave what they got up to to the imagination, but they went out in dresses and came back missing most of their clothes. It was all very amusing to watch.
For the cultural side of things we went on a tour to a cenote (an underground cave with a lake in it) and then to Chcichen Itza. The cenote was gorgeous and Chichen Itza was very interesting as we had a guide explaining everything to us. However he was quite militant and I got told off a few times for falling behind which made me feel like I was on a school trip. But I am now officially quite nervous of the December 21st, 2012 doomsday predictions. By the sounds of things, the Mayans were so ahead of their time they put the 60's to shame. They invented mathematics and had a distinct understanding of time, much more so than us. I would recommend looking it up, but the Mayans over here firmly believe in either a massive change or the end of the world, and they make a compelling case.
We are now on La Isla Mujeres which translates to the island of women (it's misleading, so far I've seen crusty hippes everywhere and quite a few men). But it was named that by the Spanish for a reason I coudln't here as the tour bus had air conditioning that was so loud I couldn't hear the tour guide. We made it over on a ferry and it's instantly a different pace of life. Our hostel (Hostal Poc-Na) has a beach bar and stucco cubby holes where we sleep. Beautiful beaches and much quieter than Cancun - this is more what I had in mind! Not the hedonistic horror that is Cancun. I didn't come here to lose brain, I came here gain an adventure.
But as I sip my Corona I feel I am ingnoring yet another English traveller who has joined us along the way. But before I go, I'm just going to add that a Norwegian guy who was travelling around with us for a while woke up this morning in the middle of the street and had been robbed by a lady boy. He had no idea that he had left the club with a lady boy and the look on his face was priceless when we told him...
For the cultural side of things we went on a tour to a cenote (an underground cave with a lake in it) and then to Chcichen Itza. The cenote was gorgeous and Chichen Itza was very interesting as we had a guide explaining everything to us. However he was quite militant and I got told off a few times for falling behind which made me feel like I was on a school trip. But I am now officially quite nervous of the December 21st, 2012 doomsday predictions. By the sounds of things, the Mayans were so ahead of their time they put the 60's to shame. They invented mathematics and had a distinct understanding of time, much more so than us. I would recommend looking it up, but the Mayans over here firmly believe in either a massive change or the end of the world, and they make a compelling case.
We are now on La Isla Mujeres which translates to the island of women (it's misleading, so far I've seen crusty hippes everywhere and quite a few men). But it was named that by the Spanish for a reason I coudln't here as the tour bus had air conditioning that was so loud I couldn't hear the tour guide. We made it over on a ferry and it's instantly a different pace of life. Our hostel (Hostal Poc-Na) has a beach bar and stucco cubby holes where we sleep. Beautiful beaches and much quieter than Cancun - this is more what I had in mind! Not the hedonistic horror that is Cancun. I didn't come here to lose brain, I came here gain an adventure.
But as I sip my Corona I feel I am ingnoring yet another English traveller who has joined us along the way. But before I go, I'm just going to add that a Norwegian guy who was travelling around with us for a while woke up this morning in the middle of the street and had been robbed by a lady boy. He had no idea that he had left the club with a lady boy and the look on his face was priceless when we told him...
2 Nov 2011
First Days in Mexico
So, we finally made it, and I tell you it's only by the skin of our teeth. So many hiccups - Rosie had no visa despite me calling in advance and enquiring and being told one wasn't necessary. Minor heart attack there. Then a mad dash to the gate with the sign saying 'gate closing.' Another cluster fuck at JFK and made it on to the plane with 4 minutes to spare. We never would have made it on if we hadn't adopted the 'while in Rome' attitude and pushed our way through like a couple of genuine New Yorkers. We have decided to leave our Englishness where it belongs - back in the UK where it gets you nowhere. Although, on our first flight we ordered bottles of wine and the American flight attendant looked at us a bit strange, and as she walked away whispered to her colleague "They're from the UK." We then realised we were the only ones on the flight who ordered alcohol. Boring bastards.
But now we are Cancun in a wicked hostel and have already made friends with 2 Aussies - Simon and Priscilla, and a Norwegian guy that none of know the name of. But we've spent the day together and it seems like too much time has passed to ask him his name. So we refer to him as Mr Norwegian and 'dude' to his face.
Our first day was spent in a bit of a daze, but ended up walking into some little hut with a very drunk and friendly old guy beckoning us in. It turned out to be one of the local bands practicing their reggae. So we stood around and drank beers with them, watching them play We also had our first Mexican spliff handed to us, which made us feel so welcome. We went back to the hostel and drank some more, after which I died a sorry but satisfying death in bed while Rosie continued carrying the torch for the both of us.
We woke up today and all went down to the hotel district where you can get to the beach. Had my first proper Mexican tacos washed down with a corona, and then a Montejo, another local beer. We finally made our way to the beach with the most militant life guard I have ever experienced. We couldn't go too far out, we couldn't go too far either way - I felt like it would have been easier for him to put us on a leash instead of blowing that bloody stupid whistle at us constantly. But the waves were high - it was fun but I feel I exposed more of myself to everyone than I wanted to. But all the girls had the same problem, so I'm sure the blokes were happy enough! We made sand castles - I made a phallic shape, another made boobs, another mayan ruins, another a proper castle.
A bit of site seeing is on the cards tomorrow, but tonight we are going down to the local square to join in the Dios de Los Muertos celebrations. Roll on the adventure!
But now we are Cancun in a wicked hostel and have already made friends with 2 Aussies - Simon and Priscilla, and a Norwegian guy that none of know the name of. But we've spent the day together and it seems like too much time has passed to ask him his name. So we refer to him as Mr Norwegian and 'dude' to his face.
Our first day was spent in a bit of a daze, but ended up walking into some little hut with a very drunk and friendly old guy beckoning us in. It turned out to be one of the local bands practicing their reggae. So we stood around and drank beers with them, watching them play We also had our first Mexican spliff handed to us, which made us feel so welcome. We went back to the hostel and drank some more, after which I died a sorry but satisfying death in bed while Rosie continued carrying the torch for the both of us.
We woke up today and all went down to the hotel district where you can get to the beach. Had my first proper Mexican tacos washed down with a corona, and then a Montejo, another local beer. We finally made our way to the beach with the most militant life guard I have ever experienced. We couldn't go too far out, we couldn't go too far either way - I felt like it would have been easier for him to put us on a leash instead of blowing that bloody stupid whistle at us constantly. But the waves were high - it was fun but I feel I exposed more of myself to everyone than I wanted to. But all the girls had the same problem, so I'm sure the blokes were happy enough! We made sand castles - I made a phallic shape, another made boobs, another mayan ruins, another a proper castle.
A bit of site seeing is on the cards tomorrow, but tonight we are going down to the local square to join in the Dios de Los Muertos celebrations. Roll on the adventure!
30 Oct 2011
The Time Is Nigh!
One day before lift off and I'm feeling suitably excited, nervous, anxious - the whole array of emotions associated with upheaval and change. I already woke up in the middle of the night last night and convinced myself that I had booked the hostel for the day after we arrive. As usual, it was a worry over nothing.
Unfortunately I wasted a day after my leaving drinks. I was to adhere to a strict drink maximum, but it's difficult when pints are being fired at you from all different angles. I personally think it was an ambush, I had no hope of making it out sober. So woke up with 2 days left to pack and unable (ahem, maybe more unwilling...) to pack. So spent the day on my bed with Dave and watching crap on the screen. It could have gone to better use admittedly, but to be quite honest I very much enjoyed it. But that now means that I have to stop writing a blog, which isn't going to get me on a plane ready to grasp my next adventure ready and willing. I have to pack the remaining detritis around my room and try and dry my mostly still wet clothes in the next 2 hours...
Wish me luck!!
Unfortunately I wasted a day after my leaving drinks. I was to adhere to a strict drink maximum, but it's difficult when pints are being fired at you from all different angles. I personally think it was an ambush, I had no hope of making it out sober. So woke up with 2 days left to pack and unable (ahem, maybe more unwilling...) to pack. So spent the day on my bed with Dave and watching crap on the screen. It could have gone to better use admittedly, but to be quite honest I very much enjoyed it. But that now means that I have to stop writing a blog, which isn't going to get me on a plane ready to grasp my next adventure ready and willing. I have to pack the remaining detritis around my room and try and dry my mostly still wet clothes in the next 2 hours...
Wish me luck!!
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