"The tower sits in the front"
Do you remember the times when Facebook would ask you to write a "status update"? Yes, so do I. But my technologically challenged companion did not know what a status update is. And how difficult it actually was to try describe to someone that has not spend the last 10 years of their life on Facebook..
I feel like this blog is more fitting for our status update. Since food poisonings in Isla Holbox we have been up to a lot. But at the same time not much. Mainly chilling and documenting less of our lives.
- We traveled the rest of Mexico.
A whole week in Tulum, visiting cenotes, hitch hiking (OMG how could we do that in Mexico?!), a lot of rum and cokes at our hostel
Blurry Garden of Eden- cenote
Went to Chichen Itza, more about this can be found on the Ruins-post.
- We did a quick pit stop at Belize.
Quick because it's expensive. Shame since this really limits the places people see. Most of the backpacker folks we met stopped only at Caye Caulker and blasted through the rest of the country straight to Guatemala.
We did the (rainy) Caye Caulker for three nights. Liked it more than Isla Holbox, maybe due to absence of blood-thirsty mosquitoes but would not spend more time there. We opted out from the snorkelling tour everyone did, mainly because it was a lot of dollars but also because every tour operator feeds the sharks, the fish, the sting rays... The time of this type of interfering tourism should come to an end.
Sand of Caye Caulker
Other town worth mentioning is San Ignacio that's famous for all the cave action. Only I did not get any as the first day the ATM caves were closed due to rain (surprise, surprise!) and the second day I was suffering from food poisoning. Yes, again. Richie did the Crystal Cave-tour as ATM was still closed an apparently it was epic, awesome, amazing - use any word Americans would use to describe a regular day at work. Very challenging and adventurous so not sure how I would have endured there..
Keeping rain at Xunantunich ruins
Highlight of Belize was our hostel (D's) and specifically the owner in San Ignacio. The friendliest, most helpful guy we have met. Drove us to the ruins, helped us when we were down with the food poisoning, helped Richie get a refund from the tour operator who tried to shaft me, bought lots of beers for him and Richie while I was in bed with food poisoning, drove Richie around looking for food (which he got food poisoning from) and gave us a lift to the Guatemalan border the next day, while we had food poisoning. The hostel/guesthouse was awesome quality for money, never seen a bathroom like that in a hostel..
- Next up was Guatemala and as of today, 3th of November, we are still here.
Tiny town of Flores in the middle of a lake, Star Wars- ruins (officially known as Tikal), looong bus rides to and from Lanquín, a cave tour I was able to attend, the blue pools of Semuc Champey, the cold town of Antigua, tiny turtles and a resident mini-pig called Potato at El Paredon and finally studying Spanish and living with a local family here at Quetzalenango (Xela) for the past week.
Pools of Semuc Champey
Hostel views at Lanquin
My favourite phrase came to life at the beach destination El Paredon. After spending three days mainly laying at the pool/beach/bed and drinking beer it was time to go home in a small shuttle. Our fellow ride companions asked if the front seat was free and the driver answered "The tower sits in the front". I think all of you know who the aforementioned tower is..
All the turtles in El Paredon!
Sunrise at El Paredon
Quetzaltenango (Xela) views (and the tower)
What's next?
We have wrapped up our Spanish studies and instead of returning to the warmth of beach destinations, we chose to embark on a 7-day trip over the mountain ranges to a small town called Todos Santos to celebrate Día de Los Muertos. And four of the seven days we were hiking.
We haven't really hiked since New Zealand and we were out of breath after salsa classes. In other words I think we are in a shit shape.
But now the hike is over so we did make it! Photos and stories to follow once all the laundry is sorted, boots cleared from mud and once we've had couple of nights with more than 5 hours of sleep...
