Central American Adventure

To Mexico and Back

elbo_mozza — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:08:00 GMT

Well its been a while and a lot has happened since I last wrote . . . Semuc Champey? Here it is in brief, if you want to hear in more detail you'll have to buy me a pint. Sorry, I have given up on loading photos for the time being as t takes so so long. Will post pics up when I´m back in the UK (a week!).

From Semuc Champey / Lanquin I made a bee line back down to the south of Guatemala for a stint at San Pedro on the shores of Lago Atitilan. At first glance the town seemed nothing more than an excuse for ex-pats to continue the drug fuelled existence they began five years ago by opening various traveller bars and restaurants. Dont get me wrong, the Lake is beautiful here, clear waters surrounded by volcanoes and a short hike up into the real town, away from the dock revealed a more authentic Guatemala. I managed to meet up with a friend from Nicaragua, so things started to look up. I spent almost a week exploring, hiking (yes dad yet another volcano it was so difficult I thought I was going to puke! 4 hours uphill to stunning vista), horse riding (dreadfully skinny horses, I swear I will never do it again) and visiting the famous indigenous market of Chichicastenango (say that one after a few rums). I found a great Spanish Language School in which students could volunteer with 'disabled' kids in the afternoon. These were mysteriously absent from regular street life as they have been in the whole of my travels. My guess is that it is linked to shame, fear and ultimately a punishment (from God?). In San Pedro I was also dragged along to my first (and last) American Superbowl, it apparently being the most important date in the US calendar (bigger than Christmas!) with commercials every 6 mins making it the most expensive air time for advertisement in the world ever!

From San Pedro I took several buses in order to reach the Zapatista stronghold of San Cristobal in the Chiapas region of southern Mexico. At 2100 metres above sea level, this place is freezing and I found myself buying wooly hats and gloves. More horseriding through beautiful pine forests to the little village of Chamula where I unwhittingly watched the sacrificing of a chicken and strange Mayan chants and prayers. I took a tour also to Canyon Sumidero, a crocodile filled river flanked by 1 kilometere high cliffs, nesting pelicans and plenty spider monkeys.

After several days of drinking gallons of tea in order to myself warm, I arrived in the beautiful jungle paradise of El Panchan near the Mayan ruins of Palenque. Here I spent a lot of time relaxing, exploring caves, waterfalls, river pools and ruins. I even assisted in the making of a spoof jungle survival movie so I am waiting on the invite from Cannes and Sundance.

I am currently back in Guatemala, staying on the island of Flores. Today I visited the 'Mother of all Ruins' at Tikal. Totally mind bogglingly awesome, big and bold set deep into dense jungle. Tommorrow I head back to Mexico and the Yucatan region to spend my last week in Tulum.

Gallery: San Pedro, Atitilan

elbo_mozza — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 10:58:00 GMT

Gallery: Semuc Champey

elbo_mozza — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 10:33:00 GMT

Gallery: Volcan Pacaya

elbo_mozza — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 10:14:00 GMT

Gallery: Antigua

elbo_mozza — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 04:15:00 GMT

Gallery: Copan Ruinas

elbo_mozza — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:04:00 GMT

Mayan Ruins

The 8th Wonder of the World

elbo_mozza — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Up into the Highlands of Guatemala on a little shuttle bus driven at break neck speed around mountain bends - India people you know the score - praying the driver keeps his eyes open. From the miradors (vistas) the terrain looked like furry green upside down egg boxes, so many mountains as far as the eye could see. The destination was Lanquin famous for its Caves and nearby Semuc Champey waterfalls a place so beautiful they are claiming it to be the 8th Wonder of the natural world. I settled in at El Retiro, a lodge with several dorms and private cabanas on grassy slopes down to the river. The place was so relaxing but it lives up to its local name 'Gringolandia'.

The tour to Semuc Champey started with sitting on a swing that went out into the river. When Elvis the tour guide shouted 'jump!' you had to plunge several metres into the fast flowing waters below. This was followed a a candle lit tour of the caves, scrambling down rock faces and up underground waterfalls with a candle in hand is no easy feat. We had to swim through dark pools and under tight overhangs with the candles aloft. I felt like Golum, slipping around in the dark and dank underground world. The caves were follwed by a tubing session which caused great hilarity when one person's innertube made a loud hissing sound and rapidly deflated half way down the river. The next challenge was to jump off a bridge 9 metres above the river. After refusing to do it several times I eventually decided to do it knowing that it would niggle at me if i didnt. I was shaking before and after and it felt like I was falling forever before I hit the water and was whisked away by the current. The all action day was topped off by a vigourous climb to the mirador and then relaxing in the stunningly blue aqua pools.

Hot Rocks and Green Bellies

elbo_mozza — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:25:00 GMT

I made it to Guatemala having previously decided not to come because of horror stories regarding the gang crime and violent attacks on buses. So far so good, even travelled through Guatemala City which is big and dirty but looks quite interesting.

The first stop was Antigua, like Granada in Nicaragua, another gorgeous Spanish Colonial town surrounded by three volcanoes. It is lovely but full of tourists and you probably wouldnt know you were in Guatemala but for the women in traditonal brightly coloured dress gathering in the plaza. The people here are called Green Bellied because of the amount of avocadoes that grow in this area and there are stacks and stacks of them everywhere you go.

I went on a tour up Volcan Pacaya where you are supposed to be able to see lava flowing through the cracks in volcanic rock under your feet. The climb was hot and steep and we were followed by men and boys on horses shouting 'Taxi! Taxi!', I resisted, I needed a serious work out. Our trek was punctuated with great booms and cracks from above as the volcano belched more rings of black smoke. To our disappointments the lava was not visisble when we arrived at the top but it was so wierd to see the rock in great gloopy folds. The hollowness of the ground underfoot and the gusts of hot air rising through the cracks let us know that lava was not that far down and could rise at any minute. A fire was started and people toasted marshmallows which were woolfed down by the dogs which accompanied us, at any opportunity. The views and sunset alone were worth it for the sweat and toil.

Oh Maya, What a Ruin!

elbo_mozza — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:49:00 GMT

I finally left Nicaragua not having achieved what I wanted to with the Ponies and Small Persons project and not knowing how best to progress with this next. However, it is an amazing country with amazing people and my time there was hugely fulfilling in many other ways.

And so to Honduras. The bus route across the border and through Honduras took us through ever changing mountain scenes, from the rough and dry to cool rocky pine clad slopes and finally to great dripping misty plantations and muddy pastures. We passed rows of big black vultures sitting on fence posts eyeing dog and horse corpses and little communities filled with cowboy hat and welly boot wearing gents. There is definately a significant change in atmoshere compared with Nicaragua and there seemed to be hardly anyone about. It was for this reason that I abandoned plans to stay at a micro brewery on the shores of Lago de Yajoa because when it came to my stop it was very deserted and I had no clue how to make the next connection. I carried on to San Pedro Sula where I spent the night. I was sad to just rip through Honduras without stopping anywhere along the way, but as a lone female I thought it best to be cautious.

The next day I travelled to the small town of Copan near Gatemalan border and famous for the Mayan Copan Ruinas (hence the dreadful Sun newspaper style title to this story - sorry!). Narrow, steep, cobbled streets wind themselves around the Parque Central where the cowboy hats and women in traditional Maya dress are ever more evident. Other than the ditinct change in local culture to Nica, the other immediately noticeable change is that this place was cold! Freezing in fact. I spent a few days here just wandering around, visiting an unremarkable but interesting butterfly farm before meeting up with my Dutch friend Jacqueline and going to the Ruins.

Many people had returned to the hostel saying 'its okay', '15 dollars is too expensive' or 'without a guide it is just some old rocks' so nothing had prepared us for this truely awesome sight. We were met at the gates by a swarm of huge red macaws preening each other on the fence and chattering in the trees. Despite arriving late, the large coach tours were absent and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves apart from the elderly groundsman who kept pretending to draw double pistols on us as if in a Western movie (see photos).

First up was the petroglyphs and hieroglyphs (dunno the difference)and the massive carvings of pre-columbian kings of Waterlily Jaguar, Smoke Monkey, 18 Rabbit, First Dawn and Cauac Sky to name but a few of the funkiest names. The plazas, ball courts, altars and the jaw dropping Hieroglyphic Stairway all backed by mountainous forests were almost overwhelming. Having seen Mel Gibson's film Apocalypto, however innacurate, I could vividly imagine the bustling civilisation it would once have been and I could see those heads tumbling from the towering altars as human sacrfice to the gods were made. Visitors to the park were able to clamber over and through the ruins and really explore the nooks and crannies - this physical proximity to the ancient world would never be allowed in the UK. There was no litter and no graffitti - a little trust and less paranoia goes a long way.

We spent hours soaking this place up and were up for spending the night here. To those zipping through Copan, ticking it off the tourist list and just seeing a 'pile of rocks' - SLOW DOWN, OPEN YOUR EYES, YOUR MIND AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION! Rant over.

Enjoy the photos but know that they do not do it justice. (photos tommorrow)

Totally Tropical!

elbo_mozza — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:27:00 GMT

They say that if you dont like the weather on The Corn Islands, just wait 5 minutes. After having waited for weeks for the internet weather reports to clear up I thought to hell with it and booked the trip. It was worth it just for the plane ride on a tiny 12 seater in which the pilot had to stand up from his seat to see over the `dashboard´. We flew from Managua, over Lake Nicaragua, the sparsely populted remote regions of Chontales and Atlantico Sur and finally the Caribbean sea until the pristine azul waters, white sand and thick green vegetation came into view. After an hour´s flight in what seemed like nothing more than a baked bean can we touched down on Big Corn and were met by a taxi driver who said `nah man we dont got no rain here fah weeks´. Great.

The next morning we took the panga to Little Corn Island which was headed by a huge black dude laden with chunky gold jewellery who stood at the front of the boat (bow?) like a great Congolese warrior. The ride was very bumpy and very wet but I just about managed to hold on to my breakfast. The island is like something out of a fantasy and what I dreamed the Caribbean would be like when I was young. Little Corn has no roads, no cars and you cant ride your bicycle past 6pm at night! Perfect, nothing but the sounds of the jungle, the waves and the occasional shriek from me ´that bloody great crab is under the bed again!

We found lodging in Graces Cool Spot a rasta vibe set of bamboo huts right on the beach, a 30 second roll from bed to turquoise waters in the morning. We were quickly adopted by a little kitten who we named Marlowe and a puppy whose mum wouldnt feed him. We didnt name the puppy as that would get us too attached.´ We were on the island for full moon which was so bright that flashlights were not needed when walking at night, the sand literally glowed.

Everyone on the island was diving so I decided to attempt to overcome my fear of deep dark water and did a DSD Try Dive. I loved it so much that I started my PADI Open Water qualification that afternoon and three days later I was certified! The underwater world was incredible, just like Finding Nemo, like an under water coral garden city with subways, high rise flats and fish cleaning stations. We saw brightly coloured fish, sea cucmbers, sting rays, mantarays and eaglerays and I even touched a Nurse Shark.

As is typical on a island with temporamental electricity and very little contact with the world beyond there was not a lot else to do and thus not much else to report. I taught the little girl who peddled round the island selling coconut bread how to do poi and ate fish. I could have stayed forever.

Gallery: Little Corn Island

elbo_mozza — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:50:00 GMT

Carribbean Scenes

Sorry for the Silence

elbo_mozza — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 13:46:00 GMT

It's been a long time since I last updated the blog so prepare for a biggish one, get yourself a nice cup of tea and slice of marmite on toast . . .

My time at Hospedaje & Bar La Libertad passed very amiably, chatting to lots of people, finding out about volunteer projects, dancing and revisiting Laguna de Apoyo several times. In my last week I visited the organic coffee farm that belongs to the owner of the hostel. We were driven up into the cool lushness of the hills where we spent several hours picking the little red berries, that are then dried and from which the bean is then extracted. It was great to be working out of doors, meet the farmers and understand the process that goes into what is probably the most widely consumed drink in the world. Although I doubt your average cup of Nescafe is produced so ethically.

Christmas was spent eating, drinking, dancing and letting off hundreds of fireworks into the street - very dodgy but the Nicas are obsessed with it. Although I spent it with some wonderful people, it definately wasnt the same and I wished I could come home for just a few days.

As the Christmas haze began to clear I headed off solo to Isla de Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. This island made up of two volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas, is said to be the largest lake island in the world. I arrived a kilometre or two from Finca Magdalena where I was to stay in the dark and had to hike up to the the organic coffee and honey farm by torchlight. As I arrived I was greeted by several people that had passed through the hostel at different times. The network of travellers here is so so strong, its really sociable. The next day I got up at 6.30 am to hike up the slippery muddy Volcan Maderas through the cloud forest to the sound of chattering birds and howler monkeys. In the afternoon we hired mountain bikes and huffed and puffed our way through baking heat and sudden downpours to a beach. As we swam out into the lake and looked up from our position between the volcanoes topped with swirling clouds we couldnt help grinning at each other and feeling truly awe inspired and so so lucky. After the days triathlon of adventure activities we named ourselves 'The Champions of Ometepe' and congratulated ourselves with chocolate cake which we had seen being carried up the steep slope to the Finca earlier in the day. The next day I struck out on my own again, hired a horse from a local family and set off across the island. When I asked about my steeds name, they looked blankly, laughed and named him Colorado on the spot. So me and my new love spent a romantic afternoon trotting to an aqua swimming hole, cantering along the beach through the waves and sheltering under plantains from occasional monsoon blasts.

I left Ometepe on 30th December with the promise to return one day - I could have spent weeks there. Next stop was surfer hang out of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Coast in the south of Nicaragua. When I arrived I was horrifed to discover that not only was it the Newquay of Nicaragua but all the prices had been jacked up to double and there was still nowhere available left to stay. I ended up sleeping on the floor in the back of a funny house turned shop for a couple of nights with some Aussie guys I had met on Ometepe. I toasted to the New Year striking in the UK at 6pm at sunset on the beach, good 'ol fish and chips and then continued to gear up for the inevitable anticlimax of the gringo swamped bar trawl. I've realised I'm just not cool enough for these surf towns or the posing muscle bound Brads, Chads and Brendons. As the requisite New Years Day grottiness lifted we walked up to a five star resort on the hill where they have a managerie of monkeys, cats and pelicans, all of which I got to cuddle so I was very happy.

After a delayed departure due to a wierd 24 hour tummy bug I retreated back to Granada where I have spent the last couple of days sorting stuff, running errands and working out a minor visa scare. Tommorrow I head to The Corn Islands on the Carribbean side in a tiny little plane. I am really looking forward to some blissful isolation and quiet.

We dont seem to be any further forward on the Ponies and Small Persons front BUT I have made a fantastic link with an organisation The School of Comedy and Mime. Founded by a Venezuelan clown, the Escuela works with young people from low income families and at-risk children teaching then theatre and circus skills. The older more experienced participants then help out with newer younger ones - sounds familiar Firefly?! They have dome some tours of Europe and are very interested in creating some kind of link with Firefly Arts. They have built a house of plastic bottles where they live and practice! The web address is

www.escueladecomedia.org

That's all for now, check out the new photos in the galleries.

Feliz ano nuevo!

Much love, Eleanor xxxxxxxxxx

Gallery: Christmas Eve and Day

elbo_mozza — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 13:34:00 GMT

Granada

Gallery: Isla de Ometepe

elbo_mozza — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 13:06:00 GMT

Island of two volcanoes!

Gallery: San Juan del Sur New Year 2008/9

elbo_mozza — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 12:18:00 GMT

Gallery: Cafe sin Leche

elbo_mozza — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:04:00 GMT

Coffee picking on organic farm

Gallery: Terry the Tarantula and Laguna de Apoyo

elbo_mozza — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:48:00 GMT

Paradise

Gallery: Bat Caves and Volcan Masaya

elbo_mozza — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:34:00 GMT

Mojito Maestro

elbo_mozza — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:04:00 GMT

Still in Granada and doesnt look like i'm moving very soon, in fact I hardly move at all these days except from hammock to bar to book to computer to market. I have a bar job in Hospedaje La Libertad in return for free accommodation and some food. This is allowing me to save some cash for my next move, whatever that may be. The hostel is in a big old colonial house, another one, with high ceilings, tiled floors and a red tiled roof. It has a lovely central courtyard with trees, plants and a tinkling fountain. Arranged around this are hammocks, chairs, a big mound of comfy stuff and my bar. It is my bar, i have been told so. I am the only one that works in it and the manager helps me out on happy hour nights. She likes a drink and we do so behind the bar. Great. We serve mojitos, cuba libre, tequila and beer and are never very busy so I just chat to the punters, listen to travel tales and shake my cocktail maker. Hard work. Went out for post work dancing the other night got my purse nicked which is something of a bummer but my own fault, was quite nice having a bunch of guys running after the young perp on my behalf though.

The lack of more imaginative punctuation other than full stops and commas is due to the fact that everything on this keyboard isnt where it says it is so sorry if it doesnt have indications of excitement like exclamation marks etc, here is the best of what I have . . . =+-__)]}"'?/(*&^%$#@!

I spent the weekend up at Laguna de Apoyo which is one of the most beautiful i have ever been and I want to take you all there. It is a large volcanic crater rimmed with thick lush jungle and filled with the purest, clearest water in Central America. The laguna is thermally heated so is warner than a swimming pool and thus great for night swimming, lying on your back in the water and star gazing. No noise except for the lapping of the water, birds and various chirping insects. The places I stayed at had canoes, inner tubes and floating docks that you could swim out to and sun yourself on.

We encountered another tarantula, this one is still alive and I have photos to document its size and well being. Check them out in the Laguna gallery.

On the Saturday I took a night tour of Volcan Masaya and peered into the dark smouldering hole to see glowing lava and imagine sacrifices of indigenous indians not so long ago. We then went into a bat cave and were led several hundred metres into the abyss. We were told to turn off our torches and were told in the pitch black that this underground chamber was where the indians held meetings and decided who would be sacrificed to the angry volcano gods. All this with bats whizzing past our ears, it was wicked. exclamation mark.

Still no set plans other than yoga tommorrow morning and er that's it. I should really try and schedule in some Spanish revision into my busy schedule. Dont know where i'll be for christams or new year but my thoughts will be with you all.

Love Ele x

In love with this place!

elbo_mozza — Sun, 7 Dec 2008 00:47:00 GMT

Wow! This place is so cool! Have been studying Spanish in the ex-colonial town of Granada for the past week which has been really hard but I think I maybe just beginning to geddit. My teacher has been very relaxed in our one on one sessions and spends as much time cracking the joints in my hands and telling jokes as teaching me reflexive, preterite, exceptions and just plain silly rules. euggh! I'm sure English isnt this complicated to learn.

My hostel has been great, an old spanish stlye house whose dorms are arranged around a palm shaded central courtyard with rocking chairs and hammocks to chill out in. I have met some really cool people who I have eaten my way around the excellent restaurants with and danced merengue, salsa, bachata, cumbia and folkloric nicaraguense around bars under the stars - bliss. Every night for nine nights the Virgin has been paraded down a diffent street followed by a band and all the local Nicas. It ends in the central plaza where all the locals hang out, eat shaved ice dripping with pinapple syrup and yes, fire off mortars. I love this place so much, I could definately spend a lot of time here. It is a tourist town, with a lot of Gringo owned businesses but not to its detriment, not at all tacky.

Today I am heading to Laguna de Apoyo to spend the weekend relaxing, kayaking, sunning and studying. Its going to be really hard! On Monday will probably head to Isla de Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua for volcano hiking, more kyaking and horses.

Loads more photos on the blog.

Thinking of y'all - honest!

Love Ele x