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.
