Central America 2012

Sun, Sand & Sanya

hcr64 — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 23:52:00 GMT

Having recovered from the sporting excesses in Shanghai, took a flight from Shanghai to Sanya. The flight was only a couple of hours & again incident-free. I arrived late at night to a brilliant hostel in the south of Hainan Island, a place called Sanya.This place is known for its beach so I was very pleased to be spending 10days here. The next morning started with a run which I continued with throughout my time here. Depending on the weather, it was either up & out by 6.00am if it was sunny, or around 10.00am if it was cloudy. Cloud & rain did wonders for my times!

The beach was great but there was quite a strong current in the South China Sea but managed to cope & do some serious work on my tan which had been neglected since Borocay. Had a couple of nights out at a sports bar called The Dolphin which again enabled me to stay connected with the sporting world. This time The Open & I could listen to TMS again for the cricket-yet another glorious victory for the England boys!

Had some mixed weather but as it turned out this was a good thing as I managed despite using factors 80 & 30 to get myself a bit on the pink side. Went into the local town on a couple of days when it wasn't bloody boiling. Not much to see there but was probably the ony place I had visted so far in China where I felt this was an ordinary town not really geared up for tourists & great because of that.

Flew from Sanya to HK & this flight was a couple of hours delayed to due the torrential rain. Not a problem though as Neil had left keys to his apartment at the reception desk. This is a pilot (yes I know!) who I met in HK. He very kindly invited me to stay at his gaff. The only slight problem being that he actually wasn't going to be there for the first night as he was flying back from Paris! No problems with the arrangments & had an opportunity to cook for the first time in 9 weeks & also have a bath!! Bloody marvelous.

Next morning went food shoppoing as I had offered to cook for us as a thank you & also gave Neil time to catch up on some kip. Did us an Italian meal which was great as it started at around 3.00pm & ended at 11.00pm! Not lost my touch on the cooking front I can confidently say. Next day I flew to BKK again without any issues apart from the £250 camera that I bought as yet again I had managed to drown the last one in the bottom of my bag. Don't ask but wine was involved!

Back here on the Ko San Road was a strange experience as I hadn't been here for 3 years. I suddenly had a great urge to smoke. Obviously I didn't succumb to temptation but was wierd. Had a couple of beers & a Pad Thai just to get back into the swing of all things Thai. Spent the next few days chiling by the pool & getting ready for my long anticipated return to the island of Ko Pha Ngan which I can't wait for. Will probably be full of the worthy types where you can't move for them here with all their ethnic clothes, piercings & tattoos!!! And there will another first for me on KPN where I will be gatecrashing an old school friends honeymoon!!!

A sporting few weeks

hcr64 — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:03:00 GMT

So why didn't I plan my move from Beijing to Shanghai better? Didn't I realise that I was in fact traveling on the day of the second British & Irish Lions test against Australia? How bad is that? As you can see I didn't get to see the game but did have a fantastic 5 hour train trip on the Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai. Did manage yet again to lose my bank card at the ATM-well the sequence is different to everywhere else I have been therefore not my fault!

Eventually found the hostel having been helped on the way by a French guy & an American. Just round the corner from the hostel was a very basic restaurant which served perfectly acceptable food for a couple of quid so I was a happy girl. The next day started on the siteseeing which was great apart from temperatures in the 100s & similar humidity levels. Anyway, Shanghai was great. Lots to see, lots of shops to walk past looking in & remembering those days when i really needed a Mont Blanc pen & a new pair of Jimmy Choos!

Found an ex-pats pub which showed the final rugby test & what a game that was. It also had pints of Tiger at a very reasonable price during happy hour & by the time that had finished, in true "I'll show my sporting knowledge & get free drinks style" I had met a couple of guys who were only too willing to buy me drinks! Oh yes & well done the boys-brilliant result.

The next day went up to the bar on the roof of the hostel which was great. Met 3 English girls who were all living in Shanghai & their friend a cute Kwiw who was staying at the hostel. We all had a number of beers together & decided to go out late for buckets of whiskey & coke. Well I do have to get back in training for Ko Pha Ngan. It was a great night as we were joined by an English guy, a Swiss guy & a Spanish girl. Think it might have been a late one but not really too sure.

The next day consisted of being in recovery mode but my final 2 days in the city were great. Spent a day wandering around The Bund and eating really great noodles at a local stall & the following day in the French Concession & Old City. Loved it.

Moved the next day again by the fab fast train to Hangzhou which was tremendously hot but a stunning location on the lake. Staying at an hostel which is situated at the sourthern end of West Lake. Spent 3 days just strolling around the lake, taking photos, being photographed by interested locals & sitting in the shade reading. A very pleasant way to spend my time. The nights however were somewhat fraught as I realised that I could listen to Test Match Special on the pc. Well the last 5 nights have been truely amazing with England eventually winning the first Ashes test by 14 nailbiting runs!!! Not sure what the people in the next room will have thought as I cheered English runs, Aussie wickets & swore loudly at Geoff Boycotts inane comments. So with you Mum on what an idiot that bloke is!

Off back to Shanghai & straight to Pudong airport as later today I am flying to Hainan Island for what I hope will be 10 days of glorious sunshine on a beach but the forecast is poor. This does not make me in any way happy. Hopefully my mood will have lifted by the time of my next update.

Frozen Dead Guy

hcr64 — Wed, 3 Jul 2013 12:17:00 GMT

So I have now just about receovered from Hong Kong which was brilliant. I took an overnight train from HK to Beijing in total about 24 hours which was completely fine. Having said that, I was on the top bunk of a 6 berth cabin sharing with 2 other women a Mum & her 2 kids. Those of you who know me well will be able to appreciate my horror at this sitaution. I am brilliant with kids for seconds on end but David & Kevin aged 8 & 6 respectively were actually pretty good.

Beijing train station didnt present any difficulties, they started once I tried to get a bus to the hotel. I found the bus stop & worked out how they operated & then waited for over an hour when at least 3 other buses on every other route went past. Taxi it was then. On reaching the rank where the taxis were meant to be, a guy came up to me initially asking if I wanted a room. I declined. He then offered his services as a taxi. I asked to see his badge & to show me the car. He showed me his car keys!!! Anyway agreed a price, put my bag next to me in the back seat when I then realised that his wife wwas in the front seat with a GPS system!! They did get me to the hotel in a manner of speaking & I think I got a pretty good price.

Where I am staying is about a 20 minutes walk to Tiananmen Square. It's pretty impressive as is The Forbidden City from what I could see through the thick pollution.Did these sites over a couple of days & generally chilled out-well as much as you can with hundreds of Chinese kids running round screaming & their parents spitting what seems like all the time! Just reminded me of India as the constant stream of people wanting to have their picture taken with me. Oh the price I pay for having strawberry blond wild hair!!

Read in the Rough Guide that every morning the authorities winch Chairman Mao up from his freezer in his crystal coffin for a few hours so that people can have a look at him. Well sounded far to good to be true. Having left my bag at the left luggage place I went to stand in the huge line waiting to enter the Chairman Mao Memorail Hall. Although the queue was massive it only took about 20 minutes to be processed through the now familiar security.

We were herded into an ante room where people lay bunches of flowers in what looked like a coffin. I thought that this was all we were going to see & was starting to feel a little disappointed. However, after more instructions to keep moving & be silent we enterred another huge room where in the middle was the frozen corpse of Chairman Mao. He was in his crystal coffin wearing the traditional jacket of the Chinese Communist Party, draped in the Chinese flag & his head appeared to be illuminated by an orange light. Quite to most bizarre sight I think I have ever witnessed. You got about a minute in the room with the dead guy but that was enough.

After that The Temple of Heaven was a beautiful and to a large extent, tranquil retreat for an afternoon. Off to The Great Wall tomorrow & then hitting the sites of Shanghai for 6 days. Can't access Facebook here so please Skype, mail or Viber me until the 25th when I return to HK for a couple of days. Oh yes & have booked my room on KPN for a week fun!! You gotta love this traveling lark!

Why haven't i been here earlier?

hcr64 — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 16:53:00 GMT

So I arrive in Hong Kong on a very early morning flight from Manila. I very kindly leant my RG to some Americans who hadn't done any research into the place & then didn't see them again. Serves me right for being too lovely. Won't be making that mistake again. So after a trip to a local book store & $300 later I am ready for the city.

Well it is bloody brilliant I can tell you. The first shops I see are Harvey Nicks & Jimmy Choo. I so should have been brought here by the ex when I/he had money, although having said that, it woulodn't have lasted long. Initially I was staying in the Central district which was great. Very close to the bar & restaurant area of Lan Kwai Fong. Have had some brilliant meals & as is so true in Asia, the street food is great. Moved now to a great hostel in Causeway Bay.Well it announces itself as a hostel but I am in my own en suite room in an aprtment block right on Fashion Walk. In fact opposite a Vivien Westwood shop.

Been using the MTR like a local & have seen pretty much all of the north side of the island. Been to Kowloon & had a lovely Tanquery & Tonic at the Inter Continental Hotel. The view was completely fantastic. Was speechless for about 30 minutes just taking it all in.

Now have made a mojor decision & purchased my train ticket from here to Beijing on Friday. It takes 24 hours so that should be a great experience. Being a cheapskate I have the cheapest ticket going which is a top bunk in a carriage for 6 people. Officially called a Hard Sleeper. My Chinese Visa was very staright forward to get. I turned up on Tuesday having filled out the form. Handed it in with my passport. Returned on Friday, paid $360 & received the visa in my passport which is valid for up to 30 days in China & lasts for 3 months. Just have to navigate myself around the Beijing underground & change trains to get to the hotel which should be fun.

Then it's a month in China before heading off to Thailand & yes you guessed it, Ko Pha Ngan.

Off to watch The Lions V the Wallabies this evening. Fingers crossed that the boys play well.

Helen x

The Philippines Rock

hcr64 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:04:00 GMT

So arrive in Manila which was pretty much as I thought, noisy, dirty & hot but I enjoyed the couple of nights there. Took a plane to Kalibo & then the coach & ferry to Borocay which is lovely. The White beach is beautiful & where I stayed at the beginning of my time here at Bulabog beach was also lovely but much more quiet.

Moved to nearer White Beach which was a good move apart from the man walking around with snakes. That completely freaked me out so much so that I couldn't walk along the beach were the shops & restaurants are. Made for difficult walking on the sand which resulted in a very swollen ankle!

Now back nearer Bulabog beach which is great although the weather hasn't been too good the last couple of days. The tan is getting there thankfully. Loving The Philippines. The people are lovely, very friendly & good fun. Been hanging out with some local girls & visiting the clubs here. Beer is about a £1.00 & a bottle of rum £1.30!!!

Headiing off to Hong Kong on Sunday which I am really looking forward to, especially the food. Not sure where to go after that but probably try to get into China for a few weeks. Met some great people including a couple of guys from Colorado who were fun.

Packing for my next trip

hcr64 — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:29:00 GMT

So I am currently sitting in the kitchen of the house of my parents getting ready for my next voyage. This trip is taking me back to SE Asia specifically Manila on Sunday. Then I hope to have some relaxing beach time on Borocay, followed by more time on Palawan then it's off to Hong Kong where I hope to eat some fantastic food. After this it's China for giant Pandas and really not sure after that. I will be away for 25 weeks this time if all goes well and flying back from Bangkok. I feel a need to revisit a Full Moon Party!

So I have just finished my packing and have been brutal. Only taking 13 kgs of stuff this time. Working on the basis that I will be able to buy extra gear when I am out there. Hoping to meet another lot of like minded people and generally just have some fun in the sun. Next stop Hove for a couple of days to meet with friends and family then LHR T4.

Final Week

hcr64 — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:43:00 GMT

Despite the bus arriving almost an hour late & taking an hour longer than advertised, the trip from San Cris to Playa whilst long was actually OK. My travel cushion decided at that point to have a puncture which wasn't ideal but given some of the other trips i 've had recently, it was fine.

Received a lovely welcome from the staff at the hotel whch S & I had stayed in a few weeks ago. Went straight to the beach as a tan is my priority at this stage. Met a great couple from the Scily Isles in the evening & went dancing on the beach at one of the clubs. Do believe that it was about 5.00am when I eventually made my way back to the room.

Consequently the follwoing was spent in slow motion & involved much laying down in a darkened room watching crime. Had some good pizza from the little place down the road. Finished off my present shopping & realised that my bag is very heavy & enormous. Therefore need as little walking with it as possible.

Moved today to a lovely place for the last couple of nights of luxury. its nice but not the bext place I've been in but considering some of the accommodation on this trip, its lovely. Last full day tomorrow so going to make the most of it.

Land of Worthies

hcr64 — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:47:00 GMT

Spent a very pleasant day wandering around Antigua in wonderful sunshine. This place is firmly on the tourist route with many ageing Americans in sight most of the time in formation fashion. We found a couple of great bars & made frriends with a young guy who was selling flutes which had been made by his father. Whilst wandering around one of the main streets which was populated by bars & restaurants I spotted a most unusual sight. It can only be described as a car park for religious icons! It was an area within what had obviously been a church. There wasn't a roof but the floor space was filled with about 10 huge religious icons which had been left there ready for the next festival. Quite a sight!

I bought some very delicious but very expensive beer snacks in the form of various nuts & dried broad beans-some parts of the mix were better than others. Had some pupusas for supper by they didn't compete with those sampled in El Salvador. So it was off to a couple of bars near the hotel before an early night. A quick word about the hotel. It wasn't true to sat that you couldn't swing a cat in it-there wasn't enough room. Possibily a kitten at a push!

Up early to catch the chicken bus to Lake Atitlan. I love these buses, yes they take longer than the shuttles but they are full of local people who are happy in the main to see you & they leave on time. The journey in this case was about 3 and a half hours but it was through some lovely countryside & whilst not the most comfortable ride, is perfectly acceptable.

Arrived at Panajachel where we waited about 30 minutes for the boat to fill up. Didn't want it to be too full as I have realised on this trip that of all the modes of transport I have been on, these small craft are my least favourite. However this particular trip was OK & only lasted about 30 minutes. Found a great room with sensastional views over the lake towards the Indians Nose for about £4 a night. The guy who directed us here then asked if we wanted a trek through the jungle to the top to watch the sunrise. Clearly S was under orders to politely say no to this. The guy said that in the 25 years he had been guiding people there he had never wittnessed a snake. S (who by this time had been fully trained in all things snakey) gently informed the man that whilst he believed his information to be correct, I on the other hand truely believed that every snake in Guatemala would be there looking for me.

Spent the first day sunbathing on the roof of the hotel which was lovely until the whole building started to shake & make "falling down" noises. This went on for about 20 seconds I think & was seriously not funny. Yes it was my first earthquake! Hopefully my last as well. Beer was needed after that.

So whilst wandering around San Pedro I came across a category of traveller who I have witnessed on all of my trips around the wolrd so far namely The Worthies. This is a name that I have come up with to describe this particular group of people. They ALL conform to the following characteristics which are as follows:

Early to mid twenties
Hair braided but not in a cool dreads way
Tattoos and or piercings
Wear locally made muted coloured patchwork rags-sorry I mean clothes
Barefotted or Reef sandals
Want to save the ant or any other creatures they come across
Talk earnestly or bollocks about world matters
Adopt local stray animals
Travel on Daddies trust funds (that part might not be strictly true in all cases)

So you get the picture they are REBELS!!! Well actually they arent. When it comes down to it, it could be argued that I am far more of a rebel than they are, being as I am in my mid forties(oh yes I am), have no kids, single & travel by myself. Not many of them will be doing this when they grow up I can confidently say. Oh welll each to their own I guess.

S left to return to Honduras after a couple of days so I settled into a pattern of reading on the roof, going to the gym & chatting to or being chatted up by anyone who had the misfortune of being near me. Kept checking the weather here & in Playa del Carmen as I was determined to return to the UK with a very healthy tan. So the decision was made eventually to leave this quite wonderful place & make my way to Playa for the final week of this trip. Accuweather had better be as the name suggests as I will be seriously unhappy if not burnt to a cinder tomorrow! Taking the night bus from San Cristobal de las Casas this afternoon & in theory arrive 17 hours later in Playa. Wish me luck!

Ruins & Revolutionaries

hcr64 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:02:00 GMT

Spent a couple of very pleasant days in Palenque in the hot sunshine & torrential rain. Took ourselves to the site of the ruins on a local bus which was much cheaper than the shuttles for tourists. Was a stunning place, much smaller than Tikal but very impressive. Also set in the lush jungle where the humidity was pretty fierce but thankfully other than some lovely butterflies no other wildlife to report.

Came back into town & had some of the best quesadillas I have ever had at a place recommened in the Rough Guide. Whilst we were there I spotted that they did deliveries so we placed an order for later that night as we were going to stay in & fight crime with the SVU on Law & Order which we had downloaded onto my laptop. Think we might have over estimated the quantities of food that are served in Mexico as when the order duely appeared on time there was enough food for about 6 people! Thankfully it didn't go to waste as we used it for a packed lunch the next day.

Were picked up by the minibus & taken to 2 sets of waterfalls namely Misol Ha & Aqua Azul. As it was the rainy season but were impressive in their own right. At the latter falls, I did manage to indulge my love of pigs by spotting a mother & baby piglet so very happy indeed. Transferred onto a regular Pullman bus for the trip through the mountains to San Cristobal de las Casas. Unfortunately it was raining for much of the trip so couldn't really appreciate the scenery but the bits I did see were very impressive. Arrived at the bus station & without any problems-long may that continue.

The next day was spent walking around the town watching a political demonstration as the people here in the Chiapas state want independance from the rest of Mexico. The demonstration seemed to very peaceful so much so that of the 2 armed police on duty, one of them was painting the roadside kerb!

Found a great market with lots of locally produced goods all significantly cheaper tha anywhere else in Mexico I'd been to so stocked up on pressies. Ambled around the beautifully presented produce market & had a beer at the Cafe Revolucion! Simons Che tattoo went down very well.

Dinner was at a great Argentinian Steak House where I managed to satisfy my long overdue urge for very undercooked steak. Then it was off to some bar with a couple of the guys who worked at the restaurant for more beer & a chat before heading up the road to buy yet more beer from a vendor in his house. San Chris rocks is all I can say!

Up early the next morning to be collected at 7.00am by shuttle bus to head to Guatemala. Weren't actually picked up until 8.00 so I was already not the happiest person you have ever met. When the minibus arrived the only seats were right at the back & a very tight squeeze for me let alone S who is 6 2. So we made a stop for breakfast where the entertainment is provided by quite a sizeable rally of locas protesting about the government. All traffic was stopped & the road blocked in both directions so that caused yet more delays.

However, made it to the border, no excitment to report, another wait for the next minibus where I made sure we had great seats well as great as they get anyway. Found out that one of our fellow passengers was from Lewes Road Brighton! Yet another stop for snacks but this time it was welcomed as we found the full range of my current fave crisps-called Chips! Waited for another minibus to take us to Antigua which duely arrived after about anotherb 30 minute wait.

Set off on what we belived to be the final part of the journey but as we were seriously late the driver then informed us that he wouldn't actually be going all the way to Antigua but would instead drop us off in Panajachel instead. This news I can honestly say wasn't all that well received & those that could speak Spanish let him know how they felt. Eventually he spoke to someone in the office & those of us travelling onto Antigua were transferred onto yet another bus & we arrived in Antigua at 8.30pm. Only the 4 hors late drropped off at the wrong hotel but eventually managed a quick shower before collapsing into bed. Oh how I love travelling in Guatemala!

Golfing Heaven

hcr64 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 01:14:00 GMT

Managed to tear myself away from Tulum & took a Collective to Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera about an hour away. Again got a great deal costing about £15 a night for a place a couple of blocks from the beach. Unpacked & set out to explore. This was going really well until I spotted some very unfortunate creatures on the end of chains. They happened to be a lion, tiger & leopard cub. Now this might sound like a great thing to see apart form the animal cruelty issue & yes they were all very cute, however in my warped world animals on chains mean snakes on people! S then was persuaded to ask if there was a creature lurking in the street & yes there was a couple of blocks away! Oh great. Thankfully I didnt get to see it as S was on the lookout.

We had a plan to combat this potential sighting by having a safety word. We decided on vegetable to be just that word (I don't know why either) but that was the word. So the drill would go like this: S would be on maximum alert, if he saw it then he would shout vegetable, at this point I would close my eyes & he would guide me to safety!! Brilliant.

So it was Ryder Cup weekend. I spent most of the time in the pub next door or on the internet keeping up with the action. The place next door was called the Tequilla Barrel & had some other people in there watching the events of the Sunday singles matches unfold. I was gripped by the excitement of it all. It is my fave sporting event by a mile so I was very emotional by then of the match & the fact that it was such an amazing win by the European boys was just unbelievable.

After that many days were spent on the beach when the weather allowed & hours watching Law & Order on the laptop when it poured down. Like Playa as although it is developed & has lots of the usual tourist stuff it wasn't too badly detroyed. Found some great cheap places to eat & there was a Wallmart so cheap beer & tequilla were readily available.

As the weather didn't seem to be improving it was deciced to head off to Palenque where there are some Mayan ruins. At this point S had booked his ticket to return to Utila but about a couple of hours before he was due to leave he decided to come to Palenque with me. We boarded an overnight ADO Gold standard bus which as it turned out was very comfortable & almost empty so I had a double seat to myself.

Sorry just have to mention that I am writing this now in Guatemala where the bar next door is playing Christmas carols!! Just heard a rendition of Rudolph . Very strange indeed. Got to move my gear to another room now so will be back to finish the next installment in a minute.

Back To Belize

hcr64 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:52:00 GMT

So back to Caye Caulker where normailty resumed. This included getting very sunburnt on the dock, being savaged by a Blue Grunt fish (well how was I supposed to know that they don't like being picked up & having their photo taken?), meeting up with a Rasta guy called Justice - yes George that one! He actully then said that his name was Sean! Had a couple of nights here mainly recovering from the traumas of the previous couple of days. Thought that as we were here would be rude not to return to San Pedro & see the guys at Pedros Inn so that's what we did.

Had a lovely welcome from all the staff that included Peter telling me to F Off (well he is an Arsenal fan). He did redeem himself later by ringing the bell in the bar & buying far too many Jaegermeisters. Was great to see everyone again & lovely to have AC in a room as it was blisteringly hot. Its a great place but not really a backpckers hang out due to the expense so after 4 days thought it would be a good idea to head north & back into Mexico which is what we did & ended up in Tulum. Stayed at The Maya Hotel which I had stayed in previously with George. Went back to the a great place serving Chicken, Rice & Tacos - cheap & very good.

As its the low season here at the mo we managed to get a fantastic deal on a place right on the beach at Tulum for about £20 a night between us. Was great as it had a balcony, WiFi & stunning views.

We settled into a routine which included eating lots, sunbathing, S undertaking the task of removing any debris that was likely to interfere with my swimming as i don't like any "bits" in the water, drinking Tequilla & releasing Turtles into the sea! This came about as we were on the balcony one night & guy shouted up to us did we want to see some turtles? Well what would you do? So off we went to meet him. These little fellows had hatched & then gone completely the wrong way & ended up on the other side of the road so it was then our job to release them back into the sea.

We were each given 2 turtles which we had to name-mine were Eric & Cantona, kiss & then release. Was a fantastic experience seeing these tiny creatures racing to the sea apart for Eric who I think might have had learning difficulties as he made his way towards the bar in completely the wrong direction! I helped him back into the ocean & that was the end of that! Utterly brilliant. Did the same thing the following evening when some big guy gave us his torch as he was leaving the next day. S deciced that he recognised him & it turned out to be Will Sasso a Canadian comedian - know I've never heard of him either!

Journey From Hell

hcr64 — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:29:00 GMT

So we made it to El Salvador without a problem & had some very good on-board snacks from the local street food vendors including some pizza which was a welcome chage from chicken tacos.

Were met by friends who then took us to their place in the mountains for a festival of lanterns. All the houses in the village were decorated with lanterns which looked fantastic. The only problem was the relentless rain but a few pupusas later in the local restaurant & a number of rums helped with the evening. There was then some of the most spectacular fireworks I have ever seen so all in all a great evening.

Unfortunately the next morning was horrendous. The "friend" decided that he liked me & despite the fact that my travelling companian was right nect to me , decided to launch himself on me & clearly wasn't taking no for an answer. This prompted me to go crazy, get my stuff togther in record time & flee from the house in well under 5 minutes. That left me in a situation where by I had no way of knowing how to get back to San Salvador where all the rest of our gear was in his apartment.

Got on a chicken bus & eventually ended up in the capital. Was so shaken up by the events of the morning that I said to the taxi driver to take us to the best hotel there was. So spent the next 2 nights at the 5 star Inter Continental!! Was fab as it should have been for the price but luxury (meaning carpets & a bath) dont come cheap!

Got our gear back which was something of a relief & then headed off back on the road with the idea being to get to Belize so the S could get his visa re-newed. This as the guide books assured us was very easy to accomplish with a series of buses so off we set at 9.00am. The bus to Guatemala City left on time & we were going fine until the border crossing where we waited 2 hors for a guy who the authorities then decided not to allow into Guatemala. OK so that was annoying but no worries off we set agian.

This time we waited an hour as there were road works & here they close the road for an hour at a time so that they can carry out the repairs - an interesting & very annoying practice. So after we eventually got going again we had been on the road for 6 hours & should have been in Guatemala City but actually we had only just crossed the border.

An exectutive decision was required at this point so we re-claimed our bags took another chicken bus heading back towards the border to take a different route to Belize. Here's how it went after that:

More road works for another 45 minutes
Chicken bus to another town
Town completely in darkness due to an electric storm
Last bus had left
No hotels open
Very kind man gave us a lift to the bus stop which was 50 kms away for $50
Slept on the floor of the aisle of the bus as it was completely full
Cross the border into Belize only to find that our tickets dont take us any further
Helen completley looses the plot & freaks out much to the amazement of other passengers
Get taxi to Cayo
Chicken bus to Belize City
Ferry to Caye Caulker
Book into guest house
Drink buckets of beer to recover

The trip took around 26 hours & it was a nightmare. Oh the joys of travelling!!!

I hate WIFI

hcr64 — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 07:42:00 GMT

I have just spent the best part of the last hour up-dating my blog only to have it wiped by the lack of connection to the internet so I am not happy. So in a nutshell what I wrote was this:

Got ripped off in a cab in San Jose
Had a fab night with a handsome musician called Christiano
Spent time on a beach in Nicaragua called San Juan del Sur
Spent what seems like most of the last 4 weeks on chicken buses in strange parts of the world
Saw a cab get its windscreen smashed in by a guy using a baseball bat
Heard men signing Sandinista rebel songs
Drank a lot of Flora de Cana rum
Seen volcanos
Completing this story when I have calmed down
Going to drink tequilla now - God help me!

Land of hats

hcr64 — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:20:00 GMT

So Panama City was said to be quite risky in parts. Met an older US couple who couldn't believe that I was walking round the place on my own. She said that she had to hold onto her husband all the time for fear of being mugged. I didn't get that impression outside the shopping mall though.

So I booked myself onto one of these city hopper buses which are strictly not travelers territory but I rate them. They allow you to hop on & off the bus at all the major sites in a 24 hour period - brilliant if you haven't got much time in any one place. Went to the canal-unfortunately the visitors centre was closed so that was a disappointment, then went to the causeway which gave great views back to the city, a couple of other places & then the old part of the town which is called Casco Viejo. Was totally brilliant. Some of the buildings had already been renovated & others were in the process of being turned into upmarket hotels, bars & restaurants. Sat in the plaza & had a well deserved Atlas beer watching the world go by. Very relaxing apart from the searing heat, clouds of brick dust & the scream of construction equipment-but you get the idea.

So walked back to the bus & thought I'd have a little wander in the surrounding area- it turned out to be not the worlds most brilliant idea as I ended up in a barrio called El Chorillo which the guidebook describes as 'notoriuosly unsafe & to be pointedly avoided at all times'. Well I did realise my mistake very quickly & legged it out of there sharpish.

Had a couple more days just chilling in the centre & checking out the bus for my next stage which was to be in the town called David. Got the bus which wasn't a chicken bus as I had expected but a modern-ish double decker coach. Really lucked out on the seat allocation as was on the top deck right at the front so had a good view & leg room. Brilliant I thought. Didn't think that after about an hour into the 7 hour trip when I was wearing a t-shirt, long sleeved t-shirt, my Cervinia hoodie & hat. It was feezing as the AC was on full blast & I couldn't turn it off. The only thing that kept me warm were my hot flushes!!

A couple of days in the pouring rain in David & then it was time to move onto an island group in the Caribbean sea called Bocas del Toros. Lovely backpacker place with free bike rental thrown in as part of the deal to get round the place. Met a couple of girls from Appleby who knew my Godmother-that is a strange one I can tell you.

Stayed in a lovely place where there were hammocks so I used them & read my Kindle only to be rudely interrupted on regular occasions by the deafening noise of the humming birds feeding on the birdfeeder about a foot from my head. Noisy little fellas they are too.

After a night at a Salsa club with a guy from NYC who recognised me from Utila- his chat up line was 'Utila' (& it worked) I made my way on a shuttle bus here to Costa Rica & a small village/town called Puerto Viejo. It's lovely. The usual backpacker place with wooden buildings, bars, restaurants & hair braidiing emporiums.

Have spent the last couple of days on a fantastic beach pretty much by myself in very hot sunshine & crystal clear water. Was savagely attacked by a couple of very small reef fish today which I wasn't that happy about but just about recovered in time for a plate of chicken with rice & beans at a street stall. Excellent.

All is good but forgot to buy a hat in PC!

Island Heaven

hcr64 — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:49:00 GMT

Have finally managed to tear myself away from the island of Utila one of The Bay Islands of Honduras. Its primarily a place where people go to learn how to dive. I did learn but didn't complete my PADI. All taking too long & got fed up with being good all the time. Oh boy how I wish I had stopped partying earlier! Can & have dived though.

Utila is also the home of the dance music festival Sunjam which is held on a nearby Caye called Water Caye. In order to get there you have to take a local boat which all sounded very pleasant that is until i got on the boat with a bunch of other people including 4 really drunken Irish kids & the wind started to gain force. Well i guess we had been at sea for about 10 minutes before we hit the first swell - i was positioned at the front of the boat ( the prow to the uninitiated) & thankfully found a rope to hold onto. Then the mass screaming started which i have to say didnt really help matters. This continued for the rest of the trip which took around 40 minutes. The longest 40 mins of my life to date i have to admit.

Once (safely) on the island, things started to improve with a few cans of Salva Vida & some decent sounds. Met a great bunch of people including the only guy in El Salvador to own a BMW M3. Gave him some hints as to how to set up the launch control feature - amazing what you can remember when the need arises.

Decided (God knows why) that I should leave at 1.00am. Got on the boat with about 20 other souls & we didn't even make it to the next island before the "Captain" decided that as the boat was taking on water & the swell was enormous that we should head for shore. So having defied death twice in the space of a day I danced until 7.00am when it was a respectable time to get home this time incident free.

It should have taken about a week to recover from that little episode but as Sunjam also means attending the After Party Party a few more causalties were claimed I can tell you. Me included. So having narrowly missed Hurricane Ernesto, cabin fever had taken hold so I needed some social inter-action & then I met a guy from Vancouver via Sheffield. A Dive Master & master of all things bad for your health. At 6ft 2 & very skinny you wonder at his capacity for beer, rum, vodka & chilli cheese chips. We hung out for about 5 days & again I had to leave the island. This time because the Betty Ford clinic was beckoning. Clearly I am an adult & make ny own decisions but I am a hedonist so what was i supposed to do?

So now I am in Panama City. Flew here from Honduras which was a sound investment. Had the most fantastic view of the canal & city as we flew in. That was worth the price of the ticket alone. Seriously impressive. Been on a trip around the city today including the area known as Casco Viejo which was beautiful. Its full of some renovated properties & others that are falling down but the whole place is great.

Now sitting at the hostel drinking an Atlas beer having to take cover from falling mangos. Traveling can be dangerous they told me but I didn't think that I could be in peril from fruit!

Love to all,

H xx

Caye Caulker

hcr64 — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 06:22:00 GMT

My love life was beginning to get a little on the complicated side shall we say so I departure was inevitable under the circumstances. I can tell you that boys talk in barbers shops!!

So after 2 weeks in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, I finally managed to get myself into the ferry & come to Caye Caulker which is only 30 mins away but could be on the other side of the world. This place is so relaxed & seems very laid back. None of the under laying violence that typifies a night out in San Pedro. Thankfully I didnt experience any such problems but know lots of people who were attacked or had their possessions stolen.

This place is small but lovely with a few great restaurants, the obligatory reggae bar & a night club. This one isnt like a 1970's school disco & you dont get the feeling that you might be stabbed at any moment so everything is positive.

Off to the cooler western side of the country tomorrow to a place called San Ignacio which apparently is very relaxed, safe & set in wonderful countryside. Hope to go to see the largest Mayan ruins at Caracol whilst I am there & may be Tikal but not sure to wait until late in the trip for that.

Themn on the 27th July I am taking a ferry into Honduras in preparation of a 2 day dance music festival on an island called Utilla. Should be excellent fun. My accommodation will be costing me 4quid a night so I am expecting not much more that a garden shed really but will help with the budget.

I feel a Beliken beer coming on & maybe a little swim before dinner so had better go & get to it. This traveling lark can be such hard work dont you know?

Love to all,

H xx

Belize

hcr64 — Sat, 7 Jul 2012 07:34:00 GMT

So havee completed the first stage of this trip - namely 3 weeks in Mexico. Had the most brilliant time there & wasnt too keen to move on however there will be another opportunity to return before i head back to the UK.

Ended up doing quite a lot of stuff really. Having left Cozumel we headed to Tulum which was amazing. The ruins were very impressive as they are situated right on tthe side of a cliff looking out over the Caribbean Sea. I thought that the photos had been photoshopped but oh no, the water really is that blue.

Had a couple of days on the beach which is already in the top 5 beaches I have ever visited. Completely stunning with crystal clear waters & a lovely temperature. Had also been communicatcating with Abraham who I met on Cozumel. He is in the Mexican Navy & said that he had some timme off & did I want to go & see him in Merida. Well I checked the map & it was only a 3 hr coach ride so thought that it would be a good idea. I had also been told that Merida was a great place to visit i its own rights - thanks Bron for that tip!

So had a couple of days there which was good, apart fr the fact that it was the weekend of thee Mexican General Elections so for the those 2 days it was completely impossible to buy alcohol. Fortunately, G & I still had some of our duty frees left so Abraham, G & I mixed some drinks in the room & sat by the pool.

Moved on from Merida to Laguna Bacalar which is the second longest lake in Mexico. A very chilled place to hang out for a couple of days in a great guesthouse right on the shore with a beautiful garden. Started to do some running as the dance festival in Honduras is only a month away & I need to be in shape for it.

So now I am staying at a Baackpackers Hostel in San Pedro Ambergris Caye Belize & jolly pleasant it is too. The weather is hot but there is usually a breeze certainly on the beach. The people we have meet so far are very friendly. One guy was a Med student in Stockton & knew the road where I was born!

The first night here was very messy but a day of taking it easy & drinkig lots of water has certainky helped. We are off to a place called Big Daddys tonight for reggae music so that sshould be very good fun. Have already decided to stay for an extra week before going to the next island called Caye Caulker.

Well a Lighthouse beer is beckoning as I was up at 5.50am jogging so I do deserve it.

Regards, Helen xx

Helen xx

Still in Mexico

hcr64 — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:23:00 GMT

So I decided to take a bus down into the Hotel Zone area of Cancun on Saturday night. This was an excellent idea as I had found it difficult to find a range of bars in the Downtown distric. After taking a somewhat scenic route, I ended up at a place called Slices whereupon I ordered a large Margharita. Well the desrciption was correct it was large. But it wasnt going to defeat me. What did make the task a little more difficult was the shot of Tequilla that an American sent over to me apparently becasue I was looking happy. That might have had something to do with the Margharita.

Anyway got chatting to him & his friend who turned out to be doctors from Las Vegas. They were staying in a place down the road where Lionel Messi was staying. He was over here for a soccer match. They invited me to join them at their cabana to drink Grey Goose vodka. So naturally i took them up on the offer only to find out that Messi had left. I decided to do the same a short while later. My god those Americans were aggrogant!

Thought I would repeat the trip the following evening but this turned out to be an horrendous decision. I decided not to return to Slices & head on up the street past Hooters (naturally) & go to the bar which was blasting out tunes. At this precise point, i was confronted by a guy who was wearing ( there is not other way to describe it) a 10 foot python! Now for those of you who know me, this is a situation that i would give anything to avaoid. I soon took off down the street attempting to breathe & find the nearest bus stop, jumped on the next bus which seemed to take an eternity to arrive & headed off back to Downtown shaking as I went. The bus whilst taking me to Downtown took me to an area I hadnt been before & consequenty i got lost. Thankfully after about 30 mins of wandering around looking as purposeful as I couild given tht I had just seen a 10 ft snake i hailed a cab to a gay bar I had found & ordered 3 Sol beers to calm my nerves.

The last 2 days on Cozumel have thankfully been event free. Now waiting at the hotel for the arrival of George. She wont be too happy as there has been a tropical storm raging all day & its currently pouring down.

A Good Start

hcr64 — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:58:00 GMT

So started the trip in the old fashioned way at LGW with an early morning Pinot Grigio. Then onto the Cancun flight where my lovely friend who works for BA managed to get me an upgrade - no Goat Class for me.

Hotel is great with a pool & the sunburn is minimal at the mo. Found a park called the Parque de las Palapas which in the evening is full of families walking around, looking after their kids on huge plastic cars & eating great food. Everything there is very cheap & really good. Tortas with roast pork & a bottle of water about £2.00.

raining aat then mo so it will be a restful day butt might venture into the Hotel Zone to watch the footy.

Booked a couple of nights at the Beachouse Hostel on Cozumel for next week which looks great. So far everything is going really well. Very happy!!!