Just got back from my fab 3 week hols in Central America. Apart from the first 3 days where I had no luggage it was a great trip. Never fly Iberia…the worst airline ever. I had got used to the idea that I would be luggageless for the rest of the trip that the night before we were leaving Mexico City to head for the jungles, I went on a shopping spree, you know the usual…knickers, bras, socks, toiletries, t-shirts, 15 cds, 10 dvds and a lovely new bracelet. Don’t worry all expenses paid by Iberia. 15 minutes before I was about to board the bus my bag arrived all shrink wrapped. Woo hoo!!! I was lucky – 4 others on the trip never had luggage the entire trip.
I was mainly in Mexico following the Aztec and then the Mayan trails and temples. I’m all ruined out as they say. After about 3 or 4 ruins, they all start looking the same. I wasn’t that impressed at first with the ruins but suddenly got all excited when I realised I was staying in the hotel that hunky Mel Gibson was staying in when he directed Apocalypto. Most of the sites I visited will be in the movie…I haven’t seen it yet.
I was desperately trying to sweet talk the tour leader to get his room but seeing as the tour leader was a girl, I didn’t get anywhere. Maybe she was an even bigger fan and bagged the room first. Having a female tour leader was a bit of a letdown, she was lovely and did a good job but having a gorgeous male guide really makes the holiday for me – a bonus. If I’m ever bored of the scenery it’s always great to ogle at the fit tour leader.
I also spent a few days in Guatemala again but this time up north and I got to visit Tikal, another famous ruin. I did the usual here, cave canoeing, zip lining etc. Not as spectacular as it was in Costa Rica but ok. I was actually quite ill on that day, feeling quite sick – at least it was only for one day. A lot of the group were quite sick for several days.
I spent my birthday (26th Dec) in no mans land. Not quite Mexico and not quite Guatemala but there was a very basic hotel that we stayed in for one night. A little bit iffy as there were some very unsavoury people in no mans land but very exciting at the same time. Normally for clients birthdays the tour leader gets the others to sign a card and buys a cake and sort of celebrate after dinner but seeing as it was no mans land it was quite difficult to organise. She couldn’t find a cake anywhere, no bday candles either. So what I got was a large tray of small chocy cup cakes and twinkies (american sponge bar with cream in the middle) with a big candle in the middle. It was all very sweet and funny…at the time.
I was in Belize for new years and stayed in Caye Caulker for 2 nights. Again I did the usual, snorkeling and swimming. I swam so close to sting rays and then panicked when I thought about Steve Irwin’s bizarre death. I saw manatees, baby sharks and grazed my thighs on the coral. I stuffed my face full of the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted – baileys and kahlua cheesecake – morning, noon and night. It was heavenly!
I had to share with 2 people on this trip as we rotated but I wasn’t so lucky with one of my room mates. She never stopped bloody talking about herself and how fantastic anything she ever did was. She started from the moment I got up to when I walked out of the room. I even put the pillow over my head a few times just to give her a hint but when I took the pillow off she was still talking…have no idea who to, maybe it was to herself. The other one was lovely, she was nearly 50 but looked younger than me and she was really fit. I couldn’t help but look because she loved walking around the room naked after her shower. I occasionally had my head in my book but the voyeur in me had to look. Believe me I had a close up look on one occasion, not my fault, she just walked up to me after one of her showers and needed to show me her mosquito bites...nearly starkers!!!!
All in all another memorable trip.
Just think only 5 weeks to go till Feb half term – the countdown began as soon as I landed at heathrow.
