Beans and rice or rice and beans?

With some resignation it was time to leave the laid back “go slow” rasta Island and head for the jungle town of San Ignacio home to Mayan sacrificial caves. Although there was a little push and shove to get onto the infamous chicken bus it was a pleasant trip on relatively smooth roads. It was slightly amusing when the police stopped us and made the people standing in the aisle jump on a bus behind us only for them to hop back on our bus at the next stop. The ATM caves had been recommended to us and although expensive were throughly worth it. Only rediscovered in the 1980’s the caves involved a 45min swim/scramble upstream before we climbed up into a dry cavern. Over 1000 pieces of Mayan pottery are found in this cave as well as at least 4 calcified human skeletons which had been sacrificed. These caves had been undisturbed for over a 1000 years but since they have been opened up to tourists two of the skulls and a pot have been smashed by careless camera operators which was disappointing.

Leaving our small little guesthouse run by a very old but sweet man we headed for yet another boarded crossing. This time our destination was the long lost Mayan jungle city of Tikal in Guatemala. Meeting a flamboyant Italian/Namibian/American chick at the boarder who was willing to fork out US$$ for a direct taxi we tagged along for the ride. Cutting a long story short we managed to sweet talk our way past the guards at the gate and avoid paying the $30 entry fee the only catch was we couldn't see the sunset but instead got to watch the sunrise and have a tour guide the following morning for a little extra. Awakening at 3.30am and entering the jungle in the darkness and seeing the ancient ruins under moonlight was enchanting. The jungle began to wake up as we sat atop of the tallest ruin overlooking the canopy and then the howler monkeys let fly with there racket which was awesome. They make a hell of a noise which is so powerful it was used in Jurassic Park for t-Rex. We saw plenty of other wildlife in amongst the wonderful ruins which was a real highlight!

After Tikal we headed for a quiet little town called Flores situated on a lake. With such an early start an afternoon siesta followed by a play in a huge thunderstorm then a swim kept us occupied. We got truly amongst the local culture the next morning with a walk into the local market where we were looking for some breakfast. Strangely we could not find any breakfast burritos (it was 11am) instead we found a little taco shop and sat down to a huge feed of fried chicken, rice and beans which would have made any poly happy. Purchasing fresh produce for an afternoon picnic was also entertaining but as the temperature rose and the beading sweet became little rivers it was back to the safety of the lake and kayaks. With our picnic bags packed full it was off across the lake to find a secluded spot to eat, drink and celebrate 3 months of adventure on the road!

With only a little effort and small walk we on a very comfortable bus bound for Rio Dulce for half the price quoted by our hostel. This small town with a huge bridge straddles Lake Isobel and provides the safest haven for yachts in the Caribbean. Although we had big plans for exploring the area the afternoon was spent yarning, swimming and drinking cold beers with another kiwi girl by the waterside followed by a great feed from a roadside stall that cost a meagre $4.50 each. We were a little disappointed to learn that a bridge had been wiped out by a huge storm (that we somehow avoided) and thus prevented us from going to a river with a hot spring and waterfall. 

However after a little questioning we discovered that there were canoes ferrying people across so we could get to our destination after all. Little did we know we were entering into a truly devastated flood zone which had destroyed many villages. Since we had paid the fair to get out there we went and checked out the river and found the water levels had dropped but the destruction still raw. We did manage a soak in the pools and had a great we picnic complete with fresh coconuts bought from the local kids. The return journey saw us riding on the roof of a very overloaded minivan before arriving at the non-existent bridge at the same time as the red cross and their aid trucks. Mobilising the troops it was all hands on deck to get the food parcels across the river. It felt good to be contributing a little manual labour and the locals had a good time teaching Spanish to their new gringo friends while they learnt the game hot potato! 

Leaving the safe port town we ripped down the river bound for a hidden Eco lodge in the jungle only to find it full. With a couple of phone calls we were off to the neighbouring pad which was very relaxing. We spent the afternoon swinging off the rope swing and in hammocks before a communal dinner of lasagna. Being the first time we have eaten this since leaving NZ it is was a nice change from the staple of beans, rice and tortillas. The next morning we got our bags taken down river while we enjoyed a very leisurely kayak down the jungle lined river to Livingston. This old fishing town is only accessible by water and is a real mixture of cultures with old salty expats, creole Caribbean’s and Spanish. 

Old fort in rio dulce 

Departing Guatemala we had a rather large day of travel as we headed for the party and dive island of Utila. Determined to prove the local tour companies wrong we refused to pay the $80nzd bus fair and go at it alone. Let's just say we would have got to Utila in a day despite them saying we couldn't except a truck had rolled which blocked the road for 4 hours. So after a night in La Ceiba we got there.

After some less than ideal customer service we kicked back and enjoyed the 30 degree water and got stuck into the rum which is cheaper than beer! Despite them trying to make us do a refresher course which we got out of and Lucy trying to put her tank on back to front we got under water and had a good time. There was lots of coral fans and the fish around the sea mount we were diving was pretty good. Our next two dives were a morning session on the famed North side. The first dive was a right off as we got lumped in with a bunch of novices who bounced off the bottom, stirred up the sediment and went through a tank in 20min. Feeling very aggrieved the next dive was much better with some cool wee fluorescent shrimps, nasty clear jellyfish and wicked trumpet and trunk fish. 

Trading in tanks for snorkels and masks we spent a day snorkelling off the beach which was a nice change not to have to follow a guide and be told what we could and couldn't do! After four nights out here it was time to move on and check out some of the white water in the cloud forest. So with an early start we boarded the very claustrophobic, rough old ferry bound for La Ceiba. Arriving at jungle lodge we were surprised to find out we were the only ones here for the night. After a typical Central American breakfast of tortilla, scrambled eggs, fried beans, cheese and avocado we hit the white water. The river was super scenic although running a little low so there were a few bony spots. There were a couple of nice grade 4 drops between some huge boulders and some very mellow sections where we could enjoy the surrounding cloud forest. 

Time is flying by now. We have another six weeks left in Central America. Next stop on our trip is Copan Ruinis on the border with Guatemala. Stay tuned for the next update.

Our Mexican standoff

Bound for Cancun, we set off bright and early at 5.30am. Travelling days are always long the flight and even customs were uneventful as we made our way into Cancun central and found a hostel. Splashing out on dinner (and not understanding the conversion rate yet) we hit a nice looking restaurant complete with an oompa band. The waiters were halirious, Lucy's drink arrived balancing on the head of the waiter.

Hitting up the beach at Cancun we were pleasantly surprised to find it reasonably quiet compared to Nga Trang in Vietnam. There was a little Seagrass covering it but nothing on what was to come in Tulum. We swam and read and walked along the beach then repeated all day before retiring to our hostel with Mexican like tans! Getting sunburnt seems like a thing of the past now… It really is quite scary to think how powerful the sun is in NZ.

Moving on to the backpacker island of Holbox where there is no cars or sealed roads just white sand beaches and whale sharks! The murals and brightly coloured buildings were very cool and there was a great vibe around. The whale shark snorkelling tour was an awesome experience if rather pricey and maybe a little cruel. We set off in a boat with 8 others and eagerly kept lookout. Once a shark was spotted the location is radioed around to all the other boats. We were lucky and were the 6th boat to the shark (one girl said there were up to 24 boats when she went). Slowly circling it we jumped in the water in pairs for our 2min worth of snorkelling. 

The shark was huge and rather graceful and did not seem at all phased to have 4 other people swimming with it. We swam along next to the worlds biggest fish and admired it some more before our time was up. I guess if the shark was not impressed with us he could have swam off or dived down but he just cruised on the surface.We fished for our lunch and had excellent ceviche, snorkelled with turtles and rays while Pelicans tried to steal any left overs and then saw a flock of pink flamingos on the way home all in all a very good day out.

A 5am ferry meant a stumble to the wharf before a bus took us to Valladolid. This old quiet colonial town was a nice surprise with old VW beetles everywhere adding to the picture. Being hot it was time for a dip in a cenote (collapsed limestone sinkhole). A friendly local gave us a lift in the back of a ute and we walked in to find a swimming pool and a whole lot of deck chairs. We both looked at each other hoping we hadn't paid for just a pool! Finding the stairwell we proceeded to descend 7 flights of stairs to the bottom where we found cliffs to jump off and a great rope swing. A long bomb session commenced complete with back flips off the rope much to the locals (who were swimming in lifejackets) delight. A few local kids tried unsuccessfully to replicate the flips and quickly gave up when Lucy  showed them how it was done!

Chichen Itza was next on our agenda and we walked around in relative peace as we made the effort to get here early before the crowds. The ruins were pretty impressive as too the number of people selling sourvinars. It is hard to comprehend the age of such structures and to think how well built they are. Exiting at about 11am we were shocked to see the lines of people waiting for tickets snaking back for ages and glad to have been there early!

The beaches in Tulum are stunning in all the pictures but at this time of year there is a real problem with sea grass. We hired bikes for the day and explored the beach front. Only with a lot of effort was it possible to swim as the sea grass was not only piled high over the beach but also extended 10 to 15m out to sea. It was keeping the locals busy trying to rake it up and remove it from in front of the hotels but they were fighting a loosing battle. We found another cenote to hang at instead. The hostels in Mexico were generally well equipped with kitchens so we whipped up a huge guacamole for dinner and washed it down with a rum and fresh coconut that Nick acquired with his good climbing skills. 

Our final night in Mexico was spent at a small village called Bacalar which is on a large freshwater lagoon. We had booked a tent for the night which was tiny and had little in the way of a mattress but it was fine for a night. The lagoon was nice and warm although a little choppy but a peaceful spot to spend an evening next to. We gapped it early the next morning as we were off to the island of Caye Caulker in Belize. 

This involved taxis, 1st class buses, chicken buses some walking and a ferry but we made it before sunset and even had time for a belikin beer! Our busy driver into Belize was a very nice man who tried in vain to help us across the boarder without having to pay the departure tax (our airline ticket receipt didn't cut it). He also gave us some much needed advice on things to do in Belize which unfortunately weren't all that positive….Belize City especially doesn't have a good reputation with either tourists or locals so we will be getting a bus straight out of there when we leave this little island. 

Caye Caulker is right in the middle of the second biggest coral reef in the world and home to a good number of Caribbean Rastas. The island has no cars and only dirt roads and a lot of backpackers. Checking into our classy hostel called dirty mc-nasty we made short work of the nightly free rum punch and proceeded to make many new friends from around the commonwealth. The free omelettes for breakfast and a swim sorted out our heads and we spent the remainder of the day going slow as they say out here. More of the same was in order for the next day as we failed to book into a snorkelling tour in time. Instead we grabbed a canoe and paddled around the mangroves which was cool. We saw lots of small fish plus some huge tarpon and a wee crocodile. A feed of fresh lobster and more rum punch while watching the full moon rise saw the end of another day.

The much talked about and very expensive snorkelling was on the agenda. We piled into a small boat with 6 others (including the 1st kiwi couple we have meet in the last 2 months) and headed out manatee spotting. Without too much effort we found a couple of these very slow moving sea cows and spent 20 min cruising along side them. To describe them as graceful would be an overstatement but they were pretty cool and un-phased by us. We made 4 further stops where we snorkelled through an old barge, with a loggerhead turtle, rays and sharks and through a wee cave. The nurse sharks and rays were very tame and used to being fed so didn't mind the odd touch and the small green turtles too were very used to people. The coral reef itself wasn't too spectacular although there were some impressive fans.

A parting beer shot as we leave the Caribbean and head for the jungle...