Central America

March 22nd 2017 - May 1st 2017

When we first planned to go backpacking we didn't set out to visit Central America. In fact, the only thing that we did plan in advance was our initial flight from London to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. We thought we might spend a year exploring the South American continent, hoping to touch upon most of the countires in that time. Whilst we happily travelled from place to place, crossing borders and ticking off amazing wonders at our own pace we realised that we were getting through the continent much faster than anticipated. We weren't rushing in the slightest, in fact we felt as though we were dawdling a bit too long in some places.

By the time we got to Bolivia around Christmas time (nearly four months in to the trip) to spend a few weeks in the beautiful white city of Sucre to take Spanish lessons we began to think bigger than South America. We'd always wanted to visit India as we didnt make it to the vast country on our last big trip where we took in many countries in Asia. We started looking into flights to grasp an idea of how much it would cost to get there and therefore how feasible it would be to go. With Colombia in mind as our last destination in South America (as Venezuela is too dangerous currently for tourism) we researched flights and were blown away by how expensive they were and how long winded; several stops, multiple hours. Undeterred we looked at other routes, what if we flew somewhere else first so that our flight to India was cheaper? With this in mind I opened up Skyscanner and after much research I found that we could fly to India via New York very cheaply. Colombia direct to New York however was expensive so I looked up flights to New York flying from Mexico which was a good bet. With our new plan in our minds we booked both tickets. We were in Bolivia with one way tickets from Cancun in Mexico to New York booked and New York to Delhi booked. Now there was just the small matter of working out how we would get to Mexico.

Towards the end of our time in South America we booked cheap one way flights from Cartagena on Colombia's Caribbean coast to Panama, the most southerly country on the ithsmus of Central America. It would have been nice to continue to travel overland but the Colombia/Panama border sits in the wild Darien Gap jungle and isn't the safest place to travel through. Once in Panama I picked up a Lonely Planet Central America guidebook from a hostel shelf and used it to plan a rough route to Cancun in Mexico in time for our flight to New York which worked out at 40 days to do the journey. Of course, we didn't want to make things too easy for ourselves so we aimed to touch upon each country in Central America as we went. That meant travelling through Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and finally Mexico. While in Costa Rica we decided to also include Cuba in our plans and booked return flights to Havana from Cancun making our journey time even shorter.

There is a lot of talk on the internet about the idea of 'slow travel'. Making the most of your time by not ticking off things to do and rushing around cramming everything in but by wandering at a gentle pace, people watching and embracing the idea of living in a new place for a time. Well, as you can imagine our time in Central America was anything but slow. We mostly spent no longer than two nights anywhere, only staying longer once we had made it to Mexico and knew we wouldn't be in any trouble of missing our flights.

We may have moved fast but our experience was still wonderful, full of the same kind of adventures and emotions as South America had been only our general journey times were shorter. Panama shone through as being our favourite country, we enjoyed staying in Panama City where we could enjoy the novelty of American fast food (avocado topped veggie burgers with fries and all the condiments anyone?) whilst watching basketball on TV, Boquete was a peaceful nature filled destination after seeing the city sights and we fell head over heels for Bocos del Toro and in particular the island paradise of Cayo Zapatilla. There is something about powdery white sand and crystal clear warm ocean that is just irresistible.

Costa Rica unfortunatly fell short of our expectations and we do feel sorry about that as it is a country on many people's wishlist due to its natural beauty and wildlife. As budget conscious backpackers we found the country to be 1. very expensive and 2. totally unsuited to backpacker travel. Getting aound was tricky, all the food and activities were too costly and unfortunately quite a few of the locals were unhelpful.

The many Mayan sites that we visited in Central America were a wonder. From the intricately carved decorative stones in Copán, Honduras to tourist filled Tulum in Mexico to the awesome Tikal in Guatemala. And not forgetting Chichén Itzá in Mexico with its 'wonder of the world' status. Each Mayan site piqued our curiosity and left us feeling like true explorers.

The food in Central America was also a highlight. The staples were rice and beans, refried beans, plantain, avocado, salty cheese and tortilla, need I say more? Baleadas in Honduras were something that we'd never heard of before, let alone tasted. I now make a version of them regularly at home for lunch. I'm no food blogger but they are so easy to make and delicious too so here goes: take a flour or soft corn tortilla wrap, smooth on a layer of refried beans (I use a version with chilli in), grate over cheese and add chunks of fresh avocado. Fold over and squash down slightly, place in a medium-hot dry frying pan for a couple of minutes until contents are warmed through and the the tortilla has crisped up and browned slightly. Sour cream can be added and in Honduras they were made with egg inside too.

When I think back to Central America I think of;

• Riding in chicken buses

• Accidentally joining an Easter parade

• Searching high and low for a working ATM

• Breakfast overlooking beautiful blue Lake Atitlán in Guatemala

• Exploring Mayan ruins

• Swimming in a magical cenote in Mexico

• The machete weilding man

• The most chaotic border crossing

• The perfectly cooked plantain

• Baking hot bike rides in Nicaragua

• Toasting marshmallows over volcanic heat

• Paradise in Panama

• The worlds most delicious gelato.

With our goal of touching upon every country in Central America met plus a quick jolly to Cuba thrown in too we moved on to the next part of our trip, a week in New York with my mum and brother to recover from our fast paced 40 days and then India, perhaps our biggest challenge to come.

Have you been to Central America? If so where did you go and how did you like it? If you're thinking of going and would like any advice or travel tips then please let me know in the comments below.

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Havana, Cuba

An Authentic Feeling In Havana, Cuba

Walking in the baking sun under blue Caribbean skies, a sooty smell fills the air. Children play football on the street, teens are without phones and the elderly smoke cigars watching the world from doorways. A dilapidated building sits to the right of me and a wide road stretches out to the left; a neon green Cadillac, an old black cab and a Barbie pink Chevrolet whizz past, a rainbow of colour and a disorientating sight; have we stumbled sixty years back in time?

Cuba has been on my wanderlust wishlist for years. It felt like there was an urgency to see the place, before improved relations with the U.S.A meant that new cars were imported and floods of American tourists arrived. A good pace of travel in Central America meant that we had some time to spare and while in Costa Rica we'd found flights under £200 each online which were too good to pass up. As we wouldn't have this opportunity again we decided we'd go and see Havana, Cuba's capital city for five nights. We arrived with trepidation, the country has a huge history for its small size and a reputation to live up to. Every single person we had encountered who had visited had absolutely loved the place and everything about it (well, except for the food). There was a lot of expectation. Upon landing we waited at the baggage carousel for an hour and a half, hundreds of boxes and duffle bags wrapped in clear plastic were piled high on the belt, locals blaring music from tiny speakers hauled their belongings onto trollies. 

Waves Break At The Sea Wall in Havana, Cuba

A Fort Overlooking The City and Sea in Havana, Cuba

We got in line for currency as we were unable to prepare ourselves by getting some in advance and then jumped in a taxi to go to our casa particulares (a room owned by a local, rented out to travellers). Hostels are not common in Cuba and a hotel would be too expensive so we hoped that a casa in Vedado a residential area would be a cheaper and perhaps more authentic arrangement. Judith, her husband and her son met us outside the casa which we could get to via stairs in an underground parking lot. We walked to the top floor and entered, I was expecting a room in their own home but this was a stand alone studio apartment with a tiny kitchen. We were instantly impressed with the two huge double beds and lovely windows with shutters. Judith spoke English very well and explained that as she was going to be admitted to hospital soon for surgery, she'd brought her husband and son along to learn the ropes while she was out of action. We signed some forms, paid for our apartment in cash and had a chat, Judith promised to bring us breakfast each morning. After our lovely welcome we settled into our own little slice of Havana before heading out for some food. We were a little unsure of the local cuisine as we'd heard some bad things about it. As soon as we told people that we were vegetarian and going to Cuba they had a confused look on their face with a 'good luck trying to eat' type comment. With a meat heavy diet and shortage of fruit and vegetables due to a lack of agriculture infrastructure we knew we might struggle and so expected the worst. With that in mind we walked a few minutes from our apartment and found a place slightly on the pricier side to have pesto pasta which turned out to be delicious. Seeing the 1950's and 1960's American cars speeding along was a novelty that I hoped wouldn't wear off. When it came time to buy some bottled water we struggled, there were no supermarkets or even corner shops to speak of, just small stands and government owned stores with one counter selling staples like rice, oil and flour. We found a tiny sandwich shop which had bottled water in the window, at the equivilant of a couple of US dollars it wasn't cheap. 

A Taxi Worth Travelling In, Havana in Cuba

The next morning Judith brought a simple breakfast of bread and two boiled eggs to our apartment and we ventured out for a day of exploring. We walked down the street towards Old Havana, the buildings that lined the road on each side were in a sorry state and were a murky grey colour. The air smelled like coal smoke from an old fashioned steam train and it truly felt like we had wandered into an open air museum like the sort you'd find at Beaulieu in England's New Forest. We crossed some roads to the Malecon; a long promenade by the coast and watched the waves crash into the stone sea walls as we walked. The sea breeze cut through the stifling hot air and the city skyline was spread before us, leading our eye to a lighthouse. We walked to a point and sat dangling our legs over the wall, a friendly local came over to remind us to be careful. There was a fort just behind us so we paid the small fee to have a look inside. The view from the canons was lovely so we sat and watched the cars, a myriad of colours whizz by before leaving to cross the wide road to find the Revolución Museum dedicated to the life and work of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara among others. The white building beamed in the sun, a true brilliance of architecture. Inside was a very unflattering caricature of George W Bush with "thank you cretin for helping with our independence" written under it, it made me laugh. We flitted from room to room, reading plaques accompanying pieces of interest like items belonging to revolutionists, blood soaked clothes and propaganda. The silence was broken by a dance class taking place in the buildings central open air courtyard which was fun to watch though looked exhausting. Upon leaving the museum Craig bought a CUP coin with Che Guevara on it as a souvenir from a local as he'd seen someone with one in Mexico. The local currency of CUP and the tourist currency of CUC made life confusing. It also felt a little like a swizz as CUC was equal to the US dollar and worth 25 times more than the local CUP, every time we bought anything we were paying much more than a local which pained us as budget conscious travellers. We walked down what seemed to be Havana's busiest street which was in stark contrast to the part of town that we were staying in, we realised that we were now definitely in the touristic part of Old Havana. The buildings were in much better shape, painted in hues of bright and pastel colours and restored to their former glory. Café's had placed tables out in the street, one of which we sat at for lunch. Performers in neon coloured costumes danced past while we ate, waving at Craig's GoPro and filling the air with a joyous carnival-like atmosphere. We wandered some more and visited a load of second-hand bookshops, I flicked through old postcards and posters, dusty books and memorabilia wishing that I had room in my backpack to take some pieces away with me. 

Old World Charm in Havana, Cuba

Washing On Lines Is a Common Sight in Havana, Cuba

Locals Are Obliged To Pick Up Any Hitchhikers, Havana, Cuba

Beautiful Old Building Exteriors in Havana, Cuba

The next morning I woke up with a poorly tummy, the first time on the trip that I'd felt so dreadful with a stomach upset. It appeared that I'd eaten something that hadn't agreed with me, I'd been careful not to drink the local tap water as advised by the guidebook. We took it easy and walked to the National Museum of Fine Arts. The museum is split between two buildings, one contains Cuban art and the other international art. We decided to pay 8 CUC to have access to both (5 CUC individually). The Cuban galleries were full of mostly modern painting and some sculptures too, I did enjoy the abstract expressionist works. My cramping stomach made concentrating on the work a little difficult but after a restful sit down in the gallery and lots of water I was feeling well enough to go to the second museum a couple of blocks away. There were artefacts from Ancient Rome and Egypt, Dutch and Flemish painting as well as decorative arts. The building itself was fascinating to see though it was under some restoration work inside. We left the museum in search of a place for lunch although I wasn't up to eating. We sat at a table on the patio of a quaint café serving local Cuban cuisine, while I sipped water Craig had a plate of rice and vegetables with a bean soup which looked delicious.

Dancing Locals in the Church Square in Havana, Cuba

The View From The Ball Tower in Havana, Cuba

We left to explore more of the old town and came across a square with a church and bell tower, I was given a piece of shimmering purple fabric to cover my legs and we paid to climb to the top where the views over the terracotta rooftops were lovely. Once back to ground level we sat on a shady curb in the square and watched dancers perform, a man next to me was painting but packed his tools away to lay down on the concrete for a little afternoon nap. We found a fancy hotel and walked in to book a day trip to Viñales which is a part of the Cuban countryside just to the west of Havana. As we were staying in a private casa we researched online in advance and found that the best way to book a tour is to go to a hotel's tour desk as we had no access to the internet. Our tour was booked for the following day and I just hoped that I'd wake up feeling ok.

Perfectly Restored Old Havana in Cuba

We were up nice and early for our tour and thankfully I was feeling better. The coach picked us up from a nearby hotel and we were on our way. I was looking forward to seeing the countryside and what Cuban life was like outside the city. Our first stop was to a factory making traditional rum and brandy which we tasted before driving on to a viewpoint over the vibrant green landscape. A band was playing just behind us as we looked out over the palm trees, blue skies and unusual lumpy hills. We went to a cigar plantation and watched the farmer roll a cigar from scratch surrounded by drying tobacco leaves. Craig had a smoke while I photographed the barn, tobacco hanging from rafters and piled on the floor covered by giant palm leaves. We went for lunch with the tour group and got chatting to a lovely lady originally from El Salvador who has been living in California for 45 years since she was a teen. She explained that she was recently retired and loved to travel, she's been going from place to place for the last couple of years solo and is looking forward to her husbands retirement so that they can take trips together too.

Local Liquor in Production in Viñales in Cuba

Tobacco Leaves Drying Ready To Be Made Into Cigars in Cuba

While we chatted we ate from platters and Craig sampled a piña colada with Club Havana rum, they put a whole bottle on the table so you could top up your cocktail as you wished. As I wasn't fully recovered from feeling poorly the day before I just had a sip, the cocktail was pure coconut creamy deliciousness. Before driving back to the city we stopped at a cave and went on a boat ride through the dark cavern, the driver pointed out rocks that looked like animals and afterwards we browsed some local handmade crafts and paintings. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing the colourful wooden houses in the countryside surrounded by palms, I wished we could have stopped to take photographs and go for a wander to see the area at a slower pace. In the evening we ate at a paladar which is a small restaurant run by a local sometimes in the front room of their home. The paladar was extremely cosy, we ate bean soup with rice which was really tasty and cheap. My initial worries about the food situation felt a little unfounded, so long as we ate simple local food like rice and beans then we were fine, our bellies were full and our budget intact. 

Beautiful Green Landscape in Viñales in Cuba

A Grazing Horse in Viñales, Cuba

The next morning we took a walk to the university which was just a few blocks from our apartment. We were approached by a guy who talked to us about his class, how he's finishing this semester and then moving to Miami where his family now live. He gave us an impromptu tour of the grounds and explained some of the history before mentioning at the end how expensive books are in Cuba and could we spare a bit of cash to help him out. We gave him $5USD worth of CUC before walking away, the penny then dropped that he obviously wasn't a student and that this was a great way of earning some money from bewildered tourists like us. Craig was fine with it but I felt annoyed at being made a fool of, a donation to a local for showing us around would be no problem, but I begrudged the dishonesty. We wandered to the old town and treated ourselves to chocolates at the chocolate museum and explored the area on foot. We'd have liked to have taken one of the old convertible cars for a spin but unfortunately our budget wouldn't allow. Still, we saw lots of picture perfect squares, buildings in varying states of repair, pretty tiles, washing hanging from lines and locals going about their business. A horse and cart pulled up alongside a car from sixties America and I hoped that with recent relations with the U.S.A that Cuba would retain its old world charm. After a drink at a café it was Craig's turn to feel a bit unwell so we walked the long walk back to the apartment to rest for the afternoon before heading out for a cocktail at the famous Hotel National which looks out over the sea. As we sipped our expensive piña coladas we mused over how different Cuba would be to travel to with a healthy budget, we'd enjoyed our few days in Havana but it didn't feel to us like a holiday destination as we weren't able to splash out on fancy dinners and rides in a convertible. We walked to a restaurant for dinner and the less said about that the better, it ended with a disgusting meal, a shockingly overpriced bill and a huge argument with the wait staff. Our last day in Havana hadn't really gone to plan so we consoled ourselves with a strong mojito at the lovely and friendly bar opposite our apartment.

On The Outskirts of Old Havana, Some Buildings Require Attention, Cuba

Our last morning allowed just enough time for breakfast at Riley's up the road before Judith and her husband arrived to take us to the airport. We had a conversation in the car about what life is really like for Cubans, how strict rules make life hard for Judith and her business, how fuel is in scarce supply at the moment and her apprehension at the surgery that she was going in for in a couple of weeks. We wished her well and she hugged us goodbye, hoping that we'd send any friends visiting Cuba her way. We left Cuba with mixed feelings, our stay had been fraught with illness and a couple of bad experiences. We'd had some lovely moments with friendly locals, but also some downright rude service from wait staff. The currency situation was annoying and the lack of shops to buy water an inconvenience but I left feeling intrigued. The total lack of wifi was liberating, seeing children and teenagers play in parks without technology felt like a wonderful novelty that we don't see in England anymore. We're used to seeing people rushing around in a constant hurry glued to their smartphone but here friends gossiped on benches, elderly ladies leaned off of balconies and smartly dressed men cruised by in a Cadillac, people took their time.

Only since leaving Cuba have I realised how hard life can be there. I looked into why fruit and vegetables can be hard to come by and why there are no supermarkets, I found that due to a lack of agricultural infrastructure crops just aren't grown in the volume that they need to be to feed the country. Locals are struggling to eat as the food that is grown is sold on the black market to private hotels and restaurants to feed the growing number of tourists. Locals working in government jobs are paid a measly set wage meaning that they can barely afford to eat food other than rice and beans, fresh vegetables and meat (mostly pork) is a luxury. I felt a pang of guilt writing this post, so much of Cuba I loved but other things annoyed me and only now am I realising how petty those things that annoyed me were. I'm glad we visited and saw a little piece of the country but we will most definitely have to visit again, maybe next time we'll know to approach travel in Cuba like the locals approach life. With plenty of time to stop and dance, to chat and laugh over a bottle of rum. Despite the struggles Cuban people without a shadow of doubt have retained their passion and zest for life. 

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Mexico

Mexico was one of the places that I'd really been looking forward to visiting ever since we decided to include Central America in our trip. Craig and I are big fans of Mexican food, it's probably our favourite cuisine so we were really looking froward to trying some local fare and also ticking Chichén Itzá another 'New Wonder of the World' off our list. Mexico was also where we would be flying from in a couple of weeks to go to Cuba and then New York; already we were close to the end of our whirlwind time in Central America.  

Paradise at Tulum in Mexico

An Idyllic Location For A Mayan Ruin, Tulum in Mexico

We left Flores in Guatemala really early in the morning by shuttle bus, Flores is situated very close to the border with Belize and to save time we would be travelling through Belize rather than going around. The journey was smooth sailing though the only irritating moment was when we had to pay to enter Belize even though we'd only be passing through. Luckily after a bit of a panic and a scramble we had just enough American dollars on us to pay the fee that I'd found hidden in my backpack. The dollars that I'd been carrying in my purse for emergencies such as this was among the money stolen in Ecuador. We had hoped to stay in Belize originally if only for a couple of nights but after a bit of research found that it was an expensive country and didn't seem worth the extra money just to say we'd visited properly. As we passed through we saw that the small English speaking country had a Caribbean feel to it with blue skies, palm trees and painted wooden signs. We met a lovely couple named Kelly and Adam on our coach who we chatted all things travel with (they run a travel blog named Destination Addict), they were kind enough to give us two spare tourist cards for Cuba when they heard that we were going, saving us $20 each, thank you so much Kelly and Adam!

Plants and Stone at Tulum in Mexico

Reptilian Resident of Tulum in Mexico

We arrived in a border town in Mexico and said goodbye to Kelly and Adam as they were off to the coast while we pondered where to go ourselves. We received a 'welcome to Mexico' drink courtesy of the coach company which was a lovely touch and got talking to Tavi and Ani who were in a similar predicament to us. After a quick chat with a taxi driver we decided to split the cost and drive a few hours up the road straight to Tulum. The sun was setting but the ride seemed to fly by as we all exchanged travel stories. Arriving in Tulum late with nowhere to stay we approached a few hostels but they were fully booked. Eventually we found a slightly run down place on the main strip and booked ourselves in for a night in a dorm, the owner advised us that a party was scheduled for that evening in the bar upstairs but we were so tired we didn't care. We all went out for enchiladas and then headed to bed weary from another long travel day. 

Bells in Valladolid in Mexico

Pastel Colours and A Beetle in Valladolid, Mexico

The four of us enjoyed a lovely breakfast together at a quaint café the next morning before going our separate ways. Craig and I packed and caught a colectivo up the road to a new hostel while Tavi and Ani were able to check into an apartment on the beach. Our hostel sounded lovely on the booking site but upon closer inspection seemed a little unclean and unfriendly. It was a lot cheaper than others in town and at least had space so we decided to make do. After a rest we rode bicycles to the huge local supermarket, the ride was lots of fun and I enjoyed the novelty of wandering around a supermarket fully stocked with lots of treats. 

Beautiful Magenta Bougainvillea in Valladolid, Mexico

A Beetle in Valladolid in Mexico

The next morning we took the bicycles out again and rode to Tulum ruins which weren't far from our hostel, it was an easy and flat ride. Despite leaving nice and early we still had to queue and were completely surrounded by American tourists, the joy of being in some parts of Central America was the lack of holiday-makers and more authentic travel feeling, we doubted that Mexico being such a popular destination for both Americans and Brits would be the same. The ruins were a nice place to visit but we felt that having been spoilt by Copán and Tikal they didn't blow us away. The place was crawling with people so much so that you had to deal with crowds everywhere and none of the Mayan temples could be explored as they were all roped off. The factor that did make the ruins worthwhile was the idyllic location on the coast; the view over the Caribbean sea was beautiful as the water sparkled under the sun. We soaked in the views and watched huge lizards slowly wander along paths and under bushes. We rode back to the hostel to make lunch and then headed back out again to visit the white sandy beaches that Tulum is famed for. The beach was lovely and we enjoyed a refreshing drink on a wooden deck overlooking the ocean. I couldn't help but feel that Tulum was wasted a little on us as we didn't have the money to enjoy the location as much as people who come here especially do. We couldn't afford to stay in a fancy beachfront resort or do any big activities or day trips which felt like a shame, but we did try and enjoy the area on our modest budget as much as possible. In the evening we visited a vegetarian restaurant on the main road between Tulum's centre and our hostel, of course we rode our bikes there and our dinner was delicious.

Craig in A Colourful Doorway in Valladolid in Mexico

The next day we were happy to be leaving the hostel which we'd decided was indeed horrible. The people staying there seemed intent on being idiots and someone stole our juice from our labelled bag in the fridge and drank the lot. Is it too much to ask that all travellers and backpackers have some kind of mutual respect for one another? Apparently it is. We left the hostel catching a colectivo to a bus stop where supposedly buses stop for Valladolid our next destination. We waited for ages in the hot sun before having to share a taxi instead as no bus arrived. Luckily the taxi was affordable and we had been charged the same as locals which was reassuring as that isn't always the case. In Valladolid a town central on the Yucatan Peninsula we'd booked a hostel which had excellent reviews that I'd found mentioned on a travel blog. We were dropped in the main square and walked down a few pretty side streets to get to our hostel situated on a leafy square. The hostel was a dream come true and on a different scale to the one we had just left. The owner was friendly and our dorm room was light and airy with a huge window looking out over the square. The best part was the kitchen and dining area under a shelter in the garden. The kitchen was huge and most importantly clean with lots of character and nice wooden tables to sit at surrounded by plants and flowers. We popped across the square to a café for lunch and sat at a little table outside in the shade. The food, a vegetarian burger was delicious and incredibly cheap. It seemed that because we'd ventured inland a bit we'd found a town with less tourists and therefore lower prices which was great for us. In the evening we tried the Italian a few doors down from the café and had truly amazing pizza. I ordered the Nutella gelato for dessert which was probably the best gelato I've eaten in all my life (and I've eaten quite a lot of it). After Craig had an initial taste he kept asking for more as it was so good so I ended up sharing the lot, if that isn't love then I don't know what is. 

El Castillo Through The Trees at Chichén Itzá in Mexico

El Castillo in Chichén Itzá Without The Crowds, Mexico

For our first full day in Valladolid we decided to go for a wander around the town to get our bearings and see what we would stumble across. We found colourful doors and old cars aplenty which made for nice photographs and then found an old convent which we paid a small amount to go into. The convent was a little run down and in need of some TLC. I thought back to the beautiful convent in Arequipa in Peru which was full of colour and plants, this place could be just as lovely with some care. I liked to think that our admission price might go towards some renovation costs and garden upkeep. We stopped at a café just across from the convent and had smoothies before heading back to the hostel. We got chatting to another couple who were on holiday in the Yucatan, driving from place to place. When they mentioned that they'd be going to Chichén Itzá the next day by car we asked if we could tag along to which they said yes!

El Castillo in Chichén Itzá in Mexico

Decorative Carving in Chichén Itzá in Mexico

We were up nice and early for our day trip to Chichén Itzá and were excited to see our forth New Wonder of the World. Tagging along with the couple we'd met meant we didn't have to struggle using public transport to get there but it also meant we had to wait around as they were late getting up. We were so keen to get there early to make sure that we could see it before the crowds that we were getting a little frustrated at being delayed. Eventually we walked through the gates of the Mayan site and hurried to the huge stepped pyramid named 'El Castillo'. We were pleased to be able to take a few photographs of the pyramid without lots of strangers in the picture too. With the pressure of getting a good photo off we were able to admire the huge structure which was bigger than I had imagined. One side was completely restored while the other looked a little more crumbled to reflect its age. We walked around the site which encompasses lots of Mayan structures including other much smaller pyramids and a huge ball court, a feature that we'd seen at Copán in Honduras as well. Little sign posts taught us about the symbolism of certain carvings and as we walked around the stall holders finished their morning set up and started calling out to flog their wares. We found the huge cenote which is like a natural well and saw that it was overgrown with plants and watched a line of large ants march past.

Stone Carvings at Chichén Itzá in Mexico

Tic Tac Toe? Carvings At Chichén Itzá in Mexico

After we'd seen everything that there was to see we decided to leave Chichén Itzá and drive a short distance to another Mayan site that we'd seen signposts for. We parked up on the side of a road and seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. We walked along a track and saw two men sat under a shelter, we wandered past to the crumbling pyramid structure and climbed it to sit and eat our lunch. As we looked out over the views which were flat and mostly consisted of overgrown stone walls we noticed the two men walking towards us, one of which was carrying a huge machete. We started to feel a little uneasy, there were no signs to suggest that we'd have to pay or that the structures couldn't be climbed and when we entered the area they had said nothing. They climbed the pyramid that we were stood on and Craig immediately got to his feet, the man with the machete was holding it in his hand, not in a threatening way but the mere sight of it made me nervous. In Spanish one of the men proceeded to talk and the guy we were with was able to loosely translate a part of it, they were talking about giving a 'donation' for the sites upkeep. From what we could see, no money has ever been spent at the site, the whole area looked like it had been abandoned since Mayan times and not looked after since. The 'donation' was obviously not a voluntary thing so we gave an amount between all of us and quickly walked back down the steps to ground level where we felt less backed into a corner. The men said something about walking with us, we walked on and picked up the pace and they eventually returned to where we'd passed them originally. We had a quick look at another structure but feeling unsafe decided to walk on and back to the car via a different path that meant we wouldn't have to pass them again. I kept looking back over my shoulder just in case and wondered what might have happened if we'd refused to give any money. 

A Gateway and Bell in A Village Near Valladolid in Mexico

A Typical Mexican Village Near Valladolid

Another day, another adventure. Today wasn't just any day, it was Craig's 32nd birthday so we decided to go to Ek Balam a place not too far away with Mayan ruins and also a large picturesque cenote to go swimming. We took a colectivo taxi to the site and after paying our entrance fee wandered the pretty Ek Balam ruins which unlike Chichén Itzá we were able to climb and fully explore. We climbed to the top of one temple which was a bit of a challenge thanks to the extremely steep steps and breathed in the fantastic panoramic views. It was a boiling hot day with perfect blue skies so we were looking forward to getting to the cenote for a swim in the afternoon.

The Mayan Ruins of Ek Balam in Mexico 

The Mayan Ruins of Ek Balam in Mexico

We walked a couple of kilometres along a dusty track to the cenote and after a quick bite to eat we changed into our swimwear and climbed down the rickety wooden ladders to the pool which glistened a perfect turquoise green. Birds swooped above the water and tree roots and vines dangled down, it felt like a magical place. We jumped into the water which was refreshingly cool and swam with the fish that inhabit the natural swimming hole, I wasn't sure how deep the water was but had a feeling that I'd never be able to swim to the bottom. Once out of the pool we dried off and walked back to the entrance where a taxi took us back to town, we had a celebratory dinner at the Italian opposite our hostel as it had been so nice on our first day and didn't disappoint the second time, of course we each had the Nutella gelato, no sharing today. 

Vines and Roots at Ek Balam Cenote in Mexico

Turquoise Water at Ek Balam Cenote in Mexico 

We left lovely Vallodolid the next day for Cancun where our flight to Cuba awaited. The next couple of days were spent mostly in the hostel organising travel insurance for New York and researching things to do in Cuba as we knew that once we were there we wouldn't have access to the internet. The only times we really left were to eat amazing authentic tacos at a roadside restaurant, satisfying the Mexican food craving that we'd had. We couldn't believe that we were at this point already, we had five nights in Havana to go and then we would be at the end of our time in Central America. With a little trepidation we headed for Cancun airport on the morning of April 24th for our much awaited time in Cuba. 

Craig and I at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Our Forth New Wonder of The World

🎥 Central America video: 

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