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

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Exploring Tikal in Guatemala

Walking Through the Jungle of Tikal in Guatemala

A tuk tuk collected us from San Marcos La Laguna and took us to a larger lakeside town where a bus was waiting, it was already nearly full so Craig and I got seats at the front and enjoyed the amazing views over the landscape as we passed. We were driven back to Antigua where we waited for quite a while until another bus came to take us to Guatemala City. After a few hours waiting in an exhaust polluted bus station in a dodgy looking area we boarded a coach and made the overnight trip all the way up to Flores. Arriving in the morning with nowhere to stay we found a place listed in the Lonely Planet and settled in to our cheap private room.

Temple I in Tikal, Guatemala

Temple II and the Great Plaza in Tikal, Guatemala

With no money left as we were unable to take any out at the lake or in either cities we'd passed through we went out in search of an ATM. What an ordeal! Flores is situated on a little island accessed by a long bridge. The two ATM's on the island didn't work with our card so we walked across the bridge to the nearby shopping mall, I managed to take out an amount but Craig couldn't and we wouldn't have enough to pay for our hostel, food and entrance to Tikal the Mayan ruins the next day. I tried to take out a second amount but it was denied, what followed was a miserable walk to countless ATM's all across the town with no luck. We tried close to 10. We returned to Flores scratching our heads, what had happened? Had the banks blocked both our cards? We had a chat with the guy looking after the hostel and he had an idea. The owner of the hostel also owns a restaurant down the road, "why don't you ask if you could put your card in the payment machine and they give you the cash back?" Genius! We walked to the restaurant and had a chat with the owner who was kind enough to oblige and it worked! We took out enough to cover all our expenses and she was also kind enough to let Craig use the hostel phone for free to call the bank too. It turned out they had blocked his card 7 times. We hadn't eaten anything due to a lack of funds all day so we took ourselves to a café called Cool Beans and had a lovely brunch wth a view over the crystalline blue lake. 

Temple II In The Morning, Tikal, Guatemala

Hidden Spaces in Tikal, Guatemala

We woke early for a day at Tikal catching the 7am shuttle to (hopefully) get there before the crowds. Stopping at a gate patrolled by guards we bought our tickets and made our way to the entrance, Craig was getting anxious at how long it was taking to get to the ruins as he wanted to be able to photograph the site without too many hoards of people in the way. Tikal is a huge complex of Mayan temples hidden within the jungle, from photographs that I had seen in the guidebook I knew that the wonder would be different to any other ancient temples that we had previously seen. We walked along a path lined by jungle and found our first ruin, a stone structure with a small tunnel to an open square, presumably the structure would once have had a roof of some kind.

A Temple Visible Above the Jungle in Tikal, Guatemala

An Impressive Sky at Tikal in Guatemala

We moved on, keen to find the tall temples situated in the main plaza. As we approached Temple I also known as the Temple of the Gran Jaguar Craig looked back to me in wonder, the temple measuring 47 metres was situated up on a bank which made its height even more impressive. We climbed the steep bank and entered the Great Plaza with Temple I on our right and Temple II straight ahead. The two massive temples were next to other huge structures known as the North Acropolis and the Central Acropolis. We didn't know where to explore first. Craig clicked away on the camera as I whirled around trying to capture the whole area in my minds eye. There were a few people dotted about but not nearly as many as I feared we'd be competing for space with. Temple I couldn't be climbed for fear of damaging the stairs and presumably also because of how steep the steps were. We were able to climb to a viewing platform on Temple II via a wooden structure that had been implemented. The view over the plaza was amazing and offered a look over the jungle too. 

Monkey in a Tree in Tikal, Guatemala

Naughty Coati Ferreting for Food in Tikal, Guatemala

We descended and climbed the North Acropolis, exploring and looking out over the plaza as it started to get busier with more people. We left the plaza and wandered on hoping to see and explore the majority of the citadel knowing that the sheer size of the site meant that we may not make it to everything. A highlight of the day for me was climbing to the top of Temple IV the tallest temple, it was accessible by wooden stairs which seemed to go on forever, I was quite proud of myself as I managed to climb all the steps without stopping once. The views from the top of the temple were magnificent, all of the jungle could be seen and the tops of neighbouring temples peeked out from the multicoloured canopy. With no safety rail it was a little scary being so high especially with so many people, one accidental bump and you could end up plummeting back to the earth via hundreds of steep stone steps. After visiting several of the smaller temples we returned to the plaza to explore the Central Acropolis which had lots of pathways to walk along and led us to a quiet and hidden away area where we spotted Temple V in the distance just visible over the treetops. 

Nature and Stone in Tikal, Guatemala

Craig and I in Tikal, Guatemala

On and on we explored until we couldn't explore anymore. We'd climbed to the top of so many temples, along walls and through jungle. We saw monkeys snoozing in trees and naughty little coati, a furry red mammal notorious for rummaging through bins walking around in gangs. We were lucky enough to visit the majority of the site over the course of a day but our legs weren't happy, they were knackered. Just before leaving we stopped for one last time at the Great Plaza which had become overwhelmingly crowded with tour groups and families with children picnicking. Craig took a few last photographs and then we walked back along the path to the entrance where our shuttle took us back to Flores. As a treat for a long day of walking we went back to Cool Beans café and had veggie burgers topped with refried beans which were delicious. On our walk back to the hostel we inadvertently joined the Semana Santa parade, women dressed in super high heels were holding up platforms which had models of nuns on them. Music blared from a stereo like at a carnival and children were dressed in their finest running around trying to catch a good view of the parade, 

The next day we would be up early for another long day of travel; this time from Flores in Guatemala all the way to Mexico via Belize. 

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Honduras

We woke up after a restless few hours sleep, pulled on our already laid out clothes and dragged our backpacks to the front gate. It was just before 2am and our shuttle had already arrived to take us all the way to Copán in Honduras. With bleary eyes we boarded the minibus and after picking up two more travellers we began our journey. The shuttle crossed from Nicaragua into Honduras and rather than drive north towards the capital city we took a road headed straight toward El Salvador. We crossed into El Salvador and stopped at a petrol station for breakfast as we'd already been driving for hours and the sun had risen. A petrol station breakfast sounds like it would naturally be a horrible thing but actually it was quite delicious, the set up reminded me of breakfast at Woolworths as a child, little trays and dishes behind glass to choose from. Putting our Spanish to the test we pointed out the items we wanted; 'heuvo por favour', 'arroz con frijoles', 'plantain y queso'. We drove on further, eventually reaching a beach town where we had to change vans and were able to take a break by going for a walk. It was hot and the town was full of cafes and tourists, mostly American. We walked to the beach which we found to be a popular surfing destination and we had just enough time for a fruity milkshake with a view over the river before we had to return to the office to be led by our new driver to the new shuttle bus. The two guys that we had been travelling with had said goodbye, El Salvador was the end destination for them. We had a new group of people to travel all the way to Copán with. 

An Armed Guard Patrols the Ruins of Copán in Honduras

Stepped Pyramid in Copán, Honduras

On we went to the El Salvador/Guatemala border, by this point we'd travelled the entire length of El Salvador. Our original plan before we really realised how the Central American geography and road network worked was to travel in Honduras and then pop into El Salvador for a couple of nights before travelling onto Guatemala. Because of our actual route we decided not to return to El Salvador again as it would be too expensive to drive all the way back and would cost us too much time. With hindsight we probably could have jumped off in El Salvador for a night or two and then carried on to Copán but we hadn't really thought of that when booking. Knowing that we weren't coming back I made an effort to really look outside at the towns we passed through and the landscape which did look beautiful, perhaps we will return one day in the future for a proper look. 

Colourful Ornately Decorated Stone Carvings in Copán, Honduras

We arrived in Guatemala, drove north and re-entered Honduras just as the sun was starting to set. We'd been awake since before 2am and had travelled via four countries in one day, a new record. We'd incurred exit and entry fees along the way, the fact that we had to pay just to travel through did niggle a bit at the time. After a quick pose in front of the Honduras sign we drove on to Copán arriving after nightfall. Our shuttle ticket included a night in a dorm room which we were shown to. Craig was feeling annoyed because the room quality was pretty poor but as we had just two nights in Copán and we were so exhausted from travel we didn't argue. We popped out for a bite to eat and found a restaurant serving local food, at first glance the menu looked very meat heavy and we thought we may struggle with the local cuisine. We found a 'fast food' section on the menu with prices that were incredibly cheap. Baleadas caught our eye due to the ingredients listed, we hadn't heard of them before but it turned out that they were a toasted flour tortilla filled with a choice of things including cheese, beans, egg and avocado. We ordered a couple each with a side of fries and were pleasantly surprised. The setting in a courtyard with a barbecue blazing and local families tucking in made for a lovely experience. 

Craig Exploring the Nooks and Crannies of Copán, Honduras

Walking Along Walls and Admiring Views in Copán, Honduras

We awoke and went for breakfast which was meant to be included in our shuttle ticket. The hostel owner was oblivious to this and wasn't really willing to oblige. Luckily I had taken a photograph of the shuttle advertisement hanging on the wall of our hostel in León which blatantly said dorm bed and breakfast included. He sent us up the road to a sister establishment which was much nicer and we were served free pancakes at a rustic wooden table. Something we've learned in all our travels is that if you think you're entitled to something for free then definitely insist on it as it saves valuable pennies. Also, do as I do and take reference photos of everything for proof if needed. In the daylight we were able to see the town properly and it was rather lovely. With Honduras having such a tumultuous history and a pretty terrifying reputation I wasn't sure what to expect but Copán Ruinas to give it its complete name was quaint and pretty. The main square was surrounded by preserved buildings and restaurants and the streets were clean and full of friendly locals sat on benches chatting. 

A Sinister Skull Carved from Stone in Copán, Honduras

The Carvings in Copán are Second To None, Honduras

With just a day to explore the ruins of Copán that we came all this way to see we hot footed it along the winding road to the Mayan site. We passed a few small ruined statues on the route and eventually turned off to the ticket office. We walked down a long tree lined path behind an armed guard who was patrolling the area and found an area with perches for wild scarlet macaws that are being reintroduced into the area. Every now and again out of the corner of my eye I'd spot a bright red flash of feathers, never before have I seen such a colourful bird in the wild. We passed intricately carved stone bricks and sculptures before reaching an open area with stepped pyramids which were free to climb. What sets Copán apart from other Mayan sites in Central America is the detailed decoration on the temples and the preserved carvings. Copán pyramids and temples aren't the biggest or the most impressive by size but they are the most artistic. A huge staircase with ornately carved statues had been covered with a large piece of tarpaulin suspended above to keep the rain at bay to avoid any further erosion. The steps were not able to be climbed which was understandable given the quality that needed preservation. As we walked around groups of school children started to pop up which obviously meant that the site was no longer completely peaceful. There was so much to see that we spent a good few hours wandering, we found skulls carved from stone, rock that had colourful pigment smeared on and fallen leaf covered areas with not a soul in sight. 

Perfectly Preserved Temples in Copán, Honduras

Faces Everywhere in Copán, Honduras

After climbing steps and walking along stone walls we found a trail leading through the forest. There we saw some hidden away sights and also lots of little lizards dashing around, the trail was deserted. With our day exploring at an end we returned to the town and went back to the cheap local eatery for more baleadas, this time I had fresh avocado with mine. With another travel day arranged for tomorrow our time in Honduras was already up. All the worry had been for nothing as we found Copán to be a safe and welcoming town and the wonderful Mayan ruins had been well worth the long and tiring journey. 

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