The finest Rum in the world is Guatemalan

Going from Mexico to Guatemala proved to be the fastest and easiest boarder crossing. A quick hop along the river Usumacinta and onto another bus up the road to immigration. James was all prepared for an argument about the illegal £6 they where trying to charge.  saying that he would pay if he could receive an official receipt. The guy said the old 'no pay no stamp' trick... then with no delay promptly stamped our passports without a word of argument! James was somewhere between smug and disappointed after not getting the verbal fight he was so eager for.

First stop we stayed at Flores which is a island-like peninsular in the middle of lake Peten Itza. Enjoying a view we had a couple of beers to toast ourselves into Guatemala and got an early night ready for our 4am start to visit the ruins at Tikal in the morning.

Waking up an hour late at 5am we sneaked onto another bus with a tour group. Opting out of the over-priced group tours was definitely the way to go as we could quietly amble the tracks through the jungle seeing an abundance of flora and fauna. In the early hours of daybreak the spider monkeys were busy eating in the trees, we were lucky enough to see many groups and later in the day a group of the more shy howler monkeys. We had been listening to their bark-like calls all day so it was a real treat to see a big group of over 15 relaxed and about their business. However we were watched like a hawk from the top-dog/howler who swung from tree to tree following us as we watch his troop. James was somewhat wary after reading that they may defecate on one's head - just to let you know who's boss. Lucky for us we obviously were not enough of a threat and avoided the fouling.

Practising Hamlet

The ruins were a spectacle of wonder, surrounded by parrots, caramundi (an animal somewhat like a racoon) and the deafening bird song. From the top of the highest one 'Tempel IV' you can see the peaks of the others - not for us though as it was a misty morning. However being up there just the two of us, looking out into the tree-tops, spotting the odd flash of colour from parrots and toucans flying above the mist was a eerie and dream-like experience. A feeling of freedom grasped us both until a group of rowdy tourists from the USA climbed up shouting about how they should put in an escalator to the top... needless to say we moved on to quieter grounds. Despite it being a Sunday and so more busy we had many ruins to ourselves and spent most of our time alone wandering the tracks eagle-eyed for anything that moved and ears pricked for crazy noises.

                       Biggest tree ever - the great Ceiba

Now they're some COJONES

Onto a bus (not a chicken-filled bus as I had expected) and south to Lanquin, watching the hours go by I was entertained by the luscious green jungle scenery. Guatemala is not only mountainous - it's crumpled, like an oversized egg box, many mountains of almost identical size and shape covered in a thick green carpet.

The roads wind around up and down and houses made of wood shuttering and tin or palm-thatching roofs are dotted with swinging multi-coloured washing hanging out in the sunshine. After 6 hours along the sealed road we reached the bumpy bumpy unsealed road that made the final hours to our destination. We planned to find a hostel called El Retiro where James had pitched his tent 8 years ago. It's located just outside the village of Lanquin. Delighted that it had a room for us (as we had no tent this time) we settled in to paradise in the heart of jungle. The animal life and song is very present... in fact even as I type this a strange creature has taken a stroll around the keyboard. Lucky for us not too many mosquitoes. Situated right along the edge of the river it's a beauty of a spot so we enjoyed the surrounding and spent a few days of quality R&R.

From here we took a day trip to visit Semuc Champey, some stunning waterfall/cascades nearby... it is not very often that things look like they do on a postcard but this natural wonder... WOW. We walked up to the viewpoint first, sweating all the way up the steep path, and then BOOM completely surrounded by jungle this green-blue oasis shone back up at us like a precious stone amongst gravel.

Pickup surfing!

It is not actually a waterfall but instead a limestone bridge. The bulk of the river flows underneath the 'bridge', only some water flows above from pool to pool leaving limestone sediment before the final fall back to rejoin the raging river beneath. Truly the most stunning natural beauty I have set eyes on. Guatemala seems to be 'out-doing' itself with each destination we stop at. We ended up visiting Semuc Champey twice while we where there, it would have been rude not to!

Prehistoric sunbather

Short of time we went direct to San Pedro la Laguna, skipping straight through the very pretty colonial town of Antigua in the shadow of a volcano. Antigua was nice but once we arrived at Lago Atitlan I was very pleased that we had made the decision to spend our time here instead. Lake Atitlan is at 1200m altitude and surrounded by a ring of mountains and volcanoes. It wasn't untill we climbed Volcan San Pedro that I really grasped the sheer size of the lake. A 6am start and a gruellingly steep 2-hour climb to the 3000m summit that tested our fitness to its limit was soon forgotten once we reached the top. A jaw-dropping view across the lake. For me the way down was full of far more pain than the up, as usual my knee deciding it's far too old for this kind of thing. Poor James even had to piggyback me through the steep streets of town back to the wonderful hostel Pinocchio where the rest of the day was spent in the horizontal position.

Regulations have now made it compulsory to take a guide as its a bit dangerous around the area for muggings etc. It is not advisable to walk outside the area of town or from town to town without a giude or transport but in town there is a subtle police presence and a friendly safe vibe. Taking the precautions we had a guide called Lorenzo from Maya Tours, a lovely man full of knowledge and awareness that when you are climbing up steep volcanoes conversation is not top of the agenda. I would recommend him for anyone who might be considering a trip up there.

Knackered and less than half way up!

BOOM

The electricity went out a half-hour after we arrived in San Pedro due to a fire burning down some lines (although first thoughts was someone has stolen the cables!!!) so we lived by candle light and cold showers until it came back on, ironically one hour before we left 3 days later! Our stay was not hindered by the lack of electricity as the town by night was very romantic bathed in candle light. The view across the lake to the other towns twinkling lights and sparkling stars above was also definitely enhanced by our blackout.

In the Mayan villages around the lake all the women wear traditional clothing with beautiful fabrics

Having not yet experienced a Guatemalan chicken bus as tour agencies have been quick to take advantage with many minibuses since James' last visit. He felt it was vital we did our last journey, to the capital, in a local bus. So onto the huge brightly-painted beast we jumped, stuffing our packs under the back seats in a frantic hurry. After a while I thought the bus was full but then about 20 more people got on. We where all like sardines in a can which helped to stay upright as the driver swung the monster truck onto two wheels from corner to corner. It was more like a rollercoaster ride, and I swear the driver only had one speed - fast! When it was our time to get off we exited out the back door, grabbing our bags as quickly as possible - I had my bag but just as James had caught hold of his the bus drove off, his bag sliding out onto the road. The bus hurtled down the busy road with the back door swinging open, conductor hanging out the front door beckoning us to run and get back on - thinking we had fallen out accidentally I guess! Crazy but huge fun, I am glad it was only a short 1 hour ride though.

Free static on market day

Finally I must share a crazy sight our surprised eyes widened to. Along the road in Guatemala city, just before we exited the bus we passed a rum lorry - yeah yeah pretty normal. Oh no - this one had the metal shuttering rolled up at the side and a man stood legs spread, shoulders wide and a pump-action shotgun gripped diagonally across his body! We would love to have taken a picture to share this with you but he was pretty intimidating so we thought better of it. We are still baffled as to his purpose - maybe protecting the rum or just to intimidate, either way it looked like a scene out of the Italian job!

Who da man? Jesus da man!

...we had a 3-stage flight to Colombia and a bit of time to kill in El Salvador airport so we thought
James should try the local beer and I tucked into some Flor de Cana rum - my newly found favourite. Just as we were congratulating ourselves that this is the way to kill transit time we realised that our plane was due to leave in 6 mins. By the time we got to our gate they were just about to final call us and all the staff shot us evil eyes, we hurried onto the plane greeted by name 'ah, James Coin!' by the air hostesses before we did the walk of shame down the aisle!

...and as far as medicine goes, this is by far the finest to have crossed my lips...

Buena onda

BOOM into the heart of la Ciudad de Mexico. A city that is so vast and spreads across the landscape dominating and suffocating all in its path. Having never been in a city to this immense proportions I found it a combination between being in awe and overwhelmed. The centre of the city is dense and wide, taking hours to cross while it spreads up the mountainous hill sides with makeshift houses where people live tax-free. However they also have no access to mains water so why should they pay tax! These people, over 5 million, are not counted in the 22 million estimated population of the city, spread out over 8000 square km (the 5th largest urban agglomeration in the world - thanks Wikipedia).

The contrast to Cuba is huge. One could buy anything and everything in this city. Trinkets for tourists are sold on every corner along with tacos, quesadillas, sincronizadas, empanadas, and of course advertising is hugely present. I think a German must have been involved in city planning as it is organised into blocks all selling the same thing. So if you are looking for a book there is a whole block of book stores, the same if you are after shoes - head to the 'zapaterias' block, likewise for a wedding dress or anything else you can think of! I wasn't taken by any of the dresses - however if I wanted to look like Cinderella or any of the Disney princesses it would have been perfect, all the glitzy sparkles and plastic pearls on lurid pinks, purples and mint greens.

A Diego Riviera mural in the National Palace

Taking a tour to Teotihuacan pyramids was definitely the highlight of our time in Mexico City. My first sight of ancient Zapotec/Aztec ruins like this and WOW WOW WOW. I was very impressed. We climbed every one, the moon and the sun pyramids and the Templo de Quetzalcoatl (much to James' dismay as the steep steps were a good thigh burner - as if the beating heat from the sun wasn't enough) we saw many beautiful carvings and were treated to spectacular panoramic views of the surroundings from the top of the sun pyramid.

The anthropological museum was definitely one not to be missed - we wandered amongst all the ancient artifacts from many ages, tribes and civilisations. I was hugely inspired by the early ceramic work, from the oldest civilisation dating back to 10,000BC. And the craftsmanship of the jade jewellery was very impressive as well, however the Aztecs topped it all off with their stone-carving sacrificial table and snake heads!

getting up close n personal

Keen to get out of the crazy city, we went northwards to the town of Angangueo to see the monarch butterflies who hibernate in the 3,600m-high woodlands nearby. Timing our visit perfectly as in February they are just coming out of their 2 month hibernation period and preparing to mate so are at their most active. Most of their kind, in North America and Canada, only live for 1 month, but the generations born at the right time live over 9 months, as they are the cycle suited to the 4,500km yearly migration.

 ...nope they're not leaves...

They gather in their billions and weigh down the branches of the oyenal (fir) trees - an incredible sight. As the sun warms the cool air they ignite the forest with fluttering flashes of orange, creating a truly magical atmosphere. We stayed a few hours, entertained and in awe of the quantities, before we went back to our freezing cold room (only 5 degrees but without any heating or fire it felt freezing especially as we were inappropriately prepared with one jumper between us). I bought a sheep wool hat and big long bootie socks fitting right in with the locals in no time!

a girl is always happy shopping

the sweetest slushpuppy- teeth rotting material

Next stop - Oaxaca. Staying in a beautiful courtyard hostel, we had a few days ambling round a hugely creative town with arts and crafts lining the streets. The town is overlooked by the hill-top ruins of Monte Alban, an impressive ruins complex giving panoramic views across the valley.

butter wouldn't melt...

In search of warmer pastures we headed south to Zipolite for some beach time. James was very happy at home in the slow-paced hippy vibe with the added convenience of wifi. We spent a few days there soaking up the sun and watching the pelicans surf the air currents along the waves, diving into the water, gobbling up fish and taking to the wing again narrowly avoiding being munched by the monster waves. Not too many people surfing just a few locals in the evening as there were very strong currents and most waves closed out immediately.

Suitably warmed and relaxed we took a bus to the cooler highland of Chiapas where we stayed at San Cristobal at 1900m. A very pretty town, quite touristic but for good reasons - the quaint cobbled streets and colourful houses lined with excellent restaurants and shops full of creative arts and crafts. Warmly greeted into our pretty hostel with breakfast by the fire to warm us up from the chilly morning air. We went straight out, jumping on a bus to the Canyon del Sumidero to enjoy a boat tour along the river, giving us the most impressive views of the towering limestone cliffs, some reaching over 1000m high.

This is where the indigenous tribes had gathered to perform mass suicide, to save themselves from becoming slaves to the Spanish invaders.

plastic?

nope!

Adding to the sombre mood it was a shame that one area where the water washes rubbish up together showed the disastrous effect of human civilisation on the natural environment. There were big signs saying to be careful of cleaning machinery... but it didn't look like any clean up operation had happened in a long time. The Mexican government have more important things to be spending their money on I guess - like the hydroelectric power station we were proudly shown at the end of the gorge. Still it was an impressive sight of natural beauty with an abundance of wildlife trying to live peacefully alongside our detrimental effects.

Valentines day in San Cristobal treated us well and with three other guys from our hostel enjoyed dinner over some live jazz fusion - the sax was a killer, as were the rums and tequilas! The following night we ate well again in an Italian restaurant where the chef was so distraught by James' request to add pineapple to the chorizo pizza... "mamma mia, zey all have different cooking times, zis will change the whole recipe!". So plain chorizo it was and very delicious too - later he explained that the recipes are tried and tested and cannot be changed at the drop of a hat. It's great to meet an Italian living up to the stereotype of full-on passion for good food. And boy did he know his stuff!

Back in the jungle once more!

numero 88

From the cool highlands we plunged back into the heat and 90% humidity at El Panchan near Palenque, deep in the heart of the jungle. A small settlement christened Panchan by the founder, meaning 'Heaven on Earth' in Mayan. Don Moises then divided his land up to his children to make businesses from. 

a bit of scaling!

Now a booming hippy hangout, a handful of huts, cabins and room are available. A couple of restaurants with live music and fire-spinning, set in creatively painted huts. At night the jungle came ever more alive with the abundance of insects and fireflies lighting up the air, a natural paradise. 

This was our base to go to the Palenque ruins. Some very impressive Mayan ruins in good condition, some areas cleared from the over-growing jungle and others still owned by the towering trees.

The howler monkeys and songs from tropical birds of paradise serenaded us as we walked the ruins with our guide Rudy, in the sauna-like temperatures. Rudy made our visit far more meaningful, allowing us to understand the history behind the place rather than just wandering around looking at interesting buildings. For example, here I sit in the royal ladies 'waiting area' for when the toilet was occupied!

Rudy is from a nearby village and his first language is Mayan, learning Spanish at school and now doing a course in English. A very knowledgeable guy, telling us all the ins and outs of the Mayan daily life.

From here we say a sorry farewell to lively colourful Mexico, adios to the quesillo-cheese-filled quesadillas, tacos and tequilas, (Jacques you can be safe in the knowledge that your Margaritas are still the best!) and board our bus to the border and into Guatemala, without a doubt having to pay some 'extra' charges.

...Mexicans appear to love Beetles - there's at least one on every street!