Well as usually happens when travelling I have lost all sense of time so I can´t date anything.
Currently in Flores in Guatamala. Getting here was an adventure. Left Tulum several days ago (I think Sunday here this side of the international date line) on an overnight bs to Pelanque, an 11 hour trip. Though it wasn´t too bad, in fact more comfortable than the Qantas flight; there wasn´t the ubiquitous fat American sitting beside me. Palenque is still in Mexico and was our steppinp off point into Guatamala.
Only stayed one night but it was enough to introduce Lucas to pina coladas. Fortunately these were less lethal on me than the margeritas in Playa del Carmen.
One thing noticeable was the evening promenade of people; the street were añive with people, all dresed in their best. We had dinner near the town centre/park and were entertained by both the people and a live salsa music concert. The perrennial Christmas song Í´m dreaming of a white Christmas´sounds much better in salsa than the crooning Bing Crosby version. Come to think of it all the Christmasy songs sound better in the salsa version.
Signed on for a 2 day transfer for Guatamla, this involved 2 buses and a boat and seeing ruins of Yaxchilan and Bonampak and having a night in a Lacadon village.
The ruins were awesom, especially Yaxchilan which involved a boat trip in a large motorised dug out canoe type of boat. The boat trip took about 40 mins down a river with the primordial rainforest growing down to the edge of the water, the further we went along the river the more back in time we appeared to be going.. I do have photographs but don´t have the camera with me at this exact moment so will post them soon.
The area is not safe at night time as it is a major transportation route for drugs and guns from Guatamala. We had not long left the Bonampak ruins and were heading to the Lacadon village for the night when we were stopped by an army checkpoint. They made everybody except 3 (including myself) get out.) I looked at Lucas and the others who had to get off the bus,standing in the hot sun surounded by armed soldiers with these huge guns with fingers on the triggers while our luggage was searched. Nada was found and we were allowed to go on our merry way.
I know in Australia we can be stopped by police in e.g. random breath tests, but it was a cultural shock to be randomly stopped by the army and searched.
The night in the Lacadon village was interesting, in the middle of nowhere in traditional huts with the sounds of wildlife surrounding us (apparently jaguars are in this area).
Next morning headed for the river which forms the border between Guatamala and Mexico. Rode in a canoe up river for about 30 mins till we reached the border crossing.
The trip to Flores where we currently are was only supposed to take 3 hours but took more than 5 along a stony road due to a semi flat tyre. It was a hot and dusty trip. What was noticeable along the way was the amount of jungle clearance to provide pasture for cattle. Sad. What was also noticeable was the obvious poverty that many people in this part of the country live in. Really sad.
Flores is an island in a lake and we are in a hotel overlooking the lake…magical. The town, more like a village, looka like the small towns that nestle in the Spanish hills and mountains, with narrow houses and cobblestoned narrow streets.
Today we left at the ungodly hour of 5am to go to Tikal. Words can not express the magnificence of this site that was once a Mayan city state. Again, I took photographs will post these later.
Tomorrow we are heading north towards the Honduras border on a bus. Once in Honduras we´ll head to the Bay of Islands and SCUBA. Shpuld be fun.
P.S. the beer is pretty good
