Week Two: From Guate to Mex

Countries: Guatemala, Mexico

Distance Travelled: 944.2km

Transport: buses (+ the occasional taxi)

Day 8

We spent a day chilling in Flores, due to Meggie being slightly sick and the rest of us not wanting to travel more. After everyone had slept in we headed out to find breakfast. As our trusty stalls were only open in the afternoon we had to go further inland which meant Giselle + I sharing pupusa in a little cafe on the Central Park with mango + strawberry licuados – yum! It was a struggle to walk around in the heat of the day, even though us 2 were in dresses, so we spent a lot of time in souviner shops hiding from the strong rays. The stunning cobbled streets are lined with vibrantly painted buildings, often with funky doors, + walking along the river was also beautiful. Soon though, I started to feel really rough too so all of us headed back to the hostel. Whilst Giselle + Rachel went for food, Meggie + I chilled in bed. Then, as the rain started again we all spent the majority of the afternoon in our mouldy room before a little more souviner shopping. Then, Meggie + I treated ourselves to some bread + bananas – we know how to live – and enjoyed these on my bed. After a pretty chilled day we panicked about how we were going to reach Palenque in Mexico in one day and again felt like we couldn’t trust anything anyone said. I struggled to pack my backpack with my new souviners but eventually we were settling down for our last night in the mouldy, mosquito heaven.

Day 9

4:30am. Another alarm beeping us out of bed. Once we walked the 30 minutes to the bus station we were royally ripped off by a guy I can’t describe nicely so will chose not to. The trip normally cost 40Q but we were charged 75Q + when we asked other people who said it was meant to be 40 we went back to the guy who wasn’t having any of it. He’d made his extra money; now it was our choice whether we wanted to get on the bus or not. That bus took aaaages, thanks to the amount of stops the driver took to have a break + go on his phone but eventually we found ourselves at the border + being stamped out by a crazy guy I suspect was slightly high. Supposedly Rachel + I look the same + he asked if we were sisters which, if you’ve seen a picture of us, is rather hilarious. Once we’d crossed we had around an hour of troubles + it turns out if you stay for longer than 7 days in Mexico you have to pay. We tried to prove we only wanted to stay for 7 days but then due to the possibility of us possibly being sent back to the UK we decided it was best if we played the £20 ($533 pesos) at the bank before being told we couldn’t take through our fruit so we madly ate our bananas. I’d been waiting for a knife to be able to enjoy an apple I’d been gifted by Francia on the last week of school but Giselle ended up proving our friendship has no bounds by biting into it and getting pieces for me – thanks man! We got on another bus to some small town where we realised people were really nice + had change but haggling isn’t a thing before another bus to Palenque. That bus was pretty warm but thankfully I’d bought 1,5 litres of water + this I enjoyed with my kindle before we were dropped off down a random road + walked to find a hotel. The one we ended up being in is actually really nice and only costs £4 so we were all very happy to have a warm shower + comfy bed for the night. Then, bursting with excitement, we went to have our first taste of Mexican food, which for me was vegetarian tacos (+ I would reccomend). In the main square there was traditional music + dancing to feast your eyes upon as well as churro + crepe stalls for your stomach. Then, in an attempt to help us feel better, Megan + I took a tablet to kill any worms or parasites inside us – yay!

Thoughts on Guatemala

At first, though I think it was the area, I found the people waaay too in your face. I know it’s their livelihood and they have to be like that but honestly if it doesn’t annoy me it just makes me feel sad. However, as we travelled more this was less severe and Flores ended up being a beautiful place to stay, though extremely hot. It’s also pretty cheap to travel around here which is a bonus!

After a few good days in Palenque, we are off to San Cristobal! The bus is, incredibly, limited to 14 persons + if there are no more seats, no more people get on which is the opposite to how things are run in Honduras so is quite a surprise. I’m super hot so looking forward to being in a place that’s a lot colder.

Day 10

What a mixed day this day was! So, we had a very relaxed morning + I even slipped into a dress (the heat is getting to me) before we went out for breakfast. I was craving something relatively healthy so had a fruit plate with granola + honey as well as a cheese quesillo – it’s hard whilst travelling but this at least made me feel a little better! We went on a wander to get money out the bank for Giselle then headed back to the hotel quickly to use the bathroom (thankfully it was less than a block away from the square) where I briefly videocalled my mum to keep her up to date on everything’s that’s been happening. Once we were well rested we headed back out, this time for souviner shopping + churros!! I can’t say there’s loads to do in Palenque but it’s a very sweet town and there are many souviner shops + restaurants if that’s what you are into. The coolest/weirdest part was when we were buying some bookmarks, we were told we could burn names into them if we wanted so I sat down to do this + the man in the shop put his lanyard around me + said I needed pictures! Alright, buddy, whatever you want. He then proceeded to burn “Mexico” into them which was much better than I ever could have done. We had another sun rest before heading out for dinner where I ate chillaquiles – though I prefer these in Honduras they weren’t bad! The weirdest part of the night was the political demonstration which we rather stupidly assumed was to do with football so when they gave out free t-shirts we grabbed one. We were asked for a picture + refused which was a good thing as this so called “Green Party” believe in the death penalty + are full of corruption, so I’ve since thrown my top in the bin. I had a panic about where my phone was, then once I found it rather stupidly was holding it in my hand + whilst describing something I managed to knock it out my hand as I hit the stone wall the others were sitting on, resulting in the screen smashing. I’m very lucky everything still functions perfectly (except the front camera) + the only problem is it looks a little ugly. Apologies to the girls for how sad I got after that little accident!

Day 11

We were up to go on a tour to visit some ruins + waterfalls but for once we didn’t have to leave at 4 in the morning! At 8 we were waiting in the front of the hotel + a mini van pulled up so we got in with some Mexicans + headed out to the ruins of Palenque. Considering these are a fraction of the price of both Copán (Honduras) and Tikal (Guatemala) they actually ended up being my personal favourites. This was due to the beautiful vegetation, tropical flowers and large trees in the area with paths weaving themselves through these. There was also helpful signs in both Spanish + English to tell you about each building (or “pile of rocks” as Giselle would say) which make the experience better. We saw tombs, climbed the palace + were treated to views out over the valley, which we sat + admired for some time. My inner history geek got to come out + enjoy a field trip in those ruins. I also had the fun of a dragonfly landing on my face + looking at all the things people were selling, before we had to walk 1,5km to the museum which offered information about how Mayan people lived: their system of religion (which, due to the long names, is very complicated), death + even a ball game where the losing team were killed. Fun.

Afterwards we waited for a bus for over 30 minutes due to protests blocking the road. Once we were finally all on it was off to Misol Há which is quite a large waterfall you are able to walk behind. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in + we were met with lightning + thunder as well as heavy rain and though we still enjoyed the waterfall, we couldn’t swim beneath it. At this point we were starving but had to wait 1 1/2 hours for food – when we arrived at Agua Azul.

I don’t think anyone could appreciate the beauty of this place when we first got off the bus as we were so desperate for food so all ate 5 empeñadas for 20 pesos (73p) that had very little filling + lots of air in them but were good nonetheless. Giselle + I also got a funky thing which is like an oversized, sweet prawn cracker that we eat in Hondy so bought back memories of home. The waters reminded me of Semuc Champey + were absolutely beautiful to walk next to. We even took a dip in the rather chilly river which was a lot of fun, before one last time on the bus. Rachel + I jammed to music whilst we took many stops (not too sure why, but at one point we waited for an hour) then got stuck in the protest traffic before finally making it back. Originally we’d have got back at 6:30 but we actually arrived at 8:30 + threw on dry clothes before a quick dinner which meant more veggie tacos for me – wooo!

It is the morning of our 14th day, which means we have been on the road for two weeks. In some ways, the time seems to have gone quickly, when I think about all we have done, but it seems like years since I’ve seen my kids, or our family. I’m looking forward to returning to the UK as there’s less chance I’ll break/lose things + not having a permanent home can sometimes be hard, but each day also brings new adventures and I am loving getting to know more of the world. I have really gotten into a routine here in Mexico so I’m not too excited to move back to Guatemala. Every morning I am the first to rise and get to have my time to meditate, read and hydrate before an amazing includes breakfast!

Day 12

My last breakfast in Palenque consisted of a cheese + veggie burrito that was super yummy before we all packed up our backpacks and headed in a taxi to the bus station. Due to more road blocks we were made to wait at least 30 minutes for a bus which saw Rachel + I bumping around like beans in a can at the back on the mountain roads. It did remind me of the roads we often go through in Honduras, so was a nice little taste of home. After the smoothest transition to another bus I think we’ve ever had we all cuddled up on the back row + I fell asleep, hugging my drug rug. The bus stop here is so large and fancy it almost reminded me of an airport and we easily got a taxi into the city. San Cristóbal is very much like Gracias in the fact it’s a very colonial city and we spent a great deal of time walking around, trying to navigate the streets. We found a funky taco place then snuggled up under lots of blankets (it gets rather chilly here) to settle down for a good nights sleep.

Day 13

I awoke super early so made my way out to the communal area where I waited for the others whilst reading. Once I’d woken them up we settled down to our incredible included breakfast (would totally recommend Casa Monad if you’re in the area) of: melon, watermelon, cereal, toast, fried eggs, omelette, pancakes + tea – wooo!! I threw on my drug rug (my life saver here) + then we got walking, first up lots of steps to a church (well, Rachel + I attempted to run) on the top of the hill which offered amazing views over the city. I watched some locals practising Martial Arts + felt super jealous before walking back across town to another church with even more steps (fun!) which I nearly died upon, thanks to my lungs feeling like they were giving up. Whilst we walk we always chat which means I get to nerd out about books, psychology + everything else – hopefully my brain doesn’t turn to mush before uni! We stumbled across a really hippy place for lunch where we watched England vs Belgium whilst enjoying quesadillas con champiñones (yeeees) then carrot + orange juice. There was more walking, talking + churching before a funky market then chilling in our semi-Moroccan hostel. We booked a tour for the next day then went out for possibly the best travel meal yet: a 3 course meal for £4. That’s right. We were treated to bread + pesto (!), soup, fish + cheesecake and I even suffered through a margarita which sent Giselle slightly loooy on the way home, so was definitely worth it.

We have one more location in Mexico that we’re currently making our way towards, before our descent back through Guatemala to head to El Salvador. I really loved San Cristóbal because firstly I didn’t have to use mosquito repellent + I could give my body a break and secondly everyone drovecthese adorable, old beetle cars.

Day 14

I think this may have been my favourite travel day so far. AfterFrench toast, watermelon + oatmeal we were picked up by our tour bus and zoomed off to a new place where, on arrival, we had to pay 5 pesos to use the bathroom. Oh, how I miss when relieving yourself was free! We were all given orange life jackets + made our way onto the boat before suddenly we were off, speeding through the green waters. We passed under a bridge, then the river opened up into a huge canyon with the gigantic walls towering above us on both sides. It felt like being in a Disney film and was my favourite travel experience thus far. Birds hovered low over the waters or passed high overhead, swooping and twirling – nature really did put on a show for us. We pulled up next to trees to see some spider monkeys up close + personal before being taken to the hydroelectric dam. On our way back it was too loud to speak + we were each left to our thoughts. Next, the bus stopped in a little village for a lunch of huevos a la mexicana (scrambled with onion + tomato) para mi – y que ricos son, con frijoles y arroz. Yum! Once we’d relaxed in the hostel and I’d videocalled some Honduran friends we finally made our way to Tok Tok Wok. It’s basically an incredible little oriental place where we had a mix of noodles + rice with veggies all stir fried in an incredible sauce. This day I was really missing my kiddos + I could just hear little Isaac’s voice saying “the sun is shining, the birds are singing, it’s a beautiful day” in my head which was enough to make me want to cry but the tok tok wok did cheer me up. Meggie + I treated ourselves to ice cream where I tried cheesecake then mocha flavours – both I would highly reccomend! We got asked to do some tourism questionnaires then after a disappointing karaoke search ended up in a chocolatier – I’m very excited to eat some dark chocolate once I’m home!