Back to life...back to reality

I haven't posted since the 14th March...yikes... i definitely do not deserve passing the 2000 mark in terms of site visits (raaah!)

I have had a busy two weeks - galivanting (as my mum would say) around Mexico and Belize (I included a bonus stop into Guatemala to see Tikal). It's been so long I don't even know where to start.

First as previously mentioned, my camera died while I was in Chichen Itza. This has resulted in having to go back in time and use a disposable camera. I purchased three in total and have ended up with a grand total of approx 10 acceptable photos. Nice ratio, don't you think? Although clearly disappointed with the result, the old, worn out look is growing on me. Let me know what you think.

First stop after Chichen Itza was Playa del Carmen, a small fishing village that has turned out to be a second Cancun in the making. It is part of the Riviera Maya, the Mexican version of the French Riviera which caters mostly to American tourists.

It's not everyone's cup of tea. I was there during Spring Break which meant many (too) Americans - university students and family alike walking around La Quinta (the main street) which boasts souvenir shops, pharmacy (for prescription drugs that are available OTC in Mexico), Starbucks, Papa Johns, Subway, BKing, McDo ... etc..etc...Not quite what I was expecting.

On a postive note, I enjoyed a day at the beach and got to witness first hand Mariachi singing outside our hostel.


Next stop was Tulum a small village further down the coast towards Belize, which has the most beautiful setting for Maya ruins in Mexico. With hindsight I would have rathered skipped Playa and gone directly to Tulum. It has beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, flour-like sand and best of all .... very little infrastructure. If you ever dreamt of drinking an ice-cold Corona somewhere in Mexico ....you should do it there.


As I was battling with the surf, looking extremely sexy with my newly-purchased kids goggles (cheaper!), I got talking to a bunch of kids who were having fun in the waves nearby. It turned out that they were on a day out with their english teacher. They seemed excited to be able to practice their english , so we chatted along about their Maya culture, learning english, Mexico, the beach...everything and anything.


Very cool.

Next stop Belize.

Chichen Itza ... the day the camera died

I saw one of the New 7 Wonders of the World today (one left to see - Petra here i come !).


Despite that in itself being very cool, all i can think about is that my camera finally died on me. It had been showing clear signs of struggle during the past few weeks and finally gave up on me this morning at 8 am as I was about to take my first photo of this tremendous site. So no photos for the near future : (

Back to Chichen Itza. Although it doesn´t have the "vavaVoom" factor of Machu Pichu (the hard trek up the mountain helps in making it desired!), it was still extremely impressive. I had followed a fellow traveller´s recommendation and arrived early. It´s peaceful emptiness just made the experience that much more enjoyable. Unfortunately by 9.30 am, the tour buses started to arrive and they never really stopped. By 11 am tourists were gathering in ant-like formation. They were everywhere, following the same path, listening to their guide, suffering from the sweltering heat. By then, I had positionned myself under a tree with a great view of the main pyramid, chatting to the mexicans who were trying to sell their tourist trinkets. Making fun of everything and everyone.


Why am I on the road again ? Well Semana Santa was coming up and I couldn´t resist the temptation of getting the backpack on my espalda for a few days. I found a cheap flight to Merida and am planning the following route: Merida-Chichen Itza-Playa Del Carmen-Tulum-Belize - Tikal- and then back to Mexico City.

So far, so good. I survived my first night in a dorm, met some lovely gals, went for a few drinks and got up at 5.30 am to catch my bus.

Feels good to be back on the road for a while.