Mexico...Cuba... Belize and CUT

Having been home for over 2 months, the only thing that kept my travels alive was not finishing my blog. But it has to be done as for this chapter of my life to be closed. So after over 2 months in Malta and still ironically lost in this small country, here is my humble attempt to share with you the spell Latin America has cast on me. So with 'Woman of Latin America' from Putumayo I try to transfer myself back in that magic part of the world and write what was the last couple of months of my travels.

Mexico came after Guatemala. And in Mexico unlike the way I like to travel, I had a deadline to meet a very good Maltese friend of mine, Alvin, in Mexcio city. And that' s where we ll start. The plan was to make it to Cancun by bus in 3 weeks as to catch a plane to Cuba from there. Then cross Belize into the north of Guatemala and head back to Mexico city. But with him, Alvin seemed to have gotten a curse of bad weather and hurricanes which we were constantly trying to avoid, and we did a very good job doing exactly that.

Apart from a couple of unpleasant experiences in the massive and very efficient Metro in Mexico city which caters for a staggering 22 million peopple with standard fares of 6c, yes still maltese, where we were literally dragged in and out of the carraige by the flow of the eager Mexicans, the city itself despite it's size and amout of people proved to be a pleasant experience with lovely plazas, crazy markets, bettle taxis and numerous mayan ruins. Distretto Federal, DF as it is called by the locals, is where Mexico itself was founded when an eagle was seen capturing a snake and taken as a sign that a city had to be founded. Teotijacan are impressive Mayan temples feturing the world's 3 rd largest pyramid. Truly impressive.
Another visit we made was to the Basilica de Guadlupe, a sacred place for most Mexican who worship La virgin de Guadalupe. Literally.

Oaxaca was a mix of excellent food, mescal, textiles, more temples and a couple of heavy nights on mescal washed away with Corona. It was some quality time I spent with Alvin who was still getting into travel mode. Had we not been so hung over on a visit to a market, I got very close to eating the local delicacy, fried grasshoppers served in all shapes and sizes. So i thank the mescal the night berofe for a very probably unpleasant snack.

Wow it was a long 2 months and a long time has passed and I am already struggling to remember details. I think it' s time to back already!! hehehe

Puerto Escondido, Ziploite and Mazuntye were next. Lying on the pacific side of this massive and magnificent country, the latter 2 spots proved to be proper laid back beach villages, with amazig surf, sunsets and of course hammocks. Lovely seafood became the daily lunch before crashing in a hammock and read for the rest of the afternoon.

Next stop on the way to Cancun the was the magical San Cristobal de las Casas. Beautiful Zocalos surrounded by curches and Mayan indigenous people make this a very special place even though there is a touristy feel to this spot in the highland of Chiaps region.

Some sea and sand action was urgently required afer the chilly Chiapas. And that is exactly what we got. The tacky resort town of Cancun, with it' s marvelous beaches, scarred by the massive hotels lining the stretch of Cancun, wasn' t half as bad as every backpacker had advised.

And Cancun was where we headed to Cuba. The Cuba of Fidel and El Che. The communist Cuba.

After a long time on the road, in places like Colombia and Bolivia, not many places give you the thrill and excitement that you get on boarding the 30yr old Soviet plane of Cubana for the 1 hour flight from Mexico to Havana.

Maybe it's the charm of Havana or the communism, the cigars or the beautiful women, El che or maybe Fidel, the Chevvy or Plymouth. There is simple something in Cuba that is unique and magical maybe tragic or divine that you can only get a glimpse of by visiting this unique place in the Carribean.

Our visit started in Havana up towards Vinales, down to Trinidad and back in Havana, always staying at host families.

The cigar farm which we visited by horse in Vinales, La casa de la musica , the falls, beach and the beauty of Trinidad were the highlights of Trinidad. In havana you can close your eyes and transport yourself back to the fifties and imagine a buzzing city, shiny showing off it s beauty to the Amrican sailors, corrupt businessman and even worse politicians. All before El Che and Fidel fought all this away all for Cuba and the Cubans.

Including the fact that I left Havana with a vanished passport after Aiport checks and headed for Mexico as an illegal immigrant, Cuba was a true highlight of my visits so far. One of the few places that meets and exceeds the expectations you get by having such a reutation.

A bad hangover accompanied us to Isla mujeres back in Mexico. Another lovely chillout place. Playa de mujeres and Cozumel were the last places.

The final stages was Belize before passing through the gorgeous Guatemala, visitng the spectacular Tikal and majesic Palanque before a long bus back to DF.

And that is the end of my travels in Latin America. It passed like a dream, stuck like an addiction and was the best year of my life so far.

Hasta Luego !

Guatemala

And Gutemala City it is, one of the most dangerous places on this part of the world. But all that of course is far away from the very touristic Antigua, the old part of the city where the most you have to worry about is ever present and very persistent street hawkers. Still recovering from my suspected dengue encounter, I just spent 3 days lazying around this charming place, enjoying the good coffee or reading my book in the Zocalo or doing the tourist sightseeing round the hundred and one chrurches and plasas present in Antigua. On a second visit we trekked up Volcan Pacaya, a bizarre experience given the fact that the last part of the trek was basically over blazing lava!!

Rio Dulce was again chillout time. Excellent weather and just a couple more guests at the hostal meant peace of mind. Swimming, reading and eating for a couple of days. This is where i got to know about a place called Semuc Champey. Staying at El Portal, overlooking the river, we had rain the first day so i decided to stay on the hammock and plan my visit, borrowing lonely planets and trying to make it on time to meet Alvin in Mexico.

Decision which paid off cause the next day was a cloudless day, perfect weather. We headed to the national park of Semuc Champey. An hour walk and we were on the mirador,overlooking pools of turquoise blue waters forming a limestone roof over the magnificent river passing underneath. The beauty of this special place takes a while to sink in . It didn t take that long though to walk down and dive in the clear turquoise water and absorb the energy that is said to exist in this place.

Lake Atitlan, an absolutely gorgeous lake surrounded by volcanos and small villages was my base for a couple of days where all we did was gaze at the beauty of the lake and seeing it change shapes and then fade out. San Pedro the village we stayed at can be easily described as an in your face hippie hot spot, and can be quite intense at times with European ppl trying too hard to fit in. The colourful native market of Chichicastenango was a pleasant Sunday trip from San Pedro, where Mayan natives try and sell hand made textiles, masks, wooden items, hamocks, hats and a hundred other similar items basically at any price you are willing to pay.

Tikal, the world famous Mayan ruins of Tikal was the reason for my second entry into Guatemala back from Mexico through Belize, along with a hundred and one scams on border controls from officers and money exchange ppl alike, was worth every hassle we had getting there.

Five in the morning and the jungle starts to wake up with the loud scary noises from Howler monkeys who make sure everyone around knows they are awake. This obviously wakes up neighbours amongst which are the colourful Tukans who fly around irritated trying to get far from the loud screams of the monkeys. All this surrounds the Mayan ruins of Tikal, scattered amongst pristine jungle, with all their magnificence unrevieled as the earth makes one more turn around the sun. This was sunrise over this special place called Tikal. We spent all day accompanied by a pleasant guide telling us the story of the Mayan rule over these temples.

A perfect ending to my journey through Guatemala, a truly unique country. And next... Mexico

Colombia a perfect farewell to my beloved South America

A land of unparalleled natural beauty and riches. The land of Gabriel Garcia Marques, Juanes and Shakira. The Carribean and Pacific, Guerilla and Paramilitary, Coffee and Cocaine, Cumbia and Salsa. The land of Pablo Escobar and of course the cocaine capital of the world.

No wonder that with all this mixed with it`s history of drugs, corruption and violence, a unique mystery and charm is carried by Colombia and it`s people, begging to be discovered.

My journey towards Colombia started from Quito in Equador, which is where the last blog ended dated end of August. No excuse this time for my slack. So back in Quito to meet some friends back from Galapagos. I arrived early morning, picked up a name of a hostel from the planet as usual and got on a cab with the most arrogant cab driver in the world who argued over leaving me at the crossroads near the address ofthe hostal in the dodgiest area of Quito. Threathing I wouldn`t pay, the dumbass reluctantly drove me to the deserted area in front of the hostal. A couple of hours into my sleep, I was rudely woken up by the morning manager trying to get another guest in the private room I paid for. Half asleep I agreed to settle it when I wake up and fell back to sleep. The new guest turned out to be a bloody faggot thief who got away with my favourite hat I got from Bolivia along with some clothes. Apart from this episode, the hostel in the morning looked as dodge as, inhabited mostly by faggots, making me an obvious target. Day after I was out of there, moved to another hostal and all was good again.

In Quito as well I met up with Julian again after a long time separated by more than the physical distance from Galapagos to the mainland. And it was great to catch up and plan in our own way some more travelling together hopefully all the way up to Cuba, on and off...hehehe

From Quito heading north after the crossing of yet another border was Pasto and Popayan, two towns I chose to break the long bus ride to Cali, the salsa capital of Colombia. Hostal Iguana, a party hostal situated in the Drag part of town was where I met Julian again, and party we did. In between a salsa festival, a couple of heavy nights and drinking at Iguana on nights off, I was glad to be on the road again after a week had gone by.

The coffee region surrounding Manizalez on the way to Medellin was an unexpected sweet surprise. The city itself is quite unremarkable, except the main square housing a magnificent cathedral, yet the surrounding Zona Caffeteria is defintely worth the stay.

Hacienda Guayabal, a coffee farm situated in a pictuesque valley in Chinchina made for a pleasant afternoon getting to know more about the world`s most famous drink. And what better way to end the day than sipping a freshly baked and ground coffee with the lovely land lady.

Medellin,where guerrila and paramilitary activity reached it`s heights, home to fake tits and the gorgeous girls who carry them around, home to the infamous Pablo Escobar and some of the world`s best cocaine, as I was told!! meant party again.

Next on the way was the Carribean coast of Colombia. Cartagena was the first town I landed, impressive not for the carribean but as an elegant port town with it`s colonial beaty, shady squares and colourful cobbled streets.

The sad part to this charming place is the innumerable prostitutes roaming around. On my last night, after waking up Julian who was ablivious to my arrival, I dragged him out for a couple of beers in the centre. The bar we ended up in was one of the many populated by young willing girls surrounded by pervert old men where the attraction is measured by dollars. Truly disgusting.

And finally for some sea and sand action on the carribean coast. Taganga, a fishing village situated next to Santa Martha became my base through Bezzina, a fellow Maltese who has been living here for almost 3 years. Great guy..Thanks angain Marco.His cabaña on top of the hill overlooking the beach, the hospitality of Andres and all at Octopus diving and the people of the village themselves made for a perfect chillout place where i stayed for a couple of days.

Diving here was just ok, big expectations for my first Carribean dives but at least got to dive with no wetsuit and wieghts.

Taganga is the gateway to the national park of Tyrona. A hidden paradise of warm Carribean waters, sun sand and palms made for a couple of nights sleeping in hammocks and doing nothing at all. A true highlight of Colombia. Excellent. Snorkelling in La Piscina was great. Lobsters, rays, colourful fish and lovely coral, all in warm clear water made for some beautiful snorkelling.

Off to do some more diving I headed to the islands of San Andres and Providencia. After about 46 luggage and body checks, and a hassle with my flight ticket which ended up in me having to buy a return flight, I was on the plane to San Andres.

Some good diving in San Andres, Providencia the small island, less inhabited meant 3 days in bed for me sweating my fever prob effects of dengue. However Providencia is your typical Carribean island, targeting tourists with cash, still some excellent beaches.

I must say I was gad to move on and get back to being a mochillero on my way to Guatemala.

South America was very good to me and in a way changed a part of me forever. Bolivia with it`s breathtaking landscapes and indigenous people, the fervour of Brasil, Tango, steak and wine in Buenos Aires, the Inca of Peru and how can I forget Galapagos. It was a unique travel through this special part of the world and through the lives of hundreds of people, all with their own story to tell.

¡ Hasta luego mi amor !

La Islas De Fuego

It has been a while, too long actually, my excuse....Galapagos. I fell in love with the place, I fell in love with the people, I fell in love with the superb diving, with the Bongo and much more. I left the islands just in time to make it to Colombia without being deported from Ecuador!!

It is one of the few places while traveling, where I knew I was lucky to be in at the time I actually was there and not after leaving, which is normally the case when being on the road for a while.

Enough nostalgia. I think you get the point. Diving. Well I definitely have a favourite spot, Gordon Rocks ¿Why? An eroded crater with 3 rocks sticking out of the ocean. Forming the rest of the carter are 4 pinnacles reaching depths between 6 to 18m. A sandy bottom fills the middle of the crater to a maximum depth of 50m. Then picture this, 10 minutes into the dive, we have a good 15m visibility. I get everyone to hold on to rocks due to currents while i stay on the sandy bottom at a depth of over 35m..sshhhh. We spot a school of hammerheads which before we know it are surronding us. At the same time a dozen massive eagle rays glide by. From the other side a couple of manta rays glide over the eagles followed by a big school of cownose rays. Add to this a couple of turtles, a marbled ray and thousands of fish. Easily my best dive ever. Floreana and North Seymour are the next best sites.

On land the highlands the free spirited Galapagos turtles, massive males poor females hehehe, roam around freely and steal the spotlight. Isabella the largest island is a tranquil and perfect hideaway from the too many beers and more at the Bongo Bar. Blue footed boobies, yes birds named boobies how cool is that. Boobies that fly, blue boobies, boobies you can stare at..yes yes ..heheh Frigates, massive sea birds, pelicans, flamingoes all become a common sight on this amazing part of the world.

The bird with the blue feet is ..have a wild guess ..yes a Blue footed booby. The last couple of pictures are from the beach in Isabella. We were staying in the top suite in the last picture, amazing views of the beach and a spell that captures you straight away not to leave the terrace.

Raffa, Humberto, Elisa, La Maria...Carolina, La Paola, Gorgie, ... At the shop, Gustavo, Emilio..

So no wonder that after this being on the road again was harder than usual. Guayaquil seemed like a shit hole, Cuenca the colonial city of Ecuador made me long for the ocean. Puerto Lopez was a breath of fresh air. I got there in the middle of Whale season. So I shopped around for a trip to see the humpbacks, all promising to spot whales and not only, to see them breach, all showing pictures and quotes from satisfied gringoes as proof. Suspiciously I booked one and the day after I was on the way to spot the whales. We didn t see one whale, we spotted a group of over 20 graceful humpbacks, jumping out of the water like crazy, I mean seriosly it was a spectacle like I have never seen before. My little faithful Ixus again with the proof.

Last pic is fragatas going crazy as fish is being brought to land from the trawlers in Puerto Cayo, Puerto Cayo also being the place where I saw the graoup of whales compared to 3 humpbacks in Puerto Lopez, a useful tip for anyone heading this way.

I am now in Quito, a pleasant city meeting up with some friends,..but that and more is for another blog.