I think I have had my first few days where I felt wouldn't it be better to be back at home in bed? Most of this has come from being ill. I have had a bit of a cold, nothing major but made it at least 5 times worse by drinking too much. So the last couple of days have not been the best fun. I am now back in Casa Esthela in Antigua and though I still feel rather sick at least I am in comfortable and familiar surroundings and can just relax this evening and be well enough to enjoy tomorrow which is new years eve.
Illness aside, the last few days have consisted of a trip to 2 of the villages/towns around the beautiful Lago Atillan, in my opinion the most beautiful setting I have come across in my trip so far. We visited San Marcos first which was a peacful hippy village but not a whole lot was going on so we got the boat over to San Pedro. We bumped into Brendan and Bianca our friends from Orange Walk and then the said amount of alcohol was consumed. I did enjoy San Pedro because it has 2 sides, there is the touristy side which you are in danger of only seeing as it consumes a whole area around the dock which is the main route into the town. The other side as you head up the hill is a lot more typical of Guatemala. Markets and women selling genuine Mayan goods. I think in all the craziness of the last few weeks id almost forgotten to appreciate local customs and everything that I came travelling for. It was nice to take a step back and watch these beautiful, kind people going about their lives. I have heard so many bad things about Guatemala and whilst you can't ignore the fact that bad things happen I have really fallen in love with this country. It is beautiful, diverse and wonderfully chaotic.
Future plans then, I will be continuing to travel with Caroline for the next few weeks starting with a trip to Copan, Honduras on the 2nd January. Its been a tough few days but hopefully will be a cracking new years party here and then a new country to start the new year with.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Friday, 26 December 2008
An English Football day in Antigua
Christmas came and went then, I have to say it was great to be somewhere different and yesterday I achieved the goal of sunbathing on Christmas day at a hotel pool here in Antigua where I spent the afternoon. On Christmas eve we had a Christmas celebration dinner at the hostel which was really cool. I think we had 7 different nationalities around the table, food from all over the world and plenty to drink. I didn't head out with some of the others after midnight, though most places were surprisingly closed anyway.
Christmas day itself was rather uneventful, after the sunbathing we played poker in the evening and that went on until about midnight. Today Myles and I are spending 14 hours in an english run bar watching every premiership match, there are 2 down so far and it promises to be a long and uncultured day which every once in a while us travellers need. Tomorrow we leave Antigua to hopefully meet up with some friends in San Pedro and then return here for new years. After that I think I will head to Honduras but who knows.
I cancelled my flight from Costa Rica as I want to sail to Colombia from Panama which is cheaper and an all together better experience from what people have told me.
Back to the football then!
Christmas day itself was rather uneventful, after the sunbathing we played poker in the evening and that went on until about midnight. Today Myles and I are spending 14 hours in an english run bar watching every premiership match, there are 2 down so far and it promises to be a long and uncultured day which every once in a while us travellers need. Tomorrow we leave Antigua to hopefully meet up with some friends in San Pedro and then return here for new years. After that I think I will head to Honduras but who knows.
I cancelled my flight from Costa Rica as I want to sail to Colombia from Panama which is cheaper and an all together better experience from what people have told me.
Back to the football then!
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
santa's somewhere in Antigua!
Since my last update its been a very busy week. It started in Flores with an amazing day trip to Tikal, possibly the best ruins in Central America, it really was something to stand on the top of a Mayan Pyramid and take the view in. That night we went back to the hostel and drank with 12 Finns and various other people it was a cool night. The next day we set off for Lanquin, a completely off the beaten track village which was tranquil and very beautiful. The hostel was a series of wooden huts and had an excellent bar which we were at both nights and had a series of drunken card games the second night with some Canadian girls.
In the day we took a tour from Lanquin to the nearby Semuc Champey which is one of the most beautiful spots in Guatemala. The day consisted of hiking in a cave, a gruelling hike up a mountain, tubbing down a peaceful river and a swim in a lake after the hike. The journey back was an experience too, going along a bumpy road in the back of a pickup truck waving at all the local kids who seem to appear from nowhere half the time. Its a different world and its why travelling is so rewarding.
A couple of days ago we set off on a 9 hour bus ride to Antigua, we were hungover and uncomfortable so it wasn't the most enjoyable experience in the world. Once we got here it was a breathtaking sight which I did not fully appreciate untill yesterday after some sleep really. Yesterday we spent the morning relaxing after a very crazy 2 weeks or so. It was good to have a relatively lazy day and take some time to look back on what the hell had actually happened! In the evening we found the only Irish bar in Guatemala. I think it was a bit overpriced and doubt I will go again, but as I'm travelling with an Irishman at the moment it kind of has to be done ;-)
Today we are having an international christmas dinner with Englsih, Irish, Dutch, Swedish, American and French in attendence and we may even hit a club later, should be an awesome day! Happy Christmas to one and all, I hope you all have a good one even if mine is going to be better! ;-)
Friday, 19 December 2008
Madness in Belize
Its impossible to tell the full story of whats happened since Cancun but it has been a wonderful and amazing last week or so. Sadly the sun didnt really come in Cancun so I only visited the beaches breifly. I spent most of the time there at the hostel chatting to other travellers on the excellent roof area. I had a few drinks with some Germans and a Canadian girl. The place itself didnt overly impress me anyway it was too full of tourists and people with too much money. After that I went to Chetumal which was a stopover before Belize, I met Gabi from Germany and had a few beers with her as I think we were the only 2 in the hostel, we saw some excellent Mexican Christmas decorations on the way back to the hostel with a whole street literally lit up. It was fantastic.
The next day I crossed over to Belize and Orange Walk, a small town which I didnt expect to have any tourists and merely be a bed for the night. As soon as I arrived I met Myles, Caroline, Bianca, Brendan and Pete who were from literally all over the place and had met up on the road. I went for a few Belkins with them and it turned out we were heading to the same places so I set off with them at 6am the next day. We headed to Belmopan, the sleepy capital as it made a good base to explore the nearby Blue Hole national park which had a swimming hole, a short hike and a very dark cave! We then hitched from there to Belize Zoo on the back of a truck which was completely random and awesome. The zoo itself was pretty good, though the staff not particularly great.
After a night spent in the Love Kiss Motel which despite the name did not actually charge the hourly rate, we set off early again for San Ignacio near the Guatemalan border, the day was mainly spent in Pine Mountain Ridge which consisted of another cave and a couple of waterfalls with some fun rock pools to swim around in, it was really nice and the views pretty stunning. It was our last night all together so we had a fair few drinks and ended up in a Belizian bar with some reggae beats and I got pretty smashed and talked to a load of the locals which despite the hangover was awesome.
Today I crossed the border with Miles and Caroline and we got a room in the hostel here in Flores, Guatemala. It is the base for exploring the ruins at Tikal which we are doing tomorrow very early as the sunrise is supposed to be something special. So all in all in brilliant and amazing week, there is so much else I could mention but its impossible to remember everything. My itinerary is kind of all over the place as I may well hang with these guys a while longer and maybe meet up with some other people for new years.
The next day I crossed over to Belize and Orange Walk, a small town which I didnt expect to have any tourists and merely be a bed for the night. As soon as I arrived I met Myles, Caroline, Bianca, Brendan and Pete who were from literally all over the place and had met up on the road. I went for a few Belkins with them and it turned out we were heading to the same places so I set off with them at 6am the next day. We headed to Belmopan, the sleepy capital as it made a good base to explore the nearby Blue Hole national park which had a swimming hole, a short hike and a very dark cave! We then hitched from there to Belize Zoo on the back of a truck which was completely random and awesome. The zoo itself was pretty good, though the staff not particularly great.
After a night spent in the Love Kiss Motel which despite the name did not actually charge the hourly rate, we set off early again for San Ignacio near the Guatemalan border, the day was mainly spent in Pine Mountain Ridge which consisted of another cave and a couple of waterfalls with some fun rock pools to swim around in, it was really nice and the views pretty stunning. It was our last night all together so we had a fair few drinks and ended up in a Belizian bar with some reggae beats and I got pretty smashed and talked to a load of the locals which despite the hangover was awesome.
Today I crossed the border with Miles and Caroline and we got a room in the hostel here in Flores, Guatemala. It is the base for exploring the ruins at Tikal which we are doing tomorrow very early as the sunrise is supposed to be something special. So all in all in brilliant and amazing week, there is so much else I could mention but its impossible to remember everything. My itinerary is kind of all over the place as I may well hang with these guys a while longer and maybe meet up with some other people for new years.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
The beach at last!
I am now in Cancun the famous international beach resort. I have not actually been to the beach as yet. The part where all the hostels are is in the town so I have to get a bus there but I shall be going as soon as I am done here. Since I last wrote I have seen the sights of Veracruz, whizzed through Villahermosa and am now on my penultanate Mexican stop.
My full day in Veracruz consisted of a lot of walking around the town and various sightseeing, it had a good atmosphere as most Mexican cities seem to on weekends from what I can tell. After that I went to the bus station to get the bus to Villahermosa, unfortunately there were not as many buses going there as I had been led to believe and despite getting there at 8am, I had to wait till 1pm to actually get the bus.
After a 6 hour journey, which was made easier by the company of the lovely Claudia who was the girl next to me for the journey, I arrived in a very hot and sticky Villahermosa. I had decided to take a night bus to Cancun to save on a nights accomodation and as the journey was 14 hours this was quite a good idea. I found my hostel after a few minutes of walking and the guy who ran it was very hospitable, I actually wished I could have stayed another night for further free internet and coffee.
The next day I locked by bag up at the luggage room and proceded to stomp around the centre of Villahermosa in the 30 degree heat (not a particularly good idea). I went to a lonely planet suggested restaurant for lunch which was called the Riverside Riviera or something like that. The setting was fantastic, a 4th floor dining area with a great view of the Villahermosa river. The food and serive were great and I managed to have a steak at last as well as soup and god knows how much bread for under a tenner with a couple of Coronas as well, absouloute bargin. To be honest I had not been expecting much from the place itself, it proved to be a hot, sprawling place but had a few impressive highlights and some great memories to take away.
The bus journey to Cancun began around 8pm at night and finished at 10am the next morning, it was long and difficult to sleep. After a few hours I did at least find an empty double seat right at the back. This provided me with some amusement as the toilet was back there and there was no inidcation as to when it was occupied and the lock clearly was not very good. Therefore many people walked in on others and a couple of people even managed to pull the door handle off whilst others were in there. It helped pass the time at least. Also amusing was a Dutch guy on the bus who looked a lot like Mick Hucknall, it amused me untill I got the very irritating Simply Red song Fairground stuck in my head and couldnt sleep because of it.
I struggled finiding my hostel, more due to me having jetlag from the bus and wandering around in a 30 degree heat than it actually being difficult. The hostel is pretty rubbish but I expected it as I had only paid 3 pounds a night to stay there, at least it has air con. So here is my itinerary for the upcoming weeks, subject to change due to potential issues with transport and places being full around the Christmas/new year period.
11,12,13 December - Cancun, Mexico
14 - Chetumal, Mexico
15 - Orange Walk, Belize
16 - San Ignacio, Belize
17,18,19 - Flores/Tikal, Guatemala
20 - Guatemala City, Guatemala
21,22 - Panajachel, Guatemala
23,24,25,26 - Antigua, Guatemala
27,28,29 - Santa Ana and around, El Salvador
30,31,1 - Copan Ruinas, Honduras
This will probably be my final update from Mexico then. I really love this country and I would not rule out returning for a 3rd trip over the next few years. Off to the beach!
My full day in Veracruz consisted of a lot of walking around the town and various sightseeing, it had a good atmosphere as most Mexican cities seem to on weekends from what I can tell. After that I went to the bus station to get the bus to Villahermosa, unfortunately there were not as many buses going there as I had been led to believe and despite getting there at 8am, I had to wait till 1pm to actually get the bus.
After a 6 hour journey, which was made easier by the company of the lovely Claudia who was the girl next to me for the journey, I arrived in a very hot and sticky Villahermosa. I had decided to take a night bus to Cancun to save on a nights accomodation and as the journey was 14 hours this was quite a good idea. I found my hostel after a few minutes of walking and the guy who ran it was very hospitable, I actually wished I could have stayed another night for further free internet and coffee.
The next day I locked by bag up at the luggage room and proceded to stomp around the centre of Villahermosa in the 30 degree heat (not a particularly good idea). I went to a lonely planet suggested restaurant for lunch which was called the Riverside Riviera or something like that. The setting was fantastic, a 4th floor dining area with a great view of the Villahermosa river. The food and serive were great and I managed to have a steak at last as well as soup and god knows how much bread for under a tenner with a couple of Coronas as well, absouloute bargin. To be honest I had not been expecting much from the place itself, it proved to be a hot, sprawling place but had a few impressive highlights and some great memories to take away.
The bus journey to Cancun began around 8pm at night and finished at 10am the next morning, it was long and difficult to sleep. After a few hours I did at least find an empty double seat right at the back. This provided me with some amusement as the toilet was back there and there was no inidcation as to when it was occupied and the lock clearly was not very good. Therefore many people walked in on others and a couple of people even managed to pull the door handle off whilst others were in there. It helped pass the time at least. Also amusing was a Dutch guy on the bus who looked a lot like Mick Hucknall, it amused me untill I got the very irritating Simply Red song Fairground stuck in my head and couldnt sleep because of it.
I struggled finiding my hostel, more due to me having jetlag from the bus and wandering around in a 30 degree heat than it actually being difficult. The hostel is pretty rubbish but I expected it as I had only paid 3 pounds a night to stay there, at least it has air con. So here is my itinerary for the upcoming weeks, subject to change due to potential issues with transport and places being full around the Christmas/new year period.
11,12,13 December - Cancun, Mexico
14 - Chetumal, Mexico
15 - Orange Walk, Belize
16 - San Ignacio, Belize
17,18,19 - Flores/Tikal, Guatemala
20 - Guatemala City, Guatemala
21,22 - Panajachel, Guatemala
23,24,25,26 - Antigua, Guatemala
27,28,29 - Santa Ana and around, El Salvador
30,31,1 - Copan Ruinas, Honduras
This will probably be my final update from Mexico then. I really love this country and I would not rule out returning for a 3rd trip over the next few years. Off to the beach!
Sunday, 7 December 2008
December heat
The weather continues to be really really good! I am now in Veracruz which is a port city on the gulf of Mexico. Although there are beaches a bit further along, I am going to wait untill Wednesday for all that when I get to Cancun. Veracruz has played an important part in Mexico´s history and present and this afternoon I will be seeing the sights which include a tribute to those who died fighting Cortes and the Spanish, should be interesting hopefully. There is yet another catherdral here, Mexico seems to be turning into Europe, or maybe its just the places I have been going to.
I have found a nice little hotel which is just a 2 minute walk from the Zocolo, its actually half the price of the only hostel in town which is something I wasn´t going to say no to! My full day in Puebla was an interesting one, after seeing the sights and getting back to the hostel I felt annoyed with myself that i´d not had a torta, taco or corona since I entered the country, so I went out and had a few Coronas and 3 massive pork tortas. Feeling stuffed I headed back and got speaking to a British guy (who had just done 6 months in South America himself and gave me some useful tips) and an Italian, both were hungary and after a week of empty dorms and hotel rooms I needed the interaction so we went to this dodgy looking cafe and I had a taco which was called the gringa! and another couple of Coronas.
I booked my accomodation for christmas as I thought it would be best to. I´ll be in Antigua, Guatemala which is kind of a coincidence but it is supposed to be amazing at christmas so I am looking forward to that. Also decided to take a bit of a different route through El Salvador and Honduras as originally planned and will post it when I have confirmed it. Oh and finally some women on the bus, if you can picture what the Mexican version of desperate housewives would be like then you´ve got the picture, very odd.
I have found a nice little hotel which is just a 2 minute walk from the Zocolo, its actually half the price of the only hostel in town which is something I wasn´t going to say no to! My full day in Puebla was an interesting one, after seeing the sights and getting back to the hostel I felt annoyed with myself that i´d not had a torta, taco or corona since I entered the country, so I went out and had a few Coronas and 3 massive pork tortas. Feeling stuffed I headed back and got speaking to a British guy (who had just done 6 months in South America himself and gave me some useful tips) and an Italian, both were hungary and after a week of empty dorms and hotel rooms I needed the interaction so we went to this dodgy looking cafe and I had a taco which was called the gringa! and another couple of Coronas.
I booked my accomodation for christmas as I thought it would be best to. I´ll be in Antigua, Guatemala which is kind of a coincidence but it is supposed to be amazing at christmas so I am looking forward to that. Also decided to take a bit of a different route through El Salvador and Honduras as originally planned and will post it when I have confirmed it. Oh and finally some women on the bus, if you can picture what the Mexican version of desperate housewives would be like then you´ve got the picture, very odd.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Another day, another bus journey
Make that 2 bus journeys! Today I left Morelia early in the morning and arrived here in Puebla a little while ago. The hostel seems promising, its big and has a bar and internet, sadly the connection is rubbish and its not free so this won´t be a long entry. I don´t have a huge amount of news, as I mentioned today was pretty much a tale of 2 buses, as there is no direct service between Morelia and Puebla I had to first go to Mexico City and then get a second bus from there.
I was initally planning a few days in the capital if only to stir up old memories really, but decided against it due to there being so many places in Mexico worth visiting. Morelia was excellent and I kept up my record of having a local dish at least once in each place I have been to. I´m now here tonight and tomorrow so a full day to explore the city. I need a good nights sleep really, its amazing how tiring just sitting on a bus hour after hour actually is! I´m hoping to actually meet some people here as so far most of the dorms I have been in since arriving in Mexico have been virtually empty. Anyway as I said this isn´t going to be much of an entry, adios!
I was initally planning a few days in the capital if only to stir up old memories really, but decided against it due to there being so many places in Mexico worth visiting. Morelia was excellent and I kept up my record of having a local dish at least once in each place I have been to. I´m now here tonight and tomorrow so a full day to explore the city. I need a good nights sleep really, its amazing how tiring just sitting on a bus hour after hour actually is! I´m hoping to actually meet some people here as so far most of the dorms I have been in since arriving in Mexico have been virtually empty. Anyway as I said this isn´t going to be much of an entry, adios!
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Gorgeous Morelia
I am now in Morelia which is a few hours west of Mexico City. I had been rather excited about coming here and it hasn´t dissapointed so far. There are so many well preserved colonial buildings here at the centre of which is the awesome cathedral. It is going to take a lot to find a prettier city than this. The only drawback is that there is a protest going on and they are blocking my path to the other side of the city. I´m not sure what its about but the word banos keeps springing up so maybe they are protesting for better toilets or something. I am actually at my second hostel here, the one I am in now is more centrally located but wasn´t available last night so I had to go to one a little out the way. It was nice and clean though and the taxi driver reminded me of speedy gonzalez which kept me amused for the journey.
It is a lot calmer here than Guadalajara, due to the festival which I have now found out was Latin America´s second biggest book promotion, it was a bit difficult to get anywhere. I found a much cheaper hotel for the other 2 nights and a LP recommended cafe proved a great spot for eating some Mexican food. I had chicken enchiladas with something resembling beef gravy on top, a strange dip with a single tortilla chip inserted in it and of course jalapenos come with EVERYTHING.
My Spanish has been hit and miss, I can generally say what I need to but I can´t understand the response because they speak so damn fast! its getting better anyway. I have 2 more days here and then Puebla, I am very much looking forward to Veracruz and Cancun as I have been in all cities so far and with the weather here continuing to be fantastic a few days at the beach will be very welcome. Anyways I best be off to pick my lovely clean laundry up!
It is a lot calmer here than Guadalajara, due to the festival which I have now found out was Latin America´s second biggest book promotion, it was a bit difficult to get anywhere. I found a much cheaper hotel for the other 2 nights and a LP recommended cafe proved a great spot for eating some Mexican food. I had chicken enchiladas with something resembling beef gravy on top, a strange dip with a single tortilla chip inserted in it and of course jalapenos come with EVERYTHING.
My Spanish has been hit and miss, I can generally say what I need to but I can´t understand the response because they speak so damn fast! its getting better anyway. I have 2 more days here and then Puebla, I am very much looking forward to Veracruz and Cancun as I have been in all cities so far and with the weather here continuing to be fantastic a few days at the beach will be very welcome. Anyways I best be off to pick my lovely clean laundry up!
Saturday, 29 November 2008
South of the border
What a day its been, a truely spectacular brilliant disaster! more on that in a bit. I am close to completing my second week on the road and am now in Mexico. Following on from my previous entry, San Antonio was a really cool city, theres so much history and the mix of Texan and Hispanic cultures is fascinating. I also got on really well with the guys at the hostel, I say guys as the hostel has sex segregated buildings rather than just dorms! a tad extreme methinks.
On Wednesday, I think it was (already losing track of the days) I crossed the Mexican border at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo crossing. The border was relatively simple, I did find it hilarious that I was the only non Mexican on board apparantly the crossing isn`t as popular as it was some years ago. I arrived in Monterrey at around 4:30pm after watching Spiderman 3 in Spanish which somehow made it more enjoyable. After a brief culture shock at the crazy traffic and millions of people everywhere I found my hostel which was a really good one and empty as well! I had an 8 bedded room to myself both nights. My second day in Monterrey was spent sightseeing. As seems to be the theme so far most of this involved wandering around enourmous, beautiful plazas and topping it off with a musuem, this time it was the musuem of art in Monterrey which I wandered around in for about half an hour.
I eventually gave in to the heat which was pushing 30 degrees yesterday, stunning weather so far. I spent the evening in the hostel and got an early night in preparation for todays early start, a 7am bus to Guadalajara.
Just to fill you in, Monterrey is a long way from Guadalajara, the journey took over 12 hours and when I finally got here the taxi took an eternity getting through the traffic. I eventually arrived at the hostel at getting on for 9pm. It was the first one I had not booked and proved a mistake as not only were they fully booked but most of the other hostels in town were too. I eventually found the place I am in now, Hotel Fenix, for my budget its expensive but it is money that can easily be made back seeing as how dirt cheap the countries will be from now on. The room is nice at least and a night of privacy and a TV may be what I need after going at a pretty hectic pace since the start.
Here is the itinerary for the next week and a bit. It has changed slightly as I am now skipping Mexico City as I have been before and its too big and chaotic to just spend a night or 2 in transit.
28,29,30 Nov - Guadalajara, Mexico
1,2,3 Dec - Morelia, Mexico
4,5 Dec - Puebla, Mexico
6,7 Dec - Veracruz, Mexico
8,9 Dec - Villahermosa, Mexico
10,11,12,13 Dec - Cancun, Mexico
I apologise for the crappy spelling and pronounciation, one reason is this keyboard and all the symbols being in different places, the other reason is it has been a very long day!
Buenos Noches!
On Wednesday, I think it was (already losing track of the days) I crossed the Mexican border at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo crossing. The border was relatively simple, I did find it hilarious that I was the only non Mexican on board apparantly the crossing isn`t as popular as it was some years ago. I arrived in Monterrey at around 4:30pm after watching Spiderman 3 in Spanish which somehow made it more enjoyable. After a brief culture shock at the crazy traffic and millions of people everywhere I found my hostel which was a really good one and empty as well! I had an 8 bedded room to myself both nights. My second day in Monterrey was spent sightseeing. As seems to be the theme so far most of this involved wandering around enourmous, beautiful plazas and topping it off with a musuem, this time it was the musuem of art in Monterrey which I wandered around in for about half an hour.
I eventually gave in to the heat which was pushing 30 degrees yesterday, stunning weather so far. I spent the evening in the hostel and got an early night in preparation for todays early start, a 7am bus to Guadalajara.
Just to fill you in, Monterrey is a long way from Guadalajara, the journey took over 12 hours and when I finally got here the taxi took an eternity getting through the traffic. I eventually arrived at the hostel at getting on for 9pm. It was the first one I had not booked and proved a mistake as not only were they fully booked but most of the other hostels in town were too. I eventually found the place I am in now, Hotel Fenix, for my budget its expensive but it is money that can easily be made back seeing as how dirt cheap the countries will be from now on. The room is nice at least and a night of privacy and a TV may be what I need after going at a pretty hectic pace since the start.
Here is the itinerary for the next week and a bit. It has changed slightly as I am now skipping Mexico City as I have been before and its too big and chaotic to just spend a night or 2 in transit.
28,29,30 Nov - Guadalajara, Mexico
1,2,3 Dec - Morelia, Mexico
4,5 Dec - Puebla, Mexico
6,7 Dec - Veracruz, Mexico
8,9 Dec - Villahermosa, Mexico
10,11,12,13 Dec - Cancun, Mexico
I apologise for the crappy spelling and pronounciation, one reason is this keyboard and all the symbols being in different places, the other reason is it has been a very long day!
Buenos Noches!
Monday, 24 November 2008
Remembering the Alamo
I'm now in San Antonio, Texas which is my 3rd and final stop in the USA. Firstly a slight change in my itinerary, I'm now bypassing Nuevo Laredo on the other side of the border and heading straight to Monterrey on the 26th meaning an extra night here in San Antonio instead.
I last updated having arrived in Austin, after a relatively quiet evening I went out and explored the city properly the next day, amongst the highlights were E 6th Street which Lonely Planet describes as 'a frat boy brawl' and various important buildings to the state of Texas of which Austin is the capital. I found myself an Irish pub and had some fajitas which is the best thing i've eaten so far and gives me another reason to be excited about crossing the border on Wednesday.
I arrived in San Antonio on Saturday, the neighbouhood is like something out of grand theft auto and the hostel is very basic, the owner and some of the people staying here are so nice that you tend to ignore that though. Yesterday I spent exploring the major attractions which included the Alamo, scence of a famous battle in the 19th century, the Riverwalk and a 450 foot high tower in the middle of a park. Tonight I will see the Riverwalk at night which is supposed to be pretty spectacular I'm told.
Photos on the way in the next week or so!
I last updated having arrived in Austin, after a relatively quiet evening I went out and explored the city properly the next day, amongst the highlights were E 6th Street which Lonely Planet describes as 'a frat boy brawl' and various important buildings to the state of Texas of which Austin is the capital. I found myself an Irish pub and had some fajitas which is the best thing i've eaten so far and gives me another reason to be excited about crossing the border on Wednesday.
I arrived in San Antonio on Saturday, the neighbouhood is like something out of grand theft auto and the hostel is very basic, the owner and some of the people staying here are so nice that you tend to ignore that though. Yesterday I spent exploring the major attractions which included the Alamo, scence of a famous battle in the 19th century, the Riverwalk and a 450 foot high tower in the middle of a park. Tonight I will see the Riverwalk at night which is supposed to be pretty spectacular I'm told.
Photos on the way in the next week or so!
Thursday, 20 November 2008
The first few days
I have just arrived in my second hostel in Austin, Texas and it is a really funky place, lovely view of a lake and internet is free! hence me updating here. I spent the previous 3 nights in Houston which was a pretty cool, if dauntingly big city.
I got into Houston about 2pm local time and spent almost 2 hours queuing for immigration. When I got there I was through in about 30 seconds, so much for them being strict! the first thing I noticed was how big everything is in America. There are launderettes here as big as supermarkets and supermarkets as big as.. you the idea, it makes you feel like you are a very small person surrounded by giants.
I got to the hostel after some confusion, my cab driver asked me directions which I found bizzare considering he had a sat-nav and lived in the area. The hostel itself wasn't fantastic, the lockout hours were extreme and they actually expected us to help out cleaning the hostel! after spending the last 6 months cleaning a hostel I wasn't getting roped into any of that crap so I made sure I was out early every morning which seemed to work.
The 2 full days I spent in the city consisted of a visit to the Houston Zoo which was a nice way to start and then a chill out in the beautiful Hermann Park which was a 5 minute walk from my hostel. The second day I explored the classy Montrose area where I had a stupidly large American breakfast at a place called Breakfast Klub. The area had several free museums which I wandered around all dedicated to local artists none of which I'd ever heard of. I then went to the museum of History and Natural Science which wasn't free but well worth it, there was some fun stuff in there. I finished the day off in the park again and today made the 4 hour journey on the Greyhound Bus to Austin. It took a while to get here so I'm going to have a lazy evening here and then explore this music obsessed city tomorrow!
Chris
I got into Houston about 2pm local time and spent almost 2 hours queuing for immigration. When I got there I was through in about 30 seconds, so much for them being strict! the first thing I noticed was how big everything is in America. There are launderettes here as big as supermarkets and supermarkets as big as.. you the idea, it makes you feel like you are a very small person surrounded by giants.
I got to the hostel after some confusion, my cab driver asked me directions which I found bizzare considering he had a sat-nav and lived in the area. The hostel itself wasn't fantastic, the lockout hours were extreme and they actually expected us to help out cleaning the hostel! after spending the last 6 months cleaning a hostel I wasn't getting roped into any of that crap so I made sure I was out early every morning which seemed to work.
The 2 full days I spent in the city consisted of a visit to the Houston Zoo which was a nice way to start and then a chill out in the beautiful Hermann Park which was a 5 minute walk from my hostel. The second day I explored the classy Montrose area where I had a stupidly large American breakfast at a place called Breakfast Klub. The area had several free museums which I wandered around all dedicated to local artists none of which I'd ever heard of. I then went to the museum of History and Natural Science which wasn't free but well worth it, there was some fun stuff in there. I finished the day off in the park again and today made the 4 hour journey on the Greyhound Bus to Austin. It took a while to get here so I'm going to have a lazy evening here and then explore this music obsessed city tomorrow!
Chris
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Leaving on a jet plane.../last UK entry
I was thinking about saving my final entry in the UK for Sunday night which is the last night before I leave but I'll probably babble then, either from being excited or drunk, the former is a given the second always happens when I least expect or want it to.
I have done exactly what I wanted to do with my free time back in Ipswich, I have seen family and friends, got everything sorted for the trip and just generally chilled out completely. Travel insurance and my flight were more expensive than originally intended but then isn't everything?
I have managed to avoid going to Caracas, flying there at least, I will now be going to the nearby city of Valencia via a 54 minute stopover in Panama which will be rushed t
o say the least but I am generally happier to be going to a much safer city, in saying that I know nothing about Valencia, it's the only place I'm going thats not in my guidebooks but it's all part of the fun.My itinerary has been printed out for the 4th time and will no doubt change again so take this more as a guideline than anything else, so here is where I'll be going for the rest of November.
17th, 18th, 19th - Houston, Texas
20th, 21st - Austin, Texas
22nd, 23rd, 24th - San Antonio, Texas
25th - Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
26th, 27th - Monterrey, Mexico
28th, 29th, 30th - Guadalajara, Mexico
I have only booked as far San Antonio for accomodation, partly because Nuevo Laredo isn't exactly a tourist hotspot and also because of this there are no options of booking online for this area.
Anyway I will leave you with a couple of pictures, one of the beds in the first hostel I will be staying at and the second of the Houston skyline, pretty soon I'll beable to add pictures of my own to this, next update will be from another continent.....
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Back home
I have finished my job now and am back home in Ipswich for a couple of weeks before I set off on the 17Th of this month. I'm actually suffering a bit of a culture shock being back here so goodness knows what I will be like when I actually get to the U.S. It is gradually getting more familiar though and I am starting to wonder if the last 6 months of living in a village in Derbyshire even happened at all.
To the trip then, I went to see the nurse today and all that was needed was a booster injection for Hepatitis. My Yellow fever and Typhoid injections are still up to date. The prices for flights from Costa Rica seem to be going up fairly rapidly so I had best book it soon, maybe even today.
The prospect of leaving is now becoming very real and whilst I am getting more nervous, it doesn't even compare with the excitement I am feeling, in less than 2 weeks I will be in America.
To the trip then, I went to see the nurse today and all that was needed was a booster injection for Hepatitis. My Yellow fever and Typhoid injections are still up to date. The prices for flights from Costa Rica seem to be going up fairly rapidly so I had best book it soon, maybe even today.
The prospect of leaving is now becoming very real and whilst I am getting more nervous, it doesn't even compare with the excitement I am feeling, in less than 2 weeks I will be in America.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Departure lounge getting closer
I have been unable to update for a while due a few laptop issues. Therefore I haven't been able to do a lot relating to my trip either as most of what I have left to do is internet based such as sorting my insurance, booking flight to South America from Central America etc.
Generally I have just been working hard and counting down the days untill I depart. I have a week of work left now and then 2 weeks back home catching up with family and friends before the off. I have tweaked my itinery slightly in places, Caracas, whilst unavoidable as a major transport hub, is not somewhere I will be sticking around, the risks just seem too great and the city itself not worth it. I've been a bit worried about the way the pound has dropped against the dollar because of the credit crunch, then again I'm sure other people have suffered a lot more than me so I should just count my blessings really.
Hopefully I will resist writing here again until I'm about to leave. It will get more interesting I promise you!
Generally I have just been working hard and counting down the days untill I depart. I have a week of work left now and then 2 weeks back home catching up with family and friends before the off. I have tweaked my itinery slightly in places, Caracas, whilst unavoidable as a major transport hub, is not somewhere I will be sticking around, the risks just seem too great and the city itself not worth it. I've been a bit worried about the way the pound has dropped against the dollar because of the credit crunch, then again I'm sure other people have suffered a lot more than me so I should just count my blessings really.
Hopefully I will resist writing here again until I'm about to leave. It will get more interesting I promise you!
Thursday, 25 September 2008
It takes more than a storm to scare me!
I have around 6 weeks of works left and 2 weeks beyond that before I leave the country. Since my previous update I have gradually been putting things together. I have revised my itinerary, it's not that different just a few tweaks. I have also just finished booking my first weeks accommodation, its 3 nights in Houston, 2 in Austin and 3 in San Antonio after that I cross the Mexican border and in a sense the journey really starts.
As luck would have it Texas was recently hit by Hurricane Ike, along with I believe Cuba and Haiti. I would personally rate the fco.uk site as the most reliable for up to date travel information so when it advises against travel to Texas, specifically Houston!... you see where I'm going with this. It does seem as though the city and state are beginning to recover and hopefully all will be pretty much normal in 2 months time when I arrive.
I still have to sort out some insurance, see a doctor about jabs etc and book the flight from Costa Rica to Venezuela. I think I'm pretty much sorted other than that. I have to say I'm very excited, work is doing its best to lower my spirits but time goes quicker than one tends to think and before I know it I will be at the airport ready for whatever lies ahead.
As luck would have it Texas was recently hit by Hurricane Ike, along with I believe Cuba and Haiti. I would personally rate the fco.uk site as the most reliable for up to date travel information so when it advises against travel to Texas, specifically Houston!... you see where I'm going with this. It does seem as though the city and state are beginning to recover and hopefully all will be pretty much normal in 2 months time when I arrive.
I still have to sort out some insurance, see a doctor about jabs etc and book the flight from Costa Rica to Venezuela. I think I'm pretty much sorted other than that. I have to say I'm very excited, work is doing its best to lower my spirits but time goes quicker than one tends to think and before I know it I will be at the airport ready for whatever lies ahead.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
The countdown begins...
I guess even that title is inaccurate. The countdown began last December when I was sitting in a Brussels hotel room and thought that this trip had to be done. It was a different trip initially, I planned to include Africa and at one point South East Asia as well. I think that's always been my problem, I've always been a bit of a dreamer, saving for a trip of that magnitude would have taken a couple more years and my desire to hit the travel trail again could not wait that long.
A bit more about the trip itself then, I will be flying out to Houston, Texas on the 17Th November 2008 and travelling through Central and South America for just over 7 months. All of this will be overland other than the flight I will be taking from San Jose, Costa Rica to Caracas, Venezuela about 2-3 months in.
The itinerary is vast and is in need of various changes, I have posted it on various sites with which I had planned to record my trip. In the end I decided all I needed was somewhere I could write what had happened and upload pictures, which is exactly what this is.
I actually booked my flights today so I guess it will start to feel real pretty soon rather than just a dream. I have a to do list as long as my arm before I go. Things I have to sort range from sorting out insurance and purchasing a decent backpack to sorting out those first few nights accommodation and making sure I save the money I need support myself on the road.
I shall be posting a fair bit on here before I leave, something like this deserves a proper build up and whilst I realise that means I then have to make sure this trip lives up to expectations. I don't intend to disappoint in that department!
A bit more about the trip itself then, I will be flying out to Houston, Texas on the 17Th November 2008 and travelling through Central and South America for just over 7 months. All of this will be overland other than the flight I will be taking from San Jose, Costa Rica to Caracas, Venezuela about 2-3 months in.
The itinerary is vast and is in need of various changes, I have posted it on various sites with which I had planned to record my trip. In the end I decided all I needed was somewhere I could write what had happened and upload pictures, which is exactly what this is.
I actually booked my flights today so I guess it will start to feel real pretty soon rather than just a dream. I have a to do list as long as my arm before I go. Things I have to sort range from sorting out insurance and purchasing a decent backpack to sorting out those first few nights accommodation and making sure I save the money I need support myself on the road.
I shall be posting a fair bit on here before I leave, something like this deserves a proper build up and whilst I realise that means I then have to make sure this trip lives up to expectations. I don't intend to disappoint in that department!
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