lani's adventures

Well we made it home, for the last time! I sulked all the way home! And although everyone keeps reassuring me, 'it's ok, you can still go on normal holidays', I’m gonna miss long trips away so much.

We've had an amazing couple of years though, seen so much and met some amazing people. I've managed to see every animal that I wanted to, except a manatee, but ant's convinced they don’t exist! We've swum in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean, North Sea, Andaman Sea and the gulf of Thailand and a volcanoes crater. We've traveled across 35 countries by car, train, bus, boat, bike, plane, longtail, tuk tuk, sangthaw, elephant, horse, and foot. I've tried every 'local dish' I’ve been offered and have had food poisoning several times! We've been to some of the top historical wonders including the Inca's Machu Piccu, the Khmer's Temples of Angkor, and the Mayan's Temples of Tikal. We've stayed in a mud hut, a tent, a stilt house and the 5 star presidential suite of the best hotel in Lima. And I've only been mugged once!

But now we have all the grown up things to look forward to! I have my exciting new job and ant can start his career locking all the drunken chavs up! We have finally set a date for our wedding too, yay! And we are off to Canada next week to see Ant's parents so I guess we're not really stuck in England after all!

After saying our good-byes to some good friends in the club at 3am we went for a quick last swim as it was the last time we would see the Caribbean for a while, then headed to Cancun Airport at 4. I don’t remember the flight at all and I’m amazed we made it to the airport, but we are now in Mexico city and have been trying to squeeze all the touristy things of the 2nd biggest city in the world in to the last 2 days!

Our hostel is on the corner of Zocolo, the Great Main Square, or Plaza Mayor. There is the biggest street market outside, selling the randomest things! The street is always rammed with locals buying this rubbish and it’s so loud! Everything is sold on mats on the floor; when the police turn up each hour to check nobody is selling anything they all grab the corners of their shop mat, bundle them over their shoulders, leg it round the corner and come back out 5 minutes later and set up again! You see the ones that are too slow slip the police something and wonder why the police even bother. It's the same at night but with even more stalls and entertainment too. There are several groups of people dressed as Aztecs who put on an impressive show of dancing to a drum, lots of stamping involved. Often the locals just join in perfectly, it's such a cool dance, but there's no way I could keep up with them. The food on the market stands is so cheap too, we haven’t eaten anything else; 3 hotdogs for 70p, 3 tacos for 25p, corn on the cobs with loads of different spices and sauces, hot cakes, mould wine, burgers, quesdillas, everything!

The square is amazing too. It has the massive cathedral on one side, which is the largest and oldest cathedral in Latin America, and is really beautiful inside. There is also the Templo Mayor, which is a large Aztec temple ruin site, didn't really get time to appreciate that properly though unfortunately. On the other sides are the National Palace, the Old City Hall and the Portales de los Mercaderes. In the center of the square is the tallest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen covered in Christmas lights and next to it hangs an enormous pinata also covered in Christmas lights. They both look spectacular at night. The walls of the buildings surrounding the square have been decorated with huge Christmas murals that reach from street level to roofs 3 stories higher. These are also lit up at night, and with Christmas carols competing against the Aztec's drums the atmosphere is incredible. Kids run around all over the square with great big balloons, throwing them into the air and running into everyone else as they rush to catch them when it falls. There is a CandyFloss man who spins his candy up into the air with the balloons so that it floats down to the kiddies too. TV crews use the nativity scene under the Christmas tree as a backdrop to their news broadcasts, and busy crowds stand around watching. Oh yeah, I got asked to be in a Budweiser advert, but was too young! Yay! I still have my youth!

Around the city there are other really pretty buildings, like the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This has a stained glass dome skylight, which is really pretty and is surrounded by fountains and gardens, but is right in the city center. We have also been up the Torre Lantinoamericana, which is just a really tall building, but you can go up to the 44th floor and get a great view of the city, it really makes you realise just how ridiculously big the city is.

We went to Plaza Garibaldi, another square that has been commandeered by over 200 Mariarchis. There was probably only 70 or 80 there when we were there as it was a Tuesday night, but it was fantastic. We paid a group of 6 them £5 to play us a great song, it was so funny, and they are so talented. Their costumes were great; huge sombreros with tight silver embroidered trousers and jackets.

Luckily we also found a beautiful massive park to relax in. Napping in parks has been a big part of our travelling (sad, I know!) and it would have been horrible to not have had a nap in our last town! This park was different to most though, loads of trees instead of open grass, but it did have a petite train, which was obviously a must! There was also a clown there that mocked me in Spanish, twice! I have no idea what he said but the locals found it very amusing!

Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to see any Mexican Wrestling, but our shower curtain did have a big picture of Mucha Lucha on it! And we managed to find a mask and a spinning bling bling watch for ant, he's so happy, but i bet the stall vendor is happier!

We spent our last few hours traipsing through the massive artesanias market looking for souvenirs then cried my way back to the hostel to pack! There was a gig on the roof of our hostel, which was obviously put on for our last night of travelling!

So much for me winging about the Americans and seeing the fishies in the right place ... today we went sea fishing! It was so much fun! I reckon we caught at least 50 fish, mainly just small snappers, only 2 or 3 pound, but they were really pretty and it was so much more fun than watching Ant fish back home! We also saw barracuda, which Ant caught, but it got away, no, really! And some big rays swimming underneath us. Later on we cooked them on a big BBQ and even Ant, who hates fish, managed to eat them. They were so much nicer than the fish I’ve eaten back home, and I think it was the best meal I’ve had in a long time! But yes, it does leave me as a big fat hypocrite!!

After checking our bank balance we have had a change of plan. Spending our last 4 weeks in the 2 most expensive of the Latin American countries would have meant not eating, so we decided to head to a beach town in Guatemala. Another slightly scary journey, as we climbed aboard our bus I couldn’t help noticing that the driver was ripping out chairs left right and center and a lot more bolts than you would hope to see were rolling around under the bus. Also, we had to try to work out where to get off the bus since we weren’t getting off at the last stop, and not speaking any Spanish made this a bit tricky.

Livingston is on the small Caribbean coast of Guatemala and can only be reached by boat. The town itself has a very Jamaican feel, it’s very colourful and chilled and everyone has amazing hair! The sea is really calm and clear, but the weather is rubbish, so the sea actually looks a bit eerie!

At night the atmosphere changes quite a bit. All the men in this town are absolutely huge and we accidentally chose to stand outside a club with a banner saying 'black power', didn’t feel so good there! Our hostel is in the middle of nowhere, so once it got dark we were kinda marooned there! Oh, and our hostel is a bit strange too. The host doesn’t seem to have a clue what is going on and when we asked her a question this morning she spat food everywhere! So funny!

There is a local dish here that some of our friends tried. It is a banana soup with several whole fishes and a couple of whole crabs in it. It actually tastes pretty good, but is pretty scary to look at!

Decided to take an overnight bus up to Flores to save on accommodation and so we don’t waste any sunshine. We bought our tickets and as we were issued our seat numbers a bunch of locals burst out laughing. We’d be given the 2 seats right at the back of the bus. We’ve learnt from previous journeys that back seats are bad news; it's really bumpy, the loo’s stink, people squeeze by you to use the loo, and there is normally a light above the loo that either burns your eyes or flickers on and off for the whole night. What we weren’t expecting was to have to share our 2-seat-bench with a third person. A particularly large muscled meathead that wasn't gonna budge at all. I spent the whole 8 hours sat bolt upright trying not to breathe incase I annoyed him! Also after about an hour the bus driver came to the back of the bus and wedged a stool in the skylight because the engine was so flipping hot underneath us that the bus had become a sauna. This stool was a bit too close to our heads for my liking. Oh, and the bus headlights kept tuning on and off as he changed gear, meaning we would drive for 9 or 10 meters in pitch black along winding roads. Good.

We reached Flores completely exhausted and starving. We never bring food on overnight journeys as we normally sleep. We were greeted by the usual mob of taxi drivers assuring you that their taxi is by far the cheapest on the island. 2 drivers in particular were squabbling over us, and after we had settled a price with one of them, they broke out into a full blown fight, throwing chairs and literally trying to kill each other. We quickly found another taxi, crossed the massive bridge to Flores, which turned out to be a 3 minute walk and crashed in the first hostel we found.

Emerging a few hours later feeling much better after a nap and a (cold) shower, we discovered that Flores is beautiful. It’s a tiny island on Lake Peten Itza attached to the main land by a small bridge. There are lots of small craft shops and cafes along cobbled streets and a pretty twin –towered cathedral with a black Christ. We also discovered that I’d forgotten to do a major bit of research, there are no ATMs on this island. Oops! So we trekked over the bridge to skanky smelly Santa Elena.

Apparently the best remedy for an upset stomach is to climb an incredibly steep, active, lava flowing volcano.

Driving to the base we could see smoke belching out of the crater, I didn’t like how peaceful it looked and I didn’t like how all the traffic seemed to be going the other way. This area is covered in volcanoes and they have me completely fascinated. It’s really strange how they just rise up into the sky as a perfect cone with nothing around them, completely different to mountain ranges. And they’re so bare and just strange, like something that’s been left behind which shouldn’t be there.

The hike itself was incredibly hard. At 2552m, it was very steep, like taking stairs two at a time, and it was so cold. The floor was like black sand, and again didn’t seem quite right. I was definitely the least fit of our group! We were at the back of the group and my feet and calves were throbbing all the way up. There just didn’t seem to be any air! And having spent the last 24 hours tethered to el bano I was definitely feeling it! But the views on the way were breathtaking. The sun setting behind the 3 neighboring volcanoes Agua, Acatenango and Fuego was beautiful and Guatemala City was all lit up beneath us.

As it got darker it got harsher. We were getting closer to the crater and had had come out of the jungle so had no protection from the wind, it pierced right through you and my ears were burning. We crossed an open moss covered area, which was even steeper before reaching a clearing where we got our first sight of the lava. It was so intimidating. I really felt like we shouldn’t be there, and so vulnerable and exposed.

The sun had completely disappeared by now, but fortunately the moon and stars lit up the sky beautifully. To my utter disbelief our guide urged us closer, approaching lava rocks. As we climbed over them they made the strangest noises. Like they were hollow and would crack open at any minute. And they were lethally sharp! Some would crumble as you trod on them, revealing red glowing rocks under the ones we were walking on. Not particularly reassuring. The lava had set in loads of different formations, there were large boulders to scale up, some crescent shaped ripples, and some weird channels that I didn’t like walking in.

As we climbed higher the rocks got hotter, one guy burnt his hand and shoes were melting. I really couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it yet though, I was so terrified! What a surprise! The rocks just felt like they were waiting to crack open and drop me into the lava underneath, I really felt like we were asking for trouble and that there was a reason it was so hard to get this close!

We stopped within 5 meters of the big lava flow. At the top it flowed like golden syrup, really thick and slow, then as it passed us it started to set and rocks would roll down glowing. It smelt like an open fire, or matches. The heat from the lava was burning on one side of my face, like when standing next to a bonfire, but the wind was still whipping the other side of my face.

I was totally terrified but absolutely fascinated and in awe of it. It was so beautiful but dangerous.

Antigua is overflowing with colonial architecture and pretty churches on streets that are linked by squat houses, painted in ochre shades and topped with terracotta tiles; and after heaps of earthquakes has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by 3 volcanoes which tower over it, occasionally puffing out a column of ash to make sure you can’t sleep at night!

So Ant has been having a terrific time here; there have been 22 churches, 14 convents and 11 monasteries for me to drag him around! Lots of old fountains, crypts, and a weird amount of them open so you can see the bones, a bit creepy. The town has a strange mix of Mayan and Roman Catholic history, lots of traditionally dressed women and a massive cathedral with pretty palaces either side. For such a pretty town the parks are a bit disappointing, the one in the center is quite pretty, but none are cut out for our routine naps!

There’s also a dangerous market here, there are so many nice things and I want to buy them all! Have been enjoying haggling again although I’ve started to get a bit cocky and keep losing out from being too stubborn!

I still can’t believe how cold it is here though, it’s been down to 5 degrees at night and I only packed clothes for hotsy totsy sunshine! Also our shower is outside and has cold water so we’re starting to whiff a bit! Note to self: chubmeisterpoopfaceskankknee!

Ant had a bit of an accident last night. We’ve swam in shark infested waters, been staying next to many active volcanoes, walked though thieve filled markets and badly lit streets through dangerous cities, and Ant manages to be savagely attacked by a tetanus baring nail. It went about an inch into his heel and blood was everywhere. It was horrible just looking at it. He said he could feel it inside and everything.

That kinda stopped our plans to hike 6 hours in the blazing sunshine up the side of the volcano, so we headed back to Managua to start a horrible journey.

The bus to Managua took 2 hours, not bad. We then waited 4 hours in the bus station before travelling 13 hours to San Salvador in El Salvador. We passed through Honduras, which was pretty boring to be honest, and paid $20 for 4 hours kip before jumping back on the bus and travelling another 6 hours to Guatemala City, in Guatemala strangely enough. All the border crossings were pretty smooth, except between Honduras and El Salvador where I had to be called off the bus to unlock my bag and completely empty it. That took about 20 minutes alone, and the huge guns that the security carry didn’t make me feel any better! We didn’t get any stamps in our passports though so I’m a bit upset about that!

Guatemala City was horrid. Really smoggy, expensive and loud, so we quickly left and are now in Antigua.

We’ve just been chilling for the last few days. We found a scary club in what looked like an old barn that had a bucking bronco; went to the market which had even scarier looking meat stalls which looked like prison cells; got scammed buying a broken torch ready for our overnight hike to the volcano; and watched a terrible, terrible circus. Also dragged Ant to a couple of churches and the cathedral, always fun! This cathedral didn’t have as much gold as others we've seen, which was a bit strange, but it was actually prettier than most we've been to. It’s the biggest cathedral in Central America and legend has it that the plans for the cathedral were switched with those of Lima in Peru by mistake. Now there’s an interesting fact for you all! The churches over here all look so dramatic. They are all really old, normally bright colours and usually against a bright blue sky surrounded by palm trees.

In the evenings we have been lucky, as there is a festival or carnival on at the moment. It’s very strange though and we can’t work out what it’s all about. There are several tall, papermache dolls dressed in long gowns carried by small boys. Several other small boys playing drums (very well) accompany each doll and another small boy carries a small papermache man with a huge head and wearing a tux. It’s really entertaining to watch. The square at night is also really good all the locals come out and there are different types of music being played, from a guy on the cathedral steps with mixing decks, to the big TV screens blaring out bad Spanish rap.

Took the local chicken bus to Masaya; its quite a nice town, not much here except a massive market which is always good! We read that Central America’s longest party, San Jeronimo festival, was being celebrated here now, but apparently not, so that’s a bit of a disapointment! Also there aren't many other gringos here so we have been getting some weird looks, the locals make weird kissing noises at you instead of whistling, interesting! The best rum in Nicaragua is called Flor de Cana; before Ant realised this was a drink I badly translated it as dance floor. This led to a great deal of confusion when there was a poster advertising 24 shots and half a dance floor for $5!

We took a pick up truck up to Laguna de Apoyo today. It brought back memories of Thailand as we jumped in the back and hung on for dear life!

The lake was stunning. It is a Crater Lake, a lake in the crater of a volcano. It is a couple of kms wide and 230m deep in the middle. The sides of the crater are covered in beautiful tropical forest that reflect in to the lake, and the water is so clear. Also, the water isn’t salty like the sea and its really warm where parts of the volcano are still active. Parts of the lake bubble from tiny eruptions and underwater you can see the sulfur bubbling up, apparently! The lake seemed totally deserted, with just us and the few Americans that we traveled up with. There is a jetty at one edge, and a floating deck about 10m out that is perfect for burning on! It was really quiet and peaceful up there, it was lovely. Lots of grass and hammocks to snooze on, and a few tubes and kayaks to take out on to the lake from the hostel up there. Ant was rubbish in the kayak; he rolled it straightaway, tee hee! We also played a bit of basketball and had a dual on the floating deck. muchos funno!

Getting a bit bored of Granada, its really cool, but not much to do here, so we’re gonna head north again tomorrow.