Utila and going north

Utila is a tiny island in the Caribbean, just north of Honduras. It was a British colony for a long time, so it's mainly English spoken. Why would someone go here, since there is absolutely nothing to do on the island. Because the action takes place under the island. Not in the land, but in the water. Diving!

This small island is the spot in the world to learn how to dive in one of the many dive schools available to the adventurous traveller, because it's the cheapest place. The stay is included at the school, you only pay for your food and the course. The whole day you are submerged (hihi) in divers talk, divers food, divers beer and divers. And then in the afternoon you go diving. Diving, diving and diving is all you can and will do on this island.

So your truly has got his 'Open Water' and 'Advanced Open Water' for as low as 300 Euro. That is a lot of money, but I did do some serious diving. 13 dives going as deep as 31 meters. Deep diving, wreck diving, drift diving, boat diving and a night dive were all part of the excitement of the course. I can surely recommend this island. Only if you want to dive though.

From Utila, this very morning, leaving as early as 6am, I went to Puerto Barrios, which is just a terrible city in Guatemala. Tomorrow the next boat leaves at 10 to Belize, and I'll be going north, hoping to arrive in Tulum (Mexico) on Saturday in the early afternoon. That means this traveller has one week left, because the 27th of December I'll be coming home :-(.

Pana madness

Panajachel is a touristic villages on the shore of lake Atitlan. Shops with bags in Guatemalan colors, a few beggars trying to make some small money, a restaurant or two. Nothing new on the horizon of lake Atitlan or for it's loads of tourists visiting.

From Xela to San Pedro (which is on the lake), just a boat ride away from Panajachel. I paid the outrageously price of 25Q (locals go for 7Q) and saw the magnificent blue water from close by. This was not the lake it was 2 years ago. It turned green and brown. Apparently an algae is eating up the lake, turning it ugly and toxic. I know the Guatemalan people don't know, don't care and are surely not going to change any of their, dump everything you want in to lake mentality, so visit before theirs nothing left. I was sad arriving in Pana, seeing the lake like this. It was so beautiful.

Just stepping out of the boat and into a travel agency in the middle of the busiest street in Panajachel in the middle of the day, people started running the opposed way I was going. Fear in their faces, woman cleaning out their shops in a couple of seconds, street vendors taking their goods around the corner or preferable a couple of blocks away. All the roll shutters closed within a simple 30 seconds. The whole street was empty within 2 minutes. I was found staring out of the small opening of the shutter. Young people with shawls in front of their faces, were throwing rocks at a group, yet to appear to me, around the corner. Smoke. Gas. More smoke. Then one, two, ten, twenty heavenly armed police men with shields firing gas at the crowd, which turned and ran away, followed by the police. My first experience of a guatemala I knew existed, but never saw before. The news article translated by google.

A shuttle ride out of Pana to Antigua and now staying for one night in a simple hotel on the border with Honduras. Tomorrow will be my first time in Honduras. What will this new country bring?

Xela

I am waiting for my new friends, after which we'll jump on a bus to Atitlan. Atitlan I have been before, yeah. It's just convenient to travel there for the weekend, continue to Antigua and straight to Honduras with some people I met in Xela. Life is good travelling, I can't understand why others dislike it.

Xela is so much fun. I would like to live here for a little while. Working in a school, teaching English, hostel, be a barman or just whatever makes more money than someone spend. Xela is the second city of Guatemala, lot's of fun things to do in the area, but nowhere near as dangerous as the capital. I liked it so much, with my new found friends, I stayed for 3 whole weeks! Sitting in terminal baths, trying to pick up some more Spanish, ride glides in a theme park (WOW that was fun, it's just steep glide after steeper glides), or just walking around in the city, hanging around in one of the parks.

Atitlan here I come.

Quetzaltenango (Xela)

I have forgotten how beautiful Guetemala was. Crossing the border from Mexico to Guatemala is crossing day and night. Mexico is clean, modern, slightly english speaking and rich. Guatemala is none of those. Entering from paved roads to dirty, filled with holes, bumpy bus rides, felt magnificent. The first chicken bus (first class with textile coated benches), brought back a lot of memories. Boy, did I spend a lot of hours on one of these. From San Cristobal to Quetzaltenango (cat-sal-te-nango), in short Xela (She-la), was a fun experience after so many rich countries and airconditioned trips.

Xela is great! It's so good I might live here for a while. Plenty of good hostals, great restaurants, fabulous bars and fun travellers. I am having a fun time!

Mexico

Big, bigger, Mexico city. This is one hell of a city the Mexicans have here, it's huge. We came in, at around 8pm, flying from Havana. On the plane I sat next to a happy New Yorker, which draw for me a picture perfect map of where we could find a hostal. The hostal turned out fine and cozy, in the middle of Sona Rosa (Pink neighborhood) where it's rich, richer, richest. Shopping mall and advertisment boards all around the area. Suddenly I noticed in Cuba I didn't see a single advertisment, it's forbidden. In one way or another, it was nice to be in the real world again. Normal food, instead of rice and beans. Altough the lobster in Cuba (4 US) was very nice.

In Mexico city we walked around the old town, goverment buildings and of course Teotihuacan (te-o-ti-wa-can). The piramide of the sun is the second tallest piramide in the world (71m), only those in Gaza are taller. I was impressed 2 years ago by Tikal, but this piramide is just so big! It's huge. Once you climbed to the top, exhausted, gasping for some air, the view is okey. Not much to see except some mountains. Actually the amazing thing is the piramide on itself, not the view. Still worth the climb though.

The happy New Yorked invited us for a dinner, so we met him again a couple of days later and he took us to a nice restaurant. He was an actor, worked for unesco, was setting up a new play in Mexico. 50% of travelling is having new experiences, viewing different landscapes, eating strange food, riding old buses. The other half exist of meeting interesting people.

14 hours in a bus and we are stationed in the beautiful city of San Cristobal de las Casas. Today a tour with some fellow travellers to a canyon, which was okey. From here I'll probably go to Quetzaltenango (Xela) which is in Guatemala :-). Can't wait to go there again.

Cuba and getting out troubles

Cuba is Cuba. Cuba is communism and revolution. There is a Cuba for tourists and one for the locals. I liked one city (Trinidad) and hope to never return to that socialistic country.

I have so much to tell, hardly know where to begin. From Santa Clara we took a bus to Trinidad. Trinidad was awesome. It's a tiny colonial city with 10 cobblestoned streets stuffed with old buildings, live music and dancing people everywhere. Little did I know, that afterwards this would become my favorite city (by far). 2 days of darkening at the beach and 4 days of sightseeing, taking photos of the picturesque city. At night live performances of salsa with classical Cuban music. I loved it.

I don't want to talk to long about this country, because you've heard the best part. From trinidad, via Cienfuegos to Viñales. Viñales is second best, for it's nature is stunning and the people of the casa particales where extrodinarely nice to us. Offering food and drinks for free. Not something most Cubans do. Most don't see a tourist, most don't see a white skin. Most see a walking money tree. After 7 countries in South America and very very poor Guatemala, never ever have I been harresed and begged and husstled so many times in my life. It's just unbelievable. It's also different in a way that people just start talking to you in a nice voice for 10 straight minutes and then suddenly bring up the subject to cigars (You want buy cigars?), rum or woman (cheap woman, good woman, big booby for you!). Within 5 days I didn't even trust anybody anymore and turned into a bloody all-ignoring western tourist, quickening my pace whenever some ven asked for directions. Believe me they DO try everything.

Viñales to Havana. Havana is big and expensive. We got in on Monday. Normally I like big cities, but it is SO hard to get around that you are basicely locked in at walking distance of the place of your hotel or casa. Going 5 km in a cab would quickly add up to 5 bucks, so little did I take those. Havana is fine for 3 nights, but after the forth I was so bored that we played cards all day with the Japanese guy in the other room and stay even more inside to read my book.

And then came today. Leaving day. It felt like judgement day! We packed the bags, put them on, stopped a taxi and screamed 'Airport'. The first problem of the day was that Ralph was sick. Not very sick, but common stomach problems and he jsut kept running to the toilet every 30 min. The second problems was that it didn't get over and he's in bed right now sleeping and probably still running to the toilet every 30 min. So I want you to imagine that with every sentence I write, you see a running Ralph, searching in pain for a toilet.

'Canceled' read the big red letters on the information sign. Our flight was indeed very canceled. A big hurricane was going into Cancun (our destination) we saw on the big flat tv that was displaying the weather images of Mexico. There is no was we were going to Mexico in this weather. At least not with Cubana. We were only told to 'wait' and 'nothing I can do for you'. We join the group of 'cancun' people and there turned out to be only 5 of us. 2 Irish, a French guy and Ralph and I. The hurricane on the tv screen was getting bigger and bigger, our hope getting smaller and smaller.

We had to stay in Havana (NOOOOOOO) just another 2 or 3 days. I already saw this verdict coming to us in TGV speed. Mexicana was indeedflying to Cancun, only 4 hours later. The airplane was full and you are never sure anyway with a growing hurricane. The eye was right above Cancun now!

But suddenly a briljant idea struck both of us. What if we get the heck of here and fly to Mexico City. First of all we are sure of a flight, the weather is nice and hot in Mexico City. Second of all there are no people asked for a ticket to Mexico City, because everybody has hostels/hotels booked or luggage waiting in Cancun, but we didn't have any of that! I walked up the the Mexicana office and within 5 minutes it was all settled, we were going to fly to Mexico City at 6 o'clock. 5 hours later than planned both out of Cuba!

And here I am (and ralph asleep or on the toilet) sitting in an internet cafe in Mexico City at 11:30 pm, because I just needed to check my e-mail and write on my blog. Travelling without plans still wins over anything, who needs reservations and booked tours. Life free and day happy because it always, yes ALWAYS turns out okey after al. The wise lesson of this post ;-).

Thanks for the comments, keep 'em comming and I'll put pictures up fast.

Olaf out (and too bed).

Cuba!

Here we are, sitting in a tiny internet 'cafe'. Internet is pretty much not available, so don't expect too many updates the first two weeks.

We arried yesterday, after a nice flight, in Varadero. In turns out to be tourist city number uno, so no cheap places for us to stay. Cuba is expensive. The very first night, cost us about 17 euros, which is a lot of money considering Mexico-Guatemala is just around the corner and those are much cheaper. We dropped our backpacks in the hotel, put on our swim suit and ran to the beach. Beautiful weather, 30 degrees centrigrade, white sandy beaches and paml trees. Although I have to admit not as nice as a Columbian beach.

Cuba feels very safe. People are not allowed to talk to tourists (as i've been told), but they're very friendly. That is, if I manage to talk to them, because my Spanish isn't very good. Hablo un pocieto Español! Everything is seperated. You have buses for the tourist and for the locals. We are not allowed to take the cheap local buses, they can't afford ours. The buses for tourist are airconditioned, theirs are old imported buses from all over the world. Funny thing is, I saw some old yellow Dutch buses with tons of Cubanos going to 'Zeewolde', 'Geen dienst' and 'toerbus'. They don't even take the time to change the text on the buses.

Already a full camera with pictures, but it's impossible to connect my camera, so you guys will have to wait until Mexico (were I am going on November the 8th) for some decent Cuban pictures.

The food is simple, the money complicated. Food you'll have to pay in pesos (on the street, not in a restaurant), pretty much everything else in 'convertibles'. It makes life just a bit more difficult for us and the locals.

Because of the time difference we got to bed at 5pm quickly falling asleep, but already awake at 6 in the morning. Today we took a bus from Varadero to Santa Clara. In this very city 'Che' (Ernest Guavara) unrailed a complete train loaded with military men. Too bad the museum is in Spanish, so netiher Ralph nor me understood much of the explaining texts. Time to learn more Spanish.

Keep checking, I'll try to keep you posted :-).

A new trip, adventure and story

The final hour is coming closer. I am slightly nervous, because although I have travelled before, it's been a while. And ofcourse a complete new country. I've only heard good stories about Cuba, but still I can't help being kinda tense.

My camera is fully loaded: empty memory, full batteries, a brand new camera bag and a shiny (secondhand) Canon 40D.

Aparently, internet isn't that freely available as it is in the western world, so I might not be available for the next two weeks! And I'm not bringing a phone either!

It will be nice to be truely free again.

Uninspired

I am home. Home uninspires me. Nothing to write, no photos to post. I will start writing on my next trip.

Colombia

When people think Colombia, most of them think drugs, FARC, guns and fighting groups of armed men. Although partly true, Colombia is not a country to forget and skipped while in South-America. The last couple of years great advancements have been achieved in suppressing drug traffic, fighting guerrilla groups and creating a safe environment for the Colombian people. Colombia is heavily traveled by backpackers and especially the Caribbean is packed with rich Western people coming to enjoy beautiful cities, country side and white beaches with palm trees.

Bogotá is the best city in the northern part of South-America. My personal top 3 would be: Rio de Janiero, Buenos Aires and Bogotá (not specifically in that order). Bogotá is a cold expensive city with great sightseeing, magnificent views, many neighborhoods (both rich and poor) and great night life. A new brilliant bus system, acting as a tram, takes you everywhere within minutes. No trace of being in a destroyed chaotic country as people often see it, but instead in a modern metropolis, we went from modern supermarket to shopping mall to fancy restaurant to classy neighborhood to expensive bars and clubs. After watching the new Batman in a state of the art cinema, with a big bag of popcorn in front of me, of course. Bogotá could be a city in any western country around the world, if you could scrap off its beggers and impoverished barrios.

Next on the trip lay, according to many traveler books, one of the top 10 beaches in the world: Tayrona National Park. An hour speedboat ride away, we landed on the most white beach that I have seen in my life, guarded over by palm trees and crabs diving sideways into their holes into the big grained white silvery sand. Only pictures can describe the beautiness flourished by these beaches. Sleeping less than a rock throw away from the Caribbean sea in a hammock for 2 nights, eating chips and fish on the beach and swimming was a utopia. The water was warm, as warm as heated shower water, and clear with visibility reaching over 20 feet. Snorkeling with borrowed goggles I saw rainbow colored fish swimming less than one meter away.

Cartagena was the next stop. An old city enveloped by a centuries old wall build by the Spaniards to defend against pirate attacks, it has a historic center outmatching any other city on this great continent. The best thing to do here is wander around and just let the city impress you. Which it easily does. Churches, a 8 km enforced long stone wall with canons standing ready as if the pirate could come back any day, old theater buildings, high rising clocks and lovely plazas all as picturesque as if it was the first thing you saw of Cartagena. The horses and their carriage ride trough the city with couples fallen in love, galloping over cobblestones layed in the streets.

A boat trip away are coral reefs. We were guided by dolphins swimming in front of the stern of the ship. Just over 2 meter deep in the water, snorkeling equipment meet the requirements to embrace a beautiful world never witnessed by me. More fish than I have ever seen before, totally undisturbed by human interference they swim everywhere. In all the colors you see them on tv or in aquariums, here they where in nature swimming and eating along yellowish coral reefs. Blue, green, gray, purple rainbow colored fish swim right next to you legs, sometimes scratching you with their fins. I might do this trip again, because it might be a while before I have this change again.

What other surprises might Colombia have for me?