Update

Just a quickie to say that I'm still in Isla, up to the usual shenanigans (I just like using that word). Resting up for the big New Year's Fiestas tomorrow. Wishing everyone were here to celebrate with us!!

Home Sweet Home

Just a quick note to say I've arrived in Isla and all is more than well. Lindsay and Gary were at the ferry dock to welcome me, despite the rain and crazy winds. I spent last night at Casa Baumer's (which is spectacular) and was welcomed and treated with a hospitality like no other. It feels great to be here and see so many familiar faces, especially at Christmas.
I'd like to wish everyone happy holidays- Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo!! Love and miss you all!!

Update

I am leaving Isla Holbox in the next couple of hours- destined for Isla Mujeres by this evening!!!

Paraiso

I´m walking on the powdery soft white sand with seashells crunching under my feet and the soothing sound of the rolling waves of the turquoise blue waters. There are pelicans soaring above, occasionally plunging into the shallow waters to catch a fish in their giant beaks. Among them are various other species of birds sunbathing perched on the boats, rocks and docks along the shores. I walk with such a huge smile already on my face that when I pass one of the few other people I encounter on my stroll, I can only nod hello, as I´m already grinning ear to ear. This is Isla Holbox.
And it is a far cry from the Weary Traveller. In my last post, I made a promise to myself not to end up back at the bedbug palace that is the Weary. I will spare the details of how I ended up there anyways, however I must say that it wasn´t quite the filthy hole I remembered it to be. Regardless, I didn´t take any chances and I slept fully covered with sweatpants, socks, and a hoodie despite the heat. I had a blast there, and met loads of people with very little effort as the common area of the hostel is really conducive to mingling.
After swimming in cenotes and spending a couple days getting a good solid base tan going on the spectacular beaches of Tulum, I had some serious decision-making to do. Which island did I want to go to? Head straight to Isla, which is always a sure bet, or try something new? I´d heard a bit about Cozumel, but it was sounding like a tourist-trap, cruise ship stop. There happened to be two guys at the hostel headed for Isla Holbox, and I decided at the last minute to invite myself along.
After one transfer at the bus station in Cancun, 5 hours of sitting on a 2nd class bus, and half an hour on the ferry, we arrived. We were immediately met by a man offering us a taxi (on Holbox this equals golf cart ride). We declined as the walk to hotel we were going to look at was 700 metres away. A few minutes later, the same man drove his cart up behind us and gave us an offer: ¨Come check out an apartment I have for the same price as you´ll get at the other hotel, and if you don´t like it, I´ll give you a ride back wherever you like.¨ Fair enough.
So we are staying in this guy Padrino´s father´s apartment atop the hotel that they own. We are paying $10 a piece per night and the place is pimp. I wake up in the morning, climb down from my loft, and look out the window at the ocean. Three of the four walls of the flat have large windows, which makes for a nice cross-breeze when you open them all up. There´s a small kitchen with all the necessary appliances, including the blender we plan to use for the party we will have when we makes some friends. It all seemed too good to be true, so we figured we had to find something wrong with the suite. Well, the light switch is located in an inconvenient place- I know, life´s tough!
My roomates are really a lot of fun and I´m so glad to have met them back at the hostel, otherwise I would probably not have come here. One guy is Dwayne, an Australian lawyer in his early forties, divorced with an eight year old son. The other is Wessel, a Dutch guy, mid-thirties, same family situation. They are both hilarious and it´s kind of nice to have different travelling companions than the usual mid-twenties backpacker who quit their job and is just drifting around for months (me).
I´ve heard from a few people that Isla Holbox is essentially what Isla Mujures was 15-20 years ago. There are very few cars here and the roads are made of sand, not paved. There aren´t many tourists, but there is construction going on everywhere and I can imagine this won´t last very long. There is very little to do here, which is what I love the most. Writing this blog is the most strenous thing I´ve done in a few days. And a quick heads up: the blogs will probably be minimal now until I get to Colombia as I am in full beach mode and couldn´t be bothered to write too much when the sun is shining and the ocean calling.

Not So Weary

I`m currently in Merida, arrived here 2 nights ago. The place is a little dirty and dusty but has a pretty decent town square and lots of day trip possibilities. I`m getting into lazy mode for isla already though, so the best I could bring myself to do yesterday was walk to Parque Centenario and stroll through the free zoo there. I got quite a few stares all day, I being practically the only foreigner in the park, as well as the only adult there without a child. There must have been some suspicion that I was a child snatcher or something, and I`m sure the camera didn`t help, haha. Seriously it was a nice way to spend the day, animal and people watching. I`m off to Tulum today, but this year I will avoid the hostel The Weary Traveler, where last year I woke up with a lizard in my backpack and bugs crawling on the walls.

Black Hair and Colombia

Just thought I would give everyone a quick update of today;s accomplishments. Firstly I have dyed my hair. It was the most scary experience of the trip thus far, entrusting someone other than Buck with it, not to mention the language barrier issue. It;s dark, I;m not going to lie, but I like it and the sun will lighten it up in no time when it decides to come out. Secondly I have booked a flight from Cancun to Bogota, Colombia. I could not resist the price. $300US- an unbeatable price even thought the Canadian dollar is shit right now. And for all of you who are who;s hearts sank at the word Colombia, please fear not as I have encountered many people on my travels who have been there and have nothing but amazing things to say about the country. As much as I wanted to wing it and not make too many commitments in advance, I think I will find it to have been wise to book my fly out of isla before I get there (despite a past missed flight and failure to leave).
PS dad, don;t let Oma mistake Colombia for Africa, even though my hair is now black.

Campeche-leche

So I am currently in Campeche, the state as well as the city. I wish I could write about some thrilling things that I;ve done here, but unfortunately this is not the case. The city is really beautiful though, super clean and developed and orderly, almost unrealistically so. I;m staying in a really great hostal with a rooftop terrace and a perfect view of the town square, cathedral, and surrounding areas. Campeche is on the UNESCO world heritage list and has something like a couple thousand restored historical buildings, if you;re into that kind of thing. It;s also surrounded by baluartes, or ruins of old fortress walls. There are enough museums here for sure, but I;m just not much in the mood for those right now.
It reminds me a bit of Veracruz; it has a malecon, or walkway along the sea wall. There is also a restaurant called Parroquia, not to be confused with El Gran Parroquia of Veracruz. The latter being a famous cafe where I had my morning fix everyday with Mich in Veracruz. The coffee I had here last night was shit and I was upset.
I;m currently attempting to make some decisions about the next stage of my travels. I can;t decide whether I want to head to Merida, which some say is just a big, hot city or to head to the ocean- Tulum, Playa, isla, wherever. Another option is to head back to Veracruz for a couple weeks, but unfortunately this is in the opposite direction of isla. I also can;t decide what I want to do today- it;s the day of celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe and there should therefore be some interesting sights out in the streets. Last night there was a parade and more invisible fireworks (by this I mean there are super loud explosions but nothing to see in the sky). There is also a musical fountain just down the street, and a nativity scene on the corner (LindsVL I;m studying it carefully).
The other thing I need to start thinking about is booking a ticket to South America- there;s a cheap flight to Colombia January 19th. Ahhhhhhhh, decisions....

Ruined

Today I went and saw the Mayan ruins of Palenque. Because I have been staying in El Panchan, right outside the entrance to the park, I was able to walk in. I decided to take my time at these ruins, more because I had nothing else to do afterwards than out of interest. Normally I move through ruin sites quickly, taking pictures without even examining the structures or trying to imagine what the site would have looked like in it{s prime. Today I climbed all the structures and temples possible and entered those where it was permitted as. I sat atop the temple of the sun for quite some time, listening music and imagining how Palenque would have looked over a thousand years ago.
Palenque is surrounded by jungle and is largely unexcavated. The area with the most important structures and temples is out in the open and swarming with tourists but there are some more minor ruins half buried in the hot and humid jungle as well. I suppose it is similar to Tikal in a lot of ways, and I couldn{t say whether I prefer one over the other, they are both very impressive. I also took the time to walk through the museum and have a look at all the artifacts that have been found within the temples, something I also would normally skip. The museum includes a recreation of a tomb that was uncovered, which is pretty spectacular.
Because of the jungle location, the heat and humidity, there is also quite an odour that can be enjoyed here and there. Basically it smells like rotten eggs, and this odour also happens to be lingering outside my cabana. Other more pleasant jungle experiences are to be had though, including hearing the sounds of the wildlife, in particular the howler monkeys. Basically what they sound like when they get going is like a mechanical lion{s roar. I can hear it from my room, but thankfully they don{t seem to howl during the night. And for those curious about the mysterious creature in my roof, it hasn{t attacked me yet. Oh, and I don{t have fleas or bedbugs, so rest easy.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a tour group to the waterfalls of Agua Azul and Misol-Ha, which are both spectacular. The turquoise blue natural pools at Agua Azul reminded me of the limestone pools of Semuc Champey in Guatemala, but were even more impressive due to the massive waterfall at the top and the fact that the water was more swimable and not ice cold.

Thatch-Pickers

Well I arrived safely in Palenque and found myself an 8 dollar per night cabana in El Panchan, which is just outside the ruin gates. It seemed clean and reasonable when I checked in, but as I was relaxing and reading on the bed I noticed there seemed to be a few fruit-fly type creatures hopping around on the comforter. I choose to believe that this is what they are, because I have actually never seen bedbugs or fleas before, but I guess I will find out either tonight or in the morning. There was also some creature picking around in the thatch roof and I heard something munching on what sounded like a seed or nut just outside my door. I do not wish to investigate these noises any further and think a beer or two in combination with some ear plugs may assist me to sleep.

Viva Chiapas!

Having taken the night bus from the coast of Oaxaca into Chiapas, I think I may have missed out on some breath-taking scenary. Thankfully I was able to enjoy it today though, on the exhilarating journey from San Cris to Ox Chuc, a small pueblo here in Chiapas. I went in the SUV of my host´s friend, and it was a bit of a wild ride through the hills, occasionally slamming over the many speed bumps that are so common here in Mexico.
As I mentioned, the scenery made it all worth the while, as everything is so lush and green. We passed through many small towns and through never-ending farmland and corn fields. The rolling hills, as they say, were splendid. The countryside is plastered with tall pine trees and the air is so fresh and unpolluted. After being dumped off in Ox Chuc, we hopped onto a colectivo truck the rest of the way to Ocosingo, where Vladimir´s mother lives. From there, we drove a few minutes outside the town to the Mayan ruins of Tonina.
Although I´ve seen my fair share of ruins, especially those of the Mayan variety, Tonina is quite impressive. The ruins are built on a hill, and span a small area, although I´m told that they are in the process of being uncovered. Tonina is more engaging than other ruin sites because you are able to enter some of the buildings, for example the labyrinth, and you are also able to climb to the very top of the structure. About halfway up the hill is a rather small opening into the ruins, which if you have the guts to squeeze into, leads into a tomb. I, being brave, squeezed myself right in there and tunnelled through into the cool, damp space that at some point in history held the remains of Mayan loyalty. Too cool.
The surrounding area is what makes Tonina so captivating though; as I mentioned it is comprised of lush green hills and plots of farmland for as far as the eye can see. We sat a long while at the top of the ruins, gazing out at Chiapas, soaking up the warm sun. It really felt like the top of the world at the moment. I don´t think I would have left if not for the nawing hunger from not having eaten all day...

Ich can nicht mehr Deutsch Sprechen

So I have been hanging out with some german couchsurfers here in San Cris, and because my spanish seems to be advancing a bit, apparently my german is regressing. I can still understand it alright, but speaking it is a pathetic mixture of english, spanish, and scheisse-deutsch. Oh well. Went hiking with 4 germans today to a really cool spot outside the city on some little-known Indigenous farmland. Had a little picnic with some fruit, tortillas, this really crappy butter-cheese and some peanuts, hat viel Spass gemacht, ja? Haha. Bis mas tarde!

Praise the Sun!

Alright, so things are quite a bit different around here when the sun is out. I didn't sleep too bad with all my layers, but I did think about using the wooden table and chairs in my room as firewood a couople times throughout the night. I'm a survivor though, and I'll think I'll stick around here for awhile.
I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this, and I know I may have said it about Oaxaca City, but San Cristobal is very much like Antigua, Guatemala. It's set up in the mountains, which makes for some amazing miradors (but also accounts for the freezing cold and shortness of breath while hiking). The streets are all cobblestone with super narrow sidewalks (great when the cars are speeding around corners paying no attention to pedestrians). The city is filled with beautiful architecture, culture, museums, etc. But what is most interesting is the large population of indigenous people. There are loads of markets where the artesanias are sold for real cheap. There's tons that I'd like to buy, but I just don't want to carry it for the next 5 months.
The Maya and other indigenous cultures all have distinct clothing that they wear. It is all done by hand and is incredibly intricate. Of course the garments they wear up here all look really warm, and I think they must be made of really heavy wool. I see a lot of ponchos, and I almost want to buy one along with a toque, but the girl staying at my apartment says that where I'm going soon it's 40c most days (Merida).
This morning I walked around and got myself pretty well orientated (although somehow I was lost on the way home this evening. I hiked up a long and weaving staircase to a cathedral with a nice view of the town (this time unguided by the police, I guess it's pretty safe around here). Then, after grabbing a fantastic coffee (which Chiapas is known for) and a spinach and potato empanada from the bakery, I hopped a colectivo destined for San Juan Chamula. En route, I met 2 italian guys and a german girl going to Huitepec, which is a sort of cloud forest type thing about halfway to my orignal destination. I got out and did the one and a half hour hike with them, which was nothing too spectacular but the air was so nice and fresh and unpolluted.
Afterwards, I walked out onto the highway to catch another minibus to my original destination. I tried to flag a few done, but a bunch drove past me. Finally one stopped and basically was trying to warn me that there were no other tourists in the van, plus it was pretty well full. No bug deal, I just squeezed myself into the very bag, which is meant for luggage, and share the leg space with an elderly indigenous man in a cowboy hat. The 45 min or so ride costs only 9 pesos.

Chamula is an indigenous village which is most visited for it's cathedral. I need to read more about it because I don't entirely understand what was going on inside. I think that what's happened is probably a mixture between ancient indigenous beliefs and the Catholic religion. After paying the entrance fee or 20pesos, I entered the cathedral. Inside there was the smell almost like burning pine needles and a there was a smoky haze in the air. There were no pews or altars per say, but these cases lining both side walls and at the back. Inside the wood and glass cases were statues of various saints, many of which had mirrors hung around their necks (I'm not sure why). The worshippers were all indigenous, their garments making the whole scene so much more intriguing. All over the ground were sprigs of greenery, almost like from a pine tree.
There were people kneeling down and lighting all sorts of kinds of candles, in glass holders but also tall candles directly melted to the ground. Many of the worshippers were chanting and bowing, standing, kneeling, etc. It was really a beautiful sight. Kind of unfortunate was that it's prohibited to take photos inside the cathedral and also of the indigenous people in the village in general. Obviously this needs to be respected.
After arriving back in the city, I took myself to this cafe in the centro where they have a makeshift cinema and play 3 movies per day. I caught "The Sweet Hereafter", after which I got lost walking home. It's a damn good thing my spanish is adequate to take directions.

Icy Fingers

Why oh why did I leave the beach? The night bus was torturous- more like 14 hours than the anticipated 12 and the AC was pumping; I suppose to prepare the passengers for the climate in San Cristobal. I arrived to Vladimir´s (couchsurfing friend) place around noon, totally exhausted. He basically handed me the keys to his place, showed me how to light the gas tank to heat the water for my shower, and then left until wednesday. He had to go take care of his chickens outside the city at his mom´s place.
It´s raining and absolutely freezing. The other people staying at the apartment say that they could see their breath last night. And I dropped off all my clothes at the laundromat this afternoon... They say it should be ready by 730pm, but you never really know, especially with the rain because the usually hang it out to dry. Should be a comfy sleep. My friends from Slovenia who stayed at the apartment until this morning couldn´t figure out how to light the gas tank, and I don´t know how the fuck they showered. If the sun comes out tomorrow it should be just fine though.
Unfortunately the streets around this town are super dark and I haven´t oriented myself to the town yet, so I figure I´ll spend the evening clothed in everything I own under as many blanket as I can find, reading. Sounds exciting, no? I need to relax anyways, it´s a good excuse to do nothing. I´m sure I have everyone at home´s sympathy too, especially after all my posts about the beautiful scorching beaches I just left. Karma, eh?