World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas
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Monday 14 January 2013
Highlights: New country, Hot Springs, Piñata fun.
These 5 am departures really suck, even leaving it to the last minute I had to get up at 4.30 am 😦 Unfortunately for Anna her alarm didn’t go off and since she had no roommate to wake her up she had a real rush to get onto the van. We started today so early to get to Copán in time to do an activity and to also beat the traffic.
Sunday 13 January 2013
Highlights: Meeting the new Tour Group
Yesterday I booked and paid for a hike to the Pacaya Volcano but after waking up at 4 am I decided that I would skip this activity and have a free day. I don’t know what I was thinking when I booked this for a 5.45 am start after the hectic last few days. Since the new tour is titled Volcano Trail I’m assuming I’ll get another chance for a hike in the future.
Tour Title: Mayan Sun
Tour Company: G Adventures
Tour Leader: Andrea Moreno
Dates: 30 December 2012 to 11 January 2013
I took this trip as part of a wider and combined Mexico and Central America tour between 15 December and 10 February 2013. There are four legs:
1) Mexico Ancient Civilizations
2) Mayan Sun
3) Volcano Trail; and
4) Panama Experience
This is my third official tour with G Adventures during my 2012-2013 world trip with the other ones being;
1) Colours of Asia; and
2) Patagonia Experience & Antarctica
The Patagonia Experience and Antarctica tour was also a combination tour so in many ways I will have taken 7 different G Adventure tours by the end of this trip.
Highlights
This tour is listed as one of G Adventures basic tour types titled YOLO – You Only Live Once. While some of the stays are basic or rustic like the San Ignacio and Río Dulce they really add to the charm of these locations. The chicken bus ride to Panajachel is something e ermine should experience a least once in their lifetime, watching the conductor move down the bus collecting fares is a highlight in itself!
The 14 other tour members covered a lot of different countries and they all had great positive attitudes, something you find with people booking G Adventure tours. Some like partying, some liked ruins, others the beach and swimming, and some wanted to chill but everyone wanted to have a good experience and everyone helped each other when needed.
The tour doesn’t have many inclusions so you pick what you want to do with the tour leader helping you with recommendations. The ruins at Tulum (Playa) and Tikal (Flores) are well worth visiting. Caye Caulker was an exceptional place probably made better by being there for New Year’s Eve but also the Caribbean snorkelling cruise is something I will remember for a long time.
While only a few people did the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Caves in Belize (San Ignacio) I would highly recommend it. I only decided at the last minute to do this activity and it was a fortunate choice. It felt like a real Indiana Jones adventure hiking though a forest, using ropes to walk though rivers up to neck high and climbing, swimming and twisting though the caves to see skeletons! Damn this was good, especially doing it fully clothed with shoes.
I should also mention the visit to the San Juan village by Lake Atitlán. We got to support a local community especially the women’s cooperatives and see great artist. The home stays also gave me a great insight into local life and struggles. Having three children to play with for a few hours was exhausting and an extremely fun time.
Visiting a local school supported by donations and volunteers in Río Dulce helped remind me of the many positives in this world. Supporting organisations, local communities and commitment to sustainable travel is why I try to preference G Adventures.
Book this trip and come to these countries!
Tour Leader
Andrea Moreno is relatively new to tour leading but has an energetic style that rubbed off on everyone. It’s great travelling with someone who loves travelling and sharing experiences. She is proud of the organisation she works for and talked to me and a few others about the Planterra organisation G Adventures started and still supports.
Her idea to bring a piñata to San Juan for the children (and let’s face it us adults!) was inspired. Helping Laura stay an extra night while she was unwell was a good decision, and her handling of the stolen van issue turned what could have been very bad into a positive group bounding event.
While I have never had a bad G Adventure tour leader Andrea falls into the excellent category, I wish she was leading the next tour. Interestingly a fellow traveller I met on the Antarctica Trip who travelled with Andrea earlier said a lot of the same things.
Photos
1) Mexico Facebook Photos
2) Belize Facebook Photos
3) Guatemala Facebook Photos
Mayan Sun Journal Entries
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Day 94 – Playa de Carmen. Highlights: Meeting new tour members.
Day 95 – Playa de Carmen. Highlights: Tulum Ruins
Day 96 – Playa de Carmen to Caye Caulker. Highlights: School bus transportation, New Year’s Eve
Day 97 – Caye Caulker. Highlights: Walking around the island.
Day 98 – Caye Caulker. Highlights: Snorkelling and cruising in the Caribbean.
Day 99 – Caye Caulker to San Ignacio. Highlights: Colourful Belize houses, Environmental friendly lodge.
Day 100 – San Ignacio. Highlights: Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Caves.
Day 101 – San Ignacio to Flores. Highlights: Tikal Ruins.
Day 102 – Flores to Río Dulce. Highlights: Boat ride around Flores.
Day 103 – Río Dulce. Highlights: Kayaking, Howler Monkeys, Boat Cruise, Hot Springs, Volunteer School.
Day 104 – Río Dulce to Antigua. Highlights: A dangerous waterfall, Birthday wishes.
Day 105 – Antigua. Highlights: Birthday fun, Zocalo, Marijuana.
Day 106 – Chichicastenango and Panajachel. Highlights: Chicken Buses, Stunning sunset, Chichicastenango Market.
Day 107 – Panajachel and San Juan. Highlights: Local Market, Weaving Class, Local Artwork, Piñata Fun, Homestay.
Day 108 – San Juan to Antigua. Highlights: ‘Stolen Bus’, Farewell Dinner.
Tour: Mexico Ancient Civilizations
Tour Company: G Adventures
Tour Leader: Siddhartha (Sid) Trejo
Dates: 15 December 2012 to 29 December 2012
I took this trip was the start of a wider and combined Mexico and Central America tour between 15 December and 10 February 2013. There are four legs:
1) Mexico Ancient Civilizations (this report).
2) Mayan Sun
3) Volcano Trail; and
4) Panama Experience
This is my third tour with G Adventures during my 2012-2013 world trip with the other ones being;
1) Colours of Asia; and
2) Patagonia Experience & Antarctica
The Patagonia Experience & Antarctica tour was also a combination tour so in many ways I will have taken 7 different G Adventure tours by the end of this trip.
Highlights
This tour is listed as one of G Adventures basic tour types titled YOLO – You Only Live Once. I was a little concerned before this tour since G Adventure recommends ages 18-39 and I’m in the top of that age range. Seeing two older people in Robin and James and the spirit and the energy they bring to the group made everything a lot easier.
Despite the basic style tag for this tour, excluding the Palenque forest lodgings, the accommodation and all the public transport was of a higher standard then I expected.
The wild 12 hour overnight bus ride to San Cristóbal was memorable for the high winds that pushed the bus all over the road but we survived. A lot of the group unfortunately got sick I bordered on missing a day but pulled though to visit the cenotes in Cuzama which would have been terrible to miss.
Mexico for me was about the Mayan ruins with the only disappointing on being the most famous Chichen Itza. I won’t quickly forget the Monte Alban Ruins set high above Oaxaca offering great views of the valley with magnificent ruins. The Palenque ruins set in a forest was also very different as up to that point I had only experience pyramids in desert-like setting all over the world.
I will also remember Mexico for its religion, being deeply Catholic I found Christmas was huge including temporary areas to experience snow in this hit wether country. Seeing a chicken sacrificed in a supposedly Catholic church in Chomula was also different. You also don’t want to miss out on visiting a cenote (sink hole) this was a highlight in Merida including the various transportation vehicles getting there.
Tour Leader
Sid is a very experienced Tour Leader / CEO who organised the group well and had a lot of excellent suggestions. For me he pushed me when not feeling well to still visit the cenotes and these was one of my major highlights of the tour so I was very happy with his encouragement.
Sid handle the mass sickness in the group very well. At one point he had 10 of our 14 people unwell in Merida and even had to organise doctors for two different people. He clearly knows how to handle the unexpected. A true professional guide.
Photos
1) Mexico Facebook Photos .
2) Mexico Tour YouTube Videos.
Mexico Ancient Civilizations Journal Entires
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Day 80 – Cancun to Mexico City. Highlights: Meeting tour members
Day 81 – Mexico City. Highlights: Teotihuacan ruins, Snow activities in Mexico City, Basilica de Guadalupe, Tequila shots.
Day 82 – Mexico City to Puebla. Highlights: Puebla Cathedral, Zocalo (City Square), Lucha Libre, Billiards.
Day 83 – Puebla to Oaxaca. Highlights: Magnificent mountains, Oaxaca Cathedral, nightclub drinking.
Day 84 – Oaxaca. Highlights: Largest Tree in the World, Zapotec ruins, Petrified Waterfalls, Mezcal alcohol, Traditional clothes weaving.
Day 85 – Oaxaca to San Cristóbal de las Casas. Highlights: The magnificent Monte Alban Ruins.
Day 86 – San Cristóbal de las Casas. Highlights: Surviving the 12 hour overnight bus ride, Chomula and Zincantan Mayan villages.
Day 87 – San Cristóbal de las Casas. Highlights: Sumidero Canyon, Local Market, San Cristóbal Cathedral.
Day 88 – San Cristóbal to Palenque. Highlights: Aqua Azul and Misol Ha waterfalls, Hotel in the forest.
Day 89 – Palenque. Highlights: Ancient ruins of Palenque, Early Christmas.
Day 90 – Palenque to Merida. Highlights: Christmas day road trip, Mass group sickness 😦
Day 91 – Merida and Cuzama. Highlights: Visit to the cenotes (water sink holes).
Day 92 – Chichen Itza and Playa de Carmen. Highlights: Feeling better, Chichen Itza.
Day 93 – Playa de Carmen. Highlights: Farewell Dinner.
Saturday 12 January 2013
Highlights: ‘Stolen Bus’, Farewell Dinner
I enjoyed a good nights sleep at my homestay after the children tired me out during the night. I was able to recharge my iPhone and iPad swapping around my charger. The bano (toilet) was basic and I didn’t use the cold water shower. My host family were extremely friendly and yesterday was a real highlight of the trip. At 7 am I said goodbye to my family and was taken back to the local tourist office to reunite with my tour group.
Nathan's Insights 