Another horrendous bus journey, felt sick pretty much the whole way, but it was sooo worth it! we got a colectivo from Palenque to El Panchán were all the cabañas are situated in the dense jungle. The jungle is amazing, very humid though and lots of bugs and spiders. After sleeping in our deet saturated cabaña, we got up to go to the palenque ruins. They were discovered by a spanish priest in the 1700s after he herd tales from Maya hunters about 'the lost jungle city'. There were hundreds of excavated buildings, all cover in symbols and paintings. You could explore many of the buildings without seeing another soul- that´s how remote they were.
At one point Leggra's flipflops snapped and considering the amount of spider crawling around, we improvised and made her jungle shoes by tying vine leaves around her shoes. After lunch, back by our cabaña, the scariest thing happened! We herd two loud bangs and a women ran out of the restaurant shouting 'phone the police'. We had no idea what was going on but when i asked someone, they said that it had been a gun shot but that nobody had been killed or hurt and that the police were on there way. He seemed ridiculously chilled about the situation, so Katie and Leggra made me ask him if it happened often to which he just shrugged and said, 'yea.. sometimes' When I asked him if the situation was serious, he just smiled and said, 'Yea.. a bit.'
So anyway, that really scared me and we didn´t leave our table for hours. The locals on the other hand, just got back to work like nothing had happened.
Dinner was really fun, after our food there was a band and this guy came to the table and asked me to dance. I was a bit nervous because their style of dance is so different here but it was so fun. It felt like salsa but had a slightly different rhythm, all the same.. lots of spinning around ect... Then there was a fire show- girls did the spilts, handstands whilst spinning sticks of fire over their heads. Pretty amazing.
Saturday 31 October 2009
Friday 30 October 2009
San Cristobal de las Casas
A 12 hour night bus brought us to San Cristobal and when we arrived at 6.45am we opted to go to the first hostel suggested to us- Planet Hostel- it ended up being amazing with BREAKFAST INCLUDED.
Before we even got the chance to dump our bags in the room, a man that works at the hostel invited us to go to a maya village called Tzajala as he was already taking some students and only did a trip like this once every couple of months. Tired, dazed and confussed we just agreed and after changing we and about 10 other people our age got a colectivo to the villiage.
It was so humid there and really hard work walking up this massive hill... it was worth it though as once we got to the top we were able to jump in this freezing stream with a waterfall it was so refreshing. After eating lunch by the waterfall we all had a mud bath, which was really funny.
In the village we took part in a spiritual cleansing ceromony. To begin the ceromony the leader blew through a conch to gather us all. A vase of pink roses and white lillies was placed next to a bonire as an offering to the earth which we all stood around. the leader talked us through the ceromony (in spanish but someone did translate) and then he began to chant. He filled the conch with ashes and walked around the circle holding it beneath each persons face, we had to wash our face and hair with the smoke and say 'aho' which is maya for welcome. When this was done we had to salute each direction- north, east, south, west, the sky and the earth with our hands held high as the leader chanted and we had to touch our heads to the ground to salute mother earth.
After this preperation, the real ceremony began... everyone lined up to enter the demazcal (a low circular stone wall cover by canvus). Before crawling through the entrance we had to press our forehead to the earth and say 'Aho Demazcal'. Inside there was a pit and once everyone was in the demazcal the pit was filled with hot stones before water was poured over them, creating a sauna- steamroom affect. We were all sat in the pitch black whilst the leader chanted and sang. The songs were based on call and response so that everyone joined in- there were drums, wooden flutes and claves (I got to play them at one point).
It was a really crazy experience- we were in the demazcal for about 2 hours in total and afterwards got to jump in the icey river again.
After this we all got to eat with the Maya people and then we slept in the cabañas. The next morning we shared the most delicious breakfast with them before getting the collectivo back to Planet hostel.
In the evening we met up with two guys and two girls from the trip at Cafe Revolution, a really cool bar with a bohemian vibe. We got cocktails and red wine and danced to this really cool gypsy-rock band. Whenthe music stopped we went onto a bar with a live salsa band. I was taught how to salsa and merenge, then danced with some other people- very fun!
Early start the next morning as we went horse ridin at 9am. A pick-up truck came to the hostel, we sat in the trailer and got dropped to the horses. We rode through a beautiful, mountainous forest and over rocks to get to a maya village called Chamula. There was a large market selling fruit, scarves, cowboy boots ect.. The men wore thick belted, black fur vests and the women wore long, high-waist, black fur skirts with sliky short sleeved shirts. the church was stunning- a mix of catholic and maya beliefs. The floor was covered in pine leaves and candles, those worshipping the golden paintings were surrounded by candles, chanting and sipping fizzy drinks like coke or beer. This is so that they burp out any evil spirits.
The ride back was beautiful, we passed women washing their clothes in the streams and hanging them to dry on the rocks.
After lunch in San Cristolbal we wandered around and found the Maya market there. They sold jewellery, dream catchers, zapatista dolls ect... the San Domingo was stunning too- everything within it was gold.
On theour last day in San Cristobal we had another 9am start for el cañon de submideron. The canyon was incredible- it´s banks lined with jungle, crocodiles, pelicans, vultures and it was boiling.
Before we even got the chance to dump our bags in the room, a man that works at the hostel invited us to go to a maya village called Tzajala as he was already taking some students and only did a trip like this once every couple of months. Tired, dazed and confussed we just agreed and after changing we and about 10 other people our age got a colectivo to the villiage.
It was so humid there and really hard work walking up this massive hill... it was worth it though as once we got to the top we were able to jump in this freezing stream with a waterfall it was so refreshing. After eating lunch by the waterfall we all had a mud bath, which was really funny.
In the village we took part in a spiritual cleansing ceromony. To begin the ceromony the leader blew through a conch to gather us all. A vase of pink roses and white lillies was placed next to a bonire as an offering to the earth which we all stood around. the leader talked us through the ceromony (in spanish but someone did translate) and then he began to chant. He filled the conch with ashes and walked around the circle holding it beneath each persons face, we had to wash our face and hair with the smoke and say 'aho' which is maya for welcome. When this was done we had to salute each direction- north, east, south, west, the sky and the earth with our hands held high as the leader chanted and we had to touch our heads to the ground to salute mother earth.
After this preperation, the real ceremony began... everyone lined up to enter the demazcal (a low circular stone wall cover by canvus). Before crawling through the entrance we had to press our forehead to the earth and say 'Aho Demazcal'. Inside there was a pit and once everyone was in the demazcal the pit was filled with hot stones before water was poured over them, creating a sauna- steamroom affect. We were all sat in the pitch black whilst the leader chanted and sang. The songs were based on call and response so that everyone joined in- there were drums, wooden flutes and claves (I got to play them at one point).
It was a really crazy experience- we were in the demazcal for about 2 hours in total and afterwards got to jump in the icey river again.
After this we all got to eat with the Maya people and then we slept in the cabañas. The next morning we shared the most delicious breakfast with them before getting the collectivo back to Planet hostel.
In the evening we met up with two guys and two girls from the trip at Cafe Revolution, a really cool bar with a bohemian vibe. We got cocktails and red wine and danced to this really cool gypsy-rock band. Whenthe music stopped we went onto a bar with a live salsa band. I was taught how to salsa and merenge, then danced with some other people- very fun!
Early start the next morning as we went horse ridin at 9am. A pick-up truck came to the hostel, we sat in the trailer and got dropped to the horses. We rode through a beautiful, mountainous forest and over rocks to get to a maya village called Chamula. There was a large market selling fruit, scarves, cowboy boots ect.. The men wore thick belted, black fur vests and the women wore long, high-waist, black fur skirts with sliky short sleeved shirts. the church was stunning- a mix of catholic and maya beliefs. The floor was covered in pine leaves and candles, those worshipping the golden paintings were surrounded by candles, chanting and sipping fizzy drinks like coke or beer. This is so that they burp out any evil spirits.
The ride back was beautiful, we passed women washing their clothes in the streams and hanging them to dry on the rocks.
After lunch in San Cristolbal we wandered around and found the Maya market there. They sold jewellery, dream catchers, zapatista dolls ect... the San Domingo was stunning too- everything within it was gold.
On theour last day in San Cristobal we had another 9am start for el cañon de submideron. The canyon was incredible- it´s banks lined with jungle, crocodiles, pelicans, vultures and it was boiling.
Sunday 25 October 2009
Zipolite
Our journey from Oaxaca to Pochutla was 6 and a half hours long and I felt horrific for at least 6 of those hours! We were in a camioneta whizzing around crazily steep, winedy mountain roads. Once we arrived we jumped into a taxi with another traveller we'd met and got dropped off at Zipolite a sleepy town with the most chilled hippy beach ever. We had so much fun here sunbatheing, befriending locals (they told us where the best bar was and gave us loads of free beer and tequila). Hotels were mega cheap and lined the beach- we had coco nut for breakfast (through a straw) and chilled in hammocks when we got too hot. We really didn't wan't to leave and are deffinately going to reaturn.
La ciudad de Oaxaca
From Mexico City we took a 6 and a half hour bus ride with beautiful views of volcanos and mountains covered in catci. We stayed in a hostel called {El Quijote} with ... double beds... so comfy!
In the morning a comioneta picked us up from our hostel and dropped us at Monte Alban, which is an ancient Maya city in the mountains. We scrambled over steep stoney stair cases that dated back to 500ad and lookd at buildings from 100bc. It was incredible and the views from the mountain were brath taking.
Climbing back down old men and women, their skin all wrinkled from the sun and backs all hunched approached us and beckoned us to stalls shouting 'amiga, amiga' We all bought jewellry from them.
After getting back we explored the town and it's massive markets, artisan craft shops and chocolate factorys! we stopped in Hotel Chocolate which had a factory on the ground floor and hotel rooms above, causing the whole place to smell delicious. The women offered us spoonfulls of dark melted chocolate and chillie chocolate, it was so amazing that we decided to stay and have a hot choc in their cafe- the best we've ever tasted.
We spent the evening drinking red wine in the plaza where lots of children came to us begging for money- after giving one boy some change, we were surronded, but at the end of the day afew pesos is nothing to us so we didn't mind. One girl even sat down next to us, held hands with llegra and tried to hug us... she was so sweet.
In the morning a comioneta picked us up from our hostel and dropped us at Monte Alban, which is an ancient Maya city in the mountains. We scrambled over steep stoney stair cases that dated back to 500ad and lookd at buildings from 100bc. It was incredible and the views from the mountain were brath taking.
Climbing back down old men and women, their skin all wrinkled from the sun and backs all hunched approached us and beckoned us to stalls shouting 'amiga, amiga' We all bought jewellry from them.
After getting back we explored the town and it's massive markets, artisan craft shops and chocolate factorys! we stopped in Hotel Chocolate which had a factory on the ground floor and hotel rooms above, causing the whole place to smell delicious. The women offered us spoonfulls of dark melted chocolate and chillie chocolate, it was so amazing that we decided to stay and have a hot choc in their cafe- the best we've ever tasted.
We spent the evening drinking red wine in the plaza where lots of children came to us begging for money- after giving one boy some change, we were surronded, but at the end of the day afew pesos is nothing to us so we didn't mind. One girl even sat down next to us, held hands with llegra and tried to hug us... she was so sweet.
Sunday 18 October 2009
HOLA EL DF
When me, Katie and Leggra first stepped out of the Mexican Airport I was amazed by Mexico City- it was not at all how I imagiened it to be. There are massive bill boards, sky scrapers, the roads are crazily busy and set out in grids, so it really reminds me of NYC. There´s alot of american influence but it´s mixed up with a really vibrant hispanic feel.
We´re staying in a gorgeous hostel in a 10 bed mixed dorm- everyone is so fun and friendly and we get breakfast cooked for us everyday.
Our first day was really cultural- we got the metro to chapultepec and made our way up Paseo de la Reforma, which is road that runs up this huge park. We saw the Anthropology Museam ,which has loads of amazing maya ruins, and the Mordern Art Museam which were both really cool but also really cheap.
When we got back to the hostel... it was TEQUILA TIME as they provided us all with a 3 litre bottle and wouldn´t let us leave the room til we drank the lot. It was so fun as it bonded everyone - I spoke to a group of Brazillians, some Spanish, and someone from south america. Then a group of 9 of us decided to go out clubbing in La Zona Rosa and ended up at this gay club called Lipstick. It was incredible, we danced so much and the music was amazing- a mix of english and salsa-ish hispanic songs.
Today we still woke up early to get breakfast and went off to Xochicala. It was an epic journey... well... for us- we got two trains at the metro and then went on the tren de linero (17 stops)- but it was so worth it. I was really shoked by the level of poverty when we arrived, the flats were all really run down with broken windows and there were alot of homeless people only wearing ripped clothes and no shoes- it was especially sad to see little children dressed this way.
However, we navagated our way through the streets and got to the river where they do trips in long, brightly coloured boats to a floating market. A man punts at the front of the boat and honestly i´ve seen anything like it before- the river was packed with sellers in boats offering ponchos, roses, food and one boat drew up next to us to serenade us. We bought lunch off this couple in a canoe and they made us two rice dishes- my favourite was chicken with mole (a mexican sauce made with chocolate and chile)
The boat trip lasted two hours and on our way back to the metro we found this market that literally stretched on for miles. They gave us so much free food- amazing! There were also animals for sale- little bunnys, chicks, ducks and birds... actually there were even mini terrerpins for sale.
So basically WE LOVE MEXICO CITY. Next stop... Oaxaca....
We´re staying in a gorgeous hostel in a 10 bed mixed dorm- everyone is so fun and friendly and we get breakfast cooked for us everyday.
Our first day was really cultural- we got the metro to chapultepec and made our way up Paseo de la Reforma, which is road that runs up this huge park. We saw the Anthropology Museam ,which has loads of amazing maya ruins, and the Mordern Art Museam which were both really cool but also really cheap.
When we got back to the hostel... it was TEQUILA TIME as they provided us all with a 3 litre bottle and wouldn´t let us leave the room til we drank the lot. It was so fun as it bonded everyone - I spoke to a group of Brazillians, some Spanish, and someone from south america. Then a group of 9 of us decided to go out clubbing in La Zona Rosa and ended up at this gay club called Lipstick. It was incredible, we danced so much and the music was amazing- a mix of english and salsa-ish hispanic songs.
Today we still woke up early to get breakfast and went off to Xochicala. It was an epic journey... well... for us- we got two trains at the metro and then went on the tren de linero (17 stops)- but it was so worth it. I was really shoked by the level of poverty when we arrived, the flats were all really run down with broken windows and there were alot of homeless people only wearing ripped clothes and no shoes- it was especially sad to see little children dressed this way.
However, we navagated our way through the streets and got to the river where they do trips in long, brightly coloured boats to a floating market. A man punts at the front of the boat and honestly i´ve seen anything like it before- the river was packed with sellers in boats offering ponchos, roses, food and one boat drew up next to us to serenade us. We bought lunch off this couple in a canoe and they made us two rice dishes- my favourite was chicken with mole (a mexican sauce made with chocolate and chile)
The boat trip lasted two hours and on our way back to the metro we found this market that literally stretched on for miles. They gave us so much free food- amazing! There were also animals for sale- little bunnys, chicks, ducks and birds... actually there were even mini terrerpins for sale.
So basically WE LOVE MEXICO CITY. Next stop... Oaxaca....
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Saying Goodbye....
It's now 9 days until we leave which is both incredibly exciting and incredibly scary. This week is filled with goodbye meals and drinks so that we can spend lots of time with family and friends before we go- It' really hard as I love them all so much! And saying goodbye to all these amazing people is just sad.
The good news however is that we are meeting up with some of our friends as we travel- I'll be seeing Vee and Maya in Costa Rica only 1 month after we leave England, Clo and Natti are comming to the RIO CARNIVAL ( excited!! ) and lots of our friends are going to Australia and then the legends that are Tom and Hazza are in Thailand when we are! So though we won't see some people for over 8 months, others we'll see o-so soon, just on the other side of the world.
Anyway, friends and family I LOVE YOU MUCHISIMO xxx
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