Quetzaltenango. Try saying that after a few caipiriñas... OK, so I think Guatemala is officially my favourite place so far. The country is stunning, the people are delicious (in manner alone, unfortunately. They are a little challenged in the looks department...) and the whole place is so bloody quirky. Example: queuing in the supermarket for groceries (I have REALLY slipped into this budget travel lark, making my own butties for lunch and everything) and there's a bloke there at the front promoting a new cleaning product by playing the most bizarre selection of music at TOP volume. Banarama, Hazel Dean, Donna Summer, Queen; was like a cross between a gay disco and a cheesy wedding. Naturally I was in my element...
Birthday was excellent, ended up staying in Guatemala City. Went clubbing and showed those Guat boys how to work the dancefloor to a bit of Britney, then on Sunday (my actual birthday) I blotted out the hangover and the horror of being one step closer to 30 by checking into the Marriott. Until you have roughed it for a few weeks you will NEVER understand the joy of a quilt... Needless to say, used EVERY facilty and left with a bagful of Marriott cosmetics... On to Antigua, where I climbed an active volcano. One of the coolest things I have ever done. Sounds daft, but it looked like the pictures of volcanoes you used to draw when you were a kid; imposing black cone, loads of smoke, lava, the works. We went right down into the crater at the foot and the side of the thing actually erupted whilst we were there. Glowing red rocks flying down the mountain and landing just 50 feet in front of us. Was incredible! Still on the go, at the moment in above mentioned town (too many letters in it to type it again and to be honest, I´m not entirely sure of the spelling..). Rode the back of a pickup truck to some hot springs today. Pick up trucks are, it seems, THE way to travel in Guat. You can just hail them and jump in the back. In one the other day and it started raining, so the driver got out and gave us a huge plastic sheet to cover ourselves with. Primitive, but effective. Spring pools weren´t that hot, but there was red hot water flowing into them, which was great. Trekked back down through the cloud forrest, which was ace. Bit like being in a real life horror movie - deserted mountain roads, eerie clouds and mist, chainsaw wielding maniacs, girls in bra and panties running into the woods. OK, not the last two but you get the picture.
Have sent the next set of piccies back to UK so will let you know when uploaded (chrsit, I can hear the collective groan from here...)
Later peeps
John xx
PS) My backpack weighs an amazing 13 kilos. What was that I said in an earlier entry about me being the one who wouldn´t be able to travel light...? x
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Need a holiday?
Then how about a relaxing break at www.battersbyfloridavilla.com? A luxurious and tasteful four bedroom, three bathroom villa with private pool and spa just minutes from all Orlando´s top attractions! I can personally endorse as I spent a rather lovely week there in April. Tell your friends!
Visit the site - www.battersbyfloridavilla.com!
Visit the site - www.battersbyfloridavilla.com!
Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela - Weds 8th June 2005
VENEZUELA - Beautiful, noisy and stupidly hot. End of chapter. The coastal scenery is sensational, there is salsa and meringue music blaring from literally every window and the daily temperature is almost 40 degrees. Beer here is a national obsession. It´s wonderful! It is served EVERYWHERE, ice ICE cold and in 200ml bottles to stop it getting warm before you finish it. People drink it openly; on buses, driving cars, on the street - it´s mad. Obviously I am struggling to fit into this beer-swilling culture but as each day passes, and I get in more and more practice, I find it slowly coming to me... If there´s one thing scarier than an 80MPH mountain-hugging chicken bus , it´s the thought that your driver may well have just knocked back his tenth cerveza of the day...
Had a shaky start here, arriving in Caracas after two back to back flights. Caracas was WELL dodgy; we only spent a couple of hours there but it was enough. Took a 9.5 hour overnight bus to Ciudad Bolivar (quite possibly the hottest, dullest place on Earth - think Chorley but with less activity...) and then a short flight in a five seater plane to Canaima, right over the jungle, which was awesome. Canaima is the jumping-off point for Angel Falls, you can only get there by air and it´s absolutely beautiful - nothing more than a few buildings scattered around a lagoon into which flow four amazing waterfalls. The water is clean and clear but a transparant red/brown colour because of the minerals in the rocks. Went for a swim in the lagoon with an American couple we met which was great... until all four of us got into difficulty. The lagoon bed suddenly dropped off and we were caught in a strong undercurrent caused by the falls. Soon we were all screaming for help, even I was struggling and I´m a strong swimmer. Bob was panicking and I couldn´t reach him; I was convinced he was going to drown. It was absolutely terrifying. We eventually made it to shore with nothing more serious than bruised egos...
Angel Falls was fantastic. We went up river for six hours in a dugout canoe with a motor, navigating rapids, and had to jump out loads of times to pull the boat up through the rocks. Then hiked through the jungle in the rain to the foot of the falls. There was loads of cloud so the views were brief, but sitting there in torrential rain looking up at the falls covered in fog was just superb. Camped overnight in outdoor hammocks and the guide took us out spider-spotting by torchlight, which I think is particularly impressive for me (although true to form I WAS wrapped up to the eyeballs in a sarong and wearing a mosquito headnet, shrieking everytime a bit of nature touched me...). Got ill AGAIN - one piece of dodgy chicken and was yet again bed-ridden for two days. Have also been to Cuevo Del Guacharo, a huge cave, which was amazing. I went back there alone at twilight and sat and watched the 20,000 birds that live in the cave all pouring out of the mouth to feed. It was incredible. We´re on the North coast now, just busing our way from beach town to beach town - the weather is hot (although it rains like a bitch every hour, on the hour), the beer is cold and living is cheap. In short, life is good! Off to Guatemala on Friday so we´re indudging a bit and staying in a resort town tonight - air-con English language cinema with a McDonalds right next door. I could cry with happiness. I shall be spending my birthday (Sunday) in Antigua. Have no idea what the place is like but according to Lonely Planet there´s a club there that plays lots of cheesy Euro-trash. I´m lovin´it already...!
Stay cool guys!
Juan xx
Had a shaky start here, arriving in Caracas after two back to back flights. Caracas was WELL dodgy; we only spent a couple of hours there but it was enough. Took a 9.5 hour overnight bus to Ciudad Bolivar (quite possibly the hottest, dullest place on Earth - think Chorley but with less activity...) and then a short flight in a five seater plane to Canaima, right over the jungle, which was awesome. Canaima is the jumping-off point for Angel Falls, you can only get there by air and it´s absolutely beautiful - nothing more than a few buildings scattered around a lagoon into which flow four amazing waterfalls. The water is clean and clear but a transparant red/brown colour because of the minerals in the rocks. Went for a swim in the lagoon with an American couple we met which was great... until all four of us got into difficulty. The lagoon bed suddenly dropped off and we were caught in a strong undercurrent caused by the falls. Soon we were all screaming for help, even I was struggling and I´m a strong swimmer. Bob was panicking and I couldn´t reach him; I was convinced he was going to drown. It was absolutely terrifying. We eventually made it to shore with nothing more serious than bruised egos...
Angel Falls was fantastic. We went up river for six hours in a dugout canoe with a motor, navigating rapids, and had to jump out loads of times to pull the boat up through the rocks. Then hiked through the jungle in the rain to the foot of the falls. There was loads of cloud so the views were brief, but sitting there in torrential rain looking up at the falls covered in fog was just superb. Camped overnight in outdoor hammocks and the guide took us out spider-spotting by torchlight, which I think is particularly impressive for me (although true to form I WAS wrapped up to the eyeballs in a sarong and wearing a mosquito headnet, shrieking everytime a bit of nature touched me...). Got ill AGAIN - one piece of dodgy chicken and was yet again bed-ridden for two days. Have also been to Cuevo Del Guacharo, a huge cave, which was amazing. I went back there alone at twilight and sat and watched the 20,000 birds that live in the cave all pouring out of the mouth to feed. It was incredible. We´re on the North coast now, just busing our way from beach town to beach town - the weather is hot (although it rains like a bitch every hour, on the hour), the beer is cold and living is cheap. In short, life is good! Off to Guatemala on Friday so we´re indudging a bit and staying in a resort town tonight - air-con English language cinema with a McDonalds right next door. I could cry with happiness. I shall be spending my birthday (Sunday) in Antigua. Have no idea what the place is like but according to Lonely Planet there´s a club there that plays lots of cheesy Euro-trash. I´m lovin´it already...!
Stay cool guys!
Juan xx
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