December 30: Brussels – Ghent
Our trip was over, but a new excited journey started: living together in our apartment in the center of Ghent!
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December 29: Cancun – Atlanta – Brussels
At 4 in the morning we had to wake up the receptionist of the hostel because we needed a deposit back… When she woke up, she just went back to sleep without helping us, so we tried again but a bit more direct because we needed to get our bus at 4:30. We made it on time and 30 minutes later we were at the airport. We checked in our bags and waited until we left Mexican ground at 8:00. Around 11:00 we arrived in Atlanta and decided that we had enough time to leave the airport and visit the city. We were warned about all the security checks thus we kept our visit quite short. We took the MARTA train to the centre, walked around and had lunch at the food court of the shopping mall. Koen was very American with his hamburger, fries and huge coca cola with cherry taste! Three hours before our flight left we were back and waited some more at the terminal. We could have spend more time in the city because of flight was delayed by 2 hours… Well nothing we could do about. When the plane finally arrived we were both very tired and it was an effort to stay awake until dinner came. After eating some bad pasta, we went to sleep and the next time we opened our eyes, breakfast was being served.
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December 28: Tulum – Cancun
We skipped our idea of going to the sinkholes because it would have too much of a rush and we wanted to be in Cancun on time so that we could do some souvenirs shopping. After a 2 hour bus ride, we made it in city of tourists! Cancun is a popular vacation destination for north Americans because of their nice beaches and all inclusive resorts. We did not go that side of the city, but stayed downtown, made some sandwiches and went to market 28 to buy some souvenirs. After seeing plenty of stands and negotiating on the price, we made some good deals (at least we think we did). In the evening we had some fish and shrimps for dinner and walked through a square. Kids were driving in go-cards and there were some stands with food and drinks. Later on, at the hostel, we started watching the last movie of Harry Potter and packed our bags for the last time.
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December 27: Tulum – Ruins and snorkeling
When we went to breakfast at 8 in the morning, we got some crepes with nutella. Very nice but quite heavy. We took a collectivo to the ruins of Tulum and started exploring the Maya ruins which are located on the beach. The ruins itself were not the most impressive, but the scenery was great. Halfway through, Koen went to have a swim to cool off. Afterwards, we took some more pictures and had a self made lunch on the beach. Around 14h we started a snorkeling tour which gave us the opportunity to see the Maya site from the ocean and to see the sea life. We were snorkeling in the second biggest reef of the world and there were plenty of fishes in all colors of the rainbow. Our guide pointed us out various shelves, sea stars, sunken canons, etc. It was nice to be in the water! Once back, we dried in the sun and read our books. Around 17h we started to head back to downtown Tulum and had some Spanish tapas for dinner. The evening passed quickly by checking our mail, writing our last postcards and doing a last hand wash of clothes.
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December 26: Merida – Chichen Itza - Tulum
Today our destination was Tulum (white beaches, ruins by the Caribbean Sea, sinkholes). On the way there we would make a stop in Chichen Itza, one of the most well known Mayan Ruins. That they were well known we soon found out. There was a waiting line of about 250 m and the entrance fee was much higher compared to other the other ruins we had visited. Things were very badly organised. Our guess was that there were exceptionally many visitors because of the summer holidays and Christmas day. The ruins were beautiful. Different from the other ruins was that they were mostly renovated and that there were a lot of vendors. It was a very touristy place and as a result we didnt like our visit that much. We continued our journey to Valladolid, because there was no direct bus anymore to Tulum. The bustickets were sold twice and hence we had to stand up the entire ride. Somethings organisation could be better. From Valladolid to Tulum we could sit and by 20.00 we arrived our destination, got some food and crashed in our bed!
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December 25: Merida – Cenotes/Sinkholes
As agreed on the previous evening, we were meeting the Dutch girls to go on a day trip together. We took a collectivo to Cuzama and from there the sinkholes were only a short trip away with the bicycle taxis. After getting the price down, we started our 3,5 hour trip on a horse drawn wagon on rails. Our driver took us to three different sinkholes and since there was only one rail track we had to get out various time to let the others pass. The region had around 280 sinkholes but only three are accessible for having a swim inside. We just loved it! First going down the stairs and then entering a cave with the brightest water ever seen! The temperature of the water was perfect and when the sun comes through one of the holes... well it was just beautiful. The three sinkholes varied in size and dept (13-28 meter deep) and when looking to the top of the cave you could see all kind of rock formations and roots from trees. Koen started climbing the roots and enjoyed diving and jumping into the water. Around15h30 we left our wagon and started the trip back to Merida. But since it was a Sunday and Christmas day, there were very few buses. Only at 17h30 the first bus passed and then it was already full so took an uncomfortable position on the ground or armrest of the chairs. Once we finally got to Merida we noticed that there was quite some things going on on the main street. We had a pancake with nutella, changed hostel (the other one was full for the night) and walked around a bit. Our choice of the restaurant was not that great but at least we were not hungry any more. Later on we got a short visit by the Dutch girls, read some more in our books and went to sleep.
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December 24: Merida – Christmas at the pool
Around 9 in the morning we arrived in Merida and walked to our hostel with swimming pool. Leen her foot was swollen due to an allergic reaction to a sort of bit and we were both tired. We had a short rest and had a swim in the pool. We walked around town to get some lunch at Café Chocolate and had another swim. We felt like eating some fruits, so we walked to the market, but for the first time we did not enjoy walking there. The streets were so crowded since everybody was doing their last minute Christmas shopping and the market itself was not really fascinating. Thus after buying a orange juice and checking our were we could have dinner, we once again returned to the hostel. There we started celebrating Christmas eve with two Dutch girls and one English diving instructor. Once we got hungry we went to the Italian restaurant and had a nice dinner. After dinner, the Christmas mass was already over at the Cathedral and sadly enough not too much was happening on the streets. We tried to have some cocktails but they never arrived... Meanwhile we were watching some people dance and were enjoying the life music band. Around midnight we went back to the hostel and went to sleep.
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December 23: Palenque – Ruins – Merida
Today Palenques Ruins were on our schedule. Usually we get up really early to be ahead of the hordes of tourists but this time we got up when the sun was out already and went for breakfast first: Eggs, ham, bread, coffee and fruit... what should one have more?
The nice thing about Mexican public transport is that you hardly ever have to wait. Collectivos (little vans) drive around town until all the seats are taken and then head off. We thus popped up at one of the stands and 5 minutes later we were on the road.
We had seen a seen some Maya ruins before but these differed in two ways: the constructions were restored (still intact?) almost to their full original glory and there was a palacio that could be visited. The palacio (palace) is the place were the royal family, noblemen and the servants live. There is bedrooms, kitchens, meeting rooms, … Impressive to see how evolved there culture already was 1500 years ago. As a wrap up we visited the museum and expanded our knowledge beyond that of the lonely planet.
Back in town we chilled out, read a book, watched the shoe shiners and then went to our favorite restaurant in town.
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December 22: Palenque – Waterfalls
We had a good night full of sleeping! No fireworks had disturbed nor the sweaty heat had kept us awake/woken. After a light breakfast we took an organized tour to see the Misol-Ha waterfalls and Agua Azul. The waterfalls were pretty to see but nothing that special. Halfway the way down to the waterfalls one of Koens Tevas (sandals) died on him so half of the path was bearfoot from then on. A special thing about the waterfalls is that you can walk behind the water falling down, so one can see it from the other side.
Agua Azul was more the place to be.. together with a lot of tourists and almost as many Mexicans trying to sell you a whole range of things. We only had orange juice, coconut milk and empanadas. Agua Azul is a place a water stream divided into sections by waterfalls. Its a pretty sight, especially with the sun enlightening everything. The water however is ice cold.
Back in Palenque we found a fine restaurant and had fish for the first time in Mexico. It completed the day. Back in the hotel we booked all the hostels for the remaining days (before prices went up for the Christmas break). We now know where we will be every evening! If all goes according plan that is:)
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December 21: Flores – Palenque
Flores was nice, very nice! It had been a great change to Rio Dulce and we might have stayed there a couple of days more, but it was time to get moving again. The roads we were to follow today would lead us to Mexico again. Mexico felt more comfortable for us than Guatemala, probably because of all the unpleasant stories we had heard on or way through. It just did not feel that save as Mexico and for that reason we were happy to go back to Mexico. This time we did not take an organized tour but took collectivos to the Mexican border. All went well and the bad stories we had heard did not match in any way with the friendliness and hospitality of the local people who directed us where to go. The border crossing was a formality. The immigration officer did not even try to scam us by asking an exit fee. Once the the Mexican official had finished his lunch and was ready to stamp our passport we headed of for Palenque. It took us two hours more than the organized trip but only cost us a third of the price so we were happy. After 10 hours of traveling we order ourselves a bad pizza and salad and then started our search for a good place to sleep. Not an easy task out turned out to be. When we eventually did a good warm shower was the only thing that separated us from our bed.
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December 20: Flores – Tikal
Yeah! What do we like getting up early in the morning! 4.15 AM the alarm forced us to start our day. By 6.30 we were in the deep jungle in what is said to be the most impressive Mayan ruins of Mesoamerica. We can only agree. In the middle of the jungle there are more than one thousand buildings (not all have been excavated). A magnificent plaza, high temples, houses, … connected by paths in the middle of the jungle. It was a great place to wander around. Some of the temples could be climbed and allowed us to have great views. We were there very early and were able to experience all of this without other tourists. It must have been a fascinating place: buzzing activity, plumed archers, jaguar guards, priests, markets, … We spend about eight hours walking around in this huge national park and without any doubt we had not seen everything. This was definitely one of the highlights!
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December 19: Rio Dulce – Flores
We got a place on the 9:30 bus to Flores and quickly after the bus was completely crowded. The eats were comfortable and during the whole ride we were worried that our bags would get stolen. After 4 hours of suffering on the bus, with one quick stop for a bite to eat, we arrived in Santa Elena. Our bags were still there but later we found out that Leen her raincoat was missing... Once in Santa Elena, we started walking to the island of Flores. On the way Koen could not resist the fast food chain of Pollo and thus we had a quick stop there. The restaurant was full with families! The closer we got to Flores, the nicer it got and we found a nice hostel to stay. We showered off the journey and had some drinks with a view on the lake. We spend some time on planning our trip and watched the sun set. Later on we had a great dinner and prepared ourself for an early morning the next day.
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December 18: Antigua – Rio Dulce
Antigua is very nice, relaxed and touristic place, but we did not stay for long. We were not convinced of the volcano tours and decided to head to our next destination. On the last moment we chose to go to Rio Dulce, a day away by public transport. After getting some information on how to get to Guatemala City (it was getting complicated), other guests offered us a ride. Shortly after, we left with them and first visited a church on the way. They knew the president of the community and we were taken to the storage place of the church. There they were working on the statue of Christ which is carried by hundreds of purple robbed men at Easter in a huge procession. The two elder women bought all kinds of stuff for us in the little market; cookies, a wooden toy, fruits, bracelets with our name on... We had the feeling that driving us to Guatemala City was quite an event because they handed us their cell phones to talk to their children and showed us the citys and buildings on the way. They dropped us off at the bus station and five minutes later we were on a bus to Rio Dulce. The six hour drive was not the most pleasant one... too many curves, too fast driving, too many bumps on the road and too little space to be comfortable. It was getting dark when we arrived and after settling in the dorm room, we met some travelers that we knew. We shared some dinner and decided not to stay in Dio Dulce nor to go to Belize but to travel to Flores.
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December 17: Antigua – A calm day
In the morning we were getting spoiled by a freshly made breakfast at our hostel. We took our time to get ready and headed to the center. We successfully found a new key board for the laptop and some USB sticks to have an extra copy of our pictures. That already took the morning and then we had a fine lunch in a beautiful patio surrounded by plants. Later in the afternoon we scrolled down the market were we got lost in all the isles. The market started with some women selling fruits and vegetables, later we got to the food stalls, clothes, cosmetics, kitchen supplies, electronics and at the end, the handicrafts. We did not like anything of the original handicrafts, thus went quickly to the bus station. Plenty of chicken buses were arriving or leaving. All public buses in Guatemala are old American or Canadian schools buses and are always very colorful. After eating our fruits, we made a walk trough Antigua which covered all the main churches, monasteries and parks. We finished the walk just before dark and then headed back to the hotel were we made ourself some sandwiches. The evening was spend on the computer and reading a book.
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December 16: Lago Atitlan – Antigua
Again we got up early in the morning in order to start the hike around the lake. The same guide as the day before took care of us during the morning and we started with taking a boat to Santa Cruz. During the boat trip the views of the lake were astonishing and various stops were made in between. In Santa Cruz we walked around a bit, saw the 175 years old church with the old sculptures and then started walking to the next town: Jaibalito. Along the walk we could see some fancy hotels and nice houses of foreigners. The indigenous like the foreigners because that means money... eg. construction, restaurants... In all the towns we stopped, the women are dressed in traditional clothes but we did not feel comfortable taking pictures of them. It was nice to walk around and just see the daily life: markets, children playing soccer, women working on the field, men rebuilding the roads... About halfway through we did not walk to the next village but took the boat or tuktuk instead. The ride on the tuktuk is also an experience on itself. It barely gets on the hills and with the bad quality of roads you are constantly shaking. Once we arrived in San Pedro, Koen tried to fix the computer, we had some small lunch and then headed to Antigua. Another ride through the mountains on very hilly and curvy road. Around 18h we arrived and started the search for a good and clean hostel. After visiting around 8 places we found the perfect one!
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December 15: Lago Atitlan - Volcano San Pedro
At 6 in the morning we started our hike to the Volcano of San Pedro. Our guide started leading us our of the village and up to the entrance of the natural park. That 45 min walk uphill was just a starter because in total we had to climb 1500 meters! Once entered the park, there was less garbage on the trails and we passed through lost of coffee and maize plantations. Once in a while a man passed us quickly in order to get firewoods in the forests or getting his crop down. Amazing how strong they are and how fast they can climb and decent. In total it took us almost 4 hours to reach the 3020m high top of the volcano but the effort was rewarded with a great view on the lake. The volcano is non active and the crater is covered by trees and plants. Descending was went faster but was quite heavy on the knees. Since there is not one part were it is a bit flat you are constantly going down! In total is was about a 17km hike in 7 hours time. When we were back in San Pedro we had a big lunch and in the afternoon we did not do that much. Scrolling down town, have some local coffee and enjoy the rest.
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December 14: Border Crossing
Yes, yes, Mexico is nice, but Guatemala is so nearby and unknown... so why not go there? Just for a second or a couple of days, maybe a week? We heard great things about this country: beautiful nature, volcanoes, lakes, Mayan pyramids, … and crossing the border getting in a bus to your next destination, being drugged, robbed and dropped off in the middle of the jungle... Well we decided not to take the risk and relied on a certified company to get us safely across the border and to our first destination in Guatemala: Lago Atitlan! After having waited for one hour our bus finally showed up and the ride to the Mexican boarder was reality. There were some other travelers (probably all afraid of being left behind in the jungle) accompanying us which gave us a safe feeling (at least were not alone in the jungle). Having crossed the Mexican border we were warned to be charged for an illicit entrance fee to Guatemala. According to Lonely Planet once should ask for a receipt which states that entering the country is for free. So we asked and received ours that was completed with the handwritten line of text: Art. 95 : 10 Qtz and paid that damm money, not wiling to slow down the group.
After a bumpy ride of about four hours we reached our destination - without a stop in the jungle -, found ourselves a nice place to stay and had a great meal! We also arranged ourselves a trip to one of the volcanoes surrounding the lake.. It would be an early wake up as we would start hiking at 6AM.
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December 13: Comitan: Lago de Montebello
Today we got up early (again) and headed off to the Lago de Montebello area. A one hour collectivo (minibus) drive took us to these beautiful lakes. Halfway the ride we noticed something new: rainclouds! When we got out the bus we experienced the Belgian climate in Mexico. Unprepared for the rain we bought ourselves some plastic cover and made a simple but effective raincoat. The first lake on the list was a kilometer and a half walk, enough to get every uncovered part of our body wet. To warm and dry up again we went for a hot chocolate milk. The Mexican chocolate has a very distinct flavor, no way near what we are used to. Half dried up we got ourselves to the next lake where we discovered a 'hidden' path we thought would bring us to the next lake (a shortcut). We started hiking and soon found ourselves high up in the mountains overlooking two beautiful lakes.
Following the path, we approached a junction and decided to take the wrong path (which we, of course did not now at that time). It took us past - and under - a couple of fences (Should this have rung a bell?) . After a a good two hour hike we found out that these fences were to keep the animals from running off, which faced us with a bull and a calf on the very tine trail. Steadfast to continue we created a new trail to pass the guards.
On or way to the last five lakes (cinco lagos) - each having a different color (depending on the altitude and water depth) we got ourselves picked up by a Mexican couple touring around the lakes themselves. We could join them (no more walking!!!) and by the end of the evening they dropped us off in Comitan.
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December 12: San Cristobal de las Casas – Comitan
Once we finished our last things on our to do list, we took the bus more south, to Comitan. There the festivities of the virgin of Guadeloupe were ongoing and many pilgrims arrived and headed to the church. There was a huge line of people (some of them crawling on their knees) in order to enter the holy place. We did not stay for long, just walked around the fair, bought some snacks and took a collective bus to the waterfalls of El Chiflon. We did not know what to expects, but it definitely exceeded our expectations. We followed a path were we could see various waterfalls, all varying of size. The last one was the most impressive one: 120 meters high and we could come very close. So close that you could feel the power of the water and that we were completely wet once we descended the stairs again. Just to hear and see the water falling was great. On our way back to Comitan we had to wait a bit before a collective bus passed by, but we were back before dark. Later in the evening, we had some great food and turned into bed early.
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December 11: San Cristobal de las Casas
After a very loud night (lots of fireworks and music in the streets), we woke up and got ready for our second tour of our trip. This time we went to the indigenous villages San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantán. Our guide spoke the local language of the Maya (in total there are 23 types of Maya languages) and knew many people there. He was a bit against people making assumptions and explained us very well how the Maya culture was formed. Many names were taken over from Christianity, from the time that the Spanish concurred them, but they do not mean the same. Thus when they speak of Jesus, they do not talk about the story of Jesus, but about their own Maya traditions. And everything we see, is a representation of something. For example, the leaves in the church (represents the holy mountains), the candle and liquids (eg. Cola, fanta, beer) (represents the fire and blood), etc. While the day of the Virgin of Guadeloupe is approaching, more and more pilgrims are arriving. Again the green on the cars represents the holy mountains and the reason why they make so much noise is because then the others will know that they are coming and that they have to be careful (there is always somebody running before the car).The fireworks is also a mean of telling that there is something special happening in that place. In the village of Chamula the indigenous are still dressed traditionally and they do not fall under the Mexican government. Thus they have their own leaders, own police, own rules etc. It is also not advisable to take pictures. They believe is that when you take something, that you have to give something back. Thus when you only take a picture, you are stealing. Our guide was very sensitive about the picture issue but after he greeted the leaders, they allowed us to take some pictures of them. Apparently this is very unusual. We walked around the market and then we moved on to the next village; Zinacantán. There we entered a families home where they had their own alter to honer the gods. They explained us how they make carpets and how to cook tortilla (dried corn, calcium, water). Once we were back in San Cristobal, we mapped out the rest of our trip, had a great lunch/dinner, walked down the streets to see the festivities and went back to the hostel when it became to cold.
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December 10: San Cristobal de las Casas
It was Saturday and we took it very easy. Firstly we wanted to arrange all kind of things; doing laundry, print out pictures for postcards, buy Guatemala travel guide, figure out our travel route, make sure we have a place to stay in Cancun, etc. In between we could also visit the church of San Guadeloupe were there were many festivities. Leading up the the 12th of December (the day of the virgin of Guadeloupe), there are many pilgrims coming in their cars while at least one person is running behind it, holding a torch. Once they arrive in San Cristobal de las Casas, they all start running and singing until they reach the church on the hill. They are holding pictures or banners and are dresses with similar clothes (with again the picture of the virgin). During day and night they are coming and shooting off fireworks that just makes a lot of noise! Seeing this tradition, we know for sure that the Mexicans are very religious. Once we left the street filled with pilgrims, food stalls and the fare, we headed to the museum of Na Bolom. This museum explains the live style and traditions of the indigenous people and was established by a swiss couple. Nice to see the pictures and the beautiful garden. We also went to the local food market and arranged a tour for the next day. In the evening we stayed in our hostel and enjoyed of the head that was coming out our fireplace (sadly enough the fire didnt last for long).
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December 9: Tuxla - Sumidero Canon – San Cristobal de las Casas
Around 8h we arrived in Tuxla anfd after freshening up a bit and asking our way around we took a collectivo bus to the center. We had a nice organic breakfast and to the next bus to see the Canon. Around 11h we arrived at the little town but we had to wait an hour before the boat was full to take us down the river. About 3h we spend on the water and during that time we saw the 1000 meter high canon, a natural shaped Christmas tree, the biggest dam in Central America and the 15th biggest producer of hydraulic energy in the world. But off course we also saw various animals such as crocodiles of at least 3meter long, monkeys, birds... Once we were back on land, we headed to San Cristobal de las Casas by catching a local bus on the highway. Unfortunately is was already full, so we were standing for more than an hour while we were steadily increasing altitude (up to 1900 meter). Once arrived in our next destination, we watched some dances of indigenas, checked in our hotel and had a calm evening in the city.
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December 8: Oaxaca – Tuxla
As we had agreed on the previous evening, the South African/Canadian man was ready at 8:15 to join us to a trip to Monte Albán. Since he is partly living in Oaxaca for the last couple of years, he was our private tour guide and we just followed. On the way to the bus stop, we tried out the local chocolate (not comparable at all with the Belgian chocolate, our is much better!) and had a glance into the botanical garden. After a 30 min bus ride, we arrived on the top of the mountain, at the entrance of the ancient site Monte Albán. We spend almost two hours walking around, reading about the ball court, the tombs, their astrological knowledge and much more. Once our head were filled with plenty of information, we started our decent to the city center. On the way, we decided to make a detour and go up the other hill in order to enjoy the view from the Auditorium. For more than 3 hours we walked and mostly listed to Hendrich his stories. At 15h we finally arrived at one of his favorite restaurants and for around 2 euro we had a salad, soup, main dish and a dessert. Good food although the proportions could have been bigger... On the way to our hotel, he showed us the old viaduct of the city and then we rested out in the hammocks at the hotel. Later in the afternoon nothing much happened, having a drink with Hendrich and Chris (US) about the global problems, eating some spicy pizza and getting ready for our night bus to Tuxla.
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December 7: Oaxaca
Originally we were a bit against the tours that all the agencies offers, but we have to acknowledge that it can be very easy. It is not very expensive and some sights that you want to visit are just not accessible by public transport. Thus we went on a tour which started with a visit to the largest tree in the world (14m in diameter and around 1500 years old). This was followed by going to a local distillery of Mescal (a typical strong alcoholic drink). There we learned that this drink is made from a type of cactus and after letting it grow for 10-12 years, 2 liters of alcohol can be produced. During the process, the plant stays in an oven for a month, gets squashed by a stone and finally distilled three times. We could taste the mescal in all kind of flavors, varying from chocolate to pineapple and from pistachio to nuts. The third stop on the tour was a carpentry, were we saw how the carpets were hand made and how they color the yarn by using organic products such as plants and parasites. The color stays about 40 years. Before lunch we went to the ancient ruins of Milta. This was a place where all the rich old people stayed before they died. They were being served and taking care of by servants and once they passed away, they were buried in the tombs. The red on the buildings symbolizes the blood and thus life. They were firstly being overtaken by the Aztecs and later by the Spaniards. Around 15h we stopped for a buffet lunch (the most expensive we ever had) and we both did not like the food at all... but since we were on a tour, we did not another choice but to eat there... Well the bad lunch was quickly forgotten once we arrived at Hierve El Agua. These mineral formations, which are formed 16000 years ago, are shaped as a waterfall and are very impressive to see. We had a view from the top and then walked down. It was well worth the trip! We descended the mountains safely (bad driver) and went back to Oaxaca. There we had a walk through the city and spend the evening with some other guest at our hotel.
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December 6: Oaxaca
After enjoying a simple breakfast at the crowded hostel, we decided to switch hostel and went to a cozy and very green hostel. A lovely place to stay and after washing our clothes, we went looking for a good lunch. Until then we werent that lucky with our choices of restaurants, but this time we had a great lunch of tacos with guacamole and empanadas with cheese and mole (typical kind of sauce of this region). Later in the afternoon we wandered around town. The impressive decorations of the Cathedral San Domingo will stay in our memory for a long time. Later on we explored the local markets, drank some fresh made juices, saw various handicrafts and booked a tour for the next day.
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December 5: Teotihuancán
At 8 in the morning we started the 30 minutes walk to the pyramids of Teotihuancán and the Unesco Heritage site was still deserted at that time. It was once Mexicos biggest ancient city and the capital of what was probably Mexicos largest pre-Hispanic empire. Knowing that and seeing how high the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon are... it was impressive! The world third largest pyramid, pyramid of the Sun, is over 70m high and has a base of 222m long on each side. After climbing all the steps we were rewarded with a great view of the complex. In order to see everything from a different angle, we also climbed the pyramid of the Moon and walked through the 2km long “Calzada de los muertos” to the other end of the complex. By then more and more tourists were coming, so we left and started our journey to Oaxaca, were we arrived around 22:30.
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December 4: Mexico City to San Juan Teotihuancan
Once we had checked out our rooms, we went to the Anthropological museum. In order to go through all 23 halls, you would need at least 2 days. Therefore we decided to only visit 4 halls of places where we will go to. All artifacts were beautifully displayed and since a visit on Sunday if free for all Mexicans, it was very crowded as well. Nevertheless, we saw many things and read many stories... the only thing is... how much will we remember of it? After such an educational morning, we went to the Zoo and watched various animals: monkeys, lions, giraffes, zebras, hippos, pandas... Again we were surprised of how beautifully everything was made and how clean it was! Once it was 15h, we headed back to our hostel, said our goodbyes to Michael (headed back to Belgium) and took the bus to San Juan Teotihuancán. There we found a cheap but doubtful hostel and stayed the night.
posted on: 05/12/2011 by | No comments yet | Place comment
December 3: Mexico City
We started the day with our first metro trip in the city. Everything went without any problems except that Leen almost fainted during the trip... Once arrived in Xochimilco, we explored the food market; exotic fruits and vegetables, all kinds of meats, rows of small restaurants which serves the same foods, etc. We bought ourselves some lunch and then headed to the 190 km long canals and more than 1000 boots with are floating on it. It was like being in the Venice of Mexico. We hired a boot with driver and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere on the water. All kind of boots where offering thing to buy: food, drinks, handicrafts, flowers, music, etc. We all liked it very much. Once back in the city Leen convinced the guys to go to a handicrafts market nearby where we bought our first souvenirs! Later in the evening we had a bit of a taste of the Christmas atmosphere: Christmas markets, ice skating ring, huge Christmas tree, and off course many people and fireworks. We tried to have dinner on a roof top terras so we could follow everything, but sadly enough that didnt work out and we ended up in the Mc Donald...
posted on: 05/12/2011 by | No comments yet | Place comment
December 2: Mexico City
After a couple of hours of rest, we started exploring the historical center and bought all kind of delicious fruits for lunch. We waited a while in our hostel until our Belgian friend Michael arrived. He was working at the coast side of Mexico and on his way back to Belgium, he decided to join us for a couple of touristic days in the third biggest city in the world. After welcoming him with some tacos with guacamole, we headed to the cathedral where we climbed the bell tower. The only thing of that guided trip that we will remember is probably the funny acoustic room. Then we spoiled ourselves with some drinks at a roof terras; which gave an overview on the Plaza de la Constitución, one of the biggest squares in the world.
posted on: 05/12/2011 by | No comments yet | Place comment
December 1: Mexico City
After consulting the travel agency various times and getting the train tickets in advance, we still managed to get on the wrong train. Luckily enough the delay of 45 minutes didnt get us in troubles for catching our flight in Schiphol. But then again... luck wasnt on our side. Due to a technical problem, we had to wait in the plane for 2 hours before we could depart. Well... what is the difference between 11 hours or 13 hours in a plane anyway...
Around 21h (local time) we arrived in Mexico City and we just had enough energy left to get to our hostel. Although we were welcomed by loud American music, we preferred going to sleep.
posted on: 02/12/2011 by | No comments yet | Place comment
November 30: First message!
Before we move into our apartment in Ghent, we will escape Belgium for a while and explore Mexico instead! The flight tickets were bought very spontaneously and other from the flight tickets we have our first 3 nights booked in Mexico City. All else will depend on what we want to do and see and were the buses will take us!
We leave on december 1th and are due to be back december 30th
Leen and Koen
posted on: 30/11/2011 by | 4 comments | Place comment