Yucatan to Belize! (finally!)

(Dec. 29, 2011)

Wow! It has been almost a month since I last updated my blog! I apologize profusely and aim to not let it happen again!

After leaving the village of Hoctun (near Merida), I traveled with my new travel companion, Stav, to the ancient Mayan ruin site known as Chichen Itza. We both found it extremely underwhelming after having seen Palenque, which is situated in the middle of lush jungle and leaves far more up to the exploratory imagination. Chichen Itza, on the other hand, is set up as a series of ‘stops’ and there are no options to climb into any of the ruins. While I appreciate the structure for protecting the integrity of the ruins, the mix of limited exploration and information regarding the ruins (I would have hoped that the information would have at least improved in the absence of free wandering abilities), the swaths of Cancun-day tripping tourists, and the high prices to get into the ruins left a lot to be desired. For anyone considering whether they should go to Chichen Itza I would suggest going if it is the only ruin you have to option of seeing but would highly recommend both Palenque or the more remote and wondrous Yaxchilan if the options present themselves. Feeling a little downtrodden after the ruins, Stav and I traipsed to Valladolid, where we stopped for the night to get our bearings.

                The next morning we had a truly spontaneous experience in which, instead of heading in different directions like we had originally planned, on a whim we decided to hitchhike north to Isla Holbox (pronounced ‘Hol-bosh’). We had both been meaning to try hitchhiking but had held off due to the potential dangers of going it alone. With the two of us we felt safer and more in control and decided not to let our travel companionship go to waste! We walked to the outskirts of town and within minutes of standing by the road with our thumbs outstretched, we were picked up by a very full pick-up truck filled with a very nice family traveling home to Cancun. Along the road they offered us ice cream and invited us to stay with them if we ever stopped by Cancun. Definitely a fantastic first hitchhiking experience!

                We arrived on Isla Holbox just as the sun was beginning to set and we walked down the beach with our backpacks in a stealthy attempt to find a beach-side camping spot. The beach turned out to be more populated than we had expected and with the threat of darkness (and mosquitoes!) closing in we decided to cut our losses and head inland, where we camped in an overgrown and empty lot. The mosquitoes attacked us with a vengeance that night, despite our attempts to keep them out of the tent – I am now firmly aware that marshes are not ideal places to set up camp! We spent the next two days biking around Holbox on rented bikes, finding beaches with wading flamingos, skittish stingrays, and odd prehistoric-looking skeletons peppering the beach. I would not say that the island itself is very bike friendly, however, as we were constantly having to ford lakes which had formed in the middle of the sand roads due to recent rainfall. On our last day in Holbox, Stav and I, appalled at the high prices being asked for seafood on the island, decided to make our own. We ventured down to the docks in the early morning and found a small fishing boat filled with fish. We had no idea what kind of fish they had and were not entirely sure what exactly we were looking for but we were somehow able to acquire 2 good size fish that had been (painstakingly) cleaned for us, for free! We went into the deal with the understanding and intention to pay for the fish but came out, slightly bewildered, with two free fish. We obviously looked like short-time visitors with our backpacks and so I am not sure what the intention was behind the gift. Regardless, we walked away with enough fish for two meals and, after we found a new beach front camping spot at the other end of the island, we started preparing the fish. We each took responsibility for one fish and one meal and so I set to scaling my fish on the beach to make fresh ceviche for lunch, while Stav started preparing his fish to stuff and grill for dinner. Both our meals turned out very well and we were able to feel proud in our culinary and enterprising genius! I was mainly proud of myself for scaling the fish and the compliments paid by passing tourists on their daily golf cart jaunts down the beach were very much appreciated! We left the island feeling proud and satisfied – we beat the high prices and had a great time doing it!

                After Holbox we hitchhiked down to Cancun, where we spent a brief 2 hour stop to visit and eat with our new hitchhiking friends (who we met on our way to Holbox)! They had invited us to have dinner with them at their home and we very happily took them up on the offer! Both the mother and the father make their living from cooking – the father runs a taco stand and the mother makes tamales. We all sat together in their prep kitchen eating homemade tamales and learning about some of the dangers and difficulties associated with living in Cancun. Like most cities in Mexico, I would imagine, the pristine image of the tourist laden areas do not flow freely into the local residential areas and the tourist police do not seem interested in working beyond their jurisdictions.

                From Cancun we took a small bus to Playa Del Carmen, where we stayed for two nights in a very party-oriented hostel called the Playa Hostel. The hostel itself was beautiful and a lot of fun, with a variety of outdoor terraces and hammocks and couches strewn throughout the hostel’s many levels. We spent the day exploring the very glamorous city of Playa! I have to say, while most backpackers that I have encountered thumb their nose at the touristy nature of Playa, I really enjoyed its vitality and energy and liked the range of attractions that it offered. In the glitzy Malecon the people and surroundings were manicured and beautiful, with twinkling lights, white sand beaches, and lush gardens. Even just a few blocks north it was possible to find the much more humble and ‘normal’ areas with affordable and delicious food, interesting people to meet, and a better idea of how the local people of Playa live. I liked being able to see the two parts of the city so close to one another and the benefits of both so accessible. Despite having the reputation for being THE party city, Stav and I didn’t actually do any partying while we were there – even though we were told about a bar that offered free drinks for ladies all night! I guess it’s saying something that I would rather have a good night sleep than party all night long for free – how boring!

                We hitchhiked from Playa to Tulum, stopping along the way to go snorkeling with sea turtles! We saw a huge turtle and a baby turtle and yet another stingray! I discovered that I do not like snorkeling that much, but vow to keep trying it to see if I will like it once I get a handle on the breathing part (I’m not very good at it right now! I seem to have trouble breathing just from my mouth!). We spent two fairly unsatisfied nights in Tulum, one in a beachfront ‘public’ campsite (which we were shooed from in the morning) and the other in a private site at great expense. In backpacker lore, Tulum is THE backpacker destination with its ‘relaxed’ atmosphere and beautiful beaches. We actually found Tulum to be far less appealing even than Cancun and were shocked to find huge stretches of beach completely blocked off by resorts, a city that was 4 Km away from the beach, and very limited transportation options! We didn’t encounter any like-minded budget travelers and instead seemed to be surrounded by resort types and resort-type feeders on all sides. Overall, Tulum was a big disappointment: the city, the beach, the people, the prices. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I had imagined but just seemed as such due to the high expectations we had developed going in.

                After Tulum we hitchhiked to Chetumal, the border city in Mexico to Belize, where we stayed with our beautiful couchsurfing host named Maria, and 4 other couchsurfers! The house was packed for the three nights that we were there but we all got along well and were graciously welcomed by Maria and her family. On our second day in Chetumal we were all invited to attend a cello concert that Maria was putting on at a local clinic for children and families living with Cancer, and this day was one of the highlights of my time in Chetumal. We were warmly welcomed into the event by the organizers and the children and it was overwhelmingly humbling to look around us at children that were so sick and yet so strong and happy. We watched them play with piñatas and dash for the candy, just like any other children would. At the end of our time there we all sang Christmas carols together before saying goodbye. I felt so lucky to have the privilege to attend such a personal event with such spirited and strong people and families. The following day a group of us went to the Lagunas de Bacalar where we lounged by the tri-tone blue waters of the lakes, swinging in hammocks under wind beaten palapas (grass reed huts). Stav and I decided to continue traveling together with the Korean couple who had also been staying with Maria and, though we had a hard time crossing the border due to the presence of the couple’s van, it was a good experience for me to cross my first central America land border of this trip with friends. I have learned that it is rarely worthwhile to attempt to cross a border in a private vehicle, rather than as foot traffic. Once we were able to actually FIND the immigration office, the Belizian border officials had us fumigate and completely unload the van, bring all of our possessions inside into the office and then, without even looking at it, had us take it all the way around the building to load it up again. It was like some cruel joke – definitely a ‘good exercise’ in more ways than one!

                With the border crossing having taken much longer than anticipated, we drove directly to Belize City to have dinner and find a camping spot. Unlike in Mexico, the local people here seemed to have no problem with us camping in their public neighbourhood parks and even offered us protection, saying that the local security guard would watch over us. The guard, however, offered little help when, at 3am in the morning, we were HUNTED by a pack of wild (well, probably not wild) dogs that surrounded the tent, barking and advancing for the next 2 hours. I was pretty terrified and became quickly aware of how incapable I am at dealing with wild (or semi-wild) animals. I was afraid to leave the tent for fear that the dogs would attack me but I was afraid to stay in the tent in case they attacked us anyways. After lying there awake and listening to their growls and menacing barks, the dogs eventually retreated and I was able to get a final hour of sleep before they started up again at 7.

                The next morning we walked around the very small Belize City (imagine New Orleans one year after the  hurricane – I imagine that Belize City received tropical storms  yearly and this must explain its crumbling appearance) and learned of the very strong Creole and Caribbean influence present here in Belize. Belize is drastically different – there is an interesting mix of culture here, with the ubiquitous American influence, mingling with a Caribbean flavor and people, a few remaining Latin American and Mayan people, and a puzzlingly large population of Chinese immigrants, who seem to own all of the supermarkets in the country.

                From Belize City we took a small boat to Caye Caulker, the well-known backpacker’s partying haven, where we lounged in the sun for the afternoon and finished off the night with a delicious lobster dinner ($10 USD for a whole lobster, a shrimp skewer, vegetables, rice, beans, bread, a rum cocktail, and fruit for dessert) and drinks at a swinging bar. I am absolutely amazed that swinging bars have not become popular in Canada as they seem to me to be the most fun way to enjoy a beverage and friends. There is just something so perfect about drinking a rum cocktail while swinging around a suspended table on a rooftop terrace. We were the only ones at the bar at the time but I can only imagine the seasick-related feelings that may be experienced in a packed joint, with people swinging every-which-way. I’m sure I will find out as I travel further south however, so far I have yet to have a real party night out since I have been traveling. I guess it isn’t very high on my priorities list.

                For Christmas Stav and I headed to the San Ignacio area with our Korean friends and hopped off in Bullet Tree Falls to stay with Aiden, our couchsurfing host. The property that he is taking care of is beautiful – lush green tropical jungle dotted with orange, lemon, lime, plantain, star fruit and avocado trees. All the rooms are open air in a ‘palapa’ style and we shared the space with 4 more couchsurfers, making us 7 in total. Among us there was a Finnish girl named Audrey, A Quebecois guy named Alex (I ‘surfed’ with him in Hoctun, so it was nice to see him again), Brad and Chelsea from Boston,  and Aiden, from Guelph, Canada. We had a nice time together, sharing a modest Christmas Eve meal of beans, rice and eggs (staples here in Belize) and made a Christmas lunch feast of omelette and fruit salad the following day. While my Christmas didn’t feel much like Christmas, I still had a great time in Bullet Tree Falls and was sad to say goodbye to Stav as he continued onwards to Guatemala.

                Right now I am staying in a Belizian seaside town called Hopkins at the Funky Dodo hostel. I plan on staying here for the next week to organize myself, my pictures, and my work for ICO so that I can get back ‘on track’ and set myself up to volunteer, conduct evaluation reports, and keep my photos and blogs organized while traveling. I have had a great time traveling with Stav and have learned that traveling with someone is a lot different from traveling alone. We shared many more adventures than I would have had on my own (thanks to hitchhiking and camping) and were able to be a lot more spontaneous and relaxed about travel safety. That said, I quickly began to feel disoriented as my ability to spend time alone on the internet organizing photos, blog posts, couchsurfing, transportation and hostels and ICO work; and reading my books and lonely planet fell by the wayside in lieu of increased socializing and adventuring. Traveling with Stav was a good lesson in relaxing and freedom from external responsibilities but I’m ready to get back into my original model for discovering as much about the world around me as I can – I guess organization is the way for me!

                I hope all is well and that everyone has been having a wonderful holiday!