Wet, Wet, Wet

The three and a half hour journey from Placencia to Chaa Creek was a delight: the road was flat, relatively straight and with little traffic.  In fact, during the whole journey, we were overtaken once and we only overtook two other vehicles. Cornell, our driver, pointed our places of interest along the way, including an international airport being built just outside Placencia as the only current airport in the country is Belize City. 

Chaa Creek is a luxurious eco-lodge set on 365 acres of rain forest and the Macal River.  Our cottage is spacious but with no wi-fi or TV, and we are back to the wake up call of the howler monkeys and dawn chorus.  We have often had bathrooms with his and hers basins, but this room has two showers, plus an outdoor one.

Our cottage with Royal Palms

We are very well in with Duane, Head Bar Man, as we gave him a lift from the road up to the lodge, a two mile track.  Last night he persuaded us to try their home-brewed limoncello, made using a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit steeped in vodka.  It was so delicious HJ was tempted by their lemon drop martini.

Our first full day started adventurously with a canoe trip on the river.  We were doing well until we hit the rapids in a rather shallow area.  We managed to just get through although were slightly worried we were scraping a hole in the bottom of the canoe. 

On the way back, it was more difficult to go upstream and after trying to cross at several points, RM had to abandon ship and pull the canoe and HJ, majestically sat in the rear, through the shallow but raging waters.  Honour was restored when later that night in the bar, Duane Barman revealed he’d had to do the same thing earlier in the day.  

After a fortifying lunch we set off for a hike around the property to Mayan ruins.  It was pretty strenuous with steep ups and downs.  We were going to refresh ourselves after the 2 hour trek with a dip in the pool, but we didn’t need to, as it started to rain during the last 15 minutes and we got wet enough.

We are now sat with the rain pouring down so our canoe trip to the Botanical Gardens is on hold.

Two wheels on her wagon - with photos

To date we've crossed borders by foot, car and air but our transfer from Guatemala to Belize was by sea.  We left Livingstone in a boat with "Fat Robert" at the helm but despite this. it was a very smooth one hour crossing and we arrived in Belize at Punta Gorda earlier than expected.  Consequently no one met us and after waiting over an hour, the Customs staff hailed a passing taxi (well, it had four wheels and a driver), for the short journey to an even shorter airstrip (it cannot be called an airport).  On checking in, we discovered we were booked twice and therefore, four of the potential 12 passengers.  At first we thought we were going to have the plane to ourselves until three passengers arrived at the last minute for the 15 minute flight.

We are now at Roberts Grove overlooking the Caribbean sea. 

It is very much a beach "resort" with evening entertainment and buffets which we are doing well to avoid by escaping to their Mexican restaurant over the road.

Cyclists amongst you be warned!  HJ has started limbering up for a summer on two wheels.  We ventured into the local town, some five miles away, on bikes provided by the hotel (HJs was pink).  The ride was smooth aside from numerous very steep speed bumps.  

There were two warnings along the way: one for crossing crabs and the other, a barrier to stop us from running into low flying aircraft that were taking off as we crossed the end of the runway.

In Placencia, we had reviving Belikin bees, and HJ tried the recommended ice cream from Tutti Fruitti which was excellent.  By now, any calories burned by cycling had now been restored.  We also had an excellent lunch of jerk chicken and pulled pork.  HJ decided she had been adventurous enough for one day and the conch soup remains untried.

On the return journey, HJ was the Chris Froome, leading Bradley "RM" Wiggins in her slip stream. 

Back at the hotel, HJ jumped in the pool to cool off and then ran to the bar for a drink.  She thinks that the triathlon at the Rio Olympics may be within her grasp!

PRs present on Mother's Day is an hour's kayaking in the Caribbean sea.

We are going to be on the move again, to a lodge called Chaa Creek where Prince Harry stayed; so I expect services to be excellent!

The long and winding road - updated with photos

On leaving the volcanoes of Lake Atitlan, we endured a five hour drive up hill, down hill and round tight bends all at once: HJ rolled around in the back and managed to keep travel sickness at bay.  When we reached a straight bit, there were dozens of speed bumps.  Relief only came on reaching the Pan American Highway which took us all the way to Guatemala City where Javier made an unscheduled departure from our itinerary to take in the key sites on Zone 1 (there are 18 zones in total).

The shanty town of Guatemala City

The Cathedral and central plaze

Our hotel in GC was a typical large business hotel with one added advantage a lovely pool but unfortunately minus hot sunshine.  It seemed strange to be mixing with people in suits and getting in a lift.

The following day was another 5 hour drive to Puerto Barrios which involved hills and spills and lumps and bumps.  On a newly constructed section of the Pan American Highway, where huge lorries were whistling past corrugated homes of locals, you could literally reach out of the car window and knock on their door.  For a reason we cannot understand, it has been funded by the Taiwan government and a ceremony was due to be held any moment to cut the ribbon.

On reaching Puerto Barrios, we bade farewell to Javier, jumped in a boat, and were told to look for "Fat Robert" at the other end.  After 30 minutes of being literally tossed like a pancake on the Caribbean Sea we chugged into Livingstone jetty where FR was there beaming like a lighthouse.

Our hotel, Villa Caribe, is right on the waterfront with magnificent view of the Caribbean as it meets the Rio Dulce.  The town, which cannot be reached by road, is an interesting mix of Spanish and Caribbean and it seems strange to say gracias.

Approaching Villa Caribe by boat

The busy arrival and departure jetty at Livingstone

Tomorrow we leave by boat for Punta Gorda in Belize and hopefully three days of relaxation and sun!

A day on the lake - now with photos

After the excitement of the night before, we awoke to a bright sparkling vista from our bedroom window.  Fortunately this was the day we had arranged to visit to other lakeside villages by boat.

I thought it was women who were meant to be vain!

First stop was San Antonio Palopo.  Javier knew many people in this village and took us around allowing us to see life as it really is for the Maya people.  He stopped often explaining things and when he got into conversation with one older gentleman, we were ushered into his home and introduced to his wife and daughter. As you will see from the photograph, many people still wear traditional Maya clothing which is specific to each village.

The crafts in this area are mainly weaving and pottery with the latter being exported world-wide.  They are trying to educate the young into these skills.

We then moved on to Santiago Atitlan, which was much bigger and more touristy. On landing, Javier introduced us to an old lady who still wore a xk'ap, a band of red cloth approximately 10 metres long which they wrap around their head to make a hat.  For 5 quetzal she willingly showed us how.

Starting the process

Our tour of the town included the church where the Maya people pay homage to Maximom the evil god of smoking and drinking.

The next day, we visited the Atitlan Nature Reserve. We were dropped off at the front gate for what we thought would be a gentle stroll through the butterfly house and nature trail.  What we got was indeed some butterflies but the trail was more of a strenuous hike up the side of a mountain which included crossing seven, fairly long hanging bridges.

After a well deserved lunch, we tried to find hot springs near our hotel. After clambering along rough cut steps along the edge of the lake, we gave up and returned to the pool for an afternoon of sun on a very hard wooden sunbed without a cushion.

Tomorrow we leave for a night in Guatemala City.

Great balls and walls of fire - now with photos

Our last blog finished with tales of early afternoon stubble burning.  As we set off down to the lakeside restaurant for dinner, we looked up at the tall mountains behind us and saw fairly high flames leaping up at the very top.

It wasn't very widespread and smoke was minimal, so we guessed it was dying down.  On returning to our hotel in the pitch dark, we now saw a necklace of bright orange and red flames that had marched a long way down the mountain and was heading straight for our village.



Taken from the local square

 We raised our concern at the hotel but the staff just smiled and nodded (was it our Spanish our really not a problem?).  Thus assured we headed to their log fire in the sitting room and a glass of wine. HJ suggested not buying a bottle just in case we had to evacuate quickly.  After a second glass, we decided to take one last look outside before retiring. That was a mistake as the wall of flame had literally surrounded the village. 

We walked up to the town square where many locals were gathered, nodding at each other and we got the impression that this was not totally normal.  We did retire to bed but HJ couldn't sleep, so donning jackets we returned to the square and watched as trees and bushes caught fire and spread the flames ever nearer. By now the fire brigade had arrived although one tender and two men would be like throwing a bucket of water at it.

The fire rages on

The wind has now got up and started to sweep the direction of the fire around the mountain and away from our village.  Eventually, breathing sighs of relief we decided to return to our hotel at 11pm to find the gates had been locked.  HJ then used her "pass key" i.e. shouting "hola" and rattling the gates loudly.  After a few of these, a torch beam found us and the gates were unlocked and we slept soundly.

The morning after the night before

From factor 15 to a flaming log fire

Our last day in Antigua was spent looking around the museums in our hotel and watching the grandest of wedding preparations take place for a candle lit event that evening. Our afternoon involved basking around the pool in the sunshine, liberally coated with factor 15.

We headed into town in the late afternoon not realising that the weather had changed dramatically and that as well as being cold, it was beginning to rain.  Rather foolishly, we ploughed on without returning for the fleeces we've been carting around to date. 

After aperitifs our reward was a table in the highly acclaimed, but tiny (7 tables) restaurant called Hectors.  By now, it was not only cold and damp, but very dark and our table was in a small hallway with an open door next to it.  No photographs available, due to security restriction on cameras in the dark.  After sharing an excellent beef carpaccio, we each chose beef bourguiginon which turned out to be a steaming, hearty, rich bowlful - ideal for a cold night.

HJ then had the excellent idea of returning to our hotel, ordering night caps from room service and lighting our in-room log fire.  

Having checked with reception that we could light the fire, HJ set to work with a box of matches, and we soon had a roaring blaze.  The chink of our SB glasses was interrupted by a phone call saying that our smoke alarm had gone off and was everything OK.  Having reassured them, RM threw on three more logs and refilled the glasses.

We set off the next morning for our next location, Santa Catarina Palopo on the shores of Lake Atitlan, and surrounded by three huge volcanoes (Guatemala has 34).  

We stopped at a famous Sunday market at Chichicastenango which the local Maya people flock to from the surrounding areas.  We visited Iglesia de Santo Tomas a local religious centre home to a faith that blends pr-Colombian and catholic rituals.  We observed an ancient Maya woman on her knees lighting candles to the various gods and scattering the area with rose petals.  Finally she sprinkled local rum on the petals as it is meant to aid the conversation with the gods.

The drive took us through extremely mountainous areas on twisting roads.  Eventually we reached the lake to find that burning stubble not only ruined the views, but left black ash floating in the atmosphere.

How many times can you say you can see three volcanoes from your bed

A full day trip on the lake to neighbouring villages is planned for tomorrow.

    

It's a fair cop!

Transfer day, another new country (Guatemala) and another new driver/guide (Javier).  He collected us in Honduras and the border crossing was extremely smooth and the best to date.

Five hours later, after a journey through spectacular mountainous and volcanic scenery and three major accidents, one involving five dead cattle, we arrived in Antigua.  As we were early for check-in, Javier dropped us at a lovely restaurant where we decided on a fuller lunch with a light dinner later.

Our hotel Casa Santa Domingo, is a converted monastery that was almost totally destroyed in an earthquake.  It is an amazing building with a series of in house museums and craft workshops.  We had a brief wander round the massive grounds and ruins and it took the best part of an hour.

Despite being a five star hotel, we discovered that the daquiris in the bar were only 20 Quetzal or £1.70!  Who needs SB? 

Guidebooks recommend tourists exercise extreme caution, especially at night, but also when venturing to more remote locations.  Javier also suggested that people might "propose" guns or drugs to us.  To date no one has: RM has not even proposed to HJ.  Advice given suggested using the local police to escort you up to Cerro de la Cruz, a local viewing point, and advice two departure times.  We arrived for 10am not knowing what to expect and were most surprised to be ushered into a 4 door police pick-up with two policemen and all the trims.  We were the only two travelling and were taken up the steep hill and given time to take photographs, before being brought back down and dropped in the main square.

RM and our new tourist bus - shame it's not open top

The view of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz

The lovely town has cobbled streets, volcano views and dozens of ruined churches with lots of bars, restaurants and shops.  The only shame is that much of this is a no go area in the evening or requires a cab to be taken to travel three short blocks.

Our day finished in the usual fashion by the pool although it is markedly more chilly here. Still we have not felt the need to light the log fire in our room just yet.

The main plaza with volcano in the background and "chicken bus"