I was scrambling to find a way to get to Belize to meet my dear friend from home Angela, as she had flown down to meet me and my dive course was already running behind. I spent endless hours trying to find the best, quickest and cheapest way to Belize City from Honduras, but let me tell you, it is not an easy trip to map out, unless you leave on a Monday! I was looking at having to take the ferry back to La Ceiba, a shuttle to Livingston Guatemala, another Ferry over into Belize and then another bus up to Belize City – and because of ferry and bus schedules it would take me 3 days!!!! Continue reading
Central America
Back To Guatemala: Tikal Ruins
My tuk tuk pitched out into traffic and jolted to a stop at the first set of lights. As it turned green, the motorcycle beside us lurched into a cat wheel, shooting ahead of us, the scooter next to him bolted after him, and our tuk tuk picked up the rear, gears grinding, engine struggling as it coughed to life and chugged through the intersection. Each gear shift was a screeching protest from the stressed engine. We puttered across the bridge and made our way from Santa Elena into the beautiful and quaint Flores. Cobblestone streets in abysmal disrepair took over for the pavement and we bumped our way along to my hostel, Los Amigos. Continue reading
Semuc Champey; Where The River Hides Beneath The Earth
Ah Semuc Champey, the treasure of Guatemala. How many times did I Google you and stare in wonder at your picturesque beauty? Too many to count. You were the main reason I returned to Guatemala. How could I say I traveled this beautiful country if I had not rested my eyes on the fabled Semuc Champey, meaning ‘where the river hides beneath the earth’.
As I write this, I’m sitting in my rustic little ‘A’ frame thatch-roofed hut. The front end, opposite the door and where my bed is positioned, has a three foot high railing and that is all- it’s left entirely open. The rain is hammering down, the torrents coming down in waves, thunder is reverberating in the distance and the occasional flash of lightening sends a blaze of light into the hut. It smells of wet jungle – moist vegetation and damp earth. I sit shrouded in the opaque protection of my bug net and once again I am astounded that this is my life. Continue reading
Ultia, Honduras: The Island Of Sea Turtles, Dolphins and Crepes
I decided to bite the bullet and take a shuttle for once instead of the cheaper local buses. The cost was $80USD from Leon, Nicaragua to La Ceiba, Honduras- and it was worth it. I was lucky enough to get the front seat (which reclined!) and as we took off at 2am, I settled back and snoozed. For the first time ever, the border crossing was a breeze. I was a little on edge because I had heard endless horror stories about buses and shuttles being hijacked in Honduras, and as we approached the border crossing there was a chain slung across the road to impede traffic and all the lights were out. Continue reading
Playa Gigante, Nicaragua: Surf and Sand
After the laid back life on the Island on Ometepe, we wanted to head to the coast and get some beach time. A friend had told us about a place called Playa Gigante on the coast that had some good surfing, something we were also excited to try out. We took the ferry back across Lake Nicaragua and were blessed with a remarkable sunset as our farewell. Continue reading
Semana Santa In Leon, Nicaragua
With salt in our hair, and sand in every crevice of our bodies, our little crew of four set out yet again after five relaxing days at Playa Gigante. We had booked some rooms at the Surfing Turtle in Leon, Nicaragua to spend Semana Santa in the big city. However, we made the rookie mistake of thinking that their Easter holidays were the same as our own back in our respective countries- Monday and Friday. Nope. Way off. Continue reading
Ometepe Island, Nicaragua
It was a sad goodbye that we paid Laguna de Apoyo. We all packed up our bags, and some of us our hangovers and regrets over lost phones. It was time to move on yet again.
Ometepe island was the one major destination in Nicaragua that seemed to come up again and again from other travellers. It was the must see/do of the country. Thus, we all had rather high expectations heading there. We made our way by shared taxi to the port town of San Jorge, near Rivas. We walked down the pier heading towards what looked like a safe and reputable ferry. Continue reading
Laguna De Apoyo; Land Of Spectacular Sunrises and Gluttony
Laguna de Apoyo is a crater lake located a short distance away from Granada, and was one of the hot spots that was mentioned to us over and over again. A friend from home had even messaged me and told me I absolutely had to go there as it was her favorite place in all of Nicaragua, so I was pretty excited to get there. We took a short 45 minute shuttle ride; our bus meandered up the hills to climb the old volcano and then winded back down to reach the lake that filled the old crater. Our hostel was called Paradiso and was a sister hostel to Oasis so I knew to expect good things, but I was totally blown away. Continue reading
Things I’ve Learned While Traveling: Part 1
I’ve only been on the road for a mere 10 weeks, but it’s extraordinary how much you learn when you travel, even for a short time. I will be writing a couple of these posts, for travel is but a continuous lesson in life, love, friendship and all the workings of this marvellous universe, and I am but her eager student. Here is my first instalment: Continue reading
Nicaragua: Getting to Granada
We said goodbye to San Jose one last time and hopped on yet another bus to make our way to Nicaragua. I wish I could say that it was an uneventful bus adventure, but alas, that’s never the case with me! When we entered Costa Rica several weeks earlier, we were forced to purchase a return ticket out of the country from San Jose to Managua, Nicaragua. Continue reading
BorealBlonde 
