30 hours in Oslo

I had been twice to Australia but never to my neigbour country Norway. When SAS informed me I had some frequent flyer points about to expire I got the idea to use them for a hotel night in Oslo. After all, it is just a few hours bus ride to Norways capital from Göteborg where I live. So off we went, me and my boyfriend Robert, on a chilly autumn day in October 2010. All I can say is that Oslo surprised me by its friendliness, by its modern grand opera house and by the arty, bohemian feel and great cafees. I am sure I didn´t manage to see it all in so little time but I felt I got a feeling of Oslo that appealed to me. I would love to discover more of my pretty neigbour country but that will have to wait. It is so close by that I can do it anytime

 

A small taste of Annecy

One week after coming home from my Central American adventures it was again time to pack my bag to go to Annecy in France. The reason for the trip was work but ofcourse I took the opportunity to take a look around in this picturesque town, by the lake Annecy, just where the Alps starts. The first  picture was my view from the hotel which was situated about 10 km from the city center. As many times I wish I had more time to explore this place. Maybe another time

 

San Blas island and summary Central America

Here I am, writing from home again. In my last post from Panama I mentioned that I was about to finish my trip with a camping tour to the San Blas islands (Kuna Yala). To summarize, it could really have been paradise but the conditions of the camping tour and the weather spoiled that experience unfortunately. It was a terrible trip for me, not only because of what I just mentioned but also because I had a very bad cold. Coughing the nights through in a hot, moist tent made me more homesick than I have ever been before. After the tour the group (me + eight great people whom without I would not have managed those days) got some refund from the tour operator for sending us to a poorly maintained camp.

Below picture of the dog in the rain will allways remind me of how I felt those days stranded on an, almost, deserted island. So glad to be back!

Besides the poor camping conditions the tour was over prized and did not fullfill what it said. As a counterargument the travel agency mentioned that doing business with the Kunas is really difficult. They show their dominant postion through example controlling who enters and leaves Kuna land every day. This is the reason me and the group could not leave earlier even if we wanted. The sad thing is that it would have been a much better experience if only the camping element was taken away. The last night was spent in the Kuna village and even though the conditions where simple we had waterproof roof and dry bed. This is how most people experience San Blas, by a homestay. I am sure it would have been a complet different experience if I would have choosen this option but then once again, my cold would still have bothered me. Guess why everyone looks so happy on the last picture? Because it was the last meal before heading back to Panama city For the refund and a bit more I checked in to the Marriott in Panama city for the last night and it was worth every penny.

From this trip I choose to write rather much, country by country, but since I travelled without laptop transferring photos was a bit difficult but I have updated all my posts with pictures today so feel free to check them out. One interesting observation I did when choosing pictures for Honduras was how difficult it was to reduce the amount of pictures. The tone in my text does not allways correspond with the pictures. There was some disappointments about food, weather and lack of atmosphere on our holiday in Honduras but looking back on my pictures I choose to remember only the good days and the good days we had where actually really good

Florida

Honduras

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

Panama

I have now been to all countries in Central America minus El Salvador and plus Tulum in Mexico. This years trip can in no mening compete with last years. At first I thought it was only the first impression last year that made me feel like that. Or maybe the fact that the weather has been a bit disappointing during this years trip. But looking back I understand that we just happened to choose the most amazing places already last year. And the lodgings were all wonderful which is something that has become more and more important for me for the total experience of a place. Not to forget last years culinary experiences. On this trip the most spectacular lodging was definetely the “Mananamadera” coffe estate in Boquete, Panama. But also “Lands end” in Honduras was a great experience and all the comfy hotels in Florida plus my last Marriott night in Panama city. Not to forget the tranquilo Finca Mystica in Nicaragua. The food was not at all as good on this trip although I have to say they knew how to make smoothies in Panama (unlike Honduras and Nicaragua).
If you are planning a trip to Central America I would say stick to mine and Louise´s last years itinerary but add a bit of Panama if you have the time, and you will have seen the best of this region. Some say Nicaraua is their favourite destination. I liked what I saw and maybe I did not see enough to be able to make a fair judgement. But for me Nicaragua can not compete with Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica. And this years beach experiences cannot compete with Tulum in Mexico. The snorkelling in Panama is fantastic  due to the colours of the reef but the large amount of sharkes, turtles and stingays that we saw in Belize makes Belize a more exiting snorkel desination.

It has been great to have two month vacation but I have learned about myself that more than that is not necessary in one go for me. Lots of people travel for half a year, a year or more. I rather split it up since I have noticed that after a while you take everything for granted and tend to forget how privileged you are being on such a great vacation. With this said I am very happy I took two month off because I believe it is great to now and then disconnect with my normal routines and stressful life I sometimes live . No more trips planned so far even if the “want to do list” is very long as usual. In the meantime I will keep on documenting past trips. Hope you will follow!

Having a wonderful time in Panama

Thinking back of Cahuita, my last stop in Costa Rica, gives me mixed feelings. It was a beautiful location but those bedbugs has given me sleeping problems due to nightmares. After Cahuita I crossed the boarder to wonderful Panama and took a boat to the Bocas del Toro islands. It was just a short 3 1/2 hour travel day and I was in paradise. The Bocas consists of a group of island whereof the isla Colon is the easiest to get to and the most commercial. First I gave it a thought to continue to a more remote island but decided to spend my four days in Colon because from there it would be easy to discover different beaches everyday. I ended up in hostel Heike, a 10 USD a night hostel with great vibe. I had heard about isla Colon being very commercial, to partyish etc but sometimes you need to make your own opinion. I happened to love everything about Bocas. I had a dormitory room with great people and was even able to go to bed early (and sleep) two nights out of four. The other two I shaked my butt with Myrtha from Switzerland and Frank and Eva from Germany to latin vibes. And believe it or not but I even managed to get three days of sunny weather (before I came and after I left it rained all the time).

One day I did a full day tour which consisted of four parts. The first part I would have been happy to skip. 12 speed boats chasing poor bottled nose dolphins in something called “Dolphin bay”. I get tears in my eyes thinking of those beautiful animals having to put up with that every day, all days long. After this we went snorkeling from the boat. Oh My, I have never seen such colorful reefs in my whole life. It was not as much fish as for example in Egypt but the corals where pastel bright green, yellow, pink, purple and formed in a way which completely enchanted me. Sadly enough we had only 30 minutes for this highlight. I would have liked to stay forever. Off we went for the third part which was lunch, for 20 USD I got a freshly cooked lobster on my plate. Yeah, sometimes you have to splurge even as a backpacker After lunch we continued to one of the more remote islands in the Bocas called Zapatilla which was a small bounty island where we could relax for two hours. What a day! The following day I discovered the beach Drago and Estrella, the last one famous for the starfishes visible everywhere in the clear water. Those two beaches are on Colon but a 30 minute busride from the main town. The last day me and my room mates took a boat to the famous Redfrog beach. It is called so because it is possible to find small red frogs in that area although mostly at night. The sad thing is that small boys carry around a couple of them in a leaf the whole day to show tourists (and get money) which means that by the end of the day those frogs are dead. Therefor they are endangered and I refused to look at them. But I had enough to look at, the water was crystal clear and the sand white. The beach reminded me a bit about Tulum and definitely fits in under the category “Paradise beaches”. I left Bocas with great memories and wish I could have stayed longer but time was running out.

Off went the bus through futile mountains and banana plantations towards the town David. From there a chickenbus for around one hour up the mountains and then I finally reach the location where I was going to splurge myself for two nights at the absolutely magnificent place Mananamadera, in Boquete. I found this place on Tripadvisor and it is actually a Coffie Estate with only one guest suit although one more is being built. Randy from Texas came here 6 years ago and started up this little paradise in the mountains. I must admit that after reading all the top reviews on Tripadvisor I did have expectations but in real it was many times better than I could ever imagine. Randy showed himself to be the kindest host I ever met. He provided me with a cellphone and asked me to call every time I wanted to arrange transport (his estate is about a 10 minutes drive from town). He went out his way to make me feel so welcome and not did I only have a whole suit with living room, bedroom and bathroom but also a dog called Chubbs that watched over me all day long. He was very cuddly and very cute. In the morning a smiling Randy served fresh coffee from his estate accompanied by breakfast of my choice. On my only full day he drove me to the beginning of a great hike and even though a bit rainy I enjoyed this day so much. After the hike I was picked up again and could rest out in my wonderful bed, better than Hilton, and enjoy the mountain views from the porch in the garden.

After a great and very relaxing Boquete experience it was time to head towards Panama City. It was a very uncomfortable bus ride of 8 hours. I was in the front and could not stretch my legs, the woman next to me was very big and demanded a bit of my seat too and they showed loud movies which made it impossible to take a nap. I was glad to discover that my hostel in Panama city, Mamallena, was a pretty quiet hostel that invited for a good nights sleep.

Panama City is not a very beautiful city. Still there is something very charming about this place. The people is a mix from every corner of the world. Salsa and Bachata music is heard everywhere you go, any time of the day, and people are greeting each other on the streets. A new beautiful futuristic skyline meets the old town Casco Viejo with neglected colonial building, lots of them now being restored by foreign investors opening up hotels and restaurants in them. There are some places where one should not go but most of the city is pretty safe at day time and taking a taxi from A to B is super cheap. Lots of development is going on in Panama city since 1999 when US handed over the Panama canal to the Panamanian government and cash started to roll in. The planning and building of the Panama canal has a long history but was finished 1914 by the Americans who where the once that finally succeeded to realize the project. I didn’t know much of the canal before coming here but the the tricky part is the huge difference between the sea level of the two oceans and the Lake Gatún where the ships has to pass.

Panama city is also a city with some huge shopping malls where the beautiful Panamanians are hanging out getting the latest trends. Also the city is famous for its nightlife which I tried on Friday evening. Together with a young Englishman that I met in the hostel I went to a really cool salsa place called “Habana Panama” which, according to those who have visited Havana, is like being in Havana. Live band on the stage, huge dance floor in the middle. Just one things was missing, I didn’t get to dance. Seems like people stick to each other the whole evening, going there solo is not a good idea (my company was not a salsa dancer). But it was a delight to just watch as well!

Before I fly back to Sweden the coming Friday I will take a three days tour to the islands of San Blas, also called the Kuna Yala islands since they are run autonomous by the Kuna Indians. San Blas consists of almost 280 small islands in the Caribbean and I am very eager to soak up a bit of sun is this paradise before going back to reality. I will be camping with 10 other people on a deserted island and the last night will be spent with the Kunas on a more developed island. I will report from that once back home. Adios Centro America!

A short re-union with Costa Rica

After a 14 hour long day of traveling from Ometepe island in Nicaragua I finally arrived in San Jose. But just for one short night. The following day it was once more time to raise before the sun to hop on a bus to the Osa peninsula. The bus took 6 hours followed by a nightmare-like boat ride over big waves. My back is not the best and after this ride it sure didn’t feel better since the speed of this small boat caused the boat to hit very hard.

Bahia Drake, a sleepy town with pretty deserted beaches on walking distance, is just on the edge to the Corcovado national park in the Osa Peninsula. The park promises the most diverse fauna and flora in Costa Rica, well in whole Central America. I decided to do a tour the next day. My clock rang at 05:00 but I was already awake from the roosters. At the breakfast table I met the Swedish family Andersson plus one friend of theirs. They were also going to do the tour. Family Andersson, mum, dad and 16 year old twin girls were doing a Costa Rica road trip with a friend for two weeks. They actually have there home in Vancouver in Canada since 1994 and had a lot of interesting stories to share about wales, dolphins, cougars and bears. I must say they woke my interest in going to Canada, especially Brittish Colombia.

The tour was great. First an hour boat ride where we saw small dolphins jumping aside the boat. Then into the dense jungle to look for animals. I must admit I expected more wildlife than we saw. The two new animals to me was the Tapir and the Anteather which made the tour well worth. Now there was only one thing missing. I still had not seen a red eyed tree frog despite this being the second time in Costa Rica. As I am a big frog fan I hoped that signing up for a three hour nightwalk the following day would make my trip complete. Family Andersson and their friend came along and off we went in our rented boots (spider & snake protection). After 2 1/2 hour of walking in a creepy area the only thing we had spotted was loads of dangerous, huge banana spiders and two small red/green poision dart frogs.

As we were promised to see the red eyed three frog the guide had a backup solution. In his friends garden there lived some he said and picked up the phone to call them and tell we were on our way and also if they could sprinkled the garden to lure the frogs out out. Once in the garden the guide walked straight up to a place where on a big leafs a male and female Red eyd tree frog were sitting. It was a moment of pure love. Then the male jumped away into a pond where a huge toad looked like he was chewing on something. The guide was terrified until he found the male a gently placed him back on the leaf. Later while discussing our nightly adventures we realised that “sprinkel the garden, we are on our way” meant “please place the two pets on the leaf, I need my back up solution”. Any how, I have seen them and I have seen them on a leaf in Costa Rica.

After three days I decided to move on. The boatride back wasnt as bad and Anderssons were kind to give me a lift to nearest bus station where I got the last seat back to San Jose. An idea had hit my mind when in Corcovado. I suddenly felt like staying a little longer in Costa Rica and travel back to La Fortuna, wher I visited last year, and soak in hotsprings. But then I realized the grumpy immigration officer on the boarder between Nicaragua and Costa Rica had given me only 10 days in Costa Rica. It was either that or to purchase a ticket to Panama directly. Why he gave me only 10 days is a big questionmark and I need to find out later on since Swedish citizens normaly get 90 days.

At the moment of writing I am in the little village Cahuita on the Caribbean coast, close to the boarder with Panama. A friend was here a few years ago and I am glad I took her advice to pay a visit here because the national park that runs along the beach is absolutely gorgeous. And in a two hour walk I spotted more wildlife than down in Corcovado. Lots of curious White faced capuccino monkeys, a bunch of Howler monkeys, a Racoon and lots of other small creauters. At the place where I stay, “Secret Garden” I bumped in to some people I met in Corcovado and toghether with the other guests we have had a great time togheter. Unfortunately it has been raining a lot. Seems like a well known theme for this trip. To activate myself I rented a bike yesterday and went to an animal rescue center. There I got stuck longer than planned since I became very good friend with the cutest Sloth I have ever seen (not that I have seen that many but this guy sure was special). He has been in the center for about a year. Found alone as a baby he had to be taken care of but soon he is ready for release.

Now to the bad news. Last year in Turkey I had my first experience with bed bugs. I have been travelling for 15 years and never had had it before. It was not a pleasant story at all and now I did not only get a re-union with Costa Rica but also with those bugs. I have a routine after my last experience to allways check the mattresses when I arrive to a new bed. I have read a lot and know what to look for. But this time I only checked one side of the bed. The problem with bed bugs bites is that at first they just look like small mosquito bites. Since there a lots of mosquitos here I kept spraying my bug spray but still got bitten. Now I understand why!

After about two days the bites gets bigger and red and it is a uggly sight. Bed bugs bites in a cluster or in a long row and as one was walking on me when I got up this morning it suddenly hit me that I am a victim again. I have now moved into another room where I will spend the last night. Once back in Sweden I will have to do the sanitary routine (hot wash and freeze) but for now I can only wait for my monster bites to get smaller. In one way I am relieved it is not mozzie bites because I have around 40-50 bites. The Dengue mosquito is very active here and the risk of malaria is present around here even if low. On the other hand I feel annoyed that it happened so soon again. From now on my bed check will be an even bigger routine.

This was all for now, my last destination, Panama, is waiting around the corner. I hope for some sun and bed bugs free beds.

Spanish studies and adventures in Nicaragua

Just returned to mainland after four lazy days on the island Ometepe in Nicaragua. I am using the computer in an internet cafe in the sleepy town Ribas where my bus to San Jose, Costa Rica, will leave in two hours. Can not believe another two weeks passed by.

But let´s begin where last post ended. Me and my friend Louise left the island Roatan in Honduras with plane. Costly but comfy. Arriving in the lovely town Granada I immediately knew what made my Honduras experience a bit duller than I had hoped for. The good spirit was missing in Honduras. It is hard to explain this feeling. But as a friendly man with Garifuna heritage drove us to the airport, through the  green Roatan landscapes, with latino beats loud on the stereo (hardly heard in Roatan)  Louise said “the feeling of Roatan is different with lation music, now it really feels like the Caribbean”. I couldn´t agree more.

Granada was a very positive experience and Louise last days of vacation were filled with a boat tour to Las Isletas (a big group of islands formed 10000 year ago when the Volcano Mombacho erupted), a tour on a horse drawn carriage, party with a bunch of middle aged stockbrokers from North America and getting a nice massage. The place we stayed in was a real  gem. An Irish man called Gerald runs a beautiful place called “Casa del Aqua”. He has an eye for details and the best matrasses on this trip, so far.

After a wonderful weekend in Granda, a colourful colonial city with lots of charm and local spirit, the Lake Apoyo adventures could start. As Louise and me were going the same direction (she to the airport in Managua) we shared a cab. My ride was supposed to take 20 minutes but I didn’t reach Estaction Ecologica until 2 hours and 15 minutes later. The driver got lost at first and since time was running out he had to drive Louise to the aiport first and I had to come along.

I had red so much positive reviews of Estaction Ecologica, not to mention all the beautiful pictures online.  When I arrived nothing seemed to be what I had expected. Luckily a Danish girl called Birgitte cheered me up by inviting me to come along for a swim by the lake. I had heard so much about this crater lake, but honsetly I was not too amazed. After two hours I decided to walk back alone but after 50 meters I heard gunshots and from a distance I also saw a drunk man with a big machete. There were screamings and stone throwing and as a Nicaraguan family infront of me started running I did so too. I realized later how lucky I was. I was 1 minut from a real drama.

After this one story after the other popped up. Lonely Planets intro to Nicaragua says that it is the safest country in Central America to travel in and that it is easy to get around. I do not agree on any of those statements. One german girl that stayed in the hostel next door got robbed on absolutely all her belongings when she (stupidly enough) decided to hitchhike with a “friendly local”. Perhaps there are not as many killings here as in ex Honduras but it is certainly not a safe country. People are poor and robbery is very common. The are no shuttle services like in other Central American countries. The only options are taxi or chicken bus and considering I chose safety first you may already have guessed that travelling solo is not as smooth as I had hoped for.

So there I was in Estaction Ecologica which maybe used to be an interesting place. But since half the property (the nice part) was lost in a neighbour fight, and what was left was poorly maintained and the research activities seemed to have stopped, I was seriously thinking of leaving the place. The owner, a long haired biologist who loved to hold long political monologues, was more concerned to have a good image on internet than to take care of the needs of his guests and volunteers.

Thanks to Birgitte, Lina, Ineke and Connie and my sweet Spaninsh teacher I stayed the full week and actually ended up collecting many good and peculiar memories. Line, a Danish girl and Ineke, a Dutch girl were long term guests as they had both travelled with volontary organisations from their home countries. Connie arrived the same time as me and Birgitte I just got to know for one short, but action filled day. Line and Ineke inspired the rest of us to make the best of each day in best possible way. Twice a week they went to the nearby city Masaya with chickenbus and me and Connie were happy to have them as our private guides during half a day. One night the owner even decided to collect some bats for spontanious research which gave  the opportunity for a close up with this fun animal that is actually very cute. Connie and me visited an active volcano one day and a small pottery village another day. And so the days went past. Although I did not see a single Tarantula (Line and Ineke had seen them a few times).

My last stop in Nicaragua was the spectacular island Ometepe in lake Nicaragua. The reason it is spectacular is that it is an island with two volcanos on it, whereof one active. The island is peaceful and pigs, chickens, cows and horses are walking around freely everywhere. Except for a beautiful kayak trip I just stayed in my absolutely gorgeous cabana at Finca Mystica. Yet another place to put on my highlight list. In a while a leave Nicaragua with great memories from a fun weekend in Granada, a peculiar week of Spanish studies and new acquaintances at Laguna de Apoyo and a few days of philosophizing in my hammock in Ometepe Island. Costa Rica Next!

 

Sunsets, dolphins and a bit of rain in Honduras

So, it is time again for some blogging. I am more than convinced now that I do need to get my self a small lap top for next trip. Internet cafes are more or less non existing nowadays (in this part of the world) and if they are to be found they are slow and full of viruses.

One more day to go in Honduras before it is time for the next destination which will be Nicaragua. After an absolutely amazing holiday in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico (Tulum) last year, mine and Louise’s expectations on this trip were already set. Unfortunately I have to say that what we have seen in Honduras is not as good as we hoped. The ruins are not as spectacular, the animals not so visible, the smoothies not as good and the food not very exiting. And it is expensive! Don’t misunderstand me, it is beautiful everywhere over here! Just that we compare it too much with last years unbeatable experiences.

The first stop in Honduras was the cute cowboy town Copan, famous for the Copan ruins. The highlight was passing through the  green mountains on our way to a natural hot spring area and then enjoying the warm springs in a natural jungle setting, accompanied by a cute retired Japanese/American couple. On the way back we passed small villages and lot’s of drunk cowboys riding home from their Friday happy hour bar round. One day we visited a bird sanctuary wich was also a great experience. I liked having my arms full of Macaw birds but Louise´s did not since her bird destroyed her nice t-shirt.

What we wanted to experience on this trip was some real jungle. We had heard that the Cusuco national park could offer us that. To reach this park we had to spend two nights in the second largest city of Honduras, San Pedro Sula. The hostel was a bit creepy but the city actually was not that bad. We felt very safe surrounded by heavily armed guards in every corner.

We woke up the next day and got ready for jungle expedition. A young  Honduran guy called Juan, with a British look,  picked us up in his 4W car and off we went on our excursion. What could have been a muddy experience turned out to be a rather relaxed drive up the hilly cloud forest Cusuco. Juan was a really nice young man and we had a great time hiking though jungle and coffee plantation including having lunch at a local farmers house. He told us he had just started his own facility together with his girlfriend and invited us over for a beer in the evening to check his place out. Great day!

We cough another bus up north the following day to the city La Ceiba, famous for its surroundings Pico Bonito rain forest. We had booked a nice bungalow in the hotel Villa Pico Bonito. Finally time for relaxation. Except for a 4 hour hike up to a waterfall we laid lazy around the infinity pool overlooking the river Cangrejal and Pico Bonito. Of the 7 available bungalows we had reserved the most simple one. We noticed that a older lonely man was renting the most exclusive one alone, a huge place too nice to explain. Funny enough we came across this man on our hike. As with most encounters with North Americans we knew everything about him within 5 minutes and were on top of this invited to have dinner at his place. Beside being a cardiologist he was also a writer of hiking and cooking books.

The dinner at this Mr’s place was the end of our Pico Bonito stay and full of expectations we packed our backpacks to get ready for the 1 1/2 hour boat ride over to Roatan island. Since we had heard of this being a very bumpy experience we prepared our self with pills against motion sickness. The trip was one long claustrophobic ride. Safely locked up inside this small passengers boat puking bags were distributed to everyone. Despite the pill I felt ill and cold sweaty and stayed focus by thinking of the paradise ahead.

The “paradise” Roatan where we are now is getting more and more Americanized each day. We choose between Roatan and Utila which are the two most popular islands in the Bay Island group. It was a hard choice since the islands are so different but finally we choose the bigger “green islands with perfect beaches” in front of the small flat island Utila with “no beaches and 24/7 party”. Afterwards I must say splitting the time between the two would have been a better option but we wanted 6 days in one place so here we are.

We have now been on Roatan for 5 days. During my travels I have seen many paradises and are rather hard to please. I must say this island does not fit in to paradise however our lovely little hotel Landsend is a paradise on its own with a the great Austrian host Adi always ready to answer questions or tell more about the island that has been his home for 10 years now. The sunset from Landsend is spectacular as are the beautiful tame deers we share our breakfast with every morning. This is a great place to just unwind for a few days.  Also we have not seen the whole island since we found 175 USD for a day trip around Roatan way to expensive. Maybe paradise is around the corner

Our three first days in Roatan was nice and sunny. Two of those days we spent on the West Bay beach, considered the best on the islands. It is however a overcrowded commercial place and after feeling more stressed than relaxed after a day sunbathing there we decided to spend our last days on the sundeck of Landsend. Roatan has great snorkeling and it is supposed to be a nice snorkel spot just where we live. Unfortunately the rain has been poring down most of the time since we took this decision but as I am writing I see the sky clear up.

Yesterday I ticked of one of those “once in a life time must do” things. I went snorkeling with dolphins. Luckily the sun came out just in time for the photo session and even if a bit pricy I bought the pictures where I hug and kiss my dolphin. Louise was lucky enough to get to go with us to the dolphin island for free even though she chose not to take part of the dolphin snorkeling. I am however very happy I did it. Even though one decided to scare me when he came swimming up to me and just in front of me opened his whole jaw. I asked the instructor afterwards and he told me they like to scare tourists with this trick

Well, sun is out and it is time to go. New adventures are waiting…

Roadtrip adventures in chilly Florida

Today me and Louise landed in Guatemala city. We will take a bus to Copan ruinas in Honduras tomorrow morning. Tonight we are relaxing in a small friendly hostel with not much action, thus a good opportunity for me to sum up our 10 days holiday in Florida.

So, let’s talk about Florida and our little road-trip that started with poring rain. After having spent one night at a dodgy airport hotel in Miami we picked up our car and set of to Key West. By the time we arrived in this picturesque Caribbean island the rain was poring down so heavily we couldn´t see anything in front of us. Everyone we met said it had been great for weeks until we came. No famous sunset for us.

When we drove back to the mainland the next day it cleared up. But once we hit Fort Lauderdale, our next stop on this trip, the rain had caught up with us. Despite this we had two great days with my old classmate Jenny that lives in Florida since many years back. Our days were filled with shopping and at night Jenny prepared great food for us (she is a chef) and invited her nice friends over. Her two beautiful dogs Emma and Lily made our stay at Jenny´s even more memorable.

Once again we hit the road. After having me as a driver for 1 1/2 hour in the Keys Louise kindly offered to take the chauffeur role alone. After all she like driving and is good at it too Thank´s Louise for bringing me safely around Florida! We spent 2 nights in Orlando. The decision was a visit to Universal Studios but even though we had fun I think our expectations were just a bit too high and we found the great outlet stores in the Orlando area a bigger thrill than Universals.

The following day I convinced Louise to get up really early to fulfill one of my highlights on this trip – to swim with a manatee in Crystal River.  We had not pre-booked and nearly missed this adventure. I was so relieved that we could get on the tour that I started to cry. After an hour in the cold river I finally got to experience what I had been waiting for. One of the three manatees that were around slowly swam up to me, looked me in the eyes and then turned around to show he wanted me to pad his tummy. This is the kind of moment that I will never forget. Unfortunately I have no pictures of those creatures but here is a link to some information about them.

It was then time to keep on driving south towards Sarasota. We wanted to stop by in St Petersburg for a visit to the big Salvador Dali museum there, but time ran out. Exhausted (especially the driver) we finally got our treat. The nice and comfy Days Inn with walking distance (= beer time) to our favorite food chain the Applebees). We slept like babies in a huge room with one double bed each, hot tub in the garden and our bellies filled with yummy Applebees goodies. The bad weather kept following us. We did have a bit of sun in Sarasota but only 14 degrees…brrr. Even so we enjoyed a walk on the magnificent Siesta Key Beach and a sunset walk by the harbor.

After two nights in Sarasota we drove through Everglades towards our end destination Miami. We saw two pairs of alligator eyes from a distance. We were told it was too cold for them to come up and sun bade them self. The tour on the air speed boat was lots of fun though not that environmental friendly.  After the tour we saw one more gator passing by.

Back in Miami we left the car at the airport and transported us by cab to South Beach. Exhausted as we were we longed for a nice bed. But since we got the dormitory next to the party-lobby we thought we might as well join in. The receptionist convinced us to come along to the famous Nikki Beach. So a quick shower and a pizza slice around the corner and we were ready for the rich and beautiful. We must have been exotic in our fleece and sneakers because we were approached a couple of times that evening. One invite was to come along on a private yacht but we did not have time for that…what a pity

We spent one full day strolling around Miami Beach and one full day on a combined city and boat tour to get a better overview over Miami. Still no beach temperature but the sun was out and Miami sure made a good impression on us. Looking back it has been 10 fun and interesting days. Eating and hotels were surprisingly cheap. In Miami we stayed in a hostel but in Sarasota we had a nice hotel for the same price. My best memories are swimming with Manatees, staying at my friend Jenny’s place, beach walk and spending two nights at “Days Inn”, in Sarasota. And ofcourse Miami in its whole, great place!

Splurging in paradise-like Tulum

The last stop on our amazing journey through exotic jungle, volcanic highlands, colonial cities and Caribbean beauties was Tulum in Mexico. This was also our “splurging” destination on the trip. We had chosen a place called La Vita e Bella right on the beach and very soon we understood that we had landed in paradise with big P.  At daytime we just rolled down to the beach from our cabana. The only thing we had to focus on was not to get hit by the many kite surfers occupying the ocean. Tulum is a very popular spot for this activity and even though it is fun to watch it was the one, but only, less appreciated aspects of this place. For the rest it was just perfect. One afternoon we went to see the famous Tulum ruins just by the sea. I loved all the big Iguanas that lives there. In the evenings we had amazing food. One favorite spot was just a few hundred meters down the beach from our cabana. Up on a little hill laid a hotel called Mezzanine. Their outside lounge bar right by the sea served the most delicious cocktails we tasted on our trip to a very affordable price. Their restaurant offered Thai fusion cuisine that made my mouth explode. We honestly could not have asked for a better ending than this.

Rum and reggae in Caye Caulker

What would be a better finish to a wonderful vacation in Central America than to hang out in the Caribbean? After a five hour ride in a mini shuttle bus from Flores in Guatemala to Belize City, we hopped on a short boat ride to the little Belize Island Caye Caulker. There we checked in to the most popular hostel on the island, Yuma´s House, a clean and friendly place just by the waterfront. The next three days we enjoyed the great Caribbean ambience on this island including an exciting snorkel trip. I have snorkeled in the Red Sea a couple of times. There you have plenty of small colorful fish. Here we saw bigger once. Nurse shark, Stingray and the beautiful Sea Turtle, check out my animal section for pictures

Caye Caulker has no cars, just small golf carts and bikes. There is to be honest no good beach on this island but everyone is hanging out at a spot called “The Split” where you can lie down in some sort of sand, have a rum and listen to the Soca and Reggae music. And the sea is turquois and very welcoming. The island is so wonderful and charming with its pastel colored houses, friendly and welcoming locals and tropic surroundings that the lack of a really great sand beach didn´t matter to us.