Hills and Pacific beaches
11 de julio de 2025, El Salvador ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
On July 8th, we crossed the border into El Salvador, the twelfth country on our Pan-American itinerary, relatively quickly and without complications. Despite the civil war of a few decades ago and theLeer más
San Salvador
16 de julio de 2025, El Salvador ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Here we are in the capital of this small but undoubtedly very interesting country. We rented a room in a hotel with a small parking lot but lots big enough to fit the van. San Salvador has enoughLeer más
Florin Paun
Note the old American school buses. Probably donated or even sold to Central American countries, they still have English inscriptions, including the words "school bus". Many of them are technologically outdated, lack particulate filters and produce terrible polluting emissions. In other places in Central America, for example in Nicaragua, I have also seen new Chinese-made buses (some brands I have never heard of). But probably replacing the buses with cheap Chinese models also comes at a price...
Florin Paun
Pupusa is a thick flatbread from El Salvador and other Central American countries, made with corn or rice flour. In El Salvador, pupusa is the national dish and even has a specific day to celebrate it. Pupusas are usually filled with ingredients such as cheese, beans, chicharrón, or pumpkin. They are usually accompanied by curtido (a spicy fermented cabbage salad) and tomato sauce. Pupusas are traditionally eaten with the hands. Although they are very popular (they are even exported to the USA, probably because there is a very large community of Salvadorans there), they don't seem like a great culinary wonder to us, just average food.
Suchitoto & vulcanos hikes
19 de julio de 2025, El Salvador ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Leaving San Salvador, we drove to the charming colonial town of Suchitoto, a place that exceeded our expectations. The tranquility of the settlement, the colonial church and the houses that haveLeer más
Florin Paun
Santa Ana Volcano or Ilamatepec is a large stratovolcano. It is the highest volcano (2,381 m) in El Salvador. The last eruption occurred in 2005, but there was no lava flow.
Florin Paun
One of the most beautiful campsites of the entire expedition was the special parking lot near the view point in Cerro Verde National Park. I got into a discussion with the ranger in charge of the parking lot and he told me that if we stayed overnight we could stay in the parking lot near the view point... Fantastic view!
Florin Paun
Izalco Volcano erupted almost continuously from 1770 (when it formed) until 1958, earning it the nickname "Lighthouse of the Pacific." The last eruption was recorded in 1966. During an eruption in 1926, the village of Matazano was completely buried. Cerro Verde is also a volcano, but it is forested, because the last eruption was recorded about 2500 years ago.
Tazumal & Achuachapan
21 de julio de 2025, El Salvador ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
We spent last few days in El Salvador visiting Tazumal, the first Mayan archaeological site of our expedition, as well as the interesting town of Achuachapan, which we visited completely by chance,Leer más
Florin Paun
What seems natural in most of Europe, is not always easy to find in Latin America... We have always filled the tank only with drinking water, and even though it is labeled as "drinking", we used a special filter. The problem is that if you fill it with poor quality water, you can end up with algae in the tank! When we were in areas with poor water quality (Peru, Bolivia) we filled the tank only with water bought from the supermarket or from water purification stations.
Florin Paun
Ceremonial axe discovered at Tazumal. Its surface is coated with cinnabar, a mineral with a high mercury content, widely used in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica to cover the deceased and other offerings, probably due to its intense reddish color.
Florin Paun
What is seen here is believed to be a religious site. The city of Tazumal itself was nearby, but no significant ruins remain. American archaeologist Stanley Boggs excavated and restored the Tazumal complex in the 1940s and 1950s. The main structures of the Tazumal date from the Classic period (c. 250–900 AD) of the Mesoamerican chronology. It is interesting to note that the pyramidal structures were built one on top of the other over time, especially when an event considered important was taking place.
Antigua Guatemala and beyond
26 de julio de 2025, Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
On July 23rd we arrived in Antigua Guatemala, considered one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Latin America. Despite the many well-preserved colonial vestiges, what is immediately noticeableLeer más
Florin Paun
A video with footage filmed in Antigua. The graceful ladies who appear towards the end of the film could certainly have been a source of inspiration for Baudelaire when he created "Le fleur du mal".
Florin Paun
The first construction of the cathedral began in 1545. Located in a seismic zone with frequent earthquakes, the cathedral has been damaged and rebuilt several times over time. The entire history of the city of Antigua is linked to devastating earthquakes. The current structure of the cathedral is much smaller than the largest in the past.
Florin Paun
We parked here, in a huge parking lot equipped with toilets and showers. When we arrived, the manager at the entrance told us that the price per night was 300 quezals (about 40 USD), and that was because he was doing us a favor, normally it's 400 quezals. I looked at him and said: "if you see me driving a Mercedes doesn't mean I'm a millionaire, and besides, the price charged to sleep in my own trailer in a parking lot is much higher than a teacher in Guatemala can afford..." And I continued by telling him that we had the alternative of sleeping in the tourist police parking lot, ok without sanitary facilities, but free. The manager at the entrance laughed and said: "ok, 150 quezals"... We stayed there, because in Guatemala drinking water is not available at every tap, so we have to save the drinking water in the camper and we can't shower.
Tikal & Flores
30 de julio de 2025, Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Here we are, after the long drive from Antigua through mountains and villages with weekend markets, to the charming town of Flores and then on to the ruins of one of the most famous MayanLeer más
Florin Paun
The Temple of the Great Jaguar or simple, Temple I. The temple is a limestone stepped pyramid structure, dated to around 732 AD. The name Temple of the Great Jaguar comes from a lintel depicting a king seated on a jaguar throne. An alternative name is the Temple of Ah Cacao, after the ruler buried in the temple.
Florin Paun
The temples near the main square (near the park headquarters) are often visited, and you may see groups of tourists. On the other hand, at the temples located more than 300 meters from the main square you are very likely to be alone.
Florin Paun
Tikal is the ruins of an ancient Maya city, probably called Yax Mutal, discovered in a rainforest in the Petén Basin, northern Guatemala. Tikal National Park is both an archaeological park and a nature reserve. Compared to other sites, Tikal is the best understood of the great lowland Maya cities. Historical evidence has established a long list of dynastic rulers, and the tombs of many of these rulers have been discovered. Tikal was the capital of a state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. Tikal reached its peak during the Classic period, between 200 and 900 AD. During this period, the city dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily, while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica, such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant Valley of Mexico. After the end of the Late Classic period, no new major monuments were built at Tikal, and there is evidence that the elite palaces were burned. These events were accompanied by a gradual decline in population, culminating in the abandonment of the site by the end of the 10th century. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area (it is believed that Fernando Cortez reached the nearby town of Flores, but left the area, not finding it interesting because there was no gold to be found), the city of Tikal had long been a pile of ruins overgrown by towering jungle trees.
Belize, first impressions
3 de agosto de 2025, Belice ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
After the somewhat disappointing impression left by Guatemala, especially due to the lack of cleanliness in non-touristy areas and the pricing policies in the tourist areas, where the Westerner isLeer más
Florin Paun
Xunantunich is an ancient Maya archaeological site in western Belize, approximately 110 km west of Belize City. Xunantunich is located on a ridge above the Mopan River, overlooking the Guatemalan border. The complex of Maya buildings served as a ceremonial center in the Belize Valley region during the Late and Terminal Classic periods (c. 700–900 AD). At the time, when the region was at its peak, nearly 200,000 people lived in the Belize Valley. The name Xunantunich means "Virgin of the Rock" in the Mopan and Yucatec Maya languages, combining "Xunaan" (noble lady) and "Tuunich" (stone for carving). As with many situations where memories of the past cannot be adequately explained, many legends have arisen, for example: "The Woman of the Rock" refers to the ghost of a woman who several people have claimed to inhabit the site since 1892. She is said to be dressed entirely in white, with glowing red eyes. According to legend, she generally appears in front of "El Castillo", climbs the stone steps, and disappears into a stone wall. Like many names given to Mayan archaeological sites, "Xunantunich" is a modern name; the ancient name is unknown.
Florin Paun
Caracol is a large ancient Maya archaeological site located approximately 40 kilometers south of Xunantunich. It is located on the Vaca Plateau, at an elevation of 500 m above sea level, at the foot of the Maya Mountains. The site was one of the most important regional political centers in the Maya lowlands during the Classic period. Caracol covered approximately 200 square kilometers, covering an area much larger than present-day Belize City, the largest metropolitan area in the country. Caracol is a modern name from Spanish, but the ancient Maya name for the Caracol archaeological site was Uxwitza, meaning "Hill of Three Waters". This photo was taken from the top of Caana ("palace of the sky"). This structure is the largest building in Caracol and is the tallest man-made structure in Belize (43 m; yes, there are no tall buildings in Belize!).
Florin Paun
The hut without walls that you see in the picture is called a “palapa” (Spanish word). Each campsite has a palapa, and the distance between them is at least 20 meters. An extremely useful accessory, it protects you from the sun, but also from the rain. When it rains you can eat outside in peace or even hang your laundry to dry. When I think about the overcrowding in some European campsites, I can only laugh.
Caye Caulker
9 de agosto de 2025, Belice ⋅ 🌙 29 °C
Belize is also famous for its tropical islands located near the second longest barrier reef in the world. Of course, a visit to the tropical islands of the “Keys” is definitely on yourLeer más
Florin Paun
"The Split," a channel that cuts through the island (left, in the photo), was created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Despite the massive destruction, the hurricane created jobs decades later. Today, there are boats that transport people back and forth...
Florin Paun
Not just here, but all over the Caribbean right now. Someone said that tourists in the top Mexican resorts of Cancun and Playa del Carmen are very unhappy. According to Wikipedia, the size of annual blooms in the Atlantic increased by over a hundred-fold, starting in 2011, as a result of factors including increased fertilizer runoff in major rivers such as the Amazon and Congo (but not only!).
Florin Paun
Despite the many lizards of all sizes, the mosquito plague on the island is unstoppable! Your best friend is mosquito repellent.
Last days in Belize
10 de agosto de 2025, Belice ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
The last three days we spent in Belize, after returning from Caye Caulker, we spent them at Old Marina Belize and on the way to Mexico we visited the Mayan site at Altun Ha. Old Marina Belize is aLeer más
Florin Paun
Another fascinating Mayan city. Altun Ha is perhaps the best-known Mayan site in Belize, if only because its main temple appears on the label of the national beer, Belikin. As is common with this enigmatic civilization, it is unknown why the city of Altun Ha was gradually abandoned starting around 800 AD.
Florin Paun
Photo taken from the starting platform of the water slide. Wow, at least 15 meters high, a dizzying speed and buff! ... in the water!
Florin PaunJa, Gurke. Aber auch Hierbabuena und Limette sind drin. Schmeckt super! Einmal in Europa habe ich Gurkensaft probiert und ihn in die Kategorie „veganer Müll“ eingeordnet!
Chetumal & Bacalar
16 de agosto de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Mexico! The last country we will visit on this trip with Nemo, the Blue Bus. Although the initial plan was to reach Halifax in Canada, the long wait for an efficient transport from Colombia to PanamaLeer más
Florin Paun
The ad on the right actually made me laugh. It's an ad for a law firm, saying: "Bye, bye! Express divorce. Even without the spouse's consent."
Florin Paun
The city's peak is believed to have occurred between 250 and 600 AD, during the period known as the Early Classic. During this period, its buildings underwent several modifications. The last of these modifications involved a significant increase in the proportions of several structures, and tiered platforms were added to the facades of others. This method of building buildings on top of existing ones was a common construction strategy among the Maya. Later, during the Late Classic and Postclassic periods, the city continued to be inhabited, but it seems to have had more of a religious centre role.
Florin PaunAn aspect of Mayan culture that is often overlooked is human sacrifice. Truly sinister... But on the platforms in front of the temple, human sacrifices were performed, coordinated from above by the priest or shaman who gave orders from the top of the pyramid.
Uxmal
18 de agosto de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
This step is dedicated almost entirely to the exceptional Mayan site of Uxmal, according to specialists the best preserved Mayan site in all of Mesoamerica, visited on August 18. Uxmal is less visitedLeer más
Florin Paun
The Pyramid of the Magician (Spanish: Pirámide del adivino) is the tallest (40 m) and most recognizable structure at Uxmal. The ruins of the ceremonial structures are considered to represent the pinnacle of late Maya art and architecture in design, placement, and ornamentation. The Pyramid of the Magician dominates the center of the complex and is located at the entrance to the central courtyard.
Florin Paun
Camping with locals: We stayed two nights in a garden on a family's property near the Uxmal site. This family offers camping on their property, with bathroom and kitchen facilities, plus breakfast included in the price. They also offered us coconuts from their garden, as they are in season.
Florin Paun
The Nunnery Quadrangle was built from 900-1000, and the name related with nuns was assigned by Spaniards in the 16th century because it resembled a convent.
Around Merida
22 de agosto de 2025, Mexico ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
In the last few days, we have been visiting cenotes and the small coastal town of Progreso, located on the Gulf of Mexico. We are currently camping in Merida, the capital of Yucatán, a very beautifulLeer más
Florin Paun
A cenote called "Clotilde". Light enters through the upper opening, caused by the collapse of the karst relief below it. The roots of the trees, as if levitating through the cavity between the entrance and the underground lake, seem absolutely unreal. An enigmatic atmosphere, worthy of a classic Indiana Jones scenario. The tranquility of the cenote is sometimes disturbed by the flight of bats or drops of water falling from the ceiling. The water temperature is about 20 degrees, an exceptional remedy against the heat of the Mexican summer.
Florin Paun
Many tourists come to the cenote during the day, but in the evening they go home. Since we were the only ones camping here, after 6:00 PM we had our own private pool. Plus, by 10:00 AM the Mexican tourists were still gone, so we had the Clotilde cenote to ourselves.
Florin Paun
Progreso is also one of the newest ports for large cruise ships and an emerging resort destination. Passengers disembark at a very long pier, the Remota Terminal, opened in 1989, which extends 6.5 km into the Gulf of Mexico. Passengers are taken ashore to visit Progreso, Mérida, or the Mayan archaeological sites of Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun.
Merida
26 de agosto de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
We spent the last few days in the attractive colonial city of Merida, the capital of the Yucatán region. We camped in the courtyard of the La Ermita hostel, a place where for a modest price you canLeer más
Florin Paun
A gordita in Mexican cuisine is a dish made with corn dough and filled with cheese or meat. It is similar to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. The most common variation of this dish is the "gordita de chicharrón", filled with chicharrón (a spicy stew made from pork rinds), which is widely consumed throughout Mexico. Gorditas are often eaten as a lunchtime dish and accompanied by several types of sauces.
Florin Paun
Construction of the cathedral in Mérida began in 1561 and was completed in 1598. It was the second cathedral to be completed in the Americas (the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, completed in 1550, was the first). The architectural style of the cathedral is reminiscent of the cathedrals of Andalusia.
Florin Paun
The Casa de los Montejo was built between 1542 and 1549 by the conquistadors of the Yucatán Peninsula, the Montejo family - Francisco de Montejo - to be used as a family residence in the historic center of Mérida. Currently, after several modifications and restorations carried out over the centuries by the successive owners of the property, the building can be partially visited, having been transformed into a museum and offices of the local administration.
Campeche und Palenque
29 de agosto de 2025, Mexico ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
Leaving Merida, a city that delighted us not only with its unique colonial architecture, but also with the Mexican music and dances that could be heard and seen on the streets, we made our first stopLeer más
Florin Paun
Jamaican Agua (Jamaican Tee or Hibiscus Tee) is an infusion made from the dark magenta flower Hibiscus sabdariffa. It is consumed both hot and cold (much more preferred in tropical regions) and has a strong, slightly sour flavor. One of our favorite drinks, we prepare it in concentrated form (the jug) and dilute it with water (the glass) from the refrigerator before consumption. No sugar is added.
Florin Paun
This jade death mask was placed on the face of a Mayan chieftain from Calakmul, to ensure an easy journey to the afterlife. Ornaments made of over 2,000 pieces of jade were also found in the tomb. Calakmul, a Mayan city whose ruins are also impressive and which was the great rival of the Mayan city of Tikal (Guatemala) can be visited, but it is located somewhat difficult, on the border with Guatemala, in the jungle.
Florin Paun
Jana has been traveling around North America for over three years in a Fiat Ducato. She is currently single and traveling alone. She broke up with her ex-boyfriend before the trip, so a trip like this probably puts a relationship to the test. We met her by chance at the hostel campsite in Merida and we visited Palenque together, before she headed south and we headed north.
San Cristóbal
3 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
After visiting the Yucatán Peninsula extensively, we headed west and stopped at San Cristóbal de las Casas, a settlement located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. TheLeer más
Florin Paun
As in many Latin American cities, these free tours are a great opportunity to hear interesting stories from local guides, from a perspective you won't find in Lonely Planet or other travel guides. Although they're called free tours, they sometimes tell you not to forget to tip them, usually specifying how much they expect... Of course, you tip as much as you like, but many American tourists or woke-ists comply exactly!
Pacific Coast
9 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ 🌧 26 °C
To be honest, I didn't think we would reach the Pacific coast of Mexico, a country that if you read and respect all the recommendations of the European or American authorities, you don't even want toLeer más
Florin Paun
Towards evening we sat in the pool, hugging each other, and watched the sun set over this beautiful corner of the Pacific. There are moments in life when you wish you could stop time and prolong the happiness you find in that exceptional second...
Florin Paun
The thrill of arriving in such places is absolutely overwhelming. The grandeur of the Pacific landscape... Far from the repetitive absurdity of daily activities that will one day seem completely irrelevant in the face of death.
Oaxaca & around
12 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
Leaving the picturesque Mexican Pacific coast on September 10, we drove to Oaxaca. This city has a very lively atmosphere, colonial buildings painted in bright colors, noisy markets with localLeer más
Florin Paun
We stayed in this hotel for three nights. As you can see in the photo, the location is very safe, the building next door is the Oaxaca police headquarters. In the morning, while I was drinking my coffee, the police were lining up in the courtyard to go on missions.
Florin Paun
It is interesting to note that in Oaxaca, as in many other locations in Mexico, the customers of street vendors are more Mexican than foreign tourists. And in restaurants, the majority of the customers are Mexican. This detail is very important, as the atmosphere is much more authentic and relaxed compared to cities degraded by tourism, such as Antigua de Guatemala.
Florin Paun
In addition to being one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica, Monte Albán was important for nearly a thousand years as the preeminent socio-political and economic center of the Zapotecs. Founded around 500 BC, Monte Albán had become the capital of a large-scale expansionist political entity that dominated much of the highlands of Oaxaca and interacted with other regional Mesoamerican states such as Teotihuacan to the north. The city lost its political preeminence by the end of the Late Classic (c. 500–750 AD) and was largely abandoned shortly thereafter. Small-scale reoccupation, opportunistic reuse of earlier structures and tombs, and ritual visitations marked the archaeological history of the site until the colonial period. The ancient Zapotec name of the city is unknown.
The valley of cacti
15 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
After leaving Oaxaca for Veracruz, the final stop on the Latin American journey for Nemo, the wonderful Blue BIus, we stopped for two nights near Zapotitlán Salinas. Here we camped on the property ofLeer más
Florin Paun
Despite the suboptimal exposure, this photo remains a nice memory. As we were getting ready to leave for Veracruz, we struck up a conversation with a Mexican couple who had rented a cabin in the campground. They recognized the Swiss license plate and asked us about our trip. After a few minutes of conversation, they invited us to have breakfast together. Wow! We've never had anything like this happen to us in Switzerland... Once again, the generosity of Latin American people leaves you speechless.
Viajero
Vazand pozele publicate si de locurile pe care le vizitati mi-am adus aminte de o poanta (banc) pe care o auzisem prin copilarie: ''Doua baloane zburau printr-un desert. La un moment dat unul ii zice celuilalt: - Uite ! Uite un cactussssssss.......''
Veracruz
22 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ 🌙 29 °C
In Veracruz we spent the last week successfully completing all the formalities related to the transport of Nemo, the Blue Bus, to Europe. If everything goes according to plan, the departure to AntwerpLeer más
Florin Paun
It is a military fortification completed in 1635. It was part of the nine bastions that made up the integral wall that surrounded the city and port of Veracruz.
Florin Paun
In addition to its function of defending the city, the fort (built between 1535 and 1769) also housed one of the most terrible colonial prisons that operated until the beginning of the 20th century.
Puebla
25 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Leaving Nemo in the Port of Veracruz where he awaits his scheduled departure on September 28th, we left for Puebla, the next stop on our itinerary. We stayed in Puebla for three days, during which weLeer más
Florin Paun
The Chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary is the chapel attached to the Temple of Santo Domingo. A 17th-century work, the pinnacle of New Spanish Baroque, it was described in its time as The House of Gold, as well as the eighth wonder of the world. It constitutes the most outstanding example of New Spanish Baroque and one of the greatest artistic-religious achievements in Mexico.
Florin Paun
5th of May: This patriotic Mexican holiday commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, where a small Mexican force, against overwhelming odds, defeated the French army.
Florin Paun
Although probably the best-known mountain in Mexico, Popocatepetl is the second highest peak in Mexico, after Citlaltepetl (Pico de Orizaba, 5,636 m). The name Popocatepetl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "Smoking Mountain". The volcano is currently active.
Ciudad de Mexico, part 1
29 de septiembre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
This is the first part of the story of our one-week experience in Mexico City. We must clearly say that this city exceeded our expectations, both in terms of safety, cleanliness and comfort, as wellLeer más
Florin Paun
We arrived here at the end of a long day of visiting museums... I happened to see the hotel and said: "this must have a fantastic sky bar". With my indispensable Canon 80D hanging from my neck, the guys at the lounge thought we must be journalists, so without me asking for a table with a good view, they sat us right at a table in the corner - exceptional position! I must also say that a cocktail costs as much as three lunch menus on the street, but the view makes up for it!
Florin Paun
While waiting for customers, the "Aztec priests" use their mobile phones.
Ciudad de Mexico, part 2
1 de octubre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We stayed at a nice hotel in the historic center of the city and spent a whole week in Mexico City. This city has so many attractions, museums, historical sites and attractive parks that even thoughLeer más
Florin Paun
The mural "History of Mexico" in the stairwell of the National Palace in Mexico City was created by Diego Rivera (husband of Frida Kahlo) between 1929 and 1935. The theme of the mural is Mexico's history from ancient times to the present day. It depicts the many struggles of the ordinary Mexican people against the Spanish, the French, and the dictators who controlled the country at various times in its history. In this fresco, many famous characters can be recognized such as Fernando Cortez, General Saint Ana, Emiliano Zapato Salazar and many others.
Florin Paun
Chapultepec Castle is a splendid late 18th-century building (1785-1787) designed as a holiday home by order of the Viceroy of New Spain, Bernardo de Gálvez. Over time, however, the building has been modified several times to accommodate its various uses.
Florin Paun
The National Palace is the seat of the federal executive of Mexico. Since 2018, it has also served as the official residence of the President of Mexico. It is located in Plaza de la Constitución. This site has been a palace for Mexico's ruling class since the Aztec Empire, and much of the building materials of the current palace come from the original one that belonged to Moctezuma II.
Cuernavaca und Taxco
3 de octubre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
After a very intense week spent in the great metropolis of Mexico City we rented a car and visited some very attractive towns in the surroundings. In this footprint I present you some photos fromLeer más
Florin Paun
Her name is La Catrina and the essence of her story goes deep into Mexican traditions. It is believed that the Aztecs worshipped a goddess of death that they alleged protected their departed loved ones, helping them into the next stages. During Día de los Muertos, she represents the Mexican attitude toward life and death - a blend of indigenous and European traditions, where death is celebrated as part of the life cycle.
Florin Paun
Various metals layers created the image of the "Virgin of Guadalupe". According to tradition, Mary appeared to Juan Diego, who was an Aztec convert to Christianity, on four occasions in December 1531. During her first apparition she requested that a shrine to her be built on the spot where she appeared, Tepeyac Hill (now in a suburb of Mexico City).
Florin Paun
He was probably the best known Mexican revolutionary. Emiliano Zapata was an accomplished guerrilla leader during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), and he strongly opposed the hacienda system that characterized much of rural Mexican life. Partly because of his efforts, fundamental land reform was enshrined in the Mexican constitution of 1917.
San Miguel de Allende and departure
7 de octubre de 2025, Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We spent the last days of our trip through the Latin American world in Mexico visiting picturesque San Miguel de Allende and Teotihuacán, an exceptional archaeological site near Mexico City.
OnLeer más
Florin Paun
This photo shows all the food and drinks received during a flight of about 5 hours from Mexico City to Montreal. :)
Florin PaunWith Canadian Airways, 525 USD for a open jaw: Ciudad de Mexico - Montreal - Amsterdam. The price is indeed very cheap, but without luggage (extra 30 USD paid for a bag at on-line check in).
Montreal
10 de octubre de 2025, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
We arrived in Canada, at my brother Cristi and his family's, waiting for our camper to arrive by ship to Europe... With a bit of a delay in the unfolding of our pan-American story, I present you someLeer más
Florin Paun
Camping under palm trees..., but after a thunderstorm during the night, the small unpaved road that runs parallel to the beach was transformed into a mass of muddy puddles. Ok, here you can see the advantage of a 4x4/low gear, we passed through all the sandy/muddy puddles without any problems. But with or without 4x4 and low-gear, you should always stay within the limits of your car to avoid unpleasant moments!
Florin Paun
There are no organized campsites in this area. Free camping is allowed, but as an alternative (especially if you are not sure whether the place is safe or not) you can ask a hotel if you can park in their yard. The people at the Eco Villas hotel let us park in their lot by the beach and use the hotel facilities, including the pool. Free of charge. As a thank you, we had dinner at their restaurant.
Florin Paun
This restaurant, located near the town of San Miguel, is a place where the owners enjoy meeting tourists from other countries. Free camping on their property.