The Americas

A 81-day adventure by Jarrod Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Photos Share

Trip start
February 23, 2024
The Americas Traveler
Mexico
February 23, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
After deciding against sleeping in Berlin Airport, I found accommodation that would allow me to easily get to the terminal early tomorrow. It was an early night, and an earlier morning, about 3:30am, before I checked out and headed through the airport. My first flight was perfectly fine as i was just going to Frankfurt, which is about an hour's flight, basically. But after this, my 12 hour flight to cancun followed. This was far more painful, but luckily, it didn't go too poorly as I found a great game to play to kill time as well as some good movies.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Cancun
February 24, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
After a big couple of days of travelling from Tunisia to Mexico, we planned to do very little and instead decided to hang out around the hotel, enjoy the pool, catch up after many months a part, before getting some dinner. The restaurant was recommended by the airbnb and it did not disappoint. The tacos were amazing, and the cocktails were even better. This was the first of a series of amazing Mexican dishes that really reinforced my love for their food. After this feed and some churros for dessert, we headed back to the hotel to once again catch up on some sleep.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Isla Mujeres
February 25, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
After a sleep in, we began our proper exploration of Cancun by heading to the island off the coast. As we were ferrying across to the island, instantly you saw the amazing blue water and white sandy beaches that this part of Mexico is renowned for. As we got off, we were treated to a beautiful little town that felt like we were days away from Cancun. The small streets and walkways, palm trees shading the paths, scooters, souvenir shops, and dry grass rooves, all made this island incredibly cute. We found a nice cafe for some breakfast before wandering around the cute streets some more. Eventually, we found a nice beach to park up at and enjoy some drinks as well as the beautiful water. We spent most of the afternoon laying by the beach and relaxing before once again seeing what else the island had to offer. Not long after a short stint of exploring, it was time to head back to the mainland. The afternoon consisted of watching TV and eating.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Playa del Carmen
February 26, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
The main attraction for today was to bus to the town of Playa del Carmen. As such, we had a relatively early morning before packing our stuff and heading to the bus station. After an hour and a half, we arrived in town and began to explore. We found a cafe to remedy my bagel fixation before continuing along the main strip. Shortly after, we sat down at the beach and relaxed for a couple of hours. Some time on the beach resulted in us feeling the sun burning itself into our skin. We retired for drinks and a chance to cool down and avoid looking like your typical British tourist. This started with a slushy margarita, followed by a pink colada. We then tried to do some shopping for myself, but to no avail again. Board shorts are as expensive here as they are in Australia somehow. With that failed attempt at shopping, it was time to enjoy a quick meal and head back to the hotel.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Chichen Itza
February 27, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
The ancient city of Chichen Itza, once the centre for the great Mayan Empire and one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world, was a bucket list item that was to be ticked off by the end of today. The day started early with an early hour bus trip to the ancient town. By the time we disembarked, it was close to midday, and the heat was brutal. Given that a lot of the area had been cleared for unrestricted viewing of the monuments, there is little protection from the sun. That being said, it wasn't going to stop us. We started by going to the Gran Juego de Pelota, where we could see the location for the Mayan sport, Tlachtli. It is renowned for its place in their religious beliefs (generally, the teams represent the sun and night), brutality, and excitement. It was commonplace for executions to have occurred during games that took place on religious occasions. Looking over the stadium was where the temple of the jaguar was situated. Unfortunately, we could not access this section, but it was cool to see from the ground level regardless. After this, we wandered around the outside of the site to make the most of the shade as well as explore the lesser known parts of the ancient city. Purposefully leaving the main el Castillo till the end, partly to minimise crowds as well as heat. The route we took included many temples, an observatory, fortresses, residences, and other markets and living quarters. We had chosen not to get a guide, and so there was limited information available about each, but you could still understand the general layout and propose of each structure, which was enough. After a quick break to gather some energy and cool down, we then re-entered the main area and could walk the massive Mayan pyramid, which has made this site famous. Given that it was later in the afternoon, there were also a lot fewer people and so we could much more easily get a good picture without people in the way. After admiring the massive structure, we had essentially seen all that the area had to offer. We saw the main temple quickly before waking toward the main cenote for the village that played a large role in the creation of the city, it's religious beliefs, and, of course, in the supply of water for the villagers. This was slightly undergwleming as when we arrived the cenote wasn't particularly clear and you couldn't swim due to the cultural significance of the site. As such, we headed for the exit and made our way back to the town of Valladolid. On our way back, we debated as to whether to see some cenotes, but the cost of the threw us off. We explored the beautifully colourful city and had some ice cream as we walked. After some time exploring, we checked in and tried to find some more affordable cenotes, but no ubers were available. We conceded defeat and enjoyed an afternoon by the pool. We then headed for dinner as we were starving and spent a large amount of money on food and ate ourselves into a food coma. I barely made it home before falling asleep straight away. It was a long, hot, and tiring day, but a great day nonetheless.Read more
2 likes
The Americas Traveler
Disorderly Tulum
February 28, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
After convincing Sarah to stay a night in Valladolid so we could go the long way home through tulum, I was hoping for a great day. Although starting off well enough, it quickly took a turn for the worst when we got off the bus and discovered that getting around wouldn't be easy. Uber is the easiest and cheapest mode of transport, but some destinations block access, so you're forced to get a taxi. As such, getting to the ruins (an 8-minute drive) was going to cost 30 dollars. Alternatively, we could go and see some of the cenotes that Mexico is famous for. Yet, at maybe 15 minutes of driving, this would cost 60 dollars. We were shocked and left without an idea of what to do. After some deliberation, we abandoned all our plans and decided to spend it by the beach. Making the decision to visit Tulum ended by being fruitless and expensive. We had to walk about 45 minutes to the beach in the hot sun, but when we arrived, it admittedly was beautiful. I'm not sure it made up for the detour, but we enjoyed the sun nonetheless. After a quick lay down and a swim, it was time to make the return trip. This time, we caught a cheap, public transport shuttle (that dont go to the cenotes) thing that we didn't know existed, and we saved money and got back relatively quickly. After this, we grabbed an authentic Mexican meal from Subway and waited for our bus. By the time we arrived back in Cancun, it was very late and so we both passed out watching David Attenborough.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Cancun Wind Down
February 29, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
The last few days had been hectic with sightseeing around Cancun. Although we haven't seen much of Cancun itself, we decided it would be best to take it easy today and mostly hang out around the apartment. This was disrupted by a brief stint of shopping to get me some board shorts. After this, we grabbed some tequila and noodles and had a cheap evening of drinking and eating in the apartment.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Guatemala
March 1, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Although we were due a big travel day today, very little of it would actually occur on a bus or train or plane. Instead, we would have a 5 hour shuttle drive to Lake Atitlan after a short flight into Guatemala. This was made slightly more thrilling by including some incredibly mountainous terrains and even a river crossing. When we finally got out of the shuttle, we then had a 30-minute boat ride to our secluded lake side hostel. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at Free Cerveza, it was very late, and many had made good use of the free beer. Our arrival time meant we missed out for tonight, but I am sure we will be able to make up for it over the next few days. We found a local place for dinner and put ourselves to bed in our tent.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Lake Atitlan walk
March 2, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Given that we now had sunlight and time to see the hostel, we explored the area quickly and admired the views of the lake from the social area. We were keen to have a chilled day after the draining day of travel we had yesterday. As such, I called the folks, swam, and relaxed. By the time the afternoon had arrived, we decided to explore Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas. This took us on a walk along the lake, where we could get some nice photos of the volcanos. This occupied maybe an hour or so before we arrived back. By this time, it was nearly 5 pm, which meant free beer. For 2 hours we got unlimited beer which was followed by a meal. I made great use of the free alcohol and enjoyed a very nice taco dish. We continued playing beer pong and drinking until quite late when we decided to go to another hostel later and continue partying. But when we arrived, it was quite shit so it didn't take long until we got back to Free Cerveza. It was a great first day at the hostel, and we are excited to see more of what's on offer.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Lancha Adventure
March 3, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
San Juan and San Pedro are two little towns along Lake Atitlan. Although not the largest, they are much bigger than where Free Cerveza is located, and so we decided to take the Lancha across the lake to see them. Lanchas are basically water taxis that run all around the lake, taking you to the different little spots. They are fun and really cool. We got picked up around 11 am and began our boat trip to San Juan. When we arrived, we were greeted along the dock into an adorable shopping area. We wandered around the town for quite a while and were blown away by the amount of effort they have gone to to make the town beautiful and vibrant. It was incredible. We even stumbled across some ancient Mayan sport that was as confusing as it looks in the video. After a while, we sat down for some chicken fajitas with an amazing view before continuing to San Pedro. San Pedro was a bit less exciting but still cool to wander through. We spent a bit of time here before catching the lancha back to the hostel. As it was afternoon, the lake was considerably choppier, and so the ride was far less smooth. Nonetheless, we made it back just in time for free beer. Even though last night was big, and although I was supposed to take it easy tonight, after a few games of fuck the bus, I was very drunk. We had a lot of fun playing card games and drinking.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Day on the Water
March 4, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Today was our last full day at Free Cerveza, and we planned to take it easy. The hangover didn't allow for much else. We spent the morning in the sun and swimming before taking the stand-up paddle boards out on the lake. When we got back, we spent the afternoon chatting with some Brits we met the night previous and chilling. Corrie and Kaz were a lot of fun, and we are already planning to catch up again when we are staying in Pana. We planned on a quiet night, but Corrie and Kaz planned on a big night after they had spent the day tripping on shrooms. As such, we had some drinks and played trivia. Somehow, we didn't do horribly. Mostly because we partnered up with a couple kiwis who knew their shit. It took a while, and by the end, we were too drunk to even listen to the questions and were just having a good time. The night ended up a lot of 'fuck the bus' and getting very, very drunk. We met some great people and had a lot of fun. Eventually though it was time for bed.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Panajachel
March 5, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Because we were checking out today, this was our last chance to watch the sunrise over Lake Atitlan from the hostel. So, we woke up early, sat on the deck, and enjoyed the sun breaking over the mountains. Unfortunately, the clouds extended the sunrise until later in the morning, and in the end, we could only really glimpse it peeking through the clouds, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Afterwards, we headed back to bed for a brief sleep. No one was awake, and breakfast didn't open for a while, so it was pointless to stay up and sit around. Plus, we needed the extra sleep after a pretty big night. After our brief nap, we had breaky, packed our stuff, checked out, and hung out around the hostel. After saying our goodbyes, we boarded the lancha back to the main city on the lake and began our journey to the hostel. The hostel was really cool with a rooftop bar and pool and 360-degree views of the city. We then explored Pana, which was a cute little market town. Plenty of local markets, cafes, bars, etc. After a coffee and a walk around, we headed back toward the lake to wander around the lakeside. It was really nice but the weather blocked our view around the whole lake sadly. After some more time exploring, we called it for the day and found a nice-looking rooftop bar for a feed and a quick drink. We had drunk our weight in beer over the last few days, so we settled for a couple of cranberry vodkas before retiring. Before that could happen, however, we had some of the best tacos we had during our time in Central America. Although we haven't had a bad meal, let alone bad tacos. This one was incredible and hit the spot perfectly. We headed home for an early night, yet we had forgotten that it was karaoke night. They didn't let us forget for long as despite being 3 floors down, we could easily hear them until about 10pm. Luckily, after that, it stopped. I am convinced of a curse that has happened many, many times during my travels. Mostly, I check into hostels the night of karaoke, which I fucking hate as there is no worse way to meet people, and I always seem to check out the night of the beer pong tournament. The worst combination. Nonetheless we managed to get some sleep once everyone left for the clubs at 10pm.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Monkey Day
March 6, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
The first part of our day was spent at the nature reserve just outside of Pana. After a sleep in, we gathered our stuff and arrived at the gate just as it opened. This ended up being a great idea as we had the whole place to ourseleves. This meant that when we found the monkeys, we could take our time and enjoy it. We first spotted Coaties, which are adorable little dog/ant eater hybrid-looking animals. After spending some time watching them, we saw our first spider-monkey swinging from the trees toward us. I was so glad we saw one as I think they are the goofiest, yet cutest animals around. We got some hilarious photos that show exactly this. After some time admiring them, we moved on to the rest of the nature walk. Although not seeing any more animals, the forest was beautiful, and we enjoyed it thoroughly still. At the end of the walk, you arrive at the butterfly sanctuary. This was also quite amazing due to the colours and patterns that the butterflies reflect throughout the whole room. Although hard to capture in a picture, seeing them flutter and buzz around with all their colours was amazing. Sadly, though, this was the end of the nature reserve, and we then began to walk back to Pana. We had organised to see Corrie and Kaz before we parted ways, and although we were very early, we figured we would go and sit down at the cafe and wait. Luckily, we did as not long after, they arrived too. This gave us an extra couple hours to chat before saying our goodbyes. Yet, once again, we decided that we would manage to catch up briefly while in Antigua. After our extended coffee break, we then both had to head off to catch our respective buses, ours to antigua, and there's to El Paradon. We then boarded our shuttle for the 4 hour journey. Although painful, we arrived with enough time to explore briefly after dropping off our bags. Though we wanted to explore more, we had a lot of preparation to do in anticipation of our big acatenango hike. As such, we got some snacks, toiletries, and little cesaers pizza. We wanted to load up on calories before our big walk, but we grossly underestimated the size of the pizza. We could both barely eat half before being sickly full. Luckily, we could store it at the hostel and enjoy the rest when we finish the hike. Perhaps the greatest idea we have ever had. We then got ourselves to bed to enjoy a good sleep before the big day.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Acatenango
March 7, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Acatenango is a world-famous hike on the active volcano of the same name. Despite this, the excitement comes from the neighbouring volcano, fuego, that is almost always active and spitting out smoke, ash, and lava. This means that the view from atop Acatenango gives amazing views of all of Guatemala while also being able to watch an active volcano. Despite this, you have to work for your view, and the hike is meant to be brutal. As such, we had to ensure we had all the kit to get up there safely, and luckily, our hostel, which also organises the hike, has plenty of gear to borrow. I grabbed a more suitable backpack and some pants and began to pack. They gave you food and water to drag along with you, and before we knew it, we were on the bus on the way to the base of the mountain. Although we paid slightly more to do it through this hostel, we are the only group to cut 45 minutes out of the beginning of the hike and start higher up the mountain. Something i was very grateful for at the end. We then completed about 4 hours of gruelling uphill walking through dirt, rock, and dusty volcanic ash. The people coming down kicked up all the ash, and you had little choice but to breathe it in as you're constantly gasping for air at the high altitude. We had plenty of rests to break up the constant and intense uphill climb, sometimes needing to use our hands to scramble up the mountain. It was all worth it when we first broke through the tree cover and realised that we were already significantly above the clouds and could look out over the constant white. This was also the point of the hike that was no longer uphill. All flat from here. This is also the point where we were walking along pure black volcanic ash, hinting at the fact that we were close to the final destination. Then, as we rounded the volcano, we got our first glimpse of fuego, and in fitting fashion, it was spitting out a huge cloud of volcanic ash. Excitement grew, and we forgot about the pain in our legs and lungs and pushed through to camp. The viewpoint from our campsite was amazing. We were incredibly excited to spend the night watching it erupt. We were then given the option to complete a hike that takes you within 200m of the lava as it lands on the face of the volcano. Although I would have been keen, I was exhausted, and the additional 4 hours of hiking would be all up and downhill. Half of which in the dark. I'm glad I decided against it as those who did it, wouldn't return until well after 10pm, and wouldn't sleep for another hour or so. Many of who didn't make it to the sunrise hike. Meanwhile, in the relative comfort of the camp fire, we could watch the volcano splutter and occasionally explode in a massive display of earth power. I was much happier enjoying that view than suffering in the pitch black. We then enjoyed some noodles for dinner and went to bed earlier enough to ensure we wouldn't be too tired for the sunrise hike. I didn't sleep great, as 10 of us were crammed into a little shed thing, but I didn't expect much else.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
The highest I've Ever Been (Altitude)
March 8, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
When the alarms began to ring just before 4am, I was exhausted and tired but knew this wasn't an opportunity to miss. After dragging myself out of bed and collecting my warm gear, we began the ascent. It was a hard and testing hike that was even more difficult, having woke up not 20 minutes earlier. Yet we knew it would be worth it. I wasn't feeling great the whole walk, which I suspect was due to the altitude (3,900m), but pushed through. Unfortunately, we couldn't see fuego for most of the hike but were able to watch it briefly in the morning as we collected our gear. This meant we weren't sure of the activity we would get from the top. Even without the views of fuego, the sunrise was a once in a lifetime thing to witness. In the forefront, we had Volcan de agua that split the clouds and provided a beautiful view with the sunrise behind it. Next to us, we had the active volcano fuego spitting out rubble and smoke. In the background, we had the series of volcanoes that lined Lake Atitlan. We had spent many days admiring these from the lake, and now we stood above them, looking down as though they were nothing more than a mole hill. Every moment, the sunrise changed the complexion and colours of the sky and, thus, the whole experience. Endless amount of photos were taken at every instant before you realised it would be better to just sit and enjoy it all. Although Fuego wasn't incredibly active, we still got to see some eruptions from the top. Once the sun rose and the skies lit up, it became much harder to see the lava that it ejects, but we could still see the smoke and ash fill the horizon. It is difficult to describe the feeling. Spending 2 days of your life for maybe 45 minutes at the top, but it was easily worth it. It's easily a highlight of my trip so far. Sadly, after some time, we had to head back to camp and enjoy breakfast and a well needed coffee. We then got to see some of the hikers from the fuego journey the night before who didn't make it up the mountain for sunrise. They looked exhausted. Reaffirming the decision. We could then begin the downhill. Although incredibly slippery at some points, the excitement to get back home and into a shower meant that you were almost throwing yourself down the mountain at the thought. Yet, somehow, we avoided any major falls and arrived at the bottom safe. Our lungs would be black with dirt and ash, and our legs could barely hold us, but we arrived safe and sound and in desperate need of a clean. We boarded our shuttles back to the hostel where we gathered our bags, ate our well-deserved (and much needed) pizza, returned our rented gear, and left. The hostel offered a shower, but we knew from a couple of days before that that they were shit. We instead chose to check into our new hostel that looked much nicer. Unfortunately, we were a bit early, and we had to sit around a bit before we could check in. But, when we could finally use the showers, it was an amazing feeling. I stood in silence for many minutes just hoping the water would remove each layer of dust that had accumulated on my skin. My feet had captured so much dust I physically couldn't remove it. But it was a great feeling leaving the shower, clean for the first time in 2 days. Although we planned very little, we did want to have a meal to aid our recovery and ended up exploring quite a bit of Antogua. Mostly because we are indecisive, but also because the town is incredibly beautiful. Our legs kept us going enough that we found a nice place for a feed. Not long after that, we headed back to sleep.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Recovery
March 9, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Unsurprisingly, we enjoyed a very slow morning and a hell of a sleep in. Eventually, though, we had to make the most of our day, and we couldn't lay around forever. We dragged ourselves through the city where we chose to explore some of the ruins of Antigua. It is a colonial town, but like Valladolid in Mexico, it is so beautifully colourful and vibrant with life and excitement from the townspeople. The locals all wear such colourful and flowing dresses that add to the whole experience. We explored a couple of old cathedrals, some old buildings and even explored a museum that was within the old barracks of the city. The museum was really interesting and did a good job of laying out the history of the city. By the time this was all done, it was afternoon, and we were keen to find a drink. Sarah despises beer, so to try and help her gain some appreciation, I took her to Antigua Cerveza brewery. We tried a bunch of different beers, her favourite being the blonde ale before heading off again. This time, we found a rooftop bar and enjoyed a couple of drinks. After a dinner meal, we then retired for the day to relax in bed and catch up on some sleep. For me, however, there was a huge UFC card on, and I would be forced to stay up until 1am watching it. Although not the best results, there were some exciting fights. In the early prelims, Despaigne made his UFC debut. The reason I watched this is that his previous 3 fights before the UFC had a combined fight time of 30 seconds. His debut followed suite and lasted about 20 seconds before he knocked out his opponent. He's now won his last 4 fights in well under a minute combined. I then was lucky enough to watch Dustin Poirier flatten Saint-Denis in the second round after struggling in the first. Finally, I saw Sean O'Malley quite literally walk through Chito. Despite getting battered the whole fight, Chito managed to just eat every shot but clearly lost by decision. After this fight, it was finally time for bed.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
The Highest I've Ever Been (High)
March 10, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Although I tried to sleep in, some loud guests in the hostel meant I didn't get much further than about 8pm. Luckily, I had one good sleep after our hike. We decided to see the viewpoint in the morning before the heat, but it didn't really eventuate as it is just always very hot, apparently. This was cool, but some cloudy weather meant that the volcan de agua that stands over Antigua wasn't in full effect. It was still nice to see the city, though. Even cooler as we walked down, we realised we could see the volcan de fuego and volcan de Acatenango that we had walked a few days earlier. And, of course, fuego was spitting smoke into the sky (pic 8). Today was our final day in Antigua, so we also explored as much as we could, taking in the beautiful colours. By the time the afternoon had arrived, there were some major festivities taking place. People had been placing flowers and wood chips in interesting patterns on the roads all day, and now most of the city was draped in purple gowns, or even the gear of a Roman legion. We figured out eventually that they were recreating Jesus' walk to be crucified, as it was a part of their early Easter celebrations. We watched this for a while, but the heat meant that eventually, we would leave to catch up with Corrie and Kaz one last time. Though, we do keep extending it and finding ways to catch up with each other again. We found a wine bar where each glass you buy gets cheaper by about a dollar. And, as someone who loves making money, we made very good use of that. Below is drunk Sarah's reflection on the night.

Sarah Entry: Caught up with Corrie and Caz for a big night of drinking. The wine got cheaper with every glass, which equals a recipe for a veryyy drunk Sarah. The wine was great, which redeemed Chilean wine after the Mexico tragedy that went down the sink. We fucked that bus in Vinos shop before going to get some amazing delicious craft mac n cheese dinnies with weed corrie had found in a book. The dinner slapped hard and was followed by the amazing dessert if a snickers bar notmnomnom. Great day and we get to sail PANAMAAAAAA with the best peeps evaaaaaaaaaaaa.

After a great night and lots of wine, we headed back to the hostel of Corrie and Kaz and smoked a bit of weed. Kaz had found it in a book of a restaurant while waiting for a bus and it was great. By the end I was very fucked up. Regardless I managed to make it home and enjoy a very good sleep.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Hungover travel day
March 11, 2024 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Unfortunately, we had to wake up after a big night of drinking and get on a very rough transfer to the airport. But after this was a very big travel day. It started off poorly with a lot of traffic, meaning that our drive that should take 40 minutes took well over 3 hours. This meant we were checking in our bags, basically, as our flight was boarding. Fun times. Luckily, we did make it and could now enjoy the next 2 flights of about 2 hours each, plus a 2 hour layover, then a 1 hour taxi to our accommodation. Was a long day. But, this meant we had touched down in my 33rd country on this trip and 36th in my life. Eventually, we arrived at the Journey hostel where we barely checked in before falling asleep. We had aircon and a private room and enjoyed every bit of it as we slept for many, many hours. It was not an eventful day at all.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Admin day
March 12, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
After a great sleep in and some very average breaky from the hostel, we parked up on the couches and planned the Peru part of our trip. We were very organised to plan Mexico and Colombia, but everything after that is still open, so we used the day to plan it all out. We had also now decided to go back to Central America after South America so that we can do an island hopping tour of the La Blas islands with Corrie and Kaz. It sounds amazing, and we just have to find some things to do while they complete their work away. With this done, we enjoyed some drinks and the sunset over the rainforests of Colombia.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Tayrona National Park
March 13, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
The main reason for staying at the Journey hostel is that it is very close to the entrance to Tayrona National Park. This national park, like many others in colombia, is renowned for its biodiversity and much to Sarah's excitement, for its quantity of monkeys. It didn't take long until we found some very cute capuchin monkeys sitting in the trees and eating fruits. They were playful, and the babies were so cute and curious. As we continued, we didn't see much else, but we could hear Howler monkeys very close to the path. Although wanting to go looking for them, I wasn't sure what other critters may lie in these bushes (jaguars, snakes, etc.), so I used my better judgement and hoped to see them at a later date. As we continued, we were incredibly lucky to see the tiny tamarin monkey. We did not expect to see these, but their cute little squeals gave away their location. Getting a photo wasn't easy, but Sarah's camera does a pretty good job. The walk was great and very luscious in greenery and biodiversity. Yet, as we approached the final beach of the journey, it changed drastically from rainforest to carribean coastline. Palm trees, coconuts, and sand now laid the path for our journey, and it was cool to see it change. I guess we were on the carribean coast, and it felt like it suddenly. The final result, a beautiful cove that has beaches on either end, was easily the most picturesque part of the day. The water was beautifully blue, and with the forested mountains rolling into the palm trees that then rolled into the beautiful sands of the beach, it was a sight to behold. Although slightly busy, it was manageable. The long 4 to 5 hour walk means that most don't make it to the furthest beach, and we could enjoy the shade without having to battle too hard. We laid for about an hour to regain energy before packing up and heading off. This is when we saw people looking into the water about 10m from where we were lying. I inspected myself and couldn't see anything before a lady pointed out a camen sitting right beneath my nose, his snout sticking out of the river bank. Once you see it, it's hard to believe you couldn't see it at first, but it was really cool to see. I really wanted to see one but didn't expect to find one on our jungle walk, nor did I expect to get so close. The journey back was quicker, it was cooler, and we didn't need to stop as often. Though, we did still stop for the occasional monkey photo. We caught the motos back for a few dollars and were delivered right to the front door of the hostel. We once again ordered dinner and had a couple of drinks. We met another British couple and chatted most of the evening while we had some drinks and ate. We both headed to bed for an early night, eventually.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
River Tubing
March 14, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
We slept in as we didn't have a lot planned for today before going and getting some breakfast. Although it was OK, the food here wasn't great during our stay. We checked out and made our way to Rio Hostel, where we would be spending a couple of nights. When we arrived in Rio, we were disappointed to hear that our aircon room wasn't available, but luckily they gave us some free meals, a discount, and a smaller room in compensation. A worthy and suitable compensation. Although we were early, they allowed us to check in and prepare for the river tubing. This is where you grab a six-pack, walk upstream, and jump in a tube to float down the river. It was actually a lot of fun, you could admire the dense colombian rainforest, look out for wildlife, get drunk, and meet new people. It was a very good way to meet people since you never knew who you might float into and spark up a conversation. This went for about an hour, and some parts you would float down quite quickly, making it more exciting than I expected. We were even lucky enough to finally see Howler monkeys in the trees above the river. We had heard them many times but I had finally seen them. We stopped for some rope swings and some cliff jumps before finally arriving back at the hostel. We drank quite a bit and had more tequila shots than I would like. But Sarah and I were still pretty gassed from the last week or so that had been quite busy. We headed to bed at about 11:30 with the anticipation of a big night tomorrow (Saturday). Rio is a huge party hostel so we were keen to make the most of it. Although being a party hostel, it was still very nice, and the food was incredible. They had a pizza place, a cafe and patisserie, a main restaurant, pool tables, volleyball court, ping pong table, fuseball, and much, much more. It was unbelievable.Read more
1 like
The Americas Traveler
Eco tour
March 15, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We woke up, and I nursed a minor hangover, likely the result of the tequila and going to bed before the alcohol had fully absorbed into my body, before getting breakfast. I enjoyed a very nice smoothie bowl. We then were surprisingly productive and booked a bunch more of our Peru trip before retiring to the bed to try and secure a little nap. But, as we were in a topical jungle, it was fucking hot. This meant the nap was sweaty and I woke up feeling worse than when I went to bed. I think the last week or so was getting the better of me and I was starting to become run down. Nonetheless we had an eco tour to complete. This was a 4 hour river cruise where we would spot camen, monkeys and enjoy a beer at sunrise. In the end we probably spent more time on the beach then on the river, but there was a nice little bar where we could buy beers and the guides told cool stories about the indigenous people and the local myths and legends. When we spotted our first camen he stopped the boat and we got out to pursue the animal on foot. We were shocked but we chased it for a while before giving up, assuming he had run back into his little den under the riverbank. We saw howler monkeys and lots of cool birds. On our way back, when it was now night, we once again attempted to spot some camen getting up close and personal with them. He even managed to catch a baby with his hands, allowing us to get a good picture. It was actually kind of cute too. This ended our tour and we eventually got driven back to the hostel. Unfortunately, by now I was very run down and sick. Because we got back late, we had a pizza and a couple drinks before just going to bed to get some rest. Despite being incredibly loud, the sickness meant I slept perfectly fine and recovered quite well. It was a shame to waste a night in a very cool hostel but I knew if I pushed it I would have ended up much sicker. It was the right move but a shame nonetheless.Read more
0 likes
The Americas Traveler
Cartegena
March 16, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
We got a good sleep last night, and I began to recover well from my sickness. Today would be pretty relaxed too so I could rest still. We packed our bags and checked out of the hostel. We then walked about 20 minutes to the main road where our shuttle would drive us to Cartegena. It was a very comfortable and cruisy drive, despite taking about 6 hours. It just meant I could catch up on admin. When we arrived, we were finally somewhere quiet enough to Uber and got to our hotel for about 3 dollars. This meant it was about 4:30 when we arrived and we headed to the shops to gather the things for a few days of cooking. Today, we would make a little makeshift chacuterie board. We had a nice little airbnb so we could watch the sunset over the water while we enjoyed some snacks and a wine. We then watched netflix and fell asleep early.Read more
0 likes
The Americas Traveler
Sweat and Sloths
March 17, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
We had a 10 o'clock walking tour today, so we had an easy morning before beginning our walk toward the historical centre of town. Although only about 20 minutes, I was already dripping in sweat. It's not a good start when you are going to spend the next 3 hours walking around the sun. The tour was good but nothing amazing, we learnt a bit about Cartegena and its origins, the slave trade, and the fight for independence. It's quite funny that the full name of the town is Cartegena de Indias. Dating back to when the Spanish had thought they had travelled to India before discovering the America's. We explored some of the plazas, the parks, and the historical monuments. Toward the end of the tour, we ventured toward Getsemani, the historically poor suburb for those who count afford to live in the walled city of Cartegena (historical centre). On our way, we wandered through a park that is known to house a sloth family of 8, and we were lucky to spot one. It was super cute and a bucket list item of mine to see one in the wild. Though it's barely the wild. Getsemani was beautiful too, with lots of artwork and colourful graffiti, it made the city so nice to walk through. This is where the tour ended, and Sarah and I quickly had to find some aircon to cool down. We headed back to the historical centre and found an Irish pub. Yet because it was Saint Patty's Day (without us knowing), it was hard to get a table. Even when we got one, though, the meals looked average and were expensive. We made a great choice by heading to an Asian place for some sushi. It was amazing. We got a lychee lemonade and plenty of sushi, and it was all so incredibly nice and refreshing. After this, we walked around the city walls that encapsulate the old town and explored the old streets. After some more time, we found a very busy but cute little street where locals were drinking cocktails. Each was very strong and equivalent to about 4 AUD. They tasted good enough for the price, and we were very drunk by the time we left. We explored the streets a bit at night and took in the atmosphere. The city is even more beautiful by night as the lights lit up the colourful buildings and show off the vibrancy of Cartegena.Read more
0 likes
The Americas Traveler
San Filipe Fort
March 18, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
We had a food tour booked for the afternoon, and the typically hot weather in the region meant we didn't want to do too much before a lot of walking. We did, however, want to explore one of the militaristic artefacts of the city and saw the San Filipe Fortress. This was a colossal concrete monument that shadowed the ancient city and protected its citizens from attack from the sea and land. Although a brutal walk during the heat, the size and height of the fortress meant that you got a great view of the city of Cartegena. As well as providing fantastic defensive structure during the colonial periods. Defences that extend all the way around the city through the city walls that are still present. Unfortunately, we didn't get much about its uses due to being mostly in Spanish. The fort was last used during the 16th century, and the structure was, of course, not overcome. As you explored, you can see why. Multiple levels with many cannons meant any attack from any angle would face endless cannons fire. Along with it was a seemingly endless maze of alleyways and hidden corridors. Whether for defence or just liveability, I don't know, but it was interesting to walk through. After this, we were desperate to escape the heat and found a nice cafe for some coffee and juice. This killed some time for a while before we decided to explore Getsemani some more and see the other parts we missed. They ended up being some of the most beautiful. We explored some beautiful street art, colourful buildings, and streets before eventually going back to the sloth park to kill time. We saw another 4 sloths and many monkeys again and watched them for some time until the tour started. When the food tour did start, we started as it began to cool down, which we were very thankful for. We tried 9 different types of local food. Although all were good, some were much better than others. The attached photos are the highlights. Ceviche-type dishes, arepas, and patacones were the best. But to go with this was different fruits, sweets, juices, and soups. Overall, it was very interesting. We finished off with an ice cream and headed home for some drinks. We found a sports bar, and we got to watch some NBA and enjoy a few more drinks before getting Hungry Jack's on our way home.Read more
1 like