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South America Backpacking TripSouth America Backpacking Trip
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“ Our first backpacking trip. A few months touring the most spectacular locations of South and Central America!
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  • 150footprints
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  • 51kkilometers
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  • Day143

    Cancun vía Toronto vía London then Home!

     March 23, 2020 in the United Kingdom ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    So this is our last post, showing our journey to get back home 😊 it was a worrying time to return, but gladly our flights weren't cancelled. It was a beautiful return journey that took us over amazing views of the Caribbean sea and Gulf of Mexico 🇲🇽 its truly one of the most awesome views we've had on our flights (as alot were overnight 😂) and what better view to end our time in Latin America 😁 we made sure to make the most of the buffet breakfast at our hotel and we were on our long journey home! We made it to Toronto, and after many protocols in place to protect them from letting anyone in with the virus, we had 4 hours to kill in the airport, with its super modern tech to make orders, so we got right on it and ordered some beers! When we got on our flight it soon became apparent it would be a very quiet one with not many people at all, as we got told that it was an emergency flight to get people home before the company stopped flights completely for the lockdown period 🙄 so lucky that we managed to grab a flight that didn't get cancelled. We finally made it to UK soil.. Whoop, not before getting 2 national express buses to Manchester with alot of odd social distancing in place and a whole meltdown happening at London Victoria Station 😂😳🤔😯 we finally got to Manchester in the evening with welcoming smiley faces of Helen and Simon.. Thanks guys! 😁🤗 As for Australia.... Well definitely get there one day, until then that's all for now 😊 and thank you for following us on our epic journey, will see you all soon!Read more

    Mel Henshall

    Welcome home, and so pleased you managed to squeeze in one last food shot before concluding your adventure.

    3/31/20Reply
     
  • Day140

    Cancun adventures

     March 20, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    So there isn't alot to do here in Cancun unless you want to spend alot of money, and tip atleast 20% 😂🤑 so alot of our time has been spent on the beach, drinking cocktails but also our shop bought tinnies and sometimes a pack lunch... Like true Yorkshire folk lol 😂😂 but we're still having a great time, trying to enjoy our last few days before heading home. We had to make it to Cancuns Hard Rock to check out their celeb gear and get our hands on the yummy Hard Rock food... As their onion rings are amazing 😋 although it was interesting seeing how different the centre was to where we're staying (glad we're not in the centre 😂). Yesterday we had a change and decided to spend sometime in the hotels swimming pool... As I was desparate for a proper swim... (plus I know all leisure centres will be closed on return to the UK 😔,so have to make the most of it now!) Last night we also found alittle local Mexican cafe down one of back alleys just outside the main 'Blackpool-esque' centre (don't worry no funny business haha 😂) , it was quiet but the food was delicious! I had the battered fish tacos with avocado, salad and cilhipole sauce and zach had a beef taco along with a gringas pastor, which is a large fried taco filled with seasoned kabab pork, and topped with fresh pineapple and corriander 🍍🌮😋😋. Today we yet again decided to have another sunbreathing and sea swimming day, but not before renting a jet-ski to have abit of fun on the water.... It definitely woke us up for the day 😂Read more

    Mel Henshall

    Thanks for all the pics and tour guide, Z+C, it's been really great following your adventure. Hope the journey home works out OK. Take care and Bon Voyage xx

    3/23/20Reply
    Charlotte Fricker

    Thanks 😊 well be home shortly, just have to take a detour via Toronto first! 😂 Xx

    3/23/20Reply
     
  • Day139

    Cancun beachin' pt2

     March 19, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    More of our beaching in Cancun, with a walk down the beach to check out the area..... Safe to report we have a good hotel here 😂😂

    Mel Henshall

    Corona brewers will appreciate your product placement; they can't give it away here!

    3/23/20Reply
    Charlotte Fricker

    Haha 😂 unfortunate name for a beer atm... Not for us though, cheap as chips here, we'll have it lol

    3/23/20Reply
     
  • Day138

    Cancun beachin'

     March 18, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    So after many months of travelling, 5 to be exact it's come to a reluctant end due to the coronavirus making our original plans to fly to Australia and stay with friends for a month impossible 😭😔 we booked everything in advance but a few days before we were due to fly out from Mexico City, we heard Australia, and seems the rest of the world including the USA were imposing 14 day isolations and shutting borders, so after much thought and stress trying to cancel flights with hopes of refunds, we had to sadly scrap our plans and stay in Mexico until we can get a flight home to the UK! Which isn't all bad 😉 as we had 2 options; option 1: stay put in Mexico City for 6 more days until our flight home from Cancun or option 2: fly back to Cancun early and book an awesome hotel on the beach!! 😂😁 I mean I don't know about anyone else but Option 2 was 100% clear for us, even if Cancun is alittle like the Blackpool of Mexico 😂😂 luckily we did our research and we got a lovely hotel out from the centre, and party animals, with an amazing part of the beach... Calm and quite before we return to the apocalypse in 6 days! Our time here has been mainly eating (per usual) buffet breakfast.. Oh yes!! 😋 drinking cocktails on the beach and trying to forgot the panic that is going on in the world right now.Read more

    Mel Henshall

    Phew! At least you managed to get some food pics.

    3/23/20Reply
     
  • Day136

    Teotihuacan ruines pt2

     March 16, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    More of our time at Teotihuacán, climbing the incredibly steep steps of the Pyramid of The Moon with an amazing view from the top, down the Avenue of The Dead! 😁☠️

    Mel Henshall

    Wonderful place. I'm staggered that they let clodhopping tourists climb all over it taking selfies!!

    3/23/20Reply
    Zach Henshall

    Just on the renovated parts. The original ruins are off limits, thankfully!

    3/23/20Reply
     
  • Day136

    Teotihuacan ruines

     March 16, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we visited Teotihuacán. Less famous than Chichén Itza (by that I mean we'd never heard of it 😅) it is actually the most important and largest pre-Columbian city in Mexico. Founded around 100BC, it supported a population of 125,000 people from various cultures. It isn't a Mayan or Aztec city but a multicultural city that later influenced the Maya and was a direct precursor to the Aztec culture.
    I would say it is by far the most impressive site we visited. All because of the (apparently) famous pyramids; the sun temple and the moon temple. The pyramid of the moon is situated at the end of a long stretch of buildings ominously known as "The Avenue of the Dead" 💀👻😵 It is a huge, imposing and dread-inducing structure. We find the archaeological sites fascinating but this was the first time we could really picture the essence of the city. It was easy to imagine the huge gatherings that happened there (I could almost hear the drums beating as we approached).
    At the other side of the Avenue of the Dead is the colossal pyramid of the Sun. At just over 65m high it is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world! And it definitely felt like it on the way up 😳 It is unknown why it was originally built, or what it was called, but the Aztecs named it the pyramid of the Sun and used it to worship Quetzalcoatl (Pronounced "Ket-tha'-coat-love") the Serpent god of the second Sun. However it may have also been used to worship Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (Pronounced "incorrectly") who represents venus... and who may or may not be the same person as Quetzalcoatl. Honestly the religious aspects of the structures are way too complicated for us 😂 but the engineering and sheer size of the structures is absolutely incredible! Well worth the journey.    Read more

    Mel Henshall

    There are some really interesting theories about this amazing complex, really worth reading. Some quite bizarre, others fascinating. Called Pyramids of Moon and Sun by westerners who'd no idea! Quetzalcoatl is an interesting character.

    3/23/20Reply
     
  • Day134

    Anthropological Museum

     March 14, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we spent a full day in Mexico city's anthropological museum, we intended on coming here on our first visit in February but we didn't have enough days in this amazing city 😊 and you really need a whole day here at least. It must be the largest museum we've ever been to. It literally takes you from the dawn of man right through to the modern day cultures of Mexico, visiting every civilization and culture in great detail. To be honest it was a little overwhelming 😂 However it was fascinating to learn about the rich history of central America, especially through the Mayan and Aztec eras. Before we went we knew there were once Mayans and probably at one point Aztecs as well, maybe at the same time? But we never imagined how complex each civilization was, and how many different civilizations inhabited Mexico that weren't the Mayans or the Aztecs (turns out the Aztecs aren't even a single group but several different ones that inhabited the South West of Mexico for several centuries) The number of artifacts they have from each one of these cultures is astounding. The most impressive being the famous Mayan calendar: A huge, circular, stone tablet that used to take center stage in the main square of what is now Mexico City.Read more

    Mel Henshall

    Fantastic, the Mayans really were a special culture.

    3/19/20Reply
     
  • Day133

    México City... Back again

     March 13, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    So once again we're in Mexico City! Our days here have been made up of eating the street food that's just around the corner from our hostel, with good prices for what you get 🤤 and also they have an abundance of ice cream shops 😋🍦Read more

     
  • Day133

    Holbox last day!!

     March 13, 2020, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Our last half a day in Holbox consisted of more beach chilling and breakfast on the beach front. I had pancakes with fruit while zach had chilaquiles, which is a traditional mexican breakfast made up of tacos, meat, Refried beans, spicy chillies and sauce with coriander 😂🌮👌Read more

     
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