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Sophie Jones

Sophie Jones

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Santa Ana Cathedral
      Some of the beautiful buildings in Santa AnaPupusas!The ruins of the old art schoolClimbing Santa Ana volcanoThe view from the top1Some legend was selling ice lollies on the topCoatepeque CalderaInside the chicken busAtaco on the Ruta de FloresAtaco central plazaSouvenir market in AtacoJuayua central plaza and cathedralSanta Theresa Hot Springs1The natural hot springEl Cuco beach

      El Salvador

      28. huhtikuuta 2024, El Salvador ⋅ 🌩️ 26 °C

      With limited time to get through Central America I headed onto El Salvador. All I knew about El Salvador before going there was that for a long time it had terrible gang violence problems and one of the highest homicide rates in the world. In 2022, President Bukele declared a state of emergency and had a massive crackdown, imprisoning 72,000 people with any association to gangs. As a result El Salvador is now a much safer place.

      First up was Santa Ana, a colonial town but without the sheen of more popular colonial towns like Antigua or Oaxaca. In fact you saw very few tourists as you wandered around, most just went straight to the natural sites nearby. But I loved exploring Santa Ana, it felt very local and was the perfect antidote to the popular tourist towns of Guatemala. There were some stunning buildings from the gothic cathedral to the national theatre to the abandoned art school, and a range of architectural styles surrounded by the more traditional grid-like streets. And one thing you have to have when in El Salvador of their famous pupusas, a cheap street food of a thick maize tortilla stuffed with various meat, cheese or veg, and grilled until they're crispy. My favourites were bean and cheese, or jalapeño and cheese.

      One of the main reasons to visit Santa Ana is to climb the nearby volcano. We hiked up the side through the jungle and then breached the tree line to reach the top. As I was there in the wet season it was an overcast day so we had no view of the surrounding countryside and volcanoes, we just kept hiking towards a wall of cloud. But luckily the view of the bright turquoise crater lake was clear, making it all worth it. There were even some people selling ice lollies out of a cool box on the top, so it seemed rude to say no! After coming down from the volcano we visited the nearby Lake Coatepeque in a huge caldera 26 km across.

      Next I headed to the Ruta de Flores (route of flowers), a scenic road in the north of El Salvador that is lined with flowers. The road is also lined with small towns that are nice to visit. I stayed in a pretty town called Ataco and used it as a base to visit the other towns via the chicken busses. Chicken busses are the main way to get around in Central America, they are repurposed American yellow school busses that get packed full and wizz around the roads, often belching black smoke! The towns on the route usually have nice central plazas with some nice cathedrals and buildings, and a mix of local and tourist markets to browse. One of the towns Juayua holds a food market on weekends that I had to check out, mostly consisting of stalls selling barbeque type food. I have to admit that it was kind of hard to enjoy the food when you had several very skinny dogs watching you, I ended up giving most of my food away to them! I also visited the nearby Santa Theresa Hot Springs, a series of pools of varying temperatures from tepid to scorching! A perfect way to spend a day.

      With only one night spent in the capital San Salvador, I headed on to El Cuco, a small beach town in the south of El Salvador. El Cuco has a large black volcanic sand beach which was pretty striking. However it was so hot and humid in this part of the country that I mostly only wandered along it in the late afternoon as the weather got more bearable! Luckily I had treated myself to a room with air conditioning so I just enjoyed my time doing not a lot for a few days before heading off to the next country...      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      A square in Antigua with the volcanoes in the distance
      The central park of AntiguaCathedral San JoseArco de Santa CatalinaTraditional Guatemalan masksIglesia de la MercedThe courtyard of my hostel in the old townSunset at Lake AtitlánA church in San Pedro la Laguna, one of the lake villages

      Western Guatemala

      22. huhtikuuta 2024, Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

      For my last week in Guatemala I visited the popular tourist spots of Antigua and Lake Atitlán. Antigua was the capital of Guatemala from 1524 until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, when the capital was moved to the safer location that is now Guatemala City. Antigua was abandoned for almost a century before people started moving back in so much of the historic centre consists of 17th century baroque style architecture. One of the most famous landmarks is the Arco de Santa Catalina, an arch built in 1694 originally connecting the Santa Catalina convent to the school so that the nuns didn't have to go on the street. It's a beautiful town to spend time in, it seemed better preserved than many of the colonial towns in the Latin Americas. If it weren't for the constant stream of traffic you'd think you'd gone back in time. The towering volcanoes that appear occasionally when the clouds clear added to the beauty and drama of the town.

      Next up was Lake Atitlán, a lake in a volcanic caldera that was formed by a supervolcano 84,000 years ago. At 340 meters deep it is the deepest lake in Central America, and supposedly one of the most beautiful in the world. On a sunny day you can see multiple volcanoes surrounding the lake, but unfortunately the sky was cloudy for the entire time that I was there so I couldn't see them! Still, I had fun exploring the villages on the shores of the lake. The villages are mostly inhabited by Maya people and still live quite traditional lives. They can be visited by a small local boat that zips across the lake once it's full.      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      1Lake Petén Itza
      The colourful streets of FloresSunset from the island.A glimpse of a temple towering over the jungleTikal Ruins1Temples peeking over the treesThe backwaters of Rio DulceMy lodge over the riverThe high limestone cliffs lining Rio DulceLivingstonPlaya BlancaLivingston high street2Tapado

      Eastern Guatemala

      14. huhtikuuta 2024, Guatemala ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

      Sadly saying goodbye to Mexico I crossed into Central America to Flores in the east of Guatemala. Flores old town is located on an island in Lake Petén Itza. It is an old Mayan city that had been inhabited since 900-600 BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas. It was conquered and destroyed by the Spanish in 1697 and is now a quaint colonial town painted in bright colours.

      From Flores I went to see Tikal. Tikal is one of the major Mayan ruins and was occupied from the 6th Century BC to the 10th Century AD, although most of the larger temples were built in the 8th Century. Like most Mayan ruins it fell into decline and was near abandoned at the end of the 9th Century; the causes of the Mayan Empire collapse is still a mystery. It was reclaimed by the jungle until it was excavated in 1848. Wandering through the hot and humid jungle to suddenly get a glimpse of the towering temples through the trees was quite an experience. It makes you wonder what it must have been like to discover them.

      Keen for some respite from the jungle heat I headed to Rio Dulce, a river that runs from Lake Izabal to the Caribbean. The southern end of the river near the lake is lined by jungle and has multiple backwater channels with lodges that can only be accessed by boat. The lodge I was staying in was built on stilts and boardwalks over the water's edge, where I loved spending a couple of days chilling in a hammock or lounging in the pool, watching the hummingbirds zipping around. It's the only way to cope with the tropical heat!

      After a couple of days of this I jumped back in a boat and headed downstream to Livingston on the Caribbean. As the Rio Dulce heads north towards the Carribbean it enters a canyon lined with towering limestone cliffs. Livingston is quite different to the rest of Guatemala, with quite a distinctive Caribbean vibe. It is quite ethnically diverse with a mix of Afro Caribbeans, Mayans, Latinos, and Garífuna people, who are the descendants of free Africans and native American people. An excellent Garífunan dish that I had to try was the Tapado, a soup made with fish, crab, prawns, plantain, sweet potato, and coconut milk. Extra delicious, especially when washed down with a mojito! I spent time in Livingston exploring the town and Playa Blanca, a beautiful white sand beach. One end of the beach has quite a party vibe but if you keep walking it becomes almost deserted. I wish I had spent more time in Livingston as I loved it there but I had a lot to see so I had to keep moving...      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      A view of San Cristobal from a hilltop church
      The Cathedral of San Cristobal de las CasasTemplo de Santo DomingoSome of the old streets of San CristobalA mother loving feeding her child Coca ColaSumidero CanyonLa Pila Fountain at the centre of Chiapa de CorzoAqua Azul Waterfalls2Misol Ha waterfallPalenque

      Chiapas

      10. huhtikuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

      Leaving Oaxaca I headed for Chiapas, the final state that I'd be visiting in México. Before going to the capital San Cristobal de las Casas, the only thing that I'd heard about it was that the water was so dirty that even showering in it was unsafe, and that you will definitely get ill if you go there. In my research I'd also read that Chiapas was dangerous because of hijackings and bandits on the roads. So needless to say I wasn't too keen on going there! Alas, it stood between me and my next destination, Guatemala, so I had to brave it. As it turned out San Cristobal was one of the loveliest cities that I had visited in Mexico. It had the colourful colonial charm of Mexico City and Oaxaca but with a much more chilled vibe, it felt more like walking around a provincial town. There was also a much stronger presence of the Mayan culture with many of the locals wearing the traditional dress. Still, I made sure to only use filtered water to wash my face and teeth, which worked fine enough for me!

      As I'd headed into southern Mexico I had become slightly addicted to the Mexican drinking chocolate which can be had caliente (hot) or frio (cold). The use of cocoa originated in southern Mexico around 4000 years ago, the Mayans believed that it was the food of the gods and it's still very popular now, often drank with bread or pastry for breakfast. It's typically made with grated dark chocolate, milk or water, little sugar, and spices such as chili, cinnamon and cardamom for flavor. However bars of chocolate never seemed to catch on as I could never find any decent ones! Another favourite beverage of Mexico is Coca Cola, they drink more per head of population here than anyone in the world. Within Mexico, Chiapas drinks the most with the average daily consumption of Coca Cola being around 2.2 litres per person! In some places they revere it almost to a religious level, and you can see it reflected on the street art.

      Being in the central Highlands of Mexico, Chiapas also had some incredible natural beauty to see. First off was Sumidero Canyon, which we viewed from above before taking a boat trip on the river. It seemed like a good idea to buy a beer for the journey from a floating bar at the dock, before we headed off at full speed and realised how bumpy the journey would be! Still, we managed to slow down for parts of the journey so we could drink out beers before they went totally warm! We even managed to see come spider monkeys and crocodiles. On the way back we stopped at the historic town of Chiapa de Corzo which has been occupied since 1500 BC, and was occupied by the Spanish in 1528 leaving behind some impressive Moorish structures such as the Pila Fountain built in 1562.

      My final stop in Mexico was going to be the Mayan ruins of Palenque. This was a long and winding road trip away from San Cristobal so the journey was broken up by visiting some beautiful waterfalls! First up was Aqua Azul, a series of waterfalls of the brightest blue, caused by a high concentration of calcium carbonate in the water. Next was Misol Ha, a high waterfall dropping into a clear pool with a cave behind it that you could walk along. Finally we arrived at the Palenque ruins. Palenque was a Mayan city state that was occupied from 226 BC to 799 AD. Since then it has been left to the jungle which has almost entirely engulfed it. The main areas have been excavated and it is a fascinating place to explore. It all felt very Indiana Jones!      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      So much street art
      31The Metropolitan Cathedral made from the distinctive green tinged local stoneColourful streetsMojigangasTemplo de Santo DomingoThe impressive golden interior of Templo de Santo DomingoMore street art...Traditional drinks being made in the central marketAgua de Chilacayota - a traditional drink made from shredded squashTlayuda and Jamaica, a sweet hibiscus drink at the central market"smoke alley" where all of the meat is cooked in the marketMount Alban on eclipse dayHierve el AguaThe pool at the top of the fallsMezcal tasting

      Oaxaca

      4. huhtikuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      While reluctant to leave Mexico City, at least I had Oaxaca to look forward to. I'd heard good things about Oaxaca and it didn't let me down! Oaxaca City has a beautiful old colonial centre that has been truly made Mexican by the bright colours, plentiful street art, and lively culture. Oaxaca was another place that you could happily walk around for hours and never get bored of looking at the cool street art, visiting little shops and cafes, and discovering hidden markets. It also has it's fair share of impressive cathedrals and churches, including the 16th century Templo de Santo Domingo, which is heavily guilded on the inside and glows gold as the sunsets. You also never know when you will come across the mojigangas, 10-15 foot tall puppets that make the centre piece of a wedding parade. The puppets are usually followed by other strangely dressed figures, a giant spinning ball, a mariachi band, and a huge crowd of partygoers and hangers on.

      Oaxaca is also a region known for its food, often considered the best in Mexico. The most famous traditional dish of the region is probably the mole, a complex sauce made from many ingredients such as fruit, nuts, spices, and chocolate, often eaten with chicken and rice. The central market was a great way to further explore the cuisine of the area. Traditional drinks are made in huge terracotta vats, I tried a peculiar one called agua de chilacayota, made of shredded squash and walnuts and served with a spoon. Another favourite of mine was horchata, a creamy drink made from rice or nut milk and flavoured with cinnamon. The food section of the market was hot and rammed with hungry locals, you just need to find space at a bench and order from a basic menu. I had a vegetarian tlayuda, a large tortilla topped like a pizza with bean paste as the base, with veg, avocado and courgette flowers, and then the stringy Oaxacan cheese. A classic meal eaten in the night market outside was barbacoa de borrego, slow cooked barbecue lamb made into a soup with veg, chickpeas, and loads of spices.

      I had learned only a week or so earlier that the eclipse was passing over Mexico while I was there. I wouldn't get to see totality which was passing over Durango where I had been only a couple of weeks earlier, but there was going to be 60% coverage in Oaxaca. So this seemed like a fitting day to head to Mount Alban, ancient Zapotec ruins from around 500 BCE. Mount Alban was one of the first major cities in mesoamerica and was created by levelling off the top of the mountain, which makes a striking site. Not being prepared for an eclipse and not wanting to look at the sun, I spent most of my time watching the reflection of the eclipse in my phone screen. But it was still pretty cool to witness it sat on top of an ancient temple with other people going the same, some people even let me use their glasses.

      When in Oaxaca I had to go and see Hierve el Agua, one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world (the other is in Turkey). They are formed by natural springs that are oversaturated with calcium carbonate which precipitates out as the water runs over the cliffs. The top of the waterfall has some natural and artificial pools that you can spend some time in while taking in the valley below. Next up was Mitla, another site of ancient Zapotec ruins, followed by Mezcal tasting. Mezcal doesn't quite do it for like tequila does so I was quite reserved this time and didn't end up with a hangover!      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Hustle and bustle around the Metropolitan Cathedral
      Metropolitan Cathedral from another angle!A witchdoctor performing a cleaning ritual in front of the cathedralThe 18th Century Casa de los Azulejos, or the House of TilesA book market down a side streetA centrepiece at the National Museum of AnthropologyCDMX aka Ciudad de México aka Mexico CitySome of the beautiful buildings in RomaBarges at Xochimilco canals1Paletas - Mexican ice lollies made from fresh fruitLa Lagunilla Sunday flea marketStreet food in the marketBeer with tamarind paste and dried chillies or nuts, a very popular beverageSampling the local ciderA lucha libre match!1Drama overflowing out of the ring post matchSome amazing quesadillas from a very popular street food stall in RomaMural near the Frida Kahlo museumPalacio de Bellas ArtesThe Two FridasZócalo and the Metropolitan Cathedral

      Mexico City

      26. maaliskuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

      As I travelled through northern Mexico I was told more than once, Mexico City is dangerous. Be careful. Planning to only stay a couple of nights to visit some must-see museums, I was pretty nervous getting off the bus in the evening and jumping in a taxi to the historic centre. But my trepidation was totally unwarranted and Mexico City became one of my all time favourite places. Of course you have to have common sense, and there are certain areas that must be avoided, but there was so much to see and do that I feel like I barely scratched the surface.

      I started off exploring the historic centre around my hostel. The historic centre is centered around Zócalo, a 16th Century main plaza, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. This was built on top of the Aztec temple at the centre of the original Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, destroyed by the Spanish in 1521. The ruins of this temple have been excavated and are on display in the heart of the city. Interestingly, Mexico City is sinking because of the weight of the modern structures, but the excavated temples aren't. This has left a bit of an illusion where it appears that the temples are rising out of the ground. These days the Zócalo is full of life with Mexicans living both modern and traditional lives, with the two often intersecting as witchdoctors adorned in feathers perform cleansing rituals in front of the Cathedral. This seems to be a genuine service being provided for the locals and not a tourist spectacle.

      The streets surrounding the main plaza are a series of beautiful colonial architecture that has been regenerated by the Mexican government to improve safety and appeal of the city. I would walk these streets for hours and still want to see more, every street had something interesting to see whether it was some cool architecture, an old church, beautiful plazas, some street art, street musicians & dancing, a historic business or a modern cafe. It has to be one of the most beautiful cities I've been in. I also wandered further afield to the more historically affluent areas such as Roma and Condesa that had beautiful old housing, tree lined streets, lively parks, and great cafes, restaurants and bars. One snack that I loved to eat in the heat of Mexico is paletas, ice lollies made mostly from fresh fruit, and sometimes from cream, chocolate, nuts and assorted other ingredients.

      I was in Mexico City over Easter so to celebrate I did as the Mexicans do. No, not go to church, but day drinking on a canal boat! But this isn't any canal, it's the UNESCO heritage site of Xochimilco, a 1000 year old system of canals created by a series of manmade islands. As the area has been protected it is now a tranquil green space amongst the chaos of modern Mexico City. Well, tranquil except for on Sundays when people go out on colourful barges drinking and blaring music, with the occasional mariachi band floating by. Yes, more tequila was consumed.

      An absolute must-do when in Mexico City is to go and watch a Lucha Libre match. Lucha Libre is a style of wrestling that originated in Mexico City in the early 20th Century. I would describe Lucha Libre as high camp with their dramatic acting and high flying manoeuvres that is similar to, and probably an inspiration for the WWE (or WWF if you're old like me). And of course Lucha Libre is characterised by the colourful masks that the luchadors wear to protect their identity. There were always the "good guys" that the crowd cheered for, and the "baddies" that the crowd booed, the whole fun of watching is joining in with the crowd as the drama unfolds!

      On another lazy Sunday I visited the huge La Lagunilla Market where I was severely tempted with an amazing range of clothes, art, and vintage homewares. But with little room in my backpack I made do with some of the amazing street food and refreshing drinks! The rest of my time in Mexico City was spent visiting world class museums such as the fantastic National Museum of Anthropology, The National Museum of Art, and the Museum of Popular Arte. And even though I missed out on the Frida Kahlo Museum because I didn't book tickets far enough in advance, I did manage to see one of her most famous paintings, The Two Fridas in the Museum of Modern Art. I wasn't too disappointed to miss the museum because I will 100% be going back!      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Chihuahua Cathedral
      There were many signs of civil unrest in the north of Mexico.Cowboy boots everywhere!Durango CathedralA piñata shopLive scorpions in the local museumThe Durango viewpointGorditas!Guadalajara CathedralTequila in TequilaThe largest tequila cellar in MexicoTequila agave fieldsAgave storage at a tequila distillerySampling the goodsWhen things started getting messier!Lago de ChapalaReligious trinkets on sale outside the churches on SundayGuadalajara Cathedral by nightDanza de Los Voladores, or "dance of the flyers". A mesoamerican ritual.

      Chihuahua, Durango, & Guadalajara

      10. maaliskuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      At the end of my El Chepe train journey I found myself in Chihuahua, a mere 1,500km from where I wanted to go next, Mexico City. Having already been through one Mexican airport I didn't fancy doing it again so the bus it was! Luckily the buses in Mexico are great, you get a huge, comfortable seat that reclines really far and with loads of space in front of you. Still, I didn't fancy doing the whole journey in one go so I checked the map (and safety advice) and decided to break the journey up and take my time going south.

      Travelling in the north of Mexico was interesting for me as it was mostly way off the beaten track. There was very little for tourists in these cities, so I just explored the cities, absorbed the culture, and enjoyed the food! Chihuahua had a very western, as in cowboy western feel to it. Everywhere you went there were cowboy boots, clothes, and leather goods on sale. There were also a lot of signs of civil unrest in Chihuahua and the other cities of north Mexico, where government buildings, historical monuments and cathedrals were graffitied and plastered with flyers about the crimes of local prominent men against women and girls. It was international women's day a few days earlier so I guessed that this was related.

      Chihuahua is the home state of the burrito, which is nothing like the burritos that you get anywhere outside of Mexico. They're very simple, with only one filling of something like beans & cheese, and potato or meat with red or green salsa. At this point I was also addicted to chilaquiles for breakfast, fried tortillas covered in red or green salsa plus cheese, onion, and sometimes a fried egg or chicken. Chile relleno was also a favourite of mine, a large chile pepper filled with meat or cheese and covered in salsa or refried beans. Delicious!

      To break up the journey I stopped in Durango for a couple of nights, it was a nice Mexican city where I just enjoyed the central cathedral and plaza, visited a museum where the most interesting exhibit was the case of live scorpions, and got a cable car to a viewpoint on a hill. Continuing the gastronomic tour of Mexico, the local dish of Durango is the gordita, which means "little fat one" in Spanish. Gorditas are made with maize dough stuffed with meat or cheese and then fried and covered in salad and salsa. Delicious and messy!

      Finally I headed to Guadalajara. Yet another nice city with a huge cathedral and beautiful historic centre. There is a large student population in Guadalajara so it also felt very young and edgy, with lots of street art, music, and protests, and a huge flea market selling clothes & art etc. mostly to the students. Guadalajara is the capital of the Jalisco state, which is the home of mariachi music and tequila! So of course I had to make a trip to the tequila farms and visit the pueblo magico of Tequila town. It all started off very civilised as we visited some tequila farms and distilleries, but as they plied us with more and more tequila things got more and more messy! By the morning we were all regretting booking a trip to Lagos de Chapala, Mexico's largest lake. But we ploughed through and were glad of the fresh air and beautiful scenery in the end!      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Los Mochis
      Up early to get the El ChepeBreakfast of Burritos on the trainViews from the CanyonRarámuri ladies selling woven baskets and food on the tracksWaving the El Chepe off in Posada BarrancasPosada Barrancas stationThe incredible views of the Copper Canyon1The Creel town squareSan Ignacio mission - built in the 1700sA waterfall with very little water!The Valley of Mushrooms

      Barrancas del Cobre

      6. maaliskuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Always a fan of epic train journeys, when I learned about the Chihuahua Express, aka El Chepe, I knew I had to take it. The El Chepe runs through Barrancas del Cobre, or the Copper Canyon. The train runs right through Narco territory, an area sometimes referred to as the Golden Triangle of Mexico due to the amount of drugs grown here. Because of this you see very few international tourists here, especially on the regional train that I took. But this just makes it more fun as you end up travelling with Mexican tourists and local cowboys! And don't worry, the UK gov say that the train journey is safe!

      The train line runs 418 miles from Los Mochis on the coast to Chihuahua in the centre of Mexico. The journey starts off going through low level farm land, but before long you're craning your neck to look at the steep canyons all around you. The train wound higher and higher through the canyon before finally stopping at Posada Barrancas, a tiny town on the rim of the canyon. I got off the train to spend a night here, with nothing much to do but walk along the rim and marvel at the size of the canyon.

      The next morning I got back on the train and continued along the line to Creel, another Pueblo Magico. Creel was a quaint little town that felt a little like the American western towns that you see in the movies. Aside from the excitement of the El Chepe coming and going a few times a week there's not much going on. It has a nice little main street with a church and a square, and was an interesting place to sit and watch the colourfully dressed local Rarámuri people go about their days and befriend the local street dogs. I did go on a tour of the local sites, and I enjoyed seeing the area but you couldn't help but feel like they're scraping the barrel when they take you to see some elephant or mushroom shaped rocks! Still I had fun practicing my Spanish with the guide Juan and the sweet old mexican couple that were with us.      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Loreto missionPapas rellenas, or potato stuffed (although I'd say smothered) with beans and cheese1The view from the ferry

      Loreto & La Paz

      24. helmikuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      The whale watching wasn't over yet! On the way to Guerrero Negro I had stopped off in Loreto for a couple of nights to break up the long bus journey. Loreto is a nice little town with not much going on except for the fact that it's the first place on the peninsula that was successfully colonised by the Spanish after several failed attempts. As a result it has the oldest Jesuit mission on the peninsula, built in 1697. While in Loreto I found out that Loreto is one of the few places that you can go to see Blue Whales, and they were currently in town! So I couldn't pass on the opportunity to go and see them on my way back down the peninsula. Blue whales are the biggest animals ever known to have existed, including any dinosaurs. They are in the Sea of Cortez around some offshore islands near Loreto for only two months of the year during winter, coming to the area to breed and feed on krill in the nutrient rich waters.

      Going to see the blue whales was a much calmer affair than seeing the humpbacks or grey whales, there was no breaching or curiosity about the boats. Instead you look for the huge plume of water sprayed into the air when they breathe and head in its direction. When you get there it may have already dived back to the deep water to feed, so you just wait for up to 10 minutes until it surfaces again. When it does, it'll stay at the surface for a few minutes taking several breaths, before flipping its tail and diving deep for another 10 minutes or so. You see so little of the whale yet you still get an impression of its vast size by the size of the plume of water being sprayed up, the glacial place at which it moves and of course the huge tail when it's flipped in the air. It's a very graceful animal that once again makes you feel very humbled.

      The sea around Loreto is also home to Loreto Bay National Park, a UNESCO site that is home to plentiful marine life, not to mention a generally stunning area with islands, volcanic rock formations, and white sand beaches. So I went on another boat trip to explore these islands that included snorkeling with sea lions. I enjoyed being in the water with the sea lions as they're very cute and inquisitive, but the water was very murky and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were swimming through sea lion poo! Further around the island we did more snorkeling on a reef with actual clear water which felt much more pleasant. We also saw a small pod of dolphins that swam along the boat with us for a while before going their own way.

      Finally I headed to La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur. La Paz is a cool city with a laid back holiday vibe. There is a 5km long water front lined with piers, benches, marine themed sculptures, and plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops around to keep you entertained. The town itself had loads of beautiful street art that I liked to discover. But after a few days here it was time to move on from Baja California to head to the mighty Mexican mainland. So off I headed to get a ferry to Topolobampo, just across the Sea of Cortez. The ferry was much nicer than I was expecting and even had a free meal included! I headed up to the deck to watch the sunset as I reluctantly said goodbye to Baja, but I was very excited for the rest of Mexico!      Lue lisää

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    • Sophie JonesMatkaajaSophie's Trip
      Some of the cool street art in Todos Santos
      Some of the best tacos that I had in Mexico and about $2 each, not to mention very strong margaritasThe view from the hike to the beach1Whales peeping at the tourists as the tourists look back in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon312An interesting way to get on/off the boat, just drive a pickup into the waterChecking out the ginormous saltwork machinery

      Todos Santos & Guerrero Negro

      22. helmikuuta 2024, Meksiko ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Ready to hit the road in Mexico, I headed to the Pueblo Magico of Todos Santos. Mexico has over 150 Pueblos Magicos, or magic towns that have kept much of their original culture, architecture and history intact. Todos Santos is a sleepy town, much quieter than Los Cabos and tends to attract hippies, artists, surfers, and van life types. It was nice to explore the galleries and street art in the town, and of course to have more excellent tacos and margaritas, the coconut prawn tacos were particularly good!

      The town is about a 30 minute hike from the beach, which when I got there I was amazed to see it almost deserted. Although to be fair, the tide was so strong you'd have to be pretty brave to swim in the water! I was hoping to see some whales from the shore and was thrilled to see a mother and baby humpback just beyond the shore line, they couldn't have been more than 30 meters away from me! I just sat and watched them for ages as they bobbed up and down for air just beyond the surf.

      I thought this was going to be my last chance to see whales in Mexico, my original plan was to head to the mainland within a couple of days. But I got chatting to some people in my hostel and learnt about the grey whales in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. This is a place where you don't go and see the whales, the whales will come and see you! The whales come up to the boats and enjoy getting some attention from people so you get to see them really close up. It was about a 14 hour bus ride out of my way to Guerrero Negro, but I had to go there! Thank god the busses in Mexico are decent. Guerrero Negro is a pretty unremarkable town, it mostly houses the workers for the nearby saltworks, which is the biggest commercial saltworks in the world. But it is right next to the UNESCO Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve which includes the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where grey whales spent the winter to reproduce in the relative safety of the sheltered lagoon.

      So I went out on a little boat to see the whales and it was as amazing as I hoped it would be. After about 10 minutes of heading into the lagoon we stopped the engines and just waited... Within a few minutes you can see huge shapes moving below you, and eventually they come closer to the surface until they're poking their heads up to take a look at you. Some of them will come close enough to be touched. Some rubbed their heads and backs on the boats, I wondered if they were trying to get some barnacles off! And every time they came up for air we got sprayed, which was quite frequent! There were often around 5-10 whales around the boat, just checking us out. It was such a surreal moment, I couldn't get enough of it. So, as I had come all of this way by bus just for the whales, I had to go out again the next day! If possible the next day was even better, there seemed to be even more whales around us and they were even more curious about the boat and its passengers. The captain that day had put on some music because apparently it draws the whales to the boat, so I'm not sure if that was working or if it was the calmer weather. As we were heading back to the dock at the end of the trip, one whale was swimming alongside us keeping up for a while. Then it went ahead and cut across our path to stop the boat, came around to the sides to get some attention from the passengers, and then headed off after a few minutes. It was the most unbelievable experience, I can't explain the feeling of making eye contact with a whale as it looks up at you, it's humbling!      Lue lisää

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