Sunday, 23 August 2009
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Honduras Round Up
Greg´s favourite: Omega jungle lodge
Shandy´s favourite: Utila, swimming with dolphins
Distance travelled: we have become to lazy to work this out
Flights taken: 0
Food: 7/10 lobster 9/10
Averate price of beer: 35 Lempira, $1.95; 1.30 pounds; R16.90
- Beer in Honduras is horrible, but we still drank some everyday
- They are currently in the middle of a coup and there is no prime minister
- They had an earthquake 3 days before we arrived
Shandy´s favourite: Utila, swimming with dolphins
Distance travelled: we have become to lazy to work this out
Flights taken: 0
Food: 7/10 lobster 9/10
Averate price of beer: 35 Lempira, $1.95; 1.30 pounds; R16.90
- Beer in Honduras is horrible, but we still drank some everyday
- They are currently in the middle of a coup and there is no prime minister
- They had an earthquake 3 days before we arrived
Honduras
The Bay Island of Utila in the Caribbean sea is just what we needed after hiking the volcanoes and ancient Mayan ruins of Guatemala. Utila is mainly a diving island with loads of jacked up dive schools and relaxed atmostphere.
On our first trip out diving we went to the North side which you can only visit when the weather is good. Not only were we lucky with the weather but we were lucky enough to snorkel with dolphins on the way to our first dive and then again after our first dive where they hung around and seemed as interested in us as we were in them. They must have hung around for about 20 mins which was brilliant. Turtles are no longer the favourite, dolphins are Sweaty Betty´s favourite animal to see now.
We enjoyed the diving and got to see some amazing stuff like flounder fish, spotted drummer fish, eagle ray and a school of 28 squid.
When we werent diving we spent the rest of the 5 days chilling on the beach and enjoying grilled lobster. We were lucky enough to be there over carnival weekend which is huge celebration for the locals and this one we were told was going to be extra special cause famous reggae singer Eric Donaldson was performing. Both him and the local rappers "The Utila Thrillers" were horrible! The rappers were at least amusing.
After relaxing on the island we headed back to Le Ceiba on the mainland where we went up river to a jungle lodge for a couple of days. Shand´s really impressed me during our day of river hiking, jumping off rocks into the river, white water swimming and to finish off white water rafting the canyon section of the Rio Cangrejal. Shand´s stepped up and did everything!! She was a little shaky at one stage though, but it didnt stop her. Though I am sure it was her fault that we flipped our raft but you can draw your own conclusions from the photos. Unfortunately due to the lack of rain we werent able to raft the upper section. I guess we will have to return to the wonderful Honduras one day.
Onto El Salvador tomorrow.
On our first trip out diving we went to the North side which you can only visit when the weather is good. Not only were we lucky with the weather but we were lucky enough to snorkel with dolphins on the way to our first dive and then again after our first dive where they hung around and seemed as interested in us as we were in them. They must have hung around for about 20 mins which was brilliant. Turtles are no longer the favourite, dolphins are Sweaty Betty´s favourite animal to see now.
We enjoyed the diving and got to see some amazing stuff like flounder fish, spotted drummer fish, eagle ray and a school of 28 squid.
When we werent diving we spent the rest of the 5 days chilling on the beach and enjoying grilled lobster. We were lucky enough to be there over carnival weekend which is huge celebration for the locals and this one we were told was going to be extra special cause famous reggae singer Eric Donaldson was performing. Both him and the local rappers "The Utila Thrillers" were horrible! The rappers were at least amusing.
After relaxing on the island we headed back to Le Ceiba on the mainland where we went up river to a jungle lodge for a couple of days. Shand´s really impressed me during our day of river hiking, jumping off rocks into the river, white water swimming and to finish off white water rafting the canyon section of the Rio Cangrejal. Shand´s stepped up and did everything!! She was a little shaky at one stage though, but it didnt stop her. Though I am sure it was her fault that we flipped our raft but you can draw your own conclusions from the photos. Unfortunately due to the lack of rain we werent able to raft the upper section. I guess we will have to return to the wonderful Honduras one day.
Onto El Salvador tomorrow.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Guatemala
At the last momento, we decided to go to Guatemala. It was not in our original plan but we met so many travellers that loved it so we decided to go check it out.
We spent just a week there so I guess we just did a highlights trip and it was busy!! The landscapes of Guatemala are so beautiful, so many sharp mountains and lakes and the whole country is so green and undeveloped - although apparently this is rapidly changing. We started off with 2 nights in Flores - an island in the middle of a massive lake. From here we took a tour to Tikal - the most famous Mayan ruins set in the jungle. From there we decided to go to Semuc Champey which is in all the guidebooks as the most beautiful place in Guatemala but it is VERY remote - it took us the whole day to get there and the roads where horrendous. Greg was hoping to catch the second tri-nations game but that was definitely not going to happen - this place was so remote they didnt even have electricity let alone a TV. But it did not disappoint I have put some photos up because I can't explain how beautiful it was. We spent the days there hiking, swimming in whirlpools, tubing down the river and rock climbing down waterfalls on a tiny piece of rope - well scary!
After a few days we carried on to Antigua which is a cobbled street town set at the base of 3 volcanos - 2 active. We hiked to the top of one of the active volcanos. It was quite a hike - once you hit the old lava it gets quite difficult to climb. Anyway when we reached the top we got to toast some marshmallows in the lava which was pretty surreal.
That pretty much sums up our whirlwind trip of Guatemala I would have liked to have had more time to see other parts but for now we are on the Caribbean coast again in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
We spent just a week there so I guess we just did a highlights trip and it was busy!! The landscapes of Guatemala are so beautiful, so many sharp mountains and lakes and the whole country is so green and undeveloped - although apparently this is rapidly changing. We started off with 2 nights in Flores - an island in the middle of a massive lake. From here we took a tour to Tikal - the most famous Mayan ruins set in the jungle. From there we decided to go to Semuc Champey which is in all the guidebooks as the most beautiful place in Guatemala but it is VERY remote - it took us the whole day to get there and the roads where horrendous. Greg was hoping to catch the second tri-nations game but that was definitely not going to happen - this place was so remote they didnt even have electricity let alone a TV. But it did not disappoint I have put some photos up because I can't explain how beautiful it was. We spent the days there hiking, swimming in whirlpools, tubing down the river and rock climbing down waterfalls on a tiny piece of rope - well scary!
After a few days we carried on to Antigua which is a cobbled street town set at the base of 3 volcanos - 2 active. We hiked to the top of one of the active volcanos. It was quite a hike - once you hit the old lava it gets quite difficult to climb. Anyway when we reached the top we got to toast some marshmallows in the lava which was pretty surreal.
That pretty much sums up our whirlwind trip of Guatemala I would have liked to have had more time to see other parts but for now we are on the Caribbean coast again in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Guatemala Round Up
Greg's favourite: Semuc Champey
Shandy's favourite: Semuc Champey
Distance travelled: cant be sure
Flights taken: 0
Food: 5/10
Average price of beer: 18 Quetzels; $2.25; 1.5 pounds; R19.50
Shandy's favourite: Semuc Champey
Distance travelled: cant be sure
Flights taken: 0
Food: 5/10
Average price of beer: 18 Quetzels; $2.25; 1.5 pounds; R19.50
Photos - Guatemala
Sunset in Flores
There are loads of tarantulas at Tikal
Temple 5 at Tikal (not for those scared of heights)
Greg swimming in the lake in Flores
Bridges are yet to be discovered in Guatemala
View on our drive to Semuc Champey
They wouldn't let Greg wear his flip flops....
Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey (it was raining not Sweaty Betty)
Semuc Champey
Our home in Semuc Champey
Other 2 volcanos in Antigua
Extreme marshmellow toasting on volcano in Antigua
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