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We were up early again! Our pick up for the river tour is 7.00 am; barely squeezing in breakfast which turned out to be pretty good. Porridge with almond milk, fruit and a fried egg with pancake and maple syrup. A nice change from beans and omelettes.

Our guide for the float tour was Aurelio and he was so enthusiastic that between pick up and the river we had learned so much about the area we were visiting. He was a very experienced guide having been extreme kayaking since he was12! He was also very knowledgeable about the birds and a good spotter of animals. It was a delightful experience as we were the only people on the river for most of the trip. All we could hear were bird calls and howler monkeys and the babble of the fast flowing but fairly shallow Peña Blanca river.

The paddlers before launch

We found we were too busy paddling or floating to capture the monkeys but we did see many gamboling through the trees and making a really loud growling call. Much more ferocious sounding than they looked. It was so peaceful on the river and we had a few tiny rapids to add some fun. Too many birds to recall all the names but the highlights were kingfishers and Toucans and three iguanas.

Back at the hotel we headed for the Choyin river. Before the 1968 volcanic explosion the river turned warm. It was a warning that was not understood and locals decided to capitalise on the hot springs and set up thermal pool resorts. However the river remains free access and we organised a taxi to take us and pick us up later. What a delight! A whole hour and a bit soaking in a warm stream amongst the rocks. Very relaxing and Free!

After our hour soaking we were all very relaxed. Ended our day with cocktails and dinner at the Red Frog, a Soda Restaurant. The food was excellent and very well priced. Soda is not soft drink as we thought. It has become a local word for home cooked meals in small restaurants. They get the name from when tourists came and there were no towns or restaurants and they used to knock on the door asking for water or sodas but the locals didn’t understand and offered food which the tourists ate and so the word became linked with food.

Shona, Susan and Amy took a whole day cruise down the Cano Negro and were more able to take photos. They were able to see so many animals and birds and a sloth on the way back. We had sloth envy!

Once again a relaxing afternoon and dinner in the Red Frog Soda was a special delight. The vegetarian fried rice was scrumptious. Tomorrow the cloud forest.

We had an early start today heading to La Fortuna -the gateway to the jungle. On the way we stopped at a place for toilets and saw chocolate bars with CBD ( marijuana). We thought we should buy some but the chocolate melts in the car!

Next was a tortilla making experience. Amy got to make the dough (corn flour and water) and roll it into balls then we had to flatten them out- no presses here!

Our teacher had prepared food beforehand and we got to eat it after throwing our tortillas on the stove. It was so hot in the kitchen. Our food was really delicious. Best chicken ever and lots of vegetables.

Along the very winding road we passed many crops of pineapples and Dracena plant farms. They export both products.

One of our new members Swiss French Julie, became car sick and had to move up to the front.

We then had a visit to an adventure tourism place to see what activities we would like to do tomorrow. Most of them were adrenaline activities like white water rafting, abseiling, canyoning, zip lining etc!

As it was the first real day of the tour we were mindful not to break anything before we had seen the animals we came to see! Peter Anne and I opted for a 2 hr float down the Pena Blanca on a blow up raft.

We soon after arrived at our hotel, The Magic Mountain Resort. Probably the best place yet but definitely the best shower for two weeks. It is set in tropical gardens, looks to the Volcano and has two pools.

We had time to visit the Sloth Park. Our original intention was to do a self guided walk but Ronny organised a special price and so we had a guide. He was a young guy full of enthusiasm with sharp eyes and a spotter scope. Without him we would have seen nothing. Sloth are asleep very high in the trees and so are hard to discern. Our guide was very excited to see a few animals not always around. We saw a leaf frog( very creepy with red eyes), a poisonous red and blue frog which was only as big as a 50cent piece, wood pecker, owl, vultures and a few I can’t remember. The sloths were exciting to see but they are very hard to spot.

They sleep 16hours a day and only come down from the tree once a week to toilet. They dig a hole and poo into it then cover it up! The three toed sloth does a dance when he comes down to toilet. Our guide demonstrated which was very amusing.

Back to our hotel after dinner and we crashed. Apparently there was a fight in an apartment above us which Julie and Lisa heard but not us!

San Jose had a different vibe to what we expected and after checking in, Peter, Anne and I took off for a real lunch. We found a great sandwich place and had iced coffees and smoothies. A big improvement on biscuits!

US dollars are taken readily so I haven’t bothered to switch to the local currency yet. It has a massive exchange like US$1 equals 500.50 Colones. Soo confusing. A steak tonight was 11,000 ($21.00). Huge meals.

There are some very impressive buildings but there is a main avenue of shops which are a mix of discount outlet style and quite nice shops but it all seems a bit tacky. About 4 McDonald’s in 4 blocks! The impression maybe influenced by the number of closed places and we are sleep deprived. It is Easter after all. Some of our tourist destinations ( like the Jade Museum and Gold museum were closed).

As we meandered the streets we ventured into the Cathedral which from the outside looked more like a town hall but inside was elegant and it had beautiful stained glass windows. All c18th century.

Next thing we heard a mass being publicly broadcast and so we wandered towards it. Opposite a little square dedicated to something to do with the European Union we came across a bronze statue of John Lennon and a marble statue of a famous Argentinian guitarist. Opposite was the Church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrow. Then a flurry of activity occurred with people in costume emerging from the church. It was the procession for Our Lady of Sorrow. We were impressed that the tableau’s were being carried by women. They are really heavy.

Our guide explained the women with fancy headdresses were representing the women of the temple . They carried banners asking for forgiveness. The procession went all around town hence the barricades we had come across.

After the procession left we went into the church itself. It was similar in decoration to the Cathedral but had a blue ceiling signifying the Virgin Mary. We were amused that the Christ statue that had been lying in state was being bundled off .

We headed back to the hotel and readied ourselves to meet the new group members and our new group leader.

A long day became longer! Our guide is Ronny a young 29 year old with not much personality. After laying down expectations

Playa del Carmen was a huge shock after our quiet ruins and small traditional towns. It was like Surfers Paradise meets Venice Beach LA with a small beach. The shops were more upmarket and the American influence was apparent. there were heaps of cool bars and live music. People were dancing and hanging with large groups of friends. It is PARTY town! We soon heard the live music from a bar down the road. So loud we could hear distinctly what songs were being sung and how off key they were.

It was sad to say good bye to the group because we had really melded and everyone without fail was generous and friendly and on time! We all loved our exceptional guide Suzana who just worked so hard to make it a great trip. Her recommendations were always solid and her tour guides for special sites were superb.

Even with the door closed the music could be heard. A few of us groaned because we were supposed to leave at 2am for the airport and it seemed impossible to sleep . We did mostly.

Our flight to Costa Rica went via Mexico City! Flying into Latin America seems like the European Union. We left from a domestic terminal and no special treatment. The check in at the airport was a bit fraught until we realised we needed to press the buy baggage button to activate our luggage tags. Our luggage was included but.., boarding pass and luggage tags are generated separately. Live and learn.

Once that was achieved and bags dropped we didn’t have to wait too long before we were boarding. I love the zone treatment. Window seats are zoned 2, centre seats are 3 and aisle seats are 4 etc. it works so well and eliminates the need for people to stand up and into the aisle to let someone sit in the window seat or wherever. On arrival in Mexico City we only had time for a pee and we had to walk to another terminal for about 15 mins and they were boarding!

It was so busy we lost Peter at the Men’s toilets! I was anxious he would miss the plane but soon after we arrived he could be seen emerging from the crowd coming towards us. He said there was a queue in the Men’s toilets. Amazing!

Once again a smooth transition and we left on time. We are impressed with Aeromexico.

Our bags arrived in Costa Rica as hoped and on our flight. As we came through immigration we were all separated ( 6 of the Mexico group have continued). Any got to the officer first but had no idea where she was staying so they sent her back! She found us and I knew so we all four presented as one group and no problem. Shona and Susan who have been very switched on had deviated to the loos and become separated from us. They had the same problem and had to go through a whole trip itinerary before they were cleared. In the meantime we had found the baggage carousel and our bags had been taken off ( under supervision of an airport official). We decided to claim all the bags to speed up the process. It seemed like 10 planes had arrived at once but the exit was slow because our bags were scanned as we left!

Our driver was waiting for which we were very relieved. We have been on the go for 12 hours and barely a couple of hours sleep. What an immediate contrast. It is green!Tidy, clean and modern. A small, fairly affluent country with a stable government.Lots of American fast food outlets are everywhere which seems jarring.

A quick orientation walk around the centre last night revealed a vibrant lively city. We love the way Mexicans come out at night and stroll the plazas and streets. It is so much life and everyone seems so happy, chatting and catching up. Life is lived on the outside. Music everywhere. We have felt very safe every where. It is not as everyone thinks. Lots of cool bars with good music and reasonable cocktails! We have become quite the fan of Marguerite’s, Mojitos and Mexcal with Hibiscus to name a few! Very civilised.

We were up early to head out to the Flamingos at Celestun. We were anxious about whether we would see a flock at all. Shona was so full of anticipation and we were wearing pink and giving the universe our messages. Peter had brought a towel on this trip with three Flamingos so we felt sure it was a sure thing and we were rewarded with hundreds. We were scared Shona’s delight was going to frighten them away but she controlled her whoops of excitement and welled up with tears instead. It was so exciting to see so many.

On the way back we detoured through the mangroves to see baby fish and a fresh water spring. The termite mounds looked like monkeys but we only saw shag like birds and an osprey. The mangroves were really magnificent and not smelly!

We followed this up with a swim at a local beach ( Gulf of Mexico) and lunch. It was somewhat underwhelming after the high of the flamingos and very windy in the water. We had used our good luck!

We finished our stay in Merida with drinks and sunset in a very cool bar after checking out the art exhibition in the town hall.

The next morning was another very early start to beat the crowds at the ruins of Chichen Itzá. So glad we got there before opening because it was packed by 10 am when we were leaving. It is the most visited Mayan site. It is most famous for its ball court. The Mayans played a strange game where the goal was to get a 3-5 kg ball through a high ring without using their hands! It is thought it was a little like soccer, using feet, hips(!) arms and sticks but not hands and only the captain could take the goal. Very tough game because there were 7 players each side and the team had to get the ball up to the captain who ran along a raised edge under the goal. The field was very long and pretty wide. Anyway the winner was sacrificed! Their skulls are placed in the walls and the dead were believed to have gone to heaven to be reborn! It was an honour. The whole Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico stems from this sense of death not being an end to life but a transition to a better life.

After our tour to the ruins I must have been dehydrated because I wasn’t well and had a bout of vomiting. It was very extreme heat and we were perspiring profusely. I felt very queasy and eating anything was difficult. We drove today to Merida via the highway which was pretty rough. Countryside a lot like the hinterland behind Byron Bay. Trucks, trucks and more trucks along the way. One thing that surprised me is the number of Volkswagen Beetle in Mexico. Peter told me that Volkswagen continued to build them here for some time after discontinuing elsewhere. They are such an iconic shape with so much more character than the modern cars and are here in all colours and conditions from hotted up to dilapidated.

Another iconic mode of transport is the Tuk tuk. They are like noddy toys in different colours and every where.

Another feature of Mexico is no paper in the toilet! Everywhere there are signs and containers. It was a bit confronting at first but now we are used to it.

Lots of checkpoints along the highway aimed at migrants. We had to carry our passports in an accessible place for when we were stopped. We were once by two handsome young guts who took one look and sent us on our way.

Merida very appealing. Mezcal cocktail the medicine needed. I am back on track!!

Breakfast out on the veranda today and it was already warm. We all slept well last night. Hotel Chablis is very well appointed. Quiet aircon, ceiling fan and comfy beds. All were revived. Our trip today is not far out of town. The Palenque Maya Ruins are set in the jungle and fairly recently explored. Rather Indiana Jones! Only 5% of the area has been excavated and the restrictions on preserving the flora will make it difficult to progress in the traditional way. The archeologist who discovered Pakal’s tomb took 3 years to dig down into it. We saw the actual death mask in Mexico City. There are quite a few buildings and we were fortunate to see a new one that has only just been revealed.

Francisco our guide was passionate about the Mayan history and we learned so much. Pakal ruled for 68 years!

Howler monkey –

Endangered species

We saw these in the trees near our hotel. They sure leave a huge plop of faeces!

Francisco used the Mayan calendar to identify our astrological sign characteristics. I was a Mol:Mayan for Jaguar , power, colour red, pampered and centre of the planets. Peter was a musician and craftsman. Anne was the Kankin tree of life, and grounded.

We returned to the hotel all just grease spots and somewhat dehydrated. It was 39C and cooler in the shade, but nonetheless quite drained. We tried the local Pineapple and chaya (tree spinach) which was very reviving. Up to our room to cool down wash our sweaty clothes and change into our swimsuits for an afternoon cool down!

Oh my what a torturous drive to start the day! As a group everyone is very well organised and we were away on the dot of four. Anne hadn’t slept well because the 3.00 get up had played on her mind. I had slept/ dozed and didn’t feel too bad. Off we went into the dark, now quiet streets. This town parties long into the night it seems.

The road was very winding and we passed many small settlements. This meant traffic humps in every town of at least 3-5 at once at the beginning of each town. In the back of the van it was super bouncy. We needed to get through the first two and a half hours which covered all the villages threatening to blockade the highway. The stop start , bounce bounce began to take its toll on me. I tried to sleep but the motion of the car made it almost impossible. Soon I was feeling sick. Fortunately I had a thick plastic bag that I had put my bathers into for later at the waterfalls we were eventually visiting. I extracted the bag and had somewhere to vomit. I didn’t want to stop the bus because it was dark, no verges to speak of and it was imperative to get through the towns. I felt a bit better once I had vomited.

As the sun rose we could see men gathering and large rocks and rubble ready for blocking the road. The men are Zapistas. They are trying to force the government to give them better and more schools and other services that are part of basic human rights. They are very poor and some of the houses look no better than a stable.

Once we had got past and were able to stop for a break I felt better. Suze our guide was very relieved. If we had been caught it could take 10 hours to go an alternate way!

The country is jungle like and mountainous a bit like Mt Tambourine in Queensland. The villages are mostly rough dusty collections of houses.

Eventually we ended up at Aqua Azule Waterfalls. They are a cluster of cascades and the water is clear and aquamarine. In the end we decided not to swim because the appealing pools were roped off and the swimming area was a trifle uninspiring. I did have a paddle though which was refreshing.

Leaving the falls we continued along a less winding road through banana plantations, date palms, and mango trees. Finally we arrived in Palenque where our hotel pool was soon filled with the intrepid group. What joy, what relief. It was 39C and our welcoming drinks disappeared in a gulp. Our rooms were not ready as we had arrived much earlier than expected so we hung by the pool till they were. While sitting at the table a large iguana strolled past!

Palenque is just a stopover and the town is small with the main purpose to support visitors to the nearby Mayan Ruins.

It is still hot but the hotel is comfortable and clean and has a pool. Rob and Julian enjoying the water.

This morning we had an early start to visit a woman’s textile and weaving co-op in Zinacantán. The young woman who gave the demo was only 17! It was beautiful work and I succumbed again to temptation and bought a beautifully embroidered turquoise shawl, taco/tortilla warmer and small purse. They then showed the weaving method which was a narrow loom stretched by the weaver around her waist while kneeling. It takes a week to set up the fine warp. We were then invited to a toast of pox,(pronounced poche) an alcohol made from corn and sugar cane in 20 ml glasses. These toasts are part of the hospitality of the people. Pox is also used in Mayan rituals. Potent stuff! After browsing we were invited into the kitchen for fresh cooked tortillas and hot local coffee sweetened. Very tasty.

From here we moved across to Chamula and the church of Saint Juan. This is a very closed town that clings to its traditions and is very superstitious with a mix of Christian and nature/animist beliefs. No photos were allowed inside the church.

There were glass cabinets of many saints and rows of candles in front of them all. At one shrine the family was sacrificing a chicken! The whole place was alight with candles and people. There was a shaman conducting a ritual over a presumably sick child. The ceiling was painted with the moon and the sun and stars. Christ was also not in the centre of the alter but to the right of Saint Juan ( John the Baptist) who was in the centre. Most women were dressed in the traditional wrap skirts and blouses with a wide belt.

A priest is only called for baptisms and all other ceremonies are handled by the people. Even burials are simple affairs. A family just keeps burying people in the same grave and the colour of the cross determines who is in the grave. White cross for child or young person, green for adult and black for older people. They drape pine needles across the cross to purify the dead, so they can move to the next life as their spirit animal.

The town essentially governs itself. Police are not welcome. It is like a commune. As we were leaving we saw a group of Mayor Domos arriving. They were wearing the black mohair like shifts and big white cowboy hats. They were followed by a posse of men(want -to-bes). It looked like a showdown at the OK corral! No photos or they smash your camera.

This was fascinating. The people are fighting for equal rights but have chosen this exclusive way to maintain their rituals and society.

Returning to San Cristobal Peter Anne and I decided to grab a pastry and coffee from a French/ Mexican patisserie Friandes which was absolutely delicious. Best Escargot I have had for a long time.

Our next goal was the Jade museum but we just seemed to go round in circles and eventually ended up at Na Bolorn a museum of indigenous culture of the Lacandon Maya mountain people.

The house had been planned as a convent or other religious place but was bought by Frans Blorn as a residence and research centre for studying the Mayan Culture.https://nabolom.org/

By now we were feeling a little tired and headed back to the hotel. Pete’s knee was starting to twinge and Anne and I wanted to see the view from the hill over town (284 stairs)and I wanted a piece of amber.

Anne and I met up with Peter for dinner and the town was buzzing ( because it was Palm Sunday?). The rotunda was full of music.

We chose a pizza place which made the best huge pizzas that Pete ended up sharing with Karen and Amy. Anne and I opted for hamburgers and salad. Our salad was so big we shared that with Amy and Karen too. Just when Peter was complimenting me on my improved Spanish the waiter arrived with Sangria which we had discussed having but decided to just get plain wine. We said it wasn’t what we wanted – no fruit just plain wine. Translation was missed and he took it away. Peter said he would probably strain it and that is what he did! We laughed as it was pleasant on a hot night but not what we thought we ordered.

After dinner we watched a concert for a while but needed to be back.

The next morning we had to leave by 4.am to avoid proposed road blocks on our route. Farewell San christabal we have loved the vibe in this town. Old mixed with new, beauty and good food. Narrow streets colourful houses, interesting street art.

We departed early and started to climb the mountains again. The long drives are hard in the bus. It is very cramped for the guys in particular but for everyone except me of the short legs. It is really the only complaint anyone has. The aircon doesn’t work very well in the back either so you are very hot. The weather is in the mid 30s most of the time but our guide sat up there to give Rob, our tallest, a break up front. She soon realised it was not great. William the driver tried to fix it but it wasn’t a lot better.

We finally arrived at a huge town Tuxtla Gutierrez which seemed very modern with large new university and a huge cross on the top of the mountain looking over the city. This state of Chiapas borders Guatemala and we saw many refugee/migrants walking along the highway. The Guardia civil don’t stop them and seem reasonably welcoming. They only offer help of food and toilets/ showers though and the people are not returned to their country. They have to find work where they can to survive.

Our destination was the gorge on the Rio Grijalva

Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico

What a spectacular experience. The gorge walls were 1000 metres high and the water over 100 metres deep. We saw crocodiles and monkeys and many birds- egrets, herons , cormorants and the brown pelican. It was a wonderful relief to be on the water. It is a great boost to the economy of the locals because it is so popular with all tourists, Mexicans and internationals(not many).

From the river we returned to the road to continue the drive to San Christabal de las Casas. It was a steady climb but I missed most of it because I fell deeply asleep and only woke when we arrived at about 8 pm. It was a shock when we alighted from the bus to discover it was relatively cold at low 20s Centigrade. This town is above the snow line and gets down to minus 5C in winter. It is very quaint with narrow streets, colourful buildings and a bustling vibe. There are a lot more indigenous Mexicans everywhere and they speak a different language here.

Many of the hawkers are young mothers and it wasn’t unusual to see a baby at the breast while she walks around selling her wares. Lots of kids selling goods too. Bet they know their math tables! They are not insistent but always trying to sell their wares.