Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico

Arriving in Playa del Carmen was an event in itself. The walk from the bus station to our hostel led us down their main avenue, even called “5th Ave” (albeit in Spanish - Quinta Avenida), and as we walked past what felt like a Starbucks on every corner, a H&M, and Häagen-Dazs, we ignored swathes of hawkers and made it to the Yak Hostel.

After a quiet night on Thursday, we partied all night on Friday with a Dutch couple and a girl from New Zealand we met at the hostel, leading us to numerous bars and clubs in the centre of town, before inevitably all losing each other and crawling in to bed at 3 in the morning.

Since arriving the weather was far from ideal. Many people who had come here to enjoy a bit of sun (us included) were left disappointed as we struggled to find breaks in the rain to head out from the hostel. Or wait until our frustration got the better of us and we just walked around in the rain, getting soaked in the process.

A gloomy day outside one of many Starbucks

Fortunately, our main aim of coming to Mexico was for the incredible scuba diving on offer. On Sunday we dived at Dos Ojos, a flooded cave system located north of Tulum. And it was spectacular.

But that was just the beginning. On Monday, against advice from other hostel guests and even the ferry company, we braved the bad weather and took a boat across to Cozumel, home to the second largest reef system in the world and as such an internationally renowned site for diving. We spent 2 days diving in Cozumel and needless to say the experience (and the pictures) were nothing short of incredible. The visibility was unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and we were treated to up close sightings of Sting Rays, Sea Turtles, Eels, Lobsters, Sea Horses and Sharks.

Diving at La Francesa Reef in Cozumel

By Thursday we were back in Cozumel diving at another Cenote, this time El Pit with our guide Ricardo. Although Sara and I only had our Open Water certification for diving, we quickly found out that most dive shops in Mexico would take us to any depth we wanted (and paid for). The Pit is an impressive sinkhole located in the deep jungle,  the largest underwater cave in the world and the deepest one ever found in Quintana Roo state with a maximum depth of 120m. The place is just unreal - a thick sulphuric cloud at around 30m makes you think your mask has fogged up, but after descending further you hit more crystal clear water and start to get an idea of just how big the hole is. Ricardo took us down to 40m with the rays of sunshine penetrating the surface like lasers, we were able to appreciate just how small we felt in this giant abyss. We swam around trees, stalactites and animal bones that made you feel as if the whole experience was like swimming through some eerie graveyard in a dream.

The diving here has been up there with some of the highlights of the trip so far, however we had to give it a rest at some point as it was far from cheap, and when Sara started coughing up blood after the first dive in El Pit, it was probably a sign to take a break. The benefit of travelling the Yucatan area of Mexico however meant that Cancun was only an hour away by bus, so we hauled our luggage past the same hawkers of 5th Ave who were still intent on trying to sell us jewellery, accommodation, food, massages, or anything we might be interested in, and went on our way.

Valladolid, Mexico

Valladolid was probably going to be the last "authentic" Mexican city we'd spend some time in, before hitting the popular tourist spots on the coast and with it - Starbucks, McDonalds et al.

And it was. Valladolid is a small city in the state of Yucatán. Located about a 45 minute drive from the (lesser-used) east entrance of Chichén Itzá, it offers an alternative base for the ruins, while having its own charms as well. Although further from the ruins, Valladolid is less tourist-oriented and has more historic charm.

We managed to get some beds at Hostel La Candelaria, a tranquil hippy-ish place located in the middle of town, recommended by the couple we shared TimTams with in Merida, and it was certainly well received. An ample kitchen motivated us to whip up a spaghetti bolognese on the first night, which quenched our appetites as well as our budgets. The following morning we gathered a group of fellow travellers, from all corners of the world, hired bikes and rode out to a few cenotes just out of town. The feeling of refreshment after taking a swim in each one after riding several kilometres in the heat and humidity only added to the beautiful scenery we were able to enjoy.

Dzitnup Cenote with Sara and Callie

The last cenote we visited that day - Oxman - was equipped with a makeshift swing and as we were the only people there, it made for a great afternoon which was well captured on my GoPro.

As we only spent 2 nights in Valladolid, we woke up early the next morning and took a collectivo bus out to Chichén Itzá, in an attempt to beat the crowds and get a few decent photos. The early rise paid off, although it wasn't long before we were swamped with locals offering every variety of handicrafts and souvenirs, and tour busses dropping off what seemed to be mostly Americans by the hoards. So, continuing our journey towards the coast, we made our way back to the hostel and hopped on a bus to Playa del Carmen.

Chichén Itzá

Merida, Mexico

A flight out of Mexico City early on Sunday morning and Sara and I had arrived in Merida. A stark contrast to the bustling and almost uptight streets and subways of Mexico City, Merida offered a form of salvation as we strolled down to the main plaza and enjoyed a tranquil breakfast of ... tacos!

It's a perfect "Sunday afternoon" type of town, great for  walking around the colonial, Mediterranean inspired streets, buildings and houses, and stopping every now and then at the many local food stalls.

At the local markets in Merida

And of course there are some more significant Maya ruins to visit. On Monday we hopped on the public bus out to Uxmal, an ancient city considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture. The fun thing about Uxmal (and I believe many other ruins within Mexico) is that you can actually climb up the buildings. Although the intense heat and humidity sapped us of our energy to do this too often, we still managed to take it one step too far and were yelled at by a guard for climbing too high.

Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal

Seeing as though we probably lost a few kilos exploring the ruins,  we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch at the nearby restaurant whilst waiting for the bus back to Merida. After some more tacos as an appetiser (and chilli sauce, which is actually hot in Mexico), I tried the Yucatecan delicacy Sopa de Lima - basically a chicken soup with lime - but tasty nonetheless.

When I first met up with Sara in Mexico City, she brought along a little surprise with her - a care package from my family back home which included, amongst a few other items: Vegemite, Vegemite chocolate, Caramello Koalas, and a packet of Tim Tams. We decided to bring them out at the hostel in Merida and it's funny how quickly the conversations with strangers start. We shared a few Tim Tams with a French couple who used to live in Perth, although for some reason the Vegemite didn't go down quite as well - at breakfast the next morning, although claiming to enjoy it after a little taste, one lady said she initially thought it was mosquito repellent.

Rest assured we'll continue to fly the flag of Vegemite around the hostel route in Mexico, converting ignorant travellers of the beauty of this tasty yeast extract as we make our way to the coast in search of blue waters, big parties and more tacos.

Mexico City, Mexico

Since leaving Ecuador, I've skipped a few countries and flown ahead to Mexico City to meet up with Sara, one of my best friends from home. As much as I wanted to visit Colombia, Panama and Central America, the chance to have some great company for a few weeks was too good of an opportunity to miss, so Sara and I will be spending the next couple of weeks travelling through Mexico. After which I'll be meeting up with another of my best mates in Oaxaca, for the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival at the end of October. Then I'll head back down throughout Central America, and spend a good month or two in Colombia. A place I've heard nothing but rave reviews and as such am very keen to spend a while there.

With only a few days to get the most out of Mexico City, Sara and I exhausted our legs and Metro Cards in really only scratching the surface of what this enormous city has to offer. After a celebration drink and meal on Thursday night, Friday was spent downing several tacos at La Merced Market, and walking around the lively Zona Rosa district - where more tacos were had for dinner (I expect this to become the norm throughout our time in Mexico).

On Saturday we set out for Teotihuacan, the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas. It took a lot of trains, buses, walking and pushing through crowds to get there, but the photos were definitely worth the effort.

Pyramid of the Moon - Teotihuacan

Falling asleep on the bus on the way back, we regained some energy to head all the way across the city to the Coyoacán district, where we visited the intriguing Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky museums.

We could have spent another week here and still not experienced half of Mexico City - it's huge. However, we squeezed the most out of each minute we had. Now it's time to head over to the Yucatan, where the real adventures will begin.

Quito, Ecuador

The last stop of my travels within Ecuador brought me to Quito, it’s capital. As was the nature of most of my experience in this country, I had a limited amount of time to try and see as much of this place as I could.

On Monday I ducked out of the hostel early to get a well overdue haircut for the measly price of $1. The perks of travelling in South America. Surprisingly, the price did not reflect the quality of the job and I was able to, without embarrassment, show my face in the hostel again. Later that morning I took the free walking tour around the city, which culminated with a cheap lunch at the central market. Whilst there was a variety of local dishes on offer, many containing every part of a cow you could imagine, I opted for the safety of some fried pork.

In the afternoon a group of us visited the place where the equator line cuts through Quito - “The Middle of the World”. The funny thing is there are actually 2 equator lines in Quito - the real and the fake one. The real one, which has been confirmed by GPS, is where the tourists are shown the exact point for a cliche photo opportunity, then a bunch of “experiments” that are paraded about as if you were at a magic fair. For example, pouring water down a drain either side of the line and seeing it swirl in opposite directions, and trying to balance an egg on top of the head of a nail (it’s supposed to be easier on the equator). The fake one is around 300m away and is home to a huge statue (much better for photos), and is a little tourist town of it’s own, overflowing with restaurants and gift shops.

The wrong (yet more photogenic) Middle of the World

On Tuesday I walked up hundreds of steps to the top of the Basílica del Voto Nacional, then took a cab to the Teleférico (cable car). Both gave some superb vantage points over Quito, which really is a beautiful city to admire from afar.

My spare time was spent with friends at the hostel where there were delicious home made meals prepared by a chef every night, talking with my little nephew on Skype for the first time in as long as I can remember, having ice cream with a Quiteña I met off Couchsurfing and finally getting around to a few sessions back at the gym since I twisted my knee in Huacachina.

Whilst being the country I’ve spent the least amount of time in, Ecuador has been home to some of the most memorable experiences of the trip so far. From seeing nature at it’s finest in the Galápagos, to becoming an uncle for the second time in Cuenca. And many more in between. Whilst I intend to spend the rest of my time on this trip seeing as many new countries, cities and people as possible, Ecuador is the only country I can say that I haven't really had a complete experience of, and need to return to and explore some more one day.

Baños, Ecuador

After 11 huge days in the Galápagos, and as amazing as it was, I was ready to move on and have some new experiences. Baños was highly recommended as an adventure hotspot, and on the way to Quito, my last stop in Ecuador.

I met Emma at the bus stop in Guayaquil, a Kiwi girl who funnily enough lives in Perth (well, until she quit her job), and we hopped on the bus to Baños. It's funny how one minute you're alone trying to make your way around the bus station, and the next minute you've found a friend that you spend the next few days with. It has constantly happened during this trip and is both a source of great happiness when you meet these people, and sadness when you must say goodbye.

On Friday we were treated to some good weather (although still too cloudy to see the nearby volcano), so we hired some bikes and visited the slightly overhyped yet must not miss photo opportunity in Baños, the swing at Casa de Arbol. Whilst there we met a 40 year old Australian who has retired and set up a life in Ecuador with his uncle, in a cosy little half built cottage at the bottom of the volcano. He invited us into his place for a cup of tea, and gave us a great recommendation for an empanada stall near the Pailon del Diablo.

Pailon del Diablo

Yesterday we spent the day canyoning around a bunch of waterfalls, something I've never done before and because we were spending the whole day rappelling down or diving into waterfalls, the heavy rain didn't spoil the day.

The Galápagos Islands - Ecuador

I’m at a loss for words on how to describe these past 10 days. I could rattle off a few adjectives, but none of them would begin to tell the story of my time in the Galápagos. But for the sake of recording this whirlwind of an experience, I’ll try.

Flying in from Guayaquil, I arrived in Baltra Island early Sunday afternoon where the tour guide Edwin was waiting for me. My plane was delayed slightly so I had a late lunch on board the Guantanamera and then met up with the rest of the passengers. 

Fortunately, the group was full of interesting and genuinely nice people. More than three-quarters of them Dutch, two Brits, an Israeli, some Canadians, an American and an Argentine made up the mixture. And as has happened so often on this trip, the people made the experience all the more memorable.

The gang - minus the Argentine and American who left early

Because of this, the experience became so much more than just the sum of it’s parts. So I won’t do this story a disservice and just rattle off the itinerary for each day. Most of the time, they were constructed in the same way - breakfast at 7am, activity in the morning (e.g. trek on the island, dingy ride and/or snorkelling on the shore or in deep water), lunch at midday and then another activity in the afternoon. Dinner at 7pm, then afterwards we’d sail to the next destination. There were a few rough nights on board, so most of the time I found myself falling asleep whilst hugging the bed frame to make sure I didn’t roll off the top bunk during the night.

Our guide Edwin was incredible, not only did he keep the group laughing each day, he demonstrated an incredible knowledge of the islands, the wildlife and pretty much any other question we would throw at him. He also had quite an interesting life story which we were treated to late one morning after a few too many drinks, sneakily taken from the bar whilst the crew slept.

On top of that, the crew on board were amazing, even though most of them didn’t speak a great deal of English. The second captain (His parents actually named him “Segundo”, which means “Second” in Spanish. So this was quite fitting.) even let me take the reigns for a while.

A lot of nervous faces here...

The interactions you have in the Galápagos is out of this world. It’s nature at it’s most pristine. There’s no guarantee you’ll see a particular animal like you would get at a zoo or national park, yet we saw almost everything we expected to. We snorkelled with sharks, played with sea lions, swam with sea turtles, countless different types of fish and manta rays, cormorants, iguanas, penguins, owls and a whole lot more.

And then there’d be days you get an extra surprise. On Thursday we were all sat down for lunch when Edwin came rushing in yelling “Dolphins! Dolphins!”. We ran out to the front of the boat and were treated to several minutes of dolphins following the boat, playing together and jumping out of the water. On another occasion we saw a few whales breaching the surface in the distance.

Managed to get this shot amongst the madness

For the animals that you can get a lot closer to, the rules on Galápagos are pretty clear and obvious - no flash on your camera and don’t get closer than 2 metres. It’s things like this, coupled with the fact most of the animals don’t have any natural predators, that makes them surprisingly calm (and sometimes playful) when people are around.

On Wednesday the Dutch contingency grew as we said goodbye to two of our passengers and replaced them with a couple of girls from the Netherlands. That night the crew threw a party for us, with plenty of free drinks and dancing to some local music. It could have been the boat rocking, or the strong caipirinhas, but after 7 months in South America I’m sad to say I’m still no better a dancer than I was before I left.

Before long, Saturday had come around and with it the last full day of our amazing adventure on board. A few farewell drinks turned into an interesting conversation with Edwin and a few others until the early hours of the morning, then a few of us took the opportunity to sleep up on the top deck under the stars for our last night on board. It was really was the perfect way to end the week.

After what felt like 30 minutes of sleep I was woken at 6am by the crew cleaning the ship around where we lay. After dusting ourselves off it was a little island visit for those of us who didn’t opt for a sleep in. It was well worth it, as we were treated to a beautiful sunrise which the sea lions seemed to enjoy just as much as us.

A morning stretch

Then it was off to the airport to say our goodbyes. I had already planned to stay in Puerto Ayora for 4 more nights, so I headed back with the Dutch girls who couldn’t get a last minute flight out of the islands. We spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel after not really getting a chance to do so on the cruise, then at night we hung out with some Aussies and ate some delicious empanadas from a street vendor (always the best kind), then had some drinks on the balcony of our room.

The girls left Tuesday morning, and the comedown from the week that was (and more) finally hit me. I spent the rest of my time in Puerto Ayora doing some day trips, and scuba diving around Floreana and North Seymour Islands, which was again another incredible experience with some equally incredible photos.

Diving with a Sea Lion at Floreana Island

And that’s it. My attempt at covering one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Just as hard was trying to pick the best photos out of thousands of equally worthy shots.

Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca can be added to the list of cities that surprised me on this trip. It more than surpassed my preconceptions of it being a quiet little colonial town, and made me glad I’d had a few days relaxing with the seniors in Vilcabamba beforehand.

Two big nights on the town were had with some locals I’d made friends with, one night ending with me crawling into bed at 6 in the morning - a rarity for me - usually I'm falling asleep on the dance floor at 2AM.

Aside from the partying, a day was spent in the beautifully peaceful Cajas National Park, where we were treated to some superb scenery, wildlife and a traditional Ecuadorian lunch. Notably delicious was the Canelasco shot and Locro de Papas soup.

Canelasco shot and Locra de Papas soup

Hours were spent at various cafes and restaurants, and it seems like Ecuador is one of few South American countries that has figured out how to do some of my favourite staples properly: coffee and bacon. A benefit of having such a big influence from the United States.

I gingerly strolled around the colonial streets one last time, nursing a slight hangover, and walked up the dizzying stairs of the Cuenca Cathedral to get a decent shot of the city and look back on what was a thoroughly enjoyable 5 days.

Parque Calderon, from the top of Cuenca Cathedral


Vilcabamba, Ecuador

I wanted to chill out in Vilcabamba for a few days, but I didn't realise until I got there that it was actually a common place for retirees from the United States to come and settle down. So I didn't last long before I had itchy feet and needed to move on to a more lively place.

Another border crossing...

Another day of buses from Piura to Loja, then Loja to Vilcabamba. I put my bags down at the hostel and took a walk around the city. A bit of live music in the square, but nothing going on outside a block or two from the main area.

The next day I moved to a hostel 2km out of town called Hostería Izhcayluma. It had been recommended by a girl I met in Huaraz, and looked like a really nice place. It was, but again it was too quiet for my likings. More of a place to come on a brief holiday to get away from everything, do yoga classes and some hiking. I spent one night there then was on my way again, taking the bus up to Cuenca.

The thing you notice immediately about Ecuador is the beautiful countryside on bus rides. The mountains are still there, just as they are in Peru, however it's completely green and looks much fresher and alive. The drive up to Cuenca was filled with rolling green hills, scattered farmhouses and cows and horses dotted in between. Like what you'd see on the side of a milk carton.

In saying that, as I was only really passing through I kept my camera away, preferring to take it in myself. There'll be plenty of other opportunities for photos of this scenery throughout Ecuador.

Trujillo and Piura - Peru

My last few stops in Peru brought me to Trujillo and Piura, two smaller cities perched up along the coast in the north of Peru.

After spending all of Wednesday on the bus, I arrived in Trujillo and found a hostel near the main square. I only had 2 nights in Trujillo, so I spent my only full day exploring the Chan Chan ruins. It must be rare to have such obvious gringos walking around Trujillo, as I often caught people quite blatantly staring at me, and some even asked me to take a photo with them.

The Pre-Columbian ruins at Chan Chan

Then it was a bus just before midnight (didn't actually arrive til 1AM) to Piura, some 7 hours away. I'd been told not to spend much time there - not only was it quiet but also pretty dangerous. Sure enough, I arrived at my hotel (and I use the word hotel very loosely) and asked the owner "Is it safe to walk around here?", to which he paused, then responded "Eh... kinda. Just don't draw attention to yourself". Bear in mind this was at 8AM, and being a 6ft2in white gringo, it's pretty hard to not draw attention to yourself.

In the evening I grabbed a bag of ice for me knee and settled down to my room at night to watch some TV shows. I went to to turn the fan on, then quickly realised they'd just put it there for show (you can see what happened here). Add to that the completely cold shower and you begin to wonder why they called it a hotel. All part of the experience right?

Needless to say, I was on the first bus out of Piura on Saturday. Another full day spent on the bus before making my way into Ecuador, where I'll settle down in Vilcabamba for a few nights.

I spent over 6 weeks in Peru, much more than I initially expected. It surprised me in what is has to offer, from incredible history and ruins to great food (I'll miss the Ceviche and Chicha Morada), kind people and stunning landscapes. Besides Trujillo and Piura, I never once felt unsafe and often ended up making friends with locals I had just met. It gave me one of the most amazing experiences from my life - the Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu, and whilst it overshadowed almost everything else I did in Peru, there were plenty of other memorable experiences I had which make Peru one of my favourite countries in South America.