La Ceiba and Útila, Honduras

A 17 hour bus ride brought us, surprisingly lively, into Honduras, a minor milestone in reaching my 20th country visited. Fortunately, we lucked out in picking a nice hostel that was virtually empty, allowing us to get a decent night's rest and cook up a big breakfast the next morning. There wasn't a great deal to see in La Ceiba, so after a big feed we took the cheaper (and much rougher) afternoon ferry over to Útila.

Arriving in Honduras with Jorden and Victoria (who took the picture!)

Upon arriving at the ferry docks in Útila, we were met by hordes of locals trying to lure us into their dive shop to secure our busines. Fortunately, we had already been in contact with Rebecca from BICD (Bay Islands Academy of Diving), who helped us through the crowd, took us on a tour of their complex, and showed us to our own private room.

Our home for a week in Útila

Before beginning our dive courses, we had a day to relax and walk around the island, and It only took us an hour or so to realise Útila is an odd place. Most of the locals speak English, yet at first you don't quite realise it. It sounds like a mixture of Irish, Jamaican and Central American accents that you never really get used to, but it's fun to listen to. Then you meet the odd people who don't speak English at all. There doesn't seem to be any rules, and shops open and close at almost any time other than the hours they advertise. But aside from this, everyone we came across was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Local legend says that the island of Utila is the place of the fabled Robinson Crusoe, who shipwrecked on a tropical island, met a man he called Friday, and lived for 24 years marooned and seeking rescue

I began my AOW (Advanced Open Water) course on Wednesday, the first day consisting of 3 dives - a Deep Dive (30m), a Peak Performance Buoyancy dive, and a Night Dive. With no exam to do this time around, it was more about getting in the water and perfecting the skills I learned on my Open Water course in Perth earlier this year. On top of that, there were a few cool things thrown in - such as drinking a can of soda at 30m below the surface, and having a running race on the ocean floor. Unfortunately I didn't come away completely unscathed, as some sinus problems resulted in me blowing a handful of blood out of my nose each time. But I still had a bloody good time (pun intended).

After a much needed day off, I was back in the water for my Navigation and Drift dives with my instructor Donna. The sinus problems hadn't subsided but I was able to finish the dives and as such complete my AOW course, and see a few cool things along the way:

Útila is renowned worldwide as an inexpensive place to earn your dive certifications, yet the service I received from Donna, Rebecca and everyone at BICD was worth far more than what we paid. The price aside, we were extremely well looked after for the duration of our stay, the staff were very professional and friendly, and on top of this we were able to enjoy the entire experience from the comfort of our own fully furnished apartment complete with kitchen, private bathroom and balcony looking out the 3rd floor.

People told me I'd get stuck here, and if it wasn't for the overwhelming desire to explore more of Central and South America before I head home, I'd have definitely stayed longer.

Antigua, Guatemala

After the partying of San Pedro, and a full day spent on chicken buses, Antigua provided a comfortable refuge where we could rest and recharge. 45 minutes outside of the capital Guatemala City, Antigua is a small colonial town littered with cafes and restaurants catering to all types of cuisine. It’s the kind of place you could always stay for one more day.

We used most of our time here for just that - coffee drinking, bagel eating, chocolate sampling, playing cards and also cooking a few meals of our own as we still had our gang from San Pedro together.

On our first night at the hostel, unaware how close we actually were to it, we spotted Volcán de Fuego off in the distance, shooting off some steam and lava. As we stopped what we were doing to enjoy the moment, we decided at that point that climbing up Volcán Acatenango for a better view was our must do activity in Antigua. So, on Thursday we did the rounds of the travel agencies, sussing out the competition and trying to play them off against each other to get the best price. We settled on one and booked it in for the following day.

Come 10:30am on Friday morning, we were still waiting for the tour bus to arrive. When they finally arrived soon after, we told them we wouldn’t be going on the tour as it was too late to begin the trek and we’d miss sunset. We walked over to the tour office and soon found ourselves in the middle of an argument and an unwanted choice over not getting any refund, or taking the tour on Saturday without food included. Still unsatisfied, it wasn’t until we mentioned we’d go to the police until they finally cooperated, and included us on the tour for the next day with all meals included.

Our persistence paid off, as when we woke Saturday morning the weather was clear and we left on time. The hike involved 6 hours of mainly uphill walking through slippery tracks, before we reached our camp and set up our tents and campfire.

Probably the best moments of the whole experience were had during and after sunset, as Victoria, Jorden and I sat out on the grass, witnessing the most surreal (and at times blinding) lightning storm unfold next to Volcán de Fuego, which was shooting off bursts of smoke and lava every so often. The bucket list moment was well and truly cemented when, whilst fiddling around with different exposure settings on my camera, I managed to get this shot:

After much conversation over life, travel and how lucky we were to be sharing, or even just experiencing these moments, we headed back to the campfire where we shared some cheap liquor with our guides and roasted a few marshmallows on the fire.

With 4 of us jammed into a relatively small tent, needless to say there was little sleep had, and any that we managed to get left us with aching bodies from the thin mattresses and cheap sleeping bags.

We were soon up at 3:45am to attempt to climb to the top of Volcán Acatenango, a tempting opportunity if not for the thick cloud and considerable rain that we found ourselves in. As much as I wanted to stay in the tent, I realised it was my only shot at this, so joined the others who were keen enough to brave the conditions and begun the 90 minute uphill climb. Unfortunately for us our efforts weren't rewarded, and as others predicted, the climb was cancelled due to the poor conditions and we ended up turning back.

After a breakfast of an apple and a banana (I ate the rest of my meals the day before after the trek), we descended for 3 hours to where we started the previous day, and our bus took us back to Antigua.

While exhausting, it was an incredible experience that Antigua would have otherwise felt incomplete without enduring. With aching muscles all over, Victoria, Jorden and I then began our 17 hour bus ride across the border into Honduras, a new country to be added to all of our lists.

Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala

For the first time since arriving in Ecuador a couple of months ago, I was able to add a new country to my list of places visited - Guatemala. It took just under 12 hours and 3 different buses from San Cristóbal, but I finally made it to Panajachel, which is located on the northeast shore of the beautiful Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlán).

Lake Atitlán is the deepest lake in Central America (with a maximum depth of about 340m) and while considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, I didn't find it quite as serene as Lake Titicaca, which I visited from both the Peruvian and Bolivian sides.

Jorden, his girlfriend Victoria and a few other friends were already here, but across the lake in a little town called San Pedro la Laguna. It was late at night so I decided to spend the night in Panajachel with Sara, a girl from Tokyo who I met on the bus earlier.

The next morning started with a superb, the best I've had in months, coffee from the Korean run Cafe Loco, near our hotel. Then I hopped on the ferry to another nearby lake town - San Marcos la Laguna.

Renowned for being a laid back hippie town, commonly used for yoga or meditation retreats, I initially intended to spend a night here before meeting up with Jorden and the gang in San Pedro the following day. But, remembering my time in Vilcabamba, I decided it would be much more fun partying with my mates and so hopped on another lancha (powered boat) to San Pedro.

As is common whenever Jorden and I are together, the partying was inevitable. It started off innocently enough with a few games of Yaniv at the hostel - then we ventured out into the town, bar hopping and cashing in on any promotions for free shots that we could find. We parked down at Buddha Bar for a while, where things escalated before finally stumbling into bed in the early hours of the morning.

For our final morning in San Pedro and Lake Atitlán, we rose at 3AM and trekked up The Indian's Nose, a mountain perched atop the cities of San Juan and San Marcos - giving an incredible view of sunrise over the lake.

Sunrise from the Indian's Nose

After a nap and some lunch, we departed San Pedro, taking the "chicken bus" to Antigua. These buses are old recycled (definitely not refurbished) school buses from the USA. They cram as many people as they can on to these things, and, braving cracked windscreens, bald tyres, wet roads and a sleepy driver, it's probably surprising we made it safely to Antigua.

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico

My final stop in Mexico brought me to the quaint little town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the state of Chiapas.

I'm only spending 1 night here, so I took the time to walk around the markets, visit the Mayan Medicine Museum, and hunt down a decent coffee.

It's good to have some quiet time to reflect on what has been an almost nonstop past 4 weeks. I was lucky enough to spend them with 2 of my best friends from home and I couldn't have asked for a better time. Tomorrow I'll take the bus across the border into Guatemala, where the journey continues further down through Central America.

Oaxaca, Mexico

A brief respite from the intensity of Cancún and Playa del Carmen was short lived as I had only a couple of nights in Oaxaca before the festivities of Día de Muertos began. Not only that, I was also due to meet up with Jorden, one of my best friends from home who I haven't seen since the beginning of the year.

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead in English) is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember loved ones who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Oaxaca is known as a town rich in culture, food and tradition, and as such also considered the best place to celebrate Día de Muertos in Mexico.

Arriving by bus on Wednesday evening, I was greeted by a friend from Couchsurfing who walked me back to my hostel. It was invaluable having someone as friendly and helpful as Rubí who was able to provide advice on what to do, where to go, and where to party over the next few days.

True to it's reputation, Oaxaca is littered with trendy artisanal shops, local designer boutiques, cafes and restaurants which make it a beautiful city to casually stroll around. This was done in abundance with the inevitable partying for Día de Muertos, where only 1 in 5 nights was spent without the consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol. 

Much of the alcohol enjoyed in Oaxaca is Mezcal, a distilled beverage made from the maguey plant. It tastes similar to Tequila, but a little more smooth and with a distinct smokey flavour, depending on how long it's been aged. This often went down nicely with a Tlayuda (a handmade dish consisting of a large, thin, crunchy tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, meat, lettuce or cabbage, avocado, stringy cheese and salsa), many of which were enjoyed at the Benito Juárez market.

From beginning to end, my time in Oaxaca was full of laughs, partying, eating, drinking - everything that's good for the soul. It was great to spend this memorable weekend with my best mate without a care in the world, and we were treated to some more great company in friends that we made at the hostel, and other locals that we met here in Oaxaca. It's a place you can't really find a good reason to leave, and the experiences I've had here I'll never have a good reason to forget.

Cancún, Mexico

My little "trip within a trip" with Sara was coming to the end, but we were definitely on the way up. We arrived in Cancún on Friday, perfect timing for a weekend full of partying ... and what a place to be when you're looking to party. Cancún was the finale of the trip and it delivered, and more...

A few casual drinks Friday evening escalated somewhat when a game of Beer Pong broke out at the hostel (shock), after which we went out with our new friends to a nearby bar and partied the night away until about 3AM. The night was topped off with a late (early) run - literally a run across the highway - to McDonalds to break my year long duck of no McDonalds. Well worth it.

We had to back it up on Saturday night (how could you not)... the much talked about Coco Bongo nightclub awaited us, but not before a trip to the mall to get some new shorts after my trusty old ones had split the previous night (Beer Pong got serious).

Coco Bongo exemplified the Hotel Zone of Cancún - excessive, over the top, expensive, unnecessary, but great fun. There were cover bands, dancers, gymnasts, movie star lookalikes, midgets, confetti, cold smoke shot in your face, all on a constant rotation every couple of minutes for the whole night. Then when it stopped, you look down at your watch (for the first time that night) and realise it's already 5AM, the bar is closed and everyone is leaving. While great fun, it's the kind of thing you'd only do once. Just like Cancún.

I gingerly climbed down from my top bunk on Sunday morning as Sara and I headed off with our day bags to spend the night in Isla Mujeres, a mere 20 minutes on the ferry away from the port at Cancun. The weather was sensational upon arrival, and we immediately wished we had more time to spend there. The afternoon was spent in the water, walking along the beach, eating, then enjoying the live music at the hostel.

Come Monday morning and after we'd been to the MUSA Underwater Museum for our final bit of scuba diving, Sara had a little surprise up her sleeve. For all the planning I'd done for our last couple of weeks together, she wanted to thank me and as such treated us to TWO nights at an all-inclusive resort in the Hotel Zone of Cancún. Of course, I was never going to say no to such an offer, so for the last few nights I was able to put the hostel life behind me and live like a king.

I'd never stayed at an all-inclusive resort before, I just assumed they were overpriced for what you were getting. But there was one thing I'd never considered - the feeling you get when, after finishing a huge meal at one of the many upscale onsite restaurants, you just get up and walk away. There's no comedown moment after receiving the bill and realising what you just enjoyed cost a lot of money. You just walk out. And maybe you walk next door and get some free dessert. And a free coffee. And free drinks at the nightclub. I don't know. It all feels free. In saying that, I don't know if I'd feel the same way if Sara wasn't paying for it all...

Anyway, what a great way to end our trip together. It had everything - small towns, big tourist towns, diving, snorkelling, shitty hostels, lavish all-inclusive hotels, quiet nights in and huge nights out, but most importantly great company - and more great memories for life.

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.