Settling Down??
I have a fun, exciting, demanding, and unreliable lifestyle. Im never really sure where I will be or what I will be doing, which works fine for me, and my daughter, and our relationship. But, in terms of relations with others, I have noticed a trend.
People tell me they cannot rely on me, friends make plans without us; because they are never sure where we will be, or if we will let them down. I also have a really bad habit of thinking everyone is informed, when I havent actually told a soul what my intentions are. People just never know whyere thay stand with me.
While friends and family are always excited to see us, and catch up; especially after a trip, sometimes it feels like more of a pasing novelty. People are so busy with their day to day lives, so scheduled, that they just cannot fit us in. Especially as we do almost everything completely last minute!
We recently returned after a trip, and one of the most beautiful and noticeable things was that no matter how long had past, some relationships were completely unscathed; I was able to laugh and chat with friends as if we had not left their sides. But at the same time, I just felt we didnt fit in ... we are, I guess outside the norm, and have moved away from our circles, in a real sense. Of course, emotionally and spiritually we are right there with our nearest and dearest, but we arent there.
Also in terms of a romantic relationship... no one wants to start a relationship with a chick who is about to catch a train, bus or flight; how would that even work anyway? I have met some amazing people, but I am almost always about to leave a place; so of course, nothing ever sticks.
I am thirty this year, and I think I am longing for a bit of stability. For me, and for my daughter. I would love her to get back into her martial arts training, she wants to persue professional singing. I would love to find a good dance instructor.
So, after a few strong signs in my life and a lot of prayer, I have made a decision. I think I am going set up a base. Like actually strive to buy a house. This way we can travel, and at least come back to the same point in the UK, instead of flitting between Wales, Yorkshire, the Midlands and London all the time.
so, watch this space ...... as when we have our house we will be hosting via couchsurfing, and of course would need house sitters any time we go away.
DoubleTroubleTravel
A single mums blog about travel near and far with her little girl, now nine years old. Lately we have mainly been travelling in Central America....
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Wednesday 2 March 2016
Saturday 2 January 2016
Sumpango Kite Festival, Guatemala
Sumpango Kite Festival
Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
Every year, in Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, a giant kite festival is held on the 31st October and 1st November (all Saints day). The festival is held in the villages cemetery, where Guatemalans flock to pay respect to the dead at this time of year.
Sumpango cemetery |
At this time of year, Cemeteries across Guatemala are more colourful than ever, as relatives lovingly clean resting places of those that have left this earth, laying brightly coloured flowers and decorations, playing music, sharing stories and generally gathering.
Musicians
In
Sumpango, kites were being flown across the cemetery, from smaller ones held by
family members, to the gigantic 10 meter high beasts!
Kites at Sumpango |
I expected to 'pop in' and check the kites out, and then be on my way. I arrived around lunch time, and the whole area just got busier and busier as the day went on....I just couldn't tear myself away!
The place filled up as the day went on... |
There were
food stalls, places selling beer, plenty of places renting out bathrooms, and
plenty of opportunity to buy some great traditional souvenirs at very reasonable prices.
Food and drink stalls |
To get in, we hailed a few different chicken buses from Trebol, in Guatemala city, until we discovered one that was heading for Sumpango, paid a few quetzal and were on our way.
The crowd, craning to get a good look |
Once there, you don’t have to worry about finding the cemetery as there are so many people heading that way (locals and tourists alike)
Preparing the kites to be flown |
I had a really good, fun filled day. The atmosphere was a jovial, fun filled one, and although in the mountains, the sun was strong and so it wasn’t cold as I had expected.
Ready to go |
If you are in Guatemala at this time of year, it is seriously worth a trip!An amazing free event that gives you a glimpse into the wonderful Guatemalan culture.
Labels:
All saints day,
cemetery,
central america,
Day of the dead,
guatemala,
kites,
maya,
Sumpango,
tourism
Location:
Sumpango, Guatemala
From Valle Dorado to Monterrico.... Guatemalan Vacation
From Valle Dorado to Monterrico
Normally, DTT,
(Jahzara and I) lead a very basic lifestyle. No electric, rice and beans to
eat, washing in rain or river water, and so on…
Our normal shower facilities
This is all
great for the body, mind and soul, and we love it! But, for my Diva girls
birthday this year, I managed to scrape together enough money for a complete
change…. For a week at least.
We opted for
total VIP and booked a night at Valle Dorado water park ‘ Q500 (just under £50/$70)
all inclusive 3pm until 1pm the following day. It was certainly a break from
the norm; open bar with amazing, and unlimited cocktails (both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic), a snack bar, waffle-pancake shack, and breakfast lunch and
dinner buffet style in the dining room (food was basic but plentiful).
Then there was
the Jacuzzi (I was dismayed to discover that they let children in freely…. and
with food!). Valle Dorados childrens pool, childrens activities, and modern,
clean rooms; made me completely forget that I was in Guatemala! I commented to
my friend, that while all these city types were enjoying the sun, water, and
beer, something we are more than used to, We
were making the most of our clean. Fresh, air conditioned room complete
with running water, electricity, and TV! Something we certainly are not
accustomed to.
Valle Dorado Waterpark
The water park
itself is modern, clean, safe, and fun; I would certainly recommend it. The all-inclusive
package that Valle Dorado offers is also something worth taking up; Just don’t
get too excited by the free cocktails! We had an amazing barman called Brian
who whipped up the most fantastic, delicious and varied cocktails… I drank
many, many, many of these sweet devilish drinks…. And (both physically and
mentally) Paid for it the next day!
To get to
Valle Dorado from the city, just take a Litegua coach headed for Puerto Barrios.
Valle Dorado is where the coach stops off for its mid point refreshment break. The
coach itself should cost less than Q50.
Monterrico
From the water
park, we were supposed to head for Chichicastenango, but decided we couldn’t take
the mountain chill, so we opted for Monterrico beach, on the Pacific coast of
Guatemala. We were faced with allsorts of long winded routes, and ways to reach
Monterico, but in the end we discovered that we could get a single chicken bus
from a place called Cenma, in Guatemala city which reaches Monterrico in just
four hours (to get to Cenma take the Transmetro Sur from Plaza Barrios. It is
the last stop). Alternatively, for double the cost but half the journey time,
you can travel from La Antigua Guatemala,
to Monterrico in a tourist filled mini bus, which in my opinion is not as fun
or as interesting as a chicken bus. To experience both, we took a chicken bus
there, and the mini bus back.
Hotel Delfin from the Beach
In Monterrico,
we found a reasonable deal at hotel el Delfin on the beach, with a decent pool,
free drinking water and free coffee or tea in the mornings. The hotel usually offers
you a free fourth night and has great food and all the necessary connections
with local tour guides. Rooms are basic, but you have little reason to spend
long in them, as they have wonderful communal areas, seating on the beach, and
a few hammocks too.
There is
little to do in Monterrico, with the main attraction being turtle season (July
to October). Canoe tours through the mangroves are available for around Q100;
it is advisable to take the 5am tour to see any wildlife.
You can take a
horse ride along the beach for around Q100, but it is lead, so if you are a
rider, it may not be for you. Quads are also available to tour the beautiful
stretch of beach, the small town and perhaps even some of the aldeas (small
villages) in the area too.
At Q300 an hour the quads were out of our budget,
but a friend we had made borrowed one and gave us a wonderful tour – even
finding an area of the sea that was gentle enough for us to paddle in. The sea is
simply not for swimming here‘ with strong
undercurrents and powerful waves at the shore-line, neither is it for paddling!
If you are with children, keep your eyes and hands on them if they are anywhere
near the water! For this reason, we
chose a hotel with a pool.
Shrimp dishes
are good value in this part of Guatemala, so make the most of it. While the
hotel Delfin served delicious food, it was a little pricey and included a
service charge, which pushed the bill up even more. Our favourite eatery
outside of the hotel was somewhere along the main street, and is called Calle
Real. We loved their shrimp burritos. Alcohol can be as expensive as Antigua
(surely the most expensive place in the country), so be careful of racking up a
tab with your hotel! We paid for everything as we went along, to avoid any
surprises at check out!
From
Monterrico we took the tourist shuttle to Antigua – and instantly regretted it!
It was hotter and stuffer than a chicken bus and I simply did not enjoy being
surrounded by tourists – for me, one of the best things about travel, is
meeting local people; and one thing I adore about local transport is seeing
peoples lives in terms of where they are
travelling, where they live, what they have bought, or made, or are selling…
their stories.
The Terrace at Frank&Fre
Antigua is a
tourist hot spot, therefore, it has a range of accommodation… some much pricier
than others, within nothing absolutely dirt cheap. We found that in particular,
Tropicana and el Hostal are good value, but chose to stay above a gastropub
called Frank&Fre. It has a lovely terrace, friendly atmosphere and great
staff. Another grteat place to stay is the Three Monkeys Hoste. I rarely spend much time in Antigua, but there is a host of tourist
information out there!! Enjoy your stay!!
Labels:
backpacking,
birthdays,
budget,
central america,
Children,
cocktails,
food,
guatemala,
litegua,
monterrico,
puerto barrios,
valle dorado
Location:
Guatemala
Thursday 20 November 2014
Merida; the cultural capital of Mexico?
We visited
Merida all too briefly, but during our one night stop over, we managed to catch
a re-enactment of the ancient Mayan ball game; whereby the players had to hit
the ball through a basketball style hoop, with their hips or thighs. The games
was steeped in ritual, apparently with the captain of the winning team being
sacrificed at the end of the game. The re-enactment was beautiful; with an
ancient Mayan tongue being spoken, copal incense being burned, and of course, a
conch shell being blown. Locals and tourists alike turned up to watch the game.
It was a beautiful setting and a lovely atmosphere. Merida truly seems to have
a lot going on, and a lot of places to buy hammocks, blankets, Mayan clothing,
and generally everything Mayan/ Mexican.
We had taken an ADO night bus from Palenque to
Merida, coming in at just under 100 pesos and a good shout as it was
comfortable enough to get some sleep; thus saving travel time and hotel
expenditure. From Merida, we took a 3 hour bus to the town of Piste to visit
chichen Itza; again coming in at just under 100 pesos, this time with Oriente
bus company.
Palenque Ruins
Palenque ruins; steeped in jungle
The ruins in Palenque are just a few kilometres
from the town of Palenque. There are some lovely hotels both inside and on the
outskirts of the National park in which Palenque is situated, as well as El
Panchan (see blogpost). Two people can get a basic room for around $250 pesos.
I can recommend hotel Canek, near the park in the town (the owners are a lovely
friendly couple, the hotel has a nice terrace, comes with internet and is fresh
and clean) and hotel Jaguar at el Panchan.
Palenque town
Entrance to the National park is 28 pesos, with an
additional 59 pesos to enter the ruins and/or museum. I recommend 2-3 hours to
explore the ruins.... we wore casual clothes and flip flops but I would
recommend sneakers or walking boots, as there are a fair few steps to climb,
and as the ruins and still swathed in jungle, it can get slippery after a
little rain.
Palenque Ruins
Souvenirs are cheaper in Palenque (at the ruins
and in the town) than the other places we visited (Merida, Piste/Chichen Itza
and Tulum), so stock up now; as its the same things across Yucatan.
In the town itself, there's not so much to do, but
in the Palenque area you can partake in a host of traditional Mexican rituals,
such as Peyote and Temezcal.... I have contact details for a local guy who
hosts such ceremonies; and carries out the same ritual whether its for local,
tourists or friends.
Labels:
backpacking,
central america,
chiapas,
maya,
mexico,
Palenque,
ruins,
travel
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