El Panchan, Palenque 

Supposedly a 'legendary hippie hangout', this small collection of cabanas and restaurants nestled in the jungle on the outskirts of the Palenque National park is beautiful, but really just to pass the nights while you explore the National park and ruins.

For someone who loves nature, and the jungle, there is far too much concrete going on here and not enough spots to just sit and enjoy nature. There are two main restaurants and one small eatery - the staff of all three can be rude and tip-grabbing. The rooms are all pretty basic and all smell damp and there is an abundance of mosquitoes, despite there being a beautiful fresh water stream running through the place (probably due to all the concrete and tiling throughout the place).

Having said that, the stream that does run through El Panchan really is beautiful, and despite there being so many people, and live music every evening; there is an astounding array of wildlife. The howler monkeys can be seen (and heard) in very close proximity, as well as various birds, butterflies and creatures in and around the stream.

We met some wonderful locals and I was invited to a beautiful Mayan ceremony for day of the dead; where I learnt a lot about the culture of the Maya and how it is being revived; as well as hearing the most beautiful singing and drumming.

The local area is definitely a mystical place, bursting with energy, and I will certainly be returning; and despite its concrete and bad waiting staff, will probably be staying in El Panchan again!

In conclusion, this place is in a beautiful setting with amazing wildlife everywhere you look, and some interesting and insightful locals. In my opinion it needs a real 're-naturising'; with concrete and old disused structures being removed, trash being picked up, and some more natural structures being built.

Guatemala to Mexico

Flores (Santa Elena) to Palenque

One  route into Mexico from Guatemala is to take a minibus from Santa Elena to Bethel/ Fronterra de Corazol border, a small boat across the river into Mexico, a taxi to the bus terminal (stopping at border control) and a minibus onto Palenque.

Leave early because it takes a good six hours from Santa Elena to the border and border control closes at 5 so you will not be able to cross if you arrive after around 4:30pm and the border town of la Tecnica is not somewhere you want to spend any amount of time; especially overnight.

The whole journey should cost less than 300Q. Don't pay the whole ticket in advance at the terminal, because although it can work out fine, what happens is that you pay the agency, who gives some to the minibus driver from Santa Elena, who passes money to a man at the Guatemalan border, who passes money to the boat driver, who then passes money to a taxi driver the other side, who takes you to the terminal where you make your last leg of the journey. This is where people report being short; and at this point there is nothing you can do. You are in Mexico, your ticket is from Guatemala, the taxi driver simply tells you this is what he has been given to pay for your bus, that there is not enough and that you need to pay the rest. As money has changed hands so many times, you have no way of figuring out who took the money where; not that you could do anything at this point. To cut a long story short, pay each leg of the journey yourself, individually. Your ticket may look official but is only really good for the first minibus you get on for the border. You have been warned.

Hand - made Recycled soap

 Sometimes, living nomadically or travelling means getting back to basics - making your own rather than wasting money buying them. Soap may not seem expensive until you are down to your last penny and cant afford it.... besides, its packaging is usually unnecessary and excessive, and bad for our planet.

 Using oil which has already been heated is bad for our health; you should ideally use cooking oil once, and then disregard it. So what do we do with all this used oil? Rather than throwing it away.... save it to make a good soap, which can be used for body, hair, dishes and clothes.  Use the main ingredients below, and do research into any additional ingredients you may like to add. Then get creative, and get testing!

I made soap in a small Mayan community in Peten, Guatemala. The ingredients were cheap and easy to source, and we used a wood fire to further reduce costs.

Points to consider:

Caustic soda is an ingredient which has replaced the ash and lime mixture used in the past (I'm yet to experiment with this, but watch this space). It is an alkaline chemical which is an irritant, and must not be inhaled. Be careful not to handle with bare hands, use a well ventilated area, and if skin comes into contact with the caustic soda or the soap before the 21 day rest period (see below), wash with vinegar. When below process has been completed, leave the soap to rest for 21 days due to the harmful nature of the caustic soda.

Make your own soap out of Recycled oil in 10 steps:

Main Ingredients:

1 gallon of used cooking oil (with no bits/lumps

2 litres of rain/purified water

1oz of bicarbonate of soda

1lb caustic soda (used for cleaning/unblocking drains etc)

1 tablespoon table salt

2 large cooking pans, 1 heat resistant mixing bowl, a large wooden mixing spoon, baking tray, sheet to cover and a knife to cut.

Additional Ingredients

Natural oils (tea tree, lavender)

Used coffee grinds

coconut grinds after making coconut oil (watch this space)

Aloe Vera

Iodine/sulphur (medicinal uses for skin rashes)

step 1. Heat the oil until hot but not boiling and put it to rest.

step 2. Do the same with the water.

step 3. Add the caustic soda to the water. It will bubble and produce a vapour. Stand back and do not inhale. If possible, use a safety mask and gloves here.

step 4. Add the water and costic soda mix to the oil, stirring in ONE direction only; ie clockwise OR anticlockwise. At this point, if your oil is too hot (as ours was), the mixture will bubble excessively (as ours did)

step 5. keep stirring in ONE direction. After a few minutes; when the mixture is no longer bubbling, add the bicarbonate of soda and the salt. At this point, you may wish to add natural oil, coconut/coffee grinds, aloe vera etc.

step 6. Stir until cold; this can take up to thirty minutes. Placing the bowl into a larger bowl of cold water should reduce this time.

step 7. When thick, cold and a lighter colour, pour the mixture into a baking tray and leave overnight to solidify (cover with the sheet).

step 8. The following day, cut soap into pieces and place somewhere to dry out (cover with the sheet again)

step 9. Leave the soap for 21 days to weaken the harmful effects of the caustic soda.

step 10. Enjoy your natural recycled hand made soap!

 Our soap maker is accustomed to this process and actually fashions the soap the following day with his hands; which is why our soap was in the shape of Guatemalan clothes washing soap, not cut into squares as recommended. His method is not recommended due to the aforementioned harmful effects of the caustic soda.

Please email me, or comment below once you have tried the soap, adding suggestions, improvisations and pictures! 

also, for more pictures of the process please search for Double Trouble Travel on facebook 

Turning a scorpion problem into a scorpion blessing...

For photos; check out Double Trouble Travel on facebook!

 It's hard for me to give hard facts here as so much I have heard or read about black scorpions is hearsay, myth or tradition. So, here is simply our story.

I had heard various things from people local to this area of Guatemala; from 'their stings are no worse than a bee', to how dangerous the stings are, to the notion that their stings prevent 'seven different types of cancer'.

From my first sighting, against my normal animal loving tendencies (including unwittingly moving dangerous snakes to 'safe places' so that they live another day!), I would kill each scorpion I saw on sight; just to be on the safe side. I was always told that the stings affect the old and the young more so, therefore I became worried for my young daughter when I started seeing a multitude of black scorpions in our house. The more I killed, the more came.

Then one night, in our little wooden house, without power; lit only by candle-light, as I was searching for something in a dark corner, I was stung.

At first, it was as if a pin had stabbed into my thumb. Seconds later, as pain cursed through my hand, I realised what had just happened.  After a few minutes of hopping round, screaming in pain, I lay on my bed to wait for the sensation to pass. I had not expected it to hurt so much. However, soon things progressed further; I felt pain shoot through my elbow, then my shoulder. My hand became numb. The hand that had not been stung went numb. The tip of my tongue, followed by my lips also became numb. I became extremely thirsty but when I stood up for a drink, my legs were dead-weights.

Luckily, I was not worried, I felt extremely calm. I actually felt as if I had taken some kind of mind altering  substance; and have since read in various websites, forums and articles that people in places such as India do actually pay for the service of being stung by a scorpion for this high! It lasted through the night with my legs still feeling too heavy to walk the next morning.

After informing a few people of my experience, a local friend told me that black scorpions are actually edible enjoyable and that eating them does offer some form of vaccination against future bites. So, the next one I saw, I caught, instead of killing it, removed the tail and cooked it. I was proud of my 8 year old who even took a bite (telling me it tasted like shrimp).

After telling a Trinidadian friend of this, he advised me to place the next one in a bottle of alcohol - so I'm building up quite a collection of scorpion infused rum (watch this space to see its effect in a few months).

So, although scorpions are still far from desired in our household, there is at least a little joy from finding and catching the arachnid creatures and frying them, or placing them in a small bottle of Guatemalan rum.

The problem is, scorpions love to lurk! They make themselves very flat and hide in all the nooks and crannies of the house. Often you have no idea where the scorpions are hiding; until you see the tips of a tail or pinchers poking out.

Therefore, we have an interesting library of adrenaline fuelled, fearsome scorpion chase tales around our quiet little house - some in the early hours of the morning after detecting their familiar scratching sound; almost always too close to the bed and always by dim candlelight in our little house!

 

New York, New York!!

If you come to New York City with a lot of money, the possibilities seem endless. But, what if you're budget travellers, like us? Well there still plenty you can do....

Our first glance of the big apple

We were here for a couple of months, but even if you just come for a week or two, or pass through for a weekend, the following should hopefully give you a few ideas on what to do during your visit:

Where to stay

We were in the Bronx; which can be considerably cheaper than staying in the centre/Manhattan. Look at various options; other than hotels there are hostels, couchsurfing, room shares and room rentals (depending on how long your staying and what you're willing to settle for).  We rented a tiny, stuffy room with no windows and a noisy water pipe in a good location, for about £250 a month but I'm sure there were better deals about.

Getting around

Buy a metro card for a dollar and top it up - it's currently $2.50 for one journey or $30 for a week unlimited (small children go free). Get a map and familiarise yourself with it - it can be hard to unfold  your big metro map at a station or on a busy train.... besides which you will look like a total tourist! The main thing is to know whether you're heading for uptown or downtown, which number train reaches your station and your set....

Riding the subway!  

In terms of taxis, for a short distance (if you don't want to use the subway), hail a yellow cab.... but if the distance is longer, or there's bad weather or traffic, pre-call a taxi as they will give you a set price to work with. The yellow cabs can be financially scary when you're sitting in traffic watching the meter creep up.

The Bronx

Personally I loved the Bronx. We made so many friends, and as is usually the case, those with less were the ones who were ready and willing to offer so much. The local library was a safe haven from our stuffy, overheated room. We were able to set up accounts, borrow books, and use the internet there all for free. We also found a seventh day Adventist church nearby; and discovered how different things are done across the pond. Again we met some real life angels who helped us so much during our time here.

 

Me and J outside Hunts Point Church, the Bronx :)

 

Freebies:

I can only recommend the things I actually tried, but will then give a list of things which are reportedly free....

Grand central station is of course, free to enter... just stroll in and look up at the beautiful ceiling. The station also has a great, but pricey, food market, a whole dining area; with free 'restrooms' and wifi, and a few good store/shops - a rite aid (pharmacy similar to superdrug in the UK), a bookstore, and a cute transit store. It's also beautiful to look at from the outside, and you can easily reach 5th avenue, Bryant park, and times square on foot from here.

 

Grand central

 

 

Transport store at Grand Central

 

We frequented Bryant Park during our stay. Its located behind the New York City Public Library (5th ave), between Grand central station and Times Square if you're walking. We were here in the winter, and so we had the pleasure of using the winter gardens; consisting of lovely market stall type stores selling allsorts; from soaps, to hot apple cider, hot chocolate, turros, to clothing, bags, and a wonderful array of artesian jewellery, plus a beautiful Christmas tree, and a free ice rink! For the ice rink, bring your own lock for the lockers (or pay $8 for them to check your bag in), and bring skates (or pay $19 a time to rent a pair). Check sports shops such as Modells for discounted or last seasons reduced price skates (if you don't ask you won't get). Then hit the ice!

Ice skating (in the rain) at Bryant park

 

Times square is another must see; even though there's really not much to see... just a lot of high buildings, billboards and lights... We came for NYE but to get a prime spot people were reportedly arriving from 7am, and it was certainly filling up by midday! When we arrived at 7pm, the central section of Times square was blocked off, as were most of the surrounding sidewalks. We nestled among the estimated 1million+ people trying to see the ball drop, and caught sight of the ball, the glitter and fireworks, but were too far away to see or hear any of the performances.

Me, at Times Square

 

We did not pay to go up the empire state; at around $30 for me and $20 for Jahzara. But we did enter the lobby for a cheeky photo... and enjoyed seeing the building lit up in the evenings.

Cheeky snap of the empire state lobby

 

We did visit the Rockefeller centre, a few times; to see the ice rink, the lighting of the Christmas tree (again, more hype.... just see it the day after it's been lit), and to sit and sip a Starbucks indoors, use the free wifi and watch the skaters..... it's a good place to rest for a half hour if you are shopping 5th ave (as is the Trump Towers, located close to Tiffanys).

Rockefeller ice-rink

 

We also saw the statue of liberty - for $2.50 you can get on the subway; get off at Bowling Green. The ferry to Staten island is free both ways and there is free wifi while you wait.

The New York City Skyline from the Staten Island Ferry

 

My suggested itinerary is to go on a Wednesday,  arrive early and visit the Museum of the American Indian http://nmai.si.edu/visit/newyork/ . Then catch the Ferry to Staten Island - along the way you see lady liberty. Continue to the Staten Island Zoo which is free on a Wednesdays  after 2pm, then you will also see lady liberty in the dark; along with Brooklyn Bridge and the New York City sky-line beautifully lit up.

Coney Island is supposed to be great in the Summer. Admittedly we went in the Winter, but it simply had the same feel, look and atmosphere as Barry Island in Wales. and, just like Barry Island it's not an Island at all! Nonetheless, the New York aquarium is there, offering  entry by donation after 3pm on Fridays. We walked along the beach and sat with coffee and hot chocolate rather than ice creams, and gazed across the Atlantic, towards the UK. sort of. The aquarium itself is small, and is still rebuilding after hurricane Sandy, but Jahzara enjoyed the sea lion show.... and of course, the overpriced gift shop

some Freebies, outlined:

 

National Museum of the American Indian. FREE

Bronx zoo - pay what you will on Wednesdays

New York botanical garden - free on Wednesdays

Staten Island Zoo - free on Wednesdays after 2pm

New York aquarium - pay what you will after 3pm on a Friday

New York hall of science  Free 2-5pm on Fridays

Childrens museum of Manhattan - Free 1st Friday of the month between 5-8pm

Brooklyn Museum - free 1st Saturday of the month 5-11pm

El Museo de Barrio - Free third sat of the month. Latin American/ Caribbean art 

Studio museum in Harlem - Highlighting work of black artists. Free sundays 12-6pm

 

Bahamas Cruise Review

A four day cruise from a backpackers perspective

Recently, Double Trouble Travel decided to splash out on a four day cruise to the Bahamas, from our nearest port - port canaveral. We found a sweet deal ($200 each - tax and all, food and soft drinks included) on www.lastminutecruises.com) with the enforced 'gratuities' that is so inherent in the USA, it came to around $250 each at the end of the trip (I managed to quell little Js gratuities on account of her being seven, bringing the total to $450 for us both for the four days).
We took the 'Carnival Sensation' - this review is simply of that ship and company, on a four day Bahamas trip.

Below I outline and review the trip - from a budget perspective.

Ching ching ;)

Firstly information was somewhat lacking. It would have been nice to have a good sized welcome pack - but we seemed to get things in dribs and drabs. Prices were also quite concealed. I witnessed a fair few people go for the 'welcome' cocktails on embarking, then look quite surprised at being billed almost $10 each for them.

The first positive was that as soon as we boarded the ship, there was a delicious and varied buffet waiting for us; with salad and fruit options, and an appetising desert cart. Although we had to wait a little for rooms to be ready, the pool, canteen and bars were up and running immediately.

Buffet food on 'Caribbean day'

There was a long and seemingly pointless safety briefing; taking a good hour to tell people that when the alarm goes we must go to our 'muster station' and from there, where the boats were, but I guess thats the law, so....

I didn't realise that we would also have the option of dining (instead of the canteen buffet). Dining was amazing the service was great; a 3 course meal with a different menu each day- again lack of information regarding drinks being offered as if free then charged for (don't accept the bottle of m ineral water they offer you - wait and they will pour some standard water for free, and any alcohol will be around $10 each).

 Brunch, in the dining room on 'Sea day'

The rooms were small, but good - turned out twice daily - but again, don't touch any bottled water in your room - it's around $5 a bottle! and laundry is expensive too - so pack what you need for the whole trip. I am still unsure about the room service and breakfast in bed options. I assume that as there were no prices on the menu that a gratuity is added to your bill, but as I found with the water bottles in our room  - no price tag does not mean no cost.

One of room services finishing touches

There was a children's club which had the children up to 3pm, then 6pm until 10pm for free. Depending on age, 'Camp Carnival' will have children up to 3am, for around $7 an hour, plus gratuity. I would say keep reminding staff if your child has allergies / dietary requirements - J doesn't eat meat or drink coke, and despite this being on her name badge, she was given both on the first day. Also, as with any childcare; exercise caution if your child cannot communicate anything which has happened to them during the day.

Our first stop was Freeport, Nassau  - I thought that it was good that activities were offered for people staying on the ship and that kids club would take the kids while you were off (we didn't do this ourselves, but a few parents did). The excursions which were offered by the ship were extremely high - for example, you could pay $60 (adult) or $50 (child) to go to a beach resort then the market and have a non-alcoholic drink... or you could get off the ship, walk a few feet and get a taxi for $5 each way and do it yourself. We took a taxi (shared mini van, not USA cab style) to Taino beach because it was known as the quietest tourist beach for $7 each way, each - just under $30 in total for me and J. The taxis are great at getting you there and back in time for your ship, and even called us off the beach because they were worried we would be late! The market here is Lucaya but according to other cruisers, the things sold in the market could be bought right at the port for the same prices. I really wish we had taken a boat trip (glass bottom boat), .or done some snorkelling, as I think Freeport is better than Nassau for this (around $40 when bought on the ship - around 2.5hrs)

Part of Taino beach

Back on the ship, you can indulge in plenty of free entertainment - unfortunately there seemed little explanation for a lot of the entertainment, which left a lot of people I spoke with wondering what was actually available. The entertainment was good however; with dance shows, comedians, live music,  karaoke, a singles meet and a GLBT gathering.  

 

Our second and final destination was Nassau. A short walk brings you (through a crowd of tour operators jostling for your business; some with very good tours at ok prices) to the town; where you can buy a wealth of things tax free, and where the jewellery shops may sweeten you with a shot (or two) of rum. We were not in purchase / shopping mode, so we walked past Junkanoo beach (signposted), to the next beach - which we had all to ourselves, on account of there being no hotels or bars there. After this we walked back to Junkanoo beach and sat at the bar with matching cocktails (a non-alcoholic version for J of course). I plugged my phone into the bars sound system and we all rocked along to my soca carnival mix - after I introduced the bar man to the sounds of German reggae artist Patrice.

Beach on Nassau

The last day we spent the whole day at sea; there was so much to do that I frantically tried to get it all in - after a delicious brunch in the dining room,  J went to 'Camp Carnival', I hopped into the steam and sauna, spent time relaxing in the over 21 area, had some buffet food, spend time with J by the pool and had dinner with two lovely ladies I had met, before hitting a comedy show and falling into bed.

The pool at night

So guys, don't feel you couldn't go it alone on a cruise - you meet so many weird and wonderful people from different backgrounds, its amazing. I was a little uncomfortable with the wining and dining as I'm not used to it and kept wanted to help, but for a lot of people this makes the cruise. Bring your own beach towels, as if you lose the ones provided the charge is around $20. Bring some smart clothes for dinner - some people go all out, some people go 'smart-casual', and on the 'elegant evening' you can fully go all out. I loved admiring the beautiful gowns (plus every evening there are photographers swarming the decks to take glamorous pictures). Personally, I would saqy bring your own music and headphones - the poolside music is not for everyone! You are allowed to bring a bottle of champagne or wine on board, plus any waters, soda but NO liquor and no beers - they want you to pay $10 a drink!

Our last view of the Bahamas

If you have any questions or comments, or want further advice, please comment below.

Musings over our recent Road trip..... More to come .....

Double Trouble Travel have just completed an exciting road trip across France and touching Spain in our much loved soft top.... Fun and adventurous but not without its stresses and dilemmas...

 

Off we go!

 

Travelling with a seven year old did not worry me at all... But after being in each others faces for a whole month; sleeping in the same bed; spending our days together; travelling side by side with no other company (apart from 2 hitchhikers we picked up on our way from France to Spain), I realise I was slightly optimistic.

Not impressed with her first bee sting....

 

We love each other and enjoy each other s company but I can honestly say we have never argued so much. The difference with backpacking and road trip is that you obviously get to spend much less attention on the child, and all of your attention divided between the road, the map/GPS and the (in this case foreign) road signs. This also means that when they do throw an attention seeking wobbly, it can feel very dangerous, and you can become very frustrated.

Logically; (frustrated parent without peace + frustrated child without attention) + heat = arguments galore!  

 

Pleased to be out of the car! Freeeeedom!! 

 

Having said that, we had a great time, and visited:

Le Havre

 

 Pauillac

 

 Toulouse

 

 Bize-Minervois

 

 

Narbonne

 

 Aspiran

 

 

Burriana

 

Benacassim (Rototom Sunsplash )

 

Paris

 

 and various villages in between; including two fantastic reggae festivals (reggae sun ska in France and Rototom sunsplash in Spain) and a wedding!  

 

I noticed so many things on our trip - the difference between French and Spanish cultures for example; or at least on their beaches. On the beaches we happened to visit in France, the visitors seemed to all come to the beach fully clothes, undress subtly and enjoy the sun, whereas the beaches in Spain; the beaches I am more used to, had people coming in beach clothes, getting topless, and leaving in bikinis. This may not be correct for the whole of France and Spain; I was not there long enough to say; but this was definitely a trend I noticed in the few beaches I visited, which left me a bit unsure of beach etiquette. We also experienced the beauty of couchsurfing with someone who we had hosted a couple of years ago (definitely a positive experience), and realised that some people feel very strongly about a single mother travelling with her child (a negative but enlightening experience), and can be very forceful in expressing this.

One day we spent the day wondering round quaint French villages

There was also (to me at least) a noticeable difference in cultures when I attended the two reggae festivals, compared also with Summerjam in Germany. We were blessed enough to both see Paris for a full day and all the main sites for less than 100Euros.... definitely worthwhile but I would love to go back without a seven year old in tow; to see Paris by night, to browse its expensive stores at leisure (without echoes of 'Muuuuum, they are all just cloooooothes!'), and to actually go up the Eiffel tower or take a tour bus without multiple toilet stops.

 

a lot of these things are talked about further in following posts.... so keep posted ;p