Hola todos. Bit delayed here as moved on to Antigua earlier than planned. So yes Lake Atitlan did not live up to the hype. Entonces que pasó? Well let’s rewind.
I sleep good in my new place in Panajachel though it’s a nice town not a lot going on and I have some admin to sort out so first order of business is getting some cash. Easier said than done as the one cash point bank in town did not work for my Monzo card so after a lot of wandering had to go back grab my other cards but at least the currensea card worked. Got my cash sorted then had some breakfast. There I met up again with my English pal who had also traveled down with me and we decided let’s do a reccie of ‘Sin City’ aka San Pedro together!
We mozy on down to the harbor and we quickly get ourselves a joint ticket bought for about £7 each. This ride goes to San Juan first then to San Pedro and back to Port. It works as an open ticket just hop on and off and boats come by every half hour so decent. First it’s a stop in San Juan. It’s very hilly but it’s a chill place and looks quite pretty with the umbrellas hanging up on the main street. Not much going on though so after half hour over to Sin City we go!
We dock up and go take a stroll and there is not much going on but keep exploring. The place is a dump and not a lot going on and not cheap either. We keep wandering up to the main central park and it is the only nice part of it ‘La Puerta Hermosa’ aint hermosa no more! What a let down. Decided I was going to bail on moving over here and instead made plans to get to Antigua tomorrow. As ugly as the place was you get the impression it wasn’t always like that. My Georgian pal said it was 8-9 years ago since he was there. A lot can change in such time. My speculation is the place ran off the tourist dollar $ and then covid ripped this place a new one and it hasn’t recovered since.
Me and butty boi bail and head back to Panajachel, we have some grub and a few beers back at his hostal bar then we both ended up having an early one. Let’s hope Antigua is a bit more like it!
Hola todos! Today I will share you the story of the crossing into Guatemala. There are several ways one can do it but the easiest option seemed like using the shuttle bus service via bookaway.com this service is basically door to door. They pick you up from your place in San C and drop you at your new place in Panajachel.
So it was an 0500 start getting up and showered etc for an 0600 pickup. I was the first to be picked up and they went round a few other places including my English pal hostel where most were picked up from including my pal so good to see.
About 0700 we are on the road proper. Goes smoothly till about 0830 when we have a routine stop at a garage halfway to Comitan. We are about to leave but then we pull back in. Joder we got a flat tyre! There is a spare on the bus but it takes a long time for them to change it largely because the wheel nuts are very rusted and no WD-40 in sight and not having the right size iron for it. Eventually we get the nuts off and spare tyre is fitted and back on the bus we go. We drive to the border on the spare for another 2 hours without incident.
Then comes exit immigration on the Mexican side and this is a massive faf. Doing the homework I was not given a paper fmm (forma migratorio). The process is being not phased out but digitised if you flew in though nobody told me at the airport In CDMX if I had to do this or anyone else on the bus! When we left San C they asked if you hadn’t done it to let them photo your passport so they could get someone to do it ahead of your arrival at the border. Anyways we pull up and are queued up to go through and those of us who the guide had to get the forms filled for went to him and had to Bluetooth the digital version over to our phones to show the desk. I got lucky as mine worked and In I went and got stamped.
My English pal and 2 others we not so lucky and had to go into town to find a Wi-Fi connection to make the download and come back. It held us up by 40 minutes. Could have been worse. Of about 20 countries I’ve been before I’ve never had such a drama leaving any of them until now! I can get entry but leaving? Normally it’s a smile and stamp that says “thanks for the money now piss off!!” The online form even had all our entry info already on it right down to the flight number. They already knew so why this? Narcotráfico I presume.
It’s a short uphill climb then our bus parks up and we meet our driver for the 2nd bus on the Guatemala side. We are walked to the checkpoint bracing for another drama but a nice surprise this time it’s actually simple. Quick stamp and we’re in! Survived our first Latino border crossing without needing to pay bakhsheesh! Result! Fair play the guide did us a solid there! Otherwise we’d all be paying the policeman’s ball!!
Now it’s another 5 hours to Lake Atitlan. The landscape changes again with a lot of snaking through valleys that look like some of the valleys from videos of mainland China. I am going to skip over the details but it was a slog being crammed in this wagon like sardines for near another 6 hours.
We arrive at Panajachel about 19:45 and like it says I’m dropped off by my gaff and get checked in promptly and smoothly. Quick shit shower and shave and we head out for some scran and a few beers. Too dark and tired to look round. Tomorrow we will see Lake Atitlan properly. Will it live up to the hype? We shall see………
Hola todos, just leaving Mexico as I wrote this one. This blog post is to give a bit of an overall post mortem on my little over a month long stay in Mexico.
Mexico firstly is a big country and while I have seen a good chunk of it here I haven’t even seen a quarter of it’s 32 states. As for what there is to see here there is some amazing history and nature to see here all across it. What I have seen of it is only scratching the surface. There’s definitely more than enough I haven’t seen here to come back for another month some time.
Overall I have enjoyed Mexico and from what I have seen of it, it has been a very nice place though I get that the route I have traveled is one going through the safer parts of Mexico. Plenty of regions here are still dangerous for travellers but at least this time no real danger was found apart from some individual encounters with people that made me feel uncomfortable.
I have at no point felt unsafe walking about at night here. I have also found that the Mexican people are pretty warm and approachable and it’s easy to strike up a conversation if you have at least a little bit of Spanish though the younger ones often want to talk to you in English is what I’ve seen.
To summarize each place:
So, of what I have seen of this country how to some it up? In order of where we went:
Mexico City (CDMX) – CDMX is a capital city and very much like other capitals it is a world of it’s own. I liked it here but same time it’s not the authentic Mexico you see when you get outside. That said if I ever come back here there’s lots to see I didn’t get to.
Puebla – This was Simon’s recommended stop and it was worth the extended stay. It isn’t overly touristy and there is enough to do but you do have to go out of your way to go and see the sights. Being a large university city it has some good nightlife and people are pretty approachable. I could happily come back here.
Oaxaca city – Oaxaca I did not enjoy too much outside of doing the guided tours. This was not so much because of anything bad about the city but rather that it was dull as I didn’t meet anyone too interesting until the last day more or less. That said if I come back to Mexico the place deserves a rerun.
Salina Cruz – As a tourist is recommend skipping this one as while the beach is quite nice there isn’t much to do here in the day or night, if your looking for beach action go to Puerto Escondido instead. Otherwise probably move on. Definitely a one and done place.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez – A strange place and I didn’t like it, Read the road to Chiapas part 2 and the hotel review video but the TLDR version here is it was nasty accomodations combined with it being hard to get a beer and some food in the night made me bail on this place.
San Cristobal – Probably the favourite place I’ve been so far on this trip. The city itself is small but there is plenty to do here. The people here have been very nice as well both locals and travellers I have met. There’s more to go out and see around it too but I only managed to do cañón Sumidero. I do slightly regret not getting out of town a bit more but it was really fun staying here and definitely will come back here if I come back to Mexico.
If you want to ask me anything about any of these places leave a comment or dm me on Instagram.
Día de los muertos in San C Hola todos. Blogging has been slow lately however know that as I’m writing this now all is good and we have just crossed into Guatemala. The journey has been quite challenging but will cover that on a separate post.
Since we left off Friday was fairly slower than the last few days largely because my Southern Pal was out of it, so I instead caught up with my English pal in his new hostel which also got Bar. While I was there I also caught up with the Californian lad who we gave some money to earlier in the week. Turns out this was the hostel he was staying at. He goes back to Tijuana on Sunday so wishing him best of luck there.
At the hostel it was pretty chill just having a gentle few beers and playing card games then beer pong with the friends there. Nice and gentle bit of fun instead of rolling the RNG on more geezers. About half 10 the bar there closed up and I tagged along with them to a music bar another friend wanted to head to. Was okay but too many people for my liking. Agoraphobia was kicking in hard so I just had one drink then quietly showed myself out of there and had an early one.
So then we hit Saturday, which is the start of Día de los muertos. I get up and have a walk down to the square and everyone is getting into the spirit of things lots of people decked out in the full gear it is quite something to see albeit a small thing – if you wanted to see a huge parade you would have to be in CDMX or Oaxaca. After this I get a message from southern pal and says come join him and his Landlord for a coffee. I obliged. His landlord is a pretty chill guy, another Venezuelan who got out of Venezuela a long time ago. We had some more coffee chatting then went for lunch in lovely locals place.
It is then siesta time and me and butty boi make plans to head out tonight. Night comes and we head back to the vino place for some grub and a drink then we decide to hit Revs again. It is a good time and we end up having a good song and dance there to skip the details. Even got one gorgeous chicas number. This goes on for a bit until butty boi has the freaks because he thinks he saw someone who he had a run in with back from lake Atitlan there so we bail and head back to the vino place. It’s shut but there’s a decent stools bar next door so we sit and drink a little more chit chatting about our countries mutual political crises then we go our separate ways at about 3am. Both of us get home without incident so no harm done.
Sunday was a quiet day all round just doing some admin for the Guatemala leg and then catching up with butty boi for a gentle few beers in the clover bar with some live music to see off the night.Tomorrow is an early start for the crossing into Guatemala……..
Hola todos! It’s been a few days since the last blog so putting out a general update to fill you all in on the last few days. It is a bit of a long one.
Monday after the canyon tour was rather uneventful just ended up going to the music bar again and having an early one.
Tuesday in the day not too much happened just had a bit of a wander round San Cristobal and not much else happened but then in the night things got interesting. I go out to eat order a beer and some tacos on a promo then the waiter guy at the door chats to a guy sitting on his own next door eating some noodles. He was talking to me in English and spotted this guy who was American and invited him to come sit with me for a drink if I wanted. I say yes and over he comes.
Meet new Best Friend Ricky from the Deep South. This lad is a Crazy Georgian fella from Atlanta and now lives Here in Mexico. He is a very knowledgeable bloke who has been to 60 countries in his life and me and him got on like a house on fire. We are into very much the same stuff. He even has been to Wales and is pretty knowledgeable on the history; he spent 2 months volunteering on an archeological dig up By Castell Henllys near Fishguard some years ago around the time they built the Iron Age village replica. Said the locals of Pembrokeshire loved him. We end up having a few beers and tequilas there then head on to a vino bar where we then also bump into an English pal of mine who I’ve also been hanging round with and we have a good craic.
This night gets better as this hippie looking young lad comes talking to us. Explains how he got robbed twice in Tuxtla, first by locals and then the cops. He is due to fly back to Tijuana and then from there he has to go over a border pass back into the US. Explained he didn’t have any money but was getting fed by his hostel for doing some light work. We ended up giving him a few bucks each after chatting and he was super thankful as he can at least get the shuttle bus to the border as opposed to hiking 2 hours in a dodgy area. That folks is how you beg properly – don’t ask directly for money, tell the story and build a rapport before you say you haven’t got cash. Nice lad but have to admit someone I wouldn’t have given the time of day back home. Goes to show you have to be open when you travel.
After this we are chatting some more and he gives me some good tips for Lake Atitlan – which is the next leg for this trip. Said it was his favorite place in the whole world and would still be there if he didn’t have to leave town in a hurry a few years ago – He ended up in a love triangle involving him, an ex supermodel and an ex SAS forces bloke – yes you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the Hereford boys! Apparently the man was looking for him and had to leave in the wee hours of the morning – was a small place and he would be found sooner or later! Great story.
After this we head on to a place called Revolución and have some more beers and then turn in about 1:30 am.
Wednesday I didn’t do much in the day other than start porting my blog over to the WordPress site and didn’t finish all of it. I go out have some pizza then go back to the clovern music bar and end up talking to some local geezers.
We’re having a laugh though they want to talk to me in English because they have family in the states they are visiting soon. That’s fine I guess. Little later they offer to buy me a beer so I say yes. Then they offer to buy another one and okay sure then I offer to buy them a round before I pay my tab and turn in.
Music is going on and one of them has a word in the waitresses ear before the bill comes that I can’t catch it because the music and lo and behold both the beers they ‘bought’ me and the round I got them in is on my tab. I grumble under my breath but I’ve only been stiched for £3 quid more than what I probably would have spent anyway there so I pay up and leave and promptly delete these guys from my Whatsapp list. Sorry but friends don’t stich friends on bar bills! Gillipollas be the word for them.
Thursday rolls round and the weather here isn’t great it’s actually cold around 10 degs in the day and slightly drizzly so going to be a slow one Today. I spend the morning finishing putting the blogs on WordPress then launch the site. I then go out for a coffee and a light bite but apart from having a look in the cathedral I don’t do much but go back to my gaffe and chill for a bit.
Ricky messages me saying do I want to hang for tonight and I say yes sure why not. Meet at the vino bar for 7.30. so evening rolls round and I meet him and in his own words he says “brother I’m lit AF!” Turns out he had been on the pop for 2 hours before we caught up but still he’s a good craic and we’re having some good banter.
After some time and a few drinks he starts having a bit of a sing song – the songs of choice being Louisianan blues songs that are rather rude and sung in the same way Louis Armstrong would sing 😂😂😅 it was a real hoot but you could tell people were starting to get annoyed – Imagine trying to have a romantic dinner and right behind you, you got Louis Armstrong singing lewd numbers from beyond the Grave!!
About half 10 we pay up there and head to Revolución again. We made sure to give them a nice tip in the vino bar for putting up with the choir!
Revolución is a good craic again and we bump into my English pal again and he’s got some mates including some cute French girls. We have a bit of a dance then they head out somewhere else after the band stops but me and him stay there and I make an effort to chat up a pretty looking local lady next to us. First proper convo in Español for a while but before it goes anywhere her friend grabs her and they drink up and leave. Shame! She was cool.
We hang about for another half hour and now it’s 1am and my pal is in a bit of a mess so we decide to call it a night. He’s wobbling about so I end up walking home with him – he didn’t need to be walked back being held onto but he could have been in a mess if he was on his own and fell over or something. Got to look out for your friends and all that. We get him back to his place all good then I head back to my Hostel. I’m back safe and sound about 1.30 am and call it a night. Despite the shenanigans he’s been a real fun guy to hang around with!
Today is Halloween and tomorrow is Día de los muertos! Ay joder could get interesting but hey be rude not to hang around for this since we’re in Mexico! Monday 3rd I leave for Guatemala.
Hola todos! Been some days since the last installment hasn’t it? I’m losing count but think this is somewhere between 40 and 50 days in now but would have to go back and check.
Since we left off I had mostly just chilled around town for the weekend but one notable thing was doing a walking tour where the guide showed us around different markets, churches and explains the story of the zapatista movement – a sort of separatist movement centred around reclaiming autonomy promised by the government that they renewed on. Long story short might do another post on them since it’s quite complex but the tldr is they are still active and there is still a lot of wealth and resource inequality both here and across all Mexico that is a trouble for the average person here.
That pretty much brings us up to speed for the weekend. Now Monday has rolled round and I decided it would be a good day to do a tour. So having a look at options it was decided to do El Cañon de Sumidero – this is probably the most famous natural landmark in Chiapas resembling something of a grand canyon with a lake. This is an absolutely spectacular natural wonder and one I have taken lots of videos and photos of. It is another to make a dedicated video on at a later date.
The tour I booked on was a reasonable start at 0900 and we were first taken up the mountains to look at the canyon from the miradores (view points) It is spectacular but also a tad freaky to see them from the top nothing just how high up it is (up to a 1km sheer drop in some parts). After this part was done drive took us to the northern side of the canyon where we boarded our boat from Osumacinta and would ride through the canyon back to Chiapa de corzo, a small colonial town just outside Tuxtla. Unfortunately no hotel stay included 😂😂
The boat trip was about 2 hours and was very nice for what it was. Once you get going it’s quite a cool breeze within the canyon. Our Capitan stopped at various places and explained about the features, all in another hard to understand dialect of Mexican Spanish so didn’t catch all of it. Some notable places were a bird sanctuary in one area, various waterfalls one of which being known as ‘the fountain of youth’. Various different cave systems in the mountains, a part of jungle where spider monkeys live as well as lots of crocodiles on shores. All was excellent stuff and excellent views. As you then exit the canyon the river opens up into flatlands around big river that very much resembles the “Charlie don’t surf” scene of Apocalypse Now.
Once we arrived into Chiapa de Corzo our drive was there to meet us and we had an hour and a half for lunch which then got dropped to an hour – probably because nobody went to the restaurant his cousin was working in! Still the area was a bit of a tourist trap anyway so an early return to San Cristobal was not opposed by anyone. Met some good people on this tour but once again they were not sticking round and headed the opposite way so no new best friends! All in was a good day. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!
Hola todos. After awakening in that hovel I book my ticket out of there and a place in San Cristóbal de las Casas and make my plans to get gone. It’s a 1 hour trip up to San Cristóbal but check out is 12 in this place so go out to get some breakfast. Desayuno rancho it was, eggs pork and nachos with spices and peppers. Was pretty nice.
11.00 rolls round and now I try my luck with getting a partial refund for nights not stayed in this place. I play it cool and ask nicely and I manage to get 600 pesos – £24/30 refunded but as was given in cash that’s more like £27 as no bank fees so result! If you don’t ask you don’t get!!
Now Uber it over to the bus station and we got some terminal Boredom to do but no Biggie though 12:50 comes and I go through security and then man collars me saying I need to change my ticket. He’s going on but hard to understand so I’m escorted back to the front desk where they now put me in on the 13:35 bus when I should have been on the 1300. WTF but the 1300 never showed up. Despite the glitches the 1335 shows up and we climb up into the mountains to San Cristóbal.
I check into my hostel and am given a room. Its not the greatest start as just as I’m settled in I’m apparently given an upgrade but still have to pack up and move to the other side of the gaffe. Okay thanks Its slightly better now can I get myself cleaned up please?
Go to the shower and no water…..I come this close 👌to packing up asking for a refund and going somewhere else it’s not late in the day, but I calm down and politely ask whats going on and simple matter – they were working on pipes and forgot to switch it back on when they were done. Could have told me but hey ho. Had to wait another half hour but finally I am able to have my first hot shower that’s actually hot in a week! I freshen up then head out and go get some food then end up watching a rock band in this one place. I think I can hang round this town for a while as not mentally ready for the 12 hour journey into Guatemala just yet………
After our tins I monged out to sleep and woke to see just how much of a hovel the hotel I was staying in was. Ladies and Gents, te presento Hotel Casablanca, Tuxtla Gutierrez!
So this sweat box cost £14 a night to stay in and with 6.5 on booking.com so decided to chance it. while on my previous travels I have stayed in some dives, this one is up there, it could give the back section of The Cambrian Aberystwyth a run for its money!! Read part 2 before you read on here to know what the location is like though the only other detail I didn’t mention is prostitutes frequent this place quite a lot and are about on street corners outside.
Now onto the room itself. It has a fan which looks like it could drop any moment but you need it on or your just going to sweat and not sleep. The bed wasn’t too bad, some ants but not a complete swarm (par for the course in tropical países this!) then we move onto the bogs. Shower got some lovely black mould growing all around it and the hot water don’t pump out hot water! Great success mould is also growing on the sink and don’t turn the tap on because it smells like it’s coming straight from the sewers and while at least the toilet flushes the seats cracked so you’d be cold if you had a case of Delhi Belly here! Luckily hadn’t eaten so didn’t need the seat!!
It gets even better. There’s all these notices around saying strictly no alcohol in your room but want to bring a prostitute in? Absolutely no problem have at it!! FFS like! Oh well fk you I’m having my tins!!
Another funny thing is you go out for breakfast and when you leave all these maids be like “quieres limpiar la (un)habitación?” “No está bien” clean it? Take a blowtorch to that bog and bathe it in Jeyes fluid fterwards!!
One other funny thing was while I didnt get a picture and unsure but there was another notice in a funny font that either said “no fumar” or “no fungi” if the former see the para above, if the latter clearly self declared!!
Apart from all these health hazards I was also very paranoid about my stuff getting nicked and when I went out it was a mix of keeping things on you and hiding others in your dirtiest laundry. That concludes the first episode of Grunts hotel reviews folks!! 10/10!! Very nice now I go to San Cristóbal. Hasta luego Cabrones!!
Hola once again todos! Late blog entry for this one as had been a very challenging few days getting here. I am now In San Cristóbal de las Casas, the last major stop before the dodgy border zone with Guatemala. Ended up here a bit early as decided to move up early. But let’s back up a bit. Qué pasó aquí?? Well let’s go back 2 days ago to Salina Cruz.
I start my Wednesday okay had a good night’s sleep and my bus is due out at 1135 and I’m 2 mins walk away from the station so can have a bit of a lie in which is exactly what I did. 1045 rolls round and I’m all sorted and out I go. I stop off in the Oxxo to load up on water and munch for the 6.5 hour journey to Tuxtla Gutiérrez. I’m in the station and the board says all on time nice and good.
This is where it starts to go wrong. 11:35 comes by but no bus, no Biggie they run late but other passengers start asking them at the counter after about half hour but no idea what’s going on. 12:35 still no news. I’m starting to think I might be stuck in Salina for another night but 12:55 it comes and we are on way after a near 90 minute delay.
The ride up to Tuxtla is another interesting one. It’s lots of flatlands leaving Oaxaca state then just before we get across the state line we have a 30 minute stop in this restaurant. Drives got to eat so fair enough and apparently that bus started from Puerto Escondido which is 4 hours west of Salina Cruz, so long day for drive!
Once we get rolling again we begin the climb up into Chiapas state. It’s more Anatolia esque twisty roads then once you get to the top it’s a big plateau until you descend slowly into Tuxtla. We arrive at Tuxtla and then it’s an Uber to the gaffe. I get to the hotel around 20:30. What should have been a 6.5 hour journey took the best part of 9!
Now the hotel we are in is not the best to put it kindly, I had booked 3 nights here thinking Tuxtla would be okay. Oh boy was I wrong! Will cover the hotel in detail in part 3 but it is important to describe the area around it because as bad as the place was I was initially still willing to stick it out however going out and having a wander that opinion soon changed.
After a 9 hour road trip what do we want now? A nice gentle couple of beers and some scran please. But this is where we see Tuxtla is not good for travellers especially the Welsh. Food? Forget it as all the resteraunts shut at half 8. What about a beer? Went to 2 places and get turned away for no proper reason but eventually find this lower class sports hall type place and have a few bottles of victoria so at least the beer part gets satisfied but they say they are shutting soon.
Tuxtla does not look like a great place to go wandering either so luckily I find a circle k by my gaffe and one that will still sell you tins after 10pm – they would not in Salina Cruz. So a 4 pack of modelos it was and back to the hovel we went! As I was getting myself sloshed enough to sleep in that hole the executive decision was made to cut the stay short in the morning but would sort the logistics out once we get through the night……
Hola todos once again! So today we take an intermission from the journey to Chiapas to check out Salina Cruz properly. Now as has been mentioned before it’s a working port and the seas have very treacherous currents so it’s not safe to swim on these beaches. Because of this it is not the most popular of places for tourists. I haven’t seen any other güeros here not even in the bus station yesterday which says it’s not exactly on the surfer circuit – their preferred destination is Puerto Escondido which is 4 hours the wrong way to where I’m headed. Maybe another time…… I don’t think it will be the last surfer place we will encounter on our route.
It was a slow start all round and decided to walk down to la playa. It is about a 40 minute hike through the city but hey one way to get the steps in! Once I got there I had a cuppa and some apple juice in this beach resteraunt and stayed for breakfast/lunch too – went for a pescadilla – a quesadilla crispy fish taco and some salad. Fue rica!! 😋. This dish can be made with cod, Pollock, haddock or other shore fish. One I’ll deffo try to do when I’m home.
After this I walked up to el Mirador. While it was 35 Degs outside I surprisingly didn’t feel too bad all day and despite sweating not burning up like Bazza, 63 on his hollybobs! It was a nice view and good to see the mountains along the coast. Also quite a lot of ships in and around the port. Presumably heading for or from the Panama canal.
I headed back and had some lunch closer to my hotel and then siesta time. The evening was uneventful. I went back to the same place as last night and had a pizza and a few gentle beers to close out.
Tomorrow begins part 2 of the journey to Tuxtla. Another 6.5 hour bus ride awaits us…… Here’s hoping Tuxtla goes a bit better than Oaxaca city did. It’s been over a fortnight since we met our last new best friend!!!
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