Papachula, Tehuantepc, Salina Cruz, Huatulco, Crucecita, Cancun, London ( UK ). Febuary to March 9th 2020.

The end of two years travelling South America all during the Pandemic/ Covid.

Well folks I am in the last few days of my stay here in Huatulco, Mexico. I fly to England from Cancun on the 9^th March 2022, practically two years to the day that I will have been traveling in Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico. Really, I cannot believe I have been traveling for so long. The time passes so quickly. I have been in Crucecito, Huatulco for most of February and it has been a very relaxing time. I have focused on visiting some of the many beaches here. Although I speak Spanish, I have been with my free time taking Spanish classes to improve the grammatical part of the language. These classes I have been doing on and off since May of 2021.  I would take them online, which has its advantages. I have also have been enjoying the coffee here, if you find the right coffee shop it’s a great taste. So, I arrived here on the 31^st January 2022 from Tapachula after having crossed the Mexican border at Talisman. I stayed at Tapuchula two nights and left by night bus on the third night. I effectively had two enjoyable full days in Tapachula. I visited the local Port of Chiapas, the drive there was about an hour and that was pleasant enough, but the port frankly was scruffy and very un-interesting. The town of Tapuchula I found interesting. It was completely overrun by refuges from the Island of Haiti who had escaped a total collapse of there economy. They all came from Brazil overland and were now stuck in Tapachula, waiting permission from the Mexican Government to move on. There are so many that I imagine the Mexican Government has to be in control as their final destination was the United States of America. Anyway, you cannot help but notice all these people and they are very different to the local population. Strangely enough the town has benefited from all these migrants and the local economy has grown. Most of the Haitians receive economical support from their families who are in the United States of America. On the third night at about 8pm, took the overnight bus to Tehuantepec, which is close to Salina Cruz, it takes you northwards along the pacific coast. I arrived to Tehuantepec at 5am the next day, it was an un eventful journey, as it was the night time and I could not see too much. There is in reality nothing to really to see along this path. I latter met a guy who had stopped at the different places on the way. Two places that he called my attention was, Pijijiapan a small town, with a short access by road to the beach. The beach was called Chocohuital, according to him run down and not an awful lot going on. Then the other place was the Town of Tonola with the access road to Puerto Artista, again a beach, but the place was as well a little run down. In reality why would you want to stop of at any of these places, when you have beach towns such as Crucecita and Pto Escondido, to name just two, with fabulous beaches. So, I arrived to Tehuantepec and caught the local bus to Salina Cruz, which only took 30 minutes and there I picked up the bus to Huatulco and Crucecita. By mid-morning I had arrived to my hostel. There are so many lovely beaches you can visit here and if you like the sun and the beach this is a good place for you. Some of the beaches I visited were, Organo, Maguey, Conejos, Bocana and then by private boat I visited with a group of friends, Playas India, Chachacaul, Riscalillo, the nicest was Riscalillo and the only access to these three beaches is by boat. One very good walk is to the beach of Cacaluta, which is about 4 hours and it’s a nice hike and a very nice beach The closest beach to where I was staying was a twenty-minute walk and this was Santa Cruz.  It’s pretty commercial, with shops and restaurants and its also where the cruise liners dock and in the good times they can have as much as two a week, so I was told. On the whole though Santa Cruz was not a bad beach and I went there many times. The rest of the beaches you either walk or take a taxi. Finally, never went, but there is a place called Bocana, about 10/15 km from Crucecita, where there is a good surf and beach, plus hostel accommodation. Many surfers told me it was a very nice place to stay and to surf. So as I mentioned at the beginning, this journey has come to an end. I arrived to Gatwick on the 10^th March 2022, all the rules surrounding Covid, have been dropped, the only rule I needed to abide by was a test for Covid on boarding the flight and on day 2 in the UK to take a further home test, which I then sent to the laboratory. Then believe it or not on the 18^th March 2022, the government announced that no further tests are required when traveling or on the second day. So everything has returned to how it was when I left on the 15^th March 2020. Welcome England. !!!

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Antigua / Isla de Flores / Tikal / Rio Dulce / Livingstone / Pto Barrios / Guatemala City / Talisman . January 2022.

Well continuing with the story, I left Antigua in the night around 4pm and took a shared bus to the capital City, Guatemala. It’s a very short distance, about 40 minutes’ drive time and went to one of the many bus stations, but this one in particular was to the Isla de Flores. It was a good bus with a top and bottom level, i.e a double decker. I was on the bottom, with a great reclining seat. I slept a fair part of the nine-hour journey, we departed at 8pm and got into Isla de Flores at about 5am. There is something special when you arrive to a place just before sunrise, everything is peaceful and deserted. I was with another traveller, a lady from South Korea, we walked from the bus terminal for about 40 minutes, finally crossing a river and onto the Island of, ‘Isla de Flores ‘. Beautifull place, all the house are coloured and the village itself encased in the middle of a very big lake. I found quite a nice hostel to stay, called Casa Grethal on the opposite side of the lake, in a quite countryside environment and only took 5 minutes to cross by boat. After that I spent the rest of the day wandering around this village. It’s quite a unique environment, when you first arrive by bus you get off in the town of Santa Elena. Then you walk towards the lake and cross over a bridge which brings you onto the Isla de Flores. Its small but very pretty and very much a touristic town, with small hotels and shops. I spent three nights and enjoyed the time I had here. The main reason why everyone comes here, is to visit the Mayan Ruins of Tikal, they are the most important in the Mayan Empire and are extensive. I took one of the daily group tours which depart from the island. It’s a nice day, the journey takes over an hour to arrive and then with your guide you walk several kilometres around this site visiting the many pyramids, temples etc that are here. As it’s a full day, I brought water with me and had a snack in one of the restaurants there. It was not expensive. The tour itself does not include the entrance into the site, which is 150 Quetzal, it is quite expensive and I do not think sadly they are investing all this money they receive in this site. The drive from Isla de Flores is enjoyable and you get to see more of the surrounding countryside and to go with a group is also nice as you get to meet new people. So, on the fourth day I left Isla de Flores and took a day time bus to Rio Dulce, this was about a four-hour journey, which took me further down into Guatemala and close to the Beliz Border. You get off at a small town at a very basic bus terminal and walk a short distance to the bridge and then you go down to the river. Here you will find a largish platform where you can buy your boat ticket to the town of Livingstone, which is right on the ocean and at the mouth of the Rio Dulce. I managed to get the last boat departure which was at 2pm and was a two-hour journey. The Rio Dulce is a popular place to stay and there are many lodges banked on the side of the river. It’s a very nature environment and is nice to stay for maybe three nights. Livingstone is a rather unusual place and it was for that reason I was going; it is well known for its black community. There origin comes from the black slave trade and they came from a ship which was shipwrecked on this coast line and from here they formed their community and actually there are quite a few along this area. You will find these communities in Beliz and Honduras.  When you arrive by boat from the River Dulce, you are struck at how isolated the small town is. You can only access it by boat, there are no roads connecting this place. From here you can connect by boat to Beliz and the town of Punta Gorda, which is about 45 minutes or you can connect to the port of Puerto Barrios, which is a thirty-minute journey. You arrive to the principal jetty point where you disembark and from here, I walked about 10 minutes and found a nice hostel right on the river bank in town. Had its own jetty or pier which you could walk along as well as hammocks. It was called La Casa Rosada and I stayed here three nights. It was enough time to explore and get a feel for this place. With the black community here, you were struck by their appearance. They are big people compared to the Mexicans and keep themselves apart from the others. I had two full days, first day explored the town and the second day walked out of town and followed the beach line. Frankly the beaches were very poor, but kept on walking as I heard of some natural springs you could visit. After probably an hour and a half, arrived to a building which was the entrance to Siete Altares. I had to pay an entrance fee for which I was rather sceptical and when I got in, it was as I thought. The installations were poor and really the length of time to get to where the springs or small falls were, was not worth it. These were only two places Livingstone offered, Playa Blanca and Siete Altares. You take a regular boat and visit these two places. Pretty poor really, the only feature worth knowing about Livingstone was its remote location and the African Community that lived here, nothing else. The restaurants were a little expensive and after three nights, it was time to move on, destination, the capital, Guatemala City. The next morning walked the short distance to where the regular boats left and took the first one out to Puerto Barrios. It departed at 5.30am. Journey was about 40 minutes; on arrival I took a taxi to the bus terminal. I did this as I had a lot of luggage. It was a short journey; in reality, you could easily walk it. From the bus terminal I took the regular bus, a 45-seater to Guatemala City. The buses here leave very frequently and the journey time is about 6 hours. Quite an uneventful journey really, the road was good and the bus was comfortable. As we had left at about 7am, we arrived into the city in the early afternoon and had plenty of time to check the hostels and decide where I would stay. The first one I went to was full, Taquila Sunrise and so went to my second option, Nostalgic, an older but just a little scruffier than the other, but it had space. This place in reality was much better located as I was right in in the old part of the city and no more than twenty-minute walk from the main square and the palace. I ended up staying here for about seven nights, as the last few days there was a national transport strike and they blocked all the road going out of the city. Anyway, the first few days was fine, I explored the main square, went inside the palace, which was very interesting. They had a great market close by, where I lunched and explored. I met an American at the lodge, who was giving out free reading glasses to the poor communities. He had been doing this for years all over the third world. He invited me along to a prostitution area, or red-light district to give these glasses out. It was only four streets parallel to where we were. What an experience, we walked down to this area and it was just one long street, quite sinister. Their small rooms or cubicles had the doors opening to the street and you could see the girls or ladies inside. We actually went inside several and spoke to them and my friend did a basic eye test and then gave the person her glasses. Walking along the street was frankly an eye opener, men walking the streets, women hanging out of the doors. I took the one and only photo, after my friend said, ‘for god’s sake put it away,’ Nothing happened and after about two hours we returned to the hostel. This was such an experience, doubt if I will forget. I spent a lot of my time wandering around the colonial centre of Guatemala, as this was covid time, the museums were closed. So, I spent my time watching and observing the people. There is a lot of suffering here, people sleeping rough in the main square, drugs, alcohol all being taken. Guatemala is poorer than Mexico and the rich have everything for themselves and most people here do not have much. There is as I mentioned before, a large indigenous population and you can distinguish them from there brightly coloured dresses and they also speak their own language. I was planning to only stay four nights in the city, but there developed a big transport strike, the government was trying to impose a basic insurance for all those in this sector. In the end neither side backed down and for four days, the roads were blocked by Buses, Moto Taxis, Taxis etc. These people earn little and an imposition of what appears to be sensible, has a big cost factor for these people.  In the end the government backed down on the issue of the insurance and put it all on hold . After the sixth day I was able to take the bus from Guatemala City to Tapachula,  I left around 7.30am in the morning, as it takes about 9 hours. The bus was comfortable and the ride smooth and interesting. I was crossing into Mexico this time on the pacific side and the last time I crossed it was inland from San Cristobal. We arrived to the border town of Talisman and we all disembarked in front of the Guatemalan Customs. It was very straightforward and we were stamped out and after we all boarded again the bus for the short ride to the Mexican Immigration. This was going to be interesting, because I was entering for the second time and I wanted to effectively receive another 6 months. All the gossip I had heard before from other people, was that they were now giving shorter re entry visas than before. As always you need to be prepared, presentable and say what you want, as really there was no reason why they should not give me the maximum stay of 6 months. On presenting my passport to the official, I requested tourist visa 6 months and after asking me where I was staying in Mexico, he stamped 180 days. Just shows, do not listen to the gossip. After an inspection of the luggage, which was very brief, we boarded the bus and headed to the Mexican town of Tapachula.

Soon this journey of two years will come to an end, will post one final blog after this one.

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The journey continues with Tingo Maria, a small town nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and jungle, very beautiful with a nice tropical climate. The nature here is the experience with huge waterfalls and pools that you can bath and the energy is impressive. When you lie in these waters the sheer beauty of the geography and the nature is so beautiful. Sometimes you have to walk maybe forty-five minutes with a walk up to the origin of the waterfall, as you can have different levels, but this is all part of the experience.  Some of the falls visited were, Honolulu and Santa Carmen. There are also some great caves, one in particular was Lechuza’s, it was so big and deep that when you looked to the entrance you had a picture view of the outside. You also had a constant bantering from two types of birds which lived right inside, called the Guacharos and the Murcielagos, they added a lot to the atmosphere. Close by was a Sulphuric pool, which you could bath in and relax after your visit.  A further great visit was a lagoon, which I crossed called, The Milagros, here I spent time learning about the many medicinal plants and trees which grew here.

Then it was onto Pucallpa and the temperature went up a notch, it was pretty hot. The town itself lies on the river Ucayali and it is a very active port. There is a lot of petroleum and wood brought in by boat, with an important connection to the remote communities located inside the jungle. You can also journey to Iquitos by fast boat in two days, or a cargo and passenger boat which takes about a week. It stops at many villages on the way, if you have time it’s a fascinating experience, you sling a hammock on the top deck, pay about 200 soles ( US$ 60 ) with three meals daily and just watch the world go by!. Pucallpa is a big town and well known for the Shipibo Tribe located at the settlement of San Francisco and well known for Antisania and Shamanismo. Many people from abroad come here for the Ayawaska Experience, which is treatment by sacred plants and administered by the Shaman. These experiences can be from a week to three months, treatments can be for, traumas, depression, cancers etc. None of which I would deny, but only that you need to be sure who you put your trust in, not all have a deep and profound knowledge of how to use these sacred plants. You also cannot help but notice the beautiful and mysterious art which this town offers and all based around the Ayawaska, the origins come from the many experiences these artists have had under the influence of these sacred plants.

After Pucallpa, I travelled south to Constitution, still very hot, a small town on the river Palcazu. I stayed in a hotel in the centre with a café below, selling amazing fruit juices, fruit salads, ice creams and sandwiches. With the heat it was nice to sit and watch the people moving about outside as it had no front walls, I only stayed a night and then the next day travelled to Villa Rica. This journey was about four hours, half of which was flat and hot, after which we began to climb through the mountains. The road by this time was a dirt track and we had to drive through several waterfalls that crashed onto the road and then flowed down the side into a savagely moving river of Palcazu The mountain side was thick jungle and part of the,  ‘ Parque Nacional Yanachaga Chemillen’,  which is a protected area with very few people living here, but as we got the top, again you had the deforestation caused by the local communities. On arriving to Villa Rica which was nestled in a small valley surrounded by trees and mountains, we stopped for a little while and explored. It’s a small place, quite attractive and well known for its coffee, most people who come here visit the plantations. Anyway, we changed vehicles here and carried onwards to Oxapampa, which was another hour and fifteen minutes. We climbed further, the road was okay, but not tarmacked and eventually dropped into another valley, which was the entrance to Oxapampa.

Bye the way do not forget to check my web, have launched a wide range of Seat in Coach, with fixed departures monthly that you can join too, plus two fixed departures in Peru which I will be personally guiding as your tour leader.  We have also given some very special offers on these programs. Sure, you will enjoy…!

Stay safe and look out for my next blog about my new experiences in Oxapampa and the new places I will visit.

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Mersia/ Quetzaltenango / Lake Atilan / Antigua / Isla de Flores / Tikal / Rio Dulce / Livingstone / Pto Barrios / Guatemala City / Talisman . December 2021- January 2022.

Entering through Mesia the border town on the Mexican Border and into Guatemala, was quite an experience. I taxied from the Mexican Immigration to within a short distance of the Guatemalan Official’s office, where I had my passport stamped for the standard stay of 3 months. Quite straightforward and only had to give a negative Covid Test, which I had obtained from a Chemist in San Cristobal. The only mistake I made was to ask the official if he new a reliable money changer, as I wanted to change Mexican Pesos to Guatemalan Quetzal. Of course, he said he knew someone and in seconds appeared a guy. I changed 2,000 Mexican pesos and as I latter discovered I was given a very inferior rate. I lost quite a lot, I normally would not be caught like this, but I dropped my guard and believed in the person who this official had put in front of me. Never again! just take your time and walk up to where the Chicken bus leaves for Quetzaltenango and you will be approached by several money changes and you can quickly evaluate the best exchange rate. By the way, Chicken buses you will find many in Guatemala and very different to what you have in Mexico. They are the second hand yellow American School Buses, they are brought over from the US, fixed up and used all over the country as local transport. They will be used on relatively short distances, journeys times up to three hours. Anyway, once I had my passport stamped by the Guatemalan Immigration and money changed, I had to much luggage so i took the Moto Taxi with a trailer on the back, where I put my things and in 5 minutes was at the small bus terminal and in front of me was this enormous looking Chicken Bus. I ended up taking five hours to get to Quetzaltenango with a change over at Huehuetenango. They pile the people in and at times we were three to a seat, which should only take two. It was okay and as I like to watch and observe the different people, I found it interesting. The town of Quetzaltenango is high up in the mountains and the drive from Mercia on the border was very mountainous and very beautiful. You notice so much the women dressed in their beautiful dresses. This whole area is full of indigenous people all speaking their own language and not Spanish. Guatemala has a much higher percentage of the population indigenous than Mexico and its concentrated all round the area that I was entering, right through to City of Antigua. I spent a few nights here in Quetzaltenango, it lies at about 2,300 metres above sea level, the days are warmish, but the nights are a little chilly. I stayed in a great hostel run by an American and his wife from Guatemala, called Kasa Kiwi Hostel, it was only a 5-minute walk to the main square. This was a nice place to hang out, stroll around and in the evenings, there are some very nice eating stands, where you can snack. The main square is a grand place, all the local people come here on the weekend or in the evenings, so it can get pretty full. The town of Quetzaltenango is located within a very volcanic landscape and in general Guatemala is very volcanic. You can find many good hikes here. I took one to Cerro Quemado which was a non-active volcano, it was about a 2-hour walk, you can hitch hike there, somebody will always give you a lift.  The volcano lies next to a village and it’s from here you begin your hike. This whole area is also a burial area, as I witnessed lots of flowers, people standing around in specific areas worshiping their dead ones, a lot of emotion also being expressed. Right at the very top of this volcano which is quite a hike, many go as an expression of their faith as Catholics. So, you will see many pilgrimages and the walk is quite tough. One you are up there you will have great views. This was the only hike I did, Quetzaltenango is also known for its language schools, so you can also spend some time here learning Spanish. Frankly after getting to know Guatemala, I would probably do that in the City of Antigua, a warmer environment and a nicer place. Quetzaltenango is very historical and is the second most important city in Guatemala, but its run down, with good investment in its old building it would look spectacular. From here I travelled to Atitlan, this was a three-hour journey from the central terminal. I took a mini bus most of the way, i.e to KM 148 and then picked up a chicken bus which took me to the village of San Pedro, where I stayed. There are many villages on the banks of Lake Atitlan and this is very well known as a great beauty spot. San Pedro was very nice, it was very Guatemalan, perched on a slope which runs down to the lake and at the bottom there is a short strip where you find all the places to stay. I used to walk up from where I was staying and go to the market, take lunch in the local restaurants there or sit in the main square. I spent some time visiting the many other villages doted around the lake and you can do this by taking the local boat service, which will take you from village to village. Places like San Juan, San Marco, Panajachel, Santa Catalana, San Antonio Palopo, oh the list goes on. All have an attraction and always as you travel around the lake you are struck by the sheer beauty of the landscape. Its also volcanic. From here I travelled to the City of Antigua. I took the famous chicken bus, which by this time I was well used to, they all leave from the main square in San Pedro and their destination is the capital city, Guatemala. So, you go as far as Chimaltenango, which is two hours. You will disembark at a specific point in town, the driver will tell you and then you take another chicken bus to the City of Antigua, which is a short journey of 40 minutes. On arrival at the bus terminal, I took a short ride into the centre of town with another chicken bus and went to a very nice hostel located very close to the main square.  The City of Antigua is the most well-known colonial city in Guatemala and is a beautifully preserved Spanish Colonial City and well worth a week’s stay, to experience and to enjoy the atmosphere here. I enjoyed the great market here; it was fascinating to wander around the old streets and sit in the main square or take a great Guatemala coffee in one of the many coffee shops.  The weather was very nice, just nicely balanced and certainly was not cold and the surrounding landscape mountainous and volcanic, which added to the beauty. One great hike to do was to the Chichicastenango Volcano. This involved an over night at the top of Chichicastenango so that you could observe the active volcano of El Fuego. The trek up to the campsite was quite tough, we were driven to the bottom of the trail which was an hour drive out of Antigua. Then with the group I was with, we hiked up to the top for nearly 5 hours and climbed from about 2000 metres to approximately 3,700 metres. It was hard, I went at my own pace and had no real problems, but others found it hard. Everyone in my group made it up there, our tents were ready for us and we spent a spectacular night observing El Fuego, erupting and exploding all through the night. You would see fire and lava blowing in the night, it was quite something to watch. We were perfectly safe as we were on Chichicastenango, but there were some groups who were brave enough to trek up the side of El fuego, to a position quite close to its crater. That could be dangerous, as a Volcano such as this one is unpredictable. I very much enjoyed the whole experience, it was unique for me, as I had never been so close to an active volcano. The hike down took less time and by the early afternoon we were back in the City of Antigua. After a week there I decided it was time to explore more of this beautiful country and to take the bus down towards the border of Beliz and the Isla de Flores. Of course, no visit would be complete without a visit to the great ruins of the Mayn Empire, Tikal.

Stay tuned for the continuation of my stay in Guatemala in my next blog folks…!!

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HUATULCO/ TEHUANTEPEC / TUXLA / SAN CRISTOBAL / COMITAN / MERSIA  ( DECEMBER  2021 )

Good day everyone.  After four weeks of being at Crucecita and Huatulco I decided to move towards San Cristobal. Took the taxi from the hostel to Bus terminal at Crucecita and boarded the three-hour journey to Salina Cruze, can take up to four hours depending on traffic, as the road tends to wind its way around. It’s a comfortable ride on the regular bus which departs every 40 minutes from the terminal. On arrival to Salina Cruz walked one block and connected to the bus which took me to Tehuantepec, journey was about 40 minutes. I did not stop at Salina Cruz, as it really did not appear to have anything of interest and nobody had a good word for the place. It’s a huge port and the centre I think of oil production and deliveries. On arrival to Tehuantepec, took a short taxi ride to the main square, found quite a nice hotel and stayed the night. I spent rest of the day wandering around, there is an interesting market to explore and of course the whole place is very Mexican, very few tourists stop here, so for me that was an added bonus.  In the evening there was a square in front of the hotel with many open-air kitchens, this was a very nice mingling with the local people who were friendly and snacking on what they were selling. Next morning basically spent the whole day taking buses and shared taxis to arrive to Tuxtla, the capital of the district of Chiapas. First bused to San Pedro Tapanatepec, changing at Juchitan de Zaragoza. At San Pedro we took a shared taxi to Ritz Oro, which was a 45-minute journey. Then we got off and at the same place that we were dropped took another shared taxi to Cintalapa, again 45 minutes. On arrival to Cintalapa the driver dropped us at a point where we could take a bus to Tuxtla, which took one hour. The whole experience was very interesting, as you really get the chance to rub shoulders with local Mexicans and these informal drivers. We stayed in Tuxtla, the capital of Chiapas one night and it was by the old centre near the main church and the central market. I again enjoyed the night and could have even stayed two, but decided next morning to take the bus to San Cristobal, which took about an hour and is at a much higher altitude. Really the weather changed when we went inland from San Pedro and began to climb. The weather in Tuxtla, was very nice, hot in the day and warmish at night. When we journeyed to San Cristobal, we climbed to 2,200m and the weather took a change. San Cristobal is a totally different experience, it’s very old, very colonial and has quite a unique atmosphere. There is a very strong touristic element here and is visited by the Mexicans as well as people from abroad. There is also a strong backpacking group that comes here too. All this adds to the flavour that you will experience here. There is wide range of hotel and hostel accommodation and I finished up spending two weeks here. There are some great excursions you can do from here, the Canyon, which are not all that far and you take a very spectacular ride by river boat through this canyon, which is a huge reservoir now. Then another trip are the lakes which is further and it will take you right down onto the Guatemalan border and even you can cross over at one point, there are no border officials here. The lake we visited was okay, nothing spectacular, but what I enjoyed more was the journey, as you get to see a lot of the surrounding countryside. During my stay in San Cristobal, I enjoyed the great market there, ate most days there too and of course the Handicraft Market, which was the best I have found in Mexico in terms of variety, quality and especially the designs. They have very attractive jewellery and small stones they use to make wrist bands, necklaces etc, this was where I brought a number of stone wrist bracelets myself. As always, I found some great friendly coffee shops with wonderful tasting coffee. In the evenings it’s a little chilly, but nowhere as bad as I was l led to believe. I found the weather quite agreeable there, quite warm in the day, I was wearing T Shirts and long jeans and, in the evening, a light jacket. After two weeks yes, I felt it time to move on, my objective to cross the Mexican Border and into Guatemala. My idea then was to jump into Guatemala and a few days later arrive to Talisman on the Mexican Border and re-enter with the objective to get another 6-month visa stay in Mexico, as my first one was due to expire in January. The other problem was that I had heard that Guatemala was soon going to ask for the vaccine certificate for the two injections. This was something that would have prevented me going in, as I was not vaccinated. So having spent Christmas in San Cristobal, on the 29^th December 2021 I left for the border town of La Mesia. I took a local collective, 12-seater first to Comitan, which was about an hour and a half drive. I had to walk about forty minutes from my hotel in the centre of San Cristobal at five fifteen in the morning, quite dark and deserted to the terminal. At the start I felt threatened, but realised I had nothing to fear and kept walking with my bags, despite the many taxis stopping. On arrival to the terminal, asked a street seller where the collective for Comitan de Dominguez left and was told it was just round the corner. So off I went at 6am, nice journey, on arrival I got off and crossed over to the other side where I picked up the collective to La Mesia. Again, about an hour and forty minutes, they drop you right outside the Mexican Immigration Office. Here I had my passport stamped and I gave in my visa paper, which I was given on my entry into Mexico City back in July 2021. Important that it’s not torn or damaged, so everything goes smoothly. Once this was done, came back out and there I found Taxi Collectivos that take you right to the border crossing with Guatemala. Takes about six minutes, short ride. During the drive and right up to and over the border crossing, there are many shops, selling everything, clothing, etc and this border crossing is very porous. All the local Mexicans and Guatemalans are going backwards and forwards, with absolutely no checks, so I well imagine you could do just the same.  So finally, I walked up to the Immigration office in Guatemala, quite a shambles compared to Mexico and they stamped my passport with the standard three months. There still was no requirement for the vaccine certificate, I had just heard it was going to be applied on the tenth of January, so I was well in time.

Next blog to follow, what happened in Guatemala and did I just go in and out…….

The post Corona Virus 10th Edition. Mexico December 2021 appeared first on Travel Peru.

Arrived to Mexico on the 25^th of July 2021 having flown from Lima, via Dallas to Mexico City. Fortunately, the entry requirements into Mexico were very simple, no Vaccine or Corvid Test was required and they gave me a 6-month visa very easily. Mexico City was quite a change from Lima and although the airport was not confusing, it was still all new to me, so I just followed everyone else. It paid off and very quickly I was out, free and in the reception are where I met up with Luisa my grand amiga and traveling buddy. We stayed in the centre of old Mexico City near the main square, where you will find the huge sprawling government palace and the cathedral. Here we stayed about 2 weeks, exploring, walking and getting to know a little of this huge City of about 20 million habitants and in the case of myself, to become familiar with the life in Mexico, its cuisine, customs, currency, transportation etc. What I quickly realised is its transportation system is very good in terms of public buses within the city and country wide. The roads are spectacular, very well maintained and quick. The cuisine in Mexico is unique with the popular tortilla, a flat thin bread which forms the base of their dishes and from this you have the tacos, chips, quesadillas, enchiladas and burritos. Originally the tortilla was made from corn, this was before the Spanish came and after it was changed to flour as it was considered that corn was unfit for human consumption.

So here are some of the well-known foods from Mexico.

Burrito. This Mexican dish is made of corn or flour, it’s a tortilla which can be wrapped around any number of fillings. The fillings are prepared in such a way that they fit nicely into the tortilla, which is then folded so that the contents of the burrito are completely encased. A traditional burrito might contain some combination of meats, rice, beans and chili peppers.

Churro. Churros are a traditional Mexican desert that consists of strips of dough. The dough is piped into a vat of hot oil and fried until it is golden in colour and crisp. Churros are often rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture to make them sweet. They can be served with thick hot chocolate as well.

Enchilada. This is a fast food made from corn tortilla dipped in hot sauce, filled with various stews, vegetables or proteins depending on the style. With enchiladas always expect a tasty spicy touch. They are served with sour cream, fresh cheese, onion and celery.

Elotes. In Mexico corn in its pure form is referred to as maize, but when its cooked, they call it elote. Sometimes they serve it with chili, mayonnaise and cheese. This combination is known as elotes y esquites. You will find it sold in the streets with a barbeque stick through its middle, its quite simple, but tasty and will not cost much.

Gordita. A small food, they are pocket shaped patties that are made with the same ingredients used to make tacos, but come with different fillings. A common filling is the nopales (cactus) and mushroom combination. However, there are numerous options to choose from. Gordita by the way means chubby in English, they are small so no need to worry about going on the scales. When you purchase a gordaite, you will have many fillings to choose from, so try several.

Guacamole. This dish is undoubtedly one of Mexico’s most popular dishes, but few people know that this dish dates back to the time of the Aztecs. Made from mashed up avocados, onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and chilli peppers and sometimes a clove or two of garlic. Guacamole is often eaten with tortilla chips or used as a side dish.

Taco. Recognised as the most popular Mexican dish worldwide, the taco has become an art. Some say it is the, “art of eating with tortilla “and of course Mexicans would never deny a taco to anybody. Hundreds of fillings can be put on a corn tortilla. The most common are beef steak, flank steak, chorizo, hot and sweet marinated pork. You can also find tacos for vegetarians with assortment of vegetables, beans and cheese.

Quesadilla. These are a corn or flour tortilla folded in half, stuffed with cheese or other ingredients, deep fried and eaten hot.

Tamales. They are an icon of Mexican food. You can eat these all day and every day, especially on the Day of the Candelaria. It comes from the pre-Hispanic America and is, “ nahuatl “ in the indigenous language, meaning wrapped. Tamales can be wrapped in corn leaves or banana leaves and stuffed with any stew of choice. The most common are mole, shredded chicken or pork with green or red salsa, pepper with cheese and yellow corn kernels.

Taqiuto. This is a Mexican food dish that typically consists of a small rolled up tortilla that contains fillings including beef, cheese or chicken. The filled tortilla is then crisp fried or deep fried. The dish is often topped with condiments such as sour cream and guacamole. Corn tortillas are generally used to make taquitos. The dish is more commonly known as flautas when they are larger than their taquito counterparts and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas.

Mole. This is a sauce made from a mixture of dried chillies, tomatoes, chocolate, seeds and spices. It is one of Mexico’s most representative dishes and there are several versions of its origin. Its is said Poblano Mole, whose original recipe involved about 100 ingredients, emerged in the Convent of Santa Rosa in the city of Puebla, when a nun grounded in a metate different chilies and seasonings. Another version says that the Archbishop Juan de Palafox from Spain came to visit Puebla. One of the cooks got so nervous that he stumbled into the casserole where guajolotes (wild turkey) were cooking with all the ingredients and fell in. In Mexico, there are several types of mole, you should try each one.

Chilaquiles. This is a popular breakfast in Mexico. Made of triangular pieces of fried or toasted tortilla, called totopos, soaked in a red or green hot sauce toppled with shredded chicken, chorizo, shredded beef and scrambled or sunny side up eggs. Its is decorated with fresh cheese, coriander, sliced onion and is served with fried beans.

Tortilla. A tortilla is a thin pliable flat bread used as wrap in Mexican cuisine. They are typically made using corn or wheat flower. A dough is made by adding water to the flour and the dough is rolled into balls. These balls are then pressed flat in a press and are lightly cooked in a pan. Tortillas are used in an astonishing number of Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

Mexico is diverse many of its towns and cities have beautiful old Spanish Colonial Centres, sometimes it can come as a surprise as you will not be expecting this. The type of colonial centres will vary from place to place, but for sure in this mix there will also be a variety churches all with their particular style. The Spanish Conqueror’s certainly left a large imprint on the history and development of Mexico. Before the Spanish there existed a variety of very rich old cultures, which sadly were destroyed by the Spanish. The Mayan and the Aztecs to name a few. All this cultural mix will be important to appreciate when you are here and then along with this you have the rich diversity of beach, which is found on both sides of Mexico and another aspect of this country to know. You will also come to realise how large Mexico is and not a place you can get round in two weeks, so depending on your time you will have to be selective.

I arrived to Mexico City and from there spent some weeks in the north, visiting Queretaro, Aguas Calientes, San Luis de Potosi, Matehuala, Monterrey, Zacatecas, Guadalajara, Morelia and then returned to Mexico City. Really my favourite cities in the north were Zacatecas, Guadalajara and Morelia, they had a beautiful charm which set them above the others. There colonial centres had such a beauty. From Mexico City I flew to Cancun where I stayed some two weeks, it’s a huge tourist centre which enjoys up to 20 million tourists yearly and has a huge hotel infrastructure. You have to see it to believe, mile upon mile of hotels lining the beach. You will find all the international brands here and the airport is large enough to cater for this demand. Then travelled down to Tulum and after Bacalar and Chetumal, which is right on the Belize border and then back up to Cancun. Here I stayed another few days before flying to Oaxaca, where I stayed a month. This really is a very beautiful place and frankly it’s great to stay in the colonial sector and if possible, near the main square, called Zocalo. Most days I would sit in one of the coffee shops which stretched onto the main square, where you just enjoy watching the world go round. It’s a very atmospheric place, very old with large thick based trees and feels like the centre of town.

The south is quite different to the North, everything runs at a slower pace, its poorer, i.e. all the industry of Mexico is focused in and around the capital and to the north. The south relies more on its agriculture, coffee, cacao and tourism and you will also feel a stronger identity here, the people are more native/ indigenous. Oaxaca is well known for its artists, you can find some lovely painting as well as its handicrafts such as leather, pottery, highly decorated wooden figures known as fantasy, woven carpets and much more. You have Monte Alban, a beautiful archaeological site which was created 500 years before Christ and was the capital of the Zapotecas which lasted more than 1000 years. Then there is Mitla, which was the religious centre of the Zapotec’s and was believed to be a gateway place between the living and the dead. Both sites are outside of Oaxaca and you will also during these tours visit the many small local villages, which have a great range of handicrafts on offer. From here I travelled over land in one of the many regular 16-seater buses which goes between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido on the pacific coast. Road is predominately tarmacked, a little potholed for the last part, but this is because they are finishing a new road which will cut the journey in half.  My journey took about 8 hours, we made two stops on the way and I left at 9am and arrived to Escondido about 5pm in the late afternoon. The lunch stop was good, it was very Mexican, very typical/ clean, not expensive and as I remember great views as we were still high up. This journey takes you up into the mountains, through small villages and the temperature warmish, but you can feel that it will be a little chilly at night. The lands are fertile so there is a lot of agriculture here. As you begin to descend for the last part of the journey the temperature begins to change until you arrive to Puerto Escondido.

On arrival here I only had to go a short distance to my hostel, which was right by the sea and in the heart of the town, which was what I wanted. The heat was much more intense, even though it was late afternoon. The town lies in the middle of a huge bay and does not have any of the brand hotels here. Its full of many privately owned hotels and hostels. I spent in the end 5 weeks here, I really enjoyed the whole experience. The ocean was warm and around some parts of the bay the waves were spectacular with lots of surfers. It made me think of Hawaii and those huge waves that they are so famous for and bye the way the wave here is the third largest in the world. Where I was based, the waves were smaller and great for body surfing. Most mornings around 6am I would run round a part of the bay by the sea and then stop where all the fishermen were coming in with their boats, after fishing through the night somewhere of the coast. They would be selling their catch to everyone who wanted to buy and it was fascinating to look inside their boats and see what they had caught. The bay itself was beautiful right at the far end you have what they called, “La Punta “, and I was at the opposite end, it made for a great walk, taking you right round the bay. Around the far end close to, “La Punta “, you will find a large village like settlement where a lot of the surfers stay and backpackers. Going around the end of bay you will also find a further beach, wild and deserted. There a lot of Turtles that come here and lay their eggs, which are all protected areas and there is also a lot of, “Game Fishing “, here too. You can go out in the groups which depart daily and fish most of the day, fishing rods are supplied. Puerto Escondido is a beach destination and is a place to relax and swim, there are some excursions that you can do, but for me apart from the fishing, which I did one day, I spent most of my time walking, swimming and sitting on the beach. I took the local bus twice for full days where I went further down the coast to Mazunte, another beach resort and also to Huatulco, but that was all. Mazunte is not very Mexican, it’s there for the tourists and it’s a real mix of backpackers and traditional, so you can find a mix of accommodation there. Majority though are backpackers. Lots of restaurants, meditation and yes, the beaches there are very beautiful. It’s not for everyone, but its defiantly got its charm.  After Puerto Escondido I travelled to Crucecita, which is a part of Huatulco, its about a four-hour journey by regular bus, you need to change bus at Pochutla which is on the way. On arrival to the terminal, you take a taxi for about 35 pesos to the centre of Crucecita and the hostel where I stayed. This whole area has some fabulous bays with great beaches, the water is so clear and warm. I enjoyed the three weeks I was there and went to the beach most days. It’s a different coast line and atmosphere to Puerto Escondido, they even have cruise boats docking here. The main square of Crucecita is quite attractive and I also I found a great coffee shop there, which I frequented quite often.

Well folks I will publish on my blog, I still have more time in Mexico and will also be travelling to Guatemala, so look forward to sharing more experiences.

The post Corona Virus 9th Edition. Mexico .. July 2021 to December 2021 appeared first on Travel Peru.

PERU WITH PUNO, CUSCO, MACHU PICCHU, AGUAS CALIENTES, SANTA ANITA AND LIMA. JUNE TO JULY 2011.

Well, it’s now the middle of June 2021 and I have crossed over to Peru, at the river crossing of Deseguaderos. This is a town divided in two, with half in Bolivia. Quite an interesting scenario, the Bolivian side is defiantly the poorer part of the town and lacks the life that the other half has. When you arrive, you can change your Bolivian currency on the Peruvian side, you get a good rate. The journey from Desaguaderos to Puno is about 2 hours and this is the obvious place to stay your first night, in my case I stayed several days. After which I travelled by regular bus to Cusco, journey time about 6 hours and the road is smooth and quick. I was surprised to find Cusco devoid of Turismo, only a few local travellers and the occasional foreigner. June the 24^th is the highlight of the Cusco Calendar Season, it’s always full to breaking, with all hotels occupied, but this was not the case. I found many hotels closed and the Inti Raymi Festival very low keyed and could only be watched on television. I then travelled to the village of Aguas Calientes which lies beneath the ruins of Machu Picchu, again all the hotels empty and closed. There was a sprinkling of Peruvians from Lima arriving to visit Machu Picchu, but that was all, after one night took the forty-minute train to the end of the line, which is at the back of Machu Picchu. From there i took a taxi to the Village of Santa Anita, journey time about 45 minutes. I stayed a few nights in a great lodge and enjoyed the wonderful hot springs, bathing and just admiring the great views of the valley and the snow topped mountains. On return to Cusco, stopped at Ollantatambo for a night, which again in normal times is a tourist hot spot, but again empty of visitors.  In Cusco enjoyed a further week in San Blaz, just wandering around the old part and taking in this beautiful Inca City. You have to stay in old Cusco, this is where the atmosphere is, I spent quite a time looking for a piece of art and finally found what I was looking for and agreed the price and had the artist role it up for me. This was my second piece, as I had already purchased one in Pulcalpa from an artist who had been a student who studied under Pablo Domingo, a very well-known artist. His art was always so mystical and special. The piece I brought is defiantly in this category. So finally, I returned to Lima and stayed a month in Miraflores, found a very nice vegetarian restaurant, where I lunched most days and just explored in and around the city.

So finally came the day for my flight to Mexico City which was in the last week of July 2021 and I will tell you all more about this visit latter. Peru continues to be red listed in terms of the Covid 19 and for this reason hardly anyone is coming here to visit. I can only say that after traveling a year and a half in Peru and Mexico, I have not been infected by Covid and never felt at any time at risk. The people here are wearing masks etc, but it’s quite relaxed over here. So, let’s see what happens in Mexico, they are not asking for any proof regarding the Covid, so it’s very easy to enter. See you later everyone in Mexico !!…

The post Corona Virus 8th Edition. The return to Peru. June 2021 appeared first on Travel Peru.

BOLIVIA/ LA PAZ, ORURO, POTOSI, SALAR DE UYUNI, TUPIZA, VILLAZONE, TARIJA, SUCRE, SANTA CRUZ, CONCEPCION,SAN IGNACIO, SAMIAPATA, VALLE GRANDE, COCHABAMBA / LA PAZ,

Hi everyone we are now in May 2021, Covid 19 continues, I have moved over to Bolivia and have been here since mid-December 2020, some 8 weeks in La Paz and the rest moving around the country. La Paz, is an extraordinary place, the altitude takes some getting used to, as you can vary from around 4,000 meters to 3,500 meters, depending on where you are. The views are spectacular with the city immersed in a large canyon surrounded by the snow-capped Andes called the Royal Range. All this only adds to those great views you get, sometimes you can almost feel that you can touch them. Illimani is the most well-known, some 6,000 meters high, white with snow and on a clear day, just stares back at you. The City Centre has its charms, the principal square with the Government Palace, the church of San Francisco and in its square the musicians and clowns who play to the constant audiences. The fascinating markets, Buenos Aires and Rodriguez to name just two, the indigenous people from the Anti Plano known as the Aymara’s, the ladies are all dressed in their traditional frocks and hats. These ladies dominate the markets places squatting at their stalls all day, calling out to potential clients,’ Caseros ‘, or clients, “Buy from me”. Food is not such a big thing as in Peru, you will find a lot of chicken is eaten here, Paltanas is a very popular pastry, filled with meat or chicken, nice tasty snack, then you have the sweet drink called Apio made from a pink corn and taken with a cheese empanada.  Normally you will find these snacks in the markets, the stalls are humble but very clean and frankly it’s a nice experience to sit and share with the people. Of course, you need to ride the Teleferico, which takes you all over La Paz and gives you a full view of the city which can be stunning. There are many museums in La Paz and all are worth seeing, they will give you a good insight into the history and culture. Wander down the old street of Jaen with its special flavour and view. La Paz you can easily spend a week here wandering and exploring, the Ruins of Tiwanaku, are close by and can be visited in a Full or Half Day, this is regarded as the cradle of the human civilisations. Well after La Paz I travelled to Oruro, Potosi, Uyuni, Tupiza, Tarika and then onto Sucre, it was about six weeks of traveling to know these places well. Oruro is a transit point to take the train to Uyuni, has a long history of mining back to the Spanish Colonial times, there is a nice church you can visit with a small museum and a disused mine shaft which you can go down into. There is a great lookout close by which you can climb up to and see all of of Oruro along with a massive statue of Christ. Then Potosi which reminded me so much of Cusco, with its narrow streets, old houses, full of character and dominated by the Silver Mountain, which has been mined since before the Spanish. Until now some 20,000 people are still working this mountain, I am told the mountain top is dropping and there are only a few years left of mining.  You can visit and go deep inside the huge shaft. Then you have the famous house called the, ‘Case de Monero, beautifully preserved and well presented with good guides to take you around so you can understand the importance of such a place. Potosi was one of the jewels of the Spanish Empire. Next, I visited Uyuni and the world-famous Salt Flats which are the largest in the world. Absolutely fascinating, the views are spectacular with the white of the salt against the blue sky, I spent about a week round this area. After which I travelled some two hours further on to the small town of Tupiza, this is a beautiful place nestled between valleys of red clay and rock and is great to explore on horseback, it’s also another launching pad to see Salar de Uyuni but from the opposite direction. You are from here close to the small border town of Villazone which is the entrance into Argentina and the well-known area of Salta. From Tupiza I made my way overland to Tarija, a spectacular journey by bus taking you across mountains and valleys, many isolated places on the way and it took a number of hours to arrive. The town of Tarija is fairly large and enjoys a unique climate nestled in a large valley and is largely known for its wine, which is of a very good quality and competes well with Chile and Argentina and of course it is exported. It enjoys a lovely warm climate with fresh evening making it a very comfortable place, the town itself has character and has a nice old square. Everything feels quite intimate as it’s not a huge place and is easy to get around. It’s also the point of entry to the area of Chaco, which historically is known for the war between Bolivia and Paraguay in the 1930’s, the border is not far from there. After Tarija I travelled overland to Sucre, the official capital of Bolivia, but in reality the centre of government is in La Paz, it is the centre of the Judicial system. Sucre has a more temperate climate, but still is very comfortable and not cold. It has a beautiful centre with very grand colonial buildings all very well maintained, along with nice museums. It’s not a large place and so you can become familiar with Sucre quite quickly. There are also two rather grand places just outside, one is the El Castillo de Glorieta and the other Palacio de Florida, neither one is in the greatest of conditions, but I had time and it was interesting to visit. There is also a Dinosaur Park where you can see a rock face with hundreds of Dinosaur foot prints, well worth a visit. Enjoyed the local market and breakfasted there quite regularly, full of character. In most of these towns the access to natural fruit juices is everywhere, in the streets you always find somebody with their small cart making fresh orange juice for 3 or 4 pesos, a delicious break. From here I went deeper into the interior of Bolivia and finally arrived to the city of Santa Cruz with its tropical climate. The design of this city is great for getting around, five main roads which circle around the centre, spreading out. The rings have their dedicated buses which go around all day and you can easily walk between the rings, depending on where you want to go. The main feature of this area are the Missions, which are churches built by the Jesuits during the time of the Spanish and reached in about 4/ 5 hours from Santa Cruz. I visited Concepcion and San Ignacio, both had a beautiful Jesuit Missions in their main squares and it was well worth the effort to go. Concepcion was my favourite, I came across a lovely hostel very organic full of plants and smells and right next to the main square, which was full of character. On my return to San Cruz after a few days later journeyed to Samiapata, which is about 2 hours’ drive time and into the mountains. It’s a popular tourist attraction for the people of Santa Cruz, it’s a break from the hot weathers, as its more temperate. The small town is beautiful and surrounded by hills and mountains, great hikes from here, plus the Inca Ruins of El Fuerte which is beautifully conserved. Pay a small entrance fee of 50 pesos and contract your local guide 80 pesos who you will find at the entrance and enjoy abouts two hours touring the site. From Samiapate I travelled to Valle Grande, well known for Che Guevara who was a revolutionist and who made his last stand near here, before he was killed by the military. Not such a great place to stay, but I used it as a break point for my journey to Cochabamba. The journey from Valle Grande to Cochabamba was spectacular, so beautiful as we crossed through valleys and went up and down mountain sides to finally arrive to our destination. Cochabamba is my favourite city, lying in a large valley, it enjoys a great climate, warm in the day and fresh at night. It has a lovely atmosphere and you feel very comfortable with the climate, the coffee shops, the old main square etc. High up in the surrounding elevations you can spot Tunari, with its snow top, it’s about a two-hour journey to get up there and to get a good view of this mountain. Other places nearby to visit is Toro Toro and Chapari, which is jungle. After Cochabamba I returned to La Paz and shortly after returned to Peru. Bolivia as a destination is not so well known as Peru, its partly the fault of the country as it does not really promote itself unlike Peru, which invests a lot in marketing and publicity abroad. I have gotten to know Bolivia more than before, the roads and buses are okay to use, there is also a good internal flight network which is not too expensive. The climate varies depending on where you are and there are many places you can visit. It is not a luxury destination, its hotels are not high category, except in La Paz and Santa Cruz, generally speaking you are looking at hostels and hotels up to 3-stars. If you are comfortable with this you will be fine, there are certainly some nice properties in these levels. It’s an earthy destination, there are times when you feel the clock has stopped here and that for me is attractive. I have enjoyed my stay here. I will soon be leaving Bolivia and have been here 6 months ( December / June 2021 ) and its time to move on, will return to Peru for a short period of time before going to Mexico. Argentina would have been great, but the borders are closed due to Covid 19.  Well, that’s all for now, my travels continue and will write again.

Coroico and Rurrenabaque

Whilst I was in La Paz, Bolivia in January/ February I made a two-week excursion right down to Rurrenabaque. First travelled from La Paz to Coroico, this takes you along the principal road outwards with Devel Pass on your right, this was the old road and regarded as very treacherous. In the rainy season you will get your fair share of Landslides, with lots of sheers drops on the road sides. It’s very popular for cyclists and motor bike riders and is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in the world. You will certainly get quite a buzz going down Devel’s Pass. We took a large mini bus from the local bus station which took us further upwards to the highest point, before dropping down towards Coroico, all and all about a 6-hour journey. If your used to the altitude from La Paz as I was by this time, you will not be too affected as you do climb further at the beginning of this journey from La Paz. Years ago, this road would be subjected to snow falls and snow drifts, now its does not happen, you can see the snow further up the mountains, but climate warming is really kicked in here. The well known place called Chacaltaya which was the highest Ski Lift in the world, now barely has snow and obviously no more Skiing. It looks over La Paz and lies in the ring of the majestic Andes. Coroico is a small hill top town, which you can see in the distance as you climb and approach. Its small and quaint with a little main square. We stayed at the Hotel Gloria, a property from the 50’s, lot of character with a great view of the valley below. To get up to the main square you had to walk steeply upwards and its certainly kept you fit. Sitting in the main square you can observe the local population always interesting, it’s very much a working town with a constant movement of people. Not a great selection of restaurants, if you are vegetarian, you will find a lot of chicken, but this region is not geared up for a diversity of foods, its very Bolivian. We stayed about 5 days and that was enough for me, did a lot of walking, there is a small Afro Village not very far away you can visit called Tocana. Anyway after here we made our way to Caranavi, about 5 hours drive time in a mini bus. Road at this time was un paved, but it was a dramatic and interesting ride. Caranavi is very Bolivian, has some tourist traffic, but not much of a hotel infrastructure. Its well known for its coffee plantations and you will find a lot of Coffee shops, which was great as I enjoy a cuppa and a nice cake. The town itself sprawls around a river, there is nothing attractive about it and so stayed the one night. Next morning took another mini bus all the way to Rurrenabaque and that’s quite a trip, as you slowly descend down and down into the lowlands and the jungle. The road is not paved and during the rainy season you will definitely have problems with Landslides, as you can see the remnants of old slides all along the way. The reason for so many landslides is primarily due to the tragic deforestation, which takes all the defences and support from nature. This is a full day journey, a good 8 hours, with a brief stop at Yucumo , where we changed buses and begun the final descent into Rurrenabaque. My original bus continued on through the night to the City of Trinidad in the middle of the jungle, which I was told was a very poorly unpaved road and at least another 12 plus hours if not more. I would not have lasted, but there were people staying on for this destination. Finally arrived to Rurrreabaque and took a Moto Taxi to the centre of the town and my hotel, which was to close to the River Beni. Here I stayed a week, explored in and around the area, its markets, but there was literally no tourist traffic and all lodges inside the jungle were closed. I went one day by local bus as far as Tumupasa, which was about 4 hours there and the same back. Quite interesting if only to know a little of the landscape. My return to La Paz was by plane, it’s a short flight less than an hour as I remember and the local airport was quite unique, a small shack where you checked in and then a longish drive to find the runway, where we stood close to the jungle and waited for the plane to drop out of the sky and land. We then walked to the plane and boarded. On arrival to La Paz Airport which was in the district of El Alto, some 4,000 meters above sea level, I was again in familiar surroundings and a very different weather and environment to where I had come from.

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Herbal Drinks/ Infusions.

Hierba Buena ( Peppermint ). Has a beautiful aroma and is a great hot drink to help with digestion and any nauseas you may feel.

Manzanilla ( Camomile  ). Recommended to be taken after meals, good for digestion, helps with any pain, relax the pesadez, ulcers or gastritis.

Ortiga or Nettle. Is a plant rich in the vitamins B, C and E and in minerals like, hierro, calcium, magnesium or zinc. A great hot drink with lots of benefits as well as nutrients. Ortiga can help reduce inflammation, enlarged prostrate, hay fever, blood pressure and help with blood sugar control, tiredness and colds etc.

Culantro/Cilantro or Coriander. As an infusion it is good for the stomach, colds and flu. Culantro will relieve you when you have a stomach ache or vomiting. It also helps with asthma, lowers blood pressure and helps with epileptic seizures. It has a calming effect, soothes away seizures and also helps with headaches when drunk as a tea.

Herba Luisa. Lemon Grass. Helps the digestion after eating as well as gases. It is a relaxant and great to take as a hot drink when you have a fever or a cold.

Mate de Coca. Great infusion/ hot drink for the altitude.

Muna. Found in the high altitudes, hot drink and is known as a stimulant.

Oregano. One of the benefits is respiratory in the case of ailments such as Asma and Bronchitis

Menta or Mint. Mint tea is a very well-known infusion. It is rich in nutrients and is thought to improve irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, brain function, flues and colds, bad breath and is very easy to add to your diet.

Salvia or Sage. Known for helping a sore throat, a cough, rheumatism as well as a delicate stomach.

Tilo. Is a relaxant, helps with the nervous system as well as insomnia.

Anis. Contains several important minerals such as iron, manganese and calcium. Can help reduce depression, stomach ulcers and balance sugar levels.

Cola de Cabayo or Horse Tail. Helps relieves toxins in the liver and kidney. Also good for fluid retention, bladder stones, urinary tract infections.

Romero or Rosemary. Is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, thought to boost the immune system and improve blood circulation. Also helps with indigestion and improves level of concentration.

Diente de Leon or Lions Tooth. Improves the bones, helps with diabetes, infections of the skin, acne and reduces the retention of liquids.

Eucalipto oe Eucalyptus. This hot drink is commonly used to treat symptoms of cold and flu and also be a soothing tonic.

Jengibre ( quoin) or Ginger. Well known for soothing digestive issues and in particular nausea. It can also help with blood pressure, headaches/ migraines and is rich in antioxidants.

Tomillo or Thyme. As a hot drink will relieve coughing, sore throat and symptoms of an acute bronchitis as well as upset stomach, nausea and constipation. It is also high in vitamin C and vitamin A, copper, iron, manganese, potassium and antioxidants like thymol and carvacrol.

Lavanda. Thought to calm nerves and lead to better sleep.

Calendula. Is a traditional remedy used in folk medicine because of its therapeutic properties. It is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components which can fight cancer, protect against heart disease and ease muscle fatigue.

Toronjil or Melisa. Known for helping anxiety, depression, nervous tension and digestion.

Cedron. Well known for its medical properties. It helps with improving digestion, diarrhoea, eliminates internal gases, controls nerves and anxiety. It also eliminates gases, helps lose weight, controls allergic reactions, eliminates toxins, treats irritable bowel syndrome, controls pain and stomach spasms. It also treats insomnia, headaches and stress. The most effective way to benefit from this plant is to take it as an infusion or tea.

Add to a meal.

Apio or Celery. Very rich in vitamins and minerals with a good source of fibre as well as being low in calories. Its a great food for losing weight or maintaining a healthy digestion. Celery is loaded with antitoxins, these include well known varieties such as flavonoids and vitamin C, as well as lunularin and bergapten. All this and other antioxidants help prevent oxidative stress that contributes to cancer.

Perejil or Parsley. Often referred to as one of the most powerful disease fighting plants with nutritional and health benefits.  Used to treat conditions like high blood pressure, allergies and inflammatory diseases and is widely used as a fresh culinary herb or dried spice. It has a mild, bitter flavour that’s pairs well with many recipes.

Albahaca or Basil. This is a powerful antioxidant as well as an excellent source of vitamin K, manganese, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. It’s also a good source of calcium, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Basil is not only a common cooking herb, it’s also an oil which is extracted to make an essential oil, for treating wounds, cuts, and skin infections.

Cilantro or Coriander. This is a fragment plant, rich in antioxidants that has many culinary uses and health benefits. It’s thought to lower your blood sugar, fight infections and promote heart, brain, skin and digestive health. You can easily add coriander seeds or leaves to your diet.

Oregon. Used a lot with food, it has a strong flavour and brings warmth and a subtle hint of sweetness. It can be found fresh or dried or even as an oil. Used in small amounts Oregon packs in some important nutrients. Just one teaspoon of dried Oregon can fulfil about eight percent of your daily intake of vitamin K and can help fight bacteria to reducing inflammation.  Studies have unearthed some very impressive benefits with regard to Oregon.

Berro or Watercress. Is packed with nutrients and in particular vitamin K. It is high in antioxidants which lower your risk of chronic diseases, also contains compounds that help with certain types of cancers and is good for heart health. Watercress is also a good source of calcium.

Verdolarga or Purslane. Despite being seen as a weed, Verdolarga is a highly notorious, leafy green vegetable. It is loaded with antioxidants, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial plant compounds. Calorie for calorie it is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth.

Chia. Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, rich in anti-oxidants and they provide fibre, iron and calcium. Chia seeds provide more omega 3, calcium, phosphorus and fibre than flaxseeds. Most people do not consume enough of these essential nutrients.

Linaza or Flack Seed. Is regarded as a super food and can be used to help with digestive issues such as constipation, thanks to its high fibre content. Been used to lower cholesterol levels, some cancers have been treated, along with weight management and improving you insulin sensitivity. It is also well known for its healthy omega 3, fatty acids and its fibre.

Ajonjoli or Sesame Seads.  Very good source of fibre, which is a good support to the digestive system. It may also play a role in reducing   cholesterol and triglycerides, which are high risk for heart disease. It can also help with certain cancers, obesity and type two diabetes.

Pacay Fruit. Widely grown in Peru by indigenous Amazonia’s for shade, food, timber, medicine and production of the alcoholic beverage cachari. When you open its soft shells, it reveals a trial of white cottony pulp, surrounding black seeds. It provides plenty of soluble dietary fibre, which helps ward of cholesterol and fats as well as giving relief from constipation. Pacay is also rich in vitamins, minerals, micro nutrients and ante oxidants, all of which help prevent the body or at least prolong the natural changes of aging by protecting and rejuvenating cells, tissues and organs.

Cupoacu Fruit. This fruit is rich in antioxidants, which help keep our bodies healthy against hazards such as pollution, cigarette smoke, herbicides and more. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can only be good for you. In terms of brain health, Cupoaci has epicatechin an antioxidant that can improve your blood flow around the brain/ improving your memory. Heart and blood vessel health is another benefit, there is a plant pigment in the Cupoacu which is known to destroy the fat cells in the body from building up. It blocks the body absorption of glucose all of which helps against coronary heart disease. It’s also effective against bacterial strains, particularly bacteria that targets, the skin, lungs and digestive tract.

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FRUITS AND JUICES IN PERU

Hello everyone, traveling around Peru you cannot help being struck by the sheer variety of fruit that you can buy and a lot of it is organic and so the taste of these fruits is amazing.  The fruit juices you can consume is incredible, such a choice and relatively in expensive. Do not be afraid to try the street vendors or the markets, you can observe the cleanliness and just choose the best one and do not be shocked at the prices, they will be very economic.

I have given a selection of the fruits you will encounter on your travels through Peru and Bolivia and a basic idea of their benefits.

Bye the way do not forget to check my web, https://travelperu.co.uk, have launched a wide range of Seat in Coach, with fixed departures monthly that you can join too, plus two fixed departures in Peru which I will be personally guiding as your tour leader.  We have also given some very special offers on these programs. Sure, you will enjoy…!

Stay safe and look out for my next blog about my new experiences in Bolivia.

Aguaje are small fruits from the Palm Tree and can be found in high and low jungles of Peru and is sold often at road sides in the Amazon Jungle and is a delicious fruit juice. Aguaje is known for the health of eyes, teeth, skin and soft tissue, it also prevents dehydration and provides high quality of several nutrients. Moreover, it also provides a high percentage of protein.

Cocona, which comes from a plant and looks quite similar to a tomato and is rich in hierro and vitamin B5 and can be found in the high and low jungle regions of Peru. Is not as popular as Aguaje, but can be found at road sides in the Amazon Jungle. The cocona is known to relieve headaches, prevents diabetes and lowers blood pressure.

Coconut water, found everywhere in the Amazon and there is an abundance and of course a lot of people sell the water of the coconut. The top will be cut and a straw placed inside and there you have immediate access to a refreshing drink. In all the areas I visited places such as Jaen, Moyabamba, Tarapoto, Yurimaguas, Tingo Maria and Pulcalpa they serve at your table in the shell with a straw. It is also used to produce Coconut Oil, which is an extremely good natural cooking oil.

Banana, or Musaceae, can be found everywhere in and around the jungle. It’s a very popular fruit and there are of course several types banana for cooking, which is served like a potato in your main course. Another type which is used to fry and can be served in dishes like the Cubano, is a plate of rice with two fried eggs on top and around the side the fried banana, which is delicious and sweet. Then you have the eating banana, which we all know, where you peel the skin when ripe and eat. The banana has many important nutrients and helps digestion, heart health and weight loss. It’s also a great fruit juice as well and in the Peruvian jungle is known as Chapo.

La Pitaya or Hylocereus, this is a delicious fruit, which is known in English as the Dragoon fruit, it is yellow with lumps all over the skin, when cut in half it’s like a little passion fruit, but softer. It is a very tasty fruit to eat.

Higo or Ficus Carica  a black small fruit, with a reddish dark fruit pip. Sweet and very tasty.

Cherimoya or Annona Cherimola, a green cone shaped fruit with a scaley skin, inside the fruit is a creamy white, sweet and is often spooned out and eaten directly.  Rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Carotenoids and is also known as the Custard Apple. Inside the Cherimoya are individual fruits with pips, which you take out and then store in the fridge and serve chilled as desert or as a juice.

Mango or Anacardiaceae, is a stone fruit found on trees in the jungle and belongs to the flowering plant, genus Mangifera. The mango has many different types of sizes and colours and once the skin is peeled typically has a juicy, orange-yellow colour flesh with numerous soft fibrils radiating from its centrally placed flat, oval-shaped stone. This is a very popular fruit and is rich in pre-biotic dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds. Taken as a fruit juice or eaten directly.

Tumbo or Curuba, Taxo or Parcha depending which part of Latin America and in English is often called “the banana passion fruit “. This fruit is a vine and can often grow to more than twenty feet and its leaves can be as big as a human hand. The flower which it produces is large and hangs in colours of bright red or violet. As a result, it is considered one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. The shape of this fruit is longer than wide, taking the form of an elongated egg shape, with a thick and soft peel. When unripe it is a light green, but when ripe the fruit turns yellow and is quite sweet. The Tumbo is unlike the Maracuyá in that it is sweet when ripe and edible as is. The Tumbo is an ideal fruit as it rehydrates you and is high in vitamin A and C and potassium. It is a source of calcium, phosphorus and iron and contains B-complex vitamins niacin and trace amounts of thiamine and riboflavin. The pulp is often eaten out of hand or is strained for its fruit juice ,which is not consumed alone but mixed with other beverages.

Guayaba or Guava. Their fruits are oval with light green or yellow skin and contains edible seeds. The leaf of the Guava is used in herbal teas and the leaf extract as a supplement. Guava fruits are amazingly rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium and fibre. This remarkable nutrient content gives many health benefits. As a fruit juice it is a quick source of nutrition and has four times more vitamin C than oranges and is great for the digestive system.

Lucuma. Is used in many ways including fruit juices, smoothies, deserts, milk shakes and ice creams. Lucama grows high in the Peruvian Andes and is good for your heart, prevents diabetes, helps with hypertension. It even slows down aging, promotes muscle strength and because of the vitamin A it has your skin looking like its glowing. Lucuma will also provide the carbs that you need and is a great low sweetener. Its often described as a super food.

Alfalfa. Is another super food, often paired as a fruit or veggie juice.  Alfalfa grass juice has a powerful nutritional punch all by itself, but when combined with other fruits the results can be multiplied. It is one of the richest mineral foods due to its deep roots which supplies a range of nutrients. The leaves and the stalks are all used to make the juice. The Alfalfa is rich in vitamins A / B1 / C  / K as well as minerals. It has eight essential amino acids and is low in calories and fat with no cholesterol and high in protein. Alfalfa is also rich in calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium. Its known to help with prevention of blood clotting, cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Tuna or Prickly Pear. This fruit has antioxidants, fibre, minerals, vitamin B and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and other nutrients. It reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and hangovers. It can be eaten and also made into a juice.

Maracuya or Passion Fruit. This fruit is full of antioxidants which is used by the body to make blood vessels, cartilage, muscles, and collagen, which keeps your body looking young. Good source of fibre, boosts immune system and support heart health. A delicious fruit, juice which is also very refreshing and tasty.

Papaya is found everywhere in Peru; it grows in tropical climates and is a great source of Vitamin C and A. It can be eaten directly or as a fruit juice and can be mixed with other fruit, for example mixed with a little lime when making your juice.

Pineapple or Ananas Comosus, an incredibly delicious and healthy tropical fruit, packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Pineapple is especially rich in vitamin manganese and makes a delicious fruit juice, it also very enjoyable when eaten directly or mixed in a fruit salad.

Oranges are one of the world’s most popular fruits. In Peru there are two types which are distinguished by their colour, a rather dullish yellow/ green colour skin which is used to make a delicious juice or the orange coloured which is an eating fruit. There are of course other variations, but these are the main two differences in the case of Peru. The orange is a very healthy source of fibre, vitamin C, thiamine, folate, and antioxidants.

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