AGirlCalledZoe

My real reason for rushing back to Guatemala was the start of the Moon course in San Marcos La Laguna. Far more hippy and low-key than San Pedro, the lakeside lanes are home to crystal healers, massage therapists and herbal remedies as well as the locals selling fruit, veg and cake. The village is also home to a meditation and yoga centre called Las Pyramides; here I will make my home for a month and try to get to the bottom of who I really am. This is the objective of the Moon Course; to give you time, space and exercises designed to help you think about your own reality. It teaches you the techniques for lucid dreaming and meditation, stretches your body into balance and gives you the lowdown on sorting your chakras from your ... read more

I wanted to spend a day exploring this region before heading up to Lago Atitlan, so I visited the little frequented Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa. Not expecting too much from this city I was pleasantly surprised that the town was clean, friendly and bustling with activity. I was in search of a lost Olmec City hidden in the sugar cane fields. The taxi drivers wanted $20 for a lift to the sites, so I took Shank's pony and a rudimentary map looking for good fortune. Trundling up the road I found good fortune who went by the name of Ricardo and had a motorbike. He stopped and asked if I was looking for the archaeological sites - he could give me a ride if I wanted as they were difficult to find without transport. This is the ... read more

The first thing that really struck me about El Salvador was how genuinely friendly the people were. As a traveller you appreciate the little things, people that give honest directions, who answer your questions with a smile and who greet you like you're a guest in their house. This is how Salvadorans are and because the country has not yet been over run by tourism, they are still very excited to welcome strangers to their country. Your first thoughts about El Salvador might be of a crime-ridden society, a brutal military and violent street gangs. Put these thoughts aside and imagine a country where even the lamp posts are painted with scenes of children and butterflies, the countryside is vibrant and green and the food is delicious. My first stop was Perquin in the North Eastern ... read more

'100% natural', this is the attractionthat draws the hordes to Costa Rica. More than 27% of the country is protected and severe penalties are enforced for tree-felling, hunting and illegal animal trade. This is not to say that it does not still happen but Costa Rica is noticeably greener and less developed than it's northerly neighbours. The 'pure life' is what Tico's strive for - keeping it natural and taking it easy has allowed the nation to live up to it's namesake 'Rich Coast'. The name was given by the Spanish who received a hefty gold bounty during an exploratory trip here. Upon discovering little actual mineral wealth, the country was largely left alone and avoided the bitter battles and heavy colonisation of other nations. By these standards the past has been relatively calm with only ... read more

A string of coincidences led me to be here, I met a girl from Bishop Auckland (the town where I was born) in Tegus and we talked about visiting Valle de Angeles. I missed the bus stop for Valle and had to backtrack, which meant I ended up on the same bus as the volunteer coordinator for i-to-i. When he suggested I could help at a construction project in La Esperanza, I asked if he'd heard of an English girl called Trish, and lo and behold my friend from San Pedro was staying another month here...So I arrive in this dusty old town again and the family I'm staying with has a one year old called Zoe...what are the odds of that? So I guess it was meant to be and I shall learn to enjoy ... read more