I've wanted to visit Belize for longer than I can remember, but I can't remember why! I'm sure there was something that made it stand out to me all those years ago. One of the added appeals now was that not that many people visit. It's often missed from backpacking tours for being too expensive, but I was very excited to get here and explore! I didn't really know what to expect, and how the food and culture would vary from Mexico, but I also didn't want to research too much as that would ruin the surprise! I can say I've been very pleasantly surprised! As soon as we crossed the border the landscape seemed to change, which was strange. We were greeted with fields of sugarcane, a far cry from the endless cacti driving through ... read more

We had 1 thing in mind when we got to Playa del Carmen - Diving! It took a few days to get around to it - we got distracted as detailed in the last blog. On our first day in Playa we had made some enquiries about diving, but I'd not been impressed by the answers to my questions, and didn't feel too positive about the shops I'd visited. Safety and feeling relaxed and happy are probably the most important things when going diving. Jess found a dive shop online with its own boat to Cozumel, which avoids having to get the ferry over, so we went to find them and see if they were any better. Luckily they were! As soon as we got to Tank-Ha we felt much more confident that they would stick ... read more

When trying to arrange a bus from San Cristobal to Palenque we were faced with the news that there are protests blocking the road. We had 2 options - take a bus that went around, taking 8hrs instead of 5, or pay more and go on an organised tour to Palenque, and attempt getting through. After much discussion translated from Spanish to English and back again, we understood that this option would attempt the route, as there was no knowing until we got there if it would be closed that day, but if it were closed we'd be taken to different ruins then back to San Cristobal. We were unsure which option to take - as we need to travel to Palenque to continue on our route to the coast. After a bit of debate, as ... read more

If I had one word to describe Puerto Escondido it would be magical! I didn't really know what to expect from Puerto Escondido, it looked nice so we made it a stop on our itinerary - and I'm extremely glad we did! We've met a number of people who have told us to skip it, and go to Mazunte up the road, but I'm so glad we didn't listen! After an overnight bus and a quick nap we headed down to check out the beach. We're staying at Playa Carrizalillo, which is a beginners surfing beach so much nicer for swimming than some of the other beaches in town. It's a beautiful beach, the only problem is the 186 stairs to get off the beach! It's keeping us fit though. Whilst on the beach we met ... read more

So the next trip is only 10 days away! I'm not sure where the time has gone, but I thought it must be time to update you all on the travel plans, and bring my blog back to life after a few years rest :) Next stop: Mexico city for 3 nights. After that? No plans! Jess and I are finally planning a trip together, after travelling together a couple of times in Asia. We do have a lot on the ideas list for this trip, but we will fill in the gaps and plan more of a route as we go along, leaving maximum flexibility for our travels, which is just how we like it. In Mexico we are heading up to the Teotihuacan ruins just outside Mexico City on our second day, as well ... read more