NatF
Natalie Joined: September 17th 2008
Logged in: October 17th 2009
Logged in: October 17th 2009
It's a mouthful, but we've got 8 months to do it and all the different types of transport and accomodation you could imagine (only the cheap kind though!)
Travel Blog Posts
Cool statues
10/5/09 = A day at the local beach Great sleep, ready for breakfast. Breakfast involved trek to supermarket today, so up, changed and off we tramped. Few blocks up and stocked in on the usual ingredients = fruit, muesli and yoghurt - still waiting for this whole bananas repelling mosquitoes thing to kick in, but 2 weeks in, I’d say it’s not looking good! Ate in the nice, but dirty kitchen back at hostel, then went and did a few hours work on the blog - ever dedicated to the cause! 2 hours later, with cameras fully charged, headed off for our Cozumel beach day. Posh beach in Cozumel = to the left of the pier, but several miles away; local beach = left and only 10mins away…not hard to guess which one we went for. ... read more
A lookout to the beach
9/5/09 = A snorkelling trip on Cozumel Up early today ready for bus and boat trip to island of Cozumel. Spent a few hours at work on free internet (this hostel really had been great), then had the last of the great breakfasts. Packed up and checked out by 9:30, then off to bus station. First part of journey = to Playa Del Carmen = not far away. Got our 30peso ticket for shuttle bus and did our less than an hour journey to arrive there at 11am. Playa Del Carmen = a totally different town again…even more holiday than Cancun. Arrived to a large square of shops and restaurants, just like a shopping centre might see at home. Hardly any tourists still because of swine flu, but can imagine would be really busy on a ... read more
The tree house
8/5/09 = A beach day in Cancun Brilliant sleep, aside from the crazy bright sunshine flooding through the window and onto my face at 8am. Debs up and about like a spritely Snow White; I rolled around like a sunlight dodging vampire. Eventually gave in at 8:30 and went to check out the amazing breakfast Deb was yabbering on about. Wow…it was good. Fruit, yoghurt, muesli, toast, all included with room. Brilliant. Needless to say, I filled up on it all, then went to work for an our or so. It was 11am then and after covering up all the newly acquired bites (bananas really don’t work), went to catch the bus to one of the best beaches in Cancun…Dady’O. The bus an experience. Amazing how much town changed the further the bus went out. We ... read more
Here we are
7/5/09 = The Chichen Itza Had to get up early today…and by early, I mean 7am. Really begrudge it these days; it’s such a chore, even though we are getting up to do something amazing. Dread to think what it will be like when go home and have to get up for work! Even ended up awake at 6:30, so put an hour in at work before had breakfast (work = blog). Restrained self to just 2 slices of toast at breakfast + fruit, then packed up and set off to bus station at 8:15. Only a 20min walk, but 20mins with 20kg bag = not fun! Taxi only 30peso, but is amazing what will do to save £1.50 these days…we walked. Thought it would be cool before 9am; how wrong can you be! Merida is ... read more
A bike ride for 2?
6/5/09 = Cuzama Cenotes Wish never had to wake up this morning; one of those rare days that could sleep forever. Trudged off for toast to wake me up - 4 slices did the trick - then got ready for day visiting ‘the caves’. Both caves and Chichen Itza = re-opened as of today = :). Got ready and headed off to bus station at 10am. Bus was just first part of journey; today would be a day of many forms of transport. Bit tricky finding bus station, especially when blinded by sweat dripping into eyes - still 40º - but got there eventually, and onto bus at 10:45 for 1 hr journey to Cuzama. 1hr seems like nothing on a bus these days and arrived in Cuzama just before midday. Next stage of journey = ... read more
Progresso Beach
5/5/09 = Progresso Beach Good sleep despite the sweat provoking heat and woke up at 8:30 with desire to sleep forever. Only the lure of fresh bread and 4 slices of it toasted, got me out of bed :). Chichen Itza still closed due to dreaded flu and the second best thing = underground caves also closed. Had to go for the third thing on the list…Progresso Beach. Been a while since had a beach day and couldn’t lounge around doing nothing again. Changed and off we went to catch our 11peso, 30min bus to take us to the beach. Low expectations - not supposed to be the nicest beach in Mexico or anything - but still looking forward to it. Got off bus in Progresso town, took a few wrong turns, got some directions from ... read more
IMGP8241
4/5/09 = A chilled day in Merida Surprisingly, slept really well on way to Merida; nearly all of the 9hrs. Of course, woke up when the doctors got on to do their swine flu inspection, but then barely blinked as the armed police got on later in the journey…somewhat worryingly, am getting rather used to that now! Arrived at 7:30 and jumped straight into a taxi that charged us 40peso to get to hostel =Nomadas. Great hostel. Free internet, free breakfast, lovely communal courtyard, hammocks to lounge and snooze in…it even had a pool. Awesome and only 105peso. Flaked in a hammock for 5mins, then off for the most important time of day…breakfast. Was right to get excited too. Stacks and stacks of homemade/non-sweet bread ready for toasting, with butter and jam to make it perfect. ... read more
A hostel with a view?
3/5/09 = An unexpected day in Palenque Arrived in Palenque at 7am with no hostel booked and no knowledge of where any hostels were - hindsight is a great thing! Wondered up a nearby street in search and then had to return to bus station unsuccessful; only option = to wait it out at station until 8/9ish when everything opened. Lucky for us, the French couple who also caught the bus here were still at the station and had a guide book of places to stat…how organised! Ended up following the middle aged couple to a cheap hostel up the road; the 40 something man carrying his big backpack, the 40 something wife wheeling along her suitcase and then me and Debs, like the 2 children trailing at the back - how v.family! Hostel turned out ... read more
The streets of Oaxaca
1/5/09 = A church and stormy day in Oaxaca :( Actually had a half decent nights sleep, only ruined by the bitten body I woke up to...my body that is! Been really lucky in Mexico so far; not even seen any mosquitoes, but they got me good and proper last night…arms...legs... back...everywhere! Curse my tasty blood! Skipped out for the tasty eggs and toast breakfast had seen advertised only to be brutally shot down when the lady announced it was ‘Mexican Breakfast’ day. What even is a Mexican breakfast? I’m sure it doesn’t involve anything by Kellogs! To this day, we don’t know for sure what was on that plate, only that it consisted of 3 things: 1) A dark, black and slightly sticky pot of coffee (yuk!) 2) The same sized pot, but this time ... read more
A church on a pyramid
30/4/09 = V.scary arrival in Oaxaca Another bad sleep. Still awake when a guy came in just before midnight and then kept awake when same guy fell asleep instantly and snored for rest of night. Don’t need to re-iterate how I feel about snorers! Did the half-sleep thing until 8am, then got up, packed up, had breakfast and headed out just after 9:30 to visit Zona Archeological Cholula = a church on a hill/former pyramid. Not going for the church - had quite enough of those - going for the amazing view of the volcanoes you get from the top. Stored bags and pottered off to catch bus; only 5peso = v.cheap. Nice bus man told us where to get off, but didn’t tell us where the church on a hill was. Walked generally until came ... read more
