kit_t

Today we decided to be like normal people. We would actually stay in one place for the whole day! The place was a deck chair on the north beach of Isla Mujeres. Thanks to the wonders of digital media, our 2 year old was left to entertain herself with hours of Sesame Street on the laptop, while we blissfully ignored the world around us. Alas, staying in one place turned out to be too difficult even for one day. So by lunch time, we decided we had had enough of snoozing, and decided to go snorkelling. There are meant to be great reefs around Isla Mujeres, so we hired a boat and guide, and away we went. It was unfortunately a really windy day, and the guide advised against going out to the further reefs as ... read more

Today was a day of transport, a flight followed by a bumpy car trip to Valladolid on the Yutacan Peninsula. The Yutacan peninsula is probably the most frequented part of Mexico for tourists since it is home to gorgeous beaches (Cancun) as well as Mayan temples. Given our limited time, we decided to forgo the Mayan sightseeing in favor of seeing those in Guatemala, and instead, devote our little time to driving around the Yutacan to see small town Mexican life. We landed at Cancun airport early afternoon, and picked up our Avis rental. Car hire is expensive in Mexico, with lots of hidden taxes, so do make sure you check all the fine print. We first headed into Cancun to book our bus tickets to Guatemala for 2 days later, and also grabbed a quick ... read more

"Its better for people like you not to have never come here. Go home, now, flee, before its too late!", is what the old Mexican lady sneered, as she looked at us judgementally shaking her head. "Mexico City is not for families, its dangerous .... and never take a taxi". It was comments like these that made us think twice about coming to Mexico. Stories of black taxi kidnappings, bus hijackings, and of course the numerous drug shootings that pepper the media. So imagine our disappointment when we didn't see pistol-toting hombres roaming the streets or burrito-munching shify-eyed señors eyeing our wallets. Mexico City is a modern bustling city, and despite its reputation for crime and kidnappings, is worthwhile stop on any Mexican itinerary. After dumping our gear at the Emporio Reforma (great place for those ... read more

We arrived in Istanbul the way everybody should arrive. On a train. At a station that had a welcome lounge for the Orient Express. And there was a guy with a fez! (although that was the one and only fez-wearing guy we saw in Turkey). You can't help being impressed by Istanbul. Just that name conjures up images of grandeur and mystery, monarchs and assassins, east and west. Its a place of contrasts - a modern bustling city punctuated by massive ancient structures, a highly westernized culture that is still incredibly traditional. Even geographically its a paradox - a city split by the bosphorous river, where the east bank is in Asia and the west bank is in Europe. Istanbul is just plain hard to define, and as a visitor, its hard to figure out just ... read more

If you love cheese, then you will love Bulgarian breakfasts. Because they seem to be all about cheese. Or so it was at our hotel anyway - 3 different types of cheese, served with a side of cheese, and to finish it all off, some crackers and cheese. Day 3 started in Plovdiv, second largest city in Bulgaria, and known for its well-preserved old center and Roman ruins. We started off in the more chique part of Plovdiv downtown, which is a big strip mall, most memorably lined with lots of ice-cream vendors selling really cheap ice-cream, including fabulously great rose flavoured ice-cream (Bulgaria is famed for its roses). Apart from the ice-cream though, its just your typical strip mall. Oh, except for the big half-excavated mini Roman amphitheatre tucked at the far end. And a ... read more