Wednesday - today was a scary day. We got our tax numbers (this was very, very easy) and opened a bank account. That was scary. We didn't put a lot of money in it - that can be done later and in a less scary way from the UK. We are trying to arrange for stuff to be sent to us there which does seem possible though not entirely uncomplicated. We had cay then wandered around a couple of areas. The cay was good, and in a nice garden with water and ducks. The owners seem to have adopted a crow which is no longer bothered by people. The funniest bit was when it ran up behind a lady and pecked the back of her ankle. There is a great deal of building work going on ... read more

We went to Bosphorus Harley Davidson, it was an interesting experience. There was the usual levels of customer service. We got a business card and left our details so contact has been made and we can start to build a relationship. We learnt how much a new Harley will cost in Turkey, which I was sort of aware of anyway, but it is now confirmed - road vehicles are considered a luxury and taxed accordingly. If I were to buy from them they would do all the paperwork which is very complex (even more so for foreigners) and that is included, so all I would have to do is turn up give them my details (passport) and a great deal of cash. They were of the view that even if I tried to import mine there ... read more

We took a tourist shuttle to Lake Atitlan. For once I must disagree with Huxley, it did not make me long for the Home Counties although, to be honest, the volcanoes were shrouded in mist. The lake is very pretty though Panajachel (where we were taken) is a total tourist trap and somewhat tacky. We refused a number of trips on lanchas (although some were very reasonably priced) and headed for one of the restaurants built out over the lake for breakfast. After breakfast we managed to find the wildlife reserve. This is, I think, privately owned. It used to be a shaded coffee plantation but they have allowed the jungle to grow back and they encourage the wildlife. They have some coatis from a zoo breeding programme and a small group of spider monkeys hang ... read more

We decided no jungle on Sunday due to the level of bites we were both suffering. This disappointed Carlos the boatman. We headed to Raxruja (2.5 hours on the microbus) but didn't like the hotel recommended by the guides. We really have found both Lonely Planet and Rough Guide to be of limited usefulness. OK Lonely Planet is a bit out of date, but we have the latest edition of Rough Guide and... for instance, the recommended restaurant in Chisec was a male-only beer drinking establishment (which we discovered after we had sat down). Ah well... We booked into the hotel (forgotten what it's called) which was fine The AC was good, but noisy. The fan didn't work and I got a shock from the electric shower. It was also highly insecure (couldn't close the windows ... read more

On 5th May we went to Mexico. Easy enough to get on the right bus and we were put into the front seats by the driver. Four hours down a bumpy, half-made road to Bethel where passports are stamped out of Guatemala. Then another half an hour of bumpy road to La Technica where we paid 100 Qs for a lancha across to Frontera Corazol. We stayed in the Jaguar ecolodge which I kept thinking of as a reservation. I guess that's unkind - it's an economic project for the local people - so they can earn a living without chopping down and burning the rainforest. Yes, that is a real issue here. Somewhere there must be a balance between preserving this essential and beautiful resource and actually allowing people to feed their families. The forest ... read more