Page 2 of rrruss Travel Blog Posts



In Quetzaltenango (thankfully also called Xela) we found a little piece of heaven. The url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/gt/mucha-arte-hostal.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=ef6f4c27fb07edaed3e690c1da73a6ed&dest_id=4663539;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1707319144;srpvid=a7946bb00e440187;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmplHotel Muchá was set in an old colonial courtyarded house and it was just stunning. We could easily have stayed for a lot longer than the three nights we did! It was really cheap, for what it was, and breakfast was excellent too. The staff were super friendly (but the receptionist needs to learn to smile!) and when my sunglasses arrived after we had left,they posted them... read more
Demonstration of creating beautiful textiles
Mayan relic
The main church in San Andres Xecul


We were happy with our choice of taking an Uber from Guatemala City to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán. It was pretty speedy - a little too speedy at times - and got us to our hotel at check-in time with military precision! The url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/gt/posada-gutierrez.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=ef6f4c27fb07edaed3e690c1da73a6edHotel Posada Gutierrez was a short walk out of town which we preferred as we had read that the bars could get quite lively. It was a bit expensive for what it was but we were generally satisfied with the place. Breakfast was good and there was always access to filtered water for our bottles. Walking down Calle Santander can be a bit hectic. That's where the loud bars are, and believe me they are loud! There are also some great restaurants there, offering pretty good value for decent quality meals. The street ... read more
Incredible sunset
Great murals
They had a graffiti paint shop!


We decided to return to Central America this year and travelled with Iberia from Alicante (via Madrid) to Guatemala City. We didn't really know what to expect so we booked a little comfort to start the trip with three nights in the Barceló Hotel. Although it's only a couple of kilometres from the airport, we arrived at rush hour and even in an Uber (booked thanks to the patchy WiFi at the airport) the journey took half an hour or so. The traffic was quite something and I'm not sure we had really anticipated being in a cab and drinking in the city's fumes so soon after our arrival. The hotel was nice but a bit off the backpacker scene that would probably provide most of the rest of our accommodation. Breakfast was, as you would ... read more
Plaza España
14 Grados Micro-brewery
Touristy Market

Europe » Czech Republic » Liberec Region » Liberec May 22nd 2023

The train ride from Zittau in Germany to Liberec in Czechia was cheap, comfortable and quick. The only problem was that as soon as we had crossed the border we lost 4G on our phones and were unable to use the Internet. That's not a huge problem as the scenery was wonderful and we had books to read, but on arrival it meant getting a taxi on the street instead of using an app, and that doubled the price! Our accommodation in Liberec was something a little bit different. We had booked an "apartment" in the tennis club on AirBnB. It was actually right inside the clubhouse! Out host, Markéta, was lovely and made sure that we were comfortably settled in. She's also the manager of the club and one of the tennis coaches, but we ... read more
North Bohemian Museum
Cool Trams
Jested ski lift

Europe » Germany » Saxony » Zittau May 19th 2023

Zittau sits very close to the border with Poland and Czechia. It's a lovely rural German city but what great timing for us. We took the train from Gorlitz which was simple, cheap and quick. Then we walked the 20 minutes down to the main square where we were staying. On arrival they were setting up for what looked like a German Christmas market in May. All was soon to be revealed, but first we checked into the Hotel Sonnewhich was a wonderful birthday treat for Russ and a class above our normal travel digs! It's a beautifully restored building full of quirky works of art and we absolutely loved it there. Art themes continue all around the city. Near the hotel is Grüne Strasse where the old communist housing blocks have been painted eclectic colours ... read more
Party in the Square!
Fireworks in front of the town hall
The train to Zittau

Europe » Germany » Saxony » Gorlitz May 17th 2023

Hooray for Görliwood. Walking through the streets of Görlitz is truly like walking on a film set, and that's because it has been a film set on many occasions! You can pay for a tour, or just wander around like we did. There is a website to help you plan a little: Görliwood. Of all the films that have been made there, we have seen one or two. The Grand Hotel Budapest is the one that stands out but not because we particularly liked the film - we didn't! The department store where it was filmed is closed to the public but peering through the doors and windows you can just about make out the art deco interior. It's a shame as I'm sure we would even have paid a Euro or two to go inside. ... read more
Incredible streets
Got to love a Trabi
Stunning squares

Europe » Poland » Lower Silesian » Zgorzelec May 17th 2023

Zgorzelec is an interesting town on the bank of the river which forms the border between Poland and Germany. Prior to World War II it was actually a suburb of its German neighbour Görlitz, but when the borders were redrawn it found itself part of Poland! In all honesty, there's not an awful lot to see and do there, but it is definitely cheaper to base yourself there and walk over to Görlitz, which is what the next entry will be about! We stayed in the comfortable url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/pl/banapart-loft.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=d4b4e7446b3417d12e795b84674ca42d;label=postbooking_confpageBanApart apartment, but if three floors of stairs is too much for you, you might want to look elsewhere! We actually liked Zgorzelec though. The weather wasn't brilliant but that meant it wasn't too hot to wander around. The riverside path is lovely and gives great views over to ... read more
Zgorzelec Military Cemetery
Zgorzelec on the left
Nice architecture

Europe » Poland » Lower Silesian » Wroclaw May 15th 2023

Wroclaw was an amazing city, even if we never really got to grips with how to pronounce it properly! It's supposed to be closer to ross-wav than wos-law!! Direct flights from Spain made for an easy start to this trip. We had planned on getting a bus or an Uber from the airport but the former was going to drop us too far from the apartment and the latter simply kept cancelling. That meant a standard airport taxi which cost a bit more than we wanted to pay. Not to worry. We were quickly settling into our url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/pl/mone-fajna-kawalerka-w-centrum-wroclawia.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=d4b4e7446b3417d12e795b84674ca42d;label=postbooking_confpageapartment MOne, from Booking. For us, it was in a great location, with a 20 minute walk into the heart of the city. It was modern, clean and comfortable, so what more could you ask for? We love explor ... read more
Stunning Architecture
Two Dwarves outside the Registry Office
Solidarity


After nearly four hours on a bus, we tried to get a taxi to our hotel. The drivers were asking about four times what it was going to cost on Uber so that's what we did. Our driver was quite chatty once he found out that we spoke Spanish. He bemoaned the lack of investment in the city and called it feo - ugly. We thought tatty would have been a better adjective. For the final four nights of our trip we had chosen to stay somewhere a bit more comfortable - url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/cr/radisson-europa.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=ab9aa21dab04cda1b948410f9013a650&all_sr_blocks=35060709_240313887_2_41_0;checkin=2023-03-16;checkout=2023-03-17;dest_id=350607;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;highlighted_blocks=35060709_240313887_2_41_0;hpos=1;matching_block_id=35060709_240313887_2_41_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=to... read more
Carlos Gardel - Argentinian tango music legend
Gustavo Cerati - late singer of Argentinian rock band Soda Stereo
Cinematic mural

Central America Caribbean » Costa Rica » Puntarenas » Quepos February 11th 2023

Quepos turned out to be just the backpacker haven that we expected. That's not a bad thing. There were plenty of hotels and hostels, but we stayed in an apartment (url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/cr/los-suenos-r-amp-g-2.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=8475c9062bf11a9e0347838ce340ee2b&checkin=2023-03-22;checkout=2023-03-23;dest_id=9408887;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;soh=1;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1677077645;srpvid=fe4368c589ef01a7;type=total;ucfs=1&#no_availability_msgLos Sueños - The Dreams) just out of the town centre. That should have meant peace and quiet but local dogs, birds and early morning traffic put paid to that idea! Still, it was nice to have our own facilities again and breakfast on the terrace was lovely every day. It was nice to have such a... read more
Incredible Sunset
Sleeping Sloth
The ferry to El Cocal




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