It was beginning to feel as if we had spent a lot of time in Costa Rica! Perhaps because we did! We arrived in April for the house sitting job (opens new window) and we stayed until July. During our time we explored the country, lived in a jungle cabin, we said goodbye to a dog, we had … More Costa Rica- our final activities and fun!
Antigua means, “antique” in Spanish. The city of Antigua is truly an antique, a relic of the past. This city was once the bustling business and religious capital of the country of Guatemala. But after many cycles of volcano and earthquake damage the residents abandoned the efforts to rebuild and restore. The capital was moved … More Antigua, Guatemala
After seeing Tikal we drove around the lake we were camped on. That took us to another lakeside camp spot on the island of Flores. This free spot was next to the local event hall and was filled with activity. We watched the water taxis, a family decorating for a quinceanera and a diver snorkeling … More Guatemala- A few campsites…..
El Remate was the gateway village to visit the ruins of Tikal. This Mayan architecture is notable for its size and some unique building features. The most visible unique feature is the stone “crest” on the top of the main temples. Some of the temples at Tikal have been featured in many photos and even … More Guatemala- Tikal
After nearly 30 days of exploring this small country, we found that leaving Belize was a fairly simple procedure. The Belize side requires a few fees and stamps upon exit. And try as I might, I could not get the agent to smile, even though we were all speaking English. But entering Guatemala was a … More Guatemala- arrival
We received an email telling us that the animal import permit was ready, so we packed up and headed for the border. As soon as we arrived a “border helper” met us and walked us through the steps. He also led the dogs, on their leashes, into the administration building and no one seemed to … More Belize- week one
After the blockades, rough highways and jungle ruins of Chiapas, we were ready to head for the touristic coastline. We arrived into the still, humidity of the city of Villahermosa (located in the state of Villahermosa) late in the evening. Our campsite for the night was a museum parking lot. We planned to tour the … More Three more Mexican states: Villahermosa, Campeche and Yucatan
We waited out the roadblock in Ocosingo (see our previous post). It was an interesting experience and we never felt unsafe at all. When it cleared and we were done with coffee and granola we hit the highway again. This highway is called the Pan-American Highway according to our GPS. And a GPS is always … More Pan-American Highway to Palenque
While we were visiting San Cristobal de las Casas we took our first trip with a tour guide! We paid for a van ride and boat tour of Sumidero Canyon. The van picked us up in town and drove us about 2 hours to the boat launch area. We boarded a boat with our puffy lifejacket … More San Cristobal to Palenque – Roadblock! You can’t pass by here today!
After the low valleys and ocean roads of Chiapas, we were thrilled to climb into the mountains and experience San Cristobal de las Casas. This gorgeous mountain town is was once named San Cristobal, but later added the last name of a monk (Bartoleme de las Casas) to honor his work in protecting the Mayans … More San Cristobal de las Casas, Agua Azul and silly roadblocks!