Tikaaaaalllllllll :)

We made the 4.30am tour out to Tikal which if you dont know already are Mayan ruins that date all the way back to 700BC. Once we entered the gates at 6am we walked the 45mins to climb ruin IV at the north end of the park which is Tikals highest building at 64m high. From the top we observed the towering pyramids poke above the jungles green canopy to catch the sun. Howler and spider monkeys swing noisly through the branches of ancient trees as brightly colored parrots and toucans darted from perch to perch. The most striking feature of Tikal is its steep- sided temples rising to heights more than 61m. Tikal is also different from surrounding counties ruins because it is deep in the jungle, as you pass from ruin to ruin you are covered by the canopy of the forest! We spent 5 hours wondering around the ruins in the beautiful jungle... my favourite was Gran Plaza where if you stood in the middle of Templo I and Templo II and clapped your hands you hear a really unique echo, the sound of the clap bounces off the temples and comes back with a duck like quack...

After an amazing time in Guatemala I was ready to move onto a special place called Belize where an amazing group of friends would be awaiting my arrival :)

Isla de Flores - Guatemala

We did eventually have to move on from Zephyr and Semuc Champey and when we did 25 others checked out with us, most going north to Flores! So we made a big convoy of 16 of us and took on the 8 hour bus ride to Flores. Flores is located on an island in Lago de Peten Itza. Small and colourful hotels and restaurants line the lakeside streets. A 500m causeway connects Flores to the lakeshore town of Santa Elena. We arrived just before dark on a Wednesday just in time for a big festival that involved all the restaurants and houses in Flores to set up tables on all the streets which were closed to cars and sell all authentic Guatemalan food, baking, olives, wine etc etc. people filled the streets every way you looked eating from paper plates, music filled the air while locals danced and fire works lit up the sky with magnificent colours! We ate a pile of food and enjoyed the festival before calling it an early night to wake up at 4am for the tour to Tikal.

Zephyr lodge - Lanquin, Guatemala

After such a fun filled adventurous day we had the evening off just chilling in hammocks after a yummy curry dinner at Zephyr Lodge. The following day we got ready for our inner tube excursion down the Rio Cahabon river.. 12 of us set out with our tubes and 5 beers on the 2 hour float down the turquoise river, with miniature rapids, good people, beautiful sunshine, and lots and lots and lots of laughs! It was soooo much fun, we were quite merry that we decided to try and go again! I think the guides had a soft spot for us or just wanted to share our tubes but they let us go again with the second group... This time with one less beer. After our second time tubing down the river we made it back to Zephyr alive :) and headed out to Grutus de Lanquin caves where we hiked in at dusk and watched the thousands and thousands of bats speed out of the cave just above our heads, it was a pretty surreal experience especially after the day we'd had! That evening upon our return from the caves ended up being an 80's party after Cherie and I made the request on our first tube ride down! All in all our experience at Zephyr was epic!! Some of the best memories of the trip forsure! Beautiful location, awesome people and once in a lifetime experiences!

Semuc Champey - Guatemala

I believe we have arrived at one of the most beautiful places on earth... Lanquin, Semuc Champey in the highlands of Guatemala. Our bus ride though the mountainous, greeny country side passing tiny villages watching locals in bright traditional dress go about their daily lives. We are staying at this really cool hostel called Zephyr in the mountains with an amazing view of a valley and river. First things first upon arrival grab a hammock with a view and a Gallo cerveza and 'tranquillo the f&$# out'... In Robs words! Today was probably the most amazing day of the year... Yup definitely tops every other day this year... We all piled into the back of an open truck, about 22 squished like cattle into the back with no sitting room just standing... Set off on the 45 min ride along a steep, bumpy, rough, slow road through the mountains to a little place called Semuc Champey with no clue just how much beauty we were about to see and what thrilling experiences we were about to embark on. Semuc Champey is famed for its great natural limestone 300m long bridge, on top of which is a stepped series of pools of cool, flowing river water. The water stems from the Rio Cahabon and much more of it passes underground, beneath the bridge. Although this bit of paradise is difficult to reach, the beauty of its setting and the perfection of the pools, which range from turquoise to emerald green, make it definitely worth while. We pulled up to this turquoise blue river where they told us to put all our possessions in a little hut so we could start the activities for the day. Rope swing into this beautiful turquoise water was to start then the 2 hour journey through a 300m depth cave all by candle light. We swam, rock climbed, dropped through crevices, jumped from cliffs in the cave into an abyss of blackness, climbed up a rock wall with a waterfall flowing over it, holding on for dear life hoping the pressure of the water wouldn't push us flat back onto the rocks. Pretty much the best cave experience ever... Minus the few bats we saw! after that intense excursion almost drowning trying to keep our candle out of the water, scaling up the wall and jumping into dark dark holes I thought maybe a nice break and lunch was in store... The guide yells out who is jumping off the bridge... Hmmm so I don't mind jumping from high heights as long as I'm tied to something or have a parachute to guarantee a soft landing...the height of the bridge was only 12m.. I've jumped higher than that before and survived so I thought what the hell, I'll do it again. The impact wasn't that bad besides water up the nose and bathing suit up the bum... Nothing I couldn't fix :) we had a bit of lunch to gear up for what was coming next! A 45 min hike up the mountain in the national park to the beauty that is Semuc Champey! They took us to the most amazing look out where we saw the turquoise blue pools from above. Soon it was our turn to swim in these pristine pools in the sunshine. We swam, frolicked, jumped off cliffs, slid down a natural waterslide and moved from pool to pool closer to the infamous 20m waterfall we would be jumping off of. We made it to the top of the waterfall which reminded me of the waterfall Leonardo DiCaprio jumped off in the beach... Partly due to the height of the beast but also it's beauty and the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere in the mountainous valley of Guatemala... Amazing... Just amazing... Did I say it was amazing already?! So I didn't even have time to absorb how high it was... Next thing I know I'm walking onto the ledge being told to jump toward the waterfall, it was the deepest there... I did as I was told and I was off!! Free fall just enough to lose my breath from the beauty and the fact that I was falling from a really really really really high waterfall not knowing how I was going to land. Turned out to be great... Just a little more water up my nose and bathing suit further up the bum than the bridge jump but all good! Now how to get to the top of the waterfall... Hmm well they tied a rope with knots every few feet to a boulder at the top and down the side that's how we scaled to the top from the base. Definitely no safety precautions here but hey we're in Guatemala... Dont worry I'd never try this stuff at home ;) that was the finale to a perfect day! Some say the best day of the trip yet!!! Now back at the hostel to rest up for a day of tubing down the river with a few cervesas.

Antigua - Guatemala

So instead of making the two day trek from Roatan, Honduras by boat, bus, over night, bus, border crossing, bus to Guatemala city we decided to pay the bit extra and fly :) we arrived into Guatemala city and shuttled the 2 hours to Antigua that evening. Antigua is Guatemalas tourism showpiece, a place of rare beauty, major historical significance and vibrant culture. Antigua has an astonishing display of colonial relics in a magnificent setting. It's streets are filled with pastel facades under terracotta roofs unfold inner wee three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego and Acatenago. It was designated by Unesco as a world heritage site in 1979 and thought of Amy when I read this. We spent the morning wondering around the cobblestone streets, visited some shops that sold traditional handicrafts, Guatemalan coffee and chocolate! So we stocked up! Bartered for scarfs in parque de central before hopping on a shuttle to climb the 2552m active volcano Pacaya 25km SE of Antigua! We hiked the 1.5 hr to the top with views of the three huge surrounding volcanoes, lakes and Guatemala city. At the top of the volcano we could duck into and crawl into crevices that had steam flowing out of them... Then our guide pulled out a little wooden squer and marshmallows and roasting marshmallows on an active volcano is exactly what we did and it was amaaaaaaaazing! Best I ever had :) as we preceded down the volcano whose last eruption was May 2010 the sun was setting and lit up the sky with pinks, oranges and yellows! After that hefty hike and steam baths we were ready for an early night in preparation for our 8 hour bus north to Lanquin, in the highlands of Guatemala.

Bay Islands - Honduras

So by now we've made it to the Bay islands in Honduras. There is spectacular diving and snorkeling which draws visitors from around the world. There are three Bay islands - Roatan, Guanja and Utila. At the moment the crew (Cherie, Rob and I plus my two really good mates from Australia - Emma & Ben) are on Utila while Dad is on Roatan. The islands are about 50km off the north coast of Honduras and their reefs are part of the second largest barrier reef in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and teem with fish, coral, sponges, rays, sea turtles and even whale sharks if you come at the right time of year.

Utila - it's not hard to imagine Utila was once a slow and welcoming place, a Caribbean hideaway for the British elite - its destinct architecture and charming Main st whisper hints of lazy days gone by. Today, Utila is still a lethargic aquatic Eden, but the introduction of motorcycles and all terrain vehicles have turned what should be a pleasant pedetrainized walkway - Main st into a busyish road. We've been staying at underwater vision passing our days with diving in the morning, tanning, reading, beach volleyball in the arvo and scarfing down some Baleada's and Salva Vida's before being serenaded by guitar and singing on the beach! Dad is currently on Roatan enjoying the luxury of a nice hotel, white sand beaches and amazing diving. We have been trying to join him for the past two days but a strong wind storm started which prevents the ferries and boats from sailing. It's not the worst place to be stuck! We have a great crew, sun is shining, activities and big smiles, the only thing missing in Papa Good!!!

After two days of being stuck on Utila we are able to sail between Utila and Roatan with captain Vern on his catamaran... We all go out the night before to celebrate our last night on the island for tequila Tuesday's at tranquilla bar, take a couple gravol before embarking on the journey at 6am and pass out cold for the 3.5 hours it takes to cross! Dad was waiting on the dock there to greet us as we approached Roatan island.. Big smiles and warm hugs :) we were happy to finally be on the same island!

Roatan - is the largest and best known of the Bay islands. Long and thin (50km in length by 2-4km wide), the island is a real diving and snorkeling Mecca, surrounded by over 100km of living reef. It's beaches are picture-postcard perfect especially stretches along West End and West Bay with clear

turquoise water, colourful tropical fish, powdery white sand and coconut palms. After we settled into the hotel we wandered the West End which curls around two small turquoise bays laced with coconut palms. West End is a busy yet pleasant little community on the west side of the island, this is where a lot of the backpackers and divers come, and the towns one sandy road is packed with restaurants, hotels, and dive shops! We strolled this area and stopped to have a nice breakfast at Earth Mama- where the coffee and fruit are the best yet! Explored the beaches and shops of the west end, had a chill beer by our infinity pool at the hotel we stay at - Cocolobo before an amazing seafood dinner at the Lighthouse where we tried the calamari, lion fish and snapper on mangrove plank! Soooo yummy! We did two beautiful beautiful dives the next morning with a really energetic, friendly group through Coconut Tree Divers... One location called Pablo point and the other Mangrove bight wall. These were two of my favourite dives ever aside from Sipidan in Malaysia of course but the coral was such a vibrant colour and the sealife was so diverse. No turtles but lots of different types of fish, lobsters, and colorful coral & sponges. Just amazing!!!!!! Wish we had time for more dives but I'm happy for the two we got with Dad on the beautiful sunny day with perfect conditions! That evening he took us for another, big seafood dinner and the best mojitos and piña coladas we've had yet!

Now the wolfpack is down to three as of this afternoon- Cherie, Rob and I as we fly from Roatan into Guatemala city and then shuttle directly to Antigua for a couple nights!

Utila - Caribbean Sea

Utila, Bay Islands - Honduras

Cerro Negro - Leon

Volcano boarding - Cerro Negro

Lago de Apoyo - Nicaragua

Zipling Mombacho volcano - Nicaragua

Leon - Nicaragua

Leon is long Nicaragua's capital before moving to Managua it is still known for its artistic, religious and revolutionary history. Leon is one of Nicaragua's two legendary colonial jewels. We made the 2.5 hour journey from Granada to Leon with the prime intention of trying the infamous volcano boarding which is second on CNN's list of top 25 thrill seeking adventures to do before you die! We stayed at a hostel called Bigfoot which was recommended to us and is central, social and the tours run from the hostel. Actually Bigfoot was the original company to start volcano boarding tours. So as the thrill seekers we were we made the trip to Leon for a single purpose - to 'surf Cerro Negro' which is one of the most active volcanoes in the Americas (which we found out while climbing up the volcano it is due to erupt this year). Volcano boarding involves hauling yourself and your board up the hot black gravel slope (45mins) - this was nothing compared to the 9hr Maderas hike! And then hurtling down at full speed sitting in a toboggan (45secs). The hike up the volcano produced gorgeous views of surrounding volcanoes and land of Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean. As we approached the top we saw inside the crater and could see smoke being released and felt the heat when we placed our hand on the rock! I could just imagine the earth below us boiling, ready to explode at any moment! Pretty thrilling in itself! So I volunteered to go first...we put on our jump suits and goggles set ourself up on the board and the guide gave us a quick run down on how to steer, go straight and FAST! I told him I wanted to go fast so he gave me and a couple others a special board and didn't teach us how to brake! The fastest record for a female was 87km/hr. I set myself up on the board and away I went, slowly increasing speed while filling my mouth with rocks! I was getting more and more speed and hit the 45degree angle drop for the last 100m got to 80km/hr!!! It was the best feeling ever but felt at so many points I was going to bail. I just held on tight, kept my core strong and thought happy thoughts!!! I came to a complete stop after hitting the flat and immediately looked back at the guy who took our speed and he yelled out 80!!! I was happy with that and the experience in itself!!! Soooo good! Since I was the first, Kat was second we got to watch everyone come down... The fourth person coming down looked like she hit top speed, was almost to the bottom and turned sideways and wiped out like I've never seen before... She looked like a rag doll being thrown down the hill not knowing when she'd stop. We ran to her aide and helped her down the rest of the way. She most likely had a concussion as she was confused, she had horrible road rash on her arm and was winded. Once back at the hostel I played nurse and wrapped her arm and gave instructions to take care of herself! I don't know if it was worth it but she got record time at 87km/hr. Looking back at all the people who made top speed I think I was the only one who came out without a scratch!!! I would call that major LUCK!
The next day we relaxed at Las Penitas beach just 20km west of Leon on the Pacific ocean. We played in the massive waves, walked the long long beaches with Pelicans flying overhead and just relaxed reading our books!

Now off on our 14 hour Tica bus journey to Honduras- the bay islands!

Laguna de Apoyo - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada

We have moved along to our next destination, Granada - the goose that laid Nicaraguan tourism's golden egg. The restored colonial glories render it a high point of many travelers' time in Central America. The carved colonial portals, elegant churches, and fine plaza, as well as it's location on Lago de Nicaragua have enchanted visitors since the city was founded in 1524. With the sun-dappled colors of its buildings making the streets an absolute joy to stroll and Nicaragua's best selection of places to stay and eat, its easy to spend more time than planned here. We have already eaten at our favourite restaurant (Garden Cafe) probably 6 times in 3 days! During the day we've enjoyed Laguna de Apoyo which is set in a picturesque valley brimming with wildlife, the Apoyo crater lake is another one of Nicaragua's natural wonders. Dry tropical rainforest along the surrounding slopes contain much biodiversity, including howler monkey and many species of bats. The real attraction is the pristine waters of the lagoon, a massive, mineral infused pool that is without a doubt the best swim in the country. The weather was perfect, sun shining as we basked in our inner tubes on the amazingly clear water which felt like a warm bath. We spent the day laying on the dock, floating in our tubes or kayaking around the lagoon. In the evening we enjoyed wondering the streets watching the street performers and live music of course with our Tona and Mojitos!

Ojo de Auga

Isla de Ometepe - Maderas & San Ramon

Isla de Ometepe - Nicaragua

All of us woke up today not nearly as sore as we imagined after that 9 hour grueling hike yesterday. We managed to get Louis as our tour guide again and he took us to San Ramon to do another hike to a waterfall and tour the 250km radius of the two volcanoes with a population of 50,000. He promised this time we could drive most of the way up the south side of the Maderas volcano and hike only 45 mins into the waterfall from San Ramon. It was still a strenuous hike but so worth it. The waterfall was an impressive 35m high and so refreshing to swim and shower in after the last two days of hiking. He then took us for a local lunch on the beach of Santo Domingo which is normally crawling with people in the heat of the summer but the water is a bit too high for people to enjoy the beach. After we enjoyed Ojo de Auga (eyes of the water) a clear spring in the isthmus of the two volcanoes where we experienced a torrential tropical down poor. After two days of long walks and beautiful springs we settled in a hostel in Moyogalpa.. the power was out in the whole town due to the rain but we managed to find a restaurant with a generator where we sat ate appetizers and multiple rounds of mojitos which are $2.50...and SOOOO good :)