The four of us were off early to another town in Belize. Hokey Pokey Water Taxi at 6:45 am, then an Express Shuttle to Belmopan, and a quick change to a school bus to San Ignacio. Total travel time was about 5 ½ hours, arriving in San Ignacio about noon. We were once again approached by hawkers on where to stay. We darted into a new Italian Restaurant, Amore Mio owned by a Brit named Nigel. He was very kind and gave us lots of advice on where to stay and suggested a tour company to use for a day trip. He even let us store our luggage in the restaurant until we could find a hotel room. If Nigel can get a handle on his menu and great food, it will become a gold mine for San Ignacio. The info and camaraderie was great, but the frozen pizza was not up to par.
We looked at several hotels and decided on Park Plaza, getting 2-rooms. One with a/c the other without. It was a strange set-up and we paid $75 Belize Dollars for the a/c room. Pricey for what we got. It was a real hotel, but you walked through the owner’s living room to get to the hotel rooms. They monitored our comings and goings throughout our stay which was really starting to annoy me when they said we had to come home together in the evenings. The lady owner asked me 5x times if I turned off the a/c for which she charged $10 a night extra to use. I know….electricity is expensive, but I really only needed to be reminded just once.
We managed to book two different day tours for the next day. Me and the Brit opted for the full day of Cave Tubing at Jaguar Paw through Mayawalk Tours. (right across from the bus terminal) They were very professional and I wholeheartedly recommend them. The river was low and at times our guide had to tow us. Our inner tubes were huge and we had to paddle at times. I did the back stroke to get some speed going. Otherwise my arms weren’t long enough to reach the water. I had a blast, and felt like a little kid again. Feeling loved and nurtured on the river. TIP: Make sure to ask what day the Cruise Lines take the day trips here from Belize City. When they do, there can be up to a 1000 people on the river at one time! They arrive 3x a week. The river/cave trip cost $55 USD, taking 1.5 hours drive to get there each way. We stayed cool on the river and in the caves, and a picnic lunch after we finished. Our friends had an equally good time using the same tour company. They took a canoe trip and a guided tour of the Botanic Gardens
Happy hours consisted of Panty Rippers (rum & pineapple juice) at a bar across from the bus terminal. Dinner was divine at the busiest place in town.
Ko-ox Han-nah
#5 Burns Ave.
824-3014
M-Sat 6a-9p
Ko-ox Han-nah is centrally located and offers a large diverse menu, catering also to vegetarians. They serve traditional Belizean food, spicy Asian dishes, as well as American/English food.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
San Ignacio Belize
Oops.........not sure if this ever got posted.
The four of us were off early to another town in Belize. Hokey Pokey Water Taxi at 6:45 am, then an Express Shuttle to Belmopan, and a quick change to a school bus to San Ignacio. Total travel time was about 5 ½ hours, arriving in San Ignacio about noon. We were once again approached by hawkers on where to stay. We darted into a new Italian Restaurant, Amore Mio owned by a Brit named Nigel. He was very kind and gave us lots of advice on where to stay and suggested a tour company to use for a day trip. He even let us store our luggage in the restaurant until we could find a hotel room. If Nigel can get a handle on his menu and great food, it will become a gold mine for San Ignacio. The info and camaraderie was great, but the frozen pizza was not up to par.
We looked at several hotels and decided on Park Plaza, getting 2-rooms. One with a/c the other without. It was a strange set-up and we paid $75 Belize Dollars for the a/c room. Pricey for what we got. It was a real hotel, but you walked through the owner’s living room to get to the hotel rooms. They monitored our comings and goings throughout our stay which was really starting to annoy me when they said we had to come home together in the evenings. The lady owner asked me 5x times if I turned off the a/c for which she charged $10 a night extra to use. I know….electricity is expensive, but I really only needed to be reminded just once.
We managed to book two different day tours for the next day. Me and the Brit opted for the full day of Cave Tubing at Jaguar Paw through Mayawalk Tours. (right across from the bus terminal) They were very professional and I wholeheartedly recommend them. The river was low and at times our guide had to tow us. Our inner tubes were huge and we had to paddle at times. I did the back stroke to get some speed going. Otherwise my arms weren’t long enough to reach the water. I had a blast, and felt like a little kid again. Feeling loved and nurtured on the river. TIP: Make sure to ask what day the Cruise Lines take the day trips here from Belize City. When they do, there can be up to a 1000 people on the river at one time! They arrive 3x a week. The river/cave trip cost $55 USD, taking 1.5 hours drive to get there each way. We stayed cool on the river and in the caves, and a picnic lunch after we finished. Our friends had an equally good time using the same tour company. They took a canoe trip and a guided tour of the Botanic Gardens
Happy hours consisted of Panty Rippers (rum & pineapple juice) at a bar across from the bus terminal. Dinner was divine at the busiest place in town.
Ko-ox Han-nah
#5 Burns Ave.
824-3014
M-Sat 6a-9p
Ko-ox Han-nah is centrally located and offers a large diverse menu, catering also to vegetarians. They serve traditional Belizean food, spicy Asian dishes, as well as American/English food.
The four of us were off early to another town in Belize. Hokey Pokey Water Taxi at 6:45 am, then an Express Shuttle to Belmopan, and a quick change to a school bus to San Ignacio. Total travel time was about 5 ½ hours, arriving in San Ignacio about noon. We were once again approached by hawkers on where to stay. We darted into a new Italian Restaurant, Amore Mio owned by a Brit named Nigel. He was very kind and gave us lots of advice on where to stay and suggested a tour company to use for a day trip. He even let us store our luggage in the restaurant until we could find a hotel room. If Nigel can get a handle on his menu and great food, it will become a gold mine for San Ignacio. The info and camaraderie was great, but the frozen pizza was not up to par.
We looked at several hotels and decided on Park Plaza, getting 2-rooms. One with a/c the other without. It was a strange set-up and we paid $75 Belize Dollars for the a/c room. Pricey for what we got. It was a real hotel, but you walked through the owner’s living room to get to the hotel rooms. They monitored our comings and goings throughout our stay which was really starting to annoy me when they said we had to come home together in the evenings. The lady owner asked me 5x times if I turned off the a/c for which she charged $10 a night extra to use. I know….electricity is expensive, but I really only needed to be reminded just once.
We managed to book two different day tours for the next day. Me and the Brit opted for the full day of Cave Tubing at Jaguar Paw through Mayawalk Tours. (right across from the bus terminal) They were very professional and I wholeheartedly recommend them. The river was low and at times our guide had to tow us. Our inner tubes were huge and we had to paddle at times. I did the back stroke to get some speed going. Otherwise my arms weren’t long enough to reach the water. I had a blast, and felt like a little kid again. Feeling loved and nurtured on the river. TIP: Make sure to ask what day the Cruise Lines take the day trips here from Belize City. When they do, there can be up to a 1000 people on the river at one time! They arrive 3x a week. The river/cave trip cost $55 USD, taking 1.5 hours drive to get there each way. We stayed cool on the river and in the caves, and a picnic lunch after we finished. Our friends had an equally good time using the same tour company. They took a canoe trip and a guided tour of the Botanic Gardens
Happy hours consisted of Panty Rippers (rum & pineapple juice) at a bar across from the bus terminal. Dinner was divine at the busiest place in town.
Ko-ox Han-nah
#5 Burns Ave.
824-3014
M-Sat 6a-9p
Ko-ox Han-nah is centrally located and offers a large diverse menu, catering also to vegetarians. They serve traditional Belizean food, spicy Asian dishes, as well as American/English food.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Livingston Guatamala to Placencia Belize
It rained throughout the night in Livingston and into the morning for our boat departure. Thankfully it stopped and we departed on time. It was a rough ride. They use boats that hold approximately 16-24 people depending on own many persons they can crowd in the boat.
We arrived at Punta Gorda Belize about 45-minutes later. Our male friend from Holland was waiting for us at immigrations. We exchanged money and made our way to the local bus station for a 2-hour school bus ride to the Mango Creek area. Then we walked a ½ kilometer to the Hokey Pokey Water taxi for a 15-minute jaunt to Placenica.
We got settled in at the Barefoot Bar for drinks and lunch and to discuss where to stay for the night. Now with 4 of us, it was even harder to agree on anything. We decided on the Yellow House Private Beach Home. It averaged about $100 USD per night and was right on the beach. We had dinner at a bad restaurant on the beach. Wish I could remember the name of it. We liked Barefoot and went back there another time for Happy Hour. We had a good dinner at The Secret, near a day spa and massage place the next night. I found this area a bit too touristy and pricey for me. Dinners averaged over $15 with 10% tax and a 10% tip.
The wind had kicked our first night there which I enjoyed sleeping in the hammock outside. But it was awful for the water the next day. It was full of seaweed and you couldn’t even swim. A total disappointment for me. My friends were ready to move on after 2-nights, I could have stayed another day as it appeared the water had cleared up the second day.
Off again early the next AM, for yet again, another Hokey Pokey Water Taxi and school bus ride to San Ignacio!
We arrived at Punta Gorda Belize about 45-minutes later. Our male friend from Holland was waiting for us at immigrations. We exchanged money and made our way to the local bus station for a 2-hour school bus ride to the Mango Creek area. Then we walked a ½ kilometer to the Hokey Pokey Water taxi for a 15-minute jaunt to Placenica.
We got settled in at the Barefoot Bar for drinks and lunch and to discuss where to stay for the night. Now with 4 of us, it was even harder to agree on anything. We decided on the Yellow House Private Beach Home. It averaged about $100 USD per night and was right on the beach. We had dinner at a bad restaurant on the beach. Wish I could remember the name of it. We liked Barefoot and went back there another time for Happy Hour. We had a good dinner at The Secret, near a day spa and massage place the next night. I found this area a bit too touristy and pricey for me. Dinners averaged over $15 with 10% tax and a 10% tip.
The wind had kicked our first night there which I enjoyed sleeping in the hammock outside. But it was awful for the water the next day. It was full of seaweed and you couldn’t even swim. A total disappointment for me. My friends were ready to move on after 2-nights, I could have stayed another day as it appeared the water had cleared up the second day.
Off again early the next AM, for yet again, another Hokey Pokey Water Taxi and school bus ride to San Ignacio!
Rio Dulce to Livingston
We arrived to Rio Dulce about 6:30 pm after about 6.5 - hours on a private shuttle and a very hot Fuente Del Norte public pullman. We had reservations at Rio Vista, located right under the big bridge. We checked into a nice room, a/c was an additional cost. Our third British friend hates a/c and opted to get her own room. We relaxed a bit then went downstairs to dinner. We could smell pot at the bar and in the kitchen. I've heard drug use and trafficking in Rio Dulce is prevalent. After seeing all of the million dollar yachts there,now I know how many of them were purchased. Because of the drug trafficking, Rio Dulce is considered very safe. They don't want to bring any unwanted attention to the town. We had a decent dinner at the hotel. The bar was full of 60-year old hippie ex-pats while bacjground music was 70's rock, The Rolling Stones and the Doors. I loved it! The Michalda, my new favorite beverage (beer & tomato juice) was good and my friends liked the margarita and rum drink. They ordered b'bque ribs and said they were good but they wanted a larger portion.
The next morning we took the public boat at 9:30 am to Livingston. The ride was beautiful and I really enjoyed getting cooled down on the water. It took about 2.5 hours. We floated past the Spanish fort, Bird Island and stopped for a break at the hot springs. When you stick your feet in the boiling water and see fish below, you wonder how they can surivive. Put your feet in further and you realize the water is only boiling on top.
We arrived at Livingston before noon and weren't sure where to stay. Of course we were bomboarded by the locals on the best place to lodge, but we found our own Hotel Rio Tropicales from the tourism office located right off the pier. We quickly discovered the public boats don't leave on Tuesdays, so we arranged to get a collectivo boat for 250q verses the normal 200q the next day. See Capt Roni. You get your passport stamped the night before departure. I believe the office closes at 6:30 pm. ish.
It was terribly hot and humid so we had lunch and good margaritas at a local restaurent on the main drag. Later two of us took a local taxi to the beach. He had a flat on the way, but it was close enough to walk the rest of the way on our own. The beach was about 20-minutes drive and pretty nice. We layed out (in the shade) near a restaurant which had beach loungers. I ordered another Michalda after the three margaritas I had for lunch! The water was warm so not terribly refreshing, but fairly clean.
For dinner we had the traditional Tapado "seafood stew" of coconut milk, plantains, and coriander at Buga Mama's. The wait staff were all in school to learn hospitality and tourism. The soup was flavorful, but I didn't care to have a whole fish and a whole crab that I had to pick apart to get any meat. The soup was cold by the time I de-boned the fish. I can't do crab when it is whole. I'm a bit particular on how my seafood is prepared. We opted not to go out for music but could hear it from a couple of places. The night was miserably hot without a/c and no breeze. I spent part of the night in the courtyards hammock until some ladies came home very late and were loud and drunk. It came a deluge during the night. I love rain!
By now things were starting to heat up between us (3)ladies. I acted as the mediator between the other two. I'm drinking a lot of cocktails by now and trying to learn the art of comprise. Three middle aged women traveling together is difficult to say the least. We all have our own way of doing things, are very independent, like to eat and different times, go to bed at different hours and have different lifestyles and budgets. Yikes.......it is getting to be a long trip already.
Labels: Livingston travel, sightseeing Rio Dulce, things to do in Livingston, where to stay Livingston Guatemala draft 11:56:00 AM by To
The next morning we took the public boat at 9:30 am to Livingston. The ride was beautiful and I really enjoyed getting cooled down on the water. It took about 2.5 hours. We floated past the Spanish fort, Bird Island and stopped for a break at the hot springs. When you stick your feet in the boiling water and see fish below, you wonder how they can surivive. Put your feet in further and you realize the water is only boiling on top.
We arrived at Livingston before noon and weren't sure where to stay. Of course we were bomboarded by the locals on the best place to lodge, but we found our own Hotel Rio Tropicales from the tourism office located right off the pier. We quickly discovered the public boats don't leave on Tuesdays, so we arranged to get a collectivo boat for 250q verses the normal 200q the next day. See Capt Roni. You get your passport stamped the night before departure. I believe the office closes at 6:30 pm. ish.
It was terribly hot and humid so we had lunch and good margaritas at a local restaurent on the main drag. Later two of us took a local taxi to the beach. He had a flat on the way, but it was close enough to walk the rest of the way on our own. The beach was about 20-minutes drive and pretty nice. We layed out (in the shade) near a restaurant which had beach loungers. I ordered another Michalda after the three margaritas I had for lunch! The water was warm so not terribly refreshing, but fairly clean.
For dinner we had the traditional Tapado "seafood stew" of coconut milk, plantains, and coriander at Buga Mama's. The wait staff were all in school to learn hospitality and tourism. The soup was flavorful, but I didn't care to have a whole fish and a whole crab that I had to pick apart to get any meat. The soup was cold by the time I de-boned the fish. I can't do crab when it is whole. I'm a bit particular on how my seafood is prepared. We opted not to go out for music but could hear it from a couple of places. The night was miserably hot without a/c and no breeze. I spent part of the night in the courtyards hammock until some ladies came home very late and were loud and drunk. It came a deluge during the night. I love rain!
By now things were starting to heat up between us (3)ladies. I acted as the mediator between the other two. I'm drinking a lot of cocktails by now and trying to learn the art of comprise. Three middle aged women traveling together is difficult to say the least. We all have our own way of doing things, are very independent, like to eat and different times, go to bed at different hours and have different lifestyles and budgets. Yikes.......it is getting to be a long trip already.
Labels: Livingston travel, sightseeing Rio Dulce, things to do in Livingston, where to stay Livingston Guatemala draft 11:56:00 AM by To
Rio Dulce to Livingston
We arrived to Rio Dulce about 6:30 pm after about 6.5 - hours on a private shuttle and a very hot Fuente Del Norte public pullman. We had reservations at Rio Vista, located right under the big bridge. We checked into a nice room, a/c was an additional cost. Our third British friend hates a/c and opted to get her own room. We relaxed a bit then went downstairs to dinner. We could smell pot at the bar and in the kitchen. I've heard drug use and trafficking in Rio Dulce is prevalent. After seeing all of the million dollar yachts there,now I know how many of them were purchased. Because of the drug trafficking, Rio Dulce is considered very safe. They don't want to bring any unwanted attention to the town. We had a decent dinner at the hotel. The bar was full of 60-year old hippie ex-pats while bacjground music was 70's rock, The Rolling Stones and the Doors. I loved it! The Michalda, my new favorite beverage (beer & tomato juice) was good and my friends liked the margarita and rum drink. They ordered b'bque ribs and said they were good but they wanted a larger portion.
The next morning we took the public boat at 9:30 am to Livingston. The ride was beautiful and I really enjoyed getting cooled down on the water. It took about 2.5 hours. We floated past the Spanish fort, Bird Island and stopped for a break at the hot springs. When you stick your feet in the boiling water and see fish below, you wonder how they can surivive. Put your feet in further and you realize the water is only boiling on top.
We arrived at Livingston before noon and weren't sure where to stay. Of course we were bomboarded by the locals on the best place to lodge, but we found our own Hotel Rio Tropicales from the tourism office located right off the pier. We quickly discovered the public boats don't leave on Tuesdays, so we arranged to get a collectivo boat for 250q verses the normal 200q the next day. See Capt Roni. You get your passport stamped the night before departure. I believe the office closes at 6:30 pm. ish.
It was terribly hot and humid so we had lunch and good margaritas at a local restaurent on the main drag. Later two of us took a local taxi to the beach. He had a flat on the way, but it was close enough to walk the rest of the way on our own. The beach was about 20-minutes drive and pretty nice. We layed out (in the shade) near a restaurant which had beach loungers. I ordered another Michalda after the three margaritas I had for lunch! The water was warm so not terribly refreshing, but fairly clean.
For dinner we had the traditional Tapado "seafood stew" of coconut milk, plantains, and coriander at Buga Mama's. The wait staff were all in school to learn hospitality and tourism. The soup was flavorful, but I didn't care to have a whole fish and a whole crab that I had to pick apart to get any meat. The soup was cold by the time I de-boned the fish. I can't do crab when it is whole. I'm a bit particular on how my seafood is prepared. We opted not to go out for music but could hear it from a couple of places. The night was miserably hot without a/c and no breeze. I spent part of the night in the courtyards hammock until some ladies came home very late and were loud and drunk. It came a deluge during the night. I love rain!
By now things were starting to heat up between us (3)ladies. I acted as the mediator between the other two. I'm drinking a lot of cocktails by now and trying to learn the art of comprise. Three middle aged women traveling together is difficult to say the least. We all have our own way of doing things, are very independent, like to eat and different times, go to bed at different hours and have different lifestyles and budgets. Yikes.......it is getting to be a long trip already.
The next morning we took the public boat at 9:30 am to Livingston. The ride was beautiful and I really enjoyed getting cooled down on the water. It took about 2.5 hours. We floated past the Spanish fort, Bird Island and stopped for a break at the hot springs. When you stick your feet in the boiling water and see fish below, you wonder how they can surivive. Put your feet in further and you realize the water is only boiling on top.
We arrived at Livingston before noon and weren't sure where to stay. Of course we were bomboarded by the locals on the best place to lodge, but we found our own Hotel Rio Tropicales from the tourism office located right off the pier. We quickly discovered the public boats don't leave on Tuesdays, so we arranged to get a collectivo boat for 250q verses the normal 200q the next day. See Capt Roni. You get your passport stamped the night before departure. I believe the office closes at 6:30 pm. ish.
It was terribly hot and humid so we had lunch and good margaritas at a local restaurent on the main drag. Later two of us took a local taxi to the beach. He had a flat on the way, but it was close enough to walk the rest of the way on our own. The beach was about 20-minutes drive and pretty nice. We layed out (in the shade) near a restaurant which had beach loungers. I ordered another Michalda after the three margaritas I had for lunch! The water was warm so not terribly refreshing, but fairly clean.
For dinner we had the traditional Tapado "seafood stew" of coconut milk, plantains, and coriander at Buga Mama's. The wait staff were all in school to learn hospitality and tourism. The soup was flavorful, but I didn't care to have a whole fish and a whole crab that I had to pick apart to get any meat. The soup was cold by the time I de-boned the fish. I can't do crab when it is whole. I'm a bit particular on how my seafood is prepared. We opted not to go out for music but could hear it from a couple of places. The night was miserably hot without a/c and no breeze. I spent part of the night in the courtyards hammock until some ladies came home very late and were loud and drunk. It came a deluge during the night. I love rain!
By now things were starting to heat up between us (3)ladies. I acted as the mediator between the other two. I'm drinking a lot of cocktails by now and trying to learn the art of comprise. Three middle aged women traveling together is difficult to say the least. We all have our own way of doing things, are very independent, like to eat and different times, go to bed at different hours and have different lifestyles and budgets. Yikes.......it is getting to be a long trip already.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
10-Day Journey starting from Antigua to Copan and beyond
I just spent 10-days touring with two girlfriends. I have to remind myself three grown ladies will never be able to travel together. Our likes, dislikes, budgets and lifestyles were all different. This was a difficult trip for me and I learned the art of comprise. Now I know why all of my travel has been solo!
Our itinerary was bus to Copan Honduras, bus to Rio Dulce, boat to Livingston, Guatemala, boat to Punta Gorda Belize, bus and water taxi to Placencia, bus to San Ignacio, taxi/shuttle/bus/tuk-tuk to Flores, and bus back to Antigua. It seems all we did was travel form point A, to B to C and so forth without seeing many sights. Two of us took the expensive bus ride from Antigua to Copan while the other took the cheaper shuttle. My friend threw-up on the expensive Heddman Alas bus. I felt like we were in a 6-hour Disney Ride through the mountains. The bus was comfortable, but everyone kept there curtains closed and no one can look out. You couldn't even see out the front as it is blocked too. As with many buses in Guatemala, it was not maintained properly and the drivers go way too fast. We swayed from side to side and hit bottom on any speed bump.
Graditas Maya Hotel picked us up at the bus terminal when we arrived and we got checked in. The a/c worked well in the room and it was nice and large enough to fit three beds. My only complaint was it sounded like a discoteque was located below. Music blarred until after 1 am in the morning. And at night they would lock the gate and the doors to get in, but failed to notify anyone they do this. We cme home by 9 pm one night and didn't think we could get in the compound until we banged on the door a lot.
We visited Copan Honduras for the Mayan Ruins. I didn't care for the town but loved the ruins. The experts consider them the Paris of the Mayas. I think having an enthusiastic and knowledable guide makes the difference. Look for Juan at the entrance and expect to pay $25 USD. We visited some minor ruins about a kilometer away. For me it was not worth the effort to see more ruins. But what I also enjoyed was the photographical history of the excavation of the ruins located in a municipal bulding in the central park.
We stayed for 2-long nights and the heat started bothering me quickly. Llama de Bosque had good local food. Cafe Via Via was about average. My favorite was for breafast at Yat B'alam, a Boutique Hotel. The service was superb and the food just as good. My British friend finally got her bacon! I believe they have won awards on Tripadvisor. La Casa de Toda Restaurant had poor/slow service for lunch and the Chicken Caesar Salad was about average.
We used Cafe Via Via's travel agency to book our shuttle to Rio Dulce. The shuttle system throughout Guatemala and Honduras is adequate. But don't sit in the back of the van or you will get no a/c. They charged us $39. So the full van shuttle was bareable, but they dropped us out in the midddle of nowhere at Rio Hondo and said a bus would be there in 30-minutes. We didn't even have time to get water and visit the toilet before our public Pullman bus arrived. Then the 2-hour nightmare began! Mind you, we payed an additional $14 for this. It was a Fuente Del Norte Pullman. There was no airconditioning on the bus. For ventilation and to keep us from dying in the heat, they opened one emergency window in the roof and drilled holes in 2-emergency windows to hold them partially open for more ventilation. It was probably 90-degrees during the middle of the day. For over 2-hours there was 25-people standing in the full bus so air movement was impossible. I thought it was my time to throw up on this leg of the journey! I recommend you buy a ticket at the bus stop or on the bus and not use an agency. What a rip-off!
My overall impression of Copan Honduras is that it is extremely over priced for what you get and considering it to be a third world country! I didn't get the warm fuzzies like I get in Antigua. No one says hello or "buenos dias". The town is very rustic and not charming at all.
Our itinerary was bus to Copan Honduras, bus to Rio Dulce, boat to Livingston, Guatemala, boat to Punta Gorda Belize, bus and water taxi to Placencia, bus to San Ignacio, taxi/shuttle/bus/tuk-tuk to Flores, and bus back to Antigua. It seems all we did was travel form point A, to B to C and so forth without seeing many sights. Two of us took the expensive bus ride from Antigua to Copan while the other took the cheaper shuttle. My friend threw-up on the expensive Heddman Alas bus. I felt like we were in a 6-hour Disney Ride through the mountains. The bus was comfortable, but everyone kept there curtains closed and no one can look out. You couldn't even see out the front as it is blocked too. As with many buses in Guatemala, it was not maintained properly and the drivers go way too fast. We swayed from side to side and hit bottom on any speed bump.
Graditas Maya Hotel picked us up at the bus terminal when we arrived and we got checked in. The a/c worked well in the room and it was nice and large enough to fit three beds. My only complaint was it sounded like a discoteque was located below. Music blarred until after 1 am in the morning. And at night they would lock the gate and the doors to get in, but failed to notify anyone they do this. We cme home by 9 pm one night and didn't think we could get in the compound until we banged on the door a lot.
We visited Copan Honduras for the Mayan Ruins. I didn't care for the town but loved the ruins. The experts consider them the Paris of the Mayas. I think having an enthusiastic and knowledable guide makes the difference. Look for Juan at the entrance and expect to pay $25 USD. We visited some minor ruins about a kilometer away. For me it was not worth the effort to see more ruins. But what I also enjoyed was the photographical history of the excavation of the ruins located in a municipal bulding in the central park.
We stayed for 2-long nights and the heat started bothering me quickly. Llama de Bosque had good local food. Cafe Via Via was about average. My favorite was for breafast at Yat B'alam, a Boutique Hotel. The service was superb and the food just as good. My British friend finally got her bacon! I believe they have won awards on Tripadvisor. La Casa de Toda Restaurant had poor/slow service for lunch and the Chicken Caesar Salad was about average.
We used Cafe Via Via's travel agency to book our shuttle to Rio Dulce. The shuttle system throughout Guatemala and Honduras is adequate. But don't sit in the back of the van or you will get no a/c. They charged us $39. So the full van shuttle was bareable, but they dropped us out in the midddle of nowhere at Rio Hondo and said a bus would be there in 30-minutes. We didn't even have time to get water and visit the toilet before our public Pullman bus arrived. Then the 2-hour nightmare began! Mind you, we payed an additional $14 for this. It was a Fuente Del Norte Pullman. There was no airconditioning on the bus. For ventilation and to keep us from dying in the heat, they opened one emergency window in the roof and drilled holes in 2-emergency windows to hold them partially open for more ventilation. It was probably 90-degrees during the middle of the day. For over 2-hours there was 25-people standing in the full bus so air movement was impossible. I thought it was my time to throw up on this leg of the journey! I recommend you buy a ticket at the bus stop or on the bus and not use an agency. What a rip-off!
My overall impression of Copan Honduras is that it is extremely over priced for what you get and considering it to be a third world country! I didn't get the warm fuzzies like I get in Antigua. No one says hello or "buenos dias". The town is very rustic and not charming at all.
Too busy to write
Well, it has been weeks since I have written in my blog. I have been one busy lady. From walking the street dogs, taking Spanish Classes, working out at the gym, practicing yoga, and my busy social life; I rarely have time for anything else. I was never this busy (other than work) or had this much fun back in the USA.
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