Mexico Adventures - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**LostFarmboy** · 08-26-2005, 03:22 PM

Been a while since i posted an update, lots has been happening.

WWM, when i saw the pyramids i thought that they were the greatest thing ever, but i have since been to Palenque (sp??) which kinda blow them out of the water. The pyramids have had quite a lot of restoration work done to them so they have lost some of their ancient charm in my opinion...but they are still definately worth seeing.

Went to Peurto Escondido after Mexico City, its a little surfing town on the south coast of Mexico, its the home of the Mexican pipeline so there´s some pretty crazy surf. Stayed at Hostel Mayflower, it was one of the best hostels ive stayed in, it was so social and there was a good mix of different nationalities staying there so it was awsome, i made some really good friends there. Tried to go surfing at one of the beginner beaches but the surf was kinda non existent so i didnt actually catch any waves....but i still felt cool carrying a surf board under my arm for the day.

Went to San Cristobel after that, theres an awsome canyon near there and a wicked little village that you can get the bus to, but i couldnt manage to find the right bus so i didnt really do much there. But i met a Kiwi dude and a German girl there and we have been travelling together for the last week or so, so thats been pretty cool.

Went to Palenque after that, the ruins and the water falls there were awsome. One thing that the tour groups dont tell you about is there a path right into the jungle to some smaller ruins that they have found and havent restored at all. The jungle ruins were the coolest, they had trees and jungle stuff growing all over them, indiana jones style, it was wicked. We actually got into the ruins for free our second day there, we jumped into the jungle on the road to the ruins and kinda stumbled our way in the direction of the jungle path and actually managed to find it, so waited until nobody was around and jumped down onto the path and casually strolled along like we were always there, it was pretty damn cool.

Im in Tulum now, it has the most beautiful stretch of coast line that i have ever seen in my life - white powder sand, crystal clear turquoise waters, small reefs packed with various sea creatures just metres from the shoreline....i love this place. Went snorkeling yesterday on the big reef, it was absolutely amazing. We are staying in a cabana right on the beach, simply put - its paradise. If anyone ever gets the chance to come here - DO IT, you definately wont regret it. Off to Belize tomorrow then Guatamala, Hondurus, and i fly out from El Salvador to Peru on the 15th of next month.....i love my travelling.

**kingcrazylegs** · 08-26-2005, 05:08 PM

Sounds like lots of fun. Post pics

**bookofkels** · 08-26-2005, 07:44 PM

good to hear our "lostfarmboy" is lost in some beautiful places

if you get time post pic's to make us even more jealous, or envious

i'm joking i'm really happy for you have the time of your life, but don't forget to fill us in on the way

Safe travel's
Kel

**worldwidemike** · 08-29-2005, 03:51 AM

Yeah, LFB, that's what I wanted to hear! Sounds like you're having a blast, and definitely getting a chance to see the Mayan sights. When you're down Belize way, you could go to Xunantunich (shoo-nan-too-neech) for more fairly well restored ruins. If you want the in-the-raw, still being excavated ones, you can go to Caracol. In Honduras, Copan is the big sight (right on the Guatemalan border). And in Guatemala itself, Tikal is still my all time favorite Mayan ruin.

Awesome. I'm so glad that you're getting a chance to do the Indiana Jones thing since you had to skip the SE Asian ruins.

That's cool, too, that you've hooked up with some friends to travel around. That is one of the really neat things about international travel...the way you make friends, pal around together, and THEY become as much a part of the experience and especially your memories as what you saw and did.

babble...babble...babble...

worldwidmike

**beergal** · 08-29-2005, 06:00 AM

friggin hell your trip sounds amazing post lots ofphotos please

**omisan** · 08-29-2005, 02:07 PM

No fair! You've gotten to go to a bunch of the places I've studied in anthropology but never seen!

Aaaanyway, keep up the great updates. And down a few cervezas on our behalf!

foofiter · 08-29-2005, 06:22 PM

WOW that sounds awsome!

Since I am planning my own worldly adventures I would love to hear how much money you are spending on all this. It would really help me gauge my own budget. I think I will have enough but some fresh numbers would be handy!

Cheers bro!

Foo

**bluepea** · 08-31-2005, 10:24 AM

So jealous.... Almost wish I would have down the SA region rather than Europe. I love Europe and all, but what you're doing sounds incredible.

**LostFarmboy** · 09-01-2005, 01:05 PM

Just another quick update...

Left Mexico after Tulum and went to Belize. We stayed one night in Belize City, it wasnt the best place i have ever seen, it has a pretty bad reputation for crime and violence, we were told we were not to go out after 9pm...needless to say, we didnt hang around that place very long.

The next day we caught a boat to an island called Caye Caulker, it was a pretty cool place. It was a nice little caribbean island community of 2000 people. We went to a pub there, it was just a little rusty old shack on the edge of the island, they had a dj playing all this funky reggae music and all the locals were doing their funky dances, those dudes really know how to party!!! Went out on a sailboat for a day snorkeling with sharks on the second biggest reef in the world (second to Australias Great Barrier Reef of course ). Got to touch a few sharks and sting rays and saw a few eels and a heap of other sea creatures that i have no idea of their name, it was awsome.

I am now in Flores in Guatamala. Its a small town on an island in the middle of a lake. Its a pretty nice place. Went out to the biggest pyramids in all of central america yesterday, they are at the ruins of Takal. They were the best ruins i have seen so far, crazy big pyramids that you can climb, you get some awsome views from the top of them. They are right in the middle of the jungle with moneys swinging around the trees, it was a great experience.

Cyclone Katrina has really stirred up the weather here, we had the craziest storm i have ever seen in my life the other day, i saw 2 lightning strikes hit the ground on the other side of lake, i have never seen so much lightning in my life, it was awsome.

Anyways, another storm has just started so i had better go before there is another black out. Will post pictures soon.

LFB

**kingcrazylegs** · 09-01-2005, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LostFarmboy@Sep 1 2005, 01:05 PM
Just another quick update...

Left Mexico after Tulum and went to Belize. We stayed one night in Belize City, it wasnt the best place i have ever seen, it has a pretty bad reputation for crime and violence, we were told we were not to go out after 9pm...needless to say, we didnt hang around that place very long.

The next day we caught a boat to an island called Caye Caulker, it was a pretty cool place. It was a nice little caribbean island community of 2000 people. We went to a pub there, it was just a little rusty old shack on the edge of the island, they had a dj playing all this funky reggae music and all the locals were doing their funky dances, those dudes really know how to party!!! Went out on a sailboat for a day snorkeling with sharks on the second biggest reef in the world (second to Australias Great Barrier Reef of course ). Got to touch a few sharks and sting rays and saw a few eels and a heap of other sea creatures that i have no idea of their name, it was awsome.

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Man I miss Belize! Where you took the boat out of Belize City to Caye Caulker you were just near my old office

**LostFarmboy** · 09-04-2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by foofiter@Aug 29 2005, 05:22 PM
WOW that sounds awsome!*

Since I am planning my own worldly adventures I would love to hear how much money you are spending on all this. It would really help me gauge my own budget. I think I will have enough but some fresh numbers would be handy!

Cheers bro!

Foo

* *

[snapback]75238[/snapback]

Money...hmmmm....i am spending way too much. Lets see...where i am now, San Pedro on Lake Atitlan in Gautamala it is pretty cheap, i had a massive plate of beautiful spaghetti last night and it was $2USD. However, in other more touristy places like Antigua it is more expensive, i think i was paying around $3 - $4 USD for a hamburger, so its not really that much different to home. Accomodation prices vary a fair bit too, depending on how touristy the area is, in Mexico it ranged from $5 to maybe $15. Caye Caulker in Belize was probably the most expensive place for food, it was about $4 - 5 for a burger, but we cooked every night we were there and saved a fair bit of money. A full day snorkeling at the reef in caye caulker was $40, 3 hrs snorkeling in Tulum (Mexico) was $15, rental of a Kayak here in San Pedro is $2 an hour, loundry has ranged from $2 to $5, crossing the boarder from Belize to Guatamala was $18....ummm thats about all i can think of to give you an idea of how much it will cost, hope that helps.

Quote:

So jealous.... Almost wish I would have down the SA region rather than Europe. I love Europe and all, but what you're doing sounds incredible.

I was in Europe for a month before i was here and i have to say that i think Mexico and Central America are way cooler places to travel. Theres a lot of nice things to see in Europe, but the culture is not really that much different to home. In Mexico and Central America, it has equally amazing things to see but you also get to experience a culture that is completely different to that at home. But Europe is a bit easier to get around and the backpacker party scene is better. Just depends what you want i guess, but i am absolutely loving central america

While im here ill tell you guys what im up to. Im in San Pedro at the moment, its a really cool little town on Lake Atitlan in Gautamala, it has a really relaxed vibe about it and the locals are really friendly. I have decided to go to a Spanish school here for a week or two, starting tomorrow. So, hopefully my next post will be in fluent Spanish....maybe

Righto, better get going, hiring a kayak for a few hours, its gonna kill me, all this partying has taken its toll on my fitness levels.

Seeyas.

**worldwidemike** · 09-11-2005, 08:29 AM

Awesome, LFB! I loved Tikal...

Keep us posted!

worldwidemike