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Machu Picchu - The Worthy World Wonder

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Sunrise over Machu Picchu Many historical sites claim to be spectacular. You've probably seen a lot of pictures of people in front of the Tower of Pisa, or the Colosseum, or Chichen Itza . But one thing I have found about most of these kinds of places is that the hype has far outpaced the reality. Too many times I have approached a world famous history site only to leave disappointed. As someone who likes to get away from the crowds and the beaten track, I have usually found that the less known sites have far greater value than the tourist traps. I have only two exceptions to that rule: The Great Wall of China, and Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is just extraordinary, filled with an unimaginable sense of wonder and occasion. The feeling of watching the sun rise between the noble peaks of the lower Andes, burning away the wreath of mist from the ancient stones, was simply magical. The sense of tangible history, the sheer amount of things to see and places to go in the area, and...
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Chicken Bus Fear - Should You Catch One?

To get around Central America without wheels of your own, you have two options: chicken buses, or tourist shuttles. Many travellers are nervous of chicken buses and choose to pay very high prices for shuttles, but you don't need to! Here is my list of reasons for shaking off the chicken bus fear and taking the wild ride with the locals: - Chicken buses are cheap! The general price for an inter-city chicken bus is about $1-2 per hour of driving. For example, the bus between Leon and Managua that takes around 2 hours generally costs 50-60 Cordoba or $2, while the minimum shuttle price is $9 for the same amount of time! - There's snacks on chicken buses! Nicaragua in particular has a thriving network of people dedicated to selling fresh food on chicken buses. Whether you want some fresh baked corn bread, donuts with treacle sauce, coconut bread, hot tamales, pineapple pastry popcorn, sweets or just some fruit and veg, the chicken buses have it all. The vendors board the bus ...
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La Vida Nica - Chicken Buses

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I thought I would end my blog's long hiatus by doing a few posts about the 6 months I spent in Central America, most of that in Nicaragua. First up in the series is the iconic method of public transport in all Central American countries: the Chicken Bus! These types of buses run inter-city and suburban transport routes across Central America. The name comes from the habit of some locals to take their farm animals with them, and the name has stuck in the tourist community. It isn't as common as people make it out to be - I think in over 100 chicken bus rides I only saw a handful of chickens and a few boxes of chicks. That said, it does always make you giggle when you hear the box above your head tweeting as you drive. To run the bus you need at least two people: the chofer  (driver) and at least one  ayudante  (assistant). The driver's job is simple: navigating the route in as little time as possible, usually achieved through driving that would make Vin Diesel ...
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Palenque - Tree Monkeys, Meet Ground Monkeys

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One of the temple buildings from the Palenque ruins My visit to Palenque was a bit weird as I was only there for three nights and spent two of them horribly sick, again. I really need to learn how to tell the good tacos from the bad ones. However, I think I saw enough to give this place a review. Palenque is a cool little town that sits in the only spot of real tropical jungle in Mexico. With that jungle comes steamy tropical heat, which was different to the dry heat of Yucatan. One of the main tourist activities in the area is a ritual sweat bath called Temazcal which is supposed to be a spiritually cleansing experience, but to be honest catching a minibus with no open windows was probably close enough. I certainly felt like a new person when I stepped out into the breeze. An astronomical tower at Palenque. One thing I have learned about the Maya is that they were keen astronomers If you've seen the opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark, that's the vibe of the areas...
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Tulum - Paradise Lost

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Tulum was a name I heard up and down the Americas. People raved about the place. Everyone on the web had good things to say. But for me, it wasn't quite what I had expected. Lazy days in the lazy waves The one thing I heard over and over again was how beautiful the area around Tulum is, and it absolutely was. Lush Yucatec forest, white sand beaches, turquoise water and fascinating Caribbean wildlife surrounds the area. You can see Iguanas, Sea Turtles, colourful tropical fish and enough parrots to fill the shoulders of every pirate in the seven seas. I took so many photos that I filled up my camera, deleted some, then filled it again. There are some really cool ruins nearby as well. Not as breathtaking as Chichen Itza , but still good. There are cenotes too of course, and I went with friends to a cool festival held next to one of them.  To say that this place is a natural paradise is an understatement. However... I couldn't love it. At one point this place had ...
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Valladolid - The Sleepiest Place in the World

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Before coming to Mexico I thought I knew what a sleepy town was. I mean, some parts of South America are pretty laid back. However, they were positively buzzing compared to Valladolid. The whole town feels like it's in a repose, where nothing need be done and rushing is a foreign concept. Very quaint, very hot and very, very relaxed. In this part of Yucatan, time passes lazily and the urge to chill is almost irresistible in the heat of the day and the cool of the night. There are only a handful of bars in town, and those that exist are very cosy. Most people drink in the comfort of their homes and hammocks, plunging the depths of relaxation and zen. Ek'Balam Mayan site That said, there are a great many things to do in the area if you are so inclined. There is of course Chichen Itza , which I visited first. However, there are many other ruins in the area that you can visit, so we took a trip to another spot called Ek' Balam. This site is not as large as Chichén Itz...
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Chichen Itza - The Mayan World Wonder

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The insects are quiet, only the birds are awake. A winding path lined with ancient stones leads through thick trees, towards a time-frozen slice of antiquity. The sun slowly rises above the forest and shines on one of the most iconic landscapes in the world - the Castillo Pyramid at Chichén Itzá. These are the bones of one of the great Mayan cities of the prehispanic age. The site includes the El Castillo Pyramid, the endless columns of the Temple of a Thousand Warriors, the Great Ball Court, and a myriad of smaller structures, as well as two cenotes. Most of the structures were religious, though some were administrative and a few were residential. All of them once hummed with the life of tens of thousands of Mayans, replaced in modern days by an equal number of tourists. The Temple of a Thousand Pillars The tour around the area, filled with archaeological information, was mesmerising. The first and foremost relic, the El Castillo Pyramid, was apparently a temple for ...
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