Allgemein EN – Page 6 – Kat´s Truth about Travelling

El Mirador – Flores

El Mirador and the ruins in that area are the most special ruins I have ever visited. At the same time they are only reachable by a minimum 3-day-round-trip hike. One thing though before everything else: the view from the main pyramid is really incredible. To get to El Mirador, you need to find a company in Flores that works with guides who know the route to El Mirador. You have to hike quite a long way through the Guatemalan jungle to visit the pyramid, whose official name by the way is La Dante. The tour includes/should include: food (breakfast and dinner), water, accommodation and the necessary equipment for an the overnight stays, and transportation to the starting point of the hike. On my tour, the food and everything else that needed to be carried was carried by a donkey led by someone additional. The first night we spent on the way to the main pyramid and the second night in the area of the main pyramid. Here a heads-up: showers are only available at the main pyramid. Plus the shower consisted of a water container which had to be used very sparingly. Nevertheless I did feel like a new person after the shower :D I mean I basically washed off two days. Also important to know: you need sensible, good footwear. And take snacks, food and cold water with you in a thermos flask or something similar. There was always enough water, but the water was warm and we were hiking through the jungle. So every sip hydrated us, but it felt more like a drop in the ocean and didn't provide the desired refreshment. About nature, the Mirador and the reason why I would recommend this trip to everyone: the nature you hike through is beautiful, varies from stage to stage and you see a lot of stuff that you literally only see when being deep in the jungle. Below is a little impression of that in the photos. The views from the pyramids are really great and if you stay up there until after the sun has gone down – it always takes a while for it to get dark – you can hear a whole concert of monkey howls. And they're really loud! :D We also saw monkeys jumping from tree to tree. Really cool. The pyramids themselves where honestly one of the most fascinating things because the ruin area allows you to see what pyramids look like in different stages of the process. That is, when they are found, during the restoration process and when they are ready for the public as tourist attractions. I hadn't seen anything like that before and it was honestly really impressive, exciting and something completely different. As the area isn't specifically prepared for tourists, you don't automatically know where the pyramids are and therefore you do need a guide to find your way around. Like I did actually consider going on my own, but I would advise against it, because having a guide for the way there and on site actually makes sense 😊 Last but not least, the pyramid / El Mirador / La Dante: I've honestly never seen anything like that before. And no other pyramid I've been on was that high. When you stand on top of the Mirador, you look out over nothing but treetops. As far as the eye can see. Behind and above them you only see the horizon. I've never seen a view like this before. It's extremely impressive and makes you feel very... humble and, in a way, thoughtful. It just grounds you and makes a lot of things seem less bad or even unimportant. The view itself is quite simple and yet incredibly impressive. One of those views where photos don't even begin to do the actual view justice. And one of the places I consider to be Guatemala's jewels and one of the reasons why Guatemala is by far in terms of landscape the most beautiful country in Central America. Go or not? Since it's relatively tricky and it takes a long time to get to the Mirador, it's basically up to everyone individually, but... if you have the time, do it. It's a real experience and will stay with you forever. At least, that's how it was for me 😊

Streets of San Ignacio

San Ignacio basically is like a typical Central American village or small town. There is a centre with a main square, a church and a few stalls, as well as the outbacks, a market and a few random but cute places. Take a walk to or not? You don't have to, but why not? :D 😊

Lakesworth Bridge & River – San Ignacio

San Ignacio is a very small town and almost more like a village. It has a centre, a market and, above all, surrounding nature where you can go on tours. However, I also came across something very cute on my walk through San Ignacio: the Lakesworth Bridge. It is metallic, towers high above a river and offers really beautiful views of the river in San Ignacio. And of course of the riverbank and the bridge itself 😊 Go or not? If you're already in San Ignacio, I would definitely take a look at the bridge. It's really pretty there and if you go to the part of the river at the entrance to San Ignacio, you'll see people bathing and washing clothes in the river 😊

St. Herman’s Cave – San Ignacio

The St Herman's Cave is located near a village/small town just before the border with Guatemala and honestly was a complete surprise for me personally. There are lots of nature excursions to do around San Ignacio. That's also the reason why there are hostels and hotels in San Ignacio. Cause otherwise there is hardly anything to see in San Ignacio. I also did make the stopover solely because of its proximity to the cave. And yes there are probably tours from other places in the area, but why bother when you can get cheap and easy closer? There though is a rather pretty bridge in San Ignacio which did appeal to me personally a bit. But more on that in another post 😊 Since St. Herman's Cave is really big and you need sturdy shoes and a helmet etc. to go inside, it was clear that I couldn't do it alone. So I asked around in the centre – something I always do when I need to book a tour, because then you can haggle and in 90 per cent of the cases (in my opinion at least) negotiate a better deal than what you find/pay online. So, I found what I was looking for and was ready to go on a cave discovery tour the next day. First, we walked through the jungle to the cave. Along the way our very knowledgeable and friendly guide told us all sorts of things about the plants and nature around us. Once we arrived at the cave we descended bit by bit going deeper and deeper. And honestly? The cave is huge! Without a guide, you would be completely lost. It can also get a bit slippery and quite muddy, and you should be a little bit athletic and, to be honest, also relatively ‘slim’ because we also had to squeeze through relatively narrow crevices. Like if you have a bit of extra weight it shouldn't be a problem and there weren’t too many narrow parts we had to cross, but I'm just being honest. Claustrophobics would freak out on the tour... As I am a little adventurer and adrenaline junkie, I, on the other hand, had a lot of fun. :D It was a really nice adventure tour through a cave :D And of course our guide showed us things and explained things to us again and again... he was really great to be honest. On our way to the largest part of the cave, we kept passing white stalagmites and stalactites that sparkled when illuminated – no, that's not a typo. I did say sparkled 😉 When we finally reached the largest part of the cave... I've never seen anything like that. Artistic shapes of stalactites and stalagmites everywhere on the walls, on the floor, on the ceiling... And everything sparkled. Like a huge chandelier hall. Incredibly beautiful. After leaving the cave, we went to an almost completely open cenote where we could swim and then back to the hostel. Do or not? I think it would be crazy not to visit this cave. You get a truly impressive cave including an adventure trip, amazing nature and some really interesting facts about the Belizean jungle 😊

Hopkins

Hopkins is... magical. Not because there is so much to see, because it is so beautiful, or because there is one mega cool thing in Hopkins. It rather is the atmosphere, the people and the simplicity of the place. Hopkins is located directly on the coast of Belize and is an incredibly peaceful, quiet, tiny, authentic and very proud place. Apart from that, it is the cultural centre of the Garifuna people. During my visit, I basically just walked up and down the road that runs through Hopkins, went to the beach and spent the evening in a bar with live music. Nevertheless, the place and its tranquillity just had me. I had to move on because I was under time pressure, but I’ll definitely go back and enjoy the place for real. Hopkins is simply rich in culture and history, inviting you to sit back, relax and unwind and the people are all super friendly. Apart from that, the view from and of the beach is really nice! :D I don’t know everything was just so authentic and real. Go or not? Yes, definitely, but with time. Because Hopkins is a place to enjoy and soak up. You should give yourself space and time to get to know it, wander around and just be. I know how that sounds, but you'll understand when you're there 😉😊

Streets – Caye Caulker

The streets of Caye Caulker are the complete opposite of the centre of Caye Caulker. They are quite rustic, simple, with lots of greenery and mostly super empty and quiet. Entire Caye Caulker is very relaxed and it’s nowhere really crowded. Nevertheless, there is always something going on in the centre. Away from the centre I hardly met anyone, but instead saw houses on stilts, a school, a basketball court, a church and residential buildings that were half merged with nature. Very different from the centre. Just the real Caye Caulker 😊 Go or not? I really liked my walk through the streets of Caye Caulker, because of the contrast of the streets to the centre. Therefore I also knew I wasn't imagining that Caye Caulker is actually quite touristy :D

Snorkel Tour – Caye Caulker

Pretty cool, completely safe and quite unique in my opinion. Since Caye Caulker and the tours on this island are pricewise on a European level, I decided to just do one tour. And preferably of course one that I couldn't just do anywhere else 😊 Since I'm not a fan of snorkelling – I'm more of a diver and just don't get on very well with the snorkel – I knew quite fast that the main focus had to be on something other than the snorkelling part. And as I think that it's pretty cool to be able to say that you've snorkelled or even just swum with sharks, I was pretty quickly hooked on the hammerhead shark snorkelling tour. For those who don't know the most important fact about hammerhead sharks: they are vegetarians. Meaning they are completely harmless and their heads and mouths quite frankly rather look like smelts. Plus you actually and for real get to swim with sharks :D And apart from that some of the hammerhead sharks were really big! So it was honestly really cool 😊 Of course we did also do some other things. We for example on the way out to the open sea saw little seahorses – so cute! – and various fish. My personal highlight on the way to the sharks was that our guide let us feed birds and other fish with food provided. Like the food literally gets snapped out of your fingers. And you can think and feel what you want about that, but the experience itself was really cool! :D Do it or not? Yes, I would actually recommend it. Simply because you can find beautiful coral reefs along the cheaper Central American coast as well as at the famous Great Barrier Reef in Australia – and if I'm going to pay a lot of money for seeing gorgeous corals, that’s gonna be in Australia. #sorrynotsorry. Hammerhead sharks on the other hand... I don’t recall them being advertised anywhere else in Central America. So I don't regret my choice at all. In fact I say go for it! 😊 :D

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a small island off the coast of Belize known for its boat excursions, snorkelling and diving trips. Apart from that the “Caye” of Caye Caulker actually is pronounced like the ‘Key. Speaking of the island itself, Caye Caulker is a kind of small island paradise with countless jetties leading onto and boats bobbing in the water, a kind of tourist centre where you can buy all kinds of souvenirs and find a number of bars, hotels and hostels, and a bar called ‘The Split’. I don't want to advertise anything here, but The Split is located right at the spot where the island of Caye Caulker is split in two parts – the other part being about 5 metres away. Well, a little more than that. But only enough for boats to easily pass through. Like it’s frankly pretty unique I think. Apart from snorkelling, diving and other boat tours, you can of course also just take a look around Caye Caulker and, thanks to the very relaxed vibe, just chill out a bit 😊 One thing you should know about Caye Caulker: it is expensive. Belize is generally much more expensive than its neighbouring countries, but the islands are even more expensive. That is simply because most of the stuff/everything you get on the island comes from the mainland. Meaning that if you buy stuff that won’t get bad in advance, you'll save a few euros/dollars. And if you now think ‘Hey, then I'll just go to San Pedro’ – as it's known for the same things as Caye Caulker – it's even more expensive. Caye Caulker already is the backpacker destination of the two options. Go or not? Caye Caulker is really beautiful, has a very nice panorama and is incredibly chilled. At the same time, I admit that I found it touristy and really expensive. That's why I hardly did any tours. Plus there are much cheaper Central American coastlines :D 😉 Apart from that Caye Caulker was cool. It just didn't really grab me. But it's definitely beautiful 😊

Market & Bus Terminal – Belice City

Cute, lively and typically Latin American 😊 The market in Belize City, although there are probably many markets in Belize City, is right next to the bus terminal. That's how I found it. I wandered through the streets, looked around and passed the bus terminal because I wanted to double-check the departure times to the place where the ferry to Caye Caulker leaves from. That's when I discovered this lively and cute local market, which was buzzing with life. Go or not? You can stop by, but you don't have to. If you want something to eat or a fruity or other snack, the market is of course the place to go.

Streets of Belice City

Before I left Chetumal to cross the border and head to Belize City, I had heard a few things. Belize was supposed to be expensive, English-speaking and, above all, Belize City was supposed to be dangerous. The first two things are completely true. For such a small country surrounded by poor to very poor countries (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras), Belize is damn expensive. Even for Europeans. That was one of the reasons I knew I wouldn't be staying long :D And it really is the only country in entire Latin America whose official language is English. When you've been travelling exclusively in Spanish-speaking countries for over a year and also speak Spanish fluently, it's extremely strange. Personally, I basically had a linguistic culture shock. Because Belize works similarly to the other countries, but speaks completely differently and is also much more expensive than the surrounding countries. So, it was a bit like the world would be upside down and it really took me some time to get used to it :D Regarding the danger... I am generally somewhat sceptical about this stereotype, because Europeans say it about Mexico, Mexicans say it about Guatemala and the rest of Central America, and so it goes on and on. In fact, on my entire trip through Central America, Cuba and Mexico, there were only three places where I felt somewhat to very uncomfortable walking around with my camera. And Belize City is not one of those places. Of course I felt a slight sense of unease at the beginning, but I had been told beforehand that it was dangerous. So... you know :D This is how I perceived Belize City: relatively busy in the centre, quiet between the houses, mostly either friendly and welcoming or completely indifferent towards tourists (me) and quite small with a few beautiful corners. And lots of houses on stilts. That's what I remember most clearly about Belize and different to the other Central American countries. Go or not? I didn't find Belize City particularly worth seeing, but I found my tour very ‘helpful’. Because it showed me that Belize City is completely okay 😊