Martita

Adios Martita

2007-06-13T21:10:00.000Z

When I was travelling a lot of people called me Martita. I became Martita. Now that I am back I'm just good ol' Marta and have decided to give the blog a bit of a rest.

You can still keep in touch by sending me an email or look me up on facebook.

Ísland - bezt í heimi :)

2007-06-12T21:37:00.000Z

Coming home actully wasn't as big a shock as I head feared which kinda makes sense. I have been doing it a couple of times a year for the past seven years and should be getting used to tuning into a different wavelength as I hit the ground.

It has however been a bit difficult getting used to daylight 24 hours a day (especilly when jetlagged), nobody telling me how beautiful I am and that they love me when I walk down the street, wearing socks and shoes, getting up early and going to work....

....but I'm getting there....

Back home!!!

2007-06-08T12:31:00.000Z

I'm home. Still not quite sure how I feel about it all, lots of things going through my head. It's fantastic seeing people again but at the same time soooo strange being home in Akranes.

Going home

2007-06-06T21:02:00.000Z

It did eventually stop raining and I got to wander around the city. Amazing how much it looks like New York. Strange seeing all those landmarks that I've seen so many times in films. I wasn't doing many of tho classic sights though, more just enjoying walking around different neighbourhoods. It reminded me in many ways of London as each area has a distincive vibe and and sometimes even reminding me of a specific area in London.

I didn't go to any museums but went shopping instead as suggested by my sister. First I felt really awkward in the shops. Everything was really expensive and I didn't quite know what to do with myself. That was until I found Urban Outfitters and H&M. Two of my favorite shops! Still feels really weird to be spending a lot of money so I did not go crazy in the shops at all.

I really need to get going if I'm not going to miss my flight. Think it might take a while to get to the airport with the subway, which is definately not as userfriendly as London Underground or Mexico City's Metro (even miss the annoying voice that says "this is a northbound Victoria line train to Walthamstow Central. Next station is Oxford Circus, change here for the Central and Bakerloo lines....").

The sum up is that I just might have a new entry in my long list of places where I'd like to live some day.

New York, New York

2007-06-04T13:34:00.000Z

First impressions: expensive and wet!

It's been raining since I got here and when I say raining I mean pouring down. Kind of ruins my plan of just wandering around town and exploring the city by foot. Guess it might turn into a museum trip after all.

Ready to go?

2007-06-03T03:26:00.000Z

This was my last day to Mexico. Flying to New York early tomorrow morning. Just had this trips last tacos at the same place I had my first ones. Ricos!!

I have been thinking about this day a lot lately and can't believe it's finally here. I've thought about the shock going from being a careless traveller to having to be serious and start looking for a job, about living in Iceland again after eight years and of course about all the wonderful things in Mexico I will miss.

Trying to take as many things as possible with me back. Have bought that tortilla presser, stocked up on different salsas and instant powder to make my favorite aguas, also bought a selection of Mexican and latin music and even invited several Mexican guys to join me. For some reason Iceland didn't seem very appealing to any of them. Guess it's just as well because I couldn't possibly fit anything else in my backpack.

Mexico City

2007-05-31T23:59:00.001Z

Yes, I did make it to make it to Mexico City, very please with my half price bus that dropped my off walking distance from the Zócalo. Found a cheap and very nice hostal which was just as good as I ended up spending the first day in bed with a funny tummy. Again!

Braved it out yesteday to have a look at the murals in Palacio Nacional one more time and as I was walking by the square I heard someone call my name. Since I keep bumping into people I know this didn't really surprise me. Turned out to be Fernando and Rosanna who are studying with my friend Sigga in Norwich. I met up with Fer during my first week in Mexico and it's funny meeting him again here during my last week.

By this time I was feeling a lot better so I went with them for pulque, a big meal and some beers. Maybe I should have taken it a bit easy as my tummy was being funny again this morning. I know, I never learn. Feeling better again I went up to the 42nd floor of Torre Latin Americo today. Amazing views over the city. It's massive!!

Dropped by Zara on my way back just to easy into the culture schock. Pleased to see that I can still squeeze into jeans size 10. Guess all this illness has weighed agains my Mexican food orgies :)

Sick of travelling?

2007-05-28T18:20:00.000Z

I think my body might be a bit fed up of travelling and wanting just to stay in one place because when I decide to leave a place it decides to become sick.

When I was about to leave Guatemala I got a stomach infection and ended up staying three days longer than planned. Now that I have finally decided to leave San Cristóbal I've come down with the flu.

I am however not letting this illness change my planes this time. Will be leaving San Cristóbal this afternoon, catching a cheap 1st class bus from Tuxtla Gutierrez tonight and hopefully arriving in one piece in Mexico City tomorrow morning.

¡Buen provecho!

2007-05-27T21:46:00.000Z

I was not that impressed by the food in Guatemala and in the heat in El Remate I barely ate anything and my appetite whas certainly not improved by a nasty stomach infection. Now that I am in the cool climate in San Cristóbal and my stomach is feeling a lot better I simply can't stop eating. I just love Mexican food and think about it all day. I get cravings for chilaquiles, mole, chicken soup, tacos, tamales and simply can't walk past a stall selling elotes or churros without buying some.

Guess it's good that I'm going back home soon or I would end up seriously overweight. But how am I ever to survive without all my favorite dishes?

La Ruta Maya

2007-05-26T14:48:00.000Z

The Mayan route is very popular with travellers and involves visiting several archiological Mayan sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Along the route are also beautiful beaches, lakes, jungle treks and cool cities.

In San Cristóbal there is an alternative Mayan route which can be done over one night. It usually begins at Revolucion, goes on to Salon Mundial, then Barfly and ends at Madre Tierra. Along this route you will find salsa, reggea, ska and maybe a few beers.

Toilet paper

2007-05-25T15:57:00.000Z

In most public toilets there is as sign asking you please to put the toilet paper in the bin rather than the toilet for not to block it.

That's fine but in many cases I ask myself what toilet paper? I can't see any.

Spanish...?

2007-05-22T17:45:00.000Z

I have a confession to make. I've been hanging out with hippies since I got back to San Cristóbal. After all the bad things I've said about hippies...

To my defence they don't have dreadlocks and don't play drums or dance with fire (at least not that I've seen). They just make jewlery that they sell in the market, which is quite cool as I am learning a few things about working with silver. Am also getting plenty of chance to practice my Spanish. I do however sometimes wonder whether it really is Spanish that I'm picking up. Afraid it might just be Mexican slang and profanity.

All booked

2007-05-20T17:22:00.000Z

I have finally booked my ticket from Mexico City to New York. Already had a ticket from NY to Iceland. It all feels very final now, only two weeks left in Mexico and then a couple of days in New York before I go home.

Really can't believe that this trip is coming to an end and I'm finding it a bit difficult to face it. A few days ago I was seriously considering "loosing" my ticket home and accepting a friend's offer to get on his beaten up Volkswagen Beetle and see how far south we could get. Maybe I could get all the way to Colombia as originally planned.

I did however resist the temptation and even if it's going to be difficult to say goodbye to Mexico I'm kind of looking forward to go home.

Adios Guate - Hola Mexico

2007-05-17T14:53:00.000Z

I am back! Back in San Cristóbal and it feels like coming home. Just like when I actually go home it almost feel like I haven't been away at all.

Only took me about 13 hours and five different vechicles to get here. The road from Flores to the border was extremely dusty so when we got to the river that is the border we were all covered in dust, my hair felt like steel wool and I just felt really filthy. Got on a boat in Guatemala and off it in Mexico where another little bus awaited. It was roasting hot on the bus so not only was I dusty but also sweaty and smelly when I finally got to Palenque. Really just wanted to take a shower and lie down but the thought of the cool climate in San Cristóbal kept me going along with the fact that I would be able to get an air conditioned bus there. That's what I thought anyway but it turned out that the next bus wasn't for another eight hours. So I squeezed onto a two more hot, little vans before I finally got to my destination.

Felt fantastic to step into the cool air, have that long awaited shower and cuddle up under a couple of blankets. Strange to think that the night before I couldn't sleep because I was too hot.

Going...

2007-05-16T01:47:00.000Z

I'm feeling so well now I decided I couldn't be bothered waiting for a sample for the laboratory to show up. So now I'm in Flores, ready to leave to Mexico bright and early at 5 o'clock tomorrow morning.

First I did of course go to Tikal this morning. This ruined city is by many people considered the capital of the ancient Mayan world. I went with Juan, who I've been living with for the past couple of weeks and is a very knowledgeble tour guide. He told us a lot about religious ceremonies, astronomy and possible theories for why this facinating culture suddenly collapsed. The temples are magnicifent, especially the view from the top of them but what makes this place so magical is its setting in the middle of the jungle. I particulary enjoyed all the wildlife we saw, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coatis (relatives of the racoon) and loads of birds, including toucans (the ones with a big yellow beak).

Fantastic end to my stay in Guatemala.

Another plan gone down the drain

2007-05-14T17:43:00.000Z

I had a plan. I was going to go visit the ruins at Tikal on Satuday and then head back to Mexico on Sunday. It is now Monday and I am still in El Remate and still haven't been to Tikal.

I was feeling ready to leave but my stomach didn't seem to agree with me. After bragging about my strong stomach during the first months of my trip I have now been having some problems on and off for the past couple of months. Nothing serious but rather annoying. Then it went really bad and I almost considered just moving into the bathroom, I was there all the time anyway. Fortunatly feeling a lot better today thanks to the antibiotics I'm taking.

The doctor still wont let me leave and wants me to have a test done at a laboratory so I've made the trip to Santa Elena. I found the right place, got handed an empty jar from Gerber babyfood and pointed to the bathroom. But nothing. Wasn't able to produce a sample for them.

Looks like I might be staying in El Ramate for a few more days...

I'm an addict

2007-05-11T19:01:00.000Z

I'm not joining Narcotics Anonymous but just wanted to point out that blogging is addictive. It came quite clear to me after the problems I've been having logging in to by blogger account lately. These past few blog free days I've been feeling a bit like my mind was clogging up with thoughts and ideas that I needed to get into cyberspace. Crazy, I know. It's just that when you are far away from from friends and family this becomes the perfect way to share your thoughts with them - and the rest of the world for that matter.

The power of books

2007-05-11T15:21:00.000Z

When I tell people that I'm a librarian I usually gets some comments back about how I must read a lot of books then. I usually quite enjoy saying that I don't. It's true, there can go months without me reading a single book. Most travellers I meet have read dosens of books during their journey. In four months I've managed to get through two. The first one took me two months to complete, the second one only one day.

When I do sit down with a good novel I continute to be amazed of how this simple media of words on paper can captivate you. The caracters become alive and I feel like I know them, almost like old friends. Sometimes they seem to take over my mind, as in the case of Harry Potter. When I'm reading Harry Potter all there seems to be room for in my head is the world of wizards and I even dream about quidditch games.

Most resently I got caught up in "The Time Travellers Wife". It's a beautiful story that got me from the first page and wouldn't let me go until I'd finished. Incidentally the main character is a librarian, but since he's also a time traveller he's quite cool and certainly not your average librarian. However, to live up to the stereo type he is a true bibliophile and works with dusty old books. After all that's what librarians do.

Good journeys

2007-05-07T16:13:00.000Z

In Guatemala every journey really is like an adventure. Especially since many drivers seem to take the slogan 'yo manejo, Dios me guia' seriously. Roughly translated that means 'I drive like a maniac and hopefully God will keep me on the road and get us there in one piece'. The chicken buses, minivans and even the pick-ups are usually very crowded with people and goods. When you think that there couldn't possibly get any more people on, five or ten more arrive. The aisles on the buses are sometimes so narrow that you can sit with half a cheek on one side and half on the other. Would work out all right if people didn't have this exceptional skill of falling asleep and leaning against you with all their weight. Found it particulary interesting to have a woman sleeping on my lap and another on my sholder on my way from Xela to Guatemala City. Very disappointingly I still haven't seen any chickens on the chicken buses although I did see a bunch of live ones on top of a bus.

Often the journey is a lot more interesting than the destination itself and the combination of wechicles you need to get from one place to another add to the fun. These can include buses (ranging from comfortable 1st class buses to the more intersting chicken buses), boats, combis (little VW vans), collective or private taxis, minivans, pick-ups and really just everything that can get you from one place to another.

One of my favorite journeys on this trip has to be the one hour bus ride from Lachavizá to Ixtepec. It was hot and the bus was crowded so we climbed on top of the roof and admired the great view from the winding mountain road. The sun was hot but the breeze delightfully cooling although it did prevent Jane from playing her flute. The local gus warned us every time we approached low electrical wires or mango trees but I still got hit by a tree once as it was absolutely unavoidable. In the process I caught some mangoes which unfortunately were far from being ripe. I should say that this is not a legal way to travel in Mexico so just before we got into town we had to climb back into the overcrowded bus.

I had a quite nice journey going back from Santa Elena to El Ramate the other night. It was about 10pm and wearing only a skirt and a tank top I was thoroughly enjoying the wonderful cool breeze at the back of the pick-up. As I sat there by myself, along with the groceries we had bought during the day, staring at the full moon I thought about all the fantastic journeys I've had on the back of a pick-up and what the drivers of those ridiculously big Dodge Rams back home would say if I stopped them and asked for a ride at the back.

Volunteer work

2007-05-04T22:59:00.000Z

After spending a whole year telling SOAS studens how fantiastic it is to volunteer and even organising a volunteer fair I am finally doing it myself. Feels good. A funny feeling though, still feel bad if I leave early or spend to much time browsing the Internet.

The library where I'm volunteering is still not quite functioning as a library and I have spent the first week tidying up and processing new donations without seeing any users. I do like organising but what I really love about my job is the contact with the users. Hope that it will be looking more like a library next week so we can have some events for the kids in the village.

El Remate

2007-05-03T21:11:00.000Z

(Finally managed to log on to my blogger account)

El Remate is a hot place. VERY HOT!! I sit in front of the fan all day, drink liters of water and jump into the lake in the afternoons. I also sleep for at least 10 hours every night, exhausted by the heat. Not sure if I'll ever get used to it.

It is also a very beautiful place. From my new home I have a stunning and ever changing view over the lake. The lake stays in the same place but the colours change during the day and the sunset has to be my favorite. Amazing!

It's a quiet place but then not really. The jungle is never quiet. The birds are always singing, you can frequently hear iguanas running over the dry leaves on the ground and of course the crickets during the night.

It may not be the liveliest of places but it is certainly alive. Even some of the wooden poles, that hold together the shambolic structure that is my bathroom, have things growing out of them. And I've kind of gotten used to constantly feeling ants crawling on me and brushing my teath or showering with giant spiders. But guess what? There are no mosquitos! Loving it.

Change of plans

2007-04-30T16:51:00.000Z

In stead of heading back to San Cristóbal in Mexico as I had planned I now find myself in the jungle in the north of Guatemala.

It only took four hours on a crowded chicken bus, where I had a sleeping woman on each sholder most of the way, to get to Guatemala City. There I waited four hours for the eight hour nightbus to Flores. From Flores I caught a minibus that was so full that one of the guys sat half outside the bus. Finally arrived in El Remate at 6am this morning.

Planning to stay here for a few weeks, volunteering in a library that's a part of the community project Ix Canaan.

My first volcano hike

2007-04-27T17:47:00.000Z

Everywhere you go in Gueatemala there is a volcano. Someone told me there are 33 volcanos in the country. People around me are always hiking on them but upon till now I've been lazy. Yesterday I finally did it - I climbed my first Guatemalan volcano!

I got persuaded because it was supposed to be an easy hike and there is a lake on the top. I packed my bikini and looked forward to jumping into the lake after a good exercise. The hike turned out to be quite demanding and a lot longer than an hour (maybe because I had forgotten to bring my asthma inhaler). So, huffing and puffing, hot and sweaty I made it to the top and couldn't wait to cool down in the lake. Imagine the disappointment when I realised that you're not allowed to swim in the lake because it is sacret.

After just a few minutes by the lake I could easily understand why the locals consider it holy. The lake is at a bottom of the crater and surrounded by trees covered in mist which regularly sweeps over the lake and creates a really magical atmosphere. We stayed there for hours, admiring the beauty and listening to the fish play in the water and the birds singing.

Absolutely one of my favorite Guate moments.

My new hair do

2007-04-24T17:44:00.000Z

Have almost learned how to do it myself.

Chichi...caste...what?

2007-04-22T19:39:00.000Z

Names of places in Guatemal can be a bit of a mouthful. Today I am in Chichicastenango and tomorrow I'm going to Quetzaltenango. Just as good as these places have more manageble nicknames.

Chichi is known for the Mayan religious ceremonies practiced alongside catholisism and the colourful market which is one of the most famous markets in Central America.

I arrived yesterday to a quiet village and got an introduction to the ceremonial traditions. Walked up to a hill which is one of the sacret places and witnessed a shaman performing a ceremony for a family. He was disappointingly not wearing a feathered head dress or a loin cloth but just ordinary trousers, shirt and sunglasses. He made a circle of different coloured candles, sweets, coloured sugar, bread and flower petals and then set the whole thing on fire. My guide explained that the blue candles signify rain and the circles of coloured sugar the rainbow. A part of the ceremony was wishing for rain. And guess what? Iit did rain a bit last night.

I woke up this morning to a completely different place. The streets were crowded, filled with market stalls, people walking around with chickens and ladies selling flowers. I sat for ages on the steps to the church and admired the activity and the colours which are like an explosion.

Retail therapy

2007-04-20T22:08:00.000Z

The guys went back to Mexico this morning and I'm feeling a bit lonely. You quickly get used to having some company.

To make myself feel a bit better I went shopping today. Spent what felt like a lot of money on a couple of bags and some nice souvenirs. After converting the amount to Mexican Pesos, US Dollars, UK Pounds AND Icelandic Crowns I realised how ridiculously cheap it all was.

San Pedro - again

2007-04-18T19:42:00.000Z

After almost a week in Antigua I am back in San Pedro. Wasn't really planning to come back but met some guys that were on their way here. Together we are the Dane, the Swede, the Mexican and the Icelander. What a cool gang.

I must say that I like San Pedro much more this time. Had a lot of problems with the fact that this beautiful little village has been invaded by foreigners that come here to party and stay and eat at places owned by foreigners. Now I have found a nice hotel run by a local family and they have recommended lots of nice, cheap and locally owned places to eat. Finally feel that I am getting to see just a tiny bit of the real Guatemala.

Travelling on public transport is always a good way and the buses here are certainly a bit more of an adventure than in Mexico. I finally got on the famous chicken buses yesterday and it was really not that bad. Just had too close my eyes a few times when were overtaking in blind turns. There was however not a chicken in sight, although it did at times feel like we were stuffed in there like chickens.

San Something

2007-04-16T17:16:00.000Z

So far I have been to San Bartolo Coyatepec, San José del Paraíso, San Cristóbal de las Casas, San Juan Chamula, San Pedro la Laguna and San Lucas Tolimán.

Sure I must be forgetting something.... does Santiago count?

Metrosexual backpackers

2007-04-16T17:13:00.000Z

Mexico and Central America seem to do something to men. After spending some time here all the guys end up wearing necklaces, bracelets and shoulder bags.

Internationalisation

2007-04-14T20:01:00.000Z

Last night I went to Reilleys, an Irish pub. Yes, an Irish pub in Guatemala! That really didn't feel quite right. Guess Irish pubs are a bit like Coca Cola and McDonalds; you can find them anywhere in the world.

Goodbye dear friends

2007-04-12T15:53:00.000Z

In July last year I bought three magazines and received a free pair of flip flops with each of them. The first pair broke on my way to Tesco so I had to limp back through the center of Brixton. The plastic started peeling of the second pair after a couple of weeks but the last pair became my best friends.

This pair of flip flips survived use and misuse through three months travel in Mexico. My toes froze in them during chilly days in Morelia, they got filled with sand on the beach, walked along the cobbly road to the waterfalls in Xico, danced at an improvised salsa class in Oaxaca, got stuck in mud in San José del Paraíso and climbed pyramids in Palenque. But by the time they got to Guatemala they gave up and ended their days in a cermonial burial in a bin in a hotel in Panajachel.

Rest in peace my friends.

Thoughts from Lachivizá

2007-04-10T15:47:00.000Z

There are a lot of coffee farmers around the lake and as I've been watching them dry their coffee beans I thought back to the first morning of my visit to UCIRI and the things I wrote down while watching these guys work.

In the kitchen there's a big pot of weak and very sweet coffee. As I scoop up the first cup of the day I can't help thinking of Starbucks and their Caramel Macchiato and smile. I go outside with my cup, sit down and watch the men on the basketball court which are busy spreading out coffee beans that need drying. It's really strange to think that these beans, that seem goden as they lie bathed in sunshine on the basketball court, turn into this black drink in my cup. Makes me think about the process the coffee has been through before it ends in my cup. How many hands have contributed to it and how many hours of work have already been spent now that the beans are almost ready for the last part of the process before the get shipped to Europe, roasted, ground and brewed? I also wonder what these guys would make of a Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks.

San Pedro

2007-04-08T18:18:00.000Z

When I got on the boat yesteday I still hadn't decided which village I was going to. The first stop was San Pedro. Liked the look of it so I got off the boat.

Now I'm living it up with this view from the terrace outside my room.

Semana Santa in Santiago

2007-04-07T16:11:00.000Z

The first couple of days in Guatemala have been a unique experience. It's not that different from Chiapas but everything seems to be just a bit more intense.

Am in the village Santiago by lake Atitlan where the women wear beautifully embroidered shirts called huipiles and wrap skirts tied together with colourful belts. Looks like they are all wearing pieces of art. This is also the first place I've been to where a large porportion of the men wear 'traditional' clothes, consisting of three quarter lenght stripy trousers, often with emroidery as well and tied at the waist with a scarf. Look very handsome :)

This seems like a very religous village and they take their Easter celabrations quite seriously. I had a look at the church Thursday, which all of a sudden filled with people and a service began. There are no seats in the church and standing there in the middle of the massive crowd, listening to the beautiful singing in a cloud of inscents was actually quite spiritual. I did also feel a bit like an intruder and that I wasn't supposed to be there. The moment of truth for me was at a point in the service where everybody shook hands. Was sure they would ignore me but ended up shaking hands with everybody around me. Felt almost accepted.

Friday morning they started making the alfombras, carpets made of flowers and something that looks a bit like coloured sand. Was interesting watching as the creations processed. My favorites were the ones with Mayan pictures. In the afternoon the procession began with at least 30 young men carrying a coffin with Jesus out of the church. The coffin looked extremely heavy and they seemed to be suffering quite a bit as they walked few steps forwards before being pushed back even further. As you can imagine this took a long time and I am sure that by the end the guys did feel the suffering of Jesus as intended.

That were my first couple of days in Guatemala. Planning to stay for a couple of days by the lake chilling before heading on, but must admit that I am starting to run out of steam and don't feel like doing much travelling. The fact that my backpack is getting heavier and heavier does not help. Also miss the flavour of Mexican food. The other day I had mango without chili (but with salt and lime) and elote (corn on the cob) with ketchup instead of salsa. It's just not the same.

You've been in Mexico too long when...

2007-04-04T01:31:00.000Z

all your food seems rather tasteless without chili,
you have bought more bracelets than you can wear at once,
you eat pieces of lime as an appetiser,
you start singing along norteña music on the bus,
no meal is complete without tortillas and beans,
you think that a square shaped top might suit you,
you don't think it's weird that the bus driver seriously askes you to be his girlfriend,
you've been in the country three months and your permit says 90 days.

That's why I am now in Guatemala. Yes, I have finally left Mexico but don't worry, I will be back.

Fair trade?

2007-04-04T00:20:00.000Z

Am back in San Cristóbal , staying at the hotel where people know my name (just like at Cheers) and sitting in my favorite café which happens to have wi-fi.

Today I visited Union de Ejidos San Fernando, which is a co-operative of fair trade coffee farmers, and went with them to one of the communities. They had told me in advance that we'd be going to San Luís but no matter how I looked I couldn't find it on a map. As we started driving upwards into the mountains I began to realise why. The road has to be the worst I have ever driven on, full of very big pieces of rock which meant we staid in first gear most of the way. When we got there I really understood why San Luís is not on any map. It was just a few houses surrounded by a forrest and a lot of coffee plants. Appartantly eight families live there.

We chatted to some of the people and they showed me the communal facilities constructed to dispulp, ferment, clean and dry the coffee beans. Unfortunately I'm a bit late because all of that has already been done by now.

Like other coffee farmers I've spoken to they complained about the low coffee price and the fact that the fair trade minimum price has not increased since 1989. Back then the fair trade price was almost twice the regular market price. Today there is barely any difference. The cost of procucing coffee has obviously increased in the past 17 years, especially the salary they pay workers during harvesting. Today a small scale farmer gets very little out of every kilo of coffee. According to one of the guys a famer who has one hectar (most have at least three hectars) makes about 0.30 dollars a day, depending on the harvest. That is a farmer that sells his crop to a fair trade buyer! No wonder many coffee farmers are packing their bags and heading illegally over the border.

This discovery was certainly a big blow for me. The farmers have been trying to get the Fair trade Labelling Organisation to increase the minimum price and it has now been agreed to increase the organic premium paid for organic produce and the social premium which is an extra sum paid to every co-operative for community projects but does not go directly into the farmers pocket.

Despite this I do still believe in fair trade. I saw some amazing expamles of the effects that it has had for the community when I visited UCIRI. That demonstrated to me that that fair trade really can make a difference but I also agree with the farmers that something has to change.

We're in the jungle baby!

2007-04-02T17:34:00.000Z

Ah, good ol' Guns N Roses :)

I am actually in the jungle. Staying in El Panchán which is half way between Palenque town and the ruins. A bit of the jungle has been clared to make room for cabañas and a couple of restaurants. It's a quite cool place. Not literally though. It is HOT! Very humid and there is of course plenty of my friends the mosquitos. Apart from all the tourists there are also several hippies here which contribute to the laid back atmosphere, sell artisanías, play music in the night and even dance with fire.

Yesteday I went on one of those must see trips to see the waterfalls Misol-ha and Agua Azul and the amazingly turqoise blue water at Agua Clara. Really enjoyed the tranquility at Misol-ha and Agua Clara but could barely see the waterfalls for all the Mexicans spending their holiday at/in Agua Azul. This week is Semana Santa (holy week) and one of the busiest week in Latin America. Greet time to be sight seeing.

Went to the ruins of Palenque this morning. The site is beautiful, surrounded by the jungle which seems to be threatening to take over it all. I went first thing this morning and managed to get a bit of fairly quiet time but it did get very busy here too. Those moments when I actually found myself alone in the jungle admiring the waterfalls and ruins covered in vegetation, with big trees growing out of them, were precious.

Have got to go back and pack. Catching a bus to Tuxtla Gutierrez in an hour and visiting coffee farmers from a fair trade co-operative early tomorrow morning.

Packing

2007-03-31T16:19:00.000Z

Just packed my bag to go to Palenque and it just keeps getting harder squeezing everything into the backpack. Don't know where all those clothes come from....

Maybe it's all those excellent sales women around here. The best ones are little girls around 6-12 years old. They work the streets and cafés here in San Cristóbal trying to sell braided bracelets, belts and other hand made products. No matter how many times you tell them 'no gracias' they keep on insisting, pick a belt that will match your trouses, make offers like 4 bracelets for 10 pesos or 'if you'll buy this hair band I'll give you this bracelet for free'. How can you resist that?

Cañon Sumidero

2007-03-28T23:05:00.000Z

After lazing around town for a week and doing pretty much nothing I finally got enough yesterday and went on a day trip. Exciting!

Went on a boat trip down a canoyn which was quite awesome. The canyon is really deep, 1 km where it's deepest and it was amazing being there at the bottom looking up the huge walls. Saw loads of birds and also a couple of crocodiles sunbathing.

Hmmmm

2007-03-26T15:28:00.000Z

I really don't like the whole concept of being a tourist which maybe is why I always want to live in the places I like. Some times it's worse being a tourist than others. Yesterday was one of the bad days. I visited the indigenous village San Juan Chamula which is close to San Cristobal. The village is famous for their religous beleifs which are a mixture of chotholicism and some kind of 'heathenism'. Since everybody I've spoken to have been or are going to the village and Sunday is market day I figured there would be a lot of tourists. I was however not prepared for what I witnessed.

When I entered the village I saw several big tour buses and there seemed to be more tourists than inhabitants in town. I watched tourists trying to exit their bus through a wall of Chamula women wanting to sell them handicrafts. I wandered around the market for a bit and got perstered by children desperate to sell me something. I walked towards the church which is one of the main attractions. Outside the church were two or three big tour groups waiting to enter and see the spectacle. This combined with the poor children made me so sick I just had to leave right then.

I'm not sure if it was the experience or something else but when I got back I was actually feeling sick (Mexican stomach) and slept the rest of the day but am feeling much better today. All further visits to indigenous villages have been cancelled.

San Cristobal de las cosas

2007-03-24T20:26:00.000Z

San Cristobal is an interesting city, sometimes it doesn't feel like a real place. It is full of people, Mexicans and foreigners, looking for an alternative way of living. As a result there are plenty of places selling ingredients to an alternative life, bars that play reggae and (white) people with dreadlocks.

This is a big contrast to all the indigenous people that flood the city to sell their handicrafts. Women and little girls wearing traditional clothes have babies tied around their back or waist and little dirty kids are constantly trying to polish your shoes, sell you chewing gum and sticking braided belts and bracelets and little clay animals in your face saying 'compralo!' (buy it!). Makes it difficult not to.

Being cheap and with a very laid back atmosphere this is another one of those places where I could easily see my self keeping postponing my departure. If I come home wearing something that looks like pyjama bottoms and with a rag tied around my head I have probably stayed too long :)

Fair trade discoveries

2007-03-23T16:25:00.000Z

I have been trying to gather my thoughts about fair trade and put down and paper (well, hard disk really) and have also been doing a bit more research on the topic. Realised that the guy that I met at UCIRI's office in Ixtepec just happened to be the founder of the Max Havelaar Foundation, the world's first fair trade certification scheme. The coffee farmers in the Istmo region were his inspiration and he co-founded UCIRI which was the world's first fair trade co-operative. How cool is that!

With all this new knowledge I just might have to go back. I'm never going to make it to Guatemala...

The Feast of St Joseph

2007-03-21T18:15:00.000Z

The principal feast day of Saint Joseph is 19th March. On the 18th a pickup truck arrived in the village San José el Paraiso after bumping along a dusty road in the mountains for three hours. Along the way seven persons had got off to go to their homes but with the truck still came three guys and three gueras (Me, Jayne and Danielle).

The festivities started at Rolando's house with a baptism party for baby Omar Eduardo where we were sat down, fed and given plenty of beers. All the guests then toasted for the baby's health in tequila. The drinking countinued and cases of beer kept appearing and bottles were countinously passed around even if most people already had a beer in each hand. We sat with the men in the courtyard for hours. The women kept to themselves and seemed to be cooking, cleaning or minding children most of the time, only enjoying an occasional beer. It felt very strange for us to be seated with and treted like the men but as foreigners we apparantly had a different status the local women. After all these beers some of the men started being a bit creepy and I mentioned this to the friendly looking Medardo. From that moment I and the other girls had a self appointed bodyguard that would bearly let us out of his sight.

In the evening the fiesta officially started with traditional dance with coloured lanterns in the village centre and a procession the church. It was really colourful with the lights and the women all wearing traditionally dresses that sport a lot of coloured embroidery. After that a band started playing and people danced until the early hours. I don't wear a watch but was told I came to our room at 5am...

At 6.30am, when the roosters had already been crowing for a while, they started making announcements in the village speaker system asking the women to come and help making tortillas. Shortly after the marching band started its tours around the village with assosiated fire crackers. All this made it impossible to sleep and I was forced to get up after only a few hours sleep. By then the men had already started drinking - to cure the hangover they said.

In the evening there was another big band playing and a lot of people dancing. As the only white people in town we were a bit of a spectacle and guys were constantly shouting at us the few English words they knew. Didn't matter how little sense they made. There were also plenty of guys wanting to dance with the gueras. Things did get a bit out of hand at one point where we found us surrounded, by about 5 guys each, all trying to dance with us and pulling our arms in differnt directions. We did in the end have to be escourted to our seets. Our bodyguard did his best (spite drinking countinuesly for more than 30 hours, only with a couple of hours brake to sleep) and almost got beaten up by a group of angry guys while defending our honour. There were other gentlemen around, especially among the younger generation. Danielle was at one point being harrassed by a guy and while none of the older men at our table did anything a huge goup of teenagers showed up and simply removed the guy. Must have been the teenage mafia of San Juan. I was by this point getting enough of it all and went back to the UCIRI headquarters with our ride .

The visit was an amazing experience and taught me a lot. I even picked up a bit Mixe, the language spoken by the locals. You just have to end every sentence with mish (man) or gish (woman), depending on who you're talking to. Like most Mexicans the people were all extremely generous, providing us with a place to stay, food and drink without expecting anything else than us having a good time.

UCIRI

2007-03-20T03:04:00.000Z

Just got back to an Internet connection after spending a few days in the mountains with UCIRI (Union of Indigenous Communities in the Istmus Region), a cooperative that sells organic coffee to fair trade producers, mainly in Europe and you can even buy their coffee in Iceland.

Fair trade is when the middle man/men are cut out and producers in developing coutries sell directly to a buyer in a developed country. There is a fixed minimum price for the product and the procucers have a long term contract with the buyer which provides them with a lot more security and stability. Furthermore they get an extra payment which is earmarked for community projects. If their product is organic they get another extra payment.

The people at UCIRI were great, extremely friendly and generous. I just showed up at their office Wednesday morning and by the afternoon I found myself in a pick-up truck full of guys heading their headquarters further up in the mountains. The farmers bring their coffee here and it gets processed until it's ready for exportation. Every day while I was there farmers showed up with truck loads of coffee and it was so interesting chatting with them, although language difficulties sometimes got a bit in the way. The fact that for most of them Spanish is a second language didn't help.

Not only did the visit give me an idea of who produces the coffee that ends up in my cup and the long process it goes through before it gets there, it also gave me a lot better understanding of fair trade and lots of thoughts that I need to piece together and hope to share with you soon.

Right now I am in Juchitan waiting for the night bus to San Cristobal de la Casas in Chiapas. It leaves at 3.55am so there are only six and a half hours to go!

Güera

2007-03-14T18:37:00.000Z

I'm really startin to identify myself with the word güera because this is what everybody calls me. It means a fair haired/skinned (foreign) female and is a more polite alternative to the word gringa. The word first entered my radar when men where calling at me on the street and it really annoyed me. Now everybody seems to call me güera. Elderly men greet me with 'buenos dias, güera' and the ladies in the market ask 'what can we do for you, güera?'. Hearing it frequently used in a polite way I'm starting to quite like it.

So now that is who I am now - güera.

Fiesta

2007-03-13T21:19:00.000Z

Mexico really is the country of fiestas and festivals and there just happened to be a dance festival in Mazunte last weekend. Went to watch Saturday and after watching a local Oaxacan dance (that I have forgotten the name of) I got pulled on to the stage along with some other members of the audience to dance the same dance. Felt extremely embarrassing standing there not knowing what I was doing at all. But it was all fun. The festival continued Sunday and into the early hours of Monday morning. Ended with an afterparty like session at a bar with a Son Jorocho band from the festival playing. I had a fantastic time, possibly a bit to good... You know that feeling when you lie down after having a bit too much to drink and it feels like your bed is moving. Well, when your bed is a hammock it really is moving :)

After days of doing nothing (and a bit of a fiesta) mañana finally came and I have actually left the beach. People were really starting to laugh at me because I kept saying that I was leaving tomorrow. Am in the Istmus of Tehuantepec, which is the narrowest bit of Mexico. Heading to Chiapas, the most southern state of the country.

Turtles

2007-03-13T20:47:00.000Z

Mazunte and the neighbouring village San Augustinillo used to be the centre of sea turtle hunting in Mexico. After the hunting was banned in 1990 the villages had to find something else to live of. It now is tourism and in stead of killing the turtles the locals now get paid to show the turtles to turists. To support the local economy I visited the turtle research centre which is based in Mazunte and also went on a boat trip. From the boat we saw loads of big turtles swimming and even some making love. Also jumped in with them and got to see them up close. That was very cool. The shell really is rock hard but the skin surprisinly soft. And then it is like they are always looking at you. A bit scary. Also did a bit of snorkeling by the coral and saw plenty of colourful fish swimming about. Very beautiful.

One evening, when looking for a dark spot on the beach to see the weird little fluorescent grains that wash a shore (quite amazing to see those bright blue spots in the sand) we noticed a shadow which we first thought was a big rock but when it started moving we were pretty sure it was a turtle coming to lay her eggs in the sand. We followed her looking for an optimal place, which she thought she found in a shelter where the fishermen keep their nets. Then she started digging and digging. I really wanted to see the eggs so I waited for what felt like forever and she had managed to dig a fairly big hole but still didn't seem satisfied. I realised this would take hours and gave up and went to bed without seeing any turtle eggs.

Mañana...

2007-03-10T18:28:00.000Z

The beach is great! Am even enjoying sleeping in a hammock on the beach. It's much more comfortable than I thought it would be and is great waking up at sunrise with a beautiful view every morning.

If it wasn't for those bloody mosquitos and their insect friends life would be pretty much perfect. Together they have found new favourite parts of my body; my hands, face and bottom. Being a bit allergic to the bites gets them to swell up so with more than ten bites on my face I'm not exactly looking my best at the moment :)

Despite this I am finding it difficult to leave and keep postponing my departure. Like a true Mexican I just keep saying 'mañana'. As I sat under the fantastic star covered sky last night, watched the moon, listened to the waves breaking on the beach and drank some mezcal I couldn't bare leaving just yet.

La playa

2007-03-07T21:08:00.000Z

I did manage to leave Oaxaca and get to Pachuga in one piece but was for a while seriously doubting that I would. Had heard horror stories about the road between Oaxaca and Pachuga, which is through the mountains and very curvy. This is why the first class buses take a different road that takes twice as long but is supposed to be more comfortable. I really did not feel like travelling for more than ten hours and had heard that theft was common on the second class buses on this route so I took a van in stead.

The road was not that much worse than from Tuxtepec to Oaxaca and I would probably had been all right if I hadn't eaten that torta (kind of sandwich) just before getting into the mountains and if we hadn't been driving so darn fast. But I wasn't all right, I was very car sick - three times! Felt terrible having to keep getting back in the van for more dangerous curves and I seriously felt like just staying there, by the roadside in the middle of the mountains. Boy, was I glad when I finally got off that van.

Didn't really feel like travelling any further but got a taxi to the beach in Mazunte where I arrived just in time to find a place to stay and have a dip in the sea before it got dark, which was perfect and made it all worth it.

As I was sitting down to get something to eat somebody came walking out of the dark, calling my name. Presumed it had to be someone from my where I'm staying but turned out to be Andrés and Isidor that I met at the beach in Maruata last month. This big country really is starting feel a bit small.

Wonderful week in Wahaka

2007-03-05T14:31:00.000Z

To me Oaxaca has been art galleries, artesanía shops, fantastically eclectic market whith fresh chicken next to embroidered tops and dried beans, spices and Frida Kahlo bags next to curtains of meat, beers, sunny botanic garden, mole, fantastic sunset, beers, beautiful ruins at Monte Albán, bumping into people I know, beers, busy market day in Ocotlán where women have goats in tow or carry chickens or a turkey under their arm, beers, few visible signs of last year's protests, spontaneous salsa class, heat stroke, beers, love poem, beautiful museums with prehispanic art, mosquito bites, hot chocolate, siestas, modern dance performance in moonlight, spectacular ruins at Mitla, giant tree and so much more...

Yes, the city has been great but I'm going to try to leave tomorrow and head for the coast (and some more mosquito bites). If you don't hear from me for a while it just means I'm too busy lying in a hammock all day ;)

New habits

2007-03-04T01:55:00.000Z

The woman who didn't really like coffee, unless it was a part of a drink mainly consisting of hot milk, had three cups of black coffee today. It just tastes so much better when it's organic and locally produced.

Loved

2007-03-01T21:33:00.000Z

Well, insects seem to love me and really know how to show it. Always have some bites to prove it. At the moment I've got a few bites on my feet that are making walking a bit uncomfortable. My sandal rubs against them and have also got a double sized ankle thanks to an allergic action to the bites. Last week a bite on my arm swelled up to the size of a tennis ball and when I got back from the beach literally my whole body was covered in little bites. Too bad I never really get to see or feel those lovers, but the marks they leave certainly make a great impression.

Small world

2007-02-28T02:08:00.000Z

I am far from being the only tourist in Oaxaca. The city has all types, tour groups, gray haired couples, backpackers and hippies. Having only spent a couple of days it is not hard to see why people flock here. The city is beautiful and with a very arty feel and great food. There is a high concentration of indigenous people in the state, who produce high quality crafts and then there are all the anthropological sites in the area. Haven't been there yet...

Got reminded today how small the world really is. At a tour of the ethnobotanical garden today a fellow guest asked me if I had been in Uruapan, in the park on a Sunday. Yes. Turned out we have been travelling along a very similar route. He even stayed in the same room as I in Xalapa, just a few days before me. How wierd is that!

Back on track

2007-02-26T18:06:00.000Z

I have made it to Oaxaca. This is the first place I've been to, other than Mexico City, which was on my original plan. So what I'm six weeks later than planned? Took the scenic route here, after spending one night in Tlacotalpan. The journey only took about 11 hours in total! Majority of the way was through mountains and felt a bit like a slow motion rollercoaster ride in a forest but when we saw something else than trees the scenery was spectacular!

Tlacotalpan was gorgeous. Now this is genarally a quite colourful country, with a lot of houses painted with bright colours but Tlacotalpan takes it to a whole new level. Here every house is painted were colourfully and in some fantastic combinations. I particulary like this combination of orange, pink and lime.

I was lucky enough to catch a performance of a local Son Jarocho band with dancers. This genre orginates from Veracruz and made it into the big world with Ritchie Valens' cover version of La Bamba. I sat by the main square and enjoyed the music, a meal and a beer. When I had finished my second beer and was getting ready to go to leave the waiter brought me another beer. I tried to refuse but he just poured it into my glass. 'All right then I'll drink it...' A bit later he came around with a piece of paper that I thought was the bill, which was odd as they never bring the bill without you asking for it. It turned out to be a note asking me on a date! Just what a girl needs when she's feeling a bit down :) Since I was leaving the next morning I kindly turned him down but he still only charged me for one beer. Heheh. I gave him a good tip.

Veracruz

2007-02-23T23:36:00.000Z

The city of Veracruz is only two hours drive from Xalapa but the two cities appear quite different. Xalapa felt a bit bohemian with a lot of cool coffee shops, artisanías and places supporting alternative lifestily. Veracruz is by the coast and has a very Caribbean feel to it. It is hot and humid, the buildings are painted in pastel colours, there are son rhythms everywhere and, with distant African ancestry, some people even look a bit different.

Coffeeland

2007-02-23T23:18:00.000Z

Yesterday morning I was still feeling a bit lost having left Michoacan and not quite sure what to do with myself but ended up going on a daytrip to Coatepec. The town is famous for it's coffee and there was coffee everywhere! Every other shop seemed to sell coffee and interesting things made of coffee, like soap and jewlery (bought a necklace and now smell like coffee all the time). All good things have their limits though, as I discoverd after consuming two cups of coffee and a few chocolate coated coffee beans in just few hours.

Feeling very hyper and with a complaining stomach I thought it was time to leave and went to the nearby village Xico. It's a very cute place but not much to do so I walked to the waterfalls which are close by. The waterfalls were nice but I was more taken by the stunning and very green surroundings. The walk there, with banana and coffee plantations on both sides was also beautiful, apart from an unpleasant incident with a couple of Dobermans and the cobbly road not being designed for flimsy flip-flips.

Xalapa

2007-02-22T00:53:00.000Z

Travelling long distance by bus is surprinsingly comfortable and well organised. The process reminds me a bit of flying. This is however not always the case when travelling on 2nd class which I have given up when travelling far, unless there is no other option. You don't save much money and it can take a lot longer and be very hot! When I left Mexico City yesterday morning I got to choose my seat when I bought the ticket, checked in my backpack, waited by the 'gate' until the departure was announces and walked through a metal detector on my way to the bus, which had aircon and films. Just like flying!

After a comfortable 5 hour journey I arrived in Xalapa (sometimes spelled Jalapa), which is the capital of the state Veracruz and famously gave name to the jalapeño pepper which is from the region. The city is built on a hillside and has a lot of hills and steps that provide well needed exercise after too many tacos and beers. The location also provides a beautiful view over the city with a volcano in the distance.

The city is home to what the Lonely Planet calls one of the best museums in Mexico and I think I just might have to agree. Museo Antropologica is absolutely beautiful and houses some spectacular and very big heads carved out of stone by the Olmecs.

On the road again

2007-02-20T00:36:00.000Z

I finally managed to get my act together and leave Morelia and the state of Michoacan. It was not easy but I did it! Have however not ventured to unknown territory and am back in Mexico City for the night. After six weeks I'm finally going to start the journey through southern Mexico as I had planned. Going to take a bit of a detour to Veracruz though, starting in Xalapa.

Cultural Morelia

2007-02-18T16:59:00.000Z

I like Morelia because there always seems to be something going on here. It's like every weekend is 'culture night'

At the moment there is a chess festival in town and I did for some reason find myself at the opening ceremony surrounded by people trying to get autographs from the top chess players in the world. Was very interesting :) Six out of the top eight players in the tournament are from Russia or Eastern Europe, one from India and then a 16 year old boy from Norway. He's obviously my favorite.

Last night there was a rock concert at one of the plazas as a part of the festival. The group seemed to be popular, very loud and got all the girls screeming, but not really my thing. The Purépecha music and dance show at the next plaza was more to my taste. I adore the dance of the viejitos (there are some photos and a video in the Morelia album of my photo album). At the other side of the cathedral there was a jazz band playing and in the midst of all this they starting illuminating the cathedral with associated music.

Just another Saturday night in Morelia.

Gringa from Finland

2007-02-17T17:42:00.000Z

For some reason people seem to be able to spot from miles away that I'm not Mexican. Can't understand why ;) I often wish that I didn't stick out this much. It gets quite tiring to have people staring at you and (men) shouting at you all the time. I don't mind it so much when they call me guerita. Guess that's what I am - a blonde. I do however hate it when they call me gringa, presume that I am American, start talking to me or, even worse, shouting at me in English! Just because I'm not a Mexican it doesn't automatically make me an American and even if I happen to speak English it's not my language. The next time someone asks me whether I speak English I'll tell them no, say that I speak Icelandic. That should shut them up!

When I tell people where I'm from I often get a very blank look back. Iceland??? Some times people think I mean Ireland and now matter how I try to tell them it's Iceland, they just go 'yes, Ireland'. The words Islandia and Irlandia also sound very similar in Spanish which doesn't make it any easier. Some people do however register that it's Iceland, which is confirmed by comments such as 'that is very far away' or 'it must be very cold'. The next instance they then go on and ask what I do back home in Finland. This is not a Mexican phenomenon. I did also encounter this in England on several occasions. Why on earth does Iceland seem to automatically turn into Finland in people's heads?

Morelia again

2007-02-16T16:47:00.000Z

Back in the 40s (can't remember which year) a farmer was ploughing his field when something starting appearing from the ground. He tried covering it up but was not successful. This something is today a handsome volcano and all that is left of the village where the farmer lived are ruins of the church. I went to have a look the other day. Pretty amazing to see the towers and the altar of the church stick out of a big field of lava.

I'm back to Morelia and it feels a bit like coming home. Arrived on Valentine's day and the centre of town was buzzing! Couples everywhere, with flowers, presents and big balloons. Should have known that Mexicans would celibrate the day of love with style.

Backlog

2007-02-12T16:58:00.000Z

After not having access to the internet for several days I have now got a backlog of photos and thoughts. I've managed to upload the last photos from Morelia and Guadalajara and am processing the photos from the beach. Some random thoughts I feel like sharing:

I've now spent just over a month in Mexico and have not really started doing what I had planned to. Keep hearing about new interesting places and meeting people I want to visit. Guess it's offical that I'll never make it through all of Cental America before June.

I really wanted to visit some ecotourism projects but it wasn't until my second day in Maruata that I realised that this was it! An indigenous community making a living by renting out some form of accommodation to tourists, providing various services and seling delicious seefood. There were no big hotels, just a few rustic cabañas and shacks on the beach.

The guy I stayed with is not indigenous, but his partner is. He really is a funny one. One of the first things he asked my was wether I smoked marijuana. Guess he wasn't satisfied with my answer and asked me again later if I wanted some. Seemed surprised and almost offended when I didn't want to try his stuff. Asked why I had come to Maruata if didn't drugs. You can get everything here! He also took me to see the black turtles who visit the beach every night. We waited in the dark for an hour without seeing any turtles but did (try) to have a philasophical conversation about life - in Spanish!

I sometimes feel like a bit of spectacle here and attract far more attention than I would like. When walking on the beach I chatted briefly with some guy and a bit later his friend showed up at my campsite telling me that his mate had told him about me. In the end I got invited to rice and beans and a fantastic homemade guacamole. They were two sets of brothers and the one pair was ridiculously handsome. Only wrapped in towels it was difficult not to stare myself! After dinner we climed on top of one of the cliffs and watched the sunset. Even saw a lost turtle on my way back. It was huge!

I did not see myself in the mirror for more than two days which has to be some kind of a record. Guess it was for the best after seeing a photo of myself :) Didn't even realise how sunburnt I was until I got to my hotel room in Uruapan.

While waiting for the bus in Maruata I drank at least one liter of water and was desperate for the loo, but didn't want to go as I was sure the bus would get there while I was away. When I finally couldn't wait much longer and got up to go to the toilet, the bus arrived. You can't imagine how reliefed I was when after a couple of house drive we stopped at a road side restuarant. I literally ran for the toilets! Was also starving so when the bus driver asked if I wanted the same as him I just said yes, without knowing what it was. Think it might have been liver. Tasted fantastic with a bit of chili and lime. Guess that at that point anything would have been delicious.

Paradise?

2007-02-11T18:33:00.000Z

Guadalajara was nice, not the most charming city in Mexico but the people I stayed with were cool! It was a bit cold and wet though so I thought I deserved a bit of a treat and went the scenic way back, via the coast. Was longing for a beautiful beach with sunshine, palm trees, hammocks and maybe a few cabañas.

The beaches of Michoácan certainly are stunning! I arrived at El Faro after taking a metro, two buses and a taxi, only to find out that the accomodation options were camping or a fairly expensive hotel room. Since I don't have a tent I was forced to take the second option and felt a bit disappointed. But it was all worth it. The beach was beautiful and the sunset was AWESOME!! As I sat there watching the sun dissappear into the Pacific and colour the sky with the most amazing colours I couldn't help being amazed by the fact that, appart from a few islands, there was nothing out there until Asia.

My luck changed the next day and I got a ride with a buthcer, who was delivering meat to the villages in the area. So what my backpack smelled a bit of meat? It's all gone by now... As I wondered around the village in Maruatan looking for the beach and a place to stay I fortunately met a couple who spoke English and happened to know where I could rent a tent and camp for next to nothing. Now, this was the paradise I had been looking for! The beach was even more stunning and here all I had was a tent on the beach, a hammock and a beautiful view, including palm trees. No mobile phone connection and no internet. We didn't even have running water, which bothered me a bit to begin with but as I got the hang of using the toilets and washing myself with a bowl of water it was all cool. In a way I could have stayed at this paradise forever and probably would have stayed a bit longer if I'd had some camping equipment and more cash.

On my way back my luck had left me again. When I had waited for the bus for about half an hour two buses drove past. Turned out that that I had been waiting at the wrong place and the next bus was in two hours!!!! All I could do was wait, knowing that I had at least eight hours journey ahead of me. Finally arrived in Uruapan late last night with a fairly numb backside.

Beses and tequila

2007-02-07T00:07:00.000Z

Probably not a good combination, with my luck! Buses are really not my thing. In Mexico City I ended up going far north when I wanted to go east and I couldn't even manage to get off at the right place in Morelia after living there for two weeks. When I arrived in Guadalajara the other day I decided to be cheap and get the bus into town. When I was sure we'd just passed the street I wanted to go to, I got off the bus only to realise I was still miles away from the city centre. Ended up getting a (very expensive) taxi... Yesterday I had another adventure on the bus. Wanted to go to a park called Agua Azul, which looks really big on the map so I was sure I couldn't miss it. But somehow I did mange to miss it and ended up in some suburb, because I wanted to be absolutely sure we had passed it. Was not going to make the same mistake again and get off the bus too early! When getting the bus back I asked the guy sitting next to me to tell when we were there. He was were helpful and I found the park this time but it happens to be closed on Mondays!!! Should have read the Lonely Planet more closely.

I did however manage to get to the town Tequila today. Just made it time for the last tour of the Mundo Cuervo factory, which apparantly is the oldest factory in Latin America. The tour was facinating and I might eventually learn to appreciate Tequila. Just think that tequila tasting on an empty stomach may not have been a great idea! Now I'm just hoping I'll find the bus station and a bus back to Guadalajara. Wish me luck!

Sun, rain, sun, rain, sun...

2007-02-05T00:37:00.000Z

I'm staying with the family of a friend's friend. Many thanks to Fernando for setting this up. They are really cool but don't speak any English, which is good as it forces me to speak Spanish. Well, at least to try and make myself understandable... Oh, I'm very appropriately staying in 'the library' :)

The weather here is very unpredictable to say the least. It was beutiful and sunny this morning, but started to rain around midday. After it stopped raining the sun came out again so I went back out but it did of course start raining a little later. It is not raining at the moment so i should probably hurry back while it's dry.

Guadalajara

2007-02-04T02:48:00.000Z

I did go to Guadalajara as planned. This is the home of my mobile number so it won't cost me anything to receive calls while I'm here. What a great reason to give me a call :)
The city, which is the second biggest in Mexico, and the state of Jalisco are also home to many things we consider truly Mexican, including mariachi music, sombreros, charreadas, the Mexican hat dance and most importantly, Tequila.

Ultimo día

2007-02-02T19:33:00.000Z

Today is my last day at Baden Powell and I'm feeling a bit sad... The school has been great, the teachers are fantastic and I've made loads of good friends. Even if I'm sad to be leaving I don't think my head could take more Spanish grammar now. It has been a very intense process and I've proably learned as much grammar in these three weeks as I would in two years at a college back home. At the moment I'm still very confused about when to use which tense and get all the different endings mixed up but am sure I'll get there in the end.

The plan is to go to Guadalajara tomorrow but that might still change. We'll see...

The Mexican way

2007-01-31T22:22:00.000Z

I am still facinated by all these couples making out in public so I've been digging around to find out what they do when they get tired of holding hands and kissing in the park. They do of course go to a hotel! Apparantly there is a whole industry devoted to this group. Here in Morelia the so-called love hotels are generally at the edge of town. When I was getting back last weekend I drove past one. It was a drive-in hotel with garages on the ground floor, where you can park your car without anybody seeing it, and rooms above the garages. All very convenient. I now undertand why many of the hotels in a slightly dodgy area in Mexico City also said garage on the sign... But isn't it fantastic how good people are at adapting to circumstances?

Jonstown

2007-01-29T23:37:00.000Z

I think it's disgraceful that isn't a single town in Iceland called after Jon Sigurdsson, who is known as the father of Icelandic independence. To my knowledge he hasn't even got a street named in his honour when in Mexico every town seems to have streets called Madero, Hidalogo, Lazaro Cardenas etc. This problem can however easily be fixed. Streets change names all the time and Morelia used to be called Valladolid but the name was changed in honour of the independence fighter Jose Maria Morelos, who was born here.

Tzintzuntzan

2007-01-29T22:09:00.000Z

My favorite moment so far has to be Sunday morning in Tzintzuntzan. Standing in the sunshine with an amazing view over the lake and listening to the quietness and the birds singing was close to perfect.

Pátzcuaro

2007-01-28T02:03:00.000Z

I've started to feel quite at home in Morelia and don't really feel like going, although my roommate Sadie went back home this morning and things certainly wont be the same without her. But I've made other friends, which I have been going out with a lot lately. Last night we went to a houseparty. The house was absolutely crowded, there were buckets of beer, loud music and loads of drunken teenagers snogging in the corners. This looked like the kind of party where the parents have gone out of town and the teenagers take over, but turned out to be a quinceanera, a girls 15th birthday and her proud mother was among the guests.

I have however left Morelia for the weekend and am in Pátzcuaro, where I'm spending the night before going on to Tzintzuntzan tomorrow. Both towns are by the Lake Pátzcuaro, where there is a high concentration of the indigenous Purépecha people. They make very beautiful crafts so this might well end up being an expensive weekend away, even if I found a very cheap hotel room with good ventilation. Have got a feeling this could be a cold night.

Romance

2007-01-26T01:00:00.000Z

My first day in Mexico city I went for a walk in the park. On every bench were couples holding hands. I thought this had to be the place to go for couples but at every park and every square it's the same. During evening and weekends the streets are full of couples holding hands and looking very much in love. At cafés it's not unusual to see people who look like they're trying to eat each other. I just thought Mexicans must be very romantic and amorous. It wasn't until I started talking to people my age and younger that I realised that all this demonstration of love in public is because they have nowhere else to go. They are not allowed to live together until they are married and generally live at home and bringing your boyfriend and girlfriend home doesn't seem to be the thing to do. Whatever the reason, I still think it all looks quite romantic...

Correction

2007-01-25T02:28:00.000Z

I was starting to think that I didn't have any friends at all because I had not received any texts or call on my new Mexican number. It turns out that you have to skip a bit of the number when dialling from abroad so the number is +52 33 10 93 04 62.

Brrrrrrrr

2007-01-25T01:58:00.000Z

I realised after my first night in Mexico that it gets quite cold here when the sun disappears. The standard one blanket is just not enough to keep you warm during night and the shorts, tanktops and flip-flops that I brought are not really the thing. At least not in this part of the country at this time of year. Today the sun has been hiding and it has been freezing! It might be like a normal summer day in Iceland but this is not what I was expecting so I've had to raid my room mates wardrobe to keep warm. I just might HAVE to go shopping tomorrow.

¡Adios papasito!

2007-01-23T22:36:00.000Z

Last week my conversation teacher gave me some homework. I'm supposed to get a Mexican boyfriend. She says it's the best way to learn the language and I must amit that it has worked well for me in the past. I still haven't completed my homework but have been working on it. Last night the Mexican guys at school tought me some local slang and pick up lines. Well, at least some things to shout after cute guys. So now it's just to put it into practice...

Butterflies

2007-01-22T21:57:00.000Z

On Saturday I went on a trip with the school to see the Monarch butterflies, which hibernate by millions in sanctuaries close to Morelia. Every year they fly from the Great Lakes region in North America to this place. They hibernate here from November - March, then they mate, the males die and the females fly back. Last years there were between 20-25 millions butterflies here. We drove for 2-3 hours to the Rosario sanctuary and then started walking up the hill. It showed me what terrible shape I am in. I was exhausted by the time we made it to the top where the butterflies live. We could see huge clusters of butterflies weighing down the trees, which is amazing in itself, but unfortunately it was cloudy so we didn't see many flying about. Luckily the sun came out for a moment so we did see some. It was absolutely beautiful!! (have a look at the photos and videos) Well worth the walk but my legs were literally shaking by the time we got down and had a well deserved beer and a fantastic meal including blue corn tortillas.

To shake off the soreness of my muscles I went walking in the hills above Morelia yesterday. Took a bus to the Santa Maria neighbourhood and realised that as a result of the students' demonstrations last week the price is still 4 pesos, but you can volunteer to pay 5. Well done guys!

Protests in Morelia

2007-01-19T22:42:00.000Z

The students in Morelia have been protesting because the price on public transport in the city is going up from 4 to 5 pesos. Wednesday and Thursday they had a sit in and closed the main road so the city was wonderfully quiet. I think it is quite cool to let those in charge know if you are not satisfied with something, rather than just nagging about it. Reminds me a bit of the students at SOAS.

Me gusta salsa

2007-01-19T18:00:00.000Z

The salsa class last night was good. After the class we went to a salsa club, eight girls and Evereth, a Mexican guy who is studying English at the school. He took turns dancing with all the girls and it was so much more fun to let lose on the dance floor than to try to remember steps and be counting, uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, seis, siete....

Salsa

2007-01-17T19:43:00.000Z

The salsa class was fun but unfortunately only one guy for every girl so we had to take turns dancing. I didn't quite get the hang of it and and kept falling on the person next to me when doing turns. My excuse is that I haven't really got any good dancing shoes with me. The choice is between flip-flops or Converse trainers but I'm still gonna go again tomorrow. Besides, the instructor is kinda hot....

The school

2007-01-16T23:53:00.000Z

I've finished my second day at Instituto Baden Powell and feel like I'm already making progress. Have been through regular verbs and four out of nine groups of irregular verbs in my grammar class. Yes, sounds fun doesn't it. I signed up for group classes but since there isn't anybody else at my level (as low as me!) I get private classes for the same price. Haven't decided how long I'm staying, have only paid for one week so far but think I need to stay at least two weeks to get something out of it. The school seems very cool and everything is well organised. Especially pleased with the wireless internet connection wich allows me to sit in the café with my little laptop. They also teach English so there are plenty of Mexican students around. There is a conversation club every afternoon where Spanish and English students meet and practice. Think I'm not quite ready for that yet. There are also free salsa classes, Mexican cooking classes and weekend excursions. I'm going to salsa tonight. I've never danced salsa before so this should be intersting.

I also moved into my new home today. Took me ages to find the place and was absolutely exhausted when I got there after walking up and down the same street in the sun with my backpack. I'm staying with a Mexican family and sharing a room with another girl from the school. She's an American college student and my first impression is that we don't have much in common. You should have seen the look on her and her friend's faces when I started unpacking. 'Is that all you got? Haven't you got a suitcase?'

Teléfono

2007-01-15T23:10:00.000Z

I've got a Mexican mobile number now. The number is +52 045 33 10 93 04 62. Mobile numbers here have an area code depending on where you bought it. When you are outside of your area you have to pay to receive calls, just like when you're abroad. Unfortunately my number is not from Morelia so if you call it's going to cost me too. Short calls and texts are welcome.

Morelia

2007-01-14T23:46:00.000Z

I've left Mexico City and arrived in Morelia, the capital of the state Michoacán. This is a very cute colonial city roughly 4 hours drive west of Mexico City (6 hours if you travel on 2nd class). I can't stand not being able to speak Spanish so I'm starting a Spanish course tomorrow morning. Should be fluent soon...

Tube vs Metro

2007-01-14T23:33:00.000Z

It is surprisingly quiet on the tube in London, apart from the noice from the train obviously. Even in the morning rush when every carriage is crammed with people all you can hear is turning of pages and the occasional 'excuse me' at stations. The guy with an ipod playing a bit too loudly gets the evil eye from everybody near him.

It is also surprinsingly quiet on the Metro in Mexico City. The trains are not as loud as in London but the silence is regularly broken by people selling CDs and playing examples of their music. You even get people playing live music which seems to be very good for business.

A single ticket (zone 1-2) on the tube is 4 pounds. 2 or 1.50 if you've got an Oyster Card, depending on when you travel.

A single ticket on the metro is 2 pesos (10 pence) anywhere, anytime.

New lessons

2007-01-13T18:21:00.000Z

Always be careful when walking on wet and soapy pavements. It really hurts fallling!

Don't count on all buses with the same number going the same route. Always check the destination on the front of the bus. It can take a while to get back on track...

More on food

2007-01-12T18:38:00.000Z

Last night I had tacos with eyes. Didn't like it that much. Preferred the tongue.

Murals

2007-01-11T16:47:00.000Z

Yesterday I was very turisty, but cultural. Went to see several murals by Diego Rivera, who must have been very productive. He is also famous for being married to Frida Kahlo. Here are photos of murals from Palacio National and Sectretería de Education Pública.

Food

2007-01-11T16:25:00.000Z

Since I got here I've seen the news of increasing price on tortillas onTV and on the front covers of the papers. Mexicans eat a lot of tortillas!

Lunch is a main meal of the day. A set meal consists of soup, rice, a choise between a few meat dishes and a basket full of tortillas. All for around 20 pesos (ca US$2). This is also the case for breakfast as i tried today. I don't really understand the menu so I've just been picking something, waiting with anticipation to see what arrives. Usually I'm lucky but today I wasn't. Remember not to order torta de carne again.

First impressions

2007-01-10T16:42:00.000Z

I really like the fact that there is nothing in particular I have to do or somewhere I have to be. So far I've just walked around town, found myself a loads cheaper hotel room and been to an amazingly colourful craft market. Could have spent several months budget there on beautiful things for my future home and myself of course, but did restrain myself. Also stumbled on the public library, which is in a beautifully restored old building. Met a children's librarian who showed my around.

The city is big, with more than 20 million inhabitants it is one of the biggest in the world. As you could expect the traffic is mad! In spite of very fancy traffic lights (with a green man that actually walks) it seems to be necessary to have police officers directing the traffic in all bigger junctions. Their directions are not always coordinated with the traffic lights which means that when the green man walks you can't be sure you're safe to cross the road. Lesson no 1.

Lesson no 2: Always go the opposite way to where I think I should be going. My sense of directions doesn't seem to be as good as I thought. But hey, you get to see unexpected things. That's how I found the cheap hotel.

Arrived

2007-01-08T20:51:00.000Z

After 24 sleepless hours on the road I made it to my hotel in Mexico City feeling a bit worn out. The room might not be excellent value for the price but the shower I had when I got there was priceless! So was lying in a bed after waiting for hours on a concrete bench at JFK airport. After the shower, a couple of hours of sleep and lunch I´m as good as new and ready to take on the city which is a bit hectitc, but so far I am liking what I see and am so glad I really did it!

Sleepless night

2007-01-07T01:51:00.000Z

It´s almost 2am and I can´t fall asleep. I´m so excited!! Should really be getting a good rest as tomorrow night is bound to be sleepless. Same time tomorrow I will be at JFK Airport in New York waiting for my flight to Mexico City.

I´m going to read for a bit and see if that helps....

Good night!

Reunited

2007-01-05T19:51:00.000Z

Finally! I got all my belongings today after more than a week´s delay. Eimskip, the shipping company, sent it all to Akranes (where I live) without me aksking them to, without telling me they did and without even knowing they did!!!

I´ve rescued a few things from the boxes and am loading my music collection on to my new computer before packing it down again and sending all the stuff to my parent´s attic. Looking forward to be reunited again in June :)

Leaving London

2006-12-21T16:45:00.000Z

Leaving London was not easy. It was difficult saying goodbye to friends and colleagues but missing my flight certainly didn´t make things easier. I hadn´t realised that the airport would be quite busy just before christmas, resulting in very long ques by the security check.... and I hadn´t realised there were STILL restrictions on the amount of liquids and creams you can take through security. I had a bag stuffed with toiletries!! After losing the majority of my gorgeous creams, shower gels and styling products I made it through security and arrived at the gate just as the steps were moved away from the plane. NOOOOO!!!

I got booked on the next flight to Iceland (the next day) and got back on the Stansted Express to London. Having just handed in the keys to my flat I didn´t really have anywhere to go so I went for lunch at Spitalsfield Market, walked up and down Regent Street for a bit, sat in a coffee shop for a couple of hours and finally got on the no 10 bus for a sightseeing trip down Oxford Street. I had just sat down on the bus when a friend called and offered me to stay. What a relief! And what a memorable last day in London.