Itinerary

I thought I would post an itinerary of exactly when and where I'll be, mainly for my colleagues (you know who you are, ahem Heather) so you can keep up to date on all the action. 

Day 1: Playa deal Carmen, Mexico 

This is my starting place, however I'm arriving a day early and I don't meet the other trekkers until 6pm so I've got the whole day to explore and head to the beach. Either that, or I'll just sleep...

Day 2-3: Tulum, Mexico 

We're taking a local bus down to Tulum, apparently there are a few Mayan ruins so I'll definitely be checking them out. It's also great for snorkelling so I'll be doing that too, apparently you can swim around the ancient walls that have made their way into the sea.

Day 4-6: Caye Caulker, Belize 

So pretty much as soon as we enter Belize we get ferried over to the Caribbean island of Caye Caulker. I'm so excited for this part because the marine life is supposed to be amazing.

Day 7-8: San Ignacio, Belize 

So we leave the coral reefs and manatees (um yeah, apparently we see a lot of them out there) and we head inland to the highlands that sit beyond Belize's capital, Belmopan. We get to visit waterfalls (I love a good waterfall) and more ancient ruins. We'll be doing caving, canoeing and tubing (someone's going to have to explain this to me before I sign up haha). All sounds pretty exciting and right up my alley. 

Day 9: Tikal, Guatemala 

Tikal temples, trekking through the jungle and stunning views from the top of the ruins... This is another day I'm really looking forward. We'll also be camping, which should definitely be an experience!

Day 10-11: Rio Dulce, Guatemala 

So I think we get a free day here and they have suggested taking a tour of Lake Izabel or going up the river to look for the hot springs and more manatees. 

Day 12: Antigua, Guatemala 

We take a rural bus to Antigua and just chill for the evening, as the next day we have a meeting with our host families.

Day 13: Chichicastenango & San Jorge La Laguna, Guatemala 

We go shopping in the markets at Chichicastenango and then head to San Jorge La Laguna. It's quite a basic way of life here in this part so we'll really get a chance to see what life is like for local people.

Day 14: Panajachel, Guatemala 

We leave our host families and move onwards where we can surf, hike or kayak within a volcanic backdrop.

Day 15-17: Antigua, Guatemala 

Exploring the city with volcano treks, salsa lessons and wandering about the city, it'll be time to prepare for my trip home :(

Packing and "Getting Organised"

It's the weekend before I depart (I leave Monday) and for lack of a better phrase, I am shitting it.

 

*** Disclaimer***: This blog may contain the use of foul language and expletives. Please accept my sincerest apologies (it will also contain a whole lot of sarcasm), get over it.

 

 

So, as I embark on my first solo travel trip I am extremely excited and an actual bag of nerves. I'm not one for planning and being organised; I'm more of a throw it all in the bag and hope that what I need comes out at the other end, so for me to have booked myself on this trip it's going to be a mammoth task just getting there.

 

A bit about the trip then...

 

I'm travelling with a group called Trek America, they've been running for 20+ years now, but this is the first year they've branched out in Central America (yay for being a travelling guinea pig!). My tour starts in Cancun, Mexico, the next day we begin our descent further into Mexico. Next up is Belize for a day, then over to Caye Caulker, after a couple of days on the island we come back into Belize for a few days then make our way down to Guatemala.

 

In the spirit of being organised and not being caught short while trekking through the mountains I have been stockpiling a whole host of gadgets and clothing, all perfectly dumped in a heap in my suitcase that never quite got unloaded after my travels to Morocco.

At least it's all in one place, that's my argument anyway!

 

As a starting point Trek America issued a list of things they thought necessary to bring along with us,

this included: walking boots, money, clothes, rucksack, camera etc. The bare essentials really. I, of course, have included all of these plus many many more; bar the kitchen sink. So as I sit cross-legged in the midst of my floordrobe (yes this exists and yes it is a word- one frequently used in my household anyway) I start to sift through the shit that has accumulated over the past few months. Apparently I've catered for every eventuality and every occasion, I've even got a sewing kit... Oh yeah, I'm prepared ;) 

So bearing in mind that I leave in two days and I have work in two hours, I shall get off the computer and start dissecting this mound. God help me... 

XOXO