Pluggin' the Hole

I suppose i should start by saying the headline photo isn't mine. But any search of "Belize Tourism" is guaranteed to turn up pictures of the Blue Hole. Always rated as one of the most famous dive sites in the world, the Blue Hole likely the single most famous icon of Belizean eco-tourism. So being in the area, i had to check it out.

Located some 43 km off the Belize coast, the Great Blue Hole was made famous by Jacques Cousteau's explorations of the region. He immediately declared it one of the top 10 dives sites in the world. Although not unique in the world as there are other similar formations in the Caribbean and the Red Sea. But it is said to be the biggest. Dives typically drop pretty deep if you have the qualification to an overhang draped with stalactites. Even though the water is clear, there isn't a lot of light this deep. But out of the darkness you're likely to see sharks or a few lingering larger fish. But being so deep, divers need to ascend within around 8 minutes. What i have found over years of diving is hardly a revelation. Most of the cool stuff is only a few feet under the surface. So a decent into a seemingly drilled hole to the centre of the Earth won't be met with a cavalcade of attention hungry masses under the sea. It's dark and still and... well... blue. Snorkel trips are possible, but overpriced.

Full day trips to the Blue Hole from any of the "neighbouring" islands like San Pedro or Caye Caulker, will run about B$350 to B$400, including such luxuries as lunch and water. Typically the first dive is the Blue Hole itself (it is the deepest) followed by other dives around the Lighthouse Reef, which quite frankly are the far more visually pleasing part of the day. The Blue Hole is a simply a place to dive just for the "been there, done that" sort of dinner story. As long as you go into the day knowing what to expect, it'll be fine. But, while it may be Belize's most famous landmark, it's not the best diving in the country.

Finding paradise

A perfect vacation means different things to different people. We all have difference tastes and dislikes. Myself? There are two things i tend to strongly dislike when travelling, beaches and backpackers. To me, each on their own is bad enough, but a combination of the two can be horrid. There are times though that beaches don't have to be overpriced with unbelievably uncomfortable heat accompanied by a constant badgering from vendors and tour operators. And from time to time, not even backpackers can ruin a place. The Belizean island of Caye Caulker is one of those places that has defied the laws of mass tourism and retained something pretty cool.

Don't misunderstand. It's not like Caye caulker is some hidden isolated jewel in the middle of nowhere. On the contrary, it's likely one of the most visited places in the entire country. But a welcoming sign to the island, reminding visitors of the dangers of glass bottles to bare feet, sets the tone immediately. Life here is beyond super chilled out. There really isn't much to do other than chillax. But this isn't some photoshopped postcard. By saying there are beaches on the island is bit of an exaggeration. Imagine swapping a beach for a dock. There aren't really beaches, more like small sandy patches of land next to the sea. And the swimming ain't the best due to all the sea grass. So people take to hanging out on the docks like some sort of tribute to the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco. Many of the hotels have cleared away seagrass making for the better swimming on the island.

But it's not like there's nothing to do. There are half day and full day snorkelling and dive trips. For around B$50 boats take you out to the reef almost visible from shore for half a day. B$80/90 will take you a little further away and get you lunch and occupy you for the whole day. And the snorkelling's quite good. Plenty of attention craved starlets fill the reef. A great come back after some serious damage in previous Hurricanes. And i have even mention diving one of the word's most famous dive sites, the Blue Hole(B$370). There's also kayaking and sailing, but nothing loud. This is a pretty peaceful place. There aren't even any cars on the island. Just golf carts, bikes and bare feet.

Getting here's here, leaving here is a pain. And i mean that emotionally, not logistically. There are ferries that leave Belize City almost every hour (B$20 one way). Alternatively, there are ferries from either Corozal in north Belize, or the Mexican border town of Chetumal (B$45). It's the same story to leave. Even when combining backpackers and beaches, my 2 least favourite travel elements, i have to say that Caye Caulker is one of my favourite places I've been in a long while, and maybe one of my top 15 in the world. It was the right place at the right time and i really liked it.

Crossin' to Corozal

Border towns suck. While clearly there are gleaming examples indicting the opposite, in general, in my observations of nearly 2 decades on the road and 100+ countries later, border towns suck. So recently while crossing from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, i was expecting much of the Belizean town just across the border. But, when push comes to shove, I am fully content saying Corozal in northern Belize doesn't totally suck.

Corozal seems to be on the upswing. Only becoming a registered city in 1848, it used to be a private estate. Things grew pretty quickly and Corozal was was pretty big for a while ("big" by Belizean standards) But it all came to a screeching halt visit an uninvited visit from Hurricane Janet in 1955. Pretty much trashed the place. But, like mighty little ants, they just began building again. Today the town is a hefty 8,100 people big. Perhaps not a metropolis just yet, but doing ok. Sugar cane helps at least in the short term. I even met some aging foreign guys building retirement homes here.

As you might guess, an agricultural, border town of 8,100 people on the verge of becoming a retirement community doesn't really have a lot going on. But the town hall has a pretty painting inside... umm... and the sea isn't clear because of the wind direction, but it's ok to swim in... umm.... there's plenty of Chinese restaurants... and i guess that's about it. There are a couple of ruins of moderate interest in the area, the most popular being Cerros. Built right by the waters edge, it approached by sea, which is a little different. Corozal is one of those places where they have a "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" mentality. Speaking of which, another thing worth checking out what happens when there is no bridge. Due to low traffic, the state won't build bridges across a couple rivers. So the locals make due with a hand powered ferry. They're actually a little proud of it. It works 24 hours and it's free!!

If using the Mexican/Belizean border crossing, you have to cross through Corozal. So there's no need to make a "special" trip. With a couple accommodation choice in the town which fulfill the requirements of paying for a place to sleep, a traveller could use a day or so the town.

Mediocre Merida

The sad fact is that when travelling I simply don't have the time to do justice to each place i visit. It obviously not possible to spend a week or month or year everywhere. But there are also times that merely by going to a place at all, you've given it too much precious time. Such was a feeling I had on a recent visit to Merida, Mexico.

So let's start with the positive. The whole city is buzzing with wireless internet. The bus station is wonderfully air-conditioned. It's located within striking distance of 2 of Mexico's best ruins. And... ummm... that's about it. The city is one of the hottest in Mexico, and it's not one of those “good” heats. The stifling humidity coupled with the continuous belching of toxic fumes from the constantly busy traffic is an immediate turn off. The place is gritty. Unlike most other colonial towns in Mexico, Merida's hasn't bothered sprucing the place up. Hardly any of the facades have been touched up. And while a Disney-fied appearance is never good, they could at least slap on a coat of paint once every half century. It really isn't any wonder why they haven't bothered. Being located on the Yucatan Peninsula is a licence to print money. With Mexico's biggest tourist attractions like the beaches of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen plus the Mayan ruins of Chitzen Itza and Uxmal, Merida doesn't have to compete for tourist dollars as it's damn near guaranteed that tourists have to pass through the area anyways.

There are a few things to see and do in the city that are of mild interest. Merida is sort of the cultural capital of the region. So the museums here are the best in the region. While I didn't visit all (or even most) there are better museums in the country. There are free city tours given out of the central tourist office, and sometimes even in English. And there's even one of those double deckers tours of the city (for M$75) but not really worth the money in my opinion. One saving grace was i was couchsurfing the city to i manage to find some cool people to hang around and have fun with. Merida certainly does have an above average nightlife. Maybe not the same as Cancun, but miles better that San Cristobal or Oaxaca. But nightlife is not what those other cities are about. And it was fun being in the city when Mexico beat France in the world cup. Things were fun around the Monument of the “motherland”. But it was quickly (and peacefully) dispersed by the police before anything crazy (read “interesting”) could happen.

I'm not saying Merida should be avoided. It is the regional transport hub and likely any tourist to the region will have to at least pass through the city. Getting stuck there for a night wouldn't be the end of the world, but time should not be taken out of a busy tourist itinerary to visit the city.

Gushin' over Uxmal

Far too often, it is easy to grow disinterested by national landmarks. When travelling through Western Europe you swear that if you have to see 1 more freaking church, someone is going to die. Or you may hear yourself saying, "ohhhh, not another mausoleum" when travelling through Central Asia. Central America can be like that in terms of Mayan ruins. While I liked Teotihuacan, i was disappointed in Monte Alban and found little reason to recommend Mitla. The Yucatan Peninsula has plenty of ruins to add to the mix, with the added bonus of an endless onslaught of tourist buses. But against my better judgement, I opted to explore the ruins of Uxmal.

Uxmal was yet another important Mayan site. First settled in 600 AD, the city had to overcome serious water issue. Strange thing about the Yucatan Peninsula is there is pretty much no above ground water. But this issue was handled expertly by the Mayan. As series of reservoirs and cisterns ensured that the city had water all year long. This was critical for the city as it bloomed to a sizable population. There is an obvious allegiance to the Mayan water god, Chac, with serpent images everywhere. That was until 900 AD, when an extended period of drought spelt the end of fairytale city. It was allowed to decay over the year, and indeed centuries. It wasn't until the early 20^thcentury that the site was rediscovered.

The biggest difference between Uxmal and other sites, in terms of tourist appeal, is it's setting. Whereas most other ruins are fully exposed to the merciless sun, with little to no shade to be found, Uxmal is rather well forested. Besides the obvious benefit of having the option the escape the heat, the trees give an Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider-esque feel. And if that wasn't enough, the area is literally crawling with enormous Iguanas and bird life. Furthermore, when compared to sites like Teotihuacan and Chitzen Itza, Uxmal is relatively empty. Allowing moments of solitude among the ancient stone giants.

Admission to the site is a little under US$10 which includes a sound and light show for those who can stick around for it. Numerous tour agencies in Merida offer transport or tours of the site. But, for me, the best way to to catch a local bus. Buses leave frequently from around 7am from the bus station in Merida. The 1 hour trip costs a little over M$40 and it pretty much drops you off at the front gate. To come back, just stand on the other side of the road and wait for a bus.

Uxmal may not be the biggest archeological site in Mexico, nor is it the most famous or most ornate. But based on the relative lack of crowds and the jungle-esque setting, i'd have to rate it as my favourite in the country.

Chillin' in Chiapas

The only thing constant in history is change. Empires rise and fall. Fads take us by storm then fizzle out (only to be embarrassingly reintroduced) Coca-cola changes to New Coke only to revert to Coke Classic. So i shouldn't be surprised that the city of San Cristobal de las Casas in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas has changed too. After all, last time i visited was in the early '90s during a Zapatistas rebellion. But i could not have expected how much it has changed.

San Cristobal was always a city of tremendous indigenous pride. Locals proudly displayed clothing unique to their village and tribal group. When they converged on San Cristobal, it was like an explosion of of colours and patterns and fabrics. It was the sort of place where nobody was really doing anything. And whatever it was they weren't doing, they were doing it slowly. It was one of the only places in Mexico where there was a hotter trade in sweaters rather than bikinis. It was the kind of place where you easily lose track of what day it was and have no real motivation to find out. And you would be hard pressed to find another foreigner wandering around the place. On this visit i found that a few of these scenarios still rang true today. But on the whole, the city had changed so much that i hardly recognized it.

The city has had some bizarre combination of Disney-ization and hippie-dude make over. On the main pedestrian streets radiating out from the central square, foreigners almost outnumber locals. Domino's, Subway, French bakeries, Italian pasta restaurant and even Thai and Lebanese cuisine have all but erased an local cafes or restaurants. All of which have be panted with colours so bright that you're certain to suffer from retinal damage after only a few days there. And that's not even mentioning the ridiculous All-Natural-Organic-Vegan-Restaurants which serve bleached rice, refined sugar and white bread. And there are so many internet cafes that the city must be contributing 50% to Bill Gates fortune. The new "locals" (as they would call themselves) must be violating some kind of international treaty dealing with a maximum number of dreadlocks per square kilometre. The place has gone the way of say... Goreme, Turkey or Pai, Thailand.

But it's not like things are all bad. Somehow through this transformation the town has retained some of it's charm. Wandering only a few block off the main backpacker streets and you can catch a glimpse of how things used to be. Homes and building in various states of disrepair, a tiny shop with an elderly man selling whatever he feels there's a market for. And markets where village women vend their homemade goods. On Cerro de Guadalupe sits a church perched on top of a small hill offering fine, if not obscured views over the city. Climbing the stairs is a great way to prove how out of shape you are. If that wasn't enough, Cerro de San Cristobal has the same thing. Doing both certainly fulfilled my excercise quota for the month. I guess the added bonus of the influx of tourism is that San Cristobal is possibly the most backpacker friendly city in the country. Plenty of budget accommodation options and a variety of tour choices await the intrepid traveller. Village visits, waterfalls and forgotten ruins can be done in a day or as part of multi-day packages. All this tied in with the most agreeable climate in Mexico and the place is still worth a visit.

It is a little out of the way. But the 10 hours (M$400+) to Oaxaca and 12 hours (M$500+) to Merida make for convenient night buses, saving budget travellers a little money on accommodation. Overall, even with the unrecognizable change and the loss of someplace special, San Cristobal should be included on a travel itinerary to Mexico.

Oaxaca on my mind

Resting in the south of Mexico lies a waking giant. With a mixture of ancient and colonial history. With cobbled stoned streets and bustling markets overflowing with more indigenous groups than an other Mexican state. The state of Oaxaca is preparing itself for what will surely be an explosion of tourism. The city of Oaxaca has changed soooo much since i last visited 17 years ago. A bucket full of UNESCO money has seen Oaxaca undertake a myriad of improvement projects. Tourists already show up by the bus load. But somehow, through it all, this culture capital has maintained a lot of it's charm.

Pretty much any visitor to Oaxaca de Juarez, either domestic or foreign, will almost certainly be based out of the city's historical centre. And why wouldn't they? With a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled lanes framed by pastel houses verging on the psychedelic it is certainly the place to be. Most definitely, the heart of the centre would have to be the Zocalo. A large treed-in square where time seems to stand still. Worries melt away while sitting and watching the world go by, either perched on a park bench or refuelling at any one of the street cafes. It's easy to lose count of the endless stream of local tribal folk attempting to peddle one of many indigenous arts or crafts. Once finally deciding to get up and wander for a bit, there are no wrong turns as every corner waits in anticipation to reveal yet another mini-park or square or church or architectural gem. There are more than enough museums to visit should the desire arise. And that's not even mentioning the numerous bars or clubs that fill the evenings.

Churches. Oaxaca's sure got it's fair share of them. But, to be perfectly frank, once you've seen one, you've kind of seen them all. Still, they are kind of pretty and great places to escape the midday heat. Oh yeah, and the whole holy-ness aspect. Of particular note it the Santo Domingo Church with excellent (if not somewhat pricey) attached museum. Most of the churches are blessed (get it? Blessed?) with a large square. And these squares are constantly full of action. Perhaps it's one of the numerous clowns who draw in huge crowds (careful they like to pick on foreigners). Maybe it's kids breakdancing to that young people hippity-hop music. If you're lucky a mariachi band might be striking up a tune in the corner. These places become especially lively as the sun falls and the temperatures drop. Point is, it's never dull. And that's not even counting any of the festivals, protests, weddings or political rallies.

But for me, the real attraction of the city is the people. With 16 different ethnic groups and an estimated 50% of the state population speaking an indigenous dialect, Oaxaca is an anthropologist's wet dream. The women wear brightly coloured clothes specific to their group and village. While it's impossible for the laymen to really make any sense of it, it's real pretty to watch. The central square, Zocalo, or the main market are the two best places to people watch. The market itself is a great attraction. Even laid out in a grid pattern, it's easy to get lost. Everything from toys to leathers to textiles to grasshoppers are up for offer. There are plenty of little stands to get some cheap eats, which move out to the street in the evenings. Be advised, that when walking in the area of the market, girls will temp you with free shots of Mezcal (tequila without the commercialism) There are no strings attached, the shot really are free. But it's easy to get drunk if trying one at every shop.

Oaxaca also has plenty of day trips to occupy one's time. The ancient, ruined city of Monte Alban is important enough to put on the 20 peso note. There are more ruins in Mitla. The fattest tree in the world at Tule. And the unique petrified waterfalls of Heirve el Agua. Plus the jewel of the Oaxacan coast at Puerto Escondido.

Getting to and from Oaxaca is a piece of cake. The international airport has flight to most domestic places one might need. ADO/OCC buses covering most of southern Mexico arrive and depart from the shining new station. Plus a plethora of mini-buses heading off in almost every direction.

I don't want to paint a picture of a life changing sort of place. Oaxaca certainly can't be called that. But With an interesting capital and numerous outlying sights, the area is most definitely worth setting aside a few days of a Mexican holiday to explore.

Livin' in the Styx

It's funny. I've spent the majority of my adult life living and working overseas. The last few years have been so far off the "beaten track", that I had actually lost sight of it. So a recent decision to live and work in Mexico was rather bitter-sweet. While excited to see how things had changed since i lived here in the early '90s, I wasn't sure how I'd deal with the endless wave of backpack toting travellers. But, I had prepared myself for it. Yet somehow, fate, once again, seemed to have a different plan for me.

I opted to live in the southern state of Oaxaca. While certainly on the tourist trail, it's not the first place people think of when they think of Mexico. Although I'm not entirely sure why. With 16 different ethic groups, Oaxaca is Mexico's most diverse state. It's UNESCO listed for a combination of the capitals historic old town and the ancient site of Monte Alban. Not to mention a highly rated, somewhat undeveloped beach at Puerto Escondido. But who am I to judge tourism choices of others. But what some previous research showed is that Oaxaca was big enough to find work, yet small enough not to be overwhelmed by the masses of places like Mexico City or Guadalajara. But i didn't know how small things were to get.

Finding decent work wasn't the easiest. I was hoping to find something without having to get a work visa, as the requirements involved me having all my papers notarized back in Canada. By some random chance i ended up meeting with someone at a local NGO aimed at improving the education system in Oaxaca. While the state is ethnically diverse, with great historic cities and nice beaches, it still remains one of Mexico's poorest with education rating near the bottom. The NGO has a grassroots approach, starting quality schools in rural areas throughout the state. And maybe it was the Mezcal talking, but they wanted to hire me to do an assessment of the curriculum and the the execution of it in the field. Who was I to argue? So the plan was set of number of villages i would visit. Staying in each for a week or so. Giving the odd lesson myself. The idea was to stay either with host families, or in a room in the village if there was one available.

To say life in the villages was simple is an understatement. But i guess that could be expected when goats out number the people. I had prepared myself for tourist everyday in Oaxaca City, but the villages were totally off the tourist radar. And to be fair there was little reason to visit most of them. They all had a church, but it's not like you can't see churches in other parts of Mexico. There were no pretty pastel colours that you might find in the colonial capitals. Just simple everyday rural Mexican life. Sure, occasionally things would be whipped up into a frenzy if there was a political rally or something. Especially PRI, as they gave out all kinds of free stuff. But day to day life was filled with power cuts and water shortages. At least in the evenings everyone would congregate to the central square to hang out. I became a bit of an instant celebrity in each village. Everyone knew who i was. A great chance to practice my Spanish as next to no one spoke any English at all, including the English teachers. When people travel they brag about seeing the "real" country because they stayed at a hostel outside of town and ate street food. Good for them, as for me, i'll stick my methods. Living next to, working with and befriending people who are, in my opinion, the heart of the country.