Packing some heat.

The tale of a shooting, Tony Montana ´coke´ and some unreal bbq pork ribs.......

60% of guns in El Salvaldor are illegally owned, we soon witnessed this.

Arriving into Santa Ana, El Salvador, we were greeted by a free lift in a police truck straight to our hostel, "safety first", apparently.

We chatted to locals for over 2 hours about life, movies, football (of course) and the rain in England!

Sunsetting over Santa Ana, El Salvador.

Casa Verde has to rate as one of the best hostels so far. We started ploughing through rum with our new dorm buddies, as Carlos the hostel owner became our guide/ chauffeur for the evening. Tonight was the huge 25 de Julio city fiesta.

Salsa, rum, beer, bbq ribs, hot dogs enlightened the latino-passione party atmosphere as 8 different stages pumped out music to the hordes in their thousands.

Pre-shooting at the fiesta with Carlos.

Lucia meeting the locals at the Ranchero party we crashed.

The shooting:

Our wide-eyed grins, dancing feet and jovial status was rapidly dispossessed as two gun shots, no more than twenty feet away, pierced the sky.

Panic stricken people ran in horror as the gang, MS-18, took their hits. The Police stormed in, and within moments had captured 4 men; face-down on the concrete, guns to their head. We quickly sauntered right past the captured gang as Carlos drove us to another party; to safety.

The experience, if you call it that, is hard to articulate on paper let alone in your mind. Time froze as the horror on everyone's faces took full effect. In hindsight, it reminded me of an action movie as people fled. The worst part was upon the crowd rushing to the side of the street, everyone waited and I felt like we were sitting ducks.

Tony Montana:
It didn't stop there; we went to another ´ranchero´ party with Carlos, where a la Tony Montana, his friends had bags of coke spread on the table. Beer and ribs was our staple as we watched open-eyed as a new party enveloped. I tucked into the most delicious food as I swigged on my beer as the night slowly pettered away int oa mist of drunken haze. The music blurred into one and I awoke the next day feeling terrible, shaken and still shocked to have been so close to the shooting.

They say MS18 was set-up to rival the Mexican cartels. The drug underworld was very apparent.

Seeing the light in the strange but cool Cathedral in San Salvador.

Aptly describes the state of the infastructure of this country when this is a hospital.

The pork ribs:

Another satisifed fellow ´dutch´hostelete tucking into some divine party food

Simple things that make me happy. Cold beer and wonderfully marinated, succulent BBQ pork ribs. (Also relieved after the shooting).

Jungle is ´MASSIVE´

Stroll to the ruins

Wicked, Tikal is wicked. Although not in the Ali G sense, the little boy in you springs into life upon reaching the former Mayan stronghold as you find yourself humming the Indiana Jones theme.

The howling monkeys swing noisly from tree to tree creating the perfect jungle illusion. The towering Mayan pyramids poke towards the clouds as brightly coloured toucan & parrots squawk to the chorus of a new dawn.

Hazy morning as the clouds lifter above the canopy

The 0430 rise was starting to pay dividends. My night of hostel 'Gallo' drinking and karaoke 'rum' slash mini session on the drums was not. Tikal was the biggest and strongest Mayan city, perhaps aptly so as the grand visage of sleek, tall structures poke above the canopies of the jungle vegetarian.

Straddling the 64metre high Temple IV. Incredible view above the jungle.

We climbed Temple IV, all 64 metres, for a tranquil panorama of above-canopy plazas. Circumferenced by the peaceful air of jungle life all contributed to a spectacular experience; I ensured I logged the moment for future stressful times.

Local fauna

A smuttering of green

A Temple rising from the many trees.

The history geek in me took on a new level as our guide, wonderfully named Benni, narrated the Mayan way.

The searing heat and unbearable humidity strangely all contributed to a pre-classical period morning amongst our traveller friends (Dutch and Scottish this time). Now a long, hot chicken bus to the El Salvadoran frontera.

The main plaza temple

Just a little steep!

Maxing out in the main plaza, humidity unbearable, I am forcing out a sweaty smile.

Q15 meal. AMAZING about one sterling for a burrito, tostada mexican and tacos. I promise Im sweating this off....

'Dis is Caye Caulker man, no nosotros hablamos espanol aqui

Lazy days spent sunning and swimming

Clear skies, a change from Antiguan rainy season

View from the hotel veranda

10CC's dreadlock holiday blared out as we hopped off the boat onto the small island of Caye Caulker in the Caribbean sea, home to Joel Hodgson. Go Slow was the motto and slow it had to be in blazing heat.

Caye Caulker Main Street

The Split local bar

4 days were spent sunning (Brought would be Pedro) eating lobster and getting used to the cat calls of the locals. Alice B would have loved it-rasta!!







The highlights had to be the the sailing, cheap lobster, balmy sea and beautiful surroundings.

The place to hang out

Balmy seawater

Upon many a recommendation we set sail on a Ragamuffinboat north with our captain Jacob and first mate Chucky for snorkelling galore. First stop, a manatee, the huge beast of a sea cow meandering it's lumbering body though the sea without a ripple.

Rum, sea, sailing = relaxation

Chucky, first mate

Second stop, shark and stingray alley. Swimming with sharks and rays will always allow the risk adverse officer in you to assess but once snorkelling with these magnificent creatures it remains a wonderful memory. For clarity, they were nurse sharks, Heena 'Dangerous' Shah you would have been in your element! 4 to 5 feet shark here and some mammoth stingray and eagle stingrays to throw in.

Nurse Sharks

Birds-a-circling

Ceviche

Not a bad view, ay!

Third stop we saw turtles, grouper, barracudas, finding nemo (I've got one for you Aubin) and a flock of other bedazzling tropical fish. After a long day we set sail home to the sound of Uncle Marley, freshly caught ceviche and first class rum punch. Although, it seems rum headaches make me crave food like MEvry craves pies.

(Pre) Finally mastering how to snorkel, I was soo bad before.....!!!

Post

Post a cracking seafood galore lunch

The days blurred into one as the blissful sound of reggae and rum mixed the hazy sunshine with a delightful twist of azure, bathwater sea and many a friend to amuse oneself at dinner.

Posing just like Pablo Evry.

Westward facing fishing prime spot.

Grateful relaxation before the jungle of Tikal.

Ciudad de Belice

So, here I am in Belize City you could cut the tension with a knife. I'm currently imprisoned in my hostel because a Police curfew has blocked people from going out at night.

It's six thirty and I've had to have an early supper of Chicken, Rice and Beans, most delicious, because the hostel I am residing in has to lock up and shut up for the night; all three front doors are barricaded.

Upon reaching my destination, all 18 hours bus ride from wet, happy, friendly Antigua I arrived into the lions den being greeted by calls of 'go slow man but don't go so slow that they will shoot ya.' Lovely. I had a day to kill before Lucy arrived and the humid, sunny outlook of Belize City looked more and more unappetising.

I decided to take an afternoon stroll, leaving all my possessions at home, allbeit a cautionary $5 in case of anything untoward. I was greeted by attitude, leering and the customary spitting; again lovely. I managed to hang out with a local, he was friendly, for 30 minutes or so, whilst we chatted history and I bought him a beer. Money talks.

Amidst in conversation, English sadly not Spanish, he warned me "you nah wanna b ouuut during dark man, yah white bah be shot!" I frowned as most would but he went onto explain how the gangs were taking over and they had bigger guns than the police, pointing out if I or he for that matter walked down that road (all of 50metres away) we would be either kindnapped, stabbed or shot. I didnt ask whether he was joking because he showed me the slash marks on his back from a previous encounter.

I slowly ambled back to my hostel for a night of reading and sleeping, the unbearable heat took a hold of me and I thankfully (and safely) went to the land of nod.

Lucy was arriving the next day and we were heading out of this horror story into the balmy waters of Caye Caulker. Cannot wait is an understatement!! (No photos because I didnt want to lose my camera!)

It's just like Scotland, rainy, mountains and lochs.

As my bus rattled through the mountainous Guate region the mist slowly lifted forming an umbrella of grey cloud illuminating Lake Atilian.

I was spending a brief weekend in the western highlands with a new acquaintance, Netta (from Israel). Upon arrival we headed to Zoola for lunch to meet an old friend and relax amongst cushions and ginger tea.

Zoola for some Jewish delicious food and relaxation

As with most aspects of water, the lake created a tranquil ambience with it's motionless state.

I joined a hike up a nearby mountain returning filthy from the ever-torrential rain but somehow feeling refreshed and relaxed.

San Pedro Town

I took some time to take in the lakes glory over some tacos and pure Guatemalan black coffee. San Pedro on a Saturday is a busy place for a town so small, music filling the lakeside moist air. My night was spent dancing amongst locals and gringos taking my share of rum and ginger ale. (It's a winner).

Sunday and Antigua awaited for my long overnight bus to Flores then Belize. I sure do like Guatemala and I'm looking forward to coming back after a spot of Caribbean action with Lucia. Tikal/ Rio Dulce and Livingstone was on the to do list. But next; sun, sand and rum.

My view from my hostel

Asi es la vida

"Guate, Guate, Guate," the familiar sound of the Bus conductor splurted out, ah I was back in Antigua. The dry, sunny exterior of Copan was replaced with the dense humidity of rainy Antigua. Volcan Agua towered over the beautiful former colonial capital. As the week commenced a similar pattern of Spanish lessons, football, gym and coffee became my raison de etre, before hitting the many bars and salsa clubs that took hold of me. It felt good to be back.






I moved into my new abode. A shared student house with a mini Guatemalteco family. Three meals a day, my own room (double bed) and of course hot water. Boss. The mass homework session takes place just before dinner where we all attempt to converse in Spanish before tucking into some homemade food.











El Mercado;

I gained a new teacher ´Billy Bob´or Roberto who is a bit of a hero, awesome footballer and a great guide of the Spanish language.

This week we have been mixing classes up with visits to the local market, museum and also a spot of lunch. My conversational prowess is improving but I still need people to speak slowly!

Asi es la vida

In the market, the rainbow colours intermixed with a plethora of bartering as the locals drifted off to a foreign land of hopes and desires. I added the Guatemalan football shirt to my ever growing wardrobe of foreign teams as Roberto and I slowly ambled our way around the many stalls on offer. The fauna of fruit, flowers, knives, meat, televisions and clothes collided into a vast meltdown of a previous life.

Fruta de Guate´

Gossip girl a la Indigena

International language of......

Chillaxing like Homez

Spiders;

It hasn´t been all fun and games, I´ve developed multiple blisters on my right ankle so a trip to the Doctors was in need. Alas, I had been bitten by a local spider gaining an allergic reaction. All is fine, although, my ankle resembles that of an elephant, minus the colouring. Apparently it´s common and should pass in the next few days! I sincerely hope so because it stings like a nettle.

Lad

So, tonight is my last night in Antigua, so Chris (the German, fellow student, roommate and footballer) and I are hitting the nightlife with some other mates. Tomorrow at the crack of dawn I will arise for a bus to Lake Atilan (San Pedro) for a new part of Guatemala.

Adios amigos, until Belice.