Welcome to Part 2.

Now for the Trip Awards …. Drum roll please …

BEST HOTEL = Chinatown Hotel in Caye Caulker, Belize simply because it was in a new part of the hotel and I had 3 extra large beds to choose from. I am sure that my smallest hotel room would have fitted in this hotel’s large bathroom!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

MOST QUAINT HOTEL ROOM = Overwater cabins at Hotel Catamaran, Rio Dulce, Guatemala.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WORST HOTEL = (smallest) - Hotel Posada Los Bucaros, Antigua, Guatemala. Pity those who had 2 people in a room or the room with just a single bed in it. I had 2 beds and still found it small. Could only 1/4 open the bathroom door to get in plus had to step over the toilet to get into the shower.
 


 
 
 
 
 





 
 
 
 

 
 
 
WORST HOTEL FOR DECOR AND SAFETY (electrical wires) = Hotel Kashlan, Palenque, Mexico.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WORST MEAL = Lilly Pond on Roatan Island, Honduras. I chose the Fishermen’s Platter for US $25 and with a US $5 bottle of beer, it came to L 600 / $35.90 / US $29.50. It was not a nice meal and we were stung with extra taxes not listed and not charged on previous visits.
 




 
 
 
 
 
 





 
 
 

BEST MEAL = Strangely the next night’s dinner at Cannibal’s would be close to one of the best meals. It was here that I thought about taking the burrito challenge where if you can eat 3 within an hour, they are all free? But after my fish one decided that yes, I could eat 2 of them but the third one, this last one would really be a struggle and I would merely be a glutton so I didn’t. Was told they make the third one even bigger!
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Generally I enjoyed the food in Mexico whereas further along the trip it became “international food” …
 
BEST EXHILARATING MODE OF TRAVEL = The high speed boat trip to Livingstone, Guatemala in the sheltering behind the black plastic sheet with the rain driving into ones face like little pins.
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 


FASTEST BOAT TRIP = From Almirante and the back jarring 30 minute ride across to the island of Colon and Bocas Del Toro or Bocas Town, Panama.















MOST THRILL SEEKING MODE OF TRANSPORT = Hanging off the running board on the San Francisco cable cars.




















FASTEST BUS TRIP = It was “feet to the floor” on both the R1 bus at Cancun, Mexico racing along Boulevard Kukulkan passing the nearly 30 kms of hotels and the 4.30 am bus that took just 29 minutes to drive the 41 kilometres / 26 miles from Boquette to David, Panama. Both were safe!















WORST MODE OF TRAVEL = The four hour chicken bus from Chetumal, Mexico crossing the border through to Belize City, Belize. Being stuck on the wheel seat by the window with my knees hard up against the seat in front of me for 5 hours!




















MOST UNCOMFORTABLE TRAVEL TRIP = For those sitting sideways in the old 4 x 4 vans going to and from Volcan Telica, Leon, Nicaragua. Once off the tar seal road, an hour each way on a single lane dirt ox-track fill of pot holes. I was fortunate to be in a new 4 x 4 sitting foreward.















BEST TRAVEL DELAY = The journey from Copan to Roatan Island, Honduras. First bus had engine problem and then the next bus tyre punctured. If we had missed the last ferry it would have meant a probable enforced stay in San Pedro Sula, a town that one does not want to stay in!




















Then followed by the puncture on one of the vans as we then had to race upwards to see the sunset from Volcan Telica, Leon, Nicaragua.















SIGHT THAT I WON’T FORGET IN A HURRY = Toss up between the smell and sight of the church at Chamula, San Cristobal, Mexico.















And …

The Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave at San Ignacio, Belize meaning that I am not too old to be really stretched and cambering over rocks, swimming through the underground river, plus factor in the ancient Mayan civilisation. It was a real privilege that the archaeologists decided to leave the artifacts that they only recently found in situ ie exactly as they found it.















MOST SCARIEST MOMENT = In the pitch black lying on my stomach on the gravel inching my way forward and peering over the edge of Volcan Telica, Leon, Nicaragua looking down into the erupting crater and seeing the molten red lava ooze out of the ground so far below me.















DID I EVER FELT UNSAFE? = NO, not even in Mexico City with all those riot police.















SIGHT THAT WON’T BE FORGOTTEN BUT THERE IS NO PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF = Kristian coming out of the van in his shoes and budgie smugglers wearing just a long T shirt as if he had nothing on under the top when going to the ATM cave, San Ignacio, Belize.

BEST ACTIVITY = The outdoor stuff …
Was it swimming in the 3 cenotes, Merida, Mexico
snorkeling at Caye Caukler, Belize
ATM cave at San Ignacio, Belize
boat trip to Livingstone, Guatemala
snorkeling in West Bay, Roatan Island, Honduras
sandboarding down Volcan Cerro Negro, Leon, Nicaragua
Volcano Telica, Leon, Nicaragua
boat trip on Lake Nicaragua, Granada, Nicaragua
Mambo Combo canyoneering (rappelling / abseiling) and white water rafting at La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Extremo Canopy zip lining at Monteverde, Costa Rica or
catamaran sailing off Bocas del Toro, Panama?

MMMmmm. Let’s say …
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

















































































 
 
BEST VALUE FOR MONEY = For just US$ 45, it was at Monteverde, Costa Rica "Extremo Canopy" zip lining climaxing with the 1 km Superman ride over the green valley below. Often a rainbow was below us. My memory will be of 2 people zip lining in two directions above the rainbow.
 










 
 
 


BEST SNORKELING = West Bay, Roatan Island, Honduras where I was able to snorkel without restrictions and saw more fish life and better coral than at Caye Caukler, Belize. Plus it cost only US $3 each way for the water taxi (plus snorkel hire).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




BEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY COMPANY = Desafío Adventure Company in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
  
 
 
 
 
 





 
 
 
 
 
 
 


WORST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY COMPANY = Tierra Tour Company in Leon, Nicaragua. Their sister office in Granada was not that much better.















BEST UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY = Puebla, Mexico when a few of us took the Turibus “hop on hop off” bus late afternoon / evening city tour with the coloured lights on the buildings, parks and fountains.




















BEST ALL DAY ACTIVITY = Where I took around 850+ photos / videos on the all-day full transit of the Panama Canal. A wonderful way to finish the trip.















BEST MAYAN RUIN = Was it Mexico's Chichen Itza or Teotihuacan? Chichen Itza because of the magnificent restored Pyramid of Kukulcan plus the area was set up for the masses of tourists who pass through here … Teotihuacan site was big and expansive but besides the 2 pyramids, not much else of note plus I am glad that I was not there in the heat of summer!
 
















 
 
 
 
 



 



BEST OF THE SMALLER RUINS = How does one choose between Monte Alban, Palenque, Talum, Tikal and finally Copan? Palenque is the winner. While much still has to be uncovered and restored, this will take decades if not centuries of painstaking work.















WORST MAYAN RUIN = Without a doubt the Tulúm ruins (Mexico) where I took more photos of the iguanas than the ruins themselves.















BEST SETTING FOR A RUIN = The Tulúm ruins sitting majestically on the cliff top overlooking the Caribbean Sea.















BEST ANIMALS = Choose between the dolphins at Antony’s Key, Sandy Bay, Roatan Island, Honduras; birds of Macaw Mountain, Copan, Honduras; Green Iguana Conservation Project at San Ignacio, Belize or the  Night Tour Wildlife Refuge at Monteverde, Costa Rica. All are doing invaluable work.





























MOST PHOTOGRAPHIC TOWN = Antigua, Guatemala followed by Granada, Nicaragua. It was the colourful buildings in the cobble stoned streets, the many churches, bustling colourful chicken bus and local market at Antigua that got my Award to this city.




















MOST UNEXPECTED SURPRISE = Bec said while in Antigua, Guatemala go and see the Casa Santa Domingo, the 5 star hotel built over a monastery which I duly did. Having a church service on at the same time was an added blessing. Spent over 2 hours wandering around here.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


GREATEST PHOTOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES = Spending the hour or so taking photos of the Hotel Catamaran 2 macaws (Rio Dulce, Guatemala) and trying to blur the wire mesh.




















Plus trying to keep steady in the pitch darkness, hanging onto my tripod and camera lying on my stomach peering deep into the Telica volcano, Leon, Nicaragua.















MOST MEMORABLE PHOTO THAT I TOOK ON THIS TRIP = Stupid question. Far too many! Considering that many were taken while walking or from a moving vehicle, it wasn't easy. The one of the newspaper boy at the side of the street is one that I will treasure. As we drove from Rio Dulce towards Antigua, Guatemala, I had just a split second to grab my camera and managed to take just 2 photos. My camera is always set on continuous shutter. None of these photos have been cropped or processed through Photoshop or Lightroom yet.















PHOTOS THAT I WISH I COULD TAKE BUT COULD NOT = The various border crossings and police or military personnel with their guns …advised not to so I didn’t …

Wish that at times I had both a faster lens and wider angle lens. My 18 – 200 mm 3.5 - 5.6 IS lens is fine for 99% of what I want to capture. Using my i phone for the panoramic photos was great.

Click to expand these 2 photos:









COLDEST TOWN (temperature wise) = San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico. Yes, it was winter. In fact I was surprised as to how HOT it was throughout the whole trip. Would hate to be here on this tour during summer or rainy season.















TOWN THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SPENT MORE TIME IN = Puebla, Mexico with our van backing into the lamp post episode that day, it meant a much later than usual arrival. Having at least a half day here as free time would have been neat.















BEST TOWN FOR INDIGENOUS MADE SOUVENIR SHOPPING = San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico.















BEST CHURCH / CATHEDRAL = Far too many I went into especially in Mexico, but probably the impressive Cathedral in Mexico City.
  
 
 
 
 
 





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

BEST RAINBOW = I thought that the ones seen while ziplining at Monteverde, Costa Rica would be the winner. However while snorkeling at Caye Caulker, Belize bobbling around in the water with my waterproof Olympus Tough camera, I popped up to see the rainbow behind the boat. No correction for keeping the horizon straight.

















BEST SUNRISE = With a 4 am get up to catch the 6 am ferry crossing from Omepete Island, Nicaragua back to the mainland, seeing the sun slowly rise behind Concepción volcano from the top deck of the ferry.















BEST SUNSET = The first sunset at Manual Antonio, Costa Rica as there were plenty of activity in the foreground, horses, parasailing, coastguard boats, yachts, walkers, dogs, swimmers …




















MOST UNEXPECTED SUNSET = As we got out of the van after our afternoon boat trip at Granada, Nicaragua the sun had already dropped below the horizon but its remaining rays lit up the clouds behind the cathedral.




















BEST NIGHT VIEW = View of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge in that bitterly cold wind after the lovely autumn day out wine tasting in the Napa Valley.















BEST AMAZING LOCAL GUIDES = all of them!

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Starting with Quetzalcoatl and Bec in Teotihuacan, Mexico 




















Miguel and the tequila tasting in Teotihuacan, Mexico

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Suzanne in Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico















Cesar and the indigenous villages of Chamula and Zinacantan, Mexico 

















Salvador in the jungle and ruins of Palenque, Mexico 

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Guillermo showing us around Chichen Itza, Mexico

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Miguel and another ruin set within a jungle at Tikal, Guatemala

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Saul who showed us around the compact Copan site, Honduras 






Roy with his powerful scope on the Monteverde, Costa Rica, night animal tour - no photo :(

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Efrain who proudly shared with us his early life growing up in Manual Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

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and finally Carlos on the Ruiz coffee tour, Boquette, Panama 





Yes, there were other local guides on the various adventure type activities.

THANKS for your passion of the local sights as you shared a bit of your knowledge with us.

 
... and finally






BEST TOUR LEADER (not guide) = Bec








WORST TOUR LEADER = no nominations :)

FINALLY – A real big thanks to everyone whom had to endure my company during this 60 day trip away. It was a blast and perhaps we will meet up somewhere around the world or even here in my home town.

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See you on my next trip within life's overall journey?

THANKS

Bruce