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sarah buchanan – THE MAP CHASERS: OUR TRAVEL ADVENTURES https://themapchasers.com two girls on a worldwide adventure Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:00:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://themapchasers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-08-at-6.21.24-PM-2-150x150.jpeg sarah buchanan – THE MAP CHASERS: OUR TRAVEL ADVENTURES https://themapchasers.com 32 32 WEEKEND UPDATE #62 – ASCENDING ACATENANGO https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-62-acatenango/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-62-acatenango https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-62-acatenango/#respond Mon, 22 Jan 2024 04:11:36 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=62921

Saying a reluctant goodbye to the peaceful & perfect Lake Atitlan, we hopped in a chain of chaotic Chicken Buses to Antigua, our next destination. We had read some horror stories online about the Chicken Buses, suggesting tourists to not attempt, but we took the chance and had a great (if not extremely cultural) experience. The driver was absolutely flying along the twisting mountain roads, blasting 80s rock. At times people would come on for a stop or two to sell little snacks or freestyle rap at us in Spanish. It was honestly iconic (and much cheaper than the alternatives!) 

The main attraction in Antigua is a famous hike up Volcan Acatenango, a dormant volcano next to the incredibly active Volcan Fuego. After getting our feet wet with our hikes in Lake Atitlan, we were excited to take on the challenge, but our first few days we spent just getting to know the cute town of Antigua.

Antigua was charming, with colourful buildings and striking views of Volcan de Agua looming above us. Grabbing an ice cream and walking around the town centre, we felt like we were back in the towns of Oaxaca or Puebla in Mexico with the Spanish colonial architectural style.

A few days earlier at Lake Atitlan, we had seen one of our friends from Taiwan, Sergio, post a story flying over the lake. He’s Guatemalan and in the air force, and had since moved back to his country. We made plans to meet up when we were in Antigua — only an hour drive from Guatemala City where he was based.

He drove down with his girlfriend Kats and good friend Samuel, and we went out to a cool bar/concert venue called Cerveceria Catorce. It had a huge stage and throughout the evening very talented bands came up to perform. It was a great atmosphere for a wonderful evening catching up and getting to know them all better.

After some food and drinks we decided to try a different spot which we had thought was a karaoke bar. However, when we got there it was like we were transported back in time to a college bar with big frat guy energy, which none of us were particularly feeling. Wini and I were both pretty exhausted because we’re old with a typical bedtime of 8pm, so as the rest of them headed to a new bar we said our sleepy goodbyes and went home.

It was time for us to get ourselves prepared for our main mission in Antigua, the two day hike up Volcan Acatenango. We had to carry up all our clothes, snacks, and water for the trek but the company would look after the tents, sleeping bags, and meals. This would be great except Wini drinks a truly shocking amount of water, so the recommended 4L per person was certainly not going to cut it. We figured doubling it would be a safe bet and packed our bags with 8 litres each… an added 17.5 lbs on top of all our cold-weather clothes, camera equipment, and snacks. They were extremely heavy, and I was getting concerned that this was going to be a lot more challenging than I had mentally prepared for.

The morning of our hike we got picked up at 7:30am. As we drove around town picking up more people we tried to gauge how heavy everyone else’s bags were based on the effort needed to get them on the roof of the van. Ours seemed heavier by a lot.

We arrived at the Soy Tours office at the base of the volcano and were given our lunch boxes and we were able to rent some extra layers and hiking sticks. We had a big group of around 50 people, and a group of around 10 guides and porters.

We had to repack our bags with our new items, and we were a bit annoyed that the ground was dusty gravel, so our bags got quite dirty during the process. However, we would soon understand this as the foreshadowing it was.

We also decided our 8L of water each was too much for us to lug up. Something had to give. Wini ended up pouring some out so we each had about 6.5 litres — still an extra 14.5 lbs to our bags, but down a few pounds.

We begun our walk up the hill to the trailhead of the volcano. It was already quite challenging with our big bags but when we started on the actual trail it was brutal. The ground was super sandy, gravely, and steep. Every step forward felt like five steps back.

I was in rough spirits, struggling with each step, and feeling weighed down by the heavy bag. We were at the very back of the pack and moving at a snails pace. Some of the porters and guides from our company approached us and asked if they could help us with the bag. I looked at them and didn’t understand how that would be possible since they were already carrying big heavy bags, but Wini insisted we at least say yes and see what they do. I took off my bag and they seemed surprised by the weight, but I had packed a little day bag, so I opened up the big bag and took out a big bottle of water, our regular water bottles, and some snacks, which made the bag lighter, and they took it! 

The porters were actually insane. By the time we got up, most porters had both front and backpacks, and many of them were wearing jeans and flip-flops!

It was definitely the right decision for me. It went from being an impossible, miserable slog to a regular hike. We were able to adjust Wini’s bag too, and give some of the heavier stuff from her bags in my little bag so we were both having a better time.

The next part of the hike was on an extremely narrow path between farms, and as we were going up other groups were coming down. We had to pause often while huge groups tried to squeeze past each other in between the rusty barbed wires on the fences on either side.

We made it up past the farms and entered into a mossy forest. It was nice to be in the shade. There were still a lot of people going down, but a little more room to continue up. However, we kept playing leap-frog with another massive group going up too. They would stop at an actual break area with benches and space to chill, and our group would kept going and then just stop randomly on the trail a little bit further up. 3 minutes later they would have to squeeze past us while we are literally sitting on the dirt on the narrow path. Then it would happen all over again. We were like… maybe we could just give them a it of a lead and then when we get to the actual break spot they would be ready to move on!

It also can’t be overstated just how dirty it was. The air was 90% kicked up dust that we were breathing in. Each sip of water went down like mud. Our snot was black.

Stopping for lunch in a shaded area, we sat on the ground next to a funny American girl named Eleanor. Lunch was rice, grilled chicken, and boiled vegetables, but Eleanor was vegetarian so her chicken was replaced with some beans.

We continued up the mountain in the same way as before, passing and then being passed by the other large group a few minutes later.

At one of our stops along the path we started chatting with these two people Cody and Meranda, and we asked where they were from and Meranda was like “BC” (meaning British Columbia, Canada), and I was like “oh me too”! And then we all had a laugh because answering BC to that is such a specific response you don’t normally hear so far from home hahah. But it turns out they’re from Vernon which is where I was born!

We stopped pretty frequently on the way up, which was much needed as the air got thinner. Finally, we got up past the trees. The ground was completely black and sandy, with hardly any plants.

Rounding a corner, we were met with a huge plume of smoke erupting from Fuego. It felt illegal to be that close to an actively erupting volcano!

The last stretch wasn’t too difficult as it was mostly flat. We arrived at the basecamp around 4pm, about 6 hours since we began the hike (and 4 hours of actual hiking).

The basecamp didn’t have any running water. It had a long building with tents inside, and we were shown our tent which was at the very end close to the back door which led out to a long path and the “toilet” (a seat with a garbage bag under it, with a pile of sawdust for you to shovel over your deposit).

Our group was given the choice of whether we just wanted to stop for the day at basecamp or continue on at 5pm to do a hike to the ridge of Fuego, the active volcano that erupts every 15-20 minutes.

Wini and I were on the fence about going, leaning towards no, but the friends we had made so far were all going, and giving us motivational messages “Even if it sucks, you’re not going to regret going” – Eleanor. “When else are you going to get the opportunity to do it?” – Cody & Meranda.

The break at basecamp was basically the exact right amount of time for our bodies to return to feeling relatively normal so after all the pep talks we were like… okay, let’s do it!

The guides said it was going to be around 3.5 hours, so we were like, okay we’ll be back at camp before 9pm, not the best, but manageable. They also told us “this is going to be harder than the hike you just did.” I was like… oh no what have we done. But we had already committed in front of all our new friends so we were in it.

The hike goes down first, then up the ridge of Fuego, then back down Fuego and up Acatenango.

The way down was stunning, right at sunset. We were so far above the clouds so it was amazing to see the colours on the clouds. Streaks of sunlight pierced through the kicked up dust. Fuego erupted a number of times, catching the colours of the sunset.

We got to the lowest point right as the sun went down and it immediately started getting dark and cold. We had a little break at the bottom, and then started the uphill Fuego hike in the dark, with our headlamps. The way back up was slippery with loose rocks and sand, and there were people coming down.

On the way up we also ran into Maureen, one of our friend’s from Taiwan! We had randomly bumped into her on the streets of San Pedro on Lake Atitlan and knew she would also be doing this hike, but didn’t know if we would see her!

It was really chilly at the top. Our group sat on the ridge and waited, hoping to see the big show. Fuego erupted a few times but without lava so it was hard to see and underwhelming. The stars were incredible though!

We were starting to get disappointed that we trekked all that extra way for nothing. The other large group left like 5-10 minutes before we were about to leave, and just as our group was putting our stuff away and getting ready to go we started to see some sparks flying from the mouth of Fuego and then all of the sudden BOOM! It erupted! It was surreal to see the lava run down the side of the volcano (we couldn’t feel any heat from it though).

We were so happy that our extra hike wasn’t for nothing. It was honestly such a powerful feeling.

We packed up our stuff and started heading down, and then BOOM another lava eruption! We ended up seeing five lava eruptions as we headed back towards camp!

The way down was challenging, but manageable, in the dark. Down at the lowest point we stopped for a break. The guides brought some snacks and juice for us, which was much needed as none of us had eaten since lunch.

It was already past 9pm (we thought we’d be back at basecamp by then) and we still had to hike all the way back up Acatenango. We asked a guide how long the rest of the hike would be, and he said another 1.5 hours. Oof. That completely took the wind out of our sails.

The way up we were at the front, anxious to get back, but we had to keep waiting for the whole group the catch up. When they did, we had to wait for them to have a decent break. The rest of our group was in rough shape. A couple girls got altitude sickness, and a bunch of people were feeling extremely rough. None of us had eaten a meal since lunch, and were all just exhausted. It was a very slow and demoralizing slog back up to basecamp.

We finally got back around 10:45pm, far later than we ever expected when we signed up for the additional hike. We were thankful that we were able to see a proper eruption up close, but otherwise were too tired to think.

The stars were absolutely nuts though. It was easily the most either of us have ever seen, as we were so far above any light or air pollution. It was magical.

Dinner was served but we couldn’t get down much because we were exhausted (and probably over hungry) and we just wanted to sleep.

Around 4:20am we were woken up by the guides and told to get ready for our sunrise summit. Wini was feeling particularly rough, having eaten next to nothing the night before. She powered through with the help of an energy gel and a handful of m&ms that did NOT hit the spot even remotely, but we made it to the top!

The views were magnificent, but freezing. We were above the clouds, and watching the sun come up between Volcan Agua and Fuego was surreal.

After the most beautiful sunrise ever, we made our way back to basecamp where they had a fluffy pancakes waiting for us. After a quick breakfast, we had to immediately pack our bags and begin the long journey down.

The way down was steep and slippery with the sandy, dusty ground often giving out under us. Thankfully, we had our walking sticks that helped brace us a lot, but Wini did have a hard fall at one point, and I overextended my knee at another.

We were also once again DRINKING in the dust clouds being kicked up, our bodies, lungs, and souls completely covered in a thick layer of dirt.

Despite only having one way down, we had to stop frequently to keep our group together which made the way back significantly longer than we wanted. Finally, when we were so close to the end we could taste it, our guide told us to stop again and wait for the group. We didn’t have another 30 minute stop in the sun left in us, so Wini told the guide she had to go to the bathroom (emergency style) and he let us run the rest of the way down hahah.

We were the first ones back at the main office for awhile, and we had time to chat with the owner of Soy Tours, Gilmer Soy. He greeted us with celebratory beers, and told us an amazing story about his life. In 2005 a car reared ended him and crashed him into the car in front, leading to him going completely blind. He didn’t think he would ever be able to see again, but a family friend of his had a daughter that got into a car crash and tragically died. Her family donated her corneas to Gilmer to try to regain his sight. It was a new surgery that the doctors had never performed before, but he said when he woke up he saw a line of 11 doctors in front of him all with tears in their eyes because the surgery worked! He was also told after the crash that he would never play sports or hike again, but now he leads tours, plays soccer, and has his eyesight.

Gilmer told us said he started out as a private tour guide, and as he got more clients and he saw that people enjoyed his tours, he realized he could start his own company. It was fascinating and inspiring to hear his story.

The rest of our hiking-mates arrived and we returned our borrowed clothes and said our goodbyes. A van took our filthy, sore, drained bodies back home.

Wini and I made the unanimous decision to not to enter our room before everything was clean. Luckily, our accommodation was an indoor-outdoor vibe, and our shower was accessible from outside so we were able to clean ourselves and our bags without sullying our room.

It took at least 3 solid shampoo and body wash scrubs to get all the grime off, but it felt blissful to rinse off the thick film coating our every surface (though our lungs still felt like we had smoked 100 packs of cigarettes!).

As someone who isn’t very personally motivated to do difficult hikes, I honestly feel like I came back from Acatenango changed. A sense of accomplishment, definitely. A feeling of awe of what I’d seen at the top, for sure. But also, a bit of self-respect for just doing it at all.

As Wini was cleaning our bags and herself, I ran out to get food and drop off laundry, and then we hunkered down for some well-earned rest.

When we were back in Canada, a friend of mine from high school (shoutout Rosie) told us her friends, Mari and Ceilidh, were also living in Antigua. We made plans to meet up with them for dinner at a Mexican restaurant downtown the day after our hike.

Getting to know them over margaritas, we learned Mari is Guatemalan and Ceil is Canadian, but they met leading a camp for kids in Egypt! We swapped stories and halfway through the meal some of their friends from Canada showed up and joined our table. The wife was from Turkey and the husband was Argentinian. It was a lively conversation and a great evening, but when they continued on to another bar, Wini and I listened to our tired bodies and called it a night.

The next day we checked out of our accommodation and made our way to the Chicken Bus ‘station’ and we were directed to a bus bound for Guatemala City. Again, we’re not sure if we just got lucky, but we are Chicken Bus STANS. It was absolutely hilarious speeding out of Antigua in this decked out school bus, barrelling down cobblestone streets, flying out of our seats with every bump and hole, music at 1000.

We arrived in Guatemala City at breakneck speeds, and made our way to our accommodation for the night, only a few minutes from the airport. We ordered-in food for the night, and settled into bed, setting our alarm early, ahead of our 5:30 AM flight to… Panama!

Click here to view our Acatenango photo gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-62-acatenango/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #61 – ADVENTURES IN ATITLAN https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-61-atitlan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-61-atitlan https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-61-atitlan/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 01:26:59 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=62900

Our two incredible months of exploring and falling in love with Mexico were over, and we were now excited to start a new adventure in Guatemala. Neither of us knew what to expect, but we got a taste of the beauty of the country on our van ride from San Cristobal, Mexico to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. However, we arrived super late that first night so we weren’t able to catch a glimpse of the lake, and just went straight to bed.

We had a bit of an emergency situation that next morning when our hotel toilet overflowed and started spilling into our room!! Luckily, the hotel workers were able to get in quickly and fix the problem. We packed our stuff and left it at reception as we went to explore the little town. Our plan was to only spend one night in Panajachel, and take a boat across the lake to another small town for the remainder of our stay.

On the way down to the lake, the streets were so colourful, the people so aesthetic and beautiful. We could already tell this was a really special place. When we arrived at the lake, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The views of the volcano-surrounded lake were spectacular! We walked around, so happy and in awe of our surroundings.

After exploring for a little while, we found a yummy looking food stall to order some lunch — grilled chicken with rice, guacamole, and we treated ourselves to a glass bottle of coke (it slapped)!

We grabbed our stuff from the hotel and hopped on a boat leaving for San Juan La Laguna across the lake, our new home for the next week or so.

The ride across was gorgeous but quite painful, as we were slammed repeatedly against the hard wooden seats after each wave. Still, we couldn’t take our eyes off the truly magical landscape on all sides.

Docking in San Juan, we were greeted to even more beauty. The local women, from young girls to old ladies, were all dressed in bright and intricately decorated traditional clothes. There was a massive hill straight up to town that was bustling with shops, men playing music on long marimbas and turtle shells, colourful decoration and art, and people laughing and chatting. We were immediately enchanted, though it was slightly less enchanting to have to walk up the hill with all our baggage.

We powered our way up, and at the top saw a row of tuktuks. Completely spent, we hopped in one to take us the rest of the way to our hotel, Eco MayAchik.

Eco MayAchik is an environmentally friendly hotel, complete with composting toilets and solar panels for energy. We had a cute little cabin with an extra bed and a desk. The grounds were stunning and we spent some time getting acquainted with the area and the adorable hotel dogs. We had booked 6 nights at this hotel, which was a total treat to be staying in one spot for that long.

The hotel had a booklet full of tour options for the area, and we went through and picked ones we were interested in. There was a lot to choose from and we were already in love with the area so we were excited to start exploring.

The next morning we got ready for our first tour of the day: a visit to see stingless Mayan bees. It was a short walk from our hotel to the conservation area where a girl introduced us to the world of Mayan bees. They had many different types of bees and they’re all so tiny. Although they don’t have stingers, they do bite!

These bees don’t live in the typical beehives that we’re used to, but large mud-looking hives on the ground or in trees.

Each drone and worker bee only lives about 3-4 months, but the one queen bee will live for 4 years, and she has all the babies. When the queen dies they pick a new worker bee to be queen by putting royal jelly on her head: “Queens are not born, they are made”.

After checking out the different bees, we were introduced to their products and their health properties. We ended up getting some honey with propolis in it because it’s good for sore throats and Wini had a sore throat at the moment.

Our next tour was to a weaving school called Batz Asociacion (LISI) not far from our hotel. We were greeted by Fatima, who introduced us to the amazing art of weaving from beginning to end.

She started by showing us uncleaned cotton, both brown and white, and had us clean some pieces by removing the seeds inside. Then she showed us how they transform the cleaned cotton into threads by twisting the fluff of cotton around spools, and letting us try for ourselves.

She then introduced us to the different items (leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, and even bugs) that they boil and use to dye the cotton. For example, if you boiled and crushed conchinilla (a type of bug) it creates a bright red colour. However, if you add lemon juice to it, it turns bright pink Incredibly there were two different items that changed colour depending on whether they were collected on a full moon or not!

After they created the dye, the next step was to soak the thread in a banana liquid, to help the dye bind to the thread. Then you dip the soaking thread in the dye, and once again in the banana liquid, and it’s good to go!

Next, Fatima demonstrated the process of weaving using a kind of back loom. It was so impressive to watch her at work, especially with the backdrop of all the beautiful pieces that she and the other local women had created.

After that mesmerizing demonstration, we browsed the shop filled with scarves, blankets, purses, and clothes all hand made by local women in awe of all the time, patience, and skill needed for each piece. They said for each item 85% of the proceeds went to the weaver, and the remaining 15% went to the school to teach more women how to weave.

Wini bought a gorgeous scarf that Fatima made.

We thanked the women, and headed out to explore more of San Juan. Everything was absolutely beautiful, colourful, and lively. The people here are so aesthetic, especially the women in their traditional clothes, which we now know are all handmade designs!

The next morning morning we woke up early at 3am for a sunrise hike. It was freezing in our little cabin, and we went down to wait for our guide and noticed another girl from our hotel also ready to do the hike. Her name was Maclayne, and she was Canadian as well (from Calgary).

Our guide, Gaspar, arrived and we began the hike. The beginning of the uphill portion and high elevation hit us like a ton of bricks. We do a ton of walking in our travels, but this was our first ascent in a very long time and we were gasping for air for the first couple stops, but after that we started to get into the swing of things.

It was completely dark, so we had to use our headlamps to light the way, but above us was a sky full of stars. As we continued to ascend we began to make out the silhouettes of the mountains and volcanoes around the lake, and a red glow near the horizon.

On the way up we got to know MacClayne more. She works as a music therapist and singer-songwriter (you can check out her music here – she shot this music video at the lake!) planning to travel for a couple months. She was so sweet and easy to talk to, an instant friend. 

We got to the summit just before sunrise. There were a ton of other foreigners there, so we found a spot on the viewing platform and waited. A local person came around and handed out teas and coffees. Just before the sun came up someone started playing Here Comes The Sun, and we all cheered when it finally popped up over the distant volcanoes — just as it did, Volcan Fuego erupted. Magical!

atitlan

It was one of those special life moments when you realize how beautiful the world can be and how connected we are all to each other. Everyone was in high spirits at the top.

Soon after the sun rose, almost everyone cleared out right away, but Gaspar didn’t rush us and we got to soak everything in for a little longer before starting our descent.

MacClayne told us the airline had lost her luggage so she was waiting for them to deliver it, but hadn’t booked a place to sleep for the night. We told her we had an extra bed in our cabin, so if she wanted to stay the night she could. Funny how quickly you can feel comfortable with someone!

On the way down we also told her about our plans to meet up with a friend of a friend of mine. My highschool friend, Nikita, saw I was in Guatemala and put us in touch with her friend Audra who was living on Lake Atitlan. We made plans to visit her later that day, so we invited MacClayne along too.

Audra had invited us to check out a cafe, Trece Cielos, in the town of Tzununa across the lake. We were honestly all feeling pretty rough and exhausted from the hike, but we didn’t want to bail so we sleepily headed down to the docks and got our tickets to Tzununa.

We arrived at the cafe, which had a super hippie vibe. The kitchen was a school bus that was somehow up the giant hill, and it felt like we were in a big tree house or something. As soon as Audra walked in I knew we had made the right call by not cancelling. She was a total ray of sunshine, and all of us went from not feeling like socializing to laughing and chatting happily away. Audra’s friend came over and joined us, a Swedish ER doctor living in Denmark who was a hilarious vibe as well. It was such a fun day getting to know both of them.

That evening we picked up pizza again and had an early night & slumber party with Mclayne. We were going to do a movie night but we were all seriously pooped and passed out by like 8pm hahah.

The next day we said our goodbyes to MacClayne as she booked a new accommodation in another town on the lake, San Marcos.

We spent the day recharging, and booked a sauna experience in a stone hut at the hotel for the evening. They gave us a bundle of various plants to lie on the hot stone and pour water over, filling the chamber with herbal steam. It was the perfect rest day.

Our next adventure, the following day was a lakeside hike from Santa Cruz to San Marcos. We had seen online that some people that had done the hike had been robbed by men with machetes, so we decided to keep it safe by going with a guide we found online, named Mingo.

He met us off the boat in Santa Cruz and led us down the path. The hike was super beautiful and Mingo pointed out tons of plants, fruits, and notable houses. He told us that the coffee trees at this elevation aren’t that healthy because a few years ago there was a blight they called ‘chicken eye’ that covered the coffee trees, killing and harming them. However, the blight only went up to a certain elevation, so the coffee trees higher up the mountain were still good quality.

He told us some of the history of the tribes on the lake, how the lake used to be a volcano, and about the different languages and ethnic groups in the area. One story he told us was a local folktale: there were two different Maya nations across the lake – the Kaqchikel and the Tz’utujil and the chief of one tribe’s daughter was very beautiful, and a poor boy from the other tribe wanted to marry her but their families refused and tried to force them to marry other people, so he killed himself by drowning himself in the lake and she did the same, so now when the winds come from either side of the lake and mix in the middle it’s said the two lovers are dancing.

He was so knowledgable and had grown up around Atitlan his entire life so he told us what life was like growing up there. He described it as peaceful, carefree, and fun. He could be out for hours all around the town with his friends and his parents had no need to worry.

When we walked through Tzununa, Mingo pointed out the different clothing from the different villages. He told us that when the Spanish came they wanted to be able to easily identify ‘their’ women, so there would be specific colour schemes for different areas. For instance, in Tzununa he pointed to one old lady and told us she was wearing the traditional colours which was a maroon coloured top and black skirt. He said nowadays the women mostly mix and match their colours, and use more synthetic fabrics because they’re cheaper, but some women still wear the colours associated with their village. He also told us that each village has images they are more associated with, like in one they might embroider more flowers, in others birds are more popular, etc.

We finished the walk in San Marcos, a very hippie feeling town, said goodbye to Mingo and thanked him for the amazing tour and boarded our boat back to San Juan for a chill night at the hotel.

The next afternoon we decided to go for a little adventure to the next town over, San Pedro. It was accessible by road, so we headed off on foot. It was a beautiful walk along the water, though the road wasn’t the most pedestrian friendly.

We stopped at an American BBQ spot for lunch, craving some big portions, as many of our meals had been pretty light at the Guatemalan restaurants we’d visited. It was definitely the right place for big portions! Our food came out huge and delicious, and we immediately swarmed by a bunch of adorable dogs hahah.

After lunch we continued to explore the cute town of San Pedro, taking in the amazing views along the lake and in the town. We couldn’t get over how aesthetically pleasing absolutely everything is on the lake!

It seemed to us like more men here were wearing traditional clothes and hats in San Pedro than the other towns we’d visited. The women in all the villages were dressed traditionally, but we had noticed the men were often wearing just jeans and t-shirts.

We were debating going back but then remembered there were hot springs in San Pedro! We found the springs, Los Thermales, and booked ourselves in for massages and the hot springs. The massages were honestly heavenly and we both felt like we had been transported to another dimension by the time they finished.

Soaking in the hot and cold pools after was the best feeling ever. Our muscles melted, and it was the perfect way to get our bodies feeling back to normal after the hiking and walking of the last few days.

On our final full day on the lake, we hopped on a boat to San Marcos, thinking of doing some kayaking. However, apparently you have to go pretty early to kayak as the winds start to pick up in the afternoons and make the water too choppy. Instead, we spent the afternoon watching people jump off the tall diving platform into the waves. Neither of us were interested in joining them, as the clouds and wind made it a little too chilly for us, but we enjoyed the show.

We headed back across the lake to San Juan, savouring the incredible views that never get old. Neither of us felt ready to leave this magical, peaceful place and were already scheming for our next visit — but we also wanted to see a bit more of Guatemala before meeting up with my siblings in Panama.

The next morning we gathered our things and rode the boat back across the lake to Panajachel to take the “Chicken Bus” (a completely decked out old school bus the locals use to get around Guatemala) to our next stop: Antigua!

Click here to view our Atitlan photo gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-61-atitlan/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #60 – SAN CRISTOBAL NEW YEAR SPARKLES https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-60-san-cristobal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-60-san-cristobal https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-60-san-cristobal/#respond Sat, 06 Jan 2024 23:00:33 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=62893

Our overnight bus from Puerto Escondido pulled into San Cristóbal de las Casas around 7am. After a lovely beach Christmas we were going to finish out the year 2023 with our final Mexican stop, in the jungly Chiapas region in the south.

We got our things together and found seats in the bus station lobby, sitting down to chill for the next couple hours, until we could drop our bags at our accommodation at 9am. And chill we did – it was freezing in there! We’re no longer in the warmth of the Mexican coast. We bundled up with our travel blankies, and scrolled on our phones for a few hours.

Just before 9am, we walked to our accommodation to drop our bags, but had to wait almost an hour for them to actually open the door and let us in, despite pre-arranging for us to meet them at 9:00.

Hungry after our delay, we found a waffle restaurant nearby online, and and walked there to enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Still having many hours to kill before our 2pm check-in, we went out to explore the town. It reminded us of a mix of Puebla, Oaxaca, Cholula, etc. Cute and charming, with brightly coloured buildings and festive decorations.

We poked our heads in a little ice cream shop and grabbed ourselves a little sweet treat, and then sat and people watched in a local park.

We headed back to our hotel to check in at 2, and they were 30 minutes late (again) in meeting us, and letting us in. Our apartment was quite cute, with a lofted double bed. We were excited  to get to have a cozy sleepover on the top bunk! There was also a little desk and chair in the bedroom, and a little kitchen in the back.

I had an upset stomach, so Wini took one for the team and went out to buy us groceries for our time in San Cristobal, and we had a nice night in.

The next day was New Years Eve! We went to go explore the town more and organize some tours for ourselves for later in the week. We walked around getting quotes from different companies, and settled on a horseback riding adventure for the next day (New Years Day!), and another one to some waterfalls and Mayan ruins called Palenque later in the week.

We walked around the town, visiting a beautiful church up a big hill, and looking for some warm clothes to buy, since our next stop included some chilly, high elevation volcanoes hikes in Guatemala. A lot of shops were closed, since it was a holiday, but we were able to find a few things.

We also stopped to exchange some money for Guatemalan Quetzals, as we would be taking the bus there and wanted to ensure that we’d have some cash on hand.

Apparently Chiapas is known for its coffee and chocolate so we found a chocolateria and bought a bar of toasted almond and vanilla dark chocolate to enjoy.

That evening, we made dinner at home and watched as people began setting off fireworks starting around 6pm!

We were quite tired and we rarely leave the house after dark, but since it was New Years Eve we thought we should push ourselves for the experience. Around 10:30 pm we bundled up for the chilly night and headed to the downtown square.

The square was full of families there for the festivities. There were children running around with sparklers, and couples setting off firecrackers. There was a stage getting set up for a big band, and music playing on the speakers. All the holiday lights were lit up, and the centre was bustling.

We walked around taking in the sights and sounds. The band went on and we joined the crowd of people dancing to the festive music.

We found a nice little bench to people watch as we waited for midnight.

Shortly before the new year, we made our way to the kiosko in the middle of the square and found our spots. We had heard that San Cristobal was known for its amazing firework display, so we were excited to see it. We counted down the new year with hundreds of strangers, and watched in awe as the fireworks began. We were so close to them! So close, in fact, that we were actually hit by some of the shrapnel hahah.

The fireworks were fantastic, and we were happy we pushed ourselves to get out to see them. It felt good to ring in the new year with so many other happy, beautiful people.

We woke up early on New Years Day for our horseback riding adventure. We went back to town and were joined by a Mexican family of four. Our tour operator led us to a truck with seats in the flatbed, and we piled in and drove about 20 minutes to a dirt road lined with our horses.

We ponied up and began our walk. It quickly became apparent that my horse needed to be first. There was no slowing him down. Wini’s horse, unfortunately, needed to be very slow and near the back the entire time, with the other family’s horses in between.

The ride was about an hour to the indigenous village we were going to, through forest, fields, small towns and farms. It was a nice ride, but we were sad to be so far apart!

Arriving in Chamula, the indigenous village, we were given 45 minutes to go explore before getting back to the horses. The main attraction in the town is their sacred church, San Juan. There was an entry fee of 30 pesos and we weren’t permitted to take photos in the church, but we still wanted to check it out.

It was very… different. Not your run-of-the-mill average church I’ll tell you that. The ground was covered in a thick layer of pine needles, so the whole place smelled like evergreens. The ground and tables were also covered in hundred of burning candles, that weren’t contained in any way, just candlesticks straight on the floor, dripping hot wax among the dry pine needles.

On either side of the building there were display cases housing (janky looking) statues of various saints and important biblical figures. There were also giant, velvety banners that hung over from the walls, perilously close to the abundance of open flames.

In addition to the pine needles and candles, there were also people on the ground. Families and couples were huddled together and kneeling on the floor praying, chanting, and lighting more candles among little floor shrines. There were no seats in the church.

It was honestly a lot to take in, and since we couldn’t take photos we just walked around trying to commit as much as we could to memory. It was a totally new experience, and definitely worth the few pesos it cost to enter.

Outside the church, I was a little peckish and we had heard Chamula was known for its empanadas, so I grabbed a plate from a local vendor in the square.

We headed back to our horses, and began our journey back. Same as before, my horse had to be number one, and would start trotting and biting at any of the others that tried to pull ahead. Wini’s was content to be at the very back, slow and steady. Overall it was a fun experience, but we both had pretty sore crotches by the time we arrived back into town.

Back in town, we picked up some food and snacks for our long tour day tomorrow, then headed back to make dinner at home and an early bedtime.

We woke up around 3am the next day for our tour to Palenque and the waterfalls! Our van arrived just after 4am, and we dozed on the 2 hour drive to the first spot, a restaurant for breakfast. We weren’t really feeling like eating breakfast so we decided to just chill outside and wait to continue, but as we were sitting there a random guy came over and asked if we wanted a pancake. We looked at each other like?? And without us even saying anything he was like “I’m getting you pancakes!” and hurried away. Turns out it was someone from our tour van, an outgoing guy named Pepe from San Diego. And the pancakes honestly did slap!

We were back on the road by 7:30, and continued driving for another 2 hours to our first site, a group of waterfalls and rapids called Agua Azul. It was aptly named, with absolutely breathtaking blue water, contrasted with the bright white of the rapids! We had over 1.5 hours to enjoy the gorgeous grounds. Some people were even swimming in the water, though it was a little too chilly for as at that hour.

Our next stop was to another waterfall about an hour away, called Misol-Ha. It was a stunning, tall waterfall falling from a striking cliff.

We had about 40 minutes to enjoy it, and Pepe told us that there a path that led behind the waterfall into a cave, with another hidden waterfall inside. We hurried down under the powerful waterfall, which was an experience itself, and went into the cave. We had to take off our shoes and shine our flashlights, wading through the ankle deep water to the hidden waterfall. It was a cool experience (but caves are not my favourite vibe).

It was another hour long drive to the Mayan ruins of Palenque, so we arrived just before 1:30pm. We got a brief overview of the grounds and then set loose to explore on our own for two hours.

It was stunning! It was much bigger area than Chichen Itza (and only 10% of the recorded buildings have been explored — they have laser tech that has found more buildings now buried in the jungle). It was so gorgeous, with the remarkable buildings half-covered in vegetation.

We took our time, walking through the main palace areas, and then further into the jungle portion of the ruins.

There was a beautiful waterfall in the jungle, and more ruins that you could walk right onto!

After walking the jungle loop we arrived back up at the main ruins. We saw we were also able to climb to the top of the main pyramid, which was an absolutely dizzying sensation. There were great views from the top, and it was amazing to be standing on this kind of history!

We met back up with the group and our final stop was to a buffet style restaurant, where we sat with Pepe and his wife Brenda, who were super fun to chat with. They’re both originally from Mexico but grew up in San Diego, and are spending 2 months travelling in Mexico.

After our late-lunch/early-dinner, we piled back in the van and began our 5.5+ hour drive home (a beast of a day for our driver/guide Eduardo!).

We were dropped back at home at 10:30pm, exhausted but so happy with that INCREDIBLE tour! It was honestly the best tour either of us have ever been on! Each site was more impressive than we could have anticipated, and we were given enough time to really enjoy each spot.

The next day, we did some errands around town to prepare ourselves for our upcoming travel to Guatemala. We picked up some more warm clothes and gear for our upcoming volcano hikes, some sandwiches for our travel day, and then headed home to make dinner and get ourselves to bed early.

We woke up at 5am our last morning in Mexico, and got all our things packed and ready. Our shuttle van to Guatemala arrived and started driving around town, picking up more passengers. When we got a few blocks away, we realized we had forgotten to drop our key for the hotel in the box! Wini SPRINTED back to drop it, and ran right back, and luckily she was super fast so she got back before they were even loaded in the van.

The bus ride was supposed to take about 6 hours, but it ended up taking way longer than expected. Apparently the Mexican cartel was blocking the highway to the border crossing we were supposed to take, so we had to do a 6 hour long detour and stamp out of Mexico at a different checkpoint. It was a really long day, but our Guatemalan driver was such a positive vibe and really boosted the mood for everyone in the car.

We arrived safe and sound in Panajachel, Guatemala for our next adventure on Lake Atitlán, around 11pm, exhausted, but excited to see what this new country will have to offer!

Click here to view our Chiapas photo gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-60-san-cristobal/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #59 – PLAYING IN PUERTO ESCONDIDO https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-59-puerto-escondido/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-59-puerto-escondido https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-59-puerto-escondido/#respond Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:39:43 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=62886

After a couples weeks completely frozen in the mountain towns of Mexico, we took a bus down to the southern coast for some warm, relaxing beach time. Our Christmas present to ourselves was booking 6 nights in one place, and planning to do absolutely nothing while we were there.

The bus ride from Oaxaca took 12 hours, and we arrived in Puerto Escondido in the evening, only a couple minutes walk from our apartment. We found a restaurant around the corner, and had a quick bite before settling in for the night.

We had a great Christmas Eve sleep-in the next morning before heading out to explore and look for some food. I’m not sure if it was just because it was almost Christmas, but we couldn’t find any open restaurants! However, we did stumble upon a place selling roasted chickens, and we got the great idea to buy one for a Christmas feast for tomorrow! They were absolutely slammed, it seems like everyone in Puerto Escondido had the same idea.

After some more searching, we finally found a taco truck that was open, and ordered some lunch to eat there and some to go for dinner — we are entering into full hibernation mode!

We spent the evening in, eating tacos, calling Wini’s family in Taiwan to wish them a Merry Christmas, and introducing Wini to one of my family’s classic Christmas movies: Annabelle’s Wish. Just the relaxing Christmas Eve we wanted.

The next day we said a big Happy Christmas to each other! It’s Wini’s first one without her family, so it feels a little weird, but we’re happy to have each other and this chill beach town.

That afternoon we went out for a Christmas Day float in the ocean. Manzanilla Beach, was completely packed, but it was a really good vibe with everyone out with their families having a fun day. We walked down the beach and found a great little spot to set up.

It was a scorching hot day, so we immediately ran into the water, which was the perfect shock of cold to cool us off, but as soon as you were in for a second it the feeling of cold passed and it was just perfectly refreshing.

We spent the day in and out of the water, reading our books, and people watching.

In the later afternoon, we packed up our stuff and headed towards home. Stopping in the best grocery store ever to pick up some sides for our Christmas feast!

At home, I called my family for Christmas — this year we were a little spread out, with my brother at home visiting my parents in Calgary, my sister at home in Victoria, and us in Mexico!

After a sweet catch up with everyone, we went to the seating area on the roof to have our delicious Christmas feast! It wasn’t the most glamorous plating situation; we only had one bowl and one fork, so one of us had to use a spoon, but the food was scrumptious! We had a roast chicken, potatoes, and delicious garlic bread!

It was amazing ambiance too, with a nice little sunset and a big Christmas moon looking down on us.

We cleaned up, and went down for a movie night which Wini immediately fell asleep on (as usual haha). Overall, it was a cute day, but we came to the conclusion that family & friends Christmas is always better.

The next day, we made plans with Lorenzo (our Italian friend from Oaxaca), to visit the bioluminescence in a lagoon that evening, and to meet up at the beach for the day. We walked to a different beach, a little further away from the one we went on Christmas, called Playa Bachoco. It was gorgeous, huge, and practically empty.

Lorenzo met us and we jumped into the massive waves. We spent the day swimming, reading, and drinking beers on the near empty beach, watching the many pelicans dive into the water for fish.

As we headed home, my sister Nicola was messaging us freaking out because we had planned a trip to Panama and Colombia together, but they were finally getting around to checking on flights and they were worried that it wouldn’t work for them anymore! We got home and called them to try to figure out the best solution, but didn’t settle on anything specific yet. 

That evening, we got picked up at our hotel by the tour company & Lorenzo to take us to the lagoon. It was a full moon so they explained that it would be difficult to see the bioluminescence, but they had little floating tent structures set up for us to swim under that blocked the light.

It was about a 15 minute boat ride out to the structures, near a mangrove forest. We hopped in and as soon as we swam under the floating huts the water came alive with shimmering lights! It was so special. Wini had never seen them before! We had so much fun splashing around the water and seeing the lights go flying.

We got home super tired but happy to have had such a full, beautiful day.

The next day was a bit of a nothing day. We were tired and it was overcast so we decided not to go to the beach or anything, and spent the day relaxing at home, only heading out to get street tacos. Honestly, we sometimes love days like that when we can simply rest and reset after we’ve been moving around a lot.

On our last full day in Puerto Escondido, we had an email from the company we had booked the Panama to Colombia tour with, saying it was possible for us to reschedule and to refund Nicola and her boyfriend Chad’s portion. We decided to do that and just plan some time in Panama with them before we do the boat trip with my brother, Adam. It was really disappointing, because we had all been looking forward to doing it together, but the way back from the trip was a lot more complicated for them to do if they were ending in Capurgana, Colombia, so this option was better for them.

After we got the ball rolling on that, we headed back out for another beach day at Playa Bachoco. We spent another beautiful day at that beach, and Lorenzo joined us around 4pm. We were told there would be a turtle releasing event put on by Vive Mar a turtle conservation company happening around 5pm, so we decided to wait around to watch that.

They didn’t get started releasing turtles until around 5:30, which was right around sunset.

People were given a little baby sea turtle in a half a coconut shell (so they wouldn’t touch it) and they brought it to the waters edge to let the turtles go make the final stretch to the open ocean on their own— however there were a ton of seagulls who were coming at the turtles to eat them!

There were people there to chase off the birds off but a lot of the birds were still successful and able to catch the baby turtles!

Lorenzo told us later that the seagulls can’t actually eat them (FACT CHECK?) because of their hard shells so they do end up dropping them in the ocean eventually. But how scarring to see your baby turtle get scooped up!

We headed home after the gorgeous sunset, a great send off from Puerto Escondido.

puerto escondido

On our final morning, we packed up and went to wait at a local cafe before our 6pm bus. Lorenzo met us there because he was also leaving that day, so we relaxed together, and then said our goodbyes as we went our separate ways thankful for the amazing memories we made with our new friend!

We boarded our evening bus ready to take us to our last stop in Mexico: San Cristobal de las Casas! 

Click here to view our Puerto Escondido photo gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-59-puerto-escondido/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #58 – WINTER IN OAXACA https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-58-oaxaca/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-58-oaxaca https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-58-oaxaca/#respond Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:16:14 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=50985

Hopping on a comfortable bus from the sweet town of Puebla, we settled in for the 6 hour drive to Oaxaca City (pronounced wah-HAH-kah), the capital of the Oaxaca state of Mexico. 

oaxaca city downtown

Our Airbnb was the ‘original’ style of Airbnb, where you have a room in the house where the host family actually lives. We met our hosts, Mon and her family, and were shown our bedroom (with some Christmas cookies waiting for us on the bed – so cute!). The style of architecture here has a lot of indoor/outdoor design, and Oaxaca, being up in the mountains gets quite chilly, so we had to bundle up for bed.

It had been a long travel day, so we settled in, leaving only to attempt (unsuccessfully) to find dinner. Thankfully Oaxaca has Uber Eats so we were able to order something when we came home empty-handed.

The next couple days, we explored the town. Oaxaca City isn’t an official Pueblo Magico (magic town), like many of the other towns we’ve visited in Mexico, but it has a similar feel and charm to it.

oaxaca city architecture
oaxaca city mexico downtown decorations
red punch buggy oaxaca mexico

We wandered around, taking in the beautiful sights of the historic district and beyond. The buildings are painted boldly, and there were many decorations lining the streets. We arrived only a week before Christmas, so the town square was filled with festive poinsettias, fairy lights, and nativity scene statues.

oaxaca city christmas tree
mexican poinsettias christmas
oaxaca nativity scene
oaxaca city mexico nativity scene christmas 2023

After getting the feel of Oaxaca City for a few days, we decided to do a day trip to Hierve el Agua, a petrified waterfall in the nearby town of Mitla. Waking up early and absolutely freezing our tails off (who knew Mexico could be so cold?!), we walked across the street to the bus/colectivo stop.

As we were waiting, a bunch of taxis drove by honking and shouting at us. We were thinking ‘We wouldn’t be at a bus stop if we wanted a taxi’, but then we realized the taxis were the colectivos! Rather than vans, they use taxis/cars here.

A car pulled up with two passengers already inside, calling out ‘MITLA MITLA!’, so we hopped in with them, a full house (so we thought). As we continue to drive, the lady in the front seat passenger side keeps shouting out the window ‘MITLA MITLA’. We were looking at each other like, huh? how are more people going to fit in this tiny sedan? We were barely all squeezing into the back. My one idea was that the lady calling out for people worked for the colectivo, so when someone else came she would get out.

We pulled up to a stop and they screamed ‘MITLA’ and this big dude opens the front passenger door and starts getting in, and the lady just scooched into the middle and was sandwiched in between the big burly driver and the new giant guy, sitting in the gap between their two seats. Big clown car energy hahah.

Then, the lady throws on a CD and it’s Mexican Christmas music, including Spanish version Alvin and the chipmunks Christmas songs. It was a feast for the ears.

They dropped us off at a sign that said Hierve el Agua. From there, we had to wait for another colectivo to drive us the rest of the way, about one more hour. We waited in the sun with a British couple, and some more travellers trickled in.

hierve el agua mitla colectivo stop

The driver came over to us and said that we could go now but we would have to pay more because it wasn’t completely full. We all agreed because we were tired of waiting, and there was no guarantee how much longer it would be.

We had all been baking in the sun at this point, but we rounded the corner to the colectivo and suddenly it was subarctic. We immediately had to throw our coats back on before hopping in the back of the truck.

They started driving and it was sooo icy cold. We were in a wind tunnel under the freezing cold of the truck canopy. The drive was long, dusty, and on an unpaved mountain pass road with a cliff on one side, and we were flying! We were slipping and sliding around the planks, and trying to keep as warm as possible.

mitla mexico hierve el agua

Also, on the drive we realized we were really low on cash. There had been extra fees and costs on the way up that we weren’t expecting, and although we had gotten more cash in town the day before, we had forgotten it back at home. We arrived up at the top with only 70 pesos left! Not even enough for even one of us to get back down to Mitla.

hierve el agua mexico petrified waterfall town

We asked our driver if there were any ATMs up there at Hierve el Agua, but he said no. Through Google Translate, we told him our situation and he said that when we were ready to go, he could drive us down and we could take out cash at an ATM in Mitla. There wasn’t anything else we could do, so we decided to go explore and make the most of us being up there!

hierve el agua mitla mexico oaxaca day trip natural mineral pools
hierve el agua mitla mexico oaxaca day trip natural mineral pools

We walked down to the springs and petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua. It is one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world, and hilariously enough, we’d been to the other one, Pammukkale (or Cotton Castle) in Turkey back in July 2023.

hierve el agua petrified waterfall

Hierve el Agua is several thousand years in the making. Natural mineral springs have trickled over the side of the cliff for millennium, depositing excess minerals in the formation of a waterfall. It was a little different than Pammukkale in that the mineral deposits were more colourful rather than bright white.

hierve el agua mineral pool and petrified waterfall
Hierve el Agua
pammukkale cotton castle turkey petrified waterfall
Pammukkale (Cotton Castle)

It was super chilly and windy up there (don’t let us in our t-shirts fool you, we had our jackets waiting just out of sight!), but also beautiful and with hardly anyone else around.

We walked down the path to view the waterfalls from a new angle, which turned out to be a full loop you could walk. It reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. It was beautiful, and a great way to spend the morning.

hierve el agua
hierve el agua
hierve el agua

The whole walk took about two hours, and when we got back up to the natural pools they were completely filled with swimmers and sunbathers enjoying the (now) warm day. We were happy we had arrived early enough to beat the rush.

hierve el agua crowd at noon
hierve el agua mexico

We headed to the colectivo stop and talked to the driver there. It wasn’t the same one, but we explained our cashless situation and he said he would bring us into town and we could pay there. We would just have to wait until the truck filled up.

hierve el agua colectivo

As we were waiting, a guy joined us and struck up a conversation. He was an Italian named Lorenzo, and we had a lot of random coincidences with him, like he had done the same boat tour through Komodo Islands as us, he used to live in China, and I have the same birthday as him! And a lot more. 

We had to wait for a full hour for the colectivo to fill up, and in that time we learned a lot about each other. He super generously offered to pay our way down the mountain, and we decided to get lunch together back in Mitla.

mitla mexico

When we got into town, we hurried to the one ATM in town, but it was out of order. We were completely out of money in this little town still an hour from Oaxaca!

Hungry and cashless, we found a restaurant that took card. It took a long while for the food to come, so we bonded more with Lorenzo. He had a couple more weeks of travel in Mexico before heading back to Europe to continue his PhD.

After lunch, we walked back to the bus area with Lorenzo to catch a bus, but there was an almost full colectivo there so we decided to just go with that. This time Wini got to experience being sandwiched in between the driver and the other passenger (me)! It was a cozy setup, with our driver was speed racing the whole way back.

Lorenzo came by our place, so we were able to pay him back. So thankful he was able to save our bacon! I’m not sure what we would have done it we got to Mitla and weren’t able to pay the driver due to the broken ATM. We said bye, and made plans to meet up with him again.

The next day we had a relaxed morning before going out to explore the town some more. Oaxaca City didn’t seem to have a ton of street food like many of the cities in Mexico we’d just come from, so it was more of a mission to find meals. However, we were able to find a food truck with delicious barbacoa tacos which definitely would have become a regular spot for us if we were staying longer in Oaxaca.

oaxaca street tacos barbacoa

In the evening, we went back out to the square to meet up with Lorenzo for dinner. Wini had spotted a tasty looking Argentinian restaurant on uber eats, and we decided to walk there. As we were walking, we got caught in a Christmas parade! It was so beautiful and colourful.

oaxaca city mexico christmas square

The restaurant, La Choripaneria, was a bit of a walk, but it was so worth it! We all got steak sandwiches that were out of this world. Wini and I even ordered extra to have on the bus for tomorrow’s travel day. After a wonderful dinner, and getting to know Lorenzo better, we headed home, planning to see Lorenzo again in Puerto Escondido in a few days.

We woke up early the next day, and made our way to the bus station to catch our 12 hour bus to the beach town of Puerto Escondido. Our Christmas present to ourselves was 6 whole nights in one place!

Click here to view our Oaxaca & Hierve el Agua photo gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-58-oaxaca/feed/ 0 7 FREE THINGS TO DO IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO https://themapchasers.com/free-things-to-do-in-guadalajara/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-things-to-do-in-guadalajara https://themapchasers.com/free-things-to-do-in-guadalajara/#respond Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:25:50 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=47139

Guadalajara, Mexico is a vibrant and culturally rich city that is known as the birthplace of mariachi music and tequila. Guadalajara offers a taste of authentic Mexican culture. To explore its culture, history, and vibrant atmosphere, check out these:

7 FREE THINGS TO DO IN GUADALAJARA

free things to do in guadalajara on a budget

1. STROLL THROUGH THE HISTORICAL CENTRE

Visit the Guadalajara Cathedral located in the heart of the city. You can admire its stunning architecture and the adjacent Plaza de Armas. This area is great for walking around and people watching.

guadalajara cathedral
guadalajara cathedral
Teatro Degollado theatre guadalajara

2. VISIT TLAQUEPAQUE

Explore the neighborhoods of Tlaquepaque, one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos (“Magic Towns”), known for its art and crafts. While shopping may cost money, wandering through the streets and admiring the local street art is free. For a full guide on Tlaquepaque, click here!

Tlaquepaque, Mexico pueblos magicos magic town
guadalajara street art Tlaquepaque
street art Tlaquepaque

3. TAKE A STREET ART TOUR OF GUADALAJARA

Go on a self-guided tour of the street art in neighborhoods like Colonia Lafayette and Colonia Americana. The streets are filled with vibrant murals that depict local culture and social issues.

street art mural mexico
mexico street art mural guadalajara
charlie chaplin street art mural mexico guadalajara

4. PEOPLE WATCH IN PLAZA TAPATIA

Plaza Tapatía, in the heart of Guadalajara’s historic center, is a bustling square surrounded by shops, architectural gems, and cultural landmarks. One side of the plaza is the majestic Guadalajara Cathedral, and the other is the Government Palace. Sit and take in the dynamic area, and enjoy the views.

guadalajara mexico
guadalajara mexico historical center
guadalajara cathedral

5. STROLL THROUGH THE LOCAL MARKETS

Mercado Libertad, also known as the San Juan de Dios Market, is a bustling and iconic marketplace considered the largest indoor market in Latin America! Renowned for its lively atmosphere, Mercado Libertad is a great place to explore local food and shops. While buying items will cost money, strolling through is absolutely free!

mercado san juan de dios guadalajara interior market Mercado Libertad
Wiki/Digitaldreamer

6. ENJOY MARIACHI MUSIC

Take advantage of Guadalajara’s status as the birthplace of Mariachi music. Wander through the streets of the historic center, especially Plaza Tapatía or Plaza de los Mariachis, and you’re likely to encounter talented Mariachi bands performing traditional music. Enjoy the lively tunes, vibrant costumes, and infectious energy of this iconic Mexican genre—all without spending a dime.

(Tip: Our Couchsurfing host said to avoid the Plaza de los Mariachis in the evening as it can get a little sketchy in that area, but said it is safe and fun in the day!)

Mariachi band tequila mexico guadalajara

7. TRY SOME TEQUILA

Guadalajara is in Jalisco, one of the 5 states in Mexico that tequila can come from, and is only about an hour drive from the town of Tequila so some of the best quality tequila you can ever try is right at your fingertips! Step into a liquor shop and try a sample or two of their stuff. Warning: you may be tempted to buy a bottle! It’s incredible stuff!

tequila tasting guadalajara
tequila sol de barro bottles guadalajara mexico

BONUS

If you are interested in splurging on something, we recommend going on a tequila tour in Tequila! 

tequila tour

Guadalajara is an amazing city, and many of its cultural and historical treasures can be enjoyed without spending money. Whether you’re exploring the historic centre, appreciating street art, or enjoying the green spaces, you’ll definitely enjoy your time in Guadalajara. 

Click here to view our Guadalajara gallery 

Click here to read about our time in Guadalajara

]]> https://themapchasers.com/free-things-to-do-in-guadalajara/feed/ 0 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR CHICHEN ITZA DAY TRIP https://themapchasers.com/chichen-itza-day-trip/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chichen-itza-day-trip https://themapchasers.com/chichen-itza-day-trip/#respond Tue, 19 Dec 2023 15:40:15 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=45701

Chichen Itza is a world-renowned archaeological site located in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. It is one of the most important and well-preserved ancient Mayan cities. 

A Chichen Itza day trip from Tulum is a fantastic way to explore one of Mexico’s most iconic archaeological sites. We did this tour and here’s everything you need to know!

chichen itza el castillo road to el dorado
HOW MUCH DOES A CHICHEN ITZA DAY TRIP COST?

We booked our tour on GetYourGuide with SAT Mexican tours. It cost $48 USD per person and included air-conditioned transportation to and from Chichen Itza from Tulum, a bilingual tour guide, entrance into Chichikan Cenote, and a buffet lunch.

It’s important to note that entrance to Chichen Itza is NOT included in this tour, and you’ll need to pay an additional 614 MXN ($35 USD) per person for entrance into the site.

If you want to swim/go down into the cenote, you will also be required to rent a lifejacket for 50 MXN ($3 USD), and a locker for 50 MXN ($3 USD).

In total, we paid $178 USD total or $89 USD per person for this excursion (plus a tip of course).

chichen itza day trip
HISTORY OF CHICHEN ITZA

Chichen Itza was built over several centuries, with construction beginning in the early part of the 7th century CE. The city reached its peak between the 7th and 10th centuries. The construction and expansion of Chichen Itza continued over this period, and many of its most iconic structures, including the Pyramid of Kukulcan (or El Castillo), were believed to have been built during the 9th and 10th centuries. During the 1400s, the Mayans mysteriously abandoned Chichén Itzá, and scientists and historians don’t have any concrete proof or records as to why. Scientists speculate that droughts, exhausted soils, and royal quests for conquest and treasure may have contributed to Chichén Itzá’s downfall.

chichen itza tulum mayan ruins
WHAT TO EXPECT

Our tour started bright and early with a 7 am pickup at the Super Aki in Tulum.

The company does offer hotel pickup, for an additional fee, but we opted for the cheaper option.

Our bus pulled into the parking lot and we met our guide, Miriam. The bus was comfortable and air-conditioned, had wifi, and also had a bathroom onboard.

It was about a 2-hour drive to Chichen Itza.

About 30 minutes before we arrived, our tour guide Miriam gave us some fun facts about Mayan history & culture, as well as explained the significance of Chichen Itza and the surrounding cenotes.

We were also expected to pay the Chichen Itza entrance fee directly to our tour guide on the bus, either by MXN, USD, or online with a credit card.

super aki tulum chichen itza day trip tour pickup point
ARRIVAL AT CHICHEN ITZA

After arriving, we were given a cold bottle of water and followed our tour guide to the entrance of Chichen Itza. She took care of getting our tickets, and we were given about 10 minutes to use the bathroom and buy a snack.

We were given our tickets and waited in the long queue to pass through security (it went fairly quickly though).

Note: Although some reports have said that you need to pay an extra fee to bring in “professional” camera equipment, we were able to enter with our Sony A7IV with no issues. Drones are not permitted though.

chichen itza entry line
EL CASTILLO (THE PYRAMID OF KUKULCAN)

The first hour of our time at Chichen Itza was a guided tour. We walked in and immediately were wowed by the iconic El Castillo, aka the Pyramid of Kukulcan, the centerpiece of Chichen Itza.

Miriam explained that the temple was dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulcan, and it was built with extreme architectural precision. The pyramid features four sides with 91 steps each, culminating in a total of 365 steps when considering the top platform as the final one, symbolizing the solar year. The Mayans were also astrology experts and built El Castillo so that during the solar equinoxes, the sun’s position in the sky casts a distinctive shadow of a serpent on the northern staircase.

El Castillo the Pyramid of Kukulcan chichen itza tulum mexico mayan ruins
snakeheads chichen itza el castillo
el castillo pyramid chichen itza mexico
GREAT BALL COURT

Next, our tour guide led us to the Great Ball Court. One of the most intriguing things we learned on our tour was regarding this Great Ball Game they used to play. This ball game held deep religious and spiritual meaning to the Mayans, and The Great Ball Court is one of the most well-preserved and largest courts of its kind and is surrounded by ornate carvings depicting the games. Historians believe that the Great Ball Game held deep religious and symbolic importance for the Mayans.

snake head chichen itza tulum mexico

The acoustics of the court were also remarkable, by speaking or clapping on one end of the ball court, the sound will travel across the playing alley and be audible at the other end, approximately 150 meters (490 feet) away. It is believed this feature may have enhanced the game by allowing players to hear spectators, coaches, or their teammates more clearly.

Fun fact: the classic cartoon “The Road to El Dorado” was heavily based on the beauty and culture of Chichen Itza, and they featured the Ball Game in the film.

THE PLATFORM OF SKULLS

Next, our tour guide led us to the more grim and dark Platform of Skulls, aka The Tzompantli. A tzompantli was a type of rack that was used for the public display of human skulls, typically those of war captives or other sacrificial victims. Our tour guide explained that the Mayans started human sacrifices while withstanding a 40-year-long drought.

The Mayans believed their gods were mad at them so they needed to do something to win back their favour. It was thought that “one drop of blood = one drop of water”. While grim, it was interesting to learn about the history of human sacrifices.

Our guide showed us some of the real obsidian knives they sell on the grounds. Not all of the obsidian items for sale were real, but she knew which stall sold true obsidian, and demonstrated how sharp it was by having one of the tour participants cut through a water bottle. We learned that obsidian blades can rival that of modern surgical steel knives. By using sharp obsidian tools to kill their sacrifices, they ensured a quick, clean death. 

obsidian knives chichen itza
CHAC MOOL

Miriam introduced us to the Temple of Warriors, where the famous Chac Mool statue stood nearby. A Chac Mool is a type of Mayan sculpture that depicts a reclining human figure with its head facing to one side and a tray or basin on its stomach. These figures symbolized slain warriors carrying offerings to the gods; the bowl upon the chest was used to hold sacrificial offerings.

The Chac Mool at Chichen Itza is a famous and notable one, for its large size and the elaborate carvings on the surface.

chac mool chichen itza statue
Manuel ROMARIS/Getty Images
chichen itza tulum mayan ruins mexico chac mool
FREE TIME

After about 1 hour of the guided tour, we were given 45 minutes to explore the grounds on our own. Although it’s forbidden to climb El Castillo and the pyramid is fenced off, we were still able to get pretty close to the structure and admire its absolutely beautiful architecture. We wandered through the Temple of Warriors, checked out some of the obsidian that vendors had for sale, and enjoyed our time in the sun. The grounds aren’t huge, and we had plenty of time to see all of the structures in our free time.

chichen itza el castillo great pyramid
ARRIVAL AT CENOTE CHICHIKAN

After our time in the hot sun at Chichen Itza, we headed for our next stop: Cenote Chichikan. It was about a 30-minute drive on the bus, and we arrived at the grounds of the cenote. We were given wristbands for entry and had the choice of whether to visit the cenote or eat lunch first. 

chichikan cenote tulum chichen itza day trip
LUNCH

The lunch was a buffet with a huge spread of options, including a taco bar, mashed potatoes, salad bar, veggies, and other chicken and beef entrees. The food was good, and there were a lot of options. The buffet was included in the tour price, but drinks were extra.

tacos
chichikan cenote restaurant eating area
CENOTE

The cenote requires guests to rent a life jacket for 50 MXN ($3 USD) per person.

Locker rentals are also 50 MXN ($3 USD).

After getting changed, we headed down the stairs into the cenote. It was stunning. The giant hole was surrounded by trees, filled with little catfish, and had a dripping waterfall. We were seriously in awe of the natural beauty.

Cenote Chichikan chichen itza tour
cenote
Cenote Chichikan

The water was pretty chilly, as it comes from underground springs, and it doesn’t get much sunlight down there. Cute little catfish were swimming all around, and there was a diving board to jump off of. We were able to spend about an hour in the cenote before having to get changed and ready to get back on the bus.

catfish
cenote chichikan
OTHER THINGS TO DO AT CHICHIKAN

If swimming isn’t your thing, there are a lot of areas to sit and relax after you finish your lunch. They had dance and drum performers there for your entertainment and plenty of comfortable seating around the lush grounds.

THE TOWN OF VALLADOLID

Our last stop of the day was the colonial town of Valladolid. We only had about 30 minutes to walk around and explore the city, which was charming and colorful.

Many people on our tour opted to go into the shops and do tequila or chocolate tastings. We chose to walk around the town and take in the adorable vibes. There is a big park in the centre of town that is the perfect place to people-watch and relax.

Valladolid, Mexico park
mayan corn
JOURNEY HOME

After a long day out in the sun, we hopped back on the bus to take us back to Tulum. It was about a 1.5-hour drive, and we were dropped back off at the Super Aki, and if you got a hotel dropoff there were sprinter vans to take you home.

We got home around 7 pm, making it a solid 12+ hour day. However, we learned a ton, got to see some amazing Mayan culture, and were blown away by the beauty of the cenote.

IS IT WORTH IT?

To be honest, we thought the 35 USD entry fee per person to Chichen Itza was a bit steep. The grounds themselves aren’t that big, so it was a lot to fork out on top of the tour price. Our tour guide told us that the Yucatan government recently added an extra tax on all visitors to Chichen Itza, making it now the most expensive historical site to visit in Mexico.

However, the tour price itself was super reasonable, and we were glad that we got to see all of the amazing history and culture in the area. The food was good, our guide was a wealth of knowledge, and the itinerary was well thought out.

Basically, if you are planning to see Chichen Itza anyway, then this tour is definitely the way to go! You will get so much value from the information and itinerary they provide. 

WHAT TO BRING
  • Sun protection & sunglasses: there is little to no shade in Chichen Itza so bring a hat, sunglasses, and any sun protection that you may need (many people rented umbrellas to stay in the shade, so maybe bring your own). 
  • Water: you are not allowed to bring any food or drinks into Chichen Itza except for water (or electrolyte drinks), so make sure to fill your bottles up as liquids can’t be purchased inside the historical site.
  • Swimsuit & waterproof camera: Bring your swimsuit and underwater camera for the cenote portion of the tour!
El Castillo the Pyramid of Kukulcan chichen itza tulum mexico mayan ruins

Overall, we had an amazing time on our tour. We learned fascinating facts about the Mayan empire, got to swim in a gorgeous cenote, and explore the cute and charming colonial town of Valladolid. We hope this travel guide helps you prepare for your tour, and you enjoy your Chichen Itza day trip as much as we did!

Click here to view our Tulum & Chichen Itza day trip gallery

Click here to read about our time in Tulum & Chichen Itza

]]> https://themapchasers.com/chichen-itza-day-trip/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #57 – PRETTY PUEBLA https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-57-puebla/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-57-puebla https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-57-puebla/#respond Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:28:00 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=50207

After our amazing time in Bacalar, we hopped on our flight back to freezing cold Mexico City where Wini immediately got sick (again!), and we didn’t leave our hotel room for two days. Oop! Not all traveling is glitz & glam hahah.  

Poor sick Wini on the struggle bus, eating her chicken noodle soup on the ground.

Our next stop was the town of Puebla, a two-hour bus ride from Mexico City. We arrived in the charming town in the afternoon, and checked into Choco Hostel — and we were the only ones there! We settled into our 16-person dorm room, with our choice of bed, and then went out to explore.

Choco hostel dorm room puebla mexico

Immediately, we loved the vibe of Puebla! The streets are filled with beautiful churches, colourful paintings and murals, and decor.

puebla mexico colorful street
puebla mexico church
puebla mexico

Wini was still feeling under the weather so we didn’t stay out too long, instead deciding to have a cozy night in, eating pizza and cuddling together in one bunk to fend off the arctic conditions of the room. Who knew Mexico could get so chilly?!

We woke up freezing in our room. The lack of heating and the indoor/outdoor elements included in the architecture here don’t make for a very warm environment in the winter. Hurriedly, we got dressed and ready for another day of exploration.

As it was only a week until Christmas so there were tons of cute decorations throughout the town, making the already colourful streets even more festive. We love it here!

downtown puebla mexico poinsettias
puebla mexico violinist
puebla mexico

Realizing that the town probably looks even cuter in the evening with all the fairy lights turned on, we decided to go home and rest for a bit before going out again later.

puebla mexico

Around sunset, we left our hostel again to experience Puebla in the evening and enjoyed the bustling city centre as the Christmas lights went on.

puebla mexico christmas
puebla mexico christmas

Wini found a delicious spot for dinner, Chuletitos, and we enjoyed our incredible meal, as well as the experience of being laughed at by the workers for our terrible Spanish skills haha.

chuletitos puebla mexico

On the way home, I forced Wini to take some pictures with me in a very embarrassing setting, absolutely swarmed by onlookers, only to get home and realize that they were CURSED! Hahah. Apparently, if there’s a lot of artificial light around it can cause your pictures to end up like this, with dark stripes across the photo. RIP.

We ended the night by watching our favourite Christmas movie (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) to get us into the holiday spirit! It’s difficult for it to ‘feel’ like Christmastime when you’re not in your usual setting, this is my 4th year in a row not being with my family holidays, but it’s Wini’s first!

The next day, we decided to go to the nearby town of Cholula for a little day trip. We attempted to take the train (Wini’s all-time favourite mode of transport), but sadly it was closed! Luckily, Puebla has Uber so we were able to grab a ride there. 

The drive was beautiful, with views of the most volcano-looking volcano looming closer and closer.

volcan popocatépetl volcano cholula mexico drone

We were dropped off at what is called “the Great Pyramid of Cholula” which we heard was the largest pyramid by volume in the world. However, I was looking up and just saw a church on a hill… I was mystified. “How is this a pyramid? You can’t just plop a church on a mound of dirt and call it a pyramid, can you??”

the Great Pyramid of Cholula Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of Remedies)

We later found out that the church (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios), merely sits on top of the pyramid ruins, and is thanks to the Spanish, who had a habit of building their own religious sites on top of existing indigenous temples and pyramids as a way to assert their dominance and Christianize the local populations. Tale as old as time…

the Great Pyramid of Cholula Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of Remedies)

We walked around the adorable town of Cholula, loving the colourful streets, and festive decorations.

cholula mexico
cholula mexico

Hungry, we ducked in for some food at a local restaurant. This region of Mexico is known for its invention of a traditional sauce called mole, which is made with ingredients such as chocolate, chilies, nuts, seeds, and various spices. I wanted to give it a try, so I ordered a mole enchilada.

It was a totally new flavour and sensation! The first taste feels like you’re biting into something sweet when the chocolate meets your tongue, but then the spices hit and turn it savoury. 

mole enchilada cholula mexico

After lunch, we walked as if in a trance towards the giant volcano, Popocatépetl. It took up the skyline, and we couldn’t stop ourselves from getting a better look.

volcan Popocatépetl volcano cholula mexico farm

Popocatépetl is a very active volcano, with the most recent activity in November 2023! When it spews ash the locals have to monitor alerts and potentially evacuate, or take measures like staying inside and using damp clothes to seal gaps in windows and doors to keep the ash out.

volcan Popocatépetl volcano cholula mexico

Walking back towards the town, we got a new view of the Great Pyramid, and I finally believed that we were looking at a real pyramid. There were bleachers on one side of the site that gave us a nice view of the ruins. Finally, I believed this was actually a pyramid and not a big fat lie!

We called an Uber back to our hostel, and as we were winding down and looking through the photos from the day we heard a commotion outside.

We poked our heads out and realized there was a piñata party happening! We went out to take a picture, and they invited us down to join in. We thought it might be for a birthday, but it was a Christmas celebration. It was so cute and fun to participate! We’re realizing we need to incorporate more piñatas into our everyday life. 

The next day, we woke up in our freezing cold room, packed our bags, and made our way to the bus station. We were sad to be saying goodbye to this sweet town, but excited for our next stop: Oaxaca City!

Click here to view our Puebla gallery!

Click here to view our Cholula gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-57-puebla/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #56 – SAILING PIRATE WATERS IN BACALAR https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-56-bacalar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-56-bacalar https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-56-bacalar/#respond Sat, 16 Dec 2023 23:31:54 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=47380

After a few amazing days exploring the jungles and cenotes of Tulum, we boarded a bus to take us further down the Yucatan Peninsula to Bacalar, another small Pueblo Magico (Magic Town) known for its massive freshwater lagoon and its charming small-town vibe about 4 hours by bus from Tulum. 

budget things to do in bacalar lagoon

Arriving in Bacalar, we realized our stay was only a 15-minute walk, so we headed off on foot. One thing we’ve been appreciating lately is how much stronger we’ve become, now able to carry our heavy bags for over 30 minutes, while when we started we could barely carry them for 5 minutes without stopping for a break!

The walk to our accommodation was stunning. We saw so many gorgeous plants, cute dogs, and beautifully painted houses. It felt truly magical. 

mexican wild flowers
bacalar murals and flowers

After checking into our nice room at Hotel Vias Maya Bacalar, we immediately headed out to find some food nearby at Restaurante Sazón, and we enjoyed our tacos and “gringas” while being swarmed by the friendly neighborhood dogs who suspiciously wanted nothing to do with us before our food arrived…

mexican dogs

We had a little walk down to the Bacalar lagoon at dinner, to check out the stunning waters. We couldn’t believe our eyes.

bacalar lagoon drone

On travel days we usually keep things pretty chill, so we spent the rest of the evening relaxing at our hotel, calling to catch up with friends and family, and then starting a new cult documentary, Mother God. It’s about a lady who started a cult revolving around the idea that Robin Williams was going to take her body up to heaven before she died. So wild.

On our first full day in Bacalar, we walked into town to rent a scooter for the day to explore. We drove towards Cenote Azul and took in the insane views of the cenotes and lagoon. We’ve never seen freshwater this colour! In awe.

cenote azul bacalar lagoon
Bacalar lagoon drone

Hungry for lunch, we stopped at a restaurant called Tortuga, and enjoyed delicious wood-fire oven pizzas.

pizza tortuga bacalar margherita pizza

Continuing to explore, we stopped when we drove passed to a stone fortress with a moat around it, which we learned is Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar. It was built around 1729 to defend the town of Bacalar against pirates who frequently came to plunder Bacalar for its natural resources! Who knew?!

Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar
Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar canon
Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar Mexico drone

After exploring the area for a while we went back to the lagoon entry near our place. The free dock was crowded, but there was also an adjacent boardwalk that cost 20 MXN (~1 USD) a person, so we paid up. 

bacalar lagoon on a budget free dock entry
Free dock.

The views were just unreal. We hopped in the water, and the white sand was incredibly soft. It was mindblowing to be in this stunning water and feel so fresh and clean, without the stickiness of salt. We’re in love with Bacalar!

boardwalk bacalar lagoon
bacalar lagoon boardwalk

Sometimes when we go to a new place, we find a restaurant that just becomes our restaurant for our entire time there, and in Bacalar that was the case. We ended up eating every dinner at Sazón and every lunch at Tortuga Pizza hahah. We are surprisingly creatures of habit for two people who have spent the last year on the road.

Since we didn’t have the scooter the next day, we set off on foot to Tortuga Pizza, an hour away. We’re dedicated and motivated when the food hits! As we were sitting there the sky opened up and poured. We were so cozy on our covered balcony eating our pizza and waiting out the storm (which only lasted a few minutes before returning to beautiful blue skies).

From there we walked a few more minutes to a beach club, Casa China, that Wini found online that offered boat tours of the lagoon. They had a range of different boats and times we could go, and we decided to go on the sailboat tour the next morning at 8am. They said we could enjoy the beach club for the rest of the afternoon — it was definitely worth it to book in person! We had a wonderful day lounging on the dock chairs and jumping in the gorgeous water.

casa china beach club bacalar sailboats

On the walk home, it started to absolutely dump rain again so we quickly ducked into a restaurant, La Cabañita, that just happened to be having a happy hour 2-for-1 margarita deal that we simply couldn’t refuse and THEY WERE THE MOST DELICIOUS MARGARITAS EVER SERIOUSLY THE BEST WE HAVE EVER TASTED! We had been noticing how juicy and sweet the limes had been on our tacos here, and these margs further prove our theory: Bacalar has the yummiest limes in the world!

margaritas bacalar la cabanita

The next day we woke early for our sailboat tour around the lagoon, walking to Casa China as the sun was rising.

sunrise bacalar lagoon

When we got there Wini went to check in and I went to the bathroom but I got stuck inside! The lock was a bit rusty and got jammed. 🙁 Wini had to go get an employee to help rescue me lol.

Crisis averted, down at the dock we met our captain, Fernando, and the other people on the boat tour — a five-person French family.

sailboat fernando casa china bacalar

Normally two people work the sailboats, but today Fernando was on his own. There was no wind at first, so we had to motor out of the dock but as soon as we got out the wind picked up and he set up the sails.

sailboat
sailboat

We sailed through the beautiful lagoon, first passing Black Cenote. We got chatting with the French family and it turns out they’re on a world trip as well with their kids (ages 15, 10, and 5)! Only the dad could speak English so we just chatted with him mostly, but it was so cool to hear their stories and which countries they plan to go to next, we were so inspired!

bacalar lagoon sailboat tour casa china beach club
bacalar lagoon

We sailed towards Canal de los Piratas (Pirates Channel) and the water was absolutely unreal. Fernando gave us some history of the area — this channel was man-made by the Mayans to connect Bacalar to the ocean for commerce purposes. They traded a lot of precious stones, food, exotic birds, lumber, etc. to the other Mayans who lived in modern-day Belize and Central America. Because there was so much commerce happening in this channel it became a hotbed for pirates who were trying to loot other ships and homes in the area, which is why they eventually built the fortress.

sailboat tour bacalar lagoon

We arrived at the gorgeous white sand and turquoise water of the Pirates Channel and Fernando dropped anchor. We were able to jump in and have a swim in the perfect waters.

bacalar lagoon mexico

From there we sailed back towards Casa China and pulled up at Emerald Cenote where we had another swimming opportunity before heading back to the nearby dock.

emerald cenote bacalar lagoon

Our boat tour ended up being about 4 hours instead of 3 which was so nice, and we had such a wonderful time getting to know the other people on our tour, and our captain Fernando. He told us that he’s been traveling around Mexico for years now, and gave us recommendations on where else we should go!

sailboat captain bacalar lagoon mexico

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the beach club, reading our books, and going for dips when we got too hot. And of course, we found a minute to sneak off down the road for more… you guessed it… TORTUGA PIZZA.

tortuga pizza bacalar
tortuga pizza bacalar turtle mural mexico

The next day, we headed out for another adventure day, walking to the local colectivo (shared van) stop. We found one that was almost full and squeezed in, asking to go down the road to a place called Los Rapidos.

The colectivo ended up blazing right past the exit and I had to get the driver’s attention so he would pull over on the side of the highway. We had to backtrack a little, and then walk down a long dirt path until we arrived at the rapids.

We paid the entrance fee (~12 USD per person) and headed in. The scenery was beautiful!

los rapidos bacalar mexico
los rapidos bacalar mexico stromatolites

At Los Rapidos there are these things called stromatolites, which are among the oldest known fossils on Earth, dating back over 3.5 billion years! There are also mangrove trees, and both the mangroves and stromatolites produce a lot of extra oxygen in the area.

stromatolites bacalar mexico los rapidos
mangroves los rapidos bacalar mexico

We floated down the river and took in the beauty around us.

floating down river los rapidos bacalar mexico

The river was stunning, but the actual establishment they built around it was kind of scammy vibes, charging for every little thing.

When we were ready to go we realized we didn’t have a way back, as the colectivos don’t do random pickups along the roads (only drop-offs). As we were making our way down the dirt path, debating what to do, we noticed two French girls also leaving. Wini asked them if they wanted to split a cab back to Bacalar with us, but they said they already had a car and offered to drive us back with them. Such a score!

They dropped us off right in town, and we were able to walk home, stopping at our classic dinner spot, Sazón, for the final time.

The next morning we packed up our cute little room at Hotel Vias Maya and walked to the bus station for our ride back to Cancun, and flight to Mexico City. From there, we’re going to explore the Oaxaca (pronounced wah-haw-kah) and Chiapas regions of Mexico. Our first stop: the town of Puebla!

Click here to view our Bacalar gallery!

]]> https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-56-bacalar/feed/ 0 WEEKEND UPDATE #55 – TREKKIN’ THROUGH TULUM https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-55-tulum/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=weekend-update-55-tulum https://themapchasers.com/weekend-update-55-tulum/#respond Mon, 11 Dec 2023 02:48:19 +0000 https://themapchasers.com/?p=45453

We arrived in the lush jungles of Tulum from our 45-minute bus ride from Playa del Carmen and caught a taxi to our accommodation, Naajal Tulum Boutique Hotel. The second half of the drive meant navigating muddy unpaved roads filled with potholes, but we were so pleasantly surprised by our place when we arrived! We had been staying the last few stops in windowless apartments, and we had somehow stumbled into a gorgeous suite with a full kitchen, patio, and king-sized bed. Hurray!

Naajal Tulum Boutique Hotel, Mexico

However, we realized when we arrived that there was no drinking water provided, and the closest convenience store was an 18-minute walk through those unpaved muddy roads we had just driven down. We had no choice but to make the journey, and faced the consequences! Wini slipped and fell into the mud, and the way back was significantly more difficult with a 10L jug of water. 🙁

After the sweaty journey back, we spent the rest of the evening cooking dinner and settling into our surprisingly luxurious stay!

On our first full day in Tulum, we headed out to rent bicycles, as we realized a lot of places we wanted to visit were quite a distance away.

bikes for rent tulum bike rentals

We rented the bikes for two days and headed out towards nearby Cenote Escondido. A cenote (say-no-tay) is a sinkhole or pit in the ground that exposes groundwater from below; they can be in caves, down cliffs, or just open from the ground. They’re very common in the Yucatan Peninsula and were once an important source of drinking water for the Mayans, but are now used as natural swimming pools.

Using Google Maps, we biked towards Cenote Escondido but found ourselves lost in the jungle, with no clear signs pointing us on. The roads were muddy and filled with potholes, and couldn’t see a clear route. Hungry, sweaty, and defeated, we decided to turn back towards the main road and get some lunch before continuing our cenote search.

unpaved roads tulum mexico jungle
tulum mexico jungle

Finally back on the main road, we found a delicious and well-priced restaurant, Billy Bob’s, where we recharged with burgers and a milkshake.

With the restaurant’s wifi, we realized that Cenote Escondido and the other one we wanted to see, Cenote Cristal, were both closed for maintenance at the moment (and we had also tried to enter at the wrong point anyway lol) so we set our sights on a new one: Cenote Corazon, shaped like a heart. It was about a 4-mile bike ride down the side of the highway, but we finally made it, sweaty, tired, and dusty.

tulum jungle path drone

When we finally arrived, it was a sight for sore eyes! 

cenote corazon tulum mexico drone heart shape cenote

We enjoyed the crystal-clear water, took turns on the diving board, got our toes nibbled on by the little fish, and explored the underwater cave with our snorkels. Since cenotes are filled with groundwater, they are colder than the ocean water in Mexico, but that was perfect for us after a day of biking around the dusty roads of Tulum!

cenote corazon tulum mexico
cenote corazon tulum mexico
diving into cenote corazon

Happy to have finally found a cenote, we headed home to our lovely hotel.

tulum mexico jungle road bike rental tulum

The next day we had an early start, as we booked a tour of Chichen Itza that started at 7 am. We had to bike across town to our tour meeting point so we left before sunrise.

super aki tulum chichen itza day trip tour pickup point

Our guide, Miriam, gave us fun facts about Mayan history and culture on the two-hour bus ride there. She explained the deep understanding the Mayans had of astronomy, creating their calendar based on their observations of the sun, stars, and Venus, and how the layout and orientation of structures are often aligned with celestial events.

mayan calendar
A fragment of a Mayan calendar

At Chichen Itza, we walked around the beautiful architecture and learned more about Mayan astronomy, sacrifices, and beliefs.

el castillo pyramid chichen itza tulum mexico
chichen itza tour from tulum
The Mayans used obsidian knives to do their ritual sacrifices.

If you’ve ever seen the children’s movie The Road to El Dorado, you might feel a familiarity with this place. We learned later that the animators studied the architecture of these ruins, as well as others in the area to create the look of that film. As well, the ball game they play in the movie is based on a game they played here. They have a large ball court with stone rings on either side, where players aimed to pass a rubber ball through without using their hands.

The grounds also have several acoustic phenomenons. In the Ball Game Court, if you stand at one end of the ball court and clap your hands, shout, or make a loud noise, the sound will travel across the playing alley and be clearly audible at the other end, approximately 150 meters (490 feet) away.

snake head chichen itza tulum mexico

At El Castillo, the central pyramid of Chichen Itza, there is another fascinating phenomenon known as the “Kukulkan’s Echo” or the “Quetzalcoatl’s Echo.” If you clap your hands at the base of the staircase on the northern side of El Castillo the pyramid’s steps create an acoustic effect, producing a series of echoes that sound like the chirp of the Quetzal bird, a sacred bird in Maya culture (and one Wini was lucky enough to see while hiking in Panama). 

rare coloful Quetzal bird in Panama
Quetzal
chichen itza el castillo road to el dorado

These acoustic effects are a testament to the precision and intentional design of the ancient Maya architects at Chichen Itza, though they are not the only incredible features. Since the Mayans were astrology experts and also obsessed with snake and serpent imagery, they built El Castillo in a way that on the solar equinox (twice a year), the sun’s position in the sky casts a distinctive shadow of a serpent on the northern staircase of El Castillo!

snakeheads chichen itza el castillo

We were given about an hour to wander the grounds of Chichen Itza after our guided tour, and then we were back on the bus for our next stop of the day: Cenote Chichikan, both a beautiful cenote and a restaurant. 

Having barely eaten all day, we helped ourselves to the delicious buffet. There was a taco bar, tons of different entrees, and heavenly MASHED POTATOES! We quickly stuffed our faces and then headed for a swim in the cenote.

tacos

Cenote Chichikan was absolutely stunning! As we stood at the top of the cenote, we saw the lush greenery all around, the waterfall running down it the centre, and the stunning freshwater below. We quickly walked down the stairs and entered the amazing cenote. 

Cenote Chichikan chichen itza tour
Cenote Chichikan

To go down into the cenote, they require you to rent a life jacket. Since cenotes are sinkholes, there can be some risks like underwater currents, changes in visibility, and sudden changes in depth, so they just make everyone wear one (ugh annoying!).  

It was so lush and surrounded by trees, but down in the cenote, it was actually quite chilly. The water was definitely on the colder side, but we knew we had to suck it up for the chance to swim in such a gorgeous spot. We saw so many cute little catfish swimming through the cenote, and some even nipped at our toes!

catfish
cenote chichikan waterfall

There was also a diving board built in, so we each took a turn jumping off into the cold, dark waters below. After about 30 minutes of swimming, we got too cold and went back up to change and get ready to re-board the bus. It was a really special experience getting to swim in such a unique and beautiful cenote!

Our last stop of the day was the charming and historical colonial town of Valladolid. We were only given about 30 minutes to walk around and explore the area, but it was more than enough time. Many people on our tour opted to do a free tequila tasting, but we decided that having already been to Tequila for a tequila tour, we were too #snobby now haha.

Valladolid, Mexico church

We just took a nice stroll through town, taking in the colonial architecture, checking out local vendors, and hanging out at the big park in the city centre. It was a really chill and relaxing end to our amazing Chichen Itza tour.

Valladolid, Mexico park

Tired from our long day in the sun, we boarded the bus and headed back to Tulum. Our bus dropped us back off at the supermarket in Tulum, and we picked up some groceries to make dinner. Unfortunately, we had run out of water at our accommodation so we had to pick up another big 10L gallon of water, and then bike home on the dark road after a long and exhausting day. The baskets on our bikes were too flimsy to hold up the jug of water and kept flopping around. We took turns biking with the heavy weight, and luckily Wini had her headlamp to light up the dark road. Portions of the bike ride were seriously pitch black, and the roads had tons of mud and potholes we had to watch out for.

We finally made it home after a long, hot, sweaty day, and instantly decided to shower and put on the Road to El Dorado. It was the perfect end to our day, and so cool how much of the movie was fully inspired by the ancient and historically significant Mayan city of Chichen Itza!

road to el dorado

The next morning was our last full day in Tulum, so we decided to hit the beach. We had only rented our bikes for 2 days, so we set off on the 1.5-hour walk to Playa Ruinas, or “Ruins Beach” where you can visit Mayan ruins on the beach. When we arrived though, we realized it was an extra fee to go to the ruins themselves, and we were tired and hot from our long walk so we decided to only pay the park fee and just go to the beach.

playas ruinas tulum beach walk
playas ruinas tulum mexico beach

It was a gorgeous white-sand beach, and you could catch a glimpse of the nearby ruins. We posted up with our books and enjoyed the day by the waves.

white sand playas ruinas beach tulum mexico

We walked home as dark storm clouds started closing in on us, and thankfully made it back dry. Wini cooked us another nice meal and we savoured our last night in this gorgeous jungle paradise.

tulum beach rain cloud

The next morning, we organized a taxi to take us to the bus station so we could continue our journey in Bacalar, Mexico!

Click here to view our Tulum & Chichen Itza gallery!

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