Tequila sunrise and Mayan chocolate

I’m sitting in a mosquito net tent surrounded by paintings of Hindi gods, buddah, the word love and listening to Mexican new age music. I’m surrounded by jungle, a cenote and cabins. I am in the hippie new age town of Tulum in Mexico.

 

 

 

After staying in Cuba, the craziest developing country ever, Mexico was a shock of Western culture. We flew into Cancun and took a bus to Playa del Carmen or Playa del America I should say. Think McDonalds, Subway, Gelato, big lights, lots of shops and advertising. It was a stark contrast to everything that is Cuba.

Our Captors

We got off the bus, looked at our map and stepped into the street straight into a carnivale parade. Think twirling dancers with masses of brightly coloured feathers, sparkles, brass bands and decorated cars. What a shock; the streets were packed and the place was loud, crazy and full of life. We waited a while then decided we needed to get to a hostel and find accommodation. Thinking we’d sneak up the street we ended up caught up in the parade, surrounded by dancers and not being able to leave. Yes, in Playa Bernie and I were an accidental part of the carnival parade. Luckily there was a room free and the whole shenanigan wasn’t for nothing. Our hostel was amazing-bunks, toilet paper, toilet seats, HOT SHOWERS, a kitchen to use and INTERRNET!!!! Hurray for capitalism!!!

Pretty puch my impression of the nights

We wandered the streets and ordered our first tacos (questionable as it was not from a touristy place and vegetables didn’t make it to the menu). We strolled past the crazy American stores and tourists eating tacos before heading to our hostel for free drinks at our bar. That night we had in depth conversations with Argentinians in Spanish(it got better as we had more free drinks-amazing). The rest of the night was a blur of clubs and bars, all with crazy entrance fees that our bar friends got us out of paying and even crazier dancing. When it felt like 12:30 it was actually 3:30 am and we finally bailed. Playa is a party town where time gets lost.

 

The many tourists and resorts

Cenote Diving

 The next morning we woke surprisingly well and relocated ourselves to the beach. The beach is crazy with massive resorts at every part and every patch of beach taken up by tourists (like Australia day at Cottesloe). The water is clear and the sand white so it was still fun, just really different. The next day we packed our things and headed to the cenote dos ojos for a dive and snorkel.  A cenote is a lime stone sinkhole-in this instance a limestone cave with all the usual cave things but completely underwater. It has amazing visibility(200m) so you don’t feel like you are looking through water, but that you are flying through a cave and can get as close to the roof or stalagtites as you want without the climbing or dirt!  It was also located deep in the Mexican jungle so it was a beautiful drive and walk. My instructor gave me two wetsuits and a hood which I need, it was freezing!! It was pretty cool diving for 600m through tunnels in caves but also scary to think if anything went wrong you were completely screwed. The instructor carried two tanks of oxygen for this reason. On paper it was one of the craziest dives I’ve done but it was stunningly beautiful and so relaxing. From there we got dropped off on the highway and a passing shuttle picked us up and took us to tulum.

 

Tulum

Tulum is a little beach town full of ‘yoga retreats’ and ‘eco lodges’. It is set on the most beautiful, powdery white sand beach with wonderfully temperate water. It is also expensive. We took a taxi to our hostel to get told it was $50 a night!! We pretty much begged them down to $15. This place is completely new age. The showers are outdoor, the water all from the nearby river, a campfire burns even though it’s at least 30 and everyone here are artists or writers or finding themselves. There are only expensive, organic hotel restaurants but we have a kitchen thank goodness. It’s an amazing place but we probably shouldn’t be here. Our first night we spent drinking beers on the beach over sunset(trying the tomato beer-don’t do it unless you like fizzy salsa). We realised we couldn’t afford to eat out so explored the one shop which had about 4 ingredients: lentil nachos it was. That night I managed to roll my ankle on the rocky ground between our cabana and the outdoor, eco friendly toilet. My trip definitely got a lot less active after that. The next day we hired some snorkelling gear and headed out to Akalam beach, the most awesome place ever. Here we took turns(me with one flipper) snorkelling in the most incredible reef. We swam with manta rays, sea turtles and beautiful fish. I even saw a pair of shy cuttle fish!! It was as good as diving(better than some) and there was no time limit! After we’d had our fill of the sea turtles and sunbaking we headed to the Tulum ruins. This was an old port city like freo but dedicated to the worship of Venus. It is now a remnant of it glory days and overrun by iguanas that really do think they own the place. That night it was lentils and nachos again. The next day, after a massive home-cooked breakfast of lentils and eggs, we packed up and realised we couldn’t afford to taxi it to town. This was my first real hitchhiking experience in Mexico. Ten minutes later, thanks to a nice, old American couple and an Argentinean girl, we were in town with tickets booked and drinking coffee at our favourite cafe.

Valladolid

Next stop was Valladolid, a very cool, very Spanish feeling city with colourful Mexican buildings, cobbled streets and many courtyards. The evenings here were balmy and perfect. That first night we checked into a very colourful and fun backpackers, Hostel La Candeleria, and went for a walk. We came across a beautiful chocolate factory where a very enthusiastic woman gave us the entire story of cacao which was the beginning of chocolate(including 9 samples). After a hot chocolate we were sold and departed with our cinnamon chocolate balls. We wandered the winding, cobbled streets, stopping for hibiscus drinks and to check out the old convent of this magical place. The next day we got up early and bussed it to Chichen Itza, the Mayan pyramids. I hate to say it but I was more impressed with these than Machu Picchu. Picture a pyramid so tall and grand with levels, steps and panels all representing a calendar. It was built about 2000 years ago to count down the days to the end of the world  (on 23 Decemeber 2012). This city, the ‘capital’ city of the Mayans, is now overrun with Iguana’s and jungle.  We got up really early so managed to avoid the majority of the tourists and had an entire ancient Mayan jungle city to explore by ourselves. Very Indiana Jones. I headed to the most beautiful Cenote for an afternoon swim. Picture a huge limestone cavern with tree roots almost to the clear water, surrounded by a lush, green limestone wall. Not a bad local swimming pool.

 

Bacalar

 The next few days we weren’t 100% sure of our plans. We decided to get off the bus a place called Lake Bacalar-just to check it out. A taxi ride from the busy, dirty town revealed the most incredible, blue Caribbean lake surrounded by lush green jungle. We were sold and wandered until we found a basic hostel. Bacalar was a strange town, definitely not a tourist destination. It had the beautiful lake for swimming, amazing houses but so many drunk men staggering around-where did they all come from? The next two days we lounged by the lake drinking tequila, wandered the streets and chatted to locals. We got invited to a bar opening pirate party and had a fun night of cocktails, music, tequila and pirate fights. This was our last, seedy night in Mexico. Next stop Belize.

 

Cuba Libre

Impression:

Cuba is a socialist country to the extreme. There is no real advertising, most things are a ‘set’ price, there is no access to internet and only government approved phone calls out of the country.  Everywhere there are statues of Fidel Castro and billetons about ‘the revolution always’ and ‘Cuba Libre’.  It is unlike anywhere. Everyone knows about the 1950’s cars on the roads but to be surrounded by vintage cars, old Spanish buildings, crazy salsa and blaring Cuban music is like being in a time-warp on acid...maybe...

Havana

After a crazy time in the airport I’m pleased to say Bernie and I got our visas sorted and made it on the plane, Bernie with 10 minutes to spare. I have to say the idea of a spontaneous trip to Cuba was so crazy I never thought I would make it so I was surprised. Havana is a beautiful, big old city with cobbled streets glowing in the golden lights of the old-fashioned lamps lining them. There is a beautiful, lush park at every corner and incredible, big old Spanish buildings. That is in the tourist area. The real Cuba, where us students stayed, is your usual developing country with beggars, dogs, fighting, dirty streets that you’re not too sure where to walk on and completely inaccessible shops and cafe’s so far removed from western society you don’t even know what you are looking at. This is one of the few cities I would recommend staying in the heart of tourist land(there aren’t enough tourists to be a turn off) because it is so incredibly beautiful and unique.

Our time in Havana we spent wandering the cobbled and less cobbled streets. We visited the oldest Cuban cigar factory(via horse and cart) and learnt how to roll cigars, decorate them and place them in  the beautifully handmade and decorated boxes. Each person can make about 60 cigars working at full capacity a day. We visited La Floridita, where Ernest Hemingway used to drink, for some inspiration and a mojito and then headed down the street to the museum of the revolution, an exercise in propaganda where the Cuban government has created a shrine to Fidel, Ernesto and Camilo. That night some local cubano chicos taught us salsa in Casa dela musica. The Cubans go out to salsa after work and finish at 9pm. The salsa is vibrant, sexy and fun with lots of little acrobatic moves mixed in to increase the enjoyment.

Our last night in Havana we spent wandering Viejo-the old Havana. It was like being on the movie midnight in Paris when he gets sent back to the 1930’s(but with 1950’s cars). It was so fun and beautiful, very European but with the lively salsa at every corner. We even watched the players at Buena Vista social club play(through the window as all good students do). We found a chocolate factory with the most incredible savoury, nutmeg hot chocolate like the Aztecs did it and I was in absolute heaven. Havana is amazing and the more time I spent there, the more I fell in love with it.

Vinales

After our time in the beautiful old Havana we took a luxury government owned bus to Vinales, a rural town in a national park with trekking, spelunking, horse riding and rock climbing. The ride was beautiful; past the tobacco plantations, hillside and farm houses. Vinales was one of those incredibly sleepy rural towns with bright casas, beautiful scenery, little pot-plants and rocking chairs on every verandah and street signs that included horses and carts and tractors into the road rules. When our casa owner didn’t collect us, we followed a woman to her apartment overlooking the valley where she rented us a little room with access to the rocking chairs and a balcony. They also cooked us dinners and hooked us up with locals for tours. We hired bicycles that first day and explored the winding back roads of the town, past the colourful rural houses, farms and through parts of the hillside. It was stunning. That day was the famous ‘day of love’ (Valentines day) which the Cubans take very, very seriously. The phone lines were all busy we were told, because of the lovers calling each other. That night was a big party with all the single mob dancing salsa or standing awkwardly in the square. It was hilarious and fun to watch. The next day we were collected for a hike in the park. We spent several hours going through the jungle and plantations, stopping at a lake for a swim before ending up at a farm with a bunch of itlaiano and cubano chicos. There, a very obliging farmer made us some mojitos, rolled us a cigar and had a spanglish chat. All in all, Vinales was very chilled and sleepy with many cheap mojitos to be drunk!

Trinidad

It was in Vinales that the cold reality of the embargo dawned on me. I had 50 euro, 100 ozzy and 200 US, plenty for 1 week in cuba with a budget of 250 a week right? Wrong. The embargo means bad US rates with 10% surcharge-don’t bother unless you like losing 25% of you money and no, no one has heard of Australia here and no one will exchange it. Australian money is actually worth nothing here. I had $110 for 4 days leading to some extreme budgeting and removal of non-essentials such as food. This is the reason I spent 9 hours on a bus with crackers and my trusty vegemite my wonderful mother gave me which has become an essential part of this trip! It’s also the reason I decided to push the ‘set’ prices of everything and managed to talk down accommodation and get some meals included(all in our collective Spanish as no one speaks English here-especially in the our casa). Desperate times.  Trinindad is a beautiful, colourful and lively city on the beach. The streets are cobbled with a good mix of horse and carts, bicycles and 1950’s cars. The first day we spent cycling to playa del ancun(18km one way through little beach towns, farm land and amazing coast), picnicking on our crackers, tomato and a coconut and wandering past some amazing resorts with tourists frying themselves. The Caribbean beaches are beautiful with powdery white sand, aqua water and a perfect temperature. The huts cost 1 CUC but the trees are free!! We raced back just in time for our salsa lesson with the Cubano Chicos. This was so fun, in a little colourful courtyard of someone’s house, under a tree with vibrant Cuban music playing. We aren’t quite experts yet but I loved it!. Every night we headed to the Casa de la musica to watch more amazing salsa and Cuban musicians. The rest of our days we wandered the cobbled streets and just soaked up to Cuban vibe.

Accommodation

In Cuba you can stay in Casa Particulars which basically is just a persons house where they rent you a room for the night. You never know what you’re going to get. Our first Casa was supposed to be with a paediatrician and his wife, prebooked. We got there and they were full so we got put in their neighbours room(3 blocks away). The next few casas were the same story-people were full so we got sent to neighbours. It is very community orientated, there is always people you don’t know coming in the house(neighbours, cousins, brothers etc.) and lots of sharing. It was amazing to stay in a real family’s home though in one house we awkwardly tried to ignore a domestic between people we’d never met. 

There were lots of religious paintings, plastic flowers and porcelain figurines. It wasn’t always up to normal standards. Our last casa our room didn’t have glass in the windows or doors, a basin, toilet seats, water after a certain time or a door that could close(the toilet wouldn’t flush after Bernie broke the string off). It was a single mother and son in a little apartment on the fourth floor of a building in the heart of one of the dodgier parts of Havana. Bernie sent me to look and I felt so bad I couldn’t say no. The room was the families and they slept on the couch...What we paid them for one night was more than what most Cuban families earn in a week so I think we did the right thing. We had actually run out of money by then so refused breakfast but she made it for us free anyways and it was the best cooked brekky I’d had all week. The casa’s were an interesting insight into how the Cuban people actually live and the food they cooked us was proper Cuban food-beef/pork/chicken/fish/rice/black beans and maybe vegetables if you are lucky.

Advertising in Cuba-Casa Particular

A typical Havana street

Cigar Factory

Ernest Hemingway and me chilling

Casa de la musica: mojitos

Our casa stair case

Vinales streets

Horse and cart traffic

Biking around Vinales

Our rocking chairs overlooking the valley

Cuban cigars in Vinales

Vinales

Propaganda

Trinidad

Biking to Playa Ancon

Cubanos Chilling at the beach

Trinidad streets

Our casa's breakfast

A church in Havana

Once again this blog is too long but Cuba is an insane and amazing country and half a page will never do it justice. It was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been and will ever go. In a couple of years when the embargo is lifted it will change in a way that is hopefully good for the people but sad for the place. I feel lucky to have seen this snapshot of a country that seems to be frozen in time.

Peach State

Georgia, otherwise known as Peach state, is in the deep south of the USA and right in the middle of the bible belt.  It is a state famous for its peaches yet anyone will tell you South Carolina's are better.    Atlanta is a big yet unassuming city.  It is where coca-cola was invented and the secret formula lives, CNN comes from and it has not only the largest (and coolest) aquarium in the world but also the largest piece of solid granite 'Stone Mountain'. 

Emory Medical School

Yes, I've been enjoying my time in the sleepy city of Atlanta. My elective is Paediatric Cardiology. I get in at 8am for ward rounds then try to sneak into cardiothoracic surgeries or clinics where all the action is. I have to say, it is a very depressing unit with some very, very sick people. The kids are beautiful though and my team have been decent in a make-as-many-cracks-at-the-Australian-as-possible way. I've seen some cool things and even got to assist with an open heart surgery. The medical students get in allegedly at 6:30am and leave at 5 every day. I'd say they are crazy but my intern only gets two days off a month. Here's an observation: Americans work crazy hours and never have a break, I would take medicine in Australia any day.

Lynn in a Greenes Candy Store

The elective is amazing and I've learnt alot but the most fun I'm having is with everything ese. I'm living with Lynn, a university lecturer whose room I'm renting and it's fantastic. My room is spacious with a four poster bed and a desk, the house is amazing and Lynn is fascinating. She's fun to chat with about travel or generational observations or even (with some trepidation) politics and religion. I feel very lucky to be staying with someone I get along with and respect so much. 

Lynn's Family at the Brick Store: the coolest bar in town

The hospitality in the south is amazing. It extends from holding open doors for all women to taking complete strangers around the city for the day. Saying 'bless you' after anyone sneezes is absolutely mandatory. Since coming here Lynn's family have taken me to all sorts of interesting places from funky bars and restaurants to a hiking morning up stone mountain with her son Patrick. I've caught up with my distant relatives Patrick and Angie and their kids a well as Jacqueline and Jaime. Living in the most amazing houses, having dinner together has been a treat and they have been full of fascinating stories about Chile, my family and their most recent travels. 

Jacqueline and Jaime

Barbara and Steffy

One of the coolest days I've had so far has been yesterday with a friend of my mum's, Barbara, and her daughter Steffy. Barbara is a north-eastern born and raised attorney who is not sure how she ended up in Atlanta but has built her families life there. She is sharp and funny and full of stories of travels with my mum. She definitely doesn't have the mild, laid back manner of a southerner and don't ever try and waste her time! First stop: the biggest aquarium in the world!! Words can not describe how cool this place is. It's like diving some of the most diverse dives without having to get cold!! There were whale sharks and piranha's and even an albino crocodile. We watched a dolphin show that was a mix of broadway musical and amazing dolphin tricks with a corny story attached, I was in heaven. Next we headed up the tallest building in the south to a revolving restaurant! From the warmth of this place we had a 360 tour of Atlanta while enjoying our turkey and pecan wraps. The elevator is glass and you definitely get a little vertigo going up. 

With very full stomachs we headed to our last attraction-the coca cola museum. I was expecting something old and run down but on entrance I realised truly how much money coca cola has. Imagine a place with three theatres, over sixty tasters from all over the world (unfortunately the Latin American ones sucked but not as much as Italy's Beverley flavour) and an extreme vault where the secret formula is kept. I had my first 4D experience: the sign on entrance was 'do not enter if you have neck, knee or other muscular problems'. It basically involved us getting shaken around and wet- we loved it. 

Southern Soul Food

Finally, after an amazing day Barbara showed us her hood- the funky and beautiful Buckhead. I met her multiple designer pets and toured her funky house. We were still so full from the coke but headed  out to the quintessential southern restaurant 'the ok cafe' for deep fried pickles, squash soufflé, crab and crawfish. Finishing off a perfect night we headed for the typical frozen yoghurt dessert.

Currently I'm chilling in front of TV watching the superbowl. Pretty good day. Pretty good city.

Me at the top of Stone Mountain