Montezuma, Costa Rica

We left San Luis early in the morning for our long drive through dirt roads to Puntarenas where we caught a 70 min ferry ride to Paquera, (cars cost $24) from there we could drive to Montezuma, all the way at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. We left with clean laundry & smiling faces, as most of you know when you are backpacking for 5 weeks, clean clothes can be hard to come by. The sun was setting as we reached Paquera which meant more driving in the dark, I knew this would be trouble for us as navigating roads in the dark is always so much fun (not). We found that GPS just didn't cut it for Costa Rica so we rented this dongle you can carry with you providing you with unlimited internet. We used it on the beach, by the pool, in the car, it is well worth it. People told us we would need a 4x4 for Montezuma because of river crossings, I was worried about this. Sure enough google maps takes you the fastest route possible & that means an actual river crossing. In the dark, you have no idea how deep it is. A jeep comes across, he tells me to stay to the left where he came from, I should be able to make it in my car but to be careful. It's night, not a sinner around & I chance it twice, the wheels start sticking so I reverse quickly. If we get stuck, we might not get a car passing to pull us out. I opt out & decide to head back to the main road thinking surely there's another way because buses drive to the town. Once I started back on the main paved road she re routed us & of course there is another way, it may be 10mins longer but I certainly do not need a 4x4 for this.In fact there are about 3 or 4 ways to get there so don't let the rental places fool you into thinking you HAVE to go through that river crossing. We arrived around 9pm into this magical town, fairy lights dotted the one small road into the village. It was so cute & we happened to be staying a 5min walk away in the Los Mangos Hotel & Bungalows, so I wouldn't need the car much at all. Once we stepped out of the air conditioned car, the first thing you notice is the heat & humidity, I was loving this after a cold/rainy Monteverde. Our bungalow was dark but its cool & clean. You can hear the sound of monkeys scurrying on your roof from time to time. The staff are nice, there is only internet at the front reception unless you have the dongle like us, the pool is perfect & the added bonus of morning/evening yoga classes is great.

Monteverde is well known by backpackers and eco tourists. It seems like a lazy, enjoyable town with lots of nature activities as well as yoga and spa retreats. It is the ultimate place for a time out.We spent our first evening strolling through the town & we ate dinner at Cocolores which was delicious. Their curries are epic. That night, I slept hard after the long drive. We spent our first day having breakfast in town, soaking up the sun on the beach, reading, swimming, reading by the pool, lying in hammocks. That afternoon we went about 10miles down the road to see the biggest strangler tree in Costa Rica. You can see from the photo exactly how big it was. That evening our hotel had an outdoor yin yoga session, so we joined it. Yin is more about stretching & long holds. It was quite nice, except for the odd mosquito bite. For dinner we went to this artsy beach spot across from our bungalow. We waited a full 45mins just to see a menu, because there are only 2 menus in the whole place.

Up at 8am & out the door for our trip to Isla Tortuga. After a 40mins boat ride we were snorkeling along rocks & reefs in crystal clear water, with some of the prettiest, colourful fish. We snorkeled for 2 hrs & then headed to Isla Tortuga for a bbq lunch of fresh fish. We read, swam and just lounged here for hours. It is so gorgeous there & the water is a mix of greeny blue & crystal clear & warm, so warm. It saddens me that I don't have photos from here because I was afraid to bring my camera with all the snorkeling & water. No one lives on this island except a few chickens & peacocks.

After 2hrs in the blistering sun & it was only 11.30am, I wonder how hot it will actually get here. The hottest part of the day still to come but the sand is not touchable without shoes & the mercury reads 35deg. Farah hides in the shade of the trees, a while later I join her & devour Mindy Kaling's book. It's funny, real funny. I finished it by 1pm & that's when I decided I needed ice cream, I thought I was melting from the inside/out. The day continued like all days in this town. Reading, swimming in the pool, eating fresh fruit, massages & the daily quest for where to eat dinner. It's a rough life. Things got interesting at dinner. A group of American girls were seated near us. They grabbed the attention of every customer by being obnoxiously loud & rude to the waitstaff. One girl repeatedly said she was going to punch the waiter in the face, he had a smug look. The atmosphere in the room changed with all their aggression & calling him an asshole at every chance. Later, I find out the one girl who is seething with rage is dating the waiter & her friends were visiting. So the plot thickened. I have no idea what he did or what the story was but he should have removed them for causing such a stir in the restaurant.

So our adventure came to an end for Montezuma. It was some of the best food we ate in Costa Rica though. If I ever went back, I would definitely do the deep sea fishing tour.

Sian Kaan Reserve!

This Air BnB spot on the Sian Kaan Reserve is half way between Tulum & Punta Allen. Once you leave Tulum Playa & head under that arch, you are in for a treat. The road is no longer paved or smooth, it is basically 10kmh for 2 hours, yes that means it took me 2 hours to just get 20km down the road. It was tiring, there are potholes the size of craters and when it rains, you have no idea how deep they are or if you're going to come out the other side. I was absolutely jaded when we got to our destination, the intense concentration & the rocking of the car was lulling me to sleep. I didn't really understand Sian Kaan, it is supposed to be a national reserve, but there are houses and buildings going up all along the coast. We saw for sale signs everywhere. When we asked about this, we were told it was illegal & a corrupt system. But why were the roads so bad? Do a lot of visitors really take on these roads like us? In my first twenty minutes, I barely met another car. Then jeep after jeep went flying by, no concern for my car or the roads. Tourist jeeps charging $100 a person, coming all the way from Playa Del Carmen to give people a ride through the jungle. There aim is to provide a thrilling ride, so keeping these roads in terrible shape is a must. It was sickening to learn that they ruin the roads, or whats left of them & they return nothing of their profits to the Sian Kaan Reserve. Sian Kaan was supposed to be in my eyes this incredibly relaxing part of our journey, into the middle of no where, sleeping in a tree house, but instead I felt stressed by the constant storms, the bugs were insane, like happy hour insane, the crap in the ocean made me mad & the constant feeling of army guys hanging around was not my idea of feeling safe. These guys travel up & down the coast looking for drugs which may come ashore. Their is internet available under one coconut tree & one time I went over to check if my mom had messaged me. Whilw hanging out there with 4 army guys, all using the same wifi, I realised several guns were pointing in my direction, they were just laying on their laps but it made me feel so uneasy. I don't like guns & just having them around felt weird

Michelle runs the Air BnB, she is friendly, accommodating, awesome in fact. Her staff are fantastic. Meeting new people at dinner was a huge highlight of my trip, I loved every minute of getting to know them, especially a couple from New York, who I wished we got to know a little longer, who made our first night really fun. If weather & bugs don't bother you then hit this place up, because it is gorgeous, these photos don't lie. I love swimming, I was really excited to basically have a private beach to ourselves but I literally couldn't bring myself to swim with the amount of rubbish in the water. When I expressed my concern about it to a staff member called Richard( a great story teller who had a lot of knowledge to share) he told me most of it comes from the cruise ships. He said they pass further out, sometimes you can just about see them with the naked eye, probably after leaving Cozumel and they dump more waste than you could know into those waters. The winds from summer to autumn bring that ashore, the place was littered with juice bottles, sandals, shoes, diapers, used condoms, plastic forks, knives, fruit containers, I am now sorry that I didn't photograph how extreme it was. When the winds change, Cuba takes the brunt of it. It was vile. I asked how they get away with it to which he replied, once a very long time ago they got a huge fine, when they first started out. Then the cruise ships came to the politicians and basically said; hey we will build you a peer in Cozumel and bring tourists, so many tourists which will be great for your economy if you stop fining us for the rubbish. If you guys could only see what came on shore & that the fish are eating all of this as are the birds. It was really sad.

Let's talk about the storms & the bugs. Holy moly, to be in such a beautiful spot & to be complaining seems ridiculous. I guess that I got bored in some ways. Three days with nothing to do makes adventure Ali no fun. First of all these bugs were no ordinary bugs, they were like super bugs, they could sniff you out a mile away and make there way through mosquito nets given any opportunity. Happy hour was at dusk and dawn. For two hours every evening we had to hide inside mosquito nets, once I had to pee so bad and risked it, only to get bitten on my arse, you couldn't win. Then every night we stayed, there was a storm worse than the night before. I taught the winds would knock the tree house off its stilts. Thunder, Lightning & rain for hours on end. Farah loved it, tropical storms at their best. I wanted every window closed because I literally felt like I was inside a hurricane. I wanted to drive away, except I wouldn't get far with that road. This is what I get for thinking I could survive the jungle, I can't, I like my comfort too much. I often went crab hunting at night, they always came out from under the sand. I saw a ghost crab which is the fastest crab I have ever seen, he would give Usain Bolt a run for his money.

We went snorkeling one day with another family from Ontario. Shout outs to them because they were amazing & Chris taught me how to fish. The water on this trip was choppier than expected, once in the water you were being pushed & pulled. It made Farah extremely sea sick. At this point she missed out on the shark in the water, it was only a bottom feeder but at least it was a big one. Once back to shore, Farah headed for the bed & wasn't seen again until later the next day. We had one sick girl on our hands for a bit. To be fair, it was no joke for two hours. Honestly, I just wish there was more to do. They had boats that were broken, kayaks that were broken, some board games that were great but its really a place for star gazing, storm watching & reading books all day long. Food wise, you eat whatever is given to you by their chefs Armando & Tammy who makes a mean salsa. There is no menu, you can order beers or coconuts & they keep a tab for you, but they feed you whatever is available. I was pretty disappointed in this part of our trip. In the end, I wouldn't go back Sian Kaan, the trip is way too long with bad roads. If I could get to see Punta Allen for a bit that would be kinda cool, but I would be happy out with Akumal & Tulum.

I realise I sound a little angry, but I wasn't, I was mostly stressed out cause by the bugs, a sick girlfriend, the storms & the lack of sleep. It is a great spot, if you love having naf all to do. The staff will do their utmost to make you feel at home & will help out in all ways. One piece of advice, if its rainy season, do not take a small car, get something higher off the ground or you wont make it without losing a bumper like I did.

Puerto Morelos, Mexico!

The first stop on our trip was Puerto Morelos, a small quaint fishing village, 20mins from Cancun airport. There are two parts to Puerto Morelos, the town (pueblo) and the beach (playa). We found an amazing casita on Airbnb and dropping off our suitcases & changing from jeans was perogative since it was 37deg celsius outside. Casitas Kinsol Room 4 is a win, it is cheap, colourful, clean & the owners couldn't be nicer. That night we took a stroll around the pueblo and ate some delicious tacos, fish, beer & the most epic churros I have ever tasted in my life. The town is small, you will have walked the entire thing in minutes. It is quiet during the day but once those buses pull up at 6pm, dropping off all the hard construction workers, the town comes alive. Taco stalls open everywhere, internet houses, tortillerias, kids playing video games, even people gather to sit and chat in the town square(zócalo). It stays like this well until the wee hours of the morning.

I slept well even though every stray dog in Mexico spent the night barking. I noticed that the town got going the second daylight broke. The cars were zooming by and people were busy to get to work. I am guessing with the heat of the sun, everything starts early in the day then a midday siesta and once the heat dies a little, it all picks up again. Our first day was spent on the beach which is about a 5min drive away. The area looks more touristy than the town. It was just the perfect start to our holiday. Beautiful weather, sipping on margaritas & ague fresco at 11am & eating guacamole for breakfast, yes, it was my ideal start. Guacamole is single handedly my favourite food. It was low season, the beach was quiet, ideally what you want. The Caribbean turquoise waters were warm and saltier than any other ocean I have been in, which was brilliant in a way because I could just float.

It is a beautiful village by the sea, even better if you love to do a spot of fishing. They literally just fish off the pier in the morning catching plenty of fish with their nets. We watched one guy catch about 20 in one go, they were a fine size and all. I asked him if he was going to sell them to the restaurants but he said he was cooking up some tacos later for his family. I bet they were delicious.

This is a perfect peaceful little town, it should not be overlooked for the bigger spots like Cancun & Playa Del Carmen. We ended up coming back here to spend the last night of our trip. Did I mention that there are plenty of Cenotes nearby? Yup there is an entire route (ruta de los cenotes), our favourite being Siete Bocas (seven mouths), it has very few visitors, a little steep when it comes to price but it is a hidden gem in the jungle.