Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Home to over 7 million people, it’s one of the world’s most densely populated cities. It’s an incredible melting pot of people, customs, and cultures seen, smelled, and heard in the myriad of streets, alleyways, and waterways. It has one of the world’s most recognizable skylines and harbours, with giant, towering skyscrapers, and row after row of tall residential buildings set perched on the edge of mountainous landscapes.

Our stop in Hong Kong was the back book-end to our incredible adventures around the world that started in November 2014. We picked this spot because of its proximity back to Vancouver, but we hoped that it would intrigue and delight us beyond its connection to our home town. We weren’t disappointed! Here’s the first of three instalments: running in Hong Kong.

The beautiful cityscape viewed from Victoria Peak

We wondered how we’d connect with nature and put foot to trail amidst this concrete jungle. Boy were we surprised! Our 6-day visit to Hong Kong blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many reasons: incredible lush, hilly, scenic trails nestled in lush greenery on Hong Kong and its surrounding islands; the amazing range of delicious asian inspired veggie food; an incredible transport system that moves many millions of people daily; and its fascinating history with many visible remnants of its roots.

We split our time between the islands of Hong Kong and Lantau. On Hong Kong we stayed at a hostel in the Fortress Hill district. We focused our running on urban “trails” through the streets of Hong Kong and up to and around the forest land at the top of Victoria Peak. In the city we discovered a delightful urban recreation area called Victoria Park where locals jog around the running track and practice tai chi daily. A really authentic experience!

Topping out at 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island. While the summit itself is off limits, this is home to a very popular lookout over the sprawling cityscape and harbour below. There are many ways up to the Peak and its access to nature, including a historic funicular railway dating back to 1926. For the avid trail runner or hiker, there are a few options to reach the Peak. Google this and you’ll be amazed at how many pathways there are to the top at both day and night – including an incredibly intricate set of stairs that run up alongside the tram. We didn’t have time to get up to the Peak on foot, but we did spend time running along the trails once at the top.

Views along the trail atop Victoria Peak

Lush green foliage strikes a stark contrast to the concrete jungle below

Breathtaking views across the bay and the many islands dotting the horizon

From this vantage point, there are views across the many bays and over Hong Kong’s neighbouring islands. The trail system criss-crosses the mountain side and top, meandering through lush jungle vines and banyan tree canopy. There’s roughly 25km of trail if you follow the Hong Kong Trail system. We ran about 10km out and back from the main Peak visitor area, stopping along the way to enjoy the views of nature and city alike. The pathway is easy to follow and mostly paved underfoot. We wish we’d had more time to get into the backcountry and explore the extensive network of trails on Hong Kong. But, it’s always good to leave something to come back to!

This qualifies as a *large* buddha statue!

Leaving the hustle, bustle, and bright lights behind us, we moved on from Hong Kong Island to nearby Lantau Island. We arrived on Lantau by ferry and caught the bus to the village close to our next hostel. The village is home to the Po Lin monastery and a 34 metre tall bronze Buddha sculpture. After a bit of bushwhacking we arrived at our hostel, just before the first of many intense downpours began.

Determined not to let the rain dampen our spirits, we grabbed a break in the weather and set out on an exploratory run to get a taste of the 70+ km Lantau Trail. This is a circular hiking trail that explores the southern half of the island. The trail includes a hike up Lantau’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, at 934 metres. With no intention of completing the full circuit (this time!), we did manage a 3-hour out and back run which included going up and down the peak. The foliage and surroundings were far more wild and jungle-like than the trails we explored on Hong King Island.

The Lantau Peak trailhead close to our hostel

Climbing up through a lush green jungle and happy with a break in the storm

Definitely a first for Team ERS – running with a giant buddha as a backdrop

The run was quite a slog, with soggy, slippery surfaces underfoot. Much of the trail was either rock stair or hardpacked earth. There was a lot of water pouring down the mountain from earlier rain showers, making for very tricky footfalls and a constant threat of slipping. Unfortunately it was very misty when we were on the trail, so our views were limited. However, on our way back, we had a brief clearing to allow a magnificent view over the island with the giant Buddha floating peacefully on a lower hilltop.

Lots of rain = lots of waterfalls on trails

Well-marked trail system on the Lantau Trail

Bev at the top of Lantau Peak. Sadly no views this time!

We wrapped up our time on Lantau with lots of inside time due to the poor weather (which eventually became a cyclone warning!), a visit to the monastery and its amazing array of vegan food and baked goods, and a stairway sprint to get up close and personal with the big Buddha.

Hong Kong and Lantau Islands were an incredible introduction to what was previously a very mystical, unknown part of the world to us both. We were fortunate enough to meet a local trail runner while on one of our outings. He happened to have run the OCC-UTMB race with us in France last year. It was great to get his perspective on trail running in Hong Kong, and this encounter reminded us just how amazing the global trail running community is. We left with positive memories and a strong desire to return to uncover much more of this spectacular, surprising place.

Helpful running resources:

http://hktrailrunner.blogspot.ca

www.irunfar.com/2012/09/trail-running-in-hong-kong.html

http://asiatrailmag.com

www.discoverhongkong.com

http://www.lantauonline.com

Organized races:

Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race: January (100km) http://www.hk100-ultra.com

TransLantau: March (15km / 25km / 50km / 100km) https://translantau.com

Hong Kong Trail Race Calendar: http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/hong-kong/trail

The latest TRAIL magazine featuring another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published! In this issue we share our experiences running in three regions of Croatia in Eastern Europe. If you’d like to read more about our adventures in this beautiful, diverse, and welcoming country, we cover Croatia in greater detail (and with many more stunning images!) on our blog here.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 16 – Eat.Run.See Awed by Croatia

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio: https://www.zinio.com/magazine/TRAIL/pr-500650714/cat-cat1960090#/

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-magazine-sa/id979830150?mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

This week the latest issue of South Africa’s trail running magazine, TRAIL, hit the shelves. We’re incredibly excited to announce that we’re featured in the publication. The latest issue kicks off our involvement as regular contributors to TRAIL, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure. Check out this link to our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL Issue 12_August 2014

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness (and a hidden Eat.Run.See gem on pages 26/27!), pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy via one of these links:

Zinio http://gomulti.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=40be70bf04c06dfbdb5433ae0&id=273b432f10&e=fb22993be8
Magzter http://gomulti.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=40be70bf04c06dfbdb5433ae0&id=d59638f0e8&e=fb22993be8

Thanks to TRAIL editor, Deon Braun, for his enthusiasm and interest in our story. We can’t wait to be part of future issues and see our run around the world come to life in this way!

On our visit to the region in March 2014, we explored the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and also spent time near the town of El Chalten, within the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. In this article we’ll focus on the Argentinian region of Patagonia, with the equally stunning Chilean region covered here.

After our outstanding experience in Chilean Patagonia, we were sure that nothing could compare to the vast uninhabited wilderness, lakes, glaciers, and mountains of Torres del Paine. Boy, were we wrong! The magnificent Los Glaciares National Park in Argentinian Patagonia quietly inhabits the landscape with slowly shifting ice fields, towering peaks, and wind swept trees and vegetation.

After a few days in El Calafate, gateway to Argentina’s Patagonia region, we headed to the small town of El Chalten, the trekking capital of Argentina. Easily accessed by 3-hour bus from El Calafate on Route 23, El Chalten is nestled within the Los Glaciares National Park and provides near doorstep access to a wide variety of mountain trails in the region leading to and through some of the most amazing scenery on the planet. Although the town is tiny, El Chalten has well stocked supermarkets, trekking gear shops, and many restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops. It also has an internet cafe and travel booking service centre. Don’t be alarmed by siesta time though – most stores and restaurants close from roughly 1-5pm.

The town of El Chalten seen from the Laguna Torre trailhead

We loved the simple and understated commitment to mountain exploration in El Chalten. The singular purpose of the town is to support the trekking community, making this a very easy place to find information and exchange grand stories of mountain adventures! Not to be outdone by those who prefer both feet on the ground, this region is also popular with rock and ice climbers.

So many trails, so little time! (oh, and a little Malbec to keep spirits up and hands warm on chilly Patagonian days!)

A few days of weather imposed downtime with extreme wind and rain (common in these parts!), gave us a chance to relax in our cozy hostel, Albergue Patagonia, and research the trail options in the area. Once the weather cleared we departed on our first mountain exploration run – to discover the majestic Mount Fitz Roy standing tall at 3,359m. The spectacular view of this massif is the reward at the turnaround of the 23km out and back Laguna de Los Tres trail with 1,000m of elevation gain. Starting at the edge of the town, the clearly marked trail winds up steadily along single track with varied terrain underfoot. At times hard packed dirt, other times rooty with thick bush, but always beautiful with the freshest mountain air imaginable.

Trailhead leading up to the best view of Mount Fitz Roy via Laguna de Los Tres trail

The view of Mount Fitz Roy in the distance – time to get a little closer!

The trail opens up and flattens somewhat when it traverses the Del Salto stream valley and follows the natural course of the stream passing through two campgrounds along the way. Natural viewpoints offer glimpses of the Fitz Roy peak, but it’s only by pressing on and up the final and very steep grind of almost a kilometer that you reach the trail terminus point at the edge of an old moraine ridge. From this vantage point you can attempt to make sense of the full frontal assault on your eyes: a crystal blue lagoon and eons of glacier pack pushing up against the towering Mount Fitz Roy alongside its less well known but no less striking siblings.

We made it! And what a reward for our efforts!

Team ERS takes a well earned rest before the descent

With the sun out, we basked in its warmth and the privilege of finding ourselves at this amazing juncture while eating our customary trail run snack of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Fueled up for our return journey we reluctantly turned away from the breathtaking view and completed the trail in reverse. Our legs enjoyed the downhill as much as our minds celebrated the gift of wanderlust!

Resting at the end of the trail before heading back into El Chalten

There are numerous other trails to explore from the village of El Chalten. We ran a few shorter trails to a few easily accessible viewpoints, as well as one additional longer run. This 21km out and back trot with 600m of elevation gain took us along the undulating and relatively easy (albeit rocky) Laguna Torre trail to the lake of the same name fed by the Torre and Grande glaciers.

The Laguna Torre trailhead just above the town

Another gorgeous trail into the mountains

Richard wishing that Bev would stop taking so many photographs – and just run!

Here the mountain vistas are just as grand as Mount Fitz Roy with the jagged spire of Cerro Torre reaching above the rest of the Adela range at a height of 3,128m. If you’re lucky enough to arrive at this point on a clear day (we weren’t), the mythical Cerro Torre may be revealed to you. We had to settle for a brief glimpse of the spiky ridges before a wind storm swept in and literally blew us off our feet while a heavy blanket of cloud descended over the mountains and into the lake basin. We scrambled for cover under a rock shelf until the worst of the storm passed and then hightailed it back to the warmth and safety of our hostel. Another day well lived!

Approaching the jagged spires looming over Laguna Torre with Cerro Torre under cloud

Reaching Laguna Torre with hopes of clear skies

And then the wind picked up and we had to find shelter fast!

Notwithstanding the rough weather, it was an amazing day of trails, glaciers, and mountain bliss!

Overview

El Calafate is the gateway town to Los Glaciares National Park.

Regular buses run between El Calafate and El Chalten, a small town located in the park providing access to some of Argentina’s finest mountain trails.

This region is less structured than the Torres del Paine circuits in Chilean Patagonia, but multi-day adventures with overnight camping are possible if you are self-supported.

El Chalten is a perfect base for single day trail runs with options for accommodation and meals to suit all budgets.

After your trail adventures, don’t miss a visit to the awe-inspiring Perito Moreno Glacier near El Calafate.

Expect unpredictable and extreme weather conditions especially strong winds and quickly changing temperatures.

Bring layers and a good wind/rain jacket along with gloves, hat and neck covering.

Bring sunscreen and lip balm.

Best time to visit is October through March.

Links

www.losglaciares.com/en/calafate (general info)

www.elchalten.com (general info and maps)

www.losglaciares.com/en/parque/#1 (official park website)

www.americahostel.com.ar (hostel in El Calafate)

www.patagoniahostel.com.ar (hostel in El Chalten)

We picked Belize as the starting point for our adventure partly because we thought it would help us ease into the change in foods available to us to continue our plant-based diet throughout Central and South America. We also thought Belize was a good place to start as English is widely spoken, helping us greatly if we couldn’t communicate our requirements in Spanish.

Luckily we were correct on both counts. We discovered to our delight that it was relatively easy to find our basic items like soy milk, oats, cereal, bread and peanut butter at any supermarket (less so of course at local small supply shops/kiosks). What was most surprising was the soy milk imported from Canada was cheaper than what it is sold for in Canada!

Fruits and vegetables are also widely available, and if you stick to local produce, it’s very cost effective too. We paid $1 for 7 or 8 bananas, and about $1.50 for a very large papaya. As a comparison, we picked up 2 peaches (imported from the USA) at the market in Corozal for $5. We didn’t repeat that performance! Fruits and vegetables are best purchased at local markets, which are common in every town and village. Supermarkets tend to mark up quite a bit and the quality/freshness isn’t as good.

A papaya almost as big as my head for $1.50! Awesome!

Organic fruit and veggies are virtually non-existent; we found one store on Ambergris Caye that stocked imported organic produce but it was extremely expensive (for example, $7 for a small bag of organic baby carrots). We decided to stick to local produce and save our budget from being wrecked after the first week!

We didn’t have any greens or lettuces in Belize. These items carry a great risk for food borne illness as the soils and dirty water carry bacteria. Needless to say, from the outset we greatly missed our morning kale and banana smoothies!

We decided to seek out a balance of hostels with and without kitchens so that we could cook our own meals but also eat at restaurants some of the time when a kitchen wasn’t available or when we wanted a break from making meals or wanted to explore the local flavours.

Great kitchen at Yuma’s House Hostel on Caye Caulker

Cooking meals on the road is cost effective and a very social experience in hostels – we met and cooked with a fun and diverse group of people in Corozal and on Caye Caulker. It’s also a fun experience to explore the aisles of local supermarkets to see what local foods are available – combined with wonderful fresh goodies from the market! Our favourite spot was the bright pink fruit and veggie stall behind Yuma’s House Hostel (across from the basketball court) on Caye Caulker.

Home cooking at Yuma’s House Hostel: beans, veggies and tortillas – fresh and fantastic with an oceanfront view!

In Belize we typically made oats and tea for breakfasts, with fruit for snacks. Fruits were mostly bananas, oranges, papaya and watermelon. Lunches and dinners were typically pasta, curries, and beans and veggies on fresh tortillas – with a few peanut butter and banana sandwiches (or tortilla roll-ups) along the way.

Hot oats for breakfast with banana, cinnamon and soy milk

Peanut butter and banana tortilla roll-ups – fun and nutritious :)

Eating out was relatively straightforward, even with our basic Spanish. Almost every dish that didn’t include meat or fish did include cheese, so we simply specified no cheese or dairy (sin queso o lactosa) and enjoyed several delicious meals along the way. Most of our meals out in Belize centred around the staple of rice and beans – made a little spicy with Marie Sharp’s hot sauce – a Belizean favourite!

We also had other local fare like “pupusas” – flat corn cakes stuffed with beans (and other non vegan items of course, but we skipped those options!) and cooked on a griddle. Pupusas are actually from El Salvador but Belize has adopted the dish and added their own flare to it. Another great dish we tried was “salbutes” – deep fried tortillas topped with fresh salsa, beans and guacamole. The more standard food we tried included pizza, burritos, falafels and hummus and veggie burgers. Non-local food and restaurants are more expensive than domestic options.

Pupusas stuffed with beans and topped with pickled cabbage and hot sauce

As for beverages, we drank bottled purified water in Belize, along with coffee, tea, local beer (Belikin – regular and stout), and the water from one delicious fresh coconut! Beer is cheaper than water, and in the heat of the day, so much more refreshing!

Delicious fresh coconut water

To summarize, it was incredibly easy and reasonably cheap to follow our vegan diet in Belize while ensuring that we had variety as well as nutritious meals. Aside from our first few meals in Crooked Tree where we struggled a bit to convey what our needs were and found the food to be very expensive relative to subsequent meals we had, we really enjoyed our time as vegans in Belize.

Best local food tried: bean pupusas in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye (the restaurant across from Waruguma Restaurant – Waruguma is very popular, but they wouldn’t make us pupusas without cheese)

Most surprising food experience: finding soy milk readily available

Most challenging food experience: avoiding deep fried, processed and fast food (it’s everywhere in Belize!)

After 3+ weeks in Guatemala and so many amazing sights, sounds and experiences, it was time to move on to a new country. We travelled east (+/- 7 hours via shuttle bus through mountain villages and over bumpy roads) from Semuc Champey to Rio Dulce, a town on the banks of the River Dulce (hence Rio Dulce!). We spent the night at Hotel Kangaroo, a few minutes up the river by boat from the main town of Rio Dulce. Run by an ex-pat Aussie (obviously!) and his wife, the hostel is a great spot to touch down for a few days in a very tranquil environment – and it has a great little Mexican restaurant too! Unfortunately we only had one night there as we decided we needed to press on into Honduras.

Lush hills in the countryside between Semuc Champey and Rio Dulce

Another view of the gorgeous countryside!

The deck at Hotel Kangaroo – perfect for a cold sundowner after a long travel day!

Richard looking relaxed at Hotel Kangaroo

Bev in the boat on the morning of our departure from Hotel Kangaroo

We departed Rio Dulce via local bus the next morning for the 220km / 7-hour journey to the border at El Florido, located between Chiquimula, Guatemala and Copán Ruinas, Honduras. The journey started off with images of a comfortable coach style bus on which we would while away the time sleeping, reading and writing blog articles. Unfortunately, when the bus arrived, it was clear that the conditions would be slightly different! The somewhat rickety bus was completely packed with people and packages in all shapes and sizes (including a goose in a box). After paying our fare of roughly $6 each (Richard tried to negotiate a lower fare as we clearly were not going to have a seat for the full journey, but the conductor was not interested!), we stood for the first hour, after which I was able to find a seat. At some point Richard was offered a rickety stool to sit on in the aisle next to the driver by the conductor! Can’t imagine this scenario playing out in Canada!

Waiting for the bus in Rio Dulce

Streetscape of Rio Dulce

Eventually the passenger volume thinned and we were both able to sit comfortably for the balance of the journey. As is the case with bus travel in Central America, the trip was not without incident, as one of the tires was perpetually deflating, requiring the conductor to stop and jump out of the bus every 40 minutes or so to plug the leak with a nail. This went on for at least 5 hours, after which the bus pulled into the bus company repair shop to have the tire changed. As the day went on, the bus emptied but for the two of us, and we were eventually unceremoniously dropped at the “frontera” or border, after what ended up being a 9-hour trip instead of 7! We were pleased that another of our long travel days by bus in Central America had ended without loss of limb, sanity or personal belongings

After each paying our unofficial US$3 “entry tax” upon arrival in Guatemala, we wondered if we’d receive the same request upon departure from the country. Our host at the Kangaroo Hotel indicated that we shouldn’t have to pay a “departure tax”, but our border official had other ideas. This time however, we decided to stand our ground, and asked what the tax was for, and if we could have a receipt – all in Spanish (well done, Rich!). Notwithstanding our basic Spanish, these were not easy questions to ask a stubborn (and we assume, corrupt) border official who has your passports in her hands! Anyhow, after a few minutes of staring at one another, she eventually relented, and waved us through.

Entering Honduras was very easy and less intimidating than we both expected. After paying our official entry fee of US$3 at the border crossing, we hopped in a shuttle bus for a short 10km drive to the town of Copan Ruinas, our base for the next 3 nights. Once again we parted with our bags as they were thrown onto the roof of the minivan – something you get used to very quickly when travelling by local bus in Central America. Most times the bags are tied down and covered with a tarp, but there have been some moments when we’ve wondered what shape our bags would be in upon arrival at our destination – assuming of course they made it that far! More on our short stay in Honduras in the next blog post!

Bev thumbs up: Overnight at Hotel Kangaroo with cold beers on the deck
Bev thumbs down: Delays on an already long bus trip
Richard thumbs up: Going through a town called Chiquimula, Guatemala
Richard thumbs down: Constantly fearing a tyre blow out!

Unfortunately the time came for us to leave Caye Caulker and turn our compass east towards Guatemala. We purchased a combo ticket from Caye Caulker to Flores, Guatemala for US$30 each which included the water taxi from Caye Caulker to Belize City, with a connecting bus from Belize City to Flores in Guatemala. This daily service is offered by the Belize Express water taxi company and we purchased the tickets right on the island next to our favourite bright pink fruit stand behind the village basketball court. The water taxi ride was 45 minutes, followed by a 4-hour bus ride in a small tourist coach through the western highlands of Belize via the town of San Ignacio. Much of the area had experienced heavy rains over the past month, so there was a lot of flooding in the region, along with closures of many tourist attractions. We were relieved that we hadn’t planned to spend any time in this area, as we would’ve been quite disappointed!

Time to leave Caye Caulker via ferry to Belize City

On the bus to Flores from Belize City

Crossing the border from Belize into Guatemala went without a hitch, despite the bribe of US$3 each that we were asked to pay on the Guatemalan side. This is a well known unofficial “entry tax” and every traveller is charged a different amount – ranging from zero to US$10. Of course there’s no sense challenging the request, but it was quite an infuriating experience! At least the Belizean departure tax is an official amount of B$37 that is payable by all travellers and for which you receive a receipt and explanation of what your tax will be used for. I’m sure that we’ll encounter a few more informal entry and exit requirements and “taxes” as we move further into Central and South America!

Continuing on to the town of Flores, we switched buses a few kilometres before the entrance to the town. We soon realized that the purpose of this switch was to give a tour operator an opportunity to sell accommodation and tour packages. Fortunately we had been warned about this by the hostel, Los Amigos, that we had pre-booked in Flores, and we were very firm with our responses to the salesman. We were then very quickly unloaded and sent on our way! Fortunately the walk to Los Amigos was a short one!

Outside Los Amigos Hostel

Los Amigos is one of the most popular hostels in Flores. It has a mixture of dormitory beds and private rooms. We opted for a private room with shared bathroom for two nights in the quieter building (Los Amigos II) around the corner from the main hostel. The hostel offers many services to travellers including a travel agency, great communal social spaces, storage lockers and a fantastic restaurant. We were delighted to discover many vegan options on the menu at very reasonable prices including a lentil burger, tofu wrap, tofu curry and wonderful salads. It was also here that we discovered our favourite Guatemalan beer – Moza (as opposed to the very prolific Gallo brand!).

Our private room at Los Amigos hostel

Enjoying the muy delicioso cerveza – Moza!

Gardens and lounge area at Los Amigos Hostel

Located on an island within Lake Petzen Itza and connected by bridge to another town called Santa Elena, Flores is a tiny but quaint village with brightly coloured old buildings and cobblestone roads. It’s a small part of the world that exists mostly due to the tourist traffic to nearby Tikal – one of the largest and oldest Mayan ruin sites in Central America. We chose to visit Tikal before sunrise, to experience the jungle in the dark and of course, to see the sunrise and hear the jungle come to life. We left Flores at 3am and arrived in Tikal at 4:30am. The ruins are located within a national park and access prior to dawn is limited to small groups. We were accompanied by a guide who led us on a 45-minute walk into the ruins, towards Temple IV – the largest of the structures at Tikal, rising up to 70m. We ascended a staircase alongside the structure, and were allowed to climb only parts of the temple to reach the stepped pinnacle where we would sit and watch the sunrise.

Just after sunrise atop Temple IV at Tikal

Unfortunately the morning was overcast and the jungle was shrouded in mist, so we didn’t see the sunrise. However, we were afforded a very unique opportunity to sit and meditate at the top of a 4th Century BC Mayan temple in the quiet of the morning before the jungle came to life with beautiful bird calls and the chatter of monkeys, including the roar of the howler monkeys. We spent the next 4 hours exploring the expansive site with lunch atop another of the temples. It’s hard to describe the beauty of the setting and the presence of these ancient structures which include pyramids, temples, plazas, living quarters and palaces. Only 20 percent of the ruins have been uncovered by archeologists thus far, and work on the site continues to uncover and restore the structures and their inscriptions. At its peak, Tikal was home to roughly 100,000 Mayans, with a long, colourful, powerful and often ferocious history. The collapse of the Mayan empire remains a mystery.

Structures in the Grand Plaza at Tikal

Moss covered structure in the jungle at Tikal

At the top of the centre temple in the Grand Plaza at Tikal

Our stay in Flores included a very hot run around the village – we had to circle the island and cross the bridge 8 times to make up our 10km distance! We also visited the Cuevas de Ak’tun Kan (also called the Cave of the Serpent) just outside of Flores, that we reached via tuk-tuk – the most common mode of transport in these parts. The limestone caves were filled with interesting stalactite formations and of course, the obligatory bats. We were comforted by the investment we made in our rabies shots prior to our departure!

Welcome to Flores via bridge from Santa Elena

Flores rooftops

Lane with coloured buildings and cobblestone roads in Flores

Tuk-tuk ride to the caves outside Flores

Stalactite formations in the Cave of the Serpent (fortunately the serpent wasn’t home when we visited!)

Our first taste of Guatemala was extremely positive. The people are friendly, the scenery is spectacular and there is infrastructure that we didn’t expect – for example, we were quite surprised by how modern the town of Santa Elena is – complete with shopping malls festooned with Christmas trees, santa and decorations! We were also pleasantly surprised by how much cheaper it is to travel in Guatemala, compared to Belize. And of course, we were delighted to discover essentials like soy milk, granola and peanut butter in the supermarkets! However, there has also been one rather uncomfortable (travel) experience in Guatemala so far, which we’ll elaborate on in the next blog entry (don’t worry, nobody got hurt and nothing was lost, except maybe a few nerves).

After 3 nights on Ambergris Caye we boarded the Belize Express water taxi bound for Caye Caulker. A very efficient 30 minute boat ride delivered us safely onto the dock at Caye Caulker – our home for the next 5 nights. Caulker is a very small slice of paradise. With only 2,000 inhabitants, the island is roughly 8km long and about 500m wide. From most points on the island you can see the shore on the other side! The island was split in two when Hurricane Hattie tore through the region in 1961.

Leaving the dock in San Pedro bound for Caye Caulker

The roads are not paved and are covered with sea sand. There are no private vehicles allowed, and the most popular modes of transport are bikes, golf carts and foot. It’s much more laid back than Ambergris Caye and feels less touristy than San Pedro. It’s also cheaper and has a lovely community feel to it. We settled in and got some sand between our toes!

Sandy roads and palm trees – paradise!

We had the foresight to book accommodation ahead of time at Yuma’s House Hostel – the island’s most popular digs for travellers looking for budget accommodation in a tranquil setting, right on the beach and close to the centre of the village. The owner, Susanne, runs a tight ship and ensures that the premises is well kept and the partying kept to a minimum. Perfect! We had booked a private room with shared bathroom for 3 nights, and upon arrival, extended our stay for another 2 nights (one night in a 4-person dorm with bunk beds and the other in a private room). Sharing facilities was very comfortable and easy – especially in such a well-run hostel.

Yuma’s House on the beach

We were delighted to discover a well stocked and clean kitchen, from which we would whip up some delicious home-cooked meals over the next few days. We also made new friends, including a fun British couple (Nick and Hannah) who recently lived in Vancouver, and who coincidentally are also runners, having both recently participated in the Squamish 50 – just like us! We also met folks from Sweden, Holland, Australia, USA and Greece. So fun to cross paths with so many different people, each with their own stories and itineraries. Be interesting to see if we overlap with anyone in the months ahead.

Yuma’s House upstairs kitchen – the social hub (especially on rainy days!)

Bean and veggie tacos overlooking the ocean at Yuma’s House

Unfortunately the tail-end of the rainy season delivered a few stormy and wet days during our stay on Caulker. This gave us plenty of time to relax, share stories and tips with other travellers and plan our route for the week ahead. While wet, it was very warm and humid on the island. We were able to get in three runs during our stay on Caulker (including a 10km trail/beach/swamp run with our British friends!) – one of which started under glorious sunny skies and ended with us absolutely drenched as a tropical thunderstorm swept in. At least our running gear got a wash in the process!

Lots of space to relax at Yuma’s House

Our time on Caulker was filled with walks up and down the island looking for delicious fresh ingredients for meals, trying different cafes for morning coffee, and of course, looking for the next cold cerveza. We also spent some time swimming, lazing about on various hammocks and docks drinking freshly cut young coconuts, watching sunsets and generally living up to the island motto to “go slow” (although Richard almost received a speeding ticket from a local for walking too fast one morning on his way back from the market!).

Coco Loco – the best coconut stand on Caulker!

Coco Loco with another coco loco :)

At “The Split” – the northern most point of the island where Hurricane Hattie split the island in two – everyone flocks here to swim and chill on a sunny day

The Lazy Lizard bar at The Split

Hammock time!

We were very sorry to pack up our backpacks and move on from Caulker! However, the rest of Central and South America were yet to be explored, and it was time to move inland. We purchased a combo water ferry/bus ticket that would take us to Belize City and then onwards to Flores in Gautemala. More on this in the next post!

Beautiful Caye Caulker

Bev’s thumbs up: Yuma’s House, fruit stand across from the basketball court

Bev’s thumbs down: not enough hammock time!

Richard’s thumbs up: laid back vibe, swimming at The Split

Richard’s thumbs down: too much rain