Caye Cualker and the end the road (for now)!

This is it! The last few days of a trip that started six months ago. Incredible how quickly the time has flown by. I am thrilled to have had this opportunity to get out and see a bit of the world. I know it won't be the last time either :)
I came back to Caye Cualker, Belize because I wanted a few days of peace and quiet to reflect on the last few months before heading back to San Francisco.
I have met many remarkable people from all over the world. Some only for an afternoon, others for a few days as traveling companions. I know that I had reservations before the trip, as it was the first time I'd be alone for so long, in countries where the language and customs would be unfamiliar. But they disappeared pretty early on into the trip.
There are a lot of stories that didn't make the blog. I look forward to going home and sharing them. I am grateful to all of my family and friends who helped me throughout the journey.
Until next time!
Jas



Tropical Depression Harry hit the coast of Belize during my stay. People had to get their boats out of the water. They were using what appeared to be pipes to roll them onshore.



Vanja from Slovania, not put out in the least!



True



Walking around the island after the storm...















What's best in life:



Back at the Split :)



Jan






The water was still a bit rough after the storm



I'll miss the emergency Salbute sessions....



...and meeting new people! Tina, from San Jose, although she calls it "Man Jose"









Good times until the last minute! Elina, another fun roommate.



Some mornings there was no wind at all, and ocean almost looked like glass...



I spent most of my last days snorkeling, digging up abandoned conch shells and starfish at the Split...






“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson





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Isla Mujeres, Mexico (whale sharks!)

The spotted whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, is the largest living fish species. They can reach up to 41 feet in length and weigh more than 79 thousand lb. The shark lives in tropical and warm oceans, with a lifespan of about 70 years. The name "whale shark" comes from the fish's physiology; it is as large as a whale, but is a slow-moving filter feeding shark. Although whale sharks have very large mouths, they feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants, animals, and occasionally schools of small fish. During certain times of the year, you can take a tour out to where they are known to feed off the coast of Mexico and swim with them.
I was very excited about this trip, it was the whole reason I came to Cancun! I was picked up at 7:30 from the hostel and dropped off at Punta Sam to meet up with the tour guide. We got on the boat and headed to one other pier to pick up a few more people, then headed out. The trip out to the spot where the whale sharks were feeding took about an hour and a half. We were told that there had been about a hundred of them the day before, so there was a good chance that we'd see quite a few that day. The rules were, only two people we allowed at a time, with a guide, into the waters with the sharks, so as to not disturb them. We weren't allowed to try and touch them although not much could be done if they bumped into you :). Also, we were only allowed to apply sunscreen at the beginning of our trip, as too much sunscreen in the water could adversely affect the health of the plankton the sharks fed on.
When we arrived at the site, there were about 6 other boats with groups of people, surrounding by about 30 whale sharks, maybe more. My partner and I, a Canadian gentleman who had just gone on the same tour a couple of days before, went in first. We had to be quick! Basically the boat would slowly maneuver into position along side an approaching whale shark. You had to jump in as soon as they called out and swim as quickly as possible to catch up with a gliding shark. It was very tiring but exhilarating. I managed to get within a couple of feet of one before we were called back to let the next couple go.
Over the next hour or so, all six couples went three times. My last time in was amazing but also pretty funny. I basically jumped in and began to swim as hard as I could, determined to make the most my last chance to get close to them. I had just reached the side of the shark, when it suddenly changed direction slightly and I was partially on top of it. I tried to back off, but got whacked by its massive tail as it passed by. It didn't hurt, but it was kind of a surprise, it all happened so quickly. Apparently, I am just as accident prone on sea as I am on land :)
One other surprise was that most of us suffered from motion sickness as the boat idled in the water while the couples were swimming. I have been on boats since I can remember and never gotten sea-sick, but something about the combination exerting yourself to keep up with the sharks, and swell of the ocean was enough to make most of us have to stick our heads over the side of the boat for relief. I didn't get that sick, but I did have to put my head down for a few minutes. It was really weird.
After we'd all had our turns, we headed back to Isla Mujeres to snorkel, rest on the beach, and eat. Our guides served fresh cerviche and Coronas from the boat while we stood in the water to cool off. Excellente! All in all a lovely day, so glad I was able to do it. What an amazing experience!









































Underwater pics to be posted soon!

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Cancún, Mexico

I wasn't exactly planning on coming to Cancún. The original plan was, get to Holbox Island, which is supposed to be very beautiful, and join a tour to swim with the spotted whale sharks there. That would have required me getting up very early and leaving Tulum around 3 am, taking a 2.5 hour bus ride to Cancún, then catching another 3 hour bus ride to a town called Chiqula, and then a ferry to Holbox Island, hopefully getting there before the last one left for the day. I knew I could also just take a ferry from Cancún to Isla Mujeres and join a tour there, but all of the hostels were booked for the night I was arriving. Meanwhile, Cancún had plenty of lodging options, and although a bit pricier, has tour companies that offer the same trips that you can find on Isla Mujeres. I booked three nights at Hostel Ka'beh Cancun. The hostel is located very close to the main bus terminal in the city's center and not in the hotel Zone with all of the beaches. After I unpacked, a group of us headed to the beach to cool off. The beaches are easy to get to, many buses will take you there for 30 pesos. We got off in the hotel district (which is a giant adult theme park, with bars, clubs and restaurants) and walk through an alley to the beach. It was actually really nice.
Later that night, the hostel had a BBQ for the guests. The next morning, I was going to join a tour at 7:30 to swim with whale sharks. Unfortunately, there was a breakdown in communication and I did not get picked up! So I rescheduled and joined a small group of people from the hostel for the day. We visited a local market for a few hours and then took a ferry from Punta Sam to Isla Mujeres. Once there, we took a cab to a beach on the northern end of the island for a few hours before taking the ferry back.
That night, Katie and I headed to Roots Jazz Club for dinner. A Baltimore based jazz and blues guitarist named Mark Mosely was playing with the talented in house band. They played an eclectic mix, some of his original music and some covers, including a smooth (yacht rock) version of Anita Baker's "Sweet Love". I especially enjoyed "TLC" and "JB (James Brown)".
The next day, I did go swim with the whale sharks. It was amazing! And that day will get its own post. I was worn out by the time I made it back to the hostel. But no worries, I had the next couple of days to enjoy Cancún before I going back to Caye Cualker.

I ran into Elivira, from Caye Cualker, at the Tulum bus station. On our way to Cancún.






Hostel Ka'beh Cancun



Hello Aldo, one of the helpful and friendly staff.



Heading to the beach with some of the ladies from the hostel, Sylvie, Kiki, and Katie.



The beach!



Ben, Sylvie, Katie, Astrid, and Kiki



The moon came out before the sunset.



BBQ back at the hostel, Ben at the grill.



At the market. I crushed my sunglasses (again) and needed new ones.















Awesome gift idea!



The guys were brave enough to give each of these a try, each one spicier than the last!



Comidas.



All Dolce & Gabbana in the front....



...and Dairy Queen in the back! (hey, they were only 3 dollars :) )















Volkswagen bugs are muy popular in Mexico, you see them all over road!






Tulum Ave






The main bus station.



On the way to the ferry at Punta Sam.



The ferry.



Hues of Blue.









Isla Mujeres






Another great gift idea! These lamps were for sale on the ferry :)















Katie is an archeologist from Calgary, Canada.





On our way back.









Thinking about work...



Sunset...





One last look at Isla Mujeres.


At the Roots Jazz Club, the charismatic Mark Mosely. It was a funky performance. Witness "Jazz-Face".


Walking past a landmark to the mall. After a little too much sun the day before on the whale shark tour, hitting the mall was a great way to beat the heat.


I took the opportunity to get my haircut so I won't look like a savage when I get home in a couple of weeks. The stylist cut and styled it really nicely, and I'll probably never be able to get it to look the same :)


Capitan America! En espanol! I really liked it.


They lasted about three days and then just fell apart :) Carambas!


My last night in Cancun, a group from the hostel was heading to a pool party at a club in the Hotel Zone. I was leaving very early the next day and decided to pass :) Plus I think my days of paying 45$ to wear a bikini and drink in a pool until 4:30 AM may be past me (maybe). But I did join the pre-party Jenga game before saying my goodbyes.


Ben supports Shav as he faces the consequences of facing off with a Jedi Jenga Master (me).


Owen was hilariously genius at setting up the next player to fail.


I really enjoyed getting to know Katie and Astrid during my stay.



After a 6 hour bus ride from Cancun, I arrived in Chetumal to catch the water taxi to Belize. This is at Muelle Fiscal port.





The water taxi. They showed "The Fast and The Furious 5." I think I'll use that emergency exit now.....


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