Hacienda Don Juan Hotel San Cristobal de las Casas

... loads of tourists from the resorts on the coast. Mind you it could have been worse - I saw a sign on the way in advertising Sarah Brightman singing at Chitchen Itza - thank God we were spared that spectacle.

The hawkers at Chitchen Itza were brilliant. Their tag line was "Almost free". Then one shouted at me "It's cheaper than Walmart!".

I walked to the cenote, which is a big pool of water, created where an underground river comes to the surface. These places were ...

... Each to their own. Invested in some fake rayban sunglasses as I lost my 4th pair in Costa Rica. Was keen to try some traditional mexican grub but was pretty full still from breakfast and the hostel bed included dinner as well so held out for that. Went up to the bar at 1930 for the said dinner and was handed a plate with a sponfull of potato tuna salad and a lettuce leaf and kept it hanging for 30 seconds, expecting some potato or rice or even chicken but it was not ...

... die durch den Laerm verloren gegangen sind) und nur dann zu bedienen, wenn man sich laut bemerkbar macht. Den Block meines Verlangens habe ich dann bekommen, durfte ihn aber nicht anfassen. Die Verkaeuferin stellt einen Zettel aus, mit dem Namen des Blocks und dessen Preis. Mit dem Zettel geht man zu einem Kassenhaeusschen (das die sowas ueberhaupt brauchen? Macht man mit Papier so viel Geld?) und zahlt seine 7Pesos. Mit der Quittung muss man sich zwei Meter rechts vom ...

... br>Siamo saliti in cima alla collina di nostra signora di qualchecosa (Guadalupe, dice Giuliano), abbiamo girato per lo zocalo e l'isola pedonale, tra un caffe' e un succo di frutta.
Ma il momento clou della giornata e' stato lo shopping al mercatino dell'artigianato: dobbiamo gia' pensare ad una valigia supplementare, e siamo nella prima settimana di viaggio...
Ci ...

... rebar bender. That was it, no angle grinders, 18v electric drills or even a screwdriver. The family that was moving in was so thankful that they invited me to their ´´house´´ for lunch. It was a simle structure of wood and plastic with a corrugated roof behind a torilla shop. Quite small for the young couple and twin girls.
I was also able to stay with an indigenous Tzotile family in Zinacantan. This took lots of arranging ...

... Well it turns out to have all been a “hill of beans”.

No, on second thought, it was the beans that made me write this blog. I know that Mexico is big on beans and we loved eating the “frijoles” or Mexican refried beans whenever we could. But the market took the beans and their colours to a whole new level.

There were pinto beans, black beans, black turtle beans, black-eyed beans, navy beans, small red beans, great ...

... de San Javier, pop. 200, friendly people: 200 Least favorite place: San Felipe, Villa hermosa, Veracruz Sad Fact: Every year this trip will get more impossible as gringos(Americans) buy up(and thereafter build fences with Keep out signs!) the whole beachline of Baja.

... soll, erwischen. gluecklicherweise haben wir nach unserem besuch im internet noch genuegend zeit fuer weiteren kaffee. dann gehts aber wieder mit der u-bahn zum busterminal. unser bus faehrt relativ puenktlich ab, muss aber nach zehrn minuten wieder umdrehen, weil ein ziemlich nerviger alarmton den busfahrer beim fahren stoert. also, zurueck zum terminal und in den naechsten bus. dieser funktioniert auch richtig und wir koennen nun 13 stunden busfahren.

... significance and often an irritating curiosity strangers focused on. 3d was a fading black scar on my body because the tattooist butchered the skin the way a butcher butchers butch bone steaks. six years later, las calaveras pieced over the top.

a spiral of ink shading wound its way up my arm. by the time vito corleone was gunned down in the street, spilling oranges as he fell, alex had outlined the eight sanctified stars of my skin. when sonny was gunned down at the turnstile ...

... absolute joke but I couldn't say anything as we all know American customs are a little up tight! The flight with Aviasca with was a bit hit and miss. It was the first time I've really had to pay any attention to using Spanish and I really don't understand much at all. Still we got a ham and cheese roll with jalapeņo sauce which was nice. The plane was REALLY old and I didn't actually think we would be able to take off as we were very quickly running out of runway. Once in the air ...