Day 139 - Had breakfast and then caught a collectivo taxi which is a minibus for about 12 people but very cheap. We went about an hour from Merida to a place called Cuzama. We then went to a place where we hired transportation for a tour. The transport was a horse drawing a little carriage along metal think train tracks. The tour took us to three different cenotes, which are caves that have beautiful clear water in them for swimming. There are rays of sunlight coming through the caves onto the water which shows how clear and turqoise they are. We went to three on our little horse drawn buggy and swam in them. Very nice way to spend an afternoon. Then back to Merida and had fried fish and chips, not like the English fish and chips but still very good.

Day 140 - Booked onto a tour to see the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, which was a very important military settlement around 900-1200 AD. There is still a great deal to see there and we had a guide show us round so we knew what we were looking at. he took us to the older part first where the main thing to see was an astronomy observatory as the Mayans were big on astronomy and how it linked to crops, fertility and Gods etc. Then we saw the main plaza, which had a huge Egyptian style pyrmaid at its centre and the place where the markets were at the other end. There is also an old Mayan stadium where they played their games, which looked fairly bloodthristy from the carvings on the walls of the stadium. We then had an hour to look round on our own. After that we went for a buffet lunch which ws included in the price of the tour. Then headed back to Merida where we got back about 6pm. Freshened up and out for dinner. It is very cheap here. I had two Coronas and a pasta dish for dinner and that cost about four pounds…cant complain for that price!

Day 141 - Got up and had breakfast, nice pancakes with maple syrup. Then headed to the bus station where we took the five hour bus journey over to the Caribbean coast of Mexico to Tulum. We arrived into Tulum around 3pm and headed straight to Lobo Inn where we had a reservation. But they had messed it up and given our room to someone else to she gave a free night in the dormitory before moving to our room tomorrow. We then walked down to the beach where the ruis of Tulum are. Tulum ruins are situated right next to the beach on the cliffs. It was an important trading port for the Mayans around 1200AD. We walked round the ruins backed by the turquoise sea of the Caribbean. We ended by getting down to the beach from the ruins and having a nice swim in the sea. The out into the town which was a taxi ride away from out hotel, for dinner! Had a great pizza.

Day 142 - Got ourselves down to the beach after a very early lunch in town and it rained a little in the morning. Then set up for an afternoon at the beach. tulum beach is amazing, about 40m wide and it stretches for about 6kmn continuously of white soft sand. Spent the afternoon there and then had dinner in one of the beach side restaurants before heading back to the hotel.

Day 143 - Got checked out of the hotel and got to the bus station for about 11am. Paid barely anything for a one hour bus onto Playa Del Carmen, our next port of call. Arrived into Playa Del Carmen and annoyingly the hotel we wanted to stay at was fully booked today so had to make do with another similarly priced one nearby…at least it has air-con, because it is insanely hot right now!! Had a nice lunch and then spent the afternoon at the beach. The beach runs parallel to the main street called 5th Avenue, which is where all the shops, bars and hotels are. So we only have to walk about 30m to the beach. the beach is nice although it is quite built up as it is a major package holiday destination for Brits, Americans and rich Mexicans. There are some massive all inclusive resorts just outside the town. After nice day at the beach we went out for dinner and a wander round the shops

Day 144 - In the morning we moved to the nice hotel, which is called Lab Nah and has a pool and iseven nearer the beach. we then went out for a proper Mexican lunch and had Chicken tacos (like burritos) with rice and beans, very tasty. Then spent the afternoon on the beach and had a little excitement just before we were about to head back to the hotel. Storm clouds were brewing on the horizon and Catherine said, “Adam, is that a tornado forming out there?” I replied assertively, “no, of course it isn’t, you only get those in North American in the states.” We kept watching and before long Catherine said, “no, I am sure I can see a tornado reaching down and touching the sea surface.” And……she was spot on, a tornado had formed out at sea and by this point you could see the bottom of the twister spraying up loads of water on the surface. the whole beach was looking out and taking photos. Then the rain clouds closed in around it and it disappeared! The back to the hotel and out for a nice dinner and a walk about!

Day 145 - Spent the morning by the pool and had a good swim and read our books. Then out for lunch and had nice cheap tacos again. Then when the sun had gone from the pool in the afternoon, we headed down to the beach for the afternoon. In the evening we treated ourselves to a bit of a nicer meal and went out for a steak each and had a few drinks! Then after dinner we went down to the beach and had a drink at a nice bar then headed onto a place where we knew there was a big fire show. the crowds were huge, partly because of the show and partly because ladies drinks were free that night. The fire show was amazing, four people swinging round fire sticks and wheels. Very crazy but very entertaining!

Day 146 - Last full day in Playa Del Carmen. had some breakfast then down to the pool for the morning. Had a subway for lunch and then set off on a big walk down the beach to explore a bit. The first beach is in the town then the next beach has a few big all inclusive hotels on it. Then you come to a third beach after quite a walk. this is an amazing quiet stretch of white sand beach and clear water backed by greenery, rather than hotels, which is nice. Spent the afternoon there and then walked back. In the evening out for dinner and then off to bed!

Day 131 - Arrived in San Cristobal De La Cases early in the morning. It is at 2100m in the mountains and is widely regarded as the finest example of a Spanish colonial town in Mexico if not all of Latin America. We found a hostel and had breakfast and then set off walking around. We wandered round the main square and saw the cathedral and visited the very colourful markets. Catherine has dragged me into practically every jewellery shop on offer. San Cristobal is one of the few places in the world where amber is mined and jade and turqoise are also in abundance making jewellery relatively cheap and she is looking for a pendant. Had lunch and continued to wander around most of the day and then out for dinner in the evening!

Day 132 - Spent another day walking round San Cristobal and stopping off in cafes, chilling out, reading etc. Very hard day! also visited the mayan medicine centre which explains how they use the jungle to cure every day ailments etc. Also went to see a hacienda which was where two Dutch anthropologists lived as they studied the Mayan culture in the state of Chiapas where we are. They went into the rainforest and lived with the Lancandonian Mayans and learnt their ways of living and amassed a photography collection of over 50,000 photos…some, not all of which, are on display! They were honoured for their environmental work by the UN in 1991. Then in the evening out for a pasta dinner and then watched a DVD.

Day 133 - Up early as off on a tour today. We set off at 9am to the Sumidero Canyon about an hour from San Cristobal. We went on a two hour boat ride down the river which runs through the canyon. The canyon is huge and very impressive with 100oft walls of sheer cliffs on each side. At its highest point, the canyon is 1000m or 3000ft high! As we went along the boat, we saw alot of wildlife including pelicans, monkeys in the trees and crocodiles, which was good for photos. On the way back, nearer the midday sun, the crocodiles came out to bask in the sun on the banks of the river and we could get quite close up in the boat before they slunk back into the water! They grow up to 6-7m long in that area! Then had lunch at a small town on the way back and arrived back mid afternoon. And did not do a great deal for the rest of the day!

Day 134 - Last day in San Cristobal and had a lie in as we were rather tired, despite having not done a great deal. So we had, perhaps, the most laid back day ever! We basically walked from cafe to cafe and I finished the book I have been reading and sat in the squares as it was very hot! Very stressful day, but also managed to get our travel plans sorted for the following day to Palenque and then an overnight bus to Merida. In the evening we went out for a good dinner, I had all you can eat meat and salad buffet and had steak and chicken, so stuffed myself. Then we went to the cinema after dinner!

Day 135 - Up at 5.45am, which is an obscenely unearthly hour of the day for both of us! Got packed up and then picked up by a minibus and we set off towards Palenque and we both went to sleep. Had two stops along the way, firstly, a beautiful cascading waterfall called Agua Azul, meaning water blue. It was 500m and came down in many layers and you could walk all the way up the side and see it. Then a bit further on the journey we stopped at Misol Ha, a Mayan named waterfall which was about 150m and just dropped down straight into a massive circular pool and that was really nice too. Had lunch their and then onwards to Palenque. Palenque sits high in the jungle and is one of the mosty significant archaelogical finds in Mexico. So far, 26 temples have been excavated but from surverys done from the sky with high tech equipment they have established there is a total of over 1,500 temples in the city of Palenque. They remain unexcavated in the jungle! We hired a tour guide who took us round the main temples, some of which have sarcophogi hidden deep in the middle of the temples, found by walking through passage ways! The most interesting thing we picked up from the tour is how Palenque is a mix of civilisations, with influences from Eqypt, Grece, China, Thailand etc. There is a carving of Tuthenkhamun and many carvings of Egyptian dress and a Chinese dragon. The theory behind this is that they went out into the world and wer linked with som of those civilisations through trade! At the end of the tour we were dropped off at the bus station and had six hours to kill before our overnight bus, which we had booked, to take us to Merida in the state of Yucutan! So we went to a Best Western hotel and sat and had a drink and then a long dinner to try and buy time! Then off on the overnight bus to Merida at midnight.

Day 136 - Arrived in Merida at 9am, but unfortunately Catherine had succumbed to food poisoning on the bus during the night so had a rather unpleasant journey! Went to a hotel and checked in and Cat slept most of the day and did not eat so i just read my book and had a look round the town and had a subway for dinner!!

Day 137 - Catherine still felt rather porrly but managed to have a bit of a walk round. Then I went off and tried to find a better deal on hotels as the one we are in is rather poor and overpriced. Had a swim in the pool in the afternoon and then out for something to eat and then watched a dvd with Catherine in the evening!! Not a massive amount to report really! Merida is a really nice town and is in Spansh colonial style around the centre. The main square is now a continental style plaza with cafes around the egde. The Spanish conquistadores dismantle the Mayan teemples that were there and used the same stone to build a huge cathedral and a stone plaza!

Day 138 - Moved to a much nicer hotel I found in the morning and Catherine managed to stomach some breakfast and is feeling a bit better! We even managed to have a look round the town today and went to some markets and cultural site the city has to offer. In the evening there was traditional salsa dancing going on in the streets in front of the restaurants where they had bands playing and the roads were blocked off to traffic. So after dinner we went and watched this which was quite interesting.

Day 122 - Up early on Ambergris Caye and then caught a water taxi over to the nerarby island of Caye Caulker where our sailing trip departed from. Arrived there and got a samll motorized dinghy out to the sail boat which was anchored at sea. Mum found it a little dodgy but it was fine! Then off we went on our Caribbean sailing trip. The sea was amazing, really clam and clear blue and turqoise colours. We stopped next to the reef just before lunch for an hours snorkelling which was great then back onto the boat for a hearty lunch of chicken rice and beans!! The sailed all afternoon and eventually reached our overnight detsination of Rendezvous Caye. It was a 100m tiny uninhabited island in the caribbean. I attempted to ask where the toilet was to be designatedf and the captain replied, “wherever you want to go!”. I was more concerned for Mum than myslef however everyone managed fine. Then we set up our tents on the beach while the crew prepared dinner! Despite a few dodgy pieces of tent apparatus we all got sorted in the end and then everyone saytt round the fire and tucked into some lethal rum punch while waiting for dinner. Dinner then arrived off the boat which was fresh barracuda caught that day from the boat, with rice, which was good. Everyone then drank and drinking games before bed. The night was cut short by rain as everyone had to run to put the waterproof layer on their tents!

Day 123 - Up at 6.30am with the sun beaming down on the tents! Into the sea for wash and then onto the boat for breakfast of scrambled eggs and fruit. Some were feeling a little worse for wear from the rum punch the night before!! Set sail and off we went and again stopped off for snorkelling along the reef then lunch of sandwiches. Arrived to our second nights islkand stop of Tobacco Caye mid afternnon which is an inhabited island but still very small. Mum and Dad felt like a little luxury and got a sea front little cabana with a balcony over the water and Catherine and I bagfged a place on the floor. We all had a swim round the island and saw huge sting rays munching on lobster carcasses!! Then a few beers in the bar before dinner. Dinner was shrimp, rice and barracuda and was awesome.

Day 124 - Final day of the sailing trip and a delayed deaparture. The captain and the crew were proper sailors and used the sails nearly all the time. However, there was a tropical storm closing in today and they wanted to make sure they had the motor as backup….they did not!! It was in tru Belizean style, broken. They had a to wait for a part to come from another island but nothing worked and we set off just with sails! Progress was slow as the wind was not helping us that much! Eventually Dice had to get behind the boat and push it along with the motorized dinghy to speed us up. We got to Placenica t 5pm just as a hug rainsotrm closed in however, it took a while to clsoe in on the pier without a motor and we had to be toed in with a rope by a speedbpat in the end! The trip was a once in lifetime thing though and we had great fun! Went straight for some food as we were all pretty hungry and had a good shrimp dinner and then onto ou hotel called Laru beya which was ten minutes outside the town. We had an awesome two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and stitting room, and a blacony next to the pool.

Day 125 - Catherine and I got up early to go into town to get some shopping for lunch and breakfast and got back and them woke Mum and Dad up! Spent the morning by the pool then lunch in the aprtment then a relaxed afternoon by the pool swimming and reading! In the evening we headed into town a little early and Mum and Catherine went round some shops while Jase and I had a few beers. Then we all met up and went for dinner at a beachside place called Da Thatch! Then back to the hotel for the evening.

Day 126 - Last full day in Placencia and had breakfast and then bit of time by the pool although the weather dropped off a bit today. Mum and Dad spent the afternoon in Placencia shopping and freqeunting a few watering holes!! Then in the eveing we went to a very nice hotel called Turtle Inn. The place is owned by francis Ford Coppola of Godfather directing fame and he has a family home there at the hotel which costs a mere $2000US per night! We chose to only go for dinner. The food was very very good and then back to the hotel and played cards

Day 127 - Got packed up in the morning and then got a minibus transfer over to Mayflower National Park, which was about an hour away. It is the place where we did our Trekforce conservation all that time ago!! We were booked to stay at a nice jungle eco lodge in the park called Mama Noots. We checked in and were the only guests in the whole place and had a nice lunch straight away. Then got walking gear on and set off up to Bocawina Falls where we did some work with Trekforce. Unfortunately most of it had been washed away by severe weather in the time between our visits! Had a nice swim in the waterfall and then walked back to the lodge for late afternoon. Got showered and then had dinner and then there is not a great deal else to do in the evening in the jungle so we played cards!

Day 128 - Got up and had a chilled morning, had breakfast then had a little read then an early lunch. Got ready for walking again and this time went to the other side of the park to Antelope Falls which is a very high waterfall with great views from the bottom upwards. The waterfall was in full flow because there had been alot of rain in the park recently. Then back to the lodge for shower and dinner.

Day 129 - This is where the fun began…………..up at 6.30am to have breakfast and then get our transfer out to the local aiport to fly back to Belize City for Mum and Dad´s flight home. However, the road out of the jungle to the highway which is five miles long was completely flooded by 3 feet of water near the highway. The rest of the road was clear but the last half a kilometer or so was impassable even by a high clearance jeep! Oh dear….Mum and Dad realised we were stuck and the rain carried on, it really rained hard in the night. They managed to get the owner of the lodge to ring a contact at the Belize toruism board and get them to rearrange their flight for no extra charge, so it was put forward a day. But there was no saying we were going to get out for that anyway. eventually, after lunch, we set off in the jeep with all of us, the owner, her daughter and boyfriend and another friend. Everyone came in case we needed to push. First 4 miles were fine, bit of water but not much, then we came to the flood where the river is supposed to cross under the road. It crossed, very much, over the road. We checked out it and walked into it and it had dropped to knee height which was ok for walking through. Wer all got loaded up with bags and off we went wading through the floods! All got safely across, bit of a slog because it was tiring on the legs especially carrying big bags. Had a taxi waiting for us but then there were more floods on the highway and we began to see the extent of the damage with houses flooded and cars submerged and water flowing across the highway. Luckily the driver got us through and we got to the airport there minutes after our flight was meant to take off but still managed to just get on it! It was an eight seater plane and Jase went in the co-pilots seat it was that small. Flew to Flew to Belize City, still soaking wet from the floods, then went straight to a bed and breakfast and got showere. Out for the last supper with Mum and Dad in the evening and had a nice Indian meal then off to bed!

Day 130 - Mum and Dad went off to the airport in the morning for their flight and we went in the taxi with them and said goodbye. Then, luckily the day before we had arranged with the taxi driver that we would come to the Mexican border with him where he goes to buy cheaper fule, and we would give him some fuel money. So he drove to the Mexican border and we got a lift and he then dropped us off in Chetumal, the first town across the border from Belize. It was a good way to do it rather than a hot bus, which would have taken alot longer. Went to the bus terminal and found out we needed an overnight bus to San Cristobal De La Cases at 9pm. Had lunch and then went to a shopping mall and watched a flim at the cinema to pass the time. Then got out overnight bus in the evening!