PJandMike

So we get to Barcelona and there is supposed to be a private taxi waiting for us - well this seems to be a recurring issue in our travels as once again we could not find a man with our name on. However, after pacing and pacing I see Fairbairn name on a really well dressed gentleman’s board. So we follow him and get into the lift and these two ladies follow us in and the gentleman with us said watch yourselves, so now I am thinking we are going to be murdered. But no, they were pickpockets and had managed to open Mike’s man bag (we will talk about that one later!) but fortunately for us the top thing in Mike’s bag was his inhaler and tablets - so all I can say is it ... read more

After the night in Merida, which is a really pretty place if totally honest, but then all the little places we have been to have been lovely with great squares and small places to eat and drink. We watch the local dancing which is quite nice and different and gets great crowds looking on. I am so looking forward to going to a couple of Cenotes. One is partly covered by a cave and one is totally open. Now you are probably, saying what the hell is a Cenote - well they are limestone sinkholes which have really clear water. Cenotes were commonly used for water supplies by the ancient Maya and also would you believe some of them were used for sacrificial offerings - these Mayan people loved a sacrificial ritual it appears! The first ... read more

So we had agreed with Gavin to meet him in reception around 8ish so we could all take a taxi to Monte Alban which is an archeological site about 30 minutes by taxi outside Oaxaca city centre where our hotel is. This was the best decision we made as when we arrived there was no one there so we literally nearly had the place to ourselves. (On the way, however, we saw a sad sight that I would rather not see again - there were a number of armed police and at the side of the road several dead dogs that had been shot. No idea why but one possibility could be related to rabies.) Monte Alban was inhabited over a period of some 1,500 years by a succession of peoples and is now part of ... read more

Well woke up in Puebla and felt really bad - Mexico belly had really hit home so decided that I would drop into the chemist and get something. Now to be honest I should have brought some stuff for dicky tummy but hey ho I did not so off to the chemist I go. Well this was an experience because I went into the chemist and they gave me a ticket and took me next door before I had even mentioned what was wrong - so immediately I thought do I look that bad!! Anyway the doctor did not speak a word of English so I said I would come back with someone who spoke Spanish. Then I researched using google, not a good thing I know, and wrote down on a piece of paper what ... read more

Another good night’s sleep so we are definitely back to normal now. We decided to go to Xochimilico fiesta with 4 others from the group and if totally honest what an amazing day we have had and nothing like I have seen or done before. We take a minibus to Xochimilico and arrived to a sea of colourful trajinera boats that look like gondolas and I mean a sea of colour even though it is on the Aztecera Xochimilco canals which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before we boarded our boat we went around the stalls with lots of things you could buy but being a bit savvy with space we have to be really careful of what we purchase. Anyway as we were walking along we met up with a couple in our group ... read more