maanantai 17. helmikuuta 2020

Panama City -views from Old Town, pool, zip line over jungle -and not so nice neighborhood

Panama reminder me a lot of Cuba and maybe especially Havanna. For me Panama was windy city with palms and beatiful old buildings. The sea was disturbing blue - the kind of they paint the bottom of the pool of swimming halls.

When discovering the City first day I again ended up in kind of streets we can be happy it was daylight time. I had already a bit missed that Ooops! feeling. Before travelling to Mexico and Guatemala I had friends from there who gave me strickt instructions where to live and where to walk. (And Caye Culkin in Belize has only three streets from north to south and three from west to east, so there wasn’t so much to get in troubles. 😁) But, in Panama I have hotel in area they forbidded me to go out after dark. 😳🙄 I do follow the instructions, but feel sooo destrickted. 😫

But at hotel they said the area was safe at daytime, so I desided to walk to the bus station only 3 km apart when heading to zip lines in Lagun Gato, Colon. Didn’t even take my long sleeves with me as assuming to travel in chicken busses. But the beaty in difference of planning and doing... On my morning walk to the bus station I was stopped by a policeman. (Yes, I admit, I had been already looking around me, that now I have a reason to walk like knowing where going and in the middle of the road. Everybody probably had already seen me, so didn’t want anybody to surprice me behind a corner by being all too close to me. 😐 My only defence, Attitude Walk, saying ”If you are looking for easy, keep on looking!” So no pics from that situation, but from few blocks earlier... Yes. 😄) Considering the reputation police have in some of these countries, I was a bit sceptical. But after a small discussion he made his opinion clear: it is not safe in here and I should take a taxi. Then he saw a police car, winked them to us and clearly instructed them to take me to bus a station (where I have told I was heading). No one open any doors, so I played I didn’t understand and said I will look a taxi. So, I had plenty of time to choose, whether I want to be robed by taxi or police. I chose my poison for the day and decided to give the opportunity to taxi some other day.

When sitting in the back seat of a police car, doors locked, the streets seemed even more ”not recommended area”. I saw so many places where I would prefer not to be with two bad cops... But these happend to be the good ones, or atleast one of the four was, and so I got my way safely to the bus station. 😅 So, if I’m fattie, it’s not because I have avoided my excercise. It’s because police has forbidden it. ☝🏻

Well, in bus everybody were again taking care of the Blond (who was freezing in airconditioned bus). I was trying to ask the driver, where to step out from the bus, but also the lady in front row wanted to participate. Ok, ticket-collector robt me with a double price, but that’s kind of the spirit.

When arriving the zip lines, I noticed my tour would be private. Nice, but in Spanish and the guide had clear injuries on his hands. I almost laughed out loud and decided not to think any safety perspectives in a hysterical manner -just signed them out from any liability. As this evidently had already shown to be my lucky day. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 And yes, the boys were absolutely great. I just let them do their thing, taking care of my safety. And they were even really helpfull with all foto taking, into my cameras.

Panama was the last Spanish speaking country at this trip and tomorrow I’ll continue to Portugese speaking Brasil. The next two weeks in there might smelt all my learnt Spanish away. But I’m happy into which level I have brought it. I’m using words which I didn’t know I would even understand. And manage to fool taxi drivers several blocks, that I do speak Spanish. 😅 Or atleast I’m saying something and get the answers I want and things are going the way I want to. 😂 I have even started answering ”Si” to questions, when it feels right, and still haven’t ended up into troubles. 😇 And in customs I always struggle first 3-5 questions in Spanish, but then change into English before I say something illeagal. 😬 So it seems, that the excitement of travelling without common language is soon taken away from me -in Spanish speaking countries. Hmm... Maybe I’ll after that learn the language properly. But anyhow I have a strong feeling that I’ll be back. ❤️



















perjantai 14. helmikuuta 2020

Trekking on vulcano Acatenango to see vulcano Fuego erupting

It was something between silly and stupid when I decided to do the vulcano trekking after released from hospital just a week ago. But hey, I wasn’t thinking. 🤷🏼‍♀️😅 I wish I would have been thinking clearly when they told you can rent a horse to take you up. I didn’t have the money with me, but Juan had and I’m pretty sure he would have loned to me. 😁 I’m in such way lucky, that I have been trekking so much, that I don’t have any need to prove anything -there is only the minor thing: sometimes I don’t think. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Juan... I don’t know how it happend, but in hostel I was telling him (almost in extase) about the vulcano trekking. He haven’t heard about it before -or atleast not been told with such inner fire. (Remember that I had carried this disappointment of missed active vulcano trekking already a week and now had had courage to arrange everything again with quite extra money for recheduling my flights etc.) Juan had been so kind, that he had showed me everything that there was to see in Guatemala City (which meant we had been already walking some 15 km together) so maybe it was only natural, that we continued 16 km together in higher altitudes. Anyhow, now I felt totally comfortable to use his money for my horse -if I just would have thought that in time. 😆 But it wasn’t a one-way-road -I also felt totally responsible whether he had drinken enough and whether he had enough snacks and warm chlothes... 😅

Have to say 1000 m elevation in 4.5 hours as convalescent was not a picnic. I have done the same elevation before even in higher altitudes, but when being healthy and well acclimatised. It was all worth it when I first time heard the eruption. It sounded like a thunder. And when that sound was finally combined to the smoke and flying stones... Well, stones is maybe an understatement. Your eyes could hardly separate the people half way getting there, but you could clearly see the stones that were spit by the vulcano, even though it was double that far. 😱The views were spectacular and beatiful, as long as you didn’t mind the vulcanic dust that tried to get into your each and every hole... 😳😬🙄

Even though I was the one suggesting us to do the vulcano trekking, Juan quite easily took the control of arrangements, as he is fluent in Spanish. It was funny how I suddenly considered him as a local, although he is absolutely pure Yankee, even though his heritage is half Mexican half El Salvador. But in Northern El Salvador, from where his father is from, the Mayan heritage is strong. They are the tall ones with green eyes, the same types that often were rulers in Guatemala’s and Mexico’s Mayan cities. And Juan has that Mayan look. As a summary, I’m pretty sure he is a descendant of some deceased Mayan King, although his father hasn’t revealed it to him yet. Yes, I know, sounds like a teenage girl’s novel. 😃 But I allow that to myself. 😌 The slightly negative site of this was that I totally lost any talent I ever had to manage my staff in Spanish and just followed him smiling. Easy travelling. 👌🏻😃

Our campsite on vulcano Acatenango had very nice views facing vulcano Fuego and when the evening came, the sunset was one of the most beautiful ones and vulcano Fuego had one more surprice for us. In darkness we could see the burning red lava, which was totally amazing. So as the night came we were having our dinner at the campfire -and of course having hot chocolate and grilled marshmallows as dessert.

As always in high altitudes, the night was cold. I even saw tiny snow flakes at the night time. I anyhow managed almost not freezing when sleeping in our tents, but as the sleeping bags were prepared just for summer temperatures I had some extra on me. Certainly starting from silk bodice, merino wool long sleeves underwear with merino wool socks and boxers. Then in upperbody silk knitting, hoodie and guilted jacket and wrapping my lower body with my trusted Burberry pashmina wool scatf (which works really well also as blanket in flights). And then having inside sleeping bag one blanket folded under me and one on me. I say it was a process to get out to pee and see those snow flakes. 😅

The next day we were all so impressed, that on our way down the time was just flying. We were all amazed and so happy what we have experienced. The way down though had also its challenges. There was quite a much vulcanic loose soil in the path and some made the way down sliding, some running. But I must said there you saw the difference of proper hiking shoes. I was so happy mine gripped even to the loose soil and let me just walk firm and safely my way down. Got to love those shoes! 🥾❤️

And to the who are now worried: I recovered from the total uncapabability to use Spanish when our paths with the descendant of Mayan Ruler separated. I haven’t have change to rechallenge, so I actually can’t accuse him for sure about my symptoms. But I hope to get my rechallenge next summer when travelling to California. Until then I would say only my symptoms were (most) probably related. 😄

Now I’m already on my way to Panama where I have decided to pamper myself a bit. It will include luxorious hotel with Spa and Gym and probably also massage, yoga, etc. 😌












keskiviikko 12. helmikuuta 2020

The Art of Smuggling 😁 and Las Coloradas

Smugling is too easy business to start... In this trip I started it in Las Coloradas in Yucatan Mexico. Because there were stupid rules. And they were wrong.

We had a nice group in that tour, but Jasmin was absolutely the sparkling light of that trip. Such a gem, I would say now that we know better. 💎 She has a nice camera, but not systems camera or professional level. But well, like everywhere, also in Mexico you can find people who are facinated about the rules and feel empovered to be the one supervise those. But. A strong BUT. They have no idea why those rules are made and what they actually mean. So they had a rule that professional cameras are not allowed to the pink lake, where you could also see flamingos and which was also a production site of salt. Fine. But a common camera is just a camera even though it is not a phone.

Of course I suggested to J that we would smugle the camera in, in my bag, under my BH:s (as we had changed into bikinis) and J creating needed hassle. She is beatiful, so she easily gets the attention needed, but I wasn’t sure if she would have the thing needed for intentional, dishonest hassle. But she managed well and we got some pics also into her camera. Although the security came nagging that we should keep it in the bag, but hey -some nagging vs. getting the beatiful pics you want and has right to.

I don’t how J’s smugling career has developed, but as I love to have fruits with me everywhere, I have returned to the food products. Just like already in Australia, when I by accident had that half fermented pizza in my bag. Well, it was pure accident and forgiven, but when arriving to Guatemala my intention was to do it knowing. Well, actually I just ended up into that situation again as I had one banana and one apple on my hand bag. My intention was again eat those in plane, but they offered a meal. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Only when filling in the form to enter the country I remembered those. And decided to keep my dear fruits. Everything went well until I noticed they will put all luggage through X-ray. Evidently I’m not yet as hard and cold smugler as I pretend as it made me to take an U-turn. And destroying all evidents by eating those. And for nothing. As when I arrived to X-ray, she checked my passport, said ”Oh, Finlandia!” and showed me just to walk without X-ray. 🤦🏼‍♀️ 

So much stress for nothing. Guatemalan prison was a bit too big deterrent for me, but I should still remember that life will always work out. Although, few weeks in Guatemalan prison would most certainly taken my Spanish to next level. 😆












perjantai 7. helmikuuta 2020

Belize, my peak to Caribean

First I was surpriced, that would I really spend any more of my time at tourist oriented beaches. But after all I didn’t have the energy to change already paid Belize to vulcanos in Antigua.

It was a nice surprice that the plane to Belize was so tiny, that the service was most certainly personal.
But already at customs I somehow ended up into argumentation. 🙈 It all started nicely him asking where is Finland located and me explaining Santa Claus is my neighbour. That led into temperature discussion explaining that yes, now it’s cold, even -20 degrees, but at summertime it is warm 20 degrees. And there we were -he just couldn’t agree 20 degrees is warm. Said it is cold. Someone else would probably agreed, especially in customs and imigration, but I kept my opinion. 20 is warm and what they have is hot.

Athmosphere is clearly Caribian and people here have totally different pace in everything. With my temper I get fustrated a lot. 😂 But I’m definitely happy to be here: water is cristal clear, the sea is more gentle and I have spent hours just floating and also swimming few kilometers every day in sea. Sophie’s Guest Rooms is one of the rare ones who have their own beach and a sunset view.

Even though this place clearly is living from tourism, no one is pushing me to bye anything like in Puerta Vallarta. Athmosphere is totally different than anywhere in Europe -it’s Caribean. Even Latin rythms sound here different. Everybody are either just coming from Flores (Guatemala) or heading there so there are quite many familiar faces around you. 🤗 I love this even though this is greatly based on sea, sailing, diving, snorkling and watersports. And sunsets. Those are most beatiful I have seen during this trip. No filters needed. 👌🏻 Maybe that’s why practically the whole island gathers to piers to sit and admire at the time of sunsets.

I would like to say that nightlife is Ok, but I was probably pampered in Antigua with that world class DJ Jay, so now listening this local DJ is pure tortutre. 🙉🙊 (My dear Danish and Dutch brothers agree with this.) So, no videos. 😅 Except underwater. ☝🏻 After my ears are finally ok, I had a nice dive with sharks. 🦈 First I felt a bit fooled as they knew I had postponed my dive days, so that the weather was good for this shark point and then on the boat they assumed we might not see sharks due to the rough sea. But luckily they had well working punch for our way back, so this Finnish Lady was quite happy after all. And yes, we anyhow saw few sharks. But as my computer is still not working, those videos and photos will wait for a while to be published. 😃












torstai 6. helmikuuta 2020

Antigua -the way I lived it

Travelling alone can certainly be lonely every now and then -even though you very rarely are alone. You actually need to arrange the alone time, if you wish such. And you definitely meet people you wouldn’t meet anywhere else in your life. You have room for new friends in totally different way. And people are taking care of each other in totally different level. (I should diminish my ”totally” using, but I’m just so impressed of these people I have been honoured to meet.)

The morning I noticed I need to get to hospital (6 am) a girl, total stranger from same room, came to ask me if I was feeling well. After I explained to her she answered: ”Ok, I’ll take my staff and let’s find out what is the main hospital to take you.” And have to say, I was still quite pale and without any strength in my muscles when returning from hospital. Then Uri came to my help even though we had just changed names before. He saw how crushed I was and made just a perfect suggestion. He changed his travelling plans (only because of me) and took me to the Spa with his motorbike. He was even promising I could ride if I felt strong enough. It was a temptating idea, but more I was just testing if he would be man enough to sit behind a woman driver. 😜 I’m a true biker in my heart, but this was still already a second time in my life when I just enjoyed the otherone driving and taking care of me. (Yes, first time was in Nusa Penida, when I had used all my power in Kelingking.)

Santa Teresita Hotsprings and Spa worked well for my condition. The massage was amazing, so relaxing, and their sauna was hot, private and even had a birch whick (although not from birch). I was a bit worried when I got diziness during the thermal circulation treatment -knowing I was still in total physical recovery and should only rest. But Uri took so good care of me, that for a small moment (even though they say you haven’t seen Guatemala in case you haven’t done vulcanos) I felt that I was rather there healing on his arms than trekking active vulcano. I’m grateful of that moment, although now again I have difficulties to remember that those vulcanic stones have been there for 23 000 years and will probably stay a couple of more waiting for me to arrive.

After all treatments we were watching the beatiful sunset and were heading back to Antigua. I say, the big mistake was the choise of taking women voice to our navigator. 🤨 The instructions were truly misleading and we kind of got lost few times before I started navigating and overruling her turn _now_ with my _now_. 😁 But you know me and the thing I have with slightly dark alleys... 😍 Even though the streets and alleys seemed a bit suspicious, I trust the best option was just to continue driving and hope better neighborhoods would follow. 😅😳 And after you have been taken so good care for the whole day, you won’t questioning his choises and decisions. I got some extra trust from the fact that he had explored Guatemala by bike already ten years ago (when it was really dangerous) and just scared a robber with a machete away by without hesitation taking two machetes from his own bag ready to have the fight. Ok, there he was lucky, 🙏🏻 that he had just bought those two to souveniers to his friend. 😅 But it made the robber to run without checking who is the real badass. 😂

But well, we found a nice (not take-your-mother-here type nice, but anyway 😝) local restaurant and got known with the whole family. Uri made a lot, that we got familiar with them and got their trust. The son was even thrown out of living room (their only room) as I needed to add some chlothes before continueing our ride. So even though they were really nice people, I must admit I was all the time following closest each and every person approaching me or the restaurant. 🧐🤷🏼‍♀️

Well, this was maybe again those not the most wise decisions, to explore Guatemala City sub urbs at late evening, but I loved the way it showed me the true colours of Guatemala. ❤️ And the dinner we ate there in local restaurant was delicious. 😌

And I’m still taken how good care I was taken by a stranger the moment I needed it most. ❤️