Palenque and it's Magic mushrooms

As I liked it so much in San Cristobal, I was changing my arrival day to Palenque all the time but this day finally came and I have decided to take a bus early in the morning. Of course the bus was late (like always in Mexico, just get use to it) and arrived to Palenque too late to see the ruins so I just asked some people on the bus station if they don´t want to take a taxi with me (the result was that we took a 4 bed hut together as it was cheaper) to the “hostel” called Pan chan. It’s not a real hostel because it’s some kind of camping in the middle of a jungle.

Finally we have arrived to this “famous jungle” where they have this “famous” MAGIC mushrooms. I have no idea if they are honestly so magic but I know that lots of people are taking them and having this whole day/night trips throw the jungle looking for the monkeys, smelling the ground and hugging the trees. It could be interesting but after almost the whole week of partying in San Cristobal I decided just to relax, drink a couple of beers and talk to my new friends about the life, listening to the monkeys roaring, sound of the river and rustle of trees. It was a perfect time to clear my mind and have a rest of the nowadays world that if full of electronic, technology, cars and pollution. There was only me, my beer, nature and mosquitoes that were the only disadvantage of being in the jungle.  

Next day, as I had only one day to see the most important stuff in Palenque, I took a tour to see the Mayan ruins, and two waterfalls that are called Misol- Ha and Agua Azul (blue water). It wasn’t bad because it was not a real tour, they were just taking us to the places and later we were able to see everything by ourselves. We had 4 hours in mayan Ruins, one hour in Misol-Ha and about 3 hours in Agua Azul. For me there was quite enough time to see everything without being in rush.

I loved everything of these places.

The Mayan Ruins, in the middle of the jungle are amazing. I can´t imagine like the people in the past were able to create something that big without using the technology!! I´m still in a really big shock. I was just walking around, admiring the strength and perseverance of this tiny mayan people. They did things that we, nowadays people wouldn’t be able( or we would be too lazy) to do it with all the technology that we are able to use. GOOD JOB Mayans!! Even if you did mistake by predicting the end of the world, I still think that you are/were damn clever.

 

 

The next stop was a Misol-ha waterfall. Nice, small waterfall that you could skip but anyway it’s on a way to Agua Azul so you can take advantage and go to see it.

And the last stop was a waterfall called Agua Azul. From the first second that I saw it, I wanted to jump to a water and stay there forever. I went to the top of waterfalls where me and my one day room-hutmate have found a tree swing and we were jumping all the time, having fun because of that small thing that the most of the people didn’t even think to use.   

San Cristobal de las Casas and a wasted church

To San Cristobal I got couple of hours late because as the other people told me ( I was sleeping, like always) some people were robbing buses on a way from Palenque to San Cristobal. It happens a lot to night buses. Anyway we were lucky because the other buses let us know that something like that have a place so the bus driver decided to wait in Palenque until the sun goes up. For me there wasn’tany difference because I didn’t even wake up for a second. In a bus I met acouple of people and as soon as we got to San Cristobal, we decided to have a breakfast and then look for a hostel. From my first minutes in there I just felt in love with this city. It doesn’t matter which direction you look thereare mountains everywhere!! Everyone is playing on the street on every kind of instruments, the people are selling chocolates, bracelets, homemade food, marmalades and believe me…a lot more. But the most important there is music, the live music, it gets to your ears from everypart of the city. From every corner, house, bar and restaurant. People in there seem so happy and relaxed. For them there is no tomorrow. They live from day today. I met a lot of people who went there for a couple of nights and stayed acouple of years. The city is full of artists and it’s spirit is unique. I haven ever been to place like that.

If you ever go to Mexico, don’t miss San Cristobal de las Casas!!! Because it will be a really big mistake in your traveler life.

I went there for 3 nights, stayed 6 and wanted more and more.

There areso many places to visit.

The place that I liked the most in the city was a artesania Mercado called Santo Domingo market… this is a market with lots of homemade clothes, shoes, bracelets,shirst, leather bags and a lot more… Everything is homemade and unique. One dayin San Crsistobal I have spend only on this and the other, really big , greatfruit and vegetables market. I just loved this places. I wanted to buy everything...even the small insects htat THE PEOPLE IN THERE EAT. Finally I just bought so many colorfull vagetables that I could give it to all the people in the hostel. I just couldn't stop.

There are also many of other villages and places close to san Cristobal that the other  people need to visit.

-San Juan Chemula….small but interesting village where the people have their own culture that are trying to protect so they do not allow the people to take pictures.Outside…when you take a picture…they will just look at you as they want to kill you and for sure they will tell you not to take a pictures but be careful in a church. Their holly church , completely different one , with lots of candles inside and people sitting on the floor praying to a god and offering him a pox(their local alcohol that is made from corn) so basically they are drinking it for god and getting wasted in a church. This is not the only drink that they offer to god. They offer everything that they like so I also saw the people drinking beer and a really exclusive drink for them….coca cola. Would you ever offer to god coca cola or beer?? So If you will ever take a picture there and they will see it, you can go to THEIR jail for 2 nights and NO ONE can take you out from there. I didn’t take that risk.

When I arrived there, the first thing I did was taking a picture because I didn’t knowit’s not allowed and then one woman came and said “don’t take a picturesbecause they will KILL YOU”. It was a little bit dramatic, but she was American(sorry my American friends, not all of you are like that) so her reaction didn’tsurprised me.

-Canon deSumidero. Beautifull, stunning, full of crocodiles and different kinds ofanimals, green canon. You can go there from San Cristobal by a colectivo. It’sabout 45 pesos one way ticket and later, in there the boat that takes you tothe canon costs 190 pesos. It’s a price worth to pay to see it. The boat takesyou to the heart of canon, shows you the places where the crocodiles and otheranimals are and explain the natural lifeof the canon. I really recommend goingthere and taking the sunscream and water with you.

Theconclusion is…. San Cristobal de las Casa is a magic place with great architecture, bars, people and aroasted chicken that I was eating every day.

If you willgo there…I recommend 2 hostels. “Posada Mexico” good hostel with economicprices in the city center and “déjà vu” a small but really cozy hostel alsosituated in a heart of San Cristobal in which you’re always welcome . Thepeople in there are relaxed and theywill make you feel like home.

Merida and Campeche

As I didn't know anything other than Cancun I decided to go for a trip. Just two weeks but It's always something. I talked to my boss and he said: "it's ok but you need to leave in two days because we will need you on the last week of february". So I just packed my stuff, took my backpack and I'm on a trip right now. I have been two days in Merida, enjoying the beautiful colonial city, capital of yucatan and stunning cenotes. Forget about the cenotes that I was writing about before. It was nothing. I talked to some people from the hostel where I have stayed (Namdadas hostel, I really recomend it) I've created a group of 4 people and we went to see cenotes. It was cheap and good day trip. We took colectivo, where we were squased by cartons, smelling the pukes of small child throwing away in a seat back to me but anyway it was a good experience. Later we took a motobike that left us close to the horse wagons that were taking us to 3 cenotes. During the horse wagon trip I could feel the nature, I saw the people who were transporting pigs in a boxes mounted to the bicycles, guys on morotbikes who were taking horses for a walk....yes we are taking dogs for a walk but they are taking horses for a walk... Later we saw 3 cenotes each one better than the previous one, with a clear celest water. We were snorkling, climbing on rocks, jumping from the rock to a clear water and gettining eaten by the small fishes (spa... in Poland you pay a way to much for it). The trip took us about 6,7 hours and the total cost was 170 pesos!!! believe me... it's nothing. At night we went to see inauguration of carnival. There were lots of concerts but the real carnival have started next day. I couldn't see it but I had to choose. Stay on carnival or go to San Cristobal... Of course I have choosen San Cristobal... Everyone that have been there felt in love in this city.
Next day I went to Campeche, just to spend a couple of hours in there. It's a small colonial city with a houses painted in different colors. I would say it's a really good conserved city but a little bit boring. I'm not saying that it's not worth to see because it is, but just for couple of hours to see the beauty of this city but not too long as you can not get bored. I saw a parade that started the carnival in there. Lots of children, beautifull dressed woman throwing the sweets out of a cars. It looked like cabalgata de los reyes in Spain (three kings holiday) All the children were waiting with ther bags ready to fill them by different kind of sweets.

MY LIFE IN A HOSTEL

I was working in a hostel in Seville for 8 months, now I’m living in a hostel in Cancun. It’s already 1 month and I would like to illustrate you my present life as a hostel worker and resident. Now, the 10 bed dorm is my room and the whole hostel is my house. Almost the whole my life I had my own room, with my own bed and now… there is no privacy. And you know what?? I don’t care. I really like it!! I got a bed in a corner so I’m able to create my own small space (kanciapa J lots of you know what I mean). I always put the towel on both sides of the bunk bed and then I can say that I have my own 4 “walls” and a “ceiling” (it’s a upper bed). For 3 weeks I had a upper bed roommate that was an older woman that was like my mummy. She was always checking if I have eaten healthy, at what time I went to bed and woke up, washing my clothes and giving me advices about the boys, even if I didn’t want all this stuff. But I need to tell you that I really liked her even if sometimes  she was talking too much and told me that I should lost some weight ;)

The biggest adventure of living in a hostel is that you meet the people that have this same passion that you have. Their whole life is a journey and you can exchange your experiences with them, talk about the places that you have already seen and a places that you want and should see. They understand you perfectly and they never ask, why you travel, they know that there is no answer, this is the need, addiction, a drug that you cannot live without. Travel just open  your mind, you are able to see more and appreciate more. Every person that I talk to in a hostel makes me think to travel more, shows me that there are still so many places that I haven’t seen and that there is only one life so we should enjoy it in 100%.

Of course there are also disadvantages of living in a hostel. The biggest one is that sometimes, you feel like you have found your soul mate, the person that understands you perfectly and that there are still so many subjects to talk about, but there is such a few time to do it because later, this person leaves, and probably you will never see her/him again. You need to learn that you cannot attaché to someone because at the end, in one, two, three weeks, the other person will come and you will have to start again.

The next adventure of living in a hostel is that I have all the entrances to the discos for free!! And it’s a BIG adventure because the entrance is between 40-70 dollars, with an open bar that I have for free when I bring some people from a hostel, but anyway, after time, the only thing you want, is to bring the people to the disco, allocate them on their table and go back homeJJ Sometimes I just drink with them one gin tonic (it’s really hard to get it here so I always enjoy it), see a show and go home after one/two hours.

I could write more and more about my life as a hostel worker/resident but it would be hundreds of pages.

The last thing that I want to tell you is that I’M HAPPY, FREE and every day WISER, HAPPIER and STRONGER.