Overseas Travel – Tjs Bigly Travels

Mexico 2022 (Part 2)

Everyone has their own style of travel, usually influenced by personal levels of comfort. Over time, we have learned to combine two different types of travel into one trip. The first half will usually be dedicated to being on the move, visiting locations we are most interested in, pushing our confidence and experience levels, while covering as much ground as possible; the last half is dedicated to rest and recuperation. For us, this strikes the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation.

Isla Holbox has wonderful street art throughout the town

The second part of this trip started with a return drive on the toll highway headed for Merida. This time, we exited at the junction for Highway #5 and headed north for the town of Chiquila. From Cancun, it’s approximately a two and a half hour drive along jungle lined roads, interspersed with small villages along the way. Once you arrive in Chiquila, the main economy seems to be parking lots for travellers catching the ferry to Isla Holbox. For approximately 100 pesos per day you can leave your car in a relatively secure car park and walk the few blocks towards the ferry terminal.

There are two passenger ferry companies that operate this service, Holbox Express and 9 Hermanos. They generally run opposing schedules, so there’s a good bet you can catch a ferry about every half hour. We took one company there, the other on the way back and there’s really no difference between the two, just pick one that works with your schedule. There’s no need to purchase your tickets in advance, you can get them at the terminal.

Entering the ferry wharf being met by environmental tax collectors

What is not covered very well in travel blogs yet is that you will be met at the entrance to the ferry dock by some local government representatives to collect an environmental tax from each person boarding the ferry. This almost feels like a scam, however, they give you a wrist band that you can show to your hotel on the island who will then deduct the amount from your daily environmental tax that is charged by all hotels.

Local pier on the way to Bioluminescent Bay

When you arrive at Isla Holbox you will find it very rustic; however you’ll be able to walk to wherever your final destination is. The streets are not paved and there are very few cars on the island, but there is no shortage of all-terrain vehicle taxies, which are the primary means of transport. When we initially arrived we walked to our hotel, but on departure we ordered a taxi because most of the streets were flooded from rain. I found it a bit pricey but I suspect their rates fluctuate depending on how busy they are.

I’m not aware of any all-inclusive hotels on the island, but that’s not really what this place is about. There are plenty of smaller boutique hotels, most near the ocean where the miles of pristine beaches are absolutely spectacular. We stayed at a little place called Puerto Holbox. It’s a beautiful little property, with condo style rooms, each with terraces overlooking the ocean. There’s a well groomed palapa area for property guests and the beach itself is just a few steps away. The swimming pool on the property is small but perfect for the size of the hotel and oddly, guarded by three iguanas that were in the same spot every single day. Our breakfast was included at the restaurant adjacent to hotel, and a great place to order snacks from during the day while we lounged by the beach. In town, there’s lots of restaurants and cafes, but I recommend enjoying the street food vendors or open air cafes. Meals at these locations were very reasonable, while sit-down restaurants tended to be a bit pricey.

A really nice feature at our hotel was that they had a potable water station where we could fill up our own water-bottles whenever we wanted, but there are lots of little grocery stores in town where you can get snacks and drinks, or browse through the numerous souvenir shops. There’s also a currency exchange in town which came in handy because not every business takes credit cards. You do need to be careful using your cards anywhere in Mexico, and never loose sight of them. A good example of this is gas stations, always pay cash, they are infamous for skimming cards.

Isla Holbox is the type of place where you come to disconnect and enjoy the beauty of nature. You are able to purchase tour packages to see local sights, but unless you’re doing an activity that requires a boat, the nature sites on the island are free, accessible and within walking distance. This is a great place to set out and explore on your own without being restricted by schedules. Our hotel was central to the town itself, and once you’re on the beach you can head northeast to Punta Mosquito (Mosquito Bay) where the flamingos typically are, or southwest along the beach to Bioluminiscencia (Bioluminescent Bay) where at night you can see the bioluminescent aquatic species light up the dark water. Almost like an underwater fireworks display.

For me, the journey to Punta Mosquito was the most enjoyable part of the excursion. Once you reach the edge of town you’ll wade out onto a sandbar that’s about 200 metres off shore. You follow the sandbar all the way to Punta Mosquito, approximately 3 kilometres one way, wading through turquoise blue, crystal clear water. I recommend taking binoculars with you to get better views of the flamingos, but on the walk there you’ll enjoy passing through schools of fish, barracudas and stingrays, not to mention a seemingly endless variety of birds.

At night, we made the hike in the other direction to Bioluminescent Bay, which is a 2 kilometre hike in the opposite direction. You can get there by following the beach or navigating down any of the dirt roads. However, a word of caution, during the rain the roads will flood and you will see parts of town with crocodile warning signs. While we were walking to the bay we came across one of these signs on a flooded road and sure enough, there was a crocodile in the middle of the flooded road, so you need to be careful! Another tip worth mentioning is when the sun goes down the mosquitos come out. Coming from the Yukon we are used to these little pests, but this is a whole other level of nuisance. You need to use copious amounts of bug spray to be out at night, otherwise it will be completely unbearable. There’s also very few street lights, so at night it is pitch black. We planned for this and brought our headlamps with us, which came in very handy, but the lack of light pollution allows you to witness the swarms of lightening bugs flickering in the darkness like a switchboard turning on and off. It’s a real testament to the fact that at night the often ignored nocturnal world comes alive.

Sunset (right before the Mosquitos arrive)

What truly makes this remote island wonderful is the way tourism and local life intermesh. You can’t help but enjoy the opportunity to be part of the community. After dinner one night, my wife and I stopped by a ball-field where a local softball game was going on. Some locals at the entrance welcomed us in and pointed to the stands where there were some empty seats. We hung out for a while to watch the end of the game and enjoyed chatting with people in the crowd. Such a wonderful experience and a great way to get a real sense of the authentic local culture.

Start of the ecological protection zone at Punta Mosquito

Isla Holbox is very underdeveloped by resort town standards and that is exactly what makes this one of my favourite places in Mexico. The environment is stunningly beautiful, wildlife is abundant, and it has a very rustic, unpretentious atmosphere, that really allows you to relax and simply enjoy your surroundings. Given the number of European travellers selling bric-a-brac on the beaches, I suspect its become a good place for people to perpetually hide out in a tropical paradise; maybe that’ll be my retirement gig?

Travelling through town after heavy rainfall floods the streets

Mexico 2022 (Part 1)

This is my first blog post in the past year and a half. It’s easy to point to the pandemic as the main culprit; with travel being so highly restricted by various health measures it’s the obvious rationale, but I think it’s much more complicated than that. Perhaps this gap in my writings is an apropos symbol of what feels like two lost years, that were filled with upheaval, restrictions, uncertainty and an accelerated social polarity that I’ve never seen before. Whatever the post-pandemic normal evolves into I am grateful to be able to start exploring again.

Timing is everything and the truth is we could have taken a trip months sooner than we did, but that meant adhering to travel restrictions and testing measures that were still in place. Personally, it was hard to imagine subjecting myself to those types of hurdles when waiting meant we could take our first trip with less stress. It also allowed us to build our first post-pandemic trip around some personal celebratory events.

Tuk-Tuk’s are a common sight in the small towns and villages in the Yucatan.

The big question is where to go on our first trip since the shutdown? Although there is still many places on my bucket list we decided to plan a reasonable trip that wasn’t too ambitious, simply because we didn’t want to add any unnecessary stress or complicated plans; which ultimately led us back to Mexico. You’ll recall that I did a post on Mexico Travels in 2019, but I still had some unfinished business there and this was the perfect time to see those sights.

We had two weeks booked for this trip and wanted to maximize our experience. The plan was to fly into Cancun, rent a car and travel inland to Piste where we could spend some time exploring the local area. From there, we would travel south back to Playa del Carmen and spend a few days in town. After dropping our son at the airport my wife and I would head north to Chiquila and catch a ferry to Isla Holbox for a week of beach relaxation. No tours, no all-inclusive hotels, no guides, just our own whimsical adventures.

Beautiful day exploring the streets of Izamal, the Yellow City.

There’s no point talking about booking hotels in Mexico, a quick scan through any travel booking site and there’s no shortage of options. We tended to book small, accessible accommodations that had pools and were moderately priced. However, the rental car is worthy of mention. Most travellers have heard horror stories of renting cars in Mexico but in order to have the flexibility we needed a rental was required. Fortunately, we had a very positive experience. You’ll find that the highways are well maintained and google maps is very accurate for navigation. There is a mix of toll and non-toll highways throughout the Yucatan and road signage was easy to understand. Although the toll highways have less traffic, it was just as easy to use the more travelled non-toll roads and save the expense. Drivers on the highways are very gracious at letting people pass. They will typically slow to the right and put their blinker on as a signal for you to go by and I encourage you to reciprocate when others are behind you. By law, gas station attendants have to pump your gas and there is an expectation you tip them. I would suggest offering 20-50 pesos is reasonable, depending on the service. Of particular note, when you are approaching small towns you will encounter rumble strips followed by speed humps. They are not always well marked and sometimes placed in odd locations, but you do not want to hit these with any speed. Lastly, brace yourself for driving in-town. Local drivers are polite but it is the most aggressive driving I have ever experienced. You need to stay with the flow of traffic or you won’t get anywhere and you’ll be a nuisance. As well, most towns have one way streets which aren’t always clearly marked, so you have to watch for indicators like how cars are parked. I managed to white knuckle through my first town but after a few you start to grasp the unwritten rules of the road. It was absolutely worth the experience to have the freedom of movement.

Our first location was Piste, 220 kilometres from Cancun, chosen for its proximity to Chichen Itza. Most people who visit this Unesco World Heritage Site do so on tour buses that arrive from larger centres for day trips. This was exactly what we wanted to avoid. Piste is a lovely little community, with only a few main streets. We stayed at a small hotel just on the edge of town, two kilometres from Chichen Itza. While there, we walked everywhere. Supplies were easy to get at local shops and we enjoyed some fantastic meals at small pop up restaurants where the menus were simply barbecued chicken and pork. These are the types of places where you can simply blend in, meet some locals and never feel harassed or bothered; very peaceful.

The Town Square in Piste, Yucatan, Mexico

As Chichen Itza was top of our to-do list, we walked to the site for opening first thing. This was intentional on our part, and led to the perfect experience. It will take you about four hours to meaningfully take in the ruins and arriving first thing in the morning allows you avoid the blazing afternoon sun and the hordes of tour buses that start showing up late morning. The vendors are still setting up, so they’re not in full hassle mode yet and for the first several hours it feels like you have the place to yourself.

Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo) – Chichen Itza

I have long had a fascination with architectural wonders. Mayan ruins are the enduring legacy of complex societies that thrived and flourished long before colonization. The skills that were employed to construct these monuments with rudimentary technology, by todays standards is absolutely amazing. Chichen Itza is very well preserved and hosts one of the largest ball courts to have survived. It’s also recognized as one of the new seven wonders of the world. You’ll enjoy a nice walk to the Sacred Cenote, and if you explore the main temple grounds first, you can visit the perimeter structures mid-morning which allows you to use the tree cover as a sun block. It is unfortunate that you can’t go inside the structures anymore, because being able to climb to the top was a great experience when we were in Belize. If you do go to Chichen Itza on your own, there is no shortage of official guides at the entrance who you can hire to get a private interpretive tour. We do our own research on places we want to visit so we don’t feel we miss anything by not having a guide, but more importantly, I don’t feel controlled or pressured by anyone. My only criticism of this site is the number of vendors that line the pathways inside the grounds. I absolutely support artisan markets, but sometimes it’s too much and in this case it does detract from the experience.

The Sacred Cenote (Well of Sacrifice) – Chichen Itza

If you are spending time in the area, then it’s worth a visit to the nearby town of Izamal. There are several descriptive names for this town, often referred to as the “Yellow City,” or the “City of Hills”; it remains a popular place for Catholic pilgrimages. The Convento de San Antonio de Padua is a 16th Century Franciscan Monastery that boasts the second largest open atrium outside of the Vatican. The monastery itself is build upon a Pre-Columbia Mayan Acropolis using the cut stones from the original Mayan temples in the area. If you make the journey, a day in Izamal should be spent walking through the maze of streets and experiencing the unique blend of Mayan ruins mixed amongst Spanish Colonial architecture. Most of the town is painted in bright yellow colours, hence its moniker as the “Yellow City”. You’ll find that the town has a very relaxing quality to it; you can explore without feeling bothered or harangued, with lots of options for street food, cafes and shopping. We managed to find a small cafe with an interior courtyard that had great food and the perfect place to enjoy a few cervezas.

The Convento de San Antonio de Padua – Izamal, Mexico

On the drive back to Piste we kept our eyes open for a cenote. Essentially, a cenote is a freshwater sinkhole that can be cavernous or open-air. The Yucatan is famous for these sinkholes and there are lots of tours you can find on-line; however, there are also lots of family owned cenotes you can visit that don’t draw the big crowds. We found exactly what we were looking for, a small cenotes near Holca, called Cenote Chihuan. The price was only 20 Peso’s each, and for that remarkable price, you got to enjoy the pristine waters of an underground cave cenote. Upon entry, you descend into a narrow rock cavern down stone steps to arrive at a rocky outcropping looking out over the still waters within the cave. The only sounds are the echos of your own movement and the faint drips of water seeping from the cenote walls and roof. Artificial light illuminates the crystal clear water allowing you fleeting glimpses of the catfish that call this environment home. Trust me, there is nothing more relaxing than spending time soaking in these natural pools.

Family Run Underground Cenote – Holca, Mexico

After a few days of exploration in the Yucatan, we headed south to Playa del Carman. The drive is several hours, but you’ll get to wind through scenic jungle lined roads, interspersed with small towns and villages along the way. Traffic is very light until you start approaching Tulum and you’re back into the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas. We stayed at a hotel a few kilometres away from the centre of town and walked in every day to explore the area. What can I say, Playa del Carmen is tourist central. There’s lots of shopping, restaurants and activities, but you’re going to jockey with the crowds and you’re going to get hassled along the way by shop owners and street vendors. We did manage to find a restaurant on the beach that was so good we walked back again that night for dinner.

The Portal Maya Statue in Playa del Carmen is a tribute to the Mayans

While there, we decided to take a day trip over to Cozumel, which has fast ferries that leave every other hour. We didn’t have any expectations other than exploring the surrounding area. The ferry lands right downtown and you don’t have to go far to find shopping and restaurants. We managed to find an open air cafe where we ordered beer and appetizers for a few hours, walked around town a little bit and then made our way back to Playa del Carmen. Cozumel is well know for scuba diving and snorkelling and I suspect if you actually stayed on the island there are probably places to explore, but as a day trip, I would suggest taking a pass. It’s simply an extension of what you find on the mainland. Unfortunately, our ferry ride back was late afternoon in choppy seas. For many of the well drunk, heat exhausted passengers it was the perfect scenario for sea sickness. I’ve never seen so many people need sick bags on public transportation; the outer deck proved to be a good choice for seating on the return trip.

During our time in Playa del Carmen one of the things we did take in was the 3D Museum. I highly recommend this immersive experience. Essentially, it’s a gallery of art work and allows you to take photos and selfies that become 3 dimensional illusions when photographed.

We packed a lot into our two weeks, so I’m breaking this blog into two posts. The first week highlights our road trip adventures, which culminated in us circling back to Cancun for our son to catch a flight home. The second week, which deserves a blog unto itself, was our trip north to Isla Holbox, which was an entirely different experience.

Mexico has an exceptionally rich and vibrant culture, surrounded by the architectural wonders and ancient antiquities left by the Mayans. I highly recommend avoiding the all-inclusive resorts on your next trip and setting out to explore some of the smaller towns in Mexico on your own. I can assure you it is a totally different and enriching experience.

Mexico

The stars aligned, and I managed to persuade the family to skip Christmas again this year. If I can pull this off one more time, I think I might qualify as an honorary grinch. In all seriousness, it was one of the few opportunities we had to get away together this year, so we booked ourselves a flight to Mexico. This wasn’t an exciting, hard driving adventure like most of our of past trips. This was a chance to spend a week, without any cares or responsibilities and just relax. We decided on Cabo San Lucas, for the simple reason that it’s somewhere we’ve never been before. We’ve actually travelled quite extensively in Mexico over the years so I’m looking forward to giving you my thoughts on the best and worst the country has to offer.

Los Cabos Beach near the Marina District

Regardless of which area you travel to in Mexico, they have got their tourism sector dialled in. They are experts at the all-inclusive, over-eating, over-drinking, outdoor sporting market like no other country. Therefore, it should be no surprise that tourism makes up 8.5% of the countries GDP, and in 2018 alone they received 35 million tourists.

Even though tourism is such a vital aspect of the economy, you do need to exercise caution when you are travelling in Mexico. Many areas of the country are consistently under travel advisories from the Canadian and US Governments; unfortunately gang violence has too often occurred in popular resort areas, and corruption remains a major issue in the country. The resort properties normally are very secure and are generally considered safe, but they are not immune to issues.

In spite of those issues, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, but it does mean you need to exercise a high degrees of caution. Make sure you leave your bling at home, don’t overdress, be cautious and alert when you frequent higher risk places like bars and night clubs. Know your surroundings, be wary of suspicious people and don’t blindly trust strangers. Above all, keep your drinking in check, the more you drink the more vulnerable you are. Lastly, spend a little time researching the area you want to go. There is no shortage of information about issues travellers need to be careful of in specific places.

The fact is that Mexico is a beautiful country, the beaches are phenomenal, it’s convenient to get to, and you usually get great value for money. My own experience is that the Mexican people are very friendly and welcoming. They have a strong sense of family and have a very rich and vibrant culture. Most importantly, in my opinion they have one of the most delicious cuisines in the world.

You can’t visit Mexico and not build a sand castle!

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

On this recent trip we decided to stay off the beach, and on the marina in Cabo San Lucas. We wanted to be able to get out and walk around the neighbourhood, do some shopping, and not feel confined to a resort property. We stayed at a place called the Marina Fiesta, and it turned out to be everything we were hoping for. It was a nice property, the food was great, and it was right downtown where all the action was happening; it’s all about catering to tourists. There are hustlers everywhere trying to sell you snorkelling, fishing and water craft adventures. Street vendors are everywhere selling all manner of knick-knacks and brick-a-brack. There’s even guys walking around with iguanas trying to sell you a picture with them. The other thing you can’t help but notice is all the bars and nightclubs. This is a party town, and when the sun goes down the city really comes alive. Booming music, fireworks, and emergency vehicle sirens fill the night sky. It’s a crazy, crazy place, and I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more 25 years ago. At this stage of my life I wouldn’t have been able to keep up even if I wanted to. I’m just happy nursing my beer all day, and having a few mojito’s as a nightcap before hitting the sack sometime before midnight. For that reason, it was a great vacation but not my favourite place I’ve been in Mexcio. If I had to rank it, I think it would rank fourth on my list. Keep this placement in mind, because I’m going to give an overview of the places we’ve been in Mexico, and talk about them from my most favourite, in descending order to my least favourite; and the worst place we’ve been in Mexico also happens to be the worst trip we’ve ever taken.

Huatulco, Oaxaca

By far, this is my favourite place in Mexico. Huatulco is located at the southern end of the country, near the small town of La Crucecita. Located in the province of Oaxaca, they are famous for their local cheese and mezcal liquor production. With a local population of about 12,000 people, its very small compared to other tourist areas. Over the years the government has invested heavily on infrastructure to grow tourism, but somehow Huatulco has maintained its small town charm. La Crucecita has been built around a picturesque public park, anchored on one side by an old Catholic Church, and surrounded by small shops and open air cafes. It’s the perfect place to enjoy refreshments and watch life pass you by.

We’ve been here twice, once staying at the Las Brisas Resort, and once at the Dreams Resort. Either one is a great experience, but they are very different. Las Brisas has a very large property, so large in fact, they have golf carts that help shuttle people around. The resort has several separate beaches, connected by a sea wall, and all of them have shallow, calm waves, with one that has a coral reef that is great for snorkelling. Across the bay at Dreams, it’s a smaller property that makes the amenities more accessible; and unlike Las Brisas, they have one large beach that has much stronger surfs because of how the resort faces towards the ocean. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo

The Maya is a close second to my all time favourite location. We’ve stayed there twice, and each resort was fantastic. The beaches are beautiful, and the resorts are usually quite self contained, so you don’t get hassled as much by vendors. However, there is a notable difference between the East and West Coast experience. The east side of Mexico is very popular and geared specifically for the tourism market, which attracts a lot of visitors from the US and Canadian eastern urban regions. For this reason, I’ve found there is a very different vibe between the resort experiences on each coast. When visiting Mexico on the west, the atmosphere is more laid back, and relaxed, while on the east I find it very hectic, and the tourists more aggressive.

What makes the Maya a favourite of mine is the sites there are to visit. Although Chichen Itza is still on my bucket list, Tulum was a wonderful place to explore the Mayan ruins. We enjoyed swimming with the turtles at Akumal, and I highly recommend taking in the Cenotes (Underground Caves). The Yucatan Peninsula has extensive underground cave systems that are filled with freshwater; it’s a really cool experience to swim or tube through them, they are absolutely beautiful.

Descending down into the Cenotes – Riviera Maya

Manzanillo, Jalisco

Before kids, my wife and I spent two weeks at the Los Angeles Locos (Crazy Angels) resort in Tenacatita. Owned by Blue Bay Resorts, it was only rated as a two star at the time, but this may have been one of our most enjoyable trips in Mexico. Although the resort itself was nothing to write home about, what made it unique is that the crescent mooned beach was entirely private, and there were virtually no other guests during the weekdays; but on the weekends, busloads of locals from Guadalajara would arrive and the resort would come alive with activity. It was three days of fiestas, followed by four days of solitude.

The beach at Los Angeles Loco’s resort – circa 1997

What really added to the experience was being able to horseback ride on the beach, or take a skiff from the resort up a mangrove lined river to the other side of the bay where there was another beautiful locals beach where you could grab some beers and soak in the sun.

Travelling up river through the mangrove trees lining the banks.

This was certainly not a five star resort, but we learned that the “star” level can be deceiving when it comes to the overall experience. It’s been over twenty years since we’ve been there, but if it’s the same as when we were there, I highly recommend it.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

This is a very popular resort town, but it does rank lower on my list. We’ve been there four times, and have stayed at various locations in the Marina District and south of town, but I’ve never travelled north of the city towards Nuevo Vallarta. Overall, the resorts are very nice, and its an easy location to get to from the West Coast. The beaches are ok if you are outside of town, but if you’re downtown or in the marina district the water in the bay is very murky.

Puerto Vallarta – view from the Marina District

This area ranks lower for me simply because we’ve stayed in so many other places we’ve liked more, I also find P.V. to be overly commercialized. There is certainly no lack of things to do, but it’s a good example of where catering to tourism has taken away from having an authentic local experience. Having said that, for an affordable, accessible, and enjoyable escape to a resort area it’s still a good place to go.

Former Dreams resort in Puerto Vallarta – now a Hyatt Ziva resort

Ixtapa, Guerrero

Ixtapa is the resort area adjacent to the town of Zihuatanejo. Keep in mind that it’s been about 10 years since we were there, so perhaps things have changed, but this trip ranks as one of the least enjoyable trips we have ever taken. I found the town of Zihuatanejo to be sprawling, dirty, and unwelcoming. I also thought the resort area of Ixtapa was very run down with half completed buildings, dirty streets and I never felt fully comfortable exploring outside the resort area. What really made this a bad experience were the guests at the resort. The hotel was filled with partiers, walking around with bubba cups, often so drunk they needed to be carried back to their rooms. One night security had to fish a naked drunk guy from the pool while diners were trying to eat their dinner at the pool side restaurant. I guess if you’re looking for the “black out” resort experience this may be a destination for you, but if not, take my advice and try some of the other locations mentioned above…..and btw, nobody needs a bubba cup.

One bad experience aside, Mexico is a great place to visit, and the closer you can get to experiencing authentic culture, cuisine and historic sites the more fun you’re going to have. I have always found the Mexican culture to be very family oriented, which made travelling with our young kids very enjoyable. The people are friendly, and each region of the country has something different to offer, so if you’re making multiple trips be sure to check out different parts of the country. Viajes felices! (happy travels)

England

One of my favourite books is “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell, and I’m thrilled to be able to say I’ve now been to both cities; and by the time we arrived at Heathrow Airport on this leg of the trip, we had officially come full circle. We started our trip with a quick stopover in London on our way to Malta, and had now arrived back to spend a few days sightseeing before our final trip over the pond to Vancouver. On our first arrival I got a quick glimpse of how expensive London is, but the next few days would firmly anchor that impression.

We had booked a hotel in Hayes Village near Heathrow Airport, right next to the Hayes & Harlington Train Station. This was the perfect choice because it allowed us easy access into London everyday, and it’s a short train ride back to the airport on the day of our departure. Luckily, the hotel room was more like a small apartment, so we took advantage of the nearby grocery store and stocked up for our stay.

Trains in London are such a great way to see the city.

After a wonderful night sleep we headed out the next day to do some walking around in downtown London. The city is everything you would expect, it is a bustling, modern metropolis. The public transit is fantastic, and you can get anywhere you want to without a lot of effort. The challenge is deciding what you want to see and do. The history and antiquities in London are amazing, but you need a strategy. The admission to historic sites is expensive, and you could spend months here and not even scratch the surface of what the city has to offer. With that in mind, we had a game plan and decided to get off the train near to Westminster Abbey and begin our exploring from there.

After a short stroll through the Parliament Square Garden, and a meander through a heated Brexit protest, we made our way to the entrance at Westminster Abbey. The Gothic Cathedral which was originally constructed in the first century AD is stunningly beautiful inside and out. The Abbey is most famous for being used as the venue for most royal coronations, weddings and funerals, it is also where notable British citizens are buried or commemorated. I actually found this quite surprising, because the walls and floors are adorned with tombs, effigies, and commemorations of important historical figures; I was a little shocked to see Stephen Hawking’s floor plaque, not that he doesn’t deserve it, I just didn’t realize they’re still using it for this purpose today. Let’s just say, it’s a who’s who of British historical influence. I also underestimated how much time is required to tour the Abbey, we spend a good half a day there, but I found myself rushing near the end; there’s just so much to see.

From the Abbey we made our way towards Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park. If you’re going to be in London, and have limited time, these two places must be on your list. I’m not a huge fan of the monarchy, but you can’t deny that Buckingham Palace is an impressive building. The grounds are beautiful, and you can’t help but feel how imposing this building is, especially considering it was the seat of global power for the Empire on whom the sun never set.

Hyde Park is a short walk from the palace, and it is an immaculately kept public garden, with man made lakes, rose gardens and rolling greens. Very beautiful, and the benches are a welcomed relief after a long day of walking. However, right before we entered the park, I needed to use the little boys room, and found one near the train station. As is the case in most of Europe you need to pay to get through the washroom turnstiles, and let’s just say I was in a hurry. I passed a woman on the way to the underground restroom, and tried to put my quid into the machine but it kept getting spit out. I graciously let the lady go ahead of me, and quickly got back to trying to get my coin to work. Patience is not my virtue, so I finally gave up and jumped the turnstile, used the facility, and it was only when I was washing my hands did I notice that in my hurry I had chosen the hop the turnstile into the women’s washroom….let’s just say my exit was as quick as my entrance. Luckily, Hyde Park is huge so after grabbing the family we made ourselves scarce.

The train ride back to Hayes was a nice way to relax at the end of a long day, and enjoy the scenery as it rolled by through the windows. After a quick dinner and early night we were up the next day and heading back downtown. This time, we were headed for the Tower of London. Initially constructed in the 11th century, this fortress lies along the River Thames, and gets its name from the White Tower at the centre of the complex. It’s an impressive fortification that has two ringed walls separated by a moat. I found it very reminiscent of how we visualize castles in our imagination and in popular culture. The Tower of London is most synonymous with being a brutal prison where inmates were tortured, brutalized and executed; but at one time or another it also a served as a home for the Royal Mint, munitions storage and even a Royal Menagerie. This is also where the crown jewels are stored, and the exhibit for them is very impressive. The jewels are displayed in rooms that are actual safes, and visitors are transported on moving conveyor belts around the display cases; it’s actually pretty cool. My advice is plan to spent a whole day here. There is so much to see, especially if you want to explore the Tower Bridge at the same time; it’s absolutely worth the visit.

The White Tower, inside the Tower of London

For the few days we were in London we also made it a point to have lunch at local pubs. If you’re going to visit the U.K. you have to enjoy their rich history of pub culture, and of course, the pub food that they are most famous for. There’s nothing better than a pint of beer and some fish & chips, or a meat pie accompanied by some “mushy peas”, served in an atmosphere of wooden floors, dark panelled walls, and a bar finished with brass rails and taps. This style of pub is replicated all over the world, but like many things, nothing beats the authentic experience. I certainly tried a variety of beers while I was there, but I made it a point to have a few Doom Bar’s along the way. If you get that reference, then you’re a true Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling) fan.

From London we made the final trip over the Atlantic, back to Vancouver, and north to Whitehorse ending an exciting and very epic trip; but there was a pleasant surprise still to come. While in Hayes Village we had spent some time chatting with the ticket attendants where we bought our train tickets every day. One of the ladies asked where we were from and told us she had visited Whitehorse several times because she has family who moved here. She even told us their street name and ironically they live just a few streets over. We’ve been back from our trip a few months now, and two weeks ago our door bell rang, and there she was. She came to visit family on a last minute trip and popped over the say a quick hello. That is one of the many joys of travelling, you get to meet amazing people from all over and it makes you realize just how small the world really is.

Greece

Greece was the next stop on our trip, and by the time we reached Athens we had been travelling for about three weeks, setting foot on three different continents, and everyone needed a rest. We had planned for Greece to be our recuperation stop prior to starting our travels home, but you never know quite what you’re going to get. Luckily for us our hope that Greece would be relaxing and reinvigorating turned out to be just that.

Acropolis Hill with the Parthenon perched on top.

We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel near the Acropolis. To picture our cab driver, you will have needed to watch the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, and think of the family patriarch who was always expounding on the greatness of the Greek culture, and all of the things the Greeks have given to the world through the ages….that was our cab driver, I am not kidding. He went on and on, even going so far as to quiz us on our knowledge of Greek culture. We even received an email from him upon our return home asking us to support his petition to have his writings on Greek culture included in a future space launch. It was crazy, the twenty minute cab ride felt like four hours, and of course yours truly was left to carry the conversation while my family feigned tiredness in the back seat.

View of Athens from on top of the Acropolis.

Eventually, we made it to our hotel, which was a very chic boutique apartment right in the heart of Athens; by far the nicest place we had stayed on our trip. I think we were still getting over our culture shock of being in Egypt because the laid back vibe of Athens melted over us. We stocked up on some groceries, found some wine and beer, and had the first of many unbelievable meals we would enjoy during our stay.

View of the neighbourhood looking towards the Acropolis

We chose to stay in the Koukaki neighbourhood because of it’s proximity to everything we wanted to see. You could spend months exploring Greece, but we had already decided we weren’t going to push ourselves at this stage of the trip, so we chose to stay in Athens, and take in sites that were within walking distance. Our first stop was to explore the Acropolis which is an ancient citadel perched on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the city of Athens. It is the location of many important archeological sites, most notably the Parthenon, which was built in the 5th century BCE; although it is believed that people lived on this site as far back as the Neolithic Era. The parks and gardens surrounding the base of the Acropolis are amazing, and we spend hours walking through the trails and exploring everything it had to offer. Once you get into the Acropolis there is lots to see, but be prepared for the crowds. It’s one of the most visited sites in Greece, but it’s also a must-see destination if you’re in the city. The temples, buildings and ruins are remarkable, and a testament to a great civilization.

Walking around the Acropolis you’ll run into all sorts of interesting places like the Prison of Socrates, or the Theater of Dionysus, and we were pleasantly surprised that we were free to explore without ever being bothered by buskers, or aggressive salesmen like you typically find in tourist areas. I had the feeling that Greece would be a great place to spend time in anonymity, with no pressure or expectations, just enjoyment of life.

The Theater of Dionysus at the base of the Acropolis.

The following day we went to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Construction on this temple originally began in the 6th century BCE, but wasn’t completed for another 638 years. At one time it held the largest cult statue in the ancient world. The remaining marble columns are unbelievably impressive, and once the temple was fully constructed it must have been an amazing sight. The grounds are beautiful, and I found myself really appreciating how the modern growth of Athens has respected and preserved the ancient antiquities. It’s truly a beautiful city to explore.

From the temple we walked a few blocks over the visit the Panathenaic Stadium. The site was originally built as a racecourse in the 6th century BCE, and has been updated and modernized over the centuries. It is now the largest marble stadium in the world, and continues to play host to international sporting events. You can explore the tunnels under the stadium where the athletes would enter onto the field, and see an exhibit of the different torches from past Olympics.

Panathenaic Stadium. Its capacity is 45,000 people!

If we had gone to Greece earlier in our trip I would have spend a lot more time exploring the country and focusing on museums and historical sites, but the real purpose of our stay was to recuperate from our long journey before starting the travel home. We did a lot of walking around and ended up making our way to Monastiraki Sqaure. There is a lot of little shops and cafes all around the area, and you’ll walk through some beautiful old neighbourhoods to get there. The sidewalks are lined with orange trees, that are often referred to as the bouquet of Athens for the sweet perfumed smell they emit; and the views around the city are just simply spectacular. Just south of Monastiraki Square is an outdoor flea market that extends for several blocks. It was incredible to see so many people selling anything and everything from small storage bays, trunks of cars, and the backs of trucks. It’s a very gritty part of town, but a really cool area to witness daily life for a brief moment in time.

Local flea market, and they sell everything!

During one of our walks we happened upon the Tower of the Winds. It’s a unique, octagonal structure, that is believed to be the worlds first meteorological station. Thought to have been build in 50 BCE, it contains sundials, a water clock and a wind vane, which was pretty advanced technology at the time. I found it really amazing how you can walk through the neighbourhoods and randomly come across some historical site or monument. I think the casual mix of the modern and ancient is what really appealed to me, and why I found this such a cool city to explore.

The worlds first meteorological station!

It’s very easy for me to see why Greece is such a popular place to visit. The weather, food, culture and history make this a wonderful place to spend time. I know I need to come back to explore some of the islands and further up the coast, but our time in Athens was pure relaxation. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

As a final footnote, I have to say that I found Greece to be a surprisingly economical country to visit. Food, transportation and accommodations were all very affordable, but that was about to change with our final destination on our month long trip. Next stop, London!