Category: Overseas Travel

I feel inspired!  As I write this post I’m sitting on the deck of my two storey beach cottage at X’Tan-Ha Resort in Belize. Dawn is slowly rising on the horizon, and turquoise water is twinkling with the reflection of the morning sun, while a warm wind is blowing through the palms creating a gentle sound that is uniquely peaceful and soothing.

This is our last trip of 2017, and a deliberate attempt to skip Christmas this year. Bah Humbug you say! My kids would probably agree. I’ve come to realize that experiences trump consumerism every day of the week and twice on Sundays; and we were feeling like the holidays were becoming more obligatory than celebratory. So we decided to mix it up, and go on an adventure. We planned the trip into three phases, inland exploration, beach relaxation and city life to maximize our time in Belize.

First stop was the twin towns of St Elena and San Ignacio. Only a two hour car ride from Belize City, these towns lie in the western region of the country near the Guatemalan border. The towns are separated only by a river, and without knowing they were different towns, you would assume it was only one. We decided to stay at the Midas hotel in San Ignacio, which turned out to be a good choice. It’s right on the edge of town, within walking distance of everything and had all the amenities we needed for our adventures.

The drive to the twin towns was spectacular, taking you along a highway that passes through small communities, farmland, rolling hills and lush jungles. You may read on various review sites that the highway is in rough shape, but I can assure you it’s fine. Although not to urban standards, coming from the Yukon, they are in better shape than I’m used to. However, they love their speed bumps; lots of them, and sometimes located in the middle of nowhere, so you do have to pay attention.

We had pre-planned our excursions prior to arriving. The first day is always an acclimatization day, where we explored the town and got our bearings. The next day was set aside for cave tubing and zip lining, followed by a day for the A.T.M. Cave (Actun Tunichil Muknal) and the last for exploring two Maya Ruin sites.

The first two activities require some company bookings. The cave tubing is quite a bit off the beaten path, and we elected to complete the 7 mile tubing trip that takes you through five different caves connected by stretches of open river. To get to the first cave we were loaded onto old military transport trucks for the 45 minute drive through grapefruit orchards to reach our destination. At the very end, even the transporter got stuck. We disembarked, and hiked the last few kilometres through the jungle to the cave entrance. Once inside, we turned on our headlamps and began the journey. If you are claustrophobic, or afraid of the dark, this tour is not for you; and although you may think you’ll spend the whole time floating, there is actually a lot of paddling involved, so be prepared for a workout. It took several hours to complete all five caves, but it was a really cool experience. There’s something very serene and peaceful in the silence of the underground caverns. At the end of the caving we had a quick lunch of beans, rice and bbq chicken. It would have been a perfect lunch, except that we were then headed for zip lining on full stomachs.

This activity is my daughter through and through, she is fearless and enjoys the rush; always first to step off the platform. I, on the other hand, am not a petite individual and have visions of my carabiner snapping halfway across the hundred foot gully, or crashing into the person on belay as I come screaming in at mach four; not to mention, I’m doing this on a full stomach, which I highly discourage. In the end, everyone had fun, and no broken bones or air sickness.

The next day we headed up to Maya Walk Tours to participate in the Actun Tunichil Muknal tour (A.T.M.). This particular tour requires a licensed guide because of the sensitivity of this site, the challenge navigating it, and the need to preserve the archeological integrity of this location. If you do nothing else in Belize, this tour is a must. The artifacts and skeletal remains that are fused to the cave floor from years of calcification, suspended in place where they came to rest well over a millennium ago is awe inspiring. There is no surprise why this cave was voted as one of the top ten most sacred caves in the world by National Geographic.

Our last day in San Ignacio was dedicated for the ruins. We drove out to the Xunantunich ruins, which is only about a half hour from San Ignacio. It’s a beautiful drive that takes you within a few kilometres of the border. The signs are well marked, and once there you need to catch a small, hand cranked ferry to cross the river in order to enter the site. Once inside, it’s a short walk up the hill and into the primary plaza’s. As you enter you are instantly taken aback and the beauty of it all. The largest temple towers over all of the other complexes, and the entire grounds are lush, and green, surrounded by jungle on all sides. Unlike other ruins I’ve been to, these are unrestricted. You are able to climb the steep stairs, and ascend to the top of the temple. Once there, you are rewarded with pristine views of the plazas, and beyond. I have no doubt why this site was chosen, you can’t help but appreciate it instantly; and then you are left amazed at the accomplishment the Mayans achieved through the construction of such a city.

From Xunantunich, we drove back to St. Elena to visit Cahal Pech. These ruins are within walking distance of the twin towns, and are much smaller than Xunantunich, but equally impressive. The main plaza is surrounded by walls, creating a beautiful courtyard, anchored by the temple which towers above on one side. As with the other ruins, you are free to climb and explore all of the structures. The climb up to the top of the temple is challenging because a lot of the steps are covered with a layer of moss, so make sure to watch your footing; but the view from the top is worth the risk. I can’t say enough about these sites. The accomplishments and legacy left by the Mayans is incredible, and in my opinion, under appreciated.

After a spectacular stay in San Ignacio, we drove back to Belize City and caught a puddle jumper flight over to San Pedro Island, followed by a water taxi ride to the X’Tan Ha resort. I can’t say enough good things about this resort. It’s essentially a series of self contained cottage style condo’s on a small property quite away from town. Although there is a small restaurant and beach bar on site, guest are on their own for meals, drinks, etc… this is totally our speed! We pre-ordered our food ahead of time through one of the two local grocers who deliver, and the groceries were already stocked in the room before we arrived. The resort is so small, you barely notice anyone else, and you can easily slip into deep relaxation mode with unimpeded access to the beach, pools or ocean. Another unique feature is the coral reef about a kilometre from shore, the second largest in the world, and easily accessible by kayak. What makes this a great feature, is that it acts as a natural break water, so there are no rip tides, or big waves between the reef and the beach.

The primary form of transportation on the island is golf carts, and you can rent them everywhere. We picked one up from the resort and headed into San Pedro for the day. It’s a very typical tourist town, with lots of shops, restaurants and amenities. It was nice to get out for the day, and walk around, but it reinforced for me how much we enjoy our solitude away from the hustle and bustle. It’s a good thing that golf carts are the primary mode of transportation, because I would hate to see what an equal number of cars would look like in this tiny town.

Spending Christmas on San Pedro is exactly what we were looking for, and it was hard to say goodbye, but we booked a day and half in Belize City before going home in order to do a little exploring there. I had not heard a lot of good things about Belize City, and most locals we spoke to reinforced those opinions, but it was still worthy of a visit. In truth, I’m glad we did. We spent some time walking around the waterfront, and down to the cruise ship market area. Although not the worst we have experienced, I found the local vendors very aggressive.

We also made our way to the Museum of Belize, which is housed in the former prison, until the building was donated by the government for its current purpose. They have done a great job of dedicating the upper floor for Mayan exhibits, and the lower floors to local art exhibits, as well as a section documenting the countries history with slavery; which was quite powerful, and worth the time. Belize is a former colony of Britain, that was previously named British Honduras. I couldn’t help but reflect of the impacts colonization has had. Not only with oppression and slavery, but also the removal of historical antiquities for sale or display overseas. You can make a strong argument that this type of historical extraction has diminished the cultural identity and pride in most of the former colonies, but that’s a topic for another post. Suffice to say, the best museums aren’t always the biggest, but the ones that provoke the most reflection; and the Belize Museum did just that.

The next day on the cab ride to the airport we were having a friendly chat with our driver, and the topic drifted to the numerous police check points, and that they were looking for drugs and guns. When asked about gun problems, the cab driver happily pulled out his 9mm from under his shirt to show off what he carries for protection. I’m not sure what caused me most concern, the firearm or the fact he was driving with it out? Although it was unexpected, it was a good reminder that as travellers we always need to pay attention. In a future post I’ll spend some time talking about travel tips and tricks that you may find helpful.

That story aside, Belize was a beautiful country, and the people were very friendly and inviting. To really get the most of your trip, I recommend limiting your time in Belize City. You can check it out on your way to or from the airport when you arrive or depart, but take it from me, the authentic Belizean experience is outside of the city.

After a quick overnight stay in Vienna, Budapest was the last stop on our European backpacking trip, and we had to acknowledge by this leg of the journey everyone was tired. We needed to find somewhere we could hunker down and catch our breath. Lucky for us, Hungary is known for its thermal spas, and there are lots to choose from; so we booked ourselves into Aqua World with the singular goal of relaxation.

Certainly not the most historic thermal spa in the country, it seemed like a great place to recuperate from our travels, and get some real rest and relaxation while still getting in a few day trips into town. It turned out to be exactly what we needed. The hotel is split into two sections, a more traditional thermal spa, with heated pools, saunas, hot tubs, and cooling pools; while the other half is an indoor water slide park. Perfectly designed with one side for the parents, and another for the kids. The food was great, there was a little suburb nearby where they had some amenities, and we were on a bus route to downtown.

After a few days of relaxation in the pools, we did make it into downtown Budapest to look around. The bus dropped us off at Hero Square, which is home to some wonderful statues and the Millennium Monument, which stands in the middle of the square and was erected to commemorate the 1000-year-old history of the Magyars. Within walking distance of the square is Vajdahunyad Castle. The castle is bordered by a lake and beautiful gardens, great for a relaxing afternoon stroll.

The downtown has beautiful architecture, with lots of things to see and do. We decided to take the time to go through the House of Terror. This museum is dedicated to chronicling the countries history with communism, facism and the arrow cross party; the later of which was formerly based out of this same building. I highly recommend this tour, because it is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by many Eastern European countries in the twentieth century.

I am grateful for the privilege to have travelled through East Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary without restriction, but it is within my lifetime that these nations were part of the Soviet Union and restricted behind the iron curtain. Even in the transition from Nazi Germany, and Soviet occupation, Hungary struggled with its own Communist and Nationalist parties, which contributed to the torture, internment and death of thousands of innocent victims. The Terror Museum is a powerful reminder of the atrocities that were committed, and the countries struggle for independence and democracy. Having said that, I think Budapest would have been great city to spend more time exploring, but it was really hard to pull ourselves away from the spas.

This last stop on our European trip was a great learning lesson for us as travellers. This experience taught us the value of building rest and relaxation into our travel plans, because at some point during a long trip, it is easy for the travels to start to feel more like work than adventure. At some point something as cool as castles start to look the same, smell the same, and they diminish in value as you push yourself to experience as much as possible in your limited time. If you build in some time at the end to rest and reflect, you’ll head for home with a feeling of accomplishment and rejuvenation that will ensure those experiences are anchored in your memory in a positive way.

Welcome to the land of castles and caves! We arrived in the Slovak capital of Bratislava by train, and our hotel was only a short kilometre walk away. After a quick check-in, we wandered out for some food and supplies and then settled in for an early night. The next morning we were rested and ready for the next few days of adventure. We picked up our rental car, and headed out on a round trip tour of the country…it was a remarkable experience, that got off to a rocky start.

I’m going to admit to my embarrassment the rental car story. The agency dropped off the car, and left, only for us to realize that it was a standard. No problem, we’ve owned many standard transmission cars when we were younger; my first car was a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, which I still miss to this day, but thats a different story. The car was parallel parked on a downward slope with cars in front and behind. The problem, I couldn’t find reverse, and with every attempt the car crept closer and closer to the vehicle in front. With panic setting in, I was ready to get out and push it back up the slope, but my wife was able to figure out that you needed to push the shift down and then into gear to engage reverse…I was relieved, humbled and proud at the same time; so much for any machismo on my part.

Once we finally got ourselves sorted, our first stop on our way north was at Bojnice Castle. This spectacular structure towers over the local town of the same name. We weren’t able to get inside because of a wedding that was going on, but the outer walls and surrounding gardens were still worth the visit. We ended our stay with a stroll through the local town and then pushed on to Tercova; a small skiing village in the mountains where we planned to stay the night. By the time we arrived late that afternoon we were tired, and in need of sustenance. We checked into our hotel and headed next door for some food. Unfortunately, it was clear from the moment we walked in that they had no intention of serving us, and we ended up leaving and heading back to our hotel. Luckily we always travel with some provisions so we had some snacks and headed out early the next day. I really have no idea why we got the brush off, but suffice to say it was disappointing.

Fortunately for us, that experience was the worst of our troubles, and everything afterward got progressively better. The next day, we headed to the Važecká Caves in the village of Važec, with a quick stop over at Orava Castle. Slovakia is known for their spectacular caves, and this one was no exception. Locally known as the great bear cave, it is named for some fossilized bones found at this location. The cave itself is really well preserved and lit, which highlights the amazing stalagmites and stalactites contained within. Its unfortunate that language was a barrier, so we missed most of the tour narrative, but its still worth the visit.

Once we finished at the caves, we headed to Levoca to spend the night. We stayed in a hotel located in the old town square, which is encircled by the original fortification wall, and is designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Once we checked in, we dropped our bags and headed straight for Spis Castle, one of the largest castles in central Europe, and also a world heritage site. The castle is walled with weathered, white rock that makes it stand out against the horizon perched atop a mountain. Even from a distance the castle is an imposing structure and clearly projects an air of regal authority. We had a nice surprise when we arrived at the castle and found that it was a local holiday, and admission was free, so we spent the next several hours exploring the ruins and grounds. I highly recommend this location, it’s unbelievably impressive, and the views from its walls, and watch tower are breathtaking. We ended the day with a great meal in old town and woke up the next day feeling energized. We used the morning to take in the old town square in Levoca and check out the historical fortification walls, before hitting the road for Banská Bystrica.

Banská Bystrica is a modern city, but they have done a great job of preserving the history and charm of the old town, which is where we checked into a small hotel within walking distance of the town square. We spent the day checking out shoppes and local attractions, before heading out for a lovely dinner with some of my wife’s relatives. Although language was a challenge, google translate is a wonderful thing.

Slovakia was one of the highlights of our trip. The sheer volume of castles, and historical sites was amazing, but I was really struck by the fact that Slovakia feels like a country in transition. Juxtaposed to visiting quaint villages, we drove on very modern highways, witnessed city development and saw numerous factories along the way; all of which points to a country that is coming into its own as part of the European Union. There was certainly more to see, and I hope I can go back before more of the old world charm is lost to modern day progress; but for now, we had one final leg of travel to complete. The next day we headed back Bratislava to catch our train to Vienna, followed by a rail connector to our last destination in Europe; Budapest, Hungary.

Prague was our next destination and our gateway into Eastern Europe. We enjoyed another great train ride from Berlin to Prague, entertained with great scenery, surprisingly good food and a few beers along the way.

When we arrived at the train station we were met by our driver that we pre-booked through the hotel, and made our way downtown. Our lodgings were more of an apartment than hotel. Located one block from old town, the hotel had virtually no signage, and a single solid wood door in a nondescript building. Check-in was a small desk in a narrow hallway in front of a tiny elevator and a spiral stair case. When we arrived at our room, we ascended another spiral staircase into a beautiful two bedroom apartment with a terrace off the kitchen that provided a view of Prague that was breathtaking at night. The trade off was that there was an ant infestation at the entrance to the terrace, and we had a day and a half with no hot water, but it’s amazing what you can overlook when you have access to a washer and dryer to refresh and repack your gear.

The first night we spent time wandering through old town. It is a spectacular maze of narrow streets and classic architecture. The old churches and buildings tower over you, as you find your way to the centre of old town. Once there, take the time to check out the astrological clock on the outside of the old town hall building. The clock was completed in the late fourteen hundreds, and it’s a pretty amazing technical accomplishment when you consider how old the clock actually is.

From the old town we made our way to the Vltava River and onto the Charles Bridge to scope out our route to visit the Prague Castle the next morning. Once we had our bearings we headed out in search of food and by sheer luck came upon a basement pub called “The Alchemist”. It was a bit off the beaten track, and it didn’t have a huge line up of tourists, so we figured we would give it a shot. The interior motif was medieval, in homage to Prague’s long history with Alchemists of that time period.

This restaurant turned out to be one of our best meals of the trip. The waiter was eager to practice his English and my wife got a chance to practice her Slovak. It was such a relaxed atmosphere, and the menu was all local cuisine that tasted amazing; my advice is to have the Goulash with a local beer, it’s pure bliss. The waiter also comped us a few beer schnapps after the meal, which I had never had before. It was actually really good. I would never have thought to distill beer into a schnapps, but it works.

After some late night card games on the terrace, while we waited for much needed clean laundry to finish, we had a great sleep and woke up ready to tackle Prague Castle. It’s a quite a hike from where we were in old town, across the river and up the embankment, but I wouldn’t suggest any other way to get there other than to walk.

Construction on Charles Bridge began in the mid-thirteen hundreds and was completed in the early fifteen hundreds. Today, the bridge is lined with ornate statues, and hosts buskers along it sides, selling anything and everything to passing tourists. Don’t rush, the bridge is an amazing public art display in and of itself. Once you cross the bridge you enter through the original walled fortifications and towers, and begin the slow ascent to Prague Castle perched above the city.

Prague Castle’s origins begin in the late ninth century, and is now believed to be the largest ancient castle in the world. What is truly amazing about this site is how well it is preserved, and because it spans such a long timeline, you get to see architecture that reflects many styles such as Gothic, Renaissance, and Romanesque. From outside the castle you can witness the changing of the guard, which they still conduct everyday. It does draw a large crowd, but it’s always impressive to see the pomp and circumstance involved in these rituals.

Inside the castle, the sheer size is overwhelming. My advice is to have a plan, and in retrospect, maybe take an extra day. There is just so much to see. Saint Vitus Cathedral is a must; it actually reminded me quite a bit of Notre Dame. I also recommend the Basilica of St. George. Throughout the grounds there are museum exhibits, armouries and art displays spanning the history of the castle, but one area I found really cool was the “Golden Lane”. In the 16th century the king allowed his soldiers, specifically sharpshooters, to build their cottages into the castle wall footings, which essentially were single room dwellings that exist to this day. It allowed them to respond quickly to any potential attacks on the castle; quite an ingenious solution to keeping soldiers close to their stations. You also will find that touring through parts of the castle can be slow going as the higher levels are often only accessible by a spiral stair case that can only accommodate a person going in a single direction. Patience is key, and will be worthwhile, I promise.

Our time in Prague was short, but we packed in quite a bit. This is definitely a country I would return to, there is so much to see and there is history at every turn. My only travel tip is to convert some Euros to Crowns when you get there. Although part of the European Union, Euros are not widely accepted at small shops or street vendors, which was a bit of a hassle.

From Paris we hopped a train and headed to our next destination, and I owe this leg of our trip all to my son. When we were discussing our next destination my son wanted to go to Berlin. He’s at the age in school where they are learning about World War II, and he wanted to see the area first hand. I was never keen on going to Germany for no other reason, than it just wasn’t high on my list. I will admit that I was wrong, it turned out to be a great choice.

Travelling between Paris and Berlin by train was awesome. You pass through French and German cities, countrysides, and small towns. It’s a great way to take in a lot with the convenience of a bar car, and it freed up some valuable time for us to plan the next leg of the trip. When you arrive, you’ll likely find that Berlin does not feel like an old city. By the end of World War II seventy percent of the cities structures had been destroyed, and as a result, the architecture is now very modern in comparison to other European cities.

We booked into a hostel on the former East German side of Berlin, called the Generator. It was our first time staying at a hostel, and it won’t be our last. Overlooking the fact that our family wrecked the bell curve with being both the youngest and oldest residents during our stay, it was a really cool apartment block style building, encircling a courtyard that was always buzzing with the comings and goings of backpackers. The room was a double bunkbed dorm room, with nothing more than the beds and a private washroom. It was perfect, nothing more required. We also noted at reception there was a free daily walking tour, so no planning required for the next morning. We had nothing more to do other than hit the street and enjoy the rest of the day.

As we headed out to get our bearings we just started wandering and stumbled on the Bode Museum. A beautiful museum located on a small island, with it’s walls descending below the water line. When we arrived there were lots of people milling about, socializing and enjoying an evening drink or two. It seemed really odd that there were so many people with video cameras conducting interviews, but we didn’t really pay it much attention. It wasn’t until we settled in for the night and checked the news, that it turned out the Bode Museum had suffered a theft that day. Someone stole a one hundred kilogram gold Loonie that had been on loan to the museum. First of all, what an odd coincidence, and second, I can assure you I didn’t lug a giant gold loonie around Europe with me. That’s my alibi and I’m sticking to it.

This also turned out to be the first night we stopped for a family meal. We found a restaurant near the hostel that specialized in German cuisine. I’m not big of food photography, so you’ll have to take my word for it, have the Veal Schnitzel with the Spatzel. It’s definitely not a heart healthy meal, but its good for your soul.

The next morning we got up and joined the free walking tour. Now, I’ve been around the track a few times, and knew very well that free never means free, but we figured why not, it checked all the boxes of things we wanted to see in Berlin. After picking up guests at a few hotels on the walking route we were escorted to the Brandenburg Gate. Once there we were handed off to an English speaking tour guide who gave us the run down of how the tour worked. The company is called New Europe Tours, and the guides work by freelance. They make their money through tips, not a set tour price. I strongly recommend going on this type of tour. The guide was very informative and engaged, while the group of people on the tour was far more diverse than I’ve experienced in the past. I don’t think we saved any money going this way because the guide deserved what we paid, but I think this type of tour opens the door for a more inclusive and enjoyable experience.

We walked with the tour group from the Brandenburg Gates, to the nondescript parking lot that rests above Hitlers bunker. From there we visited the former Nazi Reichs Air Ministry headquarters building that survived the war and became the allied command headquarters after the fall of Berlin; ironically, it’s now a tax building. We also toured the remaining portions of the Berlin Wall and took a swing by Check Point Charlie finally ending the tour at Cathedral Square, which hosts a large concert hall, bordered on either side of the square by a French and German church respectively.

One of the stops we made was at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial. This memorial deserves special attention given the horrific events that occurred. It covers an entire city block and consists of 2711 concrete slabs called stelae laid out in a grid pattern. As you walk through the maze of rows you descend from street level to the centre of the exhibit and find yourself engulfed by the towering blocks. The exhibit is entirely open to interpretation, but if you take the time to reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust, I think it is a powerful and thought provoking piece of art. I can’t help but notice the stelae’s have an eerie and abstract resemblance to headstones.

One of the quirkiest things in Berlin were the walk signals. In Canada we’re used to the walking stick man signally us to go, or the big red hand telling us to stop; which is no different in West Berlin, but in East Berlin they use a little guy in a hat called “Ampelmann”, which has way more character and charm. It’s also a great way to know what side of the city you’re on as you’re strolling around Berlin. Even though I’m sure communism really sucked, I’m glad they kept this cool icon.