Caribe quta & mä jisk’a thakhi belice markar sarañataki

After acclimatizing, the backpacking journey began. Instead of Holbox, I decided to go to Isla Mujeres because it's extremely close and easy to reach from Cancun. It's very touristy, but definitely worth exploring for 2-3 days. With good company and a cool hostel (Poc Na), even better. Activities included biking, ping-pong, slackline, partying, eating tacos, and enjoying the sun. On the day we returned to the mainland, it started to rain heavily (everything was flooded on the island) and that's why we stayed for a night in Cancun and enjoyed the home cinema (see photo).

Collectivo is a cheaper alternative to buses and it's also a way to travel like the locals. So, I took the collectivo to Bacalar. Wow, that small town on Laguna de Bacalar is fantastic. Especially the lake is unbelievable, so clear and perfect temperature, I could swim there every day for 2-3km. The Yak Lake House Hostel has a great reputation and it was my home for 5 days. Kayaking was a better way to explore rather than taking a more expensive boat tour. That's how I discovered 'Cenote Negro', where the turquoise water suddenly turns black and instead of being 3-4 meters deep, it was 90 meters. I experienced wonderful sunrises and felt grateful for being able to see such incredible places in the world. After watching the sunrise, I helped myself to a delicious fruit buffet and enjoyed papaya, melon, mango, and banana in the hammock. So, I was really happy for that.

I learned that my plan to enter the USA via Canada was not so easy, as Mexico and Canada do not accept our travel documents (or at least it's risky). But in Bacalar, I met some funny backpackers and since their route went through Belize to Guatemala, I decided to join them and solve that 'problem'.

It's only 1 hour to the border and after several bus and taxi rides, we arrived in Belize City, the capital. Besides speaking English and seeing the queen on the Belize dollar bills, everything indicates that it's a typical Caribbean country. This feeling was even stronger when I stayed on the island of Caye Caulker. The self-proclaimed motto 'go slow' can be really experienced in this touristy place, completely stress-free, countless friendly beach bars, a beautiful sea, and the locals have a lot in common with Bob Marley - their appearance and what they consume. As this was my last day at the Caribbean Sea and people say that the 'Great Barrier Reef' in Australia is the most beautiful reef (although I already heard that about Isla Mujeres), I went on a snorkeling tour. And I must say, it was really amazing. We saw nurse sharks, stingrays, seahorses, turtles, and countless smaller fish. We also found a restaurant that was very authentic, like eating at someone's home - wonderful. Living in the sun brought joy and I think I've finally had enough vitamin D.

After just a few days in Belize, it was time to continue to Guatemala. So many people talked about it and I'm excited to see the mountain landscape.

A song that has been accompanying me since the first day in Mexico (it's in Spanish, so it's not about the lyrics): https://youtu.be/VYtJAuoZxcc

Wishing you a snowy winter until next time..