Finally!

Almost two years ago, I left India with the following words.

“However, it is interesting to see how relaxed the Germans are dealing with the current situation. Yes, you read correctly, Germans and relaxed in one sentence. No one wears a mask here, everyone follows the rules as much as possible, work and walks are still allowed. In Bangkok at the airport, I was almost the only one without a mask, some people wore painter's suits, protective goggles, gloves, or even proper respirators.”

And now I'm sitting in an airplane with a mask on, on my first long-distance trip since Corona caused some restrictions. Also, I'm almost the only one who doesn't wear it under their nose. Times are changing...

Denmark, Tenerife, the Alps, and the Azores were great destinations in the meantime, which I probably wouldn't have visited or only later, but nothing beats the anticipation of a long-distance trip. For the first time, I'm almost as excited as before my break.

Of course, it's not going smoothly now either, so a few days before my departure, I wasn't approved for the required ESTA (a kind of visa for the USA) because I had been in Iran 5 years ago. Keep in mind that I only needed the visa for transit. Okay, is that it now? No, I'm in need of a vacation, so I also booked a direct flight, expensive, but the alternative would be to stay at home, as many countries are still closed or entry comes with quarantine, PCR tests, etc. At least I was only charged $4 instead of $14 for the rejection, thanks!

In the morning, of course, just in time for the train station, as I didn't want to bring a jacket and didn't want to wait at the train station for too long with temperatures around freezing point. However, my e-scooter ran out of power just before the destination, so I had to run the last meters because I already saw the train entering from the street. The flight was long but relaxed, for once.

ATM, a much-needed haircut, two beers, and three tacos, and the first afternoon was over. It's unusual to sleep in a dormitory again.

The next day, after another six hours bus ride, I arrived 350km further south in Bacalar.

A nice little town with street art, street food, and a wonderful lagoon. Since I met some really nice people at the hostel, I will stay for three to five nights.

A 10-hour trip to the Calakmul Maya Ruins was absolutely worth the 70€. Almost no tourists and we were allowed to climb the ruins. We also saw turkeys, deer, and spider monkeys!

We explored the lagoon in Bacalar with kayaks one day and with a small sailboat another day. And as it turned out, our boat broke down and the mast of the sailboat fell down after half the time. We couldn't repair the catamaran anymore, so a few Mexicans took us back with their party boat. :)

We hitchhiked on the cargo bed of a pickup truck back to the starting point. After that, a nice Mexican (according to his own statements, he earns his money with shady business) took us back to the hostel with his Hummer. As it turned out, he was drunk, on the road for three days, and "Puta Madre" was the nicest insult that some pedestrians had to hear. The three pallets of beer on the backseat could have been a warning to us. :)

Next stop was Mahahual, relaxing on the beach and doing nothing for two days. My original plan was to go diving here, but since I definitely want to go diving in a cenote as well, and I don't have time for both, I'm "only" at the beach here.

Anything else wouldn't be possible here anyway, because thanks to climate change, the Caribbean has been dealing with an algae plague for a few years now, but see for yourself. In addition, there is another plague. Cruise ships(!), which flood the promenade with their passengers. That's exactly why I love backpacking, I'm moving on the day after tomorrow!