I am back in San Cristobal with Rudy. It looks that I am going to start a new life now... WOW! So for the time being my trip is over. But not the adventure as there is always something happening in San Cristobal. And another adventure is waiting for me, soon I will tell you the secret.
On Saturday we went to a party at our firend’s house. It was so great to meet the kind-hearted people whom I already know. Everybody is happy for our story: that I am back and taht we are together. We already have some plans for the nearest time: on the 21st of March we organize free hugs. Have you heard about this actions? That’s gonna be fun! Then Semana Santa, Easter, which is celebrated for the whole week is coming.

Since my trip ended I will need to finish this blog... Thank you very much to all of you who followed me on this trip crossing a bit of Central America. I already know that I managed to inspire some of you and this website made you believe that yes, YOU CAN do what you want and make your dreams come true. And that’s the most important as that is the aim of this website!!!

My last adventure on this trip. I decided to go to a village situated high in the mountains, which is being described as a typical Guatemalan village in a picturesque setting. The guide book says that there are mere 40 km and 3 hours ride from Huehue to Todos Santos. I thought it is a mistake in the guide book, moreover someone said this is one hour only so in total (two buses) it will be 3 hours). But it wasn’t a mistake in the guidebook: these were 3 hours indeed, in total 5 hours. In this way when I arrived to the village there was no transport to go back the same day. I found a cheap hospedaje and I stayed overnight. Luckily, just in case, I took my toothbrush and solution for lenses.
The setting of the village was incredible indeed! It was situated amongst the clouds and the landscapes during the way made it worth to take this long journey.
In the evening I met an Australian guy who works as a volunteer in a Spanish school in Todos Santos. He must be crazy to decide to live in this deserted place for 3 months! However it is a great place to learn language as one will hardly ever find opportunities to speak English and Spanish will be a must. We went together to a comedore (eatery). Rice with vegetables (in fact it was a piece of carrot and a piece of potato), eggs and black beans which I hate. But there were no other options.
I was planning to take a morning bus at 6am but I woke up earlier with a terrible stomach-ache. I don’t know if it was comedore or something else but something made me ill. Few visits in a loo and I caught my bus. The journey was horrible. Shit! Last day of my travelling and these kind of “adventure” to finish it!

Full name is Quetzaltenango. Most of the towns here have very long and complicated names and then a short form is being used. Xela is the place to take Spanish classes as the prices and qualities are said to be best. There are plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants around the Central Park, live music and night life. City itself – the second city of Guatemala – is not particularly pretty, not much to see but I took it as a starting point to visit surrounding villages in the highlands. The villages are inhabited by indigenous people where traditional costumes are worn every day. I visited couple of them on a market day and it was amazing to see all the colours of traditional costumes and indigenous women selling and buying carrying bought goods on their heads.

Here I stay with Ana, a girls from CouchSurfing. We spent a great deal of time talking and again I can say, no matter the country or culture: we are all young women with same problems and dreams.

This is the most touristic region of Guatemala, with rich culture, traditions and indigenous people living here. They sell their traditional products and hippie-style clothes everywhere and you’re constantly harassed to buy. Apart that the general atmosphere is very friendly and peaceful. The lake is huge with volcanoes overlooking the lake and villages situated on the hills around. In these villages many foreigners found the oasis of peace. Lots of hippies, marihuana, yoga, Spanish courses, massages, healthy food etc. I stay in Panajachel which is my starting point for trips to surrounding villages as it is well connected by boats and roads with all of them.

Today I visited San Marcos – something for me: total peace and tranquillity, foreigners created here an oasis of yoga, meditation and alternative therapies and all what is related. I just don’t understand why it is all so expensive. At this point I will strongly recommend Asia – there are the sources of this eastern lifestyle, it’s part of the countries and cultures there and for a price of about one-third of what is here.

Luis, my host from Antigua, emailed me that he misses me in his house. It is sweet. Looks like men like having me around I realized that since I made peace with men and started treating them like humans and friends, not enemies and danger, I only meet really nice guys who treat me really well. The guys I decided to meet and attract. No more “canny” Casanova type. The power of attraction?

I am counting days to be back in SanCris. I already agreed with Rudy that I will be back for the 27th, a huge party at our friends house celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Antigua, old capital of Guatemala, is a charming town with cobblestoned streets, historical architecture which is on the UNESCO list. Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes. It is one of these towns where you can walk and walk for hours and discover hidden patios and gardens with fountains. It reminds me a lot of San Cristobal. There are plenty of foreigners living here. They stay here longer to learn Spanish, work in bars, some start their own business. Like in SanCris, the choice of restaurants, bars and cafes is huge. The difference is that here the foreigners keep speaking English, while in SanCris everybody makes effort to speaks Spanish.

In Antigua I stay with Luis from CouchSurfing. Luis has a beautiful house decorated like a 5-stars hotel. I feel like princess here sleeping among silk covered pillows. He has a terrace with a view over the volcano. Luis works mainly via internet and he had time to take a great care of me. We went to Guatemala City, which is not as horrible as I’ve heard and expected. The problem with the capital is that it is very dangerous and its inhabitants feel in constant danger to be robbed or mugged and therefore they developed quite hostile attitude towards each other always ready for attack. Ina capital we went to the second hand and new cloths from the USA for ridiculously low prices so I acquired a new “wardrobe” for my new life in SanCris (I had one backpack only) – additional bag to carry but there are very few trips ahead of me before I get to SanCris so I should be OK.

After few lazy days and time spent with nice people at my hostel “Papaya Lodge”, I set off for Ruta de los Flores. The interesting thing was that I met a guy from CouchSurfing. He wrote to me as he liked my profile and came to El Tunco. We found many interests and things in common. Well, he wasn’t typical Salvadoreno: he writes books and is a Buddhist! We went together to Sonsonate and from there we visited two charming villages. Ruta de los Flores means Flowers Trail as there are lots of flowers and vegetation growing here, coffee plantations, waterfalls and small towns with cobblestoned streets, where time seems to be stopped.
Tomorrow I am going to Guatemala.
Slowly I am heading back to Mexico. I am not going up to Panama as I thought at the beginning. I am back to Mexico, but I am not taking my airplane either.
I’m staying in San Cristobal.
With Rudy.
We decided to try to live together. More details soon.

For now more about Salvador. There are very few tourist here as the country have the reputation of being extremely dangerous. OK. There are dangerous districts in the capital and big cities, the robberies and muggings happen. The Salvadorenos say it themselves. But generally, people here are extremely friendly! People here constantly chat me up. They are curious about the world and very helpful to tourists and this is the opinion of any traveller met here. It’s a shame that the country has such a bad reputation. There aren’t world wonders here that are on the UNESCO list. It is a small country and 4 hours are enough to cross from the west to the east or opposite and thanks to it is so easy to travel here – in one hour you can get from the beach to the volcanoes or from the city to the lake. I recommend El Salvador to everyone!

I spent 3 days relaxing on a deserted beach in El Espino. The place is very popular amongst the Salvadorenos during the weekends but during the week it is deserted. It lack in infrastructure. From here I got to San Salvador. Here I finally managed to meet a CouchSurfer – I stayed at Leti’s place and finally I could spend time in a nice company. Leti works a lot but in the evening we were meeting her friends in bars. Then I met a tour guide from the tour of the Salvadorenos I had met in Flores, Guatemala. He’s very nice and he selflessly showed me around the capital as he has just day off.

At the moment I am at the most popular beach among foreigners, El Tunco. It is a surfers paradise. The waves are huge and strong. The place is developing, there is choice of hostels and private rooms but no big hotels spoiling the beach, only few bars and restaurants and a couple of small shops - that’s it. During the weekend the beach is full as people from San Salvador and surroundings come for the beach and party at night, so the bars were also full at night. There was a real samba on drums and fire juggling on the beach by night. It was really good! During the week it’s all about surfing and then it’s nice and quiet. I will relax here for few days and get a nice suntan.

So I am in El Salvador. It looks more civilized here. I got to a charming little town at the altitude of 1600 m. It is famous for growing flowers and plants. It is very green an full of flowers, calm with lovely landscapes. People here are very friendly and keen on chatting. This way I met one lady from the hostel-gallery I visited and then I went with her to the main square to meet her friends who sell cakes there and we spend a good couple of hours chatting. And finally I am able to communicate with people in Spanish.

36 kilometres from la Esperanza to Markala by bus took more than two hours: the road is being build and it runs through the mountains. I didn’t expect anything in Markala – it was just a place to take a bus to El Salvador. But how to find out what time the bus leaves? There are only two daily so I can’t just turn up at the station – I need to check that before. So I got different versions: 4am, 4.30am, 5am. I found an office of transport. I asked clearly about the bus to SAN MIGUEL IN EL SAVADOR and a man there told me 4, 4.30, 5.30. When I got up it was still dark, at 5am I got to the bus stop wanted to take the 5.30 bus and a guy in the office tells me that the bus was at 4.30am and there isn’t any at 5.30. It never was. That’s a country of fxxxg idiots!!! I swear loudly calling them all idiots and dickheads in Polish, lots of fxxx and I am going back to my hotel, where I had to knock on the doors for a good while to wake up the owner to let me in. I am ready to say that Honduras was the worst of the countries I visited in my life. I feel nostalgia and sentiment for India, although I always say India is the most difficult country to travel. But at least there was a lot of fun and adventure there. So I strongly advice everybody against travelling in Honduras not because it is dangerous but because of its inhabitants with bird brain. They have beautiful country and they could make some use of it much better that they do now, but well, nothing strange they are so poor here if they are short of intelligence.
So the other bus was at 11am or 12. I managed to get on that (it was 12) and some 40 km to the border took us TWO HOURS AND 40 MINUTES!!!

All this Honduras, being alone made me feel homesick, I miss my friends and family and I am fed up with carrying my heavy backpack.

I spent some 5 hours horse riding today. I went with a guide to the mountains near San Juan. We arrived at finca de cafe, ie. Coffee plantation and for the first time in my life I saw how the coffee beans grow and are collected and then the whole process of washing and cleaning, drying and roasting. As a big fun and addict to coffee I am happy to finally know how it is all produced. A walk through the forest till we reached three different waterfalls. All the way down on the horse back. The landscapes here are absolutely gorgeous. Last time when I was horse riding was two years ago so tomorrow I guess I’m gonna have problem walking. After recent irritations and disappointments this was the loveliest day in Honduras. It was so great to ride the horse among these beautiful landscapes, forests, small cottages, tranquillity and silence.

On the top of that people here, in San Juan, are nice and they say my Spanish is very good.