My Glastonbury 2009

Safely back in London, it is time for me to prepare for the next big event in my social calendar - the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto. It is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world - best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and many other arts.

I bought the ticket towards the end of last year, not quite sure knowing what state of mind I might be in after 6 months of travelling in Latin America, but I figured it would be something fun to look forward to.

Sam is chief organiser and has cleverly rented a camper van. Parked up in the family camper van section is a breath of (almost) fresh air compared to the other tent-only campsites. The rest of the happy campers include Sam's father, Martyn, his four brothers; Hedgie (good Jonathan), Alex and Lewis, cousin Pippi and her boyfriend (bad) Jonathan, and Sam's school-friend, Will (Herrington-boy).

I travel to Worthy Farm in Somerset aboard a National Express non-air conditioned coach along with Pippi and (bad) Jonathan (who discover along the way that they are not travel-compatible!). The journey from London Victoria to the farm takes about four hours and given that the sun is blazing, we are a little warm. The Italian chap beside me keeps offering his shoulder as a headrest, telling me that he would be very grateful! I force myself out of sleepiness to avoid the awkwardness and instead quiz him on his Glasto knowledge, this year is his 20th anniversary of attendance. We pass the heritage site of Stonehenge on route.

Stonehenge

The first hurdle we cross at Glastonbury, is the 5-mile trek from Entrance A (coach drop-off point) to Exit C (location of fellow happy campers and camper van). Navigation with the pathetic map we've been given is nearly impossible!

Jonathan takes his hat off to the Glasto-organisers

Part of the grasslands has been cordoned off, preventing us from crossing to meet up with the others (bloomin' Maximo Park wrecking our plans!). I quickly realise that my phone will be about as much good dropped down a portaloo as it is in my handbag (no signal, and quite shortly afterwards, no battery). After a quick re-jig of plans, Sam and Will manage to rescue us and lead us up the 'hill of death'. What a view!

Walking down the hill of death!

Our very respectable camp, equipped with 5 tents & a camper van

My temporary home laden with all Glasto-essentials

The shocking thing about Glastonbury for me is the sheer size and volume of people and acts - sprawling across 900 acres, with 190,00 attendees, 50 stages and over 1000 acts..

One of the main campsites, near the Pyramid stage

There are many options for food & drinks - noodles, crepes, Indian, Chinese, tofu, goat curry, sushi, Caribbean, Mexican etc.

With more bands & artists than one can imagine....

This evening is about becoming oriented with the site and stages, especially relaxing around the Queen's Head listening to folk-type music such as Liz Green. It is becoming clear that with most phones not functioning that coordinating our group of nine (with different musical tastes) through crowds of people is quite a challenge.

Myself, Will, Pippi & Bad Jonathan

Black clouds loom, soon the rain pours down

This evening the rain begins, Pippi and I take shelter with hot chocolate in hand.

Looking out at the downpour

And with rain, the mud follows....

The highlight for me this evening is bopping along to East 17, my all-time favourite band during my late childhood years. I am amazed that I remember all the words, clearly a true fan!

East 17, in the blurry distance

The word around the site is that Michael Jackson is dead. It is quite common for wild rumours to spread through festivals so we are not quite sure whether to believe it. The late evening is spent in the Pussy Parlour where Billy Nasty throws out a dubstep set.

On Friday morning, we are woken by the baking sunshine. Hedgie (good ) Jonathan crawls out of his oven-like tent and collapses on the grass where it is mildly cooler!

Hedgie, fast asleep on the grass on Friday morning

This morning is spent wildly chasing the elusive goose that is the health centre. There is something in the air here that has really triggered off my asthma - with all my wheezing and gasping I manage to sleep very little. Eventually a medical centre is located, I see a doctor, get a prescription and I'm given directions to an on-site pharmacy situated on top of a hill on the other side of the site (Grrr). I arrive a wheezy mess and almost hug the lady who gives me a new inhaler. Deep breaths, then time to reunite with the rest of the troops at Regina Spektor.

The New Yorker, Regina Spektor, is an artist I had forgotten about since university and was pleasantly surprised by this re-discovery (especially the songs Us and Samson). Then, it is time for Icelandic singer, Emiliana Torrini in The Park. Her sweet voice is who I listened to at the most challenging times during my Master's degree. Sitting up on the hill in the sunshine is very pleasant.

Emiliana Torrini

Stone wall at the entrance to The Park

Sand sculptures in The Park

The Park

Chairs were a good idea afterall...

It all gets a bit too much for Will!

Emiliana Torrini plays on The Park stage

Before the rain!

Cannot rest too long, it's time for Lily Allen. Looking very purple and glittery, she wears a white glove in respect for Michael Jackson. She sings her 'F*£$ you', anti-establishment song, which sends most of the crowd crazy shoving two fingers in the air to the government. I find this very strange!

Lily on Pyramid - the audience making rude gestures

Then, over to Jazz World for The Streets, picking up a grilled Hallumi wrap on the way (yum!). The performance is quite mundane, but we have seats at the District 66 bar which keeps any complaints at bay!

Sunset over Jazz World

They play the classic, Dry your Eyes, which makes me a little more forgiving of their performance. We stop off in the comedy tent and a familiar comedian is on the stage. Last year Sam and I went to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and went to see this guy's act, however, the fire alarm went off in the middle of a joke, we evacuated the building and the performance was abandoned. So, it is incredible that we walk into the comedy tent just in time to hear the punchline of the same joke and the rest of the act! Talk about perfect timing.

Half the act viewed in Edinburgh, the other at Glastonbury!

Then, we get our first taste of the wonders and strange occurences of Trash City. Hard to explain, but basically full of weird and wacky folk, fireballs, helicopters and pinball machines.

Sam watches the antics of Trash City

The grand opening of Trash City

Brief stop at the Ladybird Circus on the way back to camp

It is easy to get up on a Saturday morning when you know that Ralf Harris is singing songs in the sunshine. I feel a wave of emotion pass through me as he sings Two Little Boys.

Pretty Flags around Jazz World

Practical flags (Lewis is here)

Will religiously applies the Factor 50 & still manages to get burned!

Enough nostalgic childhood memories of Tie me kangaroo down sport and we are off to the Lancashire Hotpots. Witty and entertaining, well worth going to see. It is ridiculously hot outside, so we seek shade inside the Avalon Cafe where more acoustic stuff plays.

Avalon Cafe, a haven of calm & cool

Capturing the crowd

Sam resting his feet between gigs

WHERE ARE YOU? The most frequently asked question of the festival for those with functional phones (mainly T-mobile it seems!). Answers range include; I'm to the left of Pyramid. I'm under the England flag. I'm in the Pussy Parlour. Other common phrases or exclamations inlcude; Eeeew, that was soooo disgusting. Oh my God, it smells so badly here. How can people be so disgusting? These comments are generally but not exclusively related to portaloo discussions.

Pippi shows us the effects of dry shampoo!

This afternoon gets a bit more lively with the much-hyped, much-anticipated La Roux playing over in the Dance Village. I enjoy the set, and the song Fascination is certainly growing on me! Bulletproof is still my favourite..."this time baby...I'll be bulletproof", very catchy!

La Roux

In the crowd I get separated from the others while The Qemists play. I listen to some of Deadmau5, and then make my way over to Kasabian. At which point I realise that I no longer have my ticket (needed for entering and exiting our campsite). After a flash of panic I decide to retrace my footsteps through the still-mucky grounds and miraculously about fifteen minutes later I see a small folded white paper - my ticket!

I find my ticket right beside this posterboard (note rubbish levels on the ground!)

I wander back to the Pyramid stage for Kasabian, and then over to the Other stage for Pendulum - both bands give amazing performances and there is a great atmosphere in the audience.

These young lovers passionately kiss before the crowds pile in for Pendulum

Rocking out at Pendulum

The feeling of listening to wonderful music while watching the sunset is incredible

Making my way back to the Dance Village

No rain this evening over the festival

Back at the Dance Village I bump into Sam, Lewis and Will - just in time for Eric Prydz. Good fun, but not quite as much fun as 2 many DJs!! This is the best gig of the festival for me, I simply do not want the music to stop! With mixes of MGMT, Michael Jackson, Eurythmics, The Gossip.......it is just incredible.

The grand finale, 2 Many DJs

Sunday morning begins with 6 day riot, who I have never hear of but I enjoy a great deal. There is a rush to get over to Dance West for Goldfish, the South African duo whom Adam introduced me to a couple of years ago. I like the fact that they play instruments live during their DJ sets.

Goldfish

A little too early on a Sunday morning for more dance music, it is time to sit on the grass and listen to Emmy the Great and Amadou and Mariam. Later, Will and I head over to see the Cuban band, Orquesta Aragón. We eat some delicious Goan fish curry, drink some pear cider and giddily dash over to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (great costumes but not such an exciting show).

Then it's time for...Madness!! Baggy Trousers, House of Love and Wings of a Dove - what fun to sway and sing along to!

Madness

Lewis (with Hedgie in stripes) during Madness

Will + Pear Cider = Bad idea

Next, it is time for the Noisettes, London Electricity and Mr.Scruff. For me, the question of whether to see The Prodigy or Blur is curbed when somehow I end up passing out on my way to the toilet and land up on a stretcher bed in the Glasto emergency medical tent...the mystery remains as to what actually happened. After four hours of teeth grinding, seizures, hallucinations and paranoia under the supervision of the medical team and drinking pints of water, I begin to come around. About 2am I make my way back to camp, wrapped in a survival blanket, and try to explain to the others what happened. There is talk of drink spiking. Having looked into the symtoms, it appears that it was some kind of amphetamine. Those four hours were, without doubt, the most scary few hours of my life. I remember crying and crying, beggin the medics to make it go away. Without a phone, there is no way to contact anyone. The rain is torrential tonight, leaving the grounds looking like a mud-bath once more.

On Monday, we are all up by 6am. I am still feeling quite weak and wobbly after the terrible occurences of the night before. The boys and the van speed off to join the 15-mile tailback of vehicles leaving the festival. I later learn that on route to Exeter the rear window literally pops out of the van, smashing into smithereens. How on earth did that happen? Myself, Pippi and Jonathan are hoping that we can hop onto one of the earlier coaches back to London (we currently have tickets for the midday). No such luck, we have no choice but to laze about in the sunshine, reading our Glastonbury 'Review' and wallowing in our festival odours. Considering the constant reminders of 'Love the farm, leave no trace' I cannot believe the rubbish. There are fields filled with abandoned tents, wellys, cans, cups, food, cigarette butts, clothes, shoes and torches. It is unimaginable how this farm will return to luscious pastures anytime soon.

Glastonbury abandoned once more

After a slight detour on the coach to avoid traffic, we eventually return to Victoria. Back to London and the heatwave of 2009 (last one 2003 apparently!).

So, in review here is my list of yays and boos of my first Glastonbury.

The Yays.

Sunshine. Seeing Sam & co. Drinking hot chocolate with cream and flake under a shelter while the rains pours down. 2 Many DJs. Crepe with butter, sugar and lemon. The choice of amazing music. Standing at the top of the Hill of Death. Sitting on top of the camper van with an even better view. Nice people. Goan fish curry. Emiliana Torrini. Mr. Scruff. Babywipes. Pear cider. Free stuff. Welly boots (as comfy as slippers!). East 17's Alright. Dry shampoo. Pretty flags (all colours of the rainbow) and practical flags (e.g. Lewis is here). Fancy dress - makes it much easier to spot friends in the crowds. Tiger (the adorable 18-month baby next door) waving at us, giggling and singing 'ee-eye ee-eye oh'!

The Boos.

Ending up with Glasto medics, twice. Rain. Mud. Poo and portaloos. Phones without signal or battery. Climbing the Hill of Death at least twice a day. Clashes between great bands. The smell of other people's pear cider vomit. Walking miles to see bands. Sore feet. Not meeting up with friends due to lack of phone. Catching a glimpse of onself in one of the rare portaloos with a mirror. 02 phone network (system flooded).

It was fun though! Back next year? ....ah sure, who knows where I'll be?

The Yellow House

La Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala) is the place where I spend the last few days of this trip to Latin America. It is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

La Merced, featuring Maya lotus flower designs

Central Park, Antigua

The city is full of cafe courtyards

Antigua, Volcan de Agua in the background

Guatemalan Metropolitan Cathedral

Coincidentally Adam arrives on the same day, so Irina and I meet him for a last supper before he heads on to Semuc Champay.

Just like old times in Argentina

We have a tasty meal and walk over to a great bohemian bar, Cafe No Se. On route, I am deeply engaged in conversation with one of our new friends, admiring the colonial buildings across the road when I smack my forehead off one of the protruding stone windowsills. The lump grows and blood pours. Yes, Adam confirms, the windowsill is hard. I ask for an ice-pack inside the bar, I am certainly not the first it seems! I stay for one drink, the rest of the evening is fuzzy.

Days later I revisit the windowsill

Pacaya is one of the world's most active volcanoes. The exciting feature for tourists is the visibility of flowing lava (which some bright sparks have decided to sell marshmallows for toasting upon).

Pacaya Volcano

We are dropped off into the midst of chaos. Boys with horses, children selling sticks and fellow tourists have been offloaded into a small parking lot. Guides run around calling out names, and rounding up groups. We begin the 1.5 hr hike upwards. We pass a white bull and numerous guys offering us a 'taxi' on top of their horse.

The starting point..

Initial blue skies and view of countryside

The ghostly bull

The view for most the hike

Booo to crowds

The texture & shapes of this volcanic rock is incredible

Flowing lava

Giant hot coals!

Marshmallow toasters

We are halfway up when a thick mist drops, creating an eerie feel. Along the way, we realise that we have made a rather silly decision to climb the volcano on Saturday, given the crowds. Later I learn that 400 people climb the volcano this afternoon. There is a mixture of locals and foreigners who are enjoying a weekend free from working or voluntering in Guatemala. For me personally, the crowds really cloud the experience, fighting for a spot near the lava is not what I had imagined. At the top, we wave to Adam across the crowds. Seeing the lava makes it worthwhile, it is pretty cool (can't think of a better word). We return down, the temperature has really dropped, along with the sun. The rain pours, and we slip and slide in the mud all the way back to the bus.

On Sunday, Irina accurately notes that "to chicken bus" is now officially a verb - as in "we chicken bused it to Chichicastenango market today". I like chicken buses - the bright colours, the personalised interior, the party atmosphere created by the pumping Bachata music. However, our journey to Chichi shakes my confidence a tad. On the positive, the speeds clocked ensure that we arrive at the market before most of the other tourists..

No two chicken buses are ever the same...

Chichi market occurs every Sunday and filled with all kinds of wonderful tapestries, weaving, fruit and lots of tat. The market is well-laid out and friendly - it is easy to spend hours wandering around.

Shopping for Jesus, Mary & Joseph

Beautiful jewlery

Chichi market

Best food in town from a street stall

Happy me

For the next couple of days, I fill my hours doing yoga, reading, drinking fresh lemonade and wandering around the occassional church.

Lemonade with fresh mint

The Yellow House provides a wonderful breakfast every morning, best enjoyed on the rooftop terrace in the sunshine overlooking the city.

Breakfast at The Yellow House

On my final morning, I am feeling relaxed and well-rested, ready to begin the slow journey back to Europe.

Tikal: Featuring the ventures of Lord Chocolate

The first wonderful part of visiting the ruins of Tikal is that they are situated deep inside the Guatemalan jungle. The towering structures, peering out from above the canopy are incredible - the tallest of which is over 80 metres (not to be climbed by those with vertigo...unless you are as determined/stubborn as my friend Irina!). The Maya settled here around 700 BC; most likely because of the situation on top of a low hill above swamp ground and an abundance of flint for tools and weapons. Within 200 years, the Maya of Tikal had begun to build stone ceremonial structures, and by 200 BC a complex of buildings stood on the site of the North Acropolis.

La Ceiba

This time we spend more time choosing a guide who is knowledgeable and whom we can understand. It is well worth the effort. I learn many snippets of interesting facts about this ancient civilisation from Chino, our guide: The Maya people celebrate with human and animal sacrifice upon altars. They often held ball games, where the losers would be killed. The importance of numbers to the Maya people is evident throughout their structures and sculptures. Zero was an important number, representing the beginning, the end and the cyclical nature of our lives. They were strong believers in astronomy, using both moon and sun calenders. The moon calender represents nine months, the length of a pregnancy cycle; often there are nine stellae and 9 altars on the site. All the sites are connected by underground catacombs, which they may have used for processions and carnivals. Compared with Copan, Tikal shows very little sculptural work.

My favourite story is of Lord Chocolate (Ah Cacau) who was responsible for initiating a Maya renaissance - restoring the city's military strength and its primacy in the Maya world as the most resplendent city. It was he who is responsible for most of surviving temples around the Great Plaza.

Despite Lord Choc's best efforts Tikal's greatness waned in 900AD, part of the mysterious collapse of lowland Maya civilisation. It wasn't until 1848 that it was rediscovered by a Guatemala expedition.

One of the 'twin' pyramids - with 9 stellae & 9 altars used for ceremonial sacrifice

Bird's eye view of Tikal & the jungle

The tallest temple - a very, very steep climb

Main Plaza - thanks to Lord Chocolate

The Panama hat lives on

The view from these temples are pretty impressive

Chultones, these were essentially holes in the ground used for storing maize, beans and other food. There are 9 of these large 'fridges' around the site.

Chino, our guide showing us one of the Chultones

Tricky steps

There are many different styles - depending on the century when built

Posing under the vast shadow of this monster!

Stucco - a form of white cement used for building

I was surprised to learn that of Guatemala's 13+ million population today, over 60% are indigenous - nearly all of whom are Maya, with a splattering of European and Caribbean influences in the remainder of the population. The Maya are spread throughout the country, but most densely populated around the Highlands.

So far, only 20% of Tikal has been excavated and is open to the public, all of which has been funded by international donations.

The jungle around Tikal is alive with creatures great and small. During our five-hour walk, we see woodpeckers, macaw, a toucan, pizote, shiny green bugs, red and black howler monkeys and a tarantula. We do not see any pumas, jaguars or rattlesnakes unfortunately.

Irina & her eight-legged friendTarantulaPizote

Our time spent around Tikal, is not quite so majestic. Taca Airlines steal all my toiletries, without prior warning and with a rudeness that taunts my temper. The 38 degree heat, and 60% humidity is unbearable - especially when trying to sleep in 6-bed dorm room and only one measly fan. Irina gets attacked my mosquitos, I get annihilated by bed bugs (to such an extent that I visit the local medic to ask if I have chicken pox). Los Amigos, where the infestation has taken place, has a wonderful communal area and great vegetarian food - so we are upset that we are forced to change to another hostel.

We do make one worthy discover however; Hibiscus iced tea! Basically one makes hibiscus tea in the usual way, lets it cool & then blends with ice. It is delicious during these extreme temperatures, and the longer-term benefits include cleansing the kidneys and purifying blood.
We feel the liquid flushing out all those toxins injected into to us from all those disgusting bugs....

Copán Ruinas

'Something must have gone wrong for you to be stuck in La Entrada' says the Lonely Planet. Naturally, Irina and I end up in this grim town in Western Honduras. One of the centres of narco-trafficking in the country apparently. We blame a tourism officer in León for giving us bad information, based on his estimates we had no chance of making it to Copán Ruinas by nightfall. As we board our (last resort) bus to La Entrada, a man tells me that the bus is packed with military men. 'Is that a good thing?' I ask cautiously. Yes, yes he assures me - they will protect us in case anything goes wrong..

Bus drivers and conductors in Central America are exceptionally and consistently helpful, but when they are hungry they stop & eat...no matter the time, the place or the hurry! We passengers look on longingly as a lady magically produces a fine-looking meal at a bus shelter on the side of the road.

Note flowery tablecloth upon which the bus drivers dine!

We "treat" ourselves by staying at El San Carlos - a miserable, overpriced motel. There is one blessing, the restaurant serves noodles (food which I have not eaten for months and which I was craving earlier this afternoon). There's only one thing on our mind over dinner - what time does the first bus leave in the morning?

My first & lasting impression of Honduras? All men wear hats!

We arrive to the beautiful, tranquil town of Copán Ruinas and dance with delight! Cobblestones, white-washed buildings, ample restaurants, artesanal shops, friendly people. At the hostel (En la Manzana Verde) we have been placed in the 'world-famous' dormitory - Irina's got Madonna and I've got Al Bundy!

Copán Ruinas

We ride horses for the afternoon (only $15 for three hours), along the river, over the hills and towards San Lucas' farm. This is good riding country and I am relieved to see that the horses in the area appear to be well-fed. Our guide, Carolina, is great fun (she is self-reportedly mad!) and never fails to stop laughing! She is thrilled that we speak Spanish and are of similar age.

Carolina, our guide around the local countryside

Irina & I letting the horses cool down in the Copan river

Pretty scenery all around

The three of us chat for three hours solidly!

The Ceiba tree, the national tree of Guatemala

Giant Lemons

Pineapples grow on low bushes...in case you were wondering?!

From up here, we can look down upon the ruins of Copan

We have a great afternoon, and stop off at the Jardin de Mujeres Tejiendo, Maya Chortia workshop - a small-business run entirely by women working to improve the quality of their lives and the lives of their children. We take a look at the looms used for weaving and buy one of the beautiful scarves (the money is used to buy school supplies for the children).

Loom used for weaving

Lots of feminine scarves handmade in the workshop - a celebration of women's creativity

Hondureña weaver & her daughter

Back at the hostel we make friends with a sweet Canadian, Jay, who also got stuck at La Entrada last night - phew, maybe we are not so ridiculous after all!

Next morning, it is time to visit the Copán archaeological site, situated one kilometre out of town. Many people overlook visiting Copán ruins, believing that the Tikal ruins are more spectacular - in actual fact, Copán are intriguing in a very different way and were one of the most important of all sites where Maya civilizations lived, prospered and mysteriously crumbled. During the Classic period (AD250-900) this city culturally dominated the region for centuries, now often labelled the 'Paris of the Maya world'. Tikal is celebrated for its very tall temple-pyramids. Palenque is renowned for it's limestone relied panels. But, Copán is unique in the Maya realm for its emphasis on sculpture.

The unique features of Copán;

1. The most numerously carved commemorative stelae and altars.

2. Many complex stone sculptures decorating the buildings.

3. Elaborate stucco facades (for example, the four decorated sides of the Rosalia)

4. The monumental Hieroglyphic Stairway that has the longest inscribed text at any Maya site.

5. All of the above are sculpted in a flamboyant style, and frequently in deep, nearly full-round relief.

Beautiful grounds around the ruins

Macaw (noisy creatures)

We hire a guide from the main office at the ruins for $25. She turns out to be terrible with very poor English and minimal historical information. In hindsight we wondered why we didn't ask her to speak in her native tongue, perhaps she would have been more informative? Nevertheless, the site is beautiful - filled with well-maintained lawns (this is very exciting for me, I have not see proper grass since Ireland!), huge Ceiba trees and brighly-coloured macaws. I was quite surprised to learn that a fair amount of the site has been reconstructed, many of the originals are kept inside the museum.

The ball court - the loser of the game was sacrificed on one of the ornate altars

Lovely lawn - the sweet smell of freshly cut grass

To help us imagine what the ball game may have looked like

To give a sense of perspective

Symbolising "The underworld"

Jay & Irina try to listen enthusiastically to our "guide"

Eventually we ditch the guide. Our desire to learn more about the Maya people not yet satisfied, we visit the on-site museum which displays a large selection of original sculptures from the central ruins, as well as from outlying household areas.

Inside the museum of Copán

Conservation of the stone sculpture and stucco decoration is a primar concern for Copán, a World Heritage site since 1980. Inside the museum the themes include: underworld symbolism, scuptural art masterpieces, warfare and ritual, fertility and cosmology, scribes and sculptors, community and council, nobles and residences. The quality and preservation of the original scuptures is incredible.

Later, we walk another 2km to La Sepulturas to see the ruins of the residential housing of the middle class. With the surrounding scenery, this must have been a wonderful place to live.

Tuk-tuk back to town (the heat is unbearable!)

I wish I could stay longer here in Copán, it is such a charming place. I would love to stay at the El Cisne farm in the highlands, do more horse-riding and sample all of the various restaurants in town. I would like to get to know more Hondureños, who by all appearances are friendly and jolly folk. The alarm clocks sounds early the following morning, we must catch a bus and cross the border into Guatemala.

León

This 'new' time pressure is a strange concept. My backpacking days are numbered, with only two weeks until I fly to London from Guatemala City. I have one foot firmly rooted to the Central American earth, while the other foot dips into thoughts of Ireland, career, accommodation & friends. I feel restricted with a schedule, my wings clipped.

Leon is another colonial city, pretty to stroll through, but our main reasons for visiting are to use it as a base, firstly, for visiting Las Peñitas, a coastal town about an hour's drive from the city, and secondly, to climb the volcano, Cerro Negro.

Cathedral, Leon

Iglesia de la Recolección

Irina the Ballerina

Leon is the second largest city in Nicaragua, and has the feel of a university town. It is less touristy, calmer and (dare I say?) more civilised. We spend a few hours meandering the city and observing city-life. Irina is out of contact lens fluid, and whilst interacting with a local optician she muddles her words slightly asking for 'fluid to clear her lentils'....almost as bad as me asking for my fish in Colombia to be 'sin caballo' (without horse - rather than 'sin cabeza', without head!). Oh dear, the locals must have a good chuckle at us!

Other than buildings and cathedrals, Leon is famous for being the birthplace of Ruben Dario, perhaps the most famous Spanish-writing poet.

Rubén Darío (1867 –1916) was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated Spanish-American literary movement known as Modernismo (modernism), flourishing at the end of the 19th century. Dario has had the greatest and most lasting influence into twentieth century Spanish literature, and journalism. He has been praised as The Prince of Castilian Letters, and undisputed father of the modernismo literary movement. Dario is revered as Nicaragua's greatest diplomat and a leading voice of Central and South America (Wikipedia, 2009).

Fundacion Ortiz

Electricity is a huge problem in Nicaragua, and as we stroll through this pleasant art gallery the security guard switches on and off the lights at the appropriate moments.

Las Peñitas

Our original hope was to surf here. Once glimpse at the waves is enough to convince us that this is no longer a possibility - the sea is wild. A freak wave washes over us whilst sunbathing and another sweeps away our belongings, and again later while eating lunch in a restaurant. It has the feeling of a once popular place, now deserted and a bit miserable. A number of places in Central America have that feel, most likely because it is low season. We burn the calories from our tasty lunch racing the white monsters.

Las Peñitas

Soggy restaurant

Mé féin

Irina risks getting her toes wet

We catch another chicken bus (old American school bus) back to Leon, we are the last people left on the bus and the rain is lashing down upon us, the city flooded. The bus driver is a lovely fellow who drops us all the way into town. We walk through the floods back to the Lazybones hostel, laden with sand, dust and muddy water...to discover that there is no water for a shower (despite all the rain!)....

León, flooded

Dodging hidden holes in the road

Cerro Negro

A very new volcano, the youngest in Central America, having first appeared in April 1850. It consists of a gravelly basaltic cinder cone, which contrasts greatly with the surrounding verdant hillsides, and gives rise to its name, which means Black Hill. It has erupted frequently (and apparently is due any day now..last eruption was in 1999). One unusual aspect of several eruptions has been the emission of ash from the top of the cone, while lava erupts from fractures at the base. We are very keen to climb it!

Saturday morning at 4am, we meet at the Quetzal Trekkers office. It is strange walking through the city at this time, quite eerie, and on almost every street there is a security guard with weapon. Quetzal Trekkers is a non-profit volunteering organisation, offering tourists adventurous hikes in Nicaragua and Guatemala to raise money to help an organisation called Las Tias (The Aunts) who work with street children and children at risk. 100% of the profits goes to Las Tias who have been in existence for over 15 years.

We meet our fellow trekkers from France, Cecile and Matthieu, our guides, Justin and Mike. Also, joining us are two boys who attend the school, Alex and Santiago, originally street kids, but now well fed and receiving a decent education. Later, as I begin chatting to the boys I am shocked to hear the boys ages, 13 and 14 - judging by their appearance, maturity and topics of conversation I would have guessed about 9/10 years. I enjoy having them around, they are full of beans and mischief! After breakfast, we walk a few blocks to catch one of the local school buses to bring us closer to base for beginning the five-hour trek.

We begin with country lanes, local traffic jams and small paths on the edge of a forest.

The group

The Jam

After an hour, we come a cross an incredible black landscape - a dark desert of sand, stretching for miles head of us with rolling hills - a deep contrast with the vibrant green trees nearby. It could perhaps be described as the antithesis of the white salt flats in Bolivia!

After another hour we reach the park-rangers station, nibble a few biccies and take a look at their collection of iguanas and snakes. They are breeding these creatures here, two-thirds of which will be released ino the local wilderness and the remainder will be sold to the international markets.

The snake (& lady) charmer at the Parkranger's office

Little green iguana

Full-grown Iguanas

Alex holding his first snake

We continue walking up the side of the Cerro Negro. We are so lucky that the clouds are blanketing the sun today, keeping us slightly cooler! Reaching the summit, we wander around the craters and watch the smoke rising from the cracks in the surface.

It seems so strange that trees can grow here

Santiago & Alex

Wherever I am in the world, the ladybirds follow....

Then we run back down the other side, which is an almost-vertical slope! A very strange experience. The gravel makes it possible to bound and leap, making us feel we are floating and gliding! I think I scream the entire way down, kicking up black gravel in my midst, boots choked with ash and grit.

It is pretty steep!

Alex & Santiago manage to catch a little green lizzard shooting across the desert - very amusing scene!

At the base we enjoy lunch, and set off through a forest towards another local-bus pick-up point. We stop briefly for a fresca, and then journey on back to the city. I would unequivocally recommend hiking with this company, everything was extremely well organised, fun and socially responsible.

Time to prepare lunch (circa 10am)

Lunch time - I cannot even remember how many various ingredients went into this pot of deliciousness

After lunch, we notice this amazing ring around the sun

Hooray!

Fresca (simply coke & ice in a bag with a straw)

Hot & sweaty, we trekkers look on in jealousy at this wallowing piggy!

Nicaragua has been full of highs and lows, always provoking a strong reaction and certainly never a dull moment. The following morning we catch the 6am bus, quite pleased to be leaving in many ways, I am looking forward to Honduras.

Velago, Nicaragua

It is Monday, the first day of June 2009, a perfect day to begin our beginner's sailing course in Nicaragua. At 7am, we meet Ferdinand at Velago Nicaragua - Irina and I are feeling very excited! Before getting in the boat we must learn some theory. We learn about wind directions, points of sail and sail positions. All seems to make sense, on paper at least. Then, it is time to learn the correct names of all the parts of a boat, many are familiar to me but poor Irina has to learn all these words for the first time in English, her second language! Theory over, we learn how to rig our training boat, Helga (another Gruben jolly boat); attaching the rudder, hoisting the sail, hooking up all the various lines/sheets and lowering/raising the centreboard. The next task is learning how to put the theory and rigging in motion!

Helga

Trying to figure out what attaches to what!

Hoisting the sail

The course is intensive - we are cramming a 20-hour course into three days. We borrow bicycles and cycle to and from the sailing school. Our daily routine consists of breakfast at 6am, cycle fifteen minutes to the sailing centre, three hours of sailing, cycle 15 minutes back to town for lunch, cycle back to sailing school, three more hours of sailing, then finally cycle back to town in time for either yoga or salsa depending on the evening. We sleep soundly every night, dreaming about planing over waves.

Ferdinand & I cycling back to town after a morning's sailing lesson

Views of Mombacho volcano behind

Sailing is physically and mentally challenging - it works every muscle, demands concentration and requires quick-thinking and good coordination. I liked being on Dad's boat as a child, but now that I am at the helm and understanding how to control the boats movements, I absolutely love it! It is one of the most exhilarating sports I have tried - anyone who disagrees should certainly give it a try. I realise that I am a speed-demon, enjoying finding the fastest point of sail and "hiking out" to reduce the heeling effects of the wind. There is no doubt I am hooked, as is Irina. We both discuss how we can incorporate sailing into our already long list of hobbies...

Helga in the foreground, with a pretty catamaran behind

Irina looking comfortable at the helm

Ready to go about....?

Dodging rocks & fishing boats ahead

On day two, we spend another 6 hours on the water - learning the art of sailing with the main sail and the Genoa (tricky business!). The winds are much stronger today (although the sun is still shining), and at one point I physically cannot pull in the main sheet - this is a game of tug o' war I cannot win. We tack back to shore and take a crash-course in knots - learning eight of the most useful knots for sailing. The locals watch us sailing across the lake, criss-crossing regularly and surely must think we are mad! There are no other sailboats here, small engine boats are used either to transport people or for fishing. Boating for pleasure is unheard of. With 90% of the local residents of Granada unable to swim, Ferdinand relies mainly on tourists or expats for business.

Ferdinand teaches us some basic knots

Time to practice

Doing some self-study back at the Oasis hostel

On our final day, the winds have picked up even further and Ferdinand recommends that we postpone the course until tomorrow. We are now on a fairly tight schedule to get to Guatemala City to take a flight to Tikal (location of Mayan ruins, northern Guatemala) so after some discussion we decide to rig the boat and give it a go today (postponing only if absolutely necessary). Sailing is good for the first hour and we manage to get some practice tacking and jibing. When we consider practicing man-over-board rescue the wind takes over (we later find out that the winds rank at Force 6 on the Beaufort scale and the waves are close to 2 metres) - these are advanced sailing conditions! Naturally there were no photographs taken during these exciting times (main goal: not to capsize). We persist another while, until completely exhausted we return to shore for a much needed rest. We have learned a lot over the past few days and feel that we have a good understanding of the basics of sailing. We celebrate our completion of the course with a quesillo (tortilla with cheese and sour cream) and a smoothie.

Certified to sail - note my capability dealing with 'heavy' wind conditions! ;-)

Unfortunately this course is not accredited by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) in the UK, although much of the content runs parallel with the RYA's Competent Crew course (which as far as I know, is necessary in order to gain crewing opportunities in the UK or Ireland). Needless to say, we enjoyed this course immensely, learned a lot and feel we made the right decision to stay in Granada for a few extra days. Both Irina and myself feel sure that will be back in a boat quite soon upon our return to Europe.

Sunset over Lago Nicaragua