Ruins and cobblestone streets of Guatemala

We hadn't heard great things about Belize City during our stay on Caye Caulker.

In fact it was locals who had told us not to go there because it was really quite dangerous.

With limited time and so much ground yet to cover, we decided to heed their warning and head straight to Guatemala.

I'm glad we did.

According to the United States consular affairs website Belize recorded 145 murders in 2012, a record number.  Belize's per capita homicide rate ranks among the highest in the world with the majority occurring in Belize City.  While most of the violence is due to an ongoing warfare between local groups over drug smuggling, threats and robberies against tourists are not uncommon. The Australian Smart Traveller website says you should exercise a high degree of caution in Belize because of high levels of serious crime.

Needless to say we were quite happy to jump straight off the water taxi at Belize City and straight onto a bus headed for the Belize-Guatemalan border.

Crossing the Belize-Guatemalan border

Within five minutes of crossing the border our smiles were ripped off our faces and so was the money out of our wallets.

Lesson learned, but when border authorities tell you there is a price to pay to enter the country, ask for written evidence.  We didn't and we paid the price.  It wasn't until a traveller behind us questioned the fee and argued with the officer that we realised we should have done the same.

A frustrating trip to the ATM where we received less money than we asked for and an overpriced tour later and our first impression of Guatemala wasn't great.

Lucky for them it was Christmas Day and the season for giving.  Unlucky for us.

We arrived in Flores, a town surrounded by lake Peten Itza, and our base to discover Tikal, the most famous Mayan ruins in Guatemala.

Don't get me wrong, Flores is lovely with the lake giving the town a peaceful, serene aura however it is quite small and there isn't much to do other than circumnavigate the water's edge and meander through the laneways.

Flores, Guatemala

The lake is a very popular spot for locals and because we were there on Christmas Day many families took the opportunity to spend time with one another by the edge.  At night the streets were lit up by flashes of firecrackers and laughter of the children lighting them.

Christmas night firecrackers light up the streets of Flores, Guatemala

We were up around 3 am for the sunrise tour of Tikal.

The bus took about 75 minutes to get to the park and then once through the entrance gates, we walked about 15 minutes in darkness until we were clapping by candlelight beneath the main temple.

Without sight our senses were heightened to the acoustics of the plaza which fascinatingly echos back the sound of the Quetzal bird.

A steep climb to the top of another temple and suddenly we were sitting on the steps of ruins which are thousands of years old staring out across the treetops of the Guatemalan rainforest.

In silence, we sat and waited for the jungle to wake.

Sunrise at Tikal, Flores

UNESCO lists 54 species of animals and 333 species of birds here and while not all of them were vocal, we started to hear the music of jungle's morning as the fog began to lift.

The mist clouded our view of a crystal clear sunrise however a foggy dawn didn't quell the magic and mystery of this ancient site.

The eerie atmosphere didn't clear until around 9 am when clear skies revealed the true beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal's charm isn't what has already been discovered.

It is that many of the ruins and history are still uncovered with funding inhibiting excavation.  Due to the nature of the limestone, the ruins are better preserved under the ground than to be exposed to the elements.

It's beauty far surpasses that of Chichen Itza which in comparison, in my opinion, was very sterile and overcrowded by tourists.

Although doing the sunrise experience meant the hoards of visitors were yet to arrive, in those early hours with a handful of other tourists, Tikal felt like ours and ours alone to discover.

Tikal, Guatemala

Despite many travel warnings not to travel on public transport at night in Guatemala, we chanced a night bus to Guatemala City just so we didn't waste a day.

Once we set off, it wasn't the fear of being hijacked or robbed that concerned us the most, it was the rickety double decker bus with no shocks and a lead foot driver.

A ten hour trip swaying dangerously from side to side kept us awake all night and fearing every corner.

Like Belize City, we hadn't heard great things about Guatemala City so we decided to just travel on an hour further to Antigua.

Antigua is a beautiful, picturesque, colonial city, lined with cobblestone streets.  The UNESCO World Heritage Site used to be the capital until a series of earthquakes in the 1700's destroyed thousands of buildings.  You can still see many of the ruins today untouched where they crumbled hundreds of years ago.

Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua is also nestled between three forboding volcanoes which offer hiking and gravel boarding experiences for the adventurous.

The majestic mountain scene also offers a spectacular sunset vista from one of the many rooftop bars.

Antigua sunset, Guatemala

Antigua is a place we could have easily unpacked our backpacks for a while, opened our Spanish books again and really immersed ourselves in the culture of Central America.

Oh and it has really great coffee too, the best of all our travels this trip.

We were truly disappointed to leave this intriguing city.

Holistico Hostel, Antigua

We nearly died to get to Caye Caulker

There have been four times in my life when I thought I was going to die, literally.

Two near drownings as a child, one very scary charter plane flight during a thunder and lightning storm for work and most recently during our trip to Belize.

We actually thought we were lucky scoring one of the last standby spots on a water taxi from Chetumal in Mexico, which would take us on an hour and half journey to the island of Caye Caulker in Belize.

Getting the tickets is where the elation ended and the waiting began.

After an hour past departure time, the Mexican army showed up.

Our smiles were wiped from our faces when told to line all our bags up on deck for border security.

Authorities and drug dogs checking our bags at the water taxi in Chetumal, Mexico

Of course we didn't have anything in our bags that would arise suspicion but you can't help hold your breath when the drug dogs pass your luggage, just praying they don't sit down.

Some fellow travellers we met celebrating the end of the world in Playa Del Carmen, weren't so lucky.  Their bags were searched and the hippy trinkets, natural remedies and skull crystal they had packed raised suspicions and further delayed our travel.

Eventually they were free to go but then the Captain raised concerns that the boat was overbooked with too much luggage and too many people.  Despite this, given the water taxi was the only one departing that day, they packed everyone and everything on board and set sail.

Finally we were off and our smiles returned, momentarily.

Our smiles returned as we set off for Belize on the water taxi

We opted to sit up top with about ten other people.  I think there would have been about 40 people underneath.

At first the choppy conditions were funny, passengers getting smashed by waves brought about nervous laughter all round.

It was when the boat started really swaying and the deckhands were running to each side of the boat, hanging off the sides to counterbalance it, that we knew we were in some trouble.

Suddenly the nose of the water taxi dove into the current and it tipped at what felt like a ninety degree angle.

At that point I was hanging off the side, leg in air, ready to jump and thinking even if I leaped as far as I could, the boat was going to come down on top of me.

In a moment that felt like a lifetime, the boat corrected itself which gave us time to collect our thoughts.

I immediately turned to Brad and asked what should we do if it happens again.  It did, but not as bad.

Nobody said anything for the rest of the journey, cold, scared and silently praying we would get to land safely.

Sunset brought about better conditions and a calm inner peace that we would be okay.

Sunset from Mexico to Belize

We didn't arrive on Caye Caulker until well after dark.  It was when the Captain gave a 'Hail Mary' when we docked that the seriousness of the journey really dawned on me.  It also became the talk of the island over the next few days.

Caye Caulker is an amazingly colourful and relaxing island paradise off the coast of Belize.  Belize and the island are also English speaking which for a country nestled between Spanish speaking Central and South Americas, is truly a mind trip.  Belize used to be ruled by Britain but is now an independent country which accepts both Belize and US dollars.

Caye Caulker, Belize

Its characters will intrigue you, food delight you and its activities will keep you busy for hours.  We stayed four days, but could have stayed many more.

Colourful characters of Caye Caulker

I definitely recommend just 'hanging out' at the Lazy Lizard and The Split where tourists and locals alike mingle to sunbake, eat and drink beside the aqua blue calm waters while others take advantage of snorkelling, kayaking and tubing.  It is here that days turn into afternoons and evenings very quickly.

The Split, Caye Caulker

Tubing at The Split, Caye Caulker

One of my favourite memories down by The Split on Caye Caulker was becoming a wedding crasher.  As it turned out, the couple getting married were from Noosa in Queensland.

We became the closest friends they had to home and gladly accepted an invitation to their reception which included several other travellers they had met on their journey.

We became wedding crashers on Caye Caulker

And one of Brad's best memories, he will tell you, is swimming with sharks.

In just a half day snorkelling tour, we experienced moray eels, barracudas and many sharks and sting rays.

Snorkelling off Caye Caulker

Snorkelling Shark-Ray Alley off Caye Caulker

Despite the rough beginning, Caye Caulker was worth the harrowing journey getting there.

It is definitely one island paradise I will return to one day.

Caye Caulker is the perfect place to relax and unwind

It's the end of the world as we know it....

A relatively simple ADO public bus ride which took about an hour and a half from Cancun and we arrived in Playa Del Carmen.

We had been thinking of bypassing Playa altogether because we thought it would be 'same same but different' as Cancun.  Call it the universe working in mysterious ways or simply just wanting to catch up with the very cool Natalie Patch and her bro Steven that we decided to spend a few days there.

It was also the place we would spend for the end of the world.

I am so glad we did!  Playa Del Carmen is nothing like Cancun and has so much more of a relaxed and inclusive vibe.  I would recommend Playa over Cancun any day of the week.  The only thing better in Cancun is the pristine aqua blue ocean.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

We originally wanted to spend the end of the world in Tulum however due to poor planning particularly at this epic time in the Mayan calendar, we were too late to book anything.  So we decided on a day trip there instead.  Tulum and its ruins are an easy one hour ADO bus ride south from Playa and are most famous for where it is located, right on the ocean front.  It is one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans and one of the most intact.

Tulum ruins, Mexico

Tulum ruins, Mexico

Because Tulum is right on the beach, after spending a few hours surveying the ruins in the steaming hot sun you can then take a much needed swim at the beach.  That same pristine aqua blue ocean found in Cancun is also found here.  Plonk yourself on a beach side bar swing seat and you will waste a good few hours with not a care in the world, trust me!

Tulum, Mexico

Back in Playa it was time to prepare for the end of the world.  We were headed to a 24 hour festival called Day Zero.  I feared that by the end of the 24 hours if the world hadn't ended, we were going to wish it did.

Set amongst a backdrop of fake Mayan ruins, strobe lights, trance tracks and the most tripped out people you have ever met, we danced and laughed the night away.  A bonfire was lit on the podium dance floor and Mayan dancers joined hipster tripsters to chant to the flames conjuring the spirits of the Mayan gods.

Day Zero festival, Playa Del Carmen

Day Zero festival, Playa Del Carmen

I wish I could say we lasted the full 24 hours but we're just not as hardcore as half the people at the festival, willing to forgo the comfort of a bed and sleep on the cold hard ground.

We made it back the next day to pick up where we left off, dancing to the same beat and joining hundreds of others to ponder if the end of the world was really coming.

Day Zero festival, Playa Del Carmen

Curiously, the end of the Mayan calendar arrived to the sound of Phil Collins 'In the Air Tonight'.  Personally I thought R.E.M's 'It's the End of the World as We Know It' would have been a better fit but hey, I'm sure most of the people at the festival were that tripped out, the song was the perfect choice.

We knew the world was never going to end and most Mexicans we met on our travels also knew it was never going to end but it was a brilliant money spinner and the tourism industry lapped it up.

The 'end of the world' was more about one era ending and a new beginning starting.  What an awesome concept and one that everyone no matter where they were around the world could adopt.

Whether it be a relationship ending, changing jobs, being a better person or something as simple as cleaning out your wardrobe, why wouldn't you embrace and celebrate an 'out with the old and in with the new' mentality.

Day Zero festival, Playa Del Carmen