Website update

Hi all just to say that the website has had a bit of a tidy up and some new pages added and others removed. A new section has been added on destinations and features Belize, San Pedro, Ambergris caye and caye Caulker.

Peter J Smith Mexico December 2009

Antigua de Guatemala

Certainly one of the most visited places in Guatemala, Antigua does not disappoint. Click on the header to read my article on Travel generation.

Peter J Smith December 2009

Suddenly Salamanca

Welcome to Spain's student city, an article by me on Travel Generation. Find out about this great lively city in the heartland of Spain.
Peter J Smith, December 2009

Belize travel guide

Take a look at the article on Travel Generation for up to date information about Belize and places to stay in the Cayes.

Peter J Smith November 2009

Budget hotel in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Figuring out how to find a budget place to stay on Ambergris Caye in Belize got a lot easier when I stumbled upon Pedro’s Hotel. I had already been checking out the area and was very happy to find a great budget deal that had more of the amenities than other budget rooms yet still kept to my allowance per day.

The rooms are basic but clean and sport two twin beds, air conditioning, a private bathroom and cable TV. The rest of the buildings comprise a swimming pool and sun deck, a bar, a restaurant and of course the owner Peter who is on hand to offer advice on the local area.
All in all a very good deal for those on a budget in Belize, those looking for a cheap vacation or backpackers with a splurge on!

Also featured on Ive been there tips on the Guardian - Budget Hotel in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

www.pedroshotel.com
Phone USA: (212) 796.4897
Phone Belize: (011) 501.226.3825
-or- (011) 501.206.2198
(after 4:00 pm)
Take a boat from Belize city, or Chetumal in Mexico. Fly by Tropic air direct to the San Pedro airstrip

Peter J Smith November 2009

24 Hours in Amsterdam

Chewed up and run ragged, Amsterdam can do that to you!

Check out my latest article on Travel Generation entitled 24 hours in Amsterdam, a little taste of a great city.

Peter J Smith October 2009

Risk Management for Travellers

As we travel we assume risk, take a look at this article where I give a few tips on managing risks and making better choices.
Peter J Smith October 2009

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

Key West and the Conch Republic

One of the greatest party towns in the USA, read my latest article on Travel Generation for a quick guide to the island

Peter J Smith August 2009

24 Hours in London

Got a short stopover in London? Check out my latest travel article on Travel Generation: 24 Hours in London.

Peter J Smith August 2009

Firewater: A guide for Travellers

Seven Deadly Sins: A Travellers Guide to National Firewaters

Check out my new article on Travel Generation where I detail some of the after dinner drinks that you may meet on your travels.

Peter J Smith August 2009

24 Hours in Barcelona

Check out my latest article in Travel Generation on 24 hours in Barcelona. How to get the most out a few short hours in one of Europes most vibrant cities.

Peter J Smith August 2009

Facebook The New Message in a Bottle

Check out my new article on Travel Generation about how social networking is helping us keep in touch with friends around the world.

Peter J Smith August 2009

The New Acropolis Museum

Please take a look at my latest post on Travel Generation about the New Acropolis Museum.

Peter J Smith July 2009

Walking in Crete

New article by Peter Smith on Travel Generation about walking in Crete and the Plakias region

Peter J Smith July 2009

The Mayan ruins in Tikal, Guatemala

New article by Peter Smith on Travel Generation about the fantastic ruins of the ancient Mayan civilisation in Tikal, Guatemala.

Peter J Smith June 2009

Cliff Walking in the Algarve

New post on Travel Generation

Cliff Walking in the Algarve

Peter J Smith April 2009

theworldtraveller.net

New Friends, Lagos Portugal

One of the things I associate Lagos with is a good barbeque! Nothing better than a few new friends sitting around a Barbie with a drink and discussing the places they have been to and have yet to visit.

The Lagos Youth Hostel has been around for over a decade now and has seen thousands of travellers pass through its doors. The spacious central courtyard and adjoining kitchen make for easy social interaction. Couple that with the eagerness of the manager Pedro and the staff to please make it a refreshing stop on the traveller's itinerary.

With over sixty beds in dorm rooms plus a half dozen doubles the hostel is suited to all types of travellers. Age differences seem less of an issue as everyone chats at the free breakfast in the morning and then at the congregation of bodies in the modest kitchen in the evening. It is the bond of travel that unites people here and that is ageless.

The weather had been a bit mixed and with a coolness in the evening a barbeque seemed the best way to round off the Easter weekend. A varied selection of cooking skills ensured much laughter and questioning of the "doneness" of some of the larger pieces. Fortunately we had Ros on hand, a chef herself, to make sure no one was going to have problems the next day. That did not apply the to crazy mixed gang of Aussies, and the stray Colombian who had to get up at 5 am to catch their bus to Seville and insisted on one last trip to the bars before catching a few meagre hours sleep.

I have had many a barbeque and shared meal in places all over the world and it seems that they all share a common thread. It is the most natural of instincts in Humans to gather together for meals to tell stories and socialise. In our modern lives with the pressures of work we do this less and less, losing an important part of our social structure in the process.

Few people in cities and even small towns and villages know their neighbours, let alone invite them over for a meal and how often do we meet total strangers? The few times we do talk to total strangers is when we go on holiday or suffer a minor inconvenience such as the weather and we may engage in a short conversation with the person next to us on the train or in the bus queue.

Knowing how others feel about things and the interaction that takes place when we have these conversations is uplifting, with a sense of shared emotions. Travellers know this. We enthuse about the things we have seen and done and are driven to new endeavours by the tales of others.

I wouldn't necessarily say it would be a good thing to stop a stranger in the street and invite them back for dinner, although there are obvious exceptions! Nonetheless the next time you have the opportunity to talk to your neighbour or co worker or fellow traveller on the regular train to work strike up that conversation and ask the unusual or unasked question. You may get a short response but you will have opened the door.

We need to talk more and understand each other in deeper ways than we do at present. If we rely on the newspapers and politicians to tell us what our prejudices should be we are doomed. By talking to others we strip away the pre-conceived ideas of race and culture and delve straight into the individual themselves.

So pack your bags and get on the road. To quote Mark Twain "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Peter J Smith Lagos, Portugal April 2009

Dahab Egypt, scuba diving in the red sea

Walk like an Egyptian, not likely! More like a Camel after a few beers! This is what the heat can do to you in midsummer in Egypt. Fortunately I was here in the late winter and early spring. A great time to visit with warm days and not so chilly nights

The Sinai is a huge expanse of land with most of the towns scattered around its craggy coastline. My story today is about Dahab, a gem of a village on the east coast and a million miles from the bustle of Cairo.

Dahab has grown over the years from a small bedouin outpost to a mature mix of hippies, backpackers, long term expats and day trippers from Sharm and the like.

With the completion of the boardwalk, a very good one I might add, it lends itself to idle stolling and lazy cafe life watching the never ending show.

There are restaurants a plenty for all budgets, mostly very clean and extremely cheap by western standards. You need to bring you own beer to most of them however, there is no charge for this and plenty of outlets to get cold Stella beer for the evening.

laying your head on a pillow is simplicity with a number of cheap camps or small chalets near the beach and, depending upon the time of year, very affordable and inexpensive.

But the thing that brings most people to Dahab must be the diving and snorkelling at the local reefs. There are many fantastic dive sites in the area, some for more advanced divers but plenty for beginners. The profusion of dive centres is amazing but understandable given the year round diving conditions here in Dahab.

Two local sites that stand out are the world famous Blue Hole and the accessible Lighthouse reef. Many more are just a short jeep ride away and have so many fish it will take your breath away.

Getting to Dahab is easy, a flight in to Sharm el Sheikh airport and a taxi ride of about 45 mins to 1 hour depending upon the Racing Skills of your driver! A taxi should cost around EYP 150-200 depending upon your bargaining skills at the airport. It may be wiser to get your hotel or camp in Dahab to send one for you, a lot less stressful after a long flight.

All in all Dahab is a great place to dive and relax in the Red Sea. The local people are friendly and not pushy at all, a welcome relief for Nile Valley tourists!

Most traders will offer you to come to their store and eat or buy, but they know its such a small place you will be back so they really don't hustle much at all.

I have several recommendations, for Scuba Diving try Red Sea Relax, they have a good centrally located operation. www.red-sea-relax.com If you send them an e mail info@red-sea-relax.com and mention my site they will offer you a special rate! For a great feed you can try Friends Restaurant by the bridge, for a beer and the footy it has to be the Furry Cup at the Blue Beach Resort.

A handy place to stay and one with Dorm options as well as hotel style rooms is the Hotel Neptune, attached to the Red Sea Relax dive centre you can make reservations Book a room in Dahab. I have found this place to be very central, very clean and with a great staff that go out of their way to help you get the most out of your trip.

No matter where you stay should you visit Dahab or with whom you dive I hope you have as great a time as I have had and pass on this wonderful location to other travellers

Have a great one,

Peter J Smith April 2009

Budget airlines, are they worth the hassle

You see the advert on the Internet or in a Sunday newspaper; the flight is next to nothing and is just where you would like to go, but what about the small print?

Extras such as baggage, a necessity I have always thought, check in desks, free toilets on board, charges for emergency oxygen when the masks drop from the ceiling! Ok I am being a little facetious here, but more and more budget airlines are competing on the sticker price. The extra charges vary depending upon the airline you wish to travel with and that can end up making the total bill a lot different than when you started and sometimes comparable with a regular scheduled airline.

So how do you sort through the chaos of charges, fear of overweight luggage at the airport and the excessive charges that can be brought to bear?

You need to ask yourself a few questions before it is possible to make a well judged decision on the airline you wish to fly with.

• Are you travelling alone?




If you are a couple or a family, in order to sit together you may have to either check in early to get to the front of the queue or pay for speedy boarding. A singleton doesn't really care so that will be free!




• Do you have access to a computer?




Many airlines are charging for airport check in and you will need to print out a boarding pass and check in online to avoid these charges.




• Are you carrying bags or sports equipment?




Some carriers, like EasyJet for example, allow one carry on item that is not weight restricted provided you can carry it and it is not dangerous. Others still have a paltry 5kg limit. Nearly all charge for hold bags and some have a fixed fee for sports equipment or musical instruments. I have been able to take my guitar on board EasyJet for free but had to place it in the hold on Ryan Air for 24 Euros at the airport!




• Do you want to eat on board?




Meals are invariably paid for and vary in quality although I can recommend the ham and cheese Panini on Ryan Air! Rumours abound about airlines charging passengers for bringing their own snacks although I think that will be a little harsh especially for diet challenged passengers.




• What if the flight is delayed or even cancelled?




Ok, here is the thing. Budget airlines are just that, they don't often have the interline agreements that allow them to reroute passengers to another airline or destination. They have a lot of aircraft admittedly but they are all tightly scheduled and delays can frequently cascade through the system.





It is possible therefore that during busy periods or inclement weather conditions that you and your party may get bumped of delayed. Have insurance and plenty of patience. If you are going to be travelling with a family or small children take that fact into consideration when choosing the airline. A regular airline will usually put you up at a hotel and cover immediate meal expenses if they cannot re route you.





If you have to be at work, need to catch a connection, have small children or limited financial means think long and hard about the airline you choose. The extra you pay for with a regular scheduled airline may actually be worth it and give you more peace of mind during that holiday you so deserve.





The flip side of course is that if you don't mind travelling early in the morning, have no bulky bags, can check in online and are prepared to rough it if there is a hiccup on the flight you can travel all over for next to nothing with a bit of forward planning.

So decide what is important to you and your travel partners and make the choice accordingly, happy travelling!

Peter J Smith April 2009

England, my England

Take one Englishman and an American, shake slightly in an old car, add a dash of bitter and take to the English countryside for a spring weekend.

A whistle stop tour of some great sights in the Home Counties was on the cards; with only a few days available it was a race against time to get as many in before my guest went back to the USA.

Brian had arrived a little worse for wear from his two weeks in Europe. I could see that look of trepidation as we met at Reading station. He was wary of what I had planned. He had reason to, I suspect, as our previous trips had been alcohol fuelled adventures but he needn't have worried as I had the car and was restricted by the licensing laws of England!

We set off towards the beautiful Cotswolds nestled in the heart of England. The area gets a lot of tourists in the summer but we were hoping that before Easter it would be a lot easier to get around and avoid the crowds.

Our first stop was Chipping Camden a traditional market town that has preserved its wonderful golden hued looks for hundreds of years. With thatched houses by the dozen and a restored market hall you could be forgiven in thinking that nothing had changed here for centuries.

The next day it was an early start getting as many good photos as possible before too many tourists turned up to spoil the view.

We moved on to Stow in the Wold and down to Bourton on the water with its peaceful brooks and tidy lanes. The calmness of the small villages was heaven compared to the last visit in summer with bustling crowds and the feeling of one big theme park. I do wonder how the locals get along with this.

We skipped smartly out of the Cotswolds and drove on the old Roman city of Cirencester for a short stop before powering on to Stonehenge. The itinerary was driven by Brian as this was a must see. Stonehenge is now all fenced in and visitors get the audio handset explaining the meaning of the curious stone pillars. As if they knew!

Leaving the ancient site it was a bit of a drive to Dorset through a few back lanes in time to catch the afternoon sun in Kimmeridge bay. You have to pay to get to the bay itself as it is on private land but it is well worth the visit. I have stayed here a few times, once in the White House that sits perched up on the cliffs overlooking the bay.

The village of Kimmeridge is quaint with a revitalised and popular tea shop but it is the bay that most people come to visit. A scuba divers haven small boats and shore divers dot the bay; some in training, some for pleasure and others in search of the supermarket below seeking out scallops and other great finds hidden in the rocks on the sea bed.

We relaxed on the Cliffside and enjoyed the afternoon sun lazily watching the divers and sailors do their thing in the spring sunshine. A bottle of wine and I would not have left. But with no wine and an agenda to follow it was off to Corfe Castle and Studland bay.

Corfe was its usual pretty self but with the sun getting lower in the sky it was given a short visit before heading over the ridge through to Studland bay with its golden beaches and Riviera feel. No crowds on the beach but we still had to wait almost an hour to cross on the chain link ferry to Sandbanks to continue our journey.

Bournemouth was unappealing and lifeless, as the fog drifted in from the channel we motored on along the coast in search of a hotel for the night and the most authentic seaside town we could track down. We had luck and soon pulled into the popular and quite homely Lymington with its busy marina and quaint cobblestoned streets. We haggled for our hotel room in good credit crunch mode and slunk off to the Kings Head pub for some well deserved beer and excellent food.

The last day dawned and we set off for the New Forest to take in Beaulieu and Buckler's hard. The former a stately home with the added attraction, amongst many, of a world class car collection and the latter a remnant of a centuries old shipbuilding community providing scores of battleships in the past including Nelson's Flagship.

With horses, deer and cattle roaming freely it was clear that we drivers were only visitors in the forest. Horses ambled along the roads taking their time and gazing coldly at us as we passed slowly by once they had let us know who the boss was.

Passing out of the new forest we made our way to Winchester for a short stop to admire the Cathedral and gardens taking centre stage in the city. Office workers and tourists alike were taking full advantage of the warm lunchtime to lie on the grass and pretend summer was here at last. In England you grab it when you can.

The trip was drawing to a close but I couldn't finish it without a few local beers in the surrey village of Shere at the white horse and a final farewell at the Ship Inn in Ripley.

We made it back safe and sound, Brian's head spinning from the whirlwind trip and the local beers, finishing the night off in the Old Vicarage in Ripley with a few friends and parting company for new adventures.

Peter J Smith April 2009

Lagos, Portugal a perfect spring break

Lagos is like a magnet for me, I try to get here at least once a year. In springtime the air is fresh, the sun is warm and there are few tourists to contend with. Don't go in the water though! It is freezing cold most of the year and a dip in ocean in April will certainly give you a jolt.

This year I decided to cheat a little and took the Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven from Portsmouth to Santander in Spain to ease the work load on both myself and the faithful truck I was driving down in. This was a great idea as it saved over 900 miles of driving through France and worked out cheaper.

From Santander the most straightforward route is to pass by Valladolid and Salamanca then on into Portugal taking the wide and swift motorway down to the Algarve. The only tolls to pay on this route work are in Portugal. If you wanted to avoid these altogether it is possible to travel via Seville in Spain.

The whole journey took about two days and with fine weather all the way it was a very pleasant drive. In winter this route would get some snow but by April all the routes are clear and the traffic is light.

Arrival in Lagos is always exciting, after the long drive you finally see the ocean and the golden beaches along the coast. The town itself has expanded dramatically over the last ten years, but that has been outward. The centre has retained its cobbled streets and narrow roads with plenty of scope for exploring.

The best beaches, for me, are the glorious coves cut into the coastline that seems to be carved into weird shapes with outcrops of isolated pillars and hidden caves. Small boats vie for trade along the Avenida in town coaxing tourists into grotto tours and more extravagant coastal ventures.

The coastline is accessible for miles in each direction and I have spent many a day walking the cliffs from Lagos to Burgau, a dozen or so kilometres to the west. Some visitors make the coastal walks the main part of their vacation and with the outstanding natural beauty who can blame them.

Apart from the natural aspects of the Algarve the draw of Lagos is the laid back lifestyle that it engenders. Backpackers from all over the world make the journey here and some coming for a few days have ended up staying for the season or even for life!

There are plenty of restaurants in town, some serving excellent fish and seafood dishes but my favourite is a small local hangout called……oh that would be giving the game away wouldn't it? You will just have to ask me!

Characteristic narrow bars dot the streets around the town and come alive after dark when the families have gone home and the fun seeking travellers are set for a night of revelry. The best of these bars range from the mellow but fun Old Tavern run by Michael and Marilyn to the mad and slightly bad Joes Garage with a reputation for bar dancing and wild parties. In Lagos you can choose your venue but remember the way home!

Peter J Smith April 2009

Ticket to Ride Part 1

Three days in Guatemala

"You can't sit there all week" said the Belizean owner of the hostel

"I don't know" I said, "I have a bottle of coconut rum and loads of ice, I don't really see the problem"

I looked over her shoulder towards the water and the horizon; dark clouds were scudding nearer by the hour. Perhaps she had a point after all.

The islands, called cayes, that lie off of the coast of Belize are a paradise for scuba divers and chilled backpackers. But when the rains come in it's no fun for beach or ocean lovers and time to find an alternative sport for a few days until the weather clears.

Fortunately both Ambergris and Caye Caulker, the most popular of the barrier islands, are just a short water taxi to the mainland and the treasures within.

I had heard that the trip to the Mayan temples of Tikal near Flores in Guatemala was ideal for a three day excursion away from my hard work testing the local rum output and burning my back on the deck of Tina's Hostel.

The Caye Caulker Water Taxi Company, aptly named, picked me up at 8am from the pier next to the hostel. It was still a beautiful morning but I knew that the weather was closing in and was happy to get on the short forty minute trip to Belize City.

Bags were thrown on board and stored if you were lucky, under the seats. The last bags on board are loaded at the back and can get a drenching from the spray. These boats generally are torpedo-like speeders with huge triple engines at the stern, guaranteeing to get through all the weather and waves that get thrown at it. It's not the number 88 to Oxford Circus!

Arrival at Belize City harbour was uneventful and thanks to a through ticket I only had to wait twenty minutes for my direct bus to Flores, or so I thought.

I had got chatting to two Chinese-American girls from San Diego who were doing the same trip and was just about to throw my bag in the hold of the bus when the driver shouted at me in Spanish and started shaking his head at the ticket I offered him. I repeated Flores! Flores! But he started closing the hatch. Different bus he said, I asked him when the bus would come, another shake of the head.

Desperate times....I pulled fifty Belize dollars from my pocket and offered it to him, he sighed, took the money and my bags AND my ticket and pushed me onto the bus!

I looked around the bus and found a good mix of travellers all heading for the same place. Comforted by the thought of good company later on I sat back as we tore through the shanty town and into the hinterland of Belize. I was happy to be on my way.

I dozed fitfully through the rolling ride and awoke more refreshed at the town of San Ignacio a major stopping off point for the forest highlands and cave tours. We passed through the town on the lower side and skirted over a very narrow and low steel bridge. The water below was rushing and swirling, it was probably shallow but I was grateful nonetheless when we reached the other side. The bus continued on through the town taking us to the hills and the Guatemalan border just a short distance away.

In the recent past this border has been a disputed area, local villagers not caring about political boundaries just lived where they lived and traded with nearby villages. To be told that they were Guatemalans living in Belize or vice-versa made no sense to them. The area is more relaxed now and problems are less apparent to the casual tourist.

Arriving at the border we had to take our bags and pass through the Belize customs hall to exit the country, not a cheap pastime! The exit taxes are steep and must be paid in US Dollars, moneychangers abound. Once fleeced, we moved on to the more relaxed Guatemalan border formalities where payment was dependent upon how stubborn you were... seriously.

I parted with the equivalent of two dollars, got my stamp and moved through the line into Guatemala. I did see some confused Japanese tourists hurrying back across the border to get their stamp. No guards to speak of were at the border and if you were not paying attention it was easy to just walk through. Getting back out again would, I am sure, have been a different matter.

We had a rest stop at the border for about half an hour to make sure that everyone has passed through without too much drama. I took the time to chat to a few others and discussed room and hostel choices in Flores. Some had made tentative reservations and others, like me, were winging it to see what the place had to offer.

All of a sudden the driver was hurrying towards me a shouting in Spanish. Oh no I thought, here we go, another drama. Not so! It seems that he had found "my bus" and had chatted to the other driver about the ticket mix up. He offered up twenty five Belize dollars back to me plus my return ticket. I guess they split the rest and as he was smiling and had got me this far I chose to accept graciously and get back on the bus.

The road meandered and twisted through the Guatemalan hills on the way to Flores. This area was, until very recently, bandit country, with occasional hijacking and robberies. The police have stepped up their presence in Peten, the local region, to dissuade these types and tourist dollars continue to flow.

Dirt roads soon gave way to tarmac, streetlights and a sense of civilization; a world away from Belize and a complete surprise to me. We arrived at the bus station outside of Flores in the neighbouring town of Saint Elena and would have to take a shuttle into Flores itself.

Flores is an island in lake Peten Itza only a few hundred metres across with cobblestoned streets, gabled hotels and plenty of inexpensive restaurants. Only a few years ago this journey would have been made by water taxi, today there is a causeway with buses, crazy death defying rickshaws and the inevitable street market.

We crammed into a several small minibuses, luggage on the roof and in the back, the passengers cheek to cheek for the short journey across the causeway. I was sandwiched between the two girls from San Diego, it was tough but someone had to do it. I had a feeling that there was more fun to come.........

Peter J Smith March 2009

The Great Blue Hole Belize

Ok it's dive time now. I have come halfway around the world for this trip and I am finally going to dive the blue hole!

For those of you not familiar with this dive site, it is a collapsed limestone cave about two and a half hours from Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off of the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 120 metres (394 ft) deep. It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last ice age when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.Click here for the full wikipedia entry

I had dived the previous day with a dive shop in San Pedro - Amigos Del Mar and found them to be pretty reasonable with good kit. They also had the best boat on the island and with the trip being three hours each way I wanted a comfortable ride.

Pickup from a pier near my digs was an unreasonable 5:30 am however they were on time and we were soon at the boat ready for loading.

We had a good breakfast on board as the boat stayed wherever possible within the reef, heading first to Caye Caulker and the to Turneffe to avoid most of the open sea as there was a fair amount of lumps around.

I had taken the precaution of some dramamine pills before the trip and was very thankful as it was getting pretty bumpy on the trip across. In due course we arrived at the Blue Hole and I wondered what all the fuss was about!

The best views for the blue hole are, of course, from above. The perspective that you get from the water is initially one of just a flat darker area. It is only when the boat pulls back that you are able to see the rounded shape and the deep hue of the water compared to the shallows themselves.

I had buddied up with a less experienced diver from Ireland called Tom, he turned out to be pretty comfortable in the water, especially given that this was his first deep dive. I have to say that the practice of allowing pretty much anyone with a c card in the water to dive this deep dive is a little bizarre but I guess financial considerations outweigh all others for the local dive operations here.

No drama though, we entered the water and grouped down at around 20 metres, the guides got everyone together and ensured we all stayed around the maximum of about 43 metres. It was an eerie dive, as much a cave dive as anything else and to see huge stalactites at depth was awesome.

The clarity of the water improved the deeper we went until at around 30 metres it was exceptional, the bigger fish however were staying well away although I could see the shapes of sharks in the gloomier reaches. For such a distance and a deep dive it was all over in 25 minutes but it was well worth it.

During the first surface interval we motored further away towards Half Moon Caye for our second dive. This was a regular reef dive and afforded all the usual suspects; turtles, eagle rays, sharks and huge groupers one with its mouth full of fish! There were free swimming moray eels and lobster with plenty of other assorted marine life to keep us company.

Prior to the last dive we stopped off at Half Moon Caye for lunch and to explore the island which is a nature preserve and home to the red footed booby bird! Not being a twitcher all I can say it it craps a lot. The island was beautiful with pristine beaches and a nature trails weaving through the bushes to a lookout point.

After lunch we headed off for a wall dive, this was pretty good once again with a good assortment of marine life and a very long drop! Not a good time to drop a torch.

Back on board and showered up we were dreading the 3 hour boat ride back, this was somewhat alleviated by the production by the crew of coconut rum and pineapple juice. I took full advantage of these cocktails and later managed to doze most of the way home.

The Great Blue Hole may not be a show stopper but it is a very different dive and up there with the must do's for a lot of divers. If you are considering diving in Mexico or Belize it is worth the journey. I hope you have as much fun as I did thanks to Amigos Del Mar!

Peter J Smith January 2009

San Pedro Ambergris Caye Belize

When you see San Pedro from the air you can tell it's not going to be a quiet island. It sprawls up the coast in each direction. I arrived by Tropic Air from Corozal and landed at the airstrip that is almost, now, in the centre of town. The terminal is being rebuilt at San Pedro and is definately aiming for a more upmarket clientele that expects a greater number of services to be available.

Once you leave the airport and hit the main street, coconut drive, the hustle and bustle are self evident. Petrol driven golf carts and other minibuses trundle up and down and it is a far cry from the sandy streets that once were prevelent in San Pedro

Don't get me wrong though, the ambience is surely tropical and a relaxed air, aside from the traffic, pervades the town.

I stayed a little south in a backpacker hostel called, appropriately, Pedros. The location is, as I said, a little from the main action but with an onsite pool and bar and rooms as cheap as $14 it is the bargain of San Pedro.

I have a review of Pedro's Backpacker on Trip Advisor, you can read it here.

There are scores of bars and restaurants on the island and they spread both north and south from the centre, depending upon the night some bars are more favourable than others and a weekly circuit seems to ensue. Pedro's itself has a great little bar with a propensity for clients and Peter, the owner, to ring the bar bell denoting a round of chilled Jaegermeister all round. A sure way to a hangover but can be saved by the great pizzas on offer at the bar.

Overall I found both the locals and tourists alike very amiable and chatty. It was easy to strke up conversations and make new drinking buddies. One night ending up driving into a bar for drinks in the golf cart itself after a beach bar party! Other good places I found were Estells on the beach for breakfast and Fido's bar for music and cheap drinks.

Got to say hello to Hilde, thanks for the bite marks, Joe - incredible appedtite, Peter - for the endless shots, Walter for the drive through and the longest dreads I have ever seen and Fredrick for the critical thinking, oh yes and the drinking!

All in all San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is a must see, there are rooms for all budgets and plenty to do both in the day and night alike.

Peter J Smith January 2009

Mexico to Belize

Getting from Isla Mujeres to the main bus station in Cancun is easy. The ferry, Ultramar runs every 30 minutes and deposits you at Puerto Juarez where you can pick up a taxi to the main bus station. The building itself is pretty large and all the bookings are computerised, meaning you can reserve from anywhere and print out your ticket http://www.ado.com.mx. If you need supplies for the journey stores and restaurants surround the depot.

My journey took me through the south of the Yucatan to Chetumal at the border of Belize. The trip itself takes about five hours at minimum and longer if you opt for a cheaper bus.

Arrival at Chetumal is pretty straightforward and a local taxi shouldn't cost more that 12-15 pesos within town. I stayed at the Chetumal Hostel run by a couple of great ladies. It is in a very convenient location and the rooms are clean and tidy if a little warm. It is a good place to hook up with other travellers going south. I had arranged my border transfer to the small airport in Corozal Belize a week before with George and Esther Moralez who run an ever expanding travel service at www.gettransfers.com.

I picked up a couple of extras from the hostel in Chetumal and headed across the border, the minivan was huge and air conditioned and the cost for this time saving service was only $40 for up to three passengers. As I had a flight conection to make it was good not to have to worry about the bus connections and was in good shape for the check in.

I had picked this particular route because I wanted to fly to the island of Ambergris Caye on a small Cessna as this was an exciting way to see the cayes close up from above as well as a thrill to be is a small plane. The price was an amazing $46 and again was bookable online with Tropic Air.

Check in was extremely fast, being only four passengers, and the turnaround for the plane was all of five minutes. Takeoff was great fun with only a short runway we banked across the airport and headed directly for the cayes. With an altitude of only a few hundred metres it was amazing to see the detail of the countryside below.

In a too few short minutes we were decending over the town of San Pedro and ready to start the adventure in Belize!

Peter J Smith