Week two in Mahuhal

Me outside my cabaña. This sleeps 6 but we are only 4 at the moment. There are more people arriving at the 5 weeks point so it will be a bit of a squeeze.

Well i have survived week two. I am slowly being eaten alive by the sandflies but just got a handy tip from my Mum, cover myself in cooking oil! If it works i will give it a go but with the 30 plus degrees i could end up deep fried.

Last week was Earth Week in Mahual. We were working with the local school, which was a lot of fun. We started with a dive to clean the reef, we went down with a sack and i was really suprised and what we came back with. We then taught them about recyling and got artistic. We made papier mache fish, reef in a box and reef mobiles. We disected squid, which was very interesting, and extremely messy!

Hannah and Sara with their sack of rubbish collected from the reef clean

Squid disection

This week we start teaching English to the adults and children in Mahuhal. This town was detroyed by a huracain last summer and they are in the process of rebuilding. Land and property are big business at the moment, because it is so cheap.

In ten years time, if i were to return, i am sure that i would not recognise the place. Mahuhal is on the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest reef in the world. The big hotels will slowly go up and there will be a dive shop on every corner. The local people need English for tourism and so as part of our community work we teach them for free and at the same time try to educate them on environmental issues.

I have now passed the underwater coral test and am now learning about algae and diseases and then hopefully we will start the monitoring this week sometime. I am really enjoying it, i can just spend ages looking at one patch of coral, there is so much life in and around it. Lots of tiny little creatures that i have never really noticed before. Coral is classed as a living creature. It is from the same family as the jelly fish. The polyp builds the calcium carbonate shell around itself.

Me, at the office having a hard day!


Our dive team, just passed my underwater coral test

Viki, Sara and Jo, on her Birthday

Diploria labrynthiformis, totally amazing

Diploria Strigosa, with Christmas tree worms

Nudibranc - this is about 2 cms so you have to look hard to find them

Evil looking Moray eel, he was massive

Life on the base - As i mentioned in the last blog, it is very very isollated in Punta Gruesa. We all take a big part in the running of the base.

The daily chores include:

Kitchen - cooking for 25 people. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, all vegitarian and most of it dried so a little prior preparation is always good.

Grounds - This envolves putting your Ipod on and racking the sand, which is actually quite a lot given that we live on a beach. This helps keep the sandfly numbers down and destroys any nests.

Boats - checking the saftey equipment and preparing the boats for the day.

Communal - toilets, floors, shower. It is actually the easiest so i don´t mind it to much

Compressor - filling up the tanks as they come back from the dives

Radio - sitting on the radio communicating with the boats whilst they are out. The saftey here is just brilliant, they are really very professional.

I am also part of the community team and photography. We will be putting together a CD for everyone at the end of the course, which will be pretty cool.

I amaze myself with how much i get done in a day. By 9.30am i have already been running for 40mins, completed my chores had breakfast and had my first dive of the day. It is very satisfying.

So that is it for this week. Here are some photos from the welcome party........

The guys built a bar with fallen wood from the mangroves, it is yet to be named but it is now christened.

Me with Jo and Andrea. The welcome party, to much gin and tequila but it was a good night.

Happy hour!

Having a little lie down with the Gin and Tonic, did she spill it.........

......of course she did! Recharged.

Sunrise at the base.

Hasta proximo sabato

xx

Week one in Mahuhal

Just a very quick update

I have the worst hangover, we had our welcome party last night and there are a few sore heads this morning. Valueable lesson learned, don´t drink Tequila that cost 3GPB!!

Life on the ranch is very very basic. It is far more isollated than i had thought but i am really getting into it.

Communal living, mixed sex rooms, no running water, limited electricity, no phones, signals of any type and a vegitarian diet.

We are up at 6 to start out chores. Cleaning, cooking, preping the boats. We dive twice a day, looking at corals and identifying them by their Latin names. I was really chuffed when i got 100% in the exam. This means that i can start with the research and really start to contribute to the expedition.

The diving is amazing. I am really glad that i was allocated coral, it has totally changed diving for me. I have become a coral geek, it really is facinating. The best part is that there is no commercial diving so no tourists. These sites are new and we are collecting the data to ensure that they are preserved in the future, i feel so lucky.

I am really learning a lot about conservation and i think that i will be make different choices in the future. It is amazing how little you actually need to survive. I can wash my hands in less than half a cup of water and can do a top to toe wash with a bucket of water, cold!

We get into town one day a week so i will get some photos and post them next week, with a more detailed description of life in the commune.

signing off to retreat to my cabaña for a little lie down

x
Sara

In and around Playa Del Carmen

Well it has been just over 4 weeks now and I now in my final week in Playa Del Carmen. I start the Marine Conservation Project on Friday the 11th. I am really looking forward to it.

All the friends that I have made in Playa have started to leave now, most people were on a 3-4 week course. It has been so much fun but at this point i am not massively confident that my Spanish will help me to survive. It is going to take many months of further study just to get it all to sink in. The most important thing is that i won´t starve!

There are so many things to do in this area so here are some photos of what I have been up to over the last few weeks. It mainly revolves around the beach and beer, some beach volleyball and then more beer. You will very quickly get the picture, life is not hard at the moment!

Isla Mujeres –

This claims to be a Caribbean Paradise Island. I had been given the impression that it was leaning towards the eco friendly way of life but it really was a little disappointing. The waters were amazing, clear blue for as far as you could see BUT, this place is totally built for tourists. There is barely a square foot of beach that doesn’t have a sun bed on it and every 20 meters is a bar/restaurant or a tour.

The Island is 7.5 kms long and about 300 meters wide, getting around was not difficult. However, there were so many cars and motorbikes it was almost a joke.

Luckily I was there with a great group of people. There were eight of us, 4 Swiss Germans, 1 German and Roberto who is Italian living in Switzerland. Unfortunately my Spanish has totally gone out the window and my head is full of German.

We stayed at a hostel. This was, believe it or not, my first time in a hostel sharing a communal room. It turns out that my other room mates were two Marine Officers on r&r. Initially I thought this was a good thing, I felt safe, but later I was taken back to the good old Navy days. I saw them at the bar showing the other travelers how to snort tequila up their nose with a straw, this was at 11pm and the bar closed at 4am. Sharing a room intoxicated Marines is not an attractive sight, no details needed just use your imaginations………

Sunday there were a few tired people so there was a lack of enthusiasm at the suggestion to hire bikes and cycle around the Island. Although the Island is only 7.5kms long it was not flat and it was a little more challenging that my body was prepared for, especially as I only had one gear.

Back to the beach to cool off and then home. My final weekend in Playa was a good one but there was a little more excitement at about 9pm when there was a power cut and the whole of Playa was in darkness. Luckily I am getting into this traveler thing and I had my torch at arms length.

Enjoy the photos.

The streets of Isla Mujeres, Colorful with Characture and full of tourist.

Christian finding his own palm tree to hide from the sun.

This sunset didn´t look promising to start with because of the cloud however, it was pretty amazing. The best way to enjoy sunset, a few beers and a packet of chips.....

Sara, Christian, Maxi, Nicole, Dominic, Thomas enjoying 2 for 1 cocktails at the hostel beach bar.

Roberto and Nicole, also enjoying the 2 for 1 cocktails.

Chilling with a Cuba Libre and Thomas.

The survivers - and then there were 4 unfortunately it was 6am!

This is not an easy move to do whilst intoxicated!

The beautiful waters around Isla Mujeres

Cozumel -

This is an Island, about a 30 minute boat ride from Playa. It has a reputation for good diving and there are certainly lots of dive hotels, dive shops etc. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a little disappointing, totally built for tourists with really tacky shops and very little character. Tega and I decided to hire bicycles and head down to the south of the Islands. The sea was gorgeous so we stopped of for a snorkel and a swim. It wasn’t long before the decision was made to head back to the really nice looking bar that was right on the water with a live band! With a deadline of 6pm to return the bikes we peddled like crazy to get back on time. Full of beer and tacos we arrived back at the ferry having had another great day.

watching the sun set, again, over Cozumel

This was a really, it is 2 divers and lots of fish, turtles etc etc, it is not a great shot but you get the idea.

Playa Paradiso –

Playa Paradiso is near the Tulum Mayan Ruins. It is fantastic beach. The sand was so soft and the water was really clear. There were palm trees and beach bars and not to many people. Very relaxing, until later when I realised that my factor 50 had not protected me as well as I had hoped. I will spare you the pictures of that. I looked like a patchwork quit, a red and white one with bits of purple dotted everywhere.
We finished the day, like most, with a few beers on the beach whilst the sun set……

Heading down to the beach nice and early, Tega and Roberto

Sara and Roberto possing for one of many photos taken on the palm tree.

Getting ready for the sunset.

The nightlife –

It is a tourist town so there are lots of bars and clubs. The two we seem to magnatise to are the Blue Parrot and Coco Maya. They are next to each other on the beach, every night is ladies night. You can drink tequila, vodka and rum until it comes out of your ears. It’s is the cheap and nasty variety and many have suffered with it coming out of somewhere else!

As many of my friends will know - I like sitting with my feet in the sand watching the sun go down with a beer or a few bottles of wine, or a bottle of vodka. I have turned from sloaney to hippy over the last few years and I enjoy just going with the flow. This usually means the same old t-shirt, shorts and flip flops. The same three t-shirts will be featuring in all my photos, I am as happy as a pig in poop!

This is the last post from Playa. The next will be from Mahuhal, probably in about 2 weeks time so please tune in then to catch up with all my news.

I shall leave you with some photos of some of the lovely people I have met and the bars in Playa……..

Tega and Sara, in a dress. I felt a little underdressed so felt under pressure. Not sure if it will become one of my luxury items, although it may have to as the arse is about to come out of my jeans!
Betina, Nicole, Nicole, Maxi, Tega, Isabel and Roberto in one of our favorite restaurants - Italian!


Dinner on the beach. Judith, Stephanie, Tega, Nicole, Thomas, Domonique, Maxi, Christian, Sara and Alice.
Judith, Alice, Stephanie and Tega

Dominic, Maxi, Sara and Christian

Nicole, Maxim Tega, Sara, Magali and Judith


Flame thrower on the beach

With only a few days to go in Playa i am feeling a little sad about moving on but very excited about the next stage. During the first 5 weeks i have felt safe, comfortable and carefree. I have met some really great people and i wish that i could hit the pause button and hold onto it for a little longer but life moves on, as do the people. I think that i will struggle with this over the next few months but lets just wait and see.

To all my family and friends out there - you are missed and i think about the happy times often.

ADIOS AMIGO´S

Hasta Luego

xx

Sara

I know some of the photos are a little small but i hope to upload everything onto Kodak and post the links. You can then see all of the photos in a better size and format.

Cuba

With a few days to spare over Easter Isabel and I decided to take a trip to Cuba.

We had 2 days and 2 nights, not much time, so any delays were not welcome. However, this is the country of siestas and Mañana so there was no surprise with the 3 hour delay on the flight, an hour and 10 mins to get through customs and then an hour wait with the transfer, waiting for people that never showed!

We finally got to the hotel at about 10, after sampling the extremely dodgy lounge bar entertainment we decided to head out to the heart of Havana.

We had been warned about a few things, don’t drink the water, don’t display items of value and don’t take unlicensed cabs. One foot out of the hotel and we meet a cab driver.

Drive: Where you want go
Me: do you have a license
Driver: No
Me: nowhere with you.
Concierge: you won’t get a cab this late, this is my friend I vouch for him
Me: ok
Driver: my car is over here.

Now, after a flight on Cubana Airlines, pre Second World War II plane with a 5 ft door, no seat belt signs and smoke coming out of the floor, I had expected a slightly questionable standard of safety. However, nothing could have prepared us for this, the pictures say it all.........




The ´limo´ Old Rusian car

Sara and Isabel possing with the Limo!


This particular model has a unique interior

This photo not only reflects the door, or lack off, but the air conditioning - no widows!

I don’t think I need to say much more about the ´limo´ other than this was only slightly below the general standard of transportation!

Juan persuaded us that Casa de la Musica was the best place to go so late in the evening. Live bands and lots of Salsa and Cuban men. This really was a great night, mojitos, dancing. It was off the beaten track so we asked him to come and pick us up later, which he did. So, on the grounds of his reliability we asked him if he would show us Havana the next day, in his ´limo´!!

This was truly a great move, we were chauffer driven around Havana, we saw everything that was on the postcards and a little more.

Being in Cuba really was like stepping back in time. The majority of the city is extremely run down, but still inhabited. There were parts that had been restored, the buildings are amazing and so I hope that they get round to doing up the rest. I didn´t know what to expect from the local cuisine but it seemed to be anything from ´colour blue´ to ´gordon blue´, to sumarise it was everything with cheese and ham. Enjoy the photos….

Sara, Isabel and Lewis

The band in the bar that we managed to pass a few hours in, they had the best mojitos:0)

The People here were so friendly. Everyone is happy, there are bands playing Salsa everywhere and people just dance in the street. We sat in a bar to listen to the music and sampled the mojitos. There we met Lewis, 24, Cuban and very proud. He learnt English and everything he knows from the television, he really was quite amazing. He chooses not to work because it is so corrupt that he is better off not working. Everyone can to go to University and Study but bar staff are earning more than teachers and doctors so there is very little incentive. He would like to be a tour guide but you need a degree and he doesn´t see the point.

He talked to us very openly about Cuba and what he would like to see happen. He is counting on Obama being the next president, there are plans to make changes between the USA and Cuba and with this he hopes there will be more opportunities. He would not leave Cuba but he would take a few vacations. First to Venice, then Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower, then Egypt to see the pyramids and then he would like to see snow.

The sea crashing over the main road around Havana. The ocean is very beautiful around Cuba
Building in need of a face lift, like many buildings in Havana
Defence wall around the waters edge

Guns on the defence wall, all still live and kicking!
Shot from the Limo, central Havana

Road Sign

Cathedral
Entrance to the Plaza del Cathedral
A restored building. The buildings are amazing, i hope they restore more but the focus does seem to be around the tourist areas, at the moment
Plaza del la Cathedral. There were lots of people ready to pose for a peso, they don´t want USD they would rather have a Euro if you have no Cuban Peso.

Havana has 4 Cathedrals, we only found 2.

Where Ernest Hemingway hung out....
La Place de la Revolucion where Fidel gave many speaches

Cuban Flag at the Place de la Revolucion

Sara with the Che Guevara headquarters in the backround

View of Havana

We went to a botanical garden. It is common for people to come here to perfom ritual killing of animals. We were told that the ´religion´ is practiced by 90% of Cubans but we later doubted this. It is of African decent and involves killing a chicken, dipping your left toe in the blood and then offering it, by throwing it in the water.

The chikens remains and a bottle of rum, which i am sure did not get thrown in the river!
Isabel with the master of ceremonies. They were sacrificing for luck in life. He told us that life is hard some days, no food, clean water, they pray for their brothers.


Residential street

There were lots of cas like this, they were great, it really was a step back in time
The Main Cathedral up close
Another residential street, there were people living here. There are lots of really run down houses like this with people living in them. We were very lucky and got invited up to a family home. I heard a song playing as we walked down the street, i wanted to know what it was so the lady took us up to her house. There stood three young men dancing away. We got the name of the song, and got on our way but not before noticing that their toilet was a bucket. There was no runing water in the house.

Isobel with a policeman. This all got very complicated, they weren´t to happy about it but we got there in the end.
The only thing we place of interest we knew of before we got to Cuba was the Coppelia Ice Cream Parlour. It is very famous in Cuba. We walked 3.5kms to get there so it needed to be good. There were two areas, one for Cubans and one for Tourists, it was worth the walk.

Would i go back? If i could avoid flying with Cubana Airlines then yes i would go back. I think that there is so much more to see outside of Havana.

Hasta Luego amigos

xx