HOW TO CLIMB A COCONUT TREE;-)

On the island there is jungle, mostly mangroves and coconut trees, so I can have as much fresh coconuts as I want to have. And they look so different to the ones you get at home, the old and boring ones. If you want them fresh you need to pick them directly off the palm tree. This is a bit of a challenge, because if they are too high you need to climb the tree! Awesome, because I used to do climbing at home and there is nothing else to climb here than palm trees;-)… and maybe the treehouse,…  so, let’s climb:

No worries, in case you fail climbing, there are always some lying around ;-) only worry if you fall off the tree or a coconut hits your head while you shaking the tree;-) Once you have got them, you cut the skin off at the bottom with a machete until you have the fruity bit. Then press a hole through it and drink the juiceJ After you finished you can cut it in half and pick the fruit out of it. Awesome! 

MAYA HISTORY

In the meantime I have been to Tikal in Guatemala where you can explain all about the Maya history. It was very interesting and I have seen a lot of temples, ruins and tourists;-) I don't like too many tourists so I went further into the jungle to find the real exiting stuff! Again I went on a local adventure bus to Uaxactún, a jungle town with more exiting ruins and history but no tourists at all! I met some wunderful local people and spent my time at Nerias place. With Antonio I got a really good introduction and a tour around the area to see all the ruins and temples. They still dig out Maya temples there and they are still looking for the whole secret of the Mayas in the jungle. I think I got a rough idea now and I can read some of their signs, have a look here;-) 

AWESOME FOOD

Wow, I really love the food on the road. It is all about food here. Many people do nothing else than cooking the whole day and sell their food on the road or they sell fresh fruits or sweets. It is really good stuff. The bus stops somewhere and there are street sellers jumping on the bus selling food or they sell through the window. On the bus stops you will always get something sweet. Here is one example: it is caramelised sugar with coconut and pineapple bits in it! This is awesome!!! :-)

And by the way, I can nearly eat everything here! I can not eat gluten, but gluten hardly exists here. Everything here is made of corn. I love corn tortillas, fresh or toasted with vegetables or black beans. I eat fresh tropical fruits every day. Like we have apple trees at home they have banana and coconut trees in their garden.

I realized it when I arrived at Marcos and Dethlevs in Melchor, Guatemala. They have really good fresh homemade food: hot tortillas with vegetables and cheese potatos and meat if you like. Or the second one: cheese omelette with blackbeans, the weird looking mush, and hot tortillas.

Marco has a lovely place called Rio Mopan Lodge directly next to the Guatemalan border and the river Mopan. He is from Switzerland and lives there for about 35 years now built up his own hotel with a little private jungle around. It is a wounderful place to stay, enjoy the river, canoeing, swimming or walk trough Melchor, the town center. Thanks to Marco, Dethlev and their family! Here are some impressions: