Beautiful Caye Caulker Goes Slow

Belize is a slow-paced English-speaking country tucked in between Mexico and Guatemala where you have the option to go to the jungle — if you are adventurous — or to the beach — if you are into water sports and relaxation (or do both.)  

In the jungle, you can go cave tubing, explore sacred Mayan caverns and hike the tropical forest.  Staying in the middle of the jungle in a wooden cabana is as relaxing as spending the day at a Korean spa: you find yourself in a completely different world and you forget about the hustle and bustle or your urban jungle. 

We spent four days in the Belizean jungle (back in 2013) at a family resort called Caves Branch.  Our cabana was made of wooden planks and large mosquito nets covering wide openings all around the room.  There was electricity in the adjacent bathroom only and we were forced to use oil lamps in the bedroom (we did have a ceiling fan). 

At Caves Branch, we spent our time chatting with fellow travelers (families and couples of all ages) as well as swimming and hiking up and down narrow passages in dark caves, jumping off cliffs and hiking the jungle.  All of this was so exotic to us that we felt the same way Harry Potter must have felt when he first got to Hogwarts: completely out-of-place.  The Belizean jungle constituted a real break from the stressful routine of our city lives.  

Now you most likely feel confused by the title of this blog post since I have yet to mention a place called Caye Caulker.  

Caye Caulker is known as the spot in Belize for those who live for everything water-related.  If you do, then you must hop in one of the water taxis that take you to this tiny Belizean paradise.  (The water taxis run daily from Chetumal, Mexico, and Belize City.) 

There are many ways by which you can relax in Caye Caulker.  The first way — and the one that requires no effort on your part — is to adopt the motto of the island: "Go Slow."  Walk slowly, bike slowly, eat slowly and speak slowly.  In other words, Belize could very well be the epicenter of Mindfulness — a place where you are constantly in the "moment."  The only thing that seems to make Belizeans go fast is knowing that they're about to do something that they love (like a dive instructor who is about to go diving.)  

The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh ways ways to relax in Caye Caulker — as far as I know — are the following (in no particular order): go snorkeling with exotic aquatic fauna; dive in the famous Blue Hole — or in any of the other amazing dive sites; go fishing; rent a jet ski to go around the island; go kite surfing; walk dogs from the pet park; or take a yoga class on the rooftop of a hotel.  

All of the above can be done in two or three days if you can wake up early in the morning — to go diving the Blue Hole, you need to show up at the dive shop at 5:30 a.m. — and the sacrifice of a good night of sleep is well worth it.  Let me ask you something: What would you do to be able to see Manatees, Sea Turtles, Manta Rays and Sharks?  Pretty much anything, right? 

We saw all of the aforementioned with the exception of the Manatees — we didn't go to their natural habitat —  at the Blue Hole, Half-Moon Caye and Long Caye Aquarium.  While we didn't see a lot of marine life at the Blue Hole (with the exception of one shark), we saw a lot of it at Half-Moon Caye and Long Caye.  (We felt as if we jumped inside a giant aquarium at Sea World.) 

So Caye Caulker is a nice piece of exotic land in the Caribbean where you will find plenty to do despite its small size.  I would recommend that you don't spend more than two to three days there otherwise the island would feel very small.  (Most shops, bars and restaurants are located on the same street.) 

Because it is an island, most things tend to be on the expensive side (a main course at a restaurant costs between $10 and $25.)  The good news is that walking dogs from the pet park is free and the yoga instructor only asks for a voluntary donation.  One can also stroll along the beach from the main street towards a bar called The Split to look at artists stands – everything from paintings, wood carvings and jewelry made from seashells.

Getting to the island is an adventure in itself: the boats that come from Chetumal (Mexico) make a stop on the island of San Pedro so that you can go through customs and switch boats.  

All of your hard work and patience will be rewarded by the warmth and peacefulness of Belizeans once you reach Caye Caulker.  Your dollars will be well spent in this small paradise that offers countless opportunities to enjoy the marine life of the Caribbean.

- Vincent

About: Travel Burnout

The principle of diminishing returns — that too much of a good thing is not a good thing — applies to traveling just as much as it applies to food, hobbies and people.  

Travel burnout is when our minds and bodies get tired of traveling.  Getting in a bus is no longer exciting but has become something we no longer look forward to, planning what to do in a city feels too much like real work and not like pleasure, and waking up in unknown places every few days makes us feel homesick. 

But there is nothing wrong with experiencing travel burnout.  It can happen to anyone at anytime and anywhere.  For example, two friends of ours got travel burnout after six months of exploring Southeast Asia.  We got travel burnout after three months of traveling when we found ourselves in Mexico.    

Suffering from travel burnout does not mean that you are not fit for extended travels.  It means that you need to change the way you travel (i.e. slow down) and that you need to start doing something different (i.e. leave the city to go to the beach.)  It is as simple as that.  In our case, we went from one major city to another major city to two smaller ones.  We failed to take a detour by the whitesand beaches. 

And that's the thing that is wonderful about traveling: you discover yourself and learn what it is that you like to do or are comfortable with.  It is then and only then that you learn what type of traveler you are because you have tried different things already.

People regularly suffer from burnout.  Whether we have been working too much in our cubicle or socializing too much, we need to hit the break pedal and yank the steering wheel to head in a different direction.  We are humans, not machines.     

So...if you find yourself in the place of your dream — for example, seating next to the Dalai Lama in a Tibetan temple — but feel sad and lazy, don't blame yourself for not enjoying what you're doing at that particular moment.  Excuse yourself and make another appointment for a different day and hit the spa — I'm sure he would understand.

Travel burnout is an integral part of the experience of traveling and you need to embrace it.  Just like everything else in our life, burnouts are a sign.  A sign that you need to change the pace of your travels, a sign that you are more of a hiking type of person than a museum type of person.  

And having this epiphany is just fine. 

- Vincent

Mexico or the World's Biggest Russian Doll

If your finances are in order and you have holidays coming up but you don't know where to go yet, head to Mexico — you will not be disappointed.  Write down on a piece of paper all of what you think Mexico is and burn that piece of paper before you get on the plane.    

Mexico is a big country that has a lot to offer.  It is probably the biggest Russian doll you could find in the world — many backpackers agree to this statement: there is a beautiful cascade hidden in a biosphere hidden in a tropical forest at almost every corner of the country.  We spent almost three months in Mexico and we would have needed at least another three to fully explore it.      

And there is something for everybody in Mexico: if you live to eat — like I do — then Mexico has a menu that is as thick as the Guinness World Records; if you live for the outdoor, then Mexico is like a Hunger Game's arena that you built to your liking (without the killing); if you live for history, then Mexico is a three-dimensional living encyclopedia. 

I love food — I really, really do.  I grew up in France — the so-called World's capital of gastronomy — but my taste buds never got as spoiled as they did by Mexican food.  There are three things about Mexican gastronomy that make it unique: first of all, each one of the thirty two states of Mexico (including the Federal District) has unique dishes; secondly, each restaurant in those thirty two states has a different way to prepare that dish; thirdly, you don't have to break the bank to have food that fill your tastebuds.  The only thing that changes as the price goes higher is a more refined experience.

If you love the outdoors, Mexico is your one-stop shop for land and water adventures.  Here you will find mountains to climb, countless hiking paths (in deserts, forests, volcanoes, jungles), beautiful white-sand beaches, and snorkeling and diving near coral reefs and in natural reserves to just name a few.  Although we didn't climb mountains, we did climb many pyramids and hiked in the jungle several times in little-known natural biospheres to look at fauna and flora that are unique to Mexico.

If you love history — ancient or recent — you ought to go to the country that saw the birth, rise and fall of some of the world's greatest civilizations.  From the Yaqui tribes of Sonora to the Aztecs city of Teotihucan in Central Mexico to the Mayan metropole of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula or even the complexity of the old and new worlds living together in Chiapas, you will find something to become passionate about.  Furthermore, there is something magical about walking up and down the narrow streets of the many superbly preserved Spanish colonial towns of Mexico.  

Mexican artisany is as varied as its food: each state is known for its pottery, wooden work or clothes.  Each state has a distinctive dress, distintive musics and dances.  So...when you travel from one state to another, you get to taste different foods, look at different arts and enjoy different live performances.  That is why Mexico is the biggest Russian doll in the world.     

Before I tell you more about Mexico, I need to tell you that it is inexpensive to do all of the aforementioned.  A half-day boat ride in Mazatlan costs $15, so does swimming with sea turtles for one hour in Acumal, and a half-day hike in a natural biosphere in Catemaco costs $25 (including the tour guide and entrance fee).  Any of these activities would be at least twice as expensive in Western countries. 

There is one element of the Mexican world that is too often spoken about in negative terms, yet that element is essential to having a good Mexican experience: its people.  Mexicans, for the most part, are welcoming, serviceable and very knowledgeable about their country.  If you speak Spanish and if you are willing to listen, Mexicans will be more than happy to tell you about their history, their food, their art and the unfortunate politics of their country.  (I am lucky to have married a Spanish-speaking woman.)  

If you don't speak Spanish, you will feel welcomed nonetheless.  It is in Mexico that I started learning the Universal Language spoken in all countries: a subtle combination of hand gestures, words (preferably in the language of the country you are visiting) and sound effects.  Even if you speak little Spanish — and I encourage you to learn a few words — you will be able to get around, understand people and make yourself understood. 

Mexico developed an amazing school of tour guides that are accredited by the Federal Goverment to talk to you about the history of Mexico anywhere at anytime.  We met a fabulous guide in Mexico City's Museum of Anthrolopogy — rightfully coined as one of the world's best museums — who told us everything we needed to know about the Aztecs, Huaztecs, Totonecs, Mayans and many more.  He answered all of our questions — in perfect English — for four hours and for the meager fee of $20.  We were so mesmerized by his knowledge that we spent a whole hour talking about the complexity of Mesoamerica's history right in front of the map of Mexico.

In Mexico, you fill also often find people who care about your safety, your well-being and who want to show you the best about their country.  We got stopped on the sidewalk by a police officer one day because he wanted to tell our friend to hide her faux gold necklace so that she would not to attract thieves.  A taxi driver went out of his way to make sure to return my wife's jacket that she left on the back seat.  When we got sick — which happened to me more than once — our host, a tour guide or taxi driver would inquire about my health, suggest which medication to take and walk/drive us to the nearest pharmacy.  

Mexicans always eavesdrop — but with good intentions.  If you are standing at a bus stop and asking the bus driver if he is headed to where you want to go, one, two or three people will jump in the conversation and help you go where you are trying to go.  Either they will tell you where to catch the bus and where to get off, or they will show you the stop where you need to be in order to board the right bus. 

Any essay or blog post about Mexico cannot be complete if it does not discuss the unjustified concern that people and the media have about safety in Mexico.  Contrary to what is being said, it is very safe to be and to travel in Mexico (Mexico has, by the way, an amazing cross-country bus system).  Of course, there are places where one should never go, and that is true of any country. There are times at which you should not be alone outside, which is also true of any country.  We met people who moved to Mexico, to the beach town of Mazatlan, to the colonial town of Guanajuato, or to the megalopole of Mexico City, and they all agree that Mexico is safe.  They also all agree that a dark alley in a bad neighborhood in Mexico is as dangerous as a dark alley in a bad neighborhood in Canada, Ireland and Peru. If you direct your conversation, then, to the dangers of drug cartels and other controversial topics, the simplest answer I can give you in this post is; don't do drugs, don't join a gang, don't involve yourself with shady people... just like any other country.

So...Mexico is beautiful, it has one of the most amazing culinary traditions in the world, fantastic art, a rich history, beautiful mountains, national parks and beaches, it is cheap, and the people are welcoming.  

Why haven't you been to Mexico yet?  Whatever you excuse you might give me, write it down on a piece of paper and burn that piece of paper and head to the aiport now.  

About: Meditation

I have been meditating since the age of 21.  I am now 31.  My journey thus far has been difficult, exciting and very rewarding.  I started meditatig because I needed help deal with the nasty things that life threw at me.  Meditation helps balance emotions.  

I spent ten years practicing mindfulness meditation: focusing on the breathing whilst keeping the eyes closed.  I never got the focusing part right.  In late 2014, I discovered Zazen - or Zen meditation: counting from 1 to 10 when exhaling whilst keeping the eyes slightly opened at a 30 to 45 degrees angle. 

The beginning of my practicing of Zazen marked the beginning of a new stage for me.  Until then, medidating was difficult.  Zazen gave me hope in that I could now focus much better and feel a difference in how I would perceive life, its challenges and its beauty.  I started feeling more serene.  

 In very late December 2014 - early January 2015, I started practicing silent mantra meditation: the mental repetition of a sound.  There are many variations of this practice.  Some people repeat traditional Buddhist mantras such as "So'ham," "Om Mani Padme Hum" or "Om" - the sound of the creation of the universe during the Big Bang - while others repeat words such as "Love," "Money," or "Widsom."  I settled on "Om" - also spelled "Aum." 

I chose "Aum" because of its simplicity and how effective I found it to be.  Different mantras give different results.  I recently graduated from meditating 10 to 15 minutes a seating - or meditation session - to 20 minutes.  The results are very encouraging. 

When I started meditating, I spent too much time looking for the perfect technique that would yield the best results.  Like shopping for a car.  I tried many techniques - which I recommend everyone does - for various amounts of times and in different seating positions.  I like 20 minutes and either a seated or a seiza position.  

One can get distracted and overwhelmed if reading too much about the many meditation techniques and their variations.  Try all of them, pick one and hone it.  It all comes down to which technique you feel comfortable with and which technique makes you feel better then when before you started.    

Then there is the part of explaining meditation to others in order for them to respect it.  It's more of a lifestyle than anything else.  I meditate everyday if possible, as early in the morning as humanily possible, sometimes twice a day.  The second time between 4 and 6pm.  

Meditating twice a day reinforces the benefit of the practice.  So does the location and the environment.  Anybody would tell you to find a quiet place to meditate and nothing could be more true.  That's the first condition for a good session.  The second condition for a good session is to not expect miracles and accept that each session yields different results.  Meditation is not an exact science. 

There are other elements that make for a perfect meditation session.  Time of day and weather conditions.  If I could, I would meditate every day by the beach on a comfortable rocking chair.  Nothing beats the quite, breezy outside.  

When you start meditating and when you start a new technique, you will go through ups and downs and become an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster.  That shows that it works.  Because meditation is the gateway to reflecting on ideas, feelings and memories that are burried under millions of random and unimportant thoughts.  Meditation is to your mind and soul what a decanter is for an old bottle of wine. 

If you never practiced meditation and would like to know how it feels to medidate, read the following last two sentences.  During the meditation, I feel my body slowly relax and my heart become lighter.  At the end of almost each session, I open my eyes and realize that I disconnected myself from the world for 20 minutes and that I am ready to get back into it.

Food #1 - Mexico's Birria

We have been travelling for one and a half month and I could have started blogging about food with Texan Barbeque or New Orleans' Po' Boy sandwiches.  Instead, I chose Birria.  Our most recent and one of the best food experiences so far.  I advice you try it. 
 
What is Birria?  It's a stew made of goat or sheep meat, seasonned and cooked in a pot underground for about eight hours.  It's then shredded.  It's served hot in a broth made of water that marinated with the meat.  Freshly-made tortillas on the side.   
 
On the table, you have access to diced onions, fresh cilantro and lime to season your bowl of Birria as you please.  Everything is fresh and delicious.  The best two things about Birria is that it's cheap - a little more than $3 for a half serving and shy of $4 for a full serving - and that the meat tastes so good.  Half a serving is plenty, by the way.
 
Birria is also a perfect example of what Mexican food seems to be all about.  Good and affordable.  They use fresh and local ingredients, know how to spice their dishes properly, and they also know how to present their food in attractive ways.  It pleases the palate and the eyes. 

Birria also shows that Mexican food is very versatile in that they have great recipes for all types of meats, fishes and vegetables.  One doesn't get bored.  The variety of foods and local specialties that you can find in Mexico is rather overwhelming.  There is more to it than tacos and fajitas.  
 
Mexican cuisine is also the one that would make you like things that you didn't like before.  For example, fish and me.  I used to not eat any kind of fish, cooked or uncooked, because of the way it was prepared.  A dab of butter and fried on the pan.  In Mexico, they add onions, green peppers, fresh jalapeno and cilantro, sliced tomatoes and lime juice.  It brings the fish to life and excites the palate. 

Finally, the restaurant we went to, El Sinaloense, is a good example of casual Mexican dining.  Cheap, communal and extremely good.  It reminded us of what we know of tables communes or "communal tables."      

So Birria is decilious and it is a food that we wouldn't have tasted outside of the U.S.  Travel to eat, eat to travel.  And it is making me very happy to know that there will be many more opportunities to taste something unique.  What's next? 

About: Happiness

This is the first blog post of a series entitled "About:" where I will explore various subjects which are close to my heart and that are inspired by our exploring of the world.   Let's get started! 
 
There are as many ways to get happy as there are to be sad.  Happiness is not something that one stumbles upon by magic.  It is an acquired emotion that comes from hard work.  It comes from within once you laid the foundations for a life that will bring you happiness.  
 
You might think that people who have it all would automatically be happy because they didn't have to fight much to get a good life.  But it is from the struggle that one gets satisfaction.  You might also think that people who have nothing are the saddest.  But they also are the fiercest and the strongest of all . 
 
Because when you have nothing, you must fight in order to survive.  From this, you become successful and confident about yourself. 
 
So happiness comes from struggle, courage and patience.  And in order to cultivate happiness, you have to be on the look out for the people or the things that could take it down in a heartbeat.  
 
Happiness also comes from widsom.  The wisdom to see beauty and fulfillment in the many simple things of life: Sipping a hot cup of coffee; leafing through a good book; being one with the sunrise whilst the world is still asleep.  
 
Work to find happiness and work even harder to preserve it.  Look at one thing that you could change in your life in order to get you closer to it.  Don't begin your road towards happiness hoping to change everything that is not good into something better.  
 
Remember, happiness comes from patience. 
 
 - Vincent

8th State!

We just set foot in the eight state of our road adventure in Columbia.  We drove 3,000 eye-opening miles through seven states in two weeks to discover new cities, new landscapes, to meet new people and to hear new stories.  

We already feel smaller than ever before.  This country is so vast and this country is only one of the couple dozen ones we will soon visit.  

What's next? 

 - Vincent 

One more day in Dallas

As my husband sometimes reminds me, it's about the journey not the destination. For this we decided to stay in Dallas one more day before we head to Santa Fe. I also often have to choose to either be in the moment rather than documenting it. It's not everyday I get to enjoy family so hopefully by tonight I'll catch up with the 365 photos. -Carolina

Dallas, TX

Today marks two weeks since we left DC.  The first week was a period of adjustment with learning how to live off of a backpack and going from place to place, town to town every 2 days or so as we traveled through the South.  Once we reached New Orleans, we had mastered the art of packing and unpacking and even our trunk seemed to have more space!  Austin and Dallas have been a blessing in having friends and family to relax, slow down and enjoy being with loved ones.  Tomorrow we start the 3rd leg of our USA road trip into the Southwest. We can't wait to start watching beautiful sunrises in the desert.

- Carolina

Day One

We made it out of D.C.!  It was a lot more work to pack all our stuff and leave but we finally made it out arriving in Charleston, SC at 10pm.  Can't wait to explore the city tomorrow morning.  Happy belated birthday to my sister, Paulina!