Anna in South America

Would you believe that I’m back in the UK! I managed to get all my rugs, blankets and clothes back by buying a lovely Mexican bag to put it in, so it’s all good! Had a great time in Mexico, it’s a pretty interesting place, a fair bit richer than the cities that I visited in South America. It’s absolutely massive, when you land into it on the plane, you just can’t seem to see where it begins and where it ends. The most striking thing about flying into the city is the gigantic cloud of smog that surrounds it, which the plane has to plunge into in order to land. It’s also pretty scenic, with a couple of volcanoes in the backdrop; the city itself is quite impressive, with high rise buildings and industry, though it gets poorer as you go out and you do see more shanty towns (though I would say to a lesser degree than in Lima and Quito).
So it feels quite odd to be back, nice to see the weather is still as shite as when I left. It’s nice to come back and do a little tour to see everyone, but it’s not all over yet, will be popping off to Turkey in June to have a few weeks travelling there before I calm down and start thinking about serious things, like getting a job. So this will be the last entry for a while, as I don’t think I will have much excitement to report from my short spell in the UK - but will be back on for Turkey in June. Thanks for all your lovely comments, been much appreciated! xxxxx

All that relaxing just got too much for me in Tulum, so I made the flight over the Mexico City and got here last night. It’s great to be back here again, have just spent the morning wandering around trying to get my bearings, and am about to embark on an afternoon of shopping (what else!) in La Zona Rosa, which is the “glitzy” area of the City.
This morning I got up reasonably early and had a meander down La Reforma (big avenue where I’m staying) and there was a big demonstration going on. I’m quite used to these by now, as they always seem to be going on around here, but this was a demo with a difference. Everyone in it was nude - yes, stark bollock naked - the men were walking around forming a circle and the women stood on upside down buckets so they were higher up and easier to see. It was very odd, but I suppose they were getting noticed. Apparently they were after some sort of social changes in the Government, but no one was very specific so I’m not quite sure what they’re after.
Anyway, spent the morning getting my hair cut by Edward Scissorhands (I just asked her for a trim, but she hacked loads off) and then made it into this internet cafe, which has since turned out to be a little bit seedy. Everyone has their own booths and pulls the curtain across so they can use the computer “in private” - nice. So will be making my sharp exit after this entry. I’m planning on going to a craft market tomorrow and am going to try and stop myself from buying yet more rugs, will let you know how I get on!

Still in Tulum, having a lovely relaxing time. Its so hot, only really have enough energy to sip cocktails by the sea and go in for the occasional dip - its a hard life!
At night, we tend to wander down to the other beach bars, they´re all lovely and have a nice, chilled out atmosphere. There are also loads of models wandering around, as they do a lot of photo shoots here, so people watching is becoming a major pastime of ours! The girls and I generally don´t look particularly elegant on the beach - with strong waves crashing over our heads and pulling down our bikini bottoms for all to see - but the South Americans take themselves very seriously and like to think of themselves as wannabe models; every day, couples go by the sea and take really posey shots. Women often in thongs or very tiny bikinis, sticking their bums out and trying to do sexy poses, with their partners acting like Austin Powers, snapping away their camera, it´s painful to watch. It´s unbelievable how many of them do it, at least two per hour, and the girls are always rolling around in the sand for all to see - quite embarassing really, but it`s something to watch I suppose. The US women here are all going through a weird craze of getting their hair beaded in lots of little plaits - looks awful, they all look like Predator, it just doesnt suit their type of hair, but they just can`t get enough of it.
Tonight, I managed to make it to an internet cafe, though had to come to the centre of town (we don´t even have electricity sockets in our rooms so internet´s a long way off in the future) and then we`re going off to sample some more of the local delicacies. Will write again soon!