I have officially found paradise! But before I go on and on about the white sand, blue skies, crystal clear waters, 30+ degrees heat, and the lobster for dinner...first I must update you on my travels since my last blog due to the lack of decent internet in Guatemala.

Following my stay in San Cristobal I started with a long day trip to nearby Palenque to visit some spectacular ruins in the rain-forest. The trip also included our tour party ambushing an American TV commercial for breakfast cereal being filmed at the local waterfalls! The following day I headed south across the boarder into Guatemala which proved to be a real experience. Tarmac roads were non existent and the driver seemed to think he was Lewis Hamilton so I was glad to make it to Antigua to say the least!

Antigua is a UNESCO world heritage site and it was easy to see why. The majority of the city was untouched and the original cobble stoned streets still remained. I found once again an amazing hostel right in the centre of the city to base myself for the 5 days. The highlight of my stay there apart from the amazing food and the sports bar showing the mighty Spurs vs the gooners game...was my 3 hour trek to the summit of the volcano overlooking the city. It was a real test of the new knee but the view from the top and seeing flowing lava beneath my feat made it a worthwhile but surreal experience! The route down in the dark was equally as fun but for different reasons as some crazy German whistled his national anthem all the way down...after a while I responded with the tune to Dad's Army...

From Antigua I made my way north to Lanquin to stay at a very remote lodge. My room consisted of a wood floor on stilts covered with a thatched roof, real basic stuff. The on site restaurant and bar was the scene for a wild Halloween party which bizarrely involved some enforced cross dressing by the staff...I promise! The following day I went with a group from the resort on a 1 hour trek by candlelight into the depths of the local bat caves, preceded by some tubing down a set of rapids and then jumping off an 8m high bridge on a rope swing! All this excitement was too much for me, so again I moved on, this time with two fellow travelers, to Flores. It was the base to visit the impressive Mayan ruins at Tikal but after a 5am start time I decided this wasn't the sort of holiday I had planned so quickly moved on again, this time solo to Caye Caulker in Belize.

Reached only by boat or water taxi, it is a tiny English speaking island just off the coast of the mainland. There are no roads, only sandy lanes with golf carts for taxis! Every night has been seafood for dinner followed by a few beers with the locals at the beach bar. One particular night I joined the weekly pub trivia quiz under the team name of "one man without a dog" Secretly aided by two highly intelligent Americans, I went to win 1st prize, or so i thought! In fact I had drawn 1st with a table of Australian travelers, so the standoff was settled the old fashioned way...a drink off! I proceeded to down my pint and destroy the useless Aussie to win $15 off my final bill! I would like to think my many years of training at university paid off...

However, the highlight of my stay here has undoubtedly been the 3 day sailing trip south along the coast of Belize to camp and snorkel on some very remote uninhabited islands surrounding the local reefs. Dinner every day was caught off the side of the boat and the endless amount of rum-punch with some great company made it an unforgettable experience. The trip was rounded off with a night out in Placencia with my fellow sailors before taking a quick flight back to Belize City. Next I make the trip back across the boarder to Mexico staying in Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsular.

Thank you to all for the updates on Tottenham and Lewis Hamilton - happy days! Ill continue not to think of you all in the snow back home...Mojito anyone? Ill be in touch...