los mercados

. our lives .

our travels and future trips we hope to accomplish

Los Mercado's Trip

photos of our trip are available at our photos page
 
September 2001 - December 2001
On this trip we traveled to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Colombia. 

We left NY for Miami Florida, where we spent a few days relaxing on the beach (we needed to relax before we went on vacation).  We then jumped on a cruise ship from Miami to Key West and then on to Cancun.  It was a four day cruise, of which we were able to spend two days, until we had to get off in Cancun to begin our trip.  It was a bit more exciting then just flying direct to Mexico. 

We spent the first two weeks in Playa del Carmen attending various time share presentations, .. enjoying the free food and drinks they provided to listen to their presentation.  We also enjoyed the $150.00 we were paid for the 2 hours

Afterwards we headed to Utila, Honduras where we stayed on a small Caye and learned how to scuba dive from Captain Morgan's Dive Center.  It was an amazing experience obtaining our basic scuba certification, seeing quite a few fish, relaxing on the carless caye watching the sunset in the Caribbean.  

Onwards to Antigua, Guatemala where we spent 6 weeks taking Spanish lessons, 20 hours per week for a mere $45.  Our school was amazing with the teachers extremely knowledgeable and helpful.  We took salsa lessons, traveled around the city to other villages and towns nearby.  It was a beautiful city with a very international feel.  We really enjoyed our time here.  My parents visited us for three weeks, spending time in Antigua as well as traveling around Guatemala with them. Rich Reid also came to visit us and then came back to Antigua and stayed with us for about a week, sleeping on the floor in our small apartment.  It was amazing to have so many visitors while we were there, and made the trip even more enjoyable. 

Next was Cali Colombia where we spent a few weeks with my family, as well as seeing the sites of Cali.  We had an amazing time with everyone, spending nights chatting, telling stories and having a few laughs.  Overall we wished we could have stayed for longer, ... as there is nothing like being with my family there.  It was the highlight of the trip. 

Lastly we headed to Panama, where we spent about 10 days traveling to both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, as well as Panama City.  We enjoyed our time on the islands in the pacific where we got to do the most amazing snorkeling, and just relaxed on the barren beach.  It was a nice way to end the trip. 

Heading back to the states, we stopped for a night in Miami Beach before heading back to NY for Christmas and the New Year.   Overall it was an amazing trip with great memories. 

 

January 2004 - December 2004

We left New York mid January traveling via Malaysia and the on to Melbourne Australia. 

We were able to stop in Kuala Lumpur for about 5 days, giving us time to see the sites of the city.  Overall it was a great city with amazing buildings, spectacular food, and an interesting culture.

Moving on, we finally arrived in Melbourne Australia, where after staying with a couple we met from www.globalfreeloaders.com we found an apartment in the city and moved in.  Over the year we we able to travel around quite a bit, visiting Brisbane, Hobart, Sydney, Cairns, New Castle, and Perth.  Each city was amazing and had its pros and cons, but were all laid back with a great feel to each one.  The beaches were all spectacular, the wildlife unlike any we had seen before, and the people extremely friendly and helpful. 

On the way back we plan to head through Malaysia again, this time heading to the coast to do some scuba diving and visiting more of the countryside.  We hope it will be an interesting and exciting experience.  We then fly back to NY to once again spend Christmas and New Years.