We were warned of bribery and corruption at the Guatemalan border crossing into Belize. Sure enough the chappy behind the counter did ask us for 10 Quetzales each departure tax. We said 'no', which translates literally into Spanish as 'no', He went with it. This amount is only around 70p, but it's the principle. We were excited by the prospect of speaking in our mother tongue. Belizian officials didn't share our enthusiasm. Part of the Commonwealth, there are man...

Moving on from Lake Atitlan, our bumpy dusty road led us to Antigua, another pretty colonial city. The overwhelming number of American tourists and dollar pricing meant this stop would be brief. Up and out of bed with a sparrows fart, we traipsed our way to the near summit of an active volcano - Volcano Pacaya. The 90 minute hike was steep and hot, though it only grew hotter as we reached the lava flows. We looked down from our vantage point to see the orang...

A relatively painless seven hour run from the highlands of southern Mexico to the highlands of Guatemala brought us to the town of Quetzaltenango (locally known by the Mayan name of Xela - pron Sha-la). Similar in appearance to Northampton, though admittedly under the gaze of a volcano, Xela failed in its attempts to hold us for more than an overnight rest. The following morning we passed a US style complex of cinemas, pizza restaurants and shops before rea...

Before we play catch up, Sue has an announcement to make. Phill has his first ringlet. We know, madness. Question: How many Mexicans does it take to turn on a rear projection TV? Answer: 5 Question: How long does it take 5 Mexicans to find the right channel for the England v Paraguay World Cup match? Answer: 26 minutes. We decided to avoid this type of pre-match nonsense for future games by checking into the Crowne Plaza in Acapulco. Guess what. They ...

Dunno about you lot, but we are very very very excited about the game tomorrow! We have a 7am start and a 30 minute bus ride to the nearby resort of Ixtapa. We have been invited in to the ball room of one of the hotels where we can see the Paraguay game on an 8 meter projector screen... yes, 8 meters! We are the only English gringos in this small town and the pressure is starting to tell. The Mexicans however love our enthusiasm and share theirs with us...