Posted on

Monday 22nd – Calakmul

Let’s start with a question that you never dreamed you would be asked.  When you have visited a place of interest and paid your entry fee, what is the furthest distance you have then had to travel?  Try 40 miles, or 63km which is what happened at Calakmul today.
It is an enormous Mayan ruin in the heart of the jungle.  It wasn’t strictly true that it was an entrance fee – it was actually about £6 for road maintenance.  You then pay another fee which was never explained after about 20km, before eventually getting to the site after a total of 63km from the main road.  And the road maintenance fee is a bit of a diddle as there are loads of potholes which makes progress slow and laborious.
But we made it and it was well worth it.
See what I mean about in the jungle and overgrown.
Apparently there were about 50,000 inhabitants at its peak about 1200 years ago.
More photos to follow if I can sort out IT (again!).  A great day only stressed a little by FOROOF – fear of running out of fuel.  There weren’t many petrol stations in the middle of the jungle, which was when the needle decided to lurch into the red zone.  But we survived!
Posted on

Sunday 21st – Heading South

We knew it would be a long drive today, and so it turned out.  About 4 hours on pretty decent roads going south towards Calakmul.  Much more of that tomorrow.  So by 1.00 absolutely zilch to blog about.  Also hit 21st Century digital problems today, which means the blog is in two parts.  So carry on below.
Anyway, arrived at our fantastic small (4 rooms) hotel, and immediately switched on wifi and google translate which solved the issue of us neither speaking nor understanding Spanish.
But also we are staying 12 minutes’ walk (according to google maps :o) from Becun.  In the context of what we’ve seen, tiny and only £2 each to get in, but absolutely amazing.
Posted on

Sunday Part 2

Some steps to contemplate.   Not sure how well it shows up, but there is a rope hanging down the middle to help.  And just out of sight is a notice saying no climbing!  They are more worried about accidents than the monuments.
View from the top – stunning.
And looking back at where I just climbed.
You may have noticed a rather black cloud earlier.  Here’s me wondering when it might stop raining – it did.
You may recall I mused about the time difference on the Yucutan, which was explained to us today.  Apparently Cancun is in competition with Cuba and the Dominican Republic for tourism, and the different time in Cancun means it stays light later in the day and so makes it more attractive.
Really early start tomorrow.  Alarm set for 5.30.  All to be revealed assuming wifi keeps going – we are in the jungle in Central America – it’s staggering that it even exists!
Posted on

Saturday 20th – Uxmal

We’ve now been here for a week and it’s flown by, and is exceeding our expectations.  The people are friendly, the driving is easy (albeit dull), the food is fantastic and we feel extremely safe.  And the ruins are the ruins!

Next stop is Uxmal.  Similar size to Chichen-Itza but nowhere near as busy and no stalls at all.

And some local wildlife – according to the guide makes a very nice soup with lime.
 

A bit of climbing, although you can’t climb the Pyramid of the Magician in the photo.

But you can climb these steps …

With a terrific view from the top, surrounded by jungle.

Then on to Campeche, the Yucatan’s second city after Merida.

 

Quite sleepy on a Saturday afternoon, but wakes up at night.

 

Even the local constabulary in their “Noddy” cars.

 And a son et lumiere in the main square.

It’s a long day tomorrow, and not expected to be especially photogenic.  Driving down south to near the Guatemalan border.  And you know I was extolling the virtues of cash machines yesterday?  It’s a long story, but you do need to find one first which took an age today.

Posted on

Friday 19th – On the Road Again

Firstly, we’ve been missing sunrises.  It has been quite cloudy but lovely and warm – mid 20s.  Anyway, here you go.
But the real reason many people come to Celestun is (can you work it out from the picture?) …

Flamingos.  Thousands of them in the estuary.

As per usual, photos can’t do it justice and I’m not applying to be David Attenborough’s cameraman so you need to use your imagination – think flamingos x 1000s!
Other fauna do exist – nice and small.

We’re getting into the habit of early starts, so after the boat trip stopped off at “Pete’s” (highly recommended) for breakfast.

Then a bit of relaxation on the beach – cool or what???

Met more of the locals.

Then stocked up with cash and petrol as we’re not sure what’s coming.  As one whose first experience was travellers cheques I still can’t get over being able to stick some plastic in a machine in the most out of the way places and get cash.  Progress isn’t all bad.

Stopped of at one of the many Haciendas en route.  Sisel was the product that generated all the wealth, and this one looks amazing but still huge amounts of reconstruction to do.

Then to Santa Elena where we are staying the night.  Eco-lodges and spent an enjoyable hour with James the owner who clearly loves Mayan history and archaeology.

Heard a band playing in the village so wandered out and it was these kids at band practice who allowed me to take their picture.

And finally, shock news of the week – Mexicans know how to make a darn good marguerita, so that has been the drink(s) of choice – here’s us waiting for the first one of the evening.

And I’m now missing get the beans – nothing refried for 2 days now ….

Posted on

Thursday 18th – Celestun

Eileen had organised a beach break in the middle of the culture, so headed off to Celestun on the Gulf of Mexico.  Essentially if you look at the Yucutan Peninsula we have gone across the top from Cancun in the North East to Celestun in the North West.
Actually, that reminds me of a brief story from one of the guides about why Yucutan is so named.  Apparently in Mayan it loosely translates as “l haven’t a clue what your asking” when the Spanish Invaders asked what their land was called.  And the name stuck.
Anyway, view from the hotel up to the usual standards.
Walk into town for dinner.
Not quite sure about Celestun.  It’s a beautiful beach – the seaweed was quite unusual.  But it seems to have developed into a day trip rather than an overnight, so all the restaurants shut at 6.00.  Although some of the best fish we have ever had.
Here’s a view of a random street, which is not untypical of many smal Mexican towns//villages.  Poor, but not appearing to be destitute.  And everyone very friendly and welcoming, and feels extremely safe.
Walking home, helped this fisherman launch his boat.
And finally, there has to be one with the caption “those of a nervous disposition may wish to avert their gaze …”
Fortunately there is no photographic evidence of me in the sea.
Posted on

Wednesday 17th – Merida

It’s the capital of the Yucatan and by far the largest city.  No, I’d never heard of it either.  It did the usual wherever we are – the outskirts are pretty drab/awful, but the centre is well worth it.
Managed to arrive just in time to catch the daily walking tour, which was well worth it.  Bit of history, and a bit of art.  Is it a machine or a creature?
Hotel is tiny – not much more than a private house about 15 minutes from the centre – what a nice reception.
Getting into the architecture.  It’s all low-rise but how about this for our restaurant this evening?
(beans with everything as usual, but not complaining.  Food is really good, without exception.)
Posted on

Tuesday 16th – Chichen-Itza

Simply stunning.  Pictures can’t really capture it, and nowhere near enough room to give you a guided tour.  Instead, a few photos interspersed with some interesting random thoughts from Raphael, our guide.

     

  

  Oops – not sure what happened here.  Some might say “simply gorgeous” – others may beg to differ ….

 
This one is intended to remind me to tell you that if you clap your hands right in front of the steps, the echo resembles the sound of a bird.  Amazing but true.

 
  Just to maintain the standards ..

  Here is the arena for the famous Mayan game.  Aim is to get a 2-3kg ball through the high hoop.  7 players per team, and no hands allowed.  Games took between 1 and 5 days and the scorer of the winning goal was executed (seen as a real honour apparently).

This one shows the slight incline in the wall of the arena.  It means that when you clap it is echoed 7 times – true.  So generated an even better atmosphere.

 

  This is a wall depicting skulls – not real ones but presumably showing those who were executed.

This one reminds me about wheels.  Apparently they were well aware of wheels and have been shown on children’s toys, but can’t be used by grown ups for work because it would be disrespectful of the sun god.  So all the rocks to build the temples were dragged by hand.

 And they predicted the sun and planets all lined up in 2012 – eat your heart out Galileo and Copernicus – and others!

 Looks like an observatory – mainly because it was.

 The University.

Posted on

Tuesday – Izamal

Before leaving Chichen-Itza we had a short stroll to the local cenote.

Not sure if it’s swimmable – didn’t seem to be any way down.  And ran the gauntlet of hundreds of stalls – well almost ran the gauntlet – succumbed once after some great bartering …

Then to Izamal.

  If we’re honest, a bit of a disappointment.  So many had told us beforehand that it was an amazing little town, and either they’re wrong or we missed it.

Having said that, the monastery in the centre (built on top of an old Mayan temple that the invaders knocked down and built on top of) is pretty amazing – and you might notice bright yellow!
 

  Enjoyed watching the kiddies practising football in the monastery grounds.

  A couple of final reflections today:

– refried beans – every course, not just every meal!

– driving is fine.  We ventured onto smaller roads today.  The speed bumps are staggering – you have to physically stop and crawl over to stop any damage to the car.  And the potholes are pretty large – makes for numerous interesting swerves when doing 50mph.  Fortunately there is virtually no traffic so haven’t hit anyone yet!

Posted on

Monday 15th – Mayan

A couple of things to start with.
1.  Hope yesterday wasn’t too confusing.  Due to technical issues I wrote it in 3 parts and parts 2 and 3 were the wrong way round.
2.  For reasons we don’t know, there is an hour’s time difference between Cancun and Valladolid.  No idea where it will change back.  So we are now 6 hours behind the UK.
3.  For a few seconds, Eileen thought she had taken a selfie.  However, false alarm.  That remains an unfulfilled experience so far!
And so to breakfast in our lovely little hotel, only 3 minutes from the main square.
Then the first of many.  We said the main theme of the holiday was to hunt out Mayan ruins in the jungle.  This is Ek’Balam, about half an hour away.
Symbolises the mouth of the earth – see the teeth at the bottom and the nose near the top.
The nice thing about Ek’Balam is that it is quite small and you can still climb the ruins – not a lot of elf’n’safety going on here …
…but magnificent views from the top.
Then on to Cenotes (pronounced sen-o-tays).  Brief description below – try Wikipaedia if you want to know more.
Here’s one only about a mile away that you can swim in, abseil down to or zip-wire over.  Or contemplate all of those things over a cold beer 😎.