Author: timdar

Bit of a random order, but a decent feast nonetheless.  Stopped off at a large cenote on the way – Eileen wondered if it was a bit like the pool on Hampstead Heath.

Then got to the house by the lake.

View from the terrace.

No idea where this apparition came from!

And dinner in Bacalar.  Life doesn’t get much tougher than this!

Cenote again.

The house.

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And on the 10th day we rested!  It’s been a memorable week and a half, but fortunately Eileen had scheduled in some R&R towards the end.

So we are now in Bacalar at a house right on the lake for 3 days.

More photos to follow.

Right.  A bit of an update on yesterday.  I said it was in the jungle, and here is the evidence.

I did two climbs both pretty steep.  In the top right corner you can see a mound.  That was the first pyramid I climbed and you can see how the jungle had taken over the back and still hasn’t been cleared.

And here is a smaller structure which has only been partially cleared.

They are still working on it and continuing to find new structures.  I think it will take generations to complete.

And to give you an idea of what they looked like in their prime, here is a mock-up in the museum.  They think it is pretty accurate because of the remains and the inscriptions.

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!

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!

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.

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 ….

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.

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.)