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Published: July 14th 2008
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Day 12: Friday 11 July - Hot and Bothered in Campeche
Arrive at 3am in Campeche, on the Yucatan peninsula. My hostel is in a prime spot overlooking the main plaza. Not so lucky with the room, its like sleeping in a sauna!
Awake hot and bothered after a poor nights sleep. Have to do laundry in the morning (hope that answers your question Kev??!!). Leave hostel in late morning and wander Campeche's colonial streets to find a tour agency. I really want to see the Mayan ruins of Calakmul and Uxmal, particularly Calakmul whilst I'm here. My feet are killing me as they're blistered and despite walking around for ages I can't seem to find a tour agency for love or money. Eventually I find the tourist information centre who quote me 1700 pesos (85 pounds - ouch!!) for Calakmul. Head back to hostel for some inspiration (and to patch up my ever worsening feet). The hostel phone an agency and in broken English they tell me they're 4 blocks away. Head out to find them in the intensifying sun (it must be 35 degrees) but fail miserably. Contemplate getting next bus out of Campeche - I've had
enough....its hot, I'm knackered and I'm getting nowhere fast in trying to sort my next couple of days out. Unfortunately patience is not one of my qualities!
On the way back to the hostel I stumble across an agency offering the Calakmul tour for 1500 pesos (75 pounds) Relative to expenses so far in Mexico this represents a small fortune and I agonise over whether to do it or not. Unfortunately Calakmul is very inaccessible, is some 5 hours from Campeche deep in the jungle near the Guatemalan border and there don't seem to be any group tours that go there so I'm going to have to hire a car and driver. However, its inaccessibilty, its mystique and the fact it is off the tourist trail is its very appeal. Eventually I decide to book the tour, legitimising it by comparing it to the cost of a night out back in the UK.
Back in the hostel a Mexican guy tells me the best and cheapest way to get to Uxmal is on a second class bus; I then end up cahtting to some Irish and American guys. My mood is somewhat improved and I end the day
by wandering around the very pleasant streets of Campeche in the evening. Campeche is definitely at its best in the evening, when its cooler and the streets seem to come alive. The day ends a damn sight better than it started!
Day 13: Saturday 12 July - The Mystique of Calakmul
Awake at 5am as I'm being picked up at 6am to go to Calakmul. On the way to Calakmul we stop at some Mayan ruins at Balamku - small and nowhere near as impressive as Palenque. Fortunately Calakmul doesn't disappoint. I now understand why not many people make it to Calakmul (I must see no more than 2 dozen people walking around the site). After 4 hours on the road to the National Park its another 1 hour down a single track road to get there, and then another 1 kilometre or so to walk from the car park. The Mayan ruins are deep in the jungle and the authorities have done nothing to open the site up, rather leaving them overgrown and surrounded by the jungle.
Calakmul is believed to have been the regional capital of the Mayan's and between 500-900AD housed up to 200,000
people making it the largest population centre of the Mayan's. Certainly the ruins are spread over a large area - it takes a good 3 hours to walk around the site. The 3 main pyramids are all very impressive and the views of the jungle and the other 2 pyramids above the tree tops when you climb one of the pyramids is amazing......the 75 pounds is fully justified. I like the fact its been left in almost its original state (it was only discovered 70 years ago) rather than being tarted up for tourists like Palenque. It is only when I am 10 metres from the great pyramid that I realise what I'm stood in front of - I love this fact.
From atop of the great pyramid I look across the jungle to Guatemala and look forward to arriving there in a week or so.
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Amanda
non-member comment
Hey you!!
Hi Andy, great to see your photo's and what you have been upto already, it looks absolutely fantastic!! How long are you staying there for, a week or so? How was your flight over, I bet you were nervous of what awaited you! Well, look at what did await you, bit more interesting than Skem eh love!! Keep the blogs up to date, I look forward to seeing aroung the world with you Andy!! Take care love, Amanda xxxxx