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Published: April 4th 2006
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I guess the images you get of Mexico are the classic drunk Mexican with a bottle of tequilla in one hand sleeping under a cactus in the desert heat or of Clint Eastwood riding around on a horse in a poncho making lots of trouble with lots of gunslinging and punch ups in cantina bars.
Unfortunately, everyone gets a shock when they arrive here and it looks like a slight run down version of the USA. Its quite disappointing at first as the old west as it was known no longer really exists and is replaced by a inferior plastic version of something most travellers these days are trying to escape. But dont let this put you off because Mexico is a very big country and if you are will to go to the extra effort you can find exotic places with spectacular mountain vistas and gorgeous lagoons and lakes as well as probably the most rich ancient culture still in existence in many small mayan towns.
This however is not Cancun my place of arrival in Mexico due to is easy and cheap connection from the United Kingdom. Cancun is most likely the worst place
Campeche
View from the hostel to go if you want to find authentic culture but if you are after a Miami in Mexico this is ideal for you. The entire beach is lined with mega hotels and nightclubs and pubs all filled with teenages on spring break and not of word of spanish can be heard.
This was not the place I really felt like staying in so immediately I headed to the bus depot and bought myself a ticket to Campeche. The Yucatan penisula is filled with some of the most exquisite ancient mayan ruins around and you can basically spend months here touring around visiting the towns and villages getting a real feel for the way this place used to be along time before even the conquistadors came and attempted to convert everyone into catholics. There are many towns that still practise their old traditions away from the stress of modern technology and these places are great to visit.
My agenda at this time however is not to go see as many places as possible but to rest for awhile and relax and figure out my next direction. I headed to Campeche, a 7hr bus south west from Cancun
Palenque
Temple of Inscriptions which used to be an old colonial port town the only one which serviced the region hundreds of years ago. The first thing that hits you here is the searing heat, a welcome change from the extreme cold of europe but also very debilitating and you have to rest even after just an hour of seeing the sights. The old town is very colourful and the hostel had an amazing view onto the zocalo in full bloom. The sea breeze was refreshing and the people seemed very chilled out. It was easy to understand due to the weather being so harsh. It was nice to sit back and relax, I was glad that the weather was alot more dry than the tepid humidity I felt here just 6 months prior.
My next stop was Palenque the famous ancient mayan ruins located in the northern jungles of Chiapas. I was abit reserved on seeing the ruins as I had wanted to for several years now and I was expecting alot. I arrived at dawn and almost left my guitar on the bus I hastily made my way to the ruins and I was glad to make it on opening
Palenque
Temple of the Sun as there was only a handful of tourists around. The jungle were inspiring and you could hear the howler monkeys in the far distance. The ruins themselves are nestled in the mountains and I wondered how they were found as they seemed so hidden away from everything. The temples were simply breathtaking and it felt so peaceful and serene just to sit on top and gaze in awe at the surroundings. After about an hour the tourists started to flood in and the feeling was lost. I spent the rest of the morning wandering around the large site and marvelled at the ability of these ancient people to create such a great city.
I headed further south to the town of San Cristobal del las Casas. I had heard alot about this place being rich in mayan culture and arts and crafts and I wasnt dissappointed. The town is of much higher altitude than other areas of Mexico and hence the climate was much cooler which I greatly appreciated. All the buildings are made in traditional spanish colonial architecture all painted with bright colours. The streets are stone cobbled which gave extra flare as well as being very
Palenque
Downtown Tienda slippery when wet! There was a great vibe about the town with lots of of shops selling various gemstones, antiquities and paintings. I was amazed that the city was so well kept considering that Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico and most cities roads and buildings are dilapitated but this town was an exception. Everything was well made and the streets were clean and everything here was alot cheaper aswell. There was however alot of poor people begging for change on the street something you dont really see in alot of other areas. Most of the people here are of Mayan descent and I could see this was a glimpse in the culture and appearance of the nearby Guatlemala. It made me want to get on the next bus there but I wasnt ready to go there just yet. I spent a few days wandering around the marketplace, admiring the clothing styles of these people as well as some of the great fruit, vegetables and food on sale. There is also a great music scene here with alot of bars playing blues, jazz and reggae which fits the style of the place perfectly. This city is a must see
San Cristobal
Church on the hill for anyone in the area it is a place stuck in a time long past when life was simple and peaceful.
I continued west back to the state of Oaxaca to the small town of Cacalote, its about 40 kms west of Puerto Escondido. I know a family here from the last time I came to Mexico and they are very friendly and helpful. They have a property right on the beach that will one day become a hostel / meditation centre but at the moment it is just a house with some land and beautiful views of the beach. I want to help out with their plans to make this place better and in return I get some food and a great place to stay. At the moment im selling a few chips and cold drinks to the people passing by but most of the day the beach is completly deserted which is very difficult to find in alot of places in Mexico. The heat here can sometimes be quite unbearable its just really hot every day with blue skies as far as the eye can see but I wont complain because the beach is less than
100 metres away. I will stay here at least a month or two finding my bearings and learning some spanish as it is still very rough. If you are anywhere near the area you are always welcome to come and stay just ask for Ernesto and someone will be able to help you out.
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Es muy bonita su informacion