Blogs from Yucatán, Mexico, North America - page 12

We entered through the barrier and almost immediately Mario stopped us in the shade of a large tree. We couldn't see anything noteworthy, certainly not the dramatic stone temples we were expecting. Mario, a 5'9"ish, dark skinned Mayan, was dressed in a heavy sweatshirt and trousers despite the sweltering heat of the day. As we were drinking litres of water and mopping our foreheads, he just took a few small swigs and dabbed gently at the side of his face. His English was phenomenally good, extending to botanical descriptions of different trees, archeological descriptions of stone carvings, stories about failed human sacrifices and even jokes which revealed a quick wit and an excellent grasp on the sometimes ridiculous nuances of life. This feat was even more impressive when you realise that English is Mario's third language ... read more

We spent a week in Merida in the Yucatan. Merida is approximately 200 miles west of Cancun. It is about four hours on the ADO bus from Cancun airport. We stayed in a 1800’s restored colonial home in the Santiago area of the historic district. Merida was founded in the 1500’s in an area populated by the Mayans. Many of the churches and historic buildings built by the Spaniards used building stones from Mayan pyramids in the area. The history of this area is marred by the oppression of the indigenous Mayans by the Spaniards. Many of the Mayans were oppressed workers on sisal plantations. This era provided the where with all to build mansions along Paseo de Montejo. A fantastic depiction of this history is provided via murals at the Government House in the Plaza ... read more

The Mayan ruins of Uxmal aren't very far from Merida, the nearest city to Celestun, so we planned to go there and do an overnight close to the ruins so that we would be able to get up early in the morning and explore them before the full heat of the day. We felt well orientated to the Mayan world following a trip to the Museo del Mundo Maya in Merida. This is a fantastic museum, opened in 2012, very interactive(and air conditioned )if you are interested in finding out about the Mayans. You can pick up a bus to take you there a block away from the Cathedral. We took a bus to Uxmal (direction of Campeche) from the Oriente station on Calle 69 between Calle 68 and 70. You can also take a colectivo ... read more

We have been enjoying our stay here in Celestun so much that for the first few days, we have just lain about, not doing anything more than having a swim in the pool or taking a spin on the bikes to explore our surroundings, it is so hot that that's about all we can manage! Celestun is a sleepy little fishing village, a mexican holiday resort in summer, with a fabulous, long, sandy beach. This time of the year, the end of the rainy season, it has been fairly quiet. The fish here is plentiful and we have discovered some really good fish beach side restaurants where the sand is beneath your feet and you contemplate the sea as you eat. Celestun is also a biosphere reserve, created to protect the thousands of pink flamingos, crabs, ... read more

Plans for our big trip are beginning to to take shape. Only 2 more weeks before we leave for our month long adventure in the Yucutan and Cuba! Our plans are finally coming together. We leave Belfast on October 1st, fly to Glasgow where we get to hang out out with Ciara and Eva for 2 nights before flying to Cancun. Our plan is to spend 3 nights on Isla de Mujeres - the magical island off the coast of Cancun - to recuperate from jet lag and unwind, exploring the coral reefs and taking in some sunshine before we head off on our big adventure to Havana and the Yucatan! Flights and accommodation in Havana are sorted. We plan to get our travel cards for Cuba in Cancun airport. We have read that it is ... read more