Blogs from Yucatán, Mexico, North America - page 72

25/03/07 - 27/03/07 Merida, Yaxcopoil, & Uxmal Arriving in Merida we soon found our hotel based on the grid system of numbered streets, each one running as a one-way street for traffic. We wandered the locals market in the Plaza Mayor and soon found 4 large sombreros at a bargain price for us all to wear for a mad night out and Patrick and Rebecca modeled the Love Seats. Although the streets are all named with numbers, i.e. calle 61, calle 45 etc. there are pictorial signs on some street corners based on characters or events from those who had lived in the streets over the years. One picture shows a head with 2 faces representing the house of a known liar and another shows a headless man, after a window fell onto someone’s head decapitating ... read more

One thing about travel is the novelty of it - the newness of situations and places you encounter - from larger things like the architecture of cities, the language, the food, the people in general, the historical sights and natural wonders, to little things - the bathrooms, the sidewalks, crossing the street, and with longer term travel how the novelty wears off after a while. When encountering the new, your mind is ablaze - new ideas, feelings, coping mechannisms and at times you long for a bit of routine, but then I find you want the new again - maybe explains those like me addicted to travel - or is it just addiction to novelty - getting quickly bored, if the mind or senses not stimulated by ideas or nature or just something simple that is ... read more

Blogger Doug Chichen Itza - is it worthy enough to be included on the list of the new 7 wonders? That{s what we were asked to vote for as we came to the main entrance of Chichen Itza. If you are interested in voting for the new wonders check out the link below. Interestingly, the Sydney Opera House is in there with the Great Wall of China. Hmmmm...... www.new7wonders.com/ Anyway, if we thought Tullum was full of tourists, well Chichen was drowning in them. This (along with Tullum) is the main site closest to the tourist meccas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tullum. Bus after bus after bus arrives to deliver tourists for the day trip. They get a guide all 30 odd per bus and get a quick one hour tour before hitting ... read more

Rond half5 met de bus aangekomen, vlug biljetjes voor de nachtbus naar Palenque gekocht (het waren de laatste zitjes), bagage aan de overkant van de staat geditcht en richting t historisch centrum gewandeld. Eerst lekker gegeten, daarna wat cultuur opgedaan: prachtige schilderijen gezien over de maya-cultuur! Beetje op de Plaza Mayor rondgehangen, tis hier veel drukker als Valla, meer stad, maar wel aangenaam (warm) Internet cafeetje gezocht en de zever van gisteren vlug neergetikt, is zel moeilijk snel te typen want ze hebben hier Qwerty-klavier met gekke tekens:ñññ!! Rond 9u onze bagage terug gaan oppikken en daarna rond 10.00u met de bus vertrokken naar Palenque: helse rit!! Hyperactieve ambetante jeugd achter ons, samen met de WC (stinkie stinkie) en veel bobbels in de weg... Buenas noches ( mocht iemand het willen weten, Nanna heeft haar punten ... read more

Blogger Doug Merida used to be the colonial capital of Mexico. Nowadays it is the starting point for most expeditions into the Yucatan Pennisula. We had a day to ourselves today to do as we please. We walked from our hotel into the city centre and went to the Governors house, home to some awesome murals depicting the life and struggle of the mayans. They were huge and amazingly painted. We then checked out the modern art museum and jumped on the open top bus and headed up to the Anthropolical Museum. This was a really great place to learn and view some of the key mayan artifacts still in Mexican possession. I was very impressed by this small museum. Most was translated into English which made it all accessible to us non Spaniards. We ... read more