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Teotihaucan
The Aztec ruins at Teotihaucan, behind us is the Temple of the Sun.We had a very limited idea of what travelling in Mexico would be like, we were expecting cacti, Tequila and Sombreros but we were surprised by the diversity of people, climate and landscapes.
Mexico City
We landed in Mexico City on the 9th of June and spent 3 days there. We were a bit weary of the city due to the warnings about robberies. We were however pleasantly surprised to find that the city was full of interesting sights and people and we had no incidents. We particularly enjoyed the Museum of Anthropology as well as the ruins at Teotihuacan, which included the Temple of the Sun, 3rd biggest pyramid in the world. This was an Aztec site and after taking a tour in the Museum we had gained quite a good knowledge of the history of the area.
Oaxaca
We took a city transfer to Oaxaca. We were expecting a quiet colonial town but when we arrived we found that the teachers were holding a protest and were camped out in the main square. We found it interesting mingling amongst them and their political posters etc. Our hostel was right by the main square so we were in
Teotihaucan
Pen at the Temple of the Moon the middle of the action. On our second night there, we awoke to a strange smell in the room and a lot of noise. We were going to complain to the hostel regarding the noise, when we found out there was a riot going on outside! The police had thrown tear gas on the crowd from a helicopter, which had caused 3 deaths and many injuries. This then caused chaos. The riots are still going on at present.
Puerto Escondido
The journey to the coast took us 5 hours, the distance is only 220km. The roads were very, very windy and Pen struggled to keep her breakfast down! Puerto Escondido is a famous surf town with huge pipeline waves. We stayed in a Cabana which overlooked the sea, this was rustic consisting of a fan, bed and of course the mozzi net!
We took a collectivo (back of a pick-up) to Mazunte, which is a tiny village an hour up the coast. It was very quiet there and we enjoyed swimming in the massive surf and playing volleyball with the locals.
Our next stops included the colonial towns of San Cristobal & Campeche. Both these towns have beautiful Spanish
Giant Cactus
We stopped in the Desert to admire the Giant Cacti on route to Oaxaca. buildings and were cultural highlights.
Palenque
Of all the ruins we have visited, the Mayan ruins at Palenque were our favourite. They are surrounded by dense jungle and are exactly like the Ducktales Cartoon we watched when we were lighties... minus the Cannibals of course! Only a few of the ruins have been excavated, most of them are still covered by jungle.
Chichen Itza
These ruins have the most spectacular temple, Pyramid of KuKulcan, and was well worth the visit. The Ball Court is the largest in Mexico and it was here that the Mayans would watch 2 teams (usually their captives) play to their death. The losers would be sacrificed.
Carribean Coast
We spent 5 days chilling out on the beach at Tulum. We stayed in a Palapa on the beach... very rustic. We spent most of the night fighting off the crabs and the mozzies but the days were awesome. Dave got to do some kite surfing and we also went on a snorkeling tour to the reef. Great chill out spot, highly recommended.
We moved on to Playa Del Carmen. This is a very touristy city but has amazing beaches. Our highlight was
shopping at Walmart... we spent hours looking at all the amazing food etc. Just like being back at ASDA! Everything was so cheap. We left with a trolley load of groceries. We are back in the first world it seems, so this is preparing us for our next stop, the California...smooth transition.
See photos below.
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Jono Powell
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Salaam Allekum from Iraq
Hey guys, I just saw this comment box at the end of your fantastic piece on Mexico, but I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or if this will go through. Question1? What the hell is all this blogging stuff?? Q2? Dave do you always poo with your shorts on?.. best you speak to bobcat on the perfect toilet technique Q3? What is the craziest thing you have eaten on the trip so far? Armadillo? Q4? Can pillars hug back? Guys it is great morale to get your updates every so often, stay well and God bless Jono