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Published: February 23rd 2007
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MERIDA & CANCUN
On Saturday, February 10, a two hour flight transported us from the huge mountain metropolis of Mexico City to the tropical town of Merida. We had heard much about the charms of Merida and were somewhat disappointed in the empty, narrow streets lined with concrete buildings. Perhaps it was the rain or perhaps we expect too much based on our time in Guanajuato. In any case, it was still a great place to wind down from the mania of Mexico City.
A few days later, we took a 4 hour bus ride from Merida to Cancun to meet my parents. As we passed through the Zona Hotelera we experienced the biggest culture shock of the trip: Las Vegas in Mexico. We managed to work through the shock quite quickly: our hotel was niiiice. From the large balcony overlooking the ocean, we watched the sun rise every morning and one night I saw a shooting star scream across the sky.
The next day, we made the all-day journey to Chichen Itza. Billed as the most stunning Mayan ruins, our visit did not disappoint. El Castillo, the main pyramid, is magnificent and the other
structures, including the 490 foot-long ball court and the observatory, are impressive. It was also worth the trip to learn more about Mayan civilization. Advanced astronomy and mathematics were a huge part of the City’s architecture. At the vernal and autumnal solstices, light from the sun hits the pyramid and creates a shadow of a serpent (the god of the harvest) that appears to climb the stairs of El Castillo. From the observatory, Mayans tracked the night sky and foretold the shifting positions of the stars and sun. Their calendar, one of the most accurate ever created, predicts astronomical movements up to the year 2012, when according to Mayan legend, the world will end. Five more years to live it up!
On our last day, we visited Isla Mujeres, a slender island off the coast of Cancun. We walked through the small town and in the powdery sands of the Playa Norte before going to Casa O’s for Mom’s birthday dinner. Surrounded by a tropical garden, this gazebo restaurant extends over the water and offers a great view of the sunset. The wonderful company, beautiful ambiance and delicious seafood made this by far my favorite restaurant of the
trip. Cumpleanos Feliz, Mom!
CHIAPAS
From the lap of luxury to a 13 hour overnight bus ride, we made our way from Cancun to Palenque Town. Named for the nearby Mayan ruins, the town is a collection of colorful cinderblock buildings with restaurants, hotels and internet cafes catering to tourists. Instead of booking a hotel, we decided to leave our bags at the bus station, tour the ruins in the morning and then continue on to San Cristobal de las Casas in the afternoon.
Walking through the park entrance, the ancient city emerges from the jungle and the morning fog. Once the geographic size of San Francisco and the regional power of Chiapas and Tabasco, much of Palenque is now covered by jungle. Because the grounds are so large and many of the ruins are only partially unearthed, it is easy to escape the crowds and enter an Indiana Jones movie. Additional highlights of touring Palanque include wandering through the labyrinth of rooms and corridors beneath the main palace and seeing stone walls covered in Mayan glyphs.
The road to from Palenque Town to San Cristobal de las Casas is beautiful. At the
front of the bus, we had a terrific view of the lush mountains and the Mayan villages lining the road. Hurtling up and down the winding mountain roads, we only could relax by letting go, putting our faith in the driver and not worrying as he anchored himself on a steel pole with one hand and turned the steering wheel with the other to make the endless hairpin turns. It was more of a roller coaster than a bus ride and half the time we were trying not to end up in the laps of our neighbors across the aisle.
San Cristobal is a pretty mountain town. We checked out a few museums and churches, but mostly used our time here to relax and enjoy the town and the scenery.
We were having lunch at the number one Thai restaurant in San Cristobal when we heard loud music from the street. Dave went out to investigate and stumbled upon a parade of colorful floats, masked children dancing in bizarre costumes, women throwing candy to the crowd, and uncostumed participants drinking Tecate. You can link to video of the parade upper left, though it doesn’t capture all
the excitement. Dave, who is a parade enthusiast, ranks this as his 3rd favorite, right after St. Paddy’s Day and Hasting Puddy parades in Boston.
San Cristobal is heavily influenced by the indigenous cultures of Mexico and the zocolo is filled with families in traditional dress. The politics of the region also reflect the population. In 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army captured San Cristobal and several surrounding towns, demanding equal rights and land redistribution for Chiapas’ indigenous people. While the rebellion has been quelled, tensions simmer beneath the surface and the Zapatistas and subcomandante Marcos are still local heroes.
San Cristobal was a great last stop in Mexico. The next day we took a bus south and crossed the border into Guatemala. Gracias por todos, Mexico!
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meredith
non-member comment
los parades
dave and em - we must take you to the oldest non-motorized parade in the us of a in sun valley - all covered wagons. dave, i think it will vy for a spot as #2. miss you guys! and can't wait to see you in peru! xoxo, mere