http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat-n/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Mexico , Yucatán en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:42:07 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:42:07 BST We must be honest we stopped at Tulum for the beach but it is also home to another famous Mayan ruin. So we decided although we had seen our share of Mayan ruins we would definitely check this last one out. Tulum is a funny kind of place being a very small almost one street town. The beach is about 45km away and is really just a long road set almost out of site of the beach with small beach http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-303778.html Mexico270608 Mayan Ruins.290608 Sunday.Gabriel arrived at 9.00 am to take us to some Mayan temples. As we drove he explained that Mayan is the most common language spoken in the area with the people bilingual speaking Mayan and Spanish.Uxmal.The first was Uxmal a temple that had been largely restored. The restored pyramid was built in 3 stages each stage being built over the previous http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Uxmal/blog-301633.html MexikoNach unserer Ankunft in Cancun haben wir dieses Tourimoloch gar qnicht erst betreten sondern sind direkt weiter nach Playa del Carmen was zwar auch sehr touristisch ist aber das angenehme Backpackerhostel La Ruina bietet. Nach unserem Checkin sind wir sofort zum 25 Meter entfernten Meer und haben die letzten Momente in tuerkiesblauen Wasser mit weissem Sandstrand verbracht. Absolutes Ka http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-301620.html SO.... 3rd time lucky...The Mexican lady has just shut down our computer for the 2nd time after we had written nearly our entire blog entry. So chances are this time we will keep it short.Since we last wrote we have done quite a lot. From where we left off we were in the Canyons of San Cristobal. The next day we went on a Mayan village tour where they still practice all the ancient healing r http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Chich%E9n-Itz%E1/blog-301569.html MexicoHaciendasHacienda San JoseHacienda San Jose appeared to be away from any towns. It was a sugar plantation but the buildings had fallen into disrepair. Their reconstruction is shown in photos in the reading room. There are extensive gardens aqueducts and facilities that suggest the hacienda's former glory. Some of the footpaths were made of slabs of limestone with gaps in between them. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-301271.html Day 15 Monday 14th July An early morning at Chichen ItzaNearly got locked out of my hostel last night would probably have been a blessing because its a dump but all my gear is inside so have to wake the owners up and probably the whole neighbourhood to get inGet up early to beat the crowds at Chichen Itza not with a baseball bat but there are a few obnoxious tourists there on day trips http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Chich%E9n-Itz%E1/blog-299706.html Day 14 Sunday 13 July Mission Accomplished 3 bus journeys and Uxmal ruinsAnother early start today. The plan is to get a bus to Uxmal 3 hour journey visit the ruins get a bus from Uxmal to Merida 1 hour journey and then to get a bus to Chichen Itza 2 and a half hour journey. I don't know if this is feasible as I set out but I'll give it a shot and find somewhere to lay my head if I f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Uxmal/blog-299403.html Well after a week of Spanish and exploring Merida we were fairly tired so on Friday we went to the local university and saw some traditional dancing and retired fairly early. The dancing turned out to be amazing and extremely impressive incredible tap dancing with Cuban heels men and women extravagant highly colourful dresses and it was sweltering so I felt the dances were really impressive http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Uxmal/blog-296747.html Hi everyoneI survived my first week in the yucatan and i must admit i love it I spent 2 days in Cancun and then 4 nights in Playa del carmen. When I first got off the bus in cancun i met this nice argentine girl. we were both traveling solo and had similar interests so I have been traveling with her. Its great i have to use my spanish to communicate with her and she corrects my grammar. so i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-296309.html test http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-296132.html Mexico is such a diverse place I never cease to be amazed. My trip took me from the coolness of San Cristobal to the tropical jungle setting of Palenque on to Merida and then the east coast.Palenque is a grotty little town with little to offer so i jumped in a taxi after asking fellow travellers if they wanted to share 40 pesos dont pay more to el Panchon. This is a great hideaway a few ki http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-295503.html Mambo Cafe was just as much fun as sounded and my slasa moves werent too bad. It was a massive club with tables and chair where people drank while we waited for the salsa band. It was all very civilised. The band started and a few couples took to the floor and I could not stop staring their smooth moves and elegance were amazing. I cant say the same for when we go tonto the floor and proved h http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Dzibilchaltun/blog-295448.html Today we were supose to go to Cuzama to see 3 Cenotes but poor Chelsea is quite sick with Montezumas Revenge so I'm taking this oppertunity to write a blog and holding my breath that I don't get sick too. Yesterday we took a bus to Labna Xlapak Sayil Kabah and then on to Uxmal. Although we were rushed for time it was amazing Labna and Xlapak are small and look's like they may have functioned http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Uxmal/blog-294931.html Well life in Merida consists of lessons all morning in vocabulary and grammer and then an afternoon of cultural lessons and practising conversation. I cant believe how far my Spanish has come already. Im having daily conversations with my host momand anyone who is willing to listen to my painful pronounciation and grammer. Nicola and I are fervently revising in the afternoons in order to get http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-294659.html It seems that every place we stay has a memorable sight or sound of the night in the rooms we stay in. In Chihuahua it was the star lined ceiling Creel the barking dogs and the roosters crying morning in Los Mochis an airconditioner whose volume has been known to cause earthquakes in more susceptible areas of the world Guadalajara the storms and morning traffic through 12 feet tall windows. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-294645.html The Night before in MeridaThis has nothing to do with Celestun but Im going to mention it anyways because I can. So mother and I took the time to go out since she had time to now that the Conference that she was going to was almost at an end and take a look at one of the things that always seem to be happening during the later hours instead of either 1. Drinking where we were staying or 2. Goi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Celestun/blog-294239.html Its true I speak only a tiny little bit of Spanish but now that we are in Merida and about to start our Spanish course on monday it should get better Our host is Marie Elena and a bueno Madra of three who loves cooking muy deliciouso food and is speaking to us constantly in Spansih. Already my barely there Spanish has improved with Nicolas help who is a very diligent at her Spansih. Sh http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-292965.html Every one that knows me knows that I love Ceasers anyone that loves Ceasers should know that Ceasers were first created in canada and is a purely Canadain drink anyone would then figure out that other countrys don't know what Ceasers are. And thus my dissappointment that I can not be served Ceasers here in mexico... and all te weird looks I would get if I was to ask. But I ended up making my own http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-292834.html Well our trip to Celestun did not go as planned but we did learn a valuble lesson about decentrilized bus systems. They SUCKWe basically spent sevral hours walking around to different bus stations as one station after another told us that they thought it was the next station that had a bus to Celestun. We did get a nice opportunity to check out the city and eat at a nice restaurant. I am learning http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-292385.html K guys so we made it here after some interesting times on the airplane. First it was ok getting off the ground and all but the landing...ohhh boy he planted us down hard. Like real hard...After that another plane as soon as we got of this one you could feel the tempature go up. And here I thought that I could deal with this that was untll i got outside where the humitity was greater. Instant http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-291981.html In the Jungle http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-289065.html mmm ok time to begin part 2 i guess even though im completely lacking inspiration and motivation perhaps a couple of glasses of mexican red will get the brain cells up and running and uniting together to compose something of readable value. I'm going to begin with a quick note on the present before i delve into the last week of the yucatan holiday which is rapidly eroding from memory like a dre http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-288220.html Hey valued readers im back with some more long over due spam for your inbox and its looking like a long one so hopefully your boss is out today or even better you are the boss.Well i have quite alot to fill you in on hopefully the photos can do majority of the talking as each destination i explored deserves its own dedicated blog but i will try and keep it as brief as possible This little adv http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-284508.html So as you all know Merida is hot. Yesterday was the hottest its been in 10 years and today was even hotter than that. Like seriously woah.Anyway Im going to Guatemala on Sunday Im SO excited Its gonna be totally awesome. Im spending a week there. Im leaving Sunday and coming back Friday which gives me just enough time to pack and say goodbye to everyone before leaving again on Sunday http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-277120.html HelloI am going to Mexico for 10 days... First I will be in Oaxaca for 5 and Cancun the other 5.... I don't know where to go or what to do in Cancun... I know I want to go horse back riding.... as well as see some ruins and cenotes and of course snorkel maybe an underground river... I went to Cancun last year and was only able to get XelHa in... I am having a VERY hard time picking between1 Hor http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-275912.html Ok so the hottest it has EVER been in Merida as rumor has it is 44 degrees Celcius. Rumor also has it that yesterday it was 43 degrees. Do you know how hot that is Thats ALMOST 110 F. Woah. Seriously. So given just that I might have to argue that global warming is real. Cause honestly how can it be practically the hottest day Merida has ever had. I mean it could obviously be a fluke hot s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-275724.html Although I'm home already I still have to tell you about this one thing...First of all you need to understand that seeing 15 flamingos in Celestun just wasnt going to cut it. I was still in Merida and I had one day left to do whatever and I figured that if I left the town early in the AM I should be able to get to Rio Lagartos see lots of flamingos and then make it all the way down to Playa d http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/blog-275561.html OK so we are on the 4th episode of the Mexican journal. You are more than welcome to skip reading the blurb and only look at photos as I am mainly writing it so I dont forget all of these things later on cos my memory is good only a bit short... So Sam honey I cannot avoid the descriptive detail Im afraid o And Danny Im glad you are enjoying the photos as much as I am Wait till you see http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-274864.html I swear. Im like dying of sweating so much. Right now its like 10 at night and 95 degrees with 52 humidity. SO HOT Plus May is the hottest month. Anyway tomorrow the high is 105.8. My friends and I decided to beat the heat by going shopping and spending the whole day in the airconditioned mall and watching a movie and whatnot. It should be good.Anyway things are going pretty good here o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-274635.html They might be screwing me over again. Since Im abroad they were supposed to send me an email about my housing preferences so that I could get a proxy for room draw. They never sent me such an email so I realized I might need to just email them. I told Salena this and she said that according to her packet the last day to sign up for a proxy was Friday. Why do they INSIST on screwing me over Wh http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-272771.html