Five Story Building

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Edificio de los Cinco Pisos, loosely translated as "building of five floors," is the principal temple at Edzna, my most recently visited Mayan ruin near the city of Campeche. Coming in low season mid-week and entering the site as soon as it opened at 8am meant I was the only visitor for a little more than 2 hours, save for hundreds of scurrying iguanas and a mating pair of vultures. Easy half day trip on local transport, not to be missed.

$US ≈ 19 Mexican pesos ($M)

Campeche

Even though I was here for almost a week last November, Campeche has not lost it's charm. It's surprisingly spartan tourist infrastructure means it is not overrun like other towns on the Ruta Maya.

Accommodation and food Stayed again in a spotless AC dorm at Viatger Inn for the walk-in rate of $M250 (quite a bit more reserved online) including a nice DIY breakfast & good WiFi. Unfortunately still haven't progressed from Nescafe, however. Like last time took my main pre-siesta meals at the market for ~$M80. Nighttime meals kind of limited to street tacos near the market for $M12 or so. Plenty of schwanky restaurants in the beautifully restored center for a proper dinner.

Transport Buses to all quadrants of Mexico but I left for Valladolid with a quick change in Mérida (total $M302 in 1^st class bought a couple days in advance for best discount). Local buses & colectivos run $M7, took one to & from the market for the distant ADO bus terminal.

Edzna Getting there is easy, coming back not so much. There is a small colectivo staging area near the market off Calle Nicaragua where they leave for Bonfil. It's $M40 one way and I took the first one at 7am which was great because a couple of locals who worked there were also passengers so the driver took us right to the entrance. Otherwise, it's a ~10 min walk in the scorching sun from the highway cruzero.

Paid $M40 to get in and puttered around for a couple of hours briefly talking with one of the staff when I was checking out the vultures, chombo in Mayan or sopilote in Spanish I learned. They're nesting in the temple undisturbed since it's been closed to climbing for some time.

On the way out, the office attendant told me I could catch the 10:30am colectivo if I headed back to the highway crossing as not all returning transport stops at the ruins. I waited half hour or so but caught a lift with someone from a remote village who had to attend to some papeles at the government offices in the city. ¡Muy bueno!

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Photos

Juego de Pelota
Basketball court. Can still see the remnants of one of the "hoops," sort of center right.

Plataforma de los Cuchillos
Platform of Knives. Didn't walk on that one...

Templo de Mascarones
Temple of Masks, sunrise depiction.

Templo de Mascarones
Sunset depiction.

Iguana
Most ran off before I could get anywhere near this close.