Ruins on a road less travelled

---

Travelling in earnest now on the excellent mexican coach services. Seats need to be booked, luggaged checked in the hold and in flight movies everywhere you go. The journey down to Xpujil (pronounced Ish-pu-heel) went very smoothly arriving in 4 hours (against the 8 hours it had said on the timetable). A barely one horse town, Xpujil is the stopping off point for the ruins of Calakmul and other smaller, though no less remarkable ruins in and around Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul.

The Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul is a biosphere reserved to protect the rain-forest and its wildlife in a vast tract of jungle bordering Guatemala. The wildlife apparently includes jaguars, pumas, ocelots and spider monkeys, though all we got to see were wild turkeys! However it makes a fanatasic backdrop for the ruins. And Calakmul is buried deep in it, 60km off the main highway.

Given that we had arrived so early (4 hours early) at 12-40, we had an opportunity to visit the ruins clustered near the highway on the afternoon. We had now grown from Keith and me to Keith, Anna and me. Anna being a italian lady we had gained at the bus terminal in Xpujil.

The smaller ruins of Chicana and Becan that we were able to see that afternoon were absolutely charming. We hired a taxi for the afternoon and he waited in the car park while we examined the ruins. Barely any tourists, no hawkers or potential guides, both of these sites were really peaceful and each had facinating details that revealed themselves to untrained and unguided eyes. Chicanna´s Estructura II was for me the afternoons´ highlight with its fantastic monster-mouth doorway, apparently depicting the jaws of the god Itzamna, Lord of the Heavens and creator of all things.

Day 2 and renegotiations were underway for the Calakmul trip. Unlike the other ruins Calakmul is 120km and 120km back and takes pretty much all day. There was no organised trip, no bus service - the only way was by taxi. At the bus terminal we had been hawked a Calakmul trip for $45(US). This price dissappeared like so much Scotch mist come the late afternoon and the official price of $81(US) was touted. After some hard bargaining in the morning we managed to get a taxi for the day for the trip for $60(US).

Calakmul was indeed quite ride to get to. However when you get to the top of the tallest structures with rainforst spreading out as far as the eye can see in each direction, it was certainly worth the trip. As soon as I can, I will post some pictures from this day. The day was rounded out on the return journey by a visit to the mouth of a bat cave/cenote just after sunset. Scores of bats were still darting around and glow bugs dotted the path to and from the highway.

---

Photos

Monster mouth
At Chicana

Me at Calakmul
Just in case you had forgotten what I looked like

View of Building One Calakmul
From the Building Two

Looking north from Building Two Calakmul
Ruins amongst the outstretched rainforest

Looking west from Building Two Calakmul
First effort in Monchrome

Comments

[Laurie/Mum]

Photos
Can't wait to see your photos of the monster mouth and the rain forest spreading in all directions..........though the descriptions alone are impressive, thanks Dave.

[Mum/Laurie]

Great photos
OK the tan is looking up! I didn't know you could get technicolour turkeys. I hope its not the traditional Christmas dish in Mexico, they're far too grand! Those ruins completely surrounded by rain forest must be really special. Time I went to bed..........Goodnight, Dave..........love..........Mum