Mexican Diary 1: Nature 3, Mayans 2. Both played well but then the Mayans just gave up

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Hi all, here is a quick rundown of what we have done in Mexico and of course our photos so far - more to follow.

Arriving from Cuba on 1st June, sad to have left our home for three months, we were very much cheered by the thought of meeting our friend Louise in Cancun that same day.
We met her from her plane and decided to go straight to Playa Del Carmen because we heard that Cancun was nasty.
Playa del carmen was mildly better than cancun (we hope) but still was a package tourists' dream. Lots of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. Still, was a nice transition - a bit of pampering before heading off for some proper Mexico.
The next day we headed onto Tulum where we stayed in the town and went to the beautiful deserted beach and saw the mayan ruins on a site chosen particularly well by thoser clever mayans.
Then we caught a bus to Chichenitza where we stayed in the amazing Stardust Inn - it was something from a very postive twilight zone - a whole hotel and swimming pool to ourselves. sitting by the pool at night, listening to our music, with a rack of Coronas and lime and only the light of our hotel room lighting the pool. We visited the huge impressive ruins at chichenitza and then visited an absolutely beautiful natural cenote (natural limestone pool for you ignoramuses - don´t worry, I didn´t know what it was either!)
Then onto Campeche, a very pretty colonial town. We had a chance at last to wash our cloths and rest up a bit. it was a nice town but didn´t have much happening in the evening other than a brass band in the central plaza. So we moved on earlier than expected to Palenque, down into Chiapas state.

In Palenque a friend had suggested we stay in El Panchan - a set of hostels set in the jungle outside the town and nearby the big mayan ruins there. We stayed in a basic cabin in the most beautiful jungle setting, with a good restaurant and live music to boot.
We then went on two day tour of the ruins in the jungle (Bonampak and Yuxchilan), a stay with a Lancondon community and a trek in the jungle. Next diary to follow from here...

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Photos

Main temple at Chichenitza
It had a cool effect that you could clap infront of the stairs about 30ft away and the echo would amplify out of the temple at the top.

One of the huge temples at Chichenitza
Of course most of the interesting carvings and sculptures have been nicked and taken to much better places like the British Museum.

Serpent in Ballcourt
The world cup might be spiced up with some Mayan rules - the losing captain has his head cut off. nice.

Big Column detail
No wonder she´s so interested

Back view of temple complex
We got in free to the temples after 4.30pm and had the place to ourselves practically - it was great.

Busy ants
Showing they have better staying power than those Mayans

Our room at the Stardust Inn
In the twilightzone at the Stardust Inn in Chichenitza

Stardust Inn room
It had a cool picturebook painting of the main temple at night

Cenote at Ik Kilik
This blew us away, and because we went early we had it all to ourselves

Friends we met in Campeche
A lovely argentinian woman, Monica, and two really nice mexicans (Lou can you remember their names?) urh - one was called Eric and the other had an equally un-latin american name. Lou

Mike settling into Lou´s hat

Olga and Lou in Palenque
on our first night in the restaurant in El Panchan

Comments

[Manolo]

Increíble
Ya les vale...Yo no sé si podré soportar la envidia...En fin, suerte

[Sarah]

The one with you in the hat
Podders - you are a true Mexican cowboy. Any chance you and Olga are in mexico city on sunday and monday?? I'll be there then on a luxury tequila project for work - it's a tough life and all that... - will be JWMarriott if you are around Sxx