Blogs from Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico, North America - page 2

HE SAID... Today we were travelling west from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza and then on to Merida. We woke early, organised our packs and left Hotel Casa Tucan and walked to the bus station, which was just around the corner (and over the road from the Corpus Christ Church where we had been the night before). We grabbed an iced coffee, chocolate milk and a couple of muffins for breakfast, then jumped onto the luxurious public bus at 8am (luxurious, that is, in comparison to the minibuses we had been travelling in for the past two weeks). The bus had leg room, seats that reclined and a toilet on board – what a treat! As we drove out of Playa del Carmen, I realised the beachfront town wasn’t small at all, but rather a ... read more

We entered through the barrier and almost immediately Mario stopped us in the shade of a large tree. We couldn't see anything noteworthy, certainly not the dramatic stone temples we were expecting. Mario, a 5'9"ish, dark skinned Mayan, was dressed in a heavy sweatshirt and trousers despite the sweltering heat of the day. As we were drinking litres of water and mopping our foreheads, he just took a few small swigs and dabbed gently at the side of his face. His English was phenomenally good, extending to botanical descriptions of different trees, archeological descriptions of stone carvings, stories about failed human sacrifices and even jokes which revealed a quick wit and an excellent grasp on the sometimes ridiculous nuances of life. This feat was even more impressive when you realise that English is Mario's third language ... read more

The Mayans had an advanced civilization, and created scores of cities, settlements and artifacts throughout southern Mexico and Central America before the Spanish conquistadors set out to obliterate their culture. Their society was agricultural, with small but powerful noble and warrior classes and omnipotent priests who ruled everything and practised human sacrifice to appease their gods. They had a written language, an advanced knowledge of astronomy and engineering, an accurate calendar, and architecture which blended their knowledge with their religion. They built structures which are marvels even today, yet for reasons unknown they would often abandon a bustling city and build a new one at a different location. Unfortunately the Spaniards methodically destroyed their libraries, and today there are only bas-reliefs on walls and inscriptions on stone ... read more

Hola amigos! Am letzten Dienstag war die Reise vom Nordwesten Mexikos nach Osten. Vivaaerobus sind nicht die pünktlichsten, sowohl der Flug von Torreón nach Mexico D.F. als auch der zweite von D.F. nach Cancún waren zu spät, dafür konnte ich am Flughafen von D.F. sehr gut zubereitete Tortillas mit scharfer Japalenos-Sauce essen. Ein Genuss! Überraschend war gleich mal das miese Wetter hier in Cancún (Die Tilde am Vokal geben übrigens an, wo die Betonung liegt.). Es hat geschüttet und auch die hiesigen Taxifahrer haben gefröstelt, obwohl´s sicher noch über 20° hatte. Aber ich bin am nächsten Morgen sowieso weg von Cancún westwärts in den Staat Yucatán. Es gibt hier mehrere Küstenabschnitte im Norden und Westen Yucatáns, wo man Flamingos sehen kann. Nach einer Nacht in Rio Lagartos habe ich am nächsten Morgen eine Bootstour mit Vogelbeobachtung ... read more

10 to 13 May 2014 Saturday through Tuesday. Even by my standards, the ten day whirlwind through Peru and Bolivia was exceptionally fast paced. We were ready for a rest. As explained in my planning blog at , due to a lack of frequent flyer miles to fly directly from La Paz to Denver we were "forced" to take a break in Mexico, and where better than the beach and cultural location of Cancun, with the Mayan Yucatan within easy reach. As it was off season in Cancun, we booked four nights at the Marriott CasaMagna Resort at a very reasonable price...I've paid more for a two star motel. When we checked in the receptionist apologetically told us that the hotel was fully booked and that they had upgraded us from a garden view to a ... read more