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Published: February 17th 2009
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Chuck and Leila
Bacalar, Quintana Roo Chuck and I have been to Quintana Roo many times; the Cancun international airport is located there. Flights from Minneapolis to Cancun can be very cheap and car rental is cheaper there as well. Whenever we fly to Mexico we arrive at Cancun, rent a car, leave, and always spend our last day or two at Playa del Carmen relaxing on the beach.
We have also driven through Quintana Roo to visit some of the archaeological zones and some of the cities farther south. Always we have a nice time. We decided we would return to Mexico through Belize and spend some time lollygagging around the Peninsula as part of our trip back home.
We started by spending a day in Chetumal, a coastal city in southern Quintana Roo. We decided to stay at Hotel Ghandi after first looking around at some of the hotels near the town museums and market. Aside from the Holiday Inn which charges about $100 for a basic room, most of the other hotels in the area charge about $50 USD per night. We chose Hotel Ghandi because we had a balcony and parking for our van.
We visited
Model of Tikal Pyramid
Museum of Mayan Culture, Chetumal the Museum of the Maya Culture. The museum is arranged on three levels which are representative of the three levels of the Mayan universe; the heavens, the physical world, and Xibalba or the underworld. Rather than displaying a collection of ancient artifacts, this museum portrays Maya culture and history through models of cities and structures, interpretive plaques, and replica objects and artwork. It is all very well done and very impressive. There are also temporary exhibits of local themes. When we visited the exhibit was of local art by local youths.
About 10 minutes north of Chetumal near the town of Calderitas is the archaeological zone, Oxtankah, which we visited on our way out of Chetumal. There is not much information about the site in guide books or at the site itself, but it is worth a visit, especially if you are spending time in nearby Chetumal.
Oxtankah was founded and occupied by local Maya during the Classic Period (circa 300 to 900 CE) and later resettled in the 14th and 15th centuries. There are three groups of structures at Oxtankah, one of which is adjacent to an unrecorded Franciscan Chapel.
From
the heavens
from the culture museum, Chetumal Oxtankah and Chetumal we drove north to the archaeological zone of Chacchoben or the Place of the Red Corn. Chacchoben is a short drive off of Highway 307 about half way between Felipe Carillo Puerto and Chetumal.
The main structures at Chacchoben were all built before 600 CE. There are two temples at each end of Chacchoben with plazas between the two. Although this is a small site, the structures at Chacchoben, which cannot be climbed, are in quite good condition.
Chuck and I have been told that if we ever have the time we should spend some time in Majahual. We had some time and so spent two nights there to check it out. Majahual, located on the Caribbean coast south of the Sian Kaan Biosphere, is what Playa del Carmen was about 20 years ago; a small and pleasant coastal town on the rise. The shops, hotels and restaurants are small and most are privately or individually owned. The malecon and local roads are just being built. It has that charm and uniqueness that Playa del Carmen has almost entirely lost to large corporations, investors and developers.
While at Majahual it
was raining so we went for a drive. There are two roads on this peninsula; the main road is inland, while the secondary road runs along the coast. We drove south to Xcalak, the southernmost town on the peninsula, on the main inland road and figured we would take our time getting back to Majahual via the secondary coastal road. The coastal road was a rough one lane dirt road; no problem, we planned on taking our time anyway. About half way back towards Majahual, the road ends abruptly. Neither the map nor our guide book told us the bridge had been out for about three or four years.
All part of the adventure!
We had visited Laguna Bacalar on New Years Day of 2006. When we were there we visited the Fort of San Felipe, but because it was New Years Day the museum and the interior of the fort was closed so we decided to return.
There are a few hotels in the town of Bacalar on the Lagoon with rooms for about $50 to $60 USD per night. We camped in our van at the local balneario, like a beach club,
Yum Kaax - Corn God
temporary art exhibit, culture museum, Chetumal for $5 USD. The balneario is a nice place to spend a day swimming in or enjoying the beautiful colors of the lagoon. There are bathrooms, showers, a swimming platform, a wading pool for kids, palapas, picnic tables, vendors, and a restaurant.
In the morning we went to the fort to visit the museum and interior of the fort. The museum is small, but has a nice exhibit about local and Mayan history.
After Bacalar we drove north up the coast to check out a camping beach we had read about Paamul beach and camping. This place was said to have one of the best beaches on the coast. The beach was nice and there were campsites available, but the rate was $30 USD per night. We figured for not much more we could have a nice room in Playa del Carmen, so we continued north.
On our way from Bacalar we stopped at the archaeological zone of Muyil, also called Chunyaxche. Muyil is another small site with three small collections of structures. Muyil rose and declined between 300 and 600 CE, and was later reoccupied and rebuilt after 1200. There are
Typical Maya Home
Courtyard of Mayan Culture Museum, Chetumal two temples at Muyil, one from the first occupation and the other from the latter.
We arrived to Playa del Carmen on Sunday the 8th of February. The last couple of times we were in Playa it was only for a day and so we stayed at Las Palapas, which is a very nice resort type hotel on the beach. This time we planned to stay for a longer time and so opted for cheaper lodging. Near to the beach and the Fifth Avenue pedestrian walkway not much is cheap any more. The first handful of hotels not on the beach started at about $80 USD per night and went up in price from there without a parking area or many amenities.
Eventually we found a comfortable room at Hotel Labnah, located on Calle 6 (6th Street) between Fifth Avenue and the beach. Hotel Labnah charges $55 USD for a standard room; taxes and continental breakfast included. This hotel also has a computer for guests with free internet, a pool with lounge chairs, beach towels, wireless internet, shaded patio areas, and a small parking area. As a bonus, the rooms come with A/C, fan, and
Replica Maya Home
Maya Culture Museum, Courtyard the water is hot.
As I mentioned earlier, Playa del Carmen is losing its charm and uniqueness to corporations, investors, and developers. The little shops are giving way to international companies. Thatched roofs are being replaced with metal, concrete and glass buildings. The laid back little restaurants are being replaced by Dairy Queen, Subway, Starbucks, Burger King and McDonalds.
Playa del Carmen is gradually becoming much like Cancun; Orlando, Mexico.
All is not yet lost. The beach still has plenty of public access areas and you can still find quiet spots to lay down a towel. If you venture off of Fifth Avenue by about a block you can still find good food and not be overcharged to eat it. There are still plenty of souvenir shops selling cheap things for vacationers to bring home. On the other hand, if a person does not mind paying $30 for flip flops, $50 for beach shorts, or $100 for sunglasses, there are plenty of these shops as well.
I am sad to see another place lost to overdevelopment, but at the same time all of those American Dollars wastefully spent in Playa del Carmen
provide capital and resources to our Mexican neighbors and the many expats who like to call Mexico home. Indeed, the world is growing smaller.
From Playa, Chuck and I are going to Merida for friends, Carnaval and a bullfight! Nos vemos!
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Marmie
non-member comment
hole!
Hey, I hear Andy and Patty are on their way soon. Don't let Andy fall in the chultan! We are back from Florida - where we ran into Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and baby Suri. Other than that, it's still COLD in MN! safe travels!