222 days since selling up. David Jones recording.
We are on our final days in Mexico and I am writing this blog sitting on the balcony of what I can only describe as a docklands flat over looking a marina, but on the Caribbean Sea. The story of how we got here involves a total of 10 hours driving, a visit to a outdoor market disguised as an ancient ruin, a dog eared lively colonial city and a ruined jungle city with the ghostly echoes of the Mayans.
We set out from Akumal on the Caribbean coast of Mexico to head towards Merida, the capital city of the Yucatan, inland. We were planning to spend four nights there. On the way to Merida we planned to stop at Chichen Itza, the half way point.
Chitzen Itza is the jewel of the Mayan ruins crown in Mexico. Or so the tourist information would have you believe.
We arrived with all the other tourists. Guides were excited to tell us all about the secrets of Chichen Itza. Oh yes, and I also need to mention the clapping. You see groups of tourists at the foot of the pyramids clapping, trying to achieve the echo of a Quetzal bird. The Mayans believed it was the messenger of the Gods and some say the pyramids were designed to create an echo to sound like them. Anyway it gives something for the guides to pass on and earn their dollars. Speaking of dollars, also at Chichen Itza there are hundreds of market stalls selling every Mayan touristy nik-nak you could imagine and most "for good price, one dollar". The main structure is very impressive and I'm sure if you stayed for the laser light show at night it would shine. But with all the markets stalls, too many clappers and some over-restoration it didn't seem like the jewel in the crown to us.
Anyway we were on a schedule and needed to be in Merida before it got dark, mainly because we had no map and I didn't want to get lost. Thankfully we got to our hotel before sunset, well only just. The hotel was cheap and clean. The first room we had was near the lift shaft, in fact it sounded like you were in the lift, so we asked to be moved. The second room was great; despite not having a wardrobe it overlooked the pool.
We had a wander around Merida. There were a few nice colonial buildings, some art deco ones a little worse for wear, and a lively vibe - all the Meridans go out on a Sunday afternoon/evening. But it only took us an hour and we'd seen the whole thing, and weren't too impressed with dinner.
We got back to our room in the evening and turned on the tap which promptly fell off flooding the room with water. So we packed up and left that room and were moved to another room on the ground floor. We decided at that point Merida was not for us, so searched on the internet for a last minute deal back on the Caribbean coast. We found a great deal and decided we would drive back another 5 hours the next day.
On the way back we wanted to visit another ruin (the reason for going to Merida in the first place) called Uxmal. We didn't have high expectations especially after our experience at Chichen Itza. But all you travellers out there need to hear this. If you go to see the ruins in Mexico and you can only go to one place, you must, YOU MUST go to Uxmal.
We arrived there early so that the place was virtually empty apart from iguanas soaking up the early morning sun. Uxmal is beautiful and mysterious and is just how we imagined a Mayan ruin to be. You could feel and see how the Mayans lived, with their ornate carvings everywhere and large palaces, pyramids and plazas.
Also at Uxmal you can really get up close to these monuments (elsewhere they are often roped off). I'm sure that will change in the future, so go now.
Having enjoyed Uxmal we made the long drive back to the Caribbean coast, or the Riviera Maya as the Mexicans like to call it, to stay in this luxury condo, which I'm sure will spoil us before we get to Guatemala. Hola Guatemala! Such fun!
Comments