Today starts another Mexican adventure this time to Yucatan. We wanted to visit the Yucatan since we moved to Arizona and were close to go a couple times but due to a mix of high prices when we were checking and other travelling opportunities opening up we never made it till now. As we simply cannot imagine ourselves sitting by the beach the whole day drinking margaritas and relaxing (I wonder why?!) we intend to rent a car and take a tour of the peninsula for a week visiting as much as we can with a focus on the Maya ruins that fascinate us.
Finding a car spot at the airport is difficult and in the end we have to go to the overflow lot but otherwise the plane flight is uneventful and relatively soon we are landing in Cancun. The immigration procedures are fast and then it is off to the car rental counter for Alamo. While we can decline the insurance (which is a problem at other car companies) the representative doesn't want to give us the car without us paying for a full tank of gas as she says there are fuel shortages. Which of course is not true but we pay for it as we plan on using the gas anyway on our drive and we hope we can ration it as we come back to bring the car with an empty tank.
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| Phoenix view | Enjoy the landscaping of the highways |
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| Houses as far the eye can see | Agriculture in the desert..or aliens? |
Driving to the hotel at night is interesting as somehow we get into downtown Cancun with lots of roundabouts and one way streets but somehow we make it in the end. The hotel manager does not speak English but sign language always works and soon we are in our apartment. It is quite a nice one with a stair going into the apartment into a large living area with a kitchen and then opening into the rooms with nice balconies. There are even two toilets which is needed as one does not work. Also the rooms are not that clean as we hoped for which is probably the one major complaint about this large spacious apartment. As we don't have anything to eat we go outside and find a small corner shop where we can get water and something for evening and breakfast.
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| Room - quite nice but not that clean | Interesting detail on ceiling |
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| We even have a kitchen | Not that useful to us |
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| Bathroom - two of them and one was working | Little touches are everywhere |
In the morning we wake up just in time to witness the sunrise which is impressive from our balcony. After breakfast we go down and enjoy on the way all the different small touches that make the hotel unique (flowers, hidden benches and imitation Mayan masks) - but our goal is the table in front of the office as we need Wifi which is available only downstairs.
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| Morning from our balcony | Sunrise - beautiful |
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| Hallways look nice | Wall flower decorations |
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| Sitting area from afar | Sitting area |
After writing and checking our emails it is time to drive to the hotel zone - Zona Hotelera - which starts about 5 minutes from our hotel. As many beaches even though they are public are hidden behind hotels with difficult to find parking spaces we decide to drive to Playa Delfines, the public beach advertised in our guidebook to have enough parking. Which is true but barely and when we leave there aren't any places left so better come early if you need a spot. The beach is quite nice and large but unfortunately the red flag is up so no bathing for us today it seems.
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| Playa Delfines | Quite developed in places |
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| Closer to the water | It is windy and red flag is up |
In fact the beach stretches as far the eye can see but as we cannot see why conditions would be different further up we decide to return to the car after about half an hour of walking. Returning we pass next to the nicely painted restrooms, unfortunately the water outside to wash the sand is not working so we have to clean ourselves as best we can with towels before our next goal - the Mayan Museum of Cancun.
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| Nice stretch of beach | Not many people in water with red flag up |
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| Exiting the beach | Nicely decorated restrooms |
The Museum was relocated after hurricanes impacted the previous location and it is now built high off the ground to avoid flooding. The access is quite interesting with a spiral stair leading up to the exhibition hall.
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| New site of Maya museum | The sign is made up of mini plants |
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| Inside the museum | Climbing to the exhibition hall |
There are some nice views before entering the exhibit area which is not extremely large but has some very good artifacts. This includes a sabertooth cat which likely is the only non Mayan object in the exhibit hall.
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| View from the top | Sooo many Mayan cities |
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| Exhibit hall | Is this really Mayan? |
The artifacts here are from the whole peninsula but mostly the surrounding area - we recognize names that we intend to visit like Dzibanche and Tulum and some that we know about but likely won't be able to visit this time. The Mayans seem to like to represent animals and to consider their gods to be in form of animals which makes for a wide range of interesting sculptures with a focus on jaguars and serpents.
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| Jaguar representation | And a snake |
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| Quite a few other animals | Javelina?! |
There are also a wide variety of stelae and some decorative objects including some interesting tooth like objects. After finishing with the hall we move on downstairs where outside there are the ruins of a small Mayan city, the San Miguelito Archaeological Site.
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| Very interesting tooth like small statues | Nice preserved colors |
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| Stelae from a Mayan ruin | Interesting rock painting |
What impresses as most at the site are not the ruins but the number of iguanas. After taking lots of pictures of the first one we see we notice them everywhere single and more often in groups just sunning or walking around.
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| Iguana blending in the grass | Scary - if you don't know the scale |
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| This one is really fat | Temple of the iguanas |
From the ruins many remain just as foundations but there are a few that are well preserved including the first pyramid that we see (which is small at 26 feet but looks quite high to us), the row of columns near a large building and even a painting on a wall which is quite faded. Overall it is good introduction for us and wets our appetite for the main course in the following days.
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| Path through the forest | Outline of old Mayan house |
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| Reconstructed wall | The hall of columns |
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| Barely visible painting on the wall | Pyramid - first one for us |
We are quite hungry and thirsty after this so we decide to find something to eat at a plaza across the street. Well before eating we actually need to exchange some money and there is also a currency exchange booth nearby. With pesos in hand we go to the restaurant that has what seems a nice selection of local dishes and order what catches our fancy including baby shark, margaritas and papadzules. The food is good and we enjoy the relaxing view over the interior lake as well as the shade and wind (it is quite hot).
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| Who can resist a margarita? | Baby shark meal |
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| Interesting dish | Chicken meal |
After lunch we decide to drive to the hotel and stop on the way to a Walmart (braded differently) to buy more provisions for the whole week if possible. In the evening we sit on the balcony and try to plan our next days while viewing the boats passing in front of the hotel and the birds flying overhead. Soon we are tired and go to bed as the next day is planned to be a full day.
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| Ocean view from hotel window | Pirates?! |
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| Isla Mujeres ferry | One of the many frigate birds |
Today our plan is to drive to Chichen Itza but on a roundabout way that will allow us to sample the beach at Akumal, one or more cenotes, the ruins at Tulum and maybe those at Coba. It is quite a long list and we are sure that we will have to drop some from the list but we are not sure which. We know the road to exit Cancun as it is the road to the airport and after passing through the military checkpoint we are on the 4 lane divided highway to the south.
As we are discussing and planning what to do we hear a popping sound so we decide to stop and check the car and lo and behold we have a blown tire. We start the process of replacing it while we try to reach the car rental agency. Luckily we benefit from the Mexican hospitality with a minibus driver stopping and helping us to change the tire and also borrowing us his phone to call around. The car rental agency tells us to drive to the next city Playa del Carmen and exchange the car there which is good as we don't have to return to Cancun. It takes a bit to find the car rental agency (which was in a pedestrian only zone!) but after explaining a bit they provide us with the same type of car and we are on our way.
We have lost a lot of time with this stop but we decide to still stop at Akumal as we missed taking a bath the day before and also we want to see if we can some of the turtles that supposedly live near the beach. We find the exit from the highway easily but then we have to decide on a parking and the first one that we see seems good enough and then we start walking following signs to the beach.
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| Sidewalk toward the beach | Very strict instructions - not sure why |
The beach is quite crowded compared the Playa Delfines but at least we can enter the water and try our snorkeling gear. On our first foray into the water we see the first turtle eating grass so we have to exit to bring the waterproof camera with us but now we cannot find any turtles. After some desperate swimming back and forth we finally see one in the distance that we photograph before she disappears in the murky water - incredible how fast they can swim.
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| Akumal beach | Quite busy |
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| Fish in the sea | This is what we came to see - turtles |
Most attractions close around 5 and it is 3 at the time we exit from Akumal (after buying also some delicious ice cream) so we have time for one more thing. We decide on Tulum as it is the most well known and also closest to us from the different possibilities and after half hour we arrive and again have to find some parking. The walk to the entrance is surprisingly long but at least we have time to admire the flowers and birds of the jungle and also of course bake in the sun.
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| Gift shop near Tulum | Trail towards the entrance - quite long |
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| Yucatan jays | Beautiful flower |
Even after the ticket booth there is a long walk along the Tulum wall till the entrance. In fact Tulum means wall in Mayan and it was one of the features the Spanish noticed when they first visited the area. Tulum is one of the last inhabited Mayancities in the area surviving almost 70 years after the arriving of the Europeans. After checking the map we decide to go to the second entrance as we hope that fewer tourists will use that entrance (even though in the end both lead to the same plaza).
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| Getting closer to the entrance | First entrance in the famous Tulum wall |
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| The wall | Climbing up to the second entrance |
Tulum is built on the edge of a cliff near the ocean and as such there are some nice views of the ocean from inside the ruins. There is even access to a small beach but it is closed off during our visit.
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| Second entrance to Tulum | First view inside |
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| Close to the ocean | Access to the beach is closed off |
As we enter we notice multiple ruins around us with the major one being the House of the Cenote with a cenote beneath it. Unfortunately the cenote is dried out but it is proof of the importance of water and the cenotes that they built this temple on top of the cenote.
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| House of the Chultun (cenote) | The cenote house from below with a partial view of the cenote |
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| Multiple ruins on the hill | Surviving window/arch |
We continue our explorations and we see both the Great Palace with its protected fresco and El Castillo, the major pyramid in Tulum. Unfortunately everything is closed off and you cannot get close to it as we would have liked nor climb the temples which would have been interested and with the lack of shade and unrelenting sun we decide to retreat to the air conditioned car as we still have a long drive in front of us. Overall Tulum was interesting but quite small compared to some later sites that we have seen and also very restricted in what you could do and see.
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| Tulum - Great Palace | Close up of protected fresco |
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| Back of Great Palace | Tulum - Temple of Frescoes |
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| Tulum - El Castillo | Close up of Castillo |
After this we drive past Coba to Chichen Itza on a secondary road which is more interesting even while we have to avoid the huge bumps at the entrance and exit from the villages and pass through a few more checkpoints. The bumps are actually used as a vending point for the enterprising locals who run to the car trying to sell you coconut juice, tortillas and whatnot.
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| On the road again... | Nice house on side of road |
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| Opening coconuts for passing cars | Beautiful baskets for roadside sale |
Arriving at Chichen Itza we are surprised how well the hotel looks even though the rooms are quite small. But the layout is a bit unconventional and we have a view of the gardens which makes of for the size of the room.
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| Our hotel near Chichen Itza | Cloister like bed |
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| Second bed | Bathroom |
After freshening up we decide to explore a bit the nearby hotels to examine the dining options and also to find the entrance to Chichen Itza. On the way we are surprised with a great view of the Chichen Itza observatory in the fading daylight - quite a nice view.
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| Chichen Itza Observatory in the evening | Observatory from a distance |
While we do not find any good (or cheap) restaurants we find a few gift shops where we buy some gifts and souvenirs before returning at our hotel and deciding to eat dinner there. It is a long dinner but it is fun outside and the food is good and we can sample some cocktails (we like the Paloma but hate the Vampiro one). After this we go to sleep as tomorrow we have to walk a lot in Chichen Itza.
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| Half chicken | Mayan sausage |
In the morning after a quick breakfast from our own provisions we leave on foot towards Chichen Itza. We have to pass on the way out by the pool and through the gardens and then we walk along the road for about 10 minutes until we reach the secondary entrance. On the way we get another glimpse of the observatory which impresses also during the day - it almost feels we can walk directly to it. It takes a bit to enter as there are two separate tickets to pay (one federal and one local or something like that) and each with their own change problems (this is a problem in many Mexican places so we keep a large bag of change with us).
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| Pool at the hotel | Interesting seed pods |
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| Observatory through the flowers | Old entrance |
Soon after entering we arrive at the major attraction in Chichen Itza and the reason it is a World Heritage site and one of the Seven New World Wonders, the Pyramid of Kukulkan. Sadly you cannot climb it but this early in the morning there aren't many tourists so we can take a lot of shots from different angles and get close to examine the stairs and decorations on the top of the pyramid.
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| Pyramid of Kukulkan | Too bad you can't climb anymore |
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| Stairs are even numbered | Close up of fresco on top of the temple |
Right next to the pyramid is the Plaza of Thousands Columns which is exactly what you would expect - a huge plaza with lots of columns including on some of the surrounding temples. Some of the columns have engravings of the Mayan descending god and there are also a few sculptures of snakes scattered around which we guess are representations of the feathered serpent, Kukulkan.
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| Plaza of Thousands Columns | Columns with Temple of Warriors in background |
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| Serpent in the grass | Mayan descending god |
The walk through the Plaza of Thousands Columns dead ends at the Market, a building named by the Spanish whose real function is under debate from where we start the walk back to the main plaza examining the different column fragments and frescoes on the way.
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| Column parts - rebuilt the column game | And a tic-tac-toe game |
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| The Market | Tree plants |
In the plaza we see again the Pyramid of Kukulkan (or the Castillo as it was called by the Spanish) now surrounded by more tourists who try to clap their hands to get a specific echo that we just can't hear. After watching the spectacle for a while we turn our attention to the Temple of the Warriors which has some nice details however again it is closed off so we have to use the zoom from our camera to examine them more closely.
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| Another view of the Castillo | South Side where everyone is clapping |
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| Temple of the Warriors | Detail on the Temple of Warriors |
Nearby is the Platform of Venus a small structure but with many interesting frescoes and reliefs. There are also a few more Kukulkan representation and a Chac Mool statue. Chac Mool statues are one of the mysteries of the Mesoamerican cultures as it was found in multiple cultures (Mayan, Aztec, Toltec) almost always in the same posture and most of the times holding a bowl. It is thought that it is likely that the bowl was holding the sacrifices but it is not certain.
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| Platform of Venus | Descending god fresco |
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| Jaguar representation | And a fish...looks more intimidating |
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| Close up of Kukulkan sculpture | Chac Mool - msytery statue |
From here we take the short side trip to the Sacred Cenote which is a souvenir vendor lined path. We buy a few as the prices are good and they are in general not that pushy. The cenote is the first one we see and it is interesting from a historical standpoint as offerings including human ones where found inside it.
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| Building near Sacred Cenote | Sacred Cenote |
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| Trail and vendors next to trail | Snakes and Chac Mool |
Returning to the main plaza the next attractions are the platform of Eagles and Jaguars with frescoes of...what else...Eagles and Jaguars. Walking along is the platform of Skulls which true to its name has skulls emblasoned along its base wth some other interesting carvings among them.
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| Platform of Eagles... | ...and Jaguars |
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| Platform of Skulls | Detail on Platform |
Exiting from the main plaza again we visit the huge ball court - the largest we have seen in the Maya ruins we visited. It is almost plaza like with buildings on both ends including the Temple of the Bearded Man. It is surprising to us how high the rings are it must have been quite difficult for them to actually put the ball through the ring using only their hips - maybe they were playing one of the variants in Chichen Itza that allow the use of other body parts or bats.
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| Huge Ball Court | One of the rings |
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| Temple of Bearded Man | Jaguars on Temple of....Jaguars |
Next we start on another longer loop through another part of Chichen Itza and the first stop for us is a beverage stand where we buy some cold drinks as the sun is starting to get to us. Refreshed we walk to the Ossuary (High Priest's Grave) a smaller temple but similar to the Castillo down to the feathered serpents decorating the stairway. It received its name from the fact that they found a vertical shaft leading to a cavern beneath the pyramid where multiple burials were performed. Continuing on the path we pass the House of the Deer where a mural of a deer was discovered in initial excavations and then arrive at the Observatory the structure that we observed from near our hotel. It seems that the observatory was aptly named as it was a place where Mayans gathered to find out informations about the seasons and the stars and it allowed a good view of the sky above the treeline. Nearby is the Casa Colorada which might have been a residence for the elite and had some traces of red paints on the wall which gave it its name (the red House).
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| Chichen Itza Ossuary | House of the Deer |
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| Observatory - El Caracol | Casa Colorada |
The last major complex is also probably the most interesting from a decoration standpoint. It is a huge complex named Nunnery as for the Spanish it seemed it resembled a Nun convent with the Church nearby. The Church is beautifully decorated with masks and motives that take minutes to decipher and follow. From here we notice an exit sign and follow it only to find out it is private entry/exit for a nearby hotel which is quite weird and unwelcome as it would have reduced our walk back quite a bit. So we walk back again to our original entrance and then we check out (the hotel has a late check out time of 1 PM which is tailored for tourists like us) and drive probably not more than 10 km to the next attraction the Ik Kil cenote.
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| Nunnery Complex | Detail in Nunnery Complex |
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| Chichen Itza - Church | Church Facade |
Entering as a private person we feel a bit out of sample as it seems mostly tour buses come to this cenote as it is packaged with Chichen Itza. Today it seems that there aren't that many buses (only 2) so we pay the entrance fee and walk through the gift shops to the cenote. The first view is breathtaking - a huge sinkhole with roots falling down the sides and people swimming far below you in the clear water.
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| Cenote Ik Kil - impressive | Lots of people inside |
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| Vegetation on the edge | Flowers everywhere |
We decide to take a bath so we go to use the changing rooms - one of the reasons we chose this cenote was the availability of changing rooms. Before going down we cannot stop admiring the mot mots that seem to have made this cenote a home and are flittering around. It is the first time we see some and we are enthralled by their beauty but in the end we still have to go down. The stairs downwards are carved in the rock with a couple windows in strategic locations - we just have to be careful not to slip. The water is cold but full of fish - there are even people who just sit on the edge and let the fish eat the dead skin on the feet. We swim around a bit not trying to think that the water is actually 50 m deep so if we get a cramp we are done for. And then we exit and after changing our clothes it is off to Merida for the first time using the interstate which becomes free from Chichen Itza (it is toll to Chichen Itza from Cancun).
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| Mot mot relaxing | They look beautiful |
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| Going down | At water's edge |
Entering Merida is an experience with the street somehow entering into the mercado (market) area with people everywhere and crossing the street haphazardly - still not on the level of Jordan pedestrian traffic. We pass the Central Plaza and somehow find the hotel on the many one way streets. The parking is in a parking lot on the other side of the hotel and there is a place which is good as it was the only hotel that didn't want to confirm that we will have a spot.
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| Entering Merida -"quiet" street | And a busy one |
The hotel is advertised as a B&B and the room is very nice on top of a flight of stairs and separated from the other rooms. We have our own patio area and the room itself is divided in a living area and a sleeping area with a large full kitchen.
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| Impressive hotel room | This is the kitchen |
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| Bedroom | Beautiful sink |
In the evening we decide to walk a bit through the town to avoid the heat of the day and just to gauge the distances. We get to the Central Plaza and enter a few gift shops but the cathedral is closed so we can view it only from the outside. There are people everywhere walking/talking/relaxing and except for one pushy seller they are quite friendly. On the way back we stop at a small store to buy some food and eat dinner in the hotel room before going to sleep.
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| Central Plaza (Plaza de la Independencia) in Merida | Cathedral at night |
Today we decide to spend the day visiting Merida by foot but before we start we eat the breakfast at the hotel - this is the only one where it was included in the price. While it is not varied it is filling enough and soon we exit the hotel and start our way toward the Paseo the Montejo on the small one way streets that lead from our hotel towards it.
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| Our accomodation - our castle | Breakfast is included |
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| Street in front of hotel - parking is not easy | Typical Merida downtown street |
Merida is the largest city in the Yucatan Peninsula and one of the largest in Mexico and it has a rich history starting from the Spanish conquerors of the area the Montejo family. In their honor in the 19th century in a period of major prosperity due to henequen production (Merida was supposed to have millionaires than any other city in the world for a few years) the Paseo de Montejo was created a large boulevard like street lined by huge mansions. The mansions now house mostly banks and other institutions and a few museums including the Museo Regional de Antropologia in Palacio Canton.
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| Start of Paseo de Montejo | Typical impressive mansion |
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| Palacio Canton or the Museo Regional de Antropologia | Exterior detail |
The Museum had one of the major collections of Mayan artifacts until they were moved to the new Museo de Mundo Maya and now it is filled with a permanent ceramics exhibition on the first floor and a Maya archaeologic exhibit on the second floor. The ceramics exhibit is quite interesting even if the artifacts are relatively new they are beautifully done.
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| Ceramics exhibition | Deer vessel |
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| Beautifully done | Similar color pattern |
Of course one attraction of the museum is the building itself with beautiful skylights and decorated ceilings. In fact the info sheet we receive at the museum entrance is more focused on the building than on the exhibits. But soon our attention is drawn to some double headed ceramics objects which are quite funny and interesting.
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| Beautiful skylight | And the ceiling is also very decorated |
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| Two headed eagle | Two headed dog |
Throughout the exhibit there are some innovative ceramics...we liked the fish bowl next to the cat one..but also the dominant motif are birds which we also enjoy as they are well illustrated.
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| Interesting vessel form | Beautiful bird painting |
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| Many fish... | ...and many cats next to them |
In the second part of the collection the focus is on explaining the different Mayan Puuc motives and there is a very interesting side by side comparison of before and after renovations photos of major Mayan building. It gives us a background on what we are going to see the next day as we plan to visit a couple Puuc Mayan cities.
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| Typical Puuc stone mask | The snake symbol is quite popular |
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| Very interesting before/after photos | Good examples of renovations to the most renowned Maya ruins |
After exiting the museum we continue on the Paseo de Montejo towards our desired lunch place while stopping to enjoy the mansions along the way and the other details along this impressive boulevard.
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| Nice color | What an interesting seating idea |
Our choice for lunch is driven by our guide book recommendation - one of the most renowned dishes in Yucatan is cochinita pibil and one of the best places to get it is Taqueria Nuevo San Fernando. It is more of a hole in the wall place and the servers don't speak English but we make ourselves understood and soon we are eating cochinita pibil (delicious) and drinking Cola.
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| Top 3 (in guidebooks) cochinita pibil in Merida | And this is the food - very good |
After lunch we start returning back towards the hotel on the other side of the Paseo to view the mansions on the other side. In particular we are enamored with an old building which looks deserted but seems to have great potential (our future home :)). We also stop at a clothes store near a Walmart both to cool down (AC is good :)) and to buy a few things before continuing on our way.
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| Our future home :) | These are really some nice mansions |
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| Monumento a la Patria | Most mansions are repurposed for banks/institutions |
Close to our hotel the Paseo de Montejo ends and we enter the narrow street part of the historical town. Passing Iglesia de Santa Ana we notice an open door with what seems to be a painting exhibit inside and so we decide to enter it and are treated to a great exhibit from Mexican woman painters - some of the paintings are beautiful and well done.
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| Iglesia de Santa Ana | Huge butterfly |
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| Centro de Arte Visuales exhibit | Nice painting |
We decide to return to the hotel to recuperate and rest for a few hours until the worst of the midday passes but we have to leave soon in order to catch the few other sights we want to see open.
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| Street in front of hotel | Our parking lot |
We are following the same route we took the previous day when we went to the Central Plaza but during the day we can stop and enter the sights along the way. There are however also more aggressive vendors which makes it less feasible to stay in a place to take pictures or enjoy the sights. As we enter Teatro Jose Peon Contreras to view the interior a person greets us and after exchanging pleasantries he gives us some good tips on what to do in Merida in the next days - unfortunately we are leaving the next day so we cannot use most of the info we receive.
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| Iglesia Santa Lucia | Inside the church |
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| Yucatan University | Interior of Teatro Jose Peon Contreras |
In the plaza our first goal is the Cathedral that we couldn't enter the day before. As expected it is impressive both from the outside and inside but it isn't as richly decorated inside as we expected.
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| Merida cathedral from afar | Closer - still impressive |
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| Too close:) - but interestingly built | Inside the cathedral |
The next sight we intend to see is the Palace of Government which is guarded by two armed guards however they wave us in when we point to the inside. The attraction here are the paintings both on the outside walls but especially in the History salon where they represent the history of Mexico chronologically.
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| Palace of Government | Some really modernistic paintings |
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| History salon.. | ...decorated with murals depicting the history of Mexico |
We pass then the Palacio Municipal and arrive at Casa Montejo where the initial conquerors and first governors of Yucatan, the Montejos, lived starting in the 16h century.
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| Palacio Municipal | Casa Montejo |
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| Windows with legs?! | Entrance to Museo Casa Montejo |
We barely make it inside before closing and we are glad we made it as the house has interesting exhibits of furniture and ceramics and it is also free to enter.
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| Inside the museum - stay within the lines | Richly decorated |
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| Ceramics exhibition | Well done jaguars |
After exiting with most museums closed we go towards the mercado that we drove through the first day and just wander around looking at the things for sale. We buy a few cheap things and a few souvenirs before returning towards the hotel while keeping an eye out for restaurants. We find one that seems quite popular and luckily it has one open table - the food is plentiful and good especially the Yucatan platter. After this, filled and tired, we return to the hotel and fall asleep, tomorrow it is time to leave Merida and drive south to Campeche.
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| Lime soup | Yucatan sampler |
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| Uxmal - Pyramid of the Magician (or of the Dward or of the Soothsayer) |
Today we are moving between the major historic cities in the Yucatan peninsula, Merida and Campeche. However instead of using the major road between them we intend to use the side roads and visit a few attractions on the way of which there are many. Before leaving the hotel we first fill up with the free breakfast and then we have to leave Merida. This time we know the layout a bit better and do our best to avoid the market and the central plaza and therefore we do not encounter any major slowdowns. Right before exiting the city we buy gas and then we find easily the side road to Yaxcopoil, the first goal for the day.
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| Breakfast to start the day | With yogurt |
Yaxcopoil Hacienda is one of the former major haciendas (ranch) that is open to visit and we really wanted to see at least one during our visit. We drive around a bit trying to find the parking area as initially we planned just to park in front of the main door but the parking area is better and it also has some shade. We then walk to the main entrance which is impressive and a sign of the former glory of the hacienda before moving on to the main house where we pay for the entrance. From here we can visit the main house which is long with a lot of interconnected rooms that are furnished with historical furniture.
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| Yaxcopoil Hacienda - impressive entrance | Yaxcopoil main building |
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| Inside the main building | Lots of interconnected rooms |
Besides the main building there are a few more smaller buildings surrounding it and one of them has been repurposed into a small Mayan museum with artifacts gathered over time on the hacienda's grounds. The courtyards between the buildings are also interesting with little touches and a lot of shade which must have been quite welcome most of the year.
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| Small Mayan Museum | Some of the exhibits |
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| Courtyard between buildings | Shaded areas were at a premium |
After looking at the map provided we decide to head towards the orchards next to look at the fruits grown. On the way we pass the small hacienda chapel which likely was for the main building only and stop to examine various machinery laying around which seems to have been imported from France in the 19th and early 20th century.
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| Small pond inside a side passage | The Chapel was also inside the hacienda |
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| Old equipment.... | ..imported from France |
Walking through the orchard we are surprised a bit at the variety and especially the size of some of the grown fruit. There are some grapefruit type fruit that is almost the size of a human head..quite huge.
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| Fruits are still grown | This one was huge |
The last major attraction is the well preserved machine house. It even has the old machine which looks functional and even used. We try to guess at the functions of each machine and I am sure that our guesses are wildly off the mark. From the machine house we can see the main building and also other smaller buildings which according to our map were the workers housing with a school and small grocery store.
 |  |
| Well preserved machine house | Old machinery is still inside |
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| Looks like a torture table | Side of machine shop |
Returning towards the car we are stopping to take in details like the old bikes near an abandoned building and the weird column in the middle of the field before visiting the kitchen and the dining room on the way our of the main building. Overall it was a great stop and we are happy that we made the time to visit it.
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| Ancient looking bikes | Column in the middle of the field |
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| Porcelain dish with birds | The safe - also important |
Next we drive to Uxmal, another major Mayan site that has been declared an Unesco World Heritage Site. We arrive around 1 PM so with the midday sun beating down on us we are not sure how much we can enjoy it however as soon as we walk in we see the first pyramid - the pyramid of the Magician - and we forget all about the sun. The pyramid is quite interesting as the shape is different from the other pyramids as the base is oval not square. Unfortunately it cannot be climbed by humans but this didn't deter a black vulture enjoying the view from the top of the pyramid.
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| Uxmal - Pyramid of the Magician | Lateral view - looks completely different |
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| On top of the pyramid - it is real | Puuc style door |
As we continue the walk around the pyramid the trail leads us through the ruins which is great compared to Chichen Itza and Tulum where the trails were just skirting the buildings from a distance. We can see the inside of the buldings which are taken over by swallows and iguanas, some of them very defensive of our intrusion.
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| Walking through the ruins to the pyramid | Top of the pyramid |
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| Swallows are nesting in the ruins | Very defensive iguana |
Moving away from the Pyramid of the Magician we enter the Quadrangle of the Nuns which is quite beautiful - possibly the most beautifully decorated Mayan quadrangle we have seen. Every building is full of decorations and there are also throne like stone seats scattered around.
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| Uxmal - Quadrangle of Nuns | One of the surrounding palaces |
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| Seat in front of the palace | Detail on one of the palaces |
We walk around taking in the rich decorations trying to understand them to the best of our knowledge but mostly just admiring them. Snake reliefs are everywhere but also birds and human masks.
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| Very decorated wall | This looks scary |
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| The obligatory serpent | Another great panel on a wall |
After walking a few times around the Quadrangle of the Nuns we exit towards the ball court which is smaller than Chichen Itza's but still impressive.
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| Uxmal ball court | Close up of one side of the court |
Here we decide to take off the beaten path and instead of going directly towards the Great Pyramid we take a side path to the Cemetery Group. The attraction is that this group is not fully excavated and therefore the pyramids are in a more "ruined" state. It is fun with no one around it feels like we are discovering this plaza the first time as we walk around looking at the pyramids and the skull like decorations that gave the name to the cemetery group.
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| There is a pyramid in there | Cemetery group - not that excavated |
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| This is why it is called Cemetery group | Another interesting relic |
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| Jungle plant | Don't fall in |
Exiting the cemetery we return to the main trail and walk to the House of the Pigeons (El Palomar) with a beautiful unusual exterior with the roof structure inspiring the name. You can walk through it to view it from the back which is also quite interesting as it is more wild and jungle like. In the distance in a tree we also see another black eagle - are they following us?
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| House of the Pigeons (El Palomar) front | And the back - less renovated and more wild |
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| In the jungle | Black Vulture |
And then we are in front of the Great Pyramid which can be climbed and as such is the first pyramid that we intend to climb. It actually looks quite daunting and after climbing for a while and looking down we consider that we might not be able to get down as it looks even steeper when looking down. However when we arrive at the top all is forgotten as the views are magnificent with the El Palomar view being especially beautiful.
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| Great Pyramid - you can climb it | It is steep though |
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| View of El Palomar from top | Everything looks soo small |
The view is not the only attraction at the top - the temple structure has a few intricate detailed carvings including of parrots that are worth seeing. After enjoying and recuperating we start the descent which is easier than expected if you don't go down directly but diagonally. Our descent takes us to the Governor's Palace and we have to walk around it until finding the stairs to the higher level.
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| Typical Puuc face | Parrots on top of the pyramid |
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| Sun like figures | Detailed carving |
The Governor's Palace is a long building with detailed frescoes along the top which are quite interesting with the usual human masks, jaguars, serpents and birds.
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| The Governor's Palace | Pointing towards what?! |
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| Facade detail | Ascending (or descending) masks |
It also has some nice views of the Magician pyramid and nearby close to the lower level a well known two headed jaguar throne and a few eroded stelae.
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| View of Magician Pyramid from the Palace | Details are impressive |
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| Two headed jaguar throne | Eroded stelae |
Returning towards the entrance we stop for a short while near the house of the turtles so named due to the turtles adorning the roof. It seems the Maya worshipped almost everything from the animal kingdom - quite interesting. The last sight before exiting is the quadrangle of the birds that we missed near the pyramid of the Magician so named because, obviously, it has a lot of carved birds in the buildings surrounding the quadrangle.
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| House of the Turtles | Yes...there are turtles |
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| in the Quadrangle of the Birds.... | ....there are birds |
After exiting we buy a couple cold drinks before buying a few souvenirs and looking at the gift shops for a short while as we still have to make it to one more Mayan Ruin. After Uxmal we enter the Puuc Route with multiple ruins but we can visit only one and we decide on Kabah which is right on the way to Campeche. In fact the street runs right through the site which is split in two with the parking on the other side of the main entrance. We cross the street and find the ticket booth however it takes a bit for the guardian to come to take our money. We walk to the major attraction in Kabah first, the Palace of Masks. Even though we have seen pictures it is quite impressive from up close with the same mask repeated covering the whole length of a huge wall.
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| Kabah - Palace of the Masks | Detail of a section with multiple masks |
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| Mask of the Rain God Chaac | Really impressive |
After taking lots of pictures we move around the Palace of Masks and at the back we find a few more interesting carvings including some of less stylized humans which are more rare.
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| Mayan writing | Human statue - quite rare |
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| Better preserved carvings | The other side - either sacrifice or slavery it seems |
The other major building is the Palace which however cannot be entered so we view it from a distance. It is quite hot so we get back to the entrance buy some cold drink from the vending stand nearby and then cross the street to the second part of the site. Here the trail goes through the jungle with unexcavated pyramids glimpsed in the distance and birds singing in the trees.
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| The Palace - sadly it can't be entered | Building in the Plaza in front of the Palace |
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| Lost pyramid...more or less | Not interested in all this archaeology |
The major attractions in this secondary area is the Arch of Kabah - which while reconstructed is quite impressive from all directions. And then we return to the car and drive towards Campeche as it is too late to stop anywhere else on the way. The road into Campeche is easier than Merida but still quite clogged and getting into the old town is quite difficult again due to one way streets and narrow streets. Campeche is actually an Unesco World Heritage site due to its well preserved downtown and walls surrounding the historical center so we didn't really expect the streets to be wider. The hotel has street side parking which makes for a troublesome and harried parallel parking but all goes well and then we check in.
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| The Arch of Kabah | Close up of Arch |
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| No stairs on the back | Modern tribute to the Kabah Arch |
After checking in the clerk takes us to the room which is through many courtyards and then up some stairs. We are surprised how far the room is however the size is impressive and we have a nice view from the window. Overall it is probably one of the best rooms on our trip due to its size and different nuances as well as the big bathroom.
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| Impressive room - liked the swans | View from hotel |
We are hungry so we go back to the reception and the clerk points out a few good restaurants and also mentions that an audiovisual show start at 8 PM in the Central Plaza. We look at the clock and it is 8 PM so we run to the Plaza which is quite close and catch the majority of the show - it is very interesting with the projection on one side of the square changing rapidly through many different themes. It seems audiovisual shows are quite popular in Mexico as they were available almost everywhere but this is the only one that we caught.
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| Audiovisual show in the Central Plaza | This is funny |
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| Nice colors | Ending - renowned people from region |
At the end of the show we walk around a bit more looking at the cathedral and then follow the wall till we find our chosen restaurant.
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| Campeche Cathedral at night | Sea gate - you could smell the sea |
The restaurant has a lot of Yucatan specialties on the menu and we order from them and even the ones we ate before like cochinita pibil seem to be served and prepared a bit differently but they are quite good. Also the free margaritas are welcome :).
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| What should be choose? | Appetizer |
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| Cochinita pibil - different take | Quite good |
After dinner we return to the hotel but we choose a different route to enjoy the city at night when the temperatures are better. There are cafes and sandwich places open almost everywhere but the stores are mostly closed and we are getting tired after our long day so we arrive at the hotel and soon are asleep.
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| Wandering through the city at night | Some stores are open |
This morning we have more time to explore the hotel as we go towards the cafe which is one the other side of the connected courtyards. We assume that the courtyards were independent initially and bought one by one but it interesting to walk to them and look at the colors and small things that make them different. We discover the swimming pool which looks inviting but we have a lot to do so regretfully we continue to the cafe.
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| View from the hotel window | Not the street where we parked our car but similar |
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| Interior of hotel | Many adjacent courtyards |
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| Such an interesting place | This is the pool |
The cafe is busy and it takes a bit till we receive our order however the eggs are well done and the coffee is also quite good.
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| Breakfast eggs and hotel cafe | And pancakes |
After breakfast our plan is to visit the downtown area during the day for a couple hours before moving on towards the Mayan city of Edzna and then to Xpujil, our stop for the night. We start on our tour the same day as the previous evening arriving in the Central Plaza. There is no audiovisual show in the morning and the plaza is less busy than the evening before however it is interesting to see the building where the show was projected and trying to understand how it was done.
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| Templo del Dulce Nombre de Jesus | Busy streets - how did we find the hotel?! |
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| Central Plaza - Plaza de la Independencia | Centro Cultural "El Palacio" |
As in most Central Plazas in Mexico the plaza is anchored by a huge cathedral. This morning it is open so we enter and visit it including the interior courtyard however we decide not to enter the museum as it looks small and we have to pay an entrance fee.
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| Front of cathedral | View from the back |
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| Inside the cathedral | Interior courtyard |
After the Central Plaza we continue to walk along the wall initially and then almost at random taking in the unique atmosphere of the city. There are almost no modern buildings in the historic area which is a result of the conservation efforts of this beautiful Unesco World Heritage site.
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| Typical Campeche houses | Dinner restaurant |
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| One of the few modern buildings | More traditional building |
The most interesting building we see is the former Church of San Jose - the facade is quite beautiful and unusual. We are not sure what happened to the church but it is clear that now it is used for community events.
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| Instituto Campechano | Ex Templo de San Jose |
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| Side is less impressive | But the detail above the door is beautiful |
As we walk we also see a few of the towers that were protecting the city with Baluarte de Santa Rosa being the one we intended to visit. However it is under renovations so we continue on and arrive at the Land Gate, the gate for land entry, symmetrically opposite from the Sea gate which was leading to the ocean. After this we return to the hotel and check out as we have to use the car to get to the next attraction in Campeche, the Fuerte de San Miguel.
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| Another typical Campeche street | Downtown Campeche house |
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| Baluarte de Santa Rosa | Land gate - Puerta de Tierra |
Finding the way to the San Miguen Fort is not easy but our GPS is quite helpful and directs us to the parking lot in front of the fort. The fort is set inside a small oasis of nature that supports between others also mot mots which seem to be quite common in the area. The approach to the fort is impressive as we walk through the exterior wall arriving at a dry moat with drawbridge and then after paying the entrance fee entering the interior courtyard.
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| Mot mot watching us | Entering Fuerte de San Miguel |
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| Nice..even a drawbridge | Inside the fort - which door should we choose? |
The fort holds the Museum of Mayan Art which we intend to see. the museum is split in multiple rooms all accesible from the open courtyard in the middle of the fort. The collection is very interesting with Mayan pottery and sculptures from the Yucatan Peninsula
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| Lots of Mayan pottery | Nice detail - and a bit scary |
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| Stone sculpture | And a relief |
However the most well known exhibits are the skeletons excavated from Calakmul with all their offerings showing how Mayan buried their kings. Next to the skeletons are a few precious masks also from Calakmul - everything is well presented and very interesting even though it is difficult to follow the descriptions in Spanish (there are some English translations available but they are not always related to the Spanish inscription).
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| Skeletons excavated from the Calakmul pyramids | And another one..great to see how the Mayans were buried |
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| Masks from Calakmul | Many pointy artifacts |
After visiting a few of the rooms we decide to also visit the battlements and enjoy the views from the top and the many cannons pointing in all directions.
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| On the battlements | Quite a few guns |
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| Pointing into the forest | Interior of fort from the battlements |
Returning the exhibition area we enter the temporary exhibition hall with another beautiful exhibit of figurines and sculptures from all across pre colonial Mexico. We walk through it examining the differences between cultures before leaving towards our next destination Edzna. The road there starts quite busy through the outskirts of Campeche and right when we hoped we escaped to a major 4 lane divided road we find that it is under repair with no real lanes and poorly marked exits. Our GPS comes to rescue again pointing the correct exit (more or less) and then leading us through a few pictoresque villages to Edzna.
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| Temporary exhibit with figurines from Mexico | Aztec or Toltec?! |
Edzna is one of the major Mayan archaeological sites that was occupied between 400BC to 1500AD and was one of the major allies of Calakmul. To our surprise despite the closeness to Campeche and the fact that it is a well known site there is no one else visiting besides us which is quite nice and makes for a fun visit. After walking through the jungle and looking for monkeys (and seeing none) we arrive at the first area, the Ambassadors Square. It is named so because Edzna was restored and excavated using international funds and Guatemalan refugees and ambassadors from multiple countries were gathered here to celebrate this international collaboration. Also while we didn't see monkeys on our walk through the jungle we saw a few parrots and multiple lizards along the way so even in the middle of the day's heat there are animals up and about in the jungle.
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| Alone in Edzna | At least we have a black parrot like bird following us |
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| Door in the ruins | Defended fiercely |
The square is surrounded by climbable pyramids - restrictions seem to be view in Edzna and we climb as many as we can for the views and fun. Some of them are better restored and some are more wild and there are always differences in details and height that make each of them unique.
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| Templo del Sur (South Temple) | Close up of South Temple |
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| Ruin in Ambassador Square | A climbable pyramid off the main trail |
Next is the Nohochna/Big House an unusually long house which is not that high so we climb it. As we climb from our side we suddenly get a beautiful view of the Central Plaza when we reach the top from the top with the Building of the Five Floors being the main attraction. According to the description it seems that this was a customs house and this approach was built especially so traders could be impressed when they first saw Edzna from the customs house where they were paying the tolls.
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| Nohochna/Big House | Climbing the old route to the center |
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| On top - tolls were charged here from merchants | Edificio de los Cinco Pisos/Building of the Five Floors |
Next attraction is the Temple of the Masks with a few protected masks of the descending god that are a bit difficult to see from the distance. We continue to the small Acropolis where one of the pyramids has jaguars carved in the stairs. It is good that this is written in the description and we know to look for the jaguars else we would have missed them as most were quite faded.
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| Masks in the Temple of Masks (Templo de Mascarones) | Detail of the masks |
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| Pyramid at the small Acropolis | With jaguars carved in the stairs |
From the small Acropolis we walk to the Gran Acropolis through the ruins and then up some stairs which have been enhanced during the modern reconstruction to make it easier to climb them. And then we are in Gran Acropolis a plaza surrounded by three pyramids however one of them draws all the attention - the Building of the Five Floors.
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| Towards the Gran Acropolis | Useful stairs - else the step is quite high |
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| Gran Acropolis | Building of the Five Floors - getting closer |
The Building of the Five Floors has an unusual built with - of course - five floors and it quite impressive and one of the highest pyramids in the Mayan world. Unfortunately it cannot be climbed but it was clearly to focal point of Edzna and it still has multiple glyphs along its base and other carvings further up that cannot be clearly seen from the ground level. We stay in shade for a while just admiring it before returning to the car as we still have a long drive ahead of us.
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| Unusual build - quite interesting | Closest you can get to the pyramid |
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| Glyphs at the base of the structure | Side building on the Gran Acropolis |
From Edzna we have a few ways to get to Xpujil where we plan on spending the night. We can either return to Campeche and then follow the main roads for a detour but the drive is on major roads or we can go on a secondary road that is also a detour but shorter than the first option or we can go on a tertiary road (which we are not sure how well maintained it is or even if it is paved) directly south for 90 kilometers to the main west east road and then take that one to Xpujil which is the shortest distance. Which one should we choose? There is no discussion of course - the tertiary road it is - it sounds like fun :). The drive is quite fun as we pass village after village that seem to be lost in time where nobody seems to have seen a strange car for quite some time and the road bumps get bigger the farther in we go. Also soon potholes appear and the road becomes a slalom course trying to avoid the major ones while keeping a good enough speed. Of course there are no signs and we are surprised that we don't get lost at all along the way and we get bonus obstacles like goats and sheep on the road that are not used to cars so we have to wait and use our horn a lot. The only thing that we hope is that the road is paved throughout and it is with the last 10 km actually being repaired and in good shape. After that it is another 2 hours to Xpujil as we pass the turnouts to multiple Mayan sites that we intend to visit the following days.
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| Driving into the wilderness | Besides huge potholes animals are also a danger |
We are in this area to visit Calakmul a Mayan city deep in the jungle which is a World Heritage site and the only city with tourist accomodations in the area is Xpujil about two hours away. So our plan is two stay two nights in Xpujil and visit Calakmul in the full day between. The room here is motel like however anything is good in the middle of nowhere as long as the AC works as we are deep in the jungle and it seems it does. The hotel also has a restaurant where we eat for the night - the food is good and the natural drinks are great however it takes a long time to make the food 1:30h but of course we have time and read the guidebooks. After dinner we retreat to our room for the night and after fighting a losing battle with the mosquitoes we go to sleep.
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| Huge key | Motel like accomodation |
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| Good food | Food is prepared on site by locals |
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| Calakmul Estructura 1 - like in an Indiana Jones movie |
Surprisingly in a trip filled with highlights the one visit we look forward to the most is the one to Calakmul. It is an Unesco World Heritage site almost lost in the jungle with the biggest Mayan pyramid in Mexico, monkeys, toucans and relatively less visited as it is an one hour detour from the main road along a one lane road and even the main road is far from any major cities/airports. Today we don't eat any breakfast at the hotel we just buy a few things at a gas station and eat on the way. To ge to Calakmul we have to pay according to the guidebooks three times and as expected we pay the first fee when entering the side road. On the way we stop a few times to see butterflies and birds however they are too fast to take pictures of them. At the second checkpoint we are allowed to pass without paying not sure why but we like it. Soon we are seeing movement in the brushes and after stopping we spot a large colorful bird - an ocellated turkey. He doesn't seem too impressed by us and continues to search in the roots in the jungle so we can take multiple pictures of him. After that the road narrows and it becomes a true one lane road with multiple hairpin curves where we just hope that no one is coming speeding the other way as there is no way to move to the side. And then we are at Calakmul where after taking lots of water with us we pay the third fee and enter the large site.
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| Birds nesting in a sand hill by the road | One lane road to Calakmul |
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| What is this? | It is an ocellated turkey |
After the long drive we have to go to the bathroom which is as primitive as we expect. What we don't expect is the snake in the rafters looking down at us before lazily moving away. Of course being in the jungle it is expected to see snakes and other animals but not necessarily in the bathroom.
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| Restroom in the jungle | With a bonus snake |
The trail to the ruins is well marked but a bit confusing as it has long/medium/short variants but it is not clear how each of them overlap - even the long one doesn't go through the whole site. To our surprise the trail goes for quite some time through the jungle without any ruins with just signs describing the nature and the history of the place. All of this is forgotten when suddenly we spot our first monkey far in a tree above us lounging lazily - very exciting even though it doesn't do really anything and probably doesn't even notice us.
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| Trail to the ruins | Old tree by the trail |
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| Flora in the jungle... | ...and fauna..quite excited to see a monkey |
Soon afterwards we arrive at the first temple on the way which is a nice introduction to how the restoration was done in Calakmul with trees still growing from the ruins which is quite nice as it provides some shade along the climbs. Also most ruins here have stelae in front of them - I am not sure if this is specific to Calakmul or the stelae in the other sites were moved to museums but here everywhere we look there is a stelae.
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| First temple by the trail | Stelae in front of the pyramid |
After walking a bit more through the jungle we arrive at another group of structures this time surrounded by a wall. Walking through the structures it is like walking through a maze as the walls are high enough that we cannot see anything above them for most of the time. We find dead ends and in many of them there are metates but in one of them, a room, there is actually a wasp nest that makes us retreat as fast as possible. We then continue on the trail to the next group of structures with multiple temples and stelae scattered along the plaza.
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| Wall in the jungle | Protecting the houses |
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| Like a maze | Metates are everywhere it seems |
WE climb one and eat our lunch (chips and chocolates from the gas station:) before walking around climbing this and that and looking at the stelae along the way. There are surprisingly many buildings here and multiple possible exits from the area but we find the right way soon enough and continue on it.
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| Pyramid with stelae - good place for lunch | Stelae close by |
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| Stelaes are everywhere | This is difficult to understand |
Besides the excavated ruins there are many unexcavated one in the surrounding jungle that we see through the trees. Some of them have stelae in front of them or stairs going to nowhere which is quite interesting.
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| Ruins are everywhere in the forest | Lost staircases |
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| Trail with a stelae in the jungle | Looks forgotten (it is not) |
Soon we arrive at one of the two major pyramids in Calakmul, Estructura 1. While it is slightly smaller than Estructura 2 it sits on a small hill so the impression is that it is at least as high as Estructura 2. We look at it for some time trying to decide whether we should climb it or not even though it really isn't a choice - we have to climb it. Luckily there is a bit of shade at some of the levels so we can stop and catch our breath a bit. The view from the top is really worth it, with the jungle extending in all directions and pyramids just doting out from the jungle. Estructura 2 is especially mysterious hidden mostly from our view by trees even though the top is almost at the same level as Estructura 1. We sit on the top for some time looking at a bunch of people on a tour at the bottom - they are so far away that they look like ants. Nobody else is climbing the pyramid which makes it a great resting spot as it is quiet and the wind is blowing cooling us off. But then we have to go down (which is much easier) to continue on our walk through the site.
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| Estructura 1 - impressive and it can be climbed | Should we climb it? |
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| Of course we should...but we need the shade on the climb | Stelae close to the top...with inscription |
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| View from the top of ruins in the jungle | Hidden Estructura 2 |
There are a few more ruins on the way that we don't examine that closely as we are focused on getting to Estructura 2 our major goal in Calakmul.
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| Another ruin on the way | Smaller pyramid on the way to Estructura 2 |
Arriving in front of Estructura 2, the highest Mayan structure in Mexico, we are surprised that it seems smaller than Estructura 1. Of course it is an illusion as it has multiple levels some of which cannot be seen from the bottom as we soon learn after arriving at the first fake peak and seeing the next one. The climb however seems much easier as it is less steep and we make good time towards the top.
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| Estructura 2 - what we came to climb | Catching our breath before the start |
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| On the way up | We climbed a lot - still a way to go |
After a couple fake peaks we finally arrive at the real top for another great view of the jungle. Estructura 1 the previous pyramid we climbed looks especially well from the top of Estructura 2 and we can see Guatemala even though of course there is no visible separation in the jungle between the two countries. After enjoying the views for a while and catching our breath we climb down and start walking toward the exit.
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| Almost to the top | Lost in the jungle |
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| Estructura 1 - we climbed it before | Jungle as far as the eye can see |
On the way there are a few more interesting temples some of them even with turkeys wandering through them. It seems quite wild and we would like to explore more however our water supply is running low so we decide to go as straight as possible to the exit.
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| Temple lost in the jungle | With turkeys next to it |
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| Another nice pyramid | Detail on stelae |
Arriving at the car we refill our bottles and then we have in front of us the drive back on the one lane road. But soon after leaving we have to stop again as we see some animals raiding a trash can. They are coatis the first we have seen and they quite active running around from trash can to trash can and then in trees. We barely can take a few pictures before them scamper out of sight but it was fun just to see them. Continuing on the road we get the weirdest encounter of our trip as a car backs out of an entryway and blocks the road. The guy in a car full to the brim with stuff (tires and so) + a few large passengers asks for help to climb the hill in front of us. We have nothing against it and exit to help push the car and think the other passengers from the other car will also exit and help push. To our surprise the driver pantomimes that no - he wants us to push with the car and he puts a blanket in front of the bumper so we push it. This is too much for us - the car is a rental and pushing a car full of lazy people (they don't exit the car at all) is not the way we want to damage our rental. So we pantomime back that we cannot help and after him explaining how safe it is and we saying we won't do it he finally moves tries a few times without being able to do it and finally lets us pass. Very weird encounter for us - haven't seen this in all the other countries we travelled.
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| What is that in the tree? | Our first coati |
As it is only 3 PM when we arrive at the main road we decide to visit one more ruin - Balamku - which is close by. Balamku is one of the last discovered ruins in the area and is well known for its frieses. We have the ruins again for ourselves and we walk slowly looking at the restored buildings until we arrive at the main plaza.
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| Trail in Balamku | Flowers by the trail |
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| Balamku - a relatively new discovery | Typical masks |
The main plaza is entered through a nice doorway and has a pyramid on the other side that we assume has the frieses. And it does on one side however the door is closed and the mesh is so fine that it is difficult to see anything. We are bummed about this but there isn't a lot we can do so we start on our way back to the entrance. Just after passing the door the caretaker passes us and points to us that he carries a key so we turn around and yes he goes with us to open the door to the frieses.
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| Doorway to main plaza | Main pyramid ...with a surprise |
We are really elated about this as the frieses are really not to miss. They are beautiful and well preserved making them something quite special. It almost looks like some modern painters took the ideas from the Mayans while looking at these interesting frieses.
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| Exquisite friese in the pyramid | Detail on the friese |
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| Looks scary | This is like a Picasso painting.. |
After returning to the car we notice that it is post 4PM so all other sites are closed so we return to Xpujil. We decide to eat in a different location this time, at a roadside restaurant that seems to serve truckers. The server doesn't know English that well but pointing at the menu always works and the food is good and plentiful. Satiated we return to the hotel where the AC suddenly doesn't work anymore. We have to complain as our room is a sauna and the receptionist finds the blown fuse and replaces it making us quite happy. AFter that we start packing and then go to sleep as tomorrow is the longest day on the road on our trip.
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| Dinner restaurant | Tortillas by the side |
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| Good for a roadside restaurant | Similar but different |
This morning we have a long road ahead of us so we decide to eat a more serious breakfast at the hotel than the crackers/biscuits we ate the day before as we were trying to get as soon as possible to Calakmul. The breakfast is quite good and we are even wondering if the eggs are not from the hens that are walking only a few feet away from us. Refreshed we check out and start driving for about 3 minutes as our first goal for the day is right across the main road - Xpujil ruins.
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| The restaurant kitchen at the hotel | Hopefully not the breakfast |
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| Colorful breakfast | Quite good |
We know from the guidebook that Xpujil has a good example of Mayan Rio Bec architecture and we wanted to see this type of architecture also. It is also relatively small which is important as we have a 6h drive today back to Cancun so we are pressed for time and there are still many ruins to see. The first building group we encounter is small and not that different than what we have seen before so after checking it out for a few minutes we move on towards the highlight of the site.
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| Xpujil first ruins | Looks impressive but small |
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| Another view of the ruins | Mot mot eating |
Rio Bec style architecture has as one of its hallmarks the building of towers - in most Rio Bec sites there are two of them but in Xpujil for an unknown reason there are three of them and they are quite impressive. This is the highlight of the site and we take our time in order to take pictures and examine the different frieses.
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| How the Xpujil towers looked then.... | ...and now |
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| Central tower | View of tower from the interior |
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| Frieses at the towers | Close up of friese |
As we explore the towers we discover a staircase going up into a tower and we cannot resist going up the very steep stairs for a great view from above of the other two towers and the area. After that it is back to the car for a short drive to the next site we want to visit, Becan.
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| Where do these stairs go? | Right there |
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| For a nice view of the main ruin | Sitting place |
Becan was the capital of the Rio Bec province and as such it is a larger site when compared to Xpujil. In fact it has a quite unusual feature - a moat around the central area that was about 5m deep and 10m wide. Our visit here however starts unauspiciously as there is no one at the entrance so after walking around and searching for anyone for about 15 minutes we decide to enter and that we will pay at the exit. Soon we arrive at the first structure that we start climbing and skirting around at the bottom until finding a stair going through a few passages to the top. From there there are multiple other passages inside the temple making for a fun exploration. And the views of course are also great as we get a good overview of the plaza from the top.
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| Becan - first structure | You can climb to the top |
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| Top of pyramid | View from the top of the pyramid |
The plaza is not the main plaza but it was quite important with an altar in the middle and major temples and buildings surrounding it. We explore them as much as we can and is permitted before returning back to the trail (this was off the main trail) and continuing on.
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| Lattice work in the plaza | Nice friese |
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| Another of the pyramids in the plaza | Last building in the plaza is quite long |
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| Altar in the plaza | Old tree |
The trail continues through a narrow passage that unites the two plazas and looks almost defensive in nature before arriving at the major pyramid in Becan, Structure IX, which sits right next to Structure VII a smaller temple. We decide to start with the easier Structure VII in order to take a look at the stelae and also take in the view of Structure IX - quite higher that then structure we are on.
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| Nice passage between the plazas | Why not climb this pyramid? |
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| On top of the pyramid | Actually we should have climbed this one |
Of course we also climb Structure IX, here the climb is helped by a rope that can be used to pull yourself up the seemingly unending stairs. However on top we forget the tiredness as we take in the great views of the site - all the other buildings seem so small now below us.
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| Let's go | Ok - this was quite the climb |
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| Structure VII for Structure IX | This is where we are going next |
After descending we walk to the next building complex with some nice frieses and a lot of passages, stairs and rooms that almost make you lose your sense of direction as you try to make sure that you are not missing anything of importance.
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| Can we climb to the frieses? | The friese |
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| Another of the Becan pyramids | They liked these hidden passages |
Next to this complex lies the ballcourt which seems much smaller than the one in Uxmal or Chichen Itza while still being impressive. While investigating another side of the complex we observe a panel of glass protecting something so we go to examine what it is and to our surprise it is a beautiful friese of a god which we assume is the descending god. After that the trail loops back past the initial complex to the entrance area. There is still no one but we notice a person doing yardwork and to our relief he is the gatekeeper so we pay the fee and return to the car. Initially we intended to visit one more site, Chicanna, which is close by however it is getting late so we decide to go to the second area of ruins which is about one hour distance from Becan and visit either Dzibanche or Kohunlich, both of which are highly recommemded by our guidebook.
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| View of the ballcourt | Ruins are everywhere it seems |
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| Beautiful friese of the descending god | Another interesting friese |
We pass again through Xpujil past the gas station where we made most of our shopping and then after a few more checkpoints we have to decide and the decision is to go to Dzibanche. Both Kohunlich and Dzibanche are on side roads but Dzibanche actually has two sites and also promises monkeys that we want to see again. The road to Dzibanche is good except when it has the built in bumps that are so high that no matter how careful we pass them it still feels we scrape the car a bit at the bottom. The road also becomes one road towards the end with sharp turns so we really hope that no one comes the other way speeding. We almost pass the entrance fee station which is at a road intersection and not as usual at the site entrance but after paying we soon arrive at park at the entrance of the main site, Dzibanche.
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| Gas station in Xpujil - good to buy provisions | Lonely road to Dzibanche |
Dzibanche means writing in wood and the name comes from a large wooden beam in Temple VI (Temple of the Lintels) that had a carving from 600AD. This temple is also the first one we see as we enter the site and even though we climb and look at the beams they look quite new so it might be that the inscription is now in a museum.
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| Dzibanche Temple VI from a distance | Close up of Temple VI |
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| Some wood here is supposedly very old | Close up of wood in the ceiling |
The next building is the building of the Captives named after a carving of a scene with captives found it the stairs. It is quite faded and difficult to see so we are happy about the reproduction on this site description. There are better preserved carvings nearby however the captive one is the most well known.
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| Building of the Captives (Building 13) | Faded carving of captives |
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| Better preserved carvings | Small temple on side of plaza |
Continuing we arrive at the Temple of Cormorants which is quite impressive both because of its looks and size. The trees growing out of it are very large - it almost feels like they belong there and not that they grew there afterwards. Unfortunately it cannot be climbed but there is a path right next to it leading to a plaza behind the temple which is surrounded by three more temples.
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| Temple of the Cormorants (Temple 2) - impressive | Trees are growing from the Temple |
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| Stair to the back of the temple | Back of the temple of Cormorants |
THe most well known of these temples is the Temple of the Owl due to the fact that they found multiple chambers including one with the burial offerings and remains of an important person. It can be climbed and we do so for another great view of the area.
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| Temple of the Owl | Climbing the Temple |
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| Carving in the temple | View from the top |
After descending we here some noises from a tree and looking up we cannot believe our eyes - it is a spider monkey with a child. The mother is not interested in us however the child descends to study us and makes different faces and take different postures - very cute and very photogenic.
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| What is that? | Monkey kid looking at us |
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| Getting more courageous | Hmm....bigger than expected |
With our desire to see monkeys satisfied we continue our wanderings and find an area not on our map which seems to be barely been finished as some parts are still under renovation. It is a nice quiet area with a good fries which looks quite restored.
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| Interesting area not on our map | Tree growing on wall |
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| Hidey hole in the roots of the tree | New fresco |
From here we return to the car and drive past another unexcavated ruin to Kinichna the second part of the Dzibanche area. It is only a pyramid actually but it is really high. The stairs at the bottom are covered in moss for good photo opportunities but as we climb we arrive into the sun and the moss disappears.
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| Another ruin in Dzibanche area | Kinichna Pyramid - quite high |
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| Stairs with moss | Quite a bit of a climb |
There are three steps each of them with an informative plaque about the temples at each level and soon we arrive at the top for a beautiful view of the area. This is our last pyramid and site of our trip as after descending we drive almost without stopping to Cancun. In fact the only stops are for the checkpoints and for gas where we try to put only so much so that we have enough to arrive at our destination and don't leave too much extra to the rental company.
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| Towards the top | Side temple |
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| Close up of side temple | View from the top |
After a short night sleep we drive to the airport to return the car (without problems) and then we have only the return trip to Phoenix ahead of us. As the hotel did not have breakfast that early we eat in the airport and also buy some souvenirs waiting for the plane. The flight back is uneventful and we have time to reminesce on all the beautiful sights we seen and memories we made during this great trip. We can't wait to go back - there are plenty more to see and do in the area - hopefully soon.
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| Returning to Phoenix | Yes - we are back in the US from the grid like houses |
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