Category: Mexico

After a rest day at the pool, we took another Viator tour to Chichen Itza and a cenote…I didn’t realize a stop to a Mexican town was included until later. This day tour was better since they didn’t pick us up at the crack of dawn like the last one. The strange part was that we went to a Mayan store to get Mayan birth certificates, which was neat. I learned that I am a “lizard” in the Mayan lunar horoscope, and it came with an astrological chart. The guide wanted us to do our shopping there instead of Chichen Itza so the profits would go to local people, which I understand after visiting there. After the shopping trip, we went to Chichen Itza…finally!

Our guide was really passionate about the Maya, and gave us a great guided tour. Chichen Itza was built during the terminal classic period, and was one of the largest Mayan cities. As Coba declined, Chichen Itza rose to prominence. We started with the observatory, El Caracol, since the Maya are known for their interest in astronomy. The Maya were known for their stargazing, and precise calendars, so I loved seeing a structure where they were doing this.

Then we looked at a stepped pyramid, El Osario, which leads into a cave. The Mayan ball court is another interesting part of Chichen Itza. The murals there show different scenes from the game, and you can take a look at the captain of the team.

The main feature and best part of Chichen Itza, is the temple of Kukulkan, named for the Mayan feathered-serpent deity. This is also the site where the triangular shadows create the image of a serpent wriggling down the stairs during the spring and fall equinoxes. Our guide showed us how to see the image at any time of year…you just have to take the tour to see it…The pyramid is amazing and majestic; just walk around it so you can take it all in.

The temple of a thousand warriors was our last stop before leaving. I don’t know why, but there are merchants all over Chichen Itza selling stuff which is incredibly annoying since they are aggressive. Our guide warned us against purchasing any goods there since the quality is bad. I just want to warn you about the markets since I couldn’t believe a UNESCO world heritage site allows this. Also, it is normally hot there so I recommend bringing a hat or umbrella since there isn’t much shade; you might want to cover up to prevent sunburn. Also have repellent and water on hand…

After Chichen Itza we had lunch, and then went to Ik Kil Cenote which was located at a much fancier site than the previous cenote we went to. We could even rent a locker, had showers with decent water pressure, and private changing rooms this time.

This cenote also had an opening so you could see the sky. It was beautiful, but very crowded…and this was off season. However, the nice thing about the stop there was that we had more time since we scarfed our food down, so we were able to go grab a beer at the café after our swim.

We stopped at the little town of Valladolid where we found a great chocolate shop to sample some goodies. This awakened my appetite, so I found a small stand selling chocolate churros which were delicious. The town square was quaint, and it was nice to people watch…there was also a beautiful Catholic church across the street. The town was also starting to decorate for Christmas. I did enjoy this stop; the churros alone made it worth it.

During our ride back to Cancun, we watched a documentary on the ancient Maya so it was a day packed full of knowledge. We returned back late so we ordered food from the hotel, and picked up drinks to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Even though the tour was rigorous, it was a blast!

As we were enjoying the beautiful moon, a man that worked the grounds asked us to help him put baby turtles that had hatched into the ocean. My sister was thrilled since she wanted to do something like this in Costa Rica. I’m glad to say that all the turtles went into the sea, so it was a great way to end our trip in Cancun. It was a beautiful night!

My two weeks were amazing and went by way too fast. I saw and learned allot from Costa Rican history, to leatherback turtles, to ancient Mayan ball games. I’m also happy that my sister and friends were able to join me, adding to the experience and memories. They made the trip so much more fun. I especially loved Mexico, and can’t wait to go back and see more parts of the country. I found my future retirement home…so to be continued…

After my Costa Rican tour, it was nice to go to Mexico and take it relatively easy, for me…The journey to Mexico was a nightmare since we took Spirit Airlines, which is a horrible airline. I do not recommend flying with them. I was never so happy to arrive at my destination. We stayed at an Airbnb in Cancun in the hotel zone…the condominium was at Ocean Dream, which is also a hotel. The location is right in the heart of the tourist sector, but it was very easy to get around since there was allot of places to eat nearby, a grocery store, and a place to exchange money next door…all within walking distance.

Ocean Dream has an infinity pool that reaches out to the beach. The location was beautiful; I still dream about the walks along the sea. The water was the most amazing blue. The pictures do not do it justice.

When I was settled in the room, I decided to spend time relaxing by the pool, and was even able to order food and drinks…It’s great when you don’t have to leave the pool area to get fed. We got there in the afternoon, and had to wait until dinner time for a friend from the Costa Rica trip to join us since she took a separate flight. Once she arrived we got dinner, and went grocery shopping for some basics. I had to get a picture with Spiderman at Coco Bongo, which I did not set a foot in, but was on the way to the store. There are all sorts of characters in front of the place you can take a picture with; just make sure you tip them. We brought dinner to the balcony and drank wine while enjoying the ocean view in the background.

The next day, we decided to take the ferry to Isla Mujeres which was a pretty quick trip; maybe a half hour. Once we were there, we rented a golf cart for about $30.00.  We drove along the island, stopping at different points of interest. I enjoyed Punta Sur which has some Mayan ruins, and is decorated with Mayan artwork. The view is inspiring.

Hacienda Mundaca is an old pirate refuge that hosts concerts. We stopped at a beach, Playa Tiburon, and had a beer at one of those bars that has swings. Sitting by the beach, enjoying a beer, was fantastic.

Later, I found a beaded necklace that Nefertiti would have approved of…if you enjoy shopping, there are artisan markets. W also stopped at a cemetery that was along the coast. Maybe I am morbid, but I enjoy visiting them to see how other cultures deal with death. The monuments were colorful and a great tribute.

Later, we found a restaurant by the sea that served delicious seafood, and for me, fish tacos. We watched the sunset as we ate our dinner.

It was a great way to end a perfect day. The ferry runs every half hour so we were able to catch one going back easily.

We took a Viator day trip to the ruins at Coba, a cenote, and then Tulum, which looking back, was too many activities to fit in one day. I don’t recommend the tour. I think Tulum and the cave would have been perfect. It was also terrible since we were picked up at 615am at our place, but then didn’t get to Coba until 11am. So there was allot of waiting. The tour was pretty rushed since we did not have much time at any of the places. Renting a car and doing it on our own would have been better, or taking a tour with less activities. I still enjoyed the sites, and learning more about the ancient Maya. Swimming in the cenote was also a great experience.

Coba is on the Yucatan peninsula, and is a great example of a late classical Mayan city with stelae that document Mayan ceremonial life. By the time the Spanish had arrived, the city had been abandoned. We took a tour of the ruins, and then climbed the ancient pyramid there, which is one of the only sites that lets you do this. It has a 130 steps that are narrow and steep. You feel amazing when you get to the top. Coming down is pretty scary…I had to walk down holding on to the rope, but I made it! I was pretty proud.

After that we took a tricycle ride back to the front entrance. I had mine race Ben-Hur style with my sister’s…I beat her pretty badly…you can see she was way behind me… We had time to grab a coconut, and watch some of the performers wearing Mayan costumes before heading to the cenote to go swimming. Climbing the pyramid makes Coba worth the trip there since that isn’t something you can do at Chichen Itza.

We swam at Tankach-Ha cenote. In case you were wondering, a cenote is a sinkhole where the bedrock collapsed and exposed that groundwater underneath. They had special significance to the Maya, and were used for sacrificial offerings. It was so refreshing to swim after hiking at Coba.

We only had about 50 minutes so I climbed down the stairs and made sure I got some swim time in. You can dive into the water as well if that is something you enjoy. We were on such a tight timeline that wetting my hair was not possible, so I could not partake in any diving.  After swimming, we headed to lunch (which was nothing special and included) then Tulum!

Tulum is the only ancient Mayan city that is on the coast. It was also one of the last cities built by the Maya, and was an important port. The walls protected the city from invaders, and it was a significant religious site. Tulum is so beautiful, and was the best part of the day. The beach there is amazing. The sun was shining and it was a hot day, but great for picture taking since the sky was an intense blue. The temple of the God of the Wind is right along the coast, and definitely a must see, along with the palace. Our guide took us around then left us to wander on our own. It was hard to leave, and we waited until the last second…I had to run to catch the bus before it left me. I am ashamed to admit that there is a Starbucks there that I visited. After a couple weeks of only hot coffee, it was nice to have an iced coffee.

Later, we got tacos and beer, and enjoyed dinner by the pool… I am not ashamed to admit that we lived off tacos. After an intense day of activities, we decided that we needed a pool/beach day to recover…