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Mexico Travel Diaries - Leg 10, Part II
Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Xel-Ha, Chichen Itza, Merida, Uxmal
Tulum
Just a short bus ride from Playa del Carmen is the picturesque Mayan ruin of Tulum. The Spanish conquistadors found the site around 1518 and were impressed by its architecture and beauty then; today it is still one of the most visually attractive archaeological sites in Mexico.
There site is situated at the edge of the Caribbean shores and features several interesting ruins and examples of Mayan architecture. The Castillo (Castle) is the tallest building and climbing it will give you excellent views across the archaeological centre. The other main buildings are the Templo de los Frescos which features partly restored murals, the Templo del Mar (Temple of the Sea) and the Templo del Viento (Temple of the Wind) – both which overlook the turquoise waters below.
Although the ruins at Tulum are not as spectacular as those at some other archaeological sites in Mexico, they do have one attraction that beats all of the others hands down: A magnetic vista out into Caribbean skies with clear turquoise waters lapping soft sandy beaches below.
The views at the edge of the archaeological site are quite spectacular and just these alone are worth the view. I wish that I had had more time to explore the town of Tulum and of course to relax and swim from the stunningly beautiful beaches below: but alas, having to leave before you may want to is one of the disadvantages of going on an organized tour and another destination that gets put on my list of events to experience again later.
Xel-Ha National Park
The tour bus arrived at the water park of Xel-Ha (which means “the place where water is born”) around 1pm. We were given just under four hours here, which had to include time for lunch, the main meal of the day in Mexico. I had paid an “all inclusive” price which meant that my food, locker and snorkeling equipment were all included.
Xel-Ha is a national park which has been converted into a water theme park built around a collection of natural lagoons and inlets. The park offers a range of water activities, primarily based around snorkeling, although you can also float down the river in a ring, dive under water without tanks (they connect hoses to a helmet) and swim with dolphins (this costs extra and space is limited, so arrive early if you want to do this). There are also five restaurants and a bar which you can eat and drink at free if you paid the all-inclusive price.
Given the limited time available, I acquired my locker, left the bulk of my things in it and walked to the head of the river. I enjoyed floating and swimming down the river and into the main inlet using my snorkeling equipment to view the various fish and sea life under the water.
If I went back to Xel-Ha, I would get their early and spend the whole day at the park. By the time I had swam down the river and eaten lunch, it was time to go. I didn’t get a chance to use the other facilities, relax in one of the hammocks they have hung between palm trees or enjoy a drink at the bar. Xel-Ha is fun, but to get the most for your money (it’s not cheap) you need to be there first thing in the morning and make a day of it.
Final Day in Playa del Carmen
I spent my last day in Playa exploring the town center and the beaches to the north. I went to the bus station on the corner of Avenida 5 and Calle Juarez to check out schedules for buses to Chichen Itza; my next destination on this leg. The streets were quite busy, although I spoke to one of the blokes selling tours at a booth who was less than happy, “It’s a bit slow” he remarked, “It’s supposed to be the start of the high season, but things are a bit quiet” he continued “It should certainly pick up next month, though”.
Playa is evolving. It’s becoming more commercial, but not like Cancun. The shops which once sold any old crafts are now developing into high quality boutiques, selling only hand-crafted works, often original pieces to discerning clients. Shop fronts and restaurants are being re-modeled using a variety of traditional building methods and materials such as palm leaves for roofing; the streets themselves are being re-paved with artistic tile bricks, not tarmac.
Whole areas are being closed off to traffic; shiny recycling bins, like the ones they have in Europe, are sprouting up: glass, paper and metal in three separate sections of the container. Restaurants are evolving too: serving traditional Mayan dishes alongside authentic Mexican favorites: you can still eat Big Macs here if you must, but you don’t have to: Playa’s restaurant scene is raising its game.
Although Playa is growing, there are strict controls on development here and the town centre will be preserved. The town will get bigger and the atmosphere will likely change in years to come, but today it provides a refreshing alternative to Cancun’s manufactured resort style.
Chichen Itza
There was only one bus daily from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza: it left at 730am from the ADO bus station on the corner of Juarez and 5th Avenue. It’s billed as a “direct first class” bus, although it makes scheduled stops at Tulum, Coba and Valladolid before it gets to Chichen Itza - three and a half hours later. The only other way to get to Chichen is to take an organized tour or rent a car; it’s about 170Km away from Playa.
Many people make a day trip to Chichen Itza from Cancun or Playa del Carmen as part of organized tours and then leave in the evening. This makes the park very busy between 10am and 4pm. When I arrived, there was row upon row of tour buses parked outside the park.
I was not going to stay in Chichen Itza as part of my planned itinerary for the journey, but having stayed here overnight I am so pleased that I changed my mind. I arrived at the Hotel Mayaland which is right next to the archaeological park. The hotel comprises of a main building surrounded by extensive gardens, scattered within these are a series of bungalows; each with traditional thatched roofs.
The bungalows are brilliant. The ceilings are tall and the windows are open but for mosquito netting and wooden blinds that you can twist closed for privacy or, if you want to, use the air conditioner to cool the whole place down. I found that the ceiling fan was perfectly adequate, because with airflow running between the open windows, the rooms are cool anyway.
The weather outside is hot and sultry: real jungle weather. I change into a cooler outfit and stroll back through the gardens to the open air restaurant where a buffet lunch is being served. Tour groups arrive at the hotel around mid-afternoon to eat; some people stay overnight. The food is excellent and the choice is varied; all tastes and are catered for. A live band and local dancers are providing entertainment for the luncheon guests, the majority of which are American and European.
At 3pm the high heat of the afternoon begins to dwindle, and I wander out of the hotel, turn right and enter the archaeological park about 50m down an adjoining pathway. I’ve decided that I will make two visits to the park: one today and another tomorrow morning, just as the gates open and before the day tourists get here.
Chichen Itza is Mexico’s most visited and most extensively restored archaeological park. The site is divided into two – Chichen Nuevo (New Chichen) and Chichen Viejo (Old Chichen). Chichen Viejo is the older, undeveloped area which is still being excavated in places. You can take a horseback ride through Old Chichen as I did – read on.
The ruins are impressive: Although there are a lot of people here; the vast size of the complex means that you never feel enclosed. I walked up to the top of the main pyramid: all 92 steps. It’s steeper than it looks in the pictures; I guessed it’s about a 70 degree angle. Going up is relatively easy; if you get tired you can stop and take in the views. The building at the top of the pyramid is fun to walk into and around and it provides shelter from the intense sun, but other than that, I saw nothing inside of particular interest. The walk down was interesting. Even if you are remotely adverse to heights, looking forwards and outward can make you dizzy. To overcome this problem (which I suffer from) I found that walking down sideways with one hand on some steps above learning inwards and looking down at your feet does the trick. Many people end up going down on their bottom, but this is excruciatingly slow in comparison.
I managed to get some decent photos of the structures around the site which, by late afternoon, had emptied out as the tour bus people left the park to return back to their beachside hotels in Cancun, Playa and surrounds. I also got to see most of park’s main structures and to get a good idea of where everything was, so I could come back and see some things again tomorrow morning.
After an early start today, a long bus ride and a couple of hours of walking around the archaeological park in the heat, I am tired. I am tempted to put my swimming gear on and jump into the crystal blue waters of one of the Mayaland’s 3 pools; when I get back to my bungalow I fall asleep on the hammock hanging on the terrace outside my bungalow, under the cool breeze provided by the outdoor ceiling fan. On reflection, I should have jumped into the pool first, but the afternoon siesta set me up nicely for the evening.
At night, with the day-trippers out of the way, the atmosphere changes, as it does in so many of Mexico’s day-tourist resorts. It’s another good reason to stay over: you can sense the area in a more natural state. Dinner at the Mayaland is served outdoors on the courtyard terrace, surrounded by the flora and fauna of the gardens. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed: a change from the earlier buzz and activity at lunchtime.
The sound of birds, crickets and the feint sound of water trickling from the center-piece fountain fill the air of the courtyard where families, couples and a couple of small groups of people have gathered to enjoy the food, drink and companionship. A trio of guitar players appears and moves from table to table playing requests for small tips: the music polishes off the perfect atmosphere of Mexican food, drink and culture. I look up and see a lady leaning over the balcony of her room above, soaking up some of the atmosphere in the courtyard. The couple next to my table rise to dance slowly together as the trio plays a traditional Mexican love ballad.
I wake up early to hear a choir of birds and crickets outside. My first feeling of the day: What a brilliant way to wake up in the morning – in the middle of a jungle chorus.
I want to get to the archaeological park just before 8am when the doors open. At five minutes past eight (this is Mexico!) a man trundles up on a bicycle with a box under his arm. He opens the ticket booth and the gate and by 810am I am walking around the park. The morning air is cool and refreshing; the birds are still singing and some of the crickets haven’t worn their legs out yet. The archaeological park only has a few people in it: perfect for pictures.
I go to the ballpark -- the largest ballpark in Mesoamerica -- and find it deserted; yesterday tour groups and people were everywhere. I clap my hands to hear the phonics: the clap echoes off the walls and end buildings perfectly. Apparently, if one person stands at each end, they can carry on a conversation quite easily, despite being 90m apart. Later in the morning I meet up with Jose, for a horse ride through Old Chichen.
The horse rides are exclusive to the Mayaland hotel and for just $400 pesos ($480 pesos if you want a professional tour guide to go with you) you can ride on horseback through a trail of Old Chichen. I have never ridden a horse before in my life but, Pancho, my horse, is calm and after about 30 minutes I get used to the idea of being a couple of meters up in the air and build up the confidence to get the horse galloping.
The tour is 6km long (round trip) and includes views of caves, as well as glimpses into areas of the park as yet unopened to the public: archaeologists are currently restoring whole sections of this area to extend the Chichen experience for all visitors. The new works include some new temples including the important Temple of Fertility. If you take the tour very early in the morning, you have a chance to see some of the 650 species of birds that live in this area.
Besides the excellent experience of riding a horse for the first time, the horseback ride tour also enabled me to gain a unique and fascinating experience into a hidden world of the Maya in its original uncovered state before the ruins are eventually excavated and restored by archaeologists.
Merida
There are “super express” buses running all day long from Chichen Itza to Merida. The taxi driver who took me from the Hotel Mayaland to the principal entrance of Chichen Itza archaeological park (about 4Km, charging MX$60 – the official rate) offered to take me to Merida for MX$500 pesos; I decided to take the bus and paid just MX$62 pesos. The bus takes about an hour-and-a-half and only makes 1 stop - on the west side of Merida City - in case there are any passengers on board who want to get off there.
There are 3 bus stations in Merida, the first class station, the second class station across the road and a third “extra local” station a few blocks away from these two. The first class bus station is large and clean; as I walk in my skin is cooled by a farm of ventilators whirring happily from its ceiling.
Merida is known as the “white city”; it’s also the Capital City of the State of Yucatan, famous for its rich Mayan history and of course the archaeological sites. Because of the large peninsula on Mexico’s southern region, Merida is actually a few degrees further north than the nation’s Capital, even though people in Mexico City talk of travelling “south” to Merida. It’s difficult to get lost in Merida itself; the city is laid out in a grid: even numbered streets run north-south; odd numbers east-west.
It’s coming up to the Carnival season when I arrive, and the streets are full with people and activity. The traffic around the Zocalo (main plaza) is the busiest I have seen, relatively speaking, since Mexico City… this may be the carnival effect though.
The heat is penetrating. Someone said that it’s 38 degrees centigrade outside; I can’t see a thermometer anywhere, but it certainly does feel like it. My taxi drops me at the Hotel Caribe which is about 10 blocks from the bus station and charges me MX$30 pesos. It is remarkable how inconsistent taxi prices are in Mexico – even in the same State or region – ranging from reasonable to outrageous. Merida is certainly not an expensive city to get around in by taxi, thanks to the local government’s fair charge system: all taxis have a coloured disc on the windscreen to show zones and charge official rates depending on the distance.
The Hotel Caribe is situated just behind the city’s Cathedral, tucked away inside the small but charismatic Plaza Hidalgo. The location is perfect: just a stone’s throw away from the main plaza and all of the main attractions in Merida’s city centre. I go outside to explore the locality and to find somewhere to cash a traveller’s cheque. The banks are closed, and the local currency exchange houses are offering unattractive rates tonight, so I leave it to tomorrow; I’m not completely insolvent yet.
The Hotel Caribe is a charming authentic colonial building converted into a hotel. There are a couple of restaurants and a bar downstairs. The restaurants serve traditional Mexican and Yucateca food which is good and prices are very realistic. The courtyard features a beautiful fountain and the corridors which are handsomely tiled offer comfortable soft furnishings where people sit, recline, relax and converse or read.
The city is alive with people; buzzing with commercial activity as market stalls on the main plaza sell everything from handicrafts to an evening meal. The flag in the middle of the square is being drawn down to a pomp and ceremony provided by the local military; its band playing the Mexican National Anthem. Local people stand around the circular platform in the middle of the plaza with their hands out flat against their heart; much the same as Americans do when the Pledge of Allegiance is being narrated. After the ceremony is finished, the crowds disperse and the market stall attendants are back in action.
If there is one thing you should buy in Merida it’s a hammock; they make them here – and many of the hammocks you’ll buy in Mexico will have originated in Yucatan. Here’s the advice I was given: You can buy a cheap hammock made from nylon with a “wide weave” – that is, the holes are big when you stretch it horizontally. These are very uncomfortable. If you really want something you can sleep in, you need to make sure the weave is tight. Depending on how much you want to spend, cotton hammocks are okay, but the best are the ones made from cactus string – they’re also the most expensive. I was given a demonstration of all three and it’s quite true – the closer the weave, the more comfortable I was; and the cactus string material was without question, the best. The nylon ones felt like I was laying on electric cable in comparison.
The next morning I begin my exploratory tour of Merida, Yucatan’s Capital City. The Plaza Mayor is great garden and central focus point. It features these nifty stone chairs that are shaped so that two people can sit facing each other to enjoy a conversation. Trees provide shade from the heat, which by 1030am is already beating down intensely upon the city.
The central plaza is dominated by the Catedral de San Idelfonso; it’s not the most striking cathedral I have seen in Mexico, but its size is immediately apparent when you arrive at the main square. The Municipal Palace is on the opposite side of the square while the Government Palace, which looks okay on the outside but is stunningly attractive inside, features some wonderful paintings and murals that depict Yucatan’s rich Mayan history. It’s fascinating to compare these with the murals and paintings in Government Palaces in central and north Mexico, where it is the Aztec indigenous cultures that feature.
On the south side of the Plaza is the Casa de Montejo which locals sometimes refer to as the “Palacio de Montejo”. It was a private home, inhabited by the descendents of its creator (and Merida’s founder), Francisco de Montejo until 1980. Most of the building is closed to the public; today it’s a working bank branch for Banamex. I noticed that they were offering the best rate I had seen in town for selling US Dollar traveller’s cheques, so passing through I took care of that little chore.
The “White City” title that Merida has, derives from the stately homes and mansions that adorn the sides of Paseo Montejo (situated about 10 blocks north of the centre - take a taxi or bus), standing opulently in gleaming white stone. The Paseo de Montejo is a tree-lined boulevard, which was supposed to be as grand as Mexico City’s “Avenida Reforma”. There are still some private homes along here, although many of the buildings have been turned into banks, offices and one of the most majestic buildings is now home to Yucatan’s museum of Anthropology. When I arrived, the wide pavements were being taken over by tents and marquees getting ready to serve thousands of people who will fill these streets for the start of the carnival processions tonight; beginning with the Children’s procession.
Later in the afternoon, I arrive back at the Hotel Caribe, hot, sweating an exhausted after a full day exploring the city under the immense heat here. My room on the third floor is simple, comfortable and very functional; everything I need is there, including a direct-dial telephone. The best thing about being on the third floor is that the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool and terrace is just around the corner from my room! There is no better way to cool off in the late afternoon in Merida than by jumping into a refreshing pool of water. The air temperature is thirty-something degrees, but as I sunk into the pool, my whole body felt alive and refreshed again; the perfect tonic to prepare for an evening’s activities.
The Carnival takes places every year, and although the dates vary, it usually ends on Ash Wednesday. Each weeknight during the carnival has a theme; school’s and shops close, everyone parties to the early hours. I was there for the first event, the Children’s Procession. For the next few days there will be loads of other processions, bands, music, dancing and partying. Merida is a lively place at the quietest times; during Carnival week the city moves into celebratory overdrive.
After breakfast at the hotel the next morning, I take a taxi from the cab stand just off the square outside the hotel to the bus station for my ride to the next stop: the Archaeological site Uxmal.
Uxmal
Most of the buses to Uxmal (pronounced "Oosh-Mahl") from Merida cater for the day-trippers and offer round-trip fares. I took at 9am bus from the second-class bus station to Uxmal, but could not get any reliable information about bus times to get back to Merida the next morning! Most of the buses that leave Uxmal for Merida leave in the afternoon (taking the day-trippers back) – I wanted to stay overnight at a hotel next to the archaeological site and had to get back to Merida the next morning to connect to a bus to Cancun for my flight to Mexico City tomorrow night. For a moment, I wished I had rented a car, but then decided to let fate takes its course. I jumped on the bus and an hour-and-a-half later I was at Uxmal.
Uxmal is the best known of several important Maya sites on what is known as the “Ruta Puuc” (Puuc Route). Although there is a tour bus from Merida that stops at all of the main Puuc Archaelogical sites in the area, hotels in the vicinity of Uxmal make it an excellent base to do your own exploring, which is much more rewarding than a whistle-stop day-tour.
Mayaland, the owners of the fine hotel in Chichen Itza, also manage a couple of hotels next to the Uxmal archaeological centre. The closest one to the entrance is the The Lodge at Uxmal which is where I’m staying. The accommodation is identical in style and quality to that at the sister Mayaland hotel in Chichen Itza (read report); and the hotel’s 2 pools provide refreshing respite to the intense heat that builds up here during the day.
After arriving at Uxmal, I make enquiries about getting back to Merida tomorrow morning. Someone tells me that there may be a bus around 930am; I have to walk about 100 metres back to the main highway to wait for it there. The hotel offers me a taxi ride for the equivalent of US$60.
The first thing you see as you walk into Uxmal is the Magician’s Pyramid. It’s looks rather plain from behind, which is what you tend to see first as you walk into the park, but the other side is quite something. I decided to take a circular walk around the park in a clock-wise direction. The pathway takes me up onto a higher level of the site where the impressive Governor’s Palace rises into the sky; behind this the Great Pyramid (it’s smaller than the Magician’s Pyramid, but offers good views across the park).
The Ballpark (Juego de Pelota) is nowhere near a big or impressive as the one in Chichen Itza, but it does provide an interesting contrast, and shows how important the ball park at Chichen Itza must have been, to be of the size it is.
The Quandrangulo de Las Monjas (Nun’s Quadrangle) is made up of four spectacular buildings that create a central plaza; it’s also the area where the light and sound show takes place in the evenings.
The front side of the Magician’s Pyramid is visible from here, with access to its courtyard available from the front out-side of the Nun's Quadrangle. You can normally climb the pyramid, but it is currently undergoing restoration. The steps are quite small and extremely steep; significantly steeper than Chichen Itza perhaps by 10 or 15 degrees, so any climbers will want to wear good climbing shoes and have a head for heights. I’m sure the views from up there must be spectacular.
After wandering around the site for about three and a half hours, I go back to the hotel which is just a one-minute minute walk from the site’s principal entrance. My digital camera’s memory chip is full, so I download the Uxmal pictures to my PC and put the camera back on charge, ready for the next round pf photographs. It’s swelteringly hot, so I walk down to the hotel’s pool and enjoy a refreshing swim. As the temperature cools in the afternoon, I spend an hour or so resting by the pool in the sunshine along with several other hotel guests who have had the same idea.
Besides being able to cool off immediately after a day in the park, staying at Uxmal meant that I was able to see the archaeological ruins earlier in the morning and later in the day when the day-trippers had gone and it was also very convenient for the sound and light show which both Chichen Itza and Uxmal present each evening.
I attended the light and sound show at Uxmal, and although it was okay, I feel that the organisers could have done more with it. It’s interesting to see the ruins lit up at night; they give a different perspective of the ruins. The multi-coloured lights, music and a narration based on hypothetical history of Uxmal itself made for a mildly entertaining, but by no means memorable, 45 minutes. Mexico and the Mexican people are so creative and innovative with art that I was disappointed with the show; I sincerely feel that there is potential here for a much better spectacle. I did ear-wig for ad-hoc comments made by other people as we left the centre; and the verdict was mixed.
Uxmal is the most popular, but by no means the only archaeological centre in this area worth seeing. It is part of a collection of sites that includes Kabah, Sayil, Labna, Oxkutzcab, Ticul, Mani and Mayapan.
Of all of the Archaeological sites I have visited on this journey, Uxmal is without doubt my favourite; for me it was the most pleasing of the sites and also the most interesting to visit. The site has a unique and inviting feel to it that the others lack. It's not as crowded as Chichen Itza (possibly because of its location further away from Cancun) and this helps, but besides the aesthetics, I thought that Uxmal was indeed the most fascinating ancient city I have visited in Mexico; so much so that I have been inspired to go back and explore the other important sites nearby Uxmal and Merida in the near future.
After breakfast at the hotel’s large open-air restaurant in the morning, I packed my bags and began my hundred metre walk to the main highway that connects Merida and Campeche (Uxmal sits on the side of the highway in-between these two cities) to wait for a bus that might pass by. There is a blue sign just outside the Hacienda Uxmal (the other one of the two Mayaland Hotels at Uxmal) with a bus on it depicting a bus stop, so I thought that there must be regular buses travelling past.
As fate would have it, five minutes after setting down my bags and waiting patiently, a car pulls out of the side road which leads up from the Uxmal archaeological centre. The driver slows to a stop and asks me in Spanish if I am going to Merida. “Yes please” I remark putting my rucksack and hand luggage on the back seat. The man who kindly stopped to offer me a much-needed ride is an American bloke with strong connections in Europe. Among other occupations, he writes articles for various newspapers and magazines, and is currently in Yucatan investigating the area for an article he’s putting together. I enjoy one of the most insightful and interesting conversations for the hour-or-so ride from Uxmal to Merida. All too quickly it seems we have arrived; I exchange business cards just before hopping out at a red light in Merida where I must find a bus to get me to Cancun for a flight to Mexico City, and my new friend must get to an appointment he’s late for… but he’s in Mexico, where time and events are elastic.
All of the buses to Cancun are full – the next one leaves at 4:15pm” the lady at the counter hails to a group of expecting travellers – I’m one of them. “What about the luxury line?” asks someone standing next to me, who’s referring to UNO, the more expensive buses with only 24 seats on board. “Four-thirty” replies the woman. I look up at the schedules and see that the UNO line has a two-fifteen service advertised also. I need to be at Cancun’s airport no later than 7pm and it takes four hours to get from Merida to Cancun. Four-o’clock is no good.
As the group of people around me disperse, I walk up to the counter and ask the lady, “are there any seats left on the UNO service at two-fifteen?”. Expecting a no, she punches some of the keys on the keyboard. “How many people?” she asks. Just one.
A seat map appears on the screen in front of us; all the seats are taken – except one. “I’ll take it”.
The bus pulls into Cancun’s bus station four minutes ahead of schedule at 6:11pm. By 6:35 I have made it to the airport for my 7:30 flight back to my base in Mexico City.