Mexico: Part 7: Chichen Itza andPlaya del Carmen

Made a stop at Chichen Itza before our final destination of Playa del Carmen. Explored the site for about two hours before continuing on. We arrived in Playa at about 9pm, exhausted and hungry.

Food, drink, shop, beach, drink. That pretty much sums of the last few days of my time in Mexico. After two weeks of constant "on the go" it was nice to have a few days to do nothing but relax. Never much of a beach bum I enjoyed soaking up the sun with a few "cool off" moments in the ocean.

Our farewell dinner was followed by a string of card games back at the hotel. We ventured out to The Blue Parrot shortly after midnight and some of us didn't end the evening until about 6-7am!

That morning after a few hours of sleep myself and some others took a bus to Cancun. Some of my travel buddies were moving on and I had to meet up with the new/next group of people. Because of the late night none of us were interested in making it a night out in Cancun. What I did see of Cancun I wasn't all that impressed. Why leave Playa?

The next two days were a mixture of hanging out with the old and new group. Still mostly beach time and I have a nice tan to show off.

Mexico: Part 6: Merida

Another night bus brought us to Merida. However, there was quite a commotion on this bus. A man had been drinking throughout the ride and was continuously snorting, coughing, clearing his throat, snoring, etc. For whatever reason after he had been kicked off he was allowed back on. Very few of us managed to sleep that night. 

The hotel we stayed in was pretty funky. Sculptures, paintings, murals, knick knacks, art was everywhere! The morning of our arrival Sylvie and I walked into town, took a few photos and then entered a clothing store. We then spent most of the afternoon shopping. An unusual activity for me while traveling but I had a lot of fun. Only bought a dress but had a great time trying on clothes. I returned to the hotel for a quick swim before meeting the group for dinner.

The next morning I visited the sites of  Uxmal and Kabah. Since a woman fell to her death a few years ago while climbing Uxmal the site was roped off. 

Later in the evening, shortly after dinner we stopped at a bar. A woman was giving Salsa lessons. Dom told the student he wanted to learn how to salsa and soon after a few of us were shown some basic steps. I had a good time learning the dance, curious if I'll have the opportunity to put my new found moves to the test.

Mexico: Part 5: Palenque

On our way to Palenque we stopped by two waterfalls, Aqua Azul and Misol Ha. Aqua Azul offered many swimming holes, many of which were crowded. Melanie, Stef, Gillian, Sylvie and I finally found a place further up the path that wasn't as crowded. The water was a welcome relief, from the bus ride and the intensity of the sun. After an hour of wading/swimming around we hopped back on the bus and within an hour we arrived at the next swimming hole. 

Misol Ha wasn't crowded. Not only was there a waterfall but we also explored part of the cave. Some of the guys found a good place to jump off of. I finally got up the nerve to give it a try myself. Getting to the jump off spot was more terrifying than the jump. The area was slippery and I needed some assistance with crossing the crevice. A few more minutes to rid myself of nerves and I finally jumped in. I was the only girl to do this- the females had to be represented by someone! (apparently I was the only one crazy enough to give it a try) I think the jump was only 10 meters high, if that.

Eventually we arrived at our hotel, set in the jungle. The next morning we toured the site of Palenque. An excellent guide showed us around for about 2-3 hours before we were given time to explore on our own. 

Mexico: Part 4: San Cristobal

An overnight bus brought us to San Cristobal. The night bus was a typical experience, sleeping on and off throughout the evening. After a quick nap at the hotel I ventured into the town. I viewed Santa Lucias Temple and then climbed the steps to Templo de San Cristobal. 

Next I walked over to La Merced, a church and former convent. An amber museum resides in the old convent. Several pieces; jewelry, small sculptures were displayed. 

I returned to the hotel to pick up a few things where I found out that the lock to our room didn't work. After several attempts to lock the door (by myself and the hotel staff) we were given a different room. With our stuff safely locked up Sylvie and I, joined by Gillian took a walk to the Mayan Medicine Museum.

Along the walk to the museum we passed by several markets. The museum is located in a more rundown section of town, dirt roads, shanty homes, etc.

The museum had a small exhibit, a garden with different plants and herbs explaining what healed which ailment. A video also showed a woman giving birth with the help of a midwife. 

The next day the majority of the group took a tour of Sumidero Canyon and the town of Chiapa de Corzo. The canyon offered splendid views, including a small chapel/shrine in the mountainside. The town we stopped by had little to offer but I enjoyed walking around. Photographed a very old tree, a crown- like structure with a fountain inside and saw a small exhibit by local artists.

Back in San Cristobal Sylvie and I walked around the town some more. We found interesting signs, doorways, and anything else we considered worthy of a photo. Our walk led us to the Blom House. Mr. Blom was an archeologist and his wife was a photographer, journalist and environmentalist. I could see myself living in this house and there are guesthouses on the property. A future stay? I fell in love with the garden, possibly a future hobby. There was so much to photograph I became dizzy. Touring this house was a pleasant surprise and quickly became one of my favorite places.

Interesting note: There was a display of artifacts from two seasons of Mr. Blom's archeological excavations. A student from the University at Albany archived records, photos, etc from these excavations for her doctoral thesis. Her advisor was none other than the professor I worked with during my field school in Belize. Talk about a small world! 

Mexico: Part 3: Oaxaca

We arrived in Oaxaca by 5pm on March 31st. During dinner our leader Demian bought some fried grasshoppers. I'm adventurous but not so much when it comes to trying something new to eat, let alone an insect. Some brave folks gave it a try and seemed to enjoy them. I'll let this one remain a mystery.

The next day I explored the town. Again I was asked a few questions about myself from two teenage girls. They were very giddy, nervous about having to speak English. After that encounter I saw a small exhibit on a few local artists.

I continued to walk around the town, viewing many churches including Santo Domingo. Very ornate and some renovation and reconstruction is taking place. After several hours of wandering around and taking photographs I decided to grab a bench in the park and read for awhile.

The next morning a few of us took a bus to Monte Alban. A small museum houses several artifacts and stelaes that were removed from the site for protection, replicas reside in their place. 18 skulls, all children were on display. It is unknown whether the children were sarificial victims or not.

Mexico: Part 2: Puebla

After our arrival in Puebla and a quick lunch we set out to Cholula.  

Cholula is known for having the largest pyramidal base in the world. Apparently the Spanish did not know this pyramid existed, they thought the hill would make a great location for a church.

During our tour of the site I noticed a few employees cleaning the site, I wondered, could I help? After we had finished exploring the archeological remains we walked up to the church: Santuario de la Virgen de los Remedios. From this viewpoint I counted six other churches in close proximity. I jokingly asked a friend how much sin could possibly exist in this small town. 

The next day myself and some fellow travelers walked around Puebla. We toured two other churches. One of the cathedrals has a 60 meter tower, however, to our disappointment the tower was closed. I'm not sure what this building is/used for but, for a second I felt like I was in Greece, the blue and white building reminded me of landscapes I've seen. Hmm, when will I make a visit to Greece?

A visit to a candy shop was another stop. Surprisingly I didn't sample any chocolate. I was waiting for some tortillas filled with meat and cheese from Taco Tony's- mmm.

Mexico: Part 1: Mexico City

On the 27th of march I arrived in Mexico City. Due to lack of sleep, (about 30 hours), I didn´t do anything upon my arrival. I entered my hotel room, showered, and only left to grab something to eat at a 7-11.

The next morning I was well rested and began to explore the city. After walking through Parque Alameda I continued on to Constitution Plaza. While photographing the plaza I was stopped by a young girl and her mother. The girl had an assignment; to ask a native English speaker a few questions. Simple questions were asked such as "where do you live", "do you like to travel", "do you like Mexico". I hope she received a good grade. I then walked over to Templo Mayor. A lot of this site has been destroyed or built on. The museum had a good collection of artifacts and excavation is still ongoing.

Later that evening I met with my tour leader and group. We had a delicious dinner and upon returning to the hotel I met my roommate, Sylvie from Switzerland.

The next morning a few of us went to Teotihuacan. We first stopped at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. A Combination of Aztec, Spanish and Mexican cultures. 

After touring the artists shop and sampling some Mezcal we finally began exploring Teotihuacan. An expansive site indeed. I had time to climb the Pyramid of the Sun, taller than the Pyramid of the Moon. So much to see and being a Sunday (Mexicans don't pay admission on Sundays) the place was extremely crowded. 

We stopped for lunch at none other than Teotihuacan Restaurant. Another great meal and entertainment was provided by two guitarists and two dancers.

We were driven over to the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. We viewed the temple from afar, toured the old basilica (lots of scalfolding), and the modern basilica. This place has now become the most visited site in the entire world. A shawl with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe brings millions of people to Mexico City every year. 

The current church was built in the 1970s and can hold 40,000 worshipers. I think the modern basilica is absolutely hideous, what an eyesore!