Since our last post, we made an uncharacteristically fast loop through the Yucatan peninsula. There was no special hurry, but weather conditions (tropical rains in the Palenque jungle), underwhelming Campeche and Merida, not-for-us Cancun and an appointment with a Land-Rover shop in Belize motivated us to move along.
The highlights of the Yucatan peninsula are without a doubt the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum (among many other, smaller or less accessible sites).
They are very accessible, in part restored and give a really remarkable insight into these sophisticated pre-colonial cultures.
Souvenir vendors are a pain, particularly in Chichen Itza ("cheaper than Walmart"), but that shouldn't keep anyone from visiting. Since the ticket both in Uxmal and Chichen Itza already includes the fee for the evening light & sound show, it's really a good plan to come the night before, enjoy the show and come back early the next day: the vendors will not have arrived yet, nor the busses from Cancun.
While Campeche and Merida certainly have their charm, it's hard to be impressed after visiting the rich colonial cities of central Mexico. We limited ourselves to stop-overs on our way to the ruins nearby.
After bypassing Acapulco, we were actually looking forward to exploring Cancun, the beach resort destination of spring-break fame.
It felt like Las Vegas on the beach: huge all-inclusive resorts have mushroomed all along the coast, leaving few undeveloped stretches. Some are very elegant, and, no doubt expensive. But all Mexican beaches are publicly accessible by law, allowing us to wander in awe through these mostly US American enclaves.
We found refuge in the few still relatively undeveloped spots further South, including a small bay near Akumal, where a natural reserve protects a reef and a population of giant turtles. The day just vanished while snorkeling in the bay, it's so much fun observing the grazing turtles, especially when they come up for air from time to time!
Sadly, the Mexican part of our trip has now come to an end. Sadly, because we really enjoyed this country, its people, its diverse cultures and languages, its landscapes, foods and drinks! We definitely recommend visiting Mexico - and taking your time doing it!
Entering Belize is not quite as much of a shock as crossing the US-Mexican border in Tijuana. But we have definitely arrived in the Caribbean now: people are extremely relaxed here, Bob Marley has replaced Che Guevara on t-shirts and graffiti, shops close at lunchtime, drums call locals and tourists to the watering holes in late afternoon.
It's not all pleasure through, we have an appointment with Graham Herbert at AdventureTrex in San Ignacio, near the Western border with Guatemala. Archie is due for a 40.000km inspection, which he passes with flying colors!
After the usual downtime updating the website, we'll head across to Guatemala, Tikal, and start our trek through Central America!
0 comment(s)