ALUSOARE - Mexico

10 days in the Yucatan Peninsula

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 23:00:00 GMT

I will start by saying, I have finally made it to Mexico. Although it was not my top list destination, it was my sister's for years and so after reading a lot about safety, I have finally decided to go for it, and so glad I did!

As (stupid me) was unaware of this, I will start with a tiny bit of geographical information.
First of all, the Yucatan Peninsula is in the east of Mexico, right above Belize & Guatemala. This I knew :). What I did not know is that Yucatan & Yucatan Peninsula are 2 different things. Basically the Yucatan Peninsula is formed out of 3 districts:

Yucatan - with the capital in Merida
Quintana Roo - with the capital in Chetumal
Campeche - with the capital in Campeche

Now that this was settled and we know where we are travelling to, I want to also clarify the the term of Riviera Maya, as you might hear references to it :)

Riviera Maya = "It straddles the coastal Federal Highway 307, along the Caribbean coastline of the state of Quintana Roo, located in the eastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula. Historically, this district started at the city of Playa del Carmen and ended at the village of Tulum, although the towns of Puerto Morelos, situated to the north of Playa del Carmen, as well as the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, situated 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the south of Tulum, are both currently being promoted as part of the Riviera Maya tourist corridor." (Source)

Getting there

You will most likely arrive at Cancun Airport. I will take a few minutes from your time to give you some peculiar details of this airport.

Things that I wondered before arriving:
1. they do have WiFi in the Airport is sort of powered by Google or something like this. It's not very good or stable, but it works.
2. There is a free shuttle bus between terminals, I saw it, but did not take it (as an ADO driver gave me a lift :))

Waiting for someone at Cancun Airport:
I arrived in T4 and got to T3 (ADO driver drove me to T2, then walked to T3) to wait for my sister.
When I got to T3, I was not allowed to go and wait for her at arrivals, there seems to be no actual arrivals hall area like in other airports.
Her view: when she would arrive, she would go out and end up where the buses/taxis are
My view: I was on the side, close to departures, and was not allowed to go where the taxis were (at her arrival location).
Basically that meant 2 things:
1. I had to stay put to try to spot her when I would see her arriving, yell for her to come on the side where I was (My voice is not very loud)
2. we had no real transport option except of what they would want us to use.
I wanted to book ADO, but they said that there are no spaces available, of course not true, but I could not reach on my own the ADO (there might have been an option, but it was night and if you don't know the airport not easy to move around) so my only option was to take a taxi. They ask 2800 pesos for a taxi to Playa del Carmen which I think is outrageous, but anyway we ended up paying 100 Euro (approx 2050MXN)

Itinerary

I used 3 main locations as accommodations and from there we arranged what to do & see
1. Playa del Carmen - 3 nights
Day 1 - Visit Playa del Carmen + Beach
Day 2 - Day trip: Chinchen Itza + Ik Kil cenote + Coba
Day 3 - Visit Playa del Carmen + Trip to Merida
2. Merida
Day 1 - Day trip to Izamal
Day 2 - Day trip to Uxmal & Celestun
Day 3 - Visit Merida
Day 4 - Trip to Tulum
3. Tulum
Day 1 - Tulum Ruins + Beach
Day 2 - Gran Cenote + Beach
Day 3 - Trip to Cancun Airport
I will detailed everything in separate posts so that I don't make this one too long.

Useful Contacts

Agency we used: Condor
â€‹Contact name: Andres de la Mora
E-mail: andresfco7@hotmail.com
Phone Number: +52 1 998 214 9009
They have several Tours in a 12 persons van. The driver is also a guide.

Private driver option:
The driver from Condor (Delio) gave us the phone number of his brother (Luis Aguilar) who is located in Merida, so if you need private transport around that area you can give him a call. He has both a regular car and a van.
Phone Number: +52 1 999 470 1118
If you need transport around Cancun you can ask Luis for Delio's number - he is based in Cancun.

Safety

It felt safe at all times in all places we've been. That highlighting that we were 2 girls and used our iPhone/photo camera etc without stress or problems. We did not stay late into the night, but I don't think that would have been a problem. The only safety concern I had was in Tulum due to stray dogs (and I am super afraid of dogs).
To also add, one of the drivers we had also highlighted, that in this area of Mexico you can see people everywhere with their phones out as it's safe but this is not the case all over Mexico

(Public) Transport

ADO is a company that provides decent/good quality transport in between cities. Thus for longer distances I can only recommend them. They have different quality services, with ADO Platinum being the luxury version and those ones are super comfortable (Website)
Oriente - second class of ADO - they have no toilet and are quite old
Drivers on both ADO & Oriente seemed to be experienced & professional people
Collectivos - we did not use them, but are small vans that you can basically stop almost everywhere to go to your next location (if you are on their route)
Taxis - are safe to use, make sure you agree the price when you go in the taxi, they have no meters. To ensure you get a fair price ask your hotel on how much such a trip would be
Bicycle - In Tulum going around with a bicycle is very common especially if your hotel will be in Tulum Pueblo and not in Tulum Zona Hotelera

Packing List

I will actually not type a packing list as the climate is not that difficult, but make sure you have comfortable-summer cloths + swim wear. If available, have your snorkeling equipment and water shoes as well. Check the weather before, and potential pack in a rain-jacket.

Plugs: Type A & Type B

Basically they use the same type of Plugs as in the US. If coming from a country with different type of plugs, don't forget your adapter

Language

Spanish, of course. But a lot of people speak also English especially if you stick around Cancun/Playa del Carmen. If you go deeper, this is less the case.

2 days in Tulum

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 23:00:00 GMT

I have mixed feelings about this place, BUT it is absolutely gorgeous and despite the negatives, I would go back.

As always, I will share the good and the bad with you about this insta perfect type of location.

Getting there

Unless you have a car, you'll be most probably get here by ADO bus. We took ours from Merida.

Accommodation

This is a tricky one as Tulum is sort of split between 2 parts. Tulum village and Tulum Zona Hotelera. We decided to stay in Tulum Vilage @Xscape Tulum, which is a nice place and has a good quality price.

Below I put some pros and cons of the 2 areas where you can stay:

Tlum Village
- close to ADO bus terminal
- cheaper prices
- cheap restaurants with good food
- you need a bicycle/taxi to go to the Gran Cenote, Zona Archeologica & the beach

Tulum Zona Hotelera
- almost everything is insta-perfect
- shops sell items in US dollars
- high-end restaurants, with good quality art food (with the equivalent price tag)
- expensive hotels
- Zona Archelogica can be accessed by bicycle or taxi

Other Admin's/Info

-bike: If you want to make things easier and faster for you to access you need to rent a bike. If possible rent it at your hotel as you most probably won't need to pay a deposit.
- stray dogs: if like me you are afraid of stray dogs, there are quite a few in Tulum village. They looked very lazy and tired from the sun, but keep an eye on them
- grand cenote: although from Tulum Village a lot of people recommended to go by bike, I decided against it as you are acutely cycling on the road to Coba and it felt unsafe to me
- ADO bus to airport: this is for sure not the case all the times, but take some extra time that you would normally take for going to the airport. If here is any accident along the way you have the risk to miss your plane (and that's no fun). the problem comes as the emergency line is not kept as an emergency line and police/fire-brigade/ambulances can't pass fast would there be a need

Now, to make the long story short, below our itinerary and how we spent our 2 days & 1 night in Tulum

Day 0 - Night 1

We arrived late and so there was only time for dinner. Based on recommendations from both what we could find online as well as received from the hotel, we decided to have dinner at El Camello Junior. We had mixed octopus - shrimp cevice and it was delicious

Day 1

Breakfast at Hub Ku

The place was very close to our hotel and as we read good reviews about it we decided to try it out. For sure nice, with good food and coffee, my favorite part was the way it all looked. :)

Tulum Ruins

Some will think that I am like a broken toy, but go there early & mainly for 2 reasons. One less crowds and second to avoid the heat. We arrived there just before 9 and there were already quite some people. Probably the best way to get there is by bike.

Entrance Prices & Schedule

The ticket is 80 pesos for foreigners to be paid cash
Program is 8:00 - 17:00 (you can buy tickets till 16:30)
Sunday's Mexicals can enter for free with their ID, take this into account when planning visiting Tulum Ruins.

History of Tulum Ruins

Tulum was a seaport, trading mainly in turquoise and jade - pretty cool, right? Tulum means wall in Maya, but, the town's original name, Zama translates into "place of the dawning sun."

"Although inscriptions dating from the 6th century have been found, most of the constructions were built around the year 1200, at which time Tulum reached its peak." (source)

The Castle of Tulum
"The Castle is an imposing building right on the Caribbean Sea shore, whose limestone walls rise above sea level. With a natural rocky ground 12 meters high that serves as its base, it's an ideal point to see the ocean. Although, its function would not be so much of a watch tower, but as a guide for navigators, in other words, it served as a beacon or light house only for friendly ships. Tulum's coast is protected by a very long coral reef that was an obstacle for sailors that didn't know Tulum's secret passage. That's why the Mayans sailed out to sea in parallel, and when they arrived at a perpendicular line to the Castle of Tulum, they turned towards the shore through a narrow path from where they could access the coast." (Source)

Playa Ruinas

From the ruins you can normally go down on the beach via some stairs, on the day I went the access was closed, which on one hand I was happy about as it provided the perfect opportunity of people-less photos

Exploring the Caribbean Beaches

So this is a sort of a perfect beach - gorgeous 50 shades of turquoise water with wide white sand beach. It's a dream. The other point is that it's very long so despite getting crowded here and there you'll find a spot where there are not that many people.

Playa Paraiso

As a beach, I don't think it's better than the ones before or after it, but it is for sure more packed. For this I would recommend not to stay there. Also if you want to rent sun beds they are more expensive than at some neighbor locations.

! Important: The law in Mexico says (at least by 2020) that you are not obliged to pay any tip/service fees. Thus you can kindly refuse to pay or pay a different amount than requested.
It happened to as to be obliged to pay, but at the moment you state that in Mexico there is no such obligations then they pull back and agree with you instantly.
You can tip in MX if you like the service 5% - 10% - 15%.

Zona Hotelera - Insta Spots

Basically the Zona Hotelera is a stretch along the sea packed with expensive hotels. There might be cheap options here and there but for sure not too many. The great part of this is that a lot of these hotels are very artsy and look very Coachella-like or Insta-Perfect, which is nice. The down-side is that boutiques around are ultra expensive (USD prices) and also the restaurants are not that cheap

Azulik

The great-grandson of art collector Peggy Guggenheim has opened a gallery, Ik Lab, within the luxurious eco-friendly Azulik resort. When I went there in Jan it was closed and they could not confirm when it will re-open.
If you want to watch the sunset from their hotel, you have a 50 USD (approx) minimum consumption requirement which you pay at the beginning

Ahau

The entrance to Ahau is taken over by the massing sculpture of the South African artist Daniel Popper.

"Ven a la Luz (come into the light), and is comprised of wood and rope formed into a female figure. Her torso is filled with lush green plants, which creates an archway for viewers to walk through." (Source)

Follow that dream sign

You can find it next to Lolita Lolita Tulum, not far from Ahau

KENiZA

If you like streetart some nice ones by @senkoeone you can find at KENiZA Beach hotel

I Scream (Ice Cream)

They used to have a blue small cute motorcycle, not there anymore, but you can still try their Sugar Free, Dairy Free, "Almost Free" - Vegan ice cream. It's 90 pesos a ball, but very good.

I don't remember the name of the place, but right across from it, there are 2 palms on top of each other.

Stay Present & embrace the mystery sign

Dinner at Burrito Amor

We ate at Burrito Amor in the evening. Good food and nice atmosphere.

Day 2

Gran Cenote

Gran Cenote is one of the most visited cenotes next to Tulum. It opens at 8:10 and closes at 17:00. The entrace is 100 pesos. And the difficult part to all of it you need to shower before and if it's cold, it's not easy to take a shower with cold water, trust me.

It's for sure not as pretty as other cenotes, but if you are there early there is quite some space to swim around.

There's also some caves to explore and it's interesting to see some Stalactite.

Casa Malca - former Pablo Escobar mention

This is far from being my thing, but my sister got it recommended and as a mini insta queen that she is, we had to go.

Getting there is quite far, so either you enjoy your bicycle a lot, or get a taxi. You need to pay 1000 pesos per person a the entrance and now it's tricky: the lady who took the money said you can use all facilities at the hotel (sun-beds, bathrooms, pool) and consume of those 1000 pesos.

So we arrived, there was almost non-one (more people came throughout the day) and you get a sun-bed (oh, I missed so much laying on the sand in this trip) and a menu. A Margarita was 280 pesos which is approx 14 Euro! That's expensive even for Europe!

After some time enjoying the sun, we took some pictures of the hotel with all the fancy/artsy decoration.

There is also a room pained by Keith Haring - nice

and here some other cool elements they have around

well, we ordered a bit of food and some extra cocktails, reaching 1940 pesos when the guy serving us, came buy to inform us that we over-spent. And i have some mathematics knowledge plus today your phone can do the math and things were not adding up. So we asked the guy to bring us the bill and there it was 15% service fee. When we asked what that is he said that it's requested by the hotel. I ended up talking to the manager of the manager to get that out of the bill. I don't like the way this is done especially at such "fancy location". I believe that the price of the cocktails already includes the tip more than enough (you can call me cheap if you want. Living in Belgium, you leave tip where the service is great and you leave 2 euro not 10. - I do make exceptions in US or where I know that this is really a need compared to the economy.

Souvenirs

Unfortunately, the quality/price of souvenirs is not the best, but you can buy loads of Dream Catcher, bracelets or other elements out of beads or dia de los muertos type of heads/figurines.
I tried out some hats :)

What to do and see in Merida, Yucatan

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 23:00:00 GMT

Merida is the capital of Yucatan district and a good point for several day trips in it's close proximity. This is why I decided to use it as a second accommodation in my trip around the Yucatan Peninsula

Now there are some things that I would do no differently for a potentially enhanced experience, but it all depends on time/cost.

Getting there

I think that the best way to get there is with the ADO bus. I am not sure if they are all the luxury version, but in case you can chose, ADO platinum is actually super nice. You can book your ticket online, I did not spot this. On the electronic tickets though it is mentioned under Service: Lujo (aka Luxury). If you leave from Playa, the total trip is between 3:45 - 4:05 h depending where your stop in Merida will be. There are discounts for buying in advance.

Accommodation

We stayed at City Express Plus, which I would say was quite far from the center (20-25 min walk) but very close to Paseo Montejo. I have nothing to complain about the hotel (friendly staff, clean, big rooms), but I did not like it as it looked far to business trip type hotel to my.

What to do and see

In Merida Itself

The Yucatan capital was found on January 6, 1542 by Francisco de Montejo, but the history of Merida goes back to the ancient Maya city of Ichcanziho. Merida is the biggest city in the Yucatan Peninsula and you can feel it. On the other hand, not being a super touristy place to easier can mingle with locals and experience their traditions. If I were to generalize there are 2 main streets you can visit (Paseo Montejo) and Calle 60 and Plaza Grande.

Calle 60

Something that stroke me on this street is the big amount of art galleries. It's quite nice especially if you have the time to check

Santa Ana Church

Located in Santa Ana Park, i liked the exterior of this church a lot as it is pained in 3 colours. I have no clue if on purpose or not :).

It was built and consecrated in 1733 where apparently a Maya religious structure had stood.

Santa Lucia Park

This Park is filled with fancy (and expensive) restaurants. The main action happens on Thursday's where for the last 55 years, they organize an event called Serentas Yucatecas. It's quite impressive to see everyone gathering to watch what the week prepared from them (be it music, ballet, poems etc)

This is also the park where you can find the cute double (you and me) chairs in huge size. Maybe to add a note on these chairs (sillas tu y yo en Spanish) were first added to Plaza Grande after it's remodeling in 1915.

Some Buildings & things I spotted along the way

Plaza Grande

This is the place where Fanceso Montejo put the founding stone of the city.

Casa Montejo
Before you do anything else, go to Casa Montejo to get a bit of history of the place. Francesco Montejo was the one who started the Plaza Grande by setting his home to be built on one of the corners (1543 and 1549)

"The main facade, which has not been altered, is considered the most valuable jewel of the art and civil plateresque architecture of the nation. The hand carved stone, stands out for the delicate original gures of personages and mythological characters." (Source)

The entry and guided visit is FREE of charge and totally worth your time! The building is owned by the bank (Banamex) so if you see a queue outside, most likely it is not for the museum :)

Catedral de San Ildefonso
"On the site of a former Maya temple is Merida’s hulking, severe cathedral, begun in 1561 and completed in 1598. Some of the stone from the Maya temple was used in its construction. The massive crucifix behind the altar is Cristo de la Unidad (Christ of Unity), a symbol of reconciliation between those of Spanish and Maya heritage." (Source)

Merida Letters
All over the Yucatan Peninsula you can find colorful Letters with the names of the city which make a perfect stop for a great memory.

Chamber of Commerce
I had no idea what this building was, before digging into Google. The information there is not clear, but you can go inside and upstairs getting a nice view over the square (FREE)

Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Yucatan
I actually missed this, when I realized it was too late and they had closed. But try to go as it's free and apparently totally worth it

Dulceria and sorbeteria Colon
Ok, this is not a touristic attraction, BUT I've been told you have to get some desserts here as they have more than 110 years of experience.

Random Places in Merida

We read into Lonely Planet that you can visit the Yucatan Popular Art museum for free and so we thought it would be a good idea. First it was not that easy to find on offline maps, and then, I will apologize to anyone who thinks otherwise, I did not find it's worth it.

But along the way we got to take some pictures

Paseo Montejo

It's a long street with houses of beautiful architecture, It looks very European. i could for my (being Romanian) mostly associate it with Kiseleff Boulevard but it's actually inspired by french boulevards

Monumento a La Patria

The monument is telling the story of Yucatan and the country through more than 300 sculpted figures under the supervision of the Colombian sculptor, Romulo Rozo from the establishment of Tenochtitlan and up to the mid 20th century. It's considered a masterpiece and a must see if in Merida.

Day Trip to Izamal*

Izamal was listed on the Pueblos Magicos list and it is for good reason. The bright yellow decorating all houses as well as the free Maya ruins you can check out are 2 of the main reasons for it.

I will share in a separate post all the details you need to know

Day Trip to Uxmal & Celestun

Uxmal is one of the Maya Ruins which I found the nicest, bare in mind that we were there right when they opened.

If you fancy flamingos, then you'll love this tour, although you won't come close enough to almost touch them, you can get a pretty good view of them. Best season I understand are February & March.

I will share in a separate post all the details you need to know: Link Celestun - Link Uxmal

* We realised later that you could if you hire a private driver leave Merida early, go to Izamal, spend there about 2h, then drive to Valladolid spend there probably 4-6 hours and then drive to Tulum. We understood from our driver to Uxmal & Celestun that he would ask approx 3000 Mexican pesos especially if you also did other trips with him.

Oh, the Flamingos: Day trip to Celestun

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 23:00:00 GMT

Did you actually know that pink flamingos are not naturally pink but they become like this based on the food they are eating? Pretty amazing, isn't it?

I will start with something that fill instantly catch the eye of any Spanish speaker reading this: Reserva de la Biosfera Ria Celestun. Normally in Spanish you would call a river = rio. In Celestun on the other hand you actually encounter the word "RIA", why? Simple as it mixes fresh water (from the underground) with salty water from the sea, this makes the Biosphere Reserve a unique example of a natural wetland in the area.

Getting there

From Merida you can catch an Oriente bus (second class of ADO) and it will bring you right at the entrance, but this is taking long.
We booked a private car as we wanted to squeeze Uxmal also in the same day. We paid 2600 pesos for the private transfer.

Prices/Schedule

I don't think I saw actual opening hours, but you can easily assume it's regular times. Based on best habits, it is better to be there in the morning. What you need to consider is that they have boats of 6 or 7 people. One boat is 1800 pesos. The way it works if you are not 6, you need to wait for other people to form the group or pay the full 1800 yourself. It went pretty fast for us (15 min since we arrived).
Important to know is that the lighter the boat the closer you get to the flamingos, still don't imagine you can touch them.

When to visit

"The best time to visit is during the winter months between November and March, but small numbers of flamingos can be seen year round" (Source). Our boat driver/guide told us that best best would actually be February to March. We were there end of Jan and there were about 2000 birds on the Ria.

How does Climate Change impact Flamingos in Celestun

Normally Flamingos like not to deep waters, so about 20cm, but due to climate change the waters here are higher now (30 cm) and so the flamingos had to adapt for new conditions, which make their life more difficult.

Close up picture from the distance - trick

Unless you have super professional cameras with great lenses, then the trick for close up pictures of these cuties is with a binocular. Also no worries if you don't have one, the guide will normally have one with him. Zoom your phone/camera to the max and place it where your eye would go...tadaaa :)

Other living beings we saw

Mangrove of Dzinitun

This small trip to the forest looks like it is haunted, it's absolutely incredible how nature is

Ojo de Agua

There is a place where you can take a swim, but Luis (our driver recommended against it)

Going to the beach

It was windy and the currents were strong so we could not properly enjoy the swim in the sea. Still what stoke me (positively) was the huge amount of shells you can find. So many that the decoration of the restaurant (apparently best one on that beach) was mainly done out of shells. Even Jesus had a shell wall behind him :)

Visiting Uxmal Ruins from Merida

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 23:00:00 GMT

I am so happy I got to squeeze this into my trip as I loved walking around Uxmal. I can only recommend it if you are in doubt of going or not. Come here early to have the site to yourself. You can hear birds singing, iguanas "waking up" and at times pure silence.

As said this was a last minute decision as I wanted to do most of the trips by public transport, but it seemed almost impossible to reach Uxmal and Celestun in the same day. (More on Celestun in a separate post), but Delio the guide we had on the tour to Chichen Itza placed the seed and so we checked options with getting a private car. As Delio's brother Luis (contacts) lives in Merida he offered us a price of 2600 pesos (130 Euro) to bring us to Uxmal & Celestun and pay the parking in Uxmal. This was a bit expensive I would say, but to be fair he also provided us a lot of information about different things in Mexico.

Getting there from Merida

By car - 130 Euro
By Oriente (second Class ADO)

Entrance Prices & Schedule

The parking is 80 pesos
The ticket is 418 pesos for foreigners to be paid cash
Program is 8:00 - 17:00 (you can buy tickets till 16:00)
Sunday's Mexicals can enter for free with their ID, take this into account when planning visiting Uxmal.

!Notes (archaeological sites)
1. Drones are not allowed
2. If you want to use a GoPro or similar, you need to pay a fee

Information about Uxmal

Uxmal was first settled 500 BC but only in the 9th & 12th century AD it became the seat of the Maya political and economic power in the Puuc region ("Puuc" in Yucatec Mayan means "hill" and this area is the only place in this flat limestone peninsula where there are any hills + the highly-decorated style of Maya architecture used here that is known as Puuc. - Source)
It is estimated that a population of 25000 inhabitants was distributed over a territory of 37.5 square km with enormous agricultural potential but lacking in permanent water sources. They has developed a complicated system to use rainwater.

"Uxmal was declared a world heritage site by Unesco in 1996, and it’s considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mayan Peninsula." (Source)

Below Picture provides some great route options that you can explore. We followed the Short Route (in red)

Now let the exploration begin :)

1. Pyramid of the Magician

You get to start with the Pyramid of the Magician, which looks like the biggest from all the buildings I saw in Uxmal, and this pyramid 5 structures have been identified from 5 different time periods; interesting guys this Mayas.

There is this Website, Mayan Peninsula, I need to give credit to also in this post as on top of what I read from before, what Luis told us and what I read on the boards in Uxmal, I got some super cool info from this web-page. So below you can see how the 5 stages of this pyramid evolved.

"The pyramid of the Magician in Uxmal was made in such a way that the western staircase faces the sun on the summer solstice sunset. It measures around 35 meters in height and has an elliptical plan of 53.5 meters." (Source)

2. The Nunnery Quadrangle

Going further you reach the Nunnery Quadrangle. I loved the decorations on the building as well as the view from it. Take some times for fulling around taking fun pictures :)

It was built from 900-1000, and the name related with nuns was assigned in the 16th century because it resembled a convent. The quadrangle consists of four palaces placed on different levels that surround a courtyard. (Source)

3. The Ball Court

After passing through the nunnery Quadrangle you reach the ball court. This is smaller than the one in Chichen Itza and is a good link to the next section of the "city"

4. The Temple of the Turtles

This was my favorite building. You might ask me why, and I would tell you: I don't know. Maybe the view from there but I have no real arguments :)

The decoration is sober and its smooth interior walls contrast with the columns that are in the upper facade, where along the cornice there are sculptures of turtles, which acquire great importance due to their association with the rain and with the earth. Surely the Temple of the Turtles in Uxmal was dedicated to the aquatic cult.

The building is about 30 m long and 10 m wide.

5. The Governor's Palace

This one is really stunning, crazy decorated looks pretty amazing.

"The decoration of the facade of the building has glyphs of Venus, placed on the cheeks of the masks of Chac, god of rain and fertility, there are also eight two-headed snakes above the main entrance. Along the facade, there are thatched huts, garlands, columns, thrones, feather headdresses, numerals with bars and dots appearing in two Chac masks in the north corners of the palace. In the center stands the throne of a sovereign sitting majestically, surrounded by entwined snakes and masks of the god Chac." (Source)

6. The Great Pyramid

This one is a great one as well. With all the steps you can climb (it's about 30 m tall) and if you are lucky enough to be there alone for a moment to take in everything you saw it's quite something.

"Is one of the few large Mayan buildings that you can still climb. It has nine stepped bodies and a stairway facing north" (Source)

"There are four last steps to reach the top of the Temple of Great Pyramid in Uxmal named Temple of the Guacamayas, where there’s an entryway with a large mask of Chac. This Temple was built on the VIII century and it was decorated by a cornice, frets and a decoration of birds, specifically macaws, which gives the temple its name. The Temple’s corners have three masks of Chac, one over another, the figureheads have a rounder sculpting than others from Uxmal." (Source)

With all the pictures, toilette breaks and so one, it took us almost 1.5h to go around and explore. This is more in case you would need to time anything or are in a hurry.

Izamal, Yucatan

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 23:00:00 GMT

One of those places that have so much color that make you smile and consequently brighten up your day instantly.

"Called the City of Hills and located right in the middle of the Yucatan Peninsula, Izamal may be the oldest city in Yucatan. Izamal was conquered by the Spaniards, and the monks in their eagerness to convert the Indians to Catholicism gave the city its religious distinction. To this day, Izamal's people are very devoted to the Immaculate Virgin." (Source)

Getting there from Merida

By BUS.
ADO company has a 2nd class bus company called Oriente. This bus is cheaper and stops in a lot of places to pick up people. What they mean with 2nd class here is that it does not have a toilette. the reality is that it is a far worse bus than the ADO buses, but the drives are professional and we encountered no problem getting from A to B and back. You have a few buses a day, so plan well. Below you can find the return schedule from Izamal to Merida.

Price (Jan 2020) was 33 Mexican pesos per direction, and we got the bus from the terminal Merida 50x65 (was not very easy to find)

By Collectivo
Colectivos, are smaller vans that you can stop along the way. So this could take very long

By Private transport
The drive form Merida should be about 45 min. I am not sure it's worth to get a private transport just for this trip, but it would amke sense if you combine it to Valladolid and maybe even be dropped in Tulum. We got a price for 3000 Mexican pesos.
By your own rented car
time wise as above

Things to do and see in Izamal

With properly seeing the city & lunch you would need about 3h, so consider this when you book your bus back. A nice gift of the city is that both the convent and the Pyramids are free of charge

1. Monastery of St. Anthony of Padua

Built in 1561 on top of an existing ancient Mayan worship center, making it one of the oldest (active) churches in the Americas.

2. Itzamna Park

Izamal Letters

The letters are perfectly placed so that you get an amazing photo with them and the convent in teh background.

Decorated Horse Carriage

Whether you decide to take a carriage ride around the city or simply admire the decorated horses, here a glimpse of how cute they look.

3. Piramide De Itzamatul

I could not really take a proper picture of this as there was not enough room, but just as an idea as there is a information board when you enter (in English!) saying that this is a huge pyramid in which 3 stages of constructions have been identified. The first and oldest dating 400-600 AC while the last stage was during 950-1100 AC. From this last stage the only thing that was preserved was the great pedestal which is more that 100 m side-wise with a staircase on it's side.

It seems that this pyramid was dedicated to god Zamna.

4. Kinich Kakmo Pyramid

This is a funny one :P. Not that it's built in a funny way, but you can climb it aaaand when you reached the top and thing this is it....it is not, there is another pyramid to climb which you you can't see from the beginning. Funny guys this Maya :)

Also for this Pyramid you have some board with info and so as a summary for you they mention that this is one of the most important structures of Mesoamerica. It's base measure 200 m by 180 m and the height of the upper temple is of 34 m. It was build around 400-600 AD and it's thought to have covered other older buildings.

Ok, now what they say that is the outstanding part are the large stones which were used, especially those shaping the staircase. The building was still well preserved in the middle of the 16th century

5. Streets of Izamal

There are a lot of places/ things you can take pictures of so it will be a pleasure to walk around (there are some stray dogs walking around but they seemed rather clam)

6. Crafts Museum

For a fee of 25 pesos you can visit this museum which shows some very nice crafts from around Mexico. I liked a lot that it looked new and that they have put passion and thought into arranging it. I believe that it's worth the money :)

7. Souvenirs

I read in a lot of posts that you can buy nice things at Hecho a Mano which is in the main square, so I entered the place and was disappointed by the offer, quality and prices. So instead decided to look further around and on Calle 30 I found some places selling nicer things, would not say unique or something, but better presents to bring home.

8. Kinich Restaurant

This seems to be the one and only recommended restaurant in Izamal and all tourists go there. The place is super nice decorated & I also loved that the waiters (mainly women) were wearing Mexican traditional clothes.

When it come to the food, I was not that much impressed. It was good for sure, but i don't see it as a must try. (Tip: the tortillas that come with the appetizer - by default - were the best i tried in Mexico)

What I did love a lot, was that you can watch old ladies making the tortillas, and even if you can see it in other places as well, it had a nice charm.

What to do and see in Playa del Carmen

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 22:00:00 GMT

In a crazy way, by staying in Playa del Carmen you can do a looot of things. I will share with you what I did while there and some of the things I researched to bookmarked for my next trip

In Playa Itself

Understand how streets work :D

If you think of the beach, and draw parallel streets to it, then you have 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th etc and perpendicular to these you have numbers from 2 in 2 :) Now you know how to move around.

Fundadores Park

It's more of a square than a park, but there are a few things to consider here. So make the time to pass by.

Portal Maya Statue - â€‹It celebrates the Mayan calendar and the date of December 21st. 2012 (Source)

Papantla Dancers - watch this peculiar dancers do their thing. These performers go up on a pole from which four of the five participants launch themselves tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum. (Source)

Playa del Carmen Letters - I love taking pictures with the letters around the world :P ... and if you do the same, the ones of Playa can be found here.

Mayan dancers - Mayan Dance had a very profound meaning with the ancient Mayas, as it was considered as the bridge between this world and the underworld called Xibalba.In the ceremonial Mayan Dance kings and nobles dressed up like jaguars, birds or some abstract being , covering their faces with masks, imitating and venerating all living creatures of their surroundings, which are as connected to us humans, as we all are connected one to another. (Source)

Sunrise/Sunset - this is a great place for sunrise as the sun rises from the sea, but at sunset you can also get quite amazing colors in the sky

5th Avenue

Quinta Avenida is a street topped with restaurants, bars and shops where you will find the biggest parts of the tourists walking around. For me it was very tiring to go around as all business tried to get you to come to their place.

Playacar

The moment you pass the ferry terminal that goes to Cozumel, the beach of Playacar starts. Which is a looooooong beautiful stretch of white sand with gorgeous blue water.

Together with my sisters we walked a long way on this beach it was extremely relaxing.

Beach Clubs

This is clearly not for me, crowded & expensive, but you you fancy the glam, maybe you can try them out. We stayed for a drink at Koko Beach Club.

Street Art

If you like streetart, there is a lot to choose from. I am adding here some of the murals I spotted. Just walk around.

Palacio Municipal

Well the Palacio Municipal itself, is nothing special, but it looks nice with th ebig open space in front of it, and it seems that in the weekends they have a market with food, games for kids and also selling different products.

If you want to try one of the local Mexican desserts, the Marquesitas here were the best I had.

Restaurants

Taqueria El Chuleton: we loved the food and the people working there are super friendly.
If into Guacamole - best one I've tried, but be aware it's HUGE, so best if you can share it in 4 i would say.
Taqueria El Fogon: this is said to be one of the best places to try out Tacos in town. I can't particular say it was much different but seemed to have quite some tradition in preparing the food.

Food you need to try

Breakfast: Chilaquiles
Typically, corn tortillas cut in quarters and lightly fried are the basis of the dish. Green or red salsa is poured over the crisp tortilla triangles. The mixture is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. Pulled chicken is sometimes added to the mix. It is commonly garnished with crema, crumbled queso fresco, raw onion rings and avocado slices. Chilaquiles can be served with refried beans, eggs (scrambled or fried), beef and guacamole as side dish.

Lunch: Queso fundido
Is similar to fondue, only that they use a white cheese similar to mozarella. Oaxaca cheese (asadero) and Chihuahua cheese are popular.

Dinner: Tacos (al pastor)
Is a taco made with spit-grilled pork. Based on the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico al pastor features a flavor palate that combines traditional Middle Eastern spices with those indigenous to central Mexico. (Source)

Dessert: Marquesitas
Are a crispy crepe that are rolled up and traditionally filled with melted shredded cheese and a sweet filling of your choice (TIP - the ones in front of Palacio Municipal in Playa are the best I tried in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Drinks: Tequila, Tequila & did I mention Tequila? :) Well of course also Tequila Cocktails and then you should also try the Michelada (is a cerveza preparada aka: beer + lime juice, assorted sauces (often chile-based), spices, tomato juice, and chile peppers. It is served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass.

Playa Esmeralda - did not get to see it

I read online that it is worth visiting so, of course if you have the time check it out.

Day Trips out of Playa

Chichen Itza - Ik Kil (cenote) - Coba

You can really visit a lot of places: Cozumel Island, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Holbox, Ek' Balam, Akumal, Tulum, cenotes that are around. But of course there is only limited time.

Chichen Itza

Being one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatan, the Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza is a Unesco Heritage Site since 1988. It the second-most visited of Mexico's archaeological sites.

In 2007, Chichen Itza's El Castillo was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World after a worldwide vote.

Ik Kil Cenote

Cenote Ik Kil is sacred to the Mayans and the Mayans used this cenote for both relaxation and ritual services.is the second-most visited of Mexico's archaeological sites. (Source)

Coba

One of Coba's main attractions is the Ancient Pyramid whichyou can still climb its 130 steps up to the top of the site. - I can only recommend going up, gives you a nice view

You can find all details of this trip in the separate post: Day Trip: Chichen Itza, Ik Kil and Coba

Day Trip: Chichen Itza, Ik Kil and Coba

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:00:00 GMT

When you visit the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the main attractions will be to visit the different archaeological sites of Maya origins. These sites, especially when visiting with a guide, give you an idea of the different symbols, the architecture and how incredible this civilization was.

This post aims to give you some details of the 3 locations so that you already have some knowledge when you get there.

!Notes (archaeological sites)
1. Drones are not allowed
2. If you want to use a GoPro or similar, you need to pay a fee

Chichen Itza

Info Below has a mix of sources with mainly History Website & National Geographic & Mayan Peninsula Website

Chichen Itza was a Maya city on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The name Chichen Itza is a Mayan language term for "at the mouth of the well of the Itza." The Itza were an ethnic group of Mayas who had risen to power in the northern part of the Yucatan peninsula, where the city is located.

It was built somewhere between 400s AD to mid of 500s AD (there are some difference of opinion) and by 600 AD it was already a center of political and economic activity in the Mayan culture

Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo

The temple has 365 steps-one for each day of the year. Each of the temple's four sides has 91 steps, and the top platform makes the 365th. Devising a 365-day calendar was just one feat of Maya science. Incredibly, twice a year on the spring and autumn equinoxes, a shadow falls on the pyramid in the shape of a serpent. As the sun sets, this shadowy snake descends the steps to eventually join a stone serpent head at the base of the great staircase up the pyramid's side.

Also, if you see the pyramid on one side, the corners of its overlapping platforms add up to 18, which are the months of 20 days of the Mayan Haab Calendar.

What surprised me most during my tour was discovering below

Kukulkan Pyramid Substructures and Cenote
1. Cenote.
2. First construction built between the years 500 and 800.
3. Second construction built on top of the first one. 4.Pyramid as you see it today.

Acoustics: due to the extraordinary acoustics, several great voices such as L. Pavarotti, P. Domingo, E. John had concerts on site. You can check out on YouTube if curious.

Great Ball Court

The Great Ball Court rests on a platform that supports the pyramid and the other structures. These types of ball courts were a common feature of a remarkable ritual practiced among the Mesoamerican societies. Here it received the name of "pok ta pok", originated perhaps in the term puctal-puctal which means "to squat several times". In Chichen Itza there were about ten ball games. This being the main one, also considered the largest in Mesoamerica.

This specific court exhibits very interesting acoustics like a conversation at one end can be heard 135 m away at the other and like in many other buildings not only in Chichen Itza, a clap produces multiple loud echoes.

The Tzompantli

The inhabitants placed on the platform of the Tzompantli in Chichen Itza pointy poles on in which the bleeding heads of the enemies were threaded, four by four. Archeologists found buried figures of the Chac Mool in the Tzompantli of Chichen Itza, as well as skulls with offerings and a broken ring from the Great Ball Court. The cult of the dead, one of the oldest of humanity, is present among the Mayans in this interesting platform, considered "a true monument to the cruelty of war". The name Tzompantli means in Nahuatl "skull wall".

The Platform of Engels and Jaguars

This rectangular platform resembles that of Venus and other construction built in the Maya - Toltec style. It has 4 small staircases one on each side. The balustrades of these steps represent ascending plumed serpents which end with the serpent figurehead in the upper part of the building. Prostrate figures are found on the panels and beneath them, eagles and jaguars clutching human hearts. These platform was probably used for religious or ceremonial purposes and dates to approx sometimes between 900 & 1200 AD. (Source: Board @site)

Admin Info:
Price: 480 pesos ( 2020)
Admission: 8:00 - 17:00 (tickets can be bought till 16:00)
*Free Entry Sunday for Mexican tourists
Payment: Cash Only - Mexican Pesos

Ik Kil Cenote

Every tour going to Chichen Itza will probably stop also at the Ik Kil cenote and it's for good reason. It's super close by and wonderfully gorgeous.

I haven't seen many (only this & Gran Cenote) so can't say it's the most beautiful one, but for sure is something you need to see.

You can find it a 26m under the ground, and you reach it via stairs. The cenote is 60 metres (200 ft) in diameter and about 48 metres (157 ft) deep

"Ik Kil was considered sacred by the Mayans who used the site as a location for human sacrifice to their rain god, Chaac. Bones and pieces of jewelry were found in the deep waters of this cenote by archaeologists and speleologists" (Source)

Admin Info:
Price: 80 pesos (2020)
Admission: 9:00 - 17:00

They have all facilities you could need, including option to rent life vests, snorkel equipment & you can buy your tickets also online

If you don't know what a cenote is, you can check out more on Wiki

Coba

Located in Qunitana Roo, probably the best to visit if/when you are in Tulum, nonetheless, it is also not too far from Playa del Carmen.

The site contains a group of large temple pyramids known as the Nohoch Mul, the tallest of which, Ixmoja, is some 42 metres (138 ft) in height. Ixmoja is among the tallest pyramids on the Yucatan peninsula, exceeded by Calakmul at 45 metres (148 ft) (Source)

You can actually climb the pyramid (130 steps). - Make sure you have proper closed shoes as the stairs are slippery. The view from the tops is wonderful.

"There are lakes in this area (which are rare in the peninsula) attracted Mayan settlers from earliest times but a strong population growth in the area did not occur until around 100 AD. Between 200 AD and 600 AD, Coba controled a vast area, including the north of the state of Quintana Roo and areas in the east of the state of Yucatan. [...] Coba's downfall came with the rise of Chichen Itza and the long war between the two cities. In 860 AD YaxunÃ¡h was destroyed by Chichen followed by the defeat of Coba itself." (source)

Admin Info:
Price: 80 pesos - Admission: 8:00 - 17:00 (tickets can be bought by 16:00)
Price 260 pesos - Admission: 17:00 - 19:00
Payment type: Cash Only - Mexican Pesos

You can rent bikes or get a tricitaxi to move your around the side. Otheriwse walk to the main pyramid is 2 km.

ALUSOARE - Mexico

10 days in the Yucatan Peninsula

Getting there

Itinerary

Useful Contacts

Safety

(Public) Transport

Packing List

Plugs: Type A & Type B

Language

2 days in Tulum

Getting there

Accommodation

Other Admin's/Info

Day 0 - Night 1

Day 1

Breakfast at Hub Ku

Tulum Ruins

Entrance Prices & Schedule

History of Tulum Ruins

Playa Ruinas

Exploring the Caribbean Beaches

Playa Paraiso

Zona Hotelera - Insta Spots

Dinner at Burrito Amor

Day 2

Gran Cenote

Casa Malca - former Pablo Escobar mention

Souvenirs

What to do and see in Merida, Yucatan

Getting there

Accommodation

What to do and see

In Merida Itself

Calle 60

Plaza Grande

Random Places in Merida

Paseo Montejo

Day Trip to Izamal*

Day Trip to Uxmal & Celestun

Oh, the Flamingos: Day trip to Celestun

Getting there

Prices/Schedule

When to visit

How does Climate Change impact Flamingos in Celestun

Close up picture from the distance - trick

Other living beings we saw

Mangrove of Dzinitun

Ojo de Agua

Going to the beach

Visiting Uxmal Ruins from Merida

Getting there from Merida

Entrance Prices & Schedule

Information about Uxmal

1. ​Pyramid of the Magician

2. The ​Nunnery Quadrangle

3. ​The Ball Court

4. ​The Temple of the Turtles

5. The Governor's Palace

6. ​The Great Pyramid

Izamal, Yucatan

Getting there from Merida

Things to do and see in Izamal

1. Monastery of St. Anthony of Padua

2. Itzamna Park

3. Piramide De Itzamatul

4. Kinich Kakmo Pyramid

5. Streets of Izamal

6. Crafts Museum

7. Souvenirs

8. Kinich Restaurant

What to do and see in Playa del Carmen

In Playa Itself

Understand how streets work :D

Fundadores Park

5th Avenue

Playacar

Beach Clubs

Street Art

Palacio Municipal

1. Pyramid of the Magician

2. The Nunnery Quadrangle

3. The Ball Court

4. The Temple of the Turtles

6. The Great Pyramid