M E X I C O     -     T H E     Y U C A T A N

We got an early bus from "San Cristobal to Palenque at the foot of the Eastern Cordillera in the state of Yucatan. The Yucatan is one of the richer states in Mexico, fuelled by the hugely succesful tourist resort of Cancun. We spent a couple of days at Palenque first, to admire the fantastic Mayan city there. Then we moved on to Merida, the grotty administrtive capital, but the best place in Mexico to buy a hammock. From Merida, we headed to the beaches of Isla Mujeres for some good old sun, sand and sea, stopping briefly en route at another Mayan city Chichen Itza. We continued down the coast of the Yucatan and stopped off at Tulum, where we ignored the temple and headed for the beach cabanas. The last resort in Mexico (before Belize) is the charmless town of Chetumal where we witnessed "corruption", apparently.

Mexican buses are good - very good in fact. For just a few dollars you travel in a reserved seat of your chose in a modern air conditioned coach, equipped with a TV. Sometimes the choice of film leaves a bit to be desired, usually violent and pointless, but otherwise I applaud these services. Our bus to Palenque was superb.

Palenque

In Palenque we planned to visit the Mayan city, but arrived a little too late for this to be feasible. The modern-day town of Palenque is a bit of a flea pit, and not particularly welcoming. Tourists are an important source of income here, but they're grudgingly tolerated. There are abundant cheap and reasonably clean hotels, and we checked into one and immediately showered. The humidity here is barely tolerable, and the short walk from air-conditioned bus to hotel had us reeling sweatily into the room. After showering we had a slunch - too late for lunch so supper + lunch = slunch - of ice cold beer and ice cream. There ain't a lot to 'do' in Palenque, but we bumped into Tim and Michelle, who'd make an earlier bus and had already visited the ruins. We drank with them 'til bedtime.

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The Mayan ruins at Palenque are arguably the most spectacular in Mexico. It really is an amazing place. You almost feel a sense of magic, certainly reverence as you enter the gates and are confronted by the magnificent site of a Mayan temple, towering about 100ft high with a backdrop of thick jungle covered hills Tropical birds swooped between the treetops. We climbed to the top of the first Temple. It was incredibly hot and humid, and we were well pooped by the time we got to the top.

There was a small group of urchins at the top, and as we sat down to rest, we chatted to them. They were selling cheap china pendants with the Many months imprinted on them. They came from a village called Naranjo some four hours walk away. A journey they made almost every day. I asked them how much they sold in a day - very little - a couple of dollars if they're lucky. Mind you, they seemed more interested in playing hide and seek then selling, and scampered off down the steps with amazing agility.

Temple of the Inscriptions
Next to the first temple is the Templo de los Inscripciones. It's about the same height as the first, a vast tiered wedding cake of limestone with a small hut like structure on top.

From the top, it is possible to descend into the temple down two flights of sweaty steps to a tomb. The burial chamber was for Pacal, one of Palenque's most influential kings. His tomb is covered by an enormous like covered in complex hieroglyphs. The temple must have been built on top of the tomb, since it would not be possible to fit the lid in the stairway. The hieroglyphs on this lid were a very important key in the final deciphering of the Mayan calendar. Centuries before Galileo, the Mayans had a deep understanding of astrology. They knew the lunar cycle to an accuracy of 4 decimal places. They could predict the movement of astronomical bodies 64,000 years into the future. Their calendar measures ages of man, each age spanning thousands of years. They believed that there were three prior ages to the one we live in now, and that each age ended on pre-ordained dates with the near destruction of mankind in cataclysms, a Hood, an inferno etc. The end of the fourth age is due in December 2012 and is the subject of a number of doomsday books (e.g. The Mayan Prophecies). Not a great deal is known of the way the Mayans lived. They were certainly a well structured society, with priests, artisans and soldiers. They were bloodthirsty too, and human sacrifice was widely practised to pacify the Gods.

The Palacio
Next to the Temple of Inscriptions is the well preserved Palacio, with its distinctive watchtower and network of underground passageways. The heat was getting to us, so we left the ruins and walked along a trail into the forest, following signs to the waterfall. At the foot of the waterfall, there are a couple of deliciously cool pools. A deaf and dumb Indian was diving in and swimming underwater, and we decided to join him, stripping down to our pants and taking the plunge. A guy from Mexico City turned up with his podgy wife and joined us too. He thought we were "Nortenos", rich North Mexican ranch owners - must have been the tan and stubbly beard I guess!

The entrance ticket to the site also allows you to visit the museum just down the road. It was guarded by a boy who looked no more than 16 years old with an ancient rifle in his hand. It's worth spending an hour here, since there are many relics on display, rescued from the site, and good 'speculative' explanations of Mayan culture. We decided to walk back to the new town, some 6kms away, since we'd spotted some interesting looking bars with swimming pools on the bus on the way in. It took a lot longer to walk than we'd imagined. The first place we stopped at was a campsite with thatched roof bar, run by a crusty old man with a beard. There were no tents, no campers. We had a couple of well needed drinks, and spoke with Captain Birds-eye. It appears they've never had any campers her - first year of operation. How do they survive. About a mile further ion we spotted a sign to a "Jungle Lodge with a Pool", so we veered off down a dirt track into the woods. The said lodge was run by a tree-hugging wrinkly Scandinavian. "Could I have a beer please?" I asked. "We only serve organic juices, and besides the bar is closed" she said. The pool was an algae infested pond, buzzing with flies. I wouldn't even wash my dog in it. A couple of sullen looking 'eco-tourists' swatted flies on sunbeds by the side. We left. Back in new Palenque, we picked up our bags from the hotel and some food at a restaurant in the main street, then drunk and played cards until it was time to catch the bus to Merida, in the heart of the Yucatan.

Merida

We caught an overnight bus to Merida, the principal town in the Yucatan Peninsular. It's big, smelly and ugly. We arrived at 7am, most shops and bars were closed so we started walking from the terminal into town. Just four blocks along, I had to stop, I couldn't move. My stomach cramped up in terrible pain, and my bottom felt like it was about to explode. I didn't know whether to sit or stand, and sent Katie off to quickly find a cafe with a loo. There weren't any. So I stumbled on, clenching my buttocks. It was the longest half hour to the hotel, and on arrival I dashed to the loo for relief. The Hotel Delores Alban has a lovely pool, and we later spent the afternoon wallowing in it. In the morning, we dropped our gear and explored the town. Its a dirty place, greasy rancid streets, drunks and vagrants sprawled in doorways. There's only one reason to visit, and that's to buy a hammock. Merida is the hammock capital of the world. The best hammocks are made from sisal, grown a few miles to the north, near the coast. They are hand dyed and woven by local Indian communities. We intended to shop around before buying, but were artfully led into tone of the co-operative outlets. The Indian salesman was masterful, he hooked us by having us try the dozens of different ones in stock, various sizes, colours and materials. We bought one each for use on Mexico's Caribbean beaches which we were inexorably heading towards.

Chichen Itza

Before we hit the beaches however, we had one final bit of cultural tourism to accomplish, a visit to Chichen Itza, the most visited and largest Mayan city in Mexico. We took an economy class bus from Merida to Piste, mid way between first and second class. The interior trim was done in wood, like a 1940s railway carriage. The road to Piste cuts across the middle of the Yucatan, a flat, featureless scrubland, with occasional hard bitten settlements. We fell asleep. Piste is a one-street town, strung along the highway with a few hotels and restaurants. We quickly found a hotel, the Posada Novel, right next to the bus stop, dumped our bags and quick-marched down the road towards the Chichen Itza. It was mid afternoon and very muggy. On the way, I spotted a large iguana, but it scurried off into the undergrowth as we approached. The birdlife around here is amazing too. There's one which honks and toots like a slot machine and others with amazing plumage.

Castillo Pyramid at Chitchen Itza

Chichen Itza is the most famous and most visited Mayan ruin, probably on account of its proximity (3hrs) to Cancun, as much as anything else. The site is big and well restored, but lacks the mystique and charm of Palenque. Its centrepiece is the enormous Castillo pyramid. I climbed to the top - 91 steps on each side (91 x 4 +1 = 365 days of the year). The climb is steep and treacherous, but worth it. The views from the tops are very good. This pyramid was build on top of an earlier one, and it is possible to climb up the inside to a tomb at the top. Inside it was unbearably hot. Blue coppery deposits covered the walls, maybe the remains of Mayan paint. The tomb at the top contains a statue of a gruesome looking man on all fours with his bottom thrust in the air and his head turned 90 degrees, grimacing down the stairs.

As with most Mayan sites, there an I-shaped ball court here. This is the largest, quite splendid, with crumbling frescoes of warriors in battle on its walls. Also quite fantastic is the Templo de los Guereros and surrounding Grupo de Mil Columnos, a forest of stone columns, 12ft high. These are more Toltec in design than Mayan, the columns representing warriors in armour. From here, we walked to the cenote, a large natural water hole, about 25m across. This had great importance to the residence of Chichen Itza, and was considered a holy place. Recently explorers found relics, gold and silver, and the bones of human sacrifices at the bottom. The guidebook bemoans the fact that the authorities have cited a modern-day cenote, a cafe, next to the water hole, but we were very glad of the chance to rest and sup cold refrescoes. As we drank, the skies opened, and with rumbles of thunder, the rain came splattering down. It was wonderfully refreshing.

Back in Piste, we went for some food. I had Sopa Azteca which is a Yucatan specility. It's a delicious broth with chicken and lime. The hotel Posada Novelo is basic but cheap. It had concrete beds, which are surprisingly comfortable to sleep in, but very painful to stub your toe on as I discovered.

Isla Mujeres

It's not possible to get a first class bus from Piste to the coast, so we were anticipating an uncomfortable four hour journey in second class. Things started badly when the 10.30 am bus failed to show up. After an hour's boredom by the roadside, the 11.30 arrived, and predictably, it was pretty full. We luckily managed to grab the only remaining pair of seats.
The bus was a wreck and it stopped everywhere, not just in villages or towns, but at almost every tree, fencepost and dirt track. Amazingly, people would emerge from behnd a hedge in the middle of what looked like completely empty scrubland, and board the bus. It soon became crammed full, with as many people standing as sitting, men in threadbare cotton shirts, the kids in plastic 'jelly' shoes, or simply barefoot, a woman with a bag of live chickens, a little boy with a puppy in a sack. Whenever the bus stopped, the heat was stiffling. It was a long four hours to Cancun.
Before the 1970s, Cancun didn't exist. Now it is a city of 500,000 inhabitants, a huge holidaymaking metropolis with acres of high rise concrete hotels, night clubs, bars and restaurants. The location was supposedly selected by computer as the best place in Mexico for a holiday resort, and the Mexican Government duly set about establishing one. It is closer to Miami than it is to Mexico City, and the majority of its visitors are fun-seeking Americans who flock here in their millions to 'party'.
We had already decided not to stay. It's just a bit too brash, too expensive and too full of drunk teenagers. Our destination was the charming Isla Mujeres, about 10 miles off the coast. We caught the last ferry across to the island. I sla Mujeres. The jetty was busy with touts and porters offering hotel rooms. We were tired and couldn't be bothered to resist their advances, so we allowed one of them to hoist our bags onto his tricycle and followed him the 150 yards to the Hotel Gomez ( a bargain at $US 14 a night with private bath and aircon). We booked in for three nights and set off to explore. It was low season so most of the bars were uncrowded. the town at the north end of the island is small and unspoiled. We chose a restaurant on the beach where we had 'fish in foil'. Being the only people there, we got chatted up by the bar maid. She had a fixation on Prince William, and wanted us to give her his address. (Like we had it!)	The sun sets over the Isla Mujeres and the fishing boats prepare to set sail
We stayed three scalding hot days on the island. The beaches are lovely, with white floury sand, so we spent the first day bronzing on the beach. The sunsets are fantastic and the cool thing to do is grab a beer at a beachside bar and watch the many fishing boats preparing to head out for the night's fishing. After just one day we were too sunburned to spend another day on the beach, so we hired mountain bikes and set off to explore the island. It's pretty flat so quite easy going, but the heat drains you. About halfway down the island, you get to Playa Lancheros - which is a resort that's a stopping off place for dozens of boats full of day trippers from Cancun. Just south of there, you get to El Garrafon, a national park, also full of day trippers. EL Garrafon is a protected strip of coral reef, only about 500yds long, but home to a spectacular diversity of tropical fish. For $US 3 you can hire a snorkel and mask and swim out amongst the fish - as long as you don't mind sgharing the experience with 300 American College kids. "Where y'all from" a young girl from Lafayette Louisiana had noticed our strange British accent. "What money d'yall carry in England, dollars?" It was her first ever trip outside the US and the concept of other currencies and cultures was proving somewhat problematic. "No in England we use Pounds", I replied. This really threw her, for her since pounds units of weight. She looked at us like we were aliens from outer space. Unable to deal with such wierdos she rejoined her mates.
Isla Mujeres is only about 15 miles long, and on our bikes, we soon reached the southern tip, which is rocky and windy. There is a lighthouse there, with a display of sharks jaws and teeth taken from sharks caught locally.
Try the official isla mujeres website for more information on what the island has to offer. Their site includes useful maps, hotel and restaurant listings and much more.

Chetumal
We arrived at Chetumal late in the day. We had really hoped to get all the way thru to Belize, but we ran out of time. Chetumal was once upon a time a would be Cancun, a new resort town, but it never quite made the big time. It is a large noisy and largely charmless place.
At the bus station, we found a cab, and loaded our gear aboard. As with many Mexican cabs, none of the dashboard instrumentation worked and a bundle of loose wires hung out of where the stereo should have been. Worse though - the boot wouldn't shut and I was a little concerned that our packs would roll out all over the road, particularly given the speed the driver was going. As we sped through the traffic, there was a policeroadblock stopping everyone on a pushbike. "Why are they doing that?" I asked the driver. "Corruption!" was his one word response. Then he started giggling like a maniac.
We stayed at the Hotel Urum. This is a nasty little dive that looks like it used to be an army barracks. The reception was more like a checkpoint, presided over by a huge fat greasy bloke that reminded me of Jabba the Hut. The only room they had available happened to be the most expensive. We were too tired to argue, so we took it. At least it was comfortable, a huge cave-like place with a marble floor. We had a quick meal round the corner before bunking down early ready for a dawn start on our way to Belize.
Adios a Mexico, Hasta La Vista, I'll be back

You are reading the story of Adrian and Katie's travels through the Americas between May and August 1998.
Adrian and Katie put the rat race on hold for a year to travel the world.

                           

Adrian & Katie's World Tour News - Mexico 3                                         Last Updated: 8 September 2002
Web Page by Adrian Ball  (email: adrian.ball@virgin.net)