Yucatan Peninsula
Beach areas of Playa del Carmen and Cancun
I can distract you with tales of Mayaland and large margaritas if you like
:) The place we were staying is called Mayan Palace, and they really aren´t
kidding - it's HUGE! The pool is gigantic (though shallow), and the first
day all we did was lie beneath a palapa, drink tasty margaritas, pop into
the pool, swim up to the pool bar, and have more margaritas. Jeff even got
to fall off his stool into the water in true spring break style. I was most
proud of him! hah!
Exploring the arqueological sites was great! We left early to go to the ruins
at Tuluum (Mayan walled city and pyramid by the sea). The scenery by the ocean
was spectacular and the ruins very interesting. I especially liked the temple
of the winds on a high ricky point where the wind makes circles around you.
The temple is surrounded by minature temples - I'm not exactly sure what they
were for but it made a very interesting scene.
Then as it was boiling hot, we went to Xel-Ha ( a natural lagoon where a river
meets the sea, abounding with parrot fish). It has been developed with five
restaurants, a lovely stone path around, chairs, hammocks, shops, etc... However,
even the crowds couldn't destroy the natural beauty of it all. Jeff and I
snorkeled by the rocks, ate local cuisine, and sat in the shade to watch the
birds fly by. It was awesome.
Then we decided to head back to the hotel. We stopped at Puerto Aventuras
- the playground of the fabulously rich and wealthy! The center of town was
a lagoon with dolphins tourists could swim with. This lagoon was surrounded
by cute shops and restaurants. We ate at a bar owned by some American ex-pats.
The food was good, and they had margaritas as big as your head! Really! From
the lagoon are canals connecting all the condos and houses as well as the
marina for the boats - it was pretty darn impressive.
We eventually left the coast and headed in-land to see more ruins. Near Chichen Itza is a relatively unknown site called Ek Balam. It isn't huge, but the main pyramid is amazing. It is made of a series of temples to different gods and heroes. It's very large, and many of the sculptures are well preserved.
Chichen Itza is a marvel. Half is Toltec. Their buildings and pyramids are large and impressive. They have a huge ball court that was part of blood sport and an enormous pyramid that provides a view across the jungle that allows one to see other pyramid sites. There are also a series of Mayan pyramids and ruins. They have exquisitie sculptures and carvings - very decorative. It is a huge area and very worth exploring.
Uxmal is further along, but worth the time it takes to get there. It is almost as large at Chichen Itxa but is entirely Mayan. The huge Soothsayers Pyramid and Grand Pyramid are sights to behold. There are also many long buildings covered in calendars, faces of the gods, and heroes. There was so much, we couldn't take it all in. We hope to go back and explore more. Don't miss the light and sound show. They have headsets for English.
We finished up in Merida - lovely colonial city with a busy night life and plenty of activitiy. We had fun barganing in the bazaar, and Jeff got himself a real Panama Hat made in a cave. You can roll it up and pack it, and it always springs back into shape.
On the whole, the food was outstanding and the people very kind. I highly recommend the area. Just remember your sun screen, and if you go inland, you'll need mosquito repellent.
Buen viaje!