(no subject)
cancun is overpriced. might as well stay in florida.
after spending two nights in cancun getting used to la cucarachas salsaing across the headboard all night, i hopped a bus to the ancient mayan city of Chichen Itza.
there are a few places to stay just outside of chichen itza, however, they don´t fit my budget. they cater to the family man who requires a pool, soft bed, and air conditioning. the more economic options exist a short cab ride or a lengthy stroll down the highway in the small mexican village of Piste. there we found a nice little place, fan cooled, with private bath and three beds for 250 pesos (about $25 USD).
the ruins themselves were quite impressive if you can overlook the hordes of touristas fresh in from cancun (mostly going straight back from whence they came come sundown). the main attraction, El Castillo, is a massive pirimid adorned with images of the mayan rain god charactarized by his long, curved nose. also, there are two huge long walls sitting parallel to each other about 150 feet apart, with two strange stone donuts several feet in diameter placed perhaps 20 feet up each wall. a game sort of like basket ball was played here a thousand years ago. some of the t shirts refer to this game as Mayan Death Ball, because apparently the losing team was often sacrificed at one of the nearby cenotes. a cenote is basically a sink hole formed in the limestone here on the Yucatan penninsula. one of them at chichen itza is particularly large and deep, and many a virgin was sacrifed there. in the 1920´s, some archeologist proved that theory when he dug up a bunch of jewelry and such from the bottom of the cenote amongst human remains.
we stayed in piste two nights, then got on a bus to Merida which is the largest city in Yucatan state. we checked into Hotel San Jose, right near the Plaza Grande in the center of the city for 150 pesos a night ($15 USD). this was a saturday. by the afternoon the main streets near the plaza had been closed off for the rest of the weekend for parties. lots of music and dancing goes on in merida on saturday nights and sunday afternoons. all the resturantes put their tables out in the street and set up stages for different bands, and one large stage goes up on the main square for a full band. lots of festive stuff going on. tequila...etc.
met people from texas...loud, somewhat obnoxious people. fun times though.
sunday was spent on a whirlwind of a tour to five sites of mayan archeological interest 80 miles or so south of Merida. the major one is known as Uxmal. lots in common with Chichen Itza (ball court, large pirimids, touristas). sunday night was spent at some all you can drink night club back in Merida with two of the girls from Texas. i was basically alternating between tequila and cervezas until i puked up in el bano, and handed the attendent a US dollar for a tip. when we first arived at the night club, the band was in the middle of a healthy rendition of Queen´s Bohemian Rhapsody (or whatever), and then more Queen. after that the DJ was probably playing the hottest latin hits.
the early bus departure on monday hurt. i was out the whole way to Tulum.
Tulum is a smaller town situated near the beach perhaps an hour and a half south of Cancun. There is another mayan site (most notable for its location up on a hill over the ocean). we found a little beach cabana place, and we are currently paying 260 pesos a night. our cabana has two beds, a window, and a palm thatched roof. they gave us candles at check in, for there is no electricity. we also get use of the shared bathroom and shower facilities. it´s a little like camping, but more secure, and with a bed. the window faces the ocean where a steady flux of air flows through all night long. it actually gets a little cold at night. so we´ve basically been hanging out on the beach, looking at the ruins wich we can see from the beach out front of our cabana, snorkeling on the reef, and getting drunk at a little hut/bar place.
tomorrow we leave for Chetumal on the Belize boarder. There we should find a bus to Flores, Guatemala.
more to follow...
after spending two nights in cancun getting used to la cucarachas salsaing across the headboard all night, i hopped a bus to the ancient mayan city of Chichen Itza.
there are a few places to stay just outside of chichen itza, however, they don´t fit my budget. they cater to the family man who requires a pool, soft bed, and air conditioning. the more economic options exist a short cab ride or a lengthy stroll down the highway in the small mexican village of Piste. there we found a nice little place, fan cooled, with private bath and three beds for 250 pesos (about $25 USD).
the ruins themselves were quite impressive if you can overlook the hordes of touristas fresh in from cancun (mostly going straight back from whence they came come sundown). the main attraction, El Castillo, is a massive pirimid adorned with images of the mayan rain god charactarized by his long, curved nose. also, there are two huge long walls sitting parallel to each other about 150 feet apart, with two strange stone donuts several feet in diameter placed perhaps 20 feet up each wall. a game sort of like basket ball was played here a thousand years ago. some of the t shirts refer to this game as Mayan Death Ball, because apparently the losing team was often sacrificed at one of the nearby cenotes. a cenote is basically a sink hole formed in the limestone here on the Yucatan penninsula. one of them at chichen itza is particularly large and deep, and many a virgin was sacrifed there. in the 1920´s, some archeologist proved that theory when he dug up a bunch of jewelry and such from the bottom of the cenote amongst human remains.
we stayed in piste two nights, then got on a bus to Merida which is the largest city in Yucatan state. we checked into Hotel San Jose, right near the Plaza Grande in the center of the city for 150 pesos a night ($15 USD). this was a saturday. by the afternoon the main streets near the plaza had been closed off for the rest of the weekend for parties. lots of music and dancing goes on in merida on saturday nights and sunday afternoons. all the resturantes put their tables out in the street and set up stages for different bands, and one large stage goes up on the main square for a full band. lots of festive stuff going on. tequila...etc.
met people from texas...loud, somewhat obnoxious people. fun times though.
sunday was spent on a whirlwind of a tour to five sites of mayan archeological interest 80 miles or so south of Merida. the major one is known as Uxmal. lots in common with Chichen Itza (ball court, large pirimids, touristas). sunday night was spent at some all you can drink night club back in Merida with two of the girls from Texas. i was basically alternating between tequila and cervezas until i puked up in el bano, and handed the attendent a US dollar for a tip. when we first arived at the night club, the band was in the middle of a healthy rendition of Queen´s Bohemian Rhapsody (or whatever), and then more Queen. after that the DJ was probably playing the hottest latin hits.
the early bus departure on monday hurt. i was out the whole way to Tulum.
Tulum is a smaller town situated near the beach perhaps an hour and a half south of Cancun. There is another mayan site (most notable for its location up on a hill over the ocean). we found a little beach cabana place, and we are currently paying 260 pesos a night. our cabana has two beds, a window, and a palm thatched roof. they gave us candles at check in, for there is no electricity. we also get use of the shared bathroom and shower facilities. it´s a little like camping, but more secure, and with a bed. the window faces the ocean where a steady flux of air flows through all night long. it actually gets a little cold at night. so we´ve basically been hanging out on the beach, looking at the ruins wich we can see from the beach out front of our cabana, snorkeling on the reef, and getting drunk at a little hut/bar place.
tomorrow we leave for Chetumal on the Belize boarder. There we should find a bus to Flores, Guatemala.
more to follow...