Yucatan Day 1: Valladolid

[23-Nov-2024] Plane landed half an hour early in Cancun. Its nice and warm there. Got rental car and drove to Valladolid. Saw nothing of Cancun other than on the flight in. Roads are not a problem except the stupid speed bumps on the highway at the start and end of every town. Stopped at the Vallazoo on the way in and the Xkopek beekeeping park for the stingless bees. The zoo was a small local zoo but had some unusual local animals, and farm animals. The beekeeping park kept several types of local stingless bees as well as apis mellifera. Its built around a cave that has a stingless bee hive on the roof a well as an open air mellifera hive about 30ft up. The tour then goes to the stingless apiary and opens some hives (with glass lids inside) and does a honey tasting.

Yucatan Day 2: Chichen Itza

[24-Nov-2024] Got to Chichen Itza before it opened to avoid the tourist busses. Mexico insists on having 3 pay stations. One for parking, one for the state and one for the federal government making entering any park a pain. They also allow local vendors to come in and set up on the paths of the park but only when the park opens so if you get there when it opened the vendors are all pushing carts to get to their place. Thankfully they have a separate entrance. Signage and interpretation is lacking. Many ruins have little more than a name and at best a single plaque that is in Spanish, English and Mayan so the info provided is low. Museums with artifacts are also lacking. Almost no directional signs. Chichen Itza itself is mostly clear of trees and obstructions. You cant climb any of the ruins. They also hide the best carved reliefs way back in the back. Photos Caches GCG9MY: El Castillo

Yucatan Day 2: Ek Balam and cenote
[24-Nov-2024] After Chichen Itza drove to Ek Balam. Ek Balam much less touristy and you can climb the acropolis. The acropolis has two uneven sides with giant jaguar mouths that you really cant see from the ground. Reading says the Mayans themselves buried the acropolis which is why the carvings survived. Climbed the acropolis. Ended the day swimming in Cenote Xcanche. Went back to Valladolid.

Yucatan Day 3: Coba and Tulum ruins

[25-Nov-2024] Drove from Valladolid to Tulum stopping at Coba ruins on the way. Coba is in the jungle and shaded, lots of stele. Lots of wildlife, saw butterflies, monkeys, and turkeys. Tulum is a walled temple district located on a rock above the beach its a beautiful site and the views from it are even better. Walked the main strip of modern Tulum. It needs to die like Vegas. Next morning watched the sunrise over the Chedruai with some yellow birds.

Yucatan Day 4: Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

[26-Nov-2024] Started early, picked up by the us at 7:30am. Then spent 2 hours on the worst road in the world. Stop and start, weave around pot holes bouncing up and down when they cant be avoided. The only break is to stop and try to see crocodiles (which didnt appear) at Puente Boca Paila. Then more driving. Bus ride ends at a beach in the middle of the reserve where you wade out to the boat. Boat trip goes south past Isla Pájaros (Bird island) where Frigate birds nest in the mangroves around a fresh water cenote. Then it goes out to where the inland waters meet the ocean and dolphins congregate. Spent quite a while with a pod of 5 just hanging out. Went past the lighthouse. Next stop is around on the ocean side of the reserve to see large sea turtles, then some snorkeling. Had problems with my mask and breathing heavy so it wasnt very fun. Did see some coral and fish but other people said the reef was largely dead. Some swimming in clear shallow water then back around to the bay side to stop at the town of Punta Allen. Walked couple of blocks from the Punta Allen docks to the beach for the restaurant. Back to the boat after lunch, then another two hours back on the bus to return to Tulum. Long drive after that down to Chetumal. Sian Ka'an Bioreserve Photos

Yucatan Day 5: Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar
[27-Nov-2024] Drove back north to Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar, the only fortification I could find in the area. Its a small Spanish fort from 1725 built to defend the town from pirates. Unlike all the Mayan ruins it has a small museum in the citadel.

Yucatan Day 5: Museum of the Mayan Culture and Dzibanche

[27-Nov-2024] Returned to Chetumal for the Museum of Mayan Culture. While it has a lot of dioramas of major sites temples its lacking in artifacts. Dzibanche is partway to Xpujil where we would stay the next night. Got there pretty late and didnt have to pay the state or national fee, security walked with us to make sure we went through it quickly and left on time. Climbed the Temple of the Cormorants. Dodged a herd of cattle on the way out.

Yucatan Day 6: Calakmul

[28-Nov-2024] Thanksgiving was another long day. Picked up at 7:30 am in Xpujil by a van with a driver and a guide. Two hours to the ruins of Calakmul. Spent several hours there, climbed Struture 2 (148 ft) one of the highest Mayan temples. Its a pyramid with another pyramid built over its front part so when you reach the top there is a platform and then more behind that which you couldnt see from the ground in front of it. Was able to see the mound of temples in Guatemala on the horizon. Saw wild couati and swarm traps for bees. Two hour drive out then all the way back to Tulum. Calakmul Photos

Yucatan Day 7: Stuff in Cancun
[29-Nov-2024] Croc Cun Zoo a roadside attraction where you can hold a number of animals. Then went to an Aquarium inside the outlet mall, the Mayan Museum the first and only real museum we saw with the ruins of San Miguelto outside. Finally the Hello Kitty Cafe and roamed a nearly deserted outlet mall. Flew home sat, flying over Cuba and the Keys.