Travels: Mérida, Yucatán Part III

Day 4: Chichén Itzá and Izamal

On our fourth day, we were destined for one of the new wonders of the world, Chichén Itzá. I had been with my family back in 2005, but surprisingly enough, Maru had never been there, and she needed to check it off her list. Before heading out, we knew that we would want a little more information than you can get from the seemingly random plaques placed around Mexican archaeological sites, and we don’t like to hire guides too often (you never know if you’re hiring someone who actually knows what they are talking about, and they can be restrictive), so we had purchased a little guide book with descriptions of all the major installments of the site.

We got there at about 9:15 in the morning, well before the crowds showed up, and we began our exploration. Seeing the ancient city in the light of our trip down the Puuc Route on Tuesday and with the guide book pointing out key elements of the different structures really helped us to appreciate what it is that makes this site so special. I understand that for some people out there, archaeological sites aren’t anything to write home about, but we both love visiting and learning the little that is known. There is always something to discover, even in a site previously visited. After all, these sites are all, quite literally, entire cities, and we like to dig into the nooks and crannies. Of course, we also appreciate the grandeur of famous buildings like the Castillo de Kukulcán (the really famous flagship image of the site), but where you garner an appreciation for the sheer workmanship is in the details, and oh, does Chichén have details.

Everywhere you look, there are bas-relief carvings depicting everything from the ball game to creation to other legends and totems. And in a couple of places, the paint is still intact, and you can get an idea of what the murals originally looked like. We are total nerds and really get into speculating about what certain spots might have looked like or how they might have been used. Both Maru and I went through a want-to-be-an-archaeologist phase as kids. It is simply fascinating to contemplate cultures that are long gone but left such a lasting mark. While Mayan people still live and thrive along with their language and even some aspects of their cuisine, the specific culture that built these cities is really known to no one. In addition to the genocide of the conquistadors, there was a lot of fluctuation among the ancient civilizations themselves through trade, war, and even spiritual conversion. Later, in the anthropology museum, we learned that there is clear evidence that the Mayans ended up with products that had come from the southwestern US! That’s transregional trade on a level comparable to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and the China Sea at the time.

Maru posing like Chaac.

In total, we spent about 3 hours in the ruins of Chichén. Hunger and heat drove us out of the site. By the time we left, even more crowds had gathered. The place looked almost like Disney World with lines of international tourists. If you ever go, get there early.

Our next stop on the itinerary was the town of Izamal, but it was about an hour drive and we had some priorities. Being hot and hungry we wanted two things: a swim in a cenote and a snack! Priority one was the snack, and on our way through a little town called Libre Unión we saw a nice looking fruit stand. We ended up both eating a heaping plate of fruit that was prepared for us by a very nice woman while her equally nice husband offered us his chair in the shade and chatted with us about lots of different topics. He asked questions about our trip, we asked him questions about the area, he asked questions about Puebla and the US, we asked questions about his family, and he even tried to teach us how to count in Maya, but I think we were too sun-dazed to be very good students. When we asked him about a nearby cenote, he pointed us in the right direction, we paid for our fruit, exchanged well-wishes, and headed out.

While our snack necessities had been met with a pleasant and refreshing experience well beyond expectations, things then fell short due to a somewhat disappointing cenote encounter. It was just outside of town, down a dirt road, and the rock formations around it were beautiful, and the thing was abuzz (literally) with life, but there was a little too much pond scum and algae for either of us to take a dip. And, from the hollow on the other side came a buzzing echo of a hive of bees or hornets that sounded like something out of a horror movie about killer bees. Once we decided that the buzzing was getting louder, we decided to get back in our car and throw in the towel on our swim. We just cranked the AC to lower our core temps a bit.

Yeah, that didn't look very refreshing.

Then we arrived in Izamal, an official Pueblo Mágico, and it lived up to its title. As soon as we pulled up to park along the square, an elderly local official waved us into a spot and then greeted us with one of the most cordial welcomes I have ever gotten from a stranger. He pointed out the major destinations, which are principally four pyramids and an enormous Franciscan monastery. For some reason, which we didn’t investigate, the entire town is painted in sunshine yellow. I know, it sounds nauseating, but it actually works. The place looks great, and they have obviously invested quite a bit in public works to fix facades and beautify the public spaces. But before indulging fully in Izamal’s beauty, we had to eat for real. The fruit was wearing off and we needed a meal.

I had read about a restaurant called Kinich (and Rick Bayless had tweeted from there), but I wasn’t sure if it was going to just be touristy and expensive or actually good. Thankfully, it was the latter, in spades. I can safely say it was hands down the best dining experience of our trip; pleasant atmosphere, great service (a serious rarity in Mexico), totally reasonable prices, and of course, the food. Wow. I got a Chaya water to drink and Maru got herself a well-deserved Coke, then our waitress brought us sikil pak and tortilla chips while we perused the enticing menu items. Sikil pak is a dip made from pumpkin seeds and seasonings, like the texture of guacamole. We started with a sopa de lima (even better than the one from the previous day) and rice with fried plantains, then we finally tried papadzules. They are tortillas filled with chopped hard-boiled egg on a bed of a sauce made from pumpkin seeds and epazote. Traditionally, they are topped with more egg and a tomato sauce, but the ones we ordered came topped with longaniza de Valladolid, a chorizo from another major town in Yucatán. One of the best things we ate on the entire trip. I about licked the plate clean. Then came our tzik, which is slow-roasted venison shredded and mixed with onion, radish, and cilantro. They gave us handmade tortillas to eat it on, and it was gone in a flash. For dessert, we shared a very nice little flan. Ahh, Kinich. We wanted to go back like three more times.

Papadzules. Be jealous.

Fully satisfied, we began our exploration of Izamal, which was kicked off by, you guessed it, scaling another pyramid. The thing must have been huge originally, but like the pyramid in Cholula, it is mostly overgrown, so you have to imagine its scale. Once we were on top, you could see for miles in every direction, with a superb view of the town below. After climbing down, we walked to the monastery, which is purported to have the biggest church courtyard outside of the Vatican. It’s big.

Speaking of the Vatican, good old John Paul II gave mass at this monastery in 1993. Apparently, it was a big deal. There’s a statue and a portion of the museum dedicated to his visit during which he gave their statue of the Virgin Mary a crown and pearl necklace.

Pope John Paul II was and is adored in Mexico as he visited the country numerous times. We were just upset because when we read the speech that he had given during the mass, he pretty much declared the landing of Christopher Columbus as a holy event ("when the cross crossed the ocean," or something to that effect) and blathered on about the church always supporting the indigenous communities through hard times. Um, are you referring to the hard times directly sanctioned and instigated by the institution you were basically the CEO of? I felt my tzik coming back up after reading that. Yes, John Paul, the cross came across the ocean, along with disease, inquisition, oppression, enslavement, and the overall systematic eradication of hundreds of indigenous cultures, i.e. genocide. I definitely recognize that the pyramids and archaeological sites we admire were also built on the backs of slaves, but I think that people forget too quickly that every colonial church in the Americas is a veritable monument to the genocidal founding of our nations. The sick irony of it is that Latin America is 70-80% Catholic. Conquest: win. Remembering of history: fail. Anyway, here we all are.

We stepped out of the church museum and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the main square while a military band practiced on their bugles. I am pretty sure that the definition of quaint was being clearly illustrated for us. On our way back to Mérida, we were content, thoughtful, and tired.

Here is the link to all of our pics.

Travels: Mérida, Yucatán Part II

Day 3: Cenotes

As I said in my write-up of Day 2, there is a very particular geology in the Yucatán peninsula that has not allowed the formation of many inland lakes or rivers. Instead, there is a subterranean fresh water system that runs through the porous rock. Back in 2005, my family came down to Mexico and we stayed in Xcarét just south of Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera, and one of our day trips was to an underground river (where I got mild hypothermia from assisting my dad in the chilly water, but that’s another story), and we also visited a couple of cenotes. Cenotes is a Spanished-up version of the Mayan word dzonot, and in English, I guess you would call them underground wells or maybe sinkholes. Growing up in Michigan, I’ve seen my fair share of beautiful lakes, ponds, and rivers, but nothing compares to a cenote. Some are open to the air and look like deep ponds, others are partially underground with large vents to the outside, and others are completely underground. The latter are like something out of a movie; an underground cave with shafts of light just barely illuminating sapphire blue water that is crystal clear all the way to the bottom, often more than 50 feet deep. They have their own ecosystems and are all a part of a vast network of underground rivers and tributaries that penetrate the entire peninsula. Due to the fact that they were the only ready source of fresh water other than rain, the Mayans considered them sacred. Their sheer beauty makes me inclined to agree.

Within driving distance of Mérida, there are literally hundreds of cenotes, some accessible, some not. We drove to a town called Cuzamá, which is purported to have 135 cenotes around it, to visit three main cenotes; Chelentún, Chansinic’ché, and Bolonchoojol. The tour consists of a horse-drawn cart that runs down narrow train tracks formally used to transport materials during the time of henequen production. (Henequen is a cactus that is used to make the material known as sisal, which during the industrial revolution and throughout the turn of the last century was a material in very high demand for the strong ropes it can make. Mérida became a very wealthy city because of the henequen trade. Well, that is to say, hacienda owners in Mérida were rolling in dough while people of indigenous descent broke their backs growing, harvesting, and processing the stuff.) For 200 pesos (about $16) four people get transported on one of these carts to visit each cenote for 30 minutes. It is a bone-jarring, three hour trip in total and worth every penny. Did I say it was bone-jarring? Hard to overemphasize that fact. If I close my eyes, I can still feel the rattle of the old cart on the even older tracks. Let’s just say it’s not a trip for anyone with back problems.

It was also hilarious that every time we came across another cart, which wasn´t too often due to the small number of tourists, our guide would say in his Yucatán drawl, "Hay que dar paso." Just that. Basically, "Gotta let ´em through." This simple statement would be followed by the even simpler act of us getting off of the cart and the two guides picking it up off of the tracks and setting it down out of the way. We´d wave at the passing guides and tourists, they´d pick up the cart, put it back on, and we were off. Got a smile out of the four of us every time.

When we arrived, we saw an American couple packing up a bag from the back of their car, and we both figured that they would be our travel companions as there was literally no other tourist there. Maru and I weren’t sure what type of gringo tourist these two were going to be, but as soon as I said “Good morning” to the man, Russ, he threw me a big smile, and I had a good feeling, which was not at all unfounded. Russ and his wife Leanna are a retired couple from San Francisco who moved to Mérida last spring. They proved to be the perfect travel companions. We ended up eating with them afterwards and even going to their house for some drinks while we were in town.

The first cenote was gorgeous with lots of fish to look at and a long stretch to swim in. As soon as we arrived, the other tourists who were there were leaving, so we had it to ourselves for the majority of the time. Our guide ended up taking us to what is normally the last stop as our second stop to take advantage of the sun since it was partially cloudy. Once we got there, we understood what he was talking about. This cenote is completely underground. You have to descend a ladder down a hole to get to it, which is a little scary, but once you’re there you realize you would have gone down a ladder twice as long to see something so unique and captivating. About halfway through our time in this cenote, some very loud tourists came in, so we were quickly encouraged to go, which ended up being perfect for the last cenote of the day, because the four of us were completely by ourselves for virtually the entire time. Russ and I worked on our dives, and we all just enjoyed the peace, quiet, and beauty of the place.

Reluctantly, we packed up and left the last cenote and boarded our cart for thirty minutes of shaking and jarring to get back to base where we all had a beer in the parking lot and chatted for a bit. We decided to keep the conversation going at lunch, so we got a tip on where to go from the guides and headed to the town of Acanceh to eat at a large restaurant for tourists that ended up being really good. Everyone got a free sopa de lima when we showed them the promotional flyer we brought with us, then Maru ordered pavo en relleno negro and the rest of us ordered queso relleno, all served quickly, good sized portions, and very tasty. The company was great too!

By the time we got back into town, it was getting dark. We bathed and got changed then went out for some yummy sorbet on the Paseo de Montejo and went to bed early to rest up for another long day.

Here are links to our pics from that day.

Travels: Mérida, Yucatán Part I

For a long time, Maru and I have wanted to visit Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán. We always heard nothing but great things about the city and we knew that the surrounding area was full of sights to see: infamous archaeological sites, beaches, biological reserves, incredible colonial architecture, cenotes (deep, clear sink holes), friendly people, and wonderful regional food. It is also a very different place from central and southern Mexico. Food changes, accents change, even some customs change, sort of like the difference between north and south in the US.

So, with time on our hands, we found a good package deal on a flight and hotel and took off for a week. We were not disappointed. Mérida and the Yucatán met and surpassed all of our expectations. Our days were long and full, we clocked about 900 kilometers on the rental car, and there´s even more we could have done. Here´s a small peek into our week.

Day 1

Our plane landed at about 1:30 pm, and we picked up our rental car (a very basic compact Chevy) and headed to our hotel, Casa de las Columnas. It´s in a renovated colonial building with beautiful tiles and high ceilings on the ground floor about 9 blocks from the Plaza Grande in downtown Mérida, about a 15 minute walk. Our room was spacious and clean, and we had hot water and great water pressure. Can’t ask for much more from a basic hotel room.

After settling in, we took a walk downtown in search of our first meal, sticking to the shade to avoid the intense Yucatán sun. The restaurant we decided to stop at, La Blanca Mérida, was ok. They gave us a nice little coleslaw followed by a yummy lentil soup, but then the main course took a bit of a dive as things were lukewarm rather than hot and not so fresh. What made matters worse was that Maru got eaten alive by mosquitoes, inside the air conditioned restaurant! All in all, not our best dining experience, but we were unperturbed.

We made it to the plaza, got to know the twin seats that are all over this part of the country (set up like that love toilet from an old SNL commercial spoof), walked through the Palacio Municipal, which had some really cool murals, took a look at the cathedral (a lot more stark than the elaborate one in Puebla), and got some very helpful information from a man in the tourism office. By that point, the heat had done us in for the afternoon, so we headed back to our room and rested for a bit.

We finished the day by heading back to the plaza in the evening. Mérida is full of free, public events, and every Monday night, there is a regional folk dance demonstration with a live band. As avid fans of Mexican folk dances, Maru and I have both seen quite a few folk dance groups, but this one was in a league of its own. The dancers made the whole thing look effortless and joyful (even when they were dancing with trays on their heads loaded with drinks) and the choreography was incredible. They danced for a solid hour, and then we went in search of a snack and almost immediately found our first marquesita cart. A marquesita is most easily compared to a crepe, but the way it is cooked is very different, and when it is served to you, it is very crispy, almost like a thin waffle cone. Fillings are edam cheese, nutella, cajeta, lechera or some kind of combination. I loved it with the cheese. Yummy. This marquesita would prove to be the first of about five that we ate at other points throughout the week.

Day 2: RutaPuuc and Uxmal

Between about 500 and 1400 CE, the Mayans built and expanded like crazy, and in spite of systematic cultural genocide, which included the destruction of their temples and pilfering of their cities to build churches, many Mayan buildings and sites survive to this day and have been restored for visitors by the federal and state government. We spent our second day soaking in a small but impressive sampling of this ancient history along what is known as the Puuc Route, Puuc being a particular style of construction from the period.

Originally, we had intended to start the Puuc Route in the Lol-tún caves, but you have to enter the caves with a guide and on a particular schedule, and we got a little turned around in the town of Ticul, so we lost our window of opportunity. Oh, well. It was a very miniscule damper on an otherwise amazing day.

The route consists of four minor sites and the major site of Uxmal, which rivals (and, depending on who you ask, surpasses) Chichén Itzá in size and extension. Our first stop was Labná, which gave us an introduction to these very particularly Mayan archways that we would continue to see at other sites. Next up was Xlapak, which is a site that isn’t really excavated yet, so they don’t even charge you to get in. Here, it was interesting to see more or less what these sites looked like before archaeologists took on the monumental task of cleaning and restoring the buildings. Due to time constraints, we had to skip the site known as Sayil, and we headed straight for Kabah.

You never really know what to expect when you go to an ancient archaeological site, as the pictures and descriptions often don’t do the site justice. Kabah was a case in point. At the entrance, there was a map of the site, and at first I thought it would take us hours to see everything, but the man selling tickets told us that only a small percentage is excavated. Fully excavated, the place would certainly be as impressive as any major archaeological site in the world. Just the little bit we saw was a sight to behold. Most of the grandeur is blocked from view by the layout, but as soon as you climb the first steps you are greeted by a massive wall of intricate carvings known as masks of Chaac, a principal deity of the Mayan religion, a type of rain or water god. The Yucatán is dry and hot, and due to its geological structures, there are almost no inland rivers or lakes. Instead, there are cenotes, or large, underground wells of fresh water, but the cenotes couldn’t meet all of the needs of cities full of people a thousand years ago, so they developed sophisticated ways to collect rain and devoted a lot of time and energy to worshipping the god in charge of water to keep in good standing. You know.

After Kabah, we needed to eat and we found a nice restaurant right off the main road called the Pickled Onion, just like that, in English. The owner is British, I think. The food wasn’t exactly cheap, but it was fresh and delicious. Maru had pollo pibil and I had chaya (sort of like spinach) and sundried tomato tacos. For “dessert” we made use of the pool attached to the restaurant, which was perfect to cool us off and get us ready for Uxmal.

Uxmal is incredible. We arrived at 3pm and stayed until they closed at 5pm and didn’t really have enough time to even see everything. The main pyramid itself is one of the most impressive structures I have ever seen, but there’s a whole lot more, too. Spending time at other, smaller sites earlier in the day proved to be helpful in knowing what to look for and recognizing architectural patterns in Uxmal’s buildings. Once again, Chaac was everywhere, as well as symbols of jaguars, fish, birds, turtles, iguanas, and armadillos. The details were astounding. We decided that one of these days we need an actual archaeologist to give us a tour of one of these places.

Apart from the buildings, the sites along the Puuc Route also offered small glimpses into the local natural environment. We heard and saw many different birds, and there is a species of iguana that is everywhere. In Uxmal, we actually witnessed a pair of iguanas mating! Crazy.

Once 5pm hit, we had to leave the site, but we just stepped outside for a beer as we were headed back in for the light and sound show at 7pm. We had no idea what to expect, but the price was included in the general admission, so we figured it was worth a shot. All I ever think of when I hear “light and sound show” is the laser light shows in Disney World that my dad always loved and I always thought were kind of meh. For the record, the light and sound show at Uxmal is worth it just to get the chance to enter an archaeological site at night. The place has a whole different feeling to it. As far as the actual show, the lights and music were very well designed. Everyone sat on chairs in one of the main buildings and you could see the two pyramids and the palace building, which would be lit up in different colors and patterns throughout the show. The colors and orchestration were great. The narration, on the other hand, was cheesier even then anything I’ve seen at Disney. It included “reenactments” of Mayan legends that reminded me of the historical reenactments you sometimes see in documentaries—stilted voices and absurd dialogue. Whatever, the visuals were cool.

Back in Mérida in the evening, we were hungry, so we headed to the Parque Santiago for some panuchos, salbutes, and a tamal colado, all delicious, and to top it all off, we got to see a live band and about a hundred couples dancing out in the open air, another one of Mérida’s regular, free public events. Needless to say, we got back to our room and crashed hard. That was a long day. Day 3 will be posted tomorrow!

Here is a link to our pics from Day 1, and here for Day 2.