We Love Mexico !

Time to close the Mexican chapter of our adventure with a tribute to the awesome people we met, and their as awesome lifestyle!

A big thank to Erika for taking care of us since our arrival (and showing me features on my BB :p) as well as her friends Van & Rene. We spent such a great time in the Cenote (some huge natural underground pools, which can be found all over Yucatan) and at the birthday party.

Also a great thanks to our hosts. First, Alma in Cancun, who made us discover the tequila cream the first night and showed us this paradisiac island called Isla Mujeres, where I saw the purest light blue water of my life!

And then, Kary in Merida, who took us to Cozuma (3 cenotes only accessible with a wagon pulled by a horse – totally wicked), to Mandala with BB Taly, for a merengue dance, and to Uxmal with smiley Majo :)

In brief, when you mix amazing people, outstanding beaches, good food, tequila, cenotes, mayan ruins, shark & turtles, you want to come back to Yucatan… ^^

Xcaret!

Xcaret is one of the most popular destinations near Cancun. It offers a full day entertainment for all the family, and while it is slightly overpriced, great food and a charming show at the end of the day makes the park worth a visit. Some recommendations before the photos: There are two underground river routes. We took one of them and it was probably the crappiest thing in the park, stay away from it. If you are good in snorkeling, don't go for the sea-trek thing, as you see the same thing with snorkel for free. If you have a bottle of coke with you and the park guards don't see it, feed the fish underwater with some, they will love you more. The life guards will not let you snorkel in the open sea, but the bays offer plenty of fish to see anyway.

 

     

Mayan mementos

The once great Mayan empire left a number of historical sites spread all over the Yucatan. We had the luck to visit three of them: Chichen-Itza, Tulum and Uxmal.

Chichen-Itza (spelling varies, the Americans simply call it Chicken-Pizza) is probably the most touristic, daily organized tours take tons of tourists from Cancun every day to the site. Guides are available in English or Spanish and they will tell you about the ancient ball game of the Mayas and how they sacrificed virgin 13 year old girls on top of the pyramids to assure fertility of the land. With tons of tourists come tons of Mayan descendants trying to sell you silver and other handicrafts. Literally they emerge from every corner, with a “Hola amigo”, and after the fifth one it is really an effort to reply anything at all.

Tulum is also a very popular tourist destination. The site is smaller than Chichen, but since it is on the seaside, it is offers spectacular views. To stay on the budget side of life, you could use the exit to avoid the entrance fee, and if you happen to opt for snorkeling, go straight to the beach where the boats are, don't negotiate with any intermediate person.

 

Uxmal is much less frequented as it lays deep inside Yucatan, far from the touristic Cancun. However this is the only site out of the three that lets the visitors climb up on the ruins. I would definitely recommend Uxmal over Chichen, we had tons of fun in and around the ruins.