Well it’s July so you’re probably not heading to the hot and muggy Yucatan anytime soon, should should you be tooling around the peninsula be sure to spend some time in Valladolid. This was my favorite small/medium town that I visited. It’s in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, right between Cancun and Merida.

We found a place to unwind at the Kabah Cafe, on the southeast corner of the Zocalo. On the second floor above a pharmacy the Kabah has excellent lattes, sandwiches, and desserts. Comfortable couches or a seat by the window make this a great place for sitting above the corner people watching.

There’s plenty of board games for passing the time, and friendly faces to strike up a conversation with.

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Mayan paintings inside the Merida Government Palace.

The site Yucatan Today has a detailed briefing on all the paintings adorning the halls and rooms of this public building.

The daily free walking tour begins here every morning at 9:30 in front of the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace) on Plaza Mayor, and visits every major building surrounding the Plaza.  They cover all the paintings and their history as well.  On my tour I was joined by a Spanish and French couple, and my guide spoke all languages.

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Valladolid seemed like an interesting medium size town when we stopped for lunch on the way to Merida. We spent a night there on the way back at the Maria de la Luz Hotel right on the Zocalo. For people watching this place is the best, and even though the tour busses plow through town in the afternoons after ferrying people to Chichen Itza, the town is authentic with good people and good hospitality. If you’re touring Chichen Itza it’s wise to spend a night here, as a tour bus from Cancun, Merida, or Playa del Carmen will only leave you only a few hours to explore the ruins, and during the hottest and most crowded time of day. A night in Piste or Valladolid will allow you to hit the ruins early day or evening, when the sun provides the most intense pictures and sights.

The Coba ruins are a good day trip from Valladolid as well, southeast of Valladolid on the way to Tulum. We found a place to unwind at the Kabah Cafe, on the southeast corner of the Zocalo. On the second floor above a pharmacy the Kabah has excellent lattes, sandwiches, and desserts. Comfortable couches or a seat by the window make this a great place for sitting above the corner people watching.

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The last morning we lingered around our coffee shop in the morning, and I took some photos of the churches. We were planning to visit Chichen Itza late in the day, when the temperature was less than searing.

In Mexico it takes some time to become acclimated to the slower pace of life. At restaurants and throughout daily city life events occur at a much slower pace, and people aren’t rushed, even if you are.

In restaurants the check isn’t brought to your table until you request it. To provide the bill before you’ve completed your meal is considered rude. Sitting at the cafe across from the Luz I watched a few police officers take exception to a parked VW bug that wasn’t supposed to be there. Two more police officers rolled up on motorcycles. Watching in the background sipping coffee I figured arrangements would simply be made to tow it.

An hour and a half later and deep into a book, I couldn’t help watching the ensuing drama of police coming and going, and wondered why the car wasn’t towed yet, even though a tow truck had arrived 20 minutes earlier, and then left for some reason. Maybe there was something more happening that I didn’t know of, but it just reminded me to expect the slower pace of everything when traveling south, which overall I appreciate, and can be a surprising but welcome change for someone who constantly lives by the clock.

We snaked our way out of Merida and after a few wrong turns found our way back to Highway 180 and headed west. Two hours later we were at the small village of Piste and the Mayan ruins of Chichen Izta.

More detailed information Chichen Itza Wikipedia.

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Merida…

The roads in the states of Quintana Roo and Yucatan are in excellent shape. Autopista 180 (the toll road) traverses the 200 mile corridor between Cancun and Merida, making the trip in an easy 3.5 hours. Not bad for the middle of the jungle. The old road parallels 180 a few miles south and intersects many small towns along the way, (something we did later).

The roads were smooth, void of heavy traffic, (not surprising given the $22 toll), and in better condition than the freeways in my home state of Michigan. We stopped for lunch in Valladolid and ate at the tropical Maria de la Luz Hotel, which has a beautifully bright and sunny indoor/outdoor courtyard overlooking the Zocalo. We enjoyed the short time in Valladolid so much we returned on the way back.

Below: Cathedral of San Idelfonso, oldest church in North America. Below: some typical heavy duty architecture.

We arrived Merida in the late afternoon. The city layout is easy once you get to know the street system. Almost all streets are numbered. Odd numbers run east/west, and even numbers run north/south. But finding an address marked “Calle 55 #499 60×58″ was difficult even for a map geek like me. ( 60×58 is a reference to the streets it’s between, which actually quite logical).

Calle 55 #499 was actually my destination: the Luz en Yucatan, a small 10 room and suite hotel, housed in some adjoining homes. I had found the Luz on the internet a few weeks earlier, and within two minutes of seeing the colorful photos I called and spoke with Madeline for a reservation.

Places like the Luz en Yucatan are what separate “traveling” from simply “vacationing”. Many people travel to Mexico to relax in the sun or party hard. It’s easy to bash Cancun for the vapid culture of the hotel and service industry. However the tourists provide a great number of jobs and income to the Mexican economy, and the people working in the tourism industry, tacky as it often is, are able to sustain a good living and provide for their families better than in other small Mexican towns. But for those searching for a true cultural experience, it’s easy to be found with just a little internet research and open mind. The Luz en Yucatan reaffirmed my commitment to staying at small independent run places, knowing places like these will provide the most interesting and most memorable experiences.

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Cenote: (pronounced say-no-tay), is the name given to freshwater-filled limestone sinkholes. Cenotes are fully or partially collapsed caves. Mature cenotes often resemble small, circular lakes or lagoons with vertical edges… By far one of the most geological interesting things I’ve ever encountered.

The company “Hidden Worlds” was recommended by a few local folks around Playa del Carmen, and judging by their full page ad in the local “To Do” guide, we figured they must know what they’re doing. Hidden Worlds is located a few miles north of Tulum in the west side of highway 307. We arrived and were given a friendly greeting and briefing as we donned our wetsuits.

Caleb, Ellen, myself, and about six others road a big jeep about five miles into the jungle. Arriving at a small hold in the ground with a rope leading 30 feet into darkness, our guide Juan asked us if we wanted the easy way or the hard way. (The hard way being a drop 30 feet through the hold into the lake).

The easy was a narrow staircase just a small walk from the hole. After twisting and turning down the steep stairs, one by one we turned around and saw an immense open lake with the ground above us as the ceiling. The roots of the trees hung down like chandeliers halfway down, and some down to the surface of the water. The entire roof of the Cenote was made of stalactites hanging from the ceiling, giving it an almost cathedral appearance.

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As our plane descended into Cancun we could see plumes of smoke rising to the south and west. Later in the week as we began our drive across the Yucatan Peninsula to Merida, we thought we may have to turn back due to heavy smoke and fires along the side of the road. We learned these were simply controlled burns as part of a reforestation process in areas along Autopista 180, the main highway between Cancun and Merida. We met my sister Ellen at the airport, and the car rental at Alamo was no different than the US process. The Yucatan Peninsula has an excellent bus system to all cities, ruins, and resorts, but the forecast this week were lows in the searing during the night, and oppressive during the day. A car with the AC blasting was a welcome luxury, and made it able to cover more ground during the week. Leaving the airport we saw the high rise hotels of Cancun in the distance, but instead of following them we turned south on Highway 307 towards Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Still considered the touristy Mayan Riveria, the cities south of Cancun see far less wear and tear by the masses. Even though Playa del Carmen has it’s share of T-shirt’n crap shacks, it’s easy to find secluded beaches, small towns, good food and a less frenetic atmosphere than the standard cities and resorts the rest travel to.

Driving in Mexico wasn’t nearly as challenging as I thought. The Mexican states of Quintana Roo along the Caribbean Sea, and Yucatan on the north and west gulf side of the Peninsula, have excellent infrastructure and modern roads.

Our first few nights were spent at a hotel a few miles south of Puerto Morelos, between Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

I had read that Playa del Carmen was becoming another Cancun and didn’t have much to offer . I didn’t doubt it’s grown at a rapid pace, but a close examination behind the souvenir stands and bars revealed an eclectic, hip community similar to US college towns.


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One hears horror story after story about driving in Mexico, and it’s wise to adhere caution to remote mountain roads with switchbacks and potential of cattle and other hazards. But the majority of highways are safe, modern, and with a little research on customs, (such as left turn procedures,) driving in the rural areas is no different than in other countries. Driving in the cities is a different story, In Merida we parked the car and didn’t even consider using it til we left the city. As I did be sure to purchase the Mexican insurance from your car rental company.

I found the Yucatan Peninsula highways to be modern, well maintained, and overall in better condition than some highways I’ve drove back in Michigan, (my home state). Tourism dollars well at work. The only difference was the lack of wide shoulders our interstates have.

Highway 307 runs north and south along the coast, and connects Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Traffic is quite heavy on this highway with tourists and busses. It’s divided highway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, with frequent lanes for U turns marked “RETORNO”

To get to Merida (on the western side of the Yucatan), we drove Autopista 180, the toll road. The road is well smooth and void of heavy traffic, most likely due to the steep toll, (about $20 USD for the entire length). This is quite cost prohibitive to most residents, who mostly use the old highway a few km south. Driving the old road definitely takes longer, but allows you to experience the small towns along the way.

Autopista 180 is VERY limited access. The only exit points are about midpoint near the city of Valladolid, and 20 km further west at Chichen Itza. There’s a nice full service plaza in the center of the highway near the Chichen Izta exit with a Pemex station and some food stands.

The drive is a bit boring through the jungle, but near Merida it filters out into various roads in the east suburbs. Since we didn’t go to Cancun we used the two lane spur that connects the Cancun airport to 180, about 10km south of the city, (180 continues northeast directly into Cancun).

More Yucatan travels here, and photos of the beautiful city of Merida and ruins of Chichen Itza

Highway 307 between Cancun and Tulum

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One of the most interesting and shocking things I saw in the city was an outdoor photography exhibit featuring the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. October 2005 was the 20 year anniversary, and the photos were both sad and compelling. Although I couldn’t understand all of the stories that went with the photos, much if it was related to the substandard building that was allowed to go on in previous years, causing many of the buildings to collapse.

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En route to South America from Denver we spent a day in Mexico City. Since we had an overnight stay on our return flights, we had planned to visit the Zona Rosa area of Mexico City for a few hours while returning.

Our flight from Denver left on time, but upon arriving in Mexico City the plane was sent to a remote area of the airport, and we learned that there was a security discrepancy in matching bags to passengers. We had to deplane on the field and the passengers found their bags. As it was getting dark we were taken via bus to the terminal, which was actually kind of fun speeding down the tarmac of the airport amid huge jets taxiing in and out of gates.

The Mexico City airport is quite large, and in one long terminal building. By the time we reached our gate for overnight Buenos Aires flight our seats had been given away, but we were put on the next day’s evening flight, and given a hotel room and meals. While a bit stressed from trying to make our connection, we had two entire weeks, so we took the opportunity to take a day and explore the city.

The next day we woke up refreshed, had breakfast at the hotel, and met a private taxi driver based at the hotel. He gave us some ideas of things to see around town. I had heard about the famous Anthropology Museum but since it was Monday most museums are closed, as was the zoo.

Our driver brought us to the Zocalo in the historic centro area, where all of the government buildings are located, and we planned to meet him later in the afternoon.

We enjoyed coffee at a chic little coffee shop, and had a great walk down Reforma Street checking out the modern hotels, highrises, and people watching. We also ducked into a Metro station to check out the Subway.

Most people only know the city as a place of kidnappings, pollution, and corrupt government officials.

As one of the largest cities in the world, Mexico City has had it’s share of problems, but the reality is that Mexico City is just like any other large city, with all types of neighborhoods, some good and some requiring extra vigilance and caution.

The areas visitors would most likely access: Centro, Zona Rosa, the museums and Chapultepec Park, are known as safe areas free from major crime. This Monday morning we watched people rushing about to work, and sat with men and women in business attire enjoying lunch with coworkers, and the atmosphere wasn’t much different than a Monday morning in Los Angeles or Miami.

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Mid week we took a cruise to Deer Island. It’s easy to find tour boats that take you out for a day or half day. We took a taxi down to the marina, and boarded a boat with about six other people, including some girls who or may not have gone wild given the opportunity. Although the liquor was flowing, but considering boats and I have a somewhat queasy history together I chose to wait until we were on terra firma before enjoying some libations. There wasn’t much on the island except for some volleyball net and some wild dogs, but I had snorkeled for an hour and chased some fish.

We had a nice picnic lunch on the island, and we chatted about life and family with the boat captain, who had a large family of his own, with two daughters raising children and his other two daughters attending a nearby technical college. Looking at the coast at the Zona Dorada you can see the tallest hotel, the El Cid Hotel. We were told by our boat captain that a gentleman owned a small cabin we saw on the island, and he said the owner of the El Cid came and took it over.

The last day of our week I was having my daily coffee in the morning and checking out a local bookstore, and decided I wanted to see some country outside of the city. I talked to some taxi drivers who hang out around the Panama restaurant, and met Miguel, a cab driver who spoke English. We headed south on highway 15 past the airport and visited the small village of Villa Union. Villa Union is right off highway 15, but very quiet, with narrow dirt roads and nice houses perched up on hills. There’s a great town center in the middle for relaxing and enjoying the warm air.

I saw many farms scattered around the land, some with large ranches, others with modest concrete homes. If spending some time in Mazatlan it’s definitely a good idea to get out of town and explore the small town culture.

Next Miguel and I headed up 15 again, and northeast of the city into the Sierra Madre mountains, and stopped in a small town (which I can’t recall the name of).

This village was similar to Villa Union, but a little smaller and more trees. I loved the colorful stone wall of the schoolyard. I wish I had gone a bit further into the country, as there are rivers, jungles, and other small towns all over the state of Sinaloa.

We wrapped our week with dinner at the Shrimp Bucket, a nice restaurant on the bay near the centro area. The next morning we headed back to the airport, Caleb and Kara sporting nice tans, myself sunburn only in a few spot.

Here are a few web sites I used when researching things to do, but it’s easy to find activities just by walking on the beach, (jet skies, deep sea fishing, etc). Also many hotels have activity desk, so if you need help planning you can visit any hotel and they will assist.

http://www.mazatlan.com.mx/ Official city site (I think)

Lonely Planet Mexico Board

http://www.maztravel.com/maz/sitemap.html Personal site of a resident

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This was my first trip to Mexico, other than some day trips Tijuana when I lived in California. Caleb and family have been here many times so I was happy to take a trip and have someone else make the arrangements and travel plans for the week. We flew down from Denver on Sunday, and Caleb’s mom Kara flew from Los Angeles and met us at the Mazatlan Airport.

Kara owns a share at the Mayan Sea Garden, (a resort north about two miles north of town). Three hours after departing a cold and snowy Colorado morning, we descended into the city I was surprised at seeing the rivers and lush green farmland. I’ve always pictured Mexico as nothing but harsh desert and brush, but I saw lots of vegetation, and the warm humid air was a welcome change. Mazatlan is Aztecan for “Land of the Deer”. Although Mazatlan is a Mexico resort town with a large tourist industry, it’s also the largest port between Los Angeles and Panama City. There’s many parts to Mazatlan we visited other than the hotel area, and the city has a bustling downtown with many people working outside of the tourism industry. Being able to experience a bit more than just the beach made it a great trip, and I was able to see a bit more culture and diversity than the standard Mexico resort towns.

More Mazatlan history from Wikipedia

Being a white pale Dutch boy from Michigan the sun has always been my nemesis, but I managed slop on the sunscreen on and we had a great time relaxing on the beach (myself chasing the safety of an umbrella shadow).The north side of town, north of the marina has a long beach which is less crowded than the main hotel area along the Zona Dorada, (Gold Zone).

Avenue Camaron Sabalo runs through the Gold Zone, and a block west of Camaron Sabalo is where most restaurants, bars, and clubs are located.  One good maps of the Gold Zone and other areas at: http://www.mazatlan.com.mx/city/maps.htmWe ate several meals at the Guadalajara Grill and Panama Bakery (at Camaron Sabalo and Ave las Garzas). A nice outdoor cafe/bar is a block west of Sabalo on Ave las Garzas. This outdoor patio was a great place to people watch and enjoy some Pacifico cervezas.

We went to some clubs including Pepe Toro, and we found other places just by wandering around the beach. One well known discotheque is Valentino’s, in a large white castle overlooking the bay. We prefer smaller places, and we found plenty of small places along the beach to enjoy the nights.

After a couple days of relaxing and eating in town we headed to Gigante to stock up on food and school supplies we donate to a local orphanage.

Gigante is a large modern supermarket, and the best section was the Panaderia (bakery). After wandering around trying to figure it out, a nice lady told me to just get a big platter, then cruise the bakery for baked delights.

We hopped in a cab and drove to an orphanage which was on a large piece of land along a busy street. Inside the walled grounds there were several buildings where the kids lived, and some nuns who worked there. They had a huge kitchen, and hopefully our chicken and produce made some good meals for them.

We took the Sabalo Centro bus to the centro (downtown) area, which is located south of the Zona Dorada and the large bay. Downtown Mazatlan is completely different than other parts of the city, and you wouldn’t even know you’re near the beach or a resort town with the hustle and bustle of traffic, street vendors, students, and other going about their activities on a typical weekday. The central market had a great selection fresh food, fruits, vegetables.

In the center square downtown is a beautiful enormous old church. It rises above all the other three and four story markets and shops. Despite being packed into a small block, it’s serene and peaceful inside.

In the center square downtown is a beautiful enormous old church. It rises above all the other three and four story markets and shops. Despite being packed into a small block, it’s serene and peaceful inside.

At the end of the Sabalo Centro bus line is the “office” of Ginger, who is from Washington state and lives in Mazatlan.. We took these guys down the beach almost to our hotel, then back through a plantation of palm trees. Check out Ginger’s wild budgies that hang out at her place!

After a few nights of taking the bus from our hotel down to the Zona Dorada for drinks and going out, we asked some locals around our hotel neighborhood for a great place to go for a burger and relax.We were pointed just north of our hotel about a mile (between our hotel and Ginger’s horse place). It was night and our cab turned off the road down a dusty dirt road, and we ended up in front of a thatch roofed cantina and grill. It wasn’t too busy and the crew spent some time hanging out with us.

We listened to the waves at night and the mellow music. Even though it was probably the simplest restaurant in town, consisting of nothing more than a grill and some coolers, it was the best night I had.We stayed there until they closed, and the workers dropped us off at our hotel on their way home. We went there again after riding horses and got some pictures.

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