Day 51 : Chichen Itza

There had been a lot of mixed reviews about Chichen Itza, some say to go, others say to skip because there are too many tourists and you can't climb onto any of the monuments. 

Having travelled such a long distance and maybe never getting another chance to be in Mexico again, I figured that I should just do it and make my own decision whether I like it or not. After all it had made it onto the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World, so it shouldn't be that bad. I'll just leave early in the morning as I usually had done with the other Archaeological Sites, to avoid the crowds, especially since many had said the tourists usually only reach at about 10am.

I only managed to reach the site at about 8.30am, due to some delay at the hostel with a slightly later breakfast service and waiting for the Collectivo to fill up before it would leave.  Upon arriving at Chichen Itza grounds, the Collectivo driver announced "Chicken Pizza". Everyone laughed.

There was already a couple of tour buses at the carpark ... "Damn! Aren't they suppose to only arrive after 10?" 

I quickly made my way to the ticket counters and waited for my turn. Then I saw the cost of the tickets... MXP237?!?

This is ridiculously expensive – the cost of the entrance was the usual MXP65, but apparently that's just the Federal fee. The State had decided to slap a State fee of MXP167 on top of that, just to rip off the tourists (Mexicans pay a slightly lesser State fee).

I was starting to have 2nd thoughts on going in, and then I thought, "What the heck, I am already here. It's expensive, but a small fraction of the cost of my Airticket to get to Mexico".  

The queue was super slow as I had to pay the 2 different fees at 2 different counters. This is a stupid system and a time waster. No wonder there was a long queue waiting to go in. 

I walked into the entrance and followed the path, with make-shift store vendors starting to put up their wares along the path. Soon I got to a clearing and right in front of me was the iconic monument seen on most pictures and postcards on Chichen Itza – El Castillo.

Day 51 : Cenote Ik Kil

Located on the way from Chichen Itza back to Valladolid is Cenote Ik Kil. This is the 2nd cenote I had visited thus far, and completely different from Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman.

It was very commercialized, with a huge parking ground and a few tour buses.

Walking in, a modern building had been built around the cenote, with proper changing and bathing areas and lockers that had to be rented, as bags are not allowed into the cenote area. 

There’s even security to keep a sharp eye and prevent people from going down if they had their belongings with them, or had not taken a shower at one of the many showering points located just outside the stairway.

Day 50 : My 1st Experience at a Cenote

Just barely an hour after arriving in Valladolid, at the recommendation of the people at the Hostel La Candaleria, I made my way towards Cenote San Lorenzo Ozman. 

Located about 4km away, there was no collectivo service, and the staff suggested renting a bike.  However, not being keen on paying hourly rental on the bike while I am at the cenote and concerns about the bike being easily stolen, I decided to walk. 

I had done hours of walking before, and 1 hour walking to the cenote shouldn’t kill me!

The path took me through the city centre and some residential neighbourhoods. 

About 20 mins later, I came across a train track and some directions pointing through remote sandy paths for the way towards San Lorenzo Ozman.

Day 48 – 49 : Merida

Merida is another colonial town located in the Yucatan region. Prior to arriving to Merida, many travellers had told me that they had enjoyed staying in Merida, and I can see why. 

There is a good vibe in the city, with numerous activities happening each day.

There are also a number of beautiful colonial buildings around Parque Grande as well as along Paseo de Montejo.

Most of these buildings are usually converted into a museum of some kind, and entrance is free.

Day 46 – 47 : Campeche

The bus ride from Palenque to Campeche took 6 hours, and was meant as a stop, instead of having to take a really long bus ride direct to Merida.  It would also be easier to get to Edzna ruins from Campeche than from Merida.

About 45 mins before arriving into Campeche, I started to see glimpse of the sea again!  It’s been a while since I was near the coast, and it was also nice to feel the warmth (perhaps maybe a little too much here!), after being in a colder climate the last few days.

A laid back colonial seaside town (but with no beach and very dirty waters), Campeche is famous for its few existing forts and bastions left from the days when it was still occupied by the Spanish. 

Some sections of the bastions are still walkable, which is a nice way to view the city from the top. 

Day 47 : Maya Ruins of Edzna

Located 55km away from Campeche, Edzna (“House of Itza”) was founded around 400 B.C., and was eventually abandoned in about 1450. 

The most famous monument is the Building of 5 Flats, a five-level pyramid with numerous rooms and a cross-shaped sanctuary, located in the Grand Acropolis.

Day 45 : Palenque

The Palenque ruins opens at 8am, and I wanted to be at the grounds early to avoid the crowds.  Taking a collectivo at 7.15am, which costs MXP20, I got to the entrance at about 7.40am. 

While waiting for the Grounds to open, one of the guides in an attempt to sell me his service, shared with me that only about 5% of the grounds had been excavated, with 95% still hidden in the jungle. 

He also pointed out the howls of the howler monkeys, which could be heard throughout the whole time I was at the Grounds.  Apparently, the producers of Jurassic Park had recorded the sounds of Howler Monkeys in Guatemala and used that as the background sound in some of the scenes!

I was shortly joined by the couple, whom was on the same Agua Azul and Misol Ha Falls tour, and we spoke about the wash out weather the group would have had yesterday. 

I noticed that the couple had a band around their arm, and at first thought it was the admission ticket, but was told that it was the Palenque National Park fee, separate from the ruins admission and had to be paid at an earlier entrance.  It was then I realised that the collectivo I took had not stopped for me to make this payment of about MXP31.  No one at the ticket counter seemed to question me for not having the band fortunately.

Day 44 : Agua Azul & Misol Ha Falls

Instead of taking the ADO bus from San Cristobal to Palenque, I came across many travel agencies offering an interesting option of travelling in a shuttle van to Palenque, stopping at Agua Azul and Misol Ha Falls. 

The route also brings the group to the Palenque ruins before returning to San Cristobal.  I had arranged with the travel agency to skip the ruins, since they are limited to only 2 hours at the Park, and to leave me at Palenque town after the Miso Ha Falls.  This cost MXP350, inclusive of admissions, which was even cheaper than taking a direct bus on ADO.

The tour picked me up at about 5am in the morning, an extremely early start, so that those who are ending the tour back in San Cristobal will be able to return back by 11pm.  Super long journey!

Day 42 – 43 : San Cristobal de las Casa

After a long 11+ hour excruciating overnight bus ride from Oaxaca, I finally reached San Cristobal. I miss the luxury buses available in Argentina / Chile!

San Cristobal is a popular city stop for many travellers as it serves as a midway point towards Oaxaca, Palenque or Guatemala. Another beautiful colonial town, with a long T-shaped cobbled stone pedestrian-only street cutting through Zocalo (town square), and lined with chic shops, restaurants and café. 

At one end of the Pedestrian only street is a sprawling food market, selling gorgeous specimens of the fruits and vegetables that grow abundantly in the Chiapas Highlands: avocados, marble-sized tomatoes, and rainbows of chillies.

Inspirations for the Day

As seen on a poster in the hostel in San Cristobal, Hostel La Casa de Paco

Day 38 – 41 : Oaxaca

Oaxaca (pronounced wa-hah-kah), is a colonial town located about 300 miles south of Mexico City, and about 5hrs from Puebla.  It was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987.

Characterized by a similar layout of the main town area with low lying colorful buildings as Puebla (without the colourful, patterned Talavera tiles), but with a more disorganized feel, the streets are constantly filled with traffic and street markets.