From San Cristobal I headed towards the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula and the coastal town of Tulum, via a number of impressive ruins and other points of interest:
1) First came the town of Palenque, whose ruins were beautiful beyond expectation. Lush jungle setting, dozens of tiny lizards scurrying around, swarms of dragonflies, woodpeckers, and a couple of toucans in flight - really a site to behold with their great yellow bills and rhythmic dip, rise, dip, rise flight across the sky.
Nearby was Agua Azul, a series of waterfalls and rapids running for 7km through the jungle. I was able to find a non-touristy spot where local children races tires bigger than themselves down a dirt track, which was fun to watch. They were also wowed by my ipod, but nearly wrenched my earphones apart in their enthusiasm.
I also visited the Yaxchilan ruins, reachable only by 30 minute boat ride during which I saw iguanas, crocodiles, and the ubiquitous vultures. The ruins themselves were less impressive than those at Palenque, but they were much less touristy and lie in the most fantastic deep jungle setting, where huge trees shoot up into the canopy all around and lines of leaf-cutter ants criss-cross the path with their fin-like cargos.
2) Campeche town, Campeche state
This is the source of the term "campechano" meaning laid-back person. It seemed appropriate to everyone there barring the driver of the taxi I took from the bus station when I arrived, who raced around like Michael Schumacher and road-raged anything that appeared in front of him.
Edzna ruins: memorable more for being stuck there in the sweltering heat without a bus back, so I had to hitch-hike. I Met a really nice couple from Mexico City who gave me a lift, and later we went for dinner and drinks, and generally chatted a lot in Spanish. They taught me some slang with which I thoroughly failed to impress a waiter a few days later, but other Mexicans have confirmed that "Chela" definitely does mean "beer". I also now have friends to show me around in Mexico City should I make it there!
Rock concert: a lot of Mexicans seem to like heavy metal (particularly "el rock Ingles" - ie English rock), and even the seemingly laid back Campechanos proved no different. Well, the teenagers anyway, who made up the bands and the audience at an open air concert near the town square. The last band provided one of the best live performances I have EVER seen, especially their lead singer (a kind of Hendrix/Jagger crossover with stage presence to burn) - ridiculous when you consider they were no older than 16 and playing to just a couple of hundred people. If they don't make it big I'll eat my sombrero, and possibly my poncho too.
4) Piste town, Yucatan state
Chichen Itza ruins: obviously I had to see these really famous ruins, and luckily I was there during the period of equinox when according to Mayan belief a special energy is thought to flow through the site and thousands of people flock there for the festival. As the sun goes down at this time of year, the angle of the light is such that an undulating shadow is cast onto the temple's side which meets at the bottom with the carved head of a snake, thus forming a complete snake. It was an impressive sight, and elsewhere in the complex there was an enormous pelota court (an impossibly difficult game often involving the death of the winning/losing captain depending upon whose research you listen to), and the Group of a Thousand Columns. The only downside was the absolutely unbelievable number of tourists there.
5) Tulum, Quintana Roo state
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve: nothing to do with The Jungle Book, but instead a brilliant opportunity to rent a kayak for 3 hours with an Italian I met in the hostel so we could go off paddling around the mangroves spotting fish, stingrays, osprey, and a number of other large sea-birds of the stork/heron variety. The only sounds came from the wildlife around us, or the gentle waves lapping against the boat. The surroundings were beautiful, with a meandering coastline to explore, and lots of small islands dotted about. Next time though, when planning how to get there and back, I might think twice about getting on the back of a moped, with an Italian at the wheel, on pot-holed Mexican roads!
Mexico
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