Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Folks,

I've had a really relaxing week, mostly here in Isla Mujeres, an island off Mexico.

The pic of the week shows El Castillo (the castle) Pyramid in Chichén Itzá. It's so quiet because I got there early.

Chichén Itzá
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This is the most famous Mayan site. It was voted one of the new seven wonders of the world in the recent poll, and they're over the moon. There are Maravilla del Mundo t-shirts everywhere.

It's very impressive. I have to say, though, that I was a little spoilt by having gone to Tikal first. Tikal seemed a little more extensive, and also because it's in the jungle you feel like you're discovering it. Chichén Itzá is much more open than Tikal. It's like a big park rather than jungle.

For all these sites I now try to get the earliest bus in the morning, and get there before the crowds, and it was the best way to see Chichén Itzá. It's enormously impressive. There are many pyramids, a large pitch where ball games were played, and many other structures still standing.

When I finished my tour, I came back into the main area, and relaxed and read my book. When I got up to leave, it was like a different place. The tour buses had arrived, and tourists were milling about everywhere. In addition, there were at least a hundred souvenir sellers who had set up stalls all around. I never saw anyone selling anything in Tikal.

Getting around
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One thing that surprises me is how easy it is to travel everywhere. There are local buses going everywhere. Whenever I travel from one place to another, it's really easy to pick up the next leg of the journey. And I'm getting to places quicker than in my plan. I often plan to go from X to Y, stay overnight before going on to Z. But, in practice, when I get to Y there's bus there already going to Z, and I can save the extra overnight.

Isla Mujeres
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I fly to Cuba tomorrow from Cancún, which is why I'm in this region of Mexico at all. There are lots of flights from Cancún, as many people from the States use it to avoid the travel restriction.

I decided to stay in Isla Mujeres, because I read it was less of a tourist resort than Cancún itself. It's a tiny island, 8km long and 1km wide. In fact, at the end of the town just up the street it only takes 30 seconds to walk from the east to the west coast!

It's called Isla Mujeres, or Women's Island, because when the Spanish arrived there they found a painting of the god Ixchel, surrounded by a court of women. It's also an old pirate island.

The water is an incredible turquoise, and it's crystal clear. If you saw it on a postcard you'd think it had been photoshopped. I'm in the middle of the town, but the beach is just at the end of the street. I hired a bike yesterday and cycled around the full circumference in just 2 hours, and that was stopping for a drink halfway.
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It's late now. It poured with rain tonight, and the street is flooded. I had to wade out out my hotel with the water up to my ankles earlier. Actually, there is lightning now, so it's some sort of a storm. I am heading to Cuba tomorrow. I get the 9 o'clock boat to Cancún, then a taxi to the airport and a flight to Havana. So I better go and pack.

Until next week.

Chau,

Éamon

Today's Headline in La Journada: Governors protest at US anti-immigration measures

Tikal

I'm now in Valladolid, Mexico. I travelled from Guatemala, through Belize, into Mexico on Wednesday.

The pic of the week shows the very impressive Temple I in Tikal. It's 44m high, and the pic is taken from the top of Temple II, on the opposite side of the Grand Plaza, from a height of about 38m.

Tikal, Guatemala
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Tikal was absolutely wonderful. It's the ruins of an old Mayan city. I was staying on the pretty island of Flores, in Lago Petén Itzá in the north of Guatemala. I got an early bus to Tikal, leaving at 6am, and arriving shortly after 7. It was great to go so early, because it was virtually deserted for much of my visit.

You enter via a pathway through the jungle. It was so impressive to see, directly in front of me, the first temple rising out of the jungle. It was like something out of Indiana Jones.
It turned out to be the back of Temple I, or The Temple of the Grand Jaguar, built around 700AD for King Moon Double Comb. I spent hours going around the many temples, pyramids and acropoli (if that's the plural of acropolis). It was a wonderful place to visit, and amazing to see something so impressive with so few visitors.

Throughout there were monkeys, toucans and pisotes, which are animals that travel in packs and are quite like racoons.

A group of three people got onto the bus on the way back. I heard the first girl greet someone 'Howarya, José' in a strong Kerry accent. It turned out they were from Dingle. Also on the bus I got talking to a Canadian couple. They had sold up literally everything they owned in Canada, bought a motor home, and have been driving since 2004, most of that time in Mexico. They have no plans to stop.

Journey to Tulum
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I got a minibus from Flores to Chetumal in Mexico. This was a 5am start, and we travelled through Belize. I'll be back in Belize later on my journey back south, but it was so strange travelling through Central America with all the signs in English.

I smiled as we passed the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City. I wonder if it's due for renaming.

When we crossed the border into Mexico, a group of us got together to hire a minbus. Some of us were going to Tulum and some to Playa del Carmen, a beach resort further north. I was going to Tulum, because I wanted to see the Mayan ruins there, and also to change direction and head inland in preparation for my visit to the most famous Mayan site, Chichén Itzá.

Tulum
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I was a little disappointed in Tulum. It's very much a backpacker town. I checked into a hostel that was recommended in my guide. But I didn't like it. It was basic and dirty, and the it cost €20 a night, which is way more than it was worth. I was shown to my room by Martin from Urlingford.

After just one night, I left to go to a cheaper and better hotel. It still wasn't great, but it was an improvement. That afternoon I went to see the ruins of the old Mayan port city. It is in the most beautiful location. In my guide it said that this was surely where Mayans would have requested a transfer to work, because it's right on the Caribbean. In the middle of the ruins, there is a tiny white sand beach with incredibly turquoise-blue water. It was so idyllic it looked like it was a film set rather than something real.

Valladolid
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I decided to relocate to Valladolid. It's hardly mentioned in my guide, but it's a good location for Chichén Itzá, where I'm going tomorrow. The bus broke down on the way up, so we were an hour and a quarter sitting in the bus waiting for help. I heard the driver on the phone saying 'I have 5 passengers. What will I do with them?'

I kind of dozed off, so I'm not sure if someone arrived, or the driver got it running again by itself, but we were on our way.

I'm much happier here than I was in Tulum. It's an old colonial town, but it's not particularly touristy. It's got a couple of touristy restaurants. But I'm in a lovely hotel for just €16 a night. And when I went out for a walk earlier (on possibly the hottest day of my whole time in Central America) I enjoyed seeing places like the barbers, with a tailor working away on a sewing maching in the corner. Now, this feels like Mexico.
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Well, that's it for this week. I'm off to Chichén Itzá in the morning. It's one of the sites that was voted as one of the new seven wonders of the world in that recent poll. But for me, it will have to be truly excellent to be more impressive than Tikal.

So until next week,

Chau,

Éamon

Today's Headline in El Universal: Panistas unveil statue of Fox in Veracruz

Panajachel, Guatemala

Folks,

It's been a busy week. I left Santa Teresa, returned to Heredia, and flew to Guatemala.

The pic of the week shows 13-year-old Pedro, who was my guide in the town of Santiago Atitlán this morning.

Leaving the casita
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On the last day when I told Ariel (the gardener) I was going, he asked if I was leaving anything behind. I showed him some kitchen stuff and he was delighted. Then I told him that if there was anything out with the rubbish he could have it as well.

He eagerly went through the rubbish, and found t-shirts, jeans, and CDs that he was delighted to take. He went off with two packed sacks.

I laughed when I saw him after lunch, and he was walking up the road in a t-shirt with a message emblazoned across his chest 'Is fearr liom buachaillí'.

Heredia
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It was wonderful being back in Heredia. It felt a little like going home. I was delighted to meet back with people in the school. A few of us went out for a few beers in my regular bar, El Cholo. It was just like old times when Abraham. the barman, saw me arrive and asked, 'Pilsen Red with a glass of ice?'

Arrival in Guatemala
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I had conflicting advice on whether to stay in Guatemala City itself, or Antigua - both are close to the airport. Guatemala City is fighting a bad reputation on security, and Antigua is considered 'prettified' and manufactured for the tourist. I hadn't decided where to go, and read up on both in my guide on the flight. I discovered that Antigua was a UNESCO World Heritage site, and that made up my mind.

It's a very pretty colonial city in the shadow of three volcanoes, full of art galleries and not very typical of Guatemala. But I didn't mind spending my two nights there, and seeing all the kids going to school in the morning made me feel that at least it wasn't totally manufactured.

First impressions
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My first impressions of the country are that people are a lot poorer than Costa Rica, but the roads are better. There are also a huge proportion of indigenous people, most of whom still wear their colourful traditional clothes.

They also know how to pack a bus. On the way up here we were like sardines. But everyone was laughing, smiling, and in good form. It was like they were having a day out, although I imagine it was their daily commute.

Lago de Atitlán
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For my first overland journey I've already abandoned my plan and come west to Lago de Atitlán, on the recommendation of a couple of friends.

I'm staying in Panajachel which is the biggest town on the lake. The lake is a beautiful body of water with several towns nestled under two enormous volcanoes.

The country is in the middle of the run-off in the Presidential election, and political posters and billboards are everywhere. It's apparently very close, between the Centre Left candidate Colom, and the traditionalist Pérez, who many fear is too close to the military. I'll be interested in following how it goes after I leave.
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Well, that's it for this week. I leave early tomorrow to travel north-east to the Mayan ruins at Tikal. After that, I move on to Mexico.

So, for this week,

Chau,

Éamon

Today's headline in Prensa Libre: Rotation of senior police chiefs