Thanks to El Nino our trip during the dry season
turned out to be a little bit wetter then expected. We landed in Cancun during
quite a downpour and our transfer from the airport to our hotel, a forty-five
minute drive, was also accompanied by gray skies and rain showers. We took the
opportunity to explore the hotel during this inclement weather and hoped that
the next few days would bring blue skies and sunshine. During our exploratory
outing we discovered a few things that were a bit of a disappointment in regards
to the hotel. One being that our room (4105) did not contain an in-room safe as
advertised, which meant that we had to use the one at the front desk. The
treadmill was broken at the fitness center, and the “business center/email”
facilities consisted of a free-standing “email machine” that ate pesos for food
without ever being able to connect to the internet even once for the entire 5
days we were there. I really feel that the Hotel Copacabana should change their
advertisements concerning these matters. But, with that said, we would indeed
return to this hotel in the future seeing that those were our only “complaints”.
Okay, on to the good stuff.
On our first day exploring the Yucatan we decided to
head for Playa Del Carmen for some shopping. We caught the collectivo, which is
the public transportation system that consists of white vans that cruise highway
307; they are extremely affordable ($1.00US to PDC from Xpu-Ha vs. $14.00US via
a taxi), and quite pleasant to use. Once we arrived in Playa Del Carmen we
headed for Calle 5, shopping central, where we found some great shops and
colorful characters. After buying some great souvenirs we dined at La Parilla
Mexican Grill for lunch. The food was excellent; especially the chips, guacamole
and pico de gallo. The atmosphere was fun and lively as well. A mariachi band
rounded out the afternoon while we sipped on pina coladas. The day was still
quite overcast from the previous day’s rain but we were undaunted in our
travels. We arrived back at the Hotel at about 4pm. It started raining again in
the evening so we took advantage of the All-Inclusive perk of free alcohol and
sampled several mixed drinks…not a bad way to end the day.
Monday started off with gray skies again but we soon
noticed bits of blue trying to peek through; this perked us up and we hurried to
the hotel lobby to rent a car from Budget so we could head for Tulum. We
procured a Chevy Pop for $55.00US and hit the road. The ruins of Tulum were
absolutely amazing! Their spectacular Cliffside setting adds to their majestic
feel. El Castillo is the most impressive structure on site with the Templo de
los Frescos coming in a close second. We spent several hours hiking around Tulum
enjoying the architecture and the wildlife. We were surprised to see a wide
variety of animals among the ruins. We came across several iguanas, lizards, and
magnificent butterflies and birds (including several Yucatan Jays), but our
biggest surprise was when I looked over at a tree and noticed the familiar
pattern of a boa constrictor! What a highlight it was to see this snake in the
wild; we were thrilled and a little freaked out at the same time. After our
visit to Tulum we couldn’t wait to see the other Maya ruins, especially since
driving in Mexico turned out to be less scary then anticipated.
Our next visit was to Coba, which in my opinion is the
most spectacular of the Maya ruins in the Yucatan. It has this great “Indiana
Jones” feel to the site since most of the ruins are still buried under thick
jungle. The structures that are excavated are astounding. We hiked among the
buildings and climbed to the top of Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid in the
Yucatan at 140 feet in height. From the summit you get a great view of the
rainforest and in the distance you can see the temple Iglesia protruding from
the jungle. It was hard to believe that at one time 55,000 people inhabited this
ancient city.
After about two hours at Coba it was time to head back
to the car for our long drive to Chichen Itza. The drive was about 2 hours on
some crazy backcountry roads. The roads have huge potholes and lots of animals
that wander about, but all of these things are easily maneuvered around in the
daylight. Among the animals, both domesticated and wild, we saw were: pigs,
goats, cows, donkeys, chickens, and the highlight…a snake speedily chasing a
basilisk down the road! A basilisk, or Jesus Christ Lizard, is an amazing
creature that can run on its two back legs when trying to flee a predator, they
can run so fast that they can even tread water…hence the JC reference, seeing
one was quite a treat for us and we are happy to report it outwitted its
attacker.
Chichen Itza…what can we say, except that it is
superb! The precision with which these structures were built is mind-boggling!
The highlight, of course, is climbing the Pyramid of Kukulcan. It is 91 stairs
to the top, and once on the summit the view is fantastic. You can see the entire
grounds with the many buildings including a great view of the Temple of the
Warriors with its Group of the Thousand Columns. If you visit the Yucatan don’t
miss this archaeological masterpiece that ranks right up there with ancient
Rome.
Our last adventure while in Mexico was to be a trip to
Cozumel, but due to the rain the clarity of the water was not that great and the
ferry ride seemed a bit treacherous with the waves, so we decided to pass on
that excursion. We are already planning a trip to Cozumel so that we can make up
for our lost visit, hopefully in the spring or summer of 2003. We did get to
snorkel in a great little lagoon called Yal-Ku that is located in Akumal, just a
short drive from our hotel. Yal-ku is home to a myriad of colorful tropical
fish, including sergeant majors, parrot fish, damsel fish, needle fish, and
starfish. The water is an emerald green color and is crystal clear and warm.
Wooden stairs lead down into the water making entry and exit a breeze. There is
an entry fee and a stand that rents snorkel gear and life jackets right near the
entrance. After you pay your fee you will get a wristband that entitles you to
use the lagoon all day, you can even leave for lunch and come back if you want.
That is exactly what we did. We drove down to a restaurant called La Buena Vida
and it was excellent! They have this great bar with swings as barstools and
crow’s nests that you can climb and get a great view of Half Moon Bay. The floor
of the restaurant is simply the sand from the beach and the chairs and tables
are at a great vantage point right by the ocean. The burgers and fries are
great, as was the pico de gallo and chips. There is nothing better then a
cheeseburger in paradise!
For our last couple of days we basked in the sun on
Xpu-Ha beach and enjoyed the atmosphere of the Hotel Copacabana. The Yucatan is
a wonderful place with great people, unique culture, and brilliant flora and
fauna. If you are considering a trip to this part of the world then you should
not hesitate to put your plans into motion. We hope our photos and info help you
make your decision…enjoy.
