After what seemed like an age of waiting, planning and preparing, together with the longest continuous flight I have ever taken (albeit only 10 hours), we arrived in Cancun for the start of our journey. Flying into Mexico was surreal and didn't quite feel real, for something that we had been planning on for so long.
As we caught the bus from the airport to the centre, we could see black vultures circling overhead (which we have seen in almost all cities we have visited in Mexico so far) and palm trees everywhere - confirming that we were very far from home!
We quickly moved on from Cancun to Valladolid, where we stayed for four nights. It is a beautiful city in the Yucatan, very relaxed, with a fair bit of tourism - mostly European, we discovered.
As soon as we arrived, we loved it - not only the 30°+ heat, but the beautiful colonial-style streets, the fascinating history of both rebellion and culture, and of course - incredible coffee and vegetarian food. We wasted no time in getting stuck into some chilaquiles, which would be a staple of our time in Mexico (and hopefully the rest of our lives). Chilaquiles are a firm favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner of ours, never having tried them before. It is generally a layer of tortilla chips, covered in green or red salsa, cheese and crema, onion, avocado, and fried eggs. Unbelievable!
Chilaquiles and enchiladas
The accommodation we were staying in was lovely, with a little terrace at the back where we could listen to the birds and watch the lizards - such welcome and unfamiliar little creatures.
Our little garden terrace!
The sky and stars at night from the terrace
Cenotes
Although the ones we saw at Ceynote Zaci were not so little.
Iguanas at Cenote Zaci
Cenote Zaci is a cenote in the centre of Valladolid. Cenotes, which comes from the Mayan word ‘dzonot’, meaning abyss, are natural pits/sinkholes which happen when moisture-rich soil dissolves and creates a cavern of water that eventually collapses. It is thought that in Mayan culture, cenotes are sources of life: not only providing water, but also act as places to commune with the gods. They are now popular tourist attractions, and places to swim in the beautiful warm(ish) water.
Cenote Zaci was incredible - swimming in the fresh water in a crater, surrounded by bats (which we didn't see, but could hear!) and huge Iguanas definitely felt other-worldly. We had it almost to ourselves, as it was so early. Also very unique to be in a cenote in the middle of a city (although not as unique as in a Costco carpark, which we later saw in Merida. To be continued...).
Chichén Itzá
A big highlight of Valladolid was Chichén Itzá, one of our main trips we were planning in Mexico. Chichén Itzá is probably what most people think of when thinking of Mexican landmarks (or those in the Yucatan Peninsula anyway). It is a huge complex of Mayan ruins, with the main structure (El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcán) being remarkably well preserved.
The Temple of Kukulcán/El Castillo
It is an incredibly important site to the Mayans, and was once home to around 35,000 people. Construction is thought to have started in the 6th century, with the most prominent structures being built between 800 and 1200 AD.
The main Temple is dedicated to Kukulcán, a feathered serpent deity: the chief god, the creator and god of rain, wind, storms and life. Human sacrifices are thought to have been made to Kukulcán to bring rains (as the region is incredibly hot), although the regularity of these are still hotly debated. There are 365 steps to the top of El Castillo - one for each day of the year. And if you stand at the bottom and clap, the sound echos to the top and makes the sound of a Quetzal bird chirping. I'm sure many people could explain why this happens, but it was a magical little mystery to me.
The ruins are huge and incredibly impressive. It is strange to be somewhere you have seen on television and online so often. Again, there were huge iguanas and black vultures and some lovely dogs which did not obey the ‘do not enter’ signs at the ruins. It was lovely to watch them play and run about where people aren't able to go.
One of the more grim parts of the site relates to the ancient Mayan ball game played there (the 'sacred ballgame'). In the normal running of the game, two teams played against each other to hit a ball (with their bodies/hips) through a high stone circle. However, historians believe that there were, at times, sacrificial games, whereby a decapitated head was stored inside the ball, or that the winning team's players would be sacrificed afterwards. It doesn't seem as strange to consider that it would be the winning team who were sacrificed, rather than the losing, when you understand that to be sacrificed to the gods could be considered a great honour. As I read about later, the ballgame was a representation of the opposing and complementary forces that exist in the universe, and the attempt to maintain cosmic equilibrium and order.
Convent
Valladolid is full of history, and we decided to visit the Convent near where we were staying - Convento de San Bernardino de Siena - which was built around 1552 by Franciscans who wished to convert the local Mayan people to Christianity, and served as both a fortress and church. As with many significant places, the church is built on a cenote. In investigating the cenote, archaeologists found that the convent played a major role in the Caste War in the Yucatan, when the Mayan people revolted against the Spanish colonisers in 1847 (discovered by recovering artifacts from the Cenote).
The convent and grounds were so beautiful inside, housing gardens and a museum on the history of the Convent.
Valladolid was such a lovely place to start our trip. It was relaxed, friendly, HOT, and a lovely place to spend 4 days. I would highly recommend a visit, particularly for those interested in visiting Chichen Itza.
Now, onwards to Merida and Día de Muertos celebrations!
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