I have started a blog on our trip - so far it has been beautiful. Right now we are already in Valladolid - which is a 3 hour drive west out of
Cancun. Manana we are headed for chichen itza/a cenote and then possibly sleeping in Merida ...
[Edited on 2-1-2012 by BajaBlanca]Ken Cooke - 1-29-2012 at 10:08 PM
Beautiful! I hope to one day visit this enchanting section of Mexico!BajaBlanca - 1-29-2012 at 10:15 PM
hi Ken, it is so different from Baja = lush and full of flowers and trees.
the place we are at now is valladolid and it has a central plaza that had bids singing so loud I thought it was a recording on a loudspeaker !
Cancun is a big cabo but the beaches are incredibly gorgeous ... as you can tell by the photos. there were a ton of people swimming directly in front
of where we were on the beach but I did not post that photo.Ken Cooke - 1-29-2012 at 10:55 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
hi Ken, it is so different from Baja = lush and full of flowers and trees.
While flying to Colombia once, I flew over this region, and from the air (during daylight), the water looked electric/turquoise blue! I have touched
down in Panama and El Salvador, so I can imagine the tropical feeling it must be like in the Yucatan peninsula. Please take plenty of photos!Barry A. - 1-29-2012 at 11:14 PM
Ahhhhh, Valladolid----------one of our favorite places on the Yucatan Peninsula------spent many fun nights there about 12 years ago after coming out
of Belize on the bus-------it was like "coming home" to leave Belize and enter Mexico--------we loved it!!! Belize, or at least "Belize City" was a
bit crazy!!!
Merida is beautiful and exciting too, but very busy.
What a great trip you are having. Try to get over to Campeche if you can------a walled Pirate City from the "old" days.
BarryBajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:10 PM
MERIDA BUILDINGS ON THE ZOCALO AT NIGHT ... simple spectacular
BajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:12 PM
BajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:14 PM
we got to see these dancers for free - every sunday afternoon at 1 and every monday evening at 8 pm, they put on love music and these dancers perform
....
BAJACAT - 1-30-2012 at 10:17 PM
Blanca take me with you..please..BajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:21 PM
AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF TODAY !!! CHICHEN ITZA .... and BajaCat Jose - sure wish you and the family were here with us !!!!!
BajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:23 PM
BajaBlanca - 1-30-2012 at 10:27 PM
Barry - is Campeche really worth it ??? we only have a week and we are seriously considering heading straight back to the coast ... I have that green
turquoise color of water on the brainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
maybe les can get in some fishingggggggggggg
decisions decisions
for anyone interested, there is a blog link at the top of the thread ... I post the story line there and a LOT more pics on fbook.
[Edited on 1-31-2012 by BajaBlanca]paranewbi - 1-31-2012 at 05:59 AM
BajaBlanca....Go back to the Caribe.
Save Campeche for another time...you seem to want to return to the Caribe, go.
Best photo....the one with your great smile in it! Yea, that one.Bob H - 1-31-2012 at 10:13 AM
BajaBlanca... we are loving your postings here. Audrey and I visited the ruins all over the Yucatan a few years ago by car and we loved it.
Especially visiting the small villages along the way and the food!Oso - 1-31-2012 at 04:31 PM
"La vida Campechana" great seafood of all kinds.
Did you get to the underground restaurant in the cenote cavern in Merida? Do they still have model T's running around?BajaBlanca - 1-31-2012 at 08:43 PM
MERIDA, YUCATAN STATE, TODAY
LES NEGOTIATING FOR A RUSTIC METAL KNAPKIN HOLDER BajaBlanca - 1-31-2012 at 08:43 PM
MERIDA, YUCATAN STATE, TODAY
[Edited on 2-1-2012 by BajaBlanca]BajaBlanca - 1-31-2012 at 08:49 PM
I BOUGHT SOME OF THESE .... I KEEP THINKING I GOTTA SUPPORT THE LOCALS
BajaBlanca - 1-31-2012 at 08:52 PM
US AT BREAKFAST
if you want the commentary to all the photos, go to the blog link in the very first post
if you want to see ALL the photos, go to photobucket and hunt for bajablanca.wessongroup - 1-31-2012 at 09:01 PM
Thanks so much for sharing ... it looks really nice ... and stop having so much fun...
Enjoy .... BajaBlanca - 1-31-2012 at 10:31 PM
THE ANSWER IS: real corn .... and the tortilla made this way is an acquired taste ... and Ii am trying hard to acquire it FAST by ordering a dish made
with it at every meal LOL
[Edited on 2-1-2012 by BajaBlanca]Bob H - 2-1-2012 at 12:28 AM
What a great thread here! Wow... thanksSkipjack Joe - 2-1-2012 at 03:58 AM
You need to drive south into Belize and Peten to see a 3-tiered tropical rainforest. With monkeys, jaguars, and toucans.
The forest around Chichen Itza is short and sparse due to natural conditions. There has also been a lot of deforestation. There was still much to see
- harvester ants at Koba.BajaBlanca - 2-1-2012 at 06:24 AM
Harvester ants ? Belize ? I need more time here - where is the darn time warp ???? Scotty - get with the program !
Today we are in Peto - where the aerage size of Mayans is about 4 feet.....so wonderful to feel tall when I am only 5'1" BajaBlanca - 2-1-2012 at 06:37 PM
amigos, today is going down as a perfect day in paradise .... we are in BACALAR and specifically a the HOTEL LAGUNA .... right on laguna bacalar ....
it is spectacaular. the Lord went above and beyond making a lovely place on Earth:BajaBlanca - 2-1-2012 at 06:39 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 07:04 AM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 07:06 AM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 07:07 AM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 07:13 AM
Ateo - 2-2-2012 at 07:18 AM
Looks like a great time. Thanks for posting the reports.Udo - 2-2-2012 at 08:18 PM
LOVE the his-n-hers margarita seats on the balcony!BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 10:58 PM
Udo !!! aren't those the greatest ...love those seats ...
wow amigos, how to describe the day today - I did the blog just now but there is always so much more to tell...
we met a swiss couple and they have traveled Mexico and Guatemala like few people I have ever met. they travel twice a year and they go by bus. for
weeks. his spanish is fluent - he studied in antigua. they speak english fluently. swiss french and swiss german. wow...
this morning we went to belize to check the border town out since I had heard it has handicrats. bogus report and a total waste of time. chinese
clothes and shoes and shoddy stuff at that.
we are now in TANKAH since the prices of hotels in Tulum were a bit beyond our budget and Les insisted we be RIGHT ONTHE BEACH. well, he certainly got
what he wished for ....this place is gorgeous (no one else here at the moment) AND, we are near a cenote, near a fancy restaurant (check it out= www.bluesky.com) , near the Tulum ruins and on a fabulous beach with hammocks and white sparkly sand and crystal clear aguas....BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:00 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:02 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:04 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:10 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:18 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:21 PM
delicious shrimp with a spinach sauce .... and of course - next is the sauce to go with it ...CHECK OUT THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE ONTHE BOTTLE ...BajaBlanca - 2-2-2012 at 11:22 PM
BajaBlanca - 2-3-2012 at 07:05 PM
so...what a day !! we really packed it in and we are happy and ready to call it a night pretty soon. First we thoroughly enjoyed our orning waking up
to the sound of the Carribean RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW of our hotel room. folks, awesome amazing wonderful fantastic - another word needs to be
invented todescribe utter wonder. after a walk and breakfast - we tookoff for TULUM RUINS, only about 30 min from where we were. they are indeed
located in one of the most spectacular locations....right at the edge of the carribean in its green and blue splendor....
from there we took off for COBA. this had not even been a consideration til we met the swiss couple who loved it. and til i then read my guide book
which said it is awesome. so we went. it entails a LOT of walking so we hired the Mayan limousine to take us hahahaha A guy on a tricycle toodles
you to the site, youget off and look - photograph - whatever and then hop back on and continue. very convenient and I loved the rides throught he
forest. we also got to hear his story - he graduated highschool. he will not go to college as he hs 7 brothers and he and the okder ones help them to
go to middle and high school - uniforms - books - material etc. two of the brothers are married and live out of town. all of them learned Mayan first
and then spanish later. he says he will teach his kids Mayan and that he is very proud to be mayan.....I learned some words:
YUUMBOTIK (PRONOUNCED CHUM BOUTIQUE) = THANKS
MIIXBA (MISHVA) = YOU'RE WELCOME
MALAKIM = GOOD MORNING
anyways, I will try to load some photos but I have so many, it is hard to choose !! and my laptop seems to be on molasses today. slooooooow sloooooow
sloooow
as you enter tulum - there are tons of arts and crafts for sale:
BajaBlanca - 2-3-2012 at 07:16 PM
more beautiful handicraft
the cenote here in valladolid - looks gorgeous, the reality is gross and depressing
this iguana guy was at the entrance to tulum - there were also indian dancers in very colorul clothing - those pics are on another camera, so i will
post on another day !!
COBA RUINS are in the midst of the forest and huge and rounded
Skipjack Joe - 2-3-2012 at 07:47 PM
Blanca,
The mongoose you saw was a coatamundi. It's great to hear that they're still around. So much has changed. There was no Tulum City - just the Tulum
ruins with a few shops in front. We only saw the coatamundi at night, usually scampering across the road in front of us. They're, and I'm pretty sure
of this, related to our raccoons.
Glad you liked Coba but too bad you didn't see the leaf cutter ants (I think I mistakenly called the harvesters). You can see them crossing the trails
with sailfin leaves on their backs. Our Golden Gate museum spent big bucks creating an exhibition of them and you had them all at your feet.
[Edited on 2-4-2012 by Skipjack Joe]
woody with a view - 2-3-2012 at 09:29 PM
looks like an AWESOME trip!DianaT - 2-3-2012 at 09:53 PM
All I can say is that it has been a number of years since we were in that part of Mexico and your trip report and photos are making us want to head
that direction again ----SOON
ThanksCypress - 2-4-2012 at 04:25 AM
BajaBlanca, Thanks.BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 06:38 AM
thanks so much Joe for giving a name to the animals ... they are so NOT afraid of humans...Les has other photos which were too huge to downlaod
ysterday - one came right up to us
I think we saw those ants at the hotel we were at on the beach - they actually make a huge trail in the sand ..it was just remarkable - again - photos
on the other camera
Diana - this was one of the nicest trips - just so much to see no matter what your likes: hiking, running, walking, museums, the architecture, the
food, the people, the ruins !!!
today is our last day and we are headed for the beaches again !!! hasta this evening. bye for now.BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:01 PM
this is our last full day here - how the heck are we goona be able to fit everything in ???? and we brought an extra suitcase HAHAHA It ain't goona
fit. no way. I bought a huge Mexican mariachi hat to donate to the school for all the parades and such ... I think I have to wear it on the plane.
ohhhhhh
today was incredible and a perfect way to end the trip. morning to cenote right outside valladolid. we were the first and only ones there. it was
magical. the camera would not work right in the cave. so not too many nice pics. there were BATS flying around !! this cenote is illuminted by one
light which comes in thru a hole at the top of the cave and no other natural light.
then we went to playa del carmen. how pretty and how expensive. ouch.
so we came here to puerto morelos. it is 30 min south of cancun and we have to be at the airport tomorrow morning to fly home.
this trip has far exceeded any dream I may have had )))))BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:07 PM
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW:
BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:13 PM
I SAW THIS ON CALZADA DE LOS FRAILES IN VALLDOLID OUTSIDE A STORE
BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:16 PM
Just in case you were not paying close attention to the first photo - this is what I see at this exact minute
Skipjack Joe - 2-4-2012 at 04:17 PM
And don't forget the joke about the sad husband after they returned.
"You ask how the trip went? Can you imagine. There was nothing but ruins everywhere you looked"
Les. Be brave.
Awesome!
El Vergel - 2-4-2012 at 04:23 PM
The Yucatan. Yes! Thank you so very much for the way you show it off! This share is beautiful!BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:26 PM
This is the cenote right outside valladolid - no picture we took can do it justice - it is a cave and it is gorgeous
BajaBlanca - 2-4-2012 at 04:29 PM
We bought one of these by the side of the road ..they are for sale everywhere !!!Bajahowodd - 2-4-2012 at 04:52 PM
Looks like it has been a wonderful trip.
We have visited Yucatan/ Quintana Roo three times. Our first trip, in 1982 found Playa Del Carmen to be a rickety wood dock adjacent to three
buildings. Ah progress.
That said, it is unfortunate that Blanca did not make it over to Isla Mujeres. The main street downtown, and the azure water make it a keeper in my
book.
On a different note- Any Yucatan peninsula junkies that live in the LA area, and particularly in the Valley and other communities out the 101 ought to
know about my friend Oscar's restaurant, La Paz Mexican Seafood.
You can check it out on their web site. All the delicacies from the region, well done. They are but a 1/2 mile or so South of the 101 on Las Virgenes
Road.
What is not stated on the web site is that Oscar was born and raised in Valladolid. Additionally, what he does not mention on his site is that he
attended Harvard for awhile, until he decided that he would rather be in the restaurant business.
[Edited on 2-4-2012 by Bajahowodd]Natalie Ann - 2-4-2012 at 05:05 PM
How I love going on vacation with you, Blanca!
Thank you for taking the time for this report.
nenawindgrrl - 2-4-2012 at 05:18 PM
Most enjoyable trip report & photos.
Muchas gracias,
wLisaR. - 2-4-2012 at 06:30 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
BajaBlanca, is the Coco Tulum? We are staying there in April and just can't get enough glimpses of it!BajaBlanca - 12-4-2015 at 07:47 PM
It was indeed! did you stay there LisaR?
just reread the whole report and still remember every meal, every person I talked to, every shade of blue and green in the ocean, lakes and cenotes.Udo - 12-4-2015 at 08:03 PM
Do you remember how much the bed covers were?
VERY NICE trip!BajaBlanca - 12-5-2015 at 08:05 AM
didn't ask about the bedcovers but they are for sale right in front of the site -before you even pay/enter.Lee - 12-5-2015 at 12:08 PM
If I had a bucket list, it would be to return to Chichen Itza for a couple over nights. And spend some time in Merida.
Isla Mujeres was magical for me, and Cozumel was worth the plane ride from Cancun. (Plane was a 6 seater or so, and we all sat waiting for a late
pilot. A kid ran past me in flip flops, shorts to the c-ckpit and sat at the controls. I ran after him asking if he was the pilot and he said
yes. I said I was a pilot too and would it be OK to sit in the co-pilot's seat. No problem. I was more concerned with getting the plane off
and on the ground here -- and he was a competent pilot.)
Nice trip Blanca -- great photos.Whale-ista - 12-5-2015 at 12:16 PM
Thanks for bumping this- just saw for first time. Brings back memories...
I visited the Yucatan 30 (!) years ago- I suspect things have changed a bit. E.g., Coba was still being excavated (ruins inland from Tulum) so I saw
a lot of buildings and temples still partially covered by jungle vines, plants, etc.
Also- a friend and I snuck into Chichen Itza during the "sonido y luz" show, and climbed up the backside of the temple. We stayed after the park
officially closed, and watched the stars, the fireflies in the trees... magical.
I doubt such an act would be possible today.
Great memories- appreciate the share.
(PS- At first I didn't realize it was from a few years ago, and I thought: "Wow, Blanca looks great! Travel makes you younger!!") BajaBlanca - 12-5-2015 at 04:06 PM
I know, right?! traveling makes you look YEARS younger lol
