Barbara & Dave's Mayan Adventures
In and around Windsor, United Kingdom
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We're putting this blog together to keep all of our family and friends abreast of what we are getting up to on our 6 week adventure to the Mayan heartlands in Central America. We're planning to visit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and part of Honduras (we hope).
No package holiday to Cancun and burning on the beach. 2 gringos with backpacks and a thirst for adventure.
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Barbara & Dave
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1
Mexico City
We arrived this evening (29th)...after 11 hour flight. Just glad to be on terra firma. Trip from hell in a taxi from the airport to the hotel ... Continue reading »
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2
See the city for the price of a bus ticket
Four sore feet later.... we took the bus, the Turibus (patent pending apparently).
Toured a large part of the city in relative luxury, h... Continue reading »
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3
Papantla
Our last morning in Mexico City, and we awoke to a blackout - so we showered in total darkness, a novel experience for someone who likes her hairdr... Continue reading »
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4
El TajÃn
The net curtains on our bedroom window ensured an early wake up, and we headed out on a local bus to El TajÃn, which dates from the Classic period... Continue reading »
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5
Veracruz
Papantla:
Awoke early, the skies looked ominous. We went for breakfast, eggs again.
On leaving the hotel to... Continue reading »
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6
Villahermosa - an unscheduled stop
As were were leaving the Aquarium in Veracruz, an elderly lady offered to read Barbara's palm, and promised to bring her good luck. Not really beli... Continue reading »
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7
Palenque: Mayan marvel
Arriving from Villahermosa on the ADO bus, we chose to stay at Margarita & Ed´s cabañas, set on the road to the Palenque ruins. El Panchán is l... Continue reading »
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8
Campeche, the walled city
Campeche is now a World Heritage site, and justifiably so. It´s a low-rise town, where the houses are painted in a wide spectrum of beautiful paste... Continue reading »
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9
Mérida
After a 3 hour bus journey from Campeche, we arrived in Mérida. Contrary to our expectations, this has turned out to be the friendlist city so far... Continue reading »
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10
Uxmal - Puuc architecture at its best.
Late start today, not many of those recently, and we headed to the 2nd class bus station on the edge of town. With 2 tickets to Uxmal, and 82 pesos... Continue reading »
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11
Chichen Itza
It is thought that Chichen Itza was established around 300 AD and began to flourish between 800 and 925 AD. This site has all the signs of mass hum... Continue reading »
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12
Valladolid and the site at Ek Balam
We arrived early at Valladolid after our sleepless night in Piste, see previous entry.
Valladolid was once called Zaci, and was a Maya ceremo... Continue reading »
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13
From Mexico to Belize City
After a 6am wake up, we stocked up on our reserves at breakfast (eggs again) in anticipation of our long journey south to Belize. After being cosse... Continue reading »
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14
San Ignacio by chicken bus
After sampling the best cinnamon danish, courtesy of the Radisson cafe, (no eggs today!) we donned our backpacks and headed back to the bus-station... Continue reading »
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15
Xunantunich on a shoe string
Today we went to another Mayan site near to San Ignacio called Xunantunich. To get there we caught the local chicken bus for Benque and got off at... Continue reading »
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16
Into Guatemala
Caught the local bus from San Ignacio to Benque Viejo, near the border, from where we took a taxi 2 kms to the border post. At the Belize border co... Continue reading »
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17
Tikal - pyramids deep in the jungle
Early start today - 5.45am wake up - as we wanted to catch the sunrise over Tikal. We ended up being the first people into the Grand Plaza at the... Continue reading »
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18
Tikal - day 2.
Tikal
By the dawn of the early classic period, around 250 AD, Tikal had become an important rel... Continue reading »
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19
Rio Dulce
Friday 21 December 2007
We decided to head south east to Rio Dulce, and then push on into Copan Ruinas in Honduras... Continue reading »
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20
Guatemala to Honduras for Christmas
Rio Dulce
We had been assured that the direct bus from Rio Dulce to El Florido (border post for Guatemala and Hondu... Continue reading »
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21
Copan, history carved in stone.
We walked the 1km to the Copan ruins archaeological site. this site is unlike the others we have seen this far in that the stelae are very well pre... Continue reading »
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22
No turkey, just birds on Christmas Day.
Woke up to find that Santa had not been able to track us down to Honduras. Alas! Or maybe we hadn't been good this year...!
We decided to go... Continue reading »
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23
Return to Guatemala.
We made an early start this morning (honest) as we wanted to get across the border and down to Antigua in Guatemala today, and since we were using... Continue reading »
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24
Antigua Guatemala
The Spaniards made the current day Antigua the capital of Guatemala on 15 March 1543, but then it was called La muy Noble y muy Leal Ciudad de Sant... Continue reading »
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25
Panajachel, sunset over the lake.
We've moved to Panajachel on the edge of Lake Atitlán.
Pana, as it is often called, is a very touristy resort town with no heart or ende... Continue reading »
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26
The not-so-direct "DIRECT" chicken bus to ChiChi
Getting accurate and reliable information about local chicken buses is at best difficult, if not impossible, in Guatemala.
Having been told a... Continue reading »
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27
Chichi market day
The market starts at sun up, however we didn't quite make it for sun-up! After so many early starts we decided we needed a lie-in.
On approac... Continue reading »
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28
Nebaj, the long and winding road.
After two chicken bus changes (this was again meant to be a direct service!!!) we arrived in Sacapulas, and from there on the road just went up and... Continue reading »
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29
Return to Mexico.
Our overnight stop in Huehue came about simply because on New Year's Day there was limited public transport, and stopping at Huehue would allow us... Continue reading »
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30
San Cristóbal - brrrrrrrr!
We had heard a few days ago that a cold front was approaching and it arrived with a vengance today. Thank Heavens we packed our cold weather kit. N... Continue reading »
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31
Oaxaca
Oaxaca, pronounced Wa-hacka, was founded by the Spanish in 1521 (they called it Antequera) on the site of a Zapotec and Mixtec settlement. By 1796... Continue reading »
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32
Monte Alban
The cheapest and easiest way to get to Monte Alban from Oaxaca is to take one of the hourly buses that depart from the Hotel Rivera del Angel,... Continue reading »
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33
Teotihuacan - city of the Gods.
The guide books all tell us that this is a must-see site - and rightly so. The sheer scale of the site is awe-inspiring, and demands a good deal of... Continue reading »
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34
Mexico City - we've come full circle. (incomplete)
The journey back to Mexico City two days ago was rather scenic, passing through landscapes which would not look out of place in a John Wayne wester... Continue reading »
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