Mexico

The journey begins in Mexico

We leave from Milan with a stopover in Madrid flying with AIR EUROPA.

All good even though the flight never ends. Arrival in Cancun at local time around 22:00.

Bus to Playa del Carmen 130 pesos and it drops us off on the quinta (the most famous street in the place, kind of like Rimini).

We spend the night in the only hotel booked online: HOTEL ROSA MIRADOR 350 pesos for a big room with three beds. Pretty spartan and basic, I don't feel I can either discourage or recommend it. What I definitely hated was the disco next door that played music or noise, as it's more rightly called, until eight in the morning Italian time, and I can guarantee you that given the internal time zone inside each of us, for me those were precious hours of sleep.

Diego, my other half, had no problem with the time change, he snored away peacefully.

CHICEN ITZA

We wake up at dawn as usual because of the time change and have breakfast at a bakery with pieces of cheesecake and other pastries, all paid 32 ps.

We take the bus at the central station (all of Mexico is served by an excellent network of ADO GRAN LUSSO buses which in our opinion is more comfortable than a plane trip and following the tips found online we used it without any problem for all our travels; it's true what you read, the air conditioning is really strong but with a few precautions, see the sleeping bag, you sleep and travel peacefully.

We leave for CHICHEN ITZA, about 4 hours of travel, and paid for two 318 ps.

At the site there's a luggage storage where you can leave backpacks and suitcases, the important thing is it's free.

Entry costs 206 ps for two people. As soon as we're inside we see El Castillo in front of us.

Diego wanted it bigger but once you've climbed up it, it's enough as it is.

It's something impressive; the climb is very steep and once you're up you get a beautiful view but fear wins out and the thought of whether you'll manage to get down or not.

For the descent I let myself be influenced by all those before me who grab onto the rope and come down on their bottoms one step at a time. But luckily someone of you advised me to come down zigzagging like when you ski in a snowplow and with a bit of courage I try it and IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!! Everything seems less steep and it's much simpler and faster. TRY IT!!!!

In the end we go up and down more than once for the various ritual photos.

We visit the whole site and then take the bus (strictly ADO GL) and leave for Merida (118 pesos for two), it takes us about two hours, the air conditioning is really cranked up.

We don't visit the city but decide to leave right away for San Cristobal.

While we wait for the bus we have dinner right across from the station, we eat chicken and grilled meat for 121 ps, again for two, served by a waiter of unknown and never identified sex. The restaurant is called TIERRA DEL SOL and I know they also have rooms to spend the night in.

The bus costs 798 ps for two and it will be a very long journey, we'll arrive the next morning.

I'm falling asleep and I sleep until three, then a series of hairpin bends and topes (our speed bumps to slow you down but they're everywhere) begins and I couldn't get back to sleep.

At seven local time we're already out and about.

The weather is cloudy. We have breakfast at the buffet at LOS COMALES on the quinta, 121 pesos for two people (bread, butter, jam, eggs and cooked ham, watermelon juice and pieces of fruit like watermelon, melon and papaya).

The sun has come out and it's scorching hot and it has transformed the colors of the sea.

We go back to the hotel for a little nap but the time change has tricked us, we slept until about 19:00, in Italy it's the dead of night.

We forced ourselves to go out and headed to the restaurant LA TARRAYE (just ask and they'll point you the way) recommended online and we ate at the water's edge on the beach. We ate a 300 g lobster for 245 ps plus octopus and fried calamari, total spent 421 ps for two. Then the ritual walk in search of a t-shirt for Diego and some souvenirs from Playa.

Our visit to Playa is already over, we don't want to stay one more day in a place created for tourists that doesn't reflect the real Mexico.

CHICEN ITZA

We wake up at dawn as usual because of the time change and have breakfast at a bakery with pieces of cheesecake and other pastries, all paid 32 ps.

We take the bus at the central station (all of Mexico is served by an excellent network of ADO GRAN LUSSO buses which in our opinion is more comfortable than a plane trip and following the tips found online we used it without any problem for all our travels; it's true what you read, the air conditioning is really strong but with a few precautions, see the sleeping bag, you sleep and travel peacefully.

We leave for CHICHEN ITZA, about 4 hours of travel, and paid for two 318 ps.

At the site there's a luggage storage where you can leave backpacks and suitcases, the important thing is it's free.

Entry costs 206 ps for two people. As soon as we're inside we see El Castillo in front of us.

Diego wanted it bigger but once you've climbed up it, it's enough as it is.

It's something impressive; the climb is very steep and once you're up you get a beautiful view but fear wins out and the thought of whether you'll manage to get down or not.

For the descent I let myself be influenced by all those before me who grab onto the rope and come down on their bottoms one step at a time. But luckily someone of you advised me to come down zigzagging like when you ski in a snowplow and with a bit of courage I try it and IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!! Everything seems less steep and it's much simpler and faster. TRY IT!!!!

In the end we go up and down more than once for the various ritual photos.

We visit the whole site and then take the bus (strictly ADO GL) and leave for Merida (118 pesos for two), it takes us about two hours, the air conditioning is really cranked up.

We don't visit the city but decide to leave right away for San Cristobal.

While we wait for the bus we have dinner right across from the station, we eat chicken and grilled meat for 121 ps, again for two, served by a waiter of unknown and never identified sex. The restaurant is called TIERRA DEL SOL and I know they also have rooms to spend the night in.

The bus costs 798 ps for two and it will be a very long journey, we'll arrive the next morning.

I'm falling asleep and I sleep until three, then a series of hairpin bends and topes (our speed bumps to slow you down but they're everywhere) begins and I couldn't get back to sleep.

San Cristobal

Arrival in SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, I guarantee you that the air on the bus was warm compared to the freezing cold we find outside.

It's about seven in the morning.

We go looking for the hotel after leaving our bags at the station's storage.

They offer us a room for 160 pesos at the hotel PLAZA CENTRAL but after seeing it we leave right away, okay, we want to save money but it was really squalid, dark and windowless, I found it very depressing even though the entrance was really nice; we had also seen it online.

We continue our search and find the HOTEL NORIA for 350 pesos a night.

Truly wonderful and super clean, every day they leave us two sealed bottles of still water on top of the usual soap.

I highly recommend it, certain you won't have any surprises.

All washed and smelling good we look like new, it had been more than twenty-four hours since we'd stopped at a hotel.

We followed the advice of those who had done our experience before us and without a shadow of a doubt we headed for breakfast at CASA DEL PAN, everything delicious and genuine, bread, jams, homemade yogurt; we spent 125 ps for two.

We take an inspection tour of the town then to bed in a coma, we need to recharge our energy a bit.

We wake up and head to the Mayan market, everyone advised us to buy everything in Chiapas because the things are unique and you pay at least a third of what you'd pay in Playa or other tourist places. We buy clothes (2 wool shirts, 1 typical hyper-colorful sweater, 1 cotton shirt and we pay only 28 euros for the whole lot) though I must admit I'm not very good at haggling, it feels like I'm robbing them when already the price compared to Italy is really low. But watch out for leather items: I bought a lovely bag for only 20€ but at home I realized the cow smell I was carrying with me was truly unbearable.

Then I regretted not buying more things, they're too beautiful and cost so little.

Before going back to the hotel we wander around San Cristobal in search of cacao seeds that a friend had asked us for, we happen upon a place called CASA DEL CACAO E DEL MAYS where a very kind lady insists on having us taste the POZUL (I'll leave you the pleasure of discovering it, but try it when it's hot) and a lovely hot chocolate: a place truly worth trying for lovers of the genre.

Back in a coma we throw ourselves into bed and I sleep from 18:30 Mexican time until 04:00 in the morning and then nothing more. I confess I never adjusted to the Mexican time change which turned out to be a nightmare at certain moments, waking up and having no more sleep and seeing total darkness outside and realizing there are still many hours to go before seeing the sun rise was hard...; my husband instead got used to it right away after the first few days but once back in Italy he struggled for a few days.

Village of Chamula, ZInacatan

We get up at seven and go down, extra dressed, to have breakfast. We go to the CAFFETTERIA CENTRALE, we pay half, 66 ps compared to Casa del Pan, but we also eat half.

We wait for Alex & Ramon in the central square (Plaza 31 Marzo in front of the cathedral) to organize the half-day excursion to San Juan Chamula and Zinacatan.

The meeting is at 9:30 in the square, they don't have an office but only word of mouth, it's Lonely that advertises for them.

There are four of them and if the group is small only two work. They drew lots and Alex and Raul are off today. We pay 300 pesos for two.

They accompany us with Sebastian who explains the trip in English and just for us two there's Sandra who talks to us in Spanish. I don't think an Italian translation is actually provided by their group.

We understand Spanish well enough.

The trip is good, we can photograph almost anywhere even though the locals don't appreciate being the center of the photo due to an ancient superstition, the photo steals their soul.

The village of Chamula is in my eyes a true Babylon of beliefs, they continue their Mayan rites even though they take whatever they like from the Catholic religion. They define themselves as Catholic even though they don't accept the Bible, they baptize children and accept saints. They completely reject traditional medicine and perform rites inside the church that leave you speechless. Candles everywhere and pine needles scattered on the floor and Coca-Cola or any carbonated drink that helps you burp to drive out the evil spirit.

We witnessed the attempt to heal a sick child, after the various rites according to the shaman he transferred all the child's ills into a chicken which he then strangled in the church.

They are dedicated to the saints and every 20 days they must celebrate a festival in honor of a saint and the one who pays takes the name of counselor and receives the assignment for a year.

He works 5, 6, 7 years to be able to gather all the money needed for the festivals and in that year he doesn't work; he dedicates himself completely to his saint.

Women are worth nothing, they don't vote and must only work, school is not compulsory.

The man is dedicated to the festivals, polygamy is allowed. The woman marries only one man, if he dies she remains a widow for life; they marry at around 14 years old.

They can't be called poor, the government assists them, according to our guide who knows them more than we can in an hour she explains to us that there's a mistranslation, given the too many festivals almost all the men have the problem of alcoholism and don't take care of the family.

The other village, that of ZINACATAN, has abandoned almost all Mayan traditions and is Catholic. It seems, from how it's described to us, more fair, the man works for the family, everyone goes to school and they grow flowers and don't beg for alms.

Almost all the villages in the area are fortunately similar to the latter.

Once the excursion is over we take another tour of the market and buy the excursion for the next two days, the Sumidero Canyon and then the day after for Palenque and the two waterfalls AGUA AZUL and MISHOL HA.

We take the opportunity to start our return, we agree with the guide that we won't come back but will stay in Palenque so we aren't forced to do the same road twice and we save the bus money. All agreed.

Palenque

We go to have breakfast at CASA DEL PAN (fantastic and genuine), maybe a bit pricey but worth every penny. A tour of the market and we can't manage to halve much, they're definitely shrewder than us. Trip to the SUMIDERO CANYON, we pay 320 pesos for two.

The mountain and the river are impressive, to think that from the highest point the Indians, small and large, threw themselves down so as not to be slaves of the Spaniards.

There are lots of birds, few crocodiles, we spot a small one that lets itself be photographed calmly; the guides with their boats go very fast and you see little.

On the way back, as scheduled, a stop in Chiapa de Corzo for lunch, an hour and thirty of free time. I drink a pineapple juice with ice and after three hours I have to run to the bathroom but luckily it's not the curse, the probiotics taken in advance did their job.

We rest in the afternoon with a good long sleep and then have dinner at the much-recommended EMILIANO MUSTACHE, a nice place but we expected more for the meat, the chicken consommé was good, the waiter a bit depressing and live music, we pay 179 ps for two.

We go straight to bed, tomorrow a really heavy day awaits us, we won't touch a hotel bed until another 24 hours have passed. Final destination Tulum.

TULUM

As usual we wake up at three in the morning. I wait for dawn. Our suitcase has really filled up (we've bought way too much stuff but I already regret not having bought more).,

We're in the minivan headed to the waterfalls, we paid for the three stops up to Palenque, 520 ps for two.

The road as usual is bad and full of curves and the guy turns on the air conditioning and I try to prevent a headache.

We stop at Ochocinco for breakfast in a rather squalid little eatery.

Arrival at the AGUA AZUL WATERFALLS: they're wonderful, beautiful, there are no words, I just thank God for having created them for our delight and joy. They have wonderful colors, we're lucky to see them truly azure blue, I read that in other periods of the year they're very dull, almost gray.

Diego goes for a swim in them, too bad we only have an hour and thirty, better than nothing.

I'm very happy that we pushed all the way to CHIAPAS and didn't stay stuck in Playa.

LONG LIVE THE REAL MEXICO.

The MISHOL HA waterfall is beautiful, it's just one but it makes an impression too, of course after having seen Agua Azul... Back in the car, I bundle up in impressive fashion, who knows what the other passengers thought but anything is good to avoid the air conditioning and the headache.

Arrival in PALENQUE, it's hot but it's very beautiful, immersed in the jungle, Diego wants to look for the howler monkeys, we don't see them, you have to go deep in, but we manage to hear them, they're really powerful and make an impression. The site captivates us and deserves our attention but tiredness is cooking us and we lose a bit of that magical atmosphere.

As agreed they drop us off at the ADO station... we have to wait about three hours before we can leave for TULUM.

We have a snack and then dinner in a little restaurant downtown called VIRGO, we eat fruit (melon and pineapple, 1 fried plantain and for dinner chicken soup and camarones (fried shrimp) and we pay 189 pesos for two (about 13 euros).

Off to the bus. The Palenque_TULUM trip costs 754 ps, again for two; the trip is fine, the air conditioning is there but it's quite bearable.

THURSDAY 24/02/2005

We get off in Tulum at seven, we take a taxi and go looking for one of the much-advertised cabanas. We stop at the second one, the taxi driver doesn't feel like driving us around and we don't feel like spending the whole morning at it, we're a bit tired, we traveled all night making up time for the transfers and saving on the hotel money... but now we want a bit of peace.

We accept a super luxury cabana, it has a bathroom in the room. Name at the MAR CARIBE, it costs 400 pesos a night, and it's truly on the beach.

I have a crisis, I was ready to give up all comforts, a nice room and a real bathroom but the fact that there's no hot water is a bitter pill to swallow.

The room consists of a cot and a mattress and around a wall there's a sort of toilet with the shower pipe above it and the owner handed us two candles for lighting.

After a bit of panic I manage to wash my hair too; the water isn't then as freezing as I thought, the sun warms it a bit.

We're in almost complete contact with nature, the sea and the beach are beautiful but there's wind and the sea doesn't turn out as Caribbean as I had dreamed, it's rough and full of sand but in the distance the colors are splendid.

We spend the morning on the beach, Diego gets cooked to a turn, the sun really beats down; in the afternoon we negotiate a ride with a taxi driver and go downtown to Tulum; we find it a bit squalid; the only thing that makes it famous are the cabanas but for the rest it doesn't have much to offer apart from the usual shops and restaurants.

We get back when it's already dark, we read by candlelight and I at seven local time but two Italian time I'm cooked and start sleeping.

The time change never abandoned me, as a consequence I'm already awake and on the beach ready with the camera to immortalize the sunrise.

There's still wind, I'm starting to believe we'll never see the Caribbean sea like the one in the postcard, calm and transparent. We have breakfast at the beach restaurant DON CAFETO with a dish. A plate of fruit (pineapple, watermelon, melon, banana and papaya with yogurt). 107 ps for two. Wait, let me correct: a plate of fruit (pineapple, watermelon, melon, banana and papaya with yogurt and orange juice) 107 ps for two. With stomachs full we go looking for a scooter, but there aren't many who rent them, one had already run out and the other is always closed. We give up the idea of getting around in complete freedom and take a colectivo, 30 ps for two (a taxi wanted 150 ps).

We arrive in front of the ACKUTEN CHEN park (again read about online): there's a single little monkey at liberty and it lets you do really anything. We pay 420 ps for entry to the park with a guide.

We visit the cave which is the usual one with stalagmites and stalactites, but unlike in Italy or other places you can then touch and take photos and videos. The most beautiful thing is the cenote, an underground lake in the cave. Once out in the light we see lots of deer at liberty, a raccoon, parrots and lots of other animals that are in enormous cages, all very natural almost as if it were their original habitat.

Once out we take another colectivo and stop on the main street of Tulum (there isn't really anything else) to have lunch at PANCHO GRILL. We eat a fish soup and some large shrimp, all good but not very plentiful, we pay 450 ps for two.

We wander and buy more little gifts and souvenirs. It's almost dark for me, 18:00 or 19:00 feel on my body as if it were the dead of night, I want to sleep. First we take a romantic walk on the beach, otherwise what's the point of having the cabana if you don't use the sea which is the only beautiful thing?

At 20:00 I'm already in the world of dreams while Diego reads a book.

It's a bit unpleasant to wake up when it's still dark, dead of night with the mosquitoes eating you and you just have to wait for the sun to rise. At dawn I start going in and out of the cabana and at seven I wake Diego, he's not bothered by the time change anymore. At eight we're already heading on foot to the TULUM site, entry 106 ps for two.

It's beautiful, less mind-blowing than the others but as everyone says and it's the truth, it's its position on the Caribbean sea that makes it special.

Then suitcases. Goodbye cabana (I won't miss it even though the worst thing was the mosquitoes and not the cold water).

Taxi and bus to Cancun 155 ps for two and then a colectivo that takes us to the boarding for ISLA MUJERES, paid 70 ps for two. We liked the island a lot even though we wouldn't have managed to spend more than two days there, it's really small, but it has all the charm of a tiny Caribbean island.

It's touristy but still very livable. We immediately find a place to sleep in a hotel downtown named HIL-HA pointed out to us by a porter who nearly carried our suitcases for us; we pay 200 ps a night. All good!

We go to dinner at a restaurant also recommended by the porter, named LA LUMIDA, it's practically a private house with a room with about ten little tables, we eat fish, octopus a la plancha, fish skewers and another course whose name I don't remember, paying 230 ps for two.

We rent the scooter for 230 ps for a day and go around the whole island in a little over an hour, then we start again enjoying the most beautiful landscapes. We go, again following advice found online, to visit the TURTLE FARM, which is nothing but a small protection center for sea turtles, there are those just born until they're ready to be released already as adults into the sea where they have a greater chance of survival. If you love nature go there, they're very beautiful and entry costs very little, like 35 ps for two.

We tour the island again savoring the last moments of the vacation.

Tomorrow we return to Cancun where we have the plane to go back home.

BYE EVERYONE AND IF YOU CAN GO TO MEXICO.

Afterwards you'll always want to visit new places because your eyes will ask you to feed them with new colors and new worlds.

After Mexico we repainted the house with its colors, that's how much it got inside us.

Happy travels everyone and one last piece of advice, don't stop too long in Cancun or Playa del Carmen if you want to savor a real reality and not one made to measure for the tourist and for what he wants to find.

The real life is found outside.

BYE DANY and DIEGO.