Campeche, Chichen Itza, Coba, Tulum, Akumal

Wow I've been slacking a bit, sorry for the long delay... the truth is I'm a little tired, pooped. Yesterday I really had a tough time getting moving, slept in took a nap after breakfast and then talked myself into going to the ruins in Tulum and it turned into a great afternoon/evening. It's funny how things go sometimes. I'm on the very east coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Akumal, Quintana Roo and enjoying a nice breeze off the ocean. I'm going snorkeling tomorrow and the promise from the guides is that we will swim with sea turtles... OK cool. Here's another great chance to put Mike Bell's gopro camera to good use!

Ok the last 7ish days follow... Enjoy.

March 20^th, Campeche: a long day in the saddle left no time for being a tourist but I drove along the Gulf coast all day today and it was really pretty. I’m getting some tendinitis in my left hand from pulling the clutch lever all day long… Topes.

March 21^st, Visiting Campeche: my hands are a little swollen and my 2^nd & 3^rd fingers on my left hand are stiff; time for a day off the bike. I walked (no moto) around the historical center of Campeche today; it had a high fortified wall all around it to protect from raiding pirates during Spanish colonial times. There was a lot of reconstruction happening to preserve and rebuild the original city center and it’s apparent that the city is proud of its heritage. I met Jorge today; he just started talking to the gringo J. He lived in Texas for a long while and now lives here in Campeche with his son and girlfriend. He took time out of his day to walk around with me and we had a really nice time talking about life. He even sat down and shared a meal with me. I keep being reminded that it’s our relationships and our experiences that make our lives rich. Thanks Jorge; Mucho Gusto! One of the things I like best about this trip is all the nice folks I meet and one of the things I like least is continually saying good bye to them. But I keep making new friends and even if we only get to share a few hours they are truly making the trip precious.

the local fish market

the cathedral on the main square in the historical city center

the historical fortified city center was beautifully restored, lots of shops and restaurants and sculptures in the streets that were for pedestrians only

Jorge and I walked around the town for a while and along the top of one of the restored walls of Campeche then grabbed a bite to eat. 

in some places all that is restored is the facade so it was interesting to peek behind from the top of the wall.

March 22^nd to Chichen Itza: 170ish miles today went by really quickly. It was almost entirely 4 lane divided highway, flat and straight and not much to look at but I arrived at the hotel early afternoon and got the last room J lucky because it’s a busy weekend due to the equinox. Very few topes today too, so my clutch hand got another “rest day”; It’s feeling much better today J. Plan is to get up early see the archeological site and be finished as the tour buses begin to arrive around lunch time.

Sunday March 23^rd Visiting Chichen Itza and on to Coba: the plan worked perfectly! I had the whole place to myself for the first 90 minutes. The vendors weren’t even set up yet but by the time I left the crowds were building fast and I had seen the whole site by 11:AM. I got a lime sorbet (helado limon) and then returned to the Hotel in time for checkout J got the bike loaded and drove 90min to Coba. Found a nice little family run hotel ½ a kilometer from the "zona archeolgica" and will visit in the morning, same plan different site… I had a nice dinner of grilled fish fajitas and a cold cervesa. Gracias Ricardo! Then sat on the restaurant balcony and did file management, set up my next GPS route, found a cheap hotel in Tulum and listened to the preacher across the street give his sermon, Baptist? Assembly of God? He was VERY enthusiastic and there was lots of music.

the ball court, ancient Aztec basketball

the feathered serpent was an important deity

note the severed head in the warriors hand

for the ASU fans, los diablos del sol

the "observatory". there were little windows that would align to Venus at certain times

there were lots of iguanas, I may have taken more photos of the lizards than the ruins

Itza-selfie

March 24^th Visiting Coba and on to the coast, Tulum and Akumal: woke up this morning and at breakfast I met two women from Belgium who were also on their way to the Coba archaeological site, Ines and Natalia. We all went together and for the 1^st 1 ½ hours had the place to ourselves. I liked Coba because it was a much more intimate experience, you got to climb some of the pyramids and you were much closer and the feeling of being in the jungle was very “Indiana Jones”. We were there from 8 to 11 then returned to the little hotel to pack. We had a light lunch and then said see you later with plans to meet at the Zebra hotel in Tulum. It took me a little while to find a hotel in Tulum because the hotel I intended to stay at was booked. But I found a comfortable and inexpensive hotel quickly and then made my way to the beach. Natalia, Ines & I had only another hour to visit and have a margarita then parted companies. They were starting their little road-trip to Chichen Itza and other Yucatan cities. Once again it was really nice to make some new friends and it made the visit to Coba a lot of fun. 

Me and Ines among the roots of a massive Banyan Tree named Ramon. The Banyan is a type of Fig tree that sends roots down from it's branches

Taking photos from the top of a smaller pyramid. It was so cool to be able to climb around these ancient structures in the jungle

there were two ball courts (Juegos de Pelota) at Coba

Ines & Natalia

Ixmoja pyramid, the largest at Coba

Natalia

Ines

We were 1/2 way up Ixmoja and taking a little break. We were definitely feeling the heat and humidity of the jungle but also enjoying the view.

March 25^th Tulum ruins and world travelers: Today I was tired and slept in a bit, got a little bite to eat and decided to go to the Tulum Ruins. This is a relatively small but important Mayan complex and is so beautiful because it sits on a bluff and cliff overlooking the white sandy beach. I took a bunch of photos of the ruins and the iguanas and headed back to town and my hotel. On the way, I saw a couple on a big BMW GS and then 200 yards later saw 3 more “adventure” motos at a little beachside campground so I stopped to say hello. They are an Australian family Mom, Dad & 18 yr old son each on their own bikes www.earth-roamers.blogspot.com. They shipped their bikes from Australia to New Zealand to BC, then rode to Alaska, then turned south. They have been traveling for 18 months! The other couple on the BMW turned around and joined us. They were Indian but their home was in Houston Texas; they had been traveling for 3 years, all over the world, and were almost home! We had a spontaneous “horizons unlimited” meet www.horizonsunlimited.com on this tiny beach campsite in Tulum Mexico! It was Amazing to listen to the stories of these seasoned travelers and to hear how well traveling through Central America had gone for Nick and Kanchan http://www.rideoverland.com/. In the evening I bumped into Nestor and Maria from Greece; they’re staying at the same Hotel and we decided to have dinner together. It was another great experience and I really enjoyed the conversations we had about motorcycles (of course) and cultural differences and similarities. They were a vibrant couple and were really fun to spend some hours with. What an incredibly diverse/international city Tulum has turned out to be. And the beaches… They are SO beautiful!

Tulum Ruins:

Many Many Iguanas

and a Coatimundi

Jeanette, Kanchan & Mike

Dad & Nick

Nestor & Maria from Greece. They have a Hammock business and they were here in Mexico doing product research www.lacasadehamacas.gr

Wed & Thurs March 26 & 27^th Akumal: It was a very short ride from Tulum north to Akumal. Akumal is renowned for its amazing snorkeling… It remains to be seen because the winds are up and the currents are strong so my planned guided snorkeling with the sea turtles adventure was cancelled this morning. I’ll try again tomorrow. It’s OK; I had a nice relaxing day walked along the beach and had a beer J

Half Moon Bay, Akumal

Friday, march 28^th Akumal to Bacalar: I finally got in my snorkeling. I never did get to snorkel in Akumal bay, instead I walked 2 minutes down from my hotel and snorkeled in Yul Ha bay/cove. It’s a fresh water inlet into the ocean that is very protected from the ocean currents and winds, so even though conditions were poor in Akumal bay they were really quite good here. But, there were a lot of people because the conditions everywhere else were poor. I still had a lot of fun and got the hang of snorkeling… it’s not hard… and tried to use the go-pro in the water. (I shot some video clips and I think they turned out OK but I probably wont try to post them until I return. My little netbook just can't handle video processing) After, I got cleaned up and packed and hit the road. Just 2 hours south to Bacalar. Bacalar is interesting because it’s on a long narrow fresh water lake that is fed by underground rivers. The water is a beautiful turquoise blue. Bacalar is also very close to the border with Belize...

San Miguel de Allende, Teotihuacan, Puebla, Montepio

I'm in Paraiso Tabasco tonight. I had a longish ride to get here and after the first 45 min was not all that interesting a ride. The Hotel I'm in tonight is a nice modern hotel which allowed me to do my laundry. I know, not too exciting but you gotta get the stink off now and then.  ;-)  Below is the summary of the last handful of days...

Friday March 14^th, San Miguel de Allende: It was a short ride from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende, only about 60 miles and took less than 2 hours. Both cities are at pretty high elevation ~6000ft. As I left Guanajuato the road climbed steadily into the mountains and topped out over 8500ft; it was a nice twisty bit of asphalt. Shot a couple more video clips: leaving Guanajuato, weaving through the mountains and entering San Miguel de Allende. This is a pretty city and it’s almost entirely warm colors: yellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber, brick red. It was where the wealthy came to get away from the hustle and bustle of Guanajuato and still is really. This is another city that is full of retired gringos on vacation from the cold and why not... The weather is awesome, the city is beautiful and it’s full of nice restaurants, shops, art galleries, music, the Allende Institute School of Art, and a quieter pace than Guanajuato; lovely, really.

I’m feeling a little home sick... I've noticed I’m seeking out little comforts of home. Yesterday I was so stoked to find a Starbucks, that I went twice. Today I had an espresso and was really pleased when I found the little restaurant had craft beers brewed right here in San Miguel de Allende, I had a stout and a Belgian triple, Yum! What is it with Mexico and their weak coffee and weak beer? Maybe I just wasn't looking in the right places. There are quite a few Italian restaurants here too and that sounds good and pizza.  On the other hand, I was disappointed when the waiter brought bread instead of tortillas; I had to ask for them specifically 

SatMarch 15^th, to Teotihuacan. Today I had a hectic ride. My route took me very close to Mexico City and there was a lot of traffic. About half of the route was on multi-lane highways and the speeds were quite high. The last part of the ride was through suburbs of Mexico City and there were so many topes, (Mexican speed bumps) miles and miles of topes, hundreds and hundreds of topes. I arrived at my hotel in the late afternoon and had a really nice time talking with Pepe and Elizabeth. They made me feel just like family. Pepe and I talked a long time and drank too much tequila. :-)

www.hotelquetzalcalli.com

PosadaQuetzalcalli@hotmail.com

info@hotelQuetzalcalli.com

Sun March 16^th Visiting Teotihuacan: Teotihuacan is the largest Aztec archaeological site and the scale is incredible. The pyramid of the sun is a massive structure. It’s the weekend and the crowds were quite large so there were long lines of people waiting to climb the sun pyramid and to enter the museum. So I just climbed the pyramid of the moon and walked around to explore the site and take photos. Only a small percentage of the site has been excavated, so all around, you see little hills covered with cactus and trees but if you look at the roots of the plants, you can see that the hills are actually stacked stones and are actually structures that haven’t been unearthed.

One of the unique features of Hotel Quetzacalli is a Temazcal. So this afternoon, me and Pepe and some other guests (now new friends: Juan-Carlos, Karla & Delila) all participated in an ancient sweat lodge ritual, a tradition of the Nahuatl-Teotihuacana culture. The Temazcal is like a Navajo Sweat Lodge, a low round room with a pit in the center. Outside there is a very hot fire where stones are heated until they are glowing hot. The stones are placed in the pit in the center of the room and then water infused with curative herbs is poured over the stones to create the steam. The room was very hot and very humid and the purpose was to sweat a lot, to cleanse the body and purify the spirit. It was a really great experience. Many thanks to Pacito for being our spiritual guide. One of the participants Karla, is a famous singer in the band Kira Y Las Indominables. Karla is Kira. She has a fantastic voice and it was great to hear her sing in the Temazcal. In fact, we all shared songs and after we shared a meal. My stay here at Hotel Quetzalcalli has been great; I’m so glad I had the chance to meet such welcoming people and make some new friends and I can't say enough good things about Elizabeth and Pepe, !Compadre!

from Hotel Quetzalcalli you can see the Pyramid of the Sun

Climbing the pyramids is tough because they are very steep

(descending is especially tough with a tequila hangover)

The view from the Pyramid of the Moon

Another structure that was not unearthed

the entry of the Temazcal

Standing: Elizabeth & Pepe, Seated: Delila, Karla & Juan-Carlos. I had such a wonderful time with them. I'm so glad they talked me into spending an hour in the Temezcal.

Hot air balloons overhead in the morning

Monday March 17^th, Puebla: Happy St Patrick’s day. I didn't have a Guinness :-/ I left Teotihuacan late in the morning but I had a short drive today. I wound through some rural communities and saw a nopale farm and some more Agave fields. Then climbed up again over a high pass at nearly 9500ft. the city of Puebla is situated between 3 huge Volcanoes Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl on the west and Malintzin to the Northeast. The tallest Popocatepetl is very nearly 18,000ft tall and still had snow on its peak. Puebla is a Spanish colonial city and it has retained its Spanish feel with beautiful architecture and full of dramatic cathedrals and brightly colored buildings. the city center was very active and full of shops especially along Calle 5 de Mayo.

Construccion y Reparacion de Guitarras

the view from "Frenchies Cafe"

Tuesday March 18^th, Montepio: Today is Mom’s birthday and I miss her a lot. My heart and thoughts are with Dad and Tim and the rest of our family and with all the Hubbards. I was looking for an interesting spot to stop for the night while looking over my maps last night and stumbled across this little town on the gulf coast called Montepio. I found that there were a couple little hotels so I thought I’d give it a go. This is another incredibly beautiful part of Mexico (it’s getting a little redundant, I know, but it’s true) I drove through fields and fields of sugar cane on the way and it’s definitely off of the beaten path. They don’t get many English speaking tourists here and the communities are predominantly agricultural so it’s not posh in any sense of the term; this is Mexico, and it’s on a spectacular little beach with lush green volcanic hills behind.  I dropped my stuff off in my hotel room and sent my spot check in (No cell, and no internet) then walked towards the beach. I noticed a little group of folks doing ? school work? Yep, turns out the young woman was teaching Ingles to some of the community. Hannah is another Canadian and her husband is from Holland. They bicycled J here from Canada and liked this location so much they just didn't leave. They have lived here for a couple of years now.  Why so many Canadians in Mexico? Because they’re smart! I got some veggie chips and Tamales from a couple walking by and that was dinner. The first part of the ride today was all “cuotas” and I dropped from 7000ft to sea level. I drove by another huge volcano, Pico de Orizaba 18,850ft, with snow and an observatory. Tomorrow, on to Paraiso, Tabasco…

March 19th: Lago Catemaco