May 24, 2014 - May 27, 2014
It was the Memorial day weekend, and an early morning flight took us from Tallahassee, FL to Cancun, Mexico. Bienvenidos Mexico.
In the airport, we encountered thousands of apparently volunteering and helpful travel agents, who would like to give you a steal of a deal for travel packages to different tourist destinations around Cancun. We, like all naive tourists, listened to them initially, but fortunately got deterred by the too-good-to-be-true deals.
TIP: Do not buy travel packages from the airport or volunteer agents. Hotel concierge would most likely be the best bet in getting the best packages, which would go easy on the wallet too.
1. Cancun Shuttle
2. Super Shuttle
Renting a car was on the cards, but the general consent from the hotel concierge was to refrain from it during the first visit. Although renting from the US rental agencies like Hertz could be cheap, the comprehensive coverage insurance, hassles with local cops, and troubles in the road including gas stations made us to rely on public transport.
TIP: Rental car license plates are red in color, and easy to spot, therefore attracts undue attention. Unless one hables espanol, it is better to avoid rental cars in Cancun.
Since we reached before noon on day 1, we had a chance to enjoy the two beautiful pools, the warm surf, and the sand on a fantastic day. Poolside lunch, and plentiful tropical drinks ordered from the bar, sitting on the underwater bar-stools were heavenly. The apparently endless amenities of the resort included a relaxing hammock garden, splash zones, travel desk, and to top it off, in-room jetted-hot-tubs.
The warm welcome from the hotel staff were so over-the-top, that we managed to buy ourselves a 2 bedroom villa as a vacation ownership.
TIP: There are hotels in the Cancun downtown area, but invariably are away from the action. Choose a hotel in the Hotel Zone, and if needed take bus R1 or R2 to visit the downtown. Bus fare - 9.5 Pesos per person, one way.
In the entire tour, taking 3 hours, we came to know several interesting things about the area. That the area is covered with limestone, made the rivers to run underwater, and therefore provided unlimited filtered water to the inhabitants of the village. The Chichens were smart people, and had placed great values on family, GOD, and the tribe they belonged to. Multiple wars were fought in the days to gain power.
They were engineers too. Built straight roads to the ocean, used zero, erected hollow pyramids, and created scientifically designed structures that marked the four seasons based on the Earth's orbital cycles.
By far the most important structure in the area is the Pyramid of Kukulcan (deity of serpent). The pyramid has staircases, designed in a way to make it look like two snakes winding up to the top, with their heads in the ground level. During the equinoxes, the shadows create the visual effect of the deity whirling down the staircase.
Interesting: The four staircases have 91 steps, and the final step on the top adds up to the number of days in a solar calendar, 365 days.
Other structures we visited were the Great ball court (where the game of Pok ta Pok was played during specific events), the Sacred Wall, El Caracol (the observatory of the Mayans), Chac Mool (the lying human statue), and El Mercado (the market).
The structures were all painted in different colors, and over the years, the colors have faded but the rocks still managed to exist even after 1000 years of existence. In essence the Mayans somehow reminded us of the Egyptian and Indus civilizations, albeit without any chance of communication among them. Similarities in the pyramid structure, reliance on the high priests on horoscopes and decisions, and worshiping of deities for food and income would run a shiver if thought carefully.
After the tour, we were taken to a so called 'Co-Operative' for Mayan people where we had a delicious Mexican and Yucatan style lunch buffet accessorized with local music and dancers. But the store up front, had mass produced items at an exceedingly steep price. Therefore, we took the less beaten path, and crossed the street to find a little mom-and-pop shop that had equally good souvenirs. A little bit of haggling for price, with the Calcutta trained shopper, yielded great results. :-)
A brief 1 hour stop at one of the 'sink-holes' was taken. The Ik Kil Cenote was a good place to be in a hot summer day. With a depth of about 140 feet, one can jump from different heights into the crystal clear water. There are underground tunnels underneath the surface of the water which is about 80 feet from the ground level. For the less adventurous ones, life vests are available for $3, and for the far less adventurous ones, the 80 step staircase would take you to the water level, where you can feel the water and soak the toes.
The return phase of the trip was fun with unlimited supply of cerveza, and tequilla shots. Interesting way of getting people to slumber. Anyway, we returned back to the hotel by 8pm, and based on suggestions from the hotel concierge, we ventured out to some more authentic Mexican cuisine. About half a mile away, we found the best Mexican food/drinks for the trip, at La Distillera. The jalapeno, habanero, and other tree pepper sauces made our night, alongside the Mezcals and real chalupas!!
Happy Memories!
Playa del Carmen
Day three was again in the hotel, finishing up paperwork for the vacation ownership, a refreshing lunch at the poolside, and a complimentary professional photoshoot by the beach. But, the real stuff started after 4pm, when we went out to check out the beaches at Playa del Carmen. (Note: Playa means beach).
We took the local route, and took the R2 bus to the ADO station in the downtown. Cost 9.50 pesos per person. From ADO, we took the second class bus to Playa Del Carmen. Cost 30 Pesos per person.
It took about 90 minutes, compared to the 40 minutes promised by the local people. (Note: Mexico is so much like India, in so many respects such as sense of time, respect for others, and intention to cheat foreigners! LOL).
There are not much to do in Playa del Carmen, apart from the ordinary beach, a shopping street that is outrageously expensive, and below average restaurants that sell pasta and pizzas(!).
The return back to the hotel was eventful, with us running short of cash (both dollars and pesos), and with our lackluster Espanol skills. We ended up paying 60 pesos per person for the return trip to Cancun downtown, and 200 pesos for a cab to the hotel. At that point in the night, we were literally out of any cash!!!
Note to self: For the next trip to Mexico, at least have an app for dictionary, even better if at least an intermediate level of proficiency could be reached.
Final day, we go our own ways, and get back to work! A quick trip to the airport, a quick breakfast at Bubba Gump (a shame to have American breakfast in Mexico!), and some shopping for Tequilla at the duty free! End of story, err a chapter. because there are so many things to do and enjoy over there, that this trip could merely be the opening scene for the story to unfold.
Check out my other travel stories here.
Cancun
It was the Memorial day weekend, and an early morning flight took us from Tallahassee, FL to Cancun, Mexico. Bienvenidos Mexico.In the airport, we encountered thousands of apparently volunteering and helpful travel agents, who would like to give you a steal of a deal for travel packages to different tourist destinations around Cancun. We, like all naive tourists, listened to them initially, but fortunately got deterred by the too-good-to-be-true deals.
TIP: Do not buy travel packages from the airport or volunteer agents. Hotel concierge would most likely be the best bet in getting the best packages, which would go easy on the wallet too.
Transportation to the hotel:
Most of the hotels are located in an area Avenida Kukulkan, 2 miles long stretch along the Caribbean sea, called Zona Hotelera. If not in a hurry, taking the airport shuttles (listed below) are cheaper and convenient. While the cabs may range from $40 to $50, the shuttles to the hotel zone costs less than $15 per person.
Tried and tested shuttle services:1. Cancun Shuttle
2. Super Shuttle
Renting a car was on the cards, but the general consent from the hotel concierge was to refrain from it during the first visit. Although renting from the US rental agencies like Hertz could be cheap, the comprehensive coverage insurance, hassles with local cops, and troubles in the road including gas stations made us to rely on public transport.
TIP: Rental car license plates are red in color, and easy to spot, therefore attracts undue attention. Unless one hables espanol, it is better to avoid rental cars in Cancun.
The Westin, Lagunamar
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| Westin Lagunamar Resort |
Displaying the loyalty for Starwood brands, and lavish amenities, we chose the Westin Lagunamar resort for our brief vacation in Cancun. Apart from the unparalleled customer services, the resort sported a huge infinite pool, four multi-cuisine restaurants, and spacious rooms with breathtaking views of the ocean.
Since we reached before noon on day 1, we had a chance to enjoy the two beautiful pools, the warm surf, and the sand on a fantastic day. Poolside lunch, and plentiful tropical drinks ordered from the bar, sitting on the underwater bar-stools were heavenly. The apparently endless amenities of the resort included a relaxing hammock garden, splash zones, travel desk, and to top it off, in-room jetted-hot-tubs.
The warm welcome from the hotel staff were so over-the-top, that we managed to buy ourselves a 2 bedroom villa as a vacation ownership.
TIP: There are hotels in the Cancun downtown area, but invariably are away from the action. Choose a hotel in the Hotel Zone, and if needed take bus R1 or R2 to visit the downtown. Bus fare - 9.5 Pesos per person, one way.
La Isla mall
Well, after the day spent soaking in the sun and surf, we ventured out to check out the local shops and restaurants. The La Isla shopping complex was just across the street, and we managed to find a decent looking lagoon-side cafe that was sporting live music and salsa. We tried our hand in placing the food/drinks order in espanol, but failed miserably. Yet, the food, and the local Tequilla and Mezcals along with the experience were enough to top-off the day's adventure.
Food: Pibil Chicken, Mixed Molcajetes
Drinks: Mezcals - Mezcal Amores Reposado and Milagrito del Corazon Joven
Chichen Itza
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| Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo) |
Day two took us to the much awaited visit to the Mayan civilization nested inland, 200km from Cancun. A $79 per person bus tour was organized from the Hotel Concierge, that picked us up by 7:30am. Breakfast, drinks, and lunch was included, along with narratives on the history and backgrounds of the Mayan people. If required, we also gathered a nice map for the site, which is regarded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Until a few years back, tourists could climb up the stairs of the mesoamerican pyramids, but due to vandalism and to protect the ancient wonder, tourists are no longer permitted to climb.
Facts:
- In Mayan, Cancun (Kaan Kun) means 'Nest of the Serpent'. Watch out for the Iguanas in all parts of the area.
- Chichen means the mouth of the well. Itz is the high priest.
- About 800,000 people still speak the Mayan language, albeit the written language is not practiced anymore, possibly due to the large number of characters and complexity of the structures.
- Apart from the Cusco area in Mexico, Mayans still reside in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala.
- Mayans followed the Venus cycle for the famous (or infamous) Mayan Calendar. The calendar counts number of days from the start of the cycle, which is when the Earth, the Sun, and the Venus align. This is the creation date.
- Mayan Calendar: Two wheels rotating in opposite directions measure the number of days. The best way to display the LC (long count) day is: Baktun.Katun.Tun.Uinal.Kin. Details of the format can be found here.
They were engineers too. Built straight roads to the ocean, used zero, erected hollow pyramids, and created scientifically designed structures that marked the four seasons based on the Earth's orbital cycles.
By far the most important structure in the area is the Pyramid of Kukulcan (deity of serpent). The pyramid has staircases, designed in a way to make it look like two snakes winding up to the top, with their heads in the ground level. During the equinoxes, the shadows create the visual effect of the deity whirling down the staircase.
Interesting: The four staircases have 91 steps, and the final step on the top adds up to the number of days in a solar calendar, 365 days.
 |
| El Caracol |
 |
| Great Ball Court |
Other structures we visited were the Great ball court (where the game of Pok ta Pok was played during specific events), the Sacred Wall, El Caracol (the observatory of the Mayans), Chac Mool (the lying human statue), and El Mercado (the market).
The structures were all painted in different colors, and over the years, the colors have faded but the rocks still managed to exist even after 1000 years of existence. In essence the Mayans somehow reminded us of the Egyptian and Indus civilizations, albeit without any chance of communication among them. Similarities in the pyramid structure, reliance on the high priests on horoscopes and decisions, and worshiping of deities for food and income would run a shiver if thought carefully.
 |
| El Mercado |
 |
| The Sacred Wall |
 |
| Chac Mool |
After the tour, we were taken to a so called 'Co-Operative' for Mayan people where we had a delicious Mexican and Yucatan style lunch buffet accessorized with local music and dancers. But the store up front, had mass produced items at an exceedingly steep price. Therefore, we took the less beaten path, and crossed the street to find a little mom-and-pop shop that had equally good souvenirs. A little bit of haggling for price, with the Calcutta trained shopper, yielded great results. :-)
 |
| Ik Kil Cenote |
A brief 1 hour stop at one of the 'sink-holes' was taken. The Ik Kil Cenote was a good place to be in a hot summer day. With a depth of about 140 feet, one can jump from different heights into the crystal clear water. There are underground tunnels underneath the surface of the water which is about 80 feet from the ground level. For the less adventurous ones, life vests are available for $3, and for the far less adventurous ones, the 80 step staircase would take you to the water level, where you can feel the water and soak the toes.
The return phase of the trip was fun with unlimited supply of cerveza, and tequilla shots. Interesting way of getting people to slumber. Anyway, we returned back to the hotel by 8pm, and based on suggestions from the hotel concierge, we ventured out to some more authentic Mexican cuisine. About half a mile away, we found the best Mexican food/drinks for the trip, at La Distillera. The jalapeno, habanero, and other tree pepper sauces made our night, alongside the Mezcals and real chalupas!!
Happy Memories!
Playa del Carmen
 |
| Playa Del Carmen |
We took the local route, and took the R2 bus to the ADO station in the downtown. Cost 9.50 pesos per person. From ADO, we took the second class bus to Playa Del Carmen. Cost 30 Pesos per person.
It took about 90 minutes, compared to the 40 minutes promised by the local people. (Note: Mexico is so much like India, in so many respects such as sense of time, respect for others, and intention to cheat foreigners! LOL).
There are not much to do in Playa del Carmen, apart from the ordinary beach, a shopping street that is outrageously expensive, and below average restaurants that sell pasta and pizzas(!).
The return back to the hotel was eventful, with us running short of cash (both dollars and pesos), and with our lackluster Espanol skills. We ended up paying 60 pesos per person for the return trip to Cancun downtown, and 200 pesos for a cab to the hotel. At that point in the night, we were literally out of any cash!!!
Note to self: For the next trip to Mexico, at least have an app for dictionary, even better if at least an intermediate level of proficiency could be reached.
Final day, we go our own ways, and get back to work! A quick trip to the airport, a quick breakfast at Bubba Gump (a shame to have American breakfast in Mexico!), and some shopping for Tequilla at the duty free! End of story, err a chapter. because there are so many things to do and enjoy over there, that this trip could merely be the opening scene for the story to unfold.
Miscellaneous
There are places like Xcaret, Tulum, and Isla Mujeres apart from the snorkeling trip to the second largest reef in the world, still to be seen. No visa requirement for US visa holders makes things a lot easier too.
Until next time, adios amigos! Gracias for reading! Hope it was fun!
Check out my other travel stories here.