Mexico May 2005 - September 2005
Buenos tardes!! My trip started at Great Doddington Working Mens Club, where I had to enjoy/endure a Bush Pigs gig whilst waiting for a lift to the airport. After they had finished playing to an incredible cross section of the gene puddle, I helped my brother pack up, and at 01.00 am we were on our way to the airport. I managed to grab a couple of hours sleep in the waiting hall, and then booked in for 05.15. Caught the plane to Madrid and then the connecting one to Mexico City with no major hassles. The 13 hour flight was a bit boring, with far too few food breaks for my liking, but you can't have it all!! Breezed through customs, and then waited for my luggage. And waited. And waited. You know how every time you wait for your luggage, you have this nagging suspicion it is never going to come, followed by the joy of seeing it trundle along? Well, I just didn´t get to feel the joy this time! Seems that some bright spark had decided to send it on to Barcelona for me.There wasn´t much that anyone could do about it, so I filled in the forms, and headed into the main airport arrivals section with the promise that my rucksack would be delivered to the hotel the next day. In Mexico city airport, there are two stands from which to book a taxi :- pro taxis and one marked authorisad taxi, so I went with that one, and it cost 125 pesos to the hotel. Hotel Isabel is a very big old place, with tall ceilings and large,spacious rooms. I´d pre-booked a single room with bathroom for five nights at 200 pesos which is pretty good value for a capital city. Ok, there are cheaper places, but sometimes it´s a fools economy to book somewhere dirt cheap for the first few days. It´s much better for me to get over jetlag and into the swing of things in my own space and at my own time. So, quick list of the stuff I had with me. Toothbrush and toothpaste, laptop, and camera. Bugger. Luckily, the room had towels and soap, so that solved my immediate problems, but I had no fresh clothes, and I´d already been in mine for over 36 hours. Hold on, what´s that at the bottom of my hand luggage... Lynx deodorant!! You beauty!! With the power of lynx, i´d be able to keep the same clothes on for days!!!..and then I fell asleep.
Day
2. Nice
breakfast at the hotel, and wandered into the zocola (the main square
in Mexican cities). Made a telephone call to check on my rucksack, and
they said it might be with me the following day. Oh well. At the
Zocola, I bought a two day pass for the tourist bus, which does a route
of all the major sites. A word of warning. If your rucksack containing
your sunblock and aftersun is lost, and you have no hair,
don´t ride on an open top bus for three hours, else you might
go a touch red!! Had lunch, bought a razor blade, decided to veg. Did a
lot of thinking about what to do if the rucksack was permanently lost,
and was saved the worse case scenario when it arrived later in the
evening. Oh, aftersun and clean pants!!!
Day3
First stop was
the Templo Mayor, practically the only Aztec ruin left within Mexico
city itself. I won´t say that it was the most outstanding
site that I´ve ever visited, but it was interesting all the
same. The museum showed just how completely the conquistadors levelled
the Aztec empire. Back onto the tourist bus, and I saw a demonstration
being carried out by a thousand men in their swimming trunks. Not quite
sure what that one was all about, and quite frankly I was a bit worried
to ask! Got dropped off at the Museo Nacional de Antroplogia, and spent
a fair few hours wandering around it. Its an amazing museum, which
focuses on the major meso-american civilisation and cultures. A must
see, and I recommend hiring the electronic guide to get a bit more out
of it.
Next
day was Teotihuacan. The
Mexico city underground was an experience, especially during rush hour.
It only turned into a rugby scrum twice down there, but my
height advantage saw me through. Anyway, negotiating the metro at
ridiculous o'clock in the morning, it was time to visit...
Teotihuacan
At
the height of its power and influence, Teotihuacan must have been the
most imposing city in the Americas, with a population suggested to be
anywhere between 80,000 and 200,000 people. It is doubtful whether
those people would have lived in the religious area which we
now know as Teotihuacan, but they would certainly have lived in the
surrounding countryside and paid tribute to the centre.
Building
started in the area as early as 600BC, and the pyramids which are now
the sites dominating feature were likely to have been completed by
200AD. The civilisations influence can be seen in other sites , who
would have been trading partners, located in what are now modern
Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. As with all great civilisations,
decline was inevitable. Whether through over farming, climatic change,
social upheaval, war or all those things, by the time of the Aztecs the
place was a ruin full of mystery.
To
the Aztecs it represented a holy place from a long forgotten era,
shrouded in myth, and it was they who gave it the name Teotihuacan, or
‘The Place Where Men Became Gods’.
Although
the Temple of the Sun is the largest and most eye catching structure on
the site, I believe the Temple of the Moon to be the most important
one. The 2 km long ‘Street of the Dead’ heads
directly to the Temple of the Moon and not the Temple of the Sun, and
Moon ceremonies were in all probability held more often than Sun
ceremonies.
There was very little shade at the site, but it
was good to rest in what there was, and think that 2000 years ago some
ancient builder took time out here too. I wonder if he knew what he was
building, and that it would last for so long?
The next day,it
was time to catch a bus to Oaxaca (pronounced oWhacka). Sweet, no
worries. On arrival in the city, I jumped into a cab and went to Hostal
Don Mario. It was a bit of a shambles, but the people there were
friendly enough.
The next day, it was off to a tour of...
Monte Alban
I
took a
tour to Monte Alban, as I wanted to see if having a guide would be any
better than just reading about a site and then ‘doing
it’ myself, and as I thought he was pretty good, it was money
well spent. This site is set on a flattened out hill top, with
impressive views over the valley below. Whoever created the site must
have commanded a huge workforce to build the place, which
involved levelling the ground and raising the buildings without the aid
of the wheel or beasts of burden. Again to keep the city supplied must
have involved a lot of work, as with no naturally occurring sources of
water, it would have been carried up and stored in vast urns during the
dry season.
Unlike
Teotihuacan,, with whom the city had trading links, there were no
colossal pyramids, but rather smaller (still pretty big though!!)
temples. One of the most interesting parts of the site, was the area in
which stone tablets called ‘the dancers’ were
found, depicting ‘Olmec’ characters in
various poses. The Olmecs have distinctively African features, and
mystery surrounds their origins as does the meaning of the stone
tablets. To some, they are a medical textbook,
showing birthing positions and deformities. To others, they
are sacrificial victims, prisoners, or dancers. I go with the
medical textbook theory.
So
was Monte Alban a city? It was certainly the religious and academic
centre for the surrounding region, but I don’t think that it
could be thought of as a city in itself. Whilst the site is large, it
seems more likely that only priests and the rulers would have
actually lived there, although the population from the valleys below
would then have climbed up to worship on special occasions.
Got
an overnight bus to San Christobel de la Casas, and managed to get some
sleep, unlike one poor guy looked like he'd been tied to the bumper and
dragged behind us for the twelve hour journey! Booked into a hotel
opposite the bus station which had some parrots which kept wolf
whistling. San Christobel itself was a really pretty town, but not a
great deal to do. The guide books warn that the street venders can be
quite insistant, but really, they are just amateurs compared to the
ones in India!
Arrived
in Palenque town safe and sound, and decided to ignore the guide books,
and find the cheapest place humanly possible just for the hell of it.
And the winner is... $60pesos a night.. about three quid. Bargain! At
that price, there's nothing to complain about really, but lets just say
that it wouldn't be to everybodys taste!!
Bonampak
I
reached this site on a tour which left from the town of Palenque and
included the ancient site of Yaxchilan. It takes about three hours to
get there by road, and as its one of the less visited sites, it has
none of that ‘conveyor belt’ feeling as you are
walking around. The main difference between this site and the others
that I have visited so far, is that this place actually looks like a
town centre as opposed to a religious centre, but what it is most
famous for, are the outstanding murals.
Yaxchilan
To
get to
Yaxchilan, was another hour by road, and then a really nice fifty
minutes by river boat. Again, I could see this site as a town rather
than a religious centre. It had a plaza, a ball court, and several
sweat lodges.
(Why
on earth they wanted sweat lodges when the humidity is so high is
beyond me!). Built as it is, with the wealth of the river, one can see
how this town developed over the ages, and became a controlling power
within the area .
Palenque
I
had my
reservations about this site, because it is such a major tourist
hotspot, but it was nice to be proven wrong, and I would strongly
recommend a visit. The buildings are impressive, and there
didn’t seem too many people there (maybe the time of year).
Doing it without a tour was definitely better, as it gave me lots more
time to wander around at my own pace, and to be able to sit chilling
out at the top of temples… Oh no, hippy alert!! Again, you
can tell this site developed from a town into something much more,
rather than at Teotihuacan, which was firstly a religious centre.
The
bus journey to Villahermosa
went without a hitch, and they were showing King Arthur on the video
screen in English with Spanish subtitles which was convenient for me
but not for the fourty other Spanish speaking Mexicans! The reason for
going to Villahermosa was solely to visit La Parque Venta, which is now
the home of the famous Olmec Heads.
Carved
out of basalt rock over two thousand years ago, they are puzzling
because the figures appear to have African features. Since I can
remember I’ve always been into books about unexplained
mysteries, and these figures were something I’ve always
wanted to see in real life. That’s another line to put a tick
next to on my list of ‘Things I really want to do
and see!!’.
The day after, it was onto Campeche. It
was one hell of a long bus ride, during which I got to see King Arthur
again (!), and a film called Raising Helen which seemed quite good, but
kept going quiet during the important bits. Arrived at Campeche at
four, and took a taxi to the Zocola, where I booked into a hostal for
two nights. It was Sunday, and the Zocola had been cordoned off so that
the women of the town could set their table and chairs up and
play bingo. Wasn’t too sure about the band playing in the
bandstand though. The next day, I was due to go on a tour of Edzna, but
had a slight case of the runs so didn’t think it wise. I
travelled through India and Asia without having any sort of stomach
upset, but this was pretty bad. Three days later, I was down from
seventeen violent dispatches a day to just the four… The
relief was incredible!
Uneventful bus journey to Merida, where
I ate cakes and Immodium, and the film was some obscure Portuguese one
with Spanish subtitles which my tiny brain found to be wholly
confusing. On arrival, wandered over the road and booked into the
shabbiest looking hotel for four nights for the sheer hell of it. The
woman was a bit surprised that I wanted to rent it for the whole night
and not just by the hour, but we managed to come to an agreement in the
end. I’ve seen ALL sorts of bizarre goings on there, I can
tell you!! Much better than TV.
Next day, I bought a bus
ticket for the Ruta Puuc, which is a bus which visit’s a
handful of minor sites. Who knows, you might be out here one day, so
here’s where it goes..
5min drop off at Uxmal
30mins
at Labnah
30 mins at Xlapak
30 mins at Syil
30
mins at Kabah
2 hours at Uxmal
It
was worth it, but quite tiring (not too much running to the toilet
though!!), and if I could have spent another hour at Uxmal it would
have been perfect.
Yesterday,
(19.05.05) I took a trip to Chichen Itza,
which is about 2 hours journey from Merida. This is the main Mayan site
of the Yukatan peninsular, with a spectacular pyramid and the biggest
ball court of the ancient American world. Despite the fact the place
was infested with tourists, crawling over everything and swarming from
place to place (and hey, I was one of them!!), it was really
interesting. I climbed up the inside of the pyramid, to an altar where
there is a reclining Chac Mool (God of rain or water allegedly) and a
jaguar throne. In the Mayan world, Chac is usually shown as just a
face, goggle eyed and with a trunk, whereas the Zapotecs and Aztecs
show him as a more human figure, reclining and holding a bowl on his
stomach. This is one of the things which makes the site
archaeologically important, because it displays such a mix of cultures,
although the current theory is that it has always been Mayan, but
influenced through trading partners. I’ve got a slightly
different theory , which is that the goggle eyed trunk nosed Chac was a
God worshipped in times of peace and plenty, whereas the reclining
Chac-Mool was worshipped during drought years, and the plate on his
stomach was used to offer sacrifices to the Gods to bring rain. As none
of us were alive then, we’ll never know really!!
I
got to Tulum without any
problems, and booked into a hotel near the bus station for a couple of
nights. Tulum is divided into two parts, the town, which basically
stretches out along the main road, and the beach resorts. Tulum ruins
are down by the beach, and although everybody and the guide books says
that it is only 2km from the village, they are definitely lying, as
it’s a good 45 minute walk there and another 45 back. The
ruins themselves are interesting as it is practically the only Mayan
trading port, and takes the form of a semi-fortress, with three walls
and the sea its fourth. As a spectacle it was a little disappointing as
there were no temples or monuments to speak of, but at least the
exercise did me good!! A good couple of restaurants in the town as
well, which was a bonus.
The next day I caught the local bus
to the town of Coba. The village
itself wasn’t much to write home about (but I am
though!!… strange!!), and the only purpose for its existence
is the ruins close by. Once in the grounds of the site, I hired a
mountain bike, and cycled from place to place, which was a wise move as
some of the buildings were some distance apart. The most impressive was
the ’Big Pyramid’, which is apparently the tallest
in the Yucatan. It was a good climb up and not for the faint hearted or
those suffering from vertigo!! The views from the top were incredible,
and you could see jungle for miles all around. As a priest or King, you
would certainly have felt powerful from up there…. Or maybe
they just went there to get out from the crowds!!! After finishing
cycling around the site, which bought back fond memories of my cycle
trip around New Zealand, I walked back up to the village and had a
meal. I would have had a couple of hours to wait for the bus, and a
couple of Italian ladies were in the same boat, so we decided to club
together and get a taxi back instead. Bought a bus ticket for Chetomal.
Chetomal
is the border town with Belize. My hotel was expensive, but the room
was one of the nicest I’d stayed in for a while. Border towns
are funny places, and this was no exception. People from both sides of
the border crossing over to buy certain goods cheaper, and smuggle
stuff through, and shifty money changers wearing lots of gold. I
didn’t really have much to do for the day, as I crossed on
the next.
Crossing over borders by land is always an
experience. You’re never quite sure of the routine, or what
will happen. There was a bit of a wait for the bus to fill up before it
left, but at about 2 pounds for the 100 mile trip, I wasn’t
complaining. Once the bus had filled up with people carrying their
bargains for resale back in Belize (sweets, toilet roll and cuddly
toys), we were on our way. There was only one other Westerner
type on the bus. I say type, because I couldn’t work out if
he was American, Mexican or European and he was just acting very
strangely. He sat at the back of the bus for the start of the
journey, and then as we approached the border he came and sat next to
me. We had to get off the bus first at the Mexican side, and
I sailed through with no problems, whilst this guy had to fill out some
form or another. Back on the bus, they drove us to the Belize side,
where we go off once more. This time, the guy kept hanging
around at the back of the bus so that he was the last one off. I and
everybody else breezed through customs with only the briefest
formalities and got back on the bus again, but this guy was nowhere to
be seen. The bus driver went to look for him, but seems he was detained
because five minutes later we left without him.