Saturday, November 27, 2004
Mexico Travel Report - Cancun, Chichen Itzah, Ek Balam & Cozumel
Overview:
The Mexican Yucatan peninsula including Cancun, Cozumel & Chichen Itzah - Are you traveling to, have thought of, or thinking about taking a vacation there? The following info should help you plan a trip to the country of fabulous beaches, snorkeling & scuba, and of course the ancient Aztecs and Mayas.
Our itinerary is listed as an example, followed by Fast Facts based on mostly personal experiences & information gathered during our stay or recommendations, a "smattering" of Spanish, and finally some resources that we found useful.
Our Itinerary:
* Fri - landed in Cancun late morning, checked into the Marriott Casa Magna, had lunch by the pool overlooking the fabulous beach & gently crashing waves, heard about snorkeling directly on the beach @ Chankanaab reservation in Cozumel while having a Japanese dinner with a horse farm owner couple from Westford MA.
* Sat - got fabulous massage in the JW Marriott, indulged in JW's luxurious spa facilities including massive common jacuzzi & cold/hot jacuzzis, enjoyed the fabulous pools of JW, got ourselves wet in the ocean, checked out the La Isla plaza.
* Sun - swam in the pool, got wet in the ocean, took the "Jungle tour" that included snorkeling, took the bus into downtown, checked out Plaza Forum & shopped for gifts.
* Mon - picked up Thrifty car rental, drove to Playa del Carmen, took ferry to Cozumel at noon, dove to 111ft in the Atlantis submarine, snorkeled @ the Chankanaab reservation beach, dinner & shopping in Cozumel Centro, checked out the Capitan Lafitte resort, drove back to Cancun.
* Tue - ate, slept, swam in the pool, slept some more.
* Wed - drove to Chichen Itzah late morning, checked into Hotel Mayaland, climbed the main pyramid - temple of Kukulkan, watched the light & sound show in the evening.
* Thu - took a guided tour of the "ruinas", drove along the old non-toll road to Valladolid passing small villages & its local art & craft on display, had lunch in its Centro, drove to & took a guided tour of the Ek Balam Mayan ruins, drove back to Cancun, checked into the Omni, had a Thanksgiving dinner buffet, sat by the ocean under beautiful moonlight.
* Fri - sat by the ocean, flew back home
Another brilliant day in Cancun
Fast Facts
Money:
* You can use your credit card for nearly everything in Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, except maybe gas and at small shops depending on how much you spend. But your credit card co. will charge you a conversion fee, and the rate will be decided by them.
* If you think you can get a good exchange rate before leaving home, you should take pesos with you. Only drawback is carrying a lot of cash in a foreign country.
* Gas stations, shops by the roadside, shops in the interiors like near Ek Balam, and local bus drivers will only take pesos. In fact they may be choosy about damaged notes too. You can either withdraw cash directly from an ATM (your own bank & the bank hosting the ATM will both charge fees, and give you their own exchange rate), or carry US$ (I tell you this currency works like magic everywhere we've been till date) and exchange it - you'll get a decent rate everywhere, best ones will probably be in the Cancun downtown area, rather than the hotels.
* Recommend carrying cash divided between US$ & pesos, using credit cards for big purchases or when paying your hotel bill (stay, miscellaneous expenses, food, etc. charged to your room), and withdraw as required in bulk amounts in a public, well-lit place.
Cancun Airport:
* You will be escorted from the gate to the Immigration desk.
* US citizens & Green Card holders do not need a visa.
* After going through Immigration, you collect your baggage.
* From there head to Customs - you will be asked to press a button to turn on a street lamp lookalike - if it lights up as green, just walk out, if its red you'll be subject to a Customs search.
* As soon as you walk out, someone will probably whisk you away to "official" counters to get your shuttle van ticket to Cancun. Ignore these guys desperately or you'll be "helped" by the person at the counter answering questions and then asked to participate in a 90 min presentation at the Mayan Palace - do NOT sign up, since you will waste 3-4 hours of your day the next day, and maybe cough up $1.5-2K for a timeshare, which is a scam at best. Here's more info on the scam.
* You can also take a taxi from the airport to the Cancun Zona Hotelera, but it will cost you a lot more. Taxis to Playa cost US $40 one way.
Car Rental:
* You don't need a car if you're only going to be in the hotel or Cancun downtown area ("Centro" in Spanish). Use the local buses that run 24 hours. They're cheap @ 6.50 pesos per person each way.
* If you need to rent, make sure you note every scratch, missing/damaged part in the appropriate section of your rental contract & get it counter-signed by the rental agency agent. If you don't, the rental company is most probably going to hit you hard when you return the car - they'll say you caused the damages however small they might be. Make sure the wheel hubcaps, gas cap, wipers, gauges, indicator lights, car jack, spare tire, license plates, windows, doors, door locks, radio are all accounted for & in working order. We got a mid-size car from Thrifty, checked everything, marked even the tiniest scratch on the contract, filled it up with gas before returning, and the rental process was a breeze.
* Most gas stations don't take credit cards, but will take dollars. Use pesos to avoid confusion.
* To fill gas before returning the car, take 307 South towards Playa/Cozumel from Paseo Kukulkan (road from the hotel zone to the airport). There is a gas station immediately after you get off the ramp onto 307 South. Use Magna grade petrol/gas unless you feel like paying more for Premium. To get back to the airport, head South for approximately 2km to the 1st left turn, and take the U-turn ("Retorno" in Spanish) to get back on 307 North, and get off at the exit for the airport ("aeropuerto" in Spanish).
Cancun:
* Sometime in late 1960s/early 70s, some computer analysts chose Cancun as the spot to develop an international Caribbean resort per the Mexican Government's directive. At least this one time, the "geeks" did a brilliant job! As your plane approaches Cancun, all you see is thick jungles interspersed by dirt roads. Then quite suddenly you see the ocean surrounding some brilliant sand beaches. But what really draws your attention, is the blue color or I should say multitudes of blue shades of the water. The incredible array of blues makes the water look like exotic blue sand. Once you get onto the beach, the awe doesn't end either. In fact what is added to it is the texture of the sand - it feels like super-fine powder.
* Where you stay depends upon how much you want to spend, what kind of beach you prefer, etc. Cancun consists of 2 distinct parts - downtown (called "Centro") which is one the mainland with no access to the ocean, and the hotel zone (called "Zona Hotelera") on an island shaped like the figure 7 joined to the mainland at the top & bottom by bridges at Punta Cancun & Punta Nizuc respectively. The top part of this island mostly has the older hotels (not necessarily bad though) bordering some very calm waters guarded by Isla Mujeres, while the rest of the island borders the open ocean - so the waters are distinctly rougher, and become increasingly rougher as you head south towards the Punta Nizuc reefs. The island & the mainland are separated by a lagoon which is huge. The main road Paseo Kukulkan divides the island North-South with 99% of the properties on the seaward side of road.
* We stayed at the Marriott Casa Magna, next to its sister property & up-scale JW Marriott. We had requested a higher floor, and were supposed to get a garden view room. But the combination of the 2 landed us a room on the 4th floor overlooking the ocean and the lagoon - what a deal. The service was just fabulous, except for the travel agent - who was very friendly, but gave us multiple pieces of incorrect info including ferry timings to Cozumel from Playa & market timings in Cancun. Once you get used to the 1 pool at the Casa Magna, you'll love it with the swim-up bar & friendly pool-side service. The pools at the JW are marvelous at the very least, and are the infinity type, where you think it merges into the ocean. Even though the Casa Magna has a spa, you can use the JW's amazing spa facilities that consist of a huge room size common jacuzzi overlooking the lagoon, men & women specific areas each with hot & cold jacuzzis, steam room, sauna, and comfortable easy chairs to make you comfortable in between stops at each. There is a price difference of course, but the facilities in the JW are simply over the top. The Le Meridien is supposed to have the most expansive & incredible spa in Cancun. The breakfast was the most unbelievable thing ever - a fruits stall with 7-8 types of fruit & fruit juices, a big bakery section, a hot food section with omelets, sausages, bacon, tamale & other hot items, a waffle section, and finally a custom omelet station run by a friendly & courteous chef who creates whatever type of omelet you want. Add coffee, tea & beverages to this - all for 190 pesos per person. But guess what, they had a promotion and we got all this for free everyday of our 5 night stay. Manuela - our maid did an immaculate job everyday, and even left us small notes welcoming us to Cancun and bidding us farewell. I can tip such pleasant attitude & service anytime, although you don't have to.
View from the Marriott Casa Magna's "garden view" room #410 balcony
Casa Magna's beach by night, with Punta Cancun's lights in the background
* We spent our last night in the Omni - just South of the Casa Magna. Again we had requested a higher floor, since we had booked a lagoon view room - and what a great room we got - 20th floor corner room with a fabulous view of both the ocean & the lagoon. No free breakfast here, but we did try the buffet here too to compare. The difference with the Casa Magna's service was quite stark - not too many happy service folks & not as immaculately kept. It does have 3 pools at 3 levels, in addition to a jacuzzi wrapped around a bar - on the beach!!! All shops seemed to open late & close early though. Some of the service folks were great though, as in at the reception desk. The Omni has great villas though, most with fabulous views. They might be worth checking out.
Lagoon Nichupte from the Omni's room #2014 balcony
Rest of the view from Omni's "high floor/lagoon view" room #2014 balcony
* Another hotel we liked was the Gran Melia Cancun right next door to the Casa Magna. It had a very cool interior space, with plants hanging from the highest floors, nice fountains, great restaurants, and some amazingly luxurious cabanas and multiple big exciting pools. This hotel was immaculately tended to also, and the service staff were courteous & friendly.
* Cancun has an unending array of activities that you can indulge in (and of course spend tons of money on), but that's what adds to the fun of the place. Try the "jungle tour" that lets you drive your own speedboat or jetski through mangrove forests to the Punta Nizuc reefs for snorkeling. You can parasail, simply jetski around, do various snorkeling & scuba trips in the ocean, swim with dolphins, take "underwater scooter" rides (yes - they actually exist), take day trips to Isla Mujeres, and on and on.
* The beaches are marked by flags that indicate swimming conditions - red for danger, green for calm, and yellow for somewhere in between. Its one huge beach, demarcated by each hotel for its own guests, with some public beaches that the local population can access for free. Its great to sit by the ocean and see the waves crashing on the soft sand especially under clear skies & moonlight (which is most of the time during season). The only time your nighttime view is broken, although I think in a nice way, is when cruise ships - all lit up, pass at a considerable distance generally leaving town or Cozumel for other "distant lands". I thought they added to the night-time excitement.
* Then there is the nightlife - its some party place I can tell you that much. The great thing about Cancun is that you can party if you want to (to the extent of hot body shows even - and it happens all year round) or not, have an active vacation (above) or not, simply lie on the beach or even just hang out by the pool (but this last one would be a total waste, given where you are). Take the bus from your hotel - best way to get around especially when you're drunk or don't feel like renting or driving. Its cheap for 6.50 pesos each way per person - so make the most of it. Don't worry about change - just have pesos ready and the bus driver will give you change - just don't give him a 500 peso note! By the way, the bus ride itself should be quite entertaining - you'll know what I mean when you experience it.
* Shopping is everywhere - at your hotel, other hotels, various plazas in the Hotel Zone (La Isla Shopping Center, Plaza Kukulkan, Forum), and also in Cancun Centro. The one recommended to us in Centro was Mercado 28. Unlike Forum & Plaza Kukulkan, this one is all within one story, prices are reasonable & you can bargain to your heart's content. This mall may not be air-conditioned or multi-level, but its has a huge collection of nearly everything you'll probably buy/find at the hotel shops and more. The La Isla Shopping Center is modeled after Downtown Disney in Orlando, except for some random Mexican ideas/pieces. It does have an aquarium where you can swim with the dolphins. There is a variety store that sells everything from cigarettes to candy to tequila to liquor chocolates, and at very competitive prices too.
Playa del Carmen:
* Can't tell you much about Playa, except the ferry to Cozumel leaves from here.
* Take 307 South from Paseo Kukulkan (the main road in the Hotel Zone), and travel for about 45mins depending on how fast you drive. Be careful of cops, especially once you're inside a town's perimeter.
* From 307 South take a left @ the 2nd light in Playa onto Avenida (Avenue) Juarez all the way till you are asked by a traffic cop to turn left onto a one way street (Ave 10 - all the intersecting streets run parallel to each other & the ocean and are in multiples of 5, starting @ Ave 5 which is off limits for cars & is the closest to the ocean). The car park is immediately on your right. Park & take a ticket from a small window as you head back onto Juanita. Walk slightly more than a block to the ferry terminal. There are tons of "shops" selling ferry tickets - use any one. There is an HSBC bank @ the junction of Ave 5 & Juarez along with 2 ATM machines.
Cozumel:
* One of the top 5 dive spots of the world.
* The West coast of this island is very well protected from the ocean - so great snorkeling place for people who don't scuba.
* A 35min ferry ride from Playa, one every hour with some exceptions. There are 2 ferry companies, but both leave at about the same time!!
* The cool Atlantis Adventures submarine tour dives from the Atlantis marina across form the Casa del Mar hotel 2-3 kms south of the ferry dock. They take you by boat to the sub dive-site, where you transfer to the sub. The sub went down to 111 ft to the ocean floor - its an amazing tour. More when you get on board. Way better & unique, although more expensive, than the glass bottom boat tours.
Atlantis just surfaced to take on passengers at sea
* The Chankanaab reservation is quite something - read this article to know why. We snorkeled right @ the beach reefs - there are multiple steps for easy access. Just get snorkel headgear & a life jacket (rentals available for US $5 each), and hit the water. You don't even need the flippers. The fish will be right at your feet.
Chankanaab reservation - sunset over the reefs teeming with fish
Chankanaab reservation - check out the clear blue water
Chichen Itzah:
* Huge Mayan ruins, including the famous temple of Kukulkan with 91 steps on each of its 4 sides - the sides are real steep, with an ambulance hanging around for injuries. We heard of one death & a serious injury just before we were there. But don't let that stop you from walking up - its a great view from up top, and the walk up or maybe the one down itself is quite an experience.
People climbing down the main pyramid/temple of Kukulkan
* There is a light & sound show every evening @ 7pm in winter or 8pm in summer. It is in Spanish, but you may be able to get headsets for an English translation from the main entrance (not the one from within the resort - not a big deal, just a 15min walk). Sitting under the stars with a whole lot of people watching the ruins lit up in various colors is quite awesome, in case you don't get the translator - happened to us, and we didn't get to sit on chairs either - but sitting/lying on the grass was pretty good too. Arrive early if you want everything to work out just right.
Main pyramid lit up under the night sky during the light & sound show
* The ruins consist of an observatory (which you can see from the Mayaland's doorway), a ball court with amazing echoes creating some cool acoustics, the main temple - the pyramid that I referred to earlier, a crematorium, a huge market with maybe 2000 "stalls" (only the pillars remain), a huge cenote, and the list goes on. Some of the ruins you can't get to on foot because its cut off by the bushes - so you can take a horse tour from the Mayaland to check out "Old Chichen".
Finally - the main pyramid as the sun sets
* Please take a guided tour, even if it sounds expensive @ 450 pesos per group. The guides help you understand the history & culture behind the ruins and the ancient Mayan & Aztec civilizations, even if some of what they tell is conjecture since we can't really be absolutely sure of the "facts". Request the guide to start @ the scale map at the main entrance so that you get an overview of the place prior to actually getting into the details of the place. Our guide was Willy Moguel did exactly that. He has worked there since the Mexican Gov. took over managing the site in 1970, and had a great knowledge of the place including local customs & food.
* You can easily spend 2 hours the ruins, but go early since the heat even at 10am is quite something to contend with, especially for people who hardly ever venture outside an air-conditioned or heated environment.
* We stayed at the Mayaland Hotel, which has its own entrance to the ruins. This hotel is something of a destination in itself, set among tropical foliage, with peacocks roaming around, nice birds and flowers all around. It can be quite crowded though since it is a big hotel & popular with foreign tourists. The other place next door is the Hacienda Chichen Resort, not as big, but not as nice either. It is however much quieter. Both hotels have pools, although Mayaland has 2 of them.
Peacocks playing around in the Mayaland courtyard
* To get here, you can either take the toll road (called "auto-pisa") & pay US $20, or the non-toll Route 180, but it has numerous bumps of all shapes & sizes in every village you pass. It is a more interesting albeit slower than the auto-pisa which is flat, boring and constantly lined with trees so you have no view at all. Tolls are collected in a manner different from what you are used to in the US. The toll booths show up after being on the road for about 40kms. Then you pay again at the exit for Valladolid. To get to the auto-pisa, get onto 307 South from Paseo Kukulkan, and then take the exit for Chichen Itzah (Route 180 D). To get the non-toll road, you have to get back to downtown, and catch Avenida Tulum (you should enquire at the hotel to be sure).
Valladolid:
* Pronounced "Bayadoleed".
* Biggest town near Chichen Itzah.
* Need to go through this town to get to Ek Balam if you're not taking the toll road.
* Industries are tourism & cattle.
* I recommend stopping at this town's center for an authentic Mexican meal - try something called lomartes (hope I got the spelling correct) which is pork cooked with only tomatoes served with fajita look-alike bread. Its well cooked.
Ek Balam:
* Spectacular ruins discovered in 1985, opened to the public just 5 years back.
* Now has a paved road to get to it, with tour buses coming every Tuesday.
* Dated older than Chichen Itzah (about 400BC & early AD), with a still older 2nd layer having been discovered under the current one.
* Some of the architecture differs from that in Chichen Itzah, also consolidated in a small area - so can be covered in about an hour.
* Fransisco provides guided tours for a comparatively cheap 150 pesos - he will be with you as long as you want. He worked with the original archaeologists restoring the site, and has a very good understanding of the place & its history. Most of what is know is based on translated glyphs discovered at the site.
* The place seems to be entirely dedicated to one high priest (will not even try to pronounce his name) and his lineage. His residence was converted into his tomb upon his death.
* The painstakingly & immaculately restored buildings consist of a round observatory, vaulted gateways elevated from the ground & linked to other sites by elevated broad walkways topped with white limestone to facilitate travel in the dark in order to avoid the tremendous heat by day, twin pyramids used as administrative buildings, a small pyramid that is constructed to allow sunlight to pass specifically between the twin pyramids, and the main pyramid of the high priest.
Main pyramid today - delicate work shaded from the elements
* The buildings were constructed with stone joined together with a cement like natural material made out of vegetable dyes, limestone, etc. The buildings were accidentally found under heavy vegetation with the top parts having collapsed on top of the lower parts. This happened because trees grew on top of the buildings, the roots cracking open the walls & ceilings over time. The restorers reconstructed the "puzzle" by setting aside the stones strewn on the forest floor which formed the top, slowly getting to the bottom parts, and then piecing together all the pieces one stone at a time using the same material used for the original construction. We saw some restorers using syringes & cotton balls to fill in a crack - can't even begin to imagine the effort involved in restoring such sites.
Intricate & delicate work on the pyramid, painstakingly restored
* Visit a cenote about 1.5km away that lets you snorkel in its clear water.
* To get to it from Chichen Itzah, take the old Route 180 (no tolls) to Valladolid Centro, where you make a left around a park and a school/museum looking building & head straight out of town onto 295 North towards Rio Lagartos. You will need to turn right at a well marked turn-off after going through a village - can't remember the name. People will blink at you if you ask about Ek Balam. So, use these directions.
* You can also take the auto pisa back to Valladolid, take that town's exit and follow directions for Rio Lagartos.
* You will hit several bumps of all shapes & sizes in every village you drive through if you take the non-toll road, but the toll-road is flat & boring, and you'll miss out on seeing the "real" Mexican countryside & villages.
Useful Spanish Vocabulary:
* Hello - Ola
* Good morning - Buenos dias
* Good night - Buenos noches
* Please - Por favor
* Thank you - Gracias
* You're welcome - De nada
* How much is it? - Cuanto cuesta?
* Yes - Si
* No - No
Resources:
* Fodors
* Fodors - Cancun Forum
* TripAdvisor - Cancun
* Expedia - Vacations Planner
The End:
If you find this report useful when you visit the Yucatan, please consider donating a token $5 to your favorite charity. My favored ones are:
* Children International, P.O. Box 219055 • Kansas City, MO 64121
* The Trustees of Reservations, 572 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
* Have a fabulous trip...
The Mexican Yucatan peninsula including Cancun, Cozumel & Chichen Itzah - Are you traveling to, have thought of, or thinking about taking a vacation there? The following info should help you plan a trip to the country of fabulous beaches, snorkeling & scuba, and of course the ancient Aztecs and Mayas.
Our itinerary is listed as an example, followed by Fast Facts based on mostly personal experiences & information gathered during our stay or recommendations, a "smattering" of Spanish, and finally some resources that we found useful.
Our Itinerary:
* Fri - landed in Cancun late morning, checked into the Marriott Casa Magna, had lunch by the pool overlooking the fabulous beach & gently crashing waves, heard about snorkeling directly on the beach @ Chankanaab reservation in Cozumel while having a Japanese dinner with a horse farm owner couple from Westford MA.
* Sat - got fabulous massage in the JW Marriott, indulged in JW's luxurious spa facilities including massive common jacuzzi & cold/hot jacuzzis, enjoyed the fabulous pools of JW, got ourselves wet in the ocean, checked out the La Isla plaza.
* Sun - swam in the pool, got wet in the ocean, took the "Jungle tour" that included snorkeling, took the bus into downtown, checked out Plaza Forum & shopped for gifts.
* Mon - picked up Thrifty car rental, drove to Playa del Carmen, took ferry to Cozumel at noon, dove to 111ft in the Atlantis submarine, snorkeled @ the Chankanaab reservation beach, dinner & shopping in Cozumel Centro, checked out the Capitan Lafitte resort, drove back to Cancun.
* Tue - ate, slept, swam in the pool, slept some more.
* Wed - drove to Chichen Itzah late morning, checked into Hotel Mayaland, climbed the main pyramid - temple of Kukulkan, watched the light & sound show in the evening.
* Thu - took a guided tour of the "ruinas", drove along the old non-toll road to Valladolid passing small villages & its local art & craft on display, had lunch in its Centro, drove to & took a guided tour of the Ek Balam Mayan ruins, drove back to Cancun, checked into the Omni, had a Thanksgiving dinner buffet, sat by the ocean under beautiful moonlight.
* Fri - sat by the ocean, flew back home
Another brilliant day in Cancun
Fast Facts
Money:
* You can use your credit card for nearly everything in Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel, except maybe gas and at small shops depending on how much you spend. But your credit card co. will charge you a conversion fee, and the rate will be decided by them.
* If you think you can get a good exchange rate before leaving home, you should take pesos with you. Only drawback is carrying a lot of cash in a foreign country.
* Gas stations, shops by the roadside, shops in the interiors like near Ek Balam, and local bus drivers will only take pesos. In fact they may be choosy about damaged notes too. You can either withdraw cash directly from an ATM (your own bank & the bank hosting the ATM will both charge fees, and give you their own exchange rate), or carry US$ (I tell you this currency works like magic everywhere we've been till date) and exchange it - you'll get a decent rate everywhere, best ones will probably be in the Cancun downtown area, rather than the hotels.
* Recommend carrying cash divided between US$ & pesos, using credit cards for big purchases or when paying your hotel bill (stay, miscellaneous expenses, food, etc. charged to your room), and withdraw as required in bulk amounts in a public, well-lit place.
Cancun Airport:
* You will be escorted from the gate to the Immigration desk.
* US citizens & Green Card holders do not need a visa.
* After going through Immigration, you collect your baggage.
* From there head to Customs - you will be asked to press a button to turn on a street lamp lookalike - if it lights up as green, just walk out, if its red you'll be subject to a Customs search.
* As soon as you walk out, someone will probably whisk you away to "official" counters to get your shuttle van ticket to Cancun. Ignore these guys desperately or you'll be "helped" by the person at the counter answering questions and then asked to participate in a 90 min presentation at the Mayan Palace - do NOT sign up, since you will waste 3-4 hours of your day the next day, and maybe cough up $1.5-2K for a timeshare, which is a scam at best. Here's more info on the scam.
* You can also take a taxi from the airport to the Cancun Zona Hotelera, but it will cost you a lot more. Taxis to Playa cost US $40 one way.
Car Rental:
* You don't need a car if you're only going to be in the hotel or Cancun downtown area ("Centro" in Spanish). Use the local buses that run 24 hours. They're cheap @ 6.50 pesos per person each way.
* If you need to rent, make sure you note every scratch, missing/damaged part in the appropriate section of your rental contract & get it counter-signed by the rental agency agent. If you don't, the rental company is most probably going to hit you hard when you return the car - they'll say you caused the damages however small they might be. Make sure the wheel hubcaps, gas cap, wipers, gauges, indicator lights, car jack, spare tire, license plates, windows, doors, door locks, radio are all accounted for & in working order. We got a mid-size car from Thrifty, checked everything, marked even the tiniest scratch on the contract, filled it up with gas before returning, and the rental process was a breeze.
* Most gas stations don't take credit cards, but will take dollars. Use pesos to avoid confusion.
* To fill gas before returning the car, take 307 South towards Playa/Cozumel from Paseo Kukulkan (road from the hotel zone to the airport). There is a gas station immediately after you get off the ramp onto 307 South. Use Magna grade petrol/gas unless you feel like paying more for Premium. To get back to the airport, head South for approximately 2km to the 1st left turn, and take the U-turn ("Retorno" in Spanish) to get back on 307 North, and get off at the exit for the airport ("aeropuerto" in Spanish).
Cancun:
* Sometime in late 1960s/early 70s, some computer analysts chose Cancun as the spot to develop an international Caribbean resort per the Mexican Government's directive. At least this one time, the "geeks" did a brilliant job! As your plane approaches Cancun, all you see is thick jungles interspersed by dirt roads. Then quite suddenly you see the ocean surrounding some brilliant sand beaches. But what really draws your attention, is the blue color or I should say multitudes of blue shades of the water. The incredible array of blues makes the water look like exotic blue sand. Once you get onto the beach, the awe doesn't end either. In fact what is added to it is the texture of the sand - it feels like super-fine powder.
* Where you stay depends upon how much you want to spend, what kind of beach you prefer, etc. Cancun consists of 2 distinct parts - downtown (called "Centro") which is one the mainland with no access to the ocean, and the hotel zone (called "Zona Hotelera") on an island shaped like the figure 7 joined to the mainland at the top & bottom by bridges at Punta Cancun & Punta Nizuc respectively. The top part of this island mostly has the older hotels (not necessarily bad though) bordering some very calm waters guarded by Isla Mujeres, while the rest of the island borders the open ocean - so the waters are distinctly rougher, and become increasingly rougher as you head south towards the Punta Nizuc reefs. The island & the mainland are separated by a lagoon which is huge. The main road Paseo Kukulkan divides the island North-South with 99% of the properties on the seaward side of road.
* We stayed at the Marriott Casa Magna, next to its sister property & up-scale JW Marriott. We had requested a higher floor, and were supposed to get a garden view room. But the combination of the 2 landed us a room on the 4th floor overlooking the ocean and the lagoon - what a deal. The service was just fabulous, except for the travel agent - who was very friendly, but gave us multiple pieces of incorrect info including ferry timings to Cozumel from Playa & market timings in Cancun. Once you get used to the 1 pool at the Casa Magna, you'll love it with the swim-up bar & friendly pool-side service. The pools at the JW are marvelous at the very least, and are the infinity type, where you think it merges into the ocean. Even though the Casa Magna has a spa, you can use the JW's amazing spa facilities that consist of a huge room size common jacuzzi overlooking the lagoon, men & women specific areas each with hot & cold jacuzzis, steam room, sauna, and comfortable easy chairs to make you comfortable in between stops at each. There is a price difference of course, but the facilities in the JW are simply over the top. The Le Meridien is supposed to have the most expansive & incredible spa in Cancun. The breakfast was the most unbelievable thing ever - a fruits stall with 7-8 types of fruit & fruit juices, a big bakery section, a hot food section with omelets, sausages, bacon, tamale & other hot items, a waffle section, and finally a custom omelet station run by a friendly & courteous chef who creates whatever type of omelet you want. Add coffee, tea & beverages to this - all for 190 pesos per person. But guess what, they had a promotion and we got all this for free everyday of our 5 night stay. Manuela - our maid did an immaculate job everyday, and even left us small notes welcoming us to Cancun and bidding us farewell. I can tip such pleasant attitude & service anytime, although you don't have to.
View from the Marriott Casa Magna's "garden view" room #410 balcony
Casa Magna's beach by night, with Punta Cancun's lights in the background
* We spent our last night in the Omni - just South of the Casa Magna. Again we had requested a higher floor, since we had booked a lagoon view room - and what a great room we got - 20th floor corner room with a fabulous view of both the ocean & the lagoon. No free breakfast here, but we did try the buffet here too to compare. The difference with the Casa Magna's service was quite stark - not too many happy service folks & not as immaculately kept. It does have 3 pools at 3 levels, in addition to a jacuzzi wrapped around a bar - on the beach!!! All shops seemed to open late & close early though. Some of the service folks were great though, as in at the reception desk. The Omni has great villas though, most with fabulous views. They might be worth checking out.
Lagoon Nichupte from the Omni's room #2014 balcony
Rest of the view from Omni's "high floor/lagoon view" room #2014 balcony
* Another hotel we liked was the Gran Melia Cancun right next door to the Casa Magna. It had a very cool interior space, with plants hanging from the highest floors, nice fountains, great restaurants, and some amazingly luxurious cabanas and multiple big exciting pools. This hotel was immaculately tended to also, and the service staff were courteous & friendly.
* Cancun has an unending array of activities that you can indulge in (and of course spend tons of money on), but that's what adds to the fun of the place. Try the "jungle tour" that lets you drive your own speedboat or jetski through mangrove forests to the Punta Nizuc reefs for snorkeling. You can parasail, simply jetski around, do various snorkeling & scuba trips in the ocean, swim with dolphins, take "underwater scooter" rides (yes - they actually exist), take day trips to Isla Mujeres, and on and on.
* The beaches are marked by flags that indicate swimming conditions - red for danger, green for calm, and yellow for somewhere in between. Its one huge beach, demarcated by each hotel for its own guests, with some public beaches that the local population can access for free. Its great to sit by the ocean and see the waves crashing on the soft sand especially under clear skies & moonlight (which is most of the time during season). The only time your nighttime view is broken, although I think in a nice way, is when cruise ships - all lit up, pass at a considerable distance generally leaving town or Cozumel for other "distant lands". I thought they added to the night-time excitement.
* Then there is the nightlife - its some party place I can tell you that much. The great thing about Cancun is that you can party if you want to (to the extent of hot body shows even - and it happens all year round) or not, have an active vacation (above) or not, simply lie on the beach or even just hang out by the pool (but this last one would be a total waste, given where you are). Take the bus from your hotel - best way to get around especially when you're drunk or don't feel like renting or driving. Its cheap for 6.50 pesos each way per person - so make the most of it. Don't worry about change - just have pesos ready and the bus driver will give you change - just don't give him a 500 peso note! By the way, the bus ride itself should be quite entertaining - you'll know what I mean when you experience it.
* Shopping is everywhere - at your hotel, other hotels, various plazas in the Hotel Zone (La Isla Shopping Center, Plaza Kukulkan, Forum), and also in Cancun Centro. The one recommended to us in Centro was Mercado 28. Unlike Forum & Plaza Kukulkan, this one is all within one story, prices are reasonable & you can bargain to your heart's content. This mall may not be air-conditioned or multi-level, but its has a huge collection of nearly everything you'll probably buy/find at the hotel shops and more. The La Isla Shopping Center is modeled after Downtown Disney in Orlando, except for some random Mexican ideas/pieces. It does have an aquarium where you can swim with the dolphins. There is a variety store that sells everything from cigarettes to candy to tequila to liquor chocolates, and at very competitive prices too.
Playa del Carmen:
* Can't tell you much about Playa, except the ferry to Cozumel leaves from here.
* Take 307 South from Paseo Kukulkan (the main road in the Hotel Zone), and travel for about 45mins depending on how fast you drive. Be careful of cops, especially once you're inside a town's perimeter.
* From 307 South take a left @ the 2nd light in Playa onto Avenida (Avenue) Juarez all the way till you are asked by a traffic cop to turn left onto a one way street (Ave 10 - all the intersecting streets run parallel to each other & the ocean and are in multiples of 5, starting @ Ave 5 which is off limits for cars & is the closest to the ocean). The car park is immediately on your right. Park & take a ticket from a small window as you head back onto Juanita. Walk slightly more than a block to the ferry terminal. There are tons of "shops" selling ferry tickets - use any one. There is an HSBC bank @ the junction of Ave 5 & Juarez along with 2 ATM machines.
Cozumel:
* One of the top 5 dive spots of the world.
* The West coast of this island is very well protected from the ocean - so great snorkeling place for people who don't scuba.
* A 35min ferry ride from Playa, one every hour with some exceptions. There are 2 ferry companies, but both leave at about the same time!!
* The cool Atlantis Adventures submarine tour dives from the Atlantis marina across form the Casa del Mar hotel 2-3 kms south of the ferry dock. They take you by boat to the sub dive-site, where you transfer to the sub. The sub went down to 111 ft to the ocean floor - its an amazing tour. More when you get on board. Way better & unique, although more expensive, than the glass bottom boat tours.
Atlantis just surfaced to take on passengers at sea
* The Chankanaab reservation is quite something - read this article to know why. We snorkeled right @ the beach reefs - there are multiple steps for easy access. Just get snorkel headgear & a life jacket (rentals available for US $5 each), and hit the water. You don't even need the flippers. The fish will be right at your feet.
Chankanaab reservation - sunset over the reefs teeming with fish
Chankanaab reservation - check out the clear blue water
Chichen Itzah:
* Huge Mayan ruins, including the famous temple of Kukulkan with 91 steps on each of its 4 sides - the sides are real steep, with an ambulance hanging around for injuries. We heard of one death & a serious injury just before we were there. But don't let that stop you from walking up - its a great view from up top, and the walk up or maybe the one down itself is quite an experience.
People climbing down the main pyramid/temple of Kukulkan
* There is a light & sound show every evening @ 7pm in winter or 8pm in summer. It is in Spanish, but you may be able to get headsets for an English translation from the main entrance (not the one from within the resort - not a big deal, just a 15min walk). Sitting under the stars with a whole lot of people watching the ruins lit up in various colors is quite awesome, in case you don't get the translator - happened to us, and we didn't get to sit on chairs either - but sitting/lying on the grass was pretty good too. Arrive early if you want everything to work out just right.
Main pyramid lit up under the night sky during the light & sound show
* The ruins consist of an observatory (which you can see from the Mayaland's doorway), a ball court with amazing echoes creating some cool acoustics, the main temple - the pyramid that I referred to earlier, a crematorium, a huge market with maybe 2000 "stalls" (only the pillars remain), a huge cenote, and the list goes on. Some of the ruins you can't get to on foot because its cut off by the bushes - so you can take a horse tour from the Mayaland to check out "Old Chichen".
Finally - the main pyramid as the sun sets
* Please take a guided tour, even if it sounds expensive @ 450 pesos per group. The guides help you understand the history & culture behind the ruins and the ancient Mayan & Aztec civilizations, even if some of what they tell is conjecture since we can't really be absolutely sure of the "facts". Request the guide to start @ the scale map at the main entrance so that you get an overview of the place prior to actually getting into the details of the place. Our guide was Willy Moguel did exactly that. He has worked there since the Mexican Gov. took over managing the site in 1970, and had a great knowledge of the place including local customs & food.
* You can easily spend 2 hours the ruins, but go early since the heat even at 10am is quite something to contend with, especially for people who hardly ever venture outside an air-conditioned or heated environment.
* We stayed at the Mayaland Hotel, which has its own entrance to the ruins. This hotel is something of a destination in itself, set among tropical foliage, with peacocks roaming around, nice birds and flowers all around. It can be quite crowded though since it is a big hotel & popular with foreign tourists. The other place next door is the Hacienda Chichen Resort, not as big, but not as nice either. It is however much quieter. Both hotels have pools, although Mayaland has 2 of them.
Peacocks playing around in the Mayaland courtyard
* To get here, you can either take the toll road (called "auto-pisa") & pay US $20, or the non-toll Route 180, but it has numerous bumps of all shapes & sizes in every village you pass. It is a more interesting albeit slower than the auto-pisa which is flat, boring and constantly lined with trees so you have no view at all. Tolls are collected in a manner different from what you are used to in the US. The toll booths show up after being on the road for about 40kms. Then you pay again at the exit for Valladolid. To get to the auto-pisa, get onto 307 South from Paseo Kukulkan, and then take the exit for Chichen Itzah (Route 180 D). To get the non-toll road, you have to get back to downtown, and catch Avenida Tulum (you should enquire at the hotel to be sure).
Valladolid:
* Pronounced "Bayadoleed".
* Biggest town near Chichen Itzah.
* Need to go through this town to get to Ek Balam if you're not taking the toll road.
* Industries are tourism & cattle.
* I recommend stopping at this town's center for an authentic Mexican meal - try something called lomartes (hope I got the spelling correct) which is pork cooked with only tomatoes served with fajita look-alike bread. Its well cooked.
Ek Balam:
* Spectacular ruins discovered in 1985, opened to the public just 5 years back.
* Now has a paved road to get to it, with tour buses coming every Tuesday.
* Dated older than Chichen Itzah (about 400BC & early AD), with a still older 2nd layer having been discovered under the current one.
* Some of the architecture differs from that in Chichen Itzah, also consolidated in a small area - so can be covered in about an hour.
* Fransisco provides guided tours for a comparatively cheap 150 pesos - he will be with you as long as you want. He worked with the original archaeologists restoring the site, and has a very good understanding of the place & its history. Most of what is know is based on translated glyphs discovered at the site.
* The place seems to be entirely dedicated to one high priest (will not even try to pronounce his name) and his lineage. His residence was converted into his tomb upon his death.
* The painstakingly & immaculately restored buildings consist of a round observatory, vaulted gateways elevated from the ground & linked to other sites by elevated broad walkways topped with white limestone to facilitate travel in the dark in order to avoid the tremendous heat by day, twin pyramids used as administrative buildings, a small pyramid that is constructed to allow sunlight to pass specifically between the twin pyramids, and the main pyramid of the high priest.
Main pyramid today - delicate work shaded from the elements
* The buildings were constructed with stone joined together with a cement like natural material made out of vegetable dyes, limestone, etc. The buildings were accidentally found under heavy vegetation with the top parts having collapsed on top of the lower parts. This happened because trees grew on top of the buildings, the roots cracking open the walls & ceilings over time. The restorers reconstructed the "puzzle" by setting aside the stones strewn on the forest floor which formed the top, slowly getting to the bottom parts, and then piecing together all the pieces one stone at a time using the same material used for the original construction. We saw some restorers using syringes & cotton balls to fill in a crack - can't even begin to imagine the effort involved in restoring such sites.
Intricate & delicate work on the pyramid, painstakingly restored
* Visit a cenote about 1.5km away that lets you snorkel in its clear water.
* To get to it from Chichen Itzah, take the old Route 180 (no tolls) to Valladolid Centro, where you make a left around a park and a school/museum looking building & head straight out of town onto 295 North towards Rio Lagartos. You will need to turn right at a well marked turn-off after going through a village - can't remember the name. People will blink at you if you ask about Ek Balam. So, use these directions.
* You can also take the auto pisa back to Valladolid, take that town's exit and follow directions for Rio Lagartos.
* You will hit several bumps of all shapes & sizes in every village you drive through if you take the non-toll road, but the toll-road is flat & boring, and you'll miss out on seeing the "real" Mexican countryside & villages.
Useful Spanish Vocabulary:
* Hello - Ola
* Good morning - Buenos dias
* Good night - Buenos noches
* Please - Por favor
* Thank you - Gracias
* You're welcome - De nada
* How much is it? - Cuanto cuesta?
* Yes - Si
* No - No
Resources:
* Fodors
* Fodors - Cancun Forum
* TripAdvisor - Cancun
* Expedia - Vacations Planner
The End:
If you find this report useful when you visit the Yucatan, please consider donating a token $5 to your favorite charity. My favored ones are:
* Children International, P.O. Box 219055 • Kansas City, MO 64121
* The Trustees of Reservations, 572 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915
* Have a fabulous trip...
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Virus Threat
Antivirus vendors are warning of a variant of the Mydoom Worm may be likely to be seen in the near future.
It would be distributed as a mass mailing worm with the intention being to convince people to visit an infected web site.
Some of the emails may appear to be from PayPal, the online payment system that is part of eBay. The verbiage may be similar to that listed below. Please do NOT click on the link to "see details".
It would be distributed as a mass mailing worm with the intention being to convince people to visit an infected web site.
Some of the emails may appear to be from PayPal, the online payment system that is part of eBay. The verbiage may be similar to that listed below. Please do NOT click on the link to "see details".
Monday, November 01, 2004
Pedro hanging out with Schilling & Lowe on a duckboat as the parade passes by us on the Charles - in case you're wondering this is before the ball incident...
