Make sure you read the bottom of this post AFTER THE PHOTOS where I explain the differences between the two main ancient civilisations of Mexico and Central America: The Mayans and The Aztecs.
Our 5.5hr private van drive from San Cristobal to Palenque opened up a complete change of scenery – lust green semi-rain forest, misty mountains and low clouds. The drive started with a brekkie stop just outside and overlooking the city of Okotongo. In another 2hrs we arrived at the Agua Azul Cascades, a magnificent series of cascades with heaps of water showing off a milky blue colour downstream. We went for a walk to the top of the falls and then back down for an hours swim in the cool waters. This was the first swim in Mexico but the pool was not deep or big enough for a 2km swim so that has to wait !!! We enjoyed a cold Mexican Beer before resuming our remaining 2hr drive to Palenque. On arrival we showered and then relaxed in our fancy 4-Star Hotel enjoying a free welcome cocktail near the pool. No touring this arvo since Palenque City (Pop 73,455) is small with no tourist attractions downtown – only reason we are here overnight is to visit the Mayan Ruins 9km away the next morning. Modern Palenque was founded in 1567 by the Spanish. The only attraction of Palenque downtown for me was the huge Walmart-like hypermarket next door which offered up hot BBQ chickens and a variety of Mexican pastries and deserts. I bought two boxes of Mexican Doughnuts or Chascos to shout the group for brekkie in the morning. First time Antonia and I were able to relax in the afternoon with tie enough to watch the original 1976 Rocky while we dined on BBQ chook and white wine. Antonia had never seen any Rocky movies and I was not going to allow her to be robbed of a truly global phenomenon and cultural experience !!! She loved it !!! She wants to watch all five starting with Rocky II tomorrow !!!
This was one of our best sleeps so far so put us in the right frame of mind to visit the Mayan Ruins the next day leaving 0745. The Palenque Archeological Site is smaller than most in area but contains buildings in exceptional condition. The Palenque ruins date from 226 BC to 799 AD built by three successive Mayan Kings. After its decline, it was overgrown by the jungle of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees but has since been excavated and restored. The amazing fact is that the 142 visible structures in this UNESCO protected area are estimated to represent only 10% of the total structures recorded throughout history. This is the reason why modern Palenque is a small city and remains undeveloped in expectation of the discovery of more ancient Mayan structures in the future. Our walk around the compound centred on the following structures: Temple of the Skull, Temple XII (containing the red sarcophagus of the only Mayan Queen to ever be found), Temple XIII, Temple of the Inscriptions, The Palace (biggest structure), Temple X, Temple of the Court, Ball Court, Temple XV, Temple XIV, Temple of the Sun, Temple XXI, Temple XX, Temple XIX, Temple of the Guerreros, Temple of the Foliated Cross and the mighty Temple of the Cross. The last of these was the highlight for me because it is the tallest structure that you can climb to the top at 22m to get views of almost all the other temples. It is a wonder how these temples were built given that the stone blocks can weigh up to 20 tons each. The interesting thing about the temples of “crosses” is that the cross, shaped like the Christian cross” was in Mayan culture long before Christ was born (up to 1500BC) !!! The vertical part signifies spiritual life being heaven (above the horizontal part) and hell (below the horizontal part). The horizontal part itself represents biological life (on earth) signifying the journey from birth (left) to death (right). Amazing that this structure would be the one chosen by Christ. The other point of interest was the Tomb of the Red Queen. She was preserved using a red mineral called Cinnabar but over time it consumed her bones as well so only the red powder was discovered inside. One other body was found of a King in the Temple of the Inscriptions. These are the only Mayan Pyramids in Mexico to be built as tombs for Royalty as in Egypt. All the others are simply religious temples dedicated to the gods.
Our journey to Merida near the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, which contains Cancun, began at 11am. A total driving time of 6.5hrs with 1.5hrs for lunch and coffee break. The landscape changes again. From lush thick green rainforest to flat open greenery and very slight hills. Elevation dropped from 150m in the ancient site to 75m for most of the trip. This was the first time we encountered the hot humid weather that would stay with us for the rest of the trip through Mexico. The upside would be the clear green waters of the Caribbean !!!
We arrived at 730pm into Merida and headed straight to the hotel. It was terrific to stretch and shower – the private van was cramped and our stops quite sweaty. On the way we drove along the Caribbean for some way for the first time. Yeah – the beaches are coming and we will be staying with the Tennants this Friday 19JAN – can't wait !!!
Wednesday 17 January exposed us to a geological feature that Mexico is famous for and number 1 in the world for. Cenotes. What is that you ask ? A cenote is a hole in the ground filled with fresh water from an underground river. It can be exposed to the sky or underground in a cave. It is in fact an entry point to the underground river. It is often called a “sink hole” or “water hole”. Most are circular or oval in shape and look like large swimming pools. The key difference here is that they are super clear and clean and often deep blue in colour given the surrounding stalagtites and stalagmites. The water is drinkable since it is constantly renewed by the underground river that it connects to. There are approx. 7000 cenotes on Earth and 6000 of these are in Mexico !!! Most in Mexico are on the Yucatan Peninsula, which has Merida on the east side, and Cancun on the west side. There are TWO cenotes in Australia – both are in Mount Gambier including the famous Blue Lake, which is in fact a cenote. The other one is nearby and considered the most beautiful in the world. There are other cenotes in USA, Canada and Zimbabwe. We visited two very remote cenotes: Kankirixche Cenote and Yaaludzil Cenote. We were the only ones there. Both were brilliant. The first was oval shaped and bigger and part of a cave whilst the second was circular and exposed to the sky. We spent ample time swimming, snorkelling and diving off a 7 and 5 metre rock edge. Underneath were fish and stalagtites. There was also moss of various colours on the walls making it a visually appealing feature. We were treated to a delicious lunch of four tacos made by the locals who travel here for tourism. Back at the hotel we grabbed some takeaway tacos from a famous taceria and watch Rocky II. Antonia is now a big fan !!!
The following day (18 JAN) was a free day so we slept in to 8am and then toured the city using my maps.me prepared with sights from Sydney. I do this for every city we visit. Merida is more modern and industrialised and a working city. In fact it makes and exports car parts to the USA and farms pork, which it imports to China. Impressive. There are several colourful classical and colonial buildings but not as many as Mexico City or Puebla. Being at 50m above sea level and on the Gulf makes it very hot and humid. We visited the following places in Merida over 4hrs: Monuemento a la maternidad, Monumento al General Manuel Cepeda Peraza, Plaza de la Independencia or Plaza Grande (Palacio del Gobierno del Estado de Yucatan, Centro Cultural, Palacio Municipla, Casa de Montejo, Museum Fernando Garcia, Catedral de San Ildefonso, Pasaje de la Revolucion) Dragon Arch at Calle 61 and 63, Parque Eulogio Rosado, Museo de la Ciudad de Merida, Parque de San Juan (Iglesia, Fuente de la Negrita). There was no stand-out highlight during this walk. That would come tonight !!!
Antonia hit the hotel pool in the afternoon while I completed the detailed planning of our trip in Costa Rica and Panama. I booked a total of 21 optional tours from Mexico to Panama averaging $135AUD per person !!! These are all day trips booked mainly with Viator and Get-Your-Guide with some by Intrepid. They cover boat cruises, snorkelling, mountain climbing, sand boarding, cave tubing, kayaking, cycling, ziplining, trekking. Physical but fun !
The highlight of Merida was the La Negrita Cantina restaurant and night club. It is simply SENSATIONAL !!! Packed with people. Huge tasty and cheap cocktails ($5-15AUD), the best Nachos we have ever had, great food and best of all – LIVE MUSIC !!! The band was great. Guitar, trumpet, piano and Latino percussion. This place reminded my of Rio in Brazil – most places there a like this. Antonia was in heaven listening to this Cuban-style music and sipping on a Mojito in a 900mL jar !!! This was easily the best evening place on our trip to date and will be hard to beat !!!
The following day (Fri 19JAN) was “Tennants Day” – yes – we will end up spending the night in Tulum with Ria, Brett, Allegra and Harry Tennant from Rose Bay Sydney Australia !!! They were in Tulum on holiday since 13JAN and are flying back to Oz from Cancun at 6pm tomorrow Sat 20JAN. How lucky to overlap by one night – boy will we make it a BIG NIGHT !!! So excited.
Left Merida in a private van at 5am to drive 2.5hrs to Chichen Itza, a very popular Mayan archeological site half way between Merida and Cancun. Most of the drive was under fog since it is so humid here. On arrival the fog started to burn off revealing buildings dating back to 600AD. Chichen Itza was one of the largest pre-Colombian Mayan cities with a mixed population explaining the different architectural styles here. Almost 3 million people visited here in 2017 making it the most popular Mayan ruins in Mexico. Chichen Itza started declining in 1300AD after battles with local peoples.
We spent 2hrs visiting the following structures: Templo del Jaguar, Templo del Hombre Barbado, Plataforma de las Columnas, Plataforma de los Craneos o Tzompantli, Venus Platform, Temple of Kukulcan, Temple of the Big Tables, Grupo de las Mil Columnas (pillars), Templo de las Pequenas Mesas, El Mercado (Markets), Juego de Pelota, Templo Xtoloc, El Observatorio o Caracol, Tumba del Sacerdote. The highlight was definitely the Temple of Kukulcan which absolutely dominates the site and is the best preserved. It is a huge pyramid in the centre of the site built between 600-1000AD with 365 steps rising 24m above the ground. This is site is overrun with tourists because it is only 2.5hrs from the overrun seaside Cancun. I did enjoy it as much as Palenque Ruins given the enormous swarms of people. As our visit came to an end the sun came out so I had to reshoot many structures, especially the Temple of Kukulcan. Despite the crowds this is a site worth visiting.
Our lunch stop was only a short 15min drive from Chichen Itza. We visited a local home where mother and daughter cooked a buffet style feast for us using locally ingredients. Most reckon the guacamole was the best they ever tasted. There were several other dishes too many to name – I will let the photos do the talking.
Now it was time to head to Playa del Carmen, our seaside home for the next 3 nights but NOT TONIGHT because I had hired a car to drive us to the Tennants in Tulum !!! That post is coming…
In the meantime enjoy the sights of the Eastern and Central Yucatan Peninsula… Don’t forget to read
the differences between The Mayan and Aztecs after the photos below at the very end of this post…
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Mexico is known for two key ancient indigenous cultures: The Mayan and The Aztecs. Here are the 10 key differences between them:
1. Geographical Location:
The Mayan civilization primarily developed in what is now Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula, while the Aztec civilization was centred in the Valley of Mexico in the central Mexican plateau.
2. Timeline and Duration:
The Mayan civilization dates back to as early as 2000 BC and reached its peak during the Classic Period (250 AD to 900 AD). In contrast, the Aztec civilization emerged later, around the 14th century AD, and lasted until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
3. Political Structure:
The Mayans lived in city-states, each with its own independent ruler. These city-states often engaged in warfare, alliances, and trade with each other. The Aztecs, on the other hand, had an empire ruled by a single Emperor, with Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) as the capital.
4. Language:
The Mayan civilization used the Mayan language family, with various dialects across different city-states. The Aztecs primarily spoke Nahuatl, and it remained a dominant language in the region even during the early period of Spanish colonization.
5. Writing and Record Keeping:
The Mayans developed a complex system of hieroglyphic writing, which they used to record historical events, astronomy, and rituals. The Aztecs used a pictographic system of writing, which was less advanced and mainly used for record-keeping purposes.
6. Architectural Achievements:
Mayan architecture is famous for its stepped pyramids, palaces, observatories, and elaborate ceremonial complexes. Aztec architecture also featured pyramids, but they are distinguished by their massive size and twin temples at the top, as seen in the Templo Mayor.
7. Religious Beliefs:
Both civilizations were polytheistic, but their deities and religious practices were distinct. The Mayans worshipped gods like Itzamná and Ix Chel, whereas the Aztecs had gods like Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Human sacrifice played a more central role in Aztec religion than in Mayan.
8. Art and Cultural Achievements:
Mayan art is characterized by detailed stone carvings, stucco statues, and painted murals. Aztec art is noted for its stone sculptures, featherwork, and fine goldsmithing.
9. Agricultural Practices:
Both civilizations practiced agriculture, but their methods differed due to geographical variations. The Mayans used advanced agricultural techniques like slash-and-burn and terracing, while the Aztecs developed chinampas - floating gardens on lake surfaces.
10. Collapse and Legacy:
The Mayan civilization's decline is still shrouded in mystery, with theories suggesting overpopulation, environmental degradation, and internal conflict. The Aztec Empire, however, fell primarily due to the Spanish conquest led by Hernán Cortés and the subsequent colonization.
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