Aug 30 – One more yummy omelette at our Celestún hotel, and we were off to the bus station for our ride to Izamal. Little did we know that our big bus was a local, not an express. We boarded the bus at 9:30, changed buses in Mérida at 12:30, and arrived in Izamal at 3pm. And there weren’t any movies to watch on the bus!
Izamal is called la Ciudad Amarilla (the Yellow City), and as soon as we got off the bus we could see why.
Aug 26 – So here we are in Celestún. The conference folks got back on their big bus and returned to Mérida last night, to catch flights home or travel onward. We had our packs on the bus with us, and checked into a very modest small hotel a block from the Gulf of Mexico. This is where our beach vacation begins.
Aug 22 – Today we got back on the big bus to return to Mérida. This time we are going to the northern, more modern side of the city so that Jim can give a presentation at the Parapsychological Association Conference. This is the reason we are here.
Aug 20 – Today our plan was to visit the Cenote Zaci. Swimming in a “bottomless” cenote is on the ‘must do’ list of every tourist visiting Valladolid, and we are tourists, so off we go.
Google told us the Cenote would open at 9am. Having been in the Yucatán a while, we know not to set your watch by the times promised here. We arrived around 9:30, figuring we’d beat the afternoon crowds (when it is REALLY hot). The Cenote was not open, but the man said it would open at 10. We waited with the other tourists, striking up a conversation with a nice young couple from France.
Aug 19 – This morning we got up early to catch a collectivo to visit the ruins of the Mayan city Chichen Itza. We arrived at the collectivo stop a little after 7, knowing that the 15 passenger van wouldn’t leave until it was full. Thankfully, this collectivo had air conditioning – an unexpected bonus!
It took about 45 minutes for the drive to the ruins of the city. It was already HOT, and we were glad to have our sunbrellas and plenty of water.
Chichen Itza thrived from the time period of approximately 600 – 1200 CE. Unlike other ruins we’ve visited, none of these monuments may be touched or climbed upon.
Aug 17 – One more good breakfast in our little kitchenette, and we are off to find the ADO bus terminal to purchase tickets to Valladolid, about 2 1/2 hours to the east. We allowed plenty of time to get some lunch, but the line for tickets was so long we ended up buying a Subway sandwich and eating it on board. The bus was big and air conditioned, and we got to see a movie about a soccer team!
We are going to Valladolid (Buy a doe LEED) because it is the nearest town to the pyramids of Chichen Itza. Most touristas breeze through here on a bus from a Cancun resort or a Cozumel cruise ship, but we’re here to see what there is to see!
We are staying at a little hotel called Kinich Ahau, named for the Mayan sun god, and run by Anna. Our room faces the pool, and Anna will cook our breakfasts.
Google Maps showed a plethora of restaurant options within minutes of our place, so we took our hungry selves out in search of dinner. Where were the restaurants? Although Google showed menus and photos and reviews, no restaurants could we see. A mystery.
We eventually found a fast food place called Mr. Taco that filled our bellies with pork and gobs of cheese, but this was definitely not health food. Jim asked Anna if he could use her kitchen to cook up some chicken vegetable soup, so we stocked up at the grocery. Problem solved. Tomorrow we explore.
Aug 18 – We got up early to beat the heat, and decided to use our sunbrellas for the walk to the city center. We headed to Convento de San Bernadino de Siena, built in the 1500s.
Aug 16 – What should we see today? I wanted to visit the Museum of Modern Art, which wasn’t open when we passed by yesterday. Today there was a big sign saying it was open, but the guard at the door said not yet. We walked around for a half hour and went back. 🤷🏼♀️ Still not open. Oh well.
We strolled back over to the cathedral, and they were between services, so we got in! Pretty stark inside, but we were looking for a statue in the side chapel called Christ of the Blisters. Legend says the statue was carved from a tree that was hit by lightning and burned all night without charring. It was also the only object that survived the fiery destruction of the church in the town of Ichmul (though it was blackened and blistered from the heat). The statue was moved to the Mérida cathedral in 1645.
We moved on to the Governor’s Palace to see the famous murals. They are huge, and there are a lot of them. The descriptions are printed in Spanish, English and Mayan. I asked a guide if people still spoke Mayan and she assured me they did – 9% in Mérida, and about 25% in the Yucatán overall.
Aug 14 – As we were unable to get provisions last night due to the power outage, we set out early this morning to find some breakfast. Still lots of flooding on the streets, but the sidewalks were okay. We had to navigate around some pretty deep puddles when crossing roads. Thankfully, drivers were considerate and didn’t speed up to splash us (as often happens to me when walking the dog at home!)
We found a nice little restaurant where Joél (pronounced Oh EL) conversed with us while our huevos rancheros were cooking. He said this is the wet season, and the flooding is normal as it rains every day. In September it will get cooler and the rain will stop. He asked if we lived in Mérida, as many expats live here due to safety and the many cultural offerings.
The day was quickly heating up, so we set out to find a grocery store and get some provisions for our stay. Jim looked at his phone and told me the name of the store, and a local came right over to tell us that the store was closed, and gave us helpful directions to another. He said that lots of things have closed in Mérida. Helpful person of the Yucatán!
The store was only a few blocks away, but I was pouring down sweat even though we stayed on the shady side of the street. Jim got eggs, cheese, bread and the makings of a spaghetti dinner. Our kitchenette has a single burner hot plate, a microwave, one pot and one pan, so Jim had to think of things he could make with limited resources.
That was enough for one day, so we picked up some lunch and brought it home to eat in the air conditioning. A good first day!
Aug 15 – After Jim made us a yummy egg, fruit, coffee and toast breakfast, we were ready to face a new day. Back to Centro we went.
Back toward home to pick up another Menu del Dia to eat in the air conditioning. Shortly after we got inside, the rain poured down. Unlike at home, when it rains, it does not get one degree cooler. A good day!
Aug 13, 2024 – Has the summer been hot where you are? It’s been plenty hot in Virginia. So why would two old people fly south to a place that’s even hotter? In August?
Jim was asked to speak at a conference in Mérida, and you know our motto: once you’ve paid the airfare, you may as well hang out a while and see what there is to see. So here we go!
Although Jim booked our flight with only one stop in Atlanta, the airline canceled and shuffled us into an additional stop in Mexico City, Although we’d been to this airport before, it was a real challenge to get through Customs and find the gate for our connecting flight to Mérida. When we finally found the gate, passengers were already boarding. Whew!
We reached our destination in the early evening (Mexico is two hours behind eastern time), Knowing that there are no restaurants near our room, we stayed at the airport and had a lovely supper of Yucatán cuisine favorites.
Fortified, we hit the ATM for some pesos (approximately 20 pesos to the US dollar), and arranged a taxi for the 20 minute drive to Hotelito Yum Kaax. We knew that it had rained earlier in the evening, but were surprised by the deep flooding on many of the roads. When we reached our address, the street was totally dark and we had to use my phone’s flashlight to manage the digital entrance code. We got into our room and had our fear confirmed- the electricity in the area was out and it was absolutely dark. And hot.
We brushed our teeth by phone-light and got into bed – what else could we do?
After about half an hour of lying absolutely still and trying not to sweat, the power came back on – hallelujah! So here we are in our air conditioned room with great wifi, and a little kitchen with a fridge containing two cans of welcome Mexican beer. Life is good!
Feb 26 – Jim cooked us a last breakfast, then we Ubered to the Cartagena airport. An hour and a half later, we were back in Bogotá. Back to long pants and sweatshirts.
We communicated like crazy with our new host, so we knew the name of the building and what it was near. Cabbie got us right to the door!
There was a Moroccan restaurant right near our high rise, so we stuffed ourselves with lentil soup, couscous, falafel, veggies, and tabule.
Feb 27 – We’re in a different part of the city now, not in the historical center. There are high rises all around.
Our plan was to walk back to the Botero museum and pick up a plate for our wall, but, best laid plans… the museum is closed on Tuesday!
Oh well, we walked around the city, saw some more llamas and lots more wall art.
Happy to report that on our very last day in Colombia, we found the Encanto arepas of my dreams. Like sweet cornbread, grilled, stuffed with cheese and topped with butter. Julietta would be proud. A delicious end to our holiday.
A few souvenirs, and we were done.
Feb 28 – Up at 5:30 for an Uber to the airport, a 5 hour flight to Atlanta, a four hour layover, then a 90 minute flight home. Our dog Winston was happy to see us, and we are happy to be home.
Taking Our Time 