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.
There is the Cenote – 130 feet deep and blue and just waiting to be jumped intoWe waited some more, and more of the hopeful tourists wandered away. After another while we decided to cut our losses and see what else Valladolid had to offer us today. Oh well!Jim navigated us to Casa de los Venados, a private home owned by an American collector of Mexican folk art. This is a mural in the entrance foyerThe house is huge (23 bathrooms!) and each room is just filled with colorful art pieces. We were given a guided tour by David, a local Mayan who answered all our questions and let us take our time examining the pieces.An outdoor dining area A shapeshifter Stained glass in one of the bathrooms There is a room filled with tributes to Frida Kahlo Dine with famous Mexican heroesDinnerware created for the house There was so much more, but you get the idea! A worthwhile morning!
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.
Temple of Kukulcán – El Castillo is the largest structure
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.
The Great Ball Court- the largest of Chichen Itza’s ball fieldsThe object of the game was to get the ball through the small stone circle on the wallA souvenir vendor showed us the size of the ball – a human skull may have been used to form the center How the game may have been played – no hands or feet on the ball, only hips and forearms The Temple of the Jaguars as it may have looked in its painted glory……and how it looks todayPlatform of VenusThe buildings are carved with lots of serpents……and lots of skullsThe Temple of a Thousand Warriors, represented by a thousand pillarsAncient tic tac toe?The Observatory – the windows line up so that the sun shines through on equinoxes Rudimentary archesThe Yucatán doesn’t have a river system, but a series of deep sinkholes that are used as sources of water. The Cenote (Sen OH tay) Sagrado provided all the water for this city.The Maya had a very complex calendar system A typical Mayan house with thatched roof So many masks – faces surrounded by the teeth of a jaguar for protectionSweaty? Oh yes – but a great day!
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!
A long line at the bus station – lots of people on the move
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.
The Convento A retablo over the altarA Jesus in the retablo has movable arms and kneesThe Convento courtyard This Mary reminded me of my Patty Playpal doll from the 60’sSome old frescoes have recently been uncoveredThere is a cenote behind the Convento, covered by a grillA pretty placeWe walked down a main street and were surprised to see shops open on Sunday. A purveyor of local honey stopped us and we sampled her wares – some spicy!Lots of motos Street art! The first we’ve seen on this trip Our next stop was the Templo de San Servasio.Parishioners are gathering for mass with many babies and toddlers dressed in white for baptismAt the side of the church, who should we spy but our old friend St. James! Surprisingly, the signage didn’t mention Santiago, but told a story of the Christ child secretly feeding prisoners who had no family to bring them food.And we found the answer to the restaurant mystery – walking home in the middle of the day, we saw the names of the restaurants we were looking for last night on…food carts! They are open for business, then around 4 or 5pm they pack up and go home.There are lots of kissing benches around town. This one is just outside our roomWhat better way to end the day than a leisurely swim in a shady pool? A fine day. Ahhhhh!
Taking Our Time 