Merida

The highlight from our stay in Merida was most definitely our trip to a tiny village called Cozuma, where we had the chance to go swimming in 3 cenotes (underground caves filled with amazingly clear, blue water).

Getting there was a real adventure:

1. Bus to the town centre

2. Motorbike tuk-tuk to the start of the trail (Don't worry Mothers, we held on tightly : )

3. Bumpy horse drawn cart along rail track to each cave (they have been using this method of transport in the area for over 150 years)

  

To enter the first cenote, you have to climb down a long ladder into the dark cave. After your eyes adjust to the lack of the light, the water looks incredible and is actually a lot deeper than it looks in this photo (possibly 10 metres deep) and is lovely and warm.

We met two lovely travellers along the way, Juan from Argentina who become our personal guide and translator and fearless Yoko from Japan who was always the first to jump off a ledge or swim into the dark areas of the Cenotes. We also met one absolute nut from Canada who we tried to avoid without much luck.




Our final stop was Chichen Itza, one of the new 7 wonders of the world. We left Merida at 6am to head to the site before the crowds of tour buses arrived and heat set in. We could only bear the heat for a few hours before making tracks but enjoyed the variety of the site - pyramids, columns, carvings etc. It was definitely the most touristy and busy site!

Palenque

The Mayan ruins at Palenque were some of the most impressive we've seen with lush jungle surroundings and a very interesting history. We're very lucky as this is the last year that tourists are allowed to climb and touch the ruins. From next year it will all be roped off with audio guides and will become a very generic experience.

Half of the fun was our guide Ernesto (imagine Mexican Opa) who took the time to take us into the jungle for some monkey spotting (with snake stick and all) and to see some ruins entirely covered by vegetation off the beaten path.

We took a day trip to visit Misol-Ha and Agua Azul - 2 of the most popular waterfall sites in the state of Chiapas. Not quite as impressive as Iguassu Falls will be, but still very beautiful!

San Cristobal de las Casas

What a change in climate from Oaxaca - San Cristobal was fr-fr-freezing!!! We ended up having to get out our gear that was packed away for Patagonia!

Despite the crappy weather, the town was beautiful and offered a very authentic experience, particularly of  the indigenous population's customs & way of life which they have maintained despite those bloody Spaniards trying to change their ways : )

 We were lucky enough to have a couple of nights at a place called Bela's B&B - with 4 adorable dogs, electric blankets and great breakfasts it was very difficult to leave!

Lauren loved this restuarant so much that she decided to leave them a present.

The next couple of pics are from a tour where we had the chance to visit 2 indigenous communities not too far from San Cristobal. 

The second town that we visited was San Juan Chamula - The town enjoys unique autonomous status within Mexico. 

There are no pews in the church, and the floor area is completely covered in a carpet of green pine needles and candles. We were lucky enough to see some unique rituals in action performed by the Shamans. No cameras allowed!

Oaxaca

After the monster bus ride from hell (13 hours not including transit time) we were relieved to finally arrive in Oaxaca! The city of Oaxaca was buzzing with festivities in the lead up to the Day of the Dead festival with many street parades, artistic displays and decorations throughout the town.

 

We took two organised Day of the Dead tours during our stay. The first was to visit 2 cemeteries in a small town outside of Oaxaca where it is customary to decorate the graves of loved ones with Marigold flowers, decorations and food & drinks that they enjoyed when they were alive. Although extremely interesting, it was unfortunate that the place was completely overcrowded with tourists! 

On the 2nd night, we visited 2 towns to join in Comparsa celebrations

 

Monte Alban was the ancient capital of the Zapotecs and one of the first cities in Mesoamerica (founded around 500 B.C). The site is truly impressive in size with incredible views of the mountains and city in the distance.

 Too many stairs!!

On our final day in Oaxaca, we took a tour that included visits to a local weaver's home where we saw how wool is dyed and woven, a Mezcal factory where we sampled many different flavours of the local alcohol (yum!), the ancient town of Mitla and Hierve el Agua (a set of natural rock formations that look like waterfalls).

 

 At the end of the tour, we had a chance to visit the world's widest tree, Tule. This tree has even had DNA testing to prove it is only one tree and not many that have fused together over time.

Guanajuato

Guanajuato was a welcome change from the chaos of Mexico City. Surrounded by mountains the town was beautiful with colonial buildings, friendly people and lots to see and do with the annual Cervantino Festival in full swing.

 The only downside was the 100+ steep stairs to get to our hostel each day after a trip into town but the view from the terrace was incredible.

Ben discovered "jugo" jugs - huge jugs of fresh fruit juice for less than $2.00. You can see the excitement on his face : )

We spent our days enjoying the carnival atmosphere of the Festival & natural charm of the city. We managed to see a Cuban band perform on centre stage on our last night who were fantastic!

A cartoonist in training drew the most terrible portraits of us while in our favourite cafe - Truco 7 where you could eat like a king for less than $5 each including drinks. Ben couldn't walk, Elise couldn't talk and Lauren needed to throw up after the huge meals.