Mexico Trip November 2006

Back November 2006 Mexico Trip

by Greg Vandiver

Day 1 - I made it after traveling pretty much all day. The flight to Cancun was a little rougher than normal. I arrived there, then luckily caught the 4 p.m. first class ADO bus to Playa del Carmen by 10 minutes. The ride to Playa was nice. I have done it many times in the past, so I knew what to expect. I got off that bus at the South ADO station in Playa del Carmen and immediately bought another ticket to Chetumal. I had 30 minutes to get some cash from my favorite ATM there, grab something to eat at McDonald's, and walk 5 blocks north and then 3 blocks west to the North ADO station where I would be catching my bus to Chetumal. I was rushing pretty madly to get there. I had 10 minutes to spare once there. It is a good thing I know the area well, or I would have had to catch the next bus 2 hours later.

I enjoyed 2 movies along the way, IN ENGLISH, which was a Antonio Banderas movie (Mask of Zorro #2) and another movie which had alot of violence in it. The 4 hour ride to Chetumal was not so bad. The bus driver was pretty good, he was safe. I saw a lot along the way before dark which I want to come back to see someday. For those interested, the total trip by first class, which is air conditioned from Cancun to Chetumal is $20.40 one way. I checked in at the Holiday Inn there at 10:30 p.m. Central Time. I walked down the street to a roadside vendor selling hotdogs and bought 2. They were not bad!

Day 2 - After drinking a celebratory Sol Mexican beer last night, for just getting all the way down to Chetumal in a single day, I got some much needed rest. I slept in a little this morning till 7 a.m.. While I waited for the tour agency next door to the hotel to open at 9 a.m., I decided to walk around to see what was going on in town. I found the market here, where they sell vegetables and such, kind of like a farmers market we have back home. I bought some very large red grapes from a lady and put together a makeshift breakfast which consisted of a peach flavored yogurt drink and a pineapple pie.

I saw the Museum of the Cultural Maya in town, as I waited for the tour agency next to the hotel to open. Not only was it a waste of my time and money, but I also felt it was a waste of good space in town. I went to the tour agency and they told me I was basically out of luck for the day to see the places I wanted to see. They said there needed to be 2 persons minimum for a trip, and that a guided trip to see the Maya Ruins of Kohunlich and Dzibanché, with lunch included, was $180.

I went to the bus station to check their schedules and got out my map of Mexico. I figured I could not do what I wanted to do for the day unless I either got a taxi, or rented a car. I went over to the area where all the taxis were (about 15 of them) and went to the first one in line. I saw that the number on his car was 666, and did not want a "hell ride", so I talked to the guy in the car behind him.

His name was Royal. I told him what I wanted to do for the day, and he said he could help me. Not only would he take me to Kohunlich and Dzibanché, but he would also take me to the ruin sites of Kinichná and Lamay nearby. So, I took him up on his offer. He did not know much English, so we spoke mostly Spanish. We first went to Dzibanché. I paid his way to see the ruins with me, out of the kindness of my heart. ($6.60 for both of us) We saw the ruins there, and they were nice. I took a good many photos. As we walked out, in the trees I saw 3 black howler monkeys. They did not make any noise, for they were too busy eating. I tried to get some pictures of them, but could not get the shot I wanted.

We stopped by Lamay which is extremely small. I did not even take any photos of the site. We went onward to Kinichná, and the attendant there was very interested in my black hat, which goes with me on all of my trips. I knew he wanted it, but he could forget that, that thing is getting to be like an old friend of mine. We saw the site which was also kind of small. I was taking notes on my notepad as Royal drove back towards the main highway. I know now that there is a direct bus, which goes from Chetumal to the town of Morocoy, which is a few miles from the ruins themselves. We left for Kohunlich, and it was around 1:30 p.m.. I told Royal if he could find a restaurant close by, I would buy him and myself lunch. He took me about 6 miles past the turnoff to Kohunlich on hwy. 186 to a town called "Nicolas Bravo". We ate at a restaurant called "Cozumel Restaurant". We both had some decent food and I had a few beers.

I could have eaten four times the amount they brought us, but then again, I do eat a lot at times. We went onward to Kohunlich. It was very nice walking into the site. By the way, the temperature here today was 85 degrees. We saw the site and I got to see the one thing I have wanted to see for a long time, the Temple of the Masks. I took some photos of it.

As we were leaving, I saw something cross the road in front of us. I told Royal I saw something, and asked him to stop the car. I asked him to retrieve my backpack from the backseat of the car, which had my cameras in it. A small leopard of some sort was staring at me. I tried to get a picture of it, but it ran off into the rain forest. I had to look it up on the internet when I got back to town, and found that it was truly a small type of leopard, called a "Margay". I always seem to see some sort of wild animal on my trips.

I paid Royal his money and figured the day, with our lunch included, was $97 altogether. That was a lot better than the $180 the tour agency wanted and I had made a friend as well, in the process. I had a nap once back at the hotel and decided to eat in the hotel restaurant for the evening. I had some good chicken fajitas, a small dinner salad, some rice pudding, and 4 Sol beers.

Day 3 - I had an awesome buffet style, hot breakfast this morning at The Holiday Inn for $10. I decided to check out the bus schedule and found that I had just missed the Ado bus to Bacalar by about 20 minutes. So, I decided to get a taxi to take me there. The price was $15 from Chetumal. The driver dropped me off at the town square or park in front of the Spanish Fort. I toured the Fort of Bacalar and saw the museum for $5. It only took about 15 minutes to see all I cared for. Anyone who likes old weaponry and such from the 16th century would like it, I am sure.

I caught another taxi to see the Maya Ruins of Chacchobén. The driver's name was Jaimen. We talked a lot along the way about politics and such. I asked him did he like his new Mexican President, Felipe Calderon. He told me that he did not like him at all and that he was bad for Mexico. I told him I was not very pleased with my President either, so we were even. Jaimen dropped me off at the entrance to the ruins and I paid him $20, for the taxi fare. I walked in as 3 huge tourist buses were leaving. It was $3.30 to enter the ruin site and I had the site all to myself, as I walked around. I like it this way. One can see more animals and such when it is quiet. I must admit, after seeing Temple 1, I decided this site was the best I had seen on this trip. It was much better, in my opinion, than Dzibanché or Kohunlich. It was very well renovated. It has only been open to the public since 2002, I believe. Also, I did see a Morpho butterfly while there, which was
stunning.

Later I walked out towards the souvenir shop and refreshment area, to find that the buses were gone, as well as the other tourists. They were locking up the drink boxes and such with a chain at 12:18 p.m.. It is a good thing I had a couple of bottles of water with me in my backpack, before arriving there. If I remember correctly, one could still enter the site until it closed at 5:00 p.m..

The only people still left there were the employees. I talked with one on the workers there, and told him I did not have a ride back to town. He told me he would give me a ride back to Bacalar, for the same amount I paid for the taxi to get there, which was $20. I gave him the money and one of his friends came along. He talked a lot about the U.S.. He wanted to know all about me. Come to find out, he and his friend spoke Yucatec Mayan, and they talked awhile in the language as we rode in his car. I showed him I could at least count to 20 myself in Yucatec Mayan.

Later he dropped me off at the town square in Bacalar as I had requested. I checked out the bus schedule at the bus station there. I had about an hour before the next Mayab bus left for Chetumal, so I grabbed some lunch at an Italian Restaurant there in the town square. I decided to order Chile relleno, a salad, and had 2 Pacifico beers. I enjoyed the meal and walked down the street 2 blocks from the town square, away from the Spanish Fort, to a cathedral on the right. I was in such a hurry to catch the bus to Chetumal, I forgot to get the name of the restaurant where I had eaten at. There I would meet the 2:00 p.m. bus at a roadside bus stop. It was right on time too. The bus, unexpectedly, was a "combi", and everyone got off as I stood there on the sidewalk waiting. I went to get on the bus and the driver told me he needed to go get some fuel, and that he would be back.

So, I waited. I have never rode a bus like this, but it is as close as one could get, to being a "chicken bus". I will gladly tell you why. There was a lady who got off of the bus, and unloaded 8 - 12 packs of 20 ounce sodas and a box full of baby chickens too. I know there had to be more than 50 baby chickens in the box. She completely loaded up a taxi, with all of her belongings, when it stopped to take her home too! I waited on the sidewalk for over an hour for the bus to return. He never came!

Finally, one of the taxi drivers nearby told me that it was very possible that I would not catch another combi to Chetumal for the day. So, I asked him to take me to Chetumal in his car. He only charged me $10. He drove like a madman too. I told him to take me to the hotel.

There I enjoyed the air conditioner for a bit and watched a movie. I showered and walked over to the market, where all of the taxis hang out at. I talked with a middle aged man, who was one of the drivers. I told him I wanted to go to one of the better restaurants in town, that was not very expensive, and which had some good and typical Mexican food. He hooked me up too. He dropped me off at a restaurant called "Taqueria Mexico". It was very very good too. I had one of the specials there, which consisted of a pork chop, a steak, some res, and also some beans. I do not remember the name of the dish, but it was awesome, along with the 6 Sol beers I had. My bill was only $21 too. I headed back towards the hotel and picked up 2 more Sol beers at a tienda before arriving there.

Day 4 - I awoke this morning in Chetumal and ate a good, hearty breakfast at the hotel. I wanted to get in a big meal, for I knew it would be a while before I got to eat again. Then I went over to the ADO bus station near the town square, and the market, at the intersection of Calle Cristobal Colon and Avenida Belice. After checking the departure times available for Playa del Carmen, I went out to the street to catch a taxi. I told the driver even though I was at the bus station here, I wanted him to take me to the larger bus station across town. I tried to get the street names once there, but there were no signs.

I paid the bus fare ($16.90) for the ADO bus and got onto the 10:30 a.m. bus for Playa del Carmen. The air conditioning did not work very well on this one, but it got me to where I wanted to go, regardless. We watched 2 movies along the way which were in English ("From Russia with love" and "Coach Carter").

We arrived in Playa del Carmen 4 1/2 hours later, and I saw something very appealing to me as we passed by the nice resort called "Playacar". There is a new Holiday Inn Express opening soon right beside the resort, and I have enough Priority Club points built up, so that I can stay at the hotel free probably for 10 nights or so in the future.

We arrived at the North ADO bus station which is at the corner of Calle 12 and Avenida 20. I walked the 4 or 5 blocks to the hotel which I would be staying at for the night, called "Kinbe Hotel". It costed me $56/night.

I checked in and put away my belongings before heading out to see René Vanilla at Sacrificio Maya Tattoo on Calle 6, beside Mambo Cafe. I wanted him to see how the tattoo of Chaac the Maya Rain God looked, which he put on my right arm, when I was here last in September. His assistant Rudy was there alone, and he told me that he would call René to tell him I need some touchup work done to it. I was to come back at 6 p.m. for the repairs.

I decided I had about 2 hours to grab something to eat somewhere, so I started walking West on Avenida Benito Juarez, looking for some new restaurant to eat at, which I had not tried before. I looked over a few along the way, but decided to try a restaurant at the intersection of Avenida Benito Juarez and 45 Avenida called "Dona Juanita Cocina Mexicana". I had a huge plate of fresh fruit, cream of potato soup, BBQ chicken, and a very large glass of horchata. The chicken had way too much BBQ sauce on it, but the rest of the food was absolutely wonderful. The horchata was the best I had ever tasted! I was very full too when I left there.

I went back to the tattoo shop to talk with René, and he said he would make the repairs needed to my tattoo for free, because he had not done a very good job at covering up one of my previous tattoos. I am going to catch a lot of slack over this, but while I was there, I got an additional tattoo on my left arm to cover up the one of a chacmool I had there for a couple of years now. the new tattoo was of Ah- Kin or Kinich Ahau, the Maya Sun God. It took him 1 hour and 45 minutes to do the work, plus another 45 minutes or so, to make the repairs to the other one. I left his place and went back to the Kinbe Hotel, and noticed they had opened a new dance club and bar, right beside the hotel, since I was here 2 months ago now. It was called "Voga". I found out later, from the hotel receptionist, it is a new gay club. Oh well! I won't be going there. Hopefully the music will not be loud there, during the early hours of the morning, or that hotel may not be a good place to stay at in the future.

I decided to take a much needed shower, and to get something to eat at Burger King, at the intersection of Avenida 5 and Calle 8. I ate a lot of food too. I left there and went by the internet place which I usually use, and talked a few minutes to my friend there, which is originally from California, named "Benito". He was closing up for the night, so I had to walk to another place which stays open until 2 a.m., and had used before for emailing and such. I noticed as I walked by the Don Diego restaurant, that it was closed up. It was my favorite place in town to eat steak.