The land of the old Maya civilization - Merida is the capital of the Yucatan state.
The Mayan heritage persists very much and is found in the people, language, culinary, etc. The main attractions around the city are the Mayan cities of Uxmal and Chichen Itza and the natural waterholes called Cenotes which are real “oasis” in such a hot area (temperatures were at 39 degrees celicius during #myday's here).
Visiting the ruins and learning more about this fascinating culture was quite an amazing experience into a different time and ancient culture. So much they achieved and built and yet they disappeared in such a mysterious way. By the time the Spanish arrived in Yucatan, most Mayan cities were covered by trees and the precious architecture hidden by nature.
We took a full day to visit three cenotes in Cuzama (one completely in the dark). A cenote is basically a massive hole in the ground which is partially filled with water.
The water is of a stinging blue color and as the sun enters partially at a certain angle, there is this mesmerizing effect from the light rays carving through the water. We went swimming in all three of them taking every opportunity for a refresher! Outside 40 degrees, in the cave maybe 22-25 degrees. The path to get to these cenotes involved many transportation methods including combi (mini bus), moto-taxi (yes, motorbike) and a rail wagon pulled by a horse! Awesome! :)
Yucatan is not only famous for its history and nature, but also for its culinary. I tried all the dishes I could in these early days in Mexico, such as Panuchos, Tamales, Chiquinita Pibil, tacos (obviously the best in the world!), weird fruit and other delicious specialties.
Another highlight was an afternoon of “street food eating” – the cheapest and most delicious way to try all the local dishes.
YUMMM!
Much Love,
Mike