Valladolid

The journey from Cancun to Valladolid went without any major problems. Arriving just in time for the midday heat, we walked the remaining kilometers from the bus station to the accommodation. The accommodation only has 5 double rooms and seems to be managed by three or four guys our age. We were greeted with a shot of schnapps, something like Raki/Uzo. What else would you expect at 3 PM in 38 degrees. The in-house pool is also nice, although we have only used it sporadically so far. In the evening, we strolled into town and enjoyed the delicious Mexican cuisine. Maren looks at me with astonishment, seeing how much weed I consume here. But it tastes great! Afterwards, we sat in the park with an ice cream and had a Spanish-English exchange with some older man. Funny guy.

The next morning we set off for Chichen Itza promptly at a quarter past seven. Since 2007, Chichen Itza has been one of the seven new wonders of the world, alongside the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, the city of Petra, the Taj Mahal, and Cristo Redentor. However, UNESCO has distanced themselves from this survey again, as there were some irregularities in the voting and things were not quite fair. Well, not our problem. Still a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since we left so early, we were among the first 100 to enter the site. We quickly took some photos, explored the site, and watched the Mexicans set up their stalls. Everyone was waiting for the tour buses from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Too bad we were so early. Not! Chichen Itza is a must-see, but it didn't really leave a wow effect on us. But still impressive how the Maya built these structures in the jungle without metal tools. Since almost everything from the Mayan era has been lost or is based on speculation, it doesn't make much sense to hire a guide unless you want to get rid of money. A good guidebook and some research on the internet are enough. After Chichen Itza, we visited three cenotes where we had a lot of fun swimming. Since we were so early, we had the first two almost to ourselves. The first cenote was also used as a backdrop for the movie Avatar. Cenotes are simply amazing, I would recommend them to anyone who even remotely likes water. Even Maren, who doesn't really like fish and cold water, couldn't resist the special atmosphere and jumped into the cool water. The best thing you can do when it's 35-40 degrees outside!