Mexico - Mérida, Campeche and the return journey
E hatisitsoe: 20.08.2019
Ngolisa ho Newsletter
Mérida
Mérida is the capital of the state of Yucatan and therefore a bit larger than Valladolid. There isn't much on the agenda here. I've had enough of ruins and cenotes, even though there are still some in the area. So I start with a guided city tour, which mainly visits the original colonial buildings. The wide grand avenue 'Paseo de Montejo' with many magnificent buildings also dates back to this time. However, the city is rather noisy, hot and crowded with cars, so the next day I go out to visit Hacienda Yaxcopoil. Here, I delve into the past of henequen production. Henequen was the most important industry in this region for a long time. Huge haciendas were built, the wealth of which can still be seen in the ruins today. The residential house is very well preserved, but the rest of the complex is a bit dilapidated. It's exciting and impressive to imagine how busy it was here in the past based on this industrial ruin. Henequen is a fiber obtained from an agave species. For example, hats were made from these fibers. Back in Mérida, I go souvenir hunting. Finally, I can do that now since my return journey is approaching. Before, it was not worth carrying additional weight with me. Even though I already liked many souvenirs before.
Campeche
This is where true pirate feeling comes up. Campeche was the capital of Yucatan during colonial times and the most important port for imports and exports to Europe. It was also a worthwhile target for pirates, as it offered valuable resources or their equivalent value in gold. Campeche's history is rich in pirate raids and destruction. The most important countermeasure for defense and deterrence was the construction of the city wall with its 6 central defense structures, the baluartes. The city wall from back then limits today's historic center. And this is very well preserved, which is why Campeche is also advertised as a colonial fairytale land in the travel guide. The small, colorful streets are leisurely. Campeche itself does not have any major tourist attractions. However, many visitors stop here while visiting the archaeological treasures of Yucatan. So, I just let myself drift a bit. I have almost three days until I return to Cancun. I watch a pirate spectacle, take a city tour on the 'streetcar', visit the museum and the cultural center, and stroll through the tourist alleys with many souvenirs, cafes, and restaurants. In the end, I treat myself to a private room with air conditioning! Although the Wi-Fi does not reach the room and I can feel every single spring in the mattress, priorities lie elsewhere. It's a bit like the beginning of my journey. I let the place have an effect on me without having a program that I absolutely have to complete. That's a nice ending before taking the bus back to Cancun.
The 'Girlfriend of the Sea' is eagerly awaiting her pirate.
Cancun
I won't see much of Cancun. Most people advised me against it altogether. This is the gateway for tourists to all of Yucatan. Flights from all over the world arrive here. The visitors are then shuttled to the surrounding beach hotels. I find a nice hostel near the bus station, from which I can start for the airport the next day. The hostel even has a pool on the rooftop and a good restaurant with bar attached. I wouldn't even have to leave my domicile until the next day. But I manage to go to the café next door at least for a short time to get some fresh air and work on my blog and organize the return journey in peace. However, there is nothing worth visiting nearby anyway. I skip the party in the hostel, I'm not in the mood for that on my last evening. Instead, I enjoy the pool again the next morning before heading to the airport.
I'm looking forward to finally flying with Turkish Airlines. I had heard a lot of good things about the airline. As it turned out, it was the first flight ever from Mexico to Turkey! So, I booked the inaugural flight. Consequently, there was a big event at the airport including an inauguration ceremony. Turkish Airlines gave a speech, and there was a small serenade by a mariachi band. Of course, we also took off with a one-hour delay. A worthy farewell for me! 😉 Then a short stopover at the new super airport in Istanbul. When I finally found the correct gate in the huge 'Shopping Mall', there was nothing standing in the way of landing at Tegel. To my surprise, my cousins welcomed me at the airport! That made me very happy after being on the road for a total of 24 hours! The acclimatization at home continued the next day with a nice barbecue evening.
After 15 months, my journey is coming to an end. My visit to my home country last November was only a short interruption. Now I'm happy to return. In recent weeks, my motivation to discover new things, plan the journey, and search for hostels has dwindled. But maybe that was simply due to the heat! I am actually a bit tired of traveling. I have traveled 'only' 8 countries in total, but some of them are so big that even after months it feels like I have only seen the most important things. Each country has its beautiful sides. For me, it was mostly the breathtaking and diverse landscapes that invite you to hike and explore. Then come the people and the different cultures, the food, and the history of the countries, all of which have gone through a long journey towards independence but are still dependent on or exploited by other countries. Many countries also share the ubiquitous corruption and poverty, as well as drug and violent crime, domestic violence, and machismo. I have addressed these issues in some places in my blog and will not go into them further here. As a normal traveler, you hardly come into contact with these issues unless you are interested in them. On my return journey, I think about these topics. But it will probably take some time before I can really look back on this journey and look at my blog posts and photos again. For now, I'm just glad that I don't have to endure any of the following things in the next few months: arctic air-conditioned bus rides, searching and booking hostels, smelly dorm rooms with worn-out mattresses and noisy roommates, travel planning in any form, organized tours, double and triple ticket checks, waiting, waiting, waiting, searching for internet cafes, working on the blog! I certainly won't miss all of that. But without these things, such a journey cannot be carried out. For all that, I have been rewarded with countless experiences and great memories, which I have presented here extensively. It was a great journey! And I would probably do the journey again in exactly the same way, even though I sometimes wonder if I spent too long in this or that country or if I should have visited other continents as well. But that doesn't matter anymore. I am satisfied with how I did it and I have no regrets about completely tearing down my life in Germany and starting over again. That will certainly be exciting, and I'm looking forward to it now.
See you soon.
Thank you very much to my loyal readers!
Ngolisa ho Newsletter
Araba
Litlaleho tsa maeto Mexico