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Adventures of a Global Wanderer
Having checked into my hotel I now wanted to arrange all the day trips they provided. Their sister hotel by Chichen Itza runs trips to Ek Balam another ruin further to the north east. Originally I planned to check out during the Chichen Itza tour, stay over at their Chichen Itza hotel, do the Ek Balam tour next day, then arrange for transport back to Merida.
This was too complicated to explain by email and best to do in person. When she called their other hotel to see if this was possible they advised it is not a 'tour' and they just call a taxi for guests. I also found out they offered the eastern Ruta Puuc tour to see more ruins, which wasnt mentioned on their website.
I had to rearrange my planned itinerary since the logistics of getting to Ek Balam and back were somewhat confusing for everyone and a bit problematic. I decided to skip Ek Balam for another trip and also had to cut out a day trip to Izamal to focus on the Ruta Puuc trips.
Even though I had paid by credit card for the room they wanted 2500P in cash for the tours ($192). I didnt have this much cash so needed to find a bank machine first.
After finding a bank I then needed some food. Not understanding much of what was on offer I stumbled into a KFC for something familiar and filling. I hadnt really eaten since the 4 hour flight where meals were not served. I got a burger set which was on special for 55P ($4) but had to wait nearly 20 mins after giving the order for my meal.
Now energized I can start exploring the town on my only free day. Each side of the Plaza Grande, the central town square, has historic buildings. First was the Casa de Montejo on the south side.
This was a Spanish colonial mansion with free admission and ornate furnishings.
To the left of the main square was the Palacio Municipal or town hall.
From here there were views of the main square but mostly trees. On the north side was the Palacio de Gobierno used for art displays. The east side was the city's landmark cathedral but all the churches were closed for the afternoon.
Just behind the cathedral was another hotel I was considering Hotel Gran. I opted against it as despite its character I read it was too noisy with all the lively evening events in the town square.
A block north was the city's main theatre but it was closed to vistors. Across was the University of Yucatan with courtyard style campus.
I wandered around some more slowly making my way to my hotel east of the main square.
A few blocks out are the city gates, large arched structures, though it becomes much quieter with no shops and I didnt feel safe venturing too far out from the centre.
I found a nice bakery for some dessert. When I went back to my room it had bacon bits mixed in the pastry with the lemon filling!
The churches open after 5pm so I ventured back out after resting from the heat for a bit. The main cathedral was grand but with a simple interior.
A block north is the Inglesia de Jesus. This was more impressive with its large paintings and decorated architecture.
A few blocks north was Inglesia Santa Lucia with a painted red exterior.
I was now getting tired after a long first day. This was the coolest day of the week almost 30 degrees and it was expected to get to 36-38 by the end of the week. So far there was a bit of a breeze and I hadnt vapourized as I imagined.
The culture felt more like my trip to Zamboanga in The Philippines and the heat like a July Toronto day or summers in Korea.
This was too complicated to explain by email and best to do in person. When she called their other hotel to see if this was possible they advised it is not a 'tour' and they just call a taxi for guests. I also found out they offered the eastern Ruta Puuc tour to see more ruins, which wasnt mentioned on their website.
I had to rearrange my planned itinerary since the logistics of getting to Ek Balam and back were somewhat confusing for everyone and a bit problematic. I decided to skip Ek Balam for another trip and also had to cut out a day trip to Izamal to focus on the Ruta Puuc trips.
Even though I had paid by credit card for the room they wanted 2500P in cash for the tours ($192). I didnt have this much cash so needed to find a bank machine first.
After finding a bank I then needed some food. Not understanding much of what was on offer I stumbled into a KFC for something familiar and filling. I hadnt really eaten since the 4 hour flight where meals were not served. I got a burger set which was on special for 55P ($4) but had to wait nearly 20 mins after giving the order for my meal.
Now energized I can start exploring the town on my only free day. Each side of the Plaza Grande, the central town square, has historic buildings. First was the Casa de Montejo on the south side.
This was a Spanish colonial mansion with free admission and ornate furnishings.
To the left of the main square was the Palacio Municipal or town hall.
From here there were views of the main square but mostly trees. On the north side was the Palacio de Gobierno used for art displays. The east side was the city's landmark cathedral but all the churches were closed for the afternoon.
Just behind the cathedral was another hotel I was considering Hotel Gran. I opted against it as despite its character I read it was too noisy with all the lively evening events in the town square.
A block north was the city's main theatre but it was closed to vistors. Across was the University of Yucatan with courtyard style campus.
I wandered around some more slowly making my way to my hotel east of the main square.
A few blocks out are the city gates, large arched structures, though it becomes much quieter with no shops and I didnt feel safe venturing too far out from the centre.
I found a nice bakery for some dessert. When I went back to my room it had bacon bits mixed in the pastry with the lemon filling!
The churches open after 5pm so I ventured back out after resting from the heat for a bit. The main cathedral was grand but with a simple interior.
A block north is the Inglesia de Jesus. This was more impressive with its large paintings and decorated architecture.
A few blocks north was Inglesia Santa Lucia with a painted red exterior.
I was now getting tired after a long first day. This was the coolest day of the week almost 30 degrees and it was expected to get to 36-38 by the end of the week. So far there was a bit of a breeze and I hadnt vapourized as I imagined.
The culture felt more like my trip to Zamboanga in The Philippines and the heat like a July Toronto day or summers in Korea.
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