Pit Stop: Chichén Itzá

As we said goodbye to Tulum, we directed our rental car 160+ miles across the Yucatán to capital city, Mérida. This is a predominantly two lane highway with dense jungle on both sides.  Small towns pop up every 30 miles or so, but generally it's a whole lot of sky and trees.  One of the main reasons we rented the car was to stop at Chichén Itzá (about two hours from Tulum and one hour from Mérida).  Recently given the acclaimed "Wonder of the World" status, we were excited to see this ancient Mayan city. 

As you pull off the highway, locals wave big hats at you, reminding you that you are not adapted to the climate and could potentially evaporate without sun protection.  As you pay a few dollars to park, you find yourself at the front of a Disneyland-esque opening gate and it costs 255 pesos a person to enter (about $25 for the two of us).  Once inside, you walk down a long dirt road to reach the heart of the ruins, flanked with wood carvers hocking masks, coloring clothing vendors, and -my favorite- the vendors with the noise makers that sound like a jaguar snarl.  In the heat, it's hard to really know what's happening.  The guided groups had hats and umbrellas, but Jay and I couldn't be bothered.  We forged on. 

The ruins truly are spectacular, especially when you think about how long they've endured.  El Castillo, the focal temple, is crowded with tourists trying to get the perfect angle.  Jay set up his GoPro and we proceeded to jump about 1000 times trying to get the right shot.  We were dripping in sweat and I felt like Honey Boo Boo being badgered by a stage mom, but Jay was relentless. (Considering we've been living on tortillas, cheese, and caramel, I chalked it up to a modified Cross Fit: Chichén Itzá style.)

The massive cenote is blocked for swimming, but the ancient Mayans sent sacrifices of jade, gold, and humans into its depths, so we were content to marvel from above.  Overall, Chichén Itzá echoes with history, but is a bit muted by the tourist herds and haggling vendors. 

See hats and umbrellas in the background.

Lo Siento, Pablo Escobar

Yesterday we did NOT see Pablo Escobar's Tulum mansion (turned hotel- Casa Malca).  We did take a taxi to its gates. We were told we would need to spend 2000 pesos. We were carrying 300. We did NOT get inside those gates.  We did try to enter from the beach side.  We did get into his pool and fantastic beach teepees.  We did NOT get inside Pablo Escobar's Tulum mansion.

On the way to the beach, as we planned our alternative entrance to Casa Malca, we saw a cenote on our favorite app, Maps.me.  It was within walking distance, even in the 100 degree heat, and although we also tried to sneak down this path, we were stopped and charged 100 pesos.  We gave in, desperate to jump in the cool, fresh water.  

Excitedly, we shuffled down the jungle path to the Cenote Tulum (Yax Chen).  What we found was closer to a dirty pond with a thick top layer of bugs.  We did NOT swim in Yax Chen.  We got a refund and surged to the ocean for a breeze and to regroup.  

We inched closer and closer to Casa Malca, slipping into his fantastic circular bush for a photo.  It sounds worse now that I'm describing it, but we got as close as the pool and outdoor teepees.  The inside looks stunning in Instagram photos.  We just weren't willing to pay $100+ for them. 

5 star landscaping.  Sorry for trespassing, Señor Escobar.