Coba (not Cabo)

While the Tulum site feels much like a golf course, the ruins at Coba feel like the set of an Indiana Jones movie. Set in the jungle about 45km west of Tulum, this was easily the most enjoyable set of ruins of the three. Very few people actually stay in the town of Coba (pop. 300), so they don't arrive at the site until later. 

There are signs all around Lago Coba warning about crocodiles, but I never saw one.

From about 8-9:30 a.m. I and a few other hearty souls had the run of the place, including access to the 42-meter-high pyramid, the highest (or second highest, depending on where you read) Mayan structure on the Yucatan.

Nohoch Mul, the grand pyramid, stands 42 meters tall

The other advantage at Coba is that you can climb on some of the ruins, including the pyramid. The view looks out over the jungle and is quite breathtaking and, once you're outside the ruins, you can climb the tower for the zipline and see the pyramid poking through the trees.

The ruins at Coba are older than other nearby sites, dating back to the 9th century AD.

 The area is divided into three sections, each about a kilometer apart. One, right by the entrance, features the main sports arena and a smaller pyramid. A second is spread out over a few acres culminating in the giant pyramid. The third doesn't have the grandeur of the other two but is impressive nonetheless and, being a kilometer down the path, less crowded than the other two.

The best part of the site is how the ruins have been left in the middle of the jungle. 

There are bicycles and guides for hire, and the people cycling (or being cycled) does detract from the mystique, but unlike Chichen Itza the vendors are all kept outside in the parking lot, which leads to a much more pristine atmosphere. The constant shade keeps the temperature within cool, which may not be the case in summer but certainly was pleasant in January. There are also a few smaller paths to wander around, where you can run into lagoons or just take shortcuts to avoid tourists. Probably some allow deeper exploration of the jungle as well.

The thriving metropolis of Coba (pop. 300)

Valladolid

I only ended up with a few hours here during a bus change, but it turned out to be time well spent and is a good reminder of the luck of a long layover, one I wish now had been longer.

Templo de San Bernardino, with the Convento de Sisal off to the left.

As it turns out, Valladolid is where I should have stayed when going to Chichen Itza rather than Piste, the city about a kilometer from the site. About 45 minutes east, this is the cleanest city I've ever seen in Mexico. The streets, like most colonial towns, are narrow and the colors very vivid along the walls. The city has around 50,000 people, but feels much smaller.

The town has a pair of large churches, parks and more trees than most places in the Yucatan -- they make an effort to grow them in the center squares of each city block. The atmosphere is very calm and quiet. All the streets in the downtown area are one way, which is nice. The town also has a large cenote (underground cavern with water).

Catedral de San Gervasio

This is also the best jumping off point for another set of ruins I didn't get a chance to see, Ek Balam, which Lonely Planet says rivals Chichen Itza. I was hoping to get back there, but doesn't look like I'll have a chance.

Las Ruinas

The giant pyramid at Chicen Itza

If the Mayans are right, and I don't think anyone on the Yucatan Peninsula is too worried, the world will end on December 21. That makes this about the last good time to see what brought them to that conclusion. As it turns out, the date has no real connection to the Mayans.

What the Mayans have a great deal of connection with is ruins spread throughout the continent, in all shapes, sizes, colors and presentations. I've tackled several of these sites so far, and they each have their own character.

Down one side of the pyramid. At about 4:45 at the vernal equanox every year, the sun shines and makes the edge of the pyramid look like a snake.

The inner wall of the grand juego de pelota at Chichen Itza. The donut shaped thing attached is what the ball must pass through to score a point. Keep in mind players are not allowed to use their hands, head or feet. 

Chichen Itza is the most famous of the sites, with good reason, but the fame has also brought with it so many tourists and so many vendors it has a bit of a Disneyland feel to it. If you come without a tour group, an hour wait to get in seems about average. Trying to get a picture without a tourist in it is practically impossible. Still, the completeness of the structures is quite amazing. 

Many of the stones feature carvings that tell elaborate, often gruesome stories.

Definitely stick around for the evening light show, which is about a 45-minute presentation of the different historical parts of the site. They light up in different colors the area they are discussing. The other interesting feature of the area is the acoustics, both by the pyramid and the sports arena. Hand claps reverberate noisily and conversations at normal volume can be heard 100 meters away.

Tulum has the distinction of sitting out on a outcropping of rock just above the beach, which makes for a spectacular view of the ocean from the site, but compared to many other locations the ruins themselves are not particularly grand. El Castillo is the largest and most complete, but because it is on a hill at the edge of the water there is no way to see it from the front with the ocean in the background except from a helicopter. It would be a spectacular shot, though, and I'm sure a quick internet search would come up with one. 

Ruins at Tulum. On the far right is part of el castillo, the largest structure on the site.

El Castillo, from afar.

A couple of iguanas hanging out.

 More ruins coming in future posts.

Cancun

Greetings from the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun isn't the worst place to spend a New Year's Eve, though if you want a quiet relaxed time silence can be a little hard to come by.

Most of the people swimming in the ocean in Cancun seemed to be locals. The gringos seemed to stick mainly to the beach and the outdoor swimming pools near the beach.

This guy was nice enough to pose for several pictures.

The city is divided into very distinct sections. The hotel district, down by the Caribbean shore, is the part they call more Vegas than Vegas (in clever ads at the airport anyway). Every hotel has its own little area of beach, and though the entire beach is public, there are only a few access points through which to get to the sand. A little walking can eventually land you a fairly secluded spot, usually behind some hotel that's gone out of business. An enormous Mexican flag waves down at the south end of the beach.

Looking at the South end of the beach from afar.

Taking leisure and laziness to a different level. 

The second main section is el centro, which is the commercial part of the city. There are still some gringos here, mostly because the hostels and the bus station are here. It's about a 3km walk down a very nice, palm tree-lined running path to the edge of the hotel district and the public access to the beach. Most of the locals who aren't working don't seem to make it much further than this.

Who hasn't taken down Christmas lights until after New Year's Day?

El centro is just bustling just about every night. The center square, about a block off Tulum Av (the main drag), has booths selling food, vendors, usually some type of of performance and is just hopping with people. On the other side of Tulum Av is another big outdoor gathering area that still, even after ringing in the New Year, had the Christmas tree lit up and Santa posing with the kids. A big stage with some sort of dance competition attracted at least 500 watchers and they have, I kid you not, an outdoor ice skating ring. In general, Mexicans are not swift of skate -- most had an vice-like grip on the wall as they edged around the rink. Given that the temperature ranges from 80 and humid in the day to about 60 and kinda humid at night, I can't same I'm surprised.

I liked Cancun more than I was expecting. Outside the hotel district, it feels like most Mexican cities with tourist options. But two days was plenty. Will be back in a few days with tales of Mayan ruins.