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.