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Visit to the Sumidero Canyon

We flew from Cancun to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital city of the State of Chiapas.

Many backpackers opt for the overnight bus from Tulum or Playa del Carmen to reach Chiapas. The buses travel to either Tuxtla Gutierrez or San Cristobal De Las Casas. It is a very long journey usually around 16-20 hours. Not worth it if you do not have much time available.

Volaris, the low cost Mexican Airline offers great fares and it only take 1.5 hours to reach the destination. To be honest, sometimes (if not almost all the time), flying is cheaper than the bus and totally worth the time saved on the road.

We planned to spend couple of nights in the capital City as it is closer to the Cañón Del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon) rather than visiting it from San Cristobal De Las Casas.

We arrived mid afternoon and we went straight to our accommodation – Hostal Tres Central -a great new hostel right behind the Zocalo, in the centre of town. The hostel is very clean and our room was very spacious with a private shower and a shared toilet. The bed was also cozy and comfortable. The staff at reception were also very knowledgeable, they gave us lots of info about the roundabouts and how to get to the Canyon by ourselves.

After a good night sleep we got up reasonably early and ventured to the Canyon.

We walked approximately 10 minutes to the colectivo station and catch one of the local mini vans to take us directly to Chiapa de Corzo where we were going to catch the boat through the Canyon. The journey took approximately one hour and costed approx 20 pesos each.

Once arrived in Chiapa de Corzo, we walked down the pier lane where we booked our trip with one of the boat companies. It is the less touristy way of doing it even if it is still busy as most people opt for this option instead of going on an organized tour. The cost is also reasonably fair, only 190 pesos per person.

The ride through the Canyon was beautiful, the scenery was fantastic. There are some unusual rock formations. Our guide pointed out to a stalactite named “Caballito de Mar” (The Seahorse) due to its shape resembling the cute inhabitant of the sea.

The Christmas Tree is another atypical rock. Its shape is been sculpted by a waterfall streaming down. The waterfall is present only during the rain season (June to November). We visited in February, so we did not get to see the waterfall. Nonetheless, the Christmas Tree was quite impressive.

There is an abundance of wildlife along the way. We spotted crocodiles – which to me looked quite fake until finally one of them closed its jaws and started to swim on the direction of our boat -.

There were monkeys hiding in the trees and a great variety of birds, including some mean vultures.

The Canyon is surely a place not to be missed.

Back from our boat ride we spent sometime walking around the market in Chiapa De Corzo and lunched with a typical “comida corrida”, a very inexpensive set lunch.

18/11/2016
Cascadas De Agua Azul

Mexico is a country of a thousand colours.

Finally, with plenty time in my hand, I started to go through the hundreds of pictures taken in Mexico and memories of our time over there started to flow through my mind.

During our short holiday to rural Chiapas, Dom and I tried to fit in as much as we could. We only had a week and unfortunately, on one of those days, I fell sick with a bad stomach – entirely my own fault for eating bad food 🙂

We did not want to miss out on the beautiful Cascadas de Agua Azul and Palenque, so we decided to take a day round tour from San Cristobal to be able to see them both. The tour was a bargain at only approximately 400 pesos per person. It did not include meals but it covered for our return bus trip and the entrance fees to the waterfalls and Palenque (no guide).

The waterfalls were simply amazing and not crowded at all! It was the beginning of February, the low season had started.

There is a nice walk you can do to observe the falls from different angles and plenty opportunity for pictures (and selfies).

The name simply translates to Blue Water Waterfalls. And you can certainly see why that is. The colour is simply blinding. We were lucky to have caught a very sunny day for our trip. Which was also the only day we could go since it was our last day in Chiapas before going back home to Tulum.

The day turned out to be a very long and tiring one. So if you have the time, I would recommend to take your time and maybe do it yourself without a tour.

You can easily get to the waterfall one day, then spend the night in a hostel near Palenque and visit the archaeological site the next day.

17/11/2016
Chichen Itza: Follow the Mayas

Chichen Itza is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It is in the State of Yucatan, only approximately 2-3 hours from Tulum.

It is quite inland and it can get extremely hot.

They do not allow climbing the pyramid anymore. Rumor says because someone fell off it some years ago. However, our guide told us it was no true story. The real reason behind the restriction is because the pyramid was getting damaged by the huge number of tourists climbing every year. It is now forbidden to climb, to preserve this masterpiece of ancient history. Fair point!

The main pyramid was partly restored. As you can see in the picture above, one side is made being looking new, the other has been left to its original look, warned out by the passing of time.

I would strongly recommend to hire a guide. They are very knowledgeable and they also point out interesting facts about the Maya culture, they do not just stick to the archaeological site itself.

Chichen Itza it is actually one of the few places that I normally recommend to do with an organized tour. It is great value for money (it includes the guide as well) and you also get to seethe famous Cenote Ikil (or Cenote Sagrado) and the colonial town of Valladolid. The tour normally includes a buffet lunch as well. Of course it is very touristy but it is a bargain and everything is organized for you.

Special Tips

– Bring water
– Bring mosquito repellent
– Bring a hat
– Bring extra cash

Buy a Tour

There is a great choice of tours sold from Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. From Playa Del Carmen add one extra hour travel each way.

How to Get There On your Own

If you can catch ADO bus from either Playa Del Carmen or Tulum. Check bus timetable from ADO website.

Alternatively you can rent a car from one of the many car rentals around.

10/11/2016
Who is Afraid of Heights?

Only one hour away from Tulum is the archaeological site of Coba.

There are many Maya lost cities in Mexico and each one is different.

Coba is no exception. It is a relatively large site, settled among a lush jungle. What makes Coba a little bit more special, is that it is the only archaeological site in Mexico where you can still climb up to the main pyramid.

Only for this, Coba is worth visiting. The climb up can be a little intimidating especially for the ones with a low tolerance of heights (like me).

Well, I did it! Very proud of myself for that. Twice. Both times I visited Coba (at a distance of 6 years apart one visit from the next), I managed to climb all the way to the top.

The trick is, do not look behind you or down otherwise it is over. Once you are at the top, the view is priceless. It will make your effort totally worth it, plus you will have a great feeling of accomplishment. You will be on top of the world… well, at least on top of the jungle.

Savour the view. Breath in the clean air. Free your mind from your thoughts and get ready for the climb down.

On the way down it is a totally different story. I did the whole descent with my bum! Yes and I am not ashamed of saying so.

You can visit the whole site in about a couple hours. The site can be explored by walking around or alternative can rent bicycles or hire a private tricycle taxi. The choice is yours.

Dom and I decided to walk around. You can encounter many little (and not so little) creatures along the way.

Special Tips

– Bring water
– Bring mosquito repellent
– Bring a hat
– Bring extra cash

If you are an independent traveler and do not wish to book one of the many touristy tours, you can easily go by yourself (like Dom and I did).

How to get there

From Tulum: catch the ADO bus from the bus terminal in town. There is only one bus to get there in the morning at approximately 10 am and there is one bus to come back at approximately 3 pm.

Journey time is approximately 1 hour each way.

From Playa Del Carmen: catch the ADO bus from the bus terminal in town. There is only one bus to get there in the morning at approximately 9 am (it is the same bus that will stop in Tulum) and there is one bus to come back at approximately 3 pm.

Journey time is approximately 2 hours each way.

You can check ADO bus timetable here on the ADO website

The bus will leave you at the ADO stop in the village. From the village is approximately a 10 minutes walk to get to the archaeological site. The walk is pleasant, you will walk by a lagoon where sometimes you can spot crocodiles.

To take the bus back, you need to go back to the bus stop in the village.

Entrance fee to the archaeological site approximately 65 pesos per person (not including guide). Guides are available for an extra fee.

If you drive, there is a paying car park – cost approximately 65 pesos.

16/08/2016
Looking For The Elusive Flamingos in Holbox

Holbox (pronounced Holbosh) is a very small Island located on the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, only a couple hours from Cancun. It is very close to the mainland. It can be reached by ferry from Chiquila.

Holbox is kind of magic. The streets are made of sand and no cars are allowed on the island. I wonder if this will eventually change. There is a main road that starts from the ferry dock and leads through to the village and there are several back roads. It is easy to rent bicycles or a golf cart to get around.

Most of the locals make a living from fishing.

The main activities for tourists are snorkeling, sunbathing, walking and flamingos sightseeing. The elusive flamingos…unfortunately we did not see them. We might not have gone into the right spot.

From June to September the main tourist activity is snorkeling with the Whale Sharks. These gentle giants come to this area every year to feed on plankton. If you are in Holbox at this time, you cannot miss swimming with the Whale sharks.

We went at the end of January, a little bit too early for that.

Holbox is very artistic, every other building spots interesting drawings and paintings on their walls.

It is a great spot to escape the craziness of Cancun or Playa Del Carmen and to relax surrounded by beautiful natural settings.

How to get there

From Tulum there is a daily bus to Chiquila at 8am (journey time approximately 3.5 hours)

From Cancun there are few buses daily (journey time approximately 2 hours)

From Chiquila there are several ferries to the island (the crossing is approximately 20 minutes).

14/08/2016
To All Strong Women

Today, a friend of mine shared the article linked below.

Le donne forti camminano dritte, lungo l’asfalto della vita (Strong Women Walk Straight, Along the Tarmac of Life)

I read it, and then read it again. And again.

It made my eyes teary, cause I recognized myself. And other women very dear and close to me. This is to Us and to all strong women out there.

The article is in Italian, so I translated it below.

Strong Women Walk Straight, Along Life’s Road

They are tough women.

Women that no longer wish to settle for contentment. They have the sun in their eyes, and one too many wrecks in their heart.

And yet, they are never tired of challenging the uncertainties of the sea. They live off dreams mixed up with cement. And it happens sometimes they cannot tell apart the ones from the other. They dance barefoot. A little gipsy, a little wild. Under their Rimmel dressed eyelashes and their ruby red lips, they are forever little girls.

Their mind gives birth to their slow, heart nested eroticism. That then, it winds translating to their body. Their lovemaking is complex.

So, when you take a woman you do not take only one piece. You get married to her absolute and harmonious wholeness. Strong women strip of the soul, they dress it with magnificent nothing, they divide it into parts, very small parts and they put each one in everything they do.

Everything they touch becomes magic. Their life is a steeplechase, without a podium and without medals. They carry failures and defeats with an innate elegance and suffered dignity. Like a dowel of life, that besides the pain, they would never trade. Because they are who they are.
And they do not deny it.

Strong women never stop looking for someone worthy of loving again. Because strong women go back to love once more, one more time, one too many times. Even after swearing to themselves they would never love again. Strong women have no fear. But they are the ones that make it worth it.

06/07/2016