Tuesday, October 28, 2025
We leave our suitcases outside the door and go downstairs. No one is there so we head to the restaurant, out the door and to the right. Richard and Valerie are just walking in to the darkened dining room so we know we're in the right place. But just in case I text Ginger on the WhatsApp for the group. The waiter turns on the lights and Karen and Alex arrive. Now I know we're good!!
 |
| When you order a side of bacon, you get a whole side of pig! |
There is a huge bowl of fruit to start and I almost regret ordering anything else! But the Mexicano is delicious and so are the black beans, so it's all cool. Karen and Jan contribute fruit from our overly abundant supply to Alex! And later I contribute my tortilla chips to his black beans, so I feel better about bogarting my fruit!! Ginger has joined our table and it is such a fun way to start the day!
 |
| free transport for the disabled! |
 |
| And free wifi in the park! |
 |
| No wonder the streets are all so clean! |
 |
We've infected the world!
Getting ready!
|
There is plenty of time to make sure out bags get outside and we have time to chat and find more photo opps before Samuel arrives with our chariot. And we're off to our first stop, which is a ways down the road. But before we stop, Juan shows us an old hacienda - a bit like a plantation with the owners living in a larg house the workers having small places. this one is abandoned, but some people still live here.
It turns out to be a potty break but no ordinary potty break. It's at the lodge that is the entrance to Uxmal! And what makes it special is that Juan's brother is a guide here! He shows us photos of some of his wood carvings and they are amazing!!
 |
| This one is about 45 cm wide! |
Juan breaks up the party and we board and go. Today we'll be visiting three smaller cities that are all built in the Puuc region, Kabah, Sayil, and Labná. There is a distinct Puuc archectural style, too, characterized vy extreme decorations. Along the way Juan continues to teach us about the region and its history. We learn that this region was abandoned around 1150 AD because of an extreme drought and it is still sparsely populated. We also learn that the Yucatan has about 8,000 cenotes and that Mexico has "three sisters' like the Native Americans, but here they are corn, squash, and tomatoes. There are about 500,00 people in the Puuc region!
Kabah is the second largest site in the region. It is about 14 kilometers from Uxmal, about a four-hour walk. Chichén Itzá is about thirty kilometers.
 |
| A wall full of Chacs, the rain god |
 |
| One of the gates to the city. |
 |
| And the causeway leading up to it from the other side |
 |
Two babies came out of the jungle and bounded up the steps with glee!
|
 |
The smarter kitty who couldn't be caught!
And my new best friend!
|
Enormous kapok tree!
Next we come to Sayil, or the Place of the Ants, specifically leaf-cutter ants! Like the others today it is part of the Puuc Route and had about 10,000 people. Before we explore the site we have our picnic lunch, with two kitty cats and a puppy dog for company!! One of the cats is a lover and winds up on my shoulders, purring to beat the band. The other was smart enough to eat Samuel's offerings without being captured! And the dog was smart enough not to mess with the cats! There are three kinds of lunch - vegetarian, ham and cheese, and chicken. I chose the last one and it came with watermelon, cantalope, banana, and papaya!
 |
| One of the two surviving stellae |
 |
| Much of the site is still unexplored. This would have been a residence. |
 |
| Typical Puuc architecture with the columns and decorations. |
 |
| Chac on the corners. |
 |
| This is a diving man! See his feet and legs above his head? |
 |
| Part of a cistern |
The last stop is Labná. Nearly all of us trudge down the path with no expectations until suddenly we are face to face with a glorious, nearly intact archway!
 |
| Frangipani |
 |
| A causeway leading to a structure. |
 |
Amazing gate, both for its preservation and for its intricate ornamentation!!
|
 |
| Puuc style and roof comb, partially present |
 |
The symbol for corn (the "c") and a star
|
 |
| The symbol for Venus |
 |
The other side o the gate with its Mayan arch and Puuc ornamentation
This is my rock! It's my precioussss.
See the human face above the tongue.
Three fish fins sticking out
|
There's a god in the middle and the bottom half of a warrior on the left, as well as flowers and snakes.
Oh! There's a human face!
The sap from this plant is excellent for healing open wounds.
The ticket booth is perhaps not too modern.
We're done and ready for the two hour bus ride to Campeche. Our bus has a video screen and Juan has a WNET video about the cracking of the Mayan code that is very interesting! I just discovered that our bus also has phone-charging capabilities at every pair of seats! We also stop for gas and visit the convenience store that is all decked out for Dia de los Muertos. I buy a sesame treat for twenty peso, or about a dollar. It's great!
We learn that Campeche is so named because the Spanish misunderstood the name of the ruling king! And presently we're there, right on the coast! We're just in time for sunset and the van pulls over by the water for a photo op.
Then we are delivered to our hotel where a spicy drink await us. We are on the ground floor! Unlike every other hotel in Mexico and throughout Europe, the ground floor has rooms and are numbered in the 100s! The second floor rooms are 200a! But when you step into the elevator, your choices are "0" and "1". We pushed "1" and when the doors opened we were facing room 208! It is a treat to be on the ground floor! And a bigger treat to have our bags delivered to the room!
I had been told that the wifi password was on the key card. I see a QR code but when I flash it nothing happens. Luckily I learned that before the bellhop appeared! He tried to flash the code and didn't have any more luck that I had! He typed in the code!! I felt justified!
We've got about an hour before we meet in the lobby and walk to dinner. As usual we're kind of a rowdy bunch! I've chosen Queso Rellenos, an edam cheese stuffed with a meat medley and when I get it Juan comes over and congratulates me on my selection! It is really yummy! But lots of cheese and meet and nary a vegetable to be seen! Good thing I had all that fruit for breakfast and some with my picnic lunch, too!
 |
| The church did not become a cathedral until Campeche became the state capital. |
 |
| This used to be a government building facing onto the square. |
 |
| This is the second floor of our restaurant. |
 |
| This is intended to serve two. But we'll never know! |
 |
| Garlic butter and a hot thing. |
 |
Our center piece
|
 |
| Our table got a bottle of red and a bottle of white. |
 |
| Cool cap |
 |
Yep, that'll do!
|
 |
| My edam filled with meat sauce |
 |
| Vamos! |
After dinner we all leave together but near home we split into two groups. Ginger is stopping at the bank and Jan, Lynette, and I wait for her. When she comes out we walk several more blocks than we need to, but it's all good and we get home safe and sound. Alex and Karen were just about to go out looking for us!! It's good to have caring friends!!
Breakfast tomorrow is at 7:30, a fairly civilized hour! I'm still wrestling with my phone, trying to convince it to sync my photos. Last night it went without a hitch but tonight we're back to being obnoxious. Perhaps it will be finished in the morning?!
Comments
Post a Comment