Chichen Itza

We started early to head to Chichen Itza our next port of call, heading back into the jungle. On route we stopped off Yokdzonot cenote, a sinkhole in the middle of a small village where we were able to take a dip. From ground level to the water was about 18 metres and around 40 metres in diameter. The sinkhole is nestled amongst trees with roots tumbling down into the water - Tomb Raider style! The water is unbelievably clear with a cool aqua glow, and it provided a refreshing break for us from the 30 degrees Celsius we were experiencing.

The highlight for our evening was Helen almost stepping on a scorpion that appeared on our terrace whilst we were enjoying some sundowners (children safely tucked up in bed). We had been warned about these and it was quickly moved on by the hotel staff.

On the 15th January we headed to Chichen Itza ruins, these are the best known and busiest set of ruins in Mexico given their proximity to Cancun. We managed to arrive before it got too hot or busy. The site is extensive and magnificent, they’ve certainly been able to invest in some significant restoration of the site, probably off the back of the entry fees! We weren’t able to climb any of the pyramids at this site unlike our other visits so it was a matter of wandering around and taking it all in. We did witness a couple of the structures being restored, they had partially deconstructed sections of a pyramid and were painstakingly reconstructing it. This had a rather negative effect of making everything look a bit new leaving one to question the true authenticity of the site. Interestingly the main building of the hotel we were staying at was built using blocks from the ruins, engravings still present on some of the pieces. Of course when the Spanish settlers arrived the importance of these sites probably wasn’t their first priority. A feature that set this site apart was an area that had a few hundred columns standing, it is thought this was a temple for pilgrims and also a market place for the ancient city, as well as a sauna tucked away in one corner! After a hot a sweaty morning it was back to the hotel for an afternoon by the pool.

The following morning (16th) Elana’s front tooth came out at breakfast as she chomped on pancakes! This meant a potential visit from the Mexican tooth fairy that evening. Once we’d safely stored the tooth we headed on a 4-hour drive to our next destination, Bacalar.Read more