Coyoacan, Mexico City

So after a long flight and a long day (6 hours longer than normal due to the time zones) we arrived safely in Mexico City. This is a mega city with a population of 22.2 million so we picked the quietBaca lagi
Valle de Bravo

I am writing this from the bus heading back to Mexico City. A quick wrap up about Valle de Bravo.
Valle de Bravo was a lovely town. Very steep roads up and down which we felt being fresh to altitude.Baca lagi
Valle de Bravo - Paragliding!

So today we got the bus to Valle de Bravo. Let me start by saying, Mexico buses are good. The bus station is more like an airport with a huge concourse, departure screens and lounges. Super wellBaca lagi
Monarch Butterflies

Today we took a trip out to see the Monarch Butterflies about 30-40 minute south east of Valle de Bravo. We negotiated for a taxi to drive us there, wait 3 hours and then take us back (600 pesos,Baca lagi
Sunset at Mirador La Peña

This evening we took a lovely walk up Mirador La Peña about 2km from our accommodation up a large rocky outcrop.
We arrived just before sunset. Hundreds of swifts were flying around and I was ableBaca lagi
Mexico City Highlights

So we are about to catch a (gulp) 21 hour bus ride to Merida which also means we are leaving Mexico City so we will wrap up on a few of the highlights beyond what we have already shared.
We have hadBaca lagi
Teotihuacan, Hot Air Ballooning

An early start this morning for our 5.20am pickup and 40 minute drive to Teotihuacan. But worth it as we had booked hot air ballooning over this UNESCO world heritage site.
The Teotihuacan site wasBaca lagi
Overnight Bus

Well a 21 hour bus ride does have its moments. We are actually quite comfortable and have slept well as we have lots of room and the chairs recline well, kind of like business class on a plane.
SeenBaca lagi
Merida, other highlights

So that is us moving on from Merida having had a great but busy stay. We were up between 4.40 and 5am each day for bird watching but saw some great birds and in the evening explored the city. TheBaca lagi
Yucatan Cooking Course

Today we did a market tour and cooking course in Merida. Starting in the market we tasted some local fruit, snacks, honey, pastes, drinks and sweets whilst collecting our ingredients to cook lunch.Baca lagi
Celestún

We did take a lovely day trip out to Celestun, this was mainly for the bird watching and I will put that on my blog. The area is famous for flamingos and a great beach where we had lunch. We sawBaca lagi
Uxmal and Labná

Today we went bird watching which I will blog about separately but we also visited the wonderful UNESCO World Heritage site of Uxmal. Impressive ruins of a city of about 20,000 which was abandonedBaca lagi
Scuba Diving Isla Mujeres

We are now on Isla Mujeres and we have been diving.
So far we have done six dives, two to the MUSA underwater museum where 500 sculptures have been sunk to create interest for divers and takeBaca lagi
Gunboat C-55 and Spotted Eagle Rays

Today we did a more adventurous dive than the reef dives we had been doing to 9m (27ft). This time we dived to about 22m (65ft) to visit an old military boat that was sunk in 2000 to provide a diveBaca lagi
Rio Largartos

After leaving Isla Mujeres we picked up a hire car and drove most of the day to reach Rio Lagartos where we spent last night and did some great birding yesterday and today As I have commented on aBaca lagi
Chichen Itza (from Valladolid)

So today we visited Chichen Itza, we left at first light to beat the crowds and were there for just after opening at 8am.
This was an impressive sight with lots to see and take in. Hopefully theBaca lagi
Coba and Cenote

This afternoon we visited a Cenote (swimming place), it was very peaceful and relaxing and the water a refreshing 24 degrees. Afterwards we did some birding and saw spider monkeys.
We then visitedBaca lagi
Bacalar - lovely Street Art

We are staying thee nights in Bacalar and one thing that is remarkable about this laid back Pueblos Mágicos (magical towns) is the quantity and quality of the street art. Every block has a paintingBaca lagi
Los Rapidos

We are now in Bacalar near Belize by the largest freshwater body of water in Mexico - Bacalar Lagoon.
Today we visited Los Rápidos a natural lazy river. It was a lovely place we swam around, didBaca lagi
Bacalar Lagoon

We took two boat trips into the lagoon. The first was a sailing trip south of Bacalar and the second was a motorboat around Bacalar itself.
The lagoon is called the Lagoon of Seven Colours inBaca lagi
Tulum - including Ruins

We started today with an early 8am (beat the crowds) visit to Tulum Ruins. Whilst the ruins themselves are not as impressive as others we have been to, the views of the coast and the Caribbean SeaBaca lagi
Cenote Azul

We visited this natural spring (Cenote) for a cool down swim, some snorkelling (saw an Anhinga take a fish underwater which was cool) and a walk around the forest. Lots of Iguanas and noisy YucatanBaca lagi
Punta Laguna Monkey Reserve

Last thing we did today is visit a forest which is protected for monkeys. We had already briefly seen Spider Monkeys but this time
I had the good camera and hoped to get some shots.
We couldn’tBaca lagi
Cooking in Playa del Carmen

Today I spent a fun morning doing a cooking class. We shopped in the local area, including the tortilla factory. Tortillas (and corn) are a staple in Mexico and the price of both are regulated. AllBaca lagi
Diving with Bull Sharks

Some animals have a really bad press and sharks are top of that list. Humans kill 100 million sharks a year (to eat their fins) and they attack about 75 people a year of which 5 (on average) areBaca lagi