Mexico
Day 1: This is our first family road trip, and we're a little worried beforehand whether the kids will even enjoy this style of travel. The prospect of a beach holiday after the trip should at least ease any potential stress. However, the stress starts with the journey itself. The flight with Condor is a disaster, not just for young people... no decent in-flight entertainment, terrible food, and unmotivated flight attendants are simply unacceptable, especially on a long-haul flight. The real kicker was that Condor only handed out the feedback forms for the flight up to row 10, the end of Premium Economy. That certainly gives a representative picture. So, all in all, we arrive in Cancun in a rather foul mood.
Day 2: Things continue to be bumpy, and this time it's my fault, as I somehow set my watch to the wrong time. I wake up halfway through the night and, looking at the clock, realize we've overslept and missed the start of the trip. I rouse the rest of the family, who seem quite disoriented. In my haste, I knock on the door of the next room to let them know we're coming, only to discover that the other travelers are still in their pajamas. It's so embarrassing. At breakfast, I apologize to everyone and promise to make it up to them. Feeling rather exhausted, we board the bus after breakfast for the trip to the Mayan metropolis of Chichen Itza . Chichen Itza is now one of the New Seven Wonders of the World . The entire complex, with the imposing Kukulcan Pyramid, the ball court, and the various temples, is incredibly beautiful and impressive. Afterwards, we continue to Merida where we will take a city tour in the historic city center around the beautiful Plaza Grande , visiting the Catedral de San Ildefonso , the Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Yucatán and the Palacio Municipal .
Day 3: We are still impressed by Chichen Itza, and after the difficult start to our trip, our anticipation for our tour of the Yucatán Peninsula is definitely growing. Our tour guide, who is very dedicated to leading the rather large group, is also contributing to this. After breakfast, we first visit the local market in Merida . Then we continue on to Uxmal . By now, we are fully immersed in our vacation and in the Mayan culture. The superb state of preservation of the ruins of this once large and culturally significant Mayan city allows us to truly step back in time. Right at the entrance to the city, the Pyramid of the Magician is magnificent. Several large building complexes are grouped around this pyramid, such as the Nunnery Quadrangle , the Ball Court , the House of the Iguana , the Governor's Palace , and the Main Pyramid . You can climb the Main Pyramid via narrow steps and are rewarded with a magnificent view over Uxmal ( be careful, the ascent and descent are very steep and dangerous ). In Uxmal, we could wander through the site forever; it's simply outstanding. A particular highlight is lunch. First, there's pibil, a meat dish cooked in an earth oven, and then everyone has to put on a sombrero and drink a local liquor. Our boys, of course, love it, so the innkeeper gets out the biggest shot glass... what fun! In high spirits, we continue on to Campeche to explore the historic old town around Independence Square with its typical colorful Mexican colonial buildings.
Day 4: We continue our journey to Palenque in the southern Sierra Madre. Nestled amidst the tropical rainforest on a high plateau lies the famous Mayan site of Palenque . This architecturally masterful temple city, with its pyramids and structures spread across a vast clearing, possesses a truly unique atmosphere. World-renowned are the striking Step Pyramid with the Temple of the Inscriptions , the Great Palace with its four-story tower (likely an observatory or watchtower), and the Cross Group . And then, of course, there's the mysterious tomb slab ... did Palenque perhaps have something to do with spaceships? The discovery of the intact tomb of the ruler Pakal attracted worldwide attention. The relief on his tomb slab is said to prove that the Mayans had been visited by extraterrestrials. The scene on the sarcophagus lid depicts Pakal seated on a kind of rocket. The official version is a bit more scientific and interprets the depiction as part of the World Tree, which, according to Mayan belief, held the universe together and whose roots lay in the underworld, where the dead went. Well, I also think the interpretation with Pakal as an astronaut on the rocket is kind of cool. Arriving at the hotel, we "old folks" realize we need to work on our logistics. While we're still lugging our suitcases to the room, the guys are already coming towards us in their swim trunks, heading for the pool.
Day 5: Today we set off very early on an adventurous tour to Yaxchilan . Our early breakfast at the hotel didn't go as planned, so we stopped at a local roadside snack bar during the drive. We enjoyed the typical black bean refried and guacamole. We continued on to Corozal , where we boarded boats and traveled up the Usumacinta River to Yaxchilan. This city is only accessible by boat. The evergreen, dense jungle surrounding this Mayan site is striking . Yaxchilan is famous for its sculptures , which are preserved in beautiful stelae and door lintels . In addition, there are numerous temples to visit around the Great Plaza , the Great Acropolis , the Small Acropolis , and the South Acropolis . The approach to the Great Plaza is spectacular, as it requires navigating a building with a complex layout, also known as a labyrinth . We returned to Palenque by boat and bus.
Day 6: We continue on to Becan . Interestingly, the name (gorge formed by water) of this archaeological site derives from an exceptionally wide ditch that surrounds the historical site. This massive ditch could indicate a special significance of Becan. What makes Becan particularly special is the beauty of this Mayan site and the opportunity to climb the buildings . While this isn't entirely without risk, we are rewarded with magnificent views of the complex . The climb to the top of the large pyramid (Building IX) is especially spectacular. After the visit, we continue on to the capital city of Chetumal . Here, on the border with Belize, it's advisable to avoid dark side streets at night. So it was all the more alarming when the boys briefly "disappeared."
Day 7: Today's itinerary includes the Mayan city of Kohunlich . The temple complex is famous for its Temple of the Masks , which displays six magnificent depictions of the sun god. Afterwards, on our way back to Chetumal, we'll make a short swimming stop at Cenote Azul . This cenote, which looks more like a lake, is located a few kilometers south of Bacalar and is separated from the well-known Laguna de Bacalar only by a narrow strip of water. Incidentally, cenotes are essentially water-filled karst caves. The Mayans considered these caves to be the abode of the gods of the underworld. In this context, we can also draw attention to a special karst cave structure that was formed by a massive meteorite impact. The Chicxulub crater, created by the impact, ejected so much sediment into the Earth's atmosphere that the resulting period of extreme cold was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs and a large part of the flora and fauna. Back in Chetumal, we visit the Regional Museum of the Maya , where their lives are vividly depicted.
Day 8: We travel to our final stop on the Yucatán Peninsula tour: Tulum , the only Mayan city built directly on the coast. Tulum is definitely a must-see. Here, you can wonderfully combine ancient Mayan culture with a relaxing beach holiday. The site is also quite well-preserved and, thanks to its location, offers an incredibly beautiful photo opportunity with the turquoise sea in the background. The buildings worth seeing include the Castle , the Temple of the Descending God , the Temple of the Frescoes , and the Temple of the Wind God . The viewpoint in front of the Temple of the Wind God provides a stunning backdrop for your photo album . With this highlight under our belts, we continue on to our connecting hotel on the Riviera Maya . Upon check-in, we are informed that our hotel is overbooked and we will have to spend the night in the neighboring hotel. This is, of course, extremely disappointing, as we had hoped to transition directly from the tour to the relaxing part of our trip. Now, a little excursion into our knowledge corner ... we've put together a bit about the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs .
Days 9 to 15: Unfortunately, it took a day longer than expected for us to truly settle into our beach vacation. Well, after we got our rooms and started to unwind, we older folks realized that the boys had clearly enjoyed the tour. No complaints about the sometimes early mornings, the long bus rides, or the frequent hotel changes. They were also very interested in our tour guide's explanations and even asked questions... fantastic! So, we added another excursion: snorkeling with sea turtles and visiting cenotes . Both were great, even though the cold water in the smaller cenotes took some courage to swim in. Otherwise, the days on Mexico's Caribbean coast passed peacefully. When choosing hotels there, it's advisable to make sure they aren't overrun with Americans. We sadly left the wonderful and interesting Yucatan Peninsula with its outstanding sights, a travel destination offering excellent value for money, and incredibly friendly and welcoming people.
