Day 3 (Friday) Chichen Itza and Izamal

Big day today!  We will visit Chichen Itza, swim in another cenote, visit the town of Izamal  and  settle into our hotel in Merida.

We take the back road to Chichen Itza which is about 45 minute drive.  Juan knows all the tricks.  We stop for breakfast at the Villa Arquelogia hotel for breakfast.  There are 3 hotels at the back entrance to the ruins.  You can only use the back entrance if you’re staying  at one of those hotels or have had breakfast at one of the hotels.  We had a delightful breakfast AND we avoided the masses at the regular gate.

Susan and Julie are very interested in the history, stories , flora, fauna.  Juan gives them all they want to know.  I protect my knees so spend some time sitting and watching the people, the vendors setting up their stands, remembering all the times I’ve been to the site and the people I’ve been there with.  Quite a nostalgic journey in its self.  All of a sudden, the rain clouds come up!  Of course, Juan knows a good spot to sit out the rain.  We get there just as the rain starts really coming down.  We enjoy a chance to relax and watch the rain while staying dry.  After the rain, we continued touring the site and went to the area that is pure Mayan rather than the Mayan-Toltec mix that is the main section of the ruins. 

We continue on our adventure to the cenote which is in a small town  about 15 minutes past Chichen Itza.  Again, no pictures because I don’t take my camera down there.  Before swimming, we enjoy  lunch of panuchos and sabutes. 

Juan also orders us a dish of ground pumpkin seeds mixed with tomatoes and spices.  YUM!  And the swim was delightful!  We were the only ones at this idyllic place!  We relaxed a few minutes in the hammocks.  Ahhhhhh!   But more adventures in store so must move on. 

Iazamal is a very old city.  When the Spaniards came they found a center of ceremony and trade.  In order to show their domination, they destroyed many of the temples and built a monastery on the largest platform using stones from the Mayan temples.  Much of the city is painted an orange/yellow as that is the color of the cardinal association of the Vatican.    The church/monastery are huge but it only houses 5 monks now.    We enjoy some locally made ice cream. Yummmm!

Since we drive within 3 blocks of Juan’s house on the way to the hotel.  We stop at his house to drop him off.  His family isn’t there but we go in and Juan serves us the best mangos EVER!  They are from the orchard  in Muna that was his father’s and now his brother tends it. 

On to the hotel Casa Lucia.  We are welcomed and offered a complimentary cocktail to enjoy beside the pool.  Oh life is good!  We decide to eat at a little place across the plaza from the hotel that is know for its Oaxacan style food.  We have the  tladyuda which is sort of the Oaxaca style of pizza with the good Oaxacan cheese.