The small-gauge railroad racks are leftovers from the days when this area was booming with sisal plantations feeding a very hungry market for rope and twine. Before the advent of plastic rope killed the sisal (aka henequin) trade, these tracks were used to roll carts loaded  with harvested agave from the fields to the processing factories. Quick thinking locals now hitch tiny horses to homemade carts and roll loads of tourists out to three spectacular cenotes on a kind of horse-drawn train.

Horse-drawn carts running on a small-gauge railway line transport visitors to three gorgeous cenotes near the town of Cuzamá.

We can’t say it’s a comfortable ride–the tracks jolt you, the wooden carts lurch and bounce and when two carts meet head to head one of them must disgorge its passengers, unhook the pony and get lifted off the tracks so the other cart can proceed. It is, however, a unique way to reach three wonderful natural swimming holes.

Allow at least three hours, the cenotes are pretty spread out plus you want time to swim and remember that the place gets crowded on weekends and wear water shoes so you can climb up and down ladders since all three of the cenotes are below ground.

Cenote #1

The first cenote was the easiest to reach via wooden stairs–just avoid the rickety, slimy nail-ridden stairs that lead into the actual pool (just jump in instead). There are also clean new bathrooms at this cenote and some ladies selling snacks and beverages (though bringing your own cooler is a better option).

Cenote #1

Cenote #1

The second cenote was more crowded than the first which made the steep and slippery wooden staircase down into the cenote even harder to navigate as dozens of people tried to move up and down the  ladder at the same time.  With very little rim around the water there wasn’t much room for standing around admiring the view–best just to jump into the impossibly clear, deep water. Feeling a bit like Tarzan? Swim to the center of the cenote, climb up a mass of tree roots dangling near the surface and dive off!

Cenote #2

Cenote #2

The third cenote was the most treacherous to reach. Accessed via a steep wooden ladder straight down a rocky shoot, it felt a bit like going into a well. The space opens up at the bottom of the ladder to reveal a huge cenote with really terrific rock formations and great color and shadows thanks to a number of “skylights” to the surface.

Entering cenote #3.

Cenote #3 shot from a great viewing platform above it which is reached by literally crawling into a hole in the earth.

See just how beautiful these cenotes are–and just how bumpy the ride between them is–in our video, below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’re not archaeologists or anything. Hell, we never even saw that last Indiana Jones movie. But sometimes Mayan sites just don’t live up to the hype. For us, Dzibilchaltún was one of those sites. Our expectations were high. After all, this is a Mayan archaeological site that not only has piles of rocks but its own private cenote and the brilliantly engineered Templo de las Siete Munecas (Temple of the Seven Dolls) which allows the sun to shine directly through a window every Spring Equinox, lighting up the whole building like a beacon and signaling the start of the new season.

Every Spring Equinox the sun shines directly into and through the brilliantly engineered Templo de las Siete Munecas (in the background) at the Dzibilchaltún archaeological site, signaling the start of a new season.

That’s pretty cool but we found the site, overall, to be a bit of a dud and our experience was not enhanced by the fact that we were forced to pay the usual INAH admission fee plus a Yucatan state Coltur fee for use of the filthy toilets and closed museum. All told is cost 83 pesos (about US$6) a person to enter Dzibilchaltún–more than double what other similar sites cost.

The Templo de las Siete Munecas (Temple of the Seven Dolls) at the Dzibilchaltún archaeological site.

South of Merida is the Mayapán archeological site, which on the other hand, was a mind-blowing bargain. For just 31 pesos (no bogus Coltur charges here) this pre-Columbian Mayan site delivers a range of unusual features including a round building, gorgeous decorative carvings and remarkably intact frescoes.  Did we mention that there were only  six other people there during our visit?

The Temple of Kukulkan at the Mayapán archaeological site.

The Temple of Kukulkan at the Mayapán archaeological site.

Gorgeous carvings at the Mayapán archaeological site. That's the Temple of Kukulkan in the background.

The unusual Templo Redondo (Round Temple) at the Mayapán archaeological site is reminiscent of El Caracol at Chichen Itza.

These frescoes at the Mayapán archaeological site were some of the best we've seen in Mexico.

A Merida-area attraction of a more slightly modern kind is the pier in the nearby beach town of Progreso. Completed in 1942, the pier is four miles long making it the longest pier in the world.

Related posts:

1. Rocks For Sale! – Chichén Itzá, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. Pride and Prejudice – Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico

Rosas y Chocolate on Paseo de Montejo is a brand new modern creation in side the stately bones of a colonial mansion. It’s an architectural fantasy—all angles and contrasts and color (mostly pink).

Hacienda Xcanatun is also an architectural wonder–but of a different kind. A few miutes north of Merida,  this luxury retreat hides out inside the lovingly preserved bones of a historic sisal factory—found, unearthed and re-built by the son of one of Mexico’s most famous and accomplished archeologists.

First, Rosas y Chocolate in pictures. Scroll down for a look at Hacienda Xcanatun. Enjoy!

And now, Hacienda Xcanatun…

Two suites at Hacienda Xcanatun have bathtubs like this--carved by hand from a solid coral stone boulder and meticulously shaped and smoothed.

Related posts:

1. Pride and Prejudice – Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Horse-Drawn Trains, Cenotes, Mayan Ruins and One LOOOONG Pier – Around Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. GOOOOOOOL!!!! World Cup Report #1 – Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico

Merida was settled on the site of an existing Mayan village in 1542 by Francisco de Montejo “el Mozo” the son of infamous Spanish conquistador Fancisco de Montejo. You can still see antique tiles on some street corners which depict an image and its name in Spanish—an attempt by the conquistadors to teach Spanish to the Mayans. And carved stones from the original Mayan buildings can be found in the walls and foundations of some of the oldest and grandest buildings in town. Hey, they weren’t called conquistadors for nothing.

Merida's Palacio de Gobierno.

Casa de Montejo, once the home of Spanish conquistadors, is now a bank.

Despite its nickname as "The White City" the streets of Merida are often bursting with color.

Today, Merida benefits architecturally from that early Spanish influence and a heaping dose of Eurocentric influence of Porfirio Diaz, the 19th century Mexican President/dictator who basically wished he was French. Nowhere is this more evident than on the wide boulevard called Paseo de Montejo which is lined with massive mansions built by families who’d grown rich growing sisal, also known as henequen, which look like they were ripped right out of France.

One of the many European-style mansions that line Paseo de Montejo in Merida.

Merida's main church, Catedral de San Ildefonso.

An influx of full and part time expats from the US, Canada and Europe has also influenced the look and feel of Merida as they enthusiastically renovate and re-create homes and neighborhoods in the city. The preponderance of gringos has even hatched a small-scale slow food market every Saturday at which we purchased real sourdough bread. Pair that with the humus and olives and other Mediterranean delicacies for sale in Merida, thanks to a vibrant Lebanese community, and you’ve got yourself a picnic!

Apparently not everyone is happy about the gringos, however. We saw a sign that read “Watch out for US immigrants” and showed rocks being hurled at an old lady with a walker and an old man with a cane. Nice.

Ancient wooden crosses embedded in a wall of Merida's main church, Catedral de San Ildefonso.

An outdoor exhibit at the Museo de Arte Popular de Yucatan in Merida.

By and large Merida has come to terms with its new invaders both permanent and temporary. They even unleash a gang of tourism students called Turiamigos onto the streets of downtown Merida where they eagerly dole out directions, recommendations and general tourism advice in a variety of languages.

Merida has no shortage of places to stay (our next post will fill you in on two of the very, very best: Rosas y Chocolateand Hacienda Xcanatun), but a standout is Luz en Yucatan which offers “amusing accommodations” (a range of spotless, great-value stylish rooms and apartments) in a big converted home in the downtown area.

Its web site is amusing as well. We look at a LOT of hotel web sites and we can honestly say we’ve never been as entertained by the cleverness of a hotel web site as much as we were when we stumbled upon the Luz en Yucatan site.

We spent more time on their site than we care to admit and it’s where we discovered that one of the rooms at Luz en Yucatan is named after a dearly departed iguana. The rate you pay ($50 –$94) is based on whether you are “not at all successful” “moderately successful” or “exceedingly successful.” We also learned that rooms are available by the night, week, or month, or, for the existentialist “they are available by the moment.”

We recommend that you go check out the site even if you’re not planning a trip to Merida. Yes, it’s that much fun.

Merida's Iglesia de Jesus.

Merida's Iglesia Santiago.

We were also happily amused when we got to meet Tom Williams, the co-owner of Luz en Yucatan. He showed us around town a bit and even gave us a sneak peak at an absolutely fabulous small private house with a pool that he and his partners were just finishing up near Luz en Yucatan. It should be ready to rent by the time you read this.

Tom also took us to a neighborhood bar, La Choperiea, where we watched one of the World Cup matches, drank lots of Modelo on tap and cheered like hell with a bar full of locals as Mexico beat France. Check out the video we took of the celebration.

Since Luz en Yucatan was full (it often is) we shacked up at Casa del Balam where the excellent service and super-convenient downtown location made up for a few frayed edges.

More lovely churchy architecture in Merida.

It’s hot in Merida and during the heat of the day it can sometimes feel like the tourists and folks selling the hammocks, guayabera shirts and other handicrafts the region is known for are the only ones dumb enough to be out and about. But once the sun goes down, the locals show up and make the most of cooler night are with outdoor neighborhood gatherings often include a live band of aging musicians playing Mexican classics in small neighborhood plazas as couples of all ages (and abilities) dance.

Check it out for yourself in our video, below and do NOT miss the wild interpretive salsa dude at the end.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At these gathering this city of one million reveals itself for what it truly is: a series of small towns (the neighborhoods) that just happen to rub up next to each other. The list of US cities that would benefit enormously if they had similar get-togethers in their various communities is almost endless.

Six years of Gay Pride Parade Queens strut their stuff during a Gay Pride Parade in downtown Merida.

We got to see an entirely different kind of street celebration when we stumbled upon Merida’s Gay Pride Parade as it snaked its way around the Plaza Grande (which has free WiFi AND plentiful power outlets by the way) right  in front of Catedral de San Ildefonso. While New York City’s annual GLBT extravaganza has nothing to fear, the gay community in Merida (and some of their mothers) turned out in full regalia and their fun was impressive and infectious—and, we’re happy to report, entirely heckler-free.

What we love, among other things, is the way this guy posed right in front of Merida's main church, Catedral de San Ildefonso, flawlessly demonstrating one of the ways that Catholicism gets complicated in Mexico.

That’s all well and good but perhaps the best thing we gained from our visit to Merida is our rechargeable, made in China fly swatter/tennis racket mosquito zapper. At 70 pesos (about US$5) apiece we consider it a quality of life investment. Get one of your own by going to the Win Fa Chinese restaurant near Plaza Santa Ana and asking the cashier for a Mosquito Racket. They’ll know what you’ve come for (thanks for the tip John and Melissa).

Related posts:

1. Hacienda Hotels: One Historic, One Hip – Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Horse-Drawn Trains, Cenotes, Mayan Ruins and One LOOOONG Pier – Around Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. GOOOOOOOL!!!! World Cup Report #1 – Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico

Here’s where we’ve been in August 2010.

Yep. STILL in Mexico where we’ve been exploring the Mayan ruins, waterfalls, jungles and Zapatistas in the state of Chiapas including Palenque ruins, Misol Ha and Agua Azul waterfalls (which was more brown than blue thanks to torrential rainy season rains), the fascinating and addictive town of San Cristobal de las Casas, Ocosingo, Tonina ruins, The lacondon villages of Naha and Metzabok deep in the Laandon Jungle, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapa de Corzo, Canyon Sumidero, the flocks of parrots at Sima de las Cortorras.

Then we entered the state of Oaxaca where we explored this section of the Pacific Coast including Bahias de Huatulco, tiny and  lovely Mazunte beach (after fleeing the sadly-dilapidated Zipolite beach) Puerto Escondido and into Acapulco (which is in Guerrero state, we know).

Stay tuned for more about all of these destinations in upcoming blog posts. For now, check out the map, below.

August 2010 Driving Route – Mexico

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

Related posts:

1. Where We’ve Been – July 2010 Driving Route
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3. Photo of the Day: Jaguarte in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico

You can see why Izamal has earned Pueblo Magico status.

The church and Izamal itself have been important pilgrimage sites since the 1500s thanks, in part, to a spate of “miraculous” healings which were simultaneously attributed to the basilica’s Virgin Mary statue and to the Mayan god of healing, Itzam Na, to which the Mayans built their own pilgrimage shrine in Izamal. The town and it’s church remain important and even Pope John Paul II paid a visit in 1993.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

Inside the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Pual II visited in 1993.

In 2002 Izamal was named a Pueblo Magico, joining a select group of Mexican towns which the government has deemed architecturally and culturally important.

In addition to the overall charm and yellowness of the palce, Izamal is also home to Mayan ruins just steps from the main plaza. The main pyramid to Sun God Kinch Kak Mo is enormous with a base that sprawls over two acres with 10 levels of construction on top of it which some archaeologists consider to be the highest Mayan structure in the Yucatan. The view from the top was certainly impressive.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

Related posts:

1. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Rocks For Sale! – Chichén Itzá, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Barbachano family literally owned Chichén Itzá until March 2010 when they sold just over 200 acres, covering the core area of the site, to the Yucatan government for 220 million pesos (just shy of USD$18 million). Not bad for an old pile of rocks… 

Temple of Kukulkan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as El Castillo (the castle).

Temple of Kukulkan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as El Castillo (the castle).

Chichén Itzá is a pre-Columbian site and geeky Indiana Jones types believe 50,000 Mayans may have lived here at the city’s peak. Today it’s a huge, well-groomed site with a lot of rules and a lot of ropes preventing visitors from getting too close to most structures—and you can forget about climbing to the top of anything. 

On the Spring and Autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the ingeniously engineered staircase on this temple casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl - which appears as if it's slithering down the stairs.

The Venus Platform with the Temple of Kukulkan in the background.

The El Caracol (snail) observatory temple at Chichén Itzá.

Part of the Las Monjas (nunnery) group is an ornate small temple called La Iglesia (the church), decorated with elaborate masks of the rain god Chaac.

Detail of the small temple called La Iglesia (the church), decorated with elaborate masks of the rain god Chaac.

A serpent head in the Great Ball Court at Chichén Itzá with the Temple of Kukulkan in the background.

Are you ready for the Sound and Light show on Temple of Kukulkan and Templo de los Guerreros (temple of the warriors) at Chichén Itzá?

The ticketing system at Chichén Itzá includes the price of the nightly sound and light show whether you want it or not. We’re not usually into those things since they’re inevitably cheesy and some archaeological experts believe they damage the ruins. However, since we’d already paid for it we decided to check it out. Here’s a video sample from the hour long espectacular… 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our room at The Lodge at Chichén Itzá is in the upper left of this picture and, yes, that mound of rocks just off our deck is actual Mayan ruins.

The Barbachano family may have sold the Chichén Itzá but part of the family has retained a number of hotels situated right on its doorstep. In fact, their Hotel & Bungalows Mayaland, built in 1923, is the first hotel ever built within an archeological site. Over the decades it’s hosted the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy. 

We stayed at The Lodge at Chichén Itzá, which is also owned by the Barbachanos and run through their Mayaland Resorts group. When musicians play concerts at Chichén Itzá this is where they stay—which explains the Elton John room (huge wet bar, raised king size bed, double jetted tub) and the Placido Domingo suite. 

Sarah Brightman also stayed here when she performed at the ruins and the hotel management is assuming that Sir Paul McCartney will continue the tradition and stay at the hotel when he comes to perform at Chichén Itzá in 2012. 

Guests at The Lodge at Chichén Itzá have the use of this private entrance to Chichén Itzá, avoiding the turnstiles and crowds of the main entrance.

Our room made us feel like stars with tons of space, a Jacuzzi tub, a virtually private pool and (best yet) a huge rocky mound of unexcavated Mayan ruins just off our patio. As hotel guests we also got to use the hotel’s much more pleasant private entrance to Chichén Itzá—avoiding the bus crowds and hawkers at the main entrance to the site. We wandered over to the main entrance once, however, to check out the museum—which was closed with no opening date posted. 

Related Posts: 

• Muchos Mayans – Tulum & Cobá Ruins, Quintana Roo, Mexico
• Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico

Related posts:

1. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Horse-Drawn Trains, Cenotes, Mayan Ruins and One LOOOONG Pier – Around Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. Muchos Mayans – Tulum & Cobá Ruins, Quintana Roo, Mexico

We also added dozens of new wild animal sightings (from spotted eagle rays to occelated turkeys to a tiger rat snake). This got us even more excited about our upcoming opportunity to add penguins to that list during our Antarctic Dream adventure to the world’s 7th continent from November 7-17. Would they fall under the “land” or “water” category?

Anyway, don’t forget about the EXCLUSIVE 30% OFF DISCOUNT we secured for any friends, family, fans or followers who want to join us on the small, full-service Antarctic Dream boat for this once-in-a-lifetime sailing!

Related posts:

1. Our Antarctic Dream: Exclusive 30% Discount So You Can Come Too!
2. Our Antarctic Dream: The Future is Now

We veered off and head for the water determined to see some of the thousands of flamingos that come to the protected Ría Lagartas Biosphere Reserve to feed, breed, nest and rest. We were hoping to see some from the shore since we’d heard that the guided boat trips through the watery reserve were pricey.

We hadn’t gotten in much shore-searching when one of the local guides approached us and started bartering. Before we knew it we were in a boat with his colleague, guide Henry Jesus Pat Celis (more about him later), and on our way to flamingo-central for 450 pesos (about US$34) instead of the usual 600 pesos. Still a lot of money for us, but there are only a handful of places in the world where wild flamingos congregate like this which is why the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO site.

We headed out through a beautiful mangrove-ringed waterway and started seeing the first smatterings of flamingos within 10 minutes. Henry was non-plussed and kept assuring us that there were thousands more of the long-legged pink creatures to come.

He wasn’t kidding. We must have seen more than 2,000 flamingos before our two hour tour was over, sometimes in groups of 100 or more. Some groups were striding through the shallows scooping up krill with their funny backward beaks. Other groups were taking a running start at flying—followed by even more comical running landings—which made them look like they could walk on water. Still other clusters were standing along the water’s edge like, well, lawn ornaments.

Watch our video for a glimpse at the quirky flamingo antics at the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our intrepid guide Henry Jesus Pat Celis showed us thousands of flamingos in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

We also saw ospreys, crocodiles, frigate birds, great blue herons and a salt farm making the most of the area’s super-saline water—perfect for the brine shrimp that the flamingos feast on and which give them their delightful color.

Henry also took us ashore on a stretch of beach that had holes punched through the salty, sandy crust to reveal silky, mineral-rich clay beneath it. Henry told us that the mud in this region was considered medicinal and beautifying by the Mayans and it’s still applied head to toe by some people today.

TIPS
June is prime flamingo viewing time in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve with plenty of birds close to the embarkation point.

July and August are the peak months with lots of birds and lots of international and Mexican tourists.

September and October is the priciest season since the flamingos are further away from the embarkation point with means a longer and costlier boat ride to reach them.

Related Posts:

• Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico

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1. Horse-Drawn Trains, Cenotes, Mayan Ruins and One LOOOONG Pier – Around Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. Rocks For Sale! – Chichén Itzá, Yucatan State, Mexico

A classic Mayan arch at the Ek' Balam archaeological site.

The impressive Twin Pyramids (right) and the Oval Palace (left) at the Mayan ruins of Ek' Balam.

The ball court at Ek' Balam.

One of the Twin Pyramids (near), the ball court (middle) and the Acropolis (rear) at the Mayan ruins of Ek' Balam.

Part of Ek’ Balam’s charm is that it’s such a compact set of ruins with a handful of buildings that can happily be explored in an hour or so. Undeniably the most impressive of these is the Acropolis. At more than 520 feet long and more than 100 feet high it’s imposing.

The Acropolis is the largest structure at Ek' Balam and it contains the tomb of Ukit Kan Le'k Tok' which is now protected beneath the palapa on upper left-hand side.

About two-thirds of the way up the Acropolis archaeological types recently uncovered the tomb of Ukit Kan Lek Tok, one of Ek’ Balam’s rulers. His final resting place is marked by amazing carvings including really menacing fangs around the tomb’s door. The tomb’s walls are covered with more intricate carvings and Mayan glyphs. A headless figure is seated above the door and some experts believe this is a depiction of Ukit Kan Lek Tok himself.

The elaborately-carved tomb of Ukit Kan Le'k Tok' is the main draw of the Ek' Balam archaeological site.

Another unusual aspect of the tomb are large statues of what look like winged warriors and also bring to mind Christian angels even though the figures were carved hundreds of years before Spanish conquistadors brought Christian iconography to the region.

Climbing more than 100 feet up to the top of the Acropolis is worth it for this view over Ek' Balam and the surrounding jungle.

A temple atop the Oval Palace at Ek' Balam archaeological site.

Related Posts:

• Muchos Mayans – Tulum & Cobá Ruins, Quintana Roo, Mexico
• Rocks For Sale! – Chichén Itzá, Yucatan State, Mexico

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1. Where Mayans and Popes Mingle – Izamal, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico
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Valladolid is also perfectly situated to sizzle—smack in the hot zone of Yucatan State without the benefit of cooling ocean breezes. It was so hot when we were in Valladolid that the toilet water was steamy. It was two-cold-showers-a-day hot only you had to be sure you got your showers in before 8 am or after 7 pm or the water coming out of the cold tap would be hot.

The city’s naturally slow pace seems exacerbated by the heat. It is just too steamy to hurry anywhere. And despite its standing as the third largest city in the Yucatan, Valladolid still looks, acts and feels a lot like a small town.

Valladolid's Catedral de San Gervasio.

Valladolid also has its share of small-town pride and beautification efforts are extensive and effective. Walls and buildings are splashed with a gorgeous and engaging range of colors. The main plaza in front of the Catedral de san Gervasio have curved poured concrete two-seaters where couples sit and face each other in the cool of the evening, the downtown mercado is small but full of some of the cheapest food vendors we’ve seen anywhere in Mexico (big sandwiches for 12 pesos, breakfast egg plates for 20 pesos, etc).

Parque Francisco Canton Rosado, the colorful main square in Valladolid.

There are some surprisingly cosmopolitan moments in centro Valladolid too including the Maruja café and wine bar which looks (and smells) very European and also offers the best-made, best-value souvenirs in town including regional chocolate and coffee, handicrafts and witty t-shirts.

Right around the corner from the Maruja café, just a quarter block off the Parque Francisco Canton Rosado, is the Casa de los Venados hotel. Located in a renovated 400 year old hacienda, this boutique hotel is packed to the rafters with the most colorful, most engaging Mexican arts and crafts the American owners, John and Dorianne Venator, could get their hands on (reservations are a must). This year a sushi café called Sushi Va opened up too.

Colorful colonial buildings of Valladolid.

Catedral de San Gervasio at night.

The tranquil and chic Calzada de los Frailes street in Valladolid.

About a five minute walk from the centro area is a particularly well-kept and tranquil street called Calzada de los Frailes. This street is quiet, leafy and home to the Coqui Coqui hotel. Operated by the famous perfumer, this hotel offers just two super-chic rooms around a private garden with a spa, a café and a wonderfully retro-looking perfumeria.

A more affordable option in this charming neighborhood is the year-old Hotel Tunich Beh which has eight air-conditioned rooms (did we mention that Valladolid is hot?) around a small but serviceable pool plus Wi-Fi all for 450 pesos (about US$35) double occupancy.

The tranquil and chic Calzada de los Frailes street in Valladolid.

Calzada de los Frailes street is capped by the San Bernardino de Siena Convent, a 16th century monastery in a lovely stone building on grounds that include a private cenote. Right next to the convent is Taberna de los Frailes restaurant. Opened by French chef/restaurateur/hotelier Patrick Charles Laurent and Doña Maruja Barbachano (the pair also runs Maruja café on the main plaza), the restaurant is breezy and welcoming.

The bar, lounge and dining areas are all built in a garden over part of the same massive cenote that’s found on the property of the neighboring monastery. Ask to see the well-like entrances into the cenote, but don’t get any ideas about taking a dip. The cenote’s water level is 120 feet below ground level.

The Taberna de los Frailes menu is not cheap (90 pesos to 250 pesos) but the ingredients (steak, tuna, veal) are top-notch and the preparations make a happy marriage of international techniques and Mayan and Mexican flavors–shrimp tacos al pastor is a good example (200 pesos). Or risotto Ixel with chaya, a kind of Mayan collard greens, (90 pesos). The tuna and salmon we ordered were both impeccable and the chocolate souffle was served in a soup bowl–massive! Even if you don’t eat here, stop in for a cold beverage after touring the convent.

The San Bernardino de Siena Convento.

Coming soon: a new boutique hotel from the owners of Zamas in Tulum. They’re converting a house just a few doors down from Taberna restaurant into a brand new reason to visit Valladolid.

Related posts:

1. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico
2. Flamingo Fever – Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan State, Mexico
3. Pride and Prejudice – Merida, Yucatan State, Mexico

The place may have “fly-fishing” right in the name (and the area is famous for gargantuan tarpon) but the Holbox Fly-Fishing Lodge has plenty to offer non-fishermen (and women) including a fridge stocked with beer, the best coffee on the island, very comfortable air-conditioned rooms, a spacious deck with hammocks and awesome sunset views (sufficiently prepped by a 5-6 pm happy hour) and a beachfront location that’s far enough from the center of town to be perfectly peaceful but close enough to be handy and totally walkable (shoes optional).

The Holbox Fly-Fishing Lodge is not just for fishermen.

Luciano, the gregarious Italian manager, knows everything and everyone on the island and it’s easy to  linger over his excellent coffee and talk about island life all morning. Morning is also the best time for long walks on the beach. While not exactly deserted, the homes and guest houses thin out considerably at the west end of the island and you’re likely to have the place to yourself, save for the sea birds, the seashells and the occasional starfish.

Warm water laps onto the white sand beaches that ring Isla Holbox.

Isla Holbox is developed enough to offer a range of eating options including economical places like the charming Restaurant Isla del Colbri.

From a visitor’s point of view, Isla Holbox still seems largely unspoiled, though the locals who’ve lived here for years would disagree. Cars are not allowed on the island, however, that’s lead to a dangerous proliferation of golf carts. There’s a wide (and ever-increasing) range of dining options including a lot in the fish-shack-budget range and some notable splurges like Los Pelicanos which served up some of the best Italian food we’ve had in Mexico including homemade pasta and made-to-order risotto (110-150 pesos), a lovely wine list and great homemade bread. Hotels run the gamut from hostels to high-end with more rumored to be on the way.

The upstairs patio at Holbox Fly-Fishing Lodge is a great place to watch sunset over Isla Holbox.

Seagulls on Isla Holbox.

Morning beach walks yield more than just shells on Isla Holbox.

A local resident on Isla Holbox.

For now Isla Holbox lives in that sweet spot that offers ample services to suit all kinds of visitors without feeling too touristed. History tells us this cannot last and our advice is to visit Isla Holbox sooner rather than later. Right now is a great time to go if you’re into seeing whale sharks, the biggest fish in the ocean. These toothless giants (up to 60 feet long) show up off the coast of Isla Holbox every August, prompting locals to designate August 30 as Whale Shark Day.

The Mexican flag stands watch over Isla Holbox.

Related posts:

1. GOOOOOOOL!!!! World Cup Report #1 – Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
2. Love/Hate – Cancun, Mexico
3. All-Inclusive, All the Time (almost) – Riviera Maya, Mexico

We haven’t visited Africa or done a safari there (yet), but we have had some amazing animal encounters in other parts of the world. In Borneo we were essentially held captive by the frighteningly dexterous hands and feet of a young orangutan. In India we were within feet of endangered Asiatic lions and tigers and even a leopard which played a  kind of hide-and-seek game with us (it won).

In November we’re going to get the chance to hang with penguins when we explore Antarctica with Antarctic Dream. Why not take advantage of  our exclusive 30% savings to Antarctica and join us on the November 7-17 sailing, by the way?

Our ongoing Trans-Americas Journey has also given us some amazing animal encounters and here are a few of the highlights:

A herd of buffalo literally roamed our campground in Badlands National Park.

See more in our Badlands National Park photo gallery. Read more in our Badlands National Park  travel journal.

A black bear and her cub explored some downed trees just off a road through Yellowstone National Park.

See more in our Yellowstone National Park photo gallery. Read more in our Yellowstone National Park travel journal.

This young wolf seemd as curious about us as we were about it when our paths crossed on the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota.

See more in our Minnesota’s North Shore photo gallery. Read more in our Minnesota’s North Shore travel journals part 1 and part 2.

A moose and her calf appeared around a bend during a hike in Grand Teton National Park.

See more in our Grand Teton National Park photo gallery.

A female grizzly and her cub let us watch them feasting on blueberries in Denali National park for almost an hour.

See more in our Denali National Park photo galleries – part 1, part 2, and part 3. Read more in our Denali National Park travel journals part 1, part 2 and part 3.

Muskox roam the tundra on the North Slope in Alaska where we spotted them from a helcopter.

See more in our Deadhorse, Alaska photo gallery. Read more in our Deadhorse, Alaska travel journal.

This arctic fox already had its winter white coat on so it was easy to spot in the tundra in the North Slope of Alaska.

See more in our Dalton Highway photo gallery. Read more in our Dalton Highway travel journals part 1 and part 2.

Gray whales put on an impressive show for us in Baja.

Gray whales, including this baby, put on an impressive show for us in Baja.

We wandered amongst millions of migrating monarch butterflies near Valle de Bravo in Mexico.

See more in our monarch butterfly migration post.

Crocodiles of all sizes lazed near our boat as we traveled to La Tovara Springs in San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico.

See more in our San Blas, Nayarit Mexico post.

Mara the sea lion shared her fish breath with us in the warm waters off Puerto Vallarta.

See more in our Sea Lion Kisses post.

Thousands of flamingos went about their strange pink business as we floated through the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Yucatan State, Mexico.

We failed to find the whale sharks in Belize but a pod of bottlenose dolphins found us.

See more in our Belize Whale Sharks post.

This spider monkey was just hanging out near Chan Chich Lodge in Gallon Jug, Belize.

See more in our Belize Jungle Surprises post.

A keel-billed toucan stayed put long enough for us to capture its impossible beak at La Milpa Field Station in Belize.

See more in our Belize Jungle Surprises post.

We tried our best to see a jaguar in the wild, but the closest we've come so far is this beauty in the Belize Zoo.

See more in our Belize Zoo post.

A clan of howler monkeys befriended us while we camped at Las Guacamayas in Chiapas.

Wild scarlet macaws gorged themselves in a tree above our tent at Las Guacamayas in Chiapas.

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2. Las Guacamayas (Scarlet Macaws) – Photo of the Day
3. Our Latest Work: 3 Deals on Meals, 2 Countries and 1 Brand New Boutique Hotel

For the Adventure Newbie
Check out our round up of heart-pumping (but not life-threatening) adventure trips (from moonlight bike rides to rafting to space shuttle launches) from the August issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, here.

For the Luxe Privacy Set
Read what we had to say about Verana, one of the most distinctive hideaways on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, for  Afar magazine here.

For the Animal Lover
We went in search of jaguars, harpy eagles and whale sharks in Belize. Find out what we found,  here.

For the Train and Tarahumara Buff
We get on and off the Copper Canyon train to discover waterfalls, blue corn tortillas and the Tarahumara people. Read all about it, here.

The Copper Canyon from the CHEPE train.

Related posts:

1. All Aboard El Chepe – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico
2. Gorditas, Guesthouses and Gorgeous Views – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico (Part 3)
3. WAY Off the Train – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico (Part 2)

Well, we were in Cancun to attend the 2010 US Cuba Travel Summit which was organized to bring Cuban travel providers and Cuban government overseers together with travel providers from the US and Canada eager to strengthen or create inroads into the Cuban travel market.

It was also organized to provide a platform for sharing opinions and projections about the future of the US government’s ban on travel by its citizens to Cuba. Representatives from a number of US-based “ban the ban” lobbying groups were on hand and North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan (D), creator of the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” (# S. 428) currently circulating in DC, took part via teleconference.

Cuba's Minister of Tourism, Manuel Marrero Cruz, speaking at US Cuba Travel Summit.

Like many travelers we’re dying to visit Cuba and right now we appear to be closer to lifting the travel ban than we’ve been in years. It’s an unfortunate choice of words, admittedly, but we heard sensible non-war-mongering people say “Cuba is now within striking distance” a number of times at the summit.

So where do things stand with banning the ban? Powerful agricultural groups calling for a ban on the entire embargo against Cuba (the travel ban is a small part of the overall embargo) so they can open a potentially vast market up for American egg and wheat and corn farmers have joined forces with Senator Dorgan. Together they’ve created the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (HR 4645). Yes, it’s funny to think of an Iowa farmer eager to sell more corn arm in arm with a Manhattan socialite eager to be the first among her “friends” to get her tan on a Cuban beach, but there you have it.

Restrictions against Cuban nationals traveling back to Cuba have been eased and in June, 2010 the House Agriculture Committee voted to pass HR 4645 which contains language that would make it legal for US citizens to travel freely to Cuba. Now it’s up to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to decide when to put the bill up for a vote on the  House floor.

You can sign a petition urging President Obama to fast-track the issue of travel to Cuba here. And a group called Washington Office on Latin America lobbies positions on all kinds of issues that impact Latin America, including the US travel ban and embargo regarding Cuba.  Their focus is human rights, not politics, and they’re a good source of information, updates and calls to action.

In the meantime, the US Cuba Travel Summit brought to mind a number of interesting but often overlooked facts about our right to travel as US citizens:

• In 1958 (two years before the first phases of the current embargo were enacted) the US Supreme Court ruled that the freedom to travel where one wishes is a constitutional right of all US citizens under the 5th amendment.

• Not long after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 Bobby Kennedy called for an end to the travel restrictions to Cuba (but not an end to the embargo overall).

• There’s no postal service between Cuba and the US, so even if you sneak in (as tens of thousands of US citizens do every year), you can’t even send a postcard bragging about it. How un-American is that?

And isn’t it ironic that Cuba so desperately wants the travel ban on US citizens to be lifted (for financial reasons and reasons of pride) while its own citizens most certainly do not enjoy the same freedoms?

Mojitos prepped and ready at the bar at La Bodeguita del Medio where we celebrated the close of the US Cuba Travel Summit with other attendees.

The US Cuba Travel Summit culminated in a mojito-fueled finale at La Bodeguita del Medio in Cancun which claims to be a copy of the famous original in Havana, a notion Cuban summit attendees struck down as pure fallacy asserting that the Havana original is superior in every way. We sure wish we could go and see for ourselves before the ban gets lifted and a million other Americans go to Cuba.

By the way, one million is the  actual number of visitors from the US that some tourism officials expect to travel to Cuba in the first year after the ban is lifted. Frightening.

The bearded guy in the middle is Cuba’s Tourism Minister. Sadly, in the end, he just wasn’t that into us.

We made a lot of contacts at the travel summit, including Manuel Marrero Cruz Cuba’s Minister of Tourism who gave us his card and invited us to Cuba for an upcoming travel fair. We were thrilled. We emailed the minister and his colleagues repeatedly, hoping to turn the minister’s personal invitation into an actual trip to Cuba. Despite numerous bi-lingual follow ups, however, no one ever responded to our emails.

Because we wanted to write and blog about our time in Cuba we also applied for official permission from the Treasury Department which is the agency that doles out permission for certain US citizens (like journalists) to travel to Cuba under certain circumstances. The Treasury Department did bother to get back to us–with a big fat N.O. This means we should probably expect to be audited.

For now, Cuba will have to wait. But we’ll always have Cancun…

Related Posts:

• Cancun – Love/Hate

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2. Influenza de Puerco
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You have to love the beach which is one of the most spectacular stretches of white sand snuggling up to impossibly blue water that you’ll find anywhere in the world, especially after this year’s completion of a  US$71 million beach rehab.

You’d be forgiven for hating the fast food franchises and cheap souvenier shops that litter the place (we’re talking to you Señor Frog), the spring breakers (though they’re increasingly confined to low-rent resorts) and the town’s tourist-targeting transitos (more on them later).

During a recent visit we found some noteworthy resorts to love amongst the general homogenous and hateful mediocrity that jostles for space along the water’s edge. Cancun was created (literally) to provide affordable, respectable resort vacations which it did for years. These days Cancun seems to be going through changes that are moving the destination away from its original mandate–resorts for everyone!–toward a more polarized range of resorts. More and more high-end options are opening up (or expanding) while what used to be decent resorts are slipping into dumpdom. Luxe travelers and el cheapo spring breakers win, but we worry about anyone lookng for amid-range option.

During a recent visit we discovered some resort standouts including (no surprise) the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun.

Though the rooms are the same sort of elegant you find in a Ritz-Carlton anywhere in the world, the view from our room in the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun was all Caribbean.

Yes, there’s a Ritz-Carlton in Cancun and it was one of the first truly high-end resorts to be built there. Your room at the Ritz-Carlton is essentially the same anywhere in the world: a kind of elegant mash up of stuffy style and full-service business–as if they designed the rooms for a British grandmother who happens to run microsoft. Ditto the signature Ritz-Carlton service. We know it’s a little bit dorky, but we love that the staff at every Ritz-Carlton is perfectly trained and referred to as “the ladies and gentlemen” of the Ritz-Carlton. It’s all so proper.

The Ritz-Carlton in Cancun delivers that signature room and signature service on a magnificent stretch of beach. We went through a kind of personality adjustment every time we transitioned from inside our room (grandmotherly tycoon) out onto our ocean-view balcony (sun-kissed hedonist).

The five diamond Ritz-Carlton, Cancun also delivers not one but two five diamond restaurants, prompting the staff–sorry, the ladies and gentlemen–to refer to the hotel as Cancun’s only 15 diamond property.  Look for the hotel to accumulate a few more diamonds with the recent hiring of a new executive chef. To celebrate, the Ritz is putting on a pretty good special package to mark the new chef’s arrival. Be aware that one of their top restaurants is closed for the month of August.

The hip Live Aqua in Cancun channels a bit of Vegas at night.

Okay. So you expect to love the Ritz-Carlton. It’s the Ritz-Carlton for God’s sake.  A Cancun newcomer with a funny name like Live Aqua is another story. But a good one.

Live Aqua is flashy (two white Rolls Royces out front) and hip (Paris Hilton slept here) and has eight of the prettiest pools in Cancun–each one a different shade of aqua. Oh, and you get a hand massage during check in.

Live Aqua also serves up the most beautiful, most bountiful and most delicious breakfast buffet we’ve ever had at any hotel anywhere. And that’s just at their workhorse restaurant.

Live Aqua’s gourmet restaurant, MB (the initials of acclaimed chef Michelle Bernstein), is chic and sophisticated with dishes (and martinis) to match. Rumor has it a new Live Aqua will open in Mexico City in 2011 and we’ll be finishing our full profile of MB for iTraveliShop shortly, so stay tuned.

Paris Hilton slept here? One of the suites at Live Aqua in Cancun.

The JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa has great rooms and great views and a great beach but it also has a 35,000 square foot three-level spa with a mind-bogglingly long list of treatments (some featuring hand made products using traditional Mayan ingredients). There’s also a gorgeous workout room that gives sunrise and sunset views and an adults-only pools. Add in the resort’s sophisticated 911 club level (with snacks, cocktails, a pillow menu and more) and you’ve got one decidedly grown-up take on Cancun. Get more details in our full profile of the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa for iTraveliShop.

Every single room at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa has a view like this.

Something else we loved in Cancun was Tacos Rigo which served up good everyday food (tacos, great breakfasts, etc) at good everyday prices.

Something we hated? Being pulled over not once but twice by bribe-seeking transit cops (transitos). The first guy who pulled us over in Cancun was actually a city cop who was staking out a totally stealth red light which we were forced to run to avoid slamming on our brakes and being rear-ended. This guy was calm, reasonable. He was even ready to let us go. Then, as he was handing back copies of our paperwork (NEVER give anyone your originals), he dropped the bomb. He was going to let us go, he said, and if we wanted to we could give him a tip…

Maybe it was wrong, but we gave him 50 pesos (about US$4) for the sheer ballsiness of it.

The second guy who pulled us over was a transito (a transit cop with fairly neutered powers) and he was ballsy too. He claimed we were speeding. Meanwhile, we were going slow enough to force other traffic to fly around us as we prepared to make a turn. He wasn’t giving up on his ridiculous allegations, however, and we were forced to employ extreme evasive action. It goes like this: Karen picks up her little digital camera, puts on her ditziest smile and starts taking pictures of the cop like it’s some sort of exciting vacation moment she’s dying to share with her friends back home.

The transitos, of course, want none of this since shakedowns are officially illegal in Mexico and they get plenty mad. But then they have no choice but to let us go.

Eric in a Mexican standoff with the second transito that pulled us over for no reason in Cancun.

Why were were we in Cancun in the first place? Get the answer in our next post. Hint: it involves mojitos, Cuba and the Treasury Department…

Related Posts:

• Hotels of the Riviera Maya – All-Inclusive All the Time (almost)

• Hotels and restaurants in Tulum – Beach Boom in Tulum
• Hotels of Playa del Carmen – Mexico’s Mini Miami

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1. Our Latest Work: Resort-O-Rama in Belize and Cancun
2. All-Inclusive, All the Time (almost) – Riviera Maya, Mexico
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• We also found three great deals on meals at some wonderful Mexican resorts (the Ritz-Carlton Cancun, the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya and Garza Blanca in Puerto Vallarta). Get the delicious details,  here.

• Finally, we were delighted to literally stumble upon the very first boutique hotel in Palenque, Chiapas practically on the doorstep of the famous Mayan ruins there. Get a first look at the brand new Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal,  here. Hey, it was good enough for the US Ambassador to Mexico and his family…
  

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We were lucky enough to spend time at three very different all-inclusive resorts (and one uber boutique hotel) on the Riviera Maya and here’s our take on which resort is right for which traveler.

For World-Class Indulgers ONLY

Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya is the newest all-inclusive in the Riviera Maya region but it acts like its been doing this forever.

One of three pools at the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya. This one has an awesome swim up bar where the bartender actually tries to talk you into the better booze even though all-inclusive bartenders often try to cheap out to cut corners.

The resort is all suites (from 1,000 to nearly 2,500 square feet) and all super all-inclusive. Now, it’s one thing to be super all-inclusive but offer okay food, b-list booze and lazy service and amenities. At Grand Velas, the food from five different restaurants is gourmet (we predict at least four diamonds sooner rather than later), the bars are seriously stocked and the staff actually encourages you to enjoy the best of the best whenever and wherever you desire. You want it? They’ll make sure you get it.

It’s a dangerous combination that should only be tackled by experienced hedonists.

The Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya’s interior spaces are chic and decadent as well. Just as they’ve cut no corners with the food, beverages or staff they clearly didn’t cheap-out when it came time to choosing the miles of marble, leagues of rich lumber and acres of art work that polish the place.

Even our (free) in-room snacks and amenities are top-drawer–from Don Julio tequila to Molton Brown toiletries to the wonderful slippers (which Karen stole and is wearing right now as she types this).

Our 1,300 square foot Grand Class suite at the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya.

When we entered our Grand Class suite at the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya the blinds were closed but with the  push of a button, our dramatic view was revealed. Check out this video to see it for yourself…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Caribbean just off our balcony (with private plunge pool) at the Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya.

If you’re ready to test your pampering prowess check out this news alert we did about an amazing limited time rate that’s currently available at Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Riviera Maya (scroll down to get to the Grand Velas details).

For the Star-Struck

Maroma Resort & Spa is not an all-inclusive. But it is a legend on the Riviera Maya so we had to check it out. Hey, if it’s good enough for Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Sean Penn, Cameron Diaz and Sharon Stone (just to name a few of the hotel’s dozens of famous fans), then it’s (probably) good enough for us.

Okay it was totally good enough for us and delivered all of the style and seclusion you’d expect of a place that makes big time movie stars feel right at home. Even better? The hotel has recently hired a new sommelier and even though, at 24, he’s barely old enough to legally drink Alexandre Rioux puts on a truly lovely wine-pairing dinner. You can read all about it in our wine dinner review for iTraveliShop.

Luxury bungalows on the beach at the star-studded Maroma Resort & Spa.

A private perch over the Caribbean at Maroma Resort & Spa.

Maroma pool

For the Healthy Hedonist

Healthy might be stretching it a bit, but Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya spends more time attending to the needs of your body and soul (not just your stomach) than  most all-inclusives. Yes there’s a spa and an exercise room (that’s seen better days, frankly). But what sets Zoëtry apart are things like hosting a rotating roster of wellness experts who offer guests courses covering everything from getting a good night’s sleep every single night, incorporating better nutrition into your life, losing weight and reducing stress. There are also daily outdoor fitness classes including ab workouts and calorie-burning and muscle-stretching sessions in the resort’s Thalasso sea water pool. And a Temazcal–a kind of pre-hispanic sweat lodge.

But don’t worry. Zoëtry also offers two wonderful bars, three restaurants, a sushi bar, a lovely pool and plenty of other reasons to lie around and work on your tan, not your beta blockers.

Poolside cocktails take a shortcut at Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya.

The view from the open-air lobby at Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya.

Some of the ground-floor rooms at Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya have private plunge pools with Caribbean views.

For the Eco-Friendly Family

We were surprised by three major things at the all-inclusive Hacienda Tres Rios.

1. While many all-inclusives  ban children, accept only older children or say families are welcome then fail to provide the amenities and services that families require, Tres Rios positively wraps its arms around families with special rates and packages (even a special package for single parents traveling with children), roomy rooms, kid-friendly staff even an ice cream cart by the pool that doles out scoops all day long.

Rates also include plenty of kid-and-family-friendly on-resort activities from biking to kayaking to swimming in the resort’s private freshwater cenotes.

2. Tres Rios also not only lives up to its claims of environmental responsibility, it exceeds them. The building design allows the mangrove environment to flow and thrive, the structures were built modularly in nearby Puerto Morelos with finished sections assembled on site, Kone Ecodisc elevators re-use energy generated while descending to help power the elevator’s journey back up,  maids actually leave used towels on the hooks per laundry-reduction efforts,  staff sorts and recycles every piece of garbage every single day, heat generated by the air conditioning system is re-used to heat the resort’s water (which is made up entirely of collected rain water or sea water that’s been desalinated through reverse osmosis), the air-conditioning system is pre-cooled using super-cold water circulated from deep underground and the staff at Hacienda Tres Ríos is required to use both sides of every piece of paper (we saw it happen).

No wonder Hacienda Tres Ríos has received a 95% rating from the Green Globe organization.

Talented (and energetic) executive chef Oscar Orbe Quiroz runs seven surprisingly good restaurants and is hands-on for his popular chef's table dinner at Hacienda Tres Rios.

3. Something else we weren’t expecting from a family-friendly, nicely-priced all-inclusive like Tres Rios was noteworthy food but we were pleasantly surprised at every meal–particularly at a chef’s table dinner we enjoyed with gregarious executive chef Oscar Orbe Quiroz. Really, can someone just give this guy a TV show already?

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Here’s where we’ve been in July 2010.

We’re STILL in Mexico, so no surprises there. We started the month in Campeche then we headed south and toured a series of  Chenes and Rio Bec Mayan ruins in central Campeche State before reaching one of the grandest Mayan sites of them all, Calakmul which is practically on the border with Guatemala.

Next we were off to the city of Villahermosa, then down into the state of Chiapas and the lovely little big city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. From there we went down to Comitán, then around the Lacandon Jungle and up to Palenque before driving back through San Cristóbal de las Casas in order to get to the Chiapas State capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

Stay tuned for more about all of these wonderful destinations in upcoming blog posts. For now, check out the map, below.

July 2010 Driving Route

Share your Adventures with SpotAdventures

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There were painted salmon in Anchorage, guitars in Austin, crabs in Baltimore, lobsters in Halifax, Nova Scotia and so on. During our Trans-Americas Journey we’ve encountered painted cows, elk, horses, pelicans, pigs, buffalo, moose and even bears.  And now: jaguars.

Twenty three jaguars painted by 23 different artists have just been installed in the lovely main plaza in the lovely town of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico as part of a project called Jaguarte. They’re all great but we love the jaguar, below, because it incorporates a lot of the Mayan imagery we’ve been so immersed in lately…

UPDATE August 11, 2010: There are now 25 painted jaguars in San Cristobal de las Casas and they’re on the move. Some are still in the main plaza, but a whole pack of them have migrated to the Guadalupe pedestrian mall. Oh, and apparently No Tocar does not mean “don’t touch” in Spanish as we were taught in language school…almost every Mexican who walks by one of these jaguars reaches out and pets it.

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Why should we have all the fun? We shouldn’t! That’s why we’ve secured an exclusive (and impressive) 30% discount for any friends, family, fans and followers of our Trans-Americas Journey who want to  join us on the November 7-17 sailing of the 80 passenger luxury boat the Antarctic Dream as we journey from Ushuaia, Argentina through the infamous Drake Passage, out to Peterman Island and back to Ushuaia with many stops for penguins and whale watching and land excursions along the way.

This 10 day all-inclusive trip is the first sailing of the season and it promises plenty of icebergs, endless vistas, wildlife and beautifully pristine landings that haven’t been all  muddied-up by other visitors yet.

Yes, even at 30% off a sailing to the Antarctic is still an expensive trip. However, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, an exclusive discount like this doesn’t happen every day and the intimately-sized and plushly appointed Antarctic Dream is a great way to go (these guys even provide extreme outdoor gear!).

Make your reservation online or call toll free from the US 877-AD TRIPS (238-7477). Be sure to let them know you want the exclusive “Trans-Americas Journey Road Trip to the Antarctic” discount when you book. A non-refundable deposit of US$1,500 must be paid before September 30 in order to secure your reservation.

Can’t make the November 7 sailing? Antarctic Dream is also offering 10% off for early bird bookings for their 2011 – 2012 season with a paid deposit by March 31^st.

photos courtesy of Antarctic Shipping S.A

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1. Our Antarctic Dream: The Future is Now