Magical Mexico Tour

Magical Mexico Tour

When I mention to my friends that I am traveling to Mexico, the first reaction is that "it's dangerous."  I've done a lot of reading about travels in Mexico recently.  I feel that it's safe, perhaps even safer than Phoenix.  In gun-happy Arizona, you never know when you will be shot - drive-by shooting, road rage, hold-ups, etc.  I don't think Mexico is any more dangerous than the many places that I've traveled to.  As a seasoned traveler, I am always very observant of what's around me and I know how to stay away from places where I don't think I should be.

This trip is different because I am joining a tour instead of traveling on my own.  Why?  One, because I have a short window for this trip and two, I am not as familiar with Central and South America as I am with Europe and Asia.  So, I decided to travel with a company that I've been watching for a while - Tucan Travel, a British company that offers tours all over the world.  The prices are reasonable because they don't try to pamper with all the comforts that I don't need.  In fact, we'll be taking public transportation for a big part of the tour.  Above, you can see the route that we'll be taking and places we'll be going.

I arrive in Mexico City 3 days before the start of the tour.  Below is the rest of the itinerary.  I hope to update this blog as often as I can but it very much depends on time and availability of wifi.

Day 1 to 1 - Arrive Mexico City

The first day of your tour is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities. In order to allow time to relax and see some of the sights you may wish to add pre-tour accommodation.

Mexico City is the world's most populated city with over 20 million people. Founded by Spanish conquerors in 1521, Mexico's capital sits at 2309 metres above sea level and was built on the site of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The extensive metro system and trolley buses make getting around easy and there is certainly plenty to see and do here.

A good starting point is the main plaza, the enormous Zócalo, where you will find the impressive Catedral y Sagrario Metropolitano, the main cathedral of Mexico City, with a magnificent Latin-Baroque style façade. Remember to look through the glass flooring outside of the church to see the ancient Aztec city beneath. Just behind the cathedral are the Aztec ruins of the ancient Teocali, which were only discovered in 1978. You can also visit the world famous Anthropology Museum and the National Palace where you can see murals depicting the history of Mexico by one of the country's most famous artists Diego Riviera. A museum dedicated to his equally famous wife, Frieda Kahlo, is located in her childhood home in Coyoacán. In the evening you can enjoy a spicy Mexican dinner and maybe a few tequilas in the Zona Rosa while enjoying music performed by a mariachi band.

Day 2 to 2 - Puebla

Before heading to Puebla we take a short bus journey from Mexico City to the ancient site of Teotihuacan where we can enjoy a guided tour. Here you will see an amazing abandoned city built around 300 BC by a civilisation now lost in the mists of time. The historic complex is a fascinating combination of ceremonial pyramids, such as the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, the Ciudadela, which are connected by the Street of the Dead, palaces, old temples and the Plaza of the Sun. The buildings are decorated with friezes and other ornate artworks. Heading back to Mexico City we board a comfortable bus to Puebla on a two hour journey. In Puebla you can admire the Spanish colonial architecture and try a mole poblano, a rich spicy sauce containing chocolate, cinnamon and nuts.

We continue to one of Mexico's oldest towns, Puebla, which means "City of the Angels". Set in a valley with a dramatic backdrop of volcanoes and snow-topped peaks, Puebla is a fascinating old colonial town founded in 1531. The historic city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site partly due to its impressively preserved Spanish colonial architecture. Puebla is the best place to try mole poblano, a rich, spicy sauce containing chocolate, cinnamon and nuts, as well as different types of hot peppers, often served over chicken.

Day 3 to 3 - Oaxaca

Next on our list is Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka), a beautiful city bordered by mountains and thick forests, with a very pleasant Plaza de la Constitución where you can eat, drink and watch the world go by. After getting taxis to the bus terminal we will spend 4-5 hours travelling in first class to Oaxaca. Sample tasty street food and admire the colourful colonial buildings in this attractive town.

Day 4 to 4 - Night Bus to San Cristóbal

From Oaxaca we include a guided excursion of Monte Albán, the holy city of the ancient Zapotecs located 400 metres above the Oaxaca valley. There are many structures to explore around the Grand Plaza including numerous tombs, ceremonial altars, tunnels, pyramids and palaces, many decorated by glyphs, paintings and intricate carvings. After enjoying the charms of Oaxaca we take an overnight bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Day 5 to 7 - San Cristóbal

Ascending into the mountainous Chiapas region we arrive at the fascinating colonial city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Situated in the middle of the highlands, here you will find Mexico's richest example of indigenous culture, as it is surrounded by 21 indigenous villages with distinct languages, dress and customs. Red tiled houses painted in brilliant colours dominate the city, maintaining a delightful provincial charm. There are numerous interesting museums to see such as the Amber Museum, the Coffee Museum, the Maya Medicine Museum, and the 'Na Bolom' Cultural Centre.

We can enjoy an included tour of the nearby villages where you can buy beautifully made local handicrafts and get a true feel for how modern descendents of the ancient Maya people live today. The tour gives you a fascinating insight into their pre-Columbian beliefs and their daily struggle to be heard in what is one of Mexico's most isolated regions.

There is also an option to visit the stunning Sumidero Canyon on a guided speedboat tour along a 30 kilometre section of the Grijalva river to the hydro-electric dam. There are plenty of opportunities to photograph local wildlife such as birds, crocodiles and iguanas. The cliffs towering over the river reach 100 metres at the highest point, which will provide a dramatic backdrop to your pictures.

Day 8 to 9 - Palenque

Next we take a scenic and lengthy bus journey to Palenque. You will pass beautiful views as we travel for just over five hours to the town and ruins of Palenque, famous for the tombs found filled with riches in honour of the renowned Lord Pakal and the Red Queen. This archaeological site houses more than 200 structures including a series of hilltop temples, towers, tombs and pyramids surrounded by steamy jungle. The most important constructions, which date back to the Classical period (400-700 AD) are the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Crypt, the Palace complex, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, and the Temple of the Sun. Decorated with elaborate friezes, sculptures and inscriptions, Palenque is unquestionably one of the most important Mayan archaeological sites. Paths cutting through the jungle lead to various temples and the gorgeous waterfalls, where over time, strange figures have taken shape in the rock formations. A local guide may offer you the extra option of going on a forest walk where you can see unexcavated ruins enveloped in jungle.

Other attractions near Palenque include the fantastic Agua Azul Nature Reserve with more than 200 small waterfalls, and the incredible Misol-Ha waterfall with a 30 metre drop (optional half day tour includes both these falls).

Day 10 to 11 - Mérida

Today we spend a full day on buses as we head from Palenque to Merida. After a short walk to the bus terminal, we board a first class bus and the journey will take the whole day. Capital of the Yucatan province, the 'white city' of Mérida is a pleasant mixture of colonial buildings, churches and plazas. The markets simply overflow with beautiful weavings, hammocks and batiks, making this a great place to buy handmade crafts and souvenirs. At night the city comes alive with live theatre and concerts. There are many city excursions on offer here, from a comprehensive hop on/hop off bus tour exploring the greater city area to a relaxing horse-drawn carriage tour around the cobbled streets of El Centro and Pasaje Montejo Boulevard. If you want to explore the region near Mérida you could visit the small fishing town of Celestún with its large flamingo population. You could also take a swim in the local 'cenotes' (sen-o-tays), fresh-water swimming holes connected by spectacular limestone caverns and deep underwater rivers once sacred to the ancient Maya, covering the entire Yucatan peninsula.

Day 12 to 12 - Cancún

Before going to Cancun, we travel on a bus to Chichén Itzá, an impressive Maya/Toltec site recently voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Constructed between the 7th and 10th century AD, Chichén Itzá was a centre of pilgrimage for the Maya for over 1000 years. Among the sights your local guide will point out during the tour of the site are the ball court where the captain of the winning team was beheaded (no incentive to play your best!) and the sacred cenote where treasures and the remains of human sacrifices have been discovered. The most famous attraction is the great Pyramid of Kukulcan, dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulcan and built with such precision that a shadow serpent descends down the steps during the equinox. After soaking up the beauty of Chichén Itzá, we have plenty of time to relax on the long bus to Cancun.

Until 1970 Isla Cancún (Cancún Island) had only three residents, the caretakers of the coconut plantation with only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Juarez, a fishing village and military base. The island was home to some of the Caribbean's most beautiful beaches and with the advent of mass market tourism it was an ideal location. Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on an unknown area however, the Mexican government had to finance the first nine hotels.

Today over two million visitors a year, come to Cancún to relax on one of the beautiful beaches in what is now known as the 'hotel zone' and to swim in the crystal clear turquoise waters. If the activity of Cancún becomes too much for you, you can always take a ferry out to the more relaxed Isla Mujeres or arrange a snorkelling or diving excursion.

Day 13 to 13 - Depart Cancún

Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.

I stay in Cancún one extra day before returning to Phoenix.