Thursday, July 08, 2010

Traveling in Mexico: Chichen Itza

This post is about traveling to the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula named "Chichen Itza".

Location:
- Yucatan Peninsula, about 3 hours drive from Cancun or Merida depending on which direction your coming from.
- The main highway to the national park (Chichen Itza) is a toll road, you can take a longer ride there if you wish without tolls, but that road is a two lane road and takes about an hour longer to get to your destination (it is also generally safer on the toll road).

Best way to travel there:
- This trip I chose to take a tour bus, saving me the headache and aggravation of renting a car and having to drive myself, initially I wasn't sure about this choice as I have done the drive to 'Chichen' a couple of times before, once on the two lane road and again on the toll road.  I will say it now and repeat it later; "take the tour bus". You can always modify your choice later, later in the post I will share tips and tricks while on the tour, to make your time more enjoyable.
- Turns out this was the best choice ever, I didn't appreciate being on a schedule per se, but it was well worth it overall. I ended up seeing a new spot that I wouldn't have seen otherwise (Vallioid) and to top that off I was able to dive into a very large fresh-water Cenote (sinkhole, sounds worse in English, but it was a lot of fun and a 'must-do').


Things to think about prior to travel:
- A trip to Chichen Itza takes pretty much the whole day (6 hours total driving), eat before you go and bring lots of water.
- Depending upon the time of year you go, be prepared with an umbrella or rain poncho, the weather is variable and can change quickly.
- Bring a camera and video cam (be prepared video-cams are subject to an extra tax of 4 dollars, but if you take video on a digital camera it is not subject to the tax, go figure. note: I used my flip camera and didn't get a surcharge).
- Bring comfortable shoes, if you are there with a tour you will be walking for about 3 hours.
- Wear comfortable clothes, it is always hot and humid in this area (I like to wear good 'wicking' clothes, keeps me nice and comfortable no matter the weather).

Things that have changed:
- The amount of people in the park has grown exponentially (this time I went on Thursday, early in the low-travel season and it was still packed), for instance the first time I was there (late 80's ) there was only about 70 people total wandering around the park, this time I estimate that there were well over 2000 people wandering (or bumping into each other) around the park. It is big enough to hold all these people plus more, but if you want to take some people-less photos of some of the big objects there, good luck.
- They no longer allow people to the top of any of the objects (pyramid, ball park, temple of 1000 warriors or observatory amongst the notable things that used to be open to walk on, around and on top of. This was particularly saddening, as one is not truly able to appreciate the size of many of these things unless you have some reference point (the human body being an interesting one). The even removed the chains from the steps of the main temple, ensuring nobody is climbing to the top. :-(

Tips and tricks:
- Just because you came with a tour guide, doesn't mean you have to stay with a tour guide, make sure you know your bus number and time to meet, then walk on your own, discover all you can.
- The vendors inside of the park are actually there illegally, if you don't buy from them you are not supporting their illegal livelihood... if you do decide to buy from them, you will probably get a cheaper price for your goods, but again... are propping up bad behavior, choice is yours.
- I wouldn't buy any wood items, even from the reputable folks, unless it is made of cedar (and you know that how?) due to the cheaper wood being prone to termites, which you would be bringing back to your house AND after a year those pesky termites will have eaten your item, leaving it rotten and not looking as good as when you purchased it.
- Purchase items made of the local stone, this will ensure a good price as well as supporting local artisans, things like silver (plata), gold (oro) or stones like obsidian are not from this area, they are imported from other parts of Mexico and Central America. But hey, if you want to... go ahead and buy, you are still putting money into the local economy, even if you are not buying their goods. :-)
- Culturally, it is good to bargain for any items (no, not at WalMart or eateries, but just about anywhere else is a go), my strategy is this:
  • Have a 'number' that your willing to pay, ready before you engage in conversation
  • Ask the vendor what their lowest price is (hint, this is only the start of the discussion and it is usually the highest price they feel comfortable asking for)
  • Respond with a number about 33-50% lower than what your willing to pay (don't worry, this is your start of the bargaining cycle)
  • The vendor will tell you that they cannot do it, it is too low, they are unable to feed their family (etc, etc) and they will supply you with another number, lower than their initial number, but far more than your initial number.
  • You can then choose one of two tact's, either give them your walk-away number (the price your willing to pay) or give them another number in the 20% range of your walk-away number. If you choose the first, be prepared to actually walk away (or pretend to do so), if you want to play some more, then choose option 2 and have fun with it.
  • It is likely you will end up paying what you wanted to, unless it wasn't reasonable for that item. 
If you are ever in Cancun,  I highly suggest that you make at least one visit to Chichen Itza, it will be well worth the time and effort.

Happy travels, Ken

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Cancun 2010: tips and tricks

Well hello, been a long time since firing up the ol blog.
Thought I would pass along some tips and tricks for those traveling to Cancun, Mexico.

The location and weather:
Cancun is located in the southeast tip of Mexico in our northern hemisphere, a very tropical location (think Hawaii weather). It is hot and humid during most months. The one part of the year where the weather is a little less friendly is during hurricane season (approximately July-September), my experience here tells me that early July can still be very sunny with some rain but good weather overall, however your mileage may vary as Hurricanes come when they want. :-)

What to do:
So many things to talk about, so little blog time.
- see the many Mayan/Toltec ruins in the area (eg: Chichen Itza, Tulum or Cado),each have a distinct style and varied array of things to learn about the culture.
- visit Xel-Ha or one of the other Eco-tourist parks. I have been to Xel-Ha and really enjoy snorkeling in the lagoon with all of the different types of local seawater fish. Some of the others might be interesting as well but you should always research the parks so you know what type of experience your going to get for your money.
- play around on the white sand beaches of Cancun, note; if you really like beaches you might want to stay at an all inclusive along the Mayan Riviera, or along the Northside of the island like the Fiesta Americana coral reef or the Riu. The water is generally calmer on the northside allowing you an opportunity to play around in the ocean as well as the pool.
- visit Playa Del Carmen or Isla Mujeres
- go downtown and explore the tranquil city life of old cancun
- don't forget some nice clothes to go out in, the nightlife here can be EPIC ;-)

How to get around:
There are lots of alternatives here, public bus, taxi, walking.
As in most vacation spots, taxis are generally a waste of money, unless of course it is raining and you have a long distance to travel, then they are worth every cent.
The bus is super cheap, about 7.5 pesos to ride anywhere you want to go (that is less than a dollar at this writing).
Finally, walk... That is an awesome way to burn off those extra calories and get some air from that long night of partying.

What to avoid and how to avoid it:
Let's face it, everyone needs a job to survive... In Cancun, one of the most annoying is the timeshare industry, they hound you at the airport, they hound you when walking back to your hotel (at least it is better than it used to be).
So let's talk details, at the airport when going to pick up your bags, you will be accosted by people in white outfits telling you "this way to transportation", what ever you do... DO NOT pay any attention to them, just walk right past them, they are going to try to waste your time with a "free meal and activities", what you will get is a buffet meal and some discounted activities at the cost of one day of your vacation to listen to time share sales pitches. Not worth the time, try it if you must but it is a waste of time.

You also might encounter them along some sidewalks, take my advice and do what the locals do, just ignore them and go along your merry way. Of course they will not be happy with that, but so what... Or you could do what I did (my kids found it hilarious).
When approached on the street, the guy asked 'habla usted espanol?' and my reply was 'no, I speak Japanese', he stopped for a second then asked 'are your from the US?' to which my reply was 'somos Japonese' which is spanish for we are Japanese. I confused him so much he wasn't quite sure how to respond, my kids of course were rolling on the floor laughing as they caught the irony of my responses immediately.

Some parting thoughts:
- use your credit card in most places, you will get a better exchange rate.
- if you cannot use a credit card (or don't feel comfortable in some places) then have some cash handy and exchange it at your hotel, it is always good to have some local cash on hand, but don't cash too much as the hotel exchange rates are not the best.
- as with any other country, try to speak the local language, people will appreciate it, even if you don't do so well. But just in case you don't speak Spanish, not to worry, most places you will encounter someone that speaks Spanish and is willing go assist.

Happy travels, Ken