Destinations
William Lawson
A Yucatan Adventure for Driving Enthusiasts!
A Yucatan Adventure for Driving Enthusiasts!
William Lawson
And there was the cenote…
And there was the cenote…
William Lawson
Ni Chac - A Yucatan Bourdain Moment
Ni Chac - A Yucatan Bourdain Moment
William Lawson
Hacienda Chochoh, a Dog, and some Flowers

Doggies, hacienda and flowers

Hacienda Chochoh, a Dog, and some Flowers
Destinations
William Lawson
Wild Lunch at Codornejo - Akil, Yucatan

…wild lunch in Akil Yucatan…

Wild Lunch at Codornejo - Akil, Yucatan

The Spectacular Yaxcopoil Hacienda

Yaxcopoil Hacienda is a Must-See

Along with the Hacienda Ochil, another great place to stop for photos and get a real feel for the history of the Yucatan (the great wealth of a privileged few built on the burnt backs of an exploited many) is the Hacienda Yaxcopoil.

Once a 25,000 acre cattle ranch dating from the 1600's, this hacienda or plantation turned to the production of henequen or sisal when it became clear that this was where the big money was. 

At the hacienda (current admission price 75 pesos per person) you can self-tour through the site and admire the enormous wealth evident by the construction details throughout (check out the machine and warehouse rooms!) as well as furniture, photographs and maps, books, glassware and much more. The property also contained many Mayan ruins including a ball court and many of the ceramics, stellae and other carved stone elements found are on display as well.

 

Izamal aka the Yellow City

Why is this city yellow? It depends on whom you ask. One theory says it was always yellow, while another and in my opinion more believable theory states that it was painted Vatican yellow in honor of Pope John Paul's visit here.

That's right, the Pope came here and if the Pope can get all the way over here from his comfy palace in the Vatican, so can you. 

Izamal is about an hour and a bit outside of Merida, towards Cancun on highway 180. There isn't a lot to do on the way, unless you count the town of Kimbilá, which is known for its textiles although a recent visit left me feeling a little Shania about the whole place: So you have hipiles? That don't impress me much.

In Izamal itself, you should visit the monastery, which has as its front yard the second largest atrium (after the Vatican) in the WORLD. That's right. And the whole structure is on the base of a Mayan pyramid that once stood here and whose stones were used for the construction of this and other buildings around town.  

There is still the Kinich Kakmo pyramid just across the way, a few blocks walk actually and very near the Kinich restaurant which serves up splendid Yucatecan fare and is a must-visit when in town.  

Other interesting places in Izamal are the combination embroidery shop/herbal medicine place (you will have to ask) as well as plenty of handicrafts and artisans goods at several galleries and boutiques. One thing to keep in mind is that if you should visit the shirtless man in charge of the herbal remedies for everything from cancer to impotence to AIDS and want to engage him in a conversation, make some time available as he will go on for hours. 

A Trip through Merida's Market

More than just fruit and vegetables!​

A walk through the maze that is Merida's main market is an experience like no other, especially if you are new to Mexican markets in general. ​

There is fruit and there are vegetables of course, some of which you will not have seen before and others that are more familiar. Small stands run by hipil-clad Mayan women who have brought their radishes, cilantro and ground pumpkin seeds to sell and other, larger stands with every possible citrus fruit imaginable.​

There are spices, pastes, condiments and even small bags of pork lard that look like homemade silicone breast implants, all liquid and jiggly and an essential ingredient to any Yucatecan meal.

Live birds, rabbits and puppies along with all manner of hardware, freshly slaughtered meat and of course tiny stalls serving something fried and yummy, round out the experience which can sometimes be accompanied by live music in the form of a small 3 piece "band" playing loudly for merchants and their customers. Leave a tip in their jar and you will be rewarded with a smile or a nod, perhaps.

Ek Nakan Church

​The amazingly Gothic church in the tiny village of Ek Nakan, on the road to the cenotes of Chunkanan is so very photogenic. If you are there in the morning or when there is an event happening, you may even be able to peek inside.​

Chunkanan Cenotes

Also called the Cuzama cenotes, these are very popular at the time of this writing (2013) and it is not recommended - by me - to visit them on Mondays unless you are part of a cruise ship excursion (you have no choice, really), or on weekends and Mexican holidays. There is no limit to the amount of people the folks in the village of Chunkanan and Cuzama will take into the cenotes and the resulting crowds will cause waiting and also take away from what is normally a magical cenote swim experience.

The access to the three cenotes is via horse-drawn rail platforms known locally as "trucks". Guess what language that comes from? Yeah, you guessed it.

The local gossip is that the Chunkanan folks started this tour, then the Cuzama folks got envious and wanted in so they started from their end as well. Now, the latest scuttlebutt is that the last cenote is on land belonging to the nearby town of Acanceh and so they have told the Chunkanan and Cuzama people that they can no longer access it. Too many people are trying to get as much money as they can, and what suffers is the experience. Maintenance issues are also a source of conflict as each group tosses the ball to the other. Since these three towns started the conflict, there have been fistfights between the groups at Chunkanan and Cuzama; the Cuzama folks will try to stop you on the highway so you don't go to Chunkanan but you can comfortably ignore them and continue for another 3 minutes and give the folks at Chunkanan your business as it was their idea in the first place. hat will happen with Acanceh entering the picture is anyone's guess at this moment.