10/11/08 Lunes (Monday) Mexico
Well today we are on our way to Chichen Itza. So we wake up at 7am to pack (we found it easier to pack in the morning because if we pack the night before we end up repacking in the morning as you need various items in the night) breakfast was provided- pancakes and coffee (though with powered milk, but I shouldn’t kick the gift horse in the mouth. (Damo just informed me it is "look" but I guess you shouldn’t kick one either.)

Just like when Paul (Sydney neighbor) said “the boat is in their court”.

Anyway bought the last tickets on the first class bus to Chichen Itza.
So the bus system is much easier and more convenient than in Guatemala, I mean for one there is a waiting area. There is luxury class which must be pretty good as first class is fab, then there is first class which is a bit like a airplane with more leg room ( TV, toilet, CLEAN, allocated seating, seat belts, the driver wears a tie and cufflinks, check in baggage every thing except food and alcohol. Maybe that’s what luxury class offers!). And second class from what I can work out still looks like decent buses just no aircon or dunny and no check in baggage.

So we are currently on the bus and the driver keeps on swerving to miss pot-holes at least I think that’s what he is swerving. I can’t really see over the big comfy seats. I hope he is not swerving around people.

Well we arrived at Chichen Itza and caught a taxi to the neighbouring town of Piste for accommodation. The only accommodation at Chichen Itza is luxury. After finding a nice place we unpacked and headed for lunch and off to Chichen Itza,
Firstly there were loads and loads of people and heaps of buses, we bought tickets and headed in. In our guide book (2nd hand and only 4 yrs old) it stated that all the stalls of tacky merchandise were supposed to be in a confined market area but I guess after 4 yr its has changed as nearly every path was lined with stalls, “one dollar” was echoed as stall owner were attempting to get the cashed up capitalist tourists to buy cheap crap that was probably not even made in Mexico. There was one part of the path that was narrow and the “one dollar” became more of an aggressive term as we tried to quickly pass. And if you heaven forbid stopped to take a picture or admire the beauty of the Mayan architecture they would follow saying “ ONE DOLLAR, ONE DOLLAR, which one you like, special price for you”. Kinda like a scene out of a zombie movie.
Besides the ridiculous amount of stalls, which I think is either the fault of the tourists for buying the stuff and encouraging the behaviour or the government for letting so many stalls be present. I mean it was 15$ to get in, times that by thousands and I didn’t see any restoration going on, in fact paths were closed so you could not see all the monuments. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy we saw it, the engraving on the temples were beautiful but if I had to recommend between Tikal or Chichen Itza it would be Tikal for so many reasons.

After Chichen Itza we chilled out in Piste where we purchased a bottle of Mexican fermented Sugar-cane juice for $1.2, it was not too bad. Damo described it as watered down vodka. Off to Campeche tomorrow.

HEAPS MORE PHOTOS OF MEXICO SO FAR AND BELIZE.

AND GUATEMALA IF YOU MISSED THE LINK EARLIER...