Day 43: Copan ruin in Honduras

The ruin in Copan Honduras, recognized as world heritage in 1980, is just around the Guatemala border.  The ruin is considered the best of Maya art due to the uniqueness and complicity of its countless sculptures. 

Copan ruin is the only ruin that presents traces of Mayan female king, and it also attracts more archaeologists' attention and researches than other Maya ruins do.  As such, it became the most widely understood ruin in Maya world.

I once read a bloger´s comment on Copan: if Tikal Guatemala is New York of the ancient Maya world, then Copan is just like Paris at its time.

The ruin is just ten to fifteen minutes walking distance away from Copan downtown.  Ticket is 15 USD.

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Day 20: Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is the most important Maya ruin in Guatemala, and this is why I would visit it even after so many ruins in Mexico.

However, it is really pricy to visit Tikal. Ticket is 150Q (600 NTD), so expensive when u compare with 51 pesos for any of the ruins in Mexico. Tikal is 1.5 hrs from Flores, round trip cost for shuttle bus is 80 Q. Other people who travelled with me from Palenque to Flores all registered a 150 Q tour, including bus and tour guide.

The shuttle bus stopped at a restaurant outside of the site, where they got everyone to eat breakfast, and we realized the food there is also very pricy. The travel agency picked us up in our hotel at 4:30, claimed that to reach the site earlier, we could see the sunrise, but actually, it was totally bright when we reached the restaurant. So most likely, they just want us to spend in the restaurant.

I did not pay for any tour guide both in Mexico and Tikal, as I don't think I can absorb that much knowledge. Also, u can always find information on internet or Lonely Planet, and there are always free WiFi and Lonely Planet in hostel. The other reason not recruiting a guide is that I walk at my own tempo. Guides usually would try to squeeze ur time.

In addition to the ruins, Tikal is a good place for u to learn the biology. As I went to the site very early, I saw many animals, monkeys, birds and unknown animals, before they got disturbed by the tide of tourists.

Tikal is pretty much similar to the ruin in Palenque, it is inside the jungles. But both my roommate and myself prefer Palenque over Tikal.

It should be my last Maya ruin in this trip. There are also ruins in Belize, Honduras and Salvador. But I have to skip them, as I need more time for southern America. The rest agenda in central America will be natural scene oriented. Also, spare some money for activities like climbing a volcano, diving, or spend some luxury time in small islands and national parks.

see how close the animals to you

They are everywhere in the site.

Various sorts of birds here, but very difficult to catch them, only one can share.

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Day 15: visited Tulum beach and the ruins

more pictures please check 20111020_Beach & Ruin in Tulum, Mexico

Went to the beach and the ruins in the morning. A ruin by the beach is just as great as a ruin in a rain forest. And this one I paid only the 51 peso ticket, no maintenance fee.

Tulum is very close to Cancun, so many ppl who visit Cancun will arrange a one day tour to see the ruins in Tulum. Another ruin, Copa is 45 minutes away, many would visit it too. I didn't go to Copa, ad I have seen many ruins.

The beach is free, if u don't want to visit any more ruin, u can still find ur way to get to the beach.

The guy from China cooked lunch for me. Really lucky in this hostel. When I checked in last night, no bed available in the female dorm, a lady happened to know about this, so she moved to the mixed dorm, then I could stay in the female dorm.

This morning, in the beach, a Spanish guy let me use his sunglasses, as mine was stolen. When I report the theft, the police wad surprised to know my sunglasses is more expensive than my small Acer laptop, I told him, that's why Taiwan ppl have to work so hard.

Later today, met another lady from Taiwan, who has been travelling from southern to central America for six months. She shared with me how to protect my stuff as well as the bus information.

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Day 14: visited Chichen Itza and moved to Tulum

more pictures please check here 20111019_Ruins in Chichen Itza, Mexico

Took morning bus to Chichen Itza, 65 pesos. Bus departs every hour and takes u two hours to get to the site.

This one u have to pay 115 pesos maintenance fee as well. But I gave this second thought, it is still much cheaper than all the places I visited in China.

This site is considered one of the new seven wonders in the world, so is definitely the most popular site in Mexico. Probably too many ppl, visitors are now not allowed to step on any pyramid and building. Everything is surrounded by a fence.

Traveled to Tulum after the visit. Stayed at Weary Traveller Hostel, only a few meters from the bus station, 130 pesos for dorm. More days u stay, more discount u will get. This hostel is picked by Lonely Planet, so many ppl. It was really noisy as western backpackers party all night. Tonight they offered free salsa class.

Met a guy from China and he cooked vegetable to share with me.

They never miss any chance to kiss each other.

People sit around to enjoy the sunshine.

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Day 13: visited Uxmal ruins

more pictures please check here 20111018_ruins in Uxmal,Mexico

Bus to Uxmal ruins will take u one hour. Not very frequent, three departures in the morning and three returns from the site in the afternoon. Each way costs u 44 pesos. The return bus we took was supposed to pick us up around 5pm, but we got on the bus only after 6pm.

We were surprised to know this site, in addition to the 51 pesos ticket, requests 115 pesos for maintenance fee. Probably because it is really too popular and too many tourists. People all say, number 1 popular is Chichen Itza and Uxmal ranks the second. Palenque is number 3 popular now.

It was rainy, but only small showers on and off, and luckily I got a pair of Gore Tex.

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Day 10: Palenque National Park and Zona Arqueologica Palenque

more pictures please check20111015_Zona Arqueologica Palenque, Mexico

I lost my laptop, so can only use my phone to document my trip now. So, it will be just very simple description of what I do everyday. U can always go to my PICASA to see the photo I take everyday. Not likely to list the linkage here. For first hand information, please add me to ur Facebook. (So, sorry if any typo, that happens all the time typing on phone)

The site is inside a national park, so in addition to the 51 peso ticket, u need to pay 25 pesos for the admission of the park. There are many small tour agencies on the streets, which will bring u to the site, but u can get to the site simply by taking ant shuttle on the street, 10 peso for each ride.

The site to me is just like Ankor Wat in a rain forest, this really differentiates Palenque from other ruins in Mexico. Also, there were much more foreign visitors here than in Monte Alban.

After the visit, I was so starving, as again, there is no food in the site, and the walk took me a few hours. I went to a small local restaurant and a lady showed me a newspaper with my picture. They reported the theft. wow,I don't know they were so serious about it.

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Day 8: Monte Alban at Oaxaca

The biggest pleasure you can get from traveling is always that something you don’t expect too much turns out amazes you the most.

more pictures are hereMonte Alban at Oaxaca, Mexico

Monte Alban, half hour away from downtown Oaxaca by bus, is located on a hilltop. When we reached the site, we just burst “wow”, it is really amazing, as it looks still pretty “complete” as an ancient city. The sign said it is the earliest urban “system” in America. The system consists not only religion places, but also government offices. Its urban planning was considered most sophisticated at its time.

Monte Alban is a place where, when you think you already have the best part of it, and you continue your walk in the site, it will show you an even more incredible view of it.

As it is in a hilltop, the entire site is covered by green grass and dotted by a lot of flowers and trees. You can rest at any place or sit on any stairway in the site, just let the wind flip through your face and smell the refreshment of grass. I personally like it better than Teotihuacan.

I lost my camera and can only show you the pictures taken by my phone.

You can take a bus in downtown Oaxaca, it will cost you 40 pesos for a round trip, and the return time is scheduled 3 hours post arriving time. Ticket to the site is 51 pesos. Instead of punching on the ticket, the security guy tear it into two pieces, my heart was broken as he did so, as I planned to make all the tickets we could obtain in Mexico a collection.

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