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Dan & Lisa Goy
Entering the State of Yucatan
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Dan & Lisa Goy
Uxmal Camping at Sunrise -Pyramid in background
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Dan & Lisa Goy
Lisa with Great Pyramid & Jungle behind
Words by Dan & Lisa Goy
Ask anyone who has vacationed in the Mayan Riviera or Cancun and they will tell you about their visit to the Mayan Ruins of Chichen Itza or Tulum. These archeological sites are a favourite with throngs of tourists staying in all-inclusive resorts along the Yucatan’s Caribbean coast. For RVers the Mayan archeological site Uxmal, also in the state of Yucatan, is a must-see destination. Founded around 500 AD, Uxmal was still in use by the Mayans when Cortez arrived in 1518. For us, getting there was a relatively short and scenic drive on Highway 261 (169 km/105 miles) from Campeche. It's a quiet, decent road and we were only passed once. As soon as crossed over into the state of Yucatan the road got even better, sometimes a little narrow but us Baja drivers tight conditions.
There is no true RV Park or Campground, however, adjacent to the official Uxmal entrance is a large level grass field. We didn't realize until after we got the group parked that the Mayan ruin was directly behind us. Another bonus was the Lodge at Uxmal, directly across from our dry camping. The cost for our fabulous camping spot, within walking distance of the ruins, was only 130 pesos per day, about $10 Canadian. For another 50 pesos, you could get access to the Hotel's WiFi and the pool. The restaurant was also convenient.
Dan & Lisa Goy
Choco Story Museo
In addition to the archeological site and location, we were within walking distance to the very unique Choco-Story Museo; cocoa beans were highly valued and traded in the Mayan world. The museum, arranged as a series of traditional thatched-roof houses presenting different themes, focuses as much on cocoa's mystical significance to the Maya as on the confection itself. The stone that links the huts winds through a veritable botanical garden, with signs explaining the importance of such plants as henequén (sisal), pomegranate, habanero pepper, tamarind, lime, guava, and of course the cacao tree. Cacao is rarely grown in the Yucatán today because of the thin, rocky soil, but the Puuc region — one of the very few places where you'll encounter anything resembling a hill — has deeper soil covering the limestone shelf that forms the peninsula, as well as higher rainfall than in the coastal areas. We found this Museo at Uxmal fantastic as it brings to life the Mayan culture and the ancient Mayans’ reverence for cacao as being a sacred food. We also enjoyed the Mayan ceremony at the Choco-story Museo that paid tribute to cacao. We spent most of an afternoon exploring the historic chocolate-making equipment and paraphernalia on-site, enjoying the eco-park and the featured flora and fauna, shopping in the chocolate and gift shop, and taking part in some of the hands-on classes.
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Dan & Lisa Goy
Group Photo at Uxmal
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Dan & Lisa Goy
Lodge at Uxmal Pool
We spent almost an entire day at Uxmal touring this ancient Mayan capital. The entrance fee was about 2.50 CAD and after getting through our group hired a local guide, Palo, for about 25 CAD. Four hours later we were much more informed about the Mayan civilization and the general history of the Mayan culture. Palo was an excellent guide and I would recommend him to anyone. This ancient Maya city is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Chichen Itza in Mexico; Caracol and Xunantunich in Belize, and Tikal in Guatemala. Uxmal has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its significance. Although most of the city's major construction took place while Uxmal was the capital of a Late Classic Maya state around 850-925 AD. After about 1000 AD, Toltec invaders took over, and most construction ceased by 1100 AD. Early colonial documents suggest that Uxmal was still an inhabited place of some importance into the 1550s, however, since Spanish did not build a town here, Uxmal was soon abandoned.
Our time at Uxmal also included some pool time at the resort, dinner at the restaurant and in the evening we attended a light show at Nunnery Quadrangle (Government Palace). All the seating was arranged on the highest building overlooking the rectangle opening. The experience was very loud, with flashing coloured lights, which bathed the site in many different colours. At the same time, a narrative of the history of the Mayan people and the subsequent conquest was read, much as you would read out loud to a group of children. Make sure your Spanish is good.
For RVers, Uxmal is highly recommended as it has all the features of all the other popular Mayan ruins (Ball Courts, Governor’s Palace, Pyramids, Feathered serpents) without the crush of thousands of tourists and dozens of busses. Everything is within 15 minutes of your RV, as well.