The white colectivo van left from a small yard just west of the municipal market in San Cristobal. On a chilly morning there was no standing on ceremony, no queuing: when the next colectivo spun around the corner and into the yard, everyone pushed to the front to be sure of a seat. Taken unawares, … Continue reading the feast of saint john the baptist

It took five hours, an increase in elevation of 2,200 metres and a decrease in temperature of more than 20˚C, to make the journey into the mountains to the town of San Cristobal de las Casas. This was a much more interesting journey than the relatively uneventful, sanitised motorway trips we’d undertaken so far. The … Continue reading San Cristobal de las Casas

A thirty-peso taxi ride took us from the bus station in Mérida to Casa Alvarez, a friendly guest house run by the lovely Enrique and Miriam, and Charlie the cat. We were given the “penthouse” for the same price as a regular room – they must have liked the look of us. After our rather … Continue reading Mérida

We arrived in Chichen Itzá in the early afternoon after an uneventful two-hour bus ride from Tulum. The free left-luggage room in the ancient ruins complex was unexpected but welcome, so we opted to explore first and find our hotel later. On a Sunday afternoon the place was thronged with busloads of Mexican and foreign … Continue reading the long walk