Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is the most visited of the Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. The main attraction is “El Castillo”, or the castle, also known as the pyramid of Kukulcan. You can see it as my header at the top of the page. El Castillo has 91 steps on each of its four sides. Visitors were allowed to climb the pyramid up until 2006 when a tourist fell to her death from the top. There are many other popular ruins and attractions here such as The Great Court, Ossario, Temple of the Thousand Columns, Temple of the Warriors and Cenote Sagado. At The Great Court, you can speak to fellow tourists a football field away with just a whisper! The entire complex of Chichen Itza lies out along strict astronomical lines and seems to have served as a giant calendar of cosmic clock.

The Tour

There are many full day tours offered of the Chichen Itza area. We were in Mexico in September so the day we took the tour it was about 100 degrees outside. My mom and I stayed in the shopping area while my dad took the tour. He ended up getting sun poisoning but he said it was an amazing experience otherwise.

Our day long tour consisted of many features:

• Guided tour of the ruins by a professional English Speaking Guide.
• Vist to the Eco-archeological Park Ik-Kil. Ik-Kil is a cenote or sinkhole in the jungle
• Buffet lunch in a Mexican Restaurant
• Mexican dance show during your lunch

Since I didn’t get to see the whole Chichen Itza park, the best part of the trip was the Ik-Kil cenote. I had never seen anything like it in my life. Unfortunately, I did not wear a bathing suit so I could not go swimming in it. However, I did take some beautiful pictures.

Ik-Kil Cenote

Nature's swimming pool

Looking up

El Castillo

More ruins

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is the third largest city in the state of Quintana Roo, after the cities of Cancún and Chetumal. Playa del Carmen was originally a small fishing town with ferry service to the island of Cozumel. It became popular after many realized it was a nice place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of Cancun, but with the same quality beaches. Tourist activity in Playa del Carmen centers on Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, which stretches across 40 streets. There is a large pedestrian walkway located about 2 small blocks from the beach. Fifth Avenue is lined with tons of shops, bars and restaurants. We spent a lot of time in Playa del Carmen because it was only a 15 minute cab ride away from our hotel. We ate at one restaurant where we were serenaded by a couple of men with acoustic guitars. Walking along Fifth Avenue, you will be shouted at from many store owners asking you to come inside their stores. A big item here is Mexican silver. Keep in mind these people are sometimes pretty desperate to make a sale and you can almost always bargain with them. I got a good deal on a silver bracelet and ring.  Even though the store owners can get annoying, they are very nice and accommodating to tourists.

View of the ocean from downtown

Man in costume on Fifth Ave.

The beach at Playa del Carmen

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatan Peninsula. The Maya name “Chich’en Itza” means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza.” This derives from chi’, meaning “mouth” or “edge”, and ch’e'en, meaning “well.” Itzá is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that gained political and economic dominance of the northern peninsula. These ruins exhibit a bunch of different architectural styles, from what is called “In the Mexican Origin” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site is maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. The land under the monuments had been privately-owned until March 29, 2010, when it was purchased by the state of Yucatan. I will be dedicating the next blog post to the tour we took of Chichen Itza because I have a lot of information and pictures to share.

Out of the myriad of hotels in the Riviera Maya area, we decided to stay at the Valentin Imperial Maya, which turned out to be a great choice for us. One of the reasons for this is because it was an adults only resort, which sounds dirty, but it just means no screaming, crying kids.

The Room

All the rooms at this hotel are suites. Our particular suite was gorgeous. The building we were in had a swim-up pool right in the back, which was very convenient. The resort was huge, so instead of trekking all the way to the pool area, you can just step right out of your suite.  The room was huge with two queen sized beds and a TV and another area with a couch and a TV. The bathroom is huge and we had a large balcony overlooking the pool. The pool was great but since it was only about 4 feet deep it would get really warm sometimes which feels gross to swim in. That’s what you get for going to Mexico in September.

The view from our balcony

The Grounds

The grounds of this place are amazing. The landscaping is beautiful and well maintained. There are always workers tending to it. Every place within the hotel is a walkable distance, but if you’re old or just feeling lazy, you can call a golf cart to pick you up at any time. There is a huge plaza near the lobby which contains stores, restaurants, bars, and a spa. At night you can always find musical entertainment in the courtyard.

One of the courtyards

Pretty walkway

The Food

Since this is an all-inclusive resort, you do not need to pay for any of the restaurants. Valentin Imperial Maya has restaurants specializing in steak, seafood, Mexican, French, Italian, Japanese, Thai, and Indonesian cuisine. There are also two restaurants that serve breakfast and lunch buffets throughout the day. The food at all of them varied from a B- to an A. The service was great in all of them. There is a dress code at most of the restaurants, which basically means no shorts or flip flops. There are a few things that stuck out to me. I remember that the Italian place made a sad excuse of a calzone; but what do you really expect from a resort in Mexico? The rest of the dishes at the Italian restaurant were good. The Mexican restaurant also stuck out to me because I am a huge Mexican fan. One night I decided to try chocolate covered enchiladas. This sounded pretty good to me at first, but after tasting them, I think there should be a rule against mixing cheese with chocolate.

Would I go here again?

Yes. Definitely. This place is made for couples, not families, so I would probably go with a male companion.

Anyone traveling to the Cancun/Riviera Maya area needs to know the following information:

My story:

After my parents and I landed at the Cancun airport, we were led to the place where we were supposed to pick up the van to escort us to our hotel in Riviera Maya. There were people holding up signs for all the local hotels, so naturally we followed the person for our hotel, The Valentin Imperial Maya. A young woman led us to a kiosk and took out a map of the area. She showed us where everything was and was very helpful. Then she started talking about The Mayan Palace. She told us that most hotels in the area generate revenue for other countries, but the Mayan Palace was Mexican owned and Mexico needs the money to go back into their country. She said that if we went to The Mayan Palace for a free breakfast and short presentation, we would receive a big discount on tour tickets. This interested my parents who ended up buying tickets at a discount through The Mayan Palace for the Chichen Itza tour. We agreed to go to the breakfast and “presentation” the next day.

The next day someone came to pick us at our hotel and drove us over to The Mayan Palace. We were starving when we first got there and they made us spend about an hour filling out paperwork and asking my parents about their yearly income and work schedules. Then we were led by a nice man to breakfast, which I have to admit was delicious. After breakfast and telling us about his large family, he gave us a tour of the premises and we ended up in a big conference room filled with tables of other innocent travelers being grilled about timeshares. My parents aren’t dumb so they kept giving excuses about why we could not have a timeshare. They also told the man that they would not agree to anything without having our lawyer look at it first. We ended up in the place for about two hours until we finally got up and left. This ruined our first day in Riviera Maya.

Don’t believe me? Listen to this traveler’s account:

Of course we were practically abducted at the airport by the timeshare salesmen. Once we agreed to the 90 minute breakfast and “tour’. That is the point all pleasantries ended. They did not tell us it was 45 minutes from cancun in the middle of nowhere and NO decent beach… They try to make up for that with decent pools.. But come on, you go to cancun area you want beaches. There are plenty of super nice ones at other places. We already own a timeshare so we were only interested in seeing the property to plan a future trip. The sales presentation was a total scam… WOW… I have never seen anything quite so aggressive. We had to finally ask to be taken back to our hotel.

I’m sure by now you’re tired of hearing about Costa Rica, so I’m going to move on to another vacation hot spot a bit more north.

Destination:

Riviera Maya, also known as the Mayan Riviera, is located on the Caribbean coastline of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, most famous for Cancun. Riviera Maya stretches from the city of Playa del Carmen to the village of Tulum, although recently the towns of Puerto Morelos and Felipe Carillo Puerto are being promoted as part of the Riviera Maya tourist corridor.

Why Riviera Maya?

Riviera Maya is well-known for its large all-inclusive hotels and various historical sites. I will review one of these all-inclusive hotels, the Valentin Imperial Maya, in a future entry. The highway along the coast, highway 307, is loaded with all-inclusive resorts, as well as smaller hotels and fine-dining restaurants. Rivera Maya boasts the second longest barrier reef system in the world. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is home to more than 65 species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish.

What to do there

Popular activities in Riviera Maya include scuba diving, snorkeling, Jet Skiing, zip-lining, horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, sailing, and jungle tours. Mayan ruins are a huge tourist attraction, with the ancient town of Tulum on the coast and the ruins of Chichen Itza located a few hours inland. Two other popular destinations in Riviera Maya are the natural water theme parks, Xcaret and Xel-Ha. At these two popular sites you can explore underground rivers, go on tours through the jungle, swim with captive dolphins, and even shop for Mexican art.

My family chose to go to Rivera Maya in September 2009, the height of swine flu season. As you can imagine, we got a pretty good deal on an all-inclusive hotel, and none of us ended up with swine flu! In my next update I will tell you what NOT to do when you land at the airport in Cancun.

Hotel Villa Teca

Sure, the Hotel La Mariposa was great, but what if you want to explore Manuel Antonio on a budget? There are many nearby hotels and hostels where you can enjoy this beautiful area without going broke. Here are some more affordable alternatives in the area that have high satisfaction rates.

Description: Villa Teca Hotel in Manuel Antonio features 20 villas, each with 2 rooms. They are on the slopes of the Manuel Antonio Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The villas are scattered throughout lush tropical vegetation that attracts numerous exotic birds and small wild animals.

Rooms Include: Air conditioning, cable/satellite TV, bathroom, refrigerator, and shower

Amenities: Amenities include dry cleaning services and laundry facilities. Parking is complimentary, and guests also have access to an outdoor swimming pool. The on-site restaurant offers a complimentary Continental breakfast, and features an international menu throughout the day.

Rates: Rates start at $80 a night for a single to $160 for a triple.

Hostel Manuel Antonio

Description: Hostel Manuel Antonio is located conveniently on the main road leading towards the famous Manuel Antonio National Park . They are family-owned and offer comfort and convenience at a great value.

Rooms Include:  You can choose between rooms equipped with refrigerators, cable TV, fan, a/c, hot water and private bathrooms.

Amenities: There is a swimming pool and laundry facilities. Breakfast is included.

Rates: Rates start at $12 a night for a basic 8 bed mixed dorm to $23 a night for a standard double bed private room.

Backpackers Hostel

Description: Backpackers Hostel is located about 10 minutes away from Hotel La Mariposa and across the street from the Manuel Antonio soccer field. The supermarket and liquor store are only 100 meters down the road. There is also a bank/ATM, pizzeria, cafes, fine dining as well as moderately priced restaurants, and some great bars, all within walking distance! They are set back from the road which creates a very safe and laid back atmosphere.

Rooms Include: Rooms include beds, hot water, fresh linens, and fans.

Amenities: Amenities include an internet room with wireless internet connection and computers, swimming pool with ocean view, full kitchen for guests, complimentary breakfast, cable TV, Tarzan swing, and Foosball table.

Rates: Rates start at $12 for a shared room to $35 for a private room with shared bathroom.

Horseback Riding

The mangrove tour was amazing, but the other tours I went on…not so much. But just because I didn’t enjoy them doesn’t mean other people won’t love them.

This horseback expedition will give you the opportunity to enjoy one of the most beautiful landscapes in the area while riding through primary rain forest and alongside waterfalls and a view of the valley. Discover the secrets of the forest and learn about exotic medicinal plants. To top off this unforgettable experience, the group will stop and take a dip in a natural pool, fed by the waterfalls of Quebrada Arroyo. Lunch or dinner is included.

The good:

 I went on this trip with my dad. Our tour guide was an English-speaking native who was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. He told us all about the local agriculture and plant-life and the way Costa Ricans use certain plants and flowers as herbal remedies. The horses were very calm and well-behaved. I had rode horses and ponies a few times before in my life, so it wasn’t a completely new experience. The scenery was beautiful and the stream that we swam in at the end was very refreshing

The bad:

The drive from our hotel to the horse ranch was VERY long, and to be honest I thought they were taking us to a remote location to kill us or sell us off into slavery. When we got there, the “restaurant” was a bit run down. They gave us some orange juice and some rice and beans. The orange juice was warm. However, the biggest problem for me was the bugs. Apparently my bug spray was not very effective because bugs kept landing all over me. I’m talking gigantic bugs and flies. Bugs are much bigger in Costa Rica. But I must give our guide credit for putting up with me every 2 seconds when I would start screaming.

My dad and I at the restaurant

Villa Vanilla

The Spice Plantation Tour is a half day tour and is available in the morning or afternoon.  You will experience the sights, tastes, and aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and other tropical spices, essential oil plants, and a wide variety of tropical ornamental plants.

The good:

We had a nice American tour guide who told us all about the plantation and what they grow. He showed us the way that vanilla is grown, cultivated, and processed. He even taught us how to pollinate vanilla flowers. After walking through the plantation, they brought us to a tree house where we got to taste some drinks and cookies prepared from spices on the farm. The tour ended at their “Spice Shoppe”, which is filled with stuff that they grew on the plantation like vanilla beans, cinnamon, pepper, and other spices.

The bad:

It rained the whole day which isn’t really surprising for the rain forest in the middle of the rainy season. Also there were 3 rude Canadian women who were talking the whole time and hogging the tour guide.

Lovely view

Damas Mangrove Tour

So I didn’t just go to Costa Rica to sit around by the pool and the beach. I wanted to see what Costa Rica is the most famous for; the nature and wildlife.

This tour takes place at Isla Damas, which is a small island in the vicinity of Quepos. It contains estuaries lined with intricate mangroves. An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Some of the creatures you can find on this island include capuchin monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles, spectacled caimans, boas, crab-eating raccoons and silky anteaters, as well as crabs and numerous species of birds. Boat and kayak tours are popular excursions for tourists staying the in Quepos and Manuel Antonio areas.

Tour Review

Our tour guide was very friendly and informative, but I was not optimistic when he said that he could not guarantee we would see monkeys that day. In the beginning of the tour we saw some interesting birds and some iguanas, but I was afraid that this was all we would see. Our tour guide said that in order for the monkeys to come out of the trees and close to our boat, he needed to use his ridiculous monkey call, which sounded like GNOC GNOC GNOC. As crazy as he seemed, the monkeys started appearing like magic. They actually climbed onto the boat. As one got close to my mom, she started baby-talking to it and then it hissed at her and showed its fangs. Although it looked as if it was ready to attack, showing their fangs is just a defense mechanism because capuchin monkeys are not violent. Anyway, the tour turned out to be great and I got some amazing monkey pictures. The tour cost $40 and this included lunch at a local restaurant.

Inside the mangrove

A pensive capuchin

Angry capuchin

Determined capuchin

Just a walk down the road from Hotel La Mariposa will take you to Cafe Milagro. Cafe Milagro has two locations, one in downtown Quepos and the other in Manuel Antonio. The cafe is a great place to go for breakfast if you’re tired of rice and beans. Cafe Milagro sells espresso, organic, and decaffeinated coffee. A popular item on the menu is the mono loco, a chocolate-banana shake with double espresso. A little farther down the road lies the restaurant Kapi Kapi. Kapi Kapi is a great place to get dinner. The atmosphere is beautiful and open air like most of the other restaurants in Manuel Antonio. Be sure to check out the gallery on Kapi Kapi’s website to get an idea of how gorgeous this place is. Kapi Kapi is owned by a local and has an American chef from Southern California. The restaurant specializes in Asian inspired cuisine and uses fresh ingredients. Popular items on the menu are the lobster ravioli and shrimp on sugar cane skewers. The only complaint I have to make about Kapi Kapi is that it’s a little on the expensive side. There are plenty other cheaper places around. There are two other local restaurants that I would recommend. One of them is called Mar Luna. Mar Luna is also open-air, but I couldn’t make out much of the scenery because we went at night. Mar Luna is on the cheaper side and very laid back. They specialize in fresh fish. However, the best thing I had here was the tres leches cake, which is probably my favorite desert ever. Another great restaurant is Marlintini’s. Marlintini’s is actually owned by Americans and our waiter happened to be from Philadelphia. Dining here feels like you are up in a tree house. You will also notice bright blue wires going through the trees almost like telephone wire. This is actually for the monkeys to climb on. You will most likely see a bunch of monkeys and sloths climbing around on the trees.

It is important to note that at most restaurants in the area, taxes and service fees are included on all the bills. So expect an extra 25% to be tacked onto your bill no matter what. It is up to you whether to tip more than that.

In addition to the Hotel La Mariposa gift shop; there is a cute little gift shop down the road that belongs to the Hotel Como Si No. The shop has a great selection of Costa Rican art and woodwork. Wood crafts can be found in many souvenir and gift shops all around Costa Rica. Costa Rican artisans have a strong tradition of woodworking. Some of the many products made from wood include: bowls, boxes, jewelry, masks, and home accessories. Other popular Costa Rican souvenirs and crafts consist of ceramics, handmade banana and coffee paper, leather goods, and baskets.

So two years ago, I wrote about Costa Rica without having been there myself. Since then, I have gone to Costa Rica and I have a lot to share. My parents and I decided to go to the Manuel Antonio area which is on the Pacific facing side of Costa Rica and is home to Manuel Antonio National Park.  However, the real reason why my family chose this location was the Hotel La Mariposa. Hotel La Mariposa is featured in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List. I will discuss this hotel in detail a little later.

We started our journey by flying into the San Jose (capital of Costa Rica) airport. From the airport it is either a 20 minute flight or a 3 hour van ride to the town of Quepos, which is located about 20 minutes from the hotel. We opted for the flight which was on a 10-seater plane. I got to sit right behind the pilot who was probably my age.

The 10 seater plane

View from my seat

View from the plane

Next Stop- the hotel. The Hotel La Mariposa is located on a hill so the views are amazing. There are 2 infinity pools. There is one at the bar and another one which stretches across the property and has gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. A good deal of the hotel is older, mostly the rooms that don’t have the views. When we were there, many rooms were being completely renovated, especially the suites. Our room was completely new and had a great view. One interesting thing about these rooms is that while they do have internet access, there is no TV. This is a good thing for people who want to enjoy the scenery without distractions, but I always like a TV to make me feel more connected to the world. You get free breakfast when you stay here which is always a plus. You have a choice between an American breakfast and a typical Costa Rican breakfast. An American breakfast has all that you would expect: fresh omelettes, fruit, breads, bacon, sausage, hash brown, yogurt, etc. The Costa Rican breakfast consists of eggs anyway you like, plantains, bread, and the Costa Rican staple, rice and beans. While the breakfast is decent, I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant for other meals because the food is pretty subpar for the prices they charge. Basically, you’re paying for the view. Speaking of the view, wherever you are on the hotel’s premises, you’re likely to see some kind of Costa Rican wildlife. You will see plenty of lizards, iguanas, and monkeys, specifically the white-headed capuchin. The beach is located 15-20 minutes away from the hotel, and there are 4 shuttles a day from the hotel to the beach. Beware though, the road to the beach is steep and narrow, so you’re in for a climb on the way back. You also have to keep an eye out for cars. Stay tuned for more on restaurants, activities, and ways to save!

View from the balcony

View of the pool from the restaurant

View from hotel room

Morning in Costa Rica