Valladolid

Arriving in Valladolid is a new experience: it rains!! The sky is grey and the streets are flooded... But just the next day it's sunny and warm again - over 25 degrees, because below is already really cold for us... Valladolid is a really lovely town with a great vibe. There are a lot of really beautiful streets with big sideways – that’s quite special around here; and lots of great sites, parks and meal options. We spend some relaxing and fulfilling four days here. 

This region is very famous for its cenotes: natural pits, or sinkholes, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. Great places for water fun…

Always ready to grab some fruits...

They made us addicted of their great chaya (the Mayan miracle plant) juice, of course always freshly made. Also really yummy mixed with pineapple or orange or both or whatever ;)

The next day we get up really early to visit the archeological site of Chichen Itza. 

Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the Northern Maya Lowlands. It was one of the largest Maya cities and exhibits a multitude of architectural styles. The bad thing about Chichen Itza is that it's also one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico! But the crowds don't arrive before 11 a.m., so we can enjoy this great site in peace.

 Great ball court – the biggest the Mayan ever built!!!   

Sacred cenote… Diving expeditions tell past stories: they found hundreds of valuable artefacts and human bones of sacrificial victims forced to jump into the eternal underworld.

 The merchants prepare for the tour-bus madness…

 

The tour-bus madness... (exemplary photo)

 Today a cenote exploration is on the program. We decide to walk to the cenote at the Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman. The plan is to go by bicycle but the bikes for rent don’t convince us...  

The rebuild Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman - where the cenote is located - is the gorgeous main draw.

 

Now you know why cenotes are total water fun :-)