Chichen Itza, More Cenotes, and Goodbye to Valladolid

Bright and early this morning we headed in a colectivo (shared van/taxi) to the ruins of Chichen Itza, about 20 miles west of Valladolid. We hoped to beat the heat and the crowds by arriving as it opened and we weren't disappointed. We practically had the place to ourselves at first and we watched the fog lift and the beautiful skies emerge before the weight of the day's heat arrived. The photo below doesn't show just how massive El Castillo is. The 2nd photo is La Iglesia, the church - lots of beautiful carving.



We made our way back to the hotel for a fresh fruit and vegies with brown bread lunch, watched some World Cup, then headed to 2 local cenotes which were both almost entirely underground. The water was cool and incredibly refreshing and we enjoyed the little fish, the bats flying around the stalagtites above our heads, and the tree roots reaching down through the air toward the water (close up in 2nd photo).



I'll close with 3 last Valladolid scenes: ladies on a street corner, the Iglesia San Gervasio at night, and the view from lounge chairs by the pool at Hotel Zaci (you might see my toes if you look closely near the lower left). Heading north tomorrow - HAPPY TRAILS!