[Throwback] Final Thoughts on my Mexico Trip

My trip to Mexico was the first time I experienced being in very high altitude. Mexico City is 2,240 meters above sea level and when I got there, I actually felt it. I remember sitting in my hotel room and feeling a bit out of breath. I even experienced nose bleeds! Thankfully, it only happened while I was in my room and not when I was out and about.

Artifact on display in Museo Del Templo Mayor

Interesting and quite silly experience on my first night in Mexico. I saw a fast food restaurant near my hotel and decided to order a burger meal. I wanted to order Meal #3 and so when I got to the counter, I asked for "tres" and pointed to meal I wanted to get. It cost a about 40 Mexican pesos but when my bill came, it was more than a hundred. I was a bit shocked by it but didn't complain; I thought maybe I misunderstood the menu. When my order arrived, it became clear why: I had THREE orders of meal #3! Hahaha. I can completely understand why that is how he understood my order. Needless to say, I had burgers and fries until the next day. I do think I have gotten much better at navigating the language barrier since then.

On my way to visit Museo Del Templo Mayor

I have also gotten much better at documenting trips over time. Probably because cameras and phones now can store significantly more photos than they could two decades ago. One of the things I am bummed about is that I didn't take any photos of my hotel or the beach at our hotel. Also, while I took several photos of the wedding guests, I didn't take any decent photos of the church.

The New Basilica of Guadalupe

A great thing about our hotel in Playa Del Carmen is that all food and drinks were included in the room rate. Guests could enjoy a buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the hotel also offered an open bar and people could order alcoholic beverages at any time. Because I spent a full day in Chichen Itza and another day in Xcaret, I only got to enjoy the buffet lunch on the day of the wedding. My drink of choice during that trip: Amaretto Sour.

Swimming in a cenote

I wrote in detail about my horrific experience flying back home from Mexico (read about it here). I kinda want to edit the bad writing in that post but at this point, I can't really be bothered improving it haha. Oh and the photo I still use as my blog profile photo was from this trip.

Teotihuacan

I was still quite young when I took this trip and not as financially stable as I am now. As such, I spent only five days there despite having to travel halfway around the world. If I had to do this trip all over again, I would definitely spend more time there and do more research about places to see. That said, even in the short time I was in Mexico, I did get to visit some of the best and most important places in the country. Hopefully, I get a chance to travel there again the future.

*****

This is the last of my throwback travel posts. I promised myself during the pandemic that I would write about past trips - local and foreign - that I didn't get to write about in this blog (or that happened even before I started this blog). I can't believe I'm finally done!

[Throwback] Chichen Itza

I didn't know about Chichen Itza until I arrived in Playa Del Carmen. Once I checked into my hotel, some of the wedding guests, including Amy's family and my friend Amy, were already there. They were planning to take a tour that would bring them to Chichen Itza and they asked me if I wanted to join them. I took one look at the brochure that featured a photo of an ancient pyramid and it was a no-brainer; I had to go.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. The most prominent and most significant structure here is the Temple of Kukulcan, otherwise known as El Castillo. Apparently, Kukulcan is the Mayan serpent deity similar to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.

Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza

The Temple of Kukulcan has 91 steps on each of its four sides. If you add all that and include the temple platform at the top of the pyramid as the final step, you have a total of 365 steps, which matches the number of days in a year. (The Mayans and many other pre-Spanish Mesoamerican cultures used a 365-day calendar.) I was there almost two decades ago and back then, visitors were allowed to go up the pyramid. I learned that this is no longer allowed, which makes sense because having tourists go up and down can cause damage and erosion to this ancient structure.

Going up the Temple of Kukulcan is no longer allowed

From atop the pyramid, you get an amazing view of Chichen Itza. The Temple of the Warriors, or Templo de los Guerreros, looks beautiful from the summit.

View of the Temple of the Warriors from the top of the pyramid

We had some time to go around the grounds on our own which allowed me to see the Temple of the Warriors up close and take some photos.

Temple of the Warriors

While the highlight of our tour was the visit to Chichen Itza, we had a couple more stops. In the afternoon, we got to visit and swim in a cenote. A cenote is a sinkhole that exposes the groundwater. There are many of these in Mexico so it was great that we got to visit one.

Visiting a cenote

I knew that we would have an opportunity to swim so I brought swim shorts with me. (The cenote haas a nice locker room where guests can change, shower, and dry off.) It's good that I got to swim at least once while I was in Mexico because I didn't get the chance to swim at the beach fronting our hotel.

Swimming in the cenote

Finally, on our way back to the hotel in the late afternoon, we passed by Iglesia De San Servacio, or the San Servacio Church, in Valladolid. We were given some time to view the church and do inside. By the time we left, dusk was settling and the church lights were turned on.

Iglesia De San Servacio

Next: Final Thoughts on my Mexico Trip

[Throwback] Playa Del Carmen and Xcaret

Playa Del Carmen is a city on the Eastern coast of Mexico. It's less than 60 kilometers away from Cancun. Everyone attending the wedding stayed at one of the RIU hotels in the city (apparently, there are a handful of them!). Amy and John arranged for transport for the entire party (it was a relatively small wedding and everyone fit in one coaster). This meant that we all went from the hotel to the church to the reception and then back to the hotel together. Amy and John asked me if I could help remember all the wedding guests by name and by face - they gave me a few pages with all the guests and their pictures - so that I could ensure that everyone was in the transport before it left. (When I watched the Devil Wears Prada a couple of years later, that scene where Andy and Emily have to memorize the names and faces of all Miranda's guests reminded me of my assignment in Mexico haha.) I gotta say, I think I did pretty well remembering and accounting for everyone since no one was left behind.

Amy and John's wedding reception

The next day, I visited Xcaret Park, a water amusement park in the Riviera Maya not too far from Playa Del Carmen. I learned about this place through a travel brochure I saw at the hotel and I decided I wanted to go.

Xcaret Park

There are several things to do here. There was an underground river that went around the park and guests can get on a large swim ring and just float down the river with the current.

Visitors enjoying the facilities at the park

There is a shallow lagoon that held several sea creatures such as sting rays...

Sting ray

...and turtles.

Guests can see dozens of turtles at the park

Guests can also see lots of marine life through an underwater viewing area.

An ominous-looking barracuda

My most memorable experience in Xcaret Park was getting to swim with dolphins!

You can swim with dolphins at Xcaret Park

In the evening, guests can enjoy a Mexican culture show. It started out with performers simulating an ancient Maya ball game called Pok-ta-pok. This was then followed by a series of cultural performances, including traditional Mexican songs, dances, and music. It was a great show!

Evening entertainment at Xcaret Park

Next post: Chichen Itza

[Throwback] Guadalupe and Teotihuacan

There were a couple of places I absolutely wanted to visit in Mexico. One was Guadalupe because of its significance in the Catholic faith. The other was a Mexican pyramid (I didn't know enough about them at the time to know which one/s to visit but I knew I had to see at least one). When I arrived at my hotel in Mexico, I immediately checked some tour brochures and I saw one that would take me to Guadalupe and Teotihuacan, an ancient city where one can see the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. I instantly booked this tour which I then took the next day.

Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan

Our first stop was Tlatelolco, an ancient Aztec city that is just a short distance away from Templo Mayor. We didn't get to go in but we stopped by briefly so our guide could talk about it a bit and so we could take photos.

Tlatelolco

We then headed to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. One of the most important artifacts to see here is the tilma (cloak) of Juan Diego who saw the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga didn't believe in Juan Diego's claims about what he saw so the Virgin Mary asked him to go up the mountain to pick some flowers. He wrapped these flowers in his tilma and presented them to the archbishop.  It turns out that these flowers were Castilian roses which were not found in Mexico at that time. Furthermore, the tilma now had an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While there are questions about the accuracy of this story and the authenticity of this tilma, I felt I still wanted to see it as it has served as an inspiration of faith to millions worldwide.

Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are several buildings in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Due to our limited time here, I got to visit Templo Expiatorio a Cristo Rey (Old Basilica of Guadalupe)...

Old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

...and the New Basilica of Guadalupe.

Inside the New Basilica of Guadalupe

We made a quick stop at a tourist spot/shop where Mexican souvenirs were being sold. Here, we got to have a shot of tequila (part of our tour). Our guide explained that tequila is made from the agave plant. I'm not a fan of tequila but I had to have it when I was there. I gotta say, the shot we had was really good! As I recall, it was pretty smooth and it had a really good flavor.

An Agave plant, from which tequila is made

Finally, we visited Teotihuacan, a holy city that was very significant during pre-Spanish times. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The massive Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building here.

Pyramid of the Sun

Visitors are allowed to go up!

Going up the Pyramid of the Sun

From the top, you have great views of Teotihuacan, including that of the Pyramid of the Moon.

Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

Visitors are also treated to a fantastic view of the grounds and the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon.

Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan

Another significant structure is the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was a very important Aztec deity.

Temple of Quetzalcoatl

Our tour only lasted half a day but before we returned to Mexico City, we had lunch at a restaurant that served Mexican food. While I really love the more popular dishes such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, I decided to have a Mexican mole because I had never had it before. A mole is which is a dish served with dark sauce, kinda like a curry but with a different flavor. I'm glad I ordered it because I enjoyed it and I think to that might have been the only time in my life I've had it.

Enjoying my first Mexican mole

After spending two days and two nights in Mexico City, I boarded a plane to head to Playa Del Carmen, where Amy and John's wedding would be held.

Next post: Playa Del Carmen and Xcaret

[Throwback] Mexico City

Mexico City is about 7,200 feet above sea level. I actually felt the altitude while I was there because I found it a bit difficult to breathe, but not enough to hold me back from doing touristy things haha. My hotel was a short walk away from Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo, the main city square in the historic center of Mexico City so I made sure I got to see a few places here. It's a huge square, flanked on one side by the Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Mexico, or the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.

Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Mexico

This Catholic church took 240 years to build. To the right of the main cathedral is the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which has a beautifully elaborate facade.

Facade of the Metropolitan Tabernacle

A significant amount of my time was spent at the Museo del Templo Mayor, which houses archaeological findings of Templo Mayor, the Great Temple of the Aztecs.

Artifact on display inside Museo del Templo Mayor

One of the most important artifacts here is the Coyolxauhqui Monolith. The story says that the earth deity Coatlicue became pregrant. This embarrassed and angered her children who, led by her eldest daughter and moon goddess Coyolxāuhqui, attempted to kill her. Before this could happen, Coatlicue gave birth to a fully grown and armed Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec solar and war deity, who protected his mother by killing Coyolxauhqui and dismembering her. This Coyolxauhqui Monolith depicts the dismembered Coyolxauhqui.

Coyolxauhqui Monolith on display inside Museo del Templo Mayor

There is a replica of this large stone at the entrance of Museo Del Templo Mayor. Naturally, I had to have my photo taken with it.

Replica of the Coyolxauhqui Monolith

A very short distance to the west of Zocalo is Palacio de Bellas Artes, or the Palace of Fine Arts.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Next to it is Alameda Central, the oldest public park in the Americas which was built in the 16th century.

Fountain of Venus in Alameda Central

On the south side of the park stands Hemiciclo a Benito Juarez (Benito Juárez Hemicycle), a large monument built in honor of Mexico's 26th president.

Hemiciclo a Benito Juarez or Benito Juárez Hemicycle

I spotted this interesting yellow statue located near my hotel and decided to take a picture of it. Apparently, it is a steel statue called El Caballito (or Cabeza de Caballo) created by prominent Mexican sculptor Sebastian.

El Caballito by Sebastian

I actually did all this sightseeing on my second full day in Mexico City. My first day was spent taking a tour of Guadalupe and Teotihuacan. I will write more about this in my next post. 

Next post: Guadalupe and Teotihuacan

[Throwback] Mexico

I visited Mexico almost a couple of decades ago to attend the wedding of my friends Amy and John. Amy is Filipino and John is American and both of them live in the US but they decided to have their wedding in Playa Del Carmen, about an hour away from Cancun. They invited me to their wedding and I figured that I would most likely not have any business trips to Mexico so that would have been as good a time as any for me to go. I spent five days there, a couple of them in Mexico City and a few in Playa Del Carmen. During this trip, I got to see some famous ancient Mexican pyramids such as the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza...

Chichen Itza

...and the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan.

Pyramid of the Sun

I visited Museo del Templo Mayor in Mexico City...

Item on display in Museo del Templo Mayor

...and I also got to see Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

I will write more about this memorable trip over the next few posts.

Next: Mexico City

Ave Maria by Bobby McFerrin and the Audience

I discovered this video on YouTube a while back. Bobby McFerrin is known by many because of his 1988 mainstream hit Don't Worry, Be Happy but that song doesn't really showcase how much of an incredible artist and musical genius he is. This video of Bobby singing the Bach Prelude in C Major as the audience sings Gounod's Ave Maria is absolutely amazing.

 

video uploaded in YouTube by user cristi176153

There are a lot more videos of Bobby McFerrin showcasing his amazing talent online. I highly recommend checking them out. He is truly one-of-a-kind.

Sick

After a very active March, I spent several days at home because I got sick. I think there must have been some bug going around the metro because many people I know were also sick at around the same time. On the plus side, it wasn't Covid, which meant that I didn't need to worry about quarantining myself. On the minus side, it was a pretty nasty upper respiratory tract infection - my throat was really red and badly swollen - and my doctor had to prescribe antibiotics.

It came at a pretty bad time too because there was so much going on at work and April 6 to 10 are all holidays in the Philippines. I actually tried to work on one of the days that I was sick, thinking I was well enough to be productive. (Don't worry, I was working from home and I didn't expose anyone to whatever virus or bacteria I was infected with.) However, after a couple of hours, I was feeling really miserable and I had to take a sick leave the rest of the day. I ended up being out of commission for five days. I worked for a couple of days leading up to Holy Week even if  I still wasn't 100% just to catch up a bit. I guess I was still sick because people I was in virtual meetings with kept telling me that my voice sounded really different.

Thankfully, I started feeling better on Wednesday evening so at least I can look forward to a restful long weekend and hopefully, a Happy Easter.