Gallivanting the globe 2019 - RTW and then some

[JohnM]

Following Uxmal, a smaller site nearby called Kabah (Kabah (Maya site) - Wikipedia). Different style.

 

[JohnM]

Next day it was off to the famed Chichen Itza – the most famous of the Yucatan Maya sites: Chichen Itza - Wikipedia. The civilisation there peaked around 900 CE.

Many elements of the Maya astronomical calendar are revealed on key dates, such as the light-and-shadow illusion of a serpent ascending the main pyramid (El Castillo) on the two equinoxes. Climbing on the structures is no longer permitted – steps are incredibly steep and each step tends to be very high in Maya structures. Testing on the legs going up; testing on the vertigo coming down – especially so if wet.

Gran Juego de Pelota – the Maya world’s largest ballgame court.



Plataforma de los Craneos – Platform of Skulls). Used to display the heads of sacrificial victims.



Plataforma de las Aguilas y los Jaguares – Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars. The animals are depicted grabbing the hearts of humans – probably captured enemies made sacrificial victims.



Back of the ball court. Turn around and be floored by El Castillo – The Castle - the centrepiece of Chichen Itza.



The first temple was built around 800 CE. The present structure was built over that, as shown by our local guide’s image. The serpent effect of the light on the steps on the equinox.

 

[JohnM]

Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors). The Maya associated warriors with eagles and jaguars.



El Caracol – the Snail – called that by the Spaniards because of the spiral staircase. It’s the observatory. And other parts of the site.



Plaza de las Mil Columnsa – Group of the Thousand Columns.



After Chichen Itza, a brief visit to Ik Kil, a beautiful freshwater cenote (sink hole). Unfortunately marred by being with a private ‘resort’ that was a zoo full of busloads of cruise-ship day-trippers from Cancun coming for a formulaic lunch and a look. We had a quick look and high-tailed it out of there.

Normally Peregrine/Intrepid/Exodus tours avoid such places, so it was a bit puzzling why it, rather than a quieter cenote, was included. It was probably because it is very pretty. However, my feedback was to skip it. Too commercial and crowded. As it turned out, I discovered the name of the DMC (Destination Management Company) that constructed this tour that Peregrine used. It so happens that I know the MD, so I took the opportunity to give a little direct feedback.



Then it was on to Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean Coast S of Cancun for two nights and a free day. It’s very touristy and the beach typically poor by Australian standards. Mainly good for nightlife.

Nothing major to report from there, so that's the wrap on Mexico.

Next stop: Cuba!

 

[OZDUCK]

Those are some fascinating and fantastic sites you visited.

 

[Lat34]

Looking forward to your Cuba report @JohnM. We visited in 2016, flying from Las Vegas to Panama City then Havana. Sightseeing so interesting for many, many reasons including the impressive Chinese-made tour bus fleet. Sightseeing tour from Havana over several days covered west to Vinales, return trip across the north east coast to Varadero and finally back to Havana.
Would have loved to cover more ground but limited time due to scheduled sailing adventure in Antigua.

 

[JohnM]

Up at sparrow’s for the c. 1 h drive from Playa del Carmen to CUN for the 1 h hop over to HAV. Pulling into HAV and, after a slow bag unload, it was swiftly into my transfer to the famed Hotel Nacional – ‘the cherry on the cake of Cuban hotels’ and ‘as much a city monument as it is an international accommodation option’ according to Lonely Planet.

Even if not staying here (but highly recommended to get with the classical neo-colonial/art deco Havana vibe, and where the mighty and infamous have stayed), it’s well worth visiting for a drink under the verandah or on the clifftop overlooking the bay.

2019 is the 500th anniversary of Havana, and the ‘500’ signs were everywhere.

The Nacional is not central to Old Town, being a good 40 minute walk around the bay, but taxis are cheap and plentiful.

Larry, one of the front door attendants/porters who brought my bag to my room, had fairly recently travelled to Australia (interesting in itself for a variety of reasons, I thought). Great guy, with excellent English and typical of the really friendly Cubans I was to encounter all the way. Had an excellent chat with him and just picked up a great general vibe immediately.



View from my room and views around the back of the hotel.



And then, of course, it was time to use my welcome Mojito voucher.

 

[Antoallison]

Up at sparrow’s for the c. 1 h drive from Playa del Carmen to CUN for the 1 h hop over to HAV. Pulling into HAV and, after a slow bag unload, it was swiftly into my transfer to the famed Hotel Nacional – ‘the cherry on the cake of Cuban hotels’ and ‘as much a city monument as it is an international accommodation option’ according to Lonely Planet.

Even if not staying here (but highly recommended to get with the classical neo-colonial/art deco Havana vibe, and where the mighty and infamous have stayed), it’s well worth visiting for a drink under the verandah or on the clifftop overlooking the bay.

2019 is the 500th anniversary of Havana, and the ‘500’ signs were everywhere.

The Nacional is not central to Old Town, being a good 40 minute walk around the bay, but taxis are cheap and plentiful.

Larry, one of the front door attendants/porters who brought my bag to my room, had fairly recently travelled to Australia (interesting in itself for a variety of reasons, I thought). Great guy, with excellent English and typical of the really friendly Cubans I was to encounter all the way. Had an excellent chat with him and just picked up a great general vibe immediately.

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View from my room and views around the back of the hotel.

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And then, of course, it was time to use my welcome Mojito voucher.

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Ah.. finally Cuba - a destination I would really love to see. I am onboard !

 

[JohnM]

Ah.. finally Cuba - a destination I would really love to see. I am onboard !

Just do it!

 

[JohnM]

One of the very interesting things in the grounds of the Hotel Nacional is trenches and bunkers that date from the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The central bunker has been made into a small museum.

 

[JohnM]

My first night was Saturday, with the tour due to formally start Sunday morning. After dinner of a chunky lobster in the outside casual-style restaurant, and with the onset of night, it was time to wander around the hotel a little more and then hit the streets below the hotel – which get closed off for pop-up food stalls (very elaborately set up), people strolling and bands to kick the people into some action.



I’m going to lay this on a bit strongly with lots of pics – simply because this blew me away on my first night in Havana – and it may help dispel some stereotypes. It is just incredibly good, happy – and, dare I say, civilised - fun. Just more, please!

The avenue along the coast (the Malecon) is wide and very pedestrian-friendly. It makes for a pleasant walk to or from the Old Town.

It’s all perfectly safe, the people are totally relaxed and super-friendly, there is no overt or oppressive police presence (the cops are usually 20-somethings just strolling the beat). I don’t even recall whether they were armed beyond a baton; if they were, it was only a pistol.

All the entertainment on the square below the hotel is free to enter. None of this was done by halves.

Man, what an intro to Cuba!

These Cubanos certainly know how to party!

 

[JohnM]

Sorry – I couldn’t resist putting up just about every pic I took. Fabulous memories came flooding back. I headed to bed that night feeling super-chilled. Just awesome.

 

[JohnM]

Next morning and the mandatory Havana experience: a tour in some ‘50s American cars.



First stop Plaza de la Revolucion. The murals on the big office-block walls are, of course Che Guevara; the other is of the lesser-known revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos (not an ayatollah as it seems to appear…).



Cruising the Malecon, heading towards Old Town. Once there, we finished the car cruise and began a walking tour.

 

[JohnM]

The Armeria 9 de Abril, a gunsmith’s shop stormed by revolutionaries on that date in 1958; now a museum including Fidel Castro’s pistol (sorry, the glass cabinet-front messed with the focus) and Che Guevara’s carbine.

Old apothecary, functioning as a museum and current pharmac_. Old cannons are used as bollards all over the place.

 

[JohnM]

Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. The street outside is paved with wooden bricks to deaden the sound of horses’ hooves.

 

[JohnM]

I spent a good part of the afternoon in the Museo de la Revolucion, which sits in the former Presidential Palace.



Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was an Argentinian medical doctor from a privileged background who took up the revolutionary cause with Fidel Castro. ‘Che’ is simply Cuban slang for someone from Argentina.

There is a series of poster-dominant displays over two floors and several rooms that take you through a chronology of events leading up to, during and immediately after the revolution (Cuban Revolution - Wikipedia).



Outside, there is a pavilion for revolution artefacts, the central exhibit being a replica of the motorboat Granma, the vessel that carried Castro and 81 other revolutionaries from Mexico in December 1956. The boat is encased in glass and guarded 24/7. It was not possible to get a good pic of it.

The revolution ended on 31 December 1958. I can remember the newsreels in the cinemas at the time showing the revolutionaries triumphantly entering Havana.

A US U2 was shot down by a Russian SAM and things were getting pretty tense world-wide in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. This article suggests that the downing of the U2 may have crystallised Kennedy and Krushchev to come to a diplomatic settlement over the matter (How the Death of a U.S. Air Force Pilot Prevented a Nuclear War). A fragment of the downed U2 is also in the small museum in the bunker at the Hotel Nacional.

 

[JohnM]

It was then time to retreat to the famed El Floridita (‘Little Florida’) bar for a Daiquiri. It was a favourite of American ex-pats long before Hemingway made it his favourite Havana watering hole in the 1930s. The Daiquiri was invented here after WW1, but Hemingway popularised it.



After dinner, I walked back past the entry to the harbour to the Nacional along the Malecon.

 

[Milboo]

Loving the Havana photos. I enjoyed my visit there.

Seems they’ve extended a lot more outdoor areas at the Hotel - adding the tables overlooking the Malecon. I still remember the 3 attempts to get a functioning room when I stayed there! First room was missing towels, soap and TP and instead of just bringing it, they moved me!

 

[JohnM]

Loving the Havana photos. I enjoyed my visit there.

Seems they’ve extended a lot more outdoor areas at the Hotel - adding the tables overlooking the Malecon. I still remember the 3 attempts to get a functioning room when I stayed there! First room was missing towels, soap and TP and instead of just bringing it, they moved me!

I had no problems at the Nacional. Obviously, it's old and in a country that has been poor for a long time, so there are bits and pieces of maintenance that are not up to the standards we see in Australia or in Europe at similarly old - or older - hotels. But, IMO, it's easy to put those minor things aside just for the great vibe.

Your comments about the changes to the outside areas are interesting. I would guess that things were picking up nicely with tourism and money was starting to flow over the last couple of years or so. Trump stopped that for LOTFAP tourists and cruise ships not long before I arrived. Sadly, the effect was obvious...

Tourism is crucial for the Cuban economy. Typical of the tropics, agriculture generally produces low-value products ('banana republic' stuff and all that) and manufacturing is minimal.

It's a pity, because the place is amazing and the people simply sensational. All I can say to peeps is: go and contribute to their economy.

 

[klm597]

Incredible photos thank you! Mexico has long been high on my list but now it seems I just have to add on Cuba to that potential future trip as well. Getting up close and personal to the cold war history would be absolutely fascinating. Time to start thoroughly planning the holidays for the next 5 years.

 

[amaroo]

Some great memories of Mexico with your photos. Any reason you didn’t hire a car and do it yourself? From memory you self drive quite a bit, we found driving around Mexico fascinating and fun.