This article is from the February 1997 The Mexico File
newsletter.
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The Rising Chorus (In Defense of Cancun)
Bob Klempa lives outside of Annapolis, Maryland, and has been traveling
to Mexico since 1979. Bob works for the Federal Government and is preparing
for retirement in the near future. He has been a subscriber to The
Mexico File since 1995. The second part of his article will appear in
the April 1999 issue of MF.
I was motivated to write an article for The Mexico File a
couple of years ago, but because of a personal problem that article was never
written by me. I was therefore captivated by the two-part article (In Defense
of Canc�n) written by Lynne Doyle in the August/September and October
1998 editions of The Mexico File. I read with
great delight Lynne's article, because it followed the same theme that I had
wanted to write about a couple of years earlier. Lynne's article rekindled my
interest in submitting an article about my travel experiences and thoughts
about Canc�n and the Yucat�n Peninsula.
I have had the pleasure of traveling to Canc�n since 1984 and to witness
the growth of Canc�n into a city of, depending on whom you speak to, and
which guidebooks you read, 300 to 500 thousand people. The sheer number of
permanent inhabitants all but guarantees a pleasant vacation experience, since
the vast majority of the inhabitants in Canc�n are there with one goal in
mind (for the most part) � to serve the (mostly American) tourist. My first
five trips to Canc�n were via �packaged� (airfare, hotel, and airport
transfers) tour operators (e.g., Apple Tours). However, there was the
inevitable switching of hotels (due to overbooking) in Canc�n (even with paid
for and confirmed reservations) � five years in a row. In most cases they
provided me with an upgraded hotel, but at a minimum you are assured of a
parallel move in the quality of accommodations. I then decided to purchase a
timeshare on the beach ten years ago. I now have the convenience of a
two-bedroom apartment on a beautiful beach for two weeks, which includes a
fully equipped kitchen � I enjoy preparing the majority of my meals in the
apartment. This affords me guaranteed accommodations of my choice and the
ability to shop in the downtown markets, and as of two years ago, to use the
Wal-Mart Super Store and Sam�s. This might offend some �purists,� but
with the introduction of Wal-Mart and Sam's into Canc�n, it has caused the
Mexican grocery chain stores to meet the competition. I take a daily five-mile
walk into downtown Canc�n in the morning, and now I can visit whichever local
market or upscale grocery store (e.g., Wal-Mart, Chedraui, Comercial Mexicana)
I chose, depending on where my walk takes me. Of course it is still very
attractive to go to the local markets (e.g., Mercado 23) to walk among local
vendors � and to take in the fragrances of bins filled with fresh herbs and
spices and the opportunity to pick up a 20 pound bag of juice oranges for
$2.00 a bag. Last year I invested in four nylon net bags for shopping in the
markets. If you go to a local market downtown, you can come away with
excellent fresh fruits, vegetables, and tortillas for a week, for two people,
for under $10.
A Travel Bargain
Some people refer to Canc�n as �Miami Beach South�; nevertheless, I
believe it provides for a most favorable vacation experience. Many people have
had multiple vacations to Canc�n, which attests to its desirability as a vacation destination. For the younger set,
disco still reins as king in Canc�n. You can spot this crowd easily �
vacationers in their teens through thirties, sleeping the day away around the
hotel pool area and getting their batteries recharged for the next night of
entertainment.
Eating Out in Canc�n
For those who enjoy good piano music, I would recommend going to the
Ritz-Carlton. During the evenings, a pianist by the name of Ricardo plays
excellent music in the lobby lounge from 6-8, then he moves to the restaurant
and plays there for the rest of the evening. We have spent many enjoyable
evenings listening to a myriad of musical selections from classical to
showtunes to pop. Ricardo's repertoire of music seems limitless and I have
never seen him refer to any sheet music � and he must be only around 30
years old. It's quite amazing and enjoyable.
Canc�n provides for all
manner of shopping, sporting activities, night life, fine dining, quiet time
on the beach, beach combing, small beach bars (the Happy Hours usually run in
the 3-8 p.m. timeframe), easy access to surrounding islands (e.g., Isla
Mujures, Contoy Island, and Cozumel), casual conversations with your partner,
friends, and fellow travelers, the extraordinary Caribbean water, the smiling
Mexican support people to ensure a memorable experience in Canc�n. Canc�n is
also an outstanding jumping off place for travel around the entire Yucat�n
Peninsula--and beyond. Canc�n and the Yucat�n have something for everyone.
Medical Care in Canc�n
I'll conclude my thoughts on Canc�n by informing you that an American
doctor (Michael McCall, M.D.) now has a medical practice established in Canc�n
(on the island near Plaza Caracol) across from the Hotel Presidente
Intercontinental in Plaza Quetzal. His telephone numbers in Canc�n are
83-10-01 or 83-01-13, and he has a webpage at: www.Cancun mx.com/Cancun-medical/index.html.
He is joined in his practice by his wife who is a registered nurse. His
webpage describes his extensive experience and he provides for a medical
protection policy while in Canc�n for less than $3USD per day � and it is
guaranteed you will not have to deal with any language problems in the midst
of a medical emergency.
Your choices for travel range from hitchhiking, local bus, tour operator
buses, and car. I personally do not endorse the hitchhiking option (as the
father of an only child, a daughter, I find my mind still wanders to the
possible complications arising from seeing young girls hitchhiking), but I
must confess that I have never heard about any difficulties with anyone
exercising this option. Your costs for travel are dictated by your options. I
normally spend the month of January in Mexico and rent a car for a week.
However, on several occasions, I have traveled around the Yucat�n by bus.
Cars are expensive. A VW bug in Canc�n costs upwards of $300USD a week
(unlimited mileage). However, I have an option through my timeshare company to
pick up that same vehicle for half that cost, although I have to book in
advance from the U.S. The primary reason for my renting a car in Mexico, and
not taking local ground transportation more than I do, is the fact that I can
rent a car this cheap, and it supports my chronic sense of wanderlust. On the
other end of the cost spectrum, local buses are an excellent option � and
very cheap. A bus down the coast, to all of the tourist attractions, even if
you go all the way to Tulum, will not exceed $3--and that is some 80 miles
south of Canc�n. A tour operator package to Xel-Ha will cost you around $39
from your hotel. If you use the bus station in the city, it will cost you $6
round trip and $15 to get to Xel-Ha and back--approximately half the cost of a
tour operator, and you can use this experience as an incentive to try other
travel destinations by bus (e.g., Merida, Progresso, Campeche). The bottom
line is that there are excellent transportation options to just about anywhere
on the Yucat�n � and they fit any pocketbook.
This article is from the April 1999 The Mexico File
newsletter.
Back to Articles List
The Rising Chorus (In Defense of Cancun) Part 2
Bob Klempa lives outside of Annapolis, Maryland, and has been traveling
to Mexico since 1979. Bob works for the Federal Government and is preparing
for retirement in the near future. He has been a subscriber to The
Mexico File since 1995. The first part of this article appeared
in the March 1999 issue of MF.
Our destination plans for this year included Merida, Celestun, Campeche,
and Palenque. My traveling companion (Kathleen) and I departed Canc�n early
Saturday morning, after having picked up our rented VW bug. We left Canc�n on
Route 180 heading toward Merida. We always choose the non-toll road (Route
180) (libre = free road) instead of the toll road (Route 180D) (cuota
= toll road). The time difference in choosing these roads is less than one
hour. I highly recommend the non-toll road, for reasons other than averting
the $20 toll in each direction. If you take the non-toll road, you will
capture some of the charm of the "real" Mexico. You will have an
opportunity to view about a dozen and a half hamlets and towns before you get
to Merida. However, you cannot lose sight of the fact that Mexico, as
beautiful and charming as it is, is still a Third World country, and for some,
the standard of living is different than the standards we have become
accustomed to in this country � at least in most areas. For the
inexperienced traveler, this reality may be somewhat disturbing � but again,
this �disturbing view� is limited to those folks with limited traveling
experience anywhere in the world, not just Mexico.
Several years ago, I was traveling with two other couples, and one of the
females in the group was so disturbed by what she had seen (or thought she was
looking at), that she refused to get out of the rented VW bus when we arrived
in the old colonial city of Vallodolid (midway between Canc�n and Merida).
The rest of the group, however, toured the city and we all enjoyed ourselves,
although we had to truncate the amount of time that we would have otherwise
spent touring the city and its shops, churches, etc., because of the holdout
(holed up in the VW bus) in the group. Our gain (i.e., the rest of the group)
was her loss.
Vallodolid
Vallodolid is somewhat typical of most Spanish colonial cities on the Yucat�n
in that the church (usually more than 400 years old) is at the center of the
city. It is from Vallodolid that you can take a short side trip to the cenote
at Dzitnup, just a few miles outside of town. Cenotes seem to have come into
vogue in the past couple of years. I noticed on a map that I purchased this
year that the area is dotted with heretofore unadvertised cenotes. In years
past, in this area, only two were ever identified. The cenote at Dzitnup is
particularly attractive and is worth your time to go visit. There is a nominal
entrance fee. However, if you do go, be extremely careful descending into the
cenote as the stone steps are well worn and slippery from the cool humidity
below ground � and bring a bathing suit. It's great for a swim, and you
might encounter some small �blind� cave fish. If you get the munchies
while traveling to Merida on Route 180, you can stop at one of the many panaderias
or pastelerias on the way for a light lunch. For me, that takes the
form of a ham and cheese (jamon and queso) pastry, dessert
pastry, and a Coke. It�s clean, safe, and cheap. Bear in mind that Canc�n
is in the state of Quintana Roo and Merida is in the state of Yucat�n. You
will encounter a police checkpoint when you cross the state line, and you may
be just waved through. Otherwise, you may be questioned about where you are
going and where you came from. Rarely are your car and luggage searched for
contraband.
Merida
We arrived in Merida in late morning, and went to our favorite hotel (Hotel
Caribe)
(http://www.wotw.com/Mexico/Yucat�n/hotels/HotelCaribe)
(1-888-822-6431� which rings from the
U.S. and Canada directly to the Front Desk at the Hotel Caribe in Merida),
just one block from the z�calo. However, when we arrived, they were booked
full. I rarely make reservations because of the availability of nice and
interesting accommodations in Merida. We tried our second favorite hotel
(Hotel Posada Toledo) (011-52-99-23-16-90) (E-mail: hptoledo@pibil.finred.com.mx),
and they too were booked. We then walked over to the Hotel Colonial (a new
hotel for us), and found good accommodations right across the street from the
gated parking lot where we parked our car. Merida is the capitol of the state
of the Yucat�n, and like any capitol city , parking can be an issue. Some
hotels absorb the cost of parking (usually for 8-12 hours a day), but then
parking is only about 30 cents an hour. In earlier lives, the Hotel Caribe has
been a convent, a hospital, and part of the University of the Yucat�n (one
block away). Today it is a hotel that oozes charm � a hotel built around an
open courtyard (that houses a restaurant and gardens), right in the middle of
the city. It has a small pool on the top floor. The cost for a double is
around $36.00, a little more than the Hotel Posada Toledo, and a little less
than the Hotel Colonial. All of the hotels we stay in are in the 50 or 60
square block area which comprises the historic downtown area.
Every Sunday in Merida is special. The center of the town, and the
adjoining one block around the center of the town, are cordoned off to
vehicular traffic. Well, almost. While enjoying dinner at one of the sidewalk
cafe's in the center of town, we noticed a policeman letting an ice cream
truck back into the square for a quick delivery. When the truck departed the
area, we noticed the same policeman holding not one, but two, ice creams in
his hands. I guess if there is not a local Dunkin' Donut shop for a policeman
to accept a small gratuity (coffee and donuts) for �protecting and serving
the public,� then I guess you have to bite the bullet and settle for ice
creams. The street vendors start setting up Sunday morning, and from them you
can get all manner of foods, desserts, articles of clothing, etc. My favorite
is the flan vendor. A good size wedge of flan costs around 50 cents. To that
you add the street hawkers who represent the businesses surrounding the center
plaza, bands, dancers, bright lights, cool evenings, and cerveza �
it's a mini-festival every Sunday of the year. People abound, some walking,
some sitting, some people watching, but everyone enjoying themselves.
Mornings, if you are not already awake, you are awakened to the sound of a
military band in the middle of the square preparing to raise the Mexican flag
at 8 A.M., amidst a crowd of several dozen people. Mexicans take great pride
in their flag, and please make no mistake about it, they won't permit you to
�sit� through the ceremony. We were witness to a tourist (not us) who was
"requested" by military personnel (sans smile) to stand during the
raising of the flag. Merida is not only a capitol and university city, but it
is a banking center and the center of a good amount of wealth, as evidenced by
the majestic mansions (a few, unfortunately, are starting to fall into
disrepair) lining the Paseo Montejo. A good way to see Merida is by walking or
by taking an open-air bus (made to look like San Francisco style streetcars)
and horse drawn carts to view the city.
Celestun
After breakfast in Merida, we departed for Celestun (about 60 miles west of
Merida, and on the Gulf of Mexico). There were a lot of twists and turns on
this trip, but the roads are clearly marked with signs to Celestun, and as you
get closer to Celestun you will see signs depicting flamingos. Celestun is a
nesting ground for the pink flamingo. Also, as you get close to the Gulf, you
will probably encounter the presence of a checkpoint. Unlike the checkpoint at
the state line, manned by the police, this checkpoint was manned by the
military, as part of the drug interdiction program. In all probability your
vehicle and luggage will be inspected. Unlike the police at the stateline
checkpoints, these guys do not attempt to be overly friendly nor are they
prone to smiling. Let them do there job, then leave. Just outside of Celestun,
we encountered some wetlands, then a two-lane bridge over a channel of water.
However, the bridge was under repair and one lane was void of any pavement on
the decking and there were no guardrails of any sort between the surfaced and
unsurfaced decking. The drop to the water was about 15 feet, and I, with my
fear of heights, immediately tensed up for the drive across the bridge. I was
thinking to myself, �Bob, you forget, you're in a Third World country � so
get a firm grip on the steering wheel.�
Immediately past the bridge, we encountered a brand new visitor center. The
center provides clean restrooms, vending machines, and ticket sales for boats
to take you to see the flamingos. You have two choices here. Rent a
�private� power boat (and operator) for $30.00, or wait until they can put
together a group of six and pay $6.00 per person. We waited for approximately
45 minutes, and two couples from Holland arrived, and we grouped together (in
the same 20-foot boats used for the private tours). The tours are
approximately two hours in duration. It took less than 10 minutes to get out
to the part of the river where the flamingos are feeding. The water is so
shallow where the flamingos feed that the power boats actually �dredge�
open the channel every trip they make to see the flamingos. And beautiful they
are, in there own habitat of approximately 2,000 birds. At various times the
water depth was only six to eight inches deep, and on a couple of occasions
the operator had to lift the propeller out of the water, grab the pole he had
on the roof of the boat, and turn himself into a Venice gondola operator until
he got us off the flats. I found it remarkable that as beautiful and clear as
the waters are in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, the water in the
flamingo habitat is reddish-brown in color. For what reason, I am not sure.
After viewing the flamingos for about an hour, we entered the mangroves
through a narrow channel into the center of the mangrove island. Several
hundred feet inside this mangrove, we came upon a dock and got off. The dock
led to a large pool of crystal clear fresh water, a hundred feet in diameter,
fed by an underground spring, and filled with fish. We spent about half an
hour there before departing back to the visitor center dock, a return to our
car, and a short trip into downtown Celestun, to check on accommodations for
the night, before departing for Campeche City the next day.
Campeche
We departed Merida the next day right after breakfast. The trip from Merida
to Campeche took about three hours, via Routes 180 and 24. I�ve traveled
extensively around the Yucat�n Peninsula for years, and the topography has
always been flat. The trip to Campeche City introduced me to the first
mountainous terrain I have seen on the Yucat�n. Our intentions were to visit
Campeche City for one full day, then depart for a visit to the ruins at
Palenque (Chiapas). Nothing we had read about Campeche City was very
encouraging, so we resigned ourselves to not expecting too much �
look around a little bit, get a good night's sleep, then head out to
Palenque. Tour books indicated there were not even car rentals in the city,
and, at best, this was a one-day tourist stop. We checked out a hotel
recommendation from a tour book, and it turned out to be too good to pass up.
We stayed in the Hotel Baluartes ($36 a night for two double beds), right
across the street from the walled city in a room with a view of the Gulf. The
city features a 40-block, completely restored, walled city (which started
construction in 1686). The city is very representative of European cities
dating back to the 16th century. The east and west walls are virtually intact,
and since the city has only one-way streets, a majority of the north and south
walls have been removed to integrate the street patterns between the modern
city and those of the old fortress city. The city buildings are in mint
condition and brightly colored. The streets are made of cobblestone and clean
as a pin. Without a doubt, the walled city of Campeche is the cleanest city
that I have ever visited in Mexico � in stark contrast to the town of
Celestun. The old city features numerous hotels, churches, artisan shops, and
museums surrounding the central plaza. Of particular note is the Casa Delas
Artesanias (Calle No. 10, between Calle 59 and 61), which is host to a
cooperative of artisans. This is not �flea market� merchandise.
We had recommendations from a tour book for a few restaurants, and decided
to start with the Restaurant Marganzo (Calle 8, No. 267, near the Sea Gate, in
part because it had a certain charm and the pleasant manner of the head
waiter, Pedro Berrunza Boeza. The Sea Gate was built in the 1950's in the
style of the original walls and arches, using the same materials, to
accommodate the continued expansion of modern day Campeche City outside the
walls of the old walled fortress. It would turn out that we would have most of
our breakfasts and dinners at the Restaurant Marganzo. Owing to the fact that
Campeche City is the center for the Mexican shrimp industry in the Gulf, the
restaurant features fresh fish and shrimp dishes. We were to enjoy different
shrimp dishes every night, at an average price of $7 per person. The
restaurant contains about a dozen pictures of circa 1920's photographs of the
old walled city. It turns out that Pedro has a keen interest in the history of
Campeche City, and he is willing to share this knowledge with interested
parties. We were to learn from Pedro that the building housing this restaurant
was host to the U.S. Consular Office in the 1920's, that as recent as 40 years
ago the waters of the Gulf came right up to the old walled city (as evidenced
by two of the photographs on the restaurant walls), that the first grandson of
the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes was born in the convent affiliated with
the San Francisco church in 1562, and that the hotel we were staying in was
built on a man-made island (some 400 yards out into the Gulf waters) that was
connected to the shore by a causeway. Forty years hence, the entire boundary
of the more modern city has moved that same 400 yards out into the Gulf (all
filled land) to accommodate expansion of the modern city. When you contrast
the photographs on the restaurant walls to present day Campeche, you quickly
realize the amount of work that has gone into the restoration of Campeche
City. Pedro informed us that when he was a young boy, Campeche City was
basically the original walled city surrounded by another four or five blocks
surrounding the perimeter of the old walled city. Today, the city has a
population of around 175,000 � in 1960, the population was around 25,000.
It is also worthwhile to visit the fortresses situated north (Fort San Jose)
and south (Fort San Miguel) of the city, perched on the high ground. The Fort
San Jose Museum contains a 4' x 8' scaled mockup of the walled city (depicted on
the waters edge) before the expansion of the city in this century. On the way
north to Fort San Miguel, it is worthwhile to stop at Fort San Luis, just
outside of town and across the street from the Monumento Resurgimiento. The
monument depicts a 20' high torso of a man, holding a torch high for democracy.
Some refer to it as the Latin Statue of Liberty. Fort San Luis is a totally
renovated example of a small fortress on the water, with 5' thick walls,
surrounded by a dry moat. Built in the 17th century, it was an active military
barracks until 1929, at which time it became an office for the Secretary of War.
It now houses a museum. The current improvements in Campeche City include the
completion earlier this year of a three kilometer long new seawall, waterfront
boulevard, complete with two separate walking paths for walkers/joggers and
bikers/rollerbladers, and landscaped with bright plants and flowers, palm trees,
and beautifully romantic sunsets. We eventually spent four days in Campeche
City, and passed on the opportunity to go to Palenque. This was based in part on
two factors. Once we got to Campeche City, we discovered it would be another
seven to eight hours of hard driving in the mountains to Palenque, and the fact
that on the day we arrived in Campeche City, the evening news contained a story
about the killing of two people attributed to the current political difficulties
in that area. We'll look forward to visiting Palenque on a future trip.