Mexico > Travel Day to Chetumal

The alarm goes off at quarter past six. I think this is the first time I actually wake up because of the alarm. Usually, I’m already awake before that. I take a shower and pack my luggage again. At breakfast, there is also cheese wrapped in plastic. I can’t get the packaging open. The helping hands of fellow travelers don’t offer a solution either. Markos, the driver, manages to open the package. We all laugh about it. After breakfast, I get ready for a long bus ride. From Palenque, we first drive back along a route we had already traveled. Then we turn off towards Chetumal. Quite quickly, the mountainous landscape fades and we drive through open flat land. Occasionally cows are grazing. Due to roadwork, the road is not good everywhere. The bus shakes quite a bit over the rough patches. Meanwhile, Suzy tries to reach a compromise about the temperature in the bus. It’s especially cold in the back when the air conditioning is on. The air conditioning is already set to the highest level. By turning the air conditioning on and off from time to time, we reach some kind of compromise. Around eleven o’clock, we take a short break at a small restaurant. I order a cappuccino and have an ice cream with it. After the stop, we leave the coastline and the previously driven road. We head towards Chetumal, which means we are back in the province of Quintana Roo. Here, the time is one hour later than in Palenque. They use the same time as Cancun. At half past two, the new time, we arrive at the Maya temple of Xpuhil. This relatively small and lesser-known Maya temple lies right by the road.

Mexico - The Xpuhil temple belongs to the Río Bec style, known for tall pyramids and decorative elements

About half of the group goes along to see the ruins. I don’t mind the entrance fee. It costs about the same as the cappuccino earlier today. The largest temple with the three towers is impressive. This temple has barely been restored. Because of this, it’s easy to see how the Maya structures have emerged from the jungle. A display near the ruins shows how the temple might have looked in the past. I get back on the bus for the last leg to Chetumal. The road runs straight through the landscape, so progress is decent. Occasionally Markus brakes for a speed bump. At dusk, we arrive at the hotel in Chetumal. The rooms are spread over two floors around the pool. The hotel restaurant is closed tonight due to a private party. Hopefully, that won’t cause much noise. With a few travel companions, I walk to the boulevard. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk. There are several food stalls here. It is now completely dark, and the sea forms a large dark void. We continue to the Winners bar. On the terrace of this sports bar, we order a beer. They have draft beer here, served in liter mugs. That amount is just too much for me. I choose a XX Lager Cerveza. Around nine o’clock, we go to eat at a pizzeria. The pizza is very large, warned upon ordering. When the pizza arrives, its diameter is certainly half a meter. I can’t get past half of the pizza. Travel companions help with a few slices. Around half past ten, I’m back at the hotel. When I go to bed, I fall asleep practically immediately.