Mexico 2009
The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is the world’s foremost museum on pre Columbian art. It has large exhibits of Maya, Aztec and Toltec art, as well as modern Mexican art. It is very well set up and all packed into a very nice building. I think it is one of the nicest musea in the world.
San Miguel de Allende is a town in the colonial heartland of Mexico. It has a striking church on the central square and a nice nature park om the outskirts.
Guanajuato is an old silver town and the stage of the first battle in the independance war of Mexico against Spain. The grainery which was the building where the fighting was concentrated, is now museum with some beautiful murals.
In the south of Mexico, Ciapas is a region with both natural and cultural highlights. On the left the Sumidero Canyon, with cliffs of 900 meters high and lot’s of wildlife like birds and crocodiles. On the right a market in Zinacantan, a traditional village close to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Further south is Guatemala. We stayed in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. This lake is the caldera of an old volcano and it is surrounded by newer vulcano’s. It is an absolutely beautiful and peaceful place. In a park close to Panajachel I made a canopy tour on a zipline.
The highlight of the trip to Guatemala was the visit to Tikal. Tikal is an old Maya settlement, which is in the middle of the jungle now. The mixture of Mayan temples, rain forest and prolific birdlife is amazing.
Next stop was Palenque in Mexico. It is an other Mayan gem where the plains end and the foothill’s start.
In the oil town of Villahermosa, there is one worthwhile place to visit: Parque La Venta, were many Olmec relics are on display that have been salvaged by a Mexican poet from an oil drilling site. The Olmec culture is the oldest in Mexico.
In western Yucatan, near the city of Merida, there are some Puuc monuments. The cities of Labna, Sayil, Kabah and Uxmal all show building dedicated to the rain god Chac with his large nose.
Chichen Itza is the highlight of the Yucatan peninsula. It is one of the 7 new world wonders.
Two night on the beach in Cancun concludes this holiday. We were very lucky to see hatching sea turtles while we were there.

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