Uxmal and the Yucatan peninsula

We've been to Mexico three times, the first about 12 years ago when I was fortunate to have a Mexican colleague who was over in the UK for a year. He kindly mapped out a suitable touring route for us for a circuit around Mexico City.

Our second trip in 1998 was when he had returned to where he lived in Yucatan, so we were able to visit him.

The Yucatan peninsula was once the home of the Mayan civilisation 3000 years ago which has left some wonderful architectural sites, one of which is Uxmal. I particularly like Uxmal because of the trees and shrubbery around it. Somehow it was easier to visualise it when populated than some of the more stark and severely cleared sites.

The photos are all from our pre-digital days so I'm afraid they lack clarity.

The most striking thing about the Uxmal site id the Magician's Pyramid. You can just see the people climbing up the steps in the view.

Another view.

The Nunnery Quadrangle.

The Governor's Palace.

An iguana we met on the way up to the Governor's Palace.

A detail from some of the wonderful carving to be seen all around the site.

The House of Doves (remains of) in the trees.

Another excursion we took was to the coast. The beaches of Cancun and similar places don't particularly appeal to us so we headed off to a wild life area for a boat trip.

As we set off I asked what that pink was over on the other side of the water (never having seen flamingos before).

We headed into the mangroves.

We did see a lot of wild life but the old camera didn't manage to capture very much!

This was a fresh water spring where it would, apparently, be lovely to swim. We didn't try.

We stayed, for the last few days, at the Hacienda Katanchel, possibly one of the best places I've ever visited.

There are plenty of haciendas in the area, many converted into hotels. This one hadn't long opened and we and another couple were the only guests. It was wonderful.

It had once been a sisal plantation.

The buildings have been converted into dining rooms, lounges and so on.

Even a little bus to take you around the grounds.

This post is part of Lifecruiser’s Cyber Cruise. You’ll find everything about it on Technorati.

You might like to visit another post in the series: TorAa's From Summerhouse to Chalet in Norwegian Mountains

PhotoHunter: Row

I thought about a lot of different types of rows: rows of books, rows of vegetables or other crops, but in the end as I was sorting through old photos, I came across these from Venice. Venice is especially close to my heart because my grandfather came from there.

There are rows everywhere in the architecture: arches, pillars, columns, windows.

This is a detail from the Palazzo Santa Sofia, or Ca' d'Oro, which was being renovated when we saw it, and so it was unfortunately partially covered by tarpaulins. Built in 1428, it's hardly surprising that it needs renovation.

Above are arches and columns in the Doge's Palace

From the top of the Campanile, you have a very good view, not only of the rows of columns and arches in the Piazza San Marco, but also the rows of tables set out in the square, if you want to buy a refreshment at an extortionate price!

And here's another sort of row in Venice. It's a scan of an older picture we took about 15 years ago. Two rows of gondolas, one in each direction along a fairly narrow canal. Traffic congestion, Venetian style!

PhotoHunt