I was at the gate to the archeologic site at 7:30 am, waiting for the gate to open at 8 am. Once again, thus, el Turista Solitario had the chance of admitting this extraordinary site all to himself. Uxmal was occupied during the Post-Classic, from 1000 to 1200 AD (although the site seems to have been a backwater center during the Classic). Its inhabitants perfected the art of the cistern because those years saw several periods of drought (The Medieval warm period in Europe).
Its most iconic pyramid is the Pirámide del Adivino, or the Pyramid of the Shaman, a dwarf who reportedly raised the pyramid overnight, with a unique elliptical footprint. In the past this was where everybody had a chance to wear themselves down by climbing the 100+ steep stone steps, but in this more enlightened age access is restricted to archaeologists working on the site. Another iconic building is the Cuadrángulo de Las Monjas, or the Nunnery, which is formed by four long buildings, each with many rooms, that enclose a rectangular plaza. The buildings are decorated with exquisite roof trellises where all sorts of gods were represented.
After an hour of roaming around I noticed the numbers of tourists and mosquitoes was increasing at a rapid rate, so I worked my way to the exit and left the two plagues to deal with each other. I had ahead of me a drive of about 160 km (ended being 200 km) to Campeche, and I thought I would enjoy it by driving slowly and enjoying the sights. My plans got sidetracked by a sign to some local caves, and what geologist would pass the opportunity of inspecting the local rocks. Unfortunately, when I got there I found out that the caves have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic. Rats! At least I got an excellent breakfast at a small bar that is trying to survive until the tourists come back.
The drive was enjoyable, but I have no unique stories to tell about it, except that agriculture seems to become more diversified as you move into the state of Campeche. I had made a reservation for two nights at Casa del Colibrí, a comfortable loft apartment decorated with the overall theme of hummingbirds. From my third floor level I have a beautiful view of the ocean. My hostess, Laura, is a very charming woman who received me as if we were a long lost friend and gave me all sorts of good tips to enjoy the two days I will be in the city of Campeche. It is very hot, so I think I will wait for the sun to come down, and then will walk to downtown to see if I can take the bus tour of the town. I have a comfortable terrace at my disposal, so I will have a cold beer while I enjoy the sunset 😊
No sunset! At least not one I could see because a squall came in and blotted the sky. That didn’t deter me from jumping on the tourist bus and taking a nice look around the old town. Campeche was founded in 1540, so it is one of the oldest American cities. Unfortunately the pirates at the time had no other cities to pillage and plunder, so the city was ransacked and burnt to the ground in 1552, and many times thereafter. To protect themselves, the Campechanos built a wall around the city, and protected it with two massive fortresses, but apparently to no avail. The result is that, although there are some churches from the XVI century still standing, most of the “old” construction only goes back to the XIX century. I wonder what the pirates were after, because the silver galleons departed from Veracruz, farther to the north.
Campeche has a beautiful oceanside promenade (malecón),
particularly enjoyable once the sun has gone down and the breeze cools the
land. Every night at 8 pm they turn on the dancing fountains, which makes for a
mini-concert with dazing light displays.
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