Many thanks for your great advice on travel in the Yucatan and for encouraging us to go.
We landed in Cancun on March 19, rented a car and used it to independently tour the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Ek Balam. The highlight was the "Descent of Kulkulcan" on the vernal equinox! We also visited the Yucatan capital, Merida. For the Cancun to Chichen Itza portion, we drove on the toll road (cuota) both ways. On Saturdays and Sundays, the toll authorities discount the tolls 30% -- a nice saving and a pleasant surprise. We stayed at the Mayaland Resort adjoining Chichen Itza. We had a lovely "Royal Mayan Bungalow." Grounds, staff and service were wonderful. English was widely understood and spoken in the major tourist spots, but our two years' of high school Spanish came in very useful in the less visited areas. All people were helpful and cordial. I've attached a few photos.
Our next trip will be hiking the Cinque Terre in May. Any helpful hints or tips?
Many thanks for your wonderful radio program and terrific books.
Rita Wyckoff, NJ
Thanks Rita for your tremendously kind and informative message. We've been hearing from a lot of folks who were initially worried about going to the resort areas of Mexico and then arrived to find them as peaceful, beautiful and culturally rich as you always. And affordable: with the peso having dropped about 25% in value from last year against the dollar, bargains in Mexico have never been as easy to snag.
I'm hoping you've been to Italy before, as I don't really recommend the Cinque Terre region for first time visitors. It simply doesn't have the abundance of great art and architecture that other great Italian regions do. It's also been overwhelmed by tourists, particularly in May. That's because May and October are considered prime hiking season and that's primarily what you do in Cinque Terre: you hike paths along scenic cliffs from one quaint, medieval fishing village to the next, enjoying an outdoorsy Italy that those who choose, say, Rome or Venice, might miss.
As for advice: plan to incorporate a boat trip into at least part of your hiking itinerary so that you can experience some of the spectacular views from the water. Boats are reasonably priced; you don't need a car in this region (in fact, you won't be able to use one in the tiny villages you'll be visiting).
The majority of lodgings are in medieval houses; there are no modern hotels in this region and they book up far in advance. Try and get a room with a balcony. Even if they're more expensive, you're here for the views right? And make sure your room is far away from the train tracks that connect the five villages; those hotels near the tracks can be very noisy.
Plan to spend some time in Vernazza, which is the prettiest of the villages, with the most to see and do. Pick up a copy of "The Park by Foot" booklet at the park offices, which will give you the estimated walking time for each trail. Higher trails, those with the sharpest ascents, tend to be less crowded. If you decide to do the coastal "blue" trail--the most popular one--be sure to do it east to west (setting off from Riomaggiore and ending in Monterrosso) if you value your calve muscles. The entire trail will take about 5 hours without stops, a day with them. If you're going to be doing a lot of hiking and time going back and forth between the villages, invest in a Cinque Terre Card to save money (cheaper than just doing the hiking pass).
Finally, don't pass up a chance to visit Genoa. One of Italy's most underrated cities, it has a lovely medieval core that's delightful to explore.
In a previous blog, “A Runners Wife” I spoke about my husband training for the NYC marathon. All I have to say is that the months of training all came together of an amazing race. Race day is a grueling day for runners, and the family. But a miracle happened...
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified before the senate judiciary committee and basically shrugged when asked if any other enemy combatant captured overseas had ever been brought to civilian criminal court to face justice. Talk about an incompetent boob, not to mention a disgrace.
Here is a list of wines all from Spain, and menus from restaurants in Brooklyn where a crew of us did a food / wine crawl through Carrol Gardens and Williamsburg recently
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