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Yucatan Bicycle Tour
Day 3 Uxmal to Oxkutzcab
Santa Elena
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We left our hotel at 6:30 a.m. and rode a short distance to one of the
expensive hotels at Uxmal for breakfast. The sky was clear and the
early morning air was cool.
The breakfast buffet set us back 90 pesos each ($9 U.S.). Prices at the tourist areas are
much more expensive compared to the non-tourist areas. When we got back on the road, it was
much hotter. The hot sun was a factor, the rest of the day.
Carvings at Kabah
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We stopped at Santa Elena for purified water. The town is depressed.
However, we could see that the local government was trying to improve things.
We saw women carrying buckets down the street. The buckets contained corn kernels.
They were walking to a small tortilla factory at the end of the street. A large
church on the top of hill overlooked the town.
Continuing on the "Ruta Puuc", we arrived at Kabah. This ancient Mayan city
contains many interesting carvings and buildings.
More Kabah Photos
The Palace at Sayil
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Our next stop was the ruins of Sayil. By this time Paul was having problems
with the heat. Paul rested in the shade while I toured the ruins. Sayil was
more wooded. I found some buildings in the jungle that looked like something
out of "Indiana Jones".
More Sayil Photos
My front tire flatted as we were leaving Sayil. This was a bummer as we were
hoping to get to the caves at Loltun for the 2 p.m. tour. We needed to get
to Oxkutzcab before dark.
Paul rides along the Ruta Puuc.
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Farm on the Ruta Puuc.
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We rode past farms and citrus groves. As we neared Loltun the road began
to climb. We hadn't seen any stores or restaurants since Santa Elena. Between
the lack of food and the heat, Paul and I were struggling. Then my rear wheel
flatted. We replaced that tube. We finally got to Lulton in time for the 3 p.m.
tour. However we were both exhausted. As we were locking up our bikes, the attendant
was pleading "please hurry senior".
The Compact Flash card on my camera was full. And I didn't have time to download
my photos. Fortunately Paul had a spare card to loan to me.
Grutas de Loltun
(Caves of Loltun)
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The caves were interesting. The guide told us that they had been closed
for several weeks due to flooding from Hurricane Isadore. First the water
needed to drain out. Then, the entire lighting system had to be replaced.
The guide showed us two columns that gave Loltun its name. He hit the first
one and it resonated "lol". He hit the second one
and it resonated "tun".
More Loltun Photos
After the cave tour, we stopped at a restaurant across the road for
cokes and sandwiches. We talked with the owner, a Mayan who could
speak some English. He was very interesting.
We rode the final 10 kilometers Oxkutzcab descending most of the way.
We arrived right at sunset. As we were descending, I spotted some buzzards
on the road. They flew off as I approached. A few seconds later, I saw they
had been chewing on a rotting dog carcass. A few seconds after that, the
smell hit me. Gross!
Toilet seats
are very optional in Mexico. This became a running joke during our entire trip.
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Oxkutzcab is a lively town. Bicycle taxis are very prevalent here. We
found a hotel room for $13. For this price we get a butt-ugly room with
no hot water, shower curtain and, of course, no toilet seat. However we've
got a TV (our first since Cancun) with HBO and Cinemax. It isn't the Holiday
Inn. But, It's clean and relatively secure.
We locked up our bikes to the plumbing and set off for supper. We got a meal
for $5.30 for both of us that included two beers, quesedillas, chips and salsa.
I found an Internet cafe and sent email home to family and checked the news.
Paul went to the supermarket and bought food and water. Due to the distances
between towns, we decided to carry food with us at all times.
I had a bout with diarrhea tonight. I took some Imodium and things seem to
be settling down. It's tough when you don't have a toilet seat. Hopefully,
this is simply a passing reaction to the heat, strange food or perhaps to many
cervezas (beers).
Tomorrow we plan to visit the market here in Oxkutzcab. Then, we'll ride a short
distance to Ticul where we'll take a bus back to Merida.
Today's distance was 46.8 miles.
Continue to Day 4
Yucatan Bike Tour Contents
Untitled
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Introduction
Day 3 Uxmal to Oxkutzcab
