UPDATE 19 - 22 MAY

Leaving Belize today and saying goodbye to Martin the first one of the rally to leave.  Some cars will switch drivers/navigators along the way.  Sorry to see him go but promised to send him a text when we reach Tiera del Fuego. The weather is overcast but the temperature is still 31c – we definitely need some rain.  On the way to the border we pass a family moving home – Belize style....

Kids were inside - Skelton's eat your heart out..

At the border it takes us 2 hours – not bad considering that there are 19 cars and only one person to process us all. 

Leaving Belize....                                 Entering Mexico.............                       Shame it's not blue and yellow Julian......

JC looking forward to Mexico, certainly so far it is long straight flat roads BUT with loads of speed bumps (TOPES)  and everytime we slow down for one there is someone selling something – drinks, fruit or cake.  We stop and have a “bag of pineapple”  it’s fresh, sliced, with a slime of lime and loads of hot peppery spices.  Tasted great but my lips were still burning hours later.  Apparently it was tamarind – a popular spice in Mexico and not chilli as I had thought.

Lunch at a speed bump............

We are following signs for Cancun today – strange to be driving there when most people, fly there and never leave their hotel.  We had fun at a set of roadworks, where the workmen were waving white vests!  What does it mean, slow down, stop or I surrender…?  We slowed down and got a big smile.  Our hotel tonight is the Dreams Resort and Spa – an all inclusive.  This is John’s first experience of the fat people in shorts.  One of the rally members said it’s a bit like being on a cruise with no ship.  It all looks fab but the glasses were all plastic and, when one of the tiniest ladies on our trip, rinsed her lightweight shirt out in the sink – it fell of the wall.  Maintenance never did turn up!!  JC’s comments the next morning ‘BEST BREAKFAST WORST BEER’.

20th May and we are off to visit another Mayan site – another road – another ruin.  This one is by the sea and much smaller.  A beautiful location on the cliff tops overlooking beautiful turquoise sea. 

Office calling...................        I see no ships......................                Another Mayan ruin.......

Some people will do anything to get the best shot... or be in it.............                 Nikki and I having a rest........

Our guide today..........             Not my style really.....................           Nor these......................

Chichen Itza is where we are staying tonight and everyone is keen to get away and get there early so that we can see the site this afternoon as we will not have time in the morning.  This is one of the seven wonders of the world and even JC doesn’t want to miss it.

Views from the road today:

No not boobs - speed humps..........           You can buy anything here....       Improve your Spanish- OK if you don't drink in the street, wear a

                                                                                                            uniform or are a minor!!!!!

With the long straight roads through the Yukatan Peninsula, we are able to keep a good pace and cut down on fuel consumption as we head for Cenote Dzitnup along our route.  This is a subterranean cave with beautiful cool waters, where some of the group stop for a swim.

Not for the fainthearted.........               The one's who braved it..........              It does look very inviting.....

Before we leave the Cenote JC uses up the last of his black market diesel from the jerry cans and we are flying along now without the extra weight, arriving at the Chichen Itza Hacienda at around 1:30pm.  It must be around 42c and we sensibly decide to have a shower and a rest and then meet with Paul and Nikki to go to the site at around 3pm. 

It’s a marvelous place, but it was still very hot.  Unlike Tikal, it is very open and the heat builds up and reflects back off the stones.  JC spends his time moving from piece of shade to piece of shade – even in his shorts and sandals!!

Getting ready for the off...............        Amazing.................                             Better one of us.........

For the Mayan fans amongst you...............................................................................

and more.......................                     My favourite - observatory...    Could have done with one of these to keep the sun off........

Got back to the hotel just in time for welcome drinks – the thunder was rumbling in the background but no sign of rain.  Here in the jungle it is definitely getting more humid and JC get’s more hot under the collar after dinner this evening, when the waiter insists we leave a tip – what chance do you think he had of getting a tip after that????

21 May and we are on the road by 8am – we have a rest day tomorrow and I am looking forward to that.  Sights to see en route today include another Mayan site but we decide against it in favour of getting to the hotel early for a change and getting some washing done!  Nevermind though we will still visit Izamal and the Yaxcopoil Hacienda.  The day got off to a bad start when we had our first experience of the Mexican police and their corruption. We had just come through a toll booth, when we were stopped for a check. They spotted the two way radio and took it out.  When my simple attempts at Spanish failed and he kept saying “Musto” – not in  the dictionary – we asked some locals who had also been stopped for help.  The young man who spoke English and Spanish explained to the policeman that we were part of the rally but he wasn’t having any nor would he give us a receipt for the 300 pesos (30 dollars) which he wanted before he would return the radio.  As our friendly helper said we were “funding police corruption”. 
Well lesson learned – keep everything out of site if we are approaching a check point again!!

Izamal – a pretty yellow town with a beautiful old convent and town square once visited by Pope John Paul – so JC now thinks he ranks amongst the holy in the world.

Some pics:

Guess who else was here.........             This one for Michel...........even the football stand yellow!!

On our way to the Hacienda we stopped to fill up and spotted these three filling up at the garage

Yes that is a goat...............

and a couple for the truckers amongst you:

Ken Petch could do with these double trailers to lead bales!!     Coxy starting up again???  You can do anything with a Toyota!!!

The Hacienda once covered 20,000 acres in its hey day and their main product was sisal, used as the old ones amongst us know in the making of rope and sacks.  Today it is quite a sad place, which if it was in Europe it would have been renovated and kept as a working model.  However, the old guide was lovely and after wandering around, we had our packed lunch under the shade of a tree before heading off to Campeche and our hotel for the next couple of nights.

The Hacienda Yaxcopoil..............             The old works..................                      The garden..........

The family................                            Signor Cox.......................          The inside......................

22^nd May and it’s a fever in the car park with everyone washing and tinkering with the cars.  JC is there to help and I decide to take advantage of the early morning and its relative coolness to explore the historic centre and the promenade.

The city wall Campeche...............          Along the prom.................                    The old town...........

The town square and Cathedral.........      Inside of the Cathedral..................        Some strange shops here!!!!!!!!

Not sure when the next update will be as we are heading deep into the jungle again tomorrow.  Keep reading.

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