Cancun

Arrival at Cancun airport. This place is a total disaster and can't cope with the number of planes that arrive.

View of mini bar in our room. On the counter full bottles of Red Wine; Gin; Vodka; Whiskey; Tequila. All for us!

Our massive bed behind the lounger. The window in the back/right is the shower room (massive wet room)

Our own private jacuzzi

A very well stocked mini bar fridge. A chat with the bus boy gets the items changed to stuff you actually want.

Probably the biggest bed we have ever slept in.

Very tasteful bathroom, high quality bath/shower products supplied daily. Wet room in the background

Bathroom products updated daily.

Spacious walk in wardrobe, with safe (free).

A view from the wet room looking back into the main area.

First cocktail, with pool below that has swim up bar.

Steve's first cocktail. Tried three of them but then switched to Whiskey.

View of "our" pool. Our room is down to the right at the end of the first block. Just step out to our own private balcony area and then into the pool.

Long shot of the Observatory

Arch entry into the Chichen Itza site.

Visiting Chichen Itza.

"La Iglesia" (The Church), one of the oldest buildings at Chichen Itza, is covered in masks of the rain god Chac.

Part of "La Iglesia" (The Church) in the Las Monjas complex at Chichen Itza

Tourists at Chichen Itza "Church". Not doing a lot of praying though.

Close up of the carvings on the Church showing the Mask of Chac.

Only the guide thought to bring a parasol - and then he stood us in the sun to talk about the site! Sunny Kim (on the right) was the only person on the trip with us.

Though extremely clever, the Mayans had not worked out how to hold up a roof (even a thatched one) without a lot of pillars.

Most of the carvings, statues etc. are lost due to erosion etc. This wall shows a glimpse of how good it must have looked originally.

The Ossario, a step pyramid with staircases on all four sides.

They had a big thing about snakes in those days. Gods of the Maya.

"El Caracol" (The Snail) observatory temple at Chichen Itza, one of the largest Maya cities. Chichen Itza was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature and is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico; an estimated 1.2 million tourists visit the ruins every year

Archaeologists have identified thirteen ballcourts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame in Chichen Itza, but the Great Ball Court about 150 metres (490 ft) to the north-west of the Castillo is by far the most impressive

First glimpse of Kukulcan

Dominating the North Platform of Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulkan (a Maya feathered serpent deity similar to the Aztec Quetzalcoatl), usually referred to as El Castillo ("the castle")

Posing in front of the Temple of Kukulkan (El Castillo)

Carvings on Kukulkan

Another view of Kukulkan - you can see a stream of workers all the way up the pyramid as they work on restoring it.

The Cenote Sagrado was a place of pilgrimage for ancient Maya people who, according to ethnohistoric sources, would conduct sacrifices during times of drought. A cenote is a natural sinkhole, exposing the fresh water below.

Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors)

The "Light Show" at Uxmal. This is really not worth paying to see. Quite boring, much better to save your money and view the ruins during the day.

"Spectacular" light show at Uxmal. Yawn.

The only interesting bit of the light show. They illuminate the snake that is carved into the wall.

The Beatles reform at the Lodge, Uxmal. This is part of the hotel we stayed in. Quite comfortable but not a patch on The Beloved.

The Lodge Hotel, Uxmal

Pyramid of the Magician - entry into the site at Uxmal an ancient Maya city. Today it is one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with those of Chichen Itza and Tikal. It is located in the Puuc region and is considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style.

Pyramid of the Magician with today's sacrifice on her way.

Pyramid - what pyramid? There's something more interesting this way!

Rear view of the Pyramid of the Magician, front view of Rachel.

The Pyramid of the Magician (El Adivino) is the central structure in the Maya ruin complex of Uxmal. The Pyramid of the Magician is also referred to as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer.

The House of the Doves at Uxmal

Vey steep steps at the Great Pyramid at Uxmal. They don't look too bad when you are at the bottom, but when you get to the top you realise just how steep they are - and the trip back down looks scary!

Looking up at Rachel on the steps of the Great Pyramid

Carving in the corner of the Great Pyramid.

View from the top of the Great Pyramid

Standing at the top of the Great Pyramid at Uxmal

The Nunnery Quadrangle (a nickname given to it by the Spanish; it was a government palace) is the finest of Uxmal's several fine quadrangles of long buildings with elaborately carved façades on both the inside and outside faces.

Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal with the Great Pyramid behind.

Posing at the Pyrmaid of the Magician on the way out of the site.

Really, really big olives on a tree - or maybe they were something else.

Visiting an old colonnial Hacienda where they used to produce tequila.

The original living quarters of the colonnial house.

Bloody big machine!

Chilling and waiting for some of that tequila to arrive

Entrance to the Hacienda cab be seen in the background

One long building with adjoining rooms

Father Ted is no longer with us so we have Sister Rachel in the chapel today.

Very small piano, probably quite lovely when it worked.

Old safe - looks like it has come out of a wild west film.

In the town of Merida

Church buliding in the background at Merida

Government building in Merida - handy place to stop for a wee.

The pool outside our room - at this point

Getting to the pool from our private balcony.

Cheers from the Spice restaurant at the Excellence Hotel

Celebrating Spurs victory over QPR 2-1, with a Tequila Sunrise or two.

Our for a meal in the Excellence Hotel (sister to The Beloved). Superb Indian food - and very hot!

At the Basmati restaurant in the Excellence Hotel.

Not another cocktail? No - G&T this time

Pool with a swim-up bar.

On our way to the beach

Our beach (again)

We didn't actually bother with these, but they did look comfortable

Giant lazy beds on the beach

We didn't just laze around - went for a bike ride a couple of times.

Top of a tower near to the hotel. Good views.

Giant compass in the gardens of the tower

Just admiring the view

Another cyclist

The fountain that is at the entrance to the tower

Parrots near the tower

What are you looking at?

Got a cracker mate?