Driving in Mexico

This past week was an eventful week for us. We finished our adventure in Mexico, flew home on our four year anniversary, and I started my first job as a real professional.

I want to share some pictures of Mexico, but we took nearly 1,500 and it will take me a while to sort through them. I may have to post in installments.

We decided to rent a car and drive in Mexico. I would recommend it to anyone that wants lots of flexibility and a place to store their stuff while climbing pyramids. Here are some words of advice for anyone renting a car in Mexico:

1. A red light doesn't always mean stop, especially if the guy behind you is honking at you.
2. Beware of topes (speed bumps). That one is worth repeating. BEWARE OF TOPES!
3. Don't let the gasman cheat you. He might try.
4. Lane lines are suggestions. Especially when oncoming semis veer into your lane to pass traffic.
5. Shoulders of the road are for bikes, pedestrians, tricycle motorcycles, and for you when oncoming traffic is in your lane.
6. When turning left off of the freeway, pull over into the shoulder, put on your hazards, and wait until no one is behind you before turning (this one makes sense - no use slowing down everyone behind you!)
7. Hazards are good for lots of things: when you are turning, when you feel like driving slow, or just because.
8. Blink your lights to claim the right of way.
9. If there is roadwork going on, don't be surprised when you are re-routed down a dirt lane, forced to come back to the main road to wait thirty minutes for no apparent reason, then re-routed onto another narrow, bumpy dirt lane to face oncoming traffic that consists of semis, buses, and other cars for miles on end.

Now some pictures

Church door - Valladolid

Two chihueys at the Valladolid hostel. Alex wants a Chihuahua now.

The nunnery at Chichen Itza

 Izamal, la ciudad dorada (golden city). Friar Landa, loved (for making a record of Mayan culture, history, etc as he found it in the 16th century) and hated (for burning hundreds of Mayan bark books for being sacrilegious) by Mayans, scholars, and Mayan enthusiasts built much of the city using stones from the few nearby Mayan pyramids. Using the conveniently pre-cut pyramid stones happened many other places in the Yucatan.

Inside the cathedral at Izamal with our tour guide. He liked holding my hand...

Traditional dancers at Merida

um

 Mayan skull in the antropology museum at Merida.

Museum

Same museum

Alex, the Mexican revolutionary

An expensive chocolate shop/cafe. You all know chocolate originated in the Americas, right? Cocoa beans were commonly used as money back in the Mayan day.

 The cathedral doors - Merida

zonked

self portrait. Alex! Look at the camera!

We made a few friends

Still Merida 

the end.

For now. I only got through the first few days. Stay tuned!