It was an easy but hot ride out of the colonial town of Campeche. On route to Kabah and Uxmal the roads were narrow but with little traffic it was easy and safe riding. When I could I took back roads which bought me in contact with a lot of locals that don’t meet too many outsiders. This is one of the things I love most about traveling in Mexico. Meeting the locals.
Kabah
The ruins of Kabah are right by the side of the road. They in the Puuc mountains and are part of a series of ruins called the Ruta Puuc or Puuc Route. Although there are 6-8 separate complexes on this route I chose to limit my visit to just the two main places. Limiting my visits to just the main Mayan sights has been something I have been unable to do until now.
Although Kabah is an extensive sight there has been limited restoration work completed. Only the main 2-3 temples have been explored and restored. In company of the many Iguanas I wandered the sites for about 30 minutes before setting off to the nearby Uxmal. The larger and more famous site on the Puuc Route.
Before I reached Uxmal, on a section of road just like any other, I hit a milestone for my journey. 25000km clicked over on my GPS. That’s 25000km of human powered cycling on this 3 year journey. Add to that the 9209km of hiking and 721km of canoeing. It’s been a great journey so far. And I’m only about half way!!!
Uxmal
In this part of the world the site of Uxmal is the grandest and most visited, with good reason. There are some nicely restored buildings and easy access for the average person from the nearby town of Merida. I visited Uxmal 10 years ago. I loved the place then and as I was in the area I felt I needed to return.
The grand pyramid complete with it’s rounded sides are the main draw card for the site. There are a billion pictures of it floating around the interwebs. Unfortunately, it is prohibited to climb the pyramid. I dearly would have loved to see the view from the top. Although the views from the top of the other pyramids were also amazing.
With the cost of food and drink at prices 3 or 4 times higher than the rest of Mexico I didn’t stay long. In fact the prices were higher at Uxmal than in USA, keep that in mind if you visit the area. So I cycled off in the direction of Merida. My good cycling and hiking buddies Spontaneity and Sky were there. Hopefully, we can hatch a plan to cycle together for a while. We both are running short on time as we get close to our flights to Atlanta to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Next : The Cenotes of Cuzuma
Mayan and Aztec Related Posts:
- Oaxaca – Monte Alban
- Yaxchilan – The Hidden Jewel in the Mayan Crown
- Bonompak – The Little visited Mayan site
- Palenque – Ruins in the Jungle
- Cycling to El Mirador
- El Zotz
- Tikal
- Teotihuacan
- Lamanai – Mayan Ruins in Belize
- Xpuhil – Becan – Chicanná – Balamku
- Calakmul
- Chichen Itza
- Ek Balam Ruins and X’Canche Cenote
Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking Pages might like:
Bicycle Touring Gear List
Bicycle Touring Spares and Tool Kit
Cycling from Alaska to Argentina
Where to buy all the best gear for Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking:
| |Amazon ||
| | | Snowys.com.au | MEC Canada -Bicycle Touring Gear | Wildfiresports.com.au
40000 km will be a special milestone. Once around the world by bike.
Yes, still many more days cycling
“about half way” : so you have a plan. Well done so far !
I must say I’m jealous.
I have a rough plan to cycle to Argentina with lots of detours in the way. Still a couple of years away till I finish