About an hours bus ride from Merida is the ancient city of Uxmal. Spanning at least 10 square kilometers, Uxmal´s prominence was between AD 800 and 1000. The ruins are vast and include a great pyramid that is the first to greet you upon  arrival. It is believed that the Maya populated the area from AD 600, however after 1000 when the Toltec  took the Yucatan area the capital was moved to Chichen Itza and construction was ceased at Uxmal. I found this site to be particularly well preserved.

Beyond the main pyramid also known as the ¨Pyramid of the Wizard¨, lies the Nunnery Quadrangle. The name was given to the complex because a Spanish Explorer thought that it looked like a Spanish Nunnery.

Many of the reliefs have long since be destroyed (both by man and time), but some remain and really give a clear picture of the craftsmanship of the ancient cizilization.

The south entrance to the Nunnery looks out onto the Ball court and beyond that the ¨Governers Palace¨ lies raised on a small hill overlooking the site.  To the west is the Pyramid of the sun which (if you can be bothered to climb it, and I suggest you do) give a great overview of the area.

I have been to many ruins across the globe and this rates among  the best. While there were a lot of people there it is manageable  and this is coming from someone that thinks 1 person other than me at a ruin is too many, however the vastness of the site allows you to stay to yourself enough to enjoy the ruins. Of course for those of you that prefer a guide yapping in your ear as you walk around there is guided tours available in most languages ranging from 500 to 900 pesos, although I cannot comment on there quality as I prefer the quiet.

Overall It’s a wonderfull site that I would recommend to anyone in or travelling to the Yucatan area.

A new feature just launched on this site called “Photo of the day”. Todays photo is by Carlito Verleyen an Artist from Belgium.

His use of colour and texture is nothing short of brilliant, creating a subtle emotion that will leaving you pondering the thought well after viewing.

Carlito’s work is available for purchase from his site.

Click the below picture or link to view the Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day.

You can submit your pictures by visiting: Photo of the day – Submit

Country: Mexico

Alcohol: 4.5%

I’m not exactly sure what makes these beer “special”, to me this is simply another beer with a watery aftertaste without any distinguishing flavour. On top of that it’s not the most economical beer here in Mexico.

Overall, I would say that if you have a choice, give this beer a miss. If you are like me however, and have the “Try every beer once” attitude towards life, you will be disappointed with its lack of body and finish.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Miguel doing his thing

Out front of Al Trompito stands Miguel wielding his blade at the rotating meat that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Al Trompito is located at Londres #199 in the Zona Rosa of Mexico City. The restaurant is very basic, however when the clock hits 4pm there is rarely a vacant seat in the house.

The menu boasts most of the items you would expect from a taqueria in Mexico City, but today I’m talking tacos, the Tacos Pastor to be specific.

When dining I like to sit at the front of the restaurant so I can watch Miguel carve the meat for my dish.

One plate of three tacos Pastor cost 18pesos and the meat is so succulent that you will be back for more.

Tacos Pastor

Al Trompito

Cholula is a city in the state of Puebla, located about 15km from the previously mentioned Puebla City.

Cholula was an important pre columbian city going back as far as the 2nd century BC.

The most famous feature in Cholula is  the Great Pyramid of Cholola which by volume is the largest pyramid in the world.

Construction of the pyramid complex begun in the 3rd Century BC and last until the 9th century AD. It was constructed in 4 stages built over what was already there.

As well as being the largest pyramid in the world it is also the largest man made monument. The Great Pyramid of Giza, Eygpt, is taller, but by volume it is a great deal smaller. The pyramid of Cholula has an estimated volume of 4.5 million m3 where as the Pyramid of Giza weighs in at around 2.5 million m3.

Underneath the pyramid archaeologists have uncovered almost 8km of tunnels which you are free to explore.

Atop the pyramid is the “Church of our lady Remedies” that was built by the the Spanish in colonial time about 1594.

The pyramid these days simply looks like a massive hill crowned with a church. The story goes that when the Spanish took Cholula the pyramid was unrecognisable and was mistaken as a hill and the Spanish contracted the church atop it. No-one knows the exact reason that the pyramid is so well covered. There are a few theories, the one I like to believe is, when the Aztecs heard of the Spanish invasion they covered the monument to prevent it being destroyed.

]]> http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=293 0 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=241 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=241#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:02:28 +0000 Christopher http://christophertravels.wordpress.com/?p=241 Nikon D60

I was given this camera as a gift and it quickly became my prized possession.

Shooting with the D60 is a great experience, its ease of use combined with the quality attainable makes this camera a perfect entry level DSLR.

It boasts multiple shooting modes with various output qualities, I prefer to shoot in RAW + JPEG and find the quality and light information on the RAW images to be great.

Weighing in at 524g, it is light enough to travel with whilst retaining a comfortable grip making for ease of portability and use.

As with most things in life, it is not without its drawbacks. If you wish to use this camera for HDR photography you will have to shoot in RAW and edit the exposures in post, as the camera doesn’t offer exposure bracketing. Another minor drawback is the LCD doesn’t offer a live preview, which is of no issue to me personally, however, some people will find it irritating.

Pros:

• Great Resolution
• Menu easy to navigate
• In menu touch up is quite powerful
• Continuous shooting mode
• Size and weight make it perfect for travel
• Great value for money

Cons:

• No exposure bracketing
• No LCD live preview
• No Video capture.

Overall, I would recommend this camera as a must buy entry level DSLR especially if travelling and working on a budget.

See samples from the Nikon D60 below. Also visit:

Photography of Christopher

My Flickr

]]> http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=241 4 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=208 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=208#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:42:07 +0000 Christopher http://christophertravels.wordpress.com/?p=208 Negro Modelo

Country: Mexico

Alcohol %: 5.3%

Negro Modelo is another Mexican beer brewed by Grupo Modelo . As the name would suggest it is a dark beer or as expressed in Mexico “Oscura”

This beer has much more body than the “Clara” lagers of Mexico and finishes with a medium to strong malt aftertaste.

The bottle itself summons a sense of grandeur, it is a stubbier bottle than most and is tinted dark with a golden foil sealing the opening.

I would suggest this beer to even the most picky of connoisseurs as its body carries well and finishes strong leaving you wanting for more.

My rating 4.5/5

]]> http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=208 4 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=184 http://travelsofchristopher.com/blog/?p=184#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:42:10 +0000 Christopher http://christophertravels.wordpress.com/?p=184 Part 1

Anyone who has been to Mexico City will have been down the Paseo de la Reforma. It is a 12 kilometre strip that is adorned on the side with statues and monuments. The most famous statue on Reforma is el Àngel, el Àngel is such a grand statue that it deserves a entry all on its own, so stay tuned for more on that.

This post is the first part of a multi part gallery of the sites of Paseo de la Reforma. So hit the link below to see the first part of the gallery, enjoy!

Positioned in the centre of Zona Rosa is this fantasic breakfast spot. Being on the corner of Hamburgo and Genova makes this place a top spot for a cheap breakfast as well as the perfect position for some people watching.

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104056530036039723324.0004764fb59380aa35905&ll=19.42655,-99.164164&spn=0,0&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

The city of Puebla is located in the state of Puebla and is slightly over 110 kilometres southeast of Mexico City.

Puebla was founded on April 16, 1531 and currently has a population of 1,485,941. The metropolitan area of the city extends over 10 municipalities of the state including the city of Cholula.

The city is located in the “Valley of Puebla”, surrounded by volcanoes and snow-capped mountains and is one of the oldest colonial cities in the continent.

As with many Mexican cities the layout surrounds a centre referred to as the Zocalo. Unlike the Zocalo of Mexico City, Puebla’s centre has many trees and is surrounded on three sides by various eateries.

Built in 1923 by Mexican biologist Alfonso Luis Herrera, the “Zoologico de Chapultepec” is the largest of four zoos near Mexico City.

We visited the zoo on a Sunday afternoon and were pleasantly suppressed when we found out that admission was free, however due to this the crowds make it difficult to get close to some of the displays.

Country – Mexico

Alcohol % – 4.5%

Sol is another Mexican beer, its made by the same brewery as the previously reviewed, Indio. I have this beer on a high rotation in my purchasing. It has a very light taste and is easily knocked back on a warm afternoon.

I enjoy a quick squirt of lime into the bottle to give the brew a refreshing citrus aftertaste. Many people in Mexico will also add salt to the beer, I however do not enjoy the flavour so I stick to the lime only.

In Mexico City you will find Sol at most establishments ands will run you around 20-30 pesos for a bottle. If you are purchasing from a supermarket or convenience store expect to pay 44 pesos for a six pack or around 80 pesos for a twelve pack.

Sol is an excellent beer and I would highly recommend it, especially on a nice summers day.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Located in the Mexican State of Guerrero, Zihuatanejo sits on the Pacific Coast about 240 kilometres northwest of Acapulco.

Our trip to Zihuatanejo began with a bus trip from Mexico City that lasted around nine hours. We travelled with the bus line Estrella de Oro and I found the ride very pleasant , the bus was extremely well kept and luckily for us, mostly empty. They played movies for us on the way there, the only problem being that hay were over-dubbed in Spanish, but the trusty iPhone was there for me. I also find lengthy bus rides as a good way to catch up on some reading.

We arrived in Zihuatanejo around 4am and we were lucky enough that the hostel we booked let us in and allowed us to sleep on couches in the lobby until our room was ready. The place we stayed is called “Angela’s Hotel and Hostel” and I found it to be quite good value for money, even with the room to ourselves. The hostel is located within a 5 – 10min walk form Playa Madera (Madera Beach).

I don’t really intent on writing about chain restaurants as I find them very unappealing. This particular venue however is worthy of an exception.

Sanborns was founded in 1903 by Californian immigrants Walter and Frank Sanborn. A walk around Mexico will show you just how dominant this particular chain is.

The most famous of there Cafes is located in Centro Historico in a building known as “Casa de los Azulejos” (House of Tiles).

The house itself was built in the early 1700′s and is covered on the outside facades by Puebla tiles. Located a short walk from the Zocolo on Francisco Madero the building is hard to miss, and the first time you pass it, you will find it very difficult not to stop and admire.

Inside it is nothing short of stunning.

After making your way through the department store to the heart of the building, you will find your self under the high cieling of the cafe, surrounded by beautiful muerls.

I am not going to write a great deal about the food as it is a chain restaurant. The price are reasonable and the quality adequate.

The fact that it is a chain aside I would definitely recommend a visit, if your time in Mexico is limited I would suggest lunch as there are far better places to eat.

Go grab a coffee and remember to take your camera. You will want to tell your friends about this place.

Lucha Libre (Spanish: Free Fighting or Free Wrestling) is the term used in Mexico for professional wrestling.

Much like it’s American equivalent it is a display of athleticism and is more of a dance than an actual fight. I like to call it “The Ballet of the 21st Century”.

Not being a fan of wrestling I was somewhat skeptical about how much I would enjoy the event, this skepticism was squashed very soon after arriving.

The wrestlers known as “Luchadores” employ a series of holds and moves in addition to high flying aerobatics to excite even the most hard to please viewer. Many Luchadores wear colourful masks them them a mysterious presence that adds to the theatrics of the show.

As with American matches a bout is won by pinning an opponent for a three count or expelling him from the ring for a count of twenty.

The masks have been worn by the luchadores since the inception of Lucha Libre some time in the 1930′s and represent a historical significance dating back to the Aztecs.

The spectacles are held weekly on Friday nights, the arena we attended is the “Arena Mexico”. Even before entering the area it is hard not to be a little excited. The streets leading to the arena entrances are lined with stalls selling various paraphernalia pertaining  the sport.

- Don’t drink the tap water! Only drink bottled water.

Water water everywhere, lets all have a drink.

Of all of the travel warnings I have been given, this is the one I find most important, but why?

The case in Mexico is like this; The pipes that carry the water around Mexico aren’t of a quality to handle the shifting of the ground, as Mexico has a lot of seismic activity. This is particularly true in Mexico City as the entire area was built on a lake that has become a swamp, with all of the small earthquakes that Mexico City experiences, crack from in the pipes allowing for bacteria to seep in.

Another is is that there is no constant flow in the pipes, thus there isn’t enough positive pressure to force out contaminants.

Even-though you shouldn’t drink the water from the taps, bottled water is quite reasonable in price. A 1.5 litre bottle of water from a convenience store will run you around Mex$10. I buy my water in 20 litre bottles which gets delivered to my door for Mex$35 after an initial Mex$30 deposit. So as long as I give them the empty bottle Mex$35 gets me through the week.

Bars and restaurants use purified water and I have been told that the ice is safe to drink in most establishments.

Indio is one of my favourite beers here in Mexico.It is a darker beer however does not have the body one would expect.

Like most Mexican beers it has a slightly watery after taste, however this point aside, Indio makes for a perfect accompaniment to most if not all Mexican dishes.

If found in a restaurant or bar expect to pay around Mex$25-35, on the other hand the local supermarket or connivence store generally sells a 12 pack for around Mex$90.

All in all, Indio makes for a fantastic beer and is great value for money.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

View of the "Pyramid of the Moon" from the "Pyramid of the Sun"

In the  first millieum AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-colombian Americas. It is estimated that during it’s time it may have had more than 100,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities of it period.

The site is located in the State of Mexico, Mexico, about 40 kilometers Northeast of Mexico City.

View from the Pyramid of the Moon.

The layout of the site is based around a main broad avenue, refered to as “The Avenue of the Dead”. At one end on the avenue lies the “Pyramid of the Moon” and on one of its flanks is the Larger “Pyramid of the Sun”.

The Pyramid of the Sun, found along the “Avenue of the Dead” is the largest building in Teotihuacan and is widely noted as the third largest pyramid in the world. It stands 75 meters high and has a width of 225 meters.

On visiting the site you are permitted to climb both of the pyramids. The “pyramid of the Moon” allows for you to climb to the first tier, however on the “Pyramid of the Sun” you and make your way all the way to the summit. The 248 steps to the top are quite a challenge but well worth the hike. I would suggest climbing the pyramid in the morning as the afternoon sun beats directly down on the staircase.

View of the "Pyramid of the Sun" from a distance

Click here for some more pictures of Teotihuacan on my flickr.