Most towns have a Mercado Municipal that is bustling but Valladolid’s seems to have suffered the wrath of the pandemic. Very few vendors and third of the once thriving lunch counters were open.
The open air meat market is still going strong. These guys might be catching up on the latest gossip or politics, or maybe chatting about how to cook these meats.
Walked around the quiet market for a bit and got a chicken taco at Cocina Marcialita and a bottle of pineapple juice for 35 pesos before heading back out into the oven.
The menu is pretty basic, just this hard working little poster lets customers know what is offered.
More walking, more shopping, and another taco stop at El Tigrillio washed down with a glass of watermelon juice. I waited two long pandemic years to have the privilege of eating a taco on the streets of Valladolid. I lived for this.
More walking, more shopping, and another taco stop at El Tigrillio washed down with a glass of watermelon juice. I waited two long pandemic years to have the privilege of eating a taco on the streets of Valladolid. I lived for this.
El Tigrillio has a huge metal bin of meat that he pulls from all afternoon. Already planning to find him again tomorrow.
Tacos and juice equals life. More than a bargain at 35 pesos which is $1.75. There’s so much value in independent travel- no one telling you where to go or what to do or for how long, or for putting any limits on the number of tacos stops in a day.
Walking back to the hotel using sheer will power having had all of our neurons fried in the hot sun, we took a rest before getting picked up by a taxi to take us to the exquisite Zazil Tunich.
A family run cave cenote with a tagline of “more than just a cenote” lives up to its name. We bought the cenote and dinner package and were awed from the moment we arrived. The place is impeccably well kept in a forest setting. The guide tells us the legend surrounding the cenote which includes severed heads, a bird that is the harbinger of death, a goddess who is impregnated by saliva, and demigods whose limbs turned into fish in the cenote.
The stairs lead deep into the earth revealing a gorgeous 360 view of a cave teeming with stalactites, stalagmites, and bats.
You just have a feeling of disbelief that something this epic exist on our planet. We were the only people here so we had the entire cave to ourselves, we relished in dramatic floating and swimming for 45 minutes.
Part of the event is a traditional Mayan dinner. We were honestly stunned when we saw that they prepared a fireside table for two in the garden.
We had a server named Tony who lived in the neighboring village. We drove through his village on the way to the cenote and I’ll tell you there isn’t anything there-just family homes and a few shops. This 24 year old had the social skills of a sophisticated waiter an an upscale restaurant in a big city.
Here he was on the job for three months and he has to stand there and wait for the only two customers in the place not knowing where we were from or what we would be like and be ready to execute a perfect dining experience in THREE LANGUAGES. That’s right, he spoke Spanish, English, and Yucatec Maya.
He explained in detail, once in each language, how the chicken pibil is wrapped in banana leaves and baked underground, how the salsa is made from tomatoes, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds, and the most sublime desert should be savored with and without a bit of fresh mint. We were beyond impressed with the entire experience.
Would you like another tortilla? Why, yes of course I do!
Amazing photo credits to Vicki Spagnoli of course!
Oh my! This post made me so happy for you! Food, shopping, and swimming in a cave sounds lovely. Beautiful setting for a private rest, swim, and gourmet meal for two. Very nice. And who wouldn't want a taco at every stand?? 🌮🌮🌮
ReplyDelete