Ruins+Cenote=Balanced Bliss

If you get going early enough you can beat the crowds at Ek Balam and it’s worth it!  The taxi stand for Ek Balam is across from the  Hotel Zaci. You can’t miss it because as soon as you approach the block you’ll see the drivers in white shirts asking if you want to go to El Balam. The price has gone up, it’s 270 pesos for the whole car. Normally you just wait for two more people to show up and the fare is split between four.  We wanted to get going so we just paid the whole thing for the 30 minute ride out to the middle of nowhere. 

The trick is to briskly walk through the ruins complex and go straight to the acropolis in the back.  We had the place to ourselves and the view was stunning.

I think Ek Balam is the only pyramid you can still climb as I read that Coba ended that privilege recently. Photos barely do the place justice but a video works pretty well.

Climbing up and down takes some care, it’s disorienting being up so high and it’s hard on the knees.

I needed to climb up like this, otherwise I very quickly felt like I was going to lose my balance and tumble down.

It’s a long way down!

We made our way down and back through the ruins complex which was still pretty empty. 

It’s a little walk back through the trees to the ticket desk for the cenote, X’canche. The steep 170 pesos entrance price includes the use of a bike to ride the 2k to the cenote. At first it all seems like a pain in the butt to pay another entrance fee, ride a bike in the oppressive heat, and wrestle sweaty limbs into a bathing suit.  I promise that as soon as you glide through that supremely cool water you will feel instantly refreshed and downright wonderful.  That combo of hot and cold, sun and shade, dry and wet. It’s soothing to experience  opposites is the same space.

There were a few families and twenty something backpackers having a grand time. The sense of pure communal joy and safety in the cenote was soothing to my soul after of the events in America in the last two years.

Satisfied for the day we find the taxi stand for Valladolid and head back. Here’s me putting that good for nothing blow torch temperature to good use to dry my swim suit on the way. I know a good idea when I see one.

Feeling starved we find our guy El Tigrillio and join the locals on the wall with a taco and a watermelon juice.

After a long afternoon siesta we went back out at dinner, to La Selva again because it was so good. It’s like street food prices but in a low key restaurant with attentive service. 

Finished off the meal with people watching and a marquesita in the zocalo. That’s like a freshly made waffle cone rolled up and filled with sweet things. A popular combo is Nutella, banana, and cheese…..I omitted the cheese and was pretty happy with it.

Walking back we had an aesthetic moment in this shop on the posh Calle de los Frailles. We couldn’t get enough of the candle lit muted earth tone vibe and the adorable shopkeeper. We couldn’t figure out what was for sale and what was her personally curated collection on display simply for her pleasure. 

And finally this cute vw to end the night.

Photo credits Vicki Spagnoli