Feliz Navidad
I’ve had ‘Feliz Navidad’ stuck in my head for what feels like days - and I haven’t even heard the damn song. Or Slade, Mariah or anything else festive for that matter. And yet somehow we are still within the twelve days of Christmas. There are still Christmas trees and decorations up and it all feels slightly incongruous. Partly this is because I associate the season with the kind of whiteout that’s hit large swathes of North America rather than the sun, sea and sandals that has been part of my daily existence here. And partly this is because Christmas feels like bloody ages ago. I bet that bit doesn’t change wherever you are. Tomorrow is Three Kings, though all I really want as a present is for once to be able to sleep while in transit as I have an epic bus journey to look forward to.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m in Valladolid and it’s very pleasant. Without wanting to sound like I’m damning with faint praise, pleasant is a fitting word. It’s a pretty - and pretty small - colonial town with a calmer pace of life. The hostel matches this as it’s a more relaxed, better kept place with a different sort of crowd. This includes a charming older Bostonian lady, an Austrian postgrad on his way to study in Costa Rica and a Cornishman with Toutette’s. I’m aware the latter sounds like the punchline to a joke or a minor sitcom character but I assure you he’s real. I am, however, disappointed that as yet he hasn’t randomly interjected ‘Trago Mills’ into any conversations though.
Wandering the city has been great, there’s an old convent, fetching buildings in pastel shades and I found an excellent predominantly veggie restaurant. I visited a funky folk art museum, a private collection in an enormous villa - think Day of the Dead and traditional crafts, chimeric creatures and Frida Kahlo. Best of all though was a trip to a cenote just outside town, a natural sinkhole that you can swim in. Creepers, caves and cool blue water ticked all of my boxes and I enjoyed my dip.
We’re in the heart of Maya country here and it would have been remiss of me not to have do something I did in 2013, 2016 and 2017 [insert your own joke here]. I’ve now visited four of the New Seven Wonders of the World and, like the other three, despite high expectations setting one up for a fall, Chichen Itza was undeniably impressive. The main pyramid appears on all the postcards but there’s plenty more to the site: an observatory, a plethora of intricate carvings and an echo wall where I impressed myself with my maturity by not shouting anything rude. Seeing amazing ruins and chilling on beautiful beaches were high on my objectives list beforehand. Having achieved both already I should probably just call it quits and come home now, right?
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m in Valladolid and it’s very pleasant. Without wanting to sound like I’m damning with faint praise, pleasant is a fitting word. It’s a pretty - and pretty small - colonial town with a calmer pace of life. The hostel matches this as it’s a more relaxed, better kept place with a different sort of crowd. This includes a charming older Bostonian lady, an Austrian postgrad on his way to study in Costa Rica and a Cornishman with Toutette’s. I’m aware the latter sounds like the punchline to a joke or a minor sitcom character but I assure you he’s real. I am, however, disappointed that as yet he hasn’t randomly interjected ‘Trago Mills’ into any conversations though.
Wandering the city has been great, there’s an old convent, fetching buildings in pastel shades and I found an excellent predominantly veggie restaurant. I visited a funky folk art museum, a private collection in an enormous villa - think Day of the Dead and traditional crafts, chimeric creatures and Frida Kahlo. Best of all though was a trip to a cenote just outside town, a natural sinkhole that you can swim in. Creepers, caves and cool blue water ticked all of my boxes and I enjoyed my dip.
We’re in the heart of Maya country here and it would have been remiss of me not to have do something I did in 2013, 2016 and 2017 [insert your own joke here]. I’ve now visited four of the New Seven Wonders of the World and, like the other three, despite high expectations setting one up for a fall, Chichen Itza was undeniably impressive. The main pyramid appears on all the postcards but there’s plenty more to the site: an observatory, a plethora of intricate carvings and an echo wall where I impressed myself with my maturity by not shouting anything rude. Seeing amazing ruins and chilling on beautiful beaches were high on my objectives list beforehand. Having achieved both already I should probably just call it quits and come home now, right?
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