Day 3, Leaving Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Cenote Ik-kil, and Merida

Day 3 of our tour saw us checking out of our hotel in Valladolid and visiting Chichen Itza.  Once we arrived at Chichen, we learned the President of Mexico was touring the ruins and our usual tour guide was not available.  Out tour director Brent filled in nicely an we enjoyed a mostly uncrowded excursion through this most famous site.  After Chichen we visited Cenote Ik-kil for a buffet lunch and a swim in this fabulous deep water site that is 150 feet deep.  We the  made our way to Merida where we will spend the next 3 days.  The city is celebrating a festival for the next 7 days and we enjoyed and evening show at the plaza. 

Day 2, Our Hotel, Church in Valladolid, Visiting Temozon

Here are a few pictures from our hotel in Valladolid, including an old neighborhood Catholic church.  We were able to attend church in one of the local wards and some of our guests gave CTR rings to the children.  Later we stopped for lunch at Temozon before arriving at Ek Balam (see next post).

Day 2, Ek Balam and the Village Dzitnup

Here are a few pictures from today when we visited the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam and the small village Dzitnup.  Ek Balam In Yucatec Mayan the name means "Black Jaguar". In ancient times, it was a large city, controlling a populous and prosperous countryside.  Brent served as our guide and we explore the many carvings, stella, rooms, and even a hidden staircase.

The village children enjoyed our visit and free gifts and we were able to visit several of the small homes.