We clung to our 4 a.m. wakeup, but paid for it with a starting temperature of 9 degrees. Gads, that is not much different than what it is right now at home, and there we have warm clothes! The regime here is a little different, though. I recall an episode of the King Fu TV series where the technique to break down a prisoner was to alternately freeze and fry them, in that case by confining them by day and night in a tin hut. Instead of tin huts, we use bicycles on the open road! By 10 a.m. the temperature had spiked to 31 degrees. Get the idea!
From 5 to 6:30 we spent our time eagerly searching the eastern sky for signs the warming sun would return. We were glad Isaac Newton and not Neils Bohr was controlling things, because we wanted it to definitely rise and not probably rise. The birds were watching as well, and by 6:15 we were all just chirping about it!
The road we had chosen, especially after Dzitas, was quiet and beautiful, and with lots of bird activity. We saw some that were new to us, we think. In the photos that follow there are some of these birds, plus plants and even a really nice cow. The whole road was rather more lush and pleasing than some others, and made for a great ride.
Scott AndersonA beautiful bird. Think it must be a Yucatán Jay, but his back should look bluer. Maybe it’s just a trick of the light. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Scott AndersonYeah, I looked and looked, but that's the only species to remotely fit.
The San Blas jay looks similar but only lives on the west coast of Central America. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Scott AndersonAnother new dove species! This is the white-winged dove. Tucson is about the northern edge of their range so I’ve been watching for one. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Just out of Sitilpech was this monastery - with a nicer design than the church in town. Unfortunately just across the road was an incredibly loud cement or gravel plant. It was a km before we could hear ourselves comment that the plant would really challenge the concentration of the monks.
By 1 p.m. we arrived in Izamal, in fine shape because the temperature, that had spiked to 31 had settled down to about 27. Here on the outskirts we already see that every house is yellow.
A sign that we were really in town was encountering the first of the caleches that famously line up by the huge yellow Monastery of San Antonio de Padua, at the central square. We were soon there, cruising the also yellow buildings that surround the square, housing shops. The shops are rather more workaday than those found on the Valladolid square.
Another yellow landmark on the square is our hotel, the San Miguel Arcangel. We had stayed there before, and liked the central koi pod and general decoration. I lifted my bike up the stairs at the entrance and past reception and was fixing to go back for Dodie's, when the reception lady accosted me with you can't park your bike here. That quick attack always makes me see red, and when she followed with your can't take your bikes in the room, the war clouds were gathering fast. But Dodie smoothed things out, and soon we were rolling our bikes into our nice room on the ground floor.
We soon set out for a walk, circling around the nearby Kinich Kakmo pyramid, said to be the largest in the Mayan world. It does not seem particularly tall, but it does fill a city block of the town. We also climbed up the steps of the monastery, for a great view of the nearby square and the caleches below. This included the statue of Diego de Landa, the 16th century Franciscan bishop of Yucatan responsible for burning all Mayan texts, thereby hindering the deciphering of Mayan script, religion, and civilisation.
We see our first Izamal caleche. We like the horses' hats!
This man from Mexico City took Dodie's photo. He said he was impressed by our simple mode of transport and whole life in a few bags. He wants to show the photo to some of his fatcat friends back in the city.
When we thumbed our noses at the Bimbo bread factory, Sue Price wrote that she and Jim like Bimbo a lot. We even think they are talking about regular white Bimbo, not to mention the white toasted Bimbo sold in stores. But there is hope - here is whole wheat and flax!
Sue PriceSeriously! We really like the Bimbo wheat bread and with the sliced pretend cheese it makes such good grilled cheese sandwiches! Mmmmmm!!!! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
