Mexico Summary

I thought I would summarise my experiences in the country of Mexico for the end of this particular choice of topic. In general the experience was amazing, the things I saw and the activities I participated in were unforgettable. I had always wanted to go to Mexico, just because I thought it would be colourful and bright, but when I got there I discovered so much more. I knew the trip I was going on was called 'Ancient Civilisations' but I couldn't grasp the wealth of knowledge and visuals I would learn and see whilst I was there. We visited five different ruin sites, each one with its own personality and architectural style, each one more beautiful than the last. Another experience that was incredible was being led through the jungle by a genuine native. The things he knew and his heritage clearly visible, the whole day was eye opening. Below is a list of all the highlights I can think of from the trip:

Snorkeling in Akumal, ancient seaturtles, the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Chichén Itzá, Temple of Kukulkan, incredible ballcourt/murals, Ik Kil cenote, colonial Merida, oldest Cathedral in the America’s, the beautiful Cuzamá Cenotes, fun travel to get there/back, long travel day to Palenque, great pizzas and great music at el Panchan, lost palaces and terraces in the jungle, walking barefoot up waterfalls, the outstretching view of the Yucatan, King Pakal, curving speed-bumpy road up to San Cristobal, Misol Ha and Agua Azul waterfalls, Zapatistas, San Juan Chamula & Zinacantan w/ Ceaser, shopping, Palenque Rojo theater, the Underworld, the nightbus, riding bikes to the Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban, amazing view of the Oaxacan valley, chapulines, Mezcal factory, local fabric weaving/color mixing, the 2,000+ yr old Cypress tree in Tule, busride to Mexico, Frida Kahlos house, Diego Rivera murals, museum of Anthropology, the mighty ruins of Teotihuacan, and the mighty midget parrot of the Lucha Libre.

Looking back now it's hard to believe that we managed to fit all that into a 16 day tour, but we did, and that's what made it so great. Not once did the group decide to sit back and let the experiences pass us by. No matter how tired we were from the hellish journey the day before, we always picked ourselves up and experienced something new every day. It was without doubt the best two weeks of my life and something I will never forget. Therefore how could it not be chosen as one of my topics for 'What is Good?'