My super sporty sister and her running buddy, Dad, ran the Rock N Roll half marathon back in November. Since neither of our spouses had visited before, we all went along for the ride. For perhaps the first time ever, I was tired of carrying my camera with me everywhere. So, here is Las Vegas, from the lens of an iphone.
Back in October, Felipe and I boarded a late-night flight and took off for Mexico. While our final destination was Tulum, we woke up early in the morning to make it to Chichen Itza which was not exactly on the way but totally worth the detour. We made it there before most of the buses did and had it mostly to ourselves for awhile.
To ourselves, that is, until the Instagrammers. Within the span of a few minutes, there was a girl with wide-brimmed hat whichever way you looked, usually accompanied by a gaggle of other girls, all taking turns getting the perfect “shot”. I follow my share of travel accounts on Instagram but it was hilarious watching these people in action.
Imitating the Influencers
“Chichen Itza was a Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Although it’s an important tourist attraction, Chichen Itza also remains an active archeological site. New discoveries are still being unearthed in the area, providing even more insight into the culture and accomplishments of the Mayan people, who ruled much of present-day Mexico and Central America prior to the arrival of European colonists. Chichen Itza was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and, in 2007, it was voted in a global survey as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.”
This is the cenote or limestone sinkhole that attracted the ancient Mayans to the spot for Chichen Itza. Apparently, the water was more clear in the past. Cenotes abound in this region and you can see some of the ones we visited here and here.
Tulum was the first place I’ve visited purely based on social media reviews but it certainly did not disappoint! Easily doable in a short weekend but with enough natural beauty to keep you busy for weeks, Tulum has something to offer every traveler.
The small road that winds along the coast combined with the boutique hotels and restaurants immediately reminded me of my favorite island in Indonesia, Gili T. We stayed in a beautiful bungalow but wished we had stayed along the beach. Be advised, there is only one way in and one way out the beach road so the further down the road you stay, the longer it takes to get out.
Cenote Ik Ikl was the first cenote we visited and it’s well-worth the stop if you’re near Chichen Itza. Words cannot describe and pictures cannot do justice to this natural beauty! We were fortunate to arrive in between tour buses and didn’t have to battle the crowds. Felipe even overcame his fear of heights and jumped off the top step!
We also visited Gran Cenote, which as the name indicates, was large. It honestly wasn’t my favorite out of the ones we visited because it was rather crowded and a bit lackluster. But, if you, like the other 50 people there, are dying for a great profile pic, this is the place for you.
Also, more instagrammers on the right…
Cenote Azul was the most tranquil, perhaps because we arrived just after it opened and we had the place to ourselves for a good 30 minutes before anyone else showed up. It’s on the way from Cancun to Tulum so whether you’re on the way in or out, it’s a quick stop well worth the time!
While traveling the world, one thing I have come to appreciate is the vast choice of spices that are available in different regions. Exploring those flavors is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. When researching cooking classes in Santiago before our trip, Uncorked stood out from the rest. I was a bit hesitant at first because of the cost for the package but in the end, it was well worth it!
Our tour started in the market district of Santiago. Read more about our tour of Mercado Central here. From the markets, we took the train back to the kitchen. We were immediately impressed with the beautiful, spacious facilities. Since we were in Chile in the off-season, it was just the two of us in our class but this gorgeous kitchen could comfortably accomodate larger groups.
