Just to backtrack, we departed the U.S. on December 7 from Pensacola, flying to Cancun (via Miami). We went directly from Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen (Carmen Beach), about an hour south. We spent the best part of four lazy weeks in Playa Del Carmen, enjoying the warm waters and relatively nice sands of the nearby beaches. We managed to fit in a few day trips along the way, including to the Mayan ruins at Coba (with me pictured below), Tulum and Chichen Itza, and an alcohol fueled day on a catarman off Cancun (and Isla Mujeres) -see my brother setting a poor example in this picture.
The real highlight was visits from my family, including my brother Paul, his wife Helene and their crazily tall son Joel, and my sister Therese and her husband Tim. It was great to see family after such a long time from home (I was last in Australia in April last year), and we had plenty to talk about. I mean, the cricket (Ashes) was being played (but we don't talk about this anymore), Souths were trying to buy Greg Inglis, Aston Villa were plummeting down the Premier League table...such important matters needed to be discussed over many a beer. Helene was thrilled.
A big thanks must go to Helene in particular. She managed to get us organised in that nice, gentle manner that she specialises in. She also cooked us a few breakfasts, and kept us moving which meant we extracted maximum enjoyment from Playa Del Carmen. Our accomodation was simple but adequate, although we did decide to purchase a few things to make our stay that bit more enjoyable - and comfortable. The toilet seat was particularly welcomed. Those concrete toilet bowl rims can really cut off the circulation.
Post-Playa Del Carmen, Alia and I headed southwest to the small town of Palenque, around 12 hours by overnight bus. The town 
is renknowned for its nearby Mayan ruins which lay strewn amongst thick jungle at the base of mountains. Mist permeated throughout the site on our visit, giving it an semi-mystical appeal. We also visited the nearby Agua Azul (Blue Water) waterfalls for a dip in, well, refreshing blue waters that cascading from one waterfall to the next. Next stop was the colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas, a winding five-hour bus ride that, whilst covering just 190km, took us from jungle-clad slopes upwards to the dry pine-tree laden mountains that surrounded our new home for five days. San Cristobal played host to plenty of tourists yet remained unhurried and informal. Her streets weren't overly polished yet had oodles of worn charm, and the surrounding mountains formed a neat frame around its outskirts.
Mexico City, our next stop after a flight from Tuxtla Guiterrez (which serves as San Cristobal's defacto airport), was a surprise in a few respects. Crime, which we were warned about insesently, just wasn't even close to being an issue. We didn't feel threatened ever, including on the metro or at night near our hotel (not far from the Zona Rosa area). Secondly, the city of 20 million and counting rarely felt clostraphobic or excessively intense. Instead we often found ourselves wandering many a tree-lined street with few others for company. Yes, you were never far from a busy road or intersection yet the ability for the city to deliver numerous moments of relative tranquility surprised me. Thirdly, I had never realised the city had largely been built on a former lake. As if being built at 2000 metres altitude in a caldera wasn't challenging enough; many buildings now find themselve
s being sucked south in a hurry. Buildings managed to contort themselves at angles Pythagoras would have struggled to comprehend.
Adding to our time in Mexico City was the company of my sister Therese and her husband Tim. Both were excellent companions, with the highlight of many days simply the conversations over dinner. A day at the majestic ancient site of Teotihuacan, built between 250 and 600 AD, stood out as well, largely for the climb up the world's third-tallest pyramid (the Pyramid of the Sun - picture of Alia and I in front below).
Alia didn't enjoy the best of times for the latter part of our time in Mexico. Tiredness, an allergic reaction to Advil and an unhealthy dose of Mexico City air pollution (the one BIG negative to the city) helped undermine her immune system. Blocked sinuses and severe bouts of coughing travelled with her for the rest of her time there. I managed to survive, something I put down to a regular beer or two each evening. Ok, my logic maybe flawed, but always worth a try.
Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-hah-ca) was the next town on our itinerary (pictured). An art and craft center, the town was, for a large part, a more polished example of San Cristobal. Our B&B was located in a very tranquil street just outside the main historic district. The lovely owner, an older lady, kept an eagle eye on Alia's health to the point 
where she was quite happy when we decided to stay an extra day. God love grandmothers. She even let us stay in our room until 6pm on checkout day, which was greatly appreciated considering we faced a 13-hour overnight bus ride that evening to the Guatemalan border.
So, apart from one additional night in the Mexican border town of Tapachula, this gives you a broad outline of our time in Mexico. A friend quipped recently that the only thing they knew about Mexico was it hosted two soccer World Cups and was where Corona was manufactured. I must admit my own knowledge of the country wasn't much better (well, I knew less than my mate as he could at least recount the scores in the final of each World Cup). Our interest in this amazing country was certainly peaked by our visit; its history is as grand as it is confusing; its peoples much more proud and complex than the stereotypical image of a grizzled man slouched under a dilapadated sombreo drinking tequila (Ok, I've watched too many John Wayne movies); its towns and historic sites more grand and stylish than many of Europe's; and its transport system as impressive as many countries I've been (e.g. checked-in baggage on extremely comfortable and reliable buses). Yes, pollution, drug-related crime and corruption may still plague her, but they're simply not worth stopping you from visiting the cities and towns you'll likely want to experience.
Certainly well worth the trip. Now for Guatemala.
