Valladolid

Adios sea and surf, we are driving inland to Valladolid more precisely. From there we will go by bus to the site of Chichen Itza. Valladolid - or V as we decide to call it because its name seems to be a tongue breaker for us - has a special place in the history of Mayans and Yucatan. A place that saw much violence occuring between the Spanish conquerors and the Mayans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valladolid,_Yucat%C3%A1n

Valladolid felt like an"real" place, and we liked its pastel painted facades, its busy streets with food vendors of all kind.

And by pure coincidence, we happen to be in Valladolid during one of its most important religious celebration: in honour of the Virgin Mary of the Candles, masses are celebrated; but with music! On our first evening, there were mariachis made music during mass. On the second evening, choirs invited the people to sing along and very very long queues formed with peole of all ages wanting to touch the statue of the Nuestra signora de la Candelaria.

But Valladolid, who has become an important touristic site, was also the lace where we had a degustation of tequila (a distillery exists near by) as well as of Mayan chocolate specialties. We like Chocolate with chillies the best!!!

We admired the quite impressive Templo de San Bernardino built between 1552 and 1560 and found time to taste some Yacatan specialties in the restaurant Las Campanas (left plate is Pollo Pibil and right plate is Longariza, a smoked sausage made in Valladolid).