Calakmul, Mexico
The ancient Mayan site of Calakmul is the identify I’d most looked forrad to visiting inward Mexico. Why is this crumbling urban kernel discover 1 on my list? Because it is located inward a real remote business office of the Yucatan peninsula inward the take in of the jungle.
The soldier on altitude of the Humvee is aiming his giant machine gun straight at my face!
There are ii reasons why the Calakmul ruins don’t larn many visitors: it’s agency out inward the take in of nowhere, together with it’s non covered inward many guidebooks yet either.
But the site is good worth a see because yous tin give notice oftentimes last the entirely individual there, together with the ruins receive got non been cleaned upwards equally much for tourism similar Chichen Itza or Tulum.
After a long coach ride to the town of Xpujil, I institute a taxi to accept me to an tiny campground 37 miles away from the ruins. It’s the closest matter to civilisation yous volition honor out here. I don’t receive got a automobile amongst me then I rent a mount cycle from the campground, planning to larn upwards at 4am together with brand the long trip through the jungle into the site.
Stopped inward the Jungle
The cycle ride is refreshing but tough. Pedaling through the jungle earlier the Sun comes up, I hear all kinds of crazy sounds together with am entirely able to encounter where my headlamp is pointing. I sing out loud equally I go, praying the jaguars inward the expanse don’t produce upwards one's remove heed to brand an early on morning time snack of me!
After close 2 hours of difficult biking, I all of a precipitous kickoff to encounter military machine trucks loaded amongst soldiers passing by.
That’s odd… I’m inward the take in of nowhere correct now. No homes, no buildings of whatever kind, entirely thick jungle. I haven’t fifty-fifty seen 1 other vehicle larn past times since I’ve been out here.
Then a fighting farther downward the route I spy a Humvee merely barely sticking out into the route from a camouflaged hiding place…
As I ride closer, the military machine vehicle chop-chop pulls out inward front end of me equally vi heavily armed soldiers walk upwards wearing real serious faces.
The soldier on altitude of the Humvee is aiming his giant machine gun straight at my face!
Obviously, I’m a fighting worried at this point. What receive got I stumbled into???
But through some broken communication I get together that the route is closed, together with I won’t last visiting the ruins of Calakmul today. They desire me to plow some together with ride all the agency dorsum to the campground, 2 hours away.
The reason?
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon is visiting the Calakmul ruins for World Environment Day! What are the odds… The 1 24-hour interval I’ve been most looking forrad to the whole trip, together with had to locomote the hardest to brand happen, has merely been ruined past times Mexico’s President. Damn yous Felipe!
Military Photoshoot
I’m non close to exit empty-handed though. Especially after risking early on morning time jaguar attacks together with 2 hours of biking uphill inward the take in of nowhere!
So I sweet-talk the troops into letting me accept a photo, complaining of the long cycle ride dorsum amongst no images of the ruins. Most of them don’t desire to last inward it, but at to the lowest degree I’ll receive got something to exhibit for all the fourth dimension together with endeavour I spent getting here!
Reluctantly I had to plow some together with ride ALL the agency dorsum to my campsite inward the hot jungle heat.
On the route back, a procession of white Government SUVs passed me inward the contrary direction along amongst police clitoris trucks, to a greater extent than Humvees, five or vi huge troop carriers loaded amongst soldiers, together with some busses. I institute out afterwards in that location were 4000 Mexican troops guarding the President that 24-hour interval (the drug cartels are all out to larn him).
So fifty-fifty though I rode a wheel 24 miles into the wood for nothing, it turned out to last a pretty interesting time, together with I all the same got to visit the ruins of Calakmul the side past times side day.
Oh well. I needed a goodness workout anyway. :)
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