Extremely Hard Phlegm Taste Like Blood

late From my experience in Mexico (and III)

Campeche was my first destination in Mexico. Me and my friend Jaime had advanced part of the history of the place while we were on the plane and, despite the turbulence, I got hooked with the story. I commented on the importance it had in the past, logwood, both indigenous as conquerors, I spoke about the launch, rise and fall the exploitation of gum and shrimp and I finally found what was the economic mainstay of the state today: oil. Campeche is also noted for archaeological tourism, it is estimated that some 2000 archaeological sites, of which only 19 or 20 are open to the public.

Campeche Cathedral

Merida was my second destination. The capital of Yucatan, I was surprised by a climate that, while hot, never came to annoy me. Heat is very similar to Caracas, so I had the pleasant feeling of being home. Another coincidence: the center de la ciudad me pareció absorbente, caótico, poco amable. Con este descubrimiento tuve también la -desagradable- sensación de estar en casa: el centro caraqueño es muy parecido. En Yucatán conocimos las impresionantes Uxmal y Chichén Itzá, dos antiguas ciudades mayas que impresionan por su arquitectura y por la historia que cuentan, entre susurros, cada una de sus construcciones.

Chichen Itzá

Mérida

Finalmente llegamos a mi parte favorita del viaje: Río Lagartos. No me detendré en los aspectos formales natural reserve, officially called Biosphere Reserve Ria Lagartos, and even in the aforementioned and unforgettable boat ride through mangroves that I made with some of my colleagues. Tell you, if I may, a personal experience. We
a long walk at night along the shores of the place, in order to watch sea turtles lay their eggs. Well, the turtles were present. Or almost did not because a few groups were lucky and did see one. And now. I personally do not see any, because when I pass the group of people around the turtle, it had already gone into the water. However, the long walk from the beach was worth it to me because I met the stars.
course had seen stars before. But never like this, never in that amount, never with such brilliance. A legion of stars perfectly demarcated the vault of heaven. I felt that night, on the beach in Rio Lagartos, constellations and galaxies were born whole. Or that they were showing for the first time in the sky, but for us to see. This wonderful sky was crowned by a brilliant orange-yellow moon, scandalous, which came from the depths of the sea to lighten the rest of our journey. Every time I think in Mexico, I remember everything I've had so far, but I remember especially that extraordinary night made of stars.

Rio Lagartos

This review has been done too long, but I can not finish without mentioning that all these experiences were involved in a particular context: the Ruta Quetzal. This was the issue that I had to cover as a journalist and that allowed me to meet tourism Mexico beyond the obvious. In the first post I mentioned that to a place people do and I can say the same thing about travel. The people I met-organizers, the Venezuelan routers, my colleagues and other professionals who were part of the "group of adults" - made this trip a memorable final. Joanna Ruiz Méndez