We left the El Paraiso Trailer Park at about 10:30am and only had a short (but convoluted) drive to the ruins. We didn't know at the time where we were going to spend the night, but we had several ideas to check out. The first stop was a big restaurant that didn't make it and the big parking lot was locked up.
We left the group there and I hopped in with Sue and Roy who have the smallest vehicle. We took a drive up to the ruins site to make sure there was sufficient parking for our group, and then we drove another 2 kms or so past the ruins to the Centro Ecoturistico Tetlamatzin.
I had read of this place on iOverlander, but the descriptions weren't very good and of course the vast majority are traveling alone, not a group of 8 rigs. We got there, and I wasn't sure it would work but I spoke to the lady in the small restaurant who said it would be 300 pesos each rig per night. That's a little pricey for a parking spot without hookups. Her husband (I think) came in at that time and I explained what I was looking for. When he heard we were a group of 8, he quickly accepted my offer of 200 pesos per night. I then walked back with him to the rear gate to make sure he had a key to open it for us when we got there.
Went back and got the group, and brought them up to the ruins site.
80 pesos ($5.65 CAD, $4.25 USD) per adult entrance fee.
Looking at the Xochicalco ruins from the museum.
The museum is quite well done, with lots of artifacts that were found at the site over the years. Xochicalco was active from 700 to 900 AD and at it's peak there were 20,000 people living here.
A model of the ruins site.
Some strange sculptures.
Funny dudes.
And then we walked a half a kilometer or so from the museum to the ruins itself.
Mona, Roger, Owenita, and Aron.
We pretty much had the place to ourselves!
The ball court.
One of the main attractions at Xochicalco is the Observatory. Unfortunately it was closed for some reason.
Garth.
Nice views in all directions.
The Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent.
Mona, Roger, Owenita, and Aron.
Detailed stuff!
This big fellow lives at the pyramid.
Looking back at the museum, you can see two of our rigs parked at the right rear.
It's a big complex.
Me!
Can you see Ruth sitting on the steps?
The great pyramid.
Interesting flower on this tree.
We had spent a couple of hours there in total. It was hot... the temperature was up to 29C (84F). Time to head over to our spot for the night.
It was easier to get us all in than I thought it might be. They even had a nice pool around which we had our happy hour. Nice spot, and I wish we could stay another night, but we already have plans in Acapulco.
Aron, Roger, Garth, Ruth, Owenita, Bob, Denise, Larry, Roy, Jim, and Sherman.
They have some nice looking cabins for rent here.
Nice spot by the pool.
The water was a bit fresh though... only Aron went for a dip.
Interesting clouds.
End of another great day in Mexico.
Today, we are off to Mexico's southern Pacific coast where the temperatures are expected to be highs of 31C (88F) and lows of 23C (73F). Shorts and t-shirt weather!
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And in Canada...
Seeing those ruins brought back memories of the one we saw.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a good place for the group to stay.
Be Safe and Enjoy the summer-like temperatures.
It's about time.
Yes, the ruins are pretty interesting to see but we find that after a while they all begin to look the same so we always try to limit the number of ruins that we see in a trip so that people don't get bored of them.
DeleteWe loved our overnight spot, and if we are ever in that area again we will definitely stop there and stay for more than one night. :-)
That looks like a great site - glad you found somewhere safe and enough room.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great site, it is also a UNESCO site but not one of the busier sites because it isn't in a popular tourist destination. We were a bit disappointed though because the ball court and the observatory areas were closed off and they are what make the archaeological site so different and unique.
DeleteBeautiful ruins. Those ancients sure knew about location, location. Thanks for the tour. The people on your tour sure get their moneys' worth.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a beautiful ruins site. Not only did the ancient people know about location, they built things to last and they built them with precision, also with the sun, moon, stars and seasons all factoring into the construction. All this without the aid of modern technology, it is amazing how they did it!
DeleteHow nice to visit a ruins site like that and be almost the only people there! We had that same experience a couple of times in Belize and Mexico. Who needs Chitzen Itza with all the crowds when you can experience a much less touristy but similar spot?
ReplyDeleteWe loved our visit there and the amazing thing about this site is that is a UNESCO site so you would think that it would be busy. Luckily we are in a non touristy area. Chitzen Itza is a fabulous ruins site but all the vendors and huge crowds ruin the experience. We agree there are a lot of other sites that aren't highly visited and make for a better experience.
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