Tag Archives: Travel

Discover the Mystery of Coba’s Pyramids in Pictures – Gallery #2

Posted on by

Yesterday, I posted the the first set of pictures from my recent trip to Coba, focusing on the main pyramid. Today, I’m going to share some more pictures of this beautiful and mysterious pyramid site.

 

It’s incredible to imagine that the excavated part that we can see is only a tiny portion of the 80 km2 (about 20,000 acres) that the ancient site occupied!  Enjoy the pictures.

 

You’ll remember in my posts about Chichen Itza that I mentioned the ball court, where the very well-known and very wide-spread ball game of ancient Meso-America was played. Coba likewise has one:

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Two more pictures of various structures and scenes:

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

This is one of several large lagoons on the site, adjacent to the pyramids:

 

Pyramids in Mexico

 

Whenever you get the chance, be sure to visit Coba! I’m excited to see what archeologists discover in this enormous site and to visit again in the future!

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

 

Mexico Health Care Kit

In Chichen Itza, I Rediscover The Ancient Mayans Each Time! Gallery #2

Posted on by

In yesterday’s post, I shared some pictures of the main temple, or “Castillo,” and other central features in one of the world’s greatest pyramid sites – Chichen Itza. Today I have a few more to share from various parts of the site.

 

The ball court, where the winners would have the “honor” of being sacrificed to the gods, or so the story goes:

 

 

 

 

The famous Choc Mool:

 

 

And finally, just some shots of nice scenes throughout the ancient city:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures as much as I did taking them!

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

 

Kit_Ownership

Would You Like to Travel by Train in Mexico?

Posted on by

Travel in MexicoIn recent weeks, there’s been a lot of talk about the new passenger train being planned for the Yucatan Peninsula, which would connect Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, Merida and later on to Campeche. I love traveling by train – relaxing, enjoying some food or drinks, watching the scenery or maybe just reading a book. There’s something magical about trains – at least for me, and I would love to see a train running here.

 

I’ve made another little survey to find out what you think about traveling by train – and the idea of traveling by train in Mexico.

(If you can’t see the survey, click here.)

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

First Time Mexico Real Estate Buyer – 7 Steps

Cuernavaca -The City of Eternal Spring

Posted on by

As I mentioned on Friday (in my post about Tepoztlan,) last week I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful city of Cuernavaca.  The city is located about an hour south of Mexico City.  I used to visit this city now and then back when I lived in Mexico City.

 

Cuernavaca has a small but beautiful colonial city center, and the entire city is defined by traditional Mexican architecture, fountains, parks and plenty of trees and green areas.  With warm, sunny days (almost always!) and comfortably cool evenings, it really deserves the name of “city of eternal spring” as many Mexicans know it.  The steep, hilly landscape marked with many buildings made of volcanic stone make the views of the city very picturesque!

 

The following are some pictures. Enjoy!

To start off, these two pictures are of the hotel where I stayed:

 

 

This is the main city square …

 

… and the main gazebo in the adjoining park:

 

Hernan Cortez, the famous Conquistador of central Mexico, built a palace in Cuernavaca, which still stands in the heart of the city and is now a museum:

 

These two are typical colonial streets in the old town:

 

 

This is one of the many beautiful old churches:

 

Fountains like this adorn many corners, parks and streets:

 

If you ever get a chance to do some sight-seeing in Cuernavaca, I suggest you do so!

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

 

Mexico Insurance Kit

The Village of Tepoztlan – Part 1: UFOs, Witches and Convents

Posted on by

Living in MexicoJust yesterday, I arrived here in Cuernavaca (a beautiful colonial city about 1 hour south of Mexico City). While the trip is for the swearing-in ceremony for the 2013 board of directors of AMPI (the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals), being back here in central Mexico reminds me of some of my favorite places that I used to visit.

 

Living in MexicoOne of those places is the village of Tepoztlan, about 30 minutes east of Cuernavaca, or about 45 minutes south of Mexico City.  This village is nestled in the rugged hills that separate the capital from the state of Morelos, where both Cuernavaca and Tepoztlan are located.

 

The Mysterious Pyramid on the Hillside

Tepoztlan has been named one of Mexico’s official “Magic Towns” (I believe there are about 30-35 of them these days.)

living in Mexico

The people of the village really seem to feel there is something magic about the hill just at the edge of town with the ruins of an ancient pyramid on top of it;

UFO sightings abound, and many people who live at the base of the hill report hearing strange noises or even seeing unusual characters lurking about at night.

 

One friend said it is the place where “UFOs and witches live in happy harmony.”

 

Living in Mexico

Coming back to reality, there is something magical about climbing up the narrow stairs which wind their way up the hillside through a narrow gully to the old pyramid; from there the view of the village and surrounding hills is absolutely breathtaking!

 

The Convent

There also definitely is something magical (in another sense of the word) about visiting and walking through the streets of this village.

Living in Mexico

The town center is defined by a beautiful old convent which is now a museum; it is worth visiting both for the historical information about the village and area, and to see the grand stone architecture; in recent years, some original frescos on the walls have been uncovered that are also an interesting glimpse of the past.

 

Living in MexicoThe church itself, which is attached to the convent, is a beautifully maintained colonial church, complete with original decoration, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Tomorrow I will share a bit more about the town itself.

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

 

Questionnaire

Road Trip to Mexico! – Survey

Posted on by

We love road trips! We also know many Americans and Canadians who head down to Playa del Carmen and other parts of Mexico every year in their car or RV. Some people do it to see new places, others simply for the love of driving. Other people just prefer to get on a plane.

 

What’s your preference? As you may know, I’ve started taking a liking to surveys! (This is just my second one; you can see my first one on motivations for moving to Mexico here.)

 

Take a minute or two and answer these 5 easy questions, then see what other people think!

 

Feel free to add any comments or stories in the comment box below!

 

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

Mexico Insurance Kit

Expat Tip – Traveling Back Home in the Winter

Posted on by

by Thomas Lloyd

Expats in MexicoWhen traveling back to their home country, most expats will follow the “snow-bird” pattern, choosing the hotter summer months.  Basically, this is the way the option that makes the most sense for the most reasons.  You avoid the most extreme heat in Mexico, while enjoying at least part of the milder northern summers and avoiding the worst part of all of it altogether – freezing cold and snow.

 

Yet, I know a few people who will make their trips back home during the winter months.  There are several possible motivations for this.  One is that they can spend holidays with their family.  For many expats this becomes less compelling because, as so many expats have pointed out, once you live on a beach in Mexico, you will suddenly find that many family members and friends will actually start visiting you more often – especially for holidays; you may even find that you have friends that you never knew about before!

 

Expats in MexicoAnother reason is that some people miss the Christmas spirit as they know it from back home.  This may be true especially early on after moving.  Yet, after getting to know Mexico’s rich Christmas traditions, most Americans and Canadians prefer it to the overly commercialized hustle and bustle that has come to define the holidays seasons north of the Rio Grande.

 

It’s worth noting that most people don’t miss the snow.  It looks beautiful, but most of us remember how cold it is and are quite content to see pictures!

 

Despite the fact that most reasons to travel north in the winter disappear with time, there are nevertheless some expats who do it.  Most will quite happily follow the snow-bird pattern, or increasingly as time goes on and, many are simply happy to choose Mexico as their full-time home!

 

TOPMexicoRealEstate.com; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

Mexico Health Care Kit