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MEXICO -- YUCATAN
13 January
- 1 February 2004
by Richard C. Carlson
MAYANS, MOT-MOTS
AND MARGARITAS TOUR
We spent three delightful weeks touring the Mayan ruins and
birding spots of the Eastern Yucatan in January 2004. The birds
were great, the ruins incredible, and the people wonderful. I
couldn’t recommend this trip more highly. Everything worked
without a hitch. This is an incredible area, still mostly
undiscovered by the tour mobs. We had many delightful spots to
ourselves. We birded about half the time and saw 185 species. Our
range and birdlist were limited by the fact that my wife was recovering
from a broken foot. (Bird List Follows.) The total cost, staying and
eating in the best places, renting a big car and hiring local guides
was a roughly $125/day per person.
Starting from the youngest Mayan ruin at Chichen Itza in dry thorn
scrub forest, we worked our way south through older and older
ruins -- Uxmal and Calakmul -- to the magnificent early Classic period
site of Palenque. As the ruins got older, the habitat became closer to
true rainforest and we saw more exotic southern birds. Palenque
was incredible. On the return, we stayed at Campeche, an unknown gem
and the best-preserved Colonial city in Mexico We ended our intensive
birding at Celestun in pampered luxury on the beach surrounded by
flamingos. Finally, we spent the last week helping build a
library with the Palo Alto Rotary club at Chicxculub, (of killer meteor
fame) near Merida.
We made many of the reservations online ourselves, and the tough ones
were made through Mayan Quest http://www.mayanquest.com/. They
were wonderfully helpful, and it’s a lot easier letting them make the
calls in Mexico than trying to do it yourself. The best car deal
we could find online was $80/day for a big sedan to comfortably carry
all 4 of us plus luggage. We later found a smaller car at Mexico
Rent A Car for only $40 a day in Merida. Gas cost about $2.50 a
gallon and must be paid in cash. We flew via Continental through
Houston which has by far the best service if you’re coming from the
West – flying all the way through Miami with the other carriers adds a
day each way. Continental also lets you skip Mexico City, a real
plus. We planned the trip with a lot of on-line help, but ended
up mostly copying the itinerary of an elder-hostel tour. (I love
to read tour itineraries.)
JAN 13
Tuesday MERIDA
Leave Tucson at 2:30 Arr Merida 8:59
Taxi to Hotel (Don’t even think about picking up your car the
first night and driving to your hotel in the dark.)
Hotel Colon: This was clean, cheap ($60/night), centrally located,
comfortable and birdless. I though we would hate the place, but
downtown Merida is just fabulous in the evening. The town square
area is surrounded by lovingly restored colonial buildings with free
entertainment and great restaurants. A step up would be the Grand
Hotel
JAN 14 Wed
– CHICHEN ITZA
We picked up the car downtown and only got lost once navigating
the labyrithine downtown streets out to the freeway. The freeway
was under construction, so it took about 2 ½ hours to get to CI.
(It’ll be done soon.). We stayed at our beloved Hotel Hacienda Chichen
– stay nowhere else! The Hacienda is over a century old, with
massive trees and has been protected for decades. The birds know
they are safe here, and act accordingly. It was about 11 when we
arrived, but the place was still hopping with birds. Warblers,
tanagers, flycatchers and Indigo Buntings were everywhere. Best
birds were a Yellow-bellied Elaenia and Yellow Olive Flycatcher from
the parking lot. As we ogled the birds, two Mexican birders
wandered up, and it turned out to be David Bacab, probably the best
bird guide in the Yucatan. We made arrangements to meet him in
Celestun, and then my companions dragged me away (kicking and
screaming) to lunch. Lunch at the Hacienda requires binoculars
and takes forever. The birds just kept popping up, and I had to
be reminded to eat.
After lunch, we went to see the ruins. We hired an archeology
guide, who patiently let us interrupt his talks to watch the
birds. He even found a TB Mot-mot for us. Again because of
the protection, the birds were pretty tame. We saw Rigeway’s
Rough Wings, Summer Tanagers, Altamira, Orange and Hooded Orioles, and
a Golden Olive Woodpecker. Anywhere without crowds was full of
birds. We saw Bl. & White, Hooded, Parula, Yellow-throated,
Bl. Throated Green, and Magnolia Warblers, plus an Ovenbird, several
White-eyed Vireos and Green Jays.
That night I went out with my spotlight. I wasn’t having much
luck until I heard what sounded like rain coming down from one
tree. I looked more closely and it turned out to be a Ceiba tree
in blossom. The blossoms were being picked off by a flying horde
of bats – hundreds of them! I dragged my companions out of bed to
watch the show.
JAN 15 Thursday
Got up early to bird the Ceiba tree. It was hopping with
tanagers, euphonia, warblers and hummers.
Drove to Uxmal (4 hrs)
UXMAL Classic Mayan 900-1100 Lovely site. But short on birds in
afternoon.
Hotel Villas Arqueologicas http://www.clubmedvillas.com/indexen.php
JAN 16
Friday
Bkfst -- Hotel
Morning Bird Grounds and Visit Sayil -- full of Mot-mots &
Tityra
Leave at 10:30 Start Drive
Lunch -- Enroute Gas -- Don't Forget!
Afternoon -- finish drive 5 Hrs Bird Grounds
Dinner -- Hotel
Evening -- Hotel
CALAKMUL -- Huge Classic Mayan site in deep jungle just opened mid-90's
Rivaled Tikal at its peak. Very wild, chance to see Jaguar,
peccary etc. plus deep jungle birds at hotel and ruins Many local
ruins, only partially excavated.
Hotel Puerta Calakmul Jungle and Safari lodge. This place was
designed by geniuses but is run by a terribly nice but utterly clueless
staff.
Phone 011-52-998 874 0254
JAN 17
Saturday
Bkfst early
Morning Bird Grounds and drive to Ruins (1.5 hrs)
Watch for Jaguars
Lunch -- box lunch at ruins -- feed Coatimundis
Afternoon -- return from ruins and nap
Dinner -- other hotel??
Evening
JAN 18
Sunday
Bkfst Hotel
Morning Bird Grounds early
Leave 10 A.m. 4 hr drive to Palenque
Lunch -- enroute
Afternoon -- Start Palenque
Dinner -- Hotel
Evening -- Hotel
PALENQUE beautifully excavated Pre-classic site with some surviving
murals. Good jungle, protected area full of birds.
Chocolate plantations and birdy marshes nearby.
Hotel -- Chan Kah
http://www.mexico-hotels.terramagica.com/h/palenque-hotel-chan-kah-resort-village.html
Phone 011-52-916 345 1315
JAN 19
Monday
Bkfst at hotel & early bird
Morning -- Palenque ruins
Lunch -- ruins
Afternoon -- nap and more birds & ruins
Dinner -- hotel?
JAN 20
Tuesday -- Same
More birds, more ruins.
Jan 21. Wed
Drive to Campeche 4 hrs?
Lunch enroute
CAMPECHE -- best preserved colonial city in the region, if not
Mexico. Dates to early 1500's First landing place of
Cortez. Gates remain from once massive walls that stopped raids
by Drake etc.
Hotel Baluartes
Phone 011-52-981 816 3911
Jan 22
Thursday
Afternoon -- Drive to Celestun 3 hrs
CELESTUN Protected beach and swamp area. Full of water birds and
migrants plus Flamingos
Hotel Eco Paradisio -- Luxury resort on shell beach
Phone 011-52 (988) 916 21 000
JAN 23 Friday tour with Bacab
Bkfst at hotel
Early Morning Boat tour for early birds
Lunch
Afternoon -- Nap, search for shells
Dinner Hotel
Evening -- Night Boat tour to see crocodiles, Potoo??, Night herons etc.
JAN 24
Saturday
Wilson’s & Snowy plover
Flat tire
Bkfst Hotel
Morning -- Beach
Lunch
Afternoon Drive to Merida
Dinner Merida
Evening Meet Rotary gang.
MERIDA
Hotel Colon 011-52-999-923-4355
Jan 25
Chicxulub --
Hotel Colon
Rotary Activities
Jan 26
Flamingos and X
Jan 27
Dzibilchaltun
Jan 28 Uxmal
Jan
29 Pat sick
Jan 30
Hays Leave
Carlsons stay
Hotel?
Jan 31
Carlson stay
Chase birds, goof -off
Feb. 1
Carlsons fly to Tucson.
Leave 7:30 a.m. Cont. 1111
Arr Houston 9:35
Leave Houston 11:55 Cont. 1716
Arr Tucson 1:33
Travel agent in Merida for Hays and Rotary is Yucatan Trails Travel
Agency, Denis Lafoy, 011-52-999-928-2582; tel/fax 928-5913
Carlson Travel Agent:
Maria Calcena
MayanQuest, S.A. De C.V.
Av. Xpujil No. 3 SM 27
Cancun, Q. Roo, MEXICO
Tel. +52 998 898-1641 / 206-2039
Mcalcena@mayanquest.com
Richard Carlson
Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian
Part-time Economist
Tucson, AZ & Lake Tahoe, CA
rccarl AT pacbell.net