#124: Maroma (Page 792)

March 4, 2012: Maroma is located on the eastern coastline of the Yucatan just south of Cancun and North of Playa del Carmen.

Maroma Resort and Spa is gorgeous.

One of the pools...

Maroma resort is beautiful, intimate and luxurious. But here is the real reason why people come here....

The beach! Punta Maroma is "inarguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the country" (Fodors Guide 2012 Cancun and the Riviera Maya). Fodor's Guide goes on to say, "The coastline is immaculate, which deep white sand that feels like powdered sugar between your toes."

Verdict: Was the resort impressive? Yes. Was the beach pristine? Absolutely. But is it something you have to do before you die? No.

#123: Chichen Itza (Page 791; 2nd Ed pg 960)

March 2, 2012: Welcome to Chichen Itza! Dave and I traveled to the Riviera Maya from Feb. 29 - March 5, 2012 with my cousin Seth and his wife, Cari. Chichen Itza is located about 2- 2 1/2 hours east from the coastline.

Here we are in front of El Castillo pyramid, which is nearly 80 feet high. Each side of the pyramid has 91 steps, which, with the addition of the topmost platform, equal 365 -- one for each day of the year.

Another angle of El Castillo

The juego de Pelota (the main ball court). This is the largest ball court in all of Mesoamerica.

There is a goal like this sticking out of the wall on either side. They think a game somewhat like soccer was played here with a ball and no hands.

There are rows of freestanding columns that used to be covered by a roof. It's quite a sight because there are so many.

El Caracol. This was used as an astronomical observatory.

Verdict: Do I think you should see at least one Mayan ruin in your lifetime? Yes. But I'm not totally sure why this was chosen in the 1000 Places Book above all the rest. For example, we also saw Tulum and Ek Balam on this trip and I was really impressed with both of those as well. But, the main pyramid is especially impressive at Chichen Itza, so I'm guessing that may be why? Anyway, in terms of cost, if you decide to drive there from Cancun/Riviera Maya, be forewarned that there are two cash-only tolls that total ~$26 each way. Parking at Chichen Itza is ~$5. We were told we had to purchase two separate tickets (one in to the park and the other was a government fee of some sort) and they were sold at two separate booths. It was very confusing. Anyway, one ticket was $57 pesos (at the time of this writing, $1 = ~$12.50 pesos) and the other was $120 pesos, so it cost a total of $177 pesos/person. And they only accept cash. There was one ATM there, but it was broken when we were there, so bring plenty of cash! Also, it used to be that you could climb on the ruins and up to the top of El Castillo. That is no longer the case. And also, there were vendors selling souvenirs throughout the entire place, so that definitely took away from the experience, in my opinion.