I was beginning to wonder why we were lingering in Mérida, but then the dancing started outside the Minicipal Palace. It started with some live music and dancers in traditional Yucatán dress, which means fancy white shirts and hats for the men. The music, and in fact the food too has now taken on a more Caribbean flavour. This normal Sunday event, where streets are closed to all except cyclists and pedestrians continued into the afternoon, with dan...

They didn't have metal tools. They didn't have horses, or any other animals that could be used for work. What amazes me almost as much; when dripping with sweat as I walk around this jungle setting today, is how they built cities like this in such heat, presumably with their bare hands too! Palenque is the Spanish name. No one knows the real name, but it is thought to be Lakamha, meaning "Big Water" because of the water systems that were built to support life ar...

I've never seen anything quite like the interior of the temple at San Juan Chamula. The Tzotzil people live in this town, and worship John the Baptist rather than Jesus Christ. They practice strange rituals in the temple, such as rubbing people with eggs and eating food that induces burping to let out evil spirits. We found none of that going on, but it was a surreal place nonetheless, with thousands of candles along the walls, pine needles under our feet, priest...

They might not have had many domesticated animals for work or for food, but 500 years ago, the ancient civilizations of Mexico were the only people in the world enjoying chocolate and chilies. Today, Oaxaca is renowned as the food capital of the country, and also famed for mezcal, a whisky-like spirit distilled from the same species of plant as tequila. I must say that I prefer mezcal though! We have spent two nights in this city, but were destined only to see i...

We started at the village of Benito Juarez in the south, and 3 days later have arrived nearly 1000m lower at Amatlán, following forest trails and an ancient trading route through a canyon. With butterflies, brightly coloured birds and lizards for company, this was a very pleasant hike. Our first night was spent in the tiny village of La Nevería, named after the snow and ice that sometimes halt the growing of crops, which is the main livelihood in t...