mexico

Valladolid (2026)

Arrived in Valladolid after dark and immediately stumbled upon Iglesia de San Servacio on my way to my hostel! The church from the rear. Seems to be one of the central meeting points of the city. After dumping my bags, I immediately beelined towards a vegan restaurant for dinner. Ended up wandering down numerous backstreets as a result. I found the ageing buildings in Valladolid's historic core absolutely enchanting! Big fan of doors. Valladolid seemed like quite a developed city from the brief glimpses that I got, but it was interesting how scenes like this can exist just a stone's throw from a bustling shopping street. Still tracking down that vegan restaurant, and still stumbling through residential areas as I do so... The main streets running through the downtown are delightful to look at. More of Valladolid's colonial charms. Does every city in the world have one of these signs nowadays? Anyway, this was in a park/square outside a church where they seemed to be having some major public ceremony (on IG Stories for those interested). It was captivating to watch. It was also right next to the vegan restaurant I was trying to get to! After a late dinner, I made my way back to the hostel through the gorgeous city centre. It was a shame that I had an early start the next morning cos these streets held many a bar that beckoned me. One last look at Valladolid before bed.

Chichén Itzá (2026)

I didn't get to Chichén Itzá as early as I'd have liked the next morning, but it was still early enough to beat most of the crowds. Here's the 'El Castillo' shot of my dreams. I (understandably) went very snap-happy here, so you'll have to figure multiple shots of the same structure. But WHAT a structure, no? Almost perfect... ...now perfect! Okay, here's one last El Castillo shot without shirtless me. There's a lot more to the Chichén Itzá site than the main pyramid that we all know. One needs a good few hours to do everything proper justice. Here's the spectacular Temple of the Warriors. Temple of the Warriors I warned you that there'd be multiple shots of the same things... Ruins to feast your eyes upon everywhere you turn. Incredible. A closer look at some of the details. I think this is the Platform of the Eagles and Jaguars. Another look at the main temple, under better light. This would be the last point at which I'd be able to capture it without throngs of visitors in the way. Can't remember what those animals are meant to be... jaguars? alligators?! Crowds begin pouring in... I believe this may be part of the 'Temple of the Jaguars' complex? El Castillo as viewed from the Great Ball Court. The Mayans had their own (kinda brutal) ball game (look it up!), and I think this is the largest surviving example of the courts upon which it was played! Amazing that this much detail has survived in such quality. The Great Ball Court from the other end! The temple at one end of the ball court. (Ritual sacrifice was part of the game, which is why I guess they needed this?!) Can't resist shots of El Castillo, sorry. Note: Chichén Itzá is *considerably* more set up for tourism than Tikal is. Modern visitor centre, restaurants and refreshments dotted around the site, and local vendors peddling their wares everywhere. This is actually a very mild example. Should be noted that people aren't pushy at all, so they don't affect one's ability to walk around without being harrassed! I think this is the first of a group of structures that form 'the Ossuary'? Unfortunately my memory is terrible and I failed to record accurately. Regardless, the ruins around here were just as exciting as the more grandiose structures elsewhere. Perhaps even more so as you could get right up close to them. Some of the surviving structures are more residential rather than religious in nature iirc, though I suspect this isn't an example of the former... And nor is this. Hmm. Still, we're always here for baby pyramids. 'El Caracol' - Chichén Itzá's very own observatory! The observatory again. And again. Forgive the indulgence, who knows if I'll ever be back here and we all know my memory's awful. So this is part of a complex that has a church, a nunnery, and a 'house of hidden writing', but I'm not entirely sure which is which. Either way, it's all pretty damn spectacular - both up close and from afar! Gorgeous buildings, no? The nunnery! Incredibly well-preserved. Further ruins in the vicinity. Back to El Caracol. A more typical shot from the complex, what you see when there isn't one of the major structures to catch your eye. I think this is 'the Red House', yet another temple that's survived the centuries. Love this shot of the Red House. Not entirely sure what this was but I saw fit to snap it so... I think this is the 'marketplace'! And here's the Thousand Columns Group. These columns really do go on forever. Didn't bother counting, but I can well believe that there a thousand such columns here! And finally, the sacred cenote - a natural well where the Mayans used to throw in precious objects as ceremonial offerings, before eventually moving onto human sacrifices. Lovely note to end on!

Cancún (2026)

Took the colectivo back to Valladolid, grabbed a delicious veggie lunch, and jumped on the next bus to Cancún where I'd be flying from the next day. Never wanted to be here, but it was interesting to glimpse life away from the infamous 'hotel zone' (my hostel was situated in the actual downtown, nearby here). Ofc one cannot come to Cancún without going to the beach at least once so I had to Uber out to the hotel zone. This was a more 'local' beach iirc, Playa Tortuga. There wasn't much to the actual beach tho, and after gashing my big toe on some rocks, I decided to relocate elsewhere. I think this is Playa Caracol. More touristy (note the massive hotels everywhere), but at least there's actual beach here. Well, I say that, but the tide coming in quickly made 'beach time' a moot point anyway. Stood around on this platform for ages instead, hoping for a good sunset. This was all I got. Wasn't expecting much from Cancún anyway tbf. Grabbed some food, wandered around a nearby market, and then made my way back to my (shit) 'party' hostel where I was fortunately staying in one of the quieter dorms with a rather eclectic bunch of people. None of them were problematic, so got a good night's sleep at LAST as this was the first time in weeks that I didn't need to be up at stupid o'clock the next morning. Here *is* the next morning, as I wandered around the hood looking for a veggie breakfast. Had some delicious vegan enfrijoladas, and then made my way to the airport. Here's a look at one of the principal city squares as I head out (at night this is heaving with activity - fairground rides, market stalls, dancers, etc.).

Teotihuacán (2026)

After flying from Cancún to CDMX, I spent my first evening exploring the city centre before recruiting a travel buddy from my hostel and heading to Teotihuacán early the next morning. We left at around 6am and got through the gates not long after opening at 8am, where we soon laid eyes upon the almighty Pyramid of the Sun. Though Chichén Itzá has more renown and widespread fame, the Teotihuacán feels even more expansive and boasts pyramids that dwarf the iconic El Castillo! The Temple of the Sun is cordoned off to prevent people from climbing it. I think they're currently working on repairs or sth. Teotihuacán feels somewhere in between the untamed Tikal and the sanitised Chichén Itzá sites. It's nowhere near as visitor-friendly as the latter (fewer amenities and hawkers, zero shade despite being exposed to the baking sunlight). The ruins were also less visually impressive, enormity of the central pyramids aside. Having said that, Teotihuacán was the most significant urban centre in Mesoamerica during its time (I believe Chichén Itzá was actually subordinate to it), and one's imagination can seriously run wild when strolling the expansive 'Avenue of the Dead', an old thoroughfare which runs the length of the site. Teotihuacán's *other* major pyramid: the Temple of the Moon. This one you *can* climb! A view of the complex from just outside the Temple of the Moon. It's not difficult to conjure visions of a bustling Mesoamerican city based on what remains. Closer look at the Temple of the Moon. And here's the Teotihuacán complex viewed from atop the Temple of the Moon! Wider angle of the same shot because why not. Surrounding the Avenue of the Dead are several smaller temples and 'palaces'/residences of the era's high-class citizens. I think this was captured from the Palace of Quetzalpapálotl. Exploring some of the remarkably well-preserved (restored?) residential areas. Incredible that some of these murals have withstood the test of time to the extent that they have. More murals. I think this puma mural is probably the most famous at the site? Walking back past the Temple of the Sun! Structures at the other end of the complex, closer to the 'citadel' group! More such structures. Teotihuacán is exceptionally well-preserved/maintained, but I gotta confess that the architectural stylings of Chichén Itzá and Tikal were more appealing to me. Teotihuacán's dark, igneous rocks + parched surrounds are harder to appreciate on a purely aesthetic level (and I mean purely aesthetic - obv this place is astounding on a historical level). We tried going off-piste on an abandoned pathway that led to nowhere, but I managed to rip my shirt off next to a cactus. Can we get more stereotypically 'Mexico' than this? Temple of the Sun viewed from near the Citadel area. The highly underrated Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the third largest structure here, and wondrous in its detail (notice the abundance of animal heads!). A last glimpse at this magnificent complex on our way out before lunchtime. A thoroughly worthwhile excursion.

Mexico City (2026)

Flew into one of CDMX's secondary airports, spent two hours getting into the city on public transport, dumped bags at hostel, and beelined straight back out to explore with the precious little daylight that was left. Here's the Metropolitan Cathedral up close. Inside the cathedral! Smaller than it looks, though a lot of it was cordoned off (presumably Santa Semana-related). They spent over two hundred years building this! Incredible. Sadly for me, the week before Easter was a *bad* time to be visiting CDMX. Plaza de la Constitución - the city's iconic central square - was almost entirely closed off to prepare it for Easter festivities. The Metropolitan Cathedral, as magnificent as it is, is also an act of colonial violence - it was built on top of the Aztecs' sacred precinct. The razed remains of Templo Mayor (their holiest site) are within the modern day Zócalo (main city square). A view of Zócalo from Templo Mayor. A view of Zócalo with the remains of Templo Mayor visible in shot. City streets in the historic core. The downtown core of CDMX honestly feels like it could be in Europe. One last look at that cathedral... Casa de los Azulejos, an 18thC Baroque palace that's now a restaurant of some sort. It's situated on a busy af pedestrian street, so thank you to the two Mexican gentlemen who offered to direct this photoshoot as I was standing outside! The gorgeous Palacio de Bellas Artes in the background and a feminist protest in the foreground. Love it. The Torre Latinoamericana, once the tallest building in the city and arguably still its most iconic skyscraper. A closer look at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. A magnificent building, though unfortunate timing for me with all that scaffolding. I also didn't bother going inside (figured I'd come back later during my stay, but that sadly didn't happen). Fo shame! Walked through the bustling Alameda Central (apparently the oldest public park in the Americas, which I didn't know at the time or else I'd have taken a pic) and stumbled upon the Hemiciclo a Benito Juárez. A wider view of the hemicycle, commemmorating one of Mexico's greatest statesmen. Interesting to note these splashes of red paint (presumably representing blood) on one side of the structure. I wish I knew what statement was being made here! After grabbing a delicious vegan dinner, I decided to walk the 40 minutes or so back to my hostel and get a 'feel' for the city. I found it absolutely charming for the most part. Not once did I feel threatened or unsafe. And I found the city streets + old buildings fascinating to look at! Seriously, my kinda city. There were a couple of parks that I walked through which seemed a little seedy... Got propositioned multiple times and saw people shooting up, but no one was aggressive. Think this might have been the point where a guy jumped out of the bushes, mumbled sth at me in Spanish to which I responded with 'no entiendo', to which he then responded with 'can I suck your dick'!!!!! The British prude in me nearly died. Beautiful residential buildings in this area (Colonia Centro). Not every building in the area is a visual treat, however. The mish-mash of beauty and beastly is what lends CDMX its unique charm imo. Loved this little spot just outside my hostel (and the informal drug den that had been set up outside it, ha). Around 6:30am the next morning, on our way to Teotihuacán. We'd tried getting the metro, but CDMX's metro system isn't particularly great, and after waiting on the platform for about 20 mins with no train in sight (delays are common), we abandoned ship and caught an Uber out here. Had to do an urgent laundry run after returning from Teotihuacán, which took me into the trendy Roma Norte district. And somewhere up this road is where I got a much-needed haircut! Which was fun to conduct in broken Spanish. Roma Norte is one of the more upscale districts of the city, but I feel like I kept on wandering past its more dilapidated areas. Which tbh I had no issue with, as I found it all quite beguiling. Could easily see myself living here! The highway that separated my hostel from Roma Norte. Pretty scenes in between Cuauhtémoc metro station and my hostel. Loved this building that was just over the road from where I was staying, but which I could never adequately capture in all its resplendent glory. Went back into Roma Norte to a vegan taco place for dinner that evening. A few more random street shots from Roma Norte to follow. Roma Norte Roma Norte Roma Norte Roma Norte Roma Norte Roma Norte Roma Norte After another delicious Mexican vegan meal it was back to my hostel's rooftop bar (view captured here), where we gatecrashed the end of a Mezcal tasting event and eventually launched ourselves into the night! Still stumbling around CDMX (Centro) six hours later, on the hunt for late night eats (was eventually successful). Shaking off the next morning's hangover wasn't fun, but I eventually dragged myself to the metro. My hunt for vegan hangover grub on Good Friday (when a lot of places were shut!) took me to Paseo de la Reforma. Paseo de la Reforma is a 19thC European-style boulevard designed at the behest of (European!) Emperor Maximilian. Nowadays it's home to many of CDMX's tallest buildings and cuts through the affluent, financial, and historical heart of the city. After yet another delicious Mexican veg meal, I took myself to Chapultepec Park for hangover recovery. Chapultepec is (I think?) the oldest and most beloved park in the city, and also one of the largest. No idea what this is, but on a crazy hectic Good Friday there was a concert stage being set up directly in front of it with hundreds of visitors watching in anticipation... I'd come here to visit Chapultepec Castle, residence of most Mexican leaders from the mid-19thC to the mid-20thC. Alas, I failed to factor in the 'Good Friday' problem - the queue to get in was absolutely enormous; at least 40 minutes long. In my hungover despair I'd all but given up and walked away before having a (likely hangover-fuelled) change of heart and turning back to endure the line. #yolo This was a scene on my way up to Chapultepec Castle after eventually getting in. And here is Chapultepec Castle. Or part of it. The site was sacred to the Aztecs way back in the day, and during the colonial era the Spaniards used it constructed the viceroy's residence here. Emperor Maximilian (read up about him, the story's fascinating) expanded it into a palatial residence, and following his assassination it was co-opted by Mexico's presidents until 1939 when it was turned into the museum that it is today. Much of the information here was in Spanish only. Also, the crowds were insane (approaching China level). This limited the amount of knowledge that I gleaned, but I did take this pic of a pretty ceiling. And here are some stained glass windows right beneath it! Some cool objects and artefacts in the museum - here's Emperor Maximilian and Empress Charlotte's gala carriage from 1864! Another reason why people love coming up here is for the awesome views over the park + city. I wanna say that this is either the Emperor's or the Empress's bedroom, but I can't remember which... And I'm fairly sure this is the royal bathtub from the 1860s! Fun to be able to peek into their living quarters, despite the tragedy inherent in their story. More views over Chapultepec Park and into the city. Outside Chapultepec Castle. It was a LOT busier than it looks here. I think this was Porfirio Díaz's bedroom! And this was his bathroom. Again, mad to see the actual rooms and amenities used by someone you read about in history books during your youth... Perhaps the prettiest of Chapultepec's views. At the top level of the palace is an attractive alcázar. I took a few shots of this, not sure why... You'll have to shut up and endure them. One last view from Chapultepec Castle. Beautiful. A fenced off woodland area in Chapultepec Park; caught my eye on my way outta there. El Ángel - Mexico's independence monument, dating from 1910. Whizzed by this in an Uber on my way to the next destination before it closed... And here's that next stop: Museo Soumaya. A stunning building! This free museum hosts art works from a surprising number of world-renowned masters, and is the country's most popular art gallery. I didn't visit anywhere near enough museums during my stay in CDMX (I'll be back!), but I'm glad I managed to stop by here. Museum highlights included Rodin's 'The Gates of Hell' Either El Greco or Rembrandt is my fave painter, and Museo Soumaya has a number of El Grecos, though only two were out on display that I saw. 'Christ on the Cross' was my fave of them. Note that if you're a Rodin fanatic, they have an entire floor dedicated to him here! A great way to end the afternoon. Interesting train track that runs outside the Soumaya too! After Soumaya I walked over to the fashionable Polanco district. The presence of luxury fashion brands indicates that this is a lil' different from the 'hood I was sleeping in! Cute city streets around here, though surprisingly quiet (might be the Good Friday thing again). Got a pic with this famous sign cos... well, I'm a dumb tourist and that's what dumb tourists here do! Another delicious Mexican vegan dinner, and then it was on my way back to the hostel to get a little sleep before my early morning flight. The last shot I took? Here in 'Parque América' - a fitting end to a mad, maddening, and brilliant adventure. Gracías, América!

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