On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:35:37 -0700, "Technobarbarian"
wrote:
>
>"Alan S" wrote in message
>news:ai2k73pj9t3tm5kr4jn7msngpam1tii8cq@4ax.com...
>> Hi All
>>
>> I'm planning a trip for next April including Mexico. While
>> there my main interest is the Mayan and Aztec ruins. I can
>> either stay in Cancun district to visit the surrounding
>> Mayan sites and then fly to Mexico City to visit the Aztec
>> sites or I could take a tour in either direction over 7-9
>> nights.
>>
>> I can find several tours on the net, but have no knowledge
>> of their quality. I'd appreciate feedback from anyone who
>> has done a Cancun-Mexico or vice-versa tour and any
>> recommendations please.
>>
>> I'm a senior, not a backpacker, so I'm not looking for an
>> "adventure" tour but it doesn't need to be luxury either.
>
Thank you so much for your detailed response. I'll
interleave some comments, but I'll be copying it into my
files for expanding with some research.
> The folks who follow this group tend to be people who travel
>independently.
If you read a little of the blog in my sig, you'll see that
I am too. But, as I said, I'm at the senior level, not the
backpacker level (a 60yo with interesting blood:-)
Additionally, on this tour I will be travelling alone.
>You aren't likely to find anyone here who has done this
>particular tour. I have visited quite a few of Mexico's archaeological sites
>and have a few comments you might find useful. Eight to ten days is a very
>short time frame.
I do agree; it's possible that some day I may revisit in
more depth. However, I see each trip as a bonus, and plan it
on the basis that I may not see that country again. Carpe
Diem.
Other factors include the distance from home, domestic
restrictions on time of absence, and the logic that if I'm
crossing the Pacific I may as well keep going around the
World. That is why both my previous trips were also rtw.
This is only one part of a longer trip, which includes
Angkor Wat, Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal, Petra in Jordan,
Egypt and the Nile, as well as places between like London,
New York and Hawaii. So I try to squeeze as much as I can
into the time I have. I had to cut Macchu Picchu from the
itinerary because I can't have Yellow Fever vaccinations.
Full itinerary at the moment is:
OOL-SYD-BKK-REP-BKK-DEL-AMM-CAI-LHR-NYC-WAS(Amtrak)
-CUN-MIA-DFW-HNL-SYD-OOL
I accept that I am a tourist with an interest in ancient
civilizations (and also the people living there now), not an
anthropologist or archeologist. Yes, I'll only skim the
surface, I know. But at least I'll do that much. In this
case I'll also see a comparison, within weeks, of the great
Pyramid-builders of Egypt and the Americas.
>If you concentrated on one culture or the other you still
>wouldn't have time to get a comprehensive view. Since a big part of the cost
>of this trip is getting back and forth to Mexico I'd suggest that you find a
>way to get some more time in Mexico and concentrate on one culture/region or
>the other. If you enter and leave Mexico at the same airport you'll lose two
>days just getting back and forth from the Yucatan to Mexico city.
>
The One-World Explorer ticket is a little awkward in Mexico,
but brilliant otherwise for rtw. My options are: to fly
CUN-MEX (or vice-versa) via Miami, Dallas or Charlotte
included in the price; to pay extra to fly direct; to take
the sort of tour I was asking about; or to use local
transportation such as
https://www.ticketbus.com.mx/ticketbus/eng/index.jsp to
travel independently. From your comments and other advice
that's becoming a distinct possibility, but the security
aspects of that worry me a little.
> The tours concentrate on the more popular sites. If you rented a car
>and traveled independently you could see more sites. As Richard suggests,
>using Mexico's excellent public transportation system is another good
>option.
>
I've decided not to drive this time, for a change of pace.
See the blog and you'll understand.
> The archaeological sites are so widely scattered that you aren't going
>to spend much time in Cancun and unless you're into modern resort cities
>there really isn't any reason to spend any time there.
I was considering staying in Valladolid or district, using
Cancun simply as an airport and radiating from there.
>
All great information and I'll do a lot more research on all
of those - thank you again. Do you have any comments on the
advisability of using service like
https://www.ticketbus.com.mx/ticketbus/eng/index.jsp ? Are
there rail services worth investigating?
Cheers, Alan, Australia
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
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