Drive to Cancun?

[pianoheat]

Has anyone out there driven to Cancun from here? If so what is it like?

[DonJuane]

It is "like" like cool, man! They say it's more about the journey than the destination and I agree. I realize this is an old post but I am a bit bored this morning, so if you are still thinking of the drive, here is my own two cents to throw in .

I haven't driven it in 5 years but bused there from here a couple of years ago. The new 85 loop around DF is a real time saver but you won't find many Holiday Inns around the loop, so plan out the trip accordingly. And I hope you aren't in a rush and can smell the roses along the way. Great stops in Puebla (better moles in my opinion than the Big "O"). Downtown Puebla is great, lots to see and neighboring villages are interesting a well. You could spend a lot of time there.

I actually liked Cordoba for a couple of nights, yet some don't agree with me. Historic Cordoba is city with no catering to tourists much. It reminds me a lot of Colima. Still, the coffee is fab and the history is definitely "there".

It's likely worth the detour to see Xalapa if only for the archeology museum but then that pretty much forces Veracruz on you and that has mixed feelings and reports. I enjoy the salsa weekends with all the street dancing downtown but it's not for everyone. Don't be a light sleeper and plan to stay near the historical district, particularly on weekends. But that's quite an arch up and out of the way on your route. Also if you want seafood, there is a short row of three restaurants near the main pier that serve fresher, cheaper and more tasty fare than the restaurants lining the zocalo.

The ride then from Cardoba to Campeche is pretty much a dud. I'd avoid Villa Hermosa like a root canal (although I had my most pleasant one from any past dentist right here in GTO), as V.H. is not really hermosa at all and the unanimous thought shared by me and others I have talked to is that spending the least time there as possible is the most desirable. I will say that if you really want to feel a get-away into gentle intercity culture, then head to some of the plazas in the outlying parts of the city of Villa Hermosa and observe the night time street dances, but this is not for the quaky kneed or faint of heart.

Campeche to me was a bit like a more polished version of one colonial Disneyland nearby you may be aware of, where the revamped buildings in the past century's colonial architecture have made a good attempt at creating a mood of the silver mining towns but something there to me was missing. Perhaps it was just the "freshly reconstructed old" that got me when I was there. It was hard to put a finger on it. I am sure it will be better after a few buses chip off the corners of the newly renovated historical area.

And heading up to Merida, well it would be a shame to opt out of the Puuc Route, particularly Uxmal and all the charm and history these places have to offer. Still to me and comparing to where we are, Merida is a bit over rated and eludes to suburbia cookie cutter-ness of the US, only with stone buildings as opposed to geometrically identical pitched roofs, exact shaped yards and bland pastel colors found in the US. Don't get me wrong, the city is indeed festive and colorful and I'd head back there in a minute but it just doesn't have the charm of places like GTO, SMdA, Morelia, etc. Also Merida is "shoot yourself in the head hot" in the summertime so I don't visit must past April. Still it is a must-see at least once, and don't miss the tables coming out of the restaurants and into the streets downtown at night on the weekends as they close down traffic to support a great outdoor dining experience. Meriida markets are fabulous as well. Great food! I could spend a year just sampling all the booths at the central market.

Then don't miss Vallodolid, buy some leather shoes and have some great Yucatan cuisine and see the pyramids and grand nearby Cenotes. And in fact, turn right at Vallodolid and head south and skip Cancun. You'll have a much better time! Hey! JUST KIDDING!!! ;-).

P.S. The "real deal" would be to opt for instead of going through Villa Hermosa, to dip down through San Cristobal de las Casas, Tonina, Palanque, and that area and up to Campeche from there. The scenery would be 100x better, mountains, culture, but then I read recently that the road blocks have started talking place again along that route and normally no violence but they are fond of collecting 50 peso "tolls" and holding up traffic from time to time. Check for current conditions on Facebook groups "On the road in Mexico" and "PanAmerican travelers association" as well as "Mexican checkpoints legal and illegal ....".

Enjoy your trip! Viva Mexico!

[pianoheat]

Thanks for the response I enjoyed reading it

[DonJuane]

This response, a reply to a personal attack and disparaging remark, has been deleted at author's request. I hope that all people in this forum will continue to behave in a mature and civil manner. Thank you.