09. Valladolid

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a corridor in the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo, in Uayma, just outside Valladolid

Time to leave the Caribbean Coast behind. Before hitting the colonial town of Valladolid, we drive to the village of Uayma, where we have a look at the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo, nowadays the village church. An incredible building, originally built for the Franciscans in the 17th C,  burnt down in the 19th C, and rebuilt in 2005. It is expansively decorated with bright-coloured rose motives and the occasional double eagle – referring to the Habsburgs, apparently. Beyond the church are the convent buildings, an attractive courtyard, and a beautiful chapel with wood-carved sculptures. A nice surprise!

 

 

the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo in Uayma
extensively decorated on the outside
and with the same theme, less expressively coloured, inside
it is still an active church
including an attractive side chapel
decorated with wooden sculptures
and another one
this is the courtyard at the back of the ex-convento
entrace to the hacienda where the San Lorenzo Oxmal cenote is located
the cenote, pretty deep and open to the air
one of the creatures present at the hacienda, an iguana

This is also – still – sinkhole country, and nearby is the San Lorenzo Oxmal cenote, this one open to the sky, but nevertheless 27 meters below surface level. The attraction here is the long roots from surrounding trees, that reach almost to the water level; and the rope that can be used to swing from a jumping platform to above the water, inviting all sorts of adventurists to attempt somersaults and other incomprehensible moves, which invariably end up with landing flat on the water. The obligatory life vest is probably more to protect people from belly flops than from drowning. For the rest there is not much more to do than floating around, hoping to catch a bit of sun, whilst staying out of the way from the jumping crowd. My travel companion loves it; I have to admit that the interests of my travel companion and myself are not entirely aligned when it comes to cenotes.

one of the highlights in Valladolid was eating poc-chuc – barbeque – in a local restaurant
San Bernadino de Sienna convent in Valladolid

Valladolid itself is a largish town, but with a rather compact old centre. It is promoted as a colonial town, and the large San Bernadino de Sienna convent, one of the oldest in Mexico, built in 1552, testifies to this. But for the rest the ‘old town’ is quite drastically restored. The mostly small, square, single story houses along the Calzado de Los Frailes have been nicely painted in a variety of pastel colours, and have been given over to tourism functions: boutiques, bars, restaurants, souvenir shops. And there are in fact quite a few tourists in town. Slightly disappointing, perhaps because our expectations were sky high.

next: back to archaeology, in Ek Balam

the Calzado de Los Frailes, a narrow street from colonial times
houses have been patched up, though
tourist fare for sale – I still regret myself I didn’t buy it
the church in the centre of Valladolid, the Templo de San Servacio
one of the old buildings along the main square
again, with a attractive corridor
in the square, dressed-up people celebrating, or entertaining tourists
the local traditional costume is colourful
and so are the local girls
a small museum in Valladolid contains local dresses, but also a collection of masks
each of them special in their own way
to the extend that we could have those at home, too
like this one, quite an original piece
or this, an unmistakable Latino mask
the church by night
and the church door
and the San Bernadino de Sienna convent by night

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