Wow, I've been back for a day already, and looking back, this 9 day trip felt like a month. Whatever I did before this 9 days felt like centuries ago, ahaha. And it was pretty weird returning just in time for the last day of school. I'm not ready for school to end yet, and yesterday felt so abrupt as I watch all the professors leave the class for the last time. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to meeting ed in USA again and then returning back home, to Singapore, albeit its the start of my final and presumably most stressful semester ever.

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So, the last 2 days of Merida was filled with ups and down. The day I went to Chichen Itza was probably one of the worst days I've had in the 9 days, when I truly felt helpless, for more than 1 time in a day.

The day started off with a short walk around town, exploring the mercados and getting to know the area better.

Following which, I bought my bus ticket to Chichen Itza for $80 pesos. The journey took approximately 2.5hours and I chose to drop off at a town, Piste, located just before Chichen Itza, for lunch. It wasn't a bad decision because I later found out that prices for food were more than $60 pesos at Chichen Itza. I was told that I could take the next bus that passes by to Chichen Itza when I'm done with lunch, but I waited for 1/2 hr and finally decided to hop into a cab instead. The bus would have costs me $7 pesos and I would have to walk for about 500m to the entrance, while the cab costs $35 pesos and would drop me right at the entrance. The difference wasn't great and I think I made the right choice, cos it saved me so much time.


By then, it was already 2pm and I still had to visit cenote Ik Kil and the Grutas nearby, which both closes at 5pm. (I should have done my research on the closing hours beforehand!) So I practically rushed through the whole of Chichen Itza in 1.5 hour (I've seen enough pyramids and read enough to quickly identify and appreciate the key features anyways), before heading to the next location.





The plan was to head to cenote Ik Kil and then proceed to the Grutas de Balamkanche. The only way to head out was by taxi, given that I have no time to wait for another bus to pass by. The ride costs $75pesos, but halfway through the taxi driver told me that the Grutas close at 4pm and thus I changed my mind and decided to head there first. It was a little further and costs $100pesos (these are the standard rates set). But I half regretted when the taxi told me there are no taxis at the grutas. My next question was, "can I walk to ik kil fromthe grutas then?". He said yeah, probably 2km away. He didn't mention that it was a 2km walk on the highway. And that to visit the Grutas, one must take a tour and it costs $118 pesos, and the last tour starts at 4pm. I was the only person there, and the guide said that, there will be no tour if it's just me. It was 3.30pm, the cenote closes at 5pm, and the tour would take 1/2 hour at least.

It was either the grutas or the cenote. I chose the cenote, and began to walk out of the grutas. At this point, I was chiding myself for actually paying more to get myself stuck at the Grutas where, there are no taxis and the possibility of not being about to see anything. Thankfully 3 mins into my walk on the highway, a car pulled over and asked me if I knew where the other pyramid is located. I said no, and asked for a ride, and got it. Oh yeah. But I reached cenote Ik Kil only to be disappointed again ): I paid $75 pesos, excluding life jacket and locker rental, thank god I didn't pay more, because it was over crowded and way too small. I swam for barely 20 mins, got out and left.


Just in time to wet again, in the rain. And guess what, there's not taxis at cenote Ik Kil too. The downpour reflected exactly what was going on in my mind. I immediately started approaching the tourists had rented and parked their cars at the parking lot, asking for a ride. All of them were going in the opposite direction. Dismayed, I started walking out to the highway, hoping to get a ride there. Thankfully one of the couples saw me when they drove out and decided to drive me back to Chichen Itza, even though it wasn't on the way. I couldn't be more thankful.

Back at Chichen Itza, I wait for the night light show to start. I was totally looking forward to it. Seeing pyramids and amazing light display at night. But the rain didn't stop and the show got cancelled after waiting for 1.5 hrs. Saddest moment of the day. I did so much just to get back to Chichen Itza, just for a cancelled show. To head back, I planned to flag one of the bus traveling in the direction of Merida. But when I asked the venders, they said there was none that pass by this road. I wanted to cry. And at that moment, their ride for Piste happened to come. And so I got my third and final ride of the day back to Piste. And from there, took the bus back to Merida.

I don't think I was ever fully dry the whole time.

Thankfully, the next and final day was better. I spent the day walking around town. My favourite was the train museum that costs only $20 pesos and came with a student guide that volunteered there. He explained everything in Spanish though. And I actually understood 75% of it. Yay! I bought him a coke after that, cos he doesn't get paid ahaha.













Getting to the airport after wasn't hard, though the bus from Mexico city back to Puebla took 3 hours. Slowest driver ever. And that concluded the end of my 9 day solo trip!