"By the time I reached Merida in the early afternoon the rain was pouring down, and it was only due to a bit of luck in being able to find a convenient hotel, close to the bus station, that saved me from getting soaked. Later that afternoon, keen to see at least a little of the city, I set off along the wet streets to the shelter of a nearby covered market, but realising that to go further in such weather would be a waste of effort, I decided to cheer myself up a bit by taking advantage of the good rate of exchange and have a slap up meal. I had noticed a restaurant next to my hotel so decided to return there. The large steak that I ordered came cooked in chillies, and without thinking I took a big bite, the chillies were so hot they left me gasping for for breath followed by a bout of hiccups, so bad that if if the waiter had not seen my predicament and given me a good pat on the back, I think I would have died. I have not wanted to eat anything with chillies on since. When I left Merida for Uxmal on the bus the following morning, it was still raining hard so I saw little of the city, a pity I felt, as it is reputed to have many fine buildings.
 
By the time the bus rrerched Uxmal, about 2 hours later, it had all but stopped raining, but any comfort I could draw from that was largely to be marred by the highly restored and commercialised way I was to find this site. Unlike the 3 other Maya ruins I had visited, this one was really geared up with a fancy modern reception centre, guides to pester you, and even a restaurant. Despite all this I was unable to find anywhere to leave my bag and had to carry it around with me. To add to my disappointment the placae was heaving with tourists, I felt quite out of place walking round in my now rather the worse for wear clothes with a large rucksack on my back, when the majority ofthe other visitors were in smart T-shirts and Bermuda shorts. 
 
Uxmal is considered to be one of the Maya most important religious sites. It was built largely between 600 and 900AD. What I did find most interesting about this site was the elaborate ornamentation on the stucco facades. While I was painting the picture above, one of the attendants came over and tried to tell me that to make such a picture, I needed special permission. As he only spoke Spanish I pretended not to understand him and carried on. By the time he had returned with another attendant who spoke English, I had nearly finished, but I felt this bit of beurocracy was the last straw, and I left Uxmal soon after, not having enjoyed my visit much at all." - MH