Prior to visiting the Yucatan, I had never heard of Ek Balam. Overshadowed by its famous brother Chichen Itza, this small archaeological site north of Valladolid gets only a fraction of the visitors. But this is exactly what makes it so attractive. Explorers at heart can move around the Mayan ruins without hordes of tourists and without any annoying barriers. Honestly, I can’t think of a better day than Continue…

This sign had us cracking up. Apparently, this helps prevent burro traffic jams.

It seems like everywhere we turn, there are iguanas basking in the sun. I’m just amazed. When we went to Central America in 2001, I only remember seeing a few, but here in the Yucatan, spiny-tailed iguanas are everywhere. You see them crossing the road, stretching out on tin roofs, squeezing in between crevices or sitting on fence posts. Even in downtown Cancun, we counted more than 15 iguanas on a short stretch of sidewalk between our hotel and the nearby mall. As one tour guide proudly announced, “Iguanas are the squirrels of Mexico.”

Surprisingly, they are pretty Continue…

Wow, Mexico does you wonders! I’m happy we got you out of Germany. Finally you look your age – and not a day older. Happy 44th birthday!

While visiting Isla Cozumel, Tony and I got swept up in the colorful Carnival celebrations of the small island. On our first night there, everyone was out in the streets watching the parade with gyrating men and women in gold lamé, disco sequins and feather boas. We had so much fun seeing the locals embrace their inner Liberace, we put together an impromptu video of the spectacle.