Touring Campeche.

February 6, 2009

In the early fifteen hundreds the Spanish started the City of Campeche. One of the first tasks was the construction of a fort to halt the already problematic pirate attacks coming from Ciudad de Carmen, about a hundred fifty kilometers to the west. The Spanish commissioned a sea-side fortress named San Miguel on a hill south of Campeche. On the way from the RV park to the City we toured this first fort.

The Spanish used The Maya to construct the edifice. TheMayan people, already expert at stone-craft, built the fortifications that stand today. While the architectural trimmings were to the tastes of the Spanish who commissioned the work, the precision of the fitting (and thereby the durability) is all Mayan.

The Spanish also had a wall built around the entire city of Campeche. Today Campeche lives with and treasures, extant sections of her old wall. They form backdrops and entrances for parks and museums, and beloved landmarks. City neighborhoods are named for their nearby bastions and parapets.

Commerce by sea happened through a gate called The Sea Gate. Likewise, commerce with the rest of Yucatan happened via the Land Gate. The Land Gate(pictured) and the Sea Gate still stand at opposite ends of a street nearly a kilometer apart. Their guard houses are still in full view of one another such that, should the signal be given, both gates could be sealed off in a moment.

Campeche has long-since outgrown her walls but Campeche's history is her pride. The original enclosed area is kept like a favorite room. The streets are clean, the paint is fresh and everything seems to be in excellent repair. Streets are lined with gaily painted homes, small up-scale shops and cool, colorful restaurants.

Parking in downtown Campeche isn't a viable option. During the 4 hours we spent in old Campeche I didn't see one parking spot taken or relinqueshed. Taxis and busses move the people. There is hardly room enough to park a motor scooter.

Our tour-bus dropped us off at the Zocolo and moved on while we wandered, shopped and stopped for lunch. The Zocolo is a full city block wide with an over-sized two story bandstand. The bandstand is surrounded by food concessions and the concessions and stage are all covered by a metal umbrella style sun-shade. People strolled the terra cotta tiled park, rested on shaded wrought-iron benches, watched children play and fed pigeons.

Shopkeepers were friendly and helpful. They never seem as challenged by our English as we are by their Spanish. Their patience and good humor saves the day. Gone is most of the kitch we see in tourist-driven economies. Less souveniers and more botiques is a welcome change.