Farsighted Fly Girl

Although Chichen Itza is one of the Yucatan's most famous ancient sites, Ek Balam, located just 30 minutes away, predates Chichen Itza by 600 years and displays striking structures still being excavated. Ek Balam translates to "Black Jaguar" in Mayan and the imposing size of the buildings demonstrate how significant the city was to the Maya from about 500-900 AD. Despite this, Ek Balam is one of the best kept secrets in the Yucatan Peninsula.  There are very few crowds and I was able to stroll leisurely throughout the site. Restoration has been ongoing at Ek Balam since 1997 and the uncovered buildings include a ball court, a tomb, a palace and a 96- feet-tall Acropolis pyramid. The structures are scattered closely so that you can explore the ruins easily if you like to climb. I recommend sturdy shoes, I saw a lot of lost flip flops on some of the ruins. This is the towering flight of stairs that lead to the top of the Acropolis. The...

I moseyed down to Texas to experience the Culinaria food and wine festival and all I can say is like everything else, Texans do food big. I'm not just talking about portions, I'm talking about the sheer variety of dishes and flavors offered. My first dive into San Antonio's food scene was at the Food Truck Event, which  featured 14 popular food trucks offering everything from duck confit tacos to bourbon bacon brownies. To say the least, I was intrigued. And so was everyone else. Food truck culture runs deep in San Antonio, a reported 2,000 people crammed into a parking lot to sample these street food treats. The lines were long and the people were friendly. It reminded me of a more laid back Taste of Chicago, without so much jostling. I was instantly taken by the charm and quirkiness of the trucks.  This one above, its name a clever take on satiate, was the most popular. It's hot young chef served up wagyu beef sliders and duck fat fries for 40-50...

I knew something was horribly amiss when I heard about the lines.  Lines snaking down long city blocks. In the rain, the cold, the snow. People waiting for HOURS, only to be turned away when the meager supply ran out. Chicago is a foodie town. Not in a highfalutin, Michelin star kind of way but in a it's- the -Midwest -and- we- like- to -eat, kind of way. We will jump on the latest foodie trends. We will sample newfangled ingredients and down weird beverages. But we do not do lines. All that New York, LA, velvet rope/insane waits because it's the hot spot has never worked in Chicago.  Many a New York or LA outpost has found their hipster dreams shattered in Chicago because we will shut a place down before we wait in unnecessary lines. It just insults our practical Midwestern sensibility.  So when I heard tales of crazy lines at the Doughnut Vault,   a closet-sized shop with a 1/2 in its address and a rotation of only five flavors of $3 doughnuts, I...

The Yucatan region draws visitors with dreamy beaches and fascinating archaeological wonders but I think the cuisine deserves just as much attention. Ancient Mayan cooking techniques and ingredients like the chaya pictured above, meld with Spanish spices to create some of the tastiest dishes in Mexico. There's a dizzying array of Yucatecan  specialties but these are five of my favorites: 1. CHAYA This leafy green vegetable is a hallmark of Yucatan dishes and healing. Chaya  leaves boast more iron, calcium and potassium than spinach and regulates blood sugar.  You'll see it in soups, stews and in drinks like the zesty J ugo Verde.   Chaya pronounced (chi ya) can also be prepared as a simple side flavored with garlic, which is how I like it. 2. PESCADO TIKIN XIC I never leave Mexico without consuming generous helpings of  this grilled fish recipe, pronounced (teek n cheek). Fish, typically grouper or red snapper, is ...

Valladolid is a colorful town in the eastern corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, noted for its charming colonial buildings and traditional Mayan culture. Called the "Sultan of The East" because of it's striking architectural beauty, I was immediately captivated. We stepped into La Casona, a hacienda style restaurant with flavorful Yucatan dishes (I'll cover those in the next post) and an art collection just as rich. Tucked into this little street awash with candy-colored structures, La Casona greeted me with a wealth of art every where I turned. The owners enjoy  collecting masks from all over the world so every wall of the sprawling restaurant was covered with masks, some Mexican, some from other cultures. I noticed a pattern with how the masks were grouped. The pieces above seemed to boast horns and devilish expressions. And these featured facial hair in various forms. I thought some of these were slightly spooky and was glad I didn't face ...

A highlight of visiting the Yucatan Peninsula is swimming in a cenote (se note tay).  These natural wonders are underwater sinkholes found in caverns and caves, which are the hallmark of the areas' geography. The peninsula is composed of  porous limestone with no visible rivers. The rivers are all underground, formed where fresh water collects. There are supposedly 6000 cenotes all over the Yucatan peninsula. The Maya considered them cleansing and sacred. They also believed that they symbolized the entrance to the underworld . As you can see from the photo above, climbing down into the dark cavern with caution signs decorating the opening ,does give the feeling of  entering the netherworld. This cenote is called X-keken and it boasts a natural sky light that floods sunbeams into the darkness. The effect is stunning, like a glistening underground pond. When we visited, the cenote was filled with locals dipping into the cool water. Outside, the temperature was abou...

My first meal during the Mayan solstice arrived with delectable Mexican flavors and an unexpected touch of Chicago.  I sat down at the Beachwalk Marketplace Cafe in the JW  Marriott Cancun Resort  and reveled in the experience of enjoying two of my very favorite things.  As many of  my longtime readers know, passion fruit is the ultimate fruit to me. Nothing beats that special blend of tart and sweet. So when I spotted passion fruit ceviche on the menu, I was giddy with joy. As I munched on fresh tortilla chips, my view was a vivid turquoise expanse of the beach, another of my favorite things. Being kissed by a salty sea breeze and gazing at rippling ocean waves is my idea of paradise. And then the passion fruit ceviche appeared and I ascended into heaven. Delicate pieces of sea bass were cured in a passion fruit and lime potion for a zesty yet sweet taste that I can on...