OK, maybe not “lost” ruinas. After all, Uxmal is a pretty big archaeological site. But somehow, we had always skipped it.

Armed with maps, a couple of sodas and the pacifier (daddy’s best friend to make sure the ride is relatively peaceful, bonus points if Mark actually naps), we left Mérida and drove to Uxmal. The town, right outside the city, was bigger than we had expected and we soon faced a dilemma at the main plaza: which road was the right one?

I got off the car and asked a taxi driver. He replied like most Latinos do when you ask for directions: “todo directo!” he said, smiling and gesturing.

I got back to the car. “He told me to go straight,” I told Feng, who looked at me slightly annoyed. “What’s straight? There are like three roads splitting here!”

I shrugged in a very Gallic way. “Todo directo. Just pick the busiest road.”

We eventually made it out of Uxmal, stuck behind a bunch of tuk tuks, and found the highway to Maní. It felt like being in the Amazing Race. At the “pit stop,” we parked and grabbed a bite by the market. And on the road again. We passed haciendas, went up the hills and found Uxmal.

Three tour buses were parked in front of a very modern building, an oddity in the landscape. Fortunately, the tourists were leaving and we had the site almost to ourselves.

Unlike in Cobá, the site was fairly compact and not hidden in the jungle. As soon as we entered, we faced the Adivino (the Pyramid of the Magician) and the ruins. It was the perfect place to climb, explore and play hide and seek. I let Mark run wild and he couldn’t get enough of it. Eventually, he passed out in the stroller, exhausted.

We rested a bit and spotted the last pyramid, from afar, a high structure peeking out. “I wish we could climb it,” Feng sighed. “Let’s go!” I replied. “We can take turns.”

And that’s when Mark conveniently woke up. We left the stroller and, once again, I climbed carrying Mark. He was still sleepy and felt like hugging at the top of the pyramid, which was nice and comforting. We sat together and stared into the distance… one of these moments que vale la pena!