We are deep in the heart of the jungle now. Or so it seems. We are staying at the Chicanna Ecovillage which is located just steps from the Chicanna Maya ruins in the Calakmul Biosphere Preserve.
The meals here all seem to include platanos or a type of fried bananas. Served with rice, refried beans, as a garnish, even with eggs. Platanos are like bananas but starchier and only eaten cooked. They often have a carmelized surface and tangy flavor I suspect comes from lime juice. We have grown quite fond of platanos.
Meals are very heavy and focused on meat. The chicken actually tastes like chicken unlike the bland excuse for chicken we get at home. The best meals are actually snacks, called antojitos. In the Yucatan and here in the state of Campeche the antojitos are sopes, empanadas, panuchos and salbutes. All of them are some form of fried dough and topped or filled with cheese or meat and salsa and or crema and or avocado. They are usually crispy and light and mouth-wateringly good. In a cocina economica they sell for about 60 cents each and two are pleny for a light meal. Going on 8 days and we are still not tired of Mexican food! Though the closest town is so tiny there are no ice cream shops and no stores with freezers. There are plenty of shoe stores however...
