One of the advantages of moving to a new country for us is that we have a car. And with this car we are free to explore our new country. In the spring of 2016 we started what we thought was going to be a three week trip, only to return home three months later.(cue Gilligan's island music) The trip essentially covered all of the Yucatan peninsula. The truck was packed, Lee, Bear and I set out in mid march. We had been hearing reports of roads blocked by protesters for numerous issues. The teachers were protesting a law requiring them to take a national test and become certified. Mexico's educators in the past could profit on their position by either giving it to a relative (trained and certified or not) or by selling it to someone wanting to teach. Currently newly minted teachers do not have to have any schooling or professional qualifications to do their jobs. To retire one only needs to put in 20yrs. They leave the current post and collect the retirement stipend, many to just go out and find another position doing the same thing, thus collecting both a paycheck and a retirement check.) These blockades led to the protests by the taxi drivers complaining of lost wages due to the teachers strike...and then the tourist area's and guide companies protesting the lost trade because tourist could not get to the archaeological sites. It added fun and adventure to our trip. Many of the blockades could be shortened by paying a bribe (donation) to the cause. Being that we are not native to Mexico and that we were driving an American plated car, we chose not to pay for a quick passage and to wait in line like everyone else. We are not rich nor are we aiming to call attention to ourselves by showing off with money.
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| Bear found the water by accident |
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We stopped in Ciudad del Carmen. A town that is geared towards the support of the oil fields. Large barges and ships are "parked" for the time being as many of the oil rigs have stopped drilling. Among the 30 to 50 ships play dolphins. Traffic on the bridge leading into town is slowed by laughing and smiling drivers trying to watch the dolphins play. I admit to being the major slow down. Unfortunately we could not stop and take pictures. Just this past year Mexico has begun selling off the fields to outside interests. The workers are being laid off daily and no new jobs are being created for them to step into. So keeping this in mind, our views of Carmen were filled with empty ships, beggars on most street corners, families on the roadside selling everything that had any perceived value. We were warned to be in doors before full dark, for our own safety. So we continued on towards Cancun.
Our first stop was in Merida.
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| Cathedral Bells in Merida |
This was just a quick stop, Checking out some restaurants and the beach at Progresso. Sort of a rest stop before exploring Chichen Itza.
The ruins of Chichen Itza are impressive, awe inspiring and frightening as all get out during a lightening storm. There are no areas of protection out among the ruins, many people gathered under the shade trees. I thought I had better odds out in the open near say a big tall pyramid than a lone tree. Sort of of a scaredy cat where lightening is.
"Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the Northern Maya Lowlands from the Late Classic (c. AD 600–900) through the Terminal Classic (c. AD 800–900) and into the early portion of the Post classic period (c. AD 900–1200). The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc
and Chenes styles of the Northern Maya lowlands. The presence of
central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of
direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most
contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles
more as the result of cultural diffusion.
Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature.
The city may have had the most diverse population in the Maya world, a
factor that couldhave contributed to the variety of architectural
styles at the site
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(Than you Wikileaks for the quotes about the locations I am writing about)
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| Behind this building is the Ball Field |
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Hint here people... be prepared with your own individual means to keep dry. Just about every afternoon in March and April we seemed to get rained on. I would suggest an umbrella with UV protection that collapses so it can go in a bag or pack. Also throw in a couple of large trash bags with neck and arm holes cut out. When it does rain, vendors will try to sell them at $5 to $7 dollars each. (Being that we are two larger than life women there are very few places that sell anything that fits us.) I believed the hype of advertisers who said a long plastic sleeve geared towards protecting your digital camera and lens would keep the my camera system dry, nope I shorted the board under the on/off button and shutter release. I was devastated because this had been a gift. We did the coast part of the trip sharing Lee's camera and my cell phone's camera abilty. So not so many Pictures of the coast for me. We returned to Merida for further site seeing and getting the camera fixed. Lee had looked online and discovered a camera repair store in Merida. This shop not only replaced the shorted circuit board but also cleaned all the internal parts and lenses and it cost less than $50usd and a weekend. Such a find!
So after drying off by stopping at several small shops along the route, we were off to explore Cancun and the southwestern peninsula. Lee had found an very cheap apartment for rent and made friends with the woman who owned it. Again having our own car was a real help as we could be further away from the tourist areas and the beaches, yet have a nice geared towards Americans/Canadians bed to sleep in. (For those who have never visited Mexico....the beds tend to be hard as the floor, We travel with a queen sized air mattress)We used this as our base and hospital ward. Lee knew of a public beach (Playa del Tortuga's) along the hotel zone, and daily we would head there to float in and out of the pier, using a scuba dive tour boat as shade, Lee loves to float with her snorkel gear on,watching the many brightly colored fish swim by. While, I was out in the surf watching the locals locate and chase off the sting rays. The biggest I saw was maybe 3feet across. When the day starts getting hot the rays love to head up to shallow water and rest. Bad for us tourist because there are no warnings posted. WARNING: If you see 3 or 4 men in a half circle walking slowly into deeper water, do not get between them and the open water. Those rays are an angry lot when chased and you really don't want to get in their path. I never could figure out how to spot them on the bottom, they blended so well with the sand. We had bought UV protected bathing shorts and tee shirts and slathered loads of 35+ UV sunscreen on(many areas and diving boats require a sunscreen that is biodegradable to protect the bio parks off the coast, but still burnt like most of the meals I cook. Lee learned all about the fire coral up close and personal. They are this microscopic lifeforms that love to attach onto wooden pier supports. If a person touches the support they get this systemic rash that takes a trip to the doctor and about a months worth of steroid treatments to get rid of. If by chance you come south and while in the water your body turns into a deep red rash with a burning sensation, do not stop anywhere or try any home remedies, head straight to a doctor (located at most farmacias in Mexico) and get a steroid cream and a special antibiotic. While the antibiotic is spendy in the United States is was quite reasonable here. (Trust us vinegar and hand creams do not work.) We also got very sick with a deep respiratory infection. Spent several days in bed wishing the other was well and could cook or run to the store. The landlady friend graciously extended our stay with no extra money owned. Once recovered we headed towards Playa del Carmen to explore the ruins along the Caribbean. We went into Xe Ha (Shel Ha) but not to the new amusement park. The water parks are really for the abled bodied. Xe Ha Park had only one "ride" which I could actually be on. They do not let people with canes or walkers or wheelchairs in free. You will be required to pay the full cost. The walk in Xe Ha is nice with the breeze from the ocean. Many use this site to access beaches. There were areas for a bicycle ride and many areas to sit and enjoy the day. I think its the perfect area to lounge with a good book and a bottle of your favorite beverage. No place on the peninsula should be visited without at least one cold bottle of water per person. A short stop as we wanted to explore Tulum.
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| Original Entry To Fort Tulum |
"Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was
at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to
survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old
World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted
in very high fatalities, disrupting the society and eventually causing
the city to be abandoned." The walled city was a trading post for the Caribbean islands and a fort protecting the Mayans from attack from the sea and the country of Belize. It is surrounded by either water or jungle. It was so beautiful. The water in shades of green to blue were crystal clear. A nice breeze was blowing just enough to help me forget about the humidity and heat.
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| The Caribbean Sea |
It would have been an ideal place for a nice relaxing picnic. There was of course a very nice concourse of vendors selling everything from t-shirts to carved totems from the Mayan calendar. We arrived late in the day and were kicked out long before we were ready to leave. I can only imagine how wonderful sundown would have looked. The area surrounding Tulum and in fact all of the peninsula are hidden treasures called cenote's. Underground fresh water lakes. If you are able bodied take a half day to float under ground. If you are like I am and not able to climb ladders do not attempt. While the owners hate to lose and will tell you no problem they will help, trust me it is more harrowing than it is relaxing. Some of the cenote's we are told are true wonders of the world, water so clear and blue while above you might be stalactites, embedded crystal's or just plain tree roots in a huge giant knot. With the sun coming through one or more holes not much larger than a mans body, adding just a diffused surrealism to your swim. I would so love the experience and should anyone know of a cenote with an elevator, I would love the heads up.
The most unusual item seen that day was a sign much like the typical cow or bear crossing signs was one with a black panther on it. We had taken a diversion into a small jungle Eco-tourist area, pretty much a one lane dirt road. The land had been set aside by the government to preserve the coastal jungle for the panthers, alligators, monkeys and birds. We did not see any of the animals but there was a wonderful racket of animal noises. Tulum has a long tree shade walk (1/2mile or so) for those wanting to stretch their legs or a trolley for those who aren't so inclined. There we saw monkeys and other small animals with lots of flowering bushes and trees. Take your mosquito repellent.
This was the water fun time of the trip. Next up we go to the southern interior of the Peninsula. Enjoy some random pictures taken
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| Stacks of Blankets |
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| Brown Pelican |
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| Elizabeth trying on a shade hat |
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| The Rinds of Different Fruits |
