Hasta La Vista Mexico

Our last week in Mexico was a really special one as our friends Brenda Free and John Magrauder from "Willow" joined us at the El Cid Marina in Puerto Morales. We rented a car and drove to Chichen Itza and Merida with them, this time for two nights. We stayed at the Dolores Alba in both places and were again happy with their accommodations and price. The first day we again stopped at the Cenote Dzitnip for a refreshing swim. All this was new to Brenda and John of course and Scott and I enjoyed it as well.
This time we were able to go to the Sound and Light Show in the evening and even though we didn't get the English version on ear phones, the pyramids by moonlight and the dramatic lighting was well worth it. Afterwards we went into the town center and joined the throngs celebrating Easter week. The main square was alive with activity with vendors of all kinds. We had warm cinnamon sugar covered churros and ice cream. Yum!

Brenda, John, Scott and I

This plate was for four of us and still too much to finish.

The next day we visited Chichen Itza. Our guide Willy was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. Alfredo wasn't available but it was good to have a different person as we saw and heard new things. And then we drove on to Merida. Although we had a lovely evening there strolling the streets and mostly looking at the beautiful crafts, it's a long drive for just one night. We should have stayed for two but couldn't due to other plans. As usual, the food everywhere was delicious. In Vallodolid we got a great recommendation to eat at local popular place and had the Mayan plate for 4. It was amazing (picture here). In Merida we ate at  a lovely courtyard restaurant that served vegetarian specialties (and meat) and Brenda and I had fantastic stuffed eggplants. The food is wonderful in Mexico and very reasonable.
So after a day of preparation, we again headed south off shore for a four day trip to Belize. Puerto Morales was the last place to check out so we anchored off Cozmel and in Bahia de la Ascension but didn't get off the boat. The anchorage at Cozmel was really easy but we had to work hard to find a comfortable one at the Bahia. Then we had a really pleasant overnight to San Pedro, Belize. Pleasant means sailing/motor sailing, clear skies, moderate seas and wind and no other boats to worry about. Perfect.
And the much worried about entrance into San Pedro through the narrow reef opening was no problem. Then our luck briefly ran out as we spent an hour running aground in shallow places trying to find a safe anchorage. With some radio assistance, we found one and here we are in Belize. More news later.

The food stands in the square were all busy. Here another
look at the Mayan costume

Coconut and Mango Ice Cream near Chichen Itza

The local Mayan costume. She's actually
going to ride this bike@

Merida by night is all lit up and beautiful

The huge fun pool at the El Cid Marina Resort in Puerto
Morales

And their beach...

Cenotes

You can see the ladder down one "mouth" in the rear
and Scott looking up from a second.

This is the boca to jump into!

And here's Scott mid way

Cenotes are entrances to underground pools created by the collapse of limestone over time. There are many in the Yucatan and they are the source of water for this region. Many, especially on the coast, are connected by underground rivers, some with the ocean. Diving to explore has become a popular sport here. Local Mayans have created small businesses providing "easy" entrance to them for tourists. We went to two that were on the opposite extremes of development. The first was at Dzitnup, near Valladolid and the second Siete Bocas, near Puerto Morales.
We visited Dzipnup twice, once with Russ Wolf and then again later with our friends John Magruder and Brenda Free. A local Collective/Coop runs this facility and they must have got assitance from the government. There is a big entrance structure with ticket booths, bathrooms, and changing rooms. The parking lot has guards but you will be met by tiny children asking for a tip to watch your car (they will not watch your car nor do they need to but they are adorable). And then there is another large structure filled with vendors and crafts for sale on the way to the Cenote. Small snack restaurants are also available. It's a big operation. The stairs down to the water are carved out of rock and the pool is lit by colored lights both above and below the water.

I'm hoping that you can see something by making these two photos bigger. I had to use manual without a tripod.

This is the Cenote at Dzitnup

The pool is very large and far underground. The water, clear and cold, feels wonderful after the heat outside. Sunlight streams through a hole centered over the water and plays on the stalactites and roots that hang from the roof. What a scene! It's hard to take a picture so you'll excuse my poor shots (I used manual setting and the best steady hand available).
The Seven Mouths is the opposite. A large sign marks the access road off the paved "highway". It's at least a mile of narrow rutted dirt. We thought we'd made a mistake for sure but there was another car behind us and no room to turn around (luckily no one came the other direction). Once there we sighed in relief. There was a parking area and a palapa hut. A mother with her two small children were the staff here. Rude wooden benches and a few tables were scattered around the grounds. A rickety ladder led up to a treehouse and others went down holes in the ground, accessing the cenotes. This was an adventure.

There was a "surf board" and an inflatable raft for those who needed it and life jackets, which they try to make you wear (just discard it before you descend). The fun here was exploring this underground maze. The seven entrances are connected, some with only inches of air space above your head. But they are all open to the air, so you can see light from one to the other. One was wide open and we discovered when a group of young people showed up that you can jump in. It's about 20 feet down so your stomach seems to take longer than the rest of you. This cenote is "bottomless" according to the woman attendant. It was a lot of fun.
Which is what we're having here in Mexico. Wish you were all here.

A Quick Trip to Cozmel

Playa de Carmen, like the other cities along the Yucatan
shoreline, basically didn't exist 30 years ago. 

The beach at Playa de Carmen is lined with huge resorts,
and they stretch 60 kilometers up to Cancun and 30
kilometers down to Tulum - the Mayan Riveria

Our second day with the rental car we made a trip to Cozmel. The ferry leaves from Playa de Carmen, about 40 kilometers south of Puerto Morales on a very good limited access highway that stretches all the way from Cancun to Tulum. This is a good sized city but finding your way around is easy as the streets are usually on a numbered system. It's only a 45 minute ferry ride to Cozmel. This island, like Isla Mujeres was once a Mayan town and had ceremonial temples. Mayan women almost all made the pilgrimage out to these islands as they were dedicated to the Goddess of Fertility. It was a sleepy fishing village until Jacques Costeau made it famous in the 60's as a major diving destination. It's grown enormously since then. Big resort complexes line the western shore but the eastern side of the island and the interior has been put aside as a protected area.
We were corraled by a very nice American woman to a time share resort with promises. It wasn't worth it - a very hard sell (not from her), but we got a jeep for $20 and a bottle of tequila. The jeep was a fun way to see the island. The beaches were lovely on the eastern side and we wished we had more time there. The big reason to spend time here would be to dive and as a result of my surgery, that's over for me now. Scott didn't want to go out on his own with a dive boat so he'll wait till we catch us with diving friends further south.

We rented a jeep to drive around Cozmel

The east side of the island is undeveloped except for a
few casual beach bar/restaurants. We're on
"island time"

The eastern side of Cozmel, looking south

And looking north.

We stopped in the Rasta Bar for some refreshment

And a short siesta

Blow holes dot the limestone rocks that occasionally
reach out between the beaches

Inside there are lagoons with abundant wildlife - here
pink flamingos

A surprise bonus on the ferry trip back to the main land,
a 5 piece band, playing 80's rock and roll.

Studies in Contrast - Tulum and Coba

Four narrow short passages lead into the Tulum
complex through the thick stone wall, 16 ft. high and
26 feet thick, which stretches on all sides.

Excavations are still in progress - here under one temple
complex

The trip from Isla Mujeres to Puerto Morales was lovely; a nice breeze from the right direction and sunny. It was only 30 miles too. Our destination was the Marina El Cid just outside the town and part of a huge hotel complex. One of the benefits of staying there was the use of the extensive facilities, although we couldn't get the all inclusive benefits of unlimited food and drink. Our "bracelet" was white vs their blue. So we brought our own drinks to the hot tub - no problemo!
Our real reason for this stop was to do some interior sightseeing. We rented a car for three days from Eurocar in town and had our first "shakedown". The cost was $40 for the company and $10 cash for the employee per day. Next time, he assured us, we could make a better deal directly with him.
Our next shakedown happened quickly. We were driving back to the resort when the police stopped us. They showed us a radar gun with 54 kilometers on it (it was a 40 kilometer speed limit). I swear we were going 40 but Scott said that the gun probably always shows the same number. Anyway it cost us 500 pesos ($40) in cash to the policeman (he couldn't provide a ticket or a receipt). We got advice quickly from residents. Always have a 50 peso note in your pocket and take it out and say that's all you have (and pretend you don't speak Spanish). Well next time we'll be prepared, we thought. It did happen again (same man) and Scott just refused to give him anything. He finally accepted that - so live and learn. We don't get upset about any of this. From their point of view we're all filthy rich and that policeman's salary is peanuts (and the car rental employee's). Doesn't make it right, but it's understandable.
We left early the next morning and drove south along the coast to Tulum. This is a walled city built as the port for Coba and one of the last cities built by the Mayans. It was at it's height between the 13th and 15th centuries. The site is beautiful, strung along the ocean built on 39 foot cliffs with white beach below. It's an open sunny place and the buildings have been worn down by the sea. Very few of the carvings remain. Due to it's easy location from Cancun, Playa Carmen and Cozmel, it's packed with tourists.

Tulum was a fortress and a ceremonial center and is
built along the ocean. Extensive trading occurred among
the Maya and other cultures by boat along the Central
American coast.

Looking inland across the extensive grounds inside the
walls.

The thatch roof is protecting one of the few remaining
carvings still clearly visible. Most have weathered over
the years or been removed.

Tulum is of the late Classic Period in Mayan architecture

The complex is right on the water and visitors can take
a break during their visit for a refreshing swim.

This small cove on the north end of the complex was
off limits to the hoards and so peaceful. On the peninsula
is the God of the Winds temple

The scenery was the star here and a group of fun actors portraying someone's ideas of what ancient Mayans looked like. They posed for pictures with the tourists and were obviously having fun too.
After our visit here we drove inland for 40 kilometers to Coba. Along the way we passed through tiny Mayan villages where many of the homes looked pretty much like they did 1,000 years ago. Coba is in the jungle and much of the site is still covered with it. This was an early major center for the Mayans with over 50,000 people resident here. Paved elevated roads radiated from here out to many other locations, one alone was 100 kilometers long. They were called sacaboeb. The city was mainly built between 500 and 900 AD, well before Tulum. It was settled even earlier, probably between 100 BC and 100 AD. The restored temples are spread out over a large area, some kilometers apart.
Scott made a surprising but excellent decision to rent a bicycle "taxi". It had been a long day so far and this made the tour of the property so much nicer. We had some energy left to make the steep climb up the Nohoch Mul pyramid, some 120 steps. Going up was work and coming down was rather scary. The views from the top were over the endless jungle, once fertile agricultural land, and the nearby lakes. From here we took a different route north and then west on the generally well kept roads with an occasional pot hole keeping you focused. It was a long but really interesting fun day.

The bas relief under the roof is of the Descending God
figure and gives this temple it's name

El Castillo, the largest temple on site

These Mayan warriors were having a good time posing with the tourists and so were we

A typical Mayan home in one of the small villages

The road from Tulum to Coba passed through quiet Mayan
villages. I loved this tiny woman in traditional dress using
a few concrete blocks to talk to the butcher.

Lonely Planet happily steered us to the Villas Arqueologicas
Hotel in Coba for a very nice lunch and a cooling swim.

Coba is by a lake fringed with reeds and
busy with wildlife  - here a snowy egret

Picnics are not recommended though as not all the
wildlife are cute.

Our bicycle driver also acted as an unofficial guide.

The first building as you enter is known as La Iglesia. A
number of stela remain on the complex but the carvings
are very faint. They are now protected by thatched roofs

Many of the buildings are still partially or totally covered
 by trees and vegetation.

One of two ball courts that have been restored - MUCH
smaller than Chichen Itza's

The buildings are all set in the woods now but would have
once been in the city with paved streets. Over 50,000
people lived here once.

The building on the top under the protecting roof still
shows the colors of the once all painted exterior

A close up of the color traces

This is one of the few pyramids remaining that you can climb and one of the highest (and steepest). 

Hopefully you can get an idea of how steep!

Looking down from the top

A new age ceremony in an old age place. 

Made it!