Dzibanche and Kohunlich

Just when you think another hot sweaty day at a ruin site will dissappoint, it amazes. We figured were so close we better go check out the ruins in the southernmost part of Quintana Roo. We went first to Dzibanche. It was a large site with a style very different-- there were all of these round columns that surprised us. It was deserted and very cool in the early morning light. Then we decided to go on to Kohunlich. It was hot and steamy by then. The jungle was incredibly lush and there was an absolute order to how people lived. There was a lot of contour to the land and residential areas were divided by how high up they were-- one was up 27 steps to an entirely seperate area-- it felt like a neighborhood of sorts. Then we waked down a path to the prize: it took your breath away as you turned the corner and faced the “Pyramid of the Masks”:

Laguna Bacalar

They call Laguna Bacalar “The Lake of Seven Colors”. I expected it to be pretty, but oh my god-- there aren't the right words to describe it and the pictures don't quite do it true justice. Fresh water, the color of the Carribean and then some. Hotel Laguna is definitely pretty funny. Ope said he felt like he was in some resort in the Catskills that was supposed to be fashionable when it was built. The views were incredible but it was a bit loud at night.

We wandered into town and found a smaller little hotel-- just a few casitas on the lake. In town we walked to the end of a pier and found what I kept describing as the most perfect swimming I had ever had (although I say that about a lot of swimming holes...). Crystal clear water maybe 4 to 5 feet, endless hard packed sandy bottom. I remembered how Sue and I used to do the Dolphin swim, shallow diving over and over. I knew if she were along on this trip we would laugh and be dolphins right out to where the water finally changed color, so I did a little dolphin right there for her. People probably thought I was pretty weird.

We decided to stay one more night in Bacalar and go to the ruins about an hour South. Just when I think I've seen enough ruin sites, I am awed once again. I'll get a few pictures together for the next time I post.

All my Love

Hola

Hola. We are in Akumal now and haven't had reliable internet fror a few days so let me tell you more since I last wrote...First more on Izamal from Saturday...

It really is a yellow city. All over the Yuatan are these yellow church facades built by the Franciscans I think. There is some religious significance to the color yelow and at some point they painted the whole city of Izamal yellow. I would understand better if I had understood my tour guide but that is a story on it's own.

We wandered into the vast church yard and I of course strayed from Ope, cimbing about and taking photos. I happened on a little hunchbacked man-- I'm not kidding, right out of Notre Dame in the Disney movie. He was about up to my waist and had a deformed lip. He started talking to me in what he seemed to think was perfect English although I understood next to none. “Come on, come on, can go in, is open”, he kept pulling me along. We met back up with Ope and followed him into the Church, stopping to see the statue of Pope John Paul who spoke in that very courtyard in 1993. He was clearly very proud of this. He kept taking my hand-- he would babble on, a bunch of words then “Yes, Yes” then something about Frescoes and, intertwining his fingers in mine, use our hands to point. Despite the communication gap, he was great fun, smiling and showing me how to make an offering to Maria Guadaloupe and insisting that I should be Catholic. The church was quite spectacuar second in size only to the Vatican or some such. The alter is huge and ornate but what was most interesting was the very top, above all of the Christian symbols, Chaac, the Mayan rain God. You have to wonder if all of those Mayans being converted in the 16^th century were having the last laugh.

We walked back to our little haven in the city. The Mancan-Che Bed and Breakfast consists of a group of cabanas behind a forboding wood door. It is all jungle and little winding pathways. Our room had a thatch roof and nets over the beds and a winding staircase to a little look out balcony. It was pretty cool.

Today we drove forever to Laguna Bacalar which is unbelieivably beautiful. We are in a really funny little hotel which is a total throw back to some by gone era. There is a full moon over this incredibl lake (about the size of Lake George). Tomorrow we are going to get up early and explore. Until then.

So that was Saturday. Now it is already Tuesday. I will fill you in more tomorrow. Bacalar was amazing. I'll get some photos together and post more tomorrow.

Izamal

Izamal is known as "The Yellow City". It's pretty cool. There was a Mayan city here and when the Spanish came in they built a giant church on top of one of the pyramids-- I guess they really had some dominance issues.We have a long drive to Bacalar today so I'm off to breakfast.

Celestun

We headed out of Merida to the small town of Celestun, a fishing village on the Gulf Coast. Tourists go to Celestun to see the Flamingos which hang out in the flats to feed on shrimp. I learned that famingos get their pink color from eating so many shrimp-- go figure. We found a cheap room in a cute little place on the beach, hung out for the afternoon, watched the sunset, and had an amazing seafood dinner.

Then this morning-- the flamingos. I didn't really have high expectations for the whole thing having seen them in the zoo and wondering what the big deal could be. But we got up early and hired a boat. We were the only ones. We coasted up on the colony of flamingos and they were spectacular. Then we were treated to an up close and personal view of nesting herons and egrets and a gorgeous ride through the mangrove. Not a bad way to start the day.

We thought we'd head up to the little beach towns east of Progresso for the night but that didn't work out so well. After hours in the car we are in a really funky little place in Izamal. It is so relaxing here and there is lots to see so we've decided to stay two nights. More about that tomorrow.

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon

Our host, Ellyne, insisted that it is important for people to realize that this area has a history after the ancient cultures and conquistadors... one that resulted in all of the huge mansions along the the lovely street known as Paseo de Montejo. So off we went. Forty minutes down the road and one stop to ask directions from an old man sitting outside a bodega-- he spoke really fast Spanish and we weren't sure the directions were going to help a bit when realized he was asking us for a ride. A few miles down the road and a lot of hand gesturing later we let him out and were back on track. We pulled into a small village and there was Sotuta de Peon. At one time, 60% of the Yucatan Peninsula was covered in Henequen. The spectacular Haciendas we'd heard about were all about processing and exporting Henequen (Sisal) fiber used to make rope and shipped all over the world before nylon came along.

Sotuta de Peon is a working Hacienda-- it is gourgeous and fascinating.

We are heading out to the local square where there is lots of food and live music tonight. Tomorrow we are driving to Celestun to explore the beach and see the flamingos. Don't know if I'll have interent access or not so it may be a few days.

All my love.

The Ruins

We didn't go to the Hacienda today-- it was closed on Moday (how ironic is that?). Our host, Ellyne, let is on her secret favorite place. And so off we went: forty minutes down the highway, one missed turn, a pretty drive along a straight paved road, and then a few kilometers farther down a narrow unpaved lane. We paid the attendant and went into Oxkintoc. We were the only ones there. I wandered away from Ope and my footsteps seemed loud enough to disturb the peace. I climbed to the top of a high structure to look for him and the breeze felt too good to be true. What a magical place.

We climbed around for hours, both of us later admitting that there had been moments when we had looked down over the deserted stone steps and seen a bustling city over a thousand years old. What and strange and mystical sensation. We are back poolside at Cascadas de Merida where we have decided to stay an extra day and visit the Hacienda tomorrow. The thought of one more of Chucho's delicious breakfasts doesn't hurt. Plus there is free music and dancing on the square tomorrow night. When I retire, I am coming to Merida for a bit: I will learn Spanish and take Salsa lessons. I will eat churros every Sunday. You heard it here first.

Merida

I called the B&B in Puerto Morelos “sweet”... the one in Merida is amazing. From the outside, yikes, I was ready to turn around . Then inside, and oasis. Our hosts, Chucho and Ellyne, built the place from scratch on the property where Chucho's childhood home was. There are four cabanas around a pool—a stone waterfall goes around the whole courtyard. We have a glass shower that has it's own little piece of waterfall. We have amazing breakfasts and beer with our hosts poolside in the afternoon. We are in heaven.


Yesterday we went to the market. It was huge and bustling. Building after buiding of fruits, vegetables, meat hanging, chickens with the heads still on, and a gazillion shoe stores for some odd reason.Then we walked forever in the heat to the Anthropological Museum which was airy and cool and where I finally got a tour guide who helped make sense out of so much that I was missing about the Mayan culture. He spent two hours with us and it flew by-- he was fascinating.

Today we got caught in a downpour at the Sunday celebration on the square so we ducked into a pizza place where you can still get 2 beers and a pizza for $6.50 (Bob and Lis-- remember sitting upstairs in the pizaa place with the bicycle hanging from the ceiling?).

So now we are back resting and tomorrow we may go on a Hacienda for a tour.

All my Love.

Casa Marviya

We are staying in a sweet little Bed and Breakfast in Puerto Morelos. Last night we had great Pad Thai and this morning we had a long walk and a swim in the ocean before hot coffee and Quesadillas. Life is good. The owner's boyfriend drives a brown and tan vw bug (known as a man car in our family for some unknown reason attributed to a two year old Melissa) with no top and a custom wood bench where the back seat once was.

When we picked up our rental car yesterday we were told that we could not take it into Chiapas. He insisted that it isn't safe to drive there (although the owner here says that lots of foks including her parents drive all over Chiapas and have no problems). After an hour of arguing and an offer to drive us to get a car elsewhere, we decided it wasn't that big a deal so we took the car and went on our way. So I guess we won't get to Palenque after all – there will be other trips. We found another car rental that we could take there, but there's that old feeling-- everything happens for a reason-- perhaps it just wasn't in the cards for this trip. We are already busy coming up with alternative plans including some ruin sites that were recommended south of Bacalar. Hitting the road to Merida tomorrow so we'll see...