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Fin

A bit of a misadverture my last full day in Mexico. I was booked to dive with the same shop I did yesterday, but then this morning the other divers cancelled and they didn´t want to send out a boat with just me (understandable). So the guy from that shop got me on another boat. The group wanted to do a more advanced dive (120 feet), which I reluctantly agreed to - big mistake. I was, so to speak, in over my head, couldn´t descend, burned though way too much air, ended up slighly panicking 70 feet under the surface. Not good. I recovered and had an OK second dive but I am all beat up, tired, sore and woozy. Not ideal. Still a great dive (at least the second one) and still a wonderful place to dive (saw a really active sea turtle poking around the reef), but I am happy to be done with diving for the time being.

***

So I will likely add some more photos here in the next week, and perhaps an observation or two but this is probably it. Thanks for ¨coming along¨ with me to Mexico!

The Enchantment Under the Sea

No photos will explain the experience of drifting under the water, staring at the reef full of intricate corals, colorful little fish, hiding king crabs and the occasional sea turtle. What a really great day under the water. (I had a little trouble with bouyancy control but by the second dive I had it largely managed. Luis from Caribbean Divers offered a great one-day refresher course and served as my personal divemaster for the day - definitely recommended.) One more day of diving and the adventure ends.



Cozumel, if you can avoid the cruise ships, is a nice enough place. Right across the street from my hotel is a great cafe serving coffee from Chiapas and around the corner is Zematt, a great little bakery.

Cenote snorking and on to the last stop

I woke up early yesterday morning to bike to the ruins at Tulum - and its beach - at the opening at 8 ayem. The ruins themselves are not that impressive, but the location on the Caribbean really is very lovely. Had a quick swim in the Caribbean then biked to town for huevos rancheros, and packed my bags to move on.

From there I grabbed a combi (like a public bus but it is a big white van) to Hidden Worlds Cenote Park for some cave snorkling - very cool. We entered two water-filled underground caves, artificially lit and full of tetras. It is like swimming in an aquarium, but while dodging stalagtites and stalagmites - and the occasional bat! I grabbed another combi up to Playa del Carmen, then got the ferry over to Cozumel - my last stop. I think I have picked out a dive shop. Pretty cool that they are making me dive with a private dive master for a refresher course, then day two I can dive normally. Water is unseasonably cold - last night it was like 15 C in the air, which is really quite cold for the Caribbean. But I am here, and that is why they make wetsuits.

On a culture note, I am really glad I made Cozumel my last stop. Full of cruise ship tourists, moped hawkers and awfully expensive gift shops, it is a rather garish place. People seem really surpised when I speak to them in (admittedly poor) Spanish, but pleased nonetheless. Oh, and paying in US dollars is a total ripoff here, the common conversion rate is 40% less than what you get at a bank.

(Here is a look at the cenote at Hidden Worlds - really a cool place!)

Chichen Itza A Cool Place...and on to Tulum

I decided to take an early morning bus to Chichen Itza, and when I arrived at the main plaza with about 5 other people at 9 am, I knew I had made the right choice - especially when by 11 am the hordes of Cancun day trippers took over the place.



Chichen Itza is especially fascinating because the people who built in were definitely influenced by other local cultures - the main pyramid, for example, just doesn´t really look exactly ¨Mayan.¨ But a fascinating site, really a joy to spend most of a day wondering around it, the nearby cenote and ruins.

From there I made it on to Tulum, and today had a really interesting boat tour of the Sian Ka´an Bioshere - a place where cenote-fed wetlands meet with the sparkling Caribbean, resulting in a series of mangrove-entangled ecosystems rich in birds, fish and crocodiles. There is a small, Mayan ruin where a small, freshwater lake empties into a channel en route to the sea. Archaeologists think that this is where the Mayans forced boats to pay tribute who wished to take advantage of this natural outlet to the sea. Here, in the Mexican wetlands, a thousand years ago, dedicated Mayan bureacrats served their countymen by collecting levies on the commerce of the day: here lay the home of the Mayan IRS.

***

Off to see th ruins at Tulum in the morning, then maybe some cenote snorkeling. Off to Playa del Carmen at some point, not sure if I will spend a night or just pass righ through to Cozumel. Scuba awaits.

Pre-Chichen Itza

A full posting later but it is actually worthy of the hype. I am at the beach now but it is raining and that sucks. (I know, my life is so awful.) Check back soon.

The Mysterious Trike in Parque Central

I was sitting in a plastic chair at a plastic table at a restaurant that sits on the main square in Merida, Yucatan, enjoying a Montejo, about 10 pm the other night when a mysterious vehicle entered the street. It was a giant tricycle, the kind with the cabin in the front. When it approached, I was puzzled by what this vendor could be offering.

The crate on the front of it looked like a cage, wrapped in shrink wrap. It did not appear to be food inside. Rather, it looked like the things inside were moving. I took a look at the sign, and I was pretty sure I knew that it was he was selling, but I still had a hard time believing it. I mean, ¨Venta Perritos,¨ really? I approached the trike and took a closer look at the cage while someone off the street appeared to start a negotiation for what it was he was selling.

But low and behold, Mexico is the kind of place where a person can buy a puppy off a dude in a tricycle at 11 at night downtown. I didn´t think to ask if the vaccinations were included.
***
Tomorrow I am off to the new ¨Seventh Wonder of the World,¨ Chichen Itza, then off to the beachside town of Tulum. Only one week left!

Wow, these things are pink

Just a Few Self-Indulgent Photos

Blogging in general is self-indulgent, but look at it this way - now you NEVER have to look through my vacation photos.



Me in San Cristobal de las Casas.



Me at Aqua Azul.



Me eating a torta in Mexico DF.

Ruinas and the Jungle

The early morning bus pulled out of San Cristobal, into the mountains of Chiapas. Hardly a Mexico of Hollywood: pine clad forrest more like County Donegal than a cactus filled dessert, with valleys below engulfed in early morning fog. After a morning of twists and turns, we emerged at Aqua Azul. Now I finally understand where theme parks found the inspiration for that uber-blue water in waterslides. I had a nice walk up the falls and a nice chat with a German I was travelling with, and then was off to the waterfall Misol-Ha. A nice enough place for a stop, and then the real adventure began with the lovely ruins at Palenque.

A really breathtaking site, worth all the hassle to get here. Oh, and did I mention that it is hot here? San Cristobal was lovely and all but it is sort of nice to be sweating outside in January.

From there I spent a night in Palenque Town, where they oddly enough are having a Oaxaca festival (I thought I had seen my last grasshopper taco for awhile). An early morning shuttle took me to a boat dock on the Usumacinta River - and the Guatemalen border. I boarded the boat in the croc infested waters and 45 minutes later was at the ruins at Yaxchitlan (that is Guatemala on the other side of the river in this photo). The ruins themselves weren´t that impressive but the howler monkeys screeching in the trees and some impressive bas relief frescoes made it a worthwhile journey.

From there it was on the Bonapak, with its painted chambers still holding onto paintings from 1100 years ago. Then, a night in a cabaña in the bush, and today a day hike over streams to see Mayan ruins still owned by the jungle and a few more lovely waterfalls with a cool Austrian couple. I am now back in Palenque Town, awaiting an overnight bus to the Yucatan city of Merida.

Cañon de Sumidero and Off to the Jungle

It was a relatively warm morning here in San Cristobal when I boarded the bus this morning for the Sumidero Canyon, accessible from the town of Chiapa de Corzo. A really beautiful place, so I will let the photos do the talking. The canyon also had crocs and spider monkeys. Fun!

From there it was on to an hour in the town itself, with its lovely colonial fountain. I wandered around some, had a lime popsicle, saw a museum in an old convent (which seems to be what they do with exconventos here in Mexico). Unfortunately, I just missed the fiesta in Chiapa de Corzo, as all the confetti still littered the streets and the death trap carny rides remained in the main plaza.



And now, I am spending my last night in charming, lovely San Cristobal. (Tomorrow I am off to the ruins at Palenque then two days in the jungle!) ¡Ciao, San Cristobal!



(Note that these pictures are mine and not stolen off the web like some of them.) Have a great week!

San Juan Batista

When the Spanish conquistadores came to the New World, they were quickly followed by Spanish missionaries seeking to turn the heathens of this hemisphere into the arms of Christ. Objectively speaking, they were remarkably successful. But not entirely so.

Just a short drive from San Cristobal de Las Casas, lies the sleepy agricultural village of San Juan Chamula. It is a Mayan village, a place where Tzotzil is still far more common than Spanish. Over the years, the people of the village have developed a very unique religious tradition. The patron saint is San Juan Bautista, and his name graces the church in this photo. From the outside, the church look like any other local church built by the Catholic authorities over the years. But stepping inside it´s like no other place on the planet (and you´ll have to take my word for it, as cameras are stricly fobidden inside.)

To be sure, the structure is Catholic - there is a colorful baptismal fount just inside, a choir loft, and an altar. However, the tile floor contains no pews at all. Along the left wall of the church, all the way to the altar are glass boxes containing three foot tall statues of various male Catholic saints. The right wall contains a similar wall, but most of those saints are women, with a large, christmas light star for the Virgin of Guadaloupe, whose shrine is a painting rather than a statue and it a good 6 feet tall. Along each wall, in front of the statues, are tables totally covered with candles in small glasses. Hanging from the center of the ceiling to each wall are four large, patterned sheet like tapestries with golden fringe, spaced from front to back.

But the floor of the church is where the action is. In the center of the main floor of the church (where the pews ¨should be¨) kneel and sit numerous villagers in traditional dress, some in small groups and some alone, lighting tall white candles. Unlike the tables, these candles, some of which are striped red-white-green-white, are kept in place with candle wax, and no glasses are used. The villagers lay and kneel on pine needles, in front of the candles or a saint, which leaves a strong odor throughout the church.

Perhaps most interesting is the altar - there is a pulpit, off to the side, which is assumedly never used (the people of the village perform only the sacrement of baptism and do not hold mass). Behind the altar is a large, baroque like frame, with four posts and three shelves. It is totally unused. On several tall tables lie three, roughly life sized images - Jesus Christ, San Juan Batista, and San Juan Menor. What is interesting is that the images run as described from left to right - Christ is to the left of John the Baptist, who lies in the center. In front of these statues lie tables full of candles in glasses.

Interestingly, the two most common offerings I saw at the church was soft-drinks and locally made rum (who knew that the creator-god liked pepsi?). I´m told chickens are brought and insense, too, but I didn´t see that. When the candles get down to a low point or burn out on the tile floor, a local volunteer scrapes it up and disposes of the wax.

Anthropologists understand that this is basically just indigenous belief in Catholic facade (to quote my guide), but whatever it is it is a strange, and mystical place here high in the mountains of Chiapas.

San Crisobal de las Casas

So the ejectivo bus is the phattest thing evah. So before you even board the bus you have your own waiting area, away from the scum of society who are only going first class, the peons. In there you have a water cooler, with nescafe, tea, all free. Then you board the bus and the attendant lets you pick your drink (apple soda was better than I expected.) In your boarding kit is an eye shade, ear plugs, moist towelette and ear phone, for enjoying the evening´s family friendly film. (Some cliche beach movie with Meadow Sporano and Amanda Bynes, I understood 2 percent of the spanihsh dubbing and 100 percent of the movie). The seats (3 per row) recline to nearly vertical, with a pull down leg rest, blanet and pillow. If they had these in the US I´d never fly anywhere less than 10 hours away. Awesome.

Awoke just outside San Cristobal, and this place is as charming a town I can remember staying in. (That is the cathedral here in yellow in the photos at top). Nestled high in the cloud draped mountains of Chiapas, it´s a town of pretty churches and museum, however, it´s just a place where street after street are filled with lovely, charming, brighly colored houses with spanish tile roofs. A bit cold at night, but always pleasant in the sun (as seems to often be the case in Mexico so far). I climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the town, and otherwise just fittered the day away with coffee breaks, photo ops taken, and a hunt for a post office*.

Tomorrow I plan to visit some indigenous villages around the town, and from there I am still trying to decide whether to stay around here or push on to the ruins at Palenque.

I am planning another post soon, but I need the cord from my camera to make it effective, so please check in again soon.

*Send me an email with your address if you want a postcard!

Quick Update

I´m in Oaxaca City now, off to San Cristobal in Chiapas overnight. Yesterday saw the really cool ruins at Monte Alban



Ended up out with a Canadian after the day, and of course, tried mescal. With the worm.



More fun later...

Teotihuacan

Went back and forth all day yesterday whether to take the easy, tourist bus to the pyramids or the cheap, difficult local buses, and I ended up on the former, largely because a tour guide can help put visits to these places in perspective. A comfortable, two story bus also left from the National Auditorium, which is in walking distance from where I am staying, at 9 am, which meant not having to fight rush hour crowds on the Metro. En route to get the bus, I found a set of temporary stalls (they are set up only in the morning), where I watched businessmen and manual workers alike enjoying breakfast. I had a delicious corn tortilla, fried there on the griddle, topped with chopped beef (also fried in front of me), white cheese and hot sauce. Big, tasty and filling, for about a buck. I boarded the bus and was off to the first stop, the churches honoring the Virgin of Guadaloupe.




There are several churches celebrating the Latin American cultural icon, including a large, unloved modern one which has mass on the hour, every hour, all day. In there you can ride a moving escalator under the altar to snap a photo of the most famous representation of the image. There is also another cathedral that is literally breaking apart because the Spanish built the capital of New Spain on a lake bed (Hernan Cortes, the conquistador that toppled the Incan empire, compared their capital, Tenochtilan (modern day Mexico City) to Venice. The Spanish liked roads more than canals, which has created lots of problems for Mexican architects and engineers.)

From there is was off to Teotihuancan (roughly, tee-oh-tee-WAH-can). Here are the remains of an ancient civilization - long dead even by the time of the conquistadores.



In fact, the Aztecs venerated the site and thought in the birthplace of the gods. The imposing and detailed Temple of the Moon, and the enormous Temple of the Sun (with a base as large as the pyramid at Giza) are truly impressive sights.


After that, a stop for a late, enormous lunch, then back to Polanco for a coffee in a pleasant, ultra-modern cafe.

Now I must plan my last full day in Mexico, DF.

Hola de Mexico

The 655 ayem departure from National was a bit hard to stomach, but I made it to Mexico City in one piece. The plane descends over the huge, sprawling metropolis wedged between mountains for an on time arrival. Cleared customs and immigracion, and into a cab to the swank Polanco barrio. I´ve been fortunate enough to have been invited to stay with friends of friends here, and the location is prime - blocks from the Mexico City W Hotel if that helps put it in perspective. However, there is the issue that my host speaks worse English than I do Spanish, and it´s European Spanish no less, which I find even more confusing. But I spend a nice day in Mexico, DF, had some fish tacos, a few Pacificos and a walk in the park. Oh, and the best part, being at a Mexico City Chili´s in a the Mall to watch the AFC Championship game.

Tomorrow, the first of many trips to pre Colombian ruins!

I love it when a plan comes together

What: I'm going on a three week trip to Mexico!
When: I fly into Mexico City on Sunday, January 18, return from Cozumel on February 8.
What: Hike, dive, eat, visit ruins, tour cities and towns and churches, poorly speak Spanish.
Why: Why not? Also I'm changing jobs (same employer) so the timing worked out. And I'm avoiding the inauguration craziness.

A work in progress

I'm off in January, at some point, for a trip to Mexico. Details to follow...