Cozumel - Chapter Three

The taxi ride from our hotel to the ferry terminal in Playa del Carmen was about 20 minutes – an interesting ride in an old Toyota Camry that had seen its suspension give out some time ago. We were dropped off at the gates of the ferry dock property and we walked our way through a small market area to the ticket booth. We got our tickets and boarded the ferry. It was a short ride – maybe ½ hour and then we were at the dock in San Miguel on the island of Cozumel. If you’ve ever taken a Caribbean cruise, you may have stopped here too. The docks for the cruise ships are adjacent to the ferry dock to and from Playa del Carmen.

Once on land in San Miguel, we wound our way past the many jewellery shops, through a few back streets and located a rental car company. We signed the documents (all in Spanish), paid the deposit and the agent said, "Follow me senor”. We crossed the street and saw a row of Jeeps – not like our Jeep in any single way. There were so many dings and nicks on the paint, there was almost no point in taking pictures of it before we left. The doors were short, the back was open and the roll bars were covered with duct tape (and I thought that was a Canadian thing)! There were 6 gears in total but, early in our adventure, Johnnie said the 2nd and 3rd gears slipped and he wasn’t sure there was a 5th gear. Anyway, away we went with Johnnie and Chuck in the front and Val and me in the back. There were no seatbelts that worked.

Getting out of San Miguel was a challenge. We only had a rudimentary local map and learned quickly that the Avenues had the right of way – this means drivers don’t stop at intersections. Stop signs were not exactly on the corner. And, keep in mind there are a zillion tourists on the island (just like us), many of them in Jeeps (just like us) and quite a few on mopeds (some of them dodging Jeeps)!

We turned south and followed the coastline to the lighthouse at the south end. We stopped there at a bar set right on the beach. The place was right out of a movie – clean, white sand and beautiful water, secluded and yet accessible. The bar was open (no walls), the roof thatched and the ceiling lined with t-shirts from all over the world. They had a bench outside (without legs) and a small sign explaining that topless women would get free tequila if they chose to have a photo there! Val and I thought it better to have a beer.

We jumped back in the Jeep and off we went traveling north with the Caribbean Sea on our right. We stopped at a place called Coconuts and had lunch. It seems Cuba was a short 90 miles to the east:


We continued on to Punta Ixpalbarco, turned west and headed into the interior to the San Gervasio ruins. Following our visit to the park, we returned to San Miguel and proceeded to a gas station to fill up. There was a long line-up from the street to each pump. Johnnie managed to wiggle through the crowd of vehicles and watched as the attendant (yes, an actual attendant) filled up our tank. We then made our way back downtown to the rental company to return the Jeep. We had toured about 2/3 of the island and, while we skipped the big hotel area to the north, we saw some beautiful coastline.

We walked back to the ferry dock and waited on the benches provided. We were booked on the 5 o’clock and, since it was a Sunday, we guessed it would be packed (and we were right) so we were there early. We each took turns wandering about, taking pictures of the ferry and the San Miguel waterfront. I found the smallest Dollar Store I’ve ever seen – only in Mexico would you find an entrepreneur so willing to minimize the need for real estate. I have to conclude the same entrepreneur did not think Sunday was the best day for sales:
The sun went down on our ferry ride back to the mainland. We walked back through the market area and it was still bustling with people. We found ourselves a taxi and, despite the fact it was neither the same taxi nor the same driver that we had that morning, it was still a Toyota Camry – with no suspension!

I’d like to go back to Cozumel one day. It’s a small island maybe 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. There are two lighthouses: one on the north end of the island and one on the south and, midway, are the ruins at San Gervasio. What would bring me back are the reefs that hug the entire west side of the island and white sand beaches with a gentle surf on the east side. The snorkelling would be fabulous and the swimming safe.

For such a small place, Cozumel has experienced an interesting history in the past 100 years. By 1929, it was a stop-off point for Pan American flights from Florida to Panama. By 1962, Jacques Cousteau crowned Cozumel to be one of the top diving destinations. And by the 70’s, it was a top tourist destination. This was long before Cancun or the Mayan Riviera even existed.

Bur enough dreaming about the future...

More later this week on my new relationship with the Iguanas of the Yucatan!

The Mayan Ruins - Chapter Two

This blog entry is a bit lengthy. But since it took such a long time to transform the Mayan dynasty into the Ruins, I figured I could use up a bit more space to try to explain our learning experience. It covers three days of our six days in the Yucatan. Trust you’ll hang in there with me to the end…

Thirty-five years (or so) ago, John went to Cozumel and the Mayan Riviera and visited the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. He has talked to me many, many times over the years about the Mayans and he regularly watches any TV documentary on the topic on the History Channel or elsewhere. Theirs is a story that has no proven preface, body or post script. There are lots of theories, debates and speculation on how the Mayan people lived, how intelligent they were and what eventually happened to them.

I was eager to go to see the ruins so share John’s respect for their culture and heritage and see the area for myself. As to Chuck and Val, their interest in visiting the Yucatan in the first place was to tour the ruins. So, we were not in the Mayan Riviera for long before we searched out available tours of the Ruins. It was the first visit for Chuck, Val and me and the second time for Johnnie.

What I did not realize was the extent of the Mayan architecture. Somehow, I only thought of one building – you know the one I mean:


I thought that’s all there was! Narrow-minded and naïve, you say?
I agree – particularly when I learned the archaeologists have discovered a similarly-designed building inside this one! Its age is estimated at around 700 AD and the number of steps and the chiselled faces and war-like symbols reflect their cosmic interests. And little did I know (before we started), there were three Mayan historical sites we could visit within 20 miles of our hotel – San Gervasio on the island of Cozumel, and Chichen Itza and Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula.

First, we drove to San Gervasio, the Mayan site on the island of Cozumel. Now, in my lifetime, whenever I heard about people going to Cozumel, I only heard about the big hotels and long, beautiful sandy beaches. In fact, up until we arrived in the Yucatan, I never even knew Cozumel was an island! Sure enough, on arrival at the Cozumel ferry docks, we could see the big hotels and long, beautiful sandy beaches. But at the north end of the island, on the nine mile stretch between San Miguel and Punta Ixpalbarco, was a wee sign that pointed us to the partially excavated Mayan site. San Gervasio was the smallest of the three sites we visited and, without a guide, we had to guess at what some of the ruins were and what part of the Mayan community they served.

While it was small not as well maintained as either Chichen Itza or Tulum, its rustic appearance was interesting nonetheless:

It was about 85 degrees that day and, in the interior of the island without the breeze from the Caribbean Sea, it was also mega-humid and super-muggy (and no surprise this rhymes with buggy)! On our arrival, we saw a family of tourists exiting and they were swatting their arms and legs like crazy. As we entered the site, the park attendants offered to spray our arms and legs with bug spray. Based on what we could see, we agreed. The spray was applied and for a price (of course) – 10 pesos for each of us as I recall.

Once we approached the ruins, we could see most of the buildings were overgrown with vegetation. There were no park attendants beyond the front gate so visitors had full access to the structures. There were no barriers or cords to restrain visitors from climbing on the structures. This was surprising to us considering the wealth of history and expected value to the Mexican government. Alas, we did not climb on anything and simply looked and took pictures:

Our tours of Chichen Itza and Tulum were significantly different. Both were full-day events and each with an experienced guide. And each of these two sites was different from each other. From our hotel, Chichen Itza is inland about 40 miles and is generally in the centre of the Yucatan peninsula. Tulum on the other hand is 60 miles southwest of our hotel and sits right on the coastline of the Caribbean Sea:


What was the same with the two sites was a protective wall on the perimeter of both. No one was sure what the wall was protecting the Mayans from but it was certainly visible and real.

All four of us were amazed. John was amazed because 35 years ago, Chichen Itza was a pile of stones with jungle growing out of the rubble and, now, it is an excavated city! I was amazed because I could not believe the number and size of the structures. I was also amazed at how several of the structures were constructed based on the location of the sun at certain times of the year! The guide encouraged us to clap our hands together and, when we did that as a group, we could hear the echoes - each sounded like a shoe taking a step and climbing the 91 steps (300’) to the platform on the top!

All four of us marvelled at the thoughts of how many people it must have taken to construct these buildings. We were told anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 people may have lived there. How did they possibly find, carve and relocate the stone to those heights? This question is particularly valid for Tulum which is situated on a 40’ cliff! It was also very interesting to see it was built across from the single opening in a barrier reef that stretches back to Cozumel and down to Belize. How would they have known this? Keeping in mind one part of the Tulum site is beach, we had to wonder what type of boat(s) they used to enter and exit this fort/port.

We gazed at length at the observatory – just what exactly would the Mayans be observing in 1000 A.D.? The stars? The planets?

And why is it that their hieroglyphics and paint colours match those found inside the pyramids in Egypt? How would the Mayans ever know to draw a picture of an elephant without ever seeing one?

Just so you know, the archaeologists report evidence of the Mayans trading as far south as Guatemala – a mere 400 miles away! So how did they manage the travel so far way back then? Can you guess the main product that the Mayans traded? FYI, it was honey! Honey? What? I thought it would be gold – both guides told us there is no evidence the Mayans were that interested in gold. Any idea what they traded their honey for? Jade. So this led us to question where did they get the jade – was it The Far East? And, if this is the case, how did the Mayans get it from that part of the world? I mean Guatemala is one thing but, clearly, Egypt and the Far East are another.

Will the world end according to the Mayan solar calendar on December 21/2012? Or will their calendar just start over? And, the final question (and probably the most important of all) is ‘what happened to all those people’? Both of our guides (on different days at different sites) were explained the archaeologists are still searching for answers – until then, there will be plenty of theory, debate and speculation.

Here's Chuck and John at the tail end of our tour to Tulum.


What the four of us knew for sure is that, all this learning made us mighty tired!



As for me? Well, until someone proves it different with believable evidence, I will remain convinced the Mayans (and the Egyptians and those from the Far East) had some extraterrestrial help. Maybe one day we’ll get to visit the ruins at Teotihuacan – to do that, we need to get to Mexico City. Maybe by then, there will be more answers to so many unanswered questions – alternatively, the puzzle may be even more of a challenge by then.

I feel lucky to have felt a small piece of the Mayan experience – a small piece in such a big place in history. In 2007, Chichen Itza was identified as one of the ‘new’ Wonders of the World. The Great Wall of China is also on that ‘new’ list as is the statue of Christ on the mountain in Brazil. Maybe one day, we’ll get to visit those places in history as well.

Earlier tonight, I was sharing our experience with Mike and Johanne, our friends from Nova Scotia and Mike offered the following quote: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” (Saint Augustine). How true that is…

Having said that, it's obvious the Mexican government is challenged in regard to balancing the inherent reverance of the ruins with funding needs for future archeological digs. For example, the government permits the promotion and sale of trinkets (many made in China, I might add) at the entrances and on site at both Chichen Itza and Tulum. As tourists, we were frequently approached by vendors of all ages advising us that their wares were "Almost free"! And please know that some time on April 3rd, 2010, Elton John is scheduled to appear at the Chichen Itza ruins - tickets are posted from $100 USD to $1000 USD. You can Google "Elton John at Chichen Itza" to see what I mean. Just doesn't seem right to me.

Our day trip to Cozumel will follow in a few days and I plan to add some photos of (my new favourite animal) the Iguanas. See y’all then.

Our Surprise Vacation to the Yucatan – Chapter One

Last week, I introduced you to Chuck and Val, a couple from our RV Park who hail from Alaska. We co-hosted the “Alask-Can Grill” on Thursday, January 21st and a few days later on Sunday the 23rd, Chuck and Val came to see if we would be able to join them in Cancun for a week. John and I looked at each other and asked, “Is this a dream?” They assured us we were not dreaming. I can tell you though that it certainly turned out to be a dream come true!

Like us, Chuck and Val are time-share condo owners and, even though their favourite place in Mexico is Mazatlan, they decided this year to try out the Yucatan peninsula and Playa del Carmen. Last fall, they booked and planned the trip with another couple but, as time got closer, the other couple had to cancel. “Would we like to go in their place?” The departure was January 29th, only four short days away. Could we pull it together?

After checking and confirming flights that coincided with those already booked by Chuck and Val, the answer was a resounding “Yes!” So we dug out our bathing suits, traded US dollars for pesos, emptied the fridge, packed two small carry-on’s and secured the coach for the week. On the Friday morning, we flew out of Brownsville @ 0800 to Houston and arrived in Cancun @ 3:00. After obtaining the approval of the Mexican Immigration 'federale', we proceeded forward to the Customs inspector who pressed the infamous electronic button and the machine gave us the ‘green’ light (vs. the ‘red’ light)!

Once out of the controlled area, there were probably 150 reps from multiple tour companies and condo realtors hounding us. We ploughed through the maze and noise of “over here Amigos” and wound our way outside till we located the van to the Mayan Palace.

And after a 30-minute drive southwest towards Playa del Carmen, we entered two fabulous condo hotel facilities: one called the Grand Mayan and the other called the Mayan Palace – and fabulous it was, believe me! The drive from the main road to the hotel lobby was past the 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Over-sized electric golf carts shuttled us to our condo through a jungle-like, groomed trail. Here's a pic I took from my seat:

Our two-bedroom apartment was located on the ground floor so we had easy access. It was well-appointed with the living and dining area separating the two bedroom suites. There were sliding glass doors in each bedroom as well as the living room. And the small galley gave us everything the four of us needed for the week.

The Mayan Palace also offered a number of great restaurants depending on our tastes and moods – from La Bache by the pool (where we enjoyed scrumptious salads), to Greenbreak and Tacos (at the golf course), to Tramonte for finer dining (where the Prime Rib was some of the best ever) to Havana Moon for ‘just a nice dinner’ (where the shrimp and pan-seared tuna were superb) to del Lago for the Fiesta Mexicana (where there was no end to the Mexican buffet)! There were one other high-end restaurant called Gong, Taste of Asia - but we ran out of time to try it out. Should you be interested, here’s the link to the Mayan Palace – you can see for yourself just how fabulous it is:

http://mayanresorts.com/mayan-palace/riviera-maya/photo-gallery

The beachfront was gorgeous with a small pier and gazebo:

Despite the beauty at the beach, we hung out at the pool but I should say ‘pools’. Just in from the beach and stretching across the full length of the beachfront to the lobby, was a series of pools that were linked. All had a 3’ depth except for the two kids' pools that were about 6" deep. Two pools had swim-up bars, two had volleyball nets, two were infinity pools (here’s one of them):

And three formed a narrow path down to a larger secluded area:
And how do you like this one for resting or reading?

Chaise lounges and chairs surrounded every pool. There were also palapas with queen-size lounging beds with massive pillows where you could spend the day. Trust you can understand why we spent every other day at the pool(s)!

So what did we do on Domingo (Sunday), Martes (Monday) and Miercoles (Wednesday)? More to come in the next two chapters: the Mayan Ruins and Cozumel and (my new favourite animal), the Iguanas of the Yucatan! More on what we call "Adventures with Chuck and Val".

Will be back here in a few days – hope you will be too… m.

"The Alask-Can Grill"

We met Chuck and Val here at the RV Park over the Xmas holidays. They joined us at the KOA New Year’s Eve party and later at our RV site to celebrate the arrival of 2010. They are a special couple and, together with Leah, their 10 yr. old yellow lab, they have traveled extensively through Canada, in the western states and into the Baja and west coast of Mexico. This year, they decided to try out Texas and we’re glad they did.

A few days after the New Year’s Eve party, Chuck and Val came to see us about organizing a fish fry for about 40 people. Chuck and Val have a nice site but not big enough to entertain that big a group. Alternatively, our site is open on the one side, well-lit and can easily manage a large group. So we said, “Sounds good but where are we going to get enough fish to feed 40 people?” Well, Chuck advised he had a freezer in the undercarriage of his coach – full with 50 pounds of fish direct from Alaska! Seems Chuck wanted to unload his stash from Alaska so, in turn, he can re-load the freezer with Gulf shrimp before he starts to head home in late February.

So we commenced the planning process: picking a date that looked good for weather, sending out invitations, figuring out what else should accompany the fish and who should bring what, and sorting out the cooking equipment and placement (“Safety First”)! We even came up with a theme – wear something fishy to the fishy event! Everyone who was invited was excited about attending and, before we knew it, January 21st had arrived. Mother Nature was SO good to us – the weather was gorgeous and little or no wind! The party was supposed to start around 3:00 but people began arriving around 1:00. Every person wore some little thing that was fishy – from wearing fishing vests to wearing lures as jewellery to fishing vests to wearing fish nets as a hat! All were eager to help out and share the day and the moment.

With so many contributions, it was so easy to host this party. People brought olive and cheese trays, special ordeurves, potato salads and cole slaws, fresh corn and lots of butter (yes, corn-on-the-cob is available in Texas in January), devilled eggs (they were the 1st to go), and desserts (home-made brownies, banana breads and two Apple Spice cakes). One of the treats our friend Lori from Texas brought was her own rendition of Mediterranean Skewers comprised of jalapeno smoked sausage, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, artichoke hearts and fresh basil – mmmmmm…mmmmmm! And no need to supply paper plates and utensils because RV-ers are used to bringing their own place settings and chairs.

We had three gas fire pits running and we even had our own photographer – our friend Larry grabbed his camera and snapped some great shots!
At some point, our friend Jim from Wisconsin snuck in this one of Chuck (on the left) and Larry (on the right) in the Party Zone.

And, as always, the KOA folks were terrific – they delivered the KOA portable picnic tables and were so helpful when it came time for clean-up! Oh – I almost forgot Cia and Gail’s “Jello Shots” (you could hardly taste the Vodka)!


But the hi-lite of the night, without doubt, was the fish! Chuck and Val provided Chinook (King), Sockeye (Red), Coho (Silver), White King and Halibut as well as smoked Sockeye! and we LOVED every single bite! The batter was so fine you hardly could tell it was a batter. And tasty? Well, everyone tried to compare one bite of one type of fish to another but one could not top the other – every bite was DEE-lish and COM-pletely yummy! The smoked salmon. It was about an inch thick and pre-cut into small chunks - thank goodness or I would have tried to pick up the whole filet myself!

An awesome time was had by all. It was a memorable event for everyone – people are still talking about it! And surprise, surprise, there was another adventure to come with Chuck and Val – a short (and unexpected) trip to Mexico! As soon as I sort out the pics, I’ll share some of those stories next week… hope you’ll come back to see us then… m.