Friday, December 31, 2010
If folks are reading this...
... prospero año again. Send a comment, it is nice to hear from home. I do wonder what is happening in the US, we get very sparse news from that part of the world.
oh, man...
Merida is a very friendly town. Ok, there are lots store employees who are stationed around town and seem to think all touristas de los Estados Unidos are dying to buy hammocks and-or Panama hats; they are always trying to direct us towards those stores. They sometimes open store doors and try to guide us in. But again, most other people are friendly and very good humored.
This is a really creative town. Today we went to a regional art museum. My personal favorite piece was a bird sculpture made from seed pods. We were also very taken by work by a photography who varied his colors just enough to make the images look like they come from the edge of dreams. Another one did some wonderful shots of natural areas in Mexico. A third did shots from the air of cities in the developing world -houses upon houses upon houses with no visible space in between. There was also a room of photos that I can only describe as science fiction art - cats in space suits, all kinds of images of extra-terrestrial critters. There are really some creative folks around here. We look forward to seeing what kind of musicians and other performers show up on the Plaza tonight.
But it is so congested and hot, and yes, the air quality is pretty bad. Imagine yourself in a huge crowd of people rushing along the very thin sidewalks. I described it in my journal as like being in a human avalanche with no way to escape the rush; meanwhile, cars seem to be aiming for people. We have not seen anyone get hit, I think people here know how to deal with all this.
Again, it is good to experience this to get an idea of how most of the world lives.
We refreshed ourselves with a home made ice cream a little earlier. I think Kate had strawberry mango. I had grape, and it was yummy. You can get really unusual ice cream flavors in Mexico. I have also seen avacodo, cheese, corn, and jalepeno ice cream.
We are heading back to our little apt. to rest in a cool place for a while. We will cook later and come out to see what the New Years festivities are. We will spend tomorrow at Celustun, another bird filled estuary, and will leave Merida for Isla de Mujeres on Jan. 2. I will check in from there if not before.
Again -¡Prospero ano nuevo!
This is a really creative town. Today we went to a regional art museum. My personal favorite piece was a bird sculpture made from seed pods. We were also very taken by work by a photography who varied his colors just enough to make the images look like they come from the edge of dreams. Another one did some wonderful shots of natural areas in Mexico. A third did shots from the air of cities in the developing world -houses upon houses upon houses with no visible space in between. There was also a room of photos that I can only describe as science fiction art - cats in space suits, all kinds of images of extra-terrestrial critters. There are really some creative folks around here. We look forward to seeing what kind of musicians and other performers show up on the Plaza tonight.
But it is so congested and hot, and yes, the air quality is pretty bad. Imagine yourself in a huge crowd of people rushing along the very thin sidewalks. I described it in my journal as like being in a human avalanche with no way to escape the rush; meanwhile, cars seem to be aiming for people. We have not seen anyone get hit, I think people here know how to deal with all this.
Again, it is good to experience this to get an idea of how most of the world lives.
We refreshed ourselves with a home made ice cream a little earlier. I think Kate had strawberry mango. I had grape, and it was yummy. You can get really unusual ice cream flavors in Mexico. I have also seen avacodo, cheese, corn, and jalepeno ice cream.
We are heading back to our little apt. to rest in a cool place for a while. We will cook later and come out to see what the New Years festivities are. We will spend tomorrow at Celustun, another bird filled estuary, and will leave Merida for Isla de Mujeres on Jan. 2. I will check in from there if not before.
Again -¡Prospero ano nuevo!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Intense...
...does not begin to express it.
Merida is a crally creative and vital city, with lots of creativity. Last night in the main plaza we ran into: really excellent drummers, jugglers, an Andean group (playing an Andean veriion of Sounds of Silence on pan pipes, an astronomer with a telescope trained on Jupiter, many, many crafts folk. People were everywhere enjoying the scene. One of the great things about Mexico is that there are gatherings like this on town and city plazas at night, and many of the performances are spontaneous.
It is really hot today. We went to an anthroplolgy museum where we learned more in depth about Mayan culture. There was also an exhibit of the Mexican Revolution early in the 20th century. Little of this text was in English, but the photos were very dramatic.
We also went to the Merida City Museum. This was a Mayan settlement. After the Spanish took over they built a cathedral on the main temple and set up very segregated neighborhoods. This area developed as an agricultural area, specializing in crops that were used for garments. There was incredible stratification, and constant fear of an uprising by the farmers. Very progressive politicians wound up in charge of the city early in the 20th century, and they promoted many reforms, but they were deposed and executed. After that, the rich tried to think of this area as a cultural center, patterned after Paris. Since then, many writers, artists and musicians have come from here.
The creativity remains. This place is also crowded plus. Sidewalks are thin, crowds are huge, traffic is massive,and again, IT IS HOT! Music blares at you from every store, accompanied by car horns and alarms. Shopkeepers try to get us to come into their shop for a panama hat; we also find people shoving things like fruit roll-ups in our faces. Shops include such specialties as a combination shoe and gun shop. There are more beggars than we have seen in other cities in the Yucatan - not as many as in Mexico City, but plenty. The think I keep in mind is that this is a city in the developing world, and this is how most of humanity lives. More often than not it is far more congested than this, minus the music and culture in many cases.
We really like our apartment, and will head back there soon to relax and cook. We will probably come out for music on the main plaza after a rest.
Again, we will post when we can find open internet places.
¡Prospero año nuevo!
Merida is a crally creative and vital city, with lots of creativity. Last night in the main plaza we ran into: really excellent drummers, jugglers, an Andean group (playing an Andean veriion of Sounds of Silence on pan pipes, an astronomer with a telescope trained on Jupiter, many, many crafts folk. People were everywhere enjoying the scene. One of the great things about Mexico is that there are gatherings like this on town and city plazas at night, and many of the performances are spontaneous.
It is really hot today. We went to an anthroplolgy museum where we learned more in depth about Mayan culture. There was also an exhibit of the Mexican Revolution early in the 20th century. Little of this text was in English, but the photos were very dramatic.
We also went to the Merida City Museum. This was a Mayan settlement. After the Spanish took over they built a cathedral on the main temple and set up very segregated neighborhoods. This area developed as an agricultural area, specializing in crops that were used for garments. There was incredible stratification, and constant fear of an uprising by the farmers. Very progressive politicians wound up in charge of the city early in the 20th century, and they promoted many reforms, but they were deposed and executed. After that, the rich tried to think of this area as a cultural center, patterned after Paris. Since then, many writers, artists and musicians have come from here.
The creativity remains. This place is also crowded plus. Sidewalks are thin, crowds are huge, traffic is massive,and again, IT IS HOT! Music blares at you from every store, accompanied by car horns and alarms. Shopkeepers try to get us to come into their shop for a panama hat; we also find people shoving things like fruit roll-ups in our faces. Shops include such specialties as a combination shoe and gun shop. There are more beggars than we have seen in other cities in the Yucatan - not as many as in Mexico City, but plenty. The think I keep in mind is that this is a city in the developing world, and this is how most of humanity lives. More often than not it is far more congested than this, minus the music and culture in many cases.
We really like our apartment, and will head back there soon to relax and cook. We will probably come out for music on the main plaza after a rest.
Again, we will post when we can find open internet places.
¡Prospero año nuevo!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
¡Estamos en Merida!
This is the capital of Yucatan state, and a much bigger town than Campeche or Vailledolid. It{s also more of an in your face kind of city. People who work for craft shops stop travelers on the street and make reconnendations about places you should visit, then they try to guide you to the handicraft of panama hat shops they work for. We know how to show no interest; they quickly decide we are losers and leave us alone Whew! Restauranteers are just as aggressive. We walked past an outdoor cafe earlier. A waiter tried to guide us to a table, practically pulling out chairs for us. The place was crowded, I don{t know why he was so anxious. When we walked on, he called,
-What are you looking for?
-Vegetarian, I said. He left us alone then.
For the record, there are many places where you can find veggie options in Mexico. There was a health food store a few blocks from our hotel in Campeche, and we got several good sandwiches to go for lunch. There is also a nice veggie place here where we had dinner a little while ago. Mine was rice and mushrooms, Kate had stuffed squash with a regional sauce.
Merida has a beautiful square, with a big cathedral. There are buildings with murals, and we are about to check out a nearby bookstore. It is sure a fast paced place, esp. after the two very laid back towns we just visited. These are initial impressions, more to come. Oh yes, we actually have an apartment here for four nights for far less than the cost of a hotel room in the US.
Things may shut down here for New Years. I am guessing I will be able to check in tomorrow,
the 31st and 1st may or may not be harder. If I donot post until the 2nd or so, assume its the issue of finding a computer. But do not be surprised if I do.
Oh yeah, the Mexican keyboard behaves somewhat differently from the US one. If you find typos, that is a large part of why. I will edit when I have a chance.
-What are you looking for?
-Vegetarian, I said. He left us alone then.
For the record, there are many places where you can find veggie options in Mexico. There was a health food store a few blocks from our hotel in Campeche, and we got several good sandwiches to go for lunch. There is also a nice veggie place here where we had dinner a little while ago. Mine was rice and mushrooms, Kate had stuffed squash with a regional sauce.
Merida has a beautiful square, with a big cathedral. There are buildings with murals, and we are about to check out a nearby bookstore. It is sure a fast paced place, esp. after the two very laid back towns we just visited. These are initial impressions, more to come. Oh yes, we actually have an apartment here for four nights for far less than the cost of a hotel room in the US.
Things may shut down here for New Years. I am guessing I will be able to check in tomorrow,
the 31st and 1st may or may not be harder. If I donot post until the 2nd or so, assume its the issue of finding a computer. But do not be surprised if I do.
Oh yeah, the Mexican keyboard behaves somewhat differently from the US one. If you find typos, that is a large part of why. I will edit when I have a chance.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Small Misadventure today, and we are fine
As Kate mentioned, we got bad directions to the Mangrove Conservation Center. Bus drivers did not know where it was, and people in town pointed down a road and gave us a few directions. An hour later, we realized we did not know where we or the Center were. The walk was lovely to that point. A bus to Campeche came by and we took it. The bus took us through villages that most tourists never see. We did some birding in town when we got back. Very interesting winged critters down here!
Campeche, as I said, is a very nice town, recommended when you are down this way. Tomorrow we go to Merida, which is the cultural hot spot around here. I will try to check in tomorrow, if we find an open internet place.
Campeche, as I said, is a very nice town, recommended when you are down this way. Tomorrow we go to Merida, which is the cultural hot spot around here. I will try to check in tomorrow, if we find an open internet place.
Crocodiles
These are yesterday's crocodiles, one from the archeological museum, the live one from an exhibit about fossils (example of living fossil). We had hoped to see some real alligators today, but got bad directions and didn't make it. We had fun anyway, though, walking along the coast.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Campeche is a cool city!
We wanted to post some photos, but the computer at this internet place doesn{t recognize Kates camera, and it probably will not see mine, either. Also, I cannot get the apostrophe key to work.
Campeche is very picturesque, a big central square and cathedral surrounded by pastel colored houses. There was a concert in the square last night, lots of local girls doing hip-hop dances.
Today we visited an old fort; this port town was attacked by pirates many times, and by President Santayana when the Yucatan briefly seceeded from Mexico. The fort also has a fascinating museumof Mayan culture.
You can walk along the sea front, a very beautiful place to stroll. Tomorrow we plan to visit a biosphere preserve north of town and the Center for the Conervation of Mangroves. Those are a species of tropical tree that thrive in salty estuaries; these forests are very high in biodiversity. Many have been lost to development. I hope to get lots of info.
Oh yes, we found a free exhibit today on the fossils of Mexico. It was very well done and informative. There are lots of very thoughtful and creative people in Mexico!
We{ll try to post some pix tomorrow. Again, if we miss a day or two it probably means we cannot find a cyber cafe. So far this has only been a problem once, but it may occur again.
The weather is lovely here, hope you are all surviving.
Campeche is very picturesque, a big central square and cathedral surrounded by pastel colored houses. There was a concert in the square last night, lots of local girls doing hip-hop dances.
Today we visited an old fort; this port town was attacked by pirates many times, and by President Santayana when the Yucatan briefly seceeded from Mexico. The fort also has a fascinating museumof Mayan culture.
You can walk along the sea front, a very beautiful place to stroll. Tomorrow we plan to visit a biosphere preserve north of town and the Center for the Conervation of Mangroves. Those are a species of tropical tree that thrive in salty estuaries; these forests are very high in biodiversity. Many have been lost to development. I hope to get lots of info.
Oh yes, we found a free exhibit today on the fossils of Mexico. It was very well done and informative. There are lots of very thoughtful and creative people in Mexico!
We{ll try to post some pix tomorrow. Again, if we miss a day or two it probably means we cannot find a cyber cafe. So far this has only been a problem once, but it may occur again.
The weather is lovely here, hope you are all surviving.
Vivimos
That means we are alive and very well in Campeche, a beautiful mid sized coty by the Gulf of Mexico. I willl be brief because this keyboard is weird, but we really like this city. Lovely streets with pastel colored houses, a great place to wakl by the Gulf, and a real lively plaza woth a concert last night. We could not find an open Internet place last night, which is why we didn{t post. This may happen again, if so, DONT PANIC unless it is a week or so. We ate in a restaurant run by a woman who seems to be of German and Mexican background. I had a German burrito which was unusual and yummy. We both forget what Kate{s dish was called, but it was also yummy. Also the apostraphe key does not work.
This keyboard is a pain, you cannot read the letters, so more later. Possibly tonight, or tomorrow, or later if we cannot find an open place. Buenos dias!
This keyboard is a pain, you cannot read the letters, so more later. Possibly tonight, or tomorrow, or later if we cannot find an open place. Buenos dias!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
pictures
Blogspot published this post differently than I told it to. The first shot is actually the Observatory at Chitzen Itza.
Chitzen Itza
When you come to the Yucatan, some travelers will tell you to stay away from this site, saying it is crowded and touristy. Don´t listen to them!!! It can get crowded, but get there early and it will be pretty quiet. Also, there are lots of folks selling crafts, but they are mostly not aggressive. And it is one of the most amazing places you´ll see!!!
This was one of the most important cities for the Mayans, and later for the Toltecs. The main pyramid is famous, and quite awesome. It is only one of many, and I do mean many buildings here. Some builldings are disturbing - there´s one wall with carvings of skulls, a site of human sacrifices. My understanding is that the Toltecs practiced this far more than the Mayans - if anyone has information let us know.
Other sites are quite beautiful. The carvings are fabulous. One that particularly intrigued me was the Observatory. The Mayans in particular studied the night sky very closely and were especially interested in the motion of the planet Venus and of the Sun. Chitzen Itza goes on and on, we explored for several hours and will come back if we return to this area.
The first picture is the Pyramid of Kukulkan, the second is the Observatory.
Feliz Navidad!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Should mention...
It might be tough for us to get a computer tomorrow. There´s lots of competion for the one at the hostel and I´m guessing internet shops will be closed... but who knows? If you don´t hear from us, we´ll post from the city of Campeche. We get there on the 26th, will post the 27th if not before.
Again, Feliz Navidad!
Again, Feliz Navidad!
Birds and more
Today was unbelievable. We took a bus to the fishing village of Rio Lagartos where we hooked up with a guide. He took us on a boat tour of the estuary for two hours. He is a very knowledgeable fellow who seemed to have as much fun as we did - memories of our pal Shanji in southern Nepal!
The estuary is literally filled with birds. We saw many we know from home - brown pelicans, white pelicans, gulls, terns, great egrets, snowy egrets and cormorants. There was also a species called blue herons, but they seemed bigger than our great blue herons at home. This birds were far more numerous and concentrated than I´ve seen them anywhere! If I believed in spontaneous generation, like Aristotle did I might think the estuary had made all these birds!
We also saw many unfamiliar species - ahingas with long, snake like necks, tiger herons with black and yellow markings, a local eagle, a small blue heron, magnificent frigate birds with delicate, long wings hovering around us,some plovers that resembled kildeer but were a little different and flamingos. Fifty of them strutting around in a flock, searching for shrimp. They are gray when they are born, and turn pink from eating shrimp. The more shrimp they eat the pinker they are - amazing!
We also saw a coati, an aquatic mammal splashing around. There were also crocodiles, yep, just 15 feet from us! They were enjoying their basking in the sun session and ignored us.
An ultra fabulous day!
For dinner tonight I had papadzules, a traditional Yucatan dish. It´s hard boiled eggs wrapped in tortillas and covered with two sauces. One is a spicy sauce made from pumpkin seeds; the other is a spicy tomato sauce. Kate had another local dish - turkey in black sauce. We decided it might be made from black beans and peppers. Both were fabulous; we´ll look for recipes.
Feliz Navidad!
The estuary is literally filled with birds. We saw many we know from home - brown pelicans, white pelicans, gulls, terns, great egrets, snowy egrets and cormorants. There was also a species called blue herons, but they seemed bigger than our great blue herons at home. This birds were far more numerous and concentrated than I´ve seen them anywhere! If I believed in spontaneous generation, like Aristotle did I might think the estuary had made all these birds!
We also saw many unfamiliar species - ahingas with long, snake like necks, tiger herons with black and yellow markings, a local eagle, a small blue heron, magnificent frigate birds with delicate, long wings hovering around us,some plovers that resembled kildeer but were a little different and flamingos. Fifty of them strutting around in a flock, searching for shrimp. They are gray when they are born, and turn pink from eating shrimp. The more shrimp they eat the pinker they are - amazing!
We also saw a coati, an aquatic mammal splashing around. There were also crocodiles, yep, just 15 feet from us! They were enjoying their basking in the sun session and ignored us.
An ultra fabulous day!
For dinner tonight I had papadzules, a traditional Yucatan dish. It´s hard boiled eggs wrapped in tortillas and covered with two sauces. One is a spicy sauce made from pumpkin seeds; the other is a spicy tomato sauce. Kate had another local dish - turkey in black sauce. We decided it might be made from black beans and peppers. Both were fabulous; we´ll look for recipes.
Feliz Navidad!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Cenote
PG is the swimmer on the right. It was hard to get a good shot since the cave was pretty dark, but it was the highlight of the day.
one last thought for the day...
One more thought on the issue of safety in Mexico. When we got home from the posada last night at 10, there were grownups playing soccer on the square next to our hostel, and there were kids having their own game then too. Now that is fine; it´s great to see people outside in large numbers at night. And it tends to make places safer.
Cemote, posada and bikes
Last night we were walking past the library when two women invited us to a posada, a traditional Christmas performance. We paid our 10 pesos (about a dollar) and spent a half hour or so sitting in a large auditorium while people trickled in. The sound guy was playing recordings of loud hip-hop. At one point Kate turned to me and laughed, "That´s a Lady Ga-Ga song!¨We were very amused but veryone else took it in stride as whey waited for the posada. We decided to take a break and return a little later. People were very insistant that we come back!
We came back about forty minutes later. The posada was going strong. Two women in devil constumes stomped around the stage talking loudly about some complaint while three women
in formal dress watched them. Finally an angel appeared and scolded the devils, while a rather sweet and jangling version of the old Beatles´song ¨Nothing´s gonna change my world¨played.
The devils ran off screaming. Neither of us was sure of what had happened, our Spanish isn´t strongbut it really was well performed.Really!
Other performances included dancing reindeer, men and women dressed as Santa and the crowning of a woman as queen of the event. The audience seemed to understand it all, again, we didn´t but it was warm hearted and fun. As we left, people thanked us for coming.
Today we biked to a cenote outside of town. It was an enclosed one, with one large hole in the ceiling with sunlight streaming in and shining on the water. The water was turqoise and rock walls were deep brown. Roots of trees came through the ceiling, reaching for water. Stalactites surrounded them - one large group resembled a Portugese Man of War jellyfish. Black fish swam everywhere, and bats darted along the roof, squeaking. The water was warm and very comfortable, I don´t know how any future swim will compare to this!
After that, we biked back to Valledolid the long way, passing through Mayan villages. One of them was about 6 kilometers off the main road. Houses here were concrete, like you see in many parts of Mexico. Others were made of sticks, with thatched rooves. People are very clever at surviving and dealing with the resources they have. We saw kids in one village flying kites made from plastic bags. Now that is clever!
It´s almost dinner time, more posts will be coming your way.
We came back about forty minutes later. The posada was going strong. Two women in devil constumes stomped around the stage talking loudly about some complaint while three women
in formal dress watched them. Finally an angel appeared and scolded the devils, while a rather sweet and jangling version of the old Beatles´song ¨Nothing´s gonna change my world¨played.
The devils ran off screaming. Neither of us was sure of what had happened, our Spanish isn´t strongbut it really was well performed.Really!
Other performances included dancing reindeer, men and women dressed as Santa and the crowning of a woman as queen of the event. The audience seemed to understand it all, again, we didn´t but it was warm hearted and fun. As we left, people thanked us for coming.
Today we biked to a cenote outside of town. It was an enclosed one, with one large hole in the ceiling with sunlight streaming in and shining on the water. The water was turqoise and rock walls were deep brown. Roots of trees came through the ceiling, reaching for water. Stalactites surrounded them - one large group resembled a Portugese Man of War jellyfish. Black fish swam everywhere, and bats darted along the roof, squeaking. The water was warm and very comfortable, I don´t know how any future swim will compare to this!
After that, we biked back to Valledolid the long way, passing through Mayan villages. One of them was about 6 kilometers off the main road. Houses here were concrete, like you see in many parts of Mexico. Others were made of sticks, with thatched rooves. People are very clever at surviving and dealing with the resources they have. We saw kids in one village flying kites made from plastic bags. Now that is clever!
It´s almost dinner time, more posts will be coming your way.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Estamos aqui!
Yes, we are alive and well in Valledolid, a lovely town in the Yucatan. This town has beautiful, very colorful houses and picturesque streets and very friendly people. We are staying in a really nice hostel next to a city park where a friendly dog makes her home -we seem to have a knack for befriending dogs in Mexico. the hostel is run by a woman from Nicaragua and her guy; people from many countries are staying there now.
I´ll make this comment about Mexico: it has a reputation for being rude and violent, especially now, with the drug cartel violence. The reality is much more complex. Yes, there are places and situations where you have to be very aware of what is happening around you, and some places one should definetly avoid. But this is true of life in the U:S: too.
We almost always find people in Mexico to be friendly, curious and very helpful. It struck us that there are many people on the streets after dark: strolling, socializing and going about their business. It´s really lively after dark! This includes parents who bring their children to playgrounds as the sun sets. That is a rarity in the US these days.
Today we visited the Mayan ruins at Ek Balam, a fascinating place. These date from the high classical period of Mayan culture, about 800 to 1200 AD. The site is quite beautiful. The largest
building is dubbed the ACROPOLIS. it´s a huge structure with a great view of the other ruins and the surrounding forests. I climbed up to a ceremonial area where there are statues of beings that resemble angels, someone who is holding his hand in the position idicating ¨Peace¨in Buddhism (this is a coincidence to my skeptical mind, but who knows?) and more beautiful artwork. I do have pictures and will post them at some point.
A short walk from the ruins took us to a beautiful cenote. The Yucatan´s bedrock is largely limestone. Erosion of this mineral leads to caves or open depressions in the rock. This one us open, although it connects to underground passages. The water is turquoise and the cliff´s sides are covered with ferns and other plants. Some trees on the edge of the cenote have long roots that dip into the water. It´s a very beautiful spot, and a very refreshing place for a swim! Another swimmer told me he saw catfish in the water, but I didn´t see any. I´ll believe him.
We had to walk through a relatively dry tropical forest to reach the cenote. It resembled forests we saw in southern Nepal - not as complex as a rainforest but quite lovely. The butterflies and birds were fabulous! Again, we´ll get som pix to you sooner or later. The world here is filled with bird songs (including our hostel.)
So yes, we are alive and very well. We´ll post as we can. There is a computer at the hostel, but it seems to always be in use. Tonight we are at an internet cafe.
There will be many more thoughts, these are initial ones. Be well and I hope you saw the lunar eclipse. Check in if you are reading this, it´s always nice to hear from home. We´ll be in Valledolid until 12-26. PG
I´ll make this comment about Mexico: it has a reputation for being rude and violent, especially now, with the drug cartel violence. The reality is much more complex. Yes, there are places and situations where you have to be very aware of what is happening around you, and some places one should definetly avoid. But this is true of life in the U:S: too.
We almost always find people in Mexico to be friendly, curious and very helpful. It struck us that there are many people on the streets after dark: strolling, socializing and going about their business. It´s really lively after dark! This includes parents who bring their children to playgrounds as the sun sets. That is a rarity in the US these days.
Today we visited the Mayan ruins at Ek Balam, a fascinating place. These date from the high classical period of Mayan culture, about 800 to 1200 AD. The site is quite beautiful. The largest
building is dubbed the ACROPOLIS. it´s a huge structure with a great view of the other ruins and the surrounding forests. I climbed up to a ceremonial area where there are statues of beings that resemble angels, someone who is holding his hand in the position idicating ¨Peace¨in Buddhism (this is a coincidence to my skeptical mind, but who knows?) and more beautiful artwork. I do have pictures and will post them at some point.
A short walk from the ruins took us to a beautiful cenote. The Yucatan´s bedrock is largely limestone. Erosion of this mineral leads to caves or open depressions in the rock. This one us open, although it connects to underground passages. The water is turquoise and the cliff´s sides are covered with ferns and other plants. Some trees on the edge of the cenote have long roots that dip into the water. It´s a very beautiful spot, and a very refreshing place for a swim! Another swimmer told me he saw catfish in the water, but I didn´t see any. I´ll believe him.
We had to walk through a relatively dry tropical forest to reach the cenote. It resembled forests we saw in southern Nepal - not as complex as a rainforest but quite lovely. The butterflies and birds were fabulous! Again, we´ll get som pix to you sooner or later. The world here is filled with bird songs (including our hostel.)
So yes, we are alive and very well. We´ll post as we can. There is a computer at the hostel, but it seems to always be in use. Tonight we are at an internet cafe.
There will be many more thoughts, these are initial ones. Be well and I hope you saw the lunar eclipse. Check in if you are reading this, it´s always nice to hear from home. We´ll be in Valledolid until 12-26. PG
Monday, December 20, 2010
Some quick info
H'lo all, some quick info for you all. I haven't had time to do extensive research on the Yucatan likeI did before we went to Nepal, but I have picked up some background info. to share. Here are a few things.
The Yucatan is far southern Mexico, where it extends rather abruptly to the east. It conncects with Chiapas State to the north and with Guatamala and Belize in the south. It's flatter than Guatamala, but we will see forests. My understanding is they will be similar to some of the relatively dry sub- tropical forests we saw in parts of Costa Rica, but these are lush and wonderful. We'll also see mangrove forests, and the Carribean coast.
This area has been home to a succession of civilizations and cultures. The Mayan culture is the most famous. Its high point was 250 - 950 AD. This civilization was known for complex architecture and elaborate cities ( we'll see some of them), agriculture, elaborate mythology and ritual (yes, including human sacrifices) and a complex understanding of astronomy, among other things. It's not clear why the civilization collapsed. Some say the rulers needed so many servants and workers to meet their needs that the agricultural system couldn't support them. Others say the culture fell after a long series of wars. It may have been a combination of these factors, along with others. My understanding is that there were several centers of powers, and the city states in the Yucatan fell at a different time from the ones in Guatamala. If anyone knows more about this... please tell us! Many people of Mayan descent still live in the region.
A succession of other cultures existed here after the Mayans, including the Toltecs. The Spanish invaded and took over the region in the 1500s. The area was divided into large landholdings where Mayans and other traditional people were forced to work and were treated cruelly. Their
situation did not impove when Mexico won independance from Spain. The Yucatan briefly won independance from Spain after the War of the Castes, an indigenous uprising in the 1840s, but the powers that be managed to get foreign help and rejoined Mexico.
Oil was a big economic force, but has been less important in recent years. Tourism is a big economic factor now.
Many Mayans live in the cities and in villages throughout the region. They maintain a unique culture. Their religion is a combination of ancient beliefs and Catholicism. Expect many more details as time goes on.
Cancun is the big tourist city. Based on my quick reading, it was built about 40 years ago to
attract tourists. Mangrove forests were lost to this development; the resorts also impact on coral reefs. We wound up at a Christmas potluck when we were in Mexico City 4 years ago where we met a fellow who is working to protect sea turtles around Cancun. This was also the center of the recent international gathering on climate change. I hope to hear something about peoples' thoughts about that. We'll spend more time in other cities, but will see a little of Cancun on our first day, and will spend our last night there.
The other thing I've been hearing is how there are many people flocking to the Yucatan because
they think the Mayan calendar predicts te end of the world in 2012. We may run into some of them when we visit the ancient city of Chitzen Itza. I have two thoughts for now. One, my own understanding of indigenous peoples' thinking seems to say that they believe in cycles. They do believe that cycles come to the end, but what happens then is a renewal and not destruction.
Two, it is good to have a sense of wonder, as long as you maintain some skepticism. It will be interesting to see what conversations we have!
That's it for now. We may check in Tuesday evening, but it's more likely to be sometime Wednesday. Happy winter solstice! Enjoy the lunar exlipse... we'll be on a plane.
25
The Yucatan is far southern Mexico, where it extends rather abruptly to the east. It conncects with Chiapas State to the north and with Guatamala and Belize in the south. It's flatter than Guatamala, but we will see forests. My understanding is they will be similar to some of the relatively dry sub- tropical forests we saw in parts of Costa Rica, but these are lush and wonderful. We'll also see mangrove forests, and the Carribean coast.
This area has been home to a succession of civilizations and cultures. The Mayan culture is the most famous. Its high point was 250 - 950 AD. This civilization was known for complex architecture and elaborate cities ( we'll see some of them), agriculture, elaborate mythology and ritual (yes, including human sacrifices) and a complex understanding of astronomy, among other things. It's not clear why the civilization collapsed. Some say the rulers needed so many servants and workers to meet their needs that the agricultural system couldn't support them. Others say the culture fell after a long series of wars. It may have been a combination of these factors, along with others. My understanding is that there were several centers of powers, and the city states in the Yucatan fell at a different time from the ones in Guatamala. If anyone knows more about this... please tell us! Many people of Mayan descent still live in the region.
A succession of other cultures existed here after the Mayans, including the Toltecs. The Spanish invaded and took over the region in the 1500s. The area was divided into large landholdings where Mayans and other traditional people were forced to work and were treated cruelly. Their
situation did not impove when Mexico won independance from Spain. The Yucatan briefly won independance from Spain after the War of the Castes, an indigenous uprising in the 1840s, but the powers that be managed to get foreign help and rejoined Mexico.
Oil was a big economic force, but has been less important in recent years. Tourism is a big economic factor now.
Many Mayans live in the cities and in villages throughout the region. They maintain a unique culture. Their religion is a combination of ancient beliefs and Catholicism. Expect many more details as time goes on.
Cancun is the big tourist city. Based on my quick reading, it was built about 40 years ago to
attract tourists. Mangrove forests were lost to this development; the resorts also impact on coral reefs. We wound up at a Christmas potluck when we were in Mexico City 4 years ago where we met a fellow who is working to protect sea turtles around Cancun. This was also the center of the recent international gathering on climate change. I hope to hear something about peoples' thoughts about that. We'll spend more time in other cities, but will see a little of Cancun on our first day, and will spend our last night there.
The other thing I've been hearing is how there are many people flocking to the Yucatan because
they think the Mayan calendar predicts te end of the world in 2012. We may run into some of them when we visit the ancient city of Chitzen Itza. I have two thoughts for now. One, my own understanding of indigenous peoples' thinking seems to say that they believe in cycles. They do believe that cycles come to the end, but what happens then is a renewal and not destruction.
Two, it is good to have a sense of wonder, as long as you maintain some skepticism. It will be interesting to see what conversations we have!
That's it for now. We may check in Tuesday evening, but it's more likely to be sometime Wednesday. Happy winter solstice! Enjoy the lunar exlipse... we'll be on a plane.
25
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Going to the Yucatan
Hello all,
Well, we leave for the Yucatan in about 24 hours. This is our first international trip in two years, and a very well needed one! Our schedule is we leave San Francisco International tomorrow evening, and will arrive in Cancun Mexico late Tuesday afternoon. We'll leave almost immediatly for the town of Valladolid, and will get there early evening. I don't have the exact dates in front of me, so the schedule I will provide may be off by a day or two. All will become clear. We will be in Valladolid until 12/26; then we leave for the old colonial city of Campeche. From there, we'll go to the bustling city of Merida; after that, Isla Mujeres, an island near Cancun. We'll spend our last night in Cancun and return on 1/6.
This will be an amazing trip. We will be surrounded by Mayan and Toltec ruins; we plan to see the famous ones at Chitzen Itza and the slightly more remote ones at Ek Balal, along with other sites. We will also see some biosphere preserves, and some other wonders. We've both always wanted to visit this part of Mexico, so here we go!
For the record, we will not be affected by the drug cartel violence that is ravaging other parts of Mexico. The gangs that are fighting are mainly based in Northern and Western Mexico. Ciudad Juarez (Juarez City) on the border with Texas is one of the hotbeds of violence; tragic situation. Other places we've visited and love (the Copper Canyon Area and the beautiful state of Michoacan) also have had tragic massacres. The Yucatan is in the far Southeast, we will be ok. You do have to watch your back travelling internationally, but you have to do this in many cities in the US as will. We are experts at this.
We'll be making periodic reports. I'll try to write some info about the Yucatan tomorrow if there is time. The next possible entry will be Wednesday, after we have had some time to explore Valladolid. If I have any energy, I'll post Tuesday night after we arrive there, but ... don't count on it.
That's it for now. Happy holidays, and if you do read these, please comment from time to time... it's always great to hear from folks while we are on the road!
Oh yeah, since some of you know me as Paul and others as Geof, I'll identify myself as PG - I think that's how I did it from Nepal and Japan two years ago.
Well, we leave for the Yucatan in about 24 hours. This is our first international trip in two years, and a very well needed one! Our schedule is we leave San Francisco International tomorrow evening, and will arrive in Cancun Mexico late Tuesday afternoon. We'll leave almost immediatly for the town of Valladolid, and will get there early evening. I don't have the exact dates in front of me, so the schedule I will provide may be off by a day or two. All will become clear. We will be in Valladolid until 12/26; then we leave for the old colonial city of Campeche. From there, we'll go to the bustling city of Merida; after that, Isla Mujeres, an island near Cancun. We'll spend our last night in Cancun and return on 1/6.
This will be an amazing trip. We will be surrounded by Mayan and Toltec ruins; we plan to see the famous ones at Chitzen Itza and the slightly more remote ones at Ek Balal, along with other sites. We will also see some biosphere preserves, and some other wonders. We've both always wanted to visit this part of Mexico, so here we go!
For the record, we will not be affected by the drug cartel violence that is ravaging other parts of Mexico. The gangs that are fighting are mainly based in Northern and Western Mexico. Ciudad Juarez (Juarez City) on the border with Texas is one of the hotbeds of violence; tragic situation. Other places we've visited and love (the Copper Canyon Area and the beautiful state of Michoacan) also have had tragic massacres. The Yucatan is in the far Southeast, we will be ok. You do have to watch your back travelling internationally, but you have to do this in many cities in the US as will. We are experts at this.
We'll be making periodic reports. I'll try to write some info about the Yucatan tomorrow if there is time. The next possible entry will be Wednesday, after we have had some time to explore Valladolid. If I have any energy, I'll post Tuesday night after we arrive there, but ... don't count on it.
That's it for now. Happy holidays, and if you do read these, please comment from time to time... it's always great to hear from folks while we are on the road!
Oh yeah, since some of you know me as Paul and others as Geof, I'll identify myself as PG - I think that's how I did it from Nepal and Japan two years ago.
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