Relaxing in the Yucatan
Although this picture was taken when we went to the Yucatan this past February, I think it pretty much sums up what I think summer is all about . . .
Photo Friday is sponsored by DeliciousBaby.com
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| Iguanas rule in the Yucatan |
If you’ve been following this blog since I began writing about my trip to the Yucatan in February, 2011, you might be expecting a post about our tour with Ecocolors to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere - our planned final day activity.
In a word – don’t hold your breath. My family rebelled on me and insisted that our final day in the Yucatan be filled with relaxing beach activities and suggested I spend a day at the spa with a facial and massage. To complete the mutiny, they insisted I have an extra margarita.
Those guys are tricky because guess what? It worked.
So before I bid an adios to our Mexico trip, I’ll take a few minutes to share some of the wildlife photos I took of . . .
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| Flamingos at Celestun Nature Preserve |
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| Crocodile Hanging out |
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| Pelicans at Celestun Nature Preserve |
. . . friendly iguanas that loved sunning themselves on ancient Mayan ruins . . .
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| An iguana “guard” at Chichen Itza |
. . . and some interesting animals that hung out around the pool at our beachfront hotel . . .
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| Hermit crab walking across the sidewalk |
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| Central American Agouti |
I know that there’s been quite a lot of information in the papers about Mexico and all the drug-related murders (goodness knows my mom was stressed out when we were there). But I can’t say enough about the country’s beauty, their friendliness toward foreigners, and the variety of activities you can experience in the Yucatan. Whether you want a lazy beach vacation, a cultural tour, or an adrenaline filled experience, there is something for every family.
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| Central Pyramid at Tulum |
The second half of our Tulum Xtreme Adventure (see my previous post – Zip-lining over the Yucatan Jungle) was a guided tour of the Mayan ruins at Tulum. This was the “culture” part of the day and I was looking forward to it since we’d had a less than stellar guide at Chichen Itza and no guide at Ek Balam.
Roberto of Aventuras Mayas was everything I could ask for in a guide. He answered everyone’s questions and gave an excellent overview of the Mayan civilization and how it was absorbed into the Toltec empire. He even answered a question I’d had about hurricanes – as in how the population survived such devastating storms.
The answer? When the Mayans saw the wind whip up and the storm swells begin, they climbed down into the cenotes for protection and rode out the storm since the cenotes didn’t flood. How smart is that?
Tulum is listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up and it is definitely an easy ruin to tour with kids.
No cars are allowed near the area so you can either walk the short distance or take a tractor-driven trolley.
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| Tractor trolley to Tulum |
Unlike Chichen Itza, the ruins are very compact and after entering through a protective wall . . .
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| Defensive wall at Tulum |
you’re gazing at some beautiful beachfront property. No wonder the Mayans built a temple here.
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| Nearby beach at Tulum |
We listened to Roberto, then wandered off to explore the Fertility Temple (also known as the Temple of Frescoes), which has some pretty unique carvings. If you stand at each corner of the building, the carving on either side of the wall forms a face.
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| Carving of a face at the Fertility Temple |
The king’s palace was nearby . . .
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| Palace at Tulum |
And before we knew it, it was time to meet up with Roberto and head back to our hotel.
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| Zip-lining over the Yucatan Jungle |
When I was planning my trip to Mexico, I knew that one of the spots we would visit was Tulum (listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up). But I also knew that by that time in our trip, it would be the THIRD pyramid we would visit.
When I was a kid traveling in Europe with my parents, I distinctly remember that at some point, all the churches and cathedrals my mom dragged me to started to blend together. I didn’t want that for my guys, so I tried to make each of our visits unique.
Chichen Itza (see my post “Chichen Itza – One of the Seven Wonders of the World”) was so big and huge, I knew it would stand out. Ek Balam (see my post “Visiting Ek Balam – Mayan Ruins in the Jungle”) was so small and quiet we could climb and scamper about. Tulum, the last Mayan ruin we would visit in the Yucatan, needed something special.
At this point I want to give a big shout-out and thank you to Terrah over at The Mom Who Travels. I found her posts on some travel destinations so helpful, especially a tour she took with Aventuras Mayas.
Aventuras Mayas offers a variety of tours that combine Xtreme adventures (snorkeling, rappelling, and zip-lining) with archaeological visits. For me, it was the perfect day – a little bit of adventure for my guys and a little bit of culture.
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| Snorkeling in a Cenote |
Led by our capable guide, Jorge, we started our day snorkeling in a cenote. I was so thrilled that we FINALLY got to swim in one of these unique geological structures. The water was chilly to begin with, but we quickly adjusted. Best of all, the amount of time was just right – not too long, not too short.
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| Rappelling off a tower |
Then it was on to rappelling off a tower. Jorge explained everything to us – how to stand, how to hold the ropes, and most important, he explained the safety equipment. Essentially, no matter what you do, short of cutting the ropes with a knife, you won’t fall. My oldest went first and quickly zinged down to the bottom. No problem with me and my fear of heights because, hey, I was attached to a rope.
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| The map of what we zip-lined. |
I’ve zip-lined before. Quick trips through the forest of Mont Tremblant, Canada. Easy, simple, and safe. Again, you’re connected by all manner of safety harnesses and lines. Again, short of cutting the lines, you won’t fall. So even with my intense fear of heights, zip-lining over the jungle didn’t bother me.
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| Cenote X’keken |
Cenotes, a geological found-only-in-the-Yucatan tourist attraction, are a HUGE “must-see” in the Yucatan (as well as located in every village) and I knew that at some point in our Mexican vacation, we would visit one.
What exactly are cenotes?
In simplest terms, they are underground caves filled with crystal clear water. How they were formed is the more interesting part.
The Yucatan Peninsula is composed of limestone, a porous material. When the huge meteor hit the earth about 65 million years ago forming the Gulf of Mexico and wiping out the dinosaurs, the limestone cracked. A lot.
Caves and pockets formed underneath the ground and when it rained (which it does a lot in a jungle), the rainwater seeped through the stone, purifying and collecting in a cenote. The ancient Mayans always built their cities and villages near these cenotes because they were a source of fresh water.
Now they’re a cool tourist attraction.
After getting all sweaty at Ek Balam, I felt certain my guys would welcome a dip in Cenote X’keken (pronounced Esh-ke-ken) a short distance outside Valladolid. They refused to swim, but were curious about this underground phenomenon.
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| Entering Cenote X’keken |
We managed to arrive as a tour bus was leaving (Cenote X’keken is one of the most famous and most photographed of the Yucatan cenotes) and paid a nominal fee to enter.
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| People swimming in Cenote X’keken |
Artificial blue lights lit up the cenote and a few people were swimming. The water was unbelievably crystal clear, but alas, my boys still didn’t want to take a dip. I managed a few good photos (make sure to turn off your flash) and then the humidity of the cave did us in. We exited just as another tour bus entered having enjoyed Cenote X’keken (its partner, Cenote Dzitnup is across the street) without a throng of people to mar our visit.
