Death Valley

This was our last trip in 2008.
We went to Death Valley during Christmas time and understandably, the only others inhabiting the place were Asians and  more Indians, as far as i could see!

We drove to Bakersfield, stayed overnight and then continued driving the next morning. Here are the some of the pictures from the trip :

http://indiraprashanttravelogue.shutterfly.com/686

I hope to document the trip in greater detail soon!

Mexico : the Yucatan Peninsula

Day 0: I'm leaving on a Jetplane

This was the day Mumbai attack was happening. The whole day was bitter-sweet. The excitement in getting to Mexico was almost completely countered by shock and anxiety - Substantial time was spent talking to people in India on the phone and checking on what the latest was. CNN was pretty much covering it all day - but i just wanted to know.

The SFO Airport:
We got to the airport fairly early (anticipated all of the bay area population to be heading out for Thanksgiving, but that was apparently not to be - a lot of tourists probably came in to sunny CA - i wouldn't know) . the ironic thing about coming in early is that every subsequent activity you'd have expected to cause some delay, get completed earlier than normal and you're just stuck with an enormous amount of time - As what happened at the Anza parking lot. Self parking was full - so, valet parking - and that took approximately 120 seconds to complete before we got onto the shuttle and reached 'Mexicana' departure. I hoped to see a Queue ( why does the english language spell this word with two sets of redundant 'ue's ? ). Just one couple before us in the line with tons of luggage and were pushing it under the ropes of those crooked-rope-made mazes to get past instead of dragging it along. Just when i lost hope of any delay, we reached check-in and the woman at the counter took a delightful 20 minutes to give us our boarding passes!!! No discrepancies - she just took that long!!! Normally i would have been annoyed and impatient, but this time around i got time to stare at and ponder over false eyelashes and over-painted cheek bones. I decided i didnt like either. she almost didn’t let us take our 3 bags as carry-on even though one was just a laptop. I suppose she had never encountered a laptop on a flight to cancun.

Mexicana to Mexico city and then to Cancun:
I was in the middle, Prashant in the aisle, a girl by the window (Note that i said 'girl' and not 'woman'. I did think she was quite little until she asked for vodka and orange juice and flight attendant gave it to her ( after checking her ID , which she didnt ask anyone else) . I later got to know she was a student in SF and was coming back home to Mexico City for thanksgiving. She promised me I'd love Mexico city and when i said i was going to Cancun, she promised me that i'd love Cancun. It was then that i wondered if i'd ever get to a point where i could tell a foreign passenger sitting next to me "you'll love Chennai". Atithi Devo Bhava.

Time for food. The attendant handed out a tray which contained some bread with pink strips inside. There's nothing vegetarian that comes in the form of a pink strip. so we had to give it back. But they apparently did have something for vegetarian passengers - they call it Orange Juice. Jugo Naranje. everyone was chomping around, and when i discreetly looked at the girls tray - she had come cookies on it too. The attendant didn’t even offer for us to have just the cookies. I would have 'ting'ed her for it , had i felt like eating a cookie. Thumbs down to her. ( i say 'her' and not to 'Mexicana' in general, because the attendant on the flight back was better – she actually opened the box up and offered a pouch of M&Ms !!!!)

The city was right below us and stretched for miles before we landed. it was immense, imposing and magnificent . (The third largest metropolitan area after Tokyo and Seoul!) Apparently, it is touted to be of critical importance this century in terms of trade and commerce. I can believe that. The Mexico City airport was very impressive and I thought again of Indian airports and of how long a way they have to go.

Now , if you remember, we hadn't really eaten and were starving. Much to our good fortune, even the burger king and other sandwich places didn’t have anything vegetarian. Was this a preview to an impending 'food crisis' for the next 5 days? i hoped not. It was ridiculous - was nobody in Mexico vegetarian? We finally found a place called "Wings" in Gate B and it was there that i had my first encounter with Spanish. Conversationally. Couldn’t understand a word. Prashant managed quite decently. While he was busy engaging in something that had some semblance to a conversation, i was poring over the last few pages in the "Quick guide to Yucatan" aptly labeled "Words for survial". I've had never been happier about the fact that i generally ate eggs. In Mexico, if you are a vegetarian and cant eat eggs, you live on leaves. I should say that the coffee was good. even for me - who's critical about anything thats not south indian filter coffee. I didn’t mind the restrooms except that they had those annoying automatic flushes, which sometime would take minutes before taking action. If they cant make it work properly, they shouldn't have it at all. But i should credit them for keeping it spic and span. There was a janitor there cleaning the floor all the time ( and not sitting by the door, resting her head on the mop)

We finally boarded the flight to Cancun. this was going to be shorter - just 3 hrs (Yippee!)

Cancun Airport:
At immigration. I wanted to be "Welcomed" to Mexico. a "Bienvenidos", perhaps. The Amigo at the counter was just mechanically doing his work. No Welcome for me.

The shuttle to Executive car rental came in just a couple of seconds. Went to executive in another couple. Immediately got a blue Chevy 5 seater. Cute car. No remote locking, no mirror in the sunshades. Boot opened with key. We were asked to take out the antenna while parking, as it normally would get stolen. The guys at executive were very hospitable and polite. thumbs up to them. The “banos” there didn't have very good plumbing - which, as we got to know later, was how it was in Mexico. But that was barely worth complaining about. I picked up some brochures to "Xel-Ha", which i finally never got to visit.

Day 1: Tulum - The Town and the Ruins

Drive to Tulum:
It Was fairly easy to get out of the airport (Aeropuerto) and onto Mexico-307. even if you found the signs confusing, you could just check with people on the sidewalk - Security guards, construction workers, just anyone. They're quite glad to help. but it helps to know what Izquierda, derecha and recta mean. it was just a straight road down to Tulum. Saw McDonalds, Burger Kings and 7/11s all over the place. Could only mean the Americans set camp here throughout the year. ( I can imagine why). There were palacial resorts all along the road sprouting up every mile. All one could see from the roads were the gigantic entrances - and if that was anything to go by, each resort would very well have been a little town in its own right. The highway was pretty good - I've read a good number of blogs complaining about the roads here, but i dont see why. It was very comfortable indeed. (Except for frequent "Tope"s - Bumps. There were always warning signs. But who likes frequent bumps?) (Oh! And finally distance readings were all in km again) One annoying aspect about signages was that every few km, there would be a sign saying "Tulum" or "Playa Del Carmen" with an arrow, but no mention of how far it was. without a map, one could be pretty clueless on how much more to drive. Even traffic was not as insane or disorganized as I expected it to be. Cars could pass you on anyside, not everyone will turn after indicating etc. but if someone has driven in india for even 2 months, this would be a breeze. I was secretly hope for some chaos ( i miss it so much!). Small cars were all over the road again – Beetles, Chevys and the Atos (which, in India, is called the Santro). Saw quite a few ADO buses on the way. They are are apparently pretty confortable, efficient and very reliable. ( They're are Mercedes!)If we hadn't rented a car, we would probably have used it to get to Tulum from the airport in Cancun ( $18) instead of spending $100 on a cab. Renting a car, in any case, is clearly the best option.

Reaching Posada Luna Del Sur:
On reaching Tulum, we passed the "Obelisk" and the "Coin" roundabouts and saw the yellow board on the left reading “Posada Luna Del Sur” – it actually has a moon painted on it which glowed at night – so we never missed the sign and always found our way back quite easily even at night. (Its not like Tulum has very active night life – in fact it gets pretty dark and dingy with few street lights – so the glowing moon was a huge plus!) Thumbs up to Posada for the glowing moon on the yellow signboard. Posada was just like a guest room in an aunts home. Not a lavish bungalow or something. Just a little house. Simple, unpretentious and welcoming. As soon as we got there, we parked at the covered parking and tried to figure out which one of the buzzers to use at the gate (door gate, there was no plot gate!). at that very instant, the gas supplier came and pressed one of the buttons which had Janet coming down. (Jack and Janet owned and managed Posada. They live on the second floor, the rooms on G and 1 are for guests) She said “You must be Prashant!” and asked for a minute so she could take the gas cylinder in before taking us to our room. for a moment i reminisced about the red LPGs i used to recieve at home. I did this standing outside , at the gate!!! - It’s just rooms with no lobby really. So it’s not like she could ask us to “Take a seat” before she came…we just waited at the gate!!! – that was a little weird. Once she came back, she took us straight to our room (room 9) and gave a complete orientation. She had a refrigerator which we could use , a kitchen sink and some shelves apart from the usual. Said she didn’t want to “advertise it as a kitchenette” since she didn’t want people cooking and ruining the place. Then came the orientation to gagdets. She showed us the switch to the boiler (the "geyser" as we call it in India) - a bright orange light right next to the main door , so we would remember to switch it off every time we exited. The remote to the AC , apparently didn’t respond immediately when on being switched off, so we were warned not to repeatedly press the button waiting for it to stop. Just once would do. She gave a detailed orientation to the locker (including a demonstration for about 5 minutes). We used it extensively to honour her efforts ( and to keep our things safe..) There was a basin overlooking the bed (What was it doing here?), and none inside the restroom . everytime we used the boiler, hot water would be available for about 8-10 mins. That’s about it. After that, would have to wait for another 15 to get more. This is when I missed unlimited-hot-water-high-pressure showers most!!! the most impressive thing about the room : Towel art. I Think towel art is an integral part of Mexican hospitality! There were really wonderful towel arrangements everyday for guests. Was done by Jesus here at Posada. He was a really sweet, genuinely nice, small-town humble man. In Posada, we were greeted by a Swan arrangement on the first day.It was lovely. I took sometime to learn how to do it and now I can impress my guests at home!!!! the windows had white screens through which sunlight streamed in with all its might at dawn which totally annoyed Prashant - I liked it that way – made me wake up without a fuss ! Janet gave us a map , which was extremely useful during our stay in Tulum, in which she highlighted places we could to eat, lounge in, beaches we should visit, best routes to ruins nearby etc. – This was particularly significant , given our vegetarian preferences.

What we did next – OFF to the ruins!!! It was 2:30in the afternoon already and we were constrained by the fact that sunset was at 5. Had to skip lunch and rush. Before we got there we stopped by at the juice shop opposite the ADO bus stop, that Janet highly recommended. Prashant had a “Coba” ( milk, ice cream, mango and strawberry) and I had a custom made concoction that was off the board. Never have custom made concoctions that are off the board. The important thing: I now know in spanish, the names of some fruits, spinach and ice cream. Back on the road. There were no signs really which read “Tulum Ruins” – just a board on top which said “Zona Archeologica”. Had to trust the fact that the first right after the only traffic light ( with 2 Pemex gas stations in between: one on the left and one on the right) was the way to the ruins. It was, indeed. Parked ( 25 pesos for parking: ie ~ $2), and then marched off into the gate. It was surprisingly crowded. my notion of this being a hidden treasure we discovered completely dissipated. The entrance was beautiful and inviting. Walked down a path which resembled a sacbe (white level paths made by the Mayans, sometimes over 10 ft in width.that they could cosntruct such paths during their time was quite a marvel to archaeologists ) at the end of which, we could view the spread of the ruins. There were no cenotes (underground cave pools) or any intricate carvings here, but what was spectacular about this site was its spectacular location. One side of the El Castillo (the main building) was the Caribbean ocean – it was right on the shore. The view was just breathtaking. There is also a little beach with an access down a wooden stairway, where one could swim and at the same time view El Castillo from down below. It was unique. There are shore temples in south india too. It's is just that the shore doesnt overpower the temple as much as it does here. the ruins against the turquoise blue sea is just marvelous. At about 4:30 pm, local authorities started blowing whistles, basically asking people to get out. It officially closed at 5. ( I remembered Vijay singh Bhaiya at my hostel mess switching off lights at about 11:30 non-subtly asking people to get out!) . We got nearly 90 mins there - that was substantial. two very satisfied tourists got back to Posada. Immediately got back online to check what the latest was in Bombay . By this time there was one terrorist still in the Taj and the rescue wasn’t completed yet.

Time for Dinner at “Don Cafeto” – which we would eventually return to over the next couple of days for breakfast. I had an enchilada with salsa verde and Prashant had chilli rellenos. The chilli Rellenos was was outstanding . However, the best part of the meal was the little starter palette – don’t know what else to call it. It was picked carrots, jalapenos, and garlic – immensely tasty (and would promise a bad stomach the next day – but with desi tongues we were accustomed to all the spice). A "Michelada" drink with the meal is an interesting combination. It's unique to Mexico and has a spicy sauce, lime juice and salt. some sort of Beer cocktail! After dinner , we just strolled along the sidewalk trying to catch some of Tulums night life. It was non existent. So we decided to head to one of the beach lounges, which were apparently open till 11:00. The road to the row of lounges had no street lights and the car in front of us made it a little less lonely. We spent some time at "Mezzanine" - a Thai lounge and a highly recommended destination to dock after sunset. But, there was just one group apart from the 2 of us . We couldn't really see the sea but heard very well indeed- it sounded good. I particularly liked the red table lamps here. After they closed, we got back home and slept like rocks. No alarms set. We decided on getting all the rest we could needed.

Day 3: Coba and El Paraiso

Chat with Jack and Breakfast at don Cafeto:
Woke up the blissfully late the next day : a Friday. It was well past 9 and we had to head out on less than 30 minutes.The Plan for the day: visiting the coba ruins. We pinged for Janet in before leaving, and got to meet jack instead. He was extremely sweet! He told us, among other things, where to shop for curios (the road to Coba – which as we figured out later was pretty good advice), about visiting Valladolid etc. However, about "Edventures" (the adventure package we had booked), he said he would recommend "Manzanos" instead, as was more personal and they took guests to places the others don’t visit etc. Since "Manzanos" wasn’t available due to a wedding party (and also since we had pre-paid "Edventures") we had to go ahead with "Edventures" . Breakfast at don cafeto was good – we actually ate here for 3 days in all !!! We ordered an omelet with ‘Chaya’ – Spanish for spinach. I liked it. They served it with mashed potatoes, refried beans, veggies and a cup of chopped tomatoes and onions (yummy!) – I think the mashed potatoes were really nice –fine and creamy. Perfect – and this is an immense compliment coming from someone who thinks mashed potatoes has the cullinary sophistication of chopped carrots. The orange juice was freshly squeezed (oomph!) and refreshing. I only had complaints about the coffee – but then, I think it eventually grew on me. Prashant had the Motulenos – fried eggs on a bed of refried beans and tortillas, with red and green sauce, topped with peas and cheese. The first time he brought it out- there were ham pieces on top (ouch!!!) we had to ask him to remove it. (i keenly noted to arrangement on the plate to ensure the same one didnt come back with the ham scraped off. it didnt. Phew!). So the lesson was, to say “no meat, chicken, fish or ham” the next time instead of “no meat”. “Carnes", as they understand it - guess some places take that to be just beef. Don Cafeto had photographs of the owner all over the place – with numerous other people – the distinguished, celebrities and family, I presume. I , for obvious reasons, couldn’t recognize any of the faces. There was also his daughter holding a leopard (why was she his daughter? - have no clue. would like to believe i'm right) . One of the days, the owner was there holding a baby with blonde hair – feeding it breakfast, asking it to say things to impress the others on the table etc. I was wondering who he was married to as the baby was way cuter than him, Was hoping mommie would come by and confirm my assumption of her being extremely beautiful – but alas, she never did. Not that it plagued me, but I think I would have liked to know. It’s good when you get some sort of affirmation on your surmises.

The Drive to Coba:
Coba is around an hour away from Tulum in the northwest direction, on the way to Chichen Itza. The drive was pretty decent, despite the landscape remaining the same for around 40 of the 46 km stretch : green trees, road signs and signs saying "cenote". Really no civilization except for 2-3 tiny towns. All the craft stores started appearing the last 10 km. The "Topes" were back ( probably one of the reasons i didnt fall asleep) then again, there were warnings for it well before they would arrive and they would be fairly uniform.We had a pretty interesting time trying to understand road signs. With the knowledge of a few spanish words and basic english it is easy to interpret.

Coba Ruins:
The first thing we did on reaching Coba, was rent cycles ($$30). The ruins are spread across 70 sqkm and it was wise, we thought, to reduce the transit time. With Coba , as was with Tulum , what was amazing was its location – right in the middle of the forest. Cycling down the sacbes was great fun.
The usual "Ball Courts" and "El Castillo’s" characteristic to any Mayan ruin were all there. And the best part – they let you climb the "El Castillo"!!!!!




From its pinnacle all you could see was a velvety carpet of green stretching upto the horizon. A quintessential "King of the world" place, knowing especially, that underneath that carpet was an ancient hidden city. We spent sometime soaking all this up on top and then descened. There were, apart from cycles, 2-seater “taxis” – which were more like rickshaws! – This was the only place I saw a desi couple. And old Punjabi couple in one of the "Taxis".








On our way back we stopped at one of the craft stores to buy some souvenirs. Bought a mask (which I think is limestone and not wood, as its quite heavy), a Mayan calendar and another one with Mayan carvings on rock. There were hammocks all over the place and they were crafted beautifully – apparently the Mayans have mastered the art. Merida (in the state of Yucatan) is the place to get the best hammocks – but I thought these in Quintana Roo were quite spectacular themselves.

Afternoon in El Paraiso:
Back in Tulum, we had a couple of juices (this time I had "Coba!" and not an undrinkable potion). It was then that I bought an $18 eye drop bottle for Prashant and he was totally shocked by it (same one costes $3 back in the US) He did, eventually, come to terms with it. But I think the eye drops really helped, coz he used it diligently sicne we paid so much for it. And by the end of the trip, compared to Hawaii, his eyes were in pretty good condition.
Plan was to spend the afternoon in best beach in Tulum - El Paraiso. Since Janet asked us not to take hotel towels to the beach!!!! ( slightly ridiculous!), we went to the San Francisco asis store. I picked up 5-6 kinds of canned salsa to carry back. At El Paraiso, we rented a futon and just lay there gazing at the pristine Caribbean, with its powdery white sands and turquoise blue waters. It cost just $$100 for the day - thats ~$8. It wasn’t crowded at all. There was one group of kids that made a pyramid ( and had respective parents clicking pics franctically) The water was warm - around 75 degrees. We took the opportunity to splash around a bit. ( i splashed and prashant swam). It was convenient for me that even after walking 50 ft into the sea the surface is flat and water is just about 5 ft deep. I like the Caribbean. Have decided it's my favourite sea. It was sunset before we knew it ( ~5:30 pm). Got straight to the swing bar. I just loved the swing concept here – it’s just a lot of fun to be swinging at the counter with the sea behind you!

Dinner at Basilica. We had a standard Italian fare Pizza, bruschetta etc. - i thought they were quite yummy. Had a very hoime-made taste. ( not that i regularly make Pizza at home, but you know what i mean) One complaint - He just took too much time to get agua! Hearty meal -> stroll -> hit the sack.

Day 3: Edventures and move to Playa Del Carmen

I woke up in the morning will a little knot in my stomach - as always happens when i know I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the water ( or even just minutes). Got dressed, had breakfast at Don Cafeto (again!) and then drove to the office of "Edventures" - from where we were scheduled to depart. We parked at the wrong parking lot and it was about 15 minutes after we got there , that we actually found the place! we were there at ~ 9:30 in the morning. Around 30 minutes after Eduardo had suggested. But that was apparently OK, since we were going to be traveling in our own car with a personal guide for just the two of us. We tried on snorkeling gear, i picked up a life jacket and a flotation device called a "noodle" , underwater flashlights, and bio-degradable sunscreen. Once that was done, we decided a trip to the restroom would be wise and Eduardo strongly agreed since that would give Gilmer to have breakfast. Who was Gilmer? - It was precisely at this point that he made a grand entry with a plate of tacos in his hand. He, was our personal guide. He was a local Mayan and spoke 5 languages!!! - Spanish, English, German, Italian and Mayan. He told us the name was pronounced "Hilmer" and that we could call him "Hill". Once we got back from the restroom, the first thing Edurado asked was "Did it come out all fine??" - I was shell shocked and gaped at him for a few moments before he just "Ha Ha" ed it off!

Shortly after, we drove off to Tankah for the Zipline. It was then that Hill was revealed that he was Mayan and that he had a 7 year old daughter.He belonged to Yucatan – closer to Merida, I assume. Work got him here and he’s really good at it. He was telling us that there are no places in Mexico that teach the native Mayan language. Schools only teach Spanish. So families needed make sure they teach their kids to keep the language from facing exctinction. Wonder why someone doesn’t start a school – or may be even write a book, simply to keep this treasure alive. We reached Tankah and We went up to an elevated dock and zipped off along a wire with a belted-seat fastened. We Ziplined twice. The interesting thing was the braking mechanism. A piece of wood, which looked more like a broken boomerang. The second time I zip lined – the longer trip, I stopped before the finish line - without having to use brakes!!! The guy at the other end had to pass me an oar that I had to catch on to – so he could pull me in. Hill went in before us and clicked pictures. He then hopped into a little yellow canoe. The guy at the end asked me and Prashant to get into another canoe – whoa! We were oaring on our own??? Just when i started coming to terms with that, hill says “keep your legs bent at the knees and straight down - the canoe has a tendency to topple otherwise" Exactly what i need to hear!!! I can’t swim! – But I went nevertheless. It was initially a little difficult to to navigate it. We kept going towards a bush, while hill kept screaming instructions on how to turn and move? Finally we managed – just a few feet before the thicket – and after that it was quite easy – but really stressful on the arms. The canoe was reasonable sturdy and i actually enjoyed it. After about 5 minutes we reached a jetty and got off. Apparently after late morning a lot of buses from places like Xel Ha bring in truckloads of tourists and it gets really crowded. But it wasn’t crowded the day and time we went (despite it being a thanksgiving Saturday). Overall, the Zipline experience was just about OK. each one lasted for barely a minute and we were just around 30ft over the pool of water. I suppose Rappelling would be more exciting - Where you zipline into a cenote. We missed sky cycling at Hidden Worlds too. Just before leaving, Prashant jumped off a 20 ft cliff into a pool. Did it twice - with the excitement of a female penguin (Sorry about that- i just saw 'March of the Penguins' and this association just instinctively hit me!).

Back into the Chevy and off to Dos Ojos. Eduardo was there with a giant van. He had brought along another couple from North Carolina . He was their ‘guide’. They must have paid $20 more than we did since Eduardo had taken them in his car. We took our own. Apparently, He originally had a ford fiesta in blue, which spent more time in the shed than on the road. He then exchanged it for a chevy pick-up! Why would anybody make that choice?? But perhaps for his profession it made some sense. The fiestas in Mexico look like the ford ikons in India. Eduardo also said “in Mexico, they say, everything makes noise in about 5 years, except the stereo”.Why would that not happen, if people bought fords and chevys? After a 10 minute ride on a bumpy dirt road (Phew! Glad we didn’t take our car on that)! We reached the most magical destination of the whole trip. The Dos Ojos cenote. The 'clear water pool' inside a cave full of stalactites and stalagmites. Cenotes are so unique – never seen anything like it before. And strangely, in this part there are cenotes shooting off all roads!! Hundreds of them. It actually became a subject of humor for us to see signboards just saying “cenote” in multiple locations – like it was a “tree”. But I suppose if there is no clear “definition” of a cenote in terms of geographic attributes / size/ age/ etc. any random pool ( even open ones) could be called cenotes. The uniqueness of the dos ojos cenote lay in the fact that it was among the longest and it actually is an intricate network of underwater caves that eventually reaches the ocean. Magnificent and intriguing. folklore has it that there was an Italian diver (scuba) who got lost inside , found just one spot with air on top and a crack, made his way out of the crack, stayed in the jungle for 3 nights, before he found refuge in a Mayan village and eventually made his way back home. This story pretty much spooked me out and while I got into my swimsuit and has my gear ready, I was reciting the slokas from the 45 min prayer sessions in school. There was this sense of a looming mystery ahead. It looked magical and enchanted at the first glimpse, with the light making the water gleam but up ahead, where the path bent ito the network, it was murky and gloomy. Luckily for me, a few seconds in the water and all apprehensions just dissipated. The view under water was simply brilliant. Clear limestone and fish – the water was crystal clear. There were parts where the stalactites were just inches away from our head and just a few feet below – it was almost like entering the jaws of a giant shark. To tell you the truth – it felt awesome! While we snorkeled, we had to make way for some of these divers ahead. ( as instructed by Hill) – they looked imposing - like specters slowly gliding past ignoring everything in their paths. There were all these yellow ropes inside which the divers used to track their paths. I was substantially intimidated. After a minute or so, we continued ahead to reach a wooden docking point -This was where the serious divers started their journey. Stayed there for a few moments and soaked in the sights and smells of the underground cave and the swam back to where we started. The experience was overwhelming - one of a kind. Before leaving, we saw a spider monkey and the Mexican breed of a racoon. It looked more like a pangolin. that made it cuter than a raccoon - and was apparently friendlier too. Look at this picture - would anyone have a normal american raccoon on their backs??

Our next destination - Akumal Beach. We stopped at a restaurant by the beach for lunch, Had some Quesadillas ( tortillas and queso - nothing else - literally!)and roasted veggies (for some cheese respite) and then prepared to resume our adventure. We had to get onto a boat. the ensuing boat ride was the most dangerous thing I have ever experienced. The water was extremely choppy with waves rising up to atleast 10ft, perhaps more. We went atleast a whole km inside and then made a detour to another beach. This trip gave me the most extreme adrenaline rush I have ever had. often, the boat would just be pushed up almost vertically over the waves and would crash back onto its crest. I held on to the boat for dear life. by the time we reached the beach and anchored, I was pretty numbed. I didnt get into the water in the Akumal beach. It wasn't calm by any means. Prashant went in with Hill and snorkeled again - turtles, squid, sting rays and huge schools of fish. I was perched on the boat. It started raining - I was shivering after a while and for a while. All i could think about was getting back and tucking under a warm blanket. Soon they got back onto the boat and we traced our way back (Yes!!! over the same waves). If one is not very scared of water, this Akumal beach is, apparently an experience not to be missed it. I did. Will probably come again after i learn how to swim!

The next destination was a lagoon where Fresh water met salty water -> as science would have it, an ideal place for various species of underwater life to thrive. The lagoon was vast and calm. It was about 15 ft deep. Hill didnt come with us into the water this time around. So it was just myself and Prashant. We spent about 40 mins there watching fish of all sizes and colours doing their underwater ballet. It was wonderful, the dance of the fishes.

By this time it was 5:00 in the evening - the end of our adventure with 'Edventures' and they had us experiencing all that they promised and we loved it. It cost us just about $100 and for that, we got to zipline, snorkel in Dos Ojos, Swim with turtles in Akumal bay and snorkel in the lagoon. Totally worth the price. I would highly recommend the whole package! Thanks Hill, for showing us such a fabulous time! He handed out his card at the end and asked us to recommend him. And I do!!! - Ask for 'Gilmer Miranda' - He's the best!


We had packed our bags into the car already and were ready to drive now to Playa Del Carmen - Where we were spending the following 3 nights.

We Reached Playa ahortly after 6:30 the same evening - It's ~ 60 km away from Tulum (in the direction back to Cancun). So we were going to be staying closer to the airport in a larger, more popular and more commercial town. We Turned onto Avenida Constituyenes, beyond 5th avenue and onto Calle 26 to reach Lune Blue. Luna Blue is the prettiest boutique hotel I have ever seen. It had just 18 rooms, and the little property was done up so tastefully - one just wouldn't want to leave. It had waterfalls and simple landscaping on multiple levels, a swing bar and the friendliest staff ever!! The best part - it was 1 block away from the beach and right on 5th Avenue - Which is where all tourists throng for food and parties. We ddint have to take the car out at all. Could just walk around. But the town otherwise, was pretty big - had Walmarts and other such symbols of a considerable consuming class.

By the time we could leave the room, we had time to just grab some dinner and perhaps, go dancing in a Salsa bar. We grabbed dinner at '100% Natural' - The worst meal i had during this trip. Even the Granola-Bar lunch the day before was better. I had some dish called "the hindu" - with my craving for rice and Prashant had a Soy Taco. Both of these were miserable. It didnt take too long for fatigue to hit us and all we wanted to do then was hit the sack and wake up to another beautiful day here in the riviera.

Day 4: Chichen Itza, Dzitnup Cenotes and Valladolid

Off to Chichen Itza:
Had to wake up at an alarm today. Mainly, because we did a little bit of bad planning. The best way to get to Chichen Itza is via Tulum and then Coba. We moved into a hotel in Playa just last night. now we had to Drive back another 30 mins to Tulum, get to Coba and then to Chichen. That's easily around 4hrs. We wanted to get moving as early as possible. So we drove off and then stopped for breakfast at Tulum (Yes, Don Cafeto again!). And then on it was just a long grueling drive. the first bit was familiar (we drove to Coba just 2 days back, remember?), but the stretch between Coba and Valladolid was outrageous. potholes everywhere. They were reconstructing one half of the road. So it was really narrow as well. I was shaken up from the little nap that i slipped into on the drive to coba. Soon we were thanked by the state of Quintana Roo and welcomed by Yucatan.I dont know if there is some sort of by-pass at Valladolid, but we drove through the colonial town. Road construction again - so more detours. the town of Valladolid was reminiscent of small towns in India. Narrow alleys and similar houses. The general population was very ethnic. They were mostly native Mayans. Had completely different features from the hispanics i was used to seeing - faces that were broader than longer, smaller eyes etc. That was interesting. We were out of Valladolid and on our was to chichen. This stretch was just around 15 mins.

El Castillo:
We parked and got our tickets. the whole structure was enclosed withong compound walls that had bold signages. It was not crowded, the day we went. I was expecting to see more faces around, and beggars, and tourguides waiting to taunt you. I just saw tourguides, but they didn't taunt. ( seen slumdog millionaire?? or been to the Taj? - you'll know what i'm talking about). The fee at the entrance was ~ $95 , folllowing which, there was a path leading us to the ruins - completely line by a magnificent display of local crafts - all for sale. I did pick up more masks from here eventually. They're beautiful. The whole walkway was a riot of colour - very pleasant. Within a few moments came into sight the El Castillo (the pyramid of Kukulcan). The picture of which most would have seen. the perfectly crafted, and delicately excavated El Castillo. It stands alone, 25 mts high, in the center of a great grassy plaza, twice the size of a football ground. Just the sight of it can humble you. Personally, i think it comes nowhere near hoe the Taj looks, but one has to remember - this was made sometime around 500 AD, and when you look at it in the context of it's era, it is, indeed a marvel. to add to it, the building is the Mayan Calendar rendered in stone - each staircase has 91 steps , which , added to the single step at the entrance, makes it 365. Also, the number of stone panels on each face is 52. this makes its simplicity very deceptive. inside it is an earlier pyramid, the entrance to which is closed.

The Temple of Warriors:
In the Eastern side of the Plaza is the "Templo De Los Guerreros" (Temple of warriors) lined on two side by "Grupo De Las Mil Columnas" (Group of the thousand columns). These columns represent warriors in armour. A walk through this would lead to the "Mercado" , or the Market place.



Eagles and Jaguars:
On the walk back across the central plaza, en route, is the "Platforma De Venus", a raised square block with a stairway up each side guarded by feathered serpents. Next to it was another similar structure "Platforms de Aguilas y Jaguares" - it features reliefs of eagles and jaguars holding human hearts. Human sacrifices were believed to be carried out here, judging by the proximity os a third platform, the "Tzompantli", where victims heads were supposedly hung on display. this is carved on evberyside with grotesquely grinning stone skulls.


The Ball Court:
The "Gran Juego de Pelota" on the west side is the largest known Ball court in Mesoamerica. Its design is a capital "i" surrounded by tenples with the 'goals' or 'target rings' halfway along each side. Along the bottom of each side, runs a sloping panel decorated in low relief with scenes os the game and its players. along the top runs athe stone body of a snake, whose heads stick out at either end of the court. throughout the court is a whispering gallery effect that enables youn to be heard clearly at the far end of the court. The echos could be heard atleast 7 times.

The Observatory:
In the south side were the most sacred buildings and pyramids. One of the more notable structures here is the "El caracol" ( the snail) - fopr its shape, and also, the Observatory. There is also a so-called "Monmjas" (Nunnery). quite a few of the structures here in the southers side haven't been fully excavated and you can see buildings in various stages of excavation, using the legend in front.




Bye Bye Chichen:
There was a cenote a coupole of miles away, which we didnt visit. Came back to the El Castillo and sat under a tree for a few moments to soak up all of it's splendour. Though in most minds, the ruins of chichen Itza represent the very image of the Maya, in fact its the citys divergence from Maya tradition that makes it so archeologically intriguing.



X'Keken Cenote:
On our way back we stopped by at the most photogenic and marvelous cenotes.
The Dzitnup Cenotes. the first one was called "X'Keken" (pig) the descent is through a hole in the ground into a huge vaulted cave, whjere a nearly circular pool of crystal clear turquoise water glows under a shaft of light from an opening in the ceiling. The cave is noticeably cooler than outside.


Cenote Samula:
Across the road is the equally impressive (but smaller and less developed) Cenote "Samula". Here, the roots of a huge trss stretch down into the pool. Both of these were breathtaking. Again, while i was doing all the photographt, Prashant was busy taking dips.



What one can do, to save time, is to cover Valladolid one evening and drive down to a small town called Piste near chichen, stay there overnight and then heard early to Chichen Itza in the morning, then cover the Dzitnup Cenotes, and then head straight for an afternoon in el Paraiso beach in tulum. We just wish we ddint spend so much of day driving around - given that sunset was at 5:30.

Valladolid: Colonial Town
We then resumed our drive back . We stopped at Valladolid this time around. It has retained a strong colonial feel, with towering churches dotting the city grid. The slow pace of this less pretentious rural town offers a slice of mexican life that is entirely different from that found in the beachfront towns.Its sedate social scene centres on the Parque Principal. (it was here that i caught "Indira" performing. How strange is that!!!) On one side is the Cathedral De San Gervasio. We went looking for the "craft market" - but that was closed. stopped by at a little cafe that promised "Mayan coffee". I Think the caffiene did us some good fopr our drive back to Playa through Coba and then Tulum.



Back in Playa:
It was arounf 6 in the evening by the time we reached Playa. We were to take the right on the highway, after "burger King". I think i got a little cranky after that. A day under the sun (without lunch) just sapped out all my energy and all i could think about was was food. Spicy food. Spicy food without cheese. I would have killed for Onion sambar at this point, but i was quite satisfied with the "Yucatanean Tomato Rice" at Media Luna on 5th avenue. I recommend it! we went straight to "Om Bar" and just lounged there fo a bit, listening to the music ( and also catching up with the tastes and preferences of the so-called "Youth" of today, briefly stepping away from grown-up life.

It was a great day.