Saturday, November 27, 2010
Goodbye to the Yucatan
I had confirmed my return portion of the airport transfer and arrived down to a busy loading dock, as everyone at the resort leaves the same day. After another hour-long trip to the airport, I arrived, juggled my bags to fit under the weight limit, checked in and went upstairs to stand in a lengthy security line. One entertaining note, as we North American tourists snaked around the waiting area, was a sign that said, "It is not necessary to take off your shoes!" Once through security, one enters the last hurrah of Mexican salesmanship - designer items, liquor and all types of chotskys. Finally onto the plane and back through Denver, and on to San Francisco.
Chichen Itza!
As directed, I was down at the hotel lobby at 7:20 AM. A small white van arrived soon after and I was the first passenger. For 45 minutes we visited various resorts further north, picking up passengers. Eventually, where we met the road west from Cancun, we all transferred to a big bus that was collecting groups of passengers from small white vans that had arrived from around the Yucatan.
On the bus, we were treated very well, with beverages including beer, and narration in English and Spanish by our guide, Hector. We headed west toward the center of the Yucatan. Easily we slipped into dozing. Eventually, after a long truck west across the peninsula through featureless flatlands, we were awakened with our entrance into the town of Vallidolid. A typical Mexican town, but on the outskirts Mayan hovels. Soon we were at Ik Kil cenote. We passed through a large gift shop, which I opted out of, and walked on to view the cenote where there was the opportunity to swim, with or without renting a life vest and/or a locker. Since Ik Kil is 130 feet deep, I opted for the life vest. And for $2 the locker. The locker room was pleasant.
I headed down the stairs to the cenote, but did not choose the big jump, just the 5 foot jump. Oh, pleasant relief from the heat! I swam across the cenote, and then over to the area where vines hung down and small waterfalls descended.
We were on a tight schedule, so one tour around was sufficient. I exited and retrieved my clothes from the locker and returned to the bus.
From there we took a short trip to our lunch spot. Clearly set up to handle the bus loads of tourists on their way to Chichen Itza. But offering an excellent choice from the buffet. We sat down to eat, and slowly made ourselves known to each other on this short excursion in a distant land. We were entertained briefly by a dance troop.
On to Chichen Itza! Although one of the Yucatan's largest and most accessible ruins, it actually dates from a very late period of Mayan history.
Our guide Hector provided an excellent introduction to the site.
He took us to the infamous ball court and explained the intricacies of the game.
Some Mayan children who had been dogging us were eventually allowed to put on their performance of the national anthem in Mayan:
Then we were let loose to wander:
Our bus took an exhausted group of tourists back to the coast where we were loaded into little white vans and delivered back to our resorts. My trip was excelerated in contrast to the morning, for which I was very grateful.
On the bus, we were treated very well, with beverages including beer, and narration in English and Spanish by our guide, Hector. We headed west toward the center of the Yucatan. Easily we slipped into dozing. Eventually, after a long truck west across the peninsula through featureless flatlands, we were awakened with our entrance into the town of Vallidolid. A typical Mexican town, but on the outskirts Mayan hovels. Soon we were at Ik Kil cenote. We passed through a large gift shop, which I opted out of, and walked on to view the cenote where there was the opportunity to swim, with or without renting a life vest and/or a locker. Since Ik Kil is 130 feet deep, I opted for the life vest. And for $2 the locker. The locker room was pleasant.
I headed down the stairs to the cenote, but did not choose the big jump, just the 5 foot jump. Oh, pleasant relief from the heat! I swam across the cenote, and then over to the area where vines hung down and small waterfalls descended.
We were on a tight schedule, so one tour around was sufficient. I exited and retrieved my clothes from the locker and returned to the bus.
From there we took a short trip to our lunch spot. Clearly set up to handle the bus loads of tourists on their way to Chichen Itza. But offering an excellent choice from the buffet. We sat down to eat, and slowly made ourselves known to each other on this short excursion in a distant land. We were entertained briefly by a dance troop.
On to Chichen Itza! Although one of the Yucatan's largest and most accessible ruins, it actually dates from a very late period of Mayan history.
Our guide Hector provided an excellent introduction to the site.
He took us to the infamous ball court and explained the intricacies of the game.
Some Mayan children who had been dogging us were eventually allowed to put on their performance of the national anthem in Mayan:
Then we were let loose to wander:
Our bus took an exhausted group of tourists back to the coast where we were loaded into little white vans and delivered back to our resorts. My trip was excelerated in contrast to the morning, for which I was very grateful.
Diving the cenotes, Part II
Jason picked me up at the hotel Thursday morning, along with Polo, the Mexican cave divemaster. We drove south of Playa del Carmen a couple miles, and quickly took a right turn away from the beach. On the way, Polo asked me if I were Catholic since, many Catholic people feel they are seeing God when they look up through the waters at the jungle and the light streaming in. I responded that one did not have to be Catholic to feel that way! Jason laughed.
Down a dirt road into the jungle, past a hand-painted sign "Chac-Mool" - the jaguar. Jason paid the entrance fee, and we drove a bit further to a dirt parking lot. Jason led me down steps to the first cenote, KulKulcan, to view the prospect. I had envisioned one of the round bottomless holes. I had felt better when Jason told me that these were cavern dives where the bottom was within recreational dive limits. However, the sight of the murky pool with the cavern entrance was unnerving.
Well, I had come this far - I certainly wasn't going to turn back. But I ascended the stairs with my heart beating a bit out of control. I hadn't felt this way since my early ocean dives. We viewed the Chac-Mool pool which was even smaller, and headed back to the truck to get suited up.
The cenotes are colder than the ocean, but my 3mm with booties was sufficient. Polo explained that there was a line strung through the cave that we would follow, and that one should not descend below the line. Touching bottom or disturbing the debris would ruin visibility. One also had to be careful to not hit the top of the caves, especially near stalactite. Besides good buoyancy control one should use a frog kick which is less likely to hit bottom or stir up debris.
In I went, and after Polo helped with the fins, and a last minute check, down we went. KulkulCan has a shorter tour, with the first half back and forth near the entrance. This is where we saw God. It was truly a remarkable sight!
We then headed into a cavern where Polo had told me to swim beside him because we would go through a halocline. A halocline is an effect that happens where fresh and salt water do not mix. The cenotes are part of underground river systems in the Yucatan. Close to the ocean salt water intrudes into the caverns. Less dense fresh water from the land forms a layer over salt water from the ocean. When one gets near the halocline it looks like a mirror ahead. As one goes through, visibility becomes blurred until you reach the other side. You can see the blurry halocline in the next two photos.
On the first dive we did not stay too long in the cavern area.
We had been the first divers in, but soon we started passing by other divers. I was becoming comfortable with the experience, so I gave the 'ok' sign to the photographer.
After another tour around the lip of the cavern, we headed back up.
Soon we were close to breaking through the surface.
We took our surface interval and headed over to Chac-Mool. The Chac-Mool tour was much longer. It's interesting how quiet it is in the caves compared to the ocean. And with no current jostling one, air supply seemed to last much longer. They actually place a time limit on dives of 45 minutes. I came up from the first dive with more than half a tank remaining. Highlights of Chac-Mool included a lot more stalactites, larger caverns, a much longer tour, and an ascent into an air pocket where tree roots extended through the pocket into the water.
I was a happy camper after two great dives!
We got lunch from the nearby deli, viewed the photos and videos the young entrepreneurs had taken and headed back to the resort.
In the afternoon I wrote up my dives, prepared for the trip to Chichen Itza and started packing. I was to be at the front of the hotel at 7:20 AM, and we would not return until late. Saturday morning departure around 9:30 to the airport.
That night I had arranged to have dinner at the upscale restaurant at the resort. And up-scale it was. The food was incredible, and the service excellent. Everything I wanted for around $45.
Down a dirt road into the jungle, past a hand-painted sign "Chac-Mool" - the jaguar. Jason paid the entrance fee, and we drove a bit further to a dirt parking lot. Jason led me down steps to the first cenote, KulKulcan, to view the prospect. I had envisioned one of the round bottomless holes. I had felt better when Jason told me that these were cavern dives where the bottom was within recreational dive limits. However, the sight of the murky pool with the cavern entrance was unnerving.
Well, I had come this far - I certainly wasn't going to turn back. But I ascended the stairs with my heart beating a bit out of control. I hadn't felt this way since my early ocean dives. We viewed the Chac-Mool pool which was even smaller, and headed back to the truck to get suited up.
The cenotes are colder than the ocean, but my 3mm with booties was sufficient. Polo explained that there was a line strung through the cave that we would follow, and that one should not descend below the line. Touching bottom or disturbing the debris would ruin visibility. One also had to be careful to not hit the top of the caves, especially near stalactite. Besides good buoyancy control one should use a frog kick which is less likely to hit bottom or stir up debris.
In I went, and after Polo helped with the fins, and a last minute check, down we went. KulkulCan has a shorter tour, with the first half back and forth near the entrance. This is where we saw God. It was truly a remarkable sight!
We then headed into a cavern where Polo had told me to swim beside him because we would go through a halocline. A halocline is an effect that happens where fresh and salt water do not mix. The cenotes are part of underground river systems in the Yucatan. Close to the ocean salt water intrudes into the caverns. Less dense fresh water from the land forms a layer over salt water from the ocean. When one gets near the halocline it looks like a mirror ahead. As one goes through, visibility becomes blurred until you reach the other side. You can see the blurry halocline in the next two photos.
On the first dive we did not stay too long in the cavern area.
We had been the first divers in, but soon we started passing by other divers. I was becoming comfortable with the experience, so I gave the 'ok' sign to the photographer.
After another tour around the lip of the cavern, we headed back up.
Soon we were close to breaking through the surface.
We took our surface interval and headed over to Chac-Mool. The Chac-Mool tour was much longer. It's interesting how quiet it is in the caves compared to the ocean. And with no current jostling one, air supply seemed to last much longer. They actually place a time limit on dives of 45 minutes. I came up from the first dive with more than half a tank remaining. Highlights of Chac-Mool included a lot more stalactites, larger caverns, a much longer tour, and an ascent into an air pocket where tree roots extended through the pocket into the water.
I was a happy camper after two great dives!
We got lunch from the nearby deli, viewed the photos and videos the young entrepreneurs had taken and headed back to the resort.
In the afternoon I wrote up my dives, prepared for the trip to Chichen Itza and started packing. I was to be at the front of the hotel at 7:20 AM, and we would not return until late. Saturday morning departure around 9:30 to the airport.
That night I had arranged to have dinner at the upscale restaurant at the resort. And up-scale it was. The food was incredible, and the service excellent. Everything I wanted for around $45.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, the Cenotes
Diving the cenotes (link to photos of my cenote dives)
Wow, diving the cenotes WAS an experience. But note, I am finally writing about it about a month afterwards. A hazard, apparently, is contracting swimmer's ear, a bacterial infection contracted from stagnant waters. Whether it was the dives on Thursday, or the swimming on Friday at Ik Kil on the way to Chichen Itza, by the following Monday night, I felt the first symptoms. Hoping it would resolve, I did not go to the doctor until Wednesday. From there, two rounds of antibiotics, plus, on the second round, acetic acid drops, were necessary to put the infection to rest, finally, about a month later. Meanwhile I was deaf in my right ear much of the time. About a week after I got to the doctor, I got rear-ended on the way to work, and life has been a round of insurance forms and chiropractor visits ever since. Thus, I am only getting back to completing this blog six weeks after my return from Mexico.
First, a bit more about general impressions. The resort is very spacious. Partly, children are back in school, partly it's not high season, but mainly, with the cheap Mexican labor, the resort can provide a higher level of luxury than most US resorts. There are two phases, each with a very large pool with a swim-up bar. The tile work in the pool, and all over is magnificent. There are a couple phenomenal murals. In each phase there is also a lap pool and several hot tubs. The hottest, most humid period was when we were still experiencing the offshoots of the tropical storm. Later in the week, it was hot, but not so bad, and not so humid. Still, when I arrived and unpacked in my villa, I had to play with the controls a bit to get everything set right. Eventually I found that a combination of AC and the swamp cooler did the job - not too hot, not too cold. If you are not familiar with a swamp cooler, it is essentially a dehumidifier with a fan. When I spent a month in Melbourne, Australia, and arrived in January when it was still 110 degrees, even though I was staying in "executive housing," the only temperature control provided was a swamp cooler. The first couple weekends I spent lying in bed with the swamp cooler blowing over me! Here in the Yucatan, once I got the controls adjusted, I found I was emptying the 5 gallon water bin in the swamp cooler every 24 hours. That's for a 1300 square foot unit that has air conditioning as well. Do the calculations to figure out how humid it was. I think I got the humidity down to about 65%.
News note, November 14, 2010: This morning there was a large explosion at a hotel a mile or two north of where I stayed, the Grand Riviera Princess, killing 7 people. It was a natural gas explosion, and thoughts are that it could have been from a cooking stove, since the blast was near the hotel's restaurant, or it could have been from swamp gas that might have built up under the concrete pads. I definitely noted that the ecological setting of my resort was questionable. An extensive swampy area could be seen from the entrance to my villa behind the beach. The beach is an incredible white sand, but like many beautiful flat beaches, it has received much artificial enhancement to make it attractive. I believe the coastline of Playa del Carmen was a mangrove swamp before the resorts were developed. So it's not surprising that gases may be festering under the artificial concrete cover. One of the realities about Mexico. Construction is just not to US standards, and there is an inherent increased level of risk traveling there. Sad. Update November 27: they have ruled out swamp gas, but a poorly constructed cistern tank is a possibility, or a broken sewer line.
The Mexican government, often in partnership with foreign interests, has identified areas for development to attract tourists. In the 70's, as demand grew in Europe for tropical destinations, Mexico began to develop the Yucatan. Now the Yucatan coast is Mexico's largest tourist zone. Some people find going to such areas repellent. I do not care for the environmental devastation. On the other hand, tourism brings in much needed foreign income into Mexico. Besides people from the US, almost more Canadians visit, or winter in Mexico, and the Yucatan draws tourists from all over Europe and Central and South America.
The Royal Haciendas resort is the newest of six or seven developed by a Mexican-US partnership that developed one of the first resorts in Cancun. There's a nice story behind this partnership. Still I wouldn't buy here.
Geographically, the Yucatan is a fascinating area. The Yucatan Peninsula is located completely in the tropics, and it receives the same climate influences as mainland Mexico. Cuba, Grand Cayman and Jamaica are due East of Playa del Carmen. The main difference in the Yucatan Peninsula is the elevation. Most of the Yucatan is very flat and close to sea level. These lower elevations allow for warm days and temperate evenings all year long. You can think of the Peninsula as a big slab of limestone gently slanting into the sea. The farther south you go, the more likely you are to encounter low hills. By the same token, you must travel far offshore before you reach deep water. Limestone is soluble in water so the Yucatan's limestone bedrock is honeycombed with caves and sinkholes -- it's classic karst topography. Yucatan's sinkholes have a special name -- cenotes (seh-NO-tehs). Cenotes are the result of caves collapsing, forming holes in the ground with water in the bottoms of the holes. Because the limestone has so many holes in it, there are no major rivers throughout the entire Yucatan Peninsula. Water runs underground. Cenotes are very important in Yucatan history and present life. Because of the lack of rivers, the ancient Maya took their water from cenotes. Cenotes were important in the Maya religion, being the home of gods. Sometimes humans were thrown into cenotes as sacrifices. Today underwater archeological teams are discovering many Maya artifacts in cenotes.
The Chicxulub crater (pronounced /ˈtʃiːkʃəˌluːb/ CHEEK-shə-LOOB; Maya: [tʃʼikʃuluɓ]) is an ancient impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.[2] Its center is located near the town of Chicxulub, after which the crater is named.[3] The crater is more than 180 km (110 mi) in diameter, making the feature one of the largest confirmed impact structures on Earth; the impacting bolide that formed the crater was at least 10 km (6 mi) in diameter.
The crater was discovered by Glen Penfield, a geophysicist who had been working in the Yucatán while looking for oil during the late 1970s. Penfield was initially unable to obtain evidence that the unique geological feature was in fact a crater, and gave up his search. Through contact with Alan Hildebrand, Penfield was able to obtain samples that suggested it was an impact feature. Evidence for the impact origin of the crater includes shocked quartz, a gravity anomaly, and tektites in surrounding areas.
The age of the rocks and isotope analysis show that this impact structure dates from the end of the Cretaceous Period, roughly 65 million years ago. The impact associated with the crater is implicated in causing the extinction of the dinosaurs as suggested by the K–T boundary, the geological boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, although some critics argue that the impact was not the sole reason[4] and others debate whether there was a single impact or whether the Chicxulub impactor was one of several that may have struck the Earth at around the same time. Recent evidence suggests that the impactor may have been a piece of a much larger asteroid that broke up in a collision in distant space more than 160 million years ago.[5]
In March 2010, following extensive analysis of the available evidence covering 20 years' worth of data spanning the fields of palaeontology, geochemistry, climate modelling, geophysics and sedimentology, 41 international experts from 33 institutions reviewed available evidence and concluded that the impact at Chicxulub triggered the mass extinctions during K-T boundary including those of dinosaurs.[6][7]
The impact would have caused some of the largest megatsunamis in Earth's history, reaching thousands of feet high. A cloud of super-heated dust, ash and steam would have spread from the crater, as the impactor burrowed underground in less than a second.[26] Excavated material along with pieces of the impactor, ejected out of the atmosphere by the blast, would have been heated to incandescence upon re-entry, broiling the Earth's surface and possibly igniting global wildfires; meanwhile, colossal shock waves spawned global earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.[27] The emission of dust and particles could have covered the entire surface of the Earth for several years, possibly a decade, creating a harsh environment for living things. The shock production of carbon dioxide caused by the destruction of carbonate rocks would have led to a sudden greenhouse effect.[28] Over a longer period of time, sunlight would have been blocked from reaching the surface of the earth by the dust particles in the atmosphere, cooling the surface dramatically. Photosynthesis by plants would also have been interrupted, affecting the entire food chain.[29][30] There was however a quick recovery of plants only few months after the impacts. A model of the event developed by Lomax et al. (2001) showed that net primary productivity (NPP) rates would have increased to higher than pre-impact levels because of the high carbon dioxide concentrations, as growing leaves have a higher NPP than mature leaves.[31]
Wow, diving the cenotes WAS an experience. But note, I am finally writing about it about a month afterwards. A hazard, apparently, is contracting swimmer's ear, a bacterial infection contracted from stagnant waters. Whether it was the dives on Thursday, or the swimming on Friday at Ik Kil on the way to Chichen Itza, by the following Monday night, I felt the first symptoms. Hoping it would resolve, I did not go to the doctor until Wednesday. From there, two rounds of antibiotics, plus, on the second round, acetic acid drops, were necessary to put the infection to rest, finally, about a month later. Meanwhile I was deaf in my right ear much of the time. About a week after I got to the doctor, I got rear-ended on the way to work, and life has been a round of insurance forms and chiropractor visits ever since. Thus, I am only getting back to completing this blog six weeks after my return from Mexico.
First, a bit more about general impressions. The resort is very spacious. Partly, children are back in school, partly it's not high season, but mainly, with the cheap Mexican labor, the resort can provide a higher level of luxury than most US resorts. There are two phases, each with a very large pool with a swim-up bar. The tile work in the pool, and all over is magnificent. There are a couple phenomenal murals. In each phase there is also a lap pool and several hot tubs. The hottest, most humid period was when we were still experiencing the offshoots of the tropical storm. Later in the week, it was hot, but not so bad, and not so humid. Still, when I arrived and unpacked in my villa, I had to play with the controls a bit to get everything set right. Eventually I found that a combination of AC and the swamp cooler did the job - not too hot, not too cold. If you are not familiar with a swamp cooler, it is essentially a dehumidifier with a fan. When I spent a month in Melbourne, Australia, and arrived in January when it was still 110 degrees, even though I was staying in "executive housing," the only temperature control provided was a swamp cooler. The first couple weekends I spent lying in bed with the swamp cooler blowing over me! Here in the Yucatan, once I got the controls adjusted, I found I was emptying the 5 gallon water bin in the swamp cooler every 24 hours. That's for a 1300 square foot unit that has air conditioning as well. Do the calculations to figure out how humid it was. I think I got the humidity down to about 65%.
News note, November 14, 2010: This morning there was a large explosion at a hotel a mile or two north of where I stayed, the Grand Riviera Princess, killing 7 people. It was a natural gas explosion, and thoughts are that it could have been from a cooking stove, since the blast was near the hotel's restaurant, or it could have been from swamp gas that might have built up under the concrete pads. I definitely noted that the ecological setting of my resort was questionable. An extensive swampy area could be seen from the entrance to my villa behind the beach. The beach is an incredible white sand, but like many beautiful flat beaches, it has received much artificial enhancement to make it attractive. I believe the coastline of Playa del Carmen was a mangrove swamp before the resorts were developed. So it's not surprising that gases may be festering under the artificial concrete cover. One of the realities about Mexico. Construction is just not to US standards, and there is an inherent increased level of risk traveling there. Sad. Update November 27: they have ruled out swamp gas, but a poorly constructed cistern tank is a possibility, or a broken sewer line.
The Mexican government, often in partnership with foreign interests, has identified areas for development to attract tourists. In the 70's, as demand grew in Europe for tropical destinations, Mexico began to develop the Yucatan. Now the Yucatan coast is Mexico's largest tourist zone. Some people find going to such areas repellent. I do not care for the environmental devastation. On the other hand, tourism brings in much needed foreign income into Mexico. Besides people from the US, almost more Canadians visit, or winter in Mexico, and the Yucatan draws tourists from all over Europe and Central and South America.
The Royal Haciendas resort is the newest of six or seven developed by a Mexican-US partnership that developed one of the first resorts in Cancun. There's a nice story behind this partnership. Still I wouldn't buy here.
Geographically, the Yucatan is a fascinating area. The Yucatan Peninsula is located completely in the tropics, and it receives the same climate influences as mainland Mexico. Cuba, Grand Cayman and Jamaica are due East of Playa del Carmen. The main difference in the Yucatan Peninsula is the elevation. Most of the Yucatan is very flat and close to sea level. These lower elevations allow for warm days and temperate evenings all year long. You can think of the Peninsula as a big slab of limestone gently slanting into the sea. The farther south you go, the more likely you are to encounter low hills. By the same token, you must travel far offshore before you reach deep water. Limestone is soluble in water so the Yucatan's limestone bedrock is honeycombed with caves and sinkholes -- it's classic karst topography. Yucatan's sinkholes have a special name -- cenotes (seh-NO-tehs). Cenotes are the result of caves collapsing, forming holes in the ground with water in the bottoms of the holes. Because the limestone has so many holes in it, there are no major rivers throughout the entire Yucatan Peninsula. Water runs underground. Cenotes are very important in Yucatan history and present life. Because of the lack of rivers, the ancient Maya took their water from cenotes. Cenotes were important in the Maya religion, being the home of gods. Sometimes humans were thrown into cenotes as sacrifices. Today underwater archeological teams are discovering many Maya artifacts in cenotes.
THE LIMESTONE IS YOUNG, GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING
Much of the outcropping limestone in the northern Yucatan is part of the Carrillo Puerto Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age. The Miocene and Pliocene are often considered as having occurred from 23.8 to 1.8 million years ago. Along much of the Yucatan coastline you find Quaternary deposits 1.8 million years old and younger.
THE CHICXULUB IMPACT CHANGED LIFE ON EARTH
About 65 million years ago a large asteroid or comet hit the part of the Earth that later would be occupied by the northwestern Yucatan Peninsula. The city of Mérida lies inside that zone. Today the impact zone is referred to as the Chicxulub Crater, though there is no crater or any other obvious evidence of the impact to be seen. The impact's crater is buried beneath 65 million years of sediment, much of which now has solidified to limestone. One reason the Chicxulub impact is of such interest is that it is thought to be responsible for the vast extinction of species that took place 65 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs were the Earth's most advanced form of life. The Chicxulub impact changed the Earth's weather conditions so drastically that all the dinosaurs died off. This enabled mammals to assume the dinosaur's dominant position. Had it not been for the Chicxulub impact, we humans may not have evolved as we did, or evolved at all.
The crater was discovered by Glen Penfield, a geophysicist who had been working in the Yucatán while looking for oil during the late 1970s. Penfield was initially unable to obtain evidence that the unique geological feature was in fact a crater, and gave up his search. Through contact with Alan Hildebrand, Penfield was able to obtain samples that suggested it was an impact feature. Evidence for the impact origin of the crater includes shocked quartz, a gravity anomaly, and tektites in surrounding areas.
The age of the rocks and isotope analysis show that this impact structure dates from the end of the Cretaceous Period, roughly 65 million years ago. The impact associated with the crater is implicated in causing the extinction of the dinosaurs as suggested by the K–T boundary, the geological boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, although some critics argue that the impact was not the sole reason[4] and others debate whether there was a single impact or whether the Chicxulub impactor was one of several that may have struck the Earth at around the same time. Recent evidence suggests that the impactor may have been a piece of a much larger asteroid that broke up in a collision in distant space more than 160 million years ago.[5]
In March 2010, following extensive analysis of the available evidence covering 20 years' worth of data spanning the fields of palaeontology, geochemistry, climate modelling, geophysics and sedimentology, 41 international experts from 33 institutions reviewed available evidence and concluded that the impact at Chicxulub triggered the mass extinctions during K-T boundary including those of dinosaurs.[6][7]
The impact would have caused some of the largest megatsunamis in Earth's history, reaching thousands of feet high. A cloud of super-heated dust, ash and steam would have spread from the crater, as the impactor burrowed underground in less than a second.[26] Excavated material along with pieces of the impactor, ejected out of the atmosphere by the blast, would have been heated to incandescence upon re-entry, broiling the Earth's surface and possibly igniting global wildfires; meanwhile, colossal shock waves spawned global earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.[27] The emission of dust and particles could have covered the entire surface of the Earth for several years, possibly a decade, creating a harsh environment for living things. The shock production of carbon dioxide caused by the destruction of carbonate rocks would have led to a sudden greenhouse effect.[28] Over a longer period of time, sunlight would have been blocked from reaching the surface of the earth by the dust particles in the atmosphere, cooling the surface dramatically. Photosynthesis by plants would also have been interrupted, affecting the entire food chain.[29][30] There was however a quick recovery of plants only few months after the impacts. A model of the event developed by Lomax et al. (2001) showed that net primary productivity (NPP) rates would have increased to higher than pre-impact levels because of the high carbon dioxide concentrations, as growing leaves have a higher NPP than mature leaves.[31]
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, Cozumel
Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been fighting the ear infection I acquired diving the Cenotes - see tomorrow's post. So this day's blog was written after my return.
So..Cozumel...I appeared at Jason's shack around 8 AM and was a bit surprised to hear I'd be going to Cozumel to meet up with a different dive operation. But Jason walked me down to the ferry dock, through picking up the ticket and standing in line.
There we were joined by Patrice, another divemaster, who was accompanying a diver to Cozumel. Patrice was from France, but had lived in the US, but now in Mexico. He had been a wine merchant in France. His diver was a doctor from Mississippi. I guess someone has to live there. Eventually I found out she had done most of her diving in Okinawa during her military service.
Eventually we boarded the ferry and headed to the top deck. As usual, on dives, I was so focused on the upcoming dive, that the ferry trip sort of passed me by. Most of our fellow passengers were Mexicans on vacation. You could not see Cozumel from the mainland - it's about 15 miles away. Immediately when we landed, the dive boat was docked at the pier and we headed there, boarded and quickly took off.
It was the four of us diving - Patrice, his diver, the Mexican divemaster and me. We headed south along the waterfront to a spot dubbed "<name of divemaster>'s reef" - really the end of Santa Rosa wall. I had been worried that a wall would be a precipice. But it sounded like it was more of a steep slope, which would be ok with me.
We jumped off the boat.
and headed down to a large coral head.
It was a drift dive.
Frankly, with all the stimulus of this trip, it is hard to remember particulars other than, in one way it was so impressive - total visibility, typical Caribbean flora and fauna - but totally wonderful - the dive I had always wanted to take.
The next dive - Paradise Reef - north of the first, another drift dive, was even more impressive. My only disappointment was not seeing larger marine beings. I think some of the scarcity was due to the recent storm. And indeed, that is why we did not dive Santa Rosa wall. For this reason, I would definitely want to return during non-hurricane season.
We surfaced on a line the divemaster launched to the surface and headed back to the dive shop, where a rooftop restaurant provided a much-appreciated lunch in a scenic location - by the water, under a thatched roof. Afterward, we boarded the boat and were taken back to the ferry terminal. We were given a time to be back for the ferry and let loose to explore town. I walked around the large square, assaulted by the vendors who have congregated to serve the cruise ships, but enjoying the young Mayan families. Finally I bought a coke, just to ease the heat, and started back to the ferry. Just then we heard cannon or rifle shots. By the time I returned to the ferry terminal, a procession was passing. The typical Catholic banners and the faithful, a band. They proceeded onto the dock and boarded a small ship which later headed north. It was the day of the saint of the fisherman.
I headed back onto the ferry and onto the top deck where I found Patrice. This leg of the journey had a band heading to work on the mainland who played for the 40 minute transit. I got off the ferry and walked the 2 blocks to opposite the bus terminal where Jason was waiting. Today he drove me back to the resort. Though I had reserved the shuttle bus, I was not about to turn down a private shuttle.
Off to dinner and early to bed for the diving on the next day - the Cenotes!
So..Cozumel...I appeared at Jason's shack around 8 AM and was a bit surprised to hear I'd be going to Cozumel to meet up with a different dive operation. But Jason walked me down to the ferry dock, through picking up the ticket and standing in line.
There we were joined by Patrice, another divemaster, who was accompanying a diver to Cozumel. Patrice was from France, but had lived in the US, but now in Mexico. He had been a wine merchant in France. His diver was a doctor from Mississippi. I guess someone has to live there. Eventually I found out she had done most of her diving in Okinawa during her military service.
Eventually we boarded the ferry and headed to the top deck. As usual, on dives, I was so focused on the upcoming dive, that the ferry trip sort of passed me by. Most of our fellow passengers were Mexicans on vacation. You could not see Cozumel from the mainland - it's about 15 miles away. Immediately when we landed, the dive boat was docked at the pier and we headed there, boarded and quickly took off.
It was the four of us diving - Patrice, his diver, the Mexican divemaster and me. We headed south along the waterfront to a spot dubbed "<name of divemaster>'s reef" - really the end of Santa Rosa wall. I had been worried that a wall would be a precipice. But it sounded like it was more of a steep slope, which would be ok with me.
We jumped off the boat.
and headed down to a large coral head.
It was a drift dive.
Frankly, with all the stimulus of this trip, it is hard to remember particulars other than, in one way it was so impressive - total visibility, typical Caribbean flora and fauna - but totally wonderful - the dive I had always wanted to take.
The next dive - Paradise Reef - north of the first, another drift dive, was even more impressive. My only disappointment was not seeing larger marine beings. I think some of the scarcity was due to the recent storm. And indeed, that is why we did not dive Santa Rosa wall. For this reason, I would definitely want to return during non-hurricane season.
We surfaced on a line the divemaster launched to the surface and headed back to the dive shop, where a rooftop restaurant provided a much-appreciated lunch in a scenic location - by the water, under a thatched roof. Afterward, we boarded the boat and were taken back to the ferry terminal. We were given a time to be back for the ferry and let loose to explore town. I walked around the large square, assaulted by the vendors who have congregated to serve the cruise ships, but enjoying the young Mayan families. Finally I bought a coke, just to ease the heat, and started back to the ferry. Just then we heard cannon or rifle shots. By the time I returned to the ferry terminal, a procession was passing. The typical Catholic banners and the faithful, a band. They proceeded onto the dock and boarded a small ship which later headed north. It was the day of the saint of the fisherman.
I headed back onto the ferry and onto the top deck where I found Patrice. This leg of the journey had a band heading to work on the mainland who played for the 40 minute transit. I got off the ferry and walked the 2 blocks to opposite the bus terminal where Jason was waiting. Today he drove me back to the resort. Though I had reserved the shuttle bus, I was not about to turn down a private shuttle.
Off to dinner and early to bed for the diving on the next day - the Cenotes!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Diving, Part III - Playa reefs
Tuesday, the first dive day, after retraining the fiancee, the skipper powered up the boat and we headed north to our first dive. Jason explained that, due to Tropical Storm Matthew that had passed to the south, and the wind and rain that had been happening the last three days, the current was still strong, but he was taking us to a reef that was shaped like a hand, with fingers. When you were between the fingers, it was relatively calm. When you rounded the end of a finger, the current was going to be swift.
We peeled off the boat, falling backward into the water and immediately swimming to the bow to the anchorline, and down we went. White sandy bottom next to the reef, and, oh yes, the current was swift. This was more than a drift dive; it was a drift-with-a-fast-current dive. I was amazed by the way the ocean appeared at the bottom - white, white sand going off into the distance, where it formed an ethereal border with the blue water. The visibility was great, but so great, with just a flat bottom, the transition from white sand to blue water formed a dramatic horizon. Jason started showing us critters on the reef, but if you wanted to really take a look, you had to hold onto a rock.
We had a moment of confusion when Jason pointed out a black and white moray and put my hand on a rock to hold on and take a look. I thought he meant to hang on there and he was going to bring the others to show them. Next thing I knew they were all trying to swim back to me, wondering if I was in trouble! We got the misunderstanding straightened out, and on we went. It was exciting going around the fingers, but a relief to be in the quiet between the fingers, though we were still moving along at a good clip.
I think we were all a little overwhelmed by the current on the dive. When we got back to the boat, Jason promised a peaceful dive in the next location. Again, falling from a sitting position backward into the water, we swam to the anchor line and descended. Again the beautiful underwater horizon. But this time, just enough current to be able to fly over the landscape without effort. It was a nice, peaceful dive after the first one, and I started to take in the Caribbean landscape of sponges, lobsters, shrimp, corals and rocks colored brilliant hues by low-level life.
These first two dives, I was focused on reviving the skills I mastered in my Advanced Open Water Dive Certification in Kauai September 2009 - weighting, puffing just enough air into my vest once I bottomed in order to achieve neutral buoyancy, doing a minimal amount of adding and removing air from the jacket to go up and down, using my breath instead.
You can see many more photos and video footage at Jason's web site: Fantasea Diving, Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico
The "News" link has lots of great video: Videos of Playa del Carmen
We surfaced, satisfied and motored a short distance back to the beach directly opposite the dive shack. Rain was threatening by this time, and we happily waded into shore. After depositing my gear, I went next door - described in another post - and was ushered back onto the beach where I lingered, enjoying grouper under the umbrellas out of the rain.
After lunch, I wandered up Avenida Quinta, avoiding the salespeople, stopped for a frappachino at a Starbucks, and made it about a mile north to the point to meet the shuttle from the hotel at 3 PM. While I was trying to figure out where, exactly, the shuttle bus stopped, a guy in front of his shop offered me a chair as he confirmed where the bus stopped. I was a bit wary at first. But we ended up sitting there and talking for a good 15 minutes. Like so many, he spoke pretty decent English, and he was appreciative of my efforts to speak Spanish. And, like so many, he was a wonderful conversationalist. He had worked in Oklahoma as a welder. He could work as a welder in Mexico too, but he actually made more money selling to the tourists, even though it was not his shop. Up to $1000 a week. The biggest problem in Mexico, he said, was how long the hours were. He worked 14 hour days in the shop. But it was easy work compared to welding 14 hours a day. He was from Veracruz and had come to the Yucatan for work. This interaction was one of many I had with the Mexican people in this area - pleasant, eager to connect on a human level, warm and emotional.
Finally the bus came, and I saw that the bevy of tourists waiting 25 feet away were from the resort, and I hustled over. The bus driver checked off my name on the list (you had to make a reservation), and we headed back through the back roads, just like the cab the day before. This was the only time I ended up taking the shuttle bus back. I got back to my villa and fell into bed, only rousing myself at 8 to go to dinner.
We peeled off the boat, falling backward into the water and immediately swimming to the bow to the anchorline, and down we went. White sandy bottom next to the reef, and, oh yes, the current was swift. This was more than a drift dive; it was a drift-with-a-fast-current dive. I was amazed by the way the ocean appeared at the bottom - white, white sand going off into the distance, where it formed an ethereal border with the blue water. The visibility was great, but so great, with just a flat bottom, the transition from white sand to blue water formed a dramatic horizon. Jason started showing us critters on the reef, but if you wanted to really take a look, you had to hold onto a rock.
We had a moment of confusion when Jason pointed out a black and white moray and put my hand on a rock to hold on and take a look. I thought he meant to hang on there and he was going to bring the others to show them. Next thing I knew they were all trying to swim back to me, wondering if I was in trouble! We got the misunderstanding straightened out, and on we went. It was exciting going around the fingers, but a relief to be in the quiet between the fingers, though we were still moving along at a good clip.
I think we were all a little overwhelmed by the current on the dive. When we got back to the boat, Jason promised a peaceful dive in the next location. Again, falling from a sitting position backward into the water, we swam to the anchor line and descended. Again the beautiful underwater horizon. But this time, just enough current to be able to fly over the landscape without effort. It was a nice, peaceful dive after the first one, and I started to take in the Caribbean landscape of sponges, lobsters, shrimp, corals and rocks colored brilliant hues by low-level life.
These first two dives, I was focused on reviving the skills I mastered in my Advanced Open Water Dive Certification in Kauai September 2009 - weighting, puffing just enough air into my vest once I bottomed in order to achieve neutral buoyancy, doing a minimal amount of adding and removing air from the jacket to go up and down, using my breath instead.
You can see many more photos and video footage at Jason's web site: Fantasea Diving, Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico
The "News" link has lots of great video: Videos of Playa del Carmen
We surfaced, satisfied and motored a short distance back to the beach directly opposite the dive shack. Rain was threatening by this time, and we happily waded into shore. After depositing my gear, I went next door - described in another post - and was ushered back onto the beach where I lingered, enjoying grouper under the umbrellas out of the rain.
After lunch, I wandered up Avenida Quinta, avoiding the salespeople, stopped for a frappachino at a Starbucks, and made it about a mile north to the point to meet the shuttle from the hotel at 3 PM. While I was trying to figure out where, exactly, the shuttle bus stopped, a guy in front of his shop offered me a chair as he confirmed where the bus stopped. I was a bit wary at first. But we ended up sitting there and talking for a good 15 minutes. Like so many, he spoke pretty decent English, and he was appreciative of my efforts to speak Spanish. And, like so many, he was a wonderful conversationalist. He had worked in Oklahoma as a welder. He could work as a welder in Mexico too, but he actually made more money selling to the tourists, even though it was not his shop. Up to $1000 a week. The biggest problem in Mexico, he said, was how long the hours were. He worked 14 hour days in the shop. But it was easy work compared to welding 14 hours a day. He was from Veracruz and had come to the Yucatan for work. This interaction was one of many I had with the Mexican people in this area - pleasant, eager to connect on a human level, warm and emotional.
Finally the bus came, and I saw that the bevy of tourists waiting 25 feet away were from the resort, and I hustled over. The bus driver checked off my name on the list (you had to make a reservation), and we headed back through the back roads, just like the cab the day before. This was the only time I ended up taking the shuttle bus back. I got back to my villa and fell into bed, only rousing myself at 8 to go to dinner.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Diving, Part II
On the block leading down to Jason's shack, which is right at the edge of the beach, there are at least three hotels, advertising European rates - $40 - $60 a night. I peeked in, and they all looked fine, and the people coming out looked fine too. Jason attested to these lodgings. Of course there is the Royal resort at the north end of town, and my super-deluxe place. But if I returned, I would be happy to stay in one of these places in the quaint (though hardly 30 year old) atmosphere around Avenida Quinta, even though Avenida Quinta is very touristy. But it has a certain charm, and, with the mix of Mexicans, Europeans, some Americans, it feels safe. People told me it is safe in the evenings too. Police make their presence known, and the strip has familiar amenities scattered between interesting-looking hotels and restaurants and bars.
Across the street they were advertising Temazcal experiences, with a Mayan shaman. Now, I live just north of the neighborhood of Temescal. Temescal is a sweatlodge, and I love living in the Temescal Creek drainage, dreaming of sweatlodges peppered here and there. It's a mystical place.
On to diving. Tuesday, soon after I arrived, the young engaged couple arrived with whom we would be diving. From Vancouver. The guy had recently certified and had great stories to tell of the beauty of diving in the Pacific Northwest. We put on our wetsuits and dragged our gear across the sand to the boat, and Jason and his hangers-on dragged the tanks. Waded out chest-high and clambered aboard. This was not your usual dive boat. Maybe it could hold six, but we had four. The ladder up was the aluminum-bar type that hurts your feet when you have 45 lbs of tanks and weights on your back.
Off we went about a mile south to a shallow spot where Jason could take the engagee through her paces, since she had not dived since she was 12. Her boyfriend and I snorkeled around inside the reef. The storm dampened the visiblity of aquatic life, but it was exciting to be getting acquainted with the environs. At one point a small blue-stripped fish swam toward me, curious. I love that type of interaction.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Diving
Three days of incredible diving. I only have 23 minutes left on my internet card here at the resort, so I'll flesh out this post in more detail later.
First day, from a small boat off Playa del Carmen. The weather was still mixed, and the current at the first site very swift.
Wednesday, ferry to Cozumel and right onto the dive boat where we dove two incredible reefs, the water so clear you were almost tempted to take off your mask...huge purple, yellow-orange and various translucent colored corals.
Today, the cenotes in the jungle, two next to each other, the first named KuKulcan "The Snake" in Mayan, the second named Chac-mool, "The Jaguar." The trail through Cenote KuKulcan is 462 feet; the trail through Chac-mool is 1320 feet. When Polo, the cavern guide, took me down the path to look at the pools in the ground, I really wasn't so sure. I hadn't felt this shaking in my heart for a long time. But I had committed, and had faith it would not only be fine, but be incredible. That it was. I had expected the cenote to be a bottomless hole. Instead both were really cavern dives, with a somewhat small opening pool, where one descended and then proceeded horizontally into the cavern, sometimes through tunnels. A few highlights - the views of the entrance, the stalactites, the air hole where the tree roots dip down to drink. In many ways, easy dives - no waves, no potentially dangerous animals or boats - but instead the eeriness of being underwater, under the earth, being strong mentally to maintain control, at the same time, trying to relax and enjoy the dive. Truly a unique experience. I bought the video and the pictures and will post.
Later Thursday, I started packing since I'll be leaving here Saturday at 10. And tomorrow, Friday, I'm off to Chichen Itza. Tulum is probably the most beautiful ruin, but CI is the largest and most impressive. Couldn't miss it.
I'll post more when I get back to Oakland.
First day, from a small boat off Playa del Carmen. The weather was still mixed, and the current at the first site very swift.
Wednesday, ferry to Cozumel and right onto the dive boat where we dove two incredible reefs, the water so clear you were almost tempted to take off your mask...huge purple, yellow-orange and various translucent colored corals.
Today, the cenotes in the jungle, two next to each other, the first named KuKulcan "The Snake" in Mayan, the second named Chac-mool, "The Jaguar." The trail through Cenote KuKulcan is 462 feet; the trail through Chac-mool is 1320 feet. When Polo, the cavern guide, took me down the path to look at the pools in the ground, I really wasn't so sure. I hadn't felt this shaking in my heart for a long time. But I had committed, and had faith it would not only be fine, but be incredible. That it was. I had expected the cenote to be a bottomless hole. Instead both were really cavern dives, with a somewhat small opening pool, where one descended and then proceeded horizontally into the cavern, sometimes through tunnels. A few highlights - the views of the entrance, the stalactites, the air hole where the tree roots dip down to drink. In many ways, easy dives - no waves, no potentially dangerous animals or boats - but instead the eeriness of being underwater, under the earth, being strong mentally to maintain control, at the same time, trying to relax and enjoy the dive. Truly a unique experience. I bought the video and the pictures and will post.
Later Thursday, I started packing since I'll be leaving here Saturday at 10. And tomorrow, Friday, I'm off to Chichen Itza. Tulum is probably the most beautiful ruin, but CI is the largest and most impressive. Couldn't miss it.
I'll post more when I get back to Oakland.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday
Up bright and early to go into Playa del Carmen to Jason's Fantasea Diving for my first dive. Playa was pretty much what I expected, but I was surprised when the cab driver, Moises, said he couldn't drive any farther and I would have to walk the rest of the way with my dive gear. Fantasea Dive Shop is at Calle 2 and Avenida Quinta, and both 5th and 10th avenues are pedestrian only. The avenues are numbered, 5, 10, 15, etc., no 6, 7 etc. Makes the town seem bigger and more cosmopolitan, I guess.
Fantasea Dive Shop, Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico
Down two blocks watching the early morning activities, across Avenida Quinta, "Fifth Avenue," and down the hill toward the beach.
And there, in the midst of all this, stood Jason.
Bad news, he said, the water is just too choppy to go out, the current will be too strong, and the viz will be poor. Jason has his dive shop in a little thatched-roofed shack, the third oldest building in Playa. Playa is only about 30 years old. The development of Cancun and environs is recent. But that is another story. We chatted for a while. After all, we will be diving for the next couple days.
How to save the day? Well, I'm in Playa, part way to Tulum, with the bus station 2 blocks away. So off I went. Information, as always, was spotty. So we ended up waiting 40 minutes for the next bus for a 45 minute ride to Tulum. I could have taken the white mini-buses for $2.50 one way, instead of $3.50, from the same general area. But, when it's time to return, you end up sitting forever in the bus until the driver gets a full load.
I teamed up with a couple from Arkansas - Jason said you had to take a cab from the highway to Tulum so I suggested we share a cab once we got there. Eventually, the bus to Tulum boarded and we took off in the typical plush Mexican bus, with a Hanna Montana movie and all. The bus dropped us at the Tulum ruin entrance, rather than the town of Tulum, so no cab was necessary. At Tulum, we meandered toward a booth that had guides to offer. The Arkansas couple opted for the "fun" excursion, where they would tour the ruins themselves and then board a boat to view the ruins from the sea. Wanting a tour guide, and at the cheaper "3 for 1" rate, I convinced a French-Canadian uncle/niece duo to let me join their tour in French. It does come in handy speaking another language! We ended up with a most delightful guide - half Italian, half Mayan who was perfectly willing to repeat the explanation in English if I missed a fine point. The uncle could speak English as well, so we all got along famously between French, English and Spanish.
We entered by one of the northern portals.
Tulum is the only ruin situated right by the sea - you see it gracing many advertisements for the Yucatan. But there is much more to the ruins than what is pictured - the chief's house, houses of nobles, foundations, an observatory, spread over several acres. Our guide had lots of interesting tidbits as we made our way through the ruins, among them, that the archeologists still don't know where the people who lived at Tulum went to the bathroom! As was the pattern, these stone ruins were the "power centers" of the community - where the priestly class lived. The ordinary folks, who contributed their young for sacrifices, lived outside the walls in grass huts. They made their living off the sea and trade. Tulum had access to both land and sea trade routes and which made it an extremely important trade hub, especially for the obsidian trade. Coral, shells and chicle (chewing gum), feathers, copper (from the interior) and jade were also important exports.
As we progressed through the ruins, it got hotter and hotter under the midday sun...so incredibly hot! we were soaked with sweat. And we jumped from time to time as iguanas emerged from what seemed an innocent perspective. They were big, munching on the grass, sometimes with a baby nearby. Finally we got to the amazing view over the water during a brief period of sun.
The beach below was so white with water of such a light aqua blue hue it was hard to believe it was real! The wooden walkway down was inviting, but the sea was full of detritus from the storm. And I had neither a bathing suit or a camera, having taken this trip on a whim. Now I know - always take a bathing suit with you in the Yucatan. This knowledge will serve me well when we go to Chichen Itza.
I saw the sky filling with clouds and, even though rain would be a relief from the heat, preferred to stay dry. I headed back to the road and went to the bus shack. I had gotten poor information - the bus did not arrive on the hour, every hour. The schedule was posted on a board - it would be another half hour before it arrived. The bus station manager sat behind his booth. I stepped outside the shack toward the road and sat on a concrete wall - it was cooler. Realizing I had some time, I decided to risk the ice cream the young girl had tried to sell me on the way in. I walked over to her shack and paid an exorbitant price - $3 I think - for a cone. But boy, what a relief. And delicious coconut ice cream.
I find these sort of interludes were fascinating. After about 10 minutes a tourist couple arrived and sat in the open-air building until they too figured out it was cooler outside. Then a thin, young, foreign? man arrived, spoke to the manager, and eventually settled opposite me, reading a book. He looked like someone doing a lot of traveling. A group of 4 young men arrived with suitcases walking down the road from behind us, probably heading to one of the rustic beach hotels. At one point, the station manager walked over and stuck his head out to look at the sky - "Lluvia," he said. This sort of image makes an indelible mental imprint that helps with learning a language - "Rain" - a strange word. But now I know it is derived from the Latin "pluvia," and we see the cognate in French, "pleuvoir." Maybe the "pl" to "ll" (pronounced "ya") transformation is something I should look for in other words. And indeed, by the time we were on the bus, the rain had started. It broke when we got to PDC, and I walked across the street to get a cab. The cabs were lined up, with the drivers in crisp uniforms standing around chatting.
Tuesday will be the first day of diving. But right now, writing this Wednesday night, I need to get dinner and to bed for my third day of diving. Just a prelude, the first diving day was off Playa, and today at Cozumel. Much to tell! Tomorrow a cenote!
Fantasea Dive Shop, Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico
Down two blocks watching the early morning activities, across Avenida Quinta, "Fifth Avenue," and down the hill toward the beach.
And there, in the midst of all this, stood Jason.
Bad news, he said, the water is just too choppy to go out, the current will be too strong, and the viz will be poor. Jason has his dive shop in a little thatched-roofed shack, the third oldest building in Playa. Playa is only about 30 years old. The development of Cancun and environs is recent. But that is another story. We chatted for a while. After all, we will be diving for the next couple days.
I teamed up with a couple from Arkansas - Jason said you had to take a cab from the highway to Tulum so I suggested we share a cab once we got there. Eventually, the bus to Tulum boarded and we took off in the typical plush Mexican bus, with a Hanna Montana movie and all. The bus dropped us at the Tulum ruin entrance, rather than the town of Tulum, so no cab was necessary. At Tulum, we meandered toward a booth that had guides to offer. The Arkansas couple opted for the "fun" excursion, where they would tour the ruins themselves and then board a boat to view the ruins from the sea. Wanting a tour guide, and at the cheaper "3 for 1" rate, I convinced a French-Canadian uncle/niece duo to let me join their tour in French. It does come in handy speaking another language! We ended up with a most delightful guide - half Italian, half Mayan who was perfectly willing to repeat the explanation in English if I missed a fine point. The uncle could speak English as well, so we all got along famously between French, English and Spanish.
We entered by one of the northern portals.
Tulum is the only ruin situated right by the sea - you see it gracing many advertisements for the Yucatan. But there is much more to the ruins than what is pictured - the chief's house, houses of nobles, foundations, an observatory, spread over several acres. Our guide had lots of interesting tidbits as we made our way through the ruins, among them, that the archeologists still don't know where the people who lived at Tulum went to the bathroom! As was the pattern, these stone ruins were the "power centers" of the community - where the priestly class lived. The ordinary folks, who contributed their young for sacrifices, lived outside the walls in grass huts. They made their living off the sea and trade. Tulum had access to both land and sea trade routes and which made it an extremely important trade hub, especially for the obsidian trade. Coral, shells and chicle (chewing gum), feathers, copper (from the interior) and jade were also important exports.
As we progressed through the ruins, it got hotter and hotter under the midday sun...so incredibly hot! we were soaked with sweat. And we jumped from time to time as iguanas emerged from what seemed an innocent perspective. They were big, munching on the grass, sometimes with a baby nearby. Finally we got to the amazing view over the water during a brief period of sun.
The beach below was so white with water of such a light aqua blue hue it was hard to believe it was real! The wooden walkway down was inviting, but the sea was full of detritus from the storm. And I had neither a bathing suit or a camera, having taken this trip on a whim. Now I know - always take a bathing suit with you in the Yucatan. This knowledge will serve me well when we go to Chichen Itza.
I saw the sky filling with clouds and, even though rain would be a relief from the heat, preferred to stay dry. I headed back to the road and went to the bus shack. I had gotten poor information - the bus did not arrive on the hour, every hour. The schedule was posted on a board - it would be another half hour before it arrived. The bus station manager sat behind his booth. I stepped outside the shack toward the road and sat on a concrete wall - it was cooler. Realizing I had some time, I decided to risk the ice cream the young girl had tried to sell me on the way in. I walked over to her shack and paid an exorbitant price - $3 I think - for a cone. But boy, what a relief. And delicious coconut ice cream.
I find these sort of interludes were fascinating. After about 10 minutes a tourist couple arrived and sat in the open-air building until they too figured out it was cooler outside. Then a thin, young, foreign? man arrived, spoke to the manager, and eventually settled opposite me, reading a book. He looked like someone doing a lot of traveling. A group of 4 young men arrived with suitcases walking down the road from behind us, probably heading to one of the rustic beach hotels. At one point, the station manager walked over and stuck his head out to look at the sky - "Lluvia," he said. This sort of image makes an indelible mental imprint that helps with learning a language - "Rain" - a strange word. But now I know it is derived from the Latin "pluvia," and we see the cognate in French, "pleuvoir." Maybe the "pl" to "ll" (pronounced "ya") transformation is something I should look for in other words. And indeed, by the time we were on the bus, the rain had started. It broke when we got to PDC, and I walked across the street to get a cab. The cabs were lined up, with the drivers in crisp uniforms standing around chatting.
Tuesday will be the first day of diving. But right now, writing this Wednesday night, I need to get dinner and to bed for my third day of diving. Just a prelude, the first diving day was off Playa, and today at Cozumel. Much to tell! Tomorrow a cenote!
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