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November 5, 2012
For our Yucatan Mexico trip in November 2012, we stayed on Soliman Bay, along what is known as the "Riviera Maya", at Casa del Corazon ("house of heart") in their large, cosy, and fully equipped "bungalow 1".
The jaguar eating a heart is depicted in a stone carving at Chichén Itzá, and reproduced in art throughout the area. It is thought to be a Maya symbol of re-birth and power.
The cloth in the right corner hides a television and dvd player which can be used to be entertained from a library of dvds.
The main downstairs bedroom has a kingsize bed, desk, closet and dresser area, and a pass-code safe for keeping valuables.
The curved wall within the bathroom is the shower: a step in from either side, tile, open shower that was really nice to use. It's a spacious and light full bathroom.
Up the interior stairs is a loft with two twin beds.
The kitchen had everything we could have needed for any length of stay.
A tile patio behind the bungalow had chairs for lounging and outside dining. It was the perfect place for breakfast each morning.
Up the outside spiral stairs is a second bedroom with a queen-size bed and beautiful domed brick ceiling, as well as a second bathroom.
For more photos of the beach and bay behind our casita, check out my Bay Life post.
building (4), degree (16), mexico (12), travel (8)
Degree (56), Mexico (11)
November 9, 2012
A lake across the street from the the Coba ruins entrance.
Phoenix rising! Sunset over the Yucatan from Lake Macanxoc. Our last evening in Mexico.
arianna (27), coba (2), degree (16), lake (3), mexico (12), rick (15), sunset (27)
Arianna (20), Degree (56), Mexico (11), Sunsets (32)
So peaceful.
Our casita was right on the beach and so we took advantage of that every moment we could (while not away sightseeing or cooking in the fully equipped bungalow kitchen), and snorkeled, swam, played with fish, read in hammocks, walked on the beach, and watched the pelicans fishing.
Kayaks and snorkels for our use.
About as graceful as a pelican's dive.
The pelicans liked to hang out with Rick while he swam.
Our slice of beautiful bay. That's Rick and a pelican out there. That green stuff under the water, sea grass, was full of fish and other bay life.
A male and female pair seemed to share the beach and fish with us.
They made a funny splash diving for fish.
Reading a good book. Kicking back in hammocks under our beach palapa.
Nuestra casita. Being on our own private beach was so incredible.
Giant hermit crab lived in a hole by the back door.
There were cute geckos inside the bungalow and out. I chased this one around the trunk of one of the many coconut trees around the patio.
I think this was an osprey flying over our beach.
Flock of egrets....
...and a flock of little sand piper birds.
The white sand was made of tiny shell and coral particles.
Chile, one of the two resident dotsons.
Sunrise on our last morning.
arianna (27), bay (2), beach (9), birds (27), crab (2), creatures (34), degree (16), mexico (12), rick (15), sand (1), soliman-bay (2), travel (8)
Birds (27), Creatures (75), Degree (56), Mexico (11)
November 8, 2012
The pyramid of Kulkulkan/Quetzalcoatl. A temple that has become very iconic this year!
Our birthday trip to Chichen Itza! While it has some of the most spectacular and well maintained structures, thousands of ghostly columns, and carvings everywhere... the site was busy with tourists and obnoxious peddlers of souvenirs making jaguar screams.
The serpent's tongue.
Columnata Oesta.
Templo de los Guerreros.
Columnata Norte.
There are so many carved stones just laying around this site.
Jaguar, eagle, and snake.
This building overlooks the ballcourt (which we didn't get to see since we were made to leave for closing).
The top of the tower overlooking the ballcourt.
El Castillo, as the sun sets.
Guillo el Gigante y su Castillo. (Rick the Giant and his castle.)
castle (3), chichen-itza (1), degree (16), mexico (12), pyramid (1), rick (15), ruins (5), temple (3), yucatan (7)
Degree (56), Mexico (11)
Our birthday was spent traveling deep into the Yucatan to visit some of the more distant ruins sites, starting with this one.
The entrance arch that leads to the city.
Side view of the entrance arch.
The ballcourt, completed in 841 CE.
The Oval Palace, ceremonial structure.
A northward view of the the El Trono temple and other structures from atop the Oval Palace.
These walls can't keep me out.
Winged warriors.
A view of the other structures from atop the temple El Trono ("The Throne"). It's thought that Ukit Kan Le'k Tok' (who ruled during the height of the city, from 770 to 797 or 802 CE) is buried inside.
Southern view from atop the temple. It's sweaty work climbing all these stairs.
arianna (27), degree (16), iguana (3), mexico (12), rick (15), ruins (5), travel (8), yucatan (7)
Degree (56), Mexico (11)
November 9, 2012
The light at the end of the tunnel...
Coba is a large site, with five different groupings of structures, with some distance between. Much to explore.
Hoop at the ballcourt. Some ritual games ended in sacrifice, or by decapitating the losers.
Templo de la Iglesia, "Temple of the Church", is second in height at Cobá but roped off from climbing. There was at least a dozen vultures at the top.
Nohoch Mul ("large hill") pyramid, 138 feet high, the highest in the Yucatan peninsula.
Since they were trying to close the site for the evening, we literally ran most of the distance from the "Coba group" of structures near the lake to this pyramid. After the jog, it was especially hard work climbing to the top in the hot sun! But rumors are, after this year, they will be closing this off from climbing.
Altar room at the top of the Nohoch Mul pyramid.
The Yucatan and lake Macanxoc behind me. Security are below yelling to us to come down.
Security made us leave. We were the last to head out, but had our pick of bicycle cabs to get back. We got a kid who was as fast as the wind, and how nice that felt on my sweaty skin!
arianna (27), coba (2), mexico (12), pyramids (1), rick (15), ruins (5), travel (8), yucatan (7)
Mexico (11)
November 7, 2012
Wildlife along the rough dirt road out to our bungalow on Soliman Bay.
birds (27), creatures (34), iguana (3), laguna (3), mexico (12), road (5), soliman-bay (2), yucatan (7)
Birds (27), Creatures (75), Mexico (11)
November 6, 2012
Temple of the Frescos
The pre-Columbian city of Tulúm was built on a bluff, surrounded by walls on three sides and protected by coastal cliffs on the east. It was a port city, where land and water routes met for trading, and it was an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending god.
During our visit, iguanas populated the ruins. One kept watch perched over the entrance in the wall:
This was the second site we visited on our trip and found it much more crowded than Muyil with tourists from all over the world. The structures were off limits to visitors.
Except iguanas...
So many iguanas sunbathing on the ruins!
The whole area of the walled city had expansive manicured lawns, with modern Maya weed-whacking and mowing as we strolled around on the designated paths.
Templo del Dios Descendente (Temple of the Descending God) and Pyramid El Castillo (The Castle)
A dark little cenote under the structure above, the fresh water source for the ancient Maya of this village.
Templo Dios del Viento (God of Winds Temple) to the north.
The huge iguanas lounging everywhere seemed to have no fear.
arianna (27), castle (3), creatures (34), degree (16), iguana (3), maya (2), mexico (12), rick (15), ruins (5), temple (3), tulum (1), yucatan (7)
Degree (56), Mexico (11)
After our morning trip south to Muyil, we headed back to Tulum and got lunch at Anna y Jose Beach Club, a restaurant and bar located on a quintessential Caribbean beach. As we dinned and sipped a margarita, the place began to fill up with afternoon diners and sunbathers there for the lounge chairs, cushy covered wooden platform beach beds, and warm ocean.
The restaurant "inside" and out had sand floors, except for the deck area closest to the ocean where we dinned. As we entered the place we were greeted by an adorable yellow crab scurrying along.
bar (1), beach (9), caribbean (1), crab (2), creatures (34), drinks (1), mexico (12), ocean (33), restaurant (5), travel (8), yucatan (7)
Mexico (11)
The first Maya ruins site we visited was one off the beaten path about 30 minutes south of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, located within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. We had the place to ourselves as we strolled along the sacbe to the castillo y templo.
The steps of the castle were roped off from people climbing them, but we could otherwise get up close to the structures. This ended up being one of my favorite ruins sites to visit because of the quiet peacefulness, just us and the forest around us. Other than the park employee at the entrance taking the state fee (about $3.25 per person), there were no venders selling trinkets.
Everywhere we went around many of the ruins sites, we came across termite nests on the ground or in trees with tubes running along the branches. Other than our hike along the designated paths, we did not hike into the jungle much but I did spot one fungi growing on a stump.
It's thought the Maya began building the site around 300 BC and populated it until the early 1500s, around the time of the Spanish conquest of the Yucatan. The ancient Maya had dredged a narrow canal system from the surrounding lagoons for about 12 kilometers to gain access to the Caribbean.
A couple of the structures, such as the temple, were unprotected and open to climb on and explore.
arianna (27), castle (3), degree (16), flowers (37), maya (2), mexico (12), mushrooms (7), rick (15), ruins (5), temple (3), travel (8), yucatan (7)
Degree (56), Mexico (11)
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Arianna Helen