Riviera Maya

More than just an Ocean View Room

When friends found out Alex and I were going to Cancun, the first question they asked was which resort were we staying at? I admit it wasn't the first time friends have made such general assumptions about travel habits to major destinations. We had no intention of staying in a resort, let alone in Cancun, instead opting to rent a car and head south away from touristy crowds towards the more secluded Riviera Maya. Speeding down the two-lane highway past mega golf/beach resorts with titanic-sized entrances lavishly adorned with fountains, fire pits, and architectural marvel rivaling the Las Vegas strip, we arrived in the laid back seaside town of Akumal.  


The internet has birthed many great ideas in our time, but more importantly has facilitated a "renaissance" of cross-cultural interaction locked away since the end of World War II. Without question the Millennial Generation has proven itself more akin to the Greatest Generation than any other for their willingness to innovate, adapt, and become self-reliant with a technological pocket knife at our disposal. The likes of AirBnB pay homage to the cleverness of our grandparents generation whose mindset can best be summed up in the words of Forrest Gump: "Since we had all these empty rooms, Mama decided to let those rooms out...that's how [we] got money." 

Camera Shy

Through AirBnB, Alex and I were able to forgo the overly marketed, shove-it-down-your-throat 'All-inclusive resort' in exchange for a two-story palapa hut right on the beach (we had to walk through sand to get to it). Compact yet perfectly sufficient, the hut - though lacking a bathroom - was a wonderful choice. We had to climb a ladder straight up from the sitting room to get to the barren bedroom above. The high, thatched roof screeched and scratched in the strong evening winds, the noise mimicking stormy rains which at times was deafening. And yet it created a perfect harmony of us and nature, a harmony most hotels never can duplicate. 


When not busy diving the Cenotes, we sipped delicious assortments of margaritas, daiquiris, and cervezas comfortably rocking on the tree swing chairs looped around the bar. The stench of rotting seaweed nearby was at times overpowering, enough to warrant more drinking and laying on the beach in lieu of swimming in the sea. At night we took strolls along the quiet beaches under a bright full moon sans any device that otherwise would diminish our temporary effort to forget all concept of time. 

Tulum Ruins

Before heading back north for more diving, we spent a few hours exploring the Maya ruins at Tulum, an iconic ancient city built on the cliffs overlooking the vast Caribbean. Walking the 1/2 mile up a dusty road towards the entrance, our attention was diverted to a baby leopard named Simba and his owner who for 200 pesos would let us hold the babe. The instant I cradled Simba in my arms I knew why people raise exotic pets - they are immeasurably adorable. Perhaps such experiences 70 years ago might have resulted in my grandfather shunning the barbaric practice of hunting for sport, undoubtedly his favorite past-time while living in India in the 1950s. 

Simba

Tulum was an extraordinary city relative to its time. European colonizers and their decadents (white man's history) is only just starting to credit native americans with forming truly complex civilizations. These people were neither barbarians nor a loose confederation of tribes, instead compromised of a civil society very similar to the socio-structures around the world today: upper and lower classes, theocratic rule, urban plans gentrified by class status (IS THERE NO HOPE FOR THE HUMAN RACE???) They were technologically advanced not just in the construction of intricately decorated stone buildings; they built off shore channels to aid in ships to approach the city for the import and export of goods. Channels! 

Grand Temple

The Maya engaged in trade throughout Central America to outposts of Mayan tribes in Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize. Tulum was a trading center for necessities like food as well as luxuries such as monkeys, birds, and furs. Wealth built impressive temples and above-ground mausoleums to protect the dead when the rainy season brought flooding to Yucatan. The high priest lived in an extravagant home adjacent the Grand Temple (a pyramid). A five-meter high wall surrounded the city on three sides manned by guards day and night to protect the citizens wealthy from raids by neighboring tribes. Peasants and farmers lived outside the city wall. 

Wealthy person's home inside the city wall

Scuba reigns supreme...

Mammoth Stingray??

Four dives were scheduled for one day in Cancun, the centerpiece being a jaunt at the Underwater Art Museum. After my stint in Cartagena several months previous, I made sure that copious amounts of dramamine were flowing through my veins prior to our seafaring journey. The water was clearly rough from the start - three to four-foot swells by my calculation. I knew I needed to get in the water and down as fast as possible. Dive one was exhilarating,   a wonderful wreck dive where we saw eagle rays, sting rays, sharks, a giant moray eel, and lots of fish. It was one of my all time favorite wrecks because we got to penetrate it, following a corridor that offered plenty to see as we passed each room. We finished on the covered aft deck. 

Eagle Ray

Back on the surface, back in Colombia. Seasickness got the better of me. Perhaps the Caribbean simply doesn't like me. There was no way to do the second dive because it was much shallower than the first, thus no escape from the rocking motion. Believe me, throwing up underwater isn't fun and I certainly wasn't up for it again. I suffered through the sea on the boat until it was time to head to shore to swap the tanks. Dive three was the underwater art museum; another seasick diver's reluctance to return gave a faint glimmer of hope that, provided it was just Alex and I, the instructor would take us only to the museum dive and then back to shore. Needless to say that flame died out suddenly, as did my chances of going back out. To be seasick or sleep by the pool? THAT was the question... 


I stayed by the pool while Alex captured some amazing photos:

Hey, Ted Kennedy, does this look familiar?

Our last day in Mexico, we drove three hours west to central Yucatan to visit Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan city. The Pyramid of Kukulcan centered on a green plaza towers over the city. In 2012, it was the sight of thousands who came to this place in anticipation of the end of the world - the end of the Maya Calendar. Like all doomsayers before them, they were utterly WRONG. 

Temple of Jaguars

The city dates from the 800s and was perhaps the most prominent and diverse city within the Mayan civilization. Large temples, sporting arenas, and 'government' buildings can be found in varying degrees of decay but more importantly architectural style. I was fascinated by the Temple of Jaguars and adjacent Ball Court, where Maya would play a primitive (dare I say primitive) form of basketball. One look at how high the goal is and even the Harlem Globetrotters would have been weary to play; then again, they would probably stand outside the arena and bounce the ball off three walls and into the goal whilst blindfolded and one arm tied behind their backs. 

The Church

We spent about three hours walking around the city complex, past several impressive structures: Temple of 1000 Warriors (1000 columns with warrior depictions carved on them); the Observatory complete with a stone dome; and the eclectic ruin known simply as "The Church" with stunning depictions and patterns carved into the facade. Tired and sweating profusely, we made our way back to the car and thanks to Alex's wonderful directions, arrived at the airport in time to grab a quick bite before boarding the plane. Though not a thorough exploration of Yucatan, we were quite content with tasting the culture and scenery a mere 90-minute flight from Austin. 

Pyramid of Kukultan - aka El Castillo