Voices In My Head

Here it is, the final vacation post. Sorry for the huge delay but blogging hasn’t been my top priority lately. But now that I’ve figured out my taxes (but not filed them yet) and still have a job I figure its time to take a few minutes to cover Kohunlich in Mexico.

The ship docked at Costa Maya, Mexico. No, you will not find this on any map or on accuweather.com. Costa Maya is actually the name of the port complex for cruise ships at Mahahual, Mexico. It had only been open to the cruise ship trade for a few years when it was slammed by hurricane Dean leaving it almost completely destroyed. The port town and pier have been rebuilt, mostly, and this is the first season it’s been open to ships again. The day we were there we were the only cruise ship docked. The whole place feels like a Disneyfied version of Mexico. A quick walk through the plaza and we were on the buses, out of the port area and into the real Mexico.

The area we drove through for the first 30 miles still showed the devastation from Dean. It wasn’t until we got pretty far inland that we finally got out of the hurricane damage and started seeing undamaged buildings. Our guide, Olda, spend the first part of the two-hour trip to Kohunlich telling us about the part of Mexico we were in, Quintana Roo, the Yucatan in general, and the history of the Mayans there. Olda explained that while she is half Mayan she can’t call herself a Maya because she doesn’t speak the language. Yet. She is currently learning so that she can claim that part of her heritage. In this part of Mexico several of the schools have started teaching the Mayan language and in some of them it is taught as the main language and Spanish is taught as a second language. It is all part of an effort to reclaim their Mayan ancestry. 

We passed by Bacalar and the Lake of Seven Colors. This is s resort region about midway between Mahahual and Kohunlich. The lake, or lagoon, is HUGE and absolutely beautiful. There are no rivers in this part of Mexico but they do have these inland freshwater lagoons. The water changes color from almost white to a deep dark blue. The changes aren’t gradual either but abrupt. The town of Bacalar is where we stopped for lunch on the way home. It is a resort town and much bigger than the villages we passed through. The restaurant where we had lunch was a great place and the food was wonderful. We got some time to go down to the waters edge and look around a bit. I would have liked to have spent more time here, as it was a really lovely place. 

When we reached Kohunlich we entered a region of sub-tropical rainforest. Driving into the site it was like what I’d pictured in my mind before we left on the trip – lots of trees, lots of green, seriously thick foliage just everywhere. We didn’t get that so much in Belize (forest but not a tropical forest) and Quiriqua (which had forest around it but was much more groomed and maintained). Walking into the site was just as cool as the path took us through some of the jungle before opening up onto the first plaza. A note here on “ugly Americans”. Olda told us before we got there that the sewage system in this area isn’t up to par and that when we got to the site we’d have a potty stop but there was one big rule – don’t flush the toilet paper. It clogs the toilets, doesn’t disintegrate fast enough, and the water pressure is so lacking it can’t force it down the drain anyway. We were told to put it in the waste paper basket next to the toilet. So what did most people do? They tried to flush it. And then bitched when the john got all clogged up. Stupid people! 

Anyway, Kohunlich is by far the biggest site we saw on this trip. It is an active archaeological site but we were a little early to see any work going on. Olda said the excavations were due to start up again in a month or so. The big draw here is the Temple of the Masks. And it is truly amazing! It is nowhere near as tall as the temple at Xunantunich but it is placed on top of a hill so the view is pretty cool. And the masks that are carved on either side of the central stair are breathtaking. So much detail has been preserved, including the red color in some places. Even now when I’ve been back for nearly a month I don’t have the words to describe it! 

Like the other sites we didn’t get to stay anywhere near as long as I would have liked. But we saw quite a bit in the time we had, seeing the Temple of the Masks, the Ball Court, the Plaza of the Steles, and the Acropolis. Of course the highlight for me was the dog that was following us around. She attached herself to one of the groups when we first got there and followed them for a while. Then when the two groups passed at the Ball Court she decided it was time to follow our group for a while. Don’t get me wrong – the ruins were amazing and I spent as much of my time looking around, learning, and exploring as I could (although no climbing because of The Knee). But for some reason the dog just fascinated me! 

The pictures of the vacation, including a whole bunch showing the three Mayan sites we visited, are up on my Flickr account. It is set to private so if you are an LJ friend and have not already received a guest pass send me your e-mail address and I’ll send you one. 

Now, sadly, it is time to return to the real world again.     

We arrived in Belize on Wednesday after a very relaxing day at sea. On Tuesday night we went to the Indonesian Crew Show – I missed it on the Alaskan cruise so I really didn’t want to miss it this time even though it meant a late night. The show, of course, was great. Some of the guys are very talented plus it was a lot of fun. 

On Wednesday morning we were up super early. We had to be in the theater and checked in for our tip at 6:50 am. Because of the coral reef formations around Belize the ships can’t dock there. They have to anchor several miles off shore and passengers take tenders to and from the ship. And man, were there a bunch of us on that first tender! Several of the tours left at the same time. The tender ride was uneventful (except for the people sitting along the sides as they got wet) and soon we were in Belize City making our way along the docks to our buses. Dad and I got really lucky here as we got on the first bus with Alfredo and Raoul. We also got not so lucky in that we were on the same bus with two of three couples that were traveling together. The third couple were idiots who left their tickets with the shore excursion lady and had to backtrack to find her so they ended up with another group. To listen to their friends it was “all the shore excursion lady’s fault” (despite her saying over and over again while we still on the ship “Make sure you have your tickets”) and their day was just “ruined” by not being able to go together. Whatever!    

Stupid fellow travelers aside; the trip out to Xunantunich on the Guatemalan border was great. A very long bus ride but the road was paved and I was fascinated seeing the way people live in Belize. This is a Central American country with a decidedly Caribbean influence. Pretty much all the houses we passed were small with tin or thatch roofs, laundry hanging out to dry across the front porch, a hammock on the front porch, and an outhouse in back. And nearly every yard had a dog and chickens running around. Raoul told us all about Belize, their economy, government, school system (all kids must go to school and most of the schools are a partnership between the government and churches), the environment, the people, etc. We also got a great education on the Mayan culture and people, as Raoul is a full Mayan. He was born and raised in the Mayan village across the river from Xunantunich. Having a Mayan guide while visiting Mayan ruins? Priceless! 

After a two plus hour drive we finally made it to Xunantunich. I can’t even begin to describe what it was like for me, history and archaeology geek that I am, to walk into that site. The hike up the hill nearly killed me what with the heavy breathing and the bad knee. But coming up to the top and (after a potty break) walking up the last set of stairs and coming out onto the plaza……Incredible. Beautiful. Spectacular. Let’s just say that it was a good think Raoul had so much to tell us about the site because I was speechless for a while. But only for a while – I did eventually ask a few questions. We spent our time in two of the three plazas that have been partially excavated. There are six more that are still covered by forest and even parts of the area we were in are still under mounds of earth and trees. At one end was the royal residence; in between several smaller temples and administration buildings; and at the other end El Castillo, a 140-foot high temple. The whole place is amazing. And so quiet! Even with a couple groups of people walking around, climbing the steps, listening to the guides it was so peaceful there. Hard to believe that it was once a major marketplace and administration center for a thriving Mayan culture. Well, for the nobility and priests, that is. The common people only came to the main plazas for market days, rituals, and sacrifices. The places you see in the ruins with all the monumental stone architecture? These were the places for the elite, for the king and his advisers. The little people – and they were little, the common people only being a little over 4 feet tall – lived in small villages all around the central city. 

Dad climbed the big temple but because of The Knee I had to stay on the ground. I wandered for a bit then sat down in one of the shelters with picnic tables…and a couple soldiers carrying automatic weapons. Yes, we were really close to the Guatemalan border so we had border guards/soldiers patrolling the site while we were there. They seemed nice enough but I won’t lie – being that close to men with guns that big? Kind of nervous making. 

Eventually it was time to go. We had lunch at Hode’s Place in San Ignacio on the way back. Chicken, plantain, bean and rice, slaw – what we were told was a typical meal in Belize. The stupid fellow travelers made some more noises about being separated from the friends again then we were on our way back to the docks and the ship. You know how you hear that Belize is a great place to retire? Well, it probably is but not the parts we drove through. This is a third world country and we went through parts of town where it shows. I’m sure there are rich enclaves and towns along the coast were the more affluent people live. But Belize City or the villages along the highway we were on? Not so much. Still, to me it was fascinating. I’d love to go back and see more Mayan ruins, snorkel, go caving, meet more of the local people! It was great! And the official language is English, which makes it so much easier. 

Next up, Guatemala!