Travels With Kerri: March 2011

Playa del Carmen

My favorite breakfast throughout the trip was fruit, yogurt, and granola. One day, I also ordered a large orange juice. Then, I watched the poor girl hand-squeeze 13 oranges. Jeez! I shouldn'thave ordered the grande.

I just love this shelf. It was in a little restaurant.

With this guy next to me, how could I not feel safe?

When scuba divers go sight-seeing...

Tulum

You can access the ruins by walking up the beach, and not only are they just totally striking and dramatic on the edge of the cliff, but you can imagine what it must have looked like in the 1400's.

The word Tulum means wall, referring to the massively thick wall that surrounds the entire site.

One of the first things you notice are all the iguanas. They rule the place. And they LOVE eating red flowers!

The Ruins

The Temple of the Frescoes had many paintings and carvings.

Typical Mayan architecture includes: small structures, squares, stucco, murals, carvings, steps, and columns. All the building corners matched the corners of the earth. The families used to bury their dead in their own homes in hopes of continuing on their family line.

There were a couple cenotes (holes filled with spring water) on the site. One building was an observatory, and the sun would shine through it on the equinox.

Tulum was an important coastal port that linked land and sea trade. Mayans traded goods across central Mexico, all the way to Honduras. They used long canoes to carry goods like: cotton, honey, salt, obsidion tools, and jade.

Yucatan Peninsula

This is the imposing structure that would greet sailors from the Caribbean.

The limestone cliffs are so beautiful.

Playa Paraiso

It doesn't get much better than this. The sand was so soft and white, and the beaches stretched on for miles.

Tulum Hostel

The Weary Traveler Hostel provides an all inclusive bathroom where it's possible to pee, shave, and condition your hair simultaneously.

I was prisoner #5109.

Mmmmmmmm! The people in this part of Mexico love to put habanero chiles on everything, so I was in heaven. Their salsa, in particular, was fiery!

Cozumel, Mexico

This is the square in downtown San Miguel.

It was deserted during siesta on Sunday afternoon.

Vendors pull their wares out onto the street each day to lure potential customers into their stores.

Carnaval masks are worn by Mardi Gras revellers during this huge celebration each year.

Around Town

I love this arch near the waterfront with scuba divers and sea creatures.

Despite the fact that this is a cruise ship port, and there is the obligatory Diamonds International store, the highlight of the shopping experience is the local art and handicrafts.