Sunday, Dec. 07, 2003 - 6:07 p.m.
Woke up at 6 this morning. The sky was orange and a fisherman was silhouetted off shore dropping his nets.. I catch another 30 minutes of zzzz's...
Got up to go to church. Seems no one really knows where the catholic church is here. I was told three different locations. I couldn't find any of them. They also use the word "church" for the Mayan religion. Not sure what I'd find there-they talk about there being alot of syncretism.
I then drove down to Muyil. Highway was pretty good. At least they have shoulders here. (More on this later) Cool place, I climbed around a bunch of stuff. After that I changed into shorts as I was sweating and sticky and headed out for Coba.
It seemed easy enough according to the map. Maps are deceiving. After one leaves the Pueblo of Tulum, all roads fade into on thin line road which is, a two lane pseudo-highway. Jungle on each side and an occasional souvenir stand. The roads are brutal. Just as you get up to 90 kph, potholes appear randomly. And not just plain potholes, we're talking meteorite impacts. Then, just as I impress myself with my driving skills and the ability to miss craters...BAMM! I hit one, and then marvel that the car and wheels held together. After a red pickup truck cut prematurely in front of me almost forcing me into the jungle, I stopped to ask for directions (yes ladies, guys ask for directions, even when there's only ONE ROAD). There were two gentlemen standing by the road, one was smiling and the other was by his bicycle and his.....RIFLE!!! Immediately I thought that maybe this guy was the wrong person to ask. Not so.
"senor, cuanto kilometros a Coba?"
"ocho" and he holds up eight fingers.
"Gracias"
I get the heck out of dodge and continue down the road.
At about the7 km mark there is a sign saying "circulacion"-a circle interchange. It's not really a circle, but more like a Mayan Hieroglyph. I come out on the other side and see a sign for an archaeological site. WOOHOO!! almost there. I drive... 3km...7km...20km...Something’s wrong...no more buses passing, very few cars. This is not right. No one's around, I can't even ask directions!!
I do a quick three point turn and start heading back, ticked at myself for not turning around sooner. I resigned myself to going back to y place in Tulum and catching a cab tomorrow if I don't pass coba on the way back. I also ponder how this jungle share alot of traits with the desert. The landscape doesn't change...roads don’t turn...just jungle..the same height trees on both sides for kilometers and kilometers.... I roll down the window to hear the animals.
As I re-approach the Hieroglyph interchange I see a sign for Coba, 2km. This is it... I turn right and follow the road. I start seeing people and taxis..this is the right place. I'm totally relieved and convinced I'm right when I see a lake that supposed to be by Coba. I peel off to the left and see parking...I'm there....
I get out and start touring after renting a bicycle. Great idea. Most of the structures are roped off in the upper levels but I found "legal" ways of getting up higher. There were a couple were it was not possible to circumvent the discretely places wires. After about 4-5 miles of riding and hiking my left thigh was feeling a little cramped. As luck would have it I was approaching the most massive pyramid on the site and it wasn't roped off!! This thing towers over the jungle canopy and people were going to the top. Thigh or not, I'm going. I also have only three pics left in my camera...the plan is one at the bottom, one at the top of me, and one looking down...
I start climbing and the cramp feeling in my thigh goes away as my heart pounds...I stop a couple time along the way and look around...I could see how people could get vertigo but I feel strangely at peace and in control of my footing...I continue....I get to the top and see a partially intact limestone inset of the "diving God" painted in turquoise, and most of the paint was still intact. Not enough pics so I resign it memory and take in the awesome surroundings. The thing is easily 100ft tall if not more.
After a little time at the top I head down. I thought it would be bad but it wasn't at all. They had a rope running down for safety but I didn't need it-it felt like climbing down REALLY steep stairs.
A little ways down the trail was a guy selling Gatorade--just what the doctor ordered. Went back to the park entrance and bought a few souvenirs and a bag of Chili/queso corn twists, kinda like flavored bugles.
Drove back to Zamas. There other lane is alot better coming back for some reason. I pass through a small town where squirrel monkeys are jumping all over. Either they like the town or the people like them, or both. There are dogs and cats just lounging around...I feel like a siesta...
They always have these huge 9inch speed bumps on the roads when you get to towns...it forces one to slow down.
I get back to my place and throw on some swim trunks and soak my feet in the ocean. There are families here with kids. Some guy to the right is smoking a 9 inch cigar that smells great--I'll savor the second hand smoke.
Got myself a coke- they still make it the old way here without corn syrup.
Had Tacos Maya for dinner with a margarita-basically fish tacos with scallops and little shrimps in a reddish sauce and guacamole....mmmmmm.....
Others are waiting for the internet station so I'll sign off for now...
~peace and joy~
plish
