We're back home

We made it back home but not without a long delay in our flight from Denver because of mechanical malfunctions. Now that I've been home for a few days, the past two months in Mexico seem like a distant dream. All in all, though, I have to say that our adventures down there couldn't have been any better. Everything went so smoothly...our living arrangements, our language studies, and our travels across the country. The worst thing that happened was that I lost my ATM card! The Mexico I knew 30 years ago has changed tremendously and travel and life down there are so much easier than in the past. The Mexican people we met were so kind and helpful in so many ways and we will always remember them. Now we're back for a month and then Z and I are taking off on our final leg of our travel trilogy. I'm dragging him to Europe so that he will finally meet all his German aunts, uncles, and cousins.  (Sorry Z, it's not over yet!) Anyway, here are a few final shots of our last day in Mexico...

One last beer on the beach...

Our last day in Playa, we hopped on one of these boats and went out on a snorkeling trip...

Peaceful beach scene...

Same scene at sunset...

The shops here have a lot of funny T-shirts for sale...this one is tame compared to most!

I found this sun on a gate to someone's house...

There is TONS of development going on all along the Mayan Riviera...

This little VW bus is actually a restaurant on wheels...

Z at the airport in Cancun...

Shortly after takeoff...

The beautiful shoreline (soon to be developed)...

Z and F reunited and waiting for our bags to arrive in SFO...

Around Playa

Here are a few more images of Playa del Carmen...

The Playa police patrol...

My Mexican friend, Raul...

Our hotel "Aqualuna"...

Relaxing in the garden...

Our maid always folds our towels so creatively...

Tulum

After breakfast this morning, we caught one of the collectivos that run up and down the highway and took one that dropped us off at the ruins of Tulum. By the time we got there, it was high noon and very hot and humid. There wasn't much shade either, but the setting was so spectacular that it made the suffering we went through all worth it. The Tulum archeological site is a Maya fortress city on a cliff above the turquoise seas of the Caribbean. It was originally a small, walled city for about 600 inhabitants who supervised the trade traffic from Honduras to the Yucatan. The ruins are smaller than those we saw in Palenque or Teotihuacan, and because of the numerous tourists visting the site, they are all roped off so you can only view them from a distance. Nonetheless, this ancient city must have been truly spectacular in its prime. Oh, and did I mention the unbelievable views off the cliffs looking out at the sea? 

Z and the coastline looking northward toward Playa del Carmen...

The color of the sea is just incredible...

I think I've found paradise...

The Castillo with the beach below...

One of the smaller ruins...

The Temple of the Frescoes, which contains 13th century wall paintings...

The long, hot walk back to the bus stand...

Playa del Carmen

So here we are at our last stop before heading home: Playa del Carmen. Although no longer the quiet fishing village it used to be, Playa is a nice alternative to the showy, big resorts of Cancun. It sort of reminds me of a Mexican version of Lahaina. The beaches are gorgeous, the water warm and clear, and the town friendly but very touristy. Lots of cruise boat passengers find their way here and ply the main drag in search of souvenirs, food, booze, and entertainment. We are staying in a nice quiet hotel just two blocks from the beach and one block from the pedestrian zone "Fifth Avenue". The town is small enough so that you can pretty much just walk to where ever you want to go. The weather is what you'd expect along the Caribbean, hot and humid. Check it out...

The beach near our hotel...

Our hotel (this is where breakfast is served)...

The hotel garden area...

Fishermen trying their luck...

The local church...

Beach scene (where are all the tourists?)...

Anyone need some tequila?

Fishing boats...

Fresh fruit stands...

Watching the world go by...

Our view from our dinner table last night...

Sunset over the beach...

Merida

Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan, is a pleasant, fun, and easy going tropical city. It's probably the cleanest city we've been to so far, and it has a very impressive historical district. The houses and buildings are painted in soft pastels and display interesting architectural details with lots of archways. Like Puebla, Merida's streets are on a grid system, so it's really easy to get around. We spent our time there exploring the downtown area and enjoying lots of outdoor art displays. This is also where you buy hammocks. When I was here thirty years ago, (the town was of course much smaller) numerous hammock venders were patrolling the streets in search of buyers. Things haven't changed, so this time I broke down and bought one. Supposedly many people in the Yucatan prefer sleeping in hammocks to sleeping in beds. Don't know if I want to try that! Here are some images of friendly Merida.

 

View looking toward the historical district...

The silver street performer...

Pinata vendor...

Horse and carriage for touring the city...

Near the downtown...

Magistrate's House

Inside the Municipal Palace...

One of the reception halls in the Municipal Palace...

On the staircase in the palace...

Another interesting facade...

Just replace English with Spanish and that's about the extent of my language ability! 

Time to eat...