Mexico, the beginning of our Central American Adventure

Not your normal mode of transportation!

Has it only been a week since we left the US and arrived in Merida Mexico? It certainly seems longer as we have been busy and on the go since our departure. Our first week was spent with Nicole, Jeff and little Asher, their adorable son, (they are here working as missionaries for Calvary Chapel of Ft Lauderdale) and have been such gracious hosts.
We are adjusting to this new culture where poverty is prevalent, yet the locals greet us warmly. One evening, following a church service in a small village outside Merida, we had the privilege of helping hand out a selection of breads to the poorest of the poor, who responded to us with sincere greeings, huge smiles and hugs, it was a humbling experience.
Jeff took time from his busy schedule to guide us on three amazingly different sightseeing experiences," The Mayan Ruins" at Uxmal. "The Lol-Tun Caves" and 3 Cenotes (water holes) here's a brief note on each:
Uxmal
The name Uxmal means 'three times built' in Mayan. "The Pyramid of the Magician" is it's highest structure (117 feet high). The Maya would often build a new temple over an existing one, and in this case five stages of construction have actually been found. Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatán peninsula and, at its height, was home to about 25,000 Maya.
Lol-Tun Caves (comprised of many kilometers, but we walked through only a fairly well lit single kilometer). These ancient Mayan caves first occupied seven thousand years ago, provided water and clay for domestic use, but above all, it was a religious center and shelter. This cave is noted as having the longest sequence of human occupation in the northern Yucatan peninsula. The remains of mastodons, camel, and bison long since extinct were believed to have fallen into these caves over 14,000 years ago.
The Cenotes at Cuzama
There are believed to be over 6,000 cenotes in the Yucatan state alone, but only 2,400 are registered. We visited 3 of these spectacular "water holes." The transportation was rather unique - a horse, or I should say, poor half starved nag, pulling our cart along a 12 mile single narrow railroad track. So, when two carts met one got off the track and back on again to continue. We decended into one of these underground cenotes via a hole just wide enough for our shoulders to get through down a steep vertical wooden ladder set into the stone. The water below was incredibly blue and clear with Stalactite formations adding to their beauty, it made for a lovely place to swim. The other 2 were a little easier to decend into but even so, all part of a fun and memorable experience.

Click the link at the top to see our photos.



Here is the fish where are my chips?