We began and ended our five day journey through the Mexican State of Yucatan in the colonial city of Merida.
From Merida we headed south (in our VW Beetle rental car) to drink in the majestic Mayan ruins at Uxmal. Using the Villas Arquelogicas at Uxmal as our base, we wandered on a day-long excursion through the nearby low-lying Puuc hills - exploring the ruins at Kabah, Sayil and Labna, only pausing long enough for a traditional Yucatan-style lunch in the town of Ticul.
The next day we set our sights on the gulf coast town of Celestun. Flamingos, mangrove forests and shimmering white sand beaches beckoned. After a morning boat tour of the flamingo-laden lagoon outside of Celestun, we drove a few miles north to the idyllic eco-resort (so aptly named "Eco Paraiso") for a well-earned rest. But soon we were hurtling ourselves back into the urban hum of Merida and then, preparing ourselves for the following day's flight home.
This trip was too brief. But it could serve anyone as a perfect introduction to Mexico for a visitor who wants to avoid the mega-resorts and experience the culture, history and beauty of this fascinating area.
Date(s): April 2001. Album by David Kohl. Photos by David Kohl & Ross Rosenberg. 1 - 43 of 43 Total. 24364 Visits.
1 Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal The Mayan word Uxmal (oosh-MAHL) means "Thrice Built". It is one of the best restored and maintained ruins in the Yucatan. Uxmal thrived from 600 to 900 A.D. Soon after, it was abandoned - for reasons unknown.
2 Nunnery Quadrangle (Uxmal) The Nunnery Quadrangle, named by the Spanish because it reminded them of a European nunnery, may have actually been a school for training healers, astrologers and priests.
3 Wall detail With its extensive patterned stone carving, the Nunnery Quadrangle has been hailed as one of the most beautiful complex of buildings in the New World.
4 Restoration in process A snapshot of the numbering system used to reconstruct the excavated ruins.
5 Palace of the Governor The "Puuc" style - named for the nearby Puuc Hills - is the prevailing archtitectural style at Uxmal. Characterized by thick walls covered with numerous thin stones set like mosaics, Puuc archtitecture combines realistic decoration with geometric designs and forms.
6 Grand Pyramid
7 Uxmal detail Carved serpent swallowing a human head.
8 Distant view of the Pyramid of the Magician The Pyramid is also sometimes referred to as the House of the Dwarf.
9 Pyramid of the Magician The Pyramid rises about 127 feet from the Yucatan plain. Its oval shape and massive rounded walls are unusual in Mayan architecture.
10 Map of the State of Yucatan
11 Palace of the Masks at Kabah The day-long trip through the Puuc Hills first takes you to the site of Kabah. The most famous building here is the Palace of the Masks (the masks of the rain god Chac).
12 Kabah This entire facade is covered with masks of the Mayan rain god Chac. The masks, like the decorative work at Uxmal, are actually large scale mosaics: each mask, of which there are 250, comprises 30 separate carved stone elements.
13 Kabah Close up of a Chac (rain god) grouping.
14 Lizard
15 Iguana
16 Sayil Sayil (which means "Place of the Ants") is another site along the Puuc route. The site is home to this beautiful palace ruin that at one time contained 90 bedrooms.
17 Labna The Labna arch - often called La Puerta - is a typical example of a Mayan arch. Corbeled arches like this one were created by incrementally projecting stone blocks from each side of the arch until the arch came to a peak. Since the walls could not adequately support the weight of the arch, the Mayans would reinforce it with a beam at the top.
18 Labna detail This ghoulish sculpture of a serpent grabbing a human head between its jaws is one of several ornamenting the walls of the ruins of Labna.
19 The Mirador at Labna Labna was a major religious center that once supported a population of nearly 3,000.
20 Pool at Villas Arquelogicas An oasis for the weary ruins climber.
21 Flamingos Red flamingos can be seen year-round at the Celestun Biosphere Reserve - directly east of the city of Celestun. For more information check out http://www.mexonline.com/celestun.htm
22 Flamingos close up There are five species of flamingo on Earth, the largest of these is the 'greater flamingo' which is found near Celestun. It can reach up to 61 inches in height.
23 Flamingos take off The red flamingo, a sub-species of the greater flamingo, has breeding grounds - like the one found near Celestun - in the Yucatan and the West Indies.
24 Flamingos in flight Boats can be hired at the park to guide you through the lagoon and into the mangrove forest.
25 Entrance to the mangrove forest
26 Bird amidst the mangrove forest
27 White-banded wood-rail Wood-rail glimpsed in the mangrove forest.
28 Termite nest Termite nest on the branch of a tree in the mangrove forest.
29 Beach at Celestun On a narrow spit of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Rio Esperanza lies the beach town of Celestun. Local Mexican tourists flock to its fine white sand beaches on weekends and holidays.
30 Eco Paraiso Just a few miles north of Celestun - but a world apart - lies the eco-resort of Eco Paraiso Xixim. It was opened in 1996 as part of a coconut reforestation project. Unforunately, shortly before we were there, many of the coconut palms had been destroyed in a hurricane.
31 Cabana at Eco Paraiso There are 15 spacious cabanas at the resort, each with its own terrace and requisite hammock. For more information go to http://www.ecoparaiso.com/
32 View from the observation tower View overlooking Eco-Paraiso looking towards the town of Celestun. This is truly a "get-away-from-it-all" resort - a place to kick back and just let the world go by.
33 Observation tower at Eco Paraiso
34 Observation tower at Eco Paraiso
35 View of the Gulf of Mexico From the observation tower, a view out over the green-blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
36 Beach at Eco Paraiso
37 Gulf and sky
38 Merida Merida was founded in 1542 on the site of the Mayan city of T'ho. The Spaniards destroyed the Mayan pyramids and used the stones for the foundation for the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (glimpsed above the treetops in this photo).
39 Confidenciales This pair of s-shaped love seats - called "confidentiales" - are scattered through the main plaza -Plaza Mayor - in central Merida.
40 Cathedral Cathedral of San Idelfonso is the oldest mainland cathedral in North America. Built on the site of a Mayan temple, the cathedral was completed in 1598.
41 Exterior of Casa Mexilio A charming bed and breakfast in central Merida. No two rooms are alike or on the same level. A warren of staircases wind through the 9-room hotel.
42 Casa Mexilio Rooftop room in the Casa Mexilio in Merida. From the terrace the room had panoramic views of the city. For more information go to http://www.casamexilio.com/
43 Sunset Merida View This was taken from the rooftop of the Casa Mexilio.
