Final Port of Call - Cozumel

We had been to Cozumel before and it wasn't my favorite port but this time we decided to go to Playa del Carmen, which is on the Yucatan Peninsula and see the ruins of Tulum.  Since the last time we had been to Cozumel, that excursion wasn't available (it was New Years Day), we took advantage to see it this time. 

Like I said, I am a fan of ruins of any sort and when I get a chance I like to check them out.  These ruins sit on hills near the beach.  They are also newer than the other ruins we have been to.  Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.

On the bus ride to the ruins, he explained that there would be little shade at the ruins so if we didn't bring a hat, we needed to purchase one.  They made a stop at a souvenir store (how convenient)  for a restroom stop and if we wanted to purchase anything.  I decided that it was wise to buy a hat since I didn't bring one with me and I had gotten very sunburned the day before.  Boy am I glad I did.  The reason for no shade was that the government decided to cut all the trees down because the roots were ruining the structure of the ruins and making them unstable so they did away with them.  I should also mention, it was a $5 hat and worth every penny.

Our tour guide told us that Tulum was discovered by the Spaniards when the culture was in upheaval.  There was already dissension among the people so it was easy for the Spaniards to show up on the beaches and look like Gods to the Mayans.  They also had guns which made it easy for the Spaniards to conquer them as well.  The Spaniards also had diseases and it is believed the Mayans at Tulum succumbed to the diseases the Spaniards brought and shared with them. 

Tulum faces the sunrise and had an approximate population of 1,000-1,600.  It stands on a bluff facing the Carribean sea and was known for being an important trade hub for obsidian.  I didn't know much about obsidian before I visited Tulum but it is a pretty awesome rock.  Some Mayan cities used it on the outside of their buildings and when the sun hits the obsidian, it looks like gold, making the cities look like they were made of gold.  When not being hit by direct sunlight, obsidian is a rich black but light rock. 

Our tour guide also had depictions of how some of the buildings were painted and colorful and since the archeologists found evidence of the paint, they were able to render what they thought the buildings might have looked in their glory. 

It is the third most popular Mayan site visited in Mexico.  It is easy to see why as the ruins are well preserved and the site is gorgeous on the bluffs by the beach. 

It was insanely hot and I had some problems with swollen ankles because of the pregnancy.  But I forged through and really enjoyed it. 

We had a chance to eat some authentic Mexican food - Lorne had fish tacos (where the fish had been caught fresh that morning) and I had chicken quesadillas with a delicious sauce.  I was glad we ate a little something as we had had such an early breakfast and we weren't getting back to the boat until 4 PM. 

We got back to the boat and the crew was on the Pier dancing to Gangam Style - it was fun to watch and hard not to jump in and dance with them.  We made it for our evening trivia and had a fun evening watching a good show and having a delicious dinner.