Snorkeling

Helen arranged a snorkeling trip for a few people in our little group.    The waves have been high for the last week, causing the trip to be postponed again and again.    This morning the winds were high, but the ocean was a lot calmer than it has been.   I'm so glad today was the day, because first thing tomorrow I am Turtling on Down the Road.    Thank you Helen! 

This is our beach view from the ocean.   The trailer park is directly behind the trees on the right side.

This is Tacho.   He has a little house on the property and is one of the Mayan brothers and sisters who own a big chunk of this strip of the beach.   One brother owns the trailer park, another owns the campground next door, another owns the restaurant and dive shop.  I think there is a sister involved as well, but am not sure.  

This is Paul.   He took the pictures today.   I don't have a housing for my camera and didn't want to take a chance of getting it wet.   Thank you Paul!!

Anne, Brenda, (Rob in the background), Helen and Shirley.   I'm all smiles at this point because we had just left shore and I wasn't seasick yet.   Yup, I fed the fish.     

We snorkeled in a little alcove.     Rob (or was that Paul) described this as a typical one bedroom Mayan cottage on the water.   Cenotes to the side and back, ocean to the front.   A little piece of paradise.  

   The water doesn't mix, the fresh water sits on top, the warm ocean water sits underneath. Where the fresh water from the cenote meets the salt water of the ocean the water shimmers, and is called the halocline. 

It was a lovely snorkel, I was at times wishing I was in SCUBA gear.   I would have loved to swim into the crevices of the rocks, down into a cavern and up the other side into a cenote.   That would rock!!! 

On theway  back, Tacho took us to a reef for another 10 minute snorkel.    I was already seasick before jumping in.   Hitting the water felt awesome, dispelling the sickness for a few moments, but the swells were large.....ugh.    The others saw a couple of spotted rays, but I missed them...I was too busy trying to overcome my desire to feed the fish my breakfast.    I managed to hang onto it until moments after I got back into the boat.    Ah...but the halocline and fish in the alcove were worth every moment of it. 

Today was John's birthday.  76.   Happy birthday John!!!   Anne made him a cake and we all enjoyed it at Happy Hour.   Thank you Anne.

  At times this campsite is represented by 9 decades.   Children, teens, 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's.    Most of the time I'd say just members from the top 4 decades are camping here.   Most of the younger ones stay for just a night or maybe up to a week and off they go again, destination...usually Panama, Belize or Guatamala.    It sure makes some of the folks back home who are afraid to come to Mexico look like a bunch of wimps!  

  

Tomorrow I am leaving Gerry and Myrtle here at Xpu Ha, while Albert and I Turtle on Down the Road.   

The GPS's and Streets & Trips (the software we use to plan our trips) don't show a new road that runs from Chichen Itza to Tulum.   John was kind enough to print me off a map showing me a much quicker way to get back to this area from Chichen Itza.    I am also told the signs are clear and easy to follow.

It is fitting, because the Mayans would have had direct routes from major city to major city.   Chichen Itza and Tulum are two of the ruins generally accepted to be the 5 largest ancient Mayan cities.  

    The map above shows the route in red.   

    

The old route is still the fastest and most direct way from Cancun to Chichen Itza, and that route is highlighted in green.

  I will be picking up my sister from the airport for a 10 day vacation.   Yippee!!    Barb and I will head over to Chichen Itza until Saturday, then head back to the coast to Akumal for a week.    Since Akumal is only about 10 minutes south of Xpu Ha, we will be pulling in here so I can show Barb where we have been living for the last while, then Gerry and Myrtle will join us for 7 days in Akumal.    

Barb has an awesome camera, so I will leave mine here with Gerry.  Perhaps we will be doing two blogs a day for the next 3 days.    haha, I wouldn't count on it though, Gerry enjoys taking the pictures and leaving the blogging up to me. 

Albert may or may not have enough room in his trunk for our baggage, so we put an inflatable roof rack on top, just in case.