I’ve posted pretty much all I plan to regarding the Cancun trip.
It was a great time. Here are a few random pictures from throughout the trip.
Erika enjoyed herself quite a bit.
Cancun Part 6: Wrap-up
Leave a reply
Category Archives: Outside
Cancun Part 5: Snorkeling
On our last full day in Cancun, we went snorkeling. It was part of the Aquaworld Jungle Tour. At the marina, we mounted small two-man motorboats resembling rectangular jet-skis. Our caravan sped across a large lagoon through a watery jungle and into the Carribbean where be braked at a reef. Here we dove into the waters and swam about for a while.
Cancun Part 4: Coba
The weather reports were promising us rainy overcast days with occasional thunderstorms the entire week we would be in Cancun. We arrived to beautiful blue skies spotted with fluffy cumulus clouds. There would be only one muggy day with occasional rain—my birthday. A thunderstorm rolled in the night before and I was fearful that our Coba tour would be canceled. This was the tour I was most looking forward to. It promised the most fun (jungle hiking, kayaking, rappeling, zip-lines, and more) and it would be how my 30th birthday would primarily be spent. In the end, it all worked out for the best. This would be the only day it rained on our trip and it interfered with nothing. Had it rained a different day, our plans would have likely been altered. Thus, the fates chose well.
We rode through the back-roads of the Yucatan at top speeds heading for the jungle. There we paddled through a small lagoon and rendezvoused at a dock entering the jungle. We trekked to a subterranean cenote and swam after participating in a Mayan purification ritual. I had great hopes of seeing spider monkeys in the jungle, but luck was not with me. I didn’t give up hope, although. A quick drive to a nearby village brought us to our action portion of the trip. There we all rappeled into a canyon, then rode a zip-line across the jungle. Afterwards the villagers fed us a variety of local dishes. The last stop would be Coba.
Coba is another site featuring various Mayan ruins. The main attraction is a 60-foot high structure a few kilometers into the jungle. Climbing 120 or so steps brings you to the top with a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle—trees for miles in all directions. The day had been muggy, but there had been no rain after the storm of the previous night. That would change once Erika and I reached the halfway point approaching Coba’s apex. Droplets began to fall, within seconds a drenching rain was upon us. The options were turn back and be soaked or climb to the top and be soaked. We chose the latter. Minutes later she and I stood at the top staring into a misty jungle, water pouring down upon us. A few other climbers cowered in a tiny cubby at the top of the ruin awaiting a break in the rain. This is the best way to see Coba.
As we walked back through the jungle to the van, we were happy and saturated. Living in L.A. means constant dryness with tiny glimmers of rare sprinkles. Erika was ecstatic. She was soaking wet, walking through the jungle, dodging puddles, and surprisingly warm. Then I saw him. Scurrying across the path a few feet ahead was a dark spider monkey, his tail raised behind him. He bolted into the brush avoiding what remained of the falling rain and any potential danger from trail-walkers. By the time Erika turned to see him, he was gone. We were nearing the end of the jungle, the end of the tour. My chances to see a monkey were almost gone, but I hadn’t given up hope. No one else was around. I alone saw him. He was there for me—my birthday monkey.
Cancun Part 3: Extraneous
During our excursion to Coba, we participated in a number of activities in the Yucatan Jungle such as:
hiking, kayaking, cenote swimming, local food-tasting, rappeling, and sliding down a zip-line.
Here are a few pictures from the latter two activities.
Cancun Part 2: Chichen Itza
On our first full day in Cancun, we took a tour to Chichen Itza. It was a long bus ride into the mainland where we were kept entertained with a documentary and Apocalypto later in the evening. We visited our first Cenote along the way, drove through some destitute villages, and had lunch at a hotel where dancers performed Folklorico primarily consisting of balancing things on their heads.
The park where Chichen Itza is located is rather large, filled with various ruins and multitudes of street vendors. The main ruin can no longer be surmounted. Last year a woman fell to her death after slipping on the steps. They are being cleaned and made more safe with the promise of being reopened in the future. All sorts of interesting mathematics were incorporated in the construction of the ruins allowing for various audio and visual effects. They are quite a wonder to behold.
Cancun Part 1: Cenotes
Erika and I spent five days in Cancun. We stayed at a fairly nice resort, the Gran Caribe Real. It’s one of those places where a flat price gets you a bed, all-you-can-eat buffets, and non-stop drinks while you are a guest. It’s a bit like a cruise ship on land. Of the five days we were there, we only spent one day exclusively at the resort. We weren’t going to fly all the way to Cancun and not seek out adventure. Over the next few days I’ll post pictures and such from the trip. First up, Cenotes.
I’d never heard of a cenote prior to my trip and I am going to assume most of you haven’t either. A cenote is essentially a sinkhole filled with fresh water. They vary in size, appearance, depth, and awesomeness. They can be found all over the Yucatan. We visited two: one near Chichen Itza and another on our way to Coba. They were both fantastic for different reasons. The first was roughly 150 feet deep, surrounded by lush vegetation, and visible from the surface. The water felt great and there was a diving platform 15-20 feet above the water. It was the well-known and commercial of the two. The second was accessible via a thin cave entrance and only after participating in a Maya purification ceremony. It was somewhat secluded, located within the jungle.
More Caving
Erika and I went on another Extreme Things hike to a Mine Cave. Anne Marie and Patrick came along as well. There were plenty of rocks and such to scramble over along the way, something that keeps me happy during any hike. After a couple of hours we arrived at the Dawn Mine. It is by far the most interesting of the mines we have visited thus far. It is rather large and full of broken beams and much of the cave is flooded shin-deep. At some points, the ceiling snakes up tens of feet occasionally leading into a second cave further up the hillside. There is also a forty-foot deep pool of stagnant water you may wish to avoid. The climb to and from the higher cave was quite exciting, steep and full of interesting climbing opportunities. The uppermost cave was full of bat dung, but, alas, no bats were inside.
Busy Weekend
I kept busy this weekend: three puppet shows with two workshops, a hike through Angeles Crest, and swimming this afternoon. Below are pictures of our hike through Angeles Crest to Switzer Falls. This is the third Extreme Things event Erika and I have attended and it was a good time. If you are in the L.A. area looking to do things outdoors, I recommend joining.
Fire Flight Photos
Directly across from us, roughly 200 yards, after we reached the top of our climb.
It took about 3 minutes to turn from a spark into this.
It, of course, doesn’t look nearly as foreboding in a photo.
If you haven’t read my prior post, now is a good time to check it out because I have pictures and you may want to know what I am talking about if you look at them.
Adventures in Mining
I returned to the Altadena Mines for the third time today. With me were Erika, Patrick and Anne Marie. We visited two mines, I explored the smaller claustrophobia-inducing one further this time, and we were making good time traversing the steep climb to the third cave. We stood at the summit taking a small break before entering the last mine shaft. Erika smelled smoke. Then, I heard crackling. Patrick pointed out a patch of smoke. Ahead, across the thin ravine, dancing up a hillside was a growing flame. It was moving quickly and growing steadily. Adjacent was the path we had taken into the gorge.
There was no time to waste. The route to the third mine is roughly thirty minutes of climbing rock faces ranging between five and fifteen feet, a few mildly precarious. The climb is dry, dusty, and littered with pebbles intent on tripping anyone not paying special attention to their footing. We launched down the mountainside. Sliding, jumping, slipping, occasionally climbing. We moved as quickly as possible without risking plummeting over an edge. As quickly as we moved down the mountain, the fire doubled moving up the opposing hillside. Erika and I slid into the gorge. Across from us, Patrick was waving us toward a somewhat slippery and dusty steep slope that would bring us to the exit path much sooner. Anne Marie was nearly at the top and smoke was beginning to roll in.
We jogged down the path towards the park entrance. Firefighters with hoses and fire trucks passing us along the way. The top of the nearby hill was already black and burned through. At one point, flames flickered along the edge of the trail. A helicopter passed overhead. We approached the street, a news van parked along the curb, spectators gathered outside their homes and near their vehicles staring into the distance. We were filthy, bruised, scraped, but we were not on fire.
I wonder what would have been the turn of events had we made it to the cave five minutes sooner. How strong would the blaze have been when we exited? Some hikers were air-lifted to safety. We were lucky enough to see the fire start and escape before it got too large. We were also lucky the weather wasn’t against us.
Al-Insan asked us not to do anything new and exciting without him. I hope he’s not too upset.
News Report by ABC