Mexico Vacation 2010: Day 3

In February my wife and I took a week-long vacation to the Riviera Maya- the Caribbean Coast of Mexico. We stayed at the Bahia Principe Akumal Resort about an hour south of Cancun.Through this next week or so I am blogging about the trip and our experiences.
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Day 3 was supposed to be a trip to the Maya ruins at Chichen Itza but we postponed due to my wife's having gotten a sunburn the day before. It became an easy, relaxing day. My body was willing to take the day to recuperate from the scuba exhaustion.

I did stop by the pool on my way by and saw my instructor from yesterday. I learned that he is from Texas and was a Marine. He served "between the Iraqs" as he put it. As always, you can meet interesting people.

So I walked along the beach a little. Today was windy- a red flag day. Actually, the rest of the week will see the red flag warnings for wind. It wasn't really bad today.

The possibilities for picture taking seem endless, actually. In fact, they probably are limited only by the way one looks at the scenery. The cabanas around here follow the tropical and Maya theme. Light and dark, water and land, and one person right in the middle.

Then you look for color breaking the otherwise unbroken blues. Whoever decided to use blaze orange knew what they were doing.

Later in the week I'll come back and get out in the water and take some more pictures.

As I walked along the road I found the warning sign about upcoming speed bumps a great idea...


As I sat by the pool two women kept looking over at me. Since they were around my age I was feeling honored that they would take an interest in me. (Yeah, right.) Anyway they came over and asked me if I was Spanish. It was then that I realized I was reading a novel by a Spanish author (admittedly in English.) They were Spanish and thought I also might be. They wanted me to help them figure out their digital camera and take their picture. (Humbling, isn't it?)

What made me feel good- again- was my ability to speak in limited but understandable Spanish. I had a small conversation and they were grateful for my help. Later that evening a waiter came up to us at supper and simply asked, "Mas agua?" I understood him and had already answered "Si!" by the time I translated it. It was a neat feeling to not be afraid of attempting Spanish.

I am always on the lookout for wildlife...

.... and flowers. Always flowers....

Mostly today it was fun to watch people. An older woman falling asleep while reading and a young child walking by finds it funny and sneaks up for a closer look, giggling, pointing and wanting her mother to see this.

The toddler escaping from his mother and wandering along- exploring.

The father and two college-age sons walking by and as they pass I realize they are all walking with exactly the same gait.

Or the 10-12 year old walking with his parents wearing a tee-shirt with a smiley face that is giving the world the finger. I have to admit that I wondered why parents would let a pre-teen wear a shirt like that in public? I must admit it was a moment when I thought maybe I was actually beginning to be an old fogy.

No matter what, people do make the world interesting.

Then back to the room and the housekeeping staff had left us a "puppy."


My favorite place in the evening was La Casita the little snack bar around the side of the pool from our room. Even in the dark the scenery was worth taking a picture of.


So Day 3 was over. Not a lot happened. It was a quiet day. These are precious anytime and any place. But on vacation they help bring things together. In some of the reading I have been doing in preparation for visiting Chichen Itza (and in general) I am coming to see that culture is far more influential than we are willing to admit. We are often oblivious to many of the excesses of our own culture and are always willing to point out the excesses and shortcomings of others. Only when you find yourself in a different place, somewhere strange to you, do you realize some tiny inkling.

I know it sounds so obvious, but it is how we think. We know the way things are- they are the way we experience them. Then you look back nearly 1000 years and see yourself reflected in an ancient culture that fell long before Columbus brought death and destruction. You begin to wonder, "What am I missing in my own culture that I think will always be?" More of this will become clearer later in the week when we go to Chichen Itza.

But perhaps the one I noticed today- all the "Stop" signs on the resort say "Stop" not "Alto."

Hmmmm.