Tulum and Coba

After we left Laguna Bacalar, we drove to Tulum - a small town on the Caribbean that has many tourists.  We shared our lunch table with a young couple from Austria - they recommended Croatia as a beautiful place to travel and visit.  We wouldn't have thought of that country as a destination but they spoke highly of its beauty and the friendliness of the people.  Anyway, below are some photos of Tulum.  We found a nice hotel only to realize around 9 p.m. that Tulum was celebrating Carnival....  The very noisy parade circled around our area several times and a stage was set up just one block away.... they have bands that play until dawn.  Needless to say, we didn't get any sleep that night.  The Ganglun style song (from Korea) is quite popular here - as is one called "Sexy Lady!"  Heavy bass all night.

Lynne and Tulum Friends - can you tell I didn't get any sleep the night before?

  We arrived at the ruins exactly at opening time  (8 a.m.) but of course if wasn't open yet.... so we went back at 8:20 - still not open.  So we ended up driving to the trendy beach front where we had a $4 (u.s. dollars) cup of coffee!  Then we drove to a grocery store and bought yogurt and bananas that we ate in the car for breakfast.  By the time we got to the ruins it was 10:30 and the tour buses had begun to arrive.  With its proximity to Cancun and the fact that it is the only ruin overlooking the Caribbean, Tulum is one of the most visited Mayan sites.

 As I said, it is on the Caribbean and has access to the beach.

We didn't go down.  It was a very hot day and we wanted to get to a smaller ruin.

Yes, that is the Caribbean that you see to the left of this castle perched on a cliff.

Iguanas pretty much have the run of the place and seemed to love to pose for photos!

More Mayan Ruins

Coba was settled around 100 BC and it's main pyramid is the second tallest in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The height of the steps are typical for the pyramid(s).  The stairway is steep and narrow.

The Dzibache ruins cover 40 kilometers as was one of the largest uncovered to date.

Dzibache - central plaza.  This is a great example of how the plants are taking back the land.

The Mayan Rivera stretches from Cancun to Tulum.  Tulum is the only Mayan Ruin built by the sea.

There were a fair number of Iguanas out the day we visited Tulum.  This guy is about two feet long.




Have you ever wondered why many toilets in Mexico do not have seats?  We think we may have found the answer.

Folk Art

Following are some photos of some of the Folk Art for sale here so you can see what is available and what prices are.  These were in higher-end stores and the prices are not negotiable.

This is a typical piece of folk art displaying the story of life.  It is actually called El Arbol de Boda or The Tree of the Wedding.   I took photos of each section starting with the wedding at the bottom and have more detailed fotos  of each "story" below - the handwork is quite intricate and the piece stands about 2" tall

The Wedding

More detail from the piece

Then of course the baby and its baptism

And Finally death and grief

 Once again, the full piece

And the price is.... $1,765

You do the math!  Exchange rate is about 12.6 pesos to the dollar.

Equates to about $240 U.S. Dollars

Jaguars used to roam this area freely so they are a popular theme in local art.

About $40

This is a metal door knocker at a cost of about $100 (U.S.)

Now this hat comes in at $175....  I don't think the rest of these items are overpriced and still think we can get a "fine" hat for around $85

I really like this one and may have to go back for her!

I guess I didn't get the price on this - think it was around $95

Hats for Ron Spinelli

We've been researching Panama Hats for Ron Spinelli and have learned that the price is directly connected to the weave quality of the hat.  They can range in price from $20 to $125 and we have determined that a "fine" hat is around $80 (U.S. dollars).  Following are some photos of different styles in that price range.

Fine Hat ($80) Weave is tightly woven and made of sisal

Cheap Hat ($40) - Weave is much less fine

Fine Man wearing a Fine Hat!

 

 

The hats can have a narrow or wide brim

Variety of Styles

$30-$50 Hats

 

 

Most of the hats can come with a colorful woven hat band.

We've finally done some traveling by renting a car and driving to the state of Quintana Roo and visiting the towns of Bacalar, Chetumal, and Tulum.  Bacalar is a small town located on the second largest lake in Mexico.  The water was warm and crystal clear.  We were pleased with our hotel (Hotel Laguna Bacalar) which was a somewhat funky old resort hotel that Mexican citizens tend to frequent. 

Our Bathroom

The sign refers to the shell covered, resin coated counter top!

 But as I said, the view was stunning!

The next day (Sunday, Feb. 17) we drove to the city of Chetumal (on the border with Belize)  to have breakfast in a nice hotel there.  Then we drove west to some little visited ruins called Dzibanche.  We're finding that we really like the smaller ruins that most tourist don't visit.  Dzibanche was believed to have flourished between 300 A.D. and 800 A.D. and covered some 40 sq. kilometers (25 sq. miles).

Looking straight up in a room in the temple towards the ceiling.

This photo shows a ruin that has not be excavated - it rises up from the ground and is covered in plant life and trees.

The government has come in and planted the sides of a temple to deter further deterioration.