PapaMarshall

Day 7 – 3/12/2020 – Tulum

Up early and Roy, Virginia, Cheryl and I were out the door for our excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum before the Deeg’s were even awake. Tulum was the site of a major pre-Columbian city on the east coast. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic.

Arriving at the site we unloaded, got our tickets, and followed our guide, Giellermo, thru the gauntlet of vendors. One particularly amusing one shouted; “When you’re done with your tour come see me so I can rip you off.” And; “Spend your money here. We need it to pay for the wall.”

After a short walk we entered the site thru a tunnel in a rather impressive wall.

I was interested in the shape of the tunnel. Its “earthquake-proof” design reminded me of similar tunnels in Puebla.

Giellermo talked about several interesting features of the city including the large and imposing residences,

Large imposing residence

the Temple of the Frescoes

That’s our guide Giellermo in front of the temple.
Some of the original paint remains on the in-tact stucco finish, including the handprints of the shaman who blessed the building. The pigment isn’t blood, it’s actually cinnabar.
The reliefs on the frieze are interesting. The one on the left is a woman; the legs have been lost above the ankles, but from the angle of what’s left it’s obvious that she is in the “giving birth” position. The baby in the center (upside down) appears to be grasping an umbilical cord. The figure on the right is the “upside-down god” often depicted in Mayan reliefs.
Here you can see a face carved into the corner of the building. Similar faces adorn all four corners.

And “the castle”

The structure labeled “the castle” sits atop a bluff overlooking the ocean. It’s a large imposing structure, probably a seat of government or learning.
Of particular interest in this structure are several windows that hold astronomical significance. On the morning of the spring equinox the sun will shine directly thru the small window seen here. Another part of the structure has similar windows to mark the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox.

The tour took about an hour which left another hour for us to wander, check out the ocean and the beach below, grab some gelato, and do a bit of shopping.

Cheryl not on the beach below, also not admiring the killer ocean view.

Then we boarded the bus for the trip back to the resort. We arrived at about 2:00, hit the cafeteria for a quick lunch, got changed into swimming attire, and trundled off to the weekly foam party at the adult pool.

Sadly, we were too late for the foam, although the bikini-clad dancing girls were still swaying to very loud music. The Deeg’s were thinking they would head back to their rooms since they were pretty much sunned out. So we left to find another, quieter pool where we lounged in the shade, sipped tropical drinks, and read until it was time to shower and dress for our final dinner.

After dinner it was back to the room to pack, blog, read and get ready for the morrow. Our bags are to be outside our room at 11:20 and we leave for the airport at noon. Wish us luck.

Here are a couple of interesting tidbits.

I took this photo of undergrowth so you could get an idea of what it looks like down here.
And speaking of undergrowth, signs like this are posted at intervals around the resort. Rumor has it that a small crock got into one of the pools earlier this week and had to be “escorted” off the premises by resort staff.

Of note (apparently); I was able to check in for our flight tomorrow, so it appears that we will be able to return to the US. However, along the way we received news that Southminster will be holding virtual church until April – facebook live – check it out. Also, BSU has cancelled all Osher classes until April. But as far as I can tell, Bogus is still running so now that my schedule is suddenly much clearer I might actually be able to get some skiing in.

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