July 6, Celestun and Uxmal

With our AstroBus once again back in commission, we departed Hotel Casa Lucia in Merida, bound for the wildlife sanctuary at Celestun. Along the way, we viewed a panorama of terrains and landscapes, mostly untouched by the usual signs of civilization. Arriving at our destination, we quickly surveyed Celestun, observing the town, its people and various buildings and businesses. The three-wheeled and covered transports that have become familiar to us were everywhere. We walked to the beach, where we boarded our own “fleet” of three outboards.

The Celestun wildlife sanctuary is home to many resident and migratory waterfowl, with pink flamingos as the “star attraction.” The water itself is an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. Between March and August, adult flamingos fly between here and Cancun to feed on plankton for their young.
The boats docked briefly, so that we could see the petrified trees and shock-absorbing soil at one feeding site. Those of us who stayed on the boat heard our driver describe a typical Maya drink of coconut water and rum called, Cocofis.

Perched amid the tree branches, along the sandy shores and in the skies overhead were pelicans, cormorants and egrets. As we rode the choppy waters toward the stand of flamingos, our camera shutters were rapidly clicking, hoping to capture images of these bright pink birds in all their splendor.

Marcela shared an interesting tidbit about Peru’s flamingos, which are white and red. “When San Martin came to Peru,” she explained, “he said that the country’s flag was going to be red and white just like the flamingos.”

From the flamingo area, we next went through a mangrove tunnel, complete with termite hills and droves of pesky mosquitoes. We once again docked; this time so we could see a freshwater spring. Before disembarking, we literally coated ourselves in insect repellant, although its effectiveness was questionable. (Rumor has it that even Flat Stanley was itching afterward!)

Relieved to return to our boats, we rode the choppy waters toward shore. There, we perused the tables of handicrafts, including wooden parrots, flamingos and jewelry. Lunch was at La Boya, one of the local beachside restaurants. Besides the usual fare, some of us had coconut milk right from the coconut!

Following the meal, it was time to continue our journey to our next destination, Uxmal. We did make two brief stops on the way, one at a Maya home and the other at a cemetery, Cementario General. As we were leaving the latter, we noticed a funeral procession approaching. Most of the mourners were walking alongside or behind the hearse.

Back in our bus, we prepared for the long ride to The Hacienda Uxmal. The afternoon rain began to fall and we settled in to viewing several DVDs in The Soul of Mexico series. Those of us who weren’t watching were reading, talking or napping, among other things.

Rested and revived, we arrived in Uxmal around 6 p.m. We were warmly welcomed and treated to a refreshing glass of grapefruit juice. We had just enough time to check in and unload our bags, before walking to the nearby ruins at Uxmal. The light and sound show we viewed at the sight was quite a spectacle and a perfect segueway to our visit the next morning.

In response to Fulbrighter Maryann’s remarkable ability to meet and converse with the many people we have met comes this definitive quote of the day: “Candy opens any door.” – Jacques Paire.

Gail -- Teacher/Media Specialist -- Cleveland, OH