Mmmmmmmmmexico

We have just returned from a wonderful restful week in Tulum, Mexico. A couple hours south of Cancun in the beautiful Yucatan peninsula, Tulum is named for the Mayan ruins (known to the Mayans as Zamas, or City of the Dawn) that sit majestically overlooking the Caribbean. It's also a small but growing coastal string of beachside cabanas and "eco-hotels" on a gorgeous stretch of white sand and swaying palm trees. These cabanas seem to attract the tourists who seek a quieter, more rustic and more isolated vacation than the honking all-inclusive resorts to the north in Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Here we are in a typical daytime pose: prone, watching the surf. What a contrast to the photos from the blizzard of 06. Sheesh!

We stayed in the mellow, comfortable jungle ensconsced Cabanas Copal (thank you, Katie MacLennan for the expert referral! We highly recommend Copal and the romantic sister cabana we also enjoyed, Azulik.) Here is the path right outside our cabana, leading to a sandy intersection - go left to visit the restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast on most days; go straight to make a spa appointment (including the dry flotation tank to enhance lucid dreaming, an experience neither one of us could pass up); go right to enjoy the beach and the small but well equipped bar Tun Tun (where we spent many afternoons enjoying fish tacos, tortas and cervezas.)

Since our main goal was relaxation, we weren't too ambitious in terms of formal plans. Most days we were up with the sun, greeted by the colorful warbling of the birds - one in particular caught my fancy, he sang a descending arpeggio over and over - and asleep early since there is no electricity in any of the rooms (each cabana came equipped, helpfully, with candles and matches.) An ambitious morning might begin with a jog on the coastal road for Andres and yoga - a free class was provided each morning in the yoga palapa - for me. Aside from a couple of day trips, it was a whole lot of lounging.


We did visit two of the main Mayan archeological sites in the Yucatan, both quite different from one another. Coba, approximately 2,000 years old, lies spread out over several kilometers in the jungle. This structure, the Xaibe pyramid, once sat at a major crossroads of the major Mayan cities. Tulum, below was built sometime after 1200 and was still occupied by the Mayans until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in the 1600's. Tulum was a major port on the coastal trading route that encompassed many part of Mexico and Central America. It was fascinating to see the remains of the walled city because as Andres pointed out, you can really imagine the layout of the urban environment, since the ruins remain in proportion and scale to one another. Here is what is believed to be a former residence, now enjoyed by sunning iguanas - look for the one in the center of the photo. The photo of us shows the stunning views enjoyed by the Mayan royalty, who were the only ones allowed inside the confines of the

city walls. While we enjoyed these visits immensely, the real, simple pleasure of our trip was in the pure relaxation we experienced. And in unexpected surprises.

Because my entry would be incomplete without mention of the Mexican rock band that played at a restaurant we frequented. Que Fresco sits right on the water several hundred feet down the coastal road from Cabanas Copal; the ambiance is perfect, and the food was fresh and tasty. But the evening entertainment: priceless. Vertigo 777 at first appeared to be gearing up for an evening of Mexican Metal Mania: the ponytailed lead singer wore an Judas Priest/Megadeath t-shirt, the bassist's instrument looked pure Def Leppard circa 1984, and the shaggy drummer wore high tops and a shirt advertising cymbals. We (and the many parents with young children around us, presumably) wondered just what they had in store for us. They began with precise, perfect covers of what they called "light rock." Jimmy Buffet, Credence Clearwater Revival. But it was when they launched into Poison's Every Rose Has Its Thorn that we knew they had shifted tracks and something was about to blow open. Sure enough, the set grew more raucous as they responded to the crowd's growing appreciation and enthusiasm. (You know you've got the crowd's approval when someone sends up a round of tequila shots.) We heard priceless, note for note perfect renditions of Hurts So Good (John Cougar), Jump (Van Halen), Dream On (Aerosmith) and Light My Fire (Doors.) Finally, they completely brought the house down with the audience requested You Shook Me (AC/DC), Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynard - and nevermind the irony of a Mexican band singing a well-known confederate anthem to a crowd of Americans), and a 12-song Rolling Stones medley. Gracias, Vertigo 777. Te Amo.

Finally, at Andres' request, here are a few final photos of our beach. We hope, one day, to return to it!