The Mayan Village

I was stupidly going to try to do this whole day in one post.

After three hours of uploading pictures, I give up.

I'm breaking it up into parts.

This is the Thursday we were there.
The company that took us on the tour is called Atournative Adventures.

And they were awesome.

We had to leave at 7, which is before the buffet opens.

So we got room service, which, by the way, is free also.

See? Still dark.


Anyway, it was quite a drive, but Alex, our guide, was very interesting.

There was a stop halfway through the trip for coffee and cookies,
and of course a pee break for me.

On the way to the village, we stopped and picked up a village woman, who neede a ride.
Apparently this tour company has come to be quite relied upon for this service.

Anyway, on to pictures.

Here is one of the buildings.
With hammocks.....

This is the little lake they have.
We canoed out here.
Apparently there is crocodiles, but I didn't see any here.

More of the lake.
The thatched roof was really low; that's why it's in all the pictures.

The canoes

Donna in the change room

The terrain;
And this was the nice area.

I just thought this view was pretty.

Hand washing station.
Pretty sink.

Another look at the terrain.

Path to the handwashing station.
On the right is the building where we ate.

The steps to the worst bathroom I have ever used.
Let's just say black cockroach-looking bugs the size of mice.

The path, and the Brother Trees.
The one on the right?
Poisonous.
We were told not to touch them at all.

The one on the left?
The antidote.

And they are always found side by side.

This is the hole I repelled 60 feet down.
It wasn't really as bad as it looks, I could see in and see people swimming below.
But my camera wouldn't pick it up.

What kept me from plunging to my doom.
See the ropes going out the sides?
At the ends were 3 Mayans per rope,
or, "The Mayan Elevator."

A police man out at the village.
We don't know why.
Donna asked for a picture, but it didn't turn out that great.
They were too far away and in the shade.

If you click on it, you might be able to see the machine gun across his chest.

Every policeman had one.

One of the ways the village people make money was to sell honey.
So here is a stand manned by children.

The dock

A Mayan girl watching her little sister.

This little boy had a sling shot.
And boy, was he good!
See that far post?
He could hit it dead center.

Ready, Aim....

This little girl loved the cameras.
Every time I took a picture of the boys, she would let me know she wanted to see the picture.
Then she would giggle like crazy.

She was quite proud to get her picture taken as well.
And, of course, was pleased with the result.

Another area of the village

The girl again....
Thinkin' thoughts.

Donna, contemplating the meaning of life.

This, my friends, was the sidewalk.
The pole was put there bu the company for internet access.

This thin stone wall was the sidewalk.

Kept you up out of the brush and snakes.

And that is the end.

There was so much more to this trip....

But we were so busy doing, that we didn't have time to take a lot of pictures.

But
The company has trained some of the villagers in photography,
as a way to generate income,
and so we have all the pictures of us doing each of the activities,
plus of the surrounding terrain.

As soon as Donna sends me the disc, I will post them.

Ziplining over a lagoon filled with crocs
Repelling 60 feet into a cenote
Inside the cenote itself

They are awesome, I tell you.

Buenos Noches