So, for the last few days we sat in the sun 🙂

So here was quite a special dive experience. All over the Yucatan are underground fresh water ‘wells’ or cenotes. They are really huge flooded limestone caverns. Many are available to dive – I did just two dives round a single cavern system

Almost impossible to get good photos because of the complex lighting conditions, but hopefully you get a sense of it from these examples

Essentially treated as wreck dives, with a permanent penetration line laid in, following the ‘thirds’ principles on air (third to get in, third to get out, third for emergency), and never being more than 40 m from a light source.

Many parts of the cave were very dark, so it was all on torches.

Elected to dive off resort after the Virgin recommended we do so. 2 days of boat dives, onto the reef just 10-15 mins boat ride from the shore.

Nice and easy at around 20m. Saw lots of turtles …..

Some really quite large Angel fish, and a tiny sea horse…..

A big fish I don’t know (zebra?)….and big Rays

And a huge green Moray, that unfortunately I didn’t get photograph.

Early start from the hotel in Merida to get on the road to Chichen Itza.  A two hour drive got us there and the place didn’t seem too busy.

Straight to the main temple, probably the most photographed of the Mayan temples, and is most famous for the optical illusion of the moving Serpent at the solstices.

The ball court here is the ‘Wembley’ of Ball courts, much bigger than anywhere else, and carrying the carvings of two teams of 7 facing each other, with the lead player from one team having been decapitated.

Many other splendid carvings, with a a story of two brothers who went to fight the underworld and lost, so one was beheaded (theme here?), the carvings show the other  brother going back for revenge.

On to the temple of the warriors, and temple of 1000 columns (678 actually) .

Finally an unescorted potter round to the observatory and the ‘Nuns palace’.

This was the first Mayan site where we had traders on site. Properly spoiled the whole place.

As we came out, the crowds were building to the awful. Glad we got there early.

A short drive to the restaurant, and an opportunity to swim/jump into a 60m deep Cenote (natural well)

Finally, the 2 hr drive back to the Riviera resorts and the Gran Bhia

So, no early start today as its a free day. Lazy breakfast and then a walking tour of Merida. Some quite nice buildings….

A Cathedral….

a very, very large market….

and shops – including industrial cooking gear for brewing..

and then a sit in the sun and a beer by the pool..

Morning drive up from Campeche to Uxmal. Very warm day !

A huge late-classic Maya site, 7-1000 AD, really well restored. The stand alone magicians pyramid most impressive, together with the acropolis.

The complex also had a large enclosed Plaza, heavily decorated friezes…

The ‘main’ temple was actually tucked away at one end of the site with the Iguanas

and then heres a picture of our Guide, Alexandro. Just the two of us on this tour, so very nice to have a personal guide.

After an excellent visit it was on to Merida for a short orientation drive round the city in readiness for a free day the following day.