Mexico Travelogue November 7, 2018

St. Mary's County Camera Club is celebrating its' 20th Anniversary this Wednesday at the Southern Maryland Higher Education, California ,MD, 7 PM, room posted inside entrances.  Jim and I are the presenters for a Mexico travelogue of photographs taken mostly from the Yucatan, also Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and more.  Join us for our free presentation, approximately 20-30 minutes including lots of variety (art, music, wildlife, culture, history, architecture, people, beaches, etc.). Bring a friend and pass the word!

                 Ek Balam ancient ruins

                  Flamingo dispute

Yucatan Mexico Ek Balam February 10, 2018

We spent the day near Valladolid exploring more wonders of the Yucatan.  We visited Ek Balam (meaning black jaguar), with its' incredibly new looking stucco panels on the Templo de los Frisos on the Acropolis.  The Acropolis structure was the funeral site of the Mayan ruler Ukit Kan Lek Tok.

Jim was determined to go up these steep stairs of the Acropolis to see the stucco work above.  Having done this before, I knew I wouldn't like the climb, but Jim's tenacity inspired a number of tourists sitting below the pyramid.  Folks asked me how old he was and were amazed.

Decorations at the bottom of the Acropolis.

Jim made it up to the room, cane and all.

Jim took this panorama photo of the jaws and decorated stucco room. It was hidden behind a sand filled room for centuries.

A stelae (stone pallet) was a sort of historical record.

We also visited a cenote called X'keken (or Dzitnup), an underground cave filled with water.  You can see the roots of a large tree above the cave. 

There was a huge stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling.

X'keken means pig.  Legend has it that a farmer's pig came back muddy from visiting the cenote, so the farmer followed the pig to the cave.

Yucatan Mexico Merida Feb 4, 2018

A Day In Merida

With only a half day after a late night wedding, we visited a fascinating museum about the history and culture of the Mayans and a dinosaur exhibit for the afternoon before a nice dinner.

We visited the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya
(Grand Museum of the Mayan World)

 Chac Mool-the rain god

 Ek Balam replica of the front part of the Acropolis

 Ek Balam art

 Ball court hoop next to the Ek Balam exhibit

Museum staircase

 

Mexican flag

Fan Vendor from downtown Merida

Merida Colonial downtown vendors.  Merida is known for embroidery and guayaberas, shirts usually made with 4 pockets.

 Amaro Restaurant photos start here

Hanging decorations

 Whimsical folk art was on the edges of the outdoor restaurant.  I loved the pink boots!

 This artwork had a huge sparkly tongue.  Is it a mermaid or a dragon or a dog?  Really fanciful!

Nearby Pancho's restaurant looked interesting.