S P E C I A L   H O N E Y M O O N   E D I T I O N FREE July 23, 2001

HEADLINES MEXICAN ADVENTURE    It's only been a couple of weeks since our trip to Mexico and already it seems ages ago. We wish we could have stayed longer but time and money just wouldn't allow it on this trip.    Knowing we had but a short time, we made the most of each day. Most of Saturday was spent traveling and getting settled at the Porto Real Hotel. After a brief rest and a dip in the pool we made tour arrangements for the rest of the week. Next we had a bite to eat at the hotel then headed downtown to Playa Del Carmen's famous 5th Avenue. Nighttime is the best for a walk along the avenue - the shops, restaurants and clubs all seem more exotic and intriguing. It's also cooler and the tourists (and locals) come out in force. We saw people of all ages from all over the world.

Sunday we had a tour of the hotel then we spent time sunning and relaxing by the pool, exploring the beach and generally being lazy. Later in the afternoon, we explored 5th Avenue again, this time in daylight.    Monday we set out early on our trip to the seaside ruins of Tulum. The ruins themselves aren't that impressive but it's location is breathtaking. It sits atop a cliff overlooking the sea. From here you can see the second largest barrier reef in the world. It was baking hot that day and one wonders how anyone could have ever lived there. To our relief, we next went to Xel-Ha, which is a large inlet that stretches so far inland it forms what seems like a river. The main attractions are snorkeling and floating down the "river" in innertubes.    Tuesday we relaxed at the hotel for a while then walked about half of 5th Avenue before moving down to the beach to walk the rest of the way to the ferry dock at the other end of town. We took the ferry over to Cozumel Island with no specific plans other than to "see what's there". We did some shopping on the island then returned and spent the remainder of the evening on the Avenue.    Wednesday we set out early once again. This time we were headed to Coba, the remote jungle ruins. Coba was a huge city with over 6000 structures. To date, only a handful have been excavated and restored but those that have are much more impressive than the ones at Tulum. Coba is home to the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan and I believe it's the second tallest in the Americas. We walked what seemed like 20 miles while at Coba and got quite hot. Knowing this, the tour makes a pitstop at El Gran Cenote. It wasn't particularly "grand" but it was interesting to see one of the area's famous sink holes. The water was crystal clear and icy cold. From there we headed to Aktun Chen. The long slow bus ride through the jungle to Aktun Chen was like a cross between a carnival ride and being in a small boat in a storm. Once we arrived, we were greeted by spider monkeys, coatis and swarms of mosquitoes. Aktun Chen is a series of limestone caverns. Their total expanse is not yet known but a 1/3 mile stretch has been opened to tourists. The caverns are not deep and you enter at one end and exit at the other. Along the way are pools of both salt and fresh water, amazing stalactite formations, and in some places parts of the ceiling have caved in forming skylight like effects. One cavern has a rather large hole and a good sized tree has grown from the floor up and out through the hole 40ft above.    Thursday was primarily a recovery day. I slept in and Angela spent time at the pool. Later in the day we wandered downtown to eat and shop.

Friday saw us heading out on our last tour to Xcaret which is an all day event. In pre-Hispanic times the area was the ancient Maya port of Pole, an important commercial center. Pole was also an important religious site. Pilgrims came from all over the Yucatan Peninsula to purify their bodies and souls in the sacred waters of the cenote (natural sink hole) and in ritual temascales (sweat baths), before journeying to Cozumel to worship Ixchel, the goddess of fertility. Today Xcaret has just about everything all in one park. We went snorkeling in the underground river. You can also swim and snorkel in the lagoon and cenote or take a boat out to the reef. The park boasts a botanical garden, mushroom farm, several wild animal exhibits, an aviary, a bat cave, an aquarium and a large area dedicated to sea turtles. There's also a huge enclosed butterfly pavilion. They have stables where you can rent horses for a ride through the jungle and along the beach. There are several ruins scattered throughout the park and they have recreated a typical Mayan village. After dark, they have folk performances on several stages around the park and put on an exhibition of ULAMA, the 2000 year old Mayan ball game. One of the biggest attractions is the swim with dolphins program, which we really enjoyed.    Saturday was spent traveling back home. We left Cancun midday and didn't arrive back in Seattle until after 11 PM. By the time we got home and hauled everything in the house, it was nearly 1 AM. We slept like logs that night. FAMILY Alan has moved back to his Mom's house for the summer before he goes to college. Now we can start planning the nursery! HEALTH UPDATE Everyone is reasonably well at the moment. At our last OB/GYN visit we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! ARCHIVES Did you miss the last issue of the Gazette? Previous issues are available here: ARCHIVES