CIMG8190 View of the sea from the ruins of Tulum

CIMG8190 View of the sea from the Mayan ruins of Tulum

I went on a Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean cruise in November of 2007. Our ship was named Ecstasy. The ship sailed from Galveston TX, to Cozumel and Progresso (Mexico) and back. We got to see some of the archaeological sites of Mexico: Mayan ruins and pyramids.

While on the cruise, I went to two shore tours on our ports of call, Cozumel and Progresso. From Cozumel we went on a tour of the Mayan ruins of Tulum. We could not spend much time at either site, because just getting there from the coast takes 1.5 — 2 hours each way. So we could spend barely 2 hours touring the ruins. I got to see the highlights, the world-famous pyramids and temples I’ve seen in pictures, but not much more.

From the ruins of Tulum a beautiful view opens up to the sea. It was there, according to our tour guide, that the Mayans of Tulum first saw the masts of Spanish ships over the horizon. Or maybe our tour guide was dramatizing, as the ruins themselves weren’t very dramatic, at least not in rainy weather. (It was raining while we were there.) And we all know what happened next. This adds a twinge of sadness to the beautiful view. Tulum survived only a few years after that. Actually, the tour guide said the Spaniards left Tulum alone, because there was no gold in it. The Spaniards had made their outpost in what is now Cuba, and raided various places along the Mexican coast, mostly looking for gold. But after the Spaniards conquered the Aztec emperor Montezuma, Tulum’s days were numbered.

Then again I’m not sure if (a) I heard the guide correctly, and (b) he wasn’t making things up. I later noticed some things our guide said were of dubious truthiness. Like for example, that a certain restaurant at Tulum, run by his friend, had best margaritas in the world. I tried a margarita there, and it was decent, but I’ve had better in some places in Austin. Ditto for the food. Still, it wouldn’t be right to go to Mexico and not have “authentic” Mexican food and drink, now would it?

November 2007