(For 8/13/10)
Today we drove to Merida.
We had to fill up with gas before departing Tulum. They still have station attendants here, who not only pump the gas but also handle the money. There is no paying for gas by credit card apparently. And these guys are aggressive! In fact I’m fairly certain our
“attendant” took me for 200 or 500 pesos or between $18 - $45U.S. I’m still not really sure. He came around from behind the car after pumping the gas and I was still seated in the driver’s seat riffling through my wallet looking for the proper bills. I swear I handed him a large bill, either a 200 or 500 hundred bill, not really watching and next thing I know he’s showing me that I’ve only given him 20 peso bill. I swear I heard a quick shuffling of paper during the exchange. I turned to him in confusion and started to argue, but then just acquiesced and gave him money in order to receive change. He was good because I don’t even know if it actually happened and I figure he probably needs it way more than I do. But from now on, I’m standing outside, facing the attendant, and I’m telling him how much gas in pesos I want ! Live and learn
Cobá is located about an hour east from Tulum. It is known primarily for four elements: 1) several Stellae, or large stone tablets, about 6’x3’, that are erected vertically and are memorials to Mayan kings, 2) the tallest pyramid in Northern Yucatan, 3) the many raised roads, or sacbé, leading in and out of the area, one of which used to connect Cobá to Chichen Itza, 60+ miles away, and 4) the large area the site takes up. I did climb up the tallest pyramid. Steps were about double the size of our steps and it was quite a workout. And another "Descending God!" Legs up over head, arms out to the side, looking out like a Meso-American Spiderman.
The town of Cobá is a small town in a remote area of the state of Quintana Roo, and it seems that you’re rich if you have a house with a cement foundation and walls. One of the informational signs in Cobá stated that today the descendents of the Maya live in houses with thatched roofs very similar to those of their forebears. The archeological sites seem to support the local economy. There are guides to the sites that can be hired and visitors are encouraged to either rent a bicycle, which I did, or hire a bicycle-taxi for two, which Lynda and Raquel did, in order to view the grounds. A good thing to, because it would have been a long and tiring walk in the heat if we hadn’t.
Just outside the grounds we stopped at a little cafe owned by a young Argentinean who was very nice and helpful. He had said that he had come on holiday to Cobá a little under a year earlier and liked it so much he decided to move and stay. He’s now a part of the community. While we were there a local farmer came by selling natural cheese. The owner said the farmer comes every 15 days and buys from him.
The poverty surrounding the site and on the road to Merida of Cobá is incredible. Some people literally live in thatched huts like people did a thousand years ago, only with cement flooring/foundation and walls rather than stone.
After Cobá, we drove the two and half hours to Merida, which was uneventful. However once we got to Merida... well, driving in Merida is like driving in a pinball machine, only you try desperately (and in this case SUCCESSFULLY!!!) to avoid hitting people, other cars, buses, motorcycles, horse carriages, bicycles... wow! Crazy and stressful! Made more so by the fact that we did not know where are hotel was only that it was near the center of town, which it is. In fact it is right off the Plaza Central. It's a bustling and exciting town and the hotel is right in the middle of it. It’s an old style hotel with a little courtyard inside that all the rooms face. We finally spotted it... then we had to figure out where to park the car. It all eventually worked out ok after navigating the one-way streets a few times.
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