Cycling ’sYucatanStory & Photos by Cindy & Todd Ross Peninsula

The ferry rose and fell with the heaving sea. I steadied my bicy- cle and stared over the turquoise water to the approaching land on the horizon — the island of . In pre-Hispanic days, it was a sacred place for Mayan women who came from all across the Yucatan peninsula to pray for fertility, pregnancy, and

As soon as we rolled our bikes onto motorists of our cycling caravan. We the sacred site, a five-foot-long iguana opted to eat where the locals eat — at tiny, greeted us with bright orange spikes rising open-air, no-nonsense restaurants where from his back and head. We followed the no one speaks a word of English but the white limestone path to the sanctuary, food is authentic, cheap, and delicious. passing through the entrance arch as so The owners were always surprised and many had done before. As it is customary happy to see courageous gringos out of to deposit gifts or offerings on the shelves their element. of the shrine’s vaulted passage, I placed a Kenneth helped us select attractions leaf on a ledge and said a prayer for a rich and activities that would enhance our and meaningful visit to the Yucatan. San Yucatan experience. We found two nature Gervasio’s ruins are modest compared to parks, and Xel-Ha. Xcaret has over the “biggies” like , but they 6,000 meters of narrow subterranean are archeologically significant and definite- rivers for swimming and snorkeling. Since ly worth a visit. the Yucatan peninsula is porous limestone, Cozumel’s east coast has a smattering water seeps through fissures and crevices of small public beaches where you can in the rock until it reaches the water table. swim all by your lonesome. Chen Rio has There are virtually no surface rivers on the a fantastic beach shielded by rock forma- peninsula as water circulates underground tions that break up the waves and form a through a labyrinth of channels and rivers. cove. It also has a beachside seafood restau- Xcaret also houses the largest butter- rant that offers whole fish platters with fish fly nursery in the world — 4,200 square that were living only minutes before. We feet — and is home to many rescued had our snorkeling gear to dive the gigan- endangered animals, which live freely on tic Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest the property. Watching the amazing night Mexico’s only snowman. Cindy, Sierra, and Bryce pose with Frosty. barrier reef on the planet, which offers show that traced the history of the Mayan some of the best snorkeling in the world. world in song, dance, and theatre made our childbirth. Instead of arriving by ferryboat, culture, and get some exercise. We asked EcoColors to book us at evening here the most memorable of the they crossed in long canoes made of hol- Because the tourism office wasn’t very hotels that were cyclist-friendly, and the entire trip. low logs. And, instead of cycling, they helpful when planning our trip, I went to Hotel Meson de San Miguel, with its Farther down Highway 307 is Xel-Ha walked the sacred roads made of white the highly recommended EcoColors, an English-speaking staff and central location — a gigantic natural lagoon brimming limestone. eco-adventure travel company based out of right on San Miguel’s lively square, was a with colored fish and fascinating mangrove My family and I chose the Yucatan Cancun, for advice and help. Their tours fine introduction to Caribbean life. forests. The park is one of the nation’s Grand Pyramid. Sierra and Bryce climb the Mayan ruin at . peninsula for a three-week cycling adven- combine the natural, cultural, and adven- A breeze off the ocean and live marim- showplaces and is an example of ecologi- ture because our children, Sierra, fourteen, turous attractions of the region, the kind of ba music below our window coaxed us out- cally compatible development. Its safe and monkeys live on the preserve, and they level. They all cycle themselves and are and Bryce, twelve, could easily ride their trip that interests our family. Instead of doors, and we mingled with local families sheltered snorkeling is an excellent experi- took my children’s hands in their leathery very receptive to cyclists. own loaded bikes on the flat terrain. hooking up with one of their organized who came for a bite to eat, a chat, and a ence for first timers. fingers, longing to play like little kids. It was a delight to leave most tourists December temperatures are in the eighties cycling trips, we consulted with the direc- stroll. The Yucatan has some of the friend- For the wild version of snorkeling, we After we reached on the coast, behind when we left the coast. Following and breezy — a nice break from winter in tor, Kenneth Johnson. We gave him our liest folks in the world and is one of the headed towards , known as Place we headed inland towards Coba, Kenneth’s advice, we avoided the busy Pennsylvania. Each day we cycled a half ideas, budget, and general desired route safest places in Mexico. It’s also a good of the Turtle Bay. Run by a Texan woman, Valledolid, and Chichen Itza. The one roads with no shoulders and selected day to a new destination, then snorkeled, around the Yucatan, and he designed our choice for a family on bikes. it is one of the oldest resorts in the other touring cyclist we met on the entire routes through tiny villages. We passed swam with sea turtles, caved, and visited itinerary and made the necessary connec- From Cancun down the entire length Yucatan. We had a comfortable bungalow the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan. Besides a tions and reservations. of the , we followed Highway with our own chilled water cooler (a treat “Local business owners were always side trip to an island or two like Cozumel, Many visitors to Cozumel cross the 307. Its wide breakdown lane makes in a country where bottled water is a neces- our main cycling tour was along the eighteen-kilometer canal on cruise ships cycling very safe, although noisy. Before sity). And amazing treasures awaited us surprised and happy to see courageous exquisitely beautiful Riviera Mayan coast, that stop at the little town of San Miguel. boarding the ferry to Cozumel, we stopped underwater: swaying sea fans, coral reefs, from Cancun to Tulum, a 160-kilometer The passengers fill the few streets to shop at interesting towns along the way, such as and sea turtles feasting on the long, green gringos out the their element.” strip. We then left the shore and headed and rarely see the rest of the island, which Puertos Morelos, and took a jaunt out to underwater grasses. A visit to nearby inland to the ruins of Coba and Chichen is vastly wild. On a bike, you can cycle the the Isle de Mujures. Aktun Chen Cave and Nature Park trip was as amazed as we were that more stick homes with thatched grass roofs, no Itza, finishing with a jaunt up north to see quiet forty-mile blacktop road that circles After the cosmopolitan town of Playa showed us one of the most decorated and travelers weren’t doing the same. Traveling doors and windows, little furniture, and the pink flamingo preserves before heading the southern perimeter of the island and del Carmen, the truck traffic virtually stalactite-filled caves I have ever visited. by bicycle is a great way to go in develop- hammocks for beds. Children ran out to back to Cancun and the airport. The idea find another world. First stop, the Mayan stops. My husband Todd rode in the rear The jungle is pristine and rich in flora and ing countries because this simple mode of the streets yelling “Hola! Hola!” as we was to have fun, learn about the Mayan ruins of San Gervasio. with his highly visible T-shirt, alerting fauna, and the small regional wildlife zoo is transportation connects you to the native cycled past. It was beneficial for my a real treat. Friendly endangered spider peoples on an intimate, less intimidating teenagers to see how little these people

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orful flowers. They sell these garments alongside the wrought iron park fence. When evening comes, the square fills with couples holding hands, and children laugh- ing. On Sunday evenings, a Mexican band plays. To the delight of the locals and the embarrassment of our teenagers, Todd and I, with our highly visible jackets and legs that were tanned and muscular, took a spin on the dance floor. Kenneth booked us at the El Meson del Marques Hotel right on Valladolid’s square, where ancient trees grow right alongside your dining table in the open-air courtyard. According to Mario, the owner, his great-grandfather bought the beautiful sixteenth century Spanish house, in which he was raised. Mario has since turned it into a fine hotel. Chichen Itza is the star of the Mayan Local Cuisine. Bryce and Sierra enjoy fresh-caught fish with guacamole. world and no Yucatan cycling trip would be complete without a visit. Like Coba, need to be happy compared to our materi- the Yucatan all to yourself. Chichen Itza early morning is the best time to walk alistic American lifestyle. may be the most famous ruin with its exca- around without interference from tourists Once inland, we traded beach swim- vated and restored buildings, but Coba (no bikes allowed). The Castle of Kubulan ming for cenote swimming. Cenotes are looks much as it did when the archeolo- and Temple of 1,000 Columns were very sinkholes that formed when erosion weak- gists found it — reclaimed by the jungle impressive with intricate carvings and Local festivities. Sierra watches as a musician plays his wooden xylophone. ened the walls and roofs of the under- with wild vegetation growing on the pyra- many scenes of human sacrifice. The ball ground caves and channels until they col- mids. court here, the largest in the Mayan world, unusual for Mexico, made us feel welcome. lapsed. These deep natural holes, consid- Cycling is the best way to see this was awe-inspiring. The purpose of this We recovered our bike boxes from ered sacred by the Mayans, are a source of expansive ruin, but we had to pay to use 3,500-year-old game was to pass a nine- Kenneth of EcoColors. He had been stor- fresh water and make great swimming our own bikes so we didn’t subtract from pound rubber ball through a stone hoop ing them for us, as Cancun’s airport did holes. Gran Cenote, on the route to Coba, the income of the bike concessionaire. high on the slanted walls — using only not have bike boxes. Packing up bikes is rimmed by underwater stalactites and Miles of wide, shady, hard-packed dirt your hips. The ball reproduced the trajec- before a flight is no easy task. It can be overhead stalagmites. These sights, along roads made this our most enjoyable tory of the stars, the planets, and the play- more stressful than the actual tour! with its natural, filtering sunshine and sug- cycling. We parked our bikes and climbed ers, determining the path they would fol- Some parents would think it daunting ary sand floor, make for exceptional snor- the 121 stone steps to the Grand low in the firmament. True to form, the to bring their children on a cycling adven- keling. Although it was heavy and cumber- Pyramid’s top. From there, we took in the losers were sacrificed. ture to the Yucatan. But, with only a little some to pack, our snorkeling gear proved commanding view of the surrounding jun- We stayed that night at the nearby help, our family enjoyed the freedom that invaluable here. gle. The Mayans regularly sacrificed historic Hacienda Chichen, sleeping in independent cycling affords, and we were The road to Coba is narrow and humans here and the victim’s hearts were restored cottages that once housed the able to create some of the finest memories empty and a welcome break from the gouged out while they were still alive, their Carnegie Institute’s archeologists who of our lives. coastal road. We stopped in the villages to bodies were thrown down the steps, and excavated the ruins back in 1923. Colonial see hammocks being woven by hand, their vivid blood colored the white lime- tile floors, wrought iron furniture, and EcoColors: www.ecotravelmexico.com, +52 (998) swang at the neighborhood playground stone red. We used a rope to help us carved accessories decorated the rooms 884 36 67. with the local kids, and feasted on cold descend the extremely steep stone steps, while hand-woven cotton blankets on coconuts with tops hacked off by machete. keeping in mind that at least one tourist extremely comfortable beds gave us the Cindy lives with her family in Pennsylvania. After Once drained, the coconut was broken dies from a fall here every year. best sleep on the trip. cycling through New Mexico on the Great Divide apart so you could spoon out the sweet Farther west lies the charming town After three weeks of easy cycling, we Mountain Bike Route, her family fell in love with the white flesh. of Valladolid. We headed for the square, circled back to Cancun and opted for the sport. She is the author of six books on the outdoors, Buses don’t arrive at the ruins of Coba the center of village life, where women colorful downtown instead of the glitzy including Scraping Heaven — A Family until later in the morning. Before ten seamstresses were dressed in traditional hotel strip. The Rey del Caribe Hotel, an Adventure Along the Continental Divide, from A.M., you have this largest Mayan ruin in white cotton hipiles embroidered with col- impressive, environmentally friendly hotel, McGraw-Hill.

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