Vacaciones en Mexico: Parte 12

The journey back home, together with my inability to sleep on a night flight, afforded an ideal opportunity to reflect on our holiday, particularly the impact of tourism on the Yucatan. Has it been a good or bad thing for the area. I can only answer this question from a partial and, of course, highly personal perspective but I hope I’ve left the rose coloured spectacles off long enough to be reasonably objective. Whatever my opinion amounts to, working on it has helped to pass the time on a long flight back to the cold (as a matter of record, it was 30C as we left Cancun and -1C when we landed at Gatwick).


We are lucky enough to have visited the Yucatan once before, about 14 years ago. Then the main foci for hotel development were Cancun (which was, after all what it was built for) and Playa del Carmen: what was happening further south on the coastal strip was fairly patchy and limited by the atrocious track which passed as the main road. Since then the pot-holed roller-coaster has been replaced by a modern dual-carriageway and many more resort hotels have been built between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. This increase in the number of hotels has been accompanied by noticeable changes in the service infrastructure, for example, more tours, more local production facilities, more tourist shops, more public transport and much, much more construction.

All of these changes man more work for the locals, not just in the hotels but also in all the other areas. The tourist industry, although it is still expanding is also maturing in that more and more produce and expertise is being locally sourced rather than being shipped in. I spoke with a couple of people at our hotel about local agriculture and they pointed out that most of the vegetable, fruit and salads used by the hotel, and others, came from greenhouses in the vicinity which used modern hydroponic cultivation techniques. We got a glimpse of acres of these greenhouses on our flight path out of Cancun airport.

Of course, plonking huge resort complexes in the virgin jungle was never ever going to be a great gain for the environment. But what did strike me is the way ‘they’ (the hotels and the state) are aware that the environment is one of the major, if not unique, attractions of the Yucatan. They are doing what they can to be as sustainable and environmentally stewarding as possible. Lots of solar panels are in evidence, recycling seems to well structured, energy efficient air conditioning units are used, waste control and water conservation measures are in place, natural attractions insist on the use of biodegradable sun screens and insect repellents and conservation schemes are being put in place to protect natural wildlife. In this latter context, it’s worth mentioning that the tourist development is taken place along a relatively narrow strip right next to the sea: there’s still plenty of virgin jungle just beyond this strip. I realise I’m painting a very cosy picture but I do believe the commitment is there to continue along this ‘green’ pathway. They have to as their future depends on the Yucatan remaining a destination of choice for many holiday makers.

At the state level, the influx of money has meant that healthcare services have improved and schools and colleges are providing better education than before. In some places that was not hard to do as healthcare and education were pretty rudimentary (as they undoubtedly still are in the more remote Mayan villages). A lot of effort is being made to teach the locals the skills necessary to enable them to take advantage of what opportunities the tourist industry and support functions have to offer them. One interesting facet of this is the campaign by the state to provide bi-lingual instruction to prevent the Mayans from being disadvantaged by not knowing how to speak Spanish – many are still monolingual.

To come back to my original question: is tourism a good or bad thing for the Yucatan? I could not help but bear in mind what we saw and heard at the Mayan village. From their point of view, it has been a good thing as it has given them, particularly the young, opportunities they would never have had. Yes, there will be many who lament the loss of the old ways but those with the greatest stake in the future, the young, seem to be all for it. The developments are happening and, let’s face it, they will continue. As I see it, the locals are benefitting and the environment is being cared for responsibly. This is probably all we could ask for. If we are still around in 14 years, maybe we should go back to see if my optimism was well placed.

Vacaciones en Mexico: Parte 11

The Mankini of Derision

What to wear on holiday? A vexing question and one that always occupies a great deal of my time in the weeks leading up to departure to warmer climes. Elegant yet casual, fashionable yet understated: that’s the way I’d describe my travelling wardrobe (and I’m sure my ITC will be nodding her head in agreement when she reads this). Staying at a resort hotel is a great opportunity for people watching and it’s obvious that not everyone takes the same meticulous care that I do when it comes to vacation dress. When you are away, your normal sense of what is fashionable can go straight out of the window and there are lots of people here who have plainly lost sight of what looks good. Many a stylistic faux pas is in evidence.

We are paying a princely sum to stay at this hotel and, to be honest, I’m more than a little disappointed with the low couture that surrounds me. Given their otherwise impeccable attention to

The Coconut Bikini of Shame

detail, I’m amazed that the management do not specify some sort of sartorial standard for their guests. I’ve given it a little thought and I’ve come up with a proposal that they may care to follow. It would not be too difficult to put into action and it would result in a far more aesthetically pleasing stay for all. What they should do is to give out a list of what is acceptable apparel in a pre-arrival briefing pack and then have an inspection of suitcases on entry to the resort with, perhaps, a green sticker attached to clothes approved for wear whilst on site. Conformity to the rules could be maintained by a cadre of fashion police constantly patrolling the beach and pool surrounds and singling out any transgressors. A couple of lapses would be allowed but any more than that would mean the miscreants having to wear the Mankini of Derision or the Coconut Bikini of Shame for the rest of their stay. Who could possibly object to this way of enhancing their holiday experience? Isn’t this what a 5* resort should be doing anyway?

(And to those whose dress sense is behind the times, I would point out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing socks with your sandals. Why is it that we trend setters are always mocked?).

The Look of 2013?

Vacaciones en Mexico: Parte 10

A day vegetating around the hotel, highlighted by the news that we got the room upgrade that I'd been agitating for.  I'm not sure that it's much of an improvement...............

Vacaciones en México: Parte 9

A day a little more energetic than our jaunt to Xpu-ha yesterday.  Today we took an organised tour that gave us the opportunity to visit a present day Mayan village, a guided tour around the ruins of Coba and, last but not least, a swim in a freshwater cenote.  From the outset the cenote swim was in doubt for me - cold water? You've got to be joking.

Firstly the Mayan village.  I am, by nature, a questioning, cynical person (Moi? Surely not) and that makes me a questioning, cynical tourist.  But I have to say that, putting a little folklorists colour to one side, our visit to the village was totally without the sort of 'look at the funny natives' patronising guff we've had during similar visits in other countries.  We saw a community as it is now (water from a well, open fires and clay ovens, one electric light powered by a car battery into which a small solar panel fed). Without most of the material trappings we consider essential for our lives but at ease with their way of life.  It's a community that embraces the present and wants to provide a different future for its young. It's also a community on the brink of tremendous change for across the road from them a new Mayan archaeological site, Muyil, is opening up new areas soon. This will attract many more tourists to their village and surrounds and there will be accompanying developments (hotels, restaurants etc).  We asked the question "what did they think about it?".  Some did not want any change, preferring the old ways, but the majority wanted to give their young more opportunities than they had.  It's going to happen so they may as well benefit from it. 

Concern for their future is shaping the way the community is positioning itself.

After the village, we headed for Coba.  Coba was in its prime from around AD 250 to 850, after which it declined through war with its neighbour, Chichen Itza.  It's a large site and is not yet fully excavated: there's a lot of buildings and structures still covered by the jungle.  The highlight of the visit was a climb (150 or so steps) to the top of Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid on the Yucatan.  It's also the only one that can be climbed but this is going to stop at the end of this month because of conservation concerns. It was steep but relatively easy going and the views from the top were magnificent.  It's then that the full size of the site and the mounds yet to be uncovered can really be seen.  As an aside, the previous time I climbed this structure I was wearing a steel corset - but that's another story. We went around the site the easy way - by cycle taxi.  OK, perhaps a lazy way of doing it but it was hot and the site is owned and run by the local Mayan community so we were helping them by employing their services.

Nohoch Mul: a doddle after Dartmoor

And finally my opportunity to show what a wimp I am - the cenote swim.  This one was at the end of quite a long path into the jungle and was surrounded by, you've guess it, trees.  Clear, fresh water oozing from limestone caverns.  Sounds tempting? But not tempting enough to get me in.  But my ITC, who is made of braver stuff than me, seemed to enjoy it.  Another good day out and we ended with the dilemma of where to eat tonight.


Look who's lurking in the cenote



Vacaciones en México: Parte 8

A leisurely afternoon on a beach called Xpu-ha (pronounced something like Eshpoo-ha). Imagine glistening white sands and a warm turquoise sea - just like the beach in the old Bounty Bar ads? That's Xpu-ha.

Not drowning but waving

I'd taken the above photograph and, almost immediately, the Stevie Smith poem 'Not waving but drowning' came into mind. Once upon a time I could recite the three verses off by heart but no longer. I spent the afternoon trying to remember the lines but I can only give myself 60% for effort. Here's what I could not quite recall.

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

There's a lot more emotion in this poem than a first read might suggest and it's well worth hearing Stevie Smith herself talking about her inspiration for it and, from around 2.47 mins onwards, reading it. Great stuff and hooray for the internet and YouTube.

Vacaciones en México: Parte 7

January 9th and the first birthday of our youngest grandchild, Gryff Rhys.  We thought long and hard about what we'd do today to celebrate for him by proxy.  We decided that nothing would give him greater pleasure than knowing his grandparents were having a good time and, with this in mind, we took ourselves off to Xel-ha.  Que Xel-ha?  A water park based on an inlet from the sea, with a number of fresh water rivers flowing into it. A great place to snorkel, with environments including mangrove swamps and reefs.  Lots of fish around the reefs, with the rainbow angelfish being large and plentiful.  I'm sure Gryff would have enjoyed it but, from what I've seen, he had an equally good time at home scoffing his Gruffalo cupcakes (I write somewhat enviously).

Xel-ha is so fertile that grass even grows on the internal transport.

Our hotel room is being serviced by Emilio, who we've never seen and who does an excellent job, especially when it comes to towel folding.  An art we shall call Toweligami and one that should not be confused with Toiletigami, the folding of toilet paper into shapes.  Emilio thus far has demonstrated minimal skills at Toiletigami but give him a towel and he's the king.  We do enjoy coming back to see what creation is awaiting us but can't resist giving each one a personal twist.  Such larks.

You can take a towel giraffe to water but you can't make it drink.

Neither you make his elephant friend eat biscuits or marshmallows.

A final cultural observation: Mexicans don't wave but they do say "ola" rather a lot.

Vacaciones en México: Parte 6

This is the very last time we take the budget accommodation option at a hotel.

Vacaciones en México: Parte 4

Weather report for today: no rain.  A lazy day near the beach when thoughts turned to one of the endearing peculiarities of the area.

It's not long before anyone driving in the Yucatan (and I assume the same applies to other regions of Mexico) comes across the local version of the sleeping policeman/speed bump - the tope.  In the UK these are usually found where traffic restriction makes sense, such as near a school or for preventing high-speed dashes down quiet suburban avenues.  In the Yucatan topes are everywhere and seem to be placed without any discernible logic. You'll just as commonly find them strung across a dual-carriaged highway as in a town or on a dusty potholed track at the back of beyond. And there seems to be no pattern in their number or frequency. You might just come across one or five or more in quick succession. They fascinate me and, I'll confess, it's a fascination that could develop into an obsession.

Rope tope

There is no standard tope and they come in various guises. They range from the relatively benign (perhaps just a piece of rope across the road) to the positively malign (a 9-12 inch high reinforced concrete bar blocking the way).  And all variants in between.  The favourite seems to be a line of 6 inch high solid metal hemispheres, set at 2 inch spacings. in some cases, but not all, the vertical sides of the concrete bars may be softened with a little cement filling to form a sort of ramp.  A rathe empty guesture as it makes no difference to the impact.

The rope type topes, not in the majority by any means, can be taken at speed and are singularly ineffectual as traffic regulators. But the others?  To take them at any speed risks damage to tyres, suspension and teeth.  They really do work.  In fact, some of them can only be negotiated safely from a standing start.

Topes may or may not be signposted and our travels suggest that most of them aren't.  To come across a monster tope unawares is a body jolting experience for both vehicle and occupants.  Vigilance is mandatory when driving and the very best way I've found of spotting a tope is to keep a keen eye on the traffic in front.  If it bounces in the air rather alarmingly, that's a good sign that there's a tope lurking.  Of course, if there's no other traffic around or you are driving at night, you are on your own!  I have to say that the topes bring an added level of interest to driving over here.

Why are they there?  Perhaps a conspiracy between the government and the car repair business?  Perhaps a free form of street entertainment, watching drivers being thrown from their seats?  But the charitable explanation is that really are there to limit the speed of traffic and it has to be said that traffic speeds over here are reasonable.  Banish any images of a droopy moustached Pedro in a sombrero hurtling along at 100 mph in an open pick-up truck laden with wife, children and chickens. It is a safe place  to drive and the standards of driving are high, surprisingly so as the driving test is somewhat rudimentary (actually effectively non-existent according to a guide I talked to).

For the locals, topes are useful in other ways.  It is quite common to see street vendors clustered near the most vicious sub-species.  If a car has to come to a grinding halt, it provides an ideal opportunity to try and sell something.  If you are in the car, it's a good time to get a bite to eat or a drink or a souvenir or even a haircut or massage.  There are some very enterprising Mayans out there.  In the more rural areas, the tope-based vendor is commonplace but we've also been assailed by 'urchins', taking the opportunity of the car slowing down, to hang onto our wing mirrors and ask for money.  On one journey this happened so often that we had a competition amongst ourselves to see who could correctly estimate the speed at which the adhered urchin lost their grip and fell off as we accelerated away.  An impressive 75 mph was the best we recorded.  I must point out that we always checked in our rear view mirror to see that no bones were broken during their descent into the dust.

Given all of the potholes appearing in the lanes around us in Cornwall, I have a feeling that my topes negotiating skills might very well be called upon when we get back home.