Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today’s weather forecast was for rain so we had decided not to go to the beach. We opted to ride our bikes to the Tulum Ruins figuring if we got wet, it was no big deal. With cloudy skies overhead, we headed out. We stopped in town for tacos on our way, then continued along what Tobey calls “The Green Line”, the bike trail that runs on both sides of the main street. It can get pretty busy with bikes going in both directions and people walking, but it is better than fighting the car traffic.We have visited the archeological site before but enjoyed seeing it again. Admission is $80 pesos ($4.50USD) per person.
One of the first things we saw were coatis or coatimundis. They are sometimes called 'the hog-nosed raccoon'. Coatis have bear- and raccoon-like paws, and walk on the soles of the feet, as do humans. Coatis have nonretractable claws.
Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya. The site began to be inhabited as early as 564 A.D.
Although with never more than an estimated 1,600 inhabitants, the site remained occupied until shortly before the end of the 16th century. That’s when disease brought by the Spanish eliminated the majority of the population.
Tulum means “wall” in Maya, however, the town’s original name, Zamá (pronounced zam-MAH) translates as “Place of the dawning sun.” Tulum stands on a bluff facing east toward the Caribbean Sea and faces the sunrise. It was one of the few enclosed cities built by the Mayas. With walls on three sides and the Caribbean Sea on the other, Tulum was built to be a fortress.Temple of the Descending God (above)
Tulum had access to both land and sea trade routes, making it an important trade hub, especially for obsidian.Temple of the Wind Gods (above)
You can bring your swimsuits and walk down to the small beach for a swim. Access to the beach is only by the stairs or boat. As you can see, it wasn’t raining! The skies cleared and it got very hot! We wished we had our suits!
We had fun seeing lots of iguanas and different birds, also.
Our roundtrip bike ride was about eight miles – not bad! I took a swim in the pool to cool down and we relaxed before going out to dinner.
We went back to El Dorado tonight. Tobey had the garlic shrimp and I had the garlic fish filet. Both were good – the shrimp was best.We’re in for the evening and had a great Valentine’s Day. We hope you did, too!
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