What better way to explore an ancient civilization than on an interactive eco-adventure tour into the worlds of the Mayans.
Situated in the northern part of the 160 km corridor known as Riviera Maya, we embarked on a group tour of Coba from Cancun. The award-winning Alltournative has been a pioneer in sustainable recreational tourism providing natural-cultural and adventure expeditions in the State of Quintana Roo.
After a 170 km drive southwest, we arrived in a verdant jungle. Lengthy paths lead to the various Mayan ruins, so bicycles are offered to expedite a tour. Even two-seaters with a driver are provided for those who prefer to be chauffeured.
Settled as early as 100 AD, networks of sacbe (roads) that date back to 600 AD radiate out from Coba. During the Classical period, which coincides with the Roman Empire, it was the areas major city, stockpiling and controlling goods and services transported to the eastern seaboard.
The majority of ruins at Coba are limestone foundations of former housing. Utilizing the natural land elevations, the Maya erected their most imposing architectural edifice. Rising 42 metres, the Hohoch Muul (“Big Mound”) pyramid is the tallest ancient structure in the northern Yucatan. Only a rope pulled taut assists you in your ascent to the temple. One-hundred-and-twenty steps to the top and you are rewarded with a panoramic view and the expansive jungle as only select Maya were permitted to do. It was estimated that one pyramidal level was laid every 52 years.
The Maya believed in 13 levels of sky (the Supra World) and nine levels below (the Infra World), which constitute the Mayan universe. It is this duality of life that I sought to make a tangible, if not spiritual, connection through our ecologically-friendly activities. After experiencing the Supra World via the pyramid, we arrived 25 km north of Coba to encounter the Infra World in Pac Chen.
Pac Chen translates into “inclined world” and we soon discovered why. Trekking through the jungle you immediately become attuned to the assortment of flora and fauna along the root-laden jungle floor. At least I hoped they were roots, since 50 species of snakes inhabit the region, four of which are poisonous. We stopped to acknowledge the sacred Maya tree, Yaax Che, symbolic of life. “Known as ‘Ceiba’ in Spanish, its branches form a natural cross with its roots plunging into the underworld,” said our guide Juan. The Maya believe that the Cross is a symbol of unification, a concept which pre-dates the arrival of the Spanish.
Continuing along a jungle path we approached what appeared to be a small lake. Actually, it was a cenote (sink hole or pool), which has been the only source of freshwater on the peninsula for thousands of years. Cenotes were created by the impact of a meteorite 65 million years ago and today there are more than 3,000 identified cenotes that interconnect and underlie the Yucatán.
Many are quite spacious and cavernous formations connecting underground waterways. Referred to as Cenote Caiman, this one had a 70 metre-long cable crossing the glassy green water. Strapped into a lower body harness, we were to zip-line across at 14 metres above the water. Reluctantly, my fellow zip-liners whizzed across hands-free and even splayed themselves for our entertainment, while others preferred traversing in pairs.
Onward and evidently downward, we went as we donned our harnesses for our next eco-activity. Meandering through the pristine rainforest we arrived at a fenced hole in the ground. This was the Dzonot (abyss) Balaam (Cenote Jaguar) where we were to rappel down through its gaping orifice into its watery belly.
Rappelling 20 metres, we were conveniently placed on large inner-tubes as a floatation device to swim at our leisure. The cool, clear fresh water was a welcome retreat from the scorching sun above. This cenote is part of an underground cave river system that flows over 70 km into the sea near Tulum, at the south end of Riviera Maya.
Cenotes extend into the sea and at high tide offshore caves expel fresh water bubbling at the surface, known as ojos de agua (“eyes of water”) by locals. A hotel located at Puerto Morelos, south of Cancun, bears the same name and features sea kayaking and snorkeling to the 965 km Meso-America or Great Maya Reef, which is the second largest reef in the world.
The cenotes were sacred places for the Mayans because they symbolized the entrance into the underworld and the unknown. Consequently, they were commonly utilized for rituals and ceremonies. The region’s porous limestone has often yielded evidence of human sacrifice and sacred funerary rites.
Cenote Jaguar has only been opened to the public since the inception of Alltournative in 1999. It was re-discovered 25 years earlier in the dense jungle under-growth. Ancient artifacts and skeletal remains were discovered at the bottom of the 25-metre-deep water. It was a Mayan belief that the body was a vehicle for a journey to the afterlife. This large underground cavity has stalactites protruding from its ceiling, with a camp of bats fluttering overhead and a few fish swimming below.
Yet the most impressive sight was the two shimmering formations of natural light reflecting on the wall from two smaller holes above; their reflections creating two wavering images on the wall manifesting as the eyes of a jaguar. This surreal ocular encounter heightened my inner vision and perception reminding me of Marcel Proust’s famous quote: “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Maya legend states that a jaguar was chasing a deer and fell into a hole (cenote). The deer begged the gods to intervene and the gods showed mercy, fusing the jaguar’s soul into place. This is why we now see the jaguar’s eyes by the reflection of the sunlight, like a guardian. As with other animals in the Mayan culture that represent specific elements, the jaguar is the symbol of sun and fire.
We temporarily transcended this infra world to permit our palate to partake in the traditional Mayan cuisine awaiting us. Attired in traditional Mayan garb (hipiles), the local women of Pac Chen offered us a delectable domestic dish, which included chicken, empanadas, rice and beans. This authentic Mayan village is a self-sufficient community of 25 indigenous families. Mayans lead a simple lifestyle and live for the day – the concept of accumulating possessions is inconceivable, unlike our contemporary society. Tourism and the sale of such things as honey and a variety of handicrafts make this a self-sustaining society. The local inhabitants have successfully managed to preserve the old traditions while improving their social conditions.
Being an integral part of the region’s lagoon system, canoes were available to paddle on the placid Languna Majarras and enjoy some ornithology (bird-watching). Some of our group preferred to stroll around and admire the palapas (traditional thatched roof huts), or have a siesta in one of the colourful hamacas (hammocks) over-looking the lagoon.
From hiking and cycling to rappelling and zip-lining on an interactive excursion, one can become rejuvenated both in body and soul. An eco-adventure tour into the Mayan worlds provided a glimpse of their cultural vestiges and why they continue to be revered.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Alltournative Expeditions: www.alltournative.com
For further information, contact Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau www.cancun.info
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