The Mayan Ruins of Tulum - Part 2

A barred access to one of the buildings undergoing restoration work.

The House of Columns, also known as The Great Palace, was one of the largest residential building in Tulum. Originally L-shaped, it later received an additional west wing.

The House of the Halach Uinic, to which a thatch awning has been added to help prevent further sun and water damage to the stucco figure beneath it.

The Castle was built over different periods, close to the edge of the cliff on the east side of the inner precinct.

The Mayan Ruins of Tulum - Part 1

I visited these ruins on a scorching hot morning, even though we got there very early... I'm sure I would have enjoyed the visit even more if the sky had been a little cloudy.

In spite of the heat and the lack of shade, I loved the site and I was delighted to see how well kept it is.

Cute coatis

These fluffy cuties live with the guests at the hotel :)
They're coatis, a delight to watch and a big plus in favour of the resort.

Orange and green all over

This is Villa 57, where I stayed during my vacation in Mexico. The Grand Bahia Principe Akumal has some of the best kept grounds I've ever seen at a big resort.

 Colourful and clean, the resort is quite pleasant to walk around in.

IXIM, the Mayan word for corn

IXIM (pronounced "ee-sheem") is the Mayan word for corn and it's also the name of this huge sculpture. It sits in the middle of the lobby of the Grand Bahia Principe Akumal is it really is quite impressive. The plaque at the foot of the sculpture reads:
"IXIM
This magnificent work of art represents man in his eternal communion with the elements, animals and plants, existing in harmony with nature. In the ancient cultures of Mexico, corn (maize) was considered a sacred plant, which symbolized the kindness of the universe toward man, in providing him with sustenance. The intent of "Ixim" is to awaken in the human beings an awareness of the fact that they are only cells of a living being called "Earth", which will only survive if it attains harmony.
Sculptor: Renato Dorfman
Year: 2001
Height: 9 meters (29.5 feet)
Weight: 15 metric tons (16.5 tons)"

Rainy morning

It was a rainy morning and we decided to go shopping for souvenirs. We hopped on one of the little carts that take people back and forth between the various stops inside the Grand Bahia Palace complex, and got out at "The Hacienda".

Sure enough, there was a downpour on the way and we didn't have to wait long to witness a rainshower of epic proportions! This photo was taken just a few minutes before we had to take cover - luckily, we were already almost done with our shopping of "truly Mexican recuerdos"... :)

Bye-bye, til tomorrow

This visitor at the beach of Grand Bahia Principe Akumal was anything but shy and it came and went as it pleased - which pleased the tourists immensely. They sometimes flew above our heads in groups of three or four and it never ceased to amaze me how such big birds managed that degree of gracefulness. Now I'm definitely a fan of pelicans :)

Time for a snack

This and a few other friendly pelicans became regular visitors at the beach of the Grand Bahia Principe resort. They flew low and right by us and never hesitated to get in the water just to freshen up or fish among the tourists. They didn't mind the many people who flocked (pun intended ;) towards them with all sorts of cameras in their hands, eager to record those funny moments and amazing creatures.

I can say that I am now a fan of pelicans because they don't seem to fear or even mind us :)

Making the most of each moment

Parasailing is always a big thing at the Caribbean resorts. I still haven't tried it but I sure was glad that I had my feet on the ground on this occasion, to be able to take this photo of the colours of the Mexican flag flying high in the stormy sky.

As the clouds go by...

Just chillin' and watching the sky :)

My kind of summer picture

I got back from the Riviera Maya about a week ago and I'm now starting to sort through the 200 or so photos I took during the week I spent there. So, expect a few more in the coming days...

This is one of the beaches of the Grand Bahia Principe Akumal resort where I stayed - a very beautiful and quiet beach, even more so underneath stormy skies.

Hide and seek...

Dust in the air

Courtesy of the Sahara Desert?

As it happens, a plume of dust blew North from the Sahara and hung around off the coast of Portugal. Could it be that it's putting on a show every sunrise and sunset for three days?... and counting...

Balloon ride

Earlier this month I went on a balloon ride. And what a ride it was!
We departed from Coruche (Portugal) and flew for over an hour, until just before the sunset. It was lots of fun and it's a great way to fly!

Double vision

This beauty paid me a visit just before 2010 ended. It knocked on my window and just stood there, smiling at me and posing for my camera... :)

Wet microburst

This is the kind of thing that brings down planes... This one didn't.

What it did was leave me mesmerized and in awe of the phenomenon... I must confess that I was crossing my fingers in hopes that it would somehow develop into a water spout... As they say, give them an inch and they'll take a yard!
Anyway, in the end I was just thankful that Mother Nature put on this show when I was (for once!) at the right place, at the right time...

Hasta siempre!

The last I saw of Havana was an ample view from the fortress they call "La Cabaña" (The Hut). The sky was heavy with stormy clouds, the light promised an electric storm about to strike and the air was wonderfully charged...
I loved Havana and I plan on going back with more time to explore it properly, the way such a beautiful and interesting city deserves to be discovered.

Hasta siempre!

Impromptu

It was way too hot for me that day... I couldn't convince myself to get up off my beach chair but this photo was just begging to happen...

And here you have it - a hymn to laziness!

Peeking out the window...

... on my way to Cuba, I caught a glimpse of the Bahamas.

This is one of the many photos I took out the window since I was hopelessly drawn to that "red engine casing/clouds in the background" combination during most of the tiresome 8-hour flight...

The thin stripes of land down below stirred up my imagination and look forward even more intensely to the warm waters of Varadero, which I had been missing dearly since 2001.

A few hours later we finally we landed in Cuba - the place to be for great sea- and skyscapes!

Crepuscular rays

Those who love and prefer a beautiful sunrise over a beautiful sunset will get no argument from me. The truth is I don't think I'll ever have to choose between the two, as there's one of each every day...
However, if I really had to choose, I'm pretty sure I'd go for the sunset - if nothing else, because it happens just before night falls and I've made my mind up long ago that I prefer night over day.



Another thing I love in sunsets is the "fight" between light and shadows... and the fact that the shadows always come out on top - literally. Crepuscular rays like the ones in this photo mesmerise me and make that "fight" even more apparent. I'm lucky enough to catch some amazing skyscapes from my windows... and here's just one more piece of evidence of that...