Northern Yucatan

Merida is centrally located in northern Yucatan and is therefore a great jumping off point. Deb and I did several interesting things from there. First, we went to Uxmal, yet another wonderful Mayan ruin. What makes Uxmal unique, at least in comparison to the other sites I have seen, is the quality of the façades (picture 1). In addition, there is a well preserved Mayan ballcourt. The Mayans played a game with a small rubber ball that they would strike with their hips. The idea was to keep the ball in play in hopes of passing it through a stone ring (see picture 2). Kind of like quidditch without the broomsticks. The games would go on for quite a while, and I have been told that the winning team would be rewarded by being sacrificed. So, in essence, the best athletes in the Mayan world probably never got the chance to pass their genes on to the next generation. Talk about your reverse evolution!

After Uxmal, we drove way out to el medio de nada, and, of course, got lost several times (Mexico, at times, neglects to provide one with signage) We finally prevailed, and found the cenotes that we had heard about. Cenotes are underground sinkholes/caves filled with crystal clear water. The water is the perfect temperature, so swimming is a must. Just outside of the little town of Cuzama, there are three such cenotes within a few kilometers of each other. When we drove up to the place, we were met by a guy who directed us to a small train car on narrow gauge tracks pulled by a horse! And I thought I had traveled in every conceivable way. We were able to see all three cenotes, and all told, it was quite a unique adventure. Below is a picture of Deb and me in our car, and another of the first of the three cenotes.

The next day was our last together, so we decided to trek off to the northwest coast of the Yucatan to check out the flamingos and beaches of Celestun. The flamingos were impossibly colorful, more orange than pink, and stood more than a meter high. They live in the mangrove swamps all year long, but are only visible in the spring when they come out to mate. We also saw several other species of birds as well as a crocodile. The beach was nice, but not up to par with the Caribe side of the Yucatan. I think the mediocre beaches on the Gulf side of the Yucatan are the major reason that it isn't packed with tourists. That evening, we drove back to Merida, got up early the next morning, I saw Deb off on the plane, returned our rental car, (with over a 1000 new miles on it) jumped on a bus, and returned to Campeche.
On the language side of things, I am back in the saddle, I had a series of dinners with patient's families, and as long as I was able to direct the conversation somewhat, I was OK. The trouble for me is still comprehension, so when people change the subject quickly (for instance, this physics professor, who is all over the place) I lose track. Actually, it works out fine for me because I can talk, but I can't understand. Since I really don't care much what other people have to say, and just want to get my opinions heard, its rather optimal.
Finally, on the therapy side of things, things are good, although a bit slow. The average PT here only sees about 12 patients a day, and they see the same patients for months. Imagine groundhog day in Spanish, and you pretty much get it. In addition, there is no HIPAA here, no malpractice, no demandas (law suits), so instead of spending 50 hours or more a year taking (and retaking, and retaking) on-line courses on HIPAA and all the other related topics, and spending 10 hours or more a week documenting, therapists here actually have time to treat patients. What a concept. Next weekend is yet another puente (long weekend), so I'm going ot take a bus to the east coast of the Yucatan to check it out, that should give me something to talk about for my next post. Nos vemos!