Entrance to the Mayan Underworld
The Shadow of Tulum
The Yucatan sun sears the pavement, and every moment of open exposure further scorches the already-burnt skin. It’s no wonder the local Mayan descendants wear a golden ebony complexion. Although life surrounding Tulum is crucially associated with the tourist trail, the predominant local culture yet tinges the surrounding region with an aura of a quintessential sleepy feel of a typical Mexican town.
Perhaps the slowness of life is a bit infectious as I, too, lingered much longer than expected. Further, pleasant encounters with other travelers only added to the enjoyable stay. Today’s happy occasions involved pooling money to rent a van; thereafter we all went snorkel at Playa Akumal with giant sea turtles off the reefs; followed by a swim in the aquamarine waters of Casa Cenote; a visit to the soft sands of the local beach concluded the day. Our group then rounded a few more backpackers (more and more resembling the United Nations) for authentic street food from makeshift carts before concluding with some love music at a mojito bar. Indeed, pleasant time with pleasant company.
Alas, all things must pass on and each person eventually must go their separate ways. Come tomorrow the seating sun will be another memory so I’ll revisit the freezing temperatures of New England.
Vernal Equinox in the Yucatan
The Grandest of them All
Monuments in the Sands of Time
Island in the Sky
The Cadence of Geologic Time
Yesterday, having arrived very late in pitch darkness at the campgrounds at Capitol Reef, I made haste to boil some water with a mini camp stove for a quick meal before curling into the the car to brave the night’s deep chill of these high canyon country. For a while, unable to sleep due to the cold, I marveled at the starlight shimmering through the barren branches of late-winter. The stars were shining beautifully, weaving their line through the lattice-like branches; though sleep was uneasy due to the severe cold, I lodged no complaint on this rare occasion to be at one with the natural order of things.
Before first light, I’d already awoken. No birds chirped, and all was quiet save for my calm breaths filling the lungs with brisk air. For some moments, I remained in almost solemn meditation to await dawn. Slowly, the passing minutes saw the break of day brighten with a subtle rise in temperature; and before 7:30am I revved the engines to warm myself and started the drive to explore the russet cliffs of Capitol Reef.
The park itself is not vast, and the cliffs are neither too imposing, nor too bold; and yet, there was a unique beauty in the play of light and shadow of these red cliffs’ reflection of the winter sun. For some while, I meandered along the pave road, stopping every so often to capture a few photos of the picturesque environs. Every cliff and angle had their own story to tell…of the many years they had witnessed of the passing of sun and moon; through flood and storm, and elemental erosion by the attrition of time. In time, the road transitioned to a wash road, and my wheels slowly rumbled over the uneven terrain, wharving around rocks and depressions.
The Majesty of Bryce
And so Begins an Unwritten Journey
Were it easy to be content, purely content, our small corner of the world and simple pleasures would suffice. But, the nature of mind is not at rest, hence the horizon beckons me to wander; not so much in search of any particular destination, but simply to seek after new experiences just to dull the doldrums of the cycle of day and night. Long have I accustomed myself to the sparse comforts and adventures of travel… never remaining to linger too long in any locale; to stay or to go? Each has its own rewards. In the end, we must concede the limitations of our existence, knowing we can never reconcile the dichotomy — and so one is ever trapped to the contradiction of being a stranger at “home”, and adopting temporarily as home new strange lands.
But the world is wondrous. We are so small and our time so limited, why not seize the possibilities before us? For years, I’d the spiritual landscape of the high Colorado plateau; visit the temples of ancient Mayan Yucatan, wander through Eastern Europe, etc. Fortune for once lends a favorable turn and I’m manage to secure an inexpensive ticket. Considering my relatively lax work schedule, it is an opportunity not to be passed. The next 7 months will be filled with new vistas and experiences; offering the new, and yet, appeasing with the old comfort of being on the lonesome road into the unknown once again.
March 7 – 13, 2014 Grand Circle tour of the Colorado Plateau
March 17 – 25, 2014 Yucatan Mexico to see some Mayan ruins, especially Chichen Itza on the Spring Equinox.
March 26 – April 3, 2014 The Big Apple yearly swing.
April 4 – October 17, 2014 London to kick off Eastern Europe tour.