H U G E A U X

Cancun, Yucatan, Isla Mujeres & Quintana Roo, Mexico 

January 28 - February 1, 2010

I am writing this entry while inside the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. I am quite excited about this trip. I really want to view and photograph the Mayan pyramids. This is the first time I shall see ancient pyramids. The weather is very sunny and I hope I shall get the same in Mexico. It seems that the plane shall be full with passengers going to Cancun, Mexico. I overheard a conversation who mentioned he walked by the Port au Prince, Haiti gate terminal and it was cancelled (due to the 1/12/2010 earthquake).

The flight into Cancun was pleasant. The driver from the hotel didn’t meet me, so I had to go back into the terminal and purchase a bus pass to downtown Cancun. When I returned outside I noticed a man holding my name on a sign. I acknowledged him and went back into the terminal for a refund. My driver from the hotel didn’t speak English and I was stumbling for my Spanish, however I got some information about Cancun. Cancun is flat similar to Florida. I was told by the driver that there are no mountains here. I was amazed to find a lot of American retail landmarks here. As we approached the TerraCaribe hotel, I couldn’t help but notice that it is situated in downtown Cancun, away from the touristy areas. This I liked because I got to see how the real people of Cancun live. After I checked in and exchanged currency, I took a walk in the neighborhoods and started photographing. The houses are so small, bright and well ornamented. There are lots of the Virgin Mary icons everywhere. One sight that got my attention was a man singing and selling clay pots while he walked down the streets. The houses reminds me of row houses only one level. The streets are very wide and open, and there are many dogs. Another sight that caught my attention was the constant singing of the black miner birds. Iguanas are everywhere. I saw one resting atop a building, basking in the sun. He looked at me. I photographed him and he looked away. I continued onward down the street. There are almond trees everywhere. I was picking and eating the fruit. It is funny, however I don’t believe that the people know what they are, because most of the fruit had fallen to the ground. I remember these trees because when I was growing up in Miami, Florida, a cousin had a huge almond tree in her front yard, and we use to pick the fruit and eat it. The day is hot, 80 plus degrees in January and I have photographed and walked for 2 hours. I am hungry and thirsty and need to survive. I must look for food and water. Unbeknownst to me, the hotel restaurant closes at 2:00pm and there is no grocery store in this area. So I found a convenience store, for a gallon of water, and an outdoor flea market with a restaurant. Dinner tonight shall be chicken breast, rice, plantains, beans, tortillas and water all for $4.00 USD or $40 Pecos. I think my food situation for the duration of the trip is covered. My big adventure starts tomorrow: The Chichen-Itza and Cenote tour (The Pyramids). I must get a good night sleep. I am now in the middle of shaving, and the water to the hotel went off. Here we go again!!!!. Oh! The water is on again and it is Honolulu Hot!!! Good night.

I slept very well last night. A total of 10 hours. I woke up this morning and climbed up to the patio rooftop of the TerraCaribe Hotel. What a spectacular view of downtown Cancun. It is a full moon and the breeze of the Cancun-Mayan winds are very rejuvenating For a moment I dosed off. It is so very relaxing. I stretched and watched the Cancun working community gather themselves for work. The streets are very clean. I am standing 4 stories high and looking down onto the community. You can hear the roosters crowing as light after light pop on in each house. I shall have a light breakfast here (small bananas and a granola bar) and wait to see the sun rise over this Mayan Paradise: Cancun.

I didn’t see the sun rise, so I took a walk down Bonampak Avenue. The avenue is a busy place. I saw people lined up (over 30 in an uniformed line) waiting for the buses. There are a lot of entrepreneurs along the avenue. However I didn’t find it interesting to photograph, so I went off onto a side road and what a photography spectacular. The Cancun neighborhood architecture is amazing. There is ancient huts mixed with the modern. Everything is Mayan influenced. To my amazement I saw a fig tree growing in one’s front yard and the fruit was very large. I had to use a stick to knock down piece of fruit. There is advertisement everywhere and hand-painted. The people are finally coming out, however the store’s have yet to open. I am now sitting and waiting for the tour guide to pick me up from the hotel. The tour bus to pick me up was full of Spanish tourists and a few Americans.

We visited Cenote (one of the Mexico’s great sink holes). I took a swim in one of the recreational sink holes. The park is full of peacocks and one of the male peacocks didn’t mind me taking his picture more than once. It is time for lunch and the bus dropped us off at a place between Cenote and Chichen - Itza. My lunch companions were 3 young men from Holland. Only one of the Dutch gentlemen spoke Spanish. They conversed the entire conversation in Dutch. I am still waiting on a haggle price for a Mayan blanket at the souvenir shop. There was a young Mayan artist outside trying to sell his paintings of Chichen-Itza. Lunch was good, buffet style. I hope this gives me the energy to climb the pyramids. Unfortunately there are no bathroom on the pyramid. I got to go the bus driver is signaling us to go to Chichen-Itza. The Mayan gentleman at the souvenir shop wouldn’t haggle down. I left without the blanket.

THE PYRAMIDS ARE PROHIBITED TO TOUCH AND CLIMB. I am writing this entry while sitting in front of the grand pyramid, Temple of Kukulkan. The Mayan ruins are a photographers paradise. It is amazing all the historic energy that is present here. I feel a strong pull of my American Indian heritage here. We spent a total of 3 hours and I photographed and walked, that my feet were burning, however I would add more hours if I could. The Mayan history is fascinating. I am staring directly at the pyramid: Kukulkan and can see why it is called one of the 8 wonders of the world. As the tourist slowly move away, the grounds are becoming more airy and spacious. While staring at the pyramid, you feel as if it is sinking, or is it I, who is sinking. Looking at the pyramid you can see why other Mayan kings were jealous and wanted to conquer it. This kingdom compound was once a thriving community. I am told that the eagle, the snake and the jaguar are major iconic symbols and you can see it in the different temples. I am really tired. I photographed over 200 photographs. It is time to return to the bus. I can honestly say this was well worth the trip to Yucatan, Mexico.

The Chichen - Itza and Cenote tour has worn me out. However, I still have the energy to go again. The entire day was 80 plus degrees, with the sun beaming down on you. This is a typical Mexican Caribbean Mayan winter. The entire trip took us 2.5 hours up and 2.5 hours back. Chichen - Itza is a sight to see. I didn’t notice this until I exited, that famous musicians use this wonder of the world as an arena. The musician Elton John is scheduled to play on April 3, 2010. I was the first to return to the bus and I starting conversing with the driver in Spanish. He mention that other renowned artists such as Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavaratti have also given concerts in Chichen - Itza. Then it dawned onto me. El Castillo o Templo de Kukulkan is a acoustic wonder. We were told by the guide to stand near the steps of the pyramid and clap our hands. What you heard was a bravado sound echoing off the stairs and filling the entire place with echoes. The Mayan’s must have used this effect and it is being re-introduced to our modern day musicians. A singer singing acappella could have the affect. One of today’s most interesting lesson I learned was haggling with some young Mayan boys, who knew the idea of the souvenirs is to sell them. I left the tour guide group and went off exploring on my own. I journeyed way in the back, where not to many tourists went, to the ruins of the Mayan market place “El Mercado“. Let me explain, Chichen - Itza is a tourist’s wonderland for the Mayan people selling souvenirs. Before you enter the kingdom, they are lined upon the trails, near the ruins ,etc. All selling the same thing for &1.00 until you go over to their table, then the prices change. Well I haggled with many of them, and no one wanted to budge. Reason being, because if one tourist leaves, there are thousands to replace him. So many didn’t accept my haggle price, until I stumbled upon those young boys. I haggled, they haggled. I haggled lower, they haggled lower again. I haggled, and they really lowered and I accepted. These young Mayan boys table was not full, however they probably sold all to replenish for tomorrow. The exact same item I saw at the other Mayan tables near the entrance for much more. The item was a small stone carving of a Mayan mask. As we were going to Chichen - Itza, we traveled through many villages and the one that caught my attention was named: Kaua. It has an Hawaiian name and most of the houses had grass roofs. The Yucatan and the Hawaiian islands are about the same latitudinal. They both are right below the Tropic of Cancer. The same grass roofs I have seen and photographed in downtown Cancun. These Mayans, to others, may appear poor, however they have lots of land. They look so at peace and tranquil, just living and working off nature. There were many men on 3-wheel bycycles who was carrying a lot of fire wood. The highway was full of many of these men. Dogs were everywhere, even at the toll booth when we entered Yucatan from Quintana Roo. Well I can actually say I had a full day. I left the hotel at 7:00am and returned at 7:30pm. Mexico is a beautiful country. Coming back to Cancun we entered through the Hotel Zone. The Hotel Zone is one of Cancun’s upscale touristy area. The strip looks like the Champ de Elysee and Las Vegas, with all the boutiques and bling - bling. I can truly say I enjoyed Chichen - Itza and the 200 photographs shall soon tell. Tomorrow I journey to the Isla Mujeres. I must catch the ferry. Isla Mujeres is the island were the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea on the Yucatan Channel. Good night.

I slept very well last night another 10 hours. I decided to have breakfast in the restaurant in the outside courtyard. The TerraCaribe Hotel is a very pleasant and beautiful hotel. It’s all white ambiance gives the architecture a feel of pure Mexican Caribbean. It is so well maintained and clean. I had breakfast with some Americans who had arrived last night. We said our formal “Good Mornings” but ate at different tables. I ordered hotcakes with honey and an egg. I decided to eat breakfast here because I had a 15 - 30 minute walk to catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres. The hotel is not crowded, which makes the atmosphere most airy and free. The white architecture against the Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean blue sky is magical. I highly recommend TerraCaribe Hotel. I stayed on the top floor, which gave me a penthouse view of downtown Cancun, the ocean and the surroundings.

I am writing this entry while on the ferry. I took the walk from the hotel to the ferry. It is a 15 minute walk. I photographed some of the pier. We are now on our way to Isla Mujeres. The ocean water is green, but in the distance it appears bluish-green. As we travel further into the Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean Sea the color has changed to blue. Isla Mujeres is considered Mexico’s Paradise. The ferry is 2 levels. The first level is air-conditioned with a bar & television. The upper deck is all sun and airy. I stayed on the first deck. It is a 20 minute ferry ride.

I am writing this entry while sitting at the Temple Ixchel in Garrufun on the Isla Mujeres. The park is full of many modern painted metal sculptures. It is a very tranquil and tropical place. I rented a bycycle at the Isla Mujeres pier, where the ferry docked. It is only $9.00 USD or $100 Pecos for a full day 8:00am - 5:00pm, and it includes a lock for the bycycle. It is only 3 miles on bycycle, or 30 minutes to the ancient Mayan temple. I saw a lot of the southern part of the island and would photograph on my returning. The water is Caribbean blue. You can see where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. On one side of the island you can see the skyline of Cancun, on the other side the ocean.

I am writing under the ocean cliffs called Cliffs of Dawn while the ocean slaps against the rocks. It is very beautiful yet very dangerous. I photographed the Temple Ixchel and notice a group of women and 2 men dress in white, offering incenses, fruit, honey & etc. under the temple to the goddess Ixchel. It is a small temple. It is about a group of 12 and you can hear them singing from the temple. Their singing draws one to the temple and cliffs. I believe this is how the goddess lured the pirates to the island. The waves are very strong here. I am looking out onto Cancun. This part of the island is the first part of the sun Mexico sees when the sun rises. This is how it gets its name: Cliffs of the Dawn. There is a plague stating this on the cliff. The sand and stone are so white, that it is blinding. This is truly The Mexican Caribbean.

I decided to eat lunch at the Temple Ixchel restaurant. It is a tropical restaurant on the cliffs over looking the Mexican Caribbean. It is not crowded and it is very relaxing. I decided on an American cheese burger, fries and water. Water is a necessity due to all the walking, sun and photographing. The art sculptures at the temple were commissioned by the state of Quintana Roo and included some international artists, but many are Mexican artists. It has been over 2 hours and the women are still at the temple, singing and worshiping. I am wonder if they are there all day, worshiping, offering and singing. The waves of their voices carry their voices over the land. The lunch was quite good, and a great relaxing lunch. Now I shall go into the neighborhoods of Isla Mujeres and away from the tourists to photograph.

I have decided to return back to downtown Isla Mujeres, however I shall take another route. I returned down the other side of the island where it is accessible to the ocean. I found a little local Mexican community called: Colonia la Guadalupana. I went inside and started photographing. This little beach community with wooden frame hand-painted houses are the homes of a peaceful Mexican local community. Everyone was curious to who I was, however a little “Ola and Buenos Dias” goes a long way. I photographed many of the small hand built houses. What makes this community so unique is that it is right across from the ocean (50 yards). No hotels, no obstructions, just barren open & peaceful ocean. After the tourists go, I know the locals come out and walk these shores. I took my shoes off and dipped in the ocean, while I am writing this entry. This is a side of Mexico I have never known: The Mexican Caribbean side.

I really exhausted myself today. I bike trekked over 5 miles on the southern part of Isla Mujeres. It was very hilly, up & down. I went up one side and back the other side. I can say that the most exciting adventure today was discovering the community: Colonia La Guadalupana. This community is so small that I’m sure everyone knows each other. As I made my way, walking and photographing up and down the seven sandy roads, I saw a grocery store, a shrine of the Virgin Mary and lots of houses hand-made. I was looking for a church but didn’t find it. I kept smelling a fresh detergent scent as I walked up the streets and noticed it was the clothes drying in the sun. Women were cooking and washing while the men we doing all kinds of carpentry work. I didn’t see or smell any meat roasting and I was thinking that maybe they are fishermen. I passed 2 houses where they were celebrating a birthday. Everyone doors were open to enjoy the ocean breezes. I peered into the house, the people peered back, I waved and they waved back. As I was trekking back to the downtown are of Isla Mujeres, I couldn’t help but wonder, who created this small beach community, with it’s official hand painted sign: Guadalupana. The other question was how did he gather the people to join him. This community stayed in my mind on the ferry boat back to Cancun. Another question was that there were so many children that this community must have several mid-wives. I heard in the distance a child calling me a “beasto” (beast). I think this is probably their first formal encounter with a black man. I smiled and continued to walk and photograph. As I was trekking back to downtown I was stopped by another sight. A very colorful cemetery next to Guadalupana. It appeared to be newly built and surrounded by stone walls, because there is no hospital around and I could smell incenses offerings. There was a lot of area for future grave sites and all the graves were above ground. The idea of celebrating the returning to God is a major inspiration on this Mexican Caribbean island. I stopped and laid the bycycle, (because the kick stand was giving me problems), on the ground and began photographing the cemetery. I am glad I rented the bycycle, because many of the sights I saw today, I would have over looked on a scooter or golf cart. The bycycle gave me the opportunity to stop / start at will and to photograph while still on the bycycle. As I arrived at the bycycle rental shop located directly across from the ferry, I noticed how crowded the area has become. Hundreds of people were coming from Cancun and entering the Isla Mujeres for evening activity. I am very glad I made my journey in the early morning. I spent a total of seven hours there and I am exhausted. Dinner tonight was McDonalds as I got off the ferry. Amazing to me when I was eating my dinner and looking out onto Isla Mujeres, I took my binoculars and could see the Temple Ixchel and art sculptures. I finished my dinner and began my 15 minute walk back to the hotel. I stopped at the flea market to purchase some small bananas from the merchant who was so helpful to me when I first arrived. Her grand-daughter weighed them and handed my Pecos over to her grand-mother. I thanked them and continued onward. This evening I did something I never do at hotels. I decided to jump in the pool. I mean I was covered with sea salt, dust, sweat and etc., and a shower was not doing it. Once in the pool, my body began to re-construct itself. I did calisthenics, swam, floated and back stroked, when I got out I could feel my body say “Gracias”. I then went all the way onto the top of Hotel TerraCaribe and lounged in the large lounge chairs and enjoyed the last 30 - 40 minutes of the Mexican Caribbean sunset. I can truly say I am rejuvenated. I think tonight I shall watch Mexican cable and be taught more Spanish. God has really made me able to see his wonderful creations: The Mexican Caribbean. Good Night. Tomorrow City Hall Cancun.

This morning I went up top onto the TerraCaribe Hotel and saw the rising of the sun. The sun rising over Cancun, Mexico is a beautiful sight. I slept very well, again last night and dreamt of that colony called Guadalupana. It was such a peaceful and friendly place. I definitely got one of the best Mayan welcomes of this journey. I tried to photograph the sun rising, however I am not quite unsure how they will develop. Here in the Mexican Caribbean the air is so light and free. I can see the Temple Ixchel on Isla Mujeres, by using my binoculars, while here atop Hotel TerraCaribe.

This morning I caught the city bus to El Centro (Heart of downtown Cancun). I found a supermarket called “Chedraui”. It is a big supermarket. Breakfast was there. I purchased a large sweet muffin, one pound of chunk Parmesan cheese, milk, an apple, one pound of coffee, one liter of Tequila and a bag of the detergent the one I smelt when I was in Guadalupana all for $11.00 USD or $131 Pecos. I took the muffin and cheese and went across the street in the park and had breakfast. The Tequila, coffee and detergent are for gifts back in the United Sates of America. It is a very cloudy day, and by it being Sunday not too many people were on the streets this morning. The bus fare was only $7.5 Pecos or about .70 cents.

Downtown Cancun near La Palacio (City Hall), I found many monuments of Mexico. I began to photograph. There are mosquitoes everywhere. I believe because of the cloudy day. I have been walking and photographing for about 2 hours. The mosquitoes are making it difficult to write.

It rained all day. I made it back to the hotel around 12:00pm (noon) before the heavy rains begun. I found what I was searching for in Cancun. I was looking for any hint of African presence here and I saw it in one of the sculptures in the area La Palacio. The engraved sculptures are apart of the history of Mexico. It has a small reference to the Mayan ancestry and at the end is an engraved sculpture of the features of an African man. I photographed it and was amazed. I asked a couple who was passing by to take a photograph of me and “El Negro”. She looked, smiled and her husband took the photograph. It is raining very heavy here, so I put on my swimming trunks and headed up top on the roof to be washed by the Mexican Caribbean rains and have this panoramic view of Cancun. When the rain slowed down, I heard a sound that I was familiar to. I looked downward and there was a mockingbird singing in the branches. The mockingbird is the state bird of Florida, USA. I took it as a sign that he was calling me back home. I leave tomorrow at 12:00pm (noon). I ordered lunch at the hotel before it closed. I shall divide it for lunch and dinner. I spent the remaining of the day napping and looking at Mexican BandaMax music videos. I am hoping tonight I can go up top on the roof and see the stars that the Mayan astrologists wrote about. I spent the rest of the evening looking at Mexican bullfighting. Ole!! God Bless…Good Night.

I woke up early tonight and went up top on the roof. The rain has stopped and the sky and air is breezy and clear. Something has caught my eye. I looked up at the moon and there is a halo about one mile in width around the moon. The halo seems to be following the moon. I looked over at the Hotel Zone area and could see all the hotels on the strip all lit up I could hear in the distance down below the Mexican music coming from the night club on Avenue Bonampak. As I looked down in the other direction down Avenue Lopillo, the street is very quiet, with a few cars and the night police patrolling. Hotel TerraCaribe sits on the corner of Avenue Bonampak and Avenue Lopillo. But one of the most beautiful sights to see is how God has washed the city yesterday. The houses look so clean, with their white and off-white colors. The city lights give the houses a light bronzish appeal. It is a very dreamy sight, as if in a Mexican oil painting. I wonder am I still asleep and is this all a dream.

I decided to eat breakfast at the hotel. I must state the Hotel TerraCaribe is a must for people traveling to Cancun. It is situated away from the touristy hotels. It is only a 15 minutes walk to the ferry to go to Isla Mujeres. There are grocery stores and shops in the area. It offers free shuttle to the Hotel Zone district and above all it is less congested. Well, after breakfast I decided to walk north into the neighborhoods. What a very colorful sight. Downtown Cancun is where modern meets tropical-rural meets Caribbean meets historic Mexico. I passed by a Catholic church, which was beginning mass, so I stopped, went in and attended mass. It brought me back to my Roman Catholic upbringings in Miami. I had communion there. It is a very cloudy day and within minutes of my return back to the hotel, it started to rain again. By it being a holiday, many children were playing in the streets. There was smells of roasted chicken everywhere. The people are so beautiful. All were “Buenos Dias“-ing and people were busy house cleaning or sweeping the streets. There are a lot of vendors on the streets. Cancun seems like a place where the rich and the poor meet in harmony. Each social class has something they need of each other. The beauty of the wide open streets are adorned with colorful Mayan culture. The Mayan hospitality is strongly felt here. I was told that Mexico is the leading country in silver production and you could see it in the mouths of many Mayans. The gold and silver ornaments their teeth and is a beautiful reflection against the sun and Caribbean sky. I am sitting in the airport terminal and a little upset with myself for purchasing Tequila in the supermarket, yesterday, when I could have gotten two bottles of Tequila right here in Mexico duty free customs. I had to pay to transport the Tequila I brought yesterday and it was five times more than the cost. A lesson well learned.

As we were entering the United States, passing by Cuban waters, I have a great appreciation for The Florida Everglades. As we flew over the Everglades I had no idea how vast and majestic it is. The Everglades is truly a national treasure. My journey to Cancun, Yucatan, and the Mexican Caribbean was truly a moving experience. God’s beauty is so unknown that I shall never see it all. However I am grateful that God has allowed me to see some of his hidden treasures. Fear is an emotion which hinders growth. I am glad that , that emotion carries little weigh with me. As an example: The Colony of Guadalupana in the Isla Mujeres. It appeared to be an unfriendly community. This is the fear one generates without finding the facts. It all began with one foot step into the colony. After that initial foot step, I noticed how welcomed I was there. I hope my documenting the community shall bring other appreciation to this delicate community of the Isla Mujeres.

Chichen - Itza is a diamond mine. Not only is it amazing, but it grips you to wait to return. Getting to know the people of Cancun, not the tourists, has given me a greater understanding to my own community. Beauty is present everywhere, you have to look for it. I shall like to the staff of TerraCaribe Hotel for such a Mayan hospitality. There service is A+. I shall also like to thank My Cancun Tours for a beautiful and fulfilling presentation of Cenote and Chichen-Itza. I shall like to thank the people of the Colony Guadalupana. Your beauty is timeless. I shall like to thank the country of Mexico for letting me be apart of your Mexican Caribbean Community. My overwhelming thanks to the Mayan people. I have another personality planted on my soul. To the city of Cancun, you are more than a resort, you are a history. Alpha and Omega, I shall like to thank God Almighty for giving me the eyes and soul to accept your beauty.

As I sit in the terminal in Fort Lauderdale, I can’t help but smile. I have over a million memories of the Mexican Caribbean….May God Bless Mexico

This search for Africa presence in The Mayan was inspired by the YouTube presentation by Marc Washington called: Afro - Mayan Kings.

The Mayan Diaries 2010 are currently being registered with the Library of Congress. USA

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