Bishop Diego de Landa was the first European to describe the Sacred Cenote and its religious symbolism in a 16th century report to the Spanish king. He speculated about the treasures that could lie beneath the surface. The intrepid Maya World explorers John L Stephens and Frederick Catherwood also visited Chichén Itzá in 1841 and had this to say about the cenote: “A mysterious influence seemed to pervade it, in unison with the historical account that the well of Chichen was a place of pilgrimage and that human victims were thrown into it in sacrifice.”

The murky depths have intrigued all those who have visited the cenote and in 1904-7, Edward Thompson, the American Consul to Merida, dredged the well, an act that would prove to be very controversial. Later dredging work was carried out by the National Geographic Society and CEDAM (Mexican Dive Association) in 1960-61 and 1967-8, respectively.

Over the years, the cenote has yielded over 30,000 artifacts including gold, jade, copper, turquoise, obsidian, copal or incense, pottery, rubber, shells and the bones of around 200 people, mostly children and old men who had the misfortune to be selected as sacrificial victims to honor the gods. Archaeologists have discovered that the offerings date from A.D. 800 to 1550 and the human sacrifices spanned 550 years between 1000 and 1550.

Many of the most precious objects were recovered during the first dredging expedition and using the diplomatic pouch, Edward Thompson smuggled them out of Mexico to the Peabody Museum where they remain on display to this day. In 1959 and 1976, the museum returned some of the finds such as a turquoise disc, gold figurines and 246 carved jades to Mexico as a goodwill gesture.

The ancient Maya were great traders and the ceremonial objects thrown into the well speak volumes about the extent of ancient trade routes and the wealth of Chichén’s ruling elite. Jade was mined in southeastern Guatemala, gold came from Costa Rica and Panama, obsidian from central Mexico and turquoise from northern Mexico and the area that is now New Mexico and Arizona.

Cenote Sagrado (Sacred Cenote) , Chichén Itzá

Thomas More Travel offers a variety of trips to Chichén Itzá and there is always something to see as archaeologists continue to excavate this huge site and make amazing discoveries. And nature also puts on a show with hummingbirds, parrots and orioles and Yucatan’s own bird of paradise, the turquoise-browed motmot often spotted. As you gaze into the depths of the cenote you may see a flash of turquoise and hear a soft call, the motmot nests in the limestone walls of cenotes. This handsome species is also known as the clock bird due to its disc-shaped tail feathers which resemble the pendulum on a clock.

The 200 passengers checking in at Gatwick for the inaugural Cancún flight were serenaded on their way by a mariachi band and were welcomed by Quintana Roo State Governor Felix González Canto and tourist industry representatives on arrival in Cancún. Richard Tams, head of UK & Ireland Sales & Marketing for British Airways said: “We’re delighted to be the only UK scheduled airline offering direct flights to Cancún. With sweeping beaches, innovative parks, relaxing spas, sports on land and sea, fabulous hotels and unique opportunities to explore the ancient Mayan culture, the Yucatán peninsula truly offers something for everyone.”

And there’s more Cancún airline news for would-be visitors, including Royal Resorts members planning their annual vacation. A number of Mexican and US carriers have boosted flights to Cancún, and Mexico City and have added other major cities to their route networks in the wake of the closure of Mexicana and amidst continuing uncertainty about the airline’s future. In the case of Cancún, Frontier Airlines will soon be flying from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Virgin America is expanding its route network to include the Mexican Caribbean, with two new services to Cancún from San Francisco (three flights a week) and Los Angeles (five flights a week) respectively, starting in early 2011. Delta has announced new services from San Antonio, Austin, Columbus and Tampa starting February 19, 2011 and American Airlines will add a daily flight from Miami on February 10.

Continental and United Airlines have also expanded their flight networks. Starting February 19, Continental is set to offer a Saturday service to Cancún from Austin, San Antonio and Raleigh-Durham. The airline currently operates 76 flights to Cancún during the week from Houston, Newark and Cleveland, while its partner United has 31 flights from Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. Continental already flies to 30 cities in Mexico, more than any other US airline.

Low-cost Mexican carrier Volaris has teamed up with Southwest Airlines in a code-sharing agreement that will improve connections with 19 cities in the US.

In the charter airline sector, Funjet recently signed an agreement with Aeromexico to offer charter flights five times a week from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport from December 26 to January 23, a daily flight from January 24 to April 13 and six days a week from April 14 to May 2. A similar alliance with Frontier Airlines will also see a weekly Funjet flight from Chicago Midway.

Sources:  Mexican Tourist Board, British Airways, Travel Weekly

Maya women in traditional dresses or hipiles next to a Day of the Dead altar, Festival de Vida y Muerte, Xcaret. Photo courtesy of Xcaret.

Ancient Beliefs

For the ancient cultures of Mexico, including the Maya and the Aztecs, death was the beginning of an eternal journey to the Underworld and the domain of the gods. Ground corn was placed in the mouth of the deceased to sustain them and the body was surrounded by offerings befitting his/her rank, trade or sex, food and treasured belongings. Nobles were buried with jade jewelry and beads, ornate funeral masks, polychrome pottery, conch and spiny oyster shells, weapons and cinnabar. Servants and dogs would be killed and buried with their masters to serve and guide them in the afterlife.

Whether the soul traveled to the heavens to be with the gods or the darkest and most distant reaches of the Underworld reserved for those in purgatory depended on conduct during life. Warriors, women who died in childbirth, sacrificial victims, suicides, priests and rulers were destined to dwell in the heavens.

The Mayan gods associated with death were Ah Puch, Yum Kíimil and Kisin and Xtab, the goddess associated with suicide. The Aztec goddess of death was called Mictecacíhuatl or the “lady of death.”

With the coming of the Spanish friars in the 16^th century, ancient beliefs deemed pagan and barbaric were outlawed by the Church. Yet the custom of honoring the dead and one’s ancestors was transformed and became a syncretism of pre-Hispanic customs and Catholic ritual. For example, before the Spanish Conquest, Aztec rites in honor of the dead took place at the beginning of August and lasted for a month; with the advent of Christianity, the festival was moved to coincide with All Saints’ and All Souls Day at the beginning of November.

Puente al Paríso, the replica of a traditional Mexican cemetery, Xcaret. Photo courtesy of Xcaret.

A Journey Through Time

To this day, Mexicans believe that the souls of the dead are permitted to return to earth at this time of year and they welcome them back with joy tinged with sadness. All over the country tombstones are cleaned and given a fresh lick of paint and flower garlands, masses and graveside vigils are held and special altars are erected to honor the departed.

Beautifully decorated tombstones, Puente al Paraíso, Xcaret

Altars are intensely personal and although some objects are indispensable, no one altar is alike. Photos and the treasured personal belongings of the deceased, a cross, rosary and the image of a patron saint or the Virgin of Guadalupe are arranged upon the altar against a backdrop of orange marigolds or cempasuchil, red cockscomb and other flowers, rue, cut tissue paper and candles. Aromatic copal incense burns to attract the spirits. Gourds and clay vessels contain offerings of the deceased’s favorite foods and beverages, fruit, chocolate, atole or corn gruel, tequila, mescal or pulque, salt, and water, in case they are thirsty. Toys and candies decorate the altars of children, music lovers are remembered with mariachi serenades and cigarettes might even feature on the altar of a former smoker.

Traditional Day of The Dead Altar, Valladolid, Yucatán

Candles and a trail of petals mark the way home and a smaller offering with food and water is placed outside the house to welcome lost spirits. According to tradition, the souls of children or angelitos, return to earth on October 31, the adults on All Saints’ Day, and they are reunited on All Souls’ Day.

After visiting the tombs of loved ones, families will consume the offerings of food and drink and pan de muerto, a sugar coated bread flavored with orange water and served with hot chocolate or gruel.

The Mayan Day of the Dead is called Hanal Pixán, which means “feast of souls.” Throughout the Yucatán, families make the pilgrimage to the cemetery to visit the graves of their loved ones and erect altars to honor the souls of children and adults. If the deceased was a happy person who liked to party, the altar will be erected in the yard so that he or she can celebrate without disturbing the living.

Tables laden with offerings of mucbilpollo, large chicken tamales wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a pit and gourds of tan-chucua, a thick corn drink flavored with crushed cacao beans, pepper and aniseed are set up under the trees outside the house. Pumpkins, squash, corn, bread, fruit, sweets, honey cakes and flowers are added and the candles are lit. Incense burns, prayers are said and as night falls on November 1, the Maya believe that the dead draw near to dine. The next day it is the turn of the living; they eat the mucbilpollo, washing it down with gruel, chocolate or balche, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and the bark of a tree.

Day of the Dead or Hanal Pixan Altar

During the eight days that the dead return to earth, the Maya abstain from certain tasks such as hunting with guns or sewing so as not to injure one of the wandering souls. Newborn children wear a black thread around their wrists to protect them from any evil spirits that may have also near. On the eighth day or ochavario, the dead prepare to depart this earth for another year and new offerings are placed on their tombs to bid them farewell.

La Catrina

Mexicans refer to Death as a woman, la Muerte, giving her nicknames such as La Catrina, La Flaca or La Huesuda (the skinny or bony one). They joke and even write poems called Calaveras about her on the Day of the Dead. The engravings of 19th century artist, José Guadalupe Posada, show Death in different costumes and settings, as an elegant lady with feathers in her hat, a bride and a dancer. Craftsmen make clay, papier-mâché and wooden Catrinas, skulls and skeletons, including miniatures depicting weddings and mariachi bands.

Colorful representations of Death

Where to witness the Day of the Dead Festival

Altars are erected in stores, restaurants, schools, government offices and town squares throughout Mexico.

Visitors to Cancún and Playa del Carmen should visit Xcaret for the Festival de Vida y Muerte (Festival of Life and Death), a poignant celebration of all the traditions associated with this annual event, including a visit to the colorful Mexican cemetery, processions, altars, cuisine, music and dance, theater and concerts. This year, Mayan communities from the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán and Chiapas are sharing their customs with visitors.

Altar to Frida Kahlo, Day of the Dead, Xcaret

In neighboring Yucatán, the schools and colleges of Valladolid have erected altars outside San Bernardino de Siena Convent and in Merida, local people and visitors stroll along the Corredor de las Animas (the path of the souls), which is Calle 66 between La Ermita and the City Cemetery. In 2009 it was lined with over 200 altars.

Traditional Mayan altar, Hanal Pixan, Valladolid, Yucatán

Further afield, Mexico’s most famous Day of the Dead celebrations take place on the island of Janitzio in Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacán and at Mixquic on the outskirts of Mexico City.

Guests staying at Royal Resorts can see altars on display at The Royal Market and in other parts of the resorts and can sample the traditional pan de muerto and chocolate.

Altar at The Royal Market, Royal Resorts

It is important to stress that such incidents are isolated in Cancún. The bar is nowhere near the Hotel Zone or the City Center and tourists were not at risk.

It is safe to travel to Cancun, the Riviera Maya, other parts of the Mexican Caribbean and the Yucatán. Indeed, in the first six months of the year, 5.1 million tourists enjoyed their vacation in the Cancún area and Orbitz recently reported that it was the most popular destination requested for Labor Day getaways.

As reported in the August 4, 2010 edition of USA Today, this type of violent crime is extremely rare in the Yucatán.  In fact, Yucatán crime rates are comparable to rural US states such as Wyoming and Montana, far below the national average in the United States.

Most of the incidents in Mexico reported by the media are taking place in the north of the country– often in sparsely populated and mountainous areas – and in cities along the Mexico-US border, thousands of miles from Cancún and the Riviera Maya.

Eighteen million Americans visit Mexico on an annual basis and nearly one million of them have chosen to make their homes in this beautiful country.

Common sense is the key to safety wherever you travel, whether at home or abroad, and may we suggest that you take certain precautions, just as you would if you were going to a new city in your own country.

There is no reason to consider changing your travel plans. Cancun’s beaches are looking beautiful and the variety of tourist attractions on offer in the area just keeps growing by the year.

We will do our best to continue to keep you informed about what is going on in the area.

Boxing fans, don’t miss the Floyd Mayweather vs Shane Mosley title fight live from Las Vegas on May 1 at 8 p.m. Choice of three venues: Sidelines Bar at The Royal Sands, Pancho & Willy’s Bar next to Captain’s Cove and La Rotonda Bar at The Royal Haciendas. 2 x 1 domestic drink promotion during the fight.

More events to put on your sporting calendar? Keep tabs on all the action from the NBA playoffs at the Royal Resorts Bars, the French Open and Wimbledon tennis tournaments, golf, baseball and of course the 2010 soccer World Cup from South Africa. Check guest notice boards at the resorts for more details of our sports coverage.

Looking for somewhere different to take your family, then how about this Riviera Maya threesome: Aktun Chen, Akumal and Yalkú Offering a taste of the quieter, natural side of the Mexican Caribbean, they combine beach fun, the coral kingdom and a glimpse of the Yucatan’s mysterious caves.

Hidden Wonders
First stop on your Riviera Ramble is Aktun Chen, a cave system deep in the jungle, a short distance to the south of Akumal. Three caves have been explored to date and one of them has been illuminated so that visitors can see its stalagmites and stalactites in all their glory.
During a guided tour of Aktun Chen, you’ll learn how caves, underground rivers and cenotes or sinkholes form in the Yucatán landscape. A vast slab of limestone, the Yucatán Peninsula is famous for the fact that its rivers lie not on the surface but deep underground! Limestone is porous and rainwater seeps into the ground through fissures, reacting with the rock to form weak carbonic acid and gradually dissolving and eroding it. Over millions of years, fissures and cavities are enlarged forming tunnels and caves through which streams flow. Erosion is twofold, from rainwater on the surface and underground rivers. Eventually the rock becomes so unstable that huge slabs carve off and cave roofs collapse, leading to the creation of sinkholes. In ancient times, these natural wells were the only source of fresh water for area inhabitants and Mexican hydrologists have discovered that the Yucatán still has the largest water reserves in the country.
The ancient Maya believed that caves and cenotes were portals to Xibalbá, the Underworld, the home of the gods, and when you visit one as impressive as Aktun Chen, it is easy to see why they were in such awe.
Aktun Chen caves are located in a 400-hectare reserve of tropical forest and there are trails so that you can go on your own jungle adventure with a guide to point out the local wildlife, which includes white-tailed deer, collared peccary and spider monkey.

The Place of the Turtles
By now you’ll be ready for the beach and the village of Akumal, just four kilometers to the north of Aktun Chen does not disappoint. With its sheltered bay, white sand and palm trees rustling in the breeze, Akumal is peaceful and unhurried, the perfect spot for a day out with the children.
First discovered by the international dive community in the 1950s, the reefs in the Akumal area are some of the finest in the Mexican Caribbean. A barrier reef hugs the shoreline and the sheltered waters of Akumal Bay, Half Moon Bay further north and Caleta Yalkú are perfect for snorkeling. Outside the reef, in open water, a series of coral ridges and terraces lie at depths of between 30 and 100 feet, stretching away from the coast. Marine life is abundant: you’ll see shoals of reef dwellers like jacks, blue tangs and pork fish, gaudy parrotfish, bat rays, groupers, and sea turtles.
Akumal means “place of the turtles” in Maya (ak is a turtle) and they are never far away. Green and loggerhead turtles are a common sight on local reefs and can even be spotted grazing on beds of sea grass in Half Moon Bay. If you see a turtle, don’t shout, make sudden movements or pursue it, keep still and if you are lucky it may come closer to check you out.
During the summer, female sea turtles emerge from the sea at night to lay their eggs on the beaches in the Akumal area and local volunteers patrol the shoreline to ensure that they are not disturbed. Most mornings, guests staying at beachfront condos wake up to find rustic miniature fences encircling new turtle nests.

Akumal Beach

Follow the coast road north from Akumal Bay past Half Moon Bay to the shores of Yalkú, a turquoise-colored inlet of crystal-clear waters constantly replenished by cenotes and underground rivers, hence the refreshingly cool temperature.
Yalkú is a natural aquarium frequented by a variety of colorful reef fish that come inshore to feed or breed among the mangrove roots and submerged rocks. You are sure to see sergeant majors and damselfish patrolling the shoreline, surgeon and angel fish cruising by and even a solitary barracuda guarding its territory. This is a lovely spot, especially in the morning. After a couple of hours in the water you’ll definitely be ready to swap fish notes with the dive crowd!
A local cooperative manages Yalkú and charges a fee for admission. Life jackets are available and there are restrooms on site.

If you go
Thomas More Travel offers several trips to Aktun Chen, Akumal and Yalkú, for more information visit www.thomasmoretravel.com, email: tourdesk@royalresorts.com
or ask at the tour desk upon arrival at the Royal Resorts in Cancún and the Riviera Maya.
Another option is to rent a car and explore at your own pace; Akumal is about an hour and 20 minutes south of Cancún and 37 kilometers from Playa del Carmen.

It’s raining
Spanish: Está lloviendo
Maya:  Tun k’áaxal ha’
(toon k’aahsh-ahl-hah)

Rain
Spanish: Lluvia
Maya: cháak/ha’

Sun
Spanish: sol
Maya: k’iin
(k’eeen)

It’s hot
Spanish: hace calor
Maya: k’íilkab or  hach kilcab
(k’eeel=kahb)

It’s cold
Spanish: hace frio
Maya: ke’el or hach ceel ziiz
(keh’ehl)

I’m cold
Spanish: Tengo frio
Maya: Ke’eleen
(keh-ehl-eehn)

Cloudy
Spanish: nublado
Maya: nóokoy
(noohk-ohy)

Wind
Spanish: viento
Maya: iik’
(eeek’)

Word of the week

TOPE
Visitors to the Mexican Caribbean may have seen this word and wondered what it meant, and if you are a driver you may have already found out the hard way! Tope is the word for speed bumps or sleeping policemen. You’ll find topes in front of schools and in residential areas and as you enter and leave villages such as those along Highway 180 to Chichén Itzá and Mérida.

Ek Balam

First stop is the archaeological site of Ek Balam, 20 minutes north of the colonial city of Valladolid. Inhabited from around 600 B.C. and reaching its peak between A.D. 600 and 900, this ancient city is still something of a puzzle for archaeologists. Intricate stucco carvings and the name “Ek Balam” or “black star jaguar” in Maya (star/black = ek, jaguar = balam) only add to the mystery. Is this lyrical name a reference to a long-lost ruler or the ancient jaguar deity?
Ek Balam was first excavated at the end of the 1980s by American archaeologists William Ringle and George Bey and more recently by Leticia Vargas de la Peña, a Mexican archaeologist working for the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). She and her team have studied many of the structures at the site, particularly the tallest building (31 meters high) called the Acropolis, now known to have been a palace, and have made important discoveries, including over 50 hieroglyphic inscriptions and a royal tomb with offerings of jade, pottery and copal incense.
The city covers an area of 12 square kilometers and has five sacbes or ceremonial causeways, three defensive walls, a ball court, steam baths, chultunes or Mayan wells, several stelae and over 60 structures ranging from temples and palaces to tiny shrines. The largest buildings are clustered around two plazas at the center of the city. This was the ceremonial heart of the city where the rulers and priests lived.
Ek Balam is known to have had links with powerful city-states in the Maya World and its temples and palaces reflect a mix of artistic and architectural influences from the Puuc Hills in southern Yucatán to the Mexican Caribbean coast and the Petén in northern Guatemala. Another clue to the city’s importance is its emblem glyph (a symbol identifying individual cities or their ruling families), the only one recorded to date so far north in the Yucatán.

Angels in the Yucatán?
Ek Balam’s crowning glory is the façade of the Acropolis which features hieroglyphic inscriptions, stucco serpents, masks carved in the likeness of the gaping jaws of the earth monster and the statues of richly attired nobles, including a seated figure now thought to be one of the rulers. The huge building was built in several phases and is a warren of rooms and terraces.
Local guides refer to the statues at the top of the Acropolis as “los angeles,” the angels, because they appear to have wings. The “wings” are actually splendid feather headdresses but even as one mystery is solved, another one takes its place. Who were these men? Archaeologists have deciphered hieroglyphic inscriptions at the site and others in the area to discover that Ek Balam was ruled by a powerful dynasty and have identified the city’s founding father. Ukit Kan Le’k Tok came to power in 770 A.D. and ushered in an extraordinary building and artistic boom.

Rio Lagartos
From Ek Balam you’ll drive north through a chain of villages and small towns such as Tizimin to the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, 60,348 hectares of mangroves, salt marshes, dunes and tropical forest.
The reserve’s biological diversity is incredible. Scientists have identified 365 bird species, 58 mammals, including the rare jaguar and spider monkey, 95 reptiles and amphibians, including four species of sea turtles and the crocodiles or lagartos that gave the reserve its name.
Despite such riches, Ría Lagartos is famous for one bird …the flamingo. The reserve harbors a nesting colony of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber), a population of around 30,000 birds. So many of them gather in the shallow lagoons that they literally dye the horizon pink! To see them searching for food, preening their bright plumage or in flight formation is to witness one of the natural wonders of the Yucatán.
Fishermen from the waterfront village of Río Lagartos offer boat trips along the ria or estuary and through the mangroves to the flamingo feeding grounds. A Mérida-based conservation group has trained some of them as eco-guides and they carry checklists to help you identify the birds you see. Keep a lookout for osprey, ibis, roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, kingfishers and herons and make sure you have plenty of film or memory sticks for your camera!

Getting there
Trips to Ek Balam and Rio Lagartos are available through Thomas More Travel, www.thomasmoretravel.com or email tourdesk@royalresorts.com for reservations. If you plan to go on your own, take the toll road or Highway 180 to Valladolid and then head north towards the Gulf coast, along Highway 295; the turnoff to Ek Balam is clearly marked. Visit the nearby X’canche cenote; there is a small admission fee and for an additional charge you can rent mountain bikes or even try your hand at rappel.

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Motmots in Mayan Legend
The motmot’s Mayan name is toh, and it features in local legend and lore. According to one story, the motmot liked to meet his fellow royal birds and spend the day telling stories and feasting on insects while other birds were working. He was such a beautiful creature and so proud of his glossy tail and plumage that it made him arrogant and overbearing.
One afternoon, when black clouds were massing on the horizon heralding the approach of a storm, Oc, the king vulture summoned all the birds to a meeting and they decided to build themselves a shelter. Chujut the woodpecker, Panchel the toucan, Mox the parrot and Xtut collected timber, Baax the chachalaca and Cutz the wild turkey carried the heaviest branches and the hummingbirds collected grass, herbs and leaves for the roof. Other birds gathered fruit and seeds to tide them over the storm. Only the motmot refused to help, saying that he was an aristocrat, not a worker.
When the storm burst, the motmot found a crack in a stone wall that he thought would be a good place to hide. He crept in and went to sleep without noticing that his elegant long tail was still out in the open.
Much later, the motmot woke up and emerged from his shelter to sing in the sun like the other birds. He was astonished to find that all that was left of his beloved tail were two bedraggled and naked barbs with a small clump of feathers at the end. The wind and water had done their worst. Horrified, realized what a fool he had been. Pride soon got the better of him and he decided to shun his former companions for fear that they would mock him. He flew off into the depths of the forest and dug a hole where he hid until this very day. He still keeps to himself; perching on branches overlooking cenotes where he swings his long tail from side to side incessantly like the pendulum on a clock.