Day Five

I am not going to lie, this whole cruise was Tracy's idea...he decided he wanted to go scuba diving in Cozumel for his birthday and well, here we are in Mexico.  Happy Birthday Tracy! I hope you are enjoying your vacation, I know I am.



http;//www.mayasites.com/gervasio.html

  Today, while Tracy was diving, I decided to go on a sight seeing adventure: The town of San Miguel, located on the island of Cozmuel, occupies 7% of the island while a tropical jungle occupies the other 93%. The town has a population of 70,000 and I was interested in the 'feel' of the country far beyond the tourist spots lining the coast.  Luckily, I was able to find friendly taxi cab driver willing to show me his country.

Our first stop was Maya archaeological site of San Gervasio, a site dedicated to the Mayan goddess lxchel, deity of midwifery, medicine and weaving. Here I am pictured at the arch at the mouth of a path which lead to a ceremonial alter.

I tried to photograph one of the many iguanas of the area but the truth is they are larger than house cats and very fast...it was all I could do to stay on my toes and avoid having one of them carry me off!

 

The high moisture content in the San Miguel area prohibits underground burial of the dead. Here is a photo of the elaborate mausoleums found in the city's cemetery.  In addition, the perimeter stucco walls of the cemetery has 18 inch square 'cubby holes' for those on a more economical journey through the afterlife.