“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr. The Denver Post estimated 30,000 people attended the protest, and other crowds in smaller cities and towns across Colorado, and more, one news source said seven million in all, from coast to coast. Hundreds with signs,Continue reading “No Kings, Denver”
Tag Archives: North America
Playa del Carmen, Cenote
The beach town of Playa del Carmen in January was packed with tourists, touristy shops, hotels in town, resorts on the water’s edge. After a little over two weeks exploring Mexico, I finally made it to a beach. A dip in Dos Ojos Cenote, a cave pool, not far from Playa, was both refreshing andContinue reading “Playa del Carmen, Cenote”
Chichén Itzá
The most majestic and the most visited of Mexico’s Maya ruins is Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán peninsula. Its proximity to the Atlantic coast makes it a popular day trip for beach and resort tourists. So we went early in the morning to beat most of the crowds. The name means “at the mouth (or rim)Continue reading “Chichén Itzá”
Uxmal
The Maya ruins of Uxmal are a one hour drive from Mérida. It’s thought that the city was constructed around 700CE, was home to around 25,000 people and once dominated the region along with Chichen Itza. The name is believed to mean “three times built,” since the site was reconstructed many times and inhabited byContinue reading “Uxmal”
Mérida
Founded by the Spanish in 1542 on the site of the ancient Maya city of Ti’ho, Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán state of Mexico, close to its northern coast. It is sometimes called La Ciudad Blanca, the White City, because many of the structures are made of limestone. Food vendors and artisan booths fill the centralContinue reading “Mérida “
Campeche
My first view of the Gulf was the harbor town of Campeche. The state of Campeche borders the west side of the Yucatan peninsula. I had definitely left the rainforest that covers central Mexico and was in the tropics: palm trees, ocean breezes, gentle waves. A relaxing, refreshing stop at the edge of the sparklingContinue reading “Campeche”
Palenque
Traveling across Mexico to explore the ruins, I left the western areas inhabited primarily by the Aztec (Mexica), Zapotec, Olmec, and Mixtec peoples, and came to the land of the Mayan civilization in Chiapas in central Mexico. These structures were somewhat more familiar to me, having lived in Guatemala and visited major sites in TikalContinue reading “Palenque”
Agua Azul
In the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, the Cascadas de Agua Azul, Cascades of Blue Water, are a series of waterfalls that tumble down the Xanil River. The area was designated a flora and fauna protected area in 2000 by the Mexican government. A refreshing stop and swim on the way to Palenque. A trailContinue reading “Agua Azul”
San Cristobal, Chamula
A visit to the Iglesia de San Juan in San Juan Chamula, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, was a mysterious, unforgettable morning. The Tzotzil people resisted the Spanish in 1524 and later staged a famous rebellion in 1869, attacking the nearby colonial settlement of San Cristobal. Their clothes, made by hand and locally sourced,Continue reading “San Cristobal, Chamula”
Sumidero Canyon
The Grijalva River, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, carved the deep Sumidero Canyon over millions of years. Its towering cliffs reach up to one thousand meters high (3,200 ft). The distance from Chiapa de Corzo, the embarkation point, to the hydroelectric dam is around twenty-three miles (35 km) and takes two to three hours roundContinue reading “Sumidero Canyon”
Ruth Rosenfeld 