Bus to Chichen.

Hopped the bus to chichen Itza this past weekend. Ari needed to do work on the farm and in Goyo´s place so I went myself. I needed to see it for my profound intrigue with the Mayan People. The buses are incredible in Mexico and better than the States. I was dreading a 4 hour bs ride to find myself surprised at how comfortable and AIR CONDITIONED it was. Yes, air conditioned. I don´t like air conditioning usually. Back in the States, my air of tougneness scoffs when people say they need it. Open the damn windows--feel the world, become one with it. But, I swallow my tongue here in the Yucatan. My bus ride in the cool air was its own vacation.
I made a friend on the bus. This small and older woman (probably in her late 60s)sitting in the front of the bus smiled at me when I walked on and got excitedly caught my attention by presenting to me the open seat next to her. There were so many other open seats, I kind of wanted one of my own. I looked at the other seats and she made a ,¨oh that´s fine¨ face. But, I couldn´t walk further anymore. she was just so exicted for me to sit with her and so I did. Moved in my bags and when the bus took off, we spoke the whole way down. She is taking 15 days of travel without her family. Kind of her own vacation retreat. Sounds familiar. Is this solo travel a new trend I´m subliminally picking up on?
We spoke the whole way almost, greatly practicing Spanish. A happy woman with a comoforting energy, she told me about the many beautiful places in the Yucatan there are, making me want to extend my trip for months more. At the rest stop, she showed me where to get tamales for lunch and the bathroom where I don´t have to pay.
We parted at Chichen. I got off the bus, surprisingly, meters from the actual site however, shaded by trees, making it impossible to see unless you pay the fee to enter the park.
Though it was hot and since I was carrying so much stuff, I grabbed a taxi and asked the driver to take me to a cheap hotel or hostel. Wow, I could´ve had a bit more information. But the driver knew what he was doing. We went to one and he asked for me the price. $350 pesos. He turned back to me, ¨esta bien..pero buscamos mas.¨ ¨Let´s look more.¨ Together, we found one for about $200 pesos. Taxi drivers get a super bad wrap here and I have no idea why. I´ve been forewarned me about taxi drivers from family members who´ve ¨known¨ people who´ve traveled to Mexico. ¨they will rob you. Its extrememly dangerous.¨ Well, either they´re being extra nice in order to make up for their bad co-workers or that´s just largely untrue. Put down all my stuff and decided to wander. Another ¨stupid¨ decision. I saw a sign for the sacred cenote of Il Lik and Grutas (Caves) of Balankenche´. I pulled over another taxi driver and we worked out a reasonably price where he took me to both of the sites and waited while I toured.

Was falling asleep waiting for entrance to the Grutas. Finally I entered them with some other people who showed up for the hourly tour. A group of Mexican people on a Yucatan cruise. Caves: vision of sacrifices and ceremonies on the ground, in the cracks of the caves. Kids playing, some praying, some falling in love when they´re teens. Taking dates to the cenote. Down there, I too felt closer to The Earth to worship her.

Grabbed some footage there for theatrical inspiration.

Afterward, the cabbie and I drove to the sacred cenote. No words to describe other than breathtaking. The water was cool! Almost cold and was so refreshing on my skin. Red Bull (the energy drink company) was there sponsoring cliff divers. A boy named Miguel called me over when I was studying the possibility of sitting on the side of the cenote but was a bit afraid. I think he sensed that and showed me where to sit. I sat down on the water ledge and he showed me that I was sitting on an abundant collection of Mayan head carvings. Would´ve never known was was underneath my own sit-bones if he hadn´t told me.