I'm heading to...

Today, I was going to post a Central Europe pic which I found very 'artistic' and then I thought... isn't it boring? And went to my archives and looked for Tulum instead. After all, that's the place I can't wait to go to. Only... 2 more days!

PD.- Yes, I know, beach pictures overdose in this blog these days...

Again...

And again... I couldn't resist to upload yet another Holbox island picture. I know, it's a cheesy sunset picture... But I'm so much looking forward this trip. Since I went there the first time this has been labeled as my 'favorite place on Earth' and still is. Not sure for how long, tourist development is an evil thing, but it's still pretty remote and without an airport nearby... so let's cross our fingers that stays like this for a little bit longer.
Only worry at sight are those hordes of tourists seeking to 'swim with the shark whales'... poor animals, it's all I can say. People laugh when I say that one day dolphins will lead a revolution and will start eating fat tourists... I really wait for that day. I can't really stand that 'swim with dolphins, sharks, whales, even manatees thing'... that makes all those animals captive or semi-captive so that some silly, boring and rich tourist kid can take a picture with them...
Apologies for the Sunday ranting, I woke up with my green conscience on today.

Back home

I'm going back home. Next week this time I'll be back in Mexico, and the place I really want to visit is this: Holbox. It's being a long time since my last visit there and I can't wait to be back in the island and do nothing but walk and walk along the beach, wake up at sunrise and just enjoy the feeling of being back... Anybody wants to come along? Coronas are on me.

Cenote diving

It's becoming a tradition. After each bicycle ride we end up swimming in a cenote. This time, last Saturday, it was underground, deep underground, and Mario ended up using his diving gear looking for a non-existent entrance to the great underworld.....

Tulum's Moon

On a January eve, just after sunset. It's amazing what you can do with a handheld little digital camera these days... No teleconverter, or tripod, or postprocessing. Just a well worn Canon G7, in Manual Mode.

With crystal clear skies, Tulum is one of the best places on Earth to contemplate a full moon.

Fellow travelers

A happy picture! We met fellow travelers Betina and Joel in Izamal. I went there with Ros and Frank on our way back from Rio Lagartos (as these two are avid birdwatchers), and we all stayed at the Green River. A little hotel with a lavish garden and charming staff (Francis is most helpful), I very much recommend it for its reasonable price and relaxed atmosphere. Rooms are a little past their best, but they're currently working on them.

Joel was not only a fellow traveler, but a keen tennis player and a certified car nut too, proud owner of a fab Mercedes 280 SL (Pagoda). So I could only but like him. We all shared lunch at the unique Restaurante Kinich (Bruce's eatery of choice when visiting these latitudes), and I helped them to find a hotel in Puerto Morelos. As I haven't heard back from them, I'm fearing that they didn't survive the treacherous drive through the storm... or that they completely hated the hotel I booked for them.

It's always cool when you meet nice people like them when you're on the road. Traveling is the single best thing in life.

Dia de la Candelaria

One of last weekend's faces... I love the colors and the expression. Izamal was celebrating the festivity of the Candelaria, and she was part of the parade that arrived to the monastery.

Rio Lagartos

I know, I have quite a soft spot for pelicans. And I find this image particularly charming for some reason.

On Sunday I took Frank and Ros to Rio Lagartos, for a boat ride and some bird watching. We got to see the flamingos, although from a considerable distance, and many other species.

It was a lovely afternoon spent by the sea...

Winged Warrior

This is a well known sculpture at Ek Balam.

However impressive as it is on the outside, it's the inside of Utik Kan Le'k Tok' tomb what it's set to change many of the views that we currently hold about Mayan culture.

Little has been published about what the archeologists have found, but expectations are pretty high. Much has been said about Ek Balam, but little is known for sure as it's a relatively new archeological site. Works only started in the mid-eighties, and 2 big structures have not been excavated yet.

This impressive winged warrior is one of the tomb's guardians. The entrance to the tomb is guarded by Kukulcan's fauces and it's meant to be an entrance to the underworld, probably used for initiation rites.

Today I met with Mario for the 1st time in months... Our Mayan project it may still have a future. More to come!

Cold January Day

Yesterday it was as cold as it will ever get around here... it really was chilly. Yet these kids were having a great time and didn't seem to be worried by the very cold sea water.

Went to Puerto Morelos for a fish meal and tequila (it was way too cold for beer). That pretty little place never fails to make me feel good.

This week...

...that rain never seems to stop... I can't wait for a bit of sun to get out, stretch my legs, and take some sunny pictures. It's even cold down here! And I miss the pelicans!

More Ek Balam...

This is the Oval Palace at Ek Balam, as seen from the main pyramid. The fact that this building has an oval back, tells us about its Peten (Guatemalan) influence. Another peculiarity of this city is that it has strong defensive walls, unlike most Mayan towns. Quite remarkable too are their cisterns to preserve rain water. One of the theories about the Mayan demise it's actually that they suffered a very severe drought and its consequential scarcity of food...

Whatever the reasons are behind Ek Balam's architecture, the real truth is that this is a very special place.

It was a beautiful afternoon spent driving, walking, taking pictures... Today I went to change my truck's internal fluids and filters, as I can't wait to hit the road again and wanted to have a hassle free ride. Bronco is at 120,000 miles and never missing a beat. What is it with men and their old vehicles? Why do we get so attached to them?

Bronco Days

Yesterday I took my big and old truck and went for a long drive to Ek Balam, a Mayan site close to Temozon (around 20 miles from Valladolid and a 330 miles drive all in all).

This is one of my favorite archaeological sites as it's a pretty compact, and normally deserted (although yesterday the parking lot was full). It has some of the most impressive, and unusual, sculptures ever found in Yucatan (including winged warriors). Most puzzling are the hieroglyphics that can be found at the entrance of Utik Kan Le'k Tok' tomb, by looking at them you'd believe that you were somewhere in Egypt or the British Museum, not Yucatan...

After 4 hours and a hundred pictures I headed to the little Mayan community of the same name, that it's located just up the road from the site. I wanted to see if they could fit in my photography project, and was also curious to meet those crazy Italians that had decided to open up a restaurant and a hotel in the middle of that wilderness ("Dolcemente Ek Balam" it's called the place).

The Mayans and the Italian food proved disappointing (it was a rather sad Mayan community and the restaurant, ended up being one of those places run by people who prior coming to Mexico had never cooked anything), but the hotel was cute with well looked after grounds and clean rooms (but executed in a motel kind of style, without the boutique feeling that I was expecting). At least the meal was inexpensive.

On the way back it occurred to me that this was my first (non-business related) solo trip since I live in Mexico. I've done loads of leisure trips here, but always with friends. Next weekend will be the second, with a scheduled weekend trip to Yaxuna's Mayan community already on the books. That one should be exciting, it's one of the few Mayan sites that I haven't seen yet.

New Year's Eve in Playa del Carmen.

And first picture of 09. A kind of Mayan Riviera Times Square, but with no clock on sight to kick the year off... it was funny to see how each little group of people decided to start their celebrations at different times...

Happy 2009!

When life was easy...

...and everything was possible. Can you remember it? It really was...

Betsy Pecanins

My camera run out of batteries that night, so this is one of the mere two images that I managed to capture before a blank screen made me long for my old, film, totally mechanical and trusty Contax S2b.

Can't understand how Canon could think that not including a battery charge indicator in the G7 was a good idea. Fortunately the G10 has one...

Anyhow, the performance was magical, and she was full of grace. Betsy's concert was part of Xcaret's Day of the Dead celebrations, this past November. It was the first time I saw her, and words won't do justice. If you have the chance to see her performing live, do not miss it.

Tulum ruins at sunset

Trying out my new Nikon D300 and 18-200 zoom lens, at sunset in Tulum. Still playing with my new equipment, and very happy with the results so far.

Looking for dolphins

During a ferry ride to Holbox Island, a little girl and her granny look to the ocean, searching for dolphins. A high key image, but its color rendering is not that far out from reality. This is the 2nd image of this set that I'm publishing.

And finally... "Coox Janal Pixan!"

…I’m back!

A very busy October with loads of work and very little sleep is coming to an end. On the 30th, in 10 days, my exhibition with Mario will open its doors in Xcaret.

Has been a while since my last show in Berlin, so I can’t wait to see the pictures hanging on the walls. The quality of the printing was pretty good, in fact much better than I’d anticipated. I’d forgotten how much better printed pictures are (compared to computer screens).

Only 10 days more to go!

Mahahual

South of the State of Quintana Roo, and with a beautiful coral reef... It has the cleanest waters of the peninsula.