Swaying in the arms of an ancient civilization (cont'd from previous post)

Hotel Nueva Vida View, Tulum, Mexico

Just south of bustling Cancun lies the serenity of the Maya's turtle- friendly Tulum.


HITTING THE WALLS

Our jaws dropped when we reached the place where Tulum meets the sea. There are more spectacular Mayan ruins, but none in a more spectacular setting.

Late post-Classic period (13th-16th centuries) Mayan formations dominated the coastline, towering above the beach and limpid sea below. Some visitors descended the trail to loll on the sand, swim in the ocean or cool off in a cenote (limestone pool) below the ruins.

Archaeologists believe Tulum was a port and military post. When Spanish explorers ``discovered'' the walled city in 1518, they found stone buildings painted red, blue and gold.

``Tulum'' is a Mayan word for wall though its residents called the city ``Zama'' meaning dawn, probably because Tulum is perfectly placed for viewing the sunrise.

Walking through Tulum's ruins is a bit like navigating an Ikea store -- you're supposed to follow a set route. After entering through a break in a long stone wall, you come to the Templo del Dios del Viento (wind god's temple), a stone edifice built on a rocky outcropping with excellent views of El Castillo.

Named by the invading Spaniards, the imposing El Castillo is Tulum's icon: the stone fortress on a cliff jutting into the Caribbean Sea has figures of Toltec plumed serpents. Several portly iguanas, lumbered through the grounds and sunned themselves on the rocks.

At the 15th century Templo de las Pinturas, a guide said the Maya used an insect called a cochina to produce red dye used to paint Tulum's facades. One human figure at temple had one eye open and the other closed to show the duality between light and dark. The entry to the temple was so low even the stout Maya had to duck. The guide said that may have been a gesture of reverence to the goddess of fertility.

Outside Tulum, several Mayan men were enacting a centuries-old tradition of swinging in circles around a towering pole on long ropes. Called the palo volador, the ritual featured four men in monkey costumes hitched to the top of the pole and ``flying'' 60 feet above the ground.

From the ruins we drove into Tulum peublo (the city side of Tulum along the main highway) and filled up on fresh fish tacos at a gritty roadside stand. Then it was back to our cabana for a lazy afternoon on the beach.

We'd allowed only two days for Tulum, but gazing at the hammock on our deck and the beach beyond made the thought of leaving unbearable, so we booked one more night. That would mean a dreadfully early airport departure the next day but we didn't mind.

As we sipped our margaritas and swayed to the live salsa music at La Zebra on our final night, time seemed to evaporate.