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To the left, you have the map of Tulum in
relation to Playa del Carmen. And further North, you
have Cancun. So we traveled South
to arrive in Tulum some two hours later. But that was basically due to all
the pickups along the road. To the left, Mother
Earth in Spanish. One of the four fundaments of the Mayan culture. |
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On the main road on to Tulum.
Construction is taking place all over the place in this part of the Yucatan
peninsula. Overly much so. Some primitive construction shackles seen here.
They built fast and the hotels also fall down fast as when Wilma hit in
2005. |
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Artificial harbors are built in conjunction
with the hotel complexes. And they are big and expensive.
But their causeways are really pretty. Everything grows when heat and water
is plentiful, except for grazing feeds for cattle. That you have to get
inland to experience. Due to the very high lime in the water coming from
porous limestone that make up the ground. |
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Mixing old and the new, OK some times.
But sometimes more kitsch than anything else.b |
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The flower arrangements are fantastic and
tasty. This part of Mexico is one of the most expensive of them all. Where
rich Mexicans and American are buying condos, flats and houses. At prices
close to those in Oslo. And that aren't cheap!
What a lovely tree alley! At a cost of course. |
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An old Mayan figure is guarding the entrance of
one of the complexes that can have up to 3000 staff alone. That gives you
and idea how big these holiday resorts are. Mostly for Americans.
As an old constructional engineer, Martin loves to see heavy road work
equipment in action. |
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Corona Extra size beer bottle as an ad outside
one of the many tourists shops in the area. This is just outside the
entrance of the ruins of Tulum. Then there were some 20 million Mayans.
One of the stairs leading into the ruins. Eli on top of the stairs. |
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One of the houses of the high priests. The
Mayans almost disappeared due to ethnic cleansing by the Spaniard. They
slaughtered thousands of them, but the common flu, pneumonia, smallpox
syphilis and other illnesses did the most. Almost 18 million Mayans
disappeared during the 15th and 16th century. Effective use of
bacteriological warfare. Nice view of some of
the ruins. |
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The high priest lived in this house that also
doubled up as ceremonial temple of sorts. Nice
purple flowers lives here. Some of them used domestically in Norway. |
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One of present days local inhabitants of the
ruins, the iguana, also the national animal of Mexico.
Another piece of old rocks from the Mayan. The Spaniard may have killed some
18 millions of the Mayans, directly and mostly indirectly by clever use of
bacteriological warfare. But the Mayan took a terrible revenge giving the
white man the tobacco. So far, it's estimated that more than 200 million
whiteys have died from the effects of smoking. The Mayans are still
counting. Payback time is always sweet. |
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Eli next to one of the mythological figures of
the Mayan culture, the Birdman. Martin with his
MSN t-shirt on watching one of the ruins in the ancient city. |
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Looking down on the beach where we are to go
swimming later in the day. Martin and Eli in
front of one of the ruins. |
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Martin in front of one of the small towers
erected by the Mayans. Eli is going through the
gate in the wall surrounding the ancient town of Tulum. |
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Taking the train back to the starting point is
always popular. And cozy it was. |
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Martin and Eli in the front row of the train.
Ruins of some old houses on the way back. Why they are left as an eye-sore,
is a puzzle. |
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Mayans are doing their tricks on top of a pole
for the tourists before Martin and Eli went off to the Paradise Beach.
Martin after a nice 1200 meters swim. But it was rough on his trout so the
next day, he was sick in bed with the computer. |
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Change rooms on the way to the bus.
Expensive flats, way out of reach for the common Mexican man in the street. |
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Martin's fancy flower pot along the road back to
Playa del Carmen. Elin, our very capable,
friendly and soft-spoken guide. She had a fantastic voice for microphone
work and did a fantastic job. |
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Army guys pop up now and then. Here a truckload
of them on their way from A to B. Eli's big
silvery piece of rock that she wanted to bring back to Norway with her, but
couldn't. She didn't have the cash. |
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