Ohhh Celestun!!

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The Night before in Merida

This has nothing to do with Celestun, but Im going to mention it anyways because I can. So mother and I took the time to go out since she had time to now that the Conference that she was going to was almost at an end, and take a look at one of the things that always seem to be happening during the later hours instead of either 1. Drinking where we were staying, or 2. Going out and eating then drinking. And I'm happy to say that it was indeed something. We just happened to be walking around the center park, just looking here and there turning down the mexicans that where trying to get us to buy a little this or that when we noticed a lot of people gathering and sitting in chairs. So like good little tourists that we where we desided to take our chances and grab a front row seat before looking around to see if there was someone that spoke english so we could ask what was going on. And of course no one around spoke englash and betwen the two of us we didn't know enough spanish to ask. Instead we waited and were rewarded when dancers came out.

They were very good at what they did, some danced on really smal boxes, other put botle on their head then danced around in traditional mexicano style. Some even push the bounderys and danced on a small box with a tray holding 4 shots AND a bottle on their heads! Truely talented, but anywas you can see just how good they are with more then just the pictures if the labtop does not die before I can get a few videos uploaded.

Celestun and its birds

First thing for Celestun we were up about 7 getting ready, then a nice stroll down real mexico to find the bus terminal that has the buses for Celestun. Now this may seem like something simple to you, but let me explain that it isn't. No the first day we where here we were supposed to see the flamingos here at Celestun...But the information on the internet for where this bus terminal was located was very,very wrong and we spent most of our first day loking for where this real bus stop was.[lesson learned, do NOT trust the internet again] Not only did we waste time, but i gained a very nasty blister that had me down and out for long term walking for a day or two. But push come to shove, we found the place. Now we just had to get there, and get there we did with no trouble this time. Bought our ticket and spent a nice 20 minutes eating thing thing mom bought that was really just toast covered in suger frosting in front of a HUGE fan that help keep us cool..Health Breakfast of champions!!

We were then joined by a very entertaining french couple, that noted that the bus waiting room could not be a bus waiting room but one of those places to test wind over airplane wings. Then the women gave us an example as she stood in front of it with her arms held out. I love french people! Next on the bus for a 2 hour trip in which nothing very interesting happened besides the little towns and villages that we went through along the way.

Off the boat and someone mentions if we would like to see the flamingos, and we do. So off we go for another walk towards the beach, the beach that lines the Gulf of Mexico!!! Boy was it pretty, so we get on a boat with another couple, and off we go to look at the many birds that live along the coast line. We did not get as close as I wanted with the flamingos but we did get rather close to the other birds that were not as pretty but more welcoming of tourists. Therefor in my opinion they were the better birds of the day. We went fast all over the place and saw many different birds, But thats not one of the best things that happened today.

We where then taken to see what they were calling a petrified forest, It was full of dead trees with sluggish red colored water running into the ocean that we had just left and we where hopping around from one dry patch to the other to get a good look when the man of the other couple got even more adventures and attempted to leap over a large puddle of water to the other side. Turns out what was solid looking wasn't as he stumbled and started to sink into the mud. At this point we are all thinking the same thing. Quick sand! but he bounded and leaped his way out of the sticky mess, filing the air with a sulfur smell and lossing a shoe. The first thing he said to his girlfriend was not what I expected to here. It was a simple "Did I save the camera?" In fact he did save the camera, which i think was very cool that it did not once touch the mud. The guide that was taking us found the shoe before then explaining to all of us that the farthest that he would have sunk was up to his lower thigh, not above his head. We were all happy with that explaination, and I ended up getting a picture of where this man was sinking before we moved on to the cenote. Leaving us wishing I was more faster on the draw with my camera to get a picture of him sinking in the mud. Of course when mom had suggested this later I didn't think it was funny, but boy do I think it is now thinking back on it. bad me

Last spot of the trip was the cenote, a sink hole in the ground filled with fresh water. Ahh but this one that we were taken to was special. It happened to be the swimming ground of a colony of nudiests! Thankfully none of them was there and we could take a swim in this very breath taking swim hole. But first getting to it, the boat was shaking so the driver was helping everyone out by giving them a hand up. And when it was my turn and that hand was offered I did what any canadian girl would do, I took it and I yanked myself up. Honestly it was an action that I did not think of, it just hapened but it was a good thing he had good balance for not only would he have went over board. He would have went over board after bumping his head and possibly blacking out. And then where would we be?? Stranded thats where. I was so embarassed and I said sorry a million times to him. Poor guy having to deal with us tourists.

The pictures don't even do this place the justice that it deserves! Mom, suprisingly brave, was the first one to ask if she could go in and the first one to get in as I stood of the edge and contomplated if I reallly wanted to get that wet or not. Turns out I did since I joined her, and the other two jumped right in as well. It was wonderful there, but there was one problem. As soon as we jumped in the pool we were attacked by maskitos, and when I say attacked I mean we were jumped and throttled. We have covered ourselves in anti maskito stuff before but even this was not stoping them. They were out for blood and meant to get it. A minute and a half of this and we all just gave up and wanted back out onto the boat away from them. I think it was a very graceful retreat myself, mom just thought it was funny and the other two didn't say anything about it just were more then happy to leave the cenote and its insane little protecters behind... Why nudists would pick a place that that to swim I will never know. Just thinking about it makes me itchy.

Got back to shore after being battered by the waves since a storm just desided it wanted to start. I ended up being covered in salt water from al the waves we either plowed into or ran over. Very bumpy but extermly fun. Back on shore we desided to eat and the one place that looked like in was run by locals only had sea food to offer.....I never eat seafood, it was a rule with me before I started working in Aquariums back home and it certainly is now, but hunger is hunger. It wasn;t so bad, fish stuffed with garlic and shrimp...Till I lifted my fork and found a tentacle hanging from it..Oh gross, even mom who eats sea food couldn't make her self eat it.

Then it was walk to the small bus station just in time to caught the bus and back to Merida it was. And just our luck to return just as it started to rain heavyly. We got out and started to navigate back home when I realized that it was just us walking normaly crazy buzy streets. One look and we saw that the Mexicans where all just standing around out of the rain as we were walking about like drowning rats. Turns out that the mexicans known their home for within a few minutes the rain let up and turned from beating to spitting and everyone jmped back to life again. For the most part dry and we had to walk with them completely wet.

Chelsea <3

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Photos

Flamingos in Flight
the best flamingo picture we could take..sad isnt it?

Suprise in the Food
Look at its purple color, and perfect sucking cups!

A Heron
that flew away all angery like after this picture

Octopus close up
.......

The cenote
look at how nice it looks!

huge birds
no idea what they are

The Quick Sand thats not
heres where he fell in, already the mud is starting to flatten out again.

Petrified wood
and mom too

Birds in the Trees
A few different kinds all sharing the space

Comments

[Ang]

so cool!!!!
I love that the two of you are taking the time out of your vacation to do this travel blog. Looks like a grat time probably way too hot for me even our weather is too hot. Keep posting stuff I really am enjoying reading about your adventures. Be safe cant wait to see more.... Ang