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Mahahual is a little diving and fishing village a few miles away from the port we blogged yesterday, Costa Maya. It is amazing what a little distance does, in terms of being more authentic sans the glitz! It is a gorgeous day. This area, known as the Mayan Riviera, is very warm, very windy, and always filled with beautiful, dramatic clouds due to its windiness. Mike went diving today in Mahahual, and early in the morning walked the two and a half miles to the dive shop. Along the way, he did a photo journal of his walk. Here it is! This is more what the coastal, non-touristy area of the Yucatán Peninsula looks like.
Mahahual is close to the Belize border, which is just across the Bay of Chetumal. And it is just 450 miles from Havana, Cuba. Even though is is just about 200 miles south of one of Mexico’s most famous resort cities, Cancun, it has none of the hotels, resorts, and bars that Cancun is famous for. This is the quiet life. The water is pale blue and crystal clear, which was great for a diving trip. As it ended up, Mike saw a few manta rays, a barracuda, and the largest turtle he had ever seen diving, which was towing two remora. The dive master speared two lion fish, which is an invasive species throughout the Caribbean. They were too small to be made into ceviche, so he left them for the lobster.
Mike met several workers at the dive shop. One woman was from Norway, another from Italy. One of the dive guides was from Melbourne, Australia, and another was from France. The owner, Alex, grew up in Texas. The waters of Mexico draw people from everywhere.
A distance of 2.2 miles to downtown doesn’t sound too far to walk, but when combined with the heat, even early in the day, and the mosquitoes, it is a formidable distance.A pretty covered portion of sidewalk.An inn along the way that has seen better days!A long road. No sidewalks.A typical home of a wealthy family in this part of the world.A lighthouse, nearing the beach.Blue Kay seemingly has it all…restaurant, tours, beach chairs, hotel, spa, gym, wedding services, and the temazcal is a ritual sweat house for healing ceremonies.Oh, stop! Literally, that is what “tope” means! The sign was really just indicating the presence of a single large speed bump.Not too scary-looking a place to look for tours, huh? This is a great setting for a cheesy horror movie.The “main road” in Mahahual – beach activities on the left, businesses on the right.A pretty fork in the road.You can see how windy it is…the tree fronds are whipped around all day long. …but doesn’t this look restful?? Not a nice beach for walking or tanning, though, right?AaaaahhhhhOur cruise ship, looking like the Flying Dutchman, a spectral ship…Nice view! The kiosk is advertising boat rides…snorkeling…fishing trips..More snorkeling and diving trips. And the table contains statuary for sale! (Always more ways to make a buck!)Ready for diving.Ready for customers wanting a massage, facing the incredible ocean blue.A little of this and that for sale. As always, there is a crucifix here. Can you spot it?A restaurant on the beach.With Spanish as their native language, they seem to have a pretty sharp – and funny – grasp of English!A huge, cute mascot for “The Krazy Lobster,” which was a really big tourist restaurant on both sides of the main street. Always and ever, we wish you….GOOD VIBES ONLY!
