YATRA GEETHAM- Maya Village – 4

YATRA GEETHAM (Mexico) – 10

Cancun – Tulum – Coba – Cenote – Maya Village -4

Telugu Original : Dr K.Geeta 

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

On our Tulum – Coba – Cenote – Maya Village day tour, after visiting the ruined city of Tulum, our second stop was Coba. We spent almost two hours near that towering, ancient structure.

As we walked back through the dense forest that had grown all around, the remnants of ruined houses and structures—both big and small, standing as silent witnesses to the footsteps of the historic Mayan civilization—left a profound sense of sadness and grief in my heart. It made me reflect on how even the grandest of cultures and societies ultimately meet the same end when they fade away.

Along the path, I felt a lingering shiver, as if the forest deities were still wandering right there.

Even after we returned to the gate by rickshaw and got off, I spent some time chatting with our rickshaw puller, who belonged to the Mayan lineage. I felt immense respect for him, finding an honest livelihood in the very land where his ancestors once lived.

On our way, our mini-bus driver pointed out from a distance the homes of people who still live deep inside the forest, completely untouched by the outside world. At one spot along the road, he noticed some school children walking from one village to another. He stopped the bus, picked them up, and dropped them off a couple of miles down the road.

He mentioned that since there is no public bus service around there, all the private vehicle drivers like him collectively step up to help out. Seeing this side of our bus driver filled me with endless respect for him.

Following that, we were taken to a Mayan village for our lunch stop.

Our driver parked the mini-bus two streets away from the actual stop. With dirt roads all around and houses fenced with woven twigs, it looked exactly like a rural village back home in India.

As we walked ahead from the bus, the driver pointed out a bush with bright red flowers and pods, and handed us one of its seeds. Crushing the seed released a vibrant, red vermilion-like color. He explained that this natural pigment is used both in cooking and as a facial cosmetic dye.

The dining hall managed by the tourism group looked like a large, open-air pavilion right in the middle of the village.

The highlight of the experience was that they took everyone directly to the cooking area to show us how traditional dishes and ingredients were being prepared, serving us right from the hearth.

They showed us how to make lentil vada-like snacks, identical to the ones we had eaten the previous day on our Chichen Itza tour. Watching the vadas fry in a massive pan over a large clay stove, beautifully plastered with red earth, vividly reminded me of the traditional kitchens of our own past.

The spread featured a variety of dishes: local Mexican chili and tomato salsa, corn chips, avocado dip, thick-grained rice cooked with beans and carrots, tightly rolled spring rolls stuffed with meat and beans, vadas, corn tortillas, and fried chicken. Even with so many options, the vadas tasted exactly like the ones we make at home, so we kept going back for seconds. Right at the end, I spotted something that looked like a sesame brittle, but when I took a bite, it turned out to be made of chia seeds or something similar; I couldn’t even keep it in my mouth and just laughed it off.

After lunch, we relaxed for a while on the net hammocks strung up in the courtyard.

Later, they called everyone over to see a rope suspension bridge built across a narrow river valley flowing deep below, so we headed that way.

Siri and I started walking at the very back. Since it was my first time ever walking on something like that, I felt quite terrified. By the time we reached the middle of the bridge, it began to sway intensely. Overcome with fear, Siri just sat right down. As for me, unable to move forward or backward, I started screaming. Satya came running back from the other side, picked Siri up in his arms, and ran across—which only made the bridge shake even faster! You should have seen my terror then! Looking back now, it makes me laugh, but as long as I was crossing it, I was loudly babbling and shouting out of sheer panic. Somehow, taking it one slow step at a time, I managed to get across and step off just as the bus was about to leave. Walking on a bridge that swings in mid-air with every step was a spine-tingling, magnificent experience!

Our final stop of the day’s journey was at a Cenote. Since it required a long walk from the parking lot to the inside, and Siri threw a tantrum refusing to walk, I managed to grab the only rickshaw available in the courtyard for Siri and myself.

Surprisingly, four guys showed up to handle our single rickshaw. As we went along, crossing a bridge and navigating a dirt path up a hill where the wheels kept sinking into thick sand, it became clear why so many of them were needed. Two pulled from the front, and two pushed from the back.

Even though I offered to get off and walk along the steep stretch, they insisted I stay seated. Speaking in broken English, they escorted us up in a very lighthearted, joyful manner.

This particular cenote was completely enclosed at the top, hidden deep within a subterranean cave.

Because Siri initially refused to go inside, I hesitated and paused near the circular changing rooms built outside.

As I worried about how difficult it would be to carry Siri down the stairs, one of our rickshaw boys offered to carry her down for me. Relieved, I started descending the steps as well.

The moment we finished climbing down the stairs, a breathtaking sight opened up: a massive, naturally formed swimming pool nestled inside a spacious cave illuminated by lights. It was absolutely stunning and magnificent.

Since there were very few people with us, they allowed us to spend a peaceful hour swimming and splashing around in the cool waters.

Even though climbing down and up those stairs with Siri was a bit exhausting, I realized that if I hadn’t gone down there, I would have truly missed out on an incredible experience.

 

As we emerged with damp hair, a local elder conducted a traditional blessing and prayer ceremony rooted in their culture. He had everyone stand in a circle.

Holding a clay brazier wafting frankincense smoke in one hand, he stood before a crescent-shaped altar decorated with leaves and flowers, filled with corn, fruits, and blossoms. Chanting mantras in the native Mayan language, he blessed everyone. It was incredibly special to hear their language spoken firsthand. Both the children and adults watched the entire ritual with deep fascination.

By the time we walked back to our bus, dusk was falling, and the rickshaw boys merrily struck up a song. Siri even started chiming in to match their rhythm, which was wonderful to see.

Upon stepping down, I gave each of them a ten-dollar tip apart from the standard rickshaw fare.

Since we were the last tour group in the park that day, all the boys hopped onto their bicycles and rode out right ahead of our bus. However, the guy who seemed to be their leader pulled up in a car parked right next to our bus and sped away in a flash!

They had taken photos and videos of us during the tour and were selling them on a flash drive for fifty dollars, so we bought ours. However, by the time we returned to the US, the flash drive was nowhere to be found. Luckily, I remembered them saying that they preserve the files on their website for 30 days, so we contacted them and successfully downloaded all our photos.

It was around six or seven in the evening when we finally made it back to our resort.

Out of everything we had experienced so far, the sights of the Tulum and Coba ruins, the Mayan village, the people, and witnessing their customs firsthand that day left a beautiful impression that will remain etched in my heart forever.

*****

(to be continued)