OR MY FABULOUS JOURNEY TO COBA JUST AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM TULUM.
Well what a surprise. Just an hour an a half up the road is Coba and a site that takes your breath away. As usual I had a total fiasco going there but I’ll get to that later. Coba is a jewel and as always it’s best to get there relatively early. I saw about fifty people around this very stretched out monumental site until I was leaving and then coach loads were coming in.
It’s hot here now and any trek through these sites are great because these are the ones that have a lot of cover as you wander, and the cover there is mostly the magical tree. Now I’ve never heard about it before but the trunks of it are outrageous. Pink, pale blue, white and various shades of greens to brown. PLEASE SOMEBODY I’VE LOOKED ALL OVER. NAME THAT TRE!
Coba
As far as they know this is the original name of the site which means “chopped waters” probably to do with the lagoons that surround it. Apart from that it was a relatively simple place with huts similar to the present day dwellings. As it developed it became a bit more show offy and became an important part of the Mayan trading route exporting cotton.
I think the reason I fell in love with it so much was the atmosphere there, or maybe it was simply it was the first day I felt really calm and the site suited perfectly my mood. I felt some kind of communion with the ancients who lived there. Other places are so cleaned up and a little sterile whereas here it is more one with nature. As obviously we don’t know exactly how much they cleared areas I like to think that this was more or less how they had it. Getting into the Mayan head isn’t so difficult as the modern Mayans live by the same principles as their ancestors and have a respect and proper knowledge of their history which had been stolen for many years but never lost.
SOME LOCAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREA AND ITS FLORA AND FAUNA.
Some info from Travel by Mexico
The entire State of Quintana Roo has majestic natural landscapes. It is covered by areas of forests of ceiba, red and black cedars, chechen, mahogany, chicozapote and palms.
To the north of the state we find a tropical forest and areas of swamps and mangroves.
The Caribbean coasts have a great variety and richness of fauna and marine flora and just around the Island of Cozumel there are wonderful reefs, where more than 500 species of fish inhabit, as well as lobsters, snails, sea turtles, sponges, urchins. , algae and starfish.
Within the long list of species of mammals, birds and reptiles found in Quintana Roo are the following:
Mammals : opossums, weasels, bats, spider monkey, armadillo, anteater, tapir, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, jaguar, ocelot , cougar, fox, skunk, otter and peccary.
Birds : guacayama, blue and white heron, spoonbills, ibis, flamingos, vulture, osprey, black pheasant, pigeon, owl, barn owl, gray nightjar, gulls, pelicans, frigates, cuckoos, kingfisher, toucans, nuthatch.
Reptiles : turtle, crocodile, iguana, boa.
Below tree trunks and some fungi. wonder if they were used for their ceremonies? I have yet to identify any of these. Help?
Slide show below.
Old Bird Travels Solo! 