Pedro here finally catching up on some posts from my Central America research trip. I’m working my butt off (wink, wink) to provide YOU with unique travel experiences. For now, just free advice, but look forward to some Ecomentum trips scheduled for 2009 to Central America and the Lake Tahoe, California regions.
I flew into Cancun from Miami in early December to following the Sustainable Brands International Conference, which was a productive way to meet green marketers worldwide. This also provided a nice contrast to the rest of my trip, which would take me to some of the lesser develop parts of the world. The best thing about Cancun: it’s a cheap place to fly into. If you’re looking for an eco-vacation, keep moving. Cancun does provide some nice access to indiginous Mayan villages and some of the most amazing ruins in Central America.
Chichen Itza: still amazing but prepare to rub elbows with crowds
Chichen Itza is a marvel - recenty voted one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World” - that is a breathtaking sight to behold. Just make sure to show up prior to 11 am, when it becomes flooded with daytrippers on buses from the Mayan Riviera. I was fascinated with the ballcourt, where the ancient game of “pok-ta-pok” was played by knocking a rubber ball through a hoop on either side of the court with their hips. You just didn’t want to be on the losing team (or by some accounts the “winning” team - we’ll let the scientists debate this one) - as you’d find yourself being sacrificed to the Gods.
I found more of an authentic experience when I visited Coba, an important Mayan city to the southeast of Chichen Itza. Coban was once a vast city, and it’s still connected by ancient roads, some up to 100 km in length, connecting cities throught the Yucatan for trading. Still enshrouded in jungle, with lots of birds and other wildlife, Coban is also adjacent to a Mayan settlement and some spectacular swimming cenotes (holes which connect to the vast underground limestone cave systems of the Yucatan). Ecomentum made contact with Luis Pech, the leader of the Mayan community, and we’re planning on scheduling activities including cenote swimming, Mayan language classes, and even moch ball games put on by the village children - as a way to directly support the community while providing tourists with a valuable, lasting experience unlike the average day tour available in the area.
Coba is a much more secluded site surrounded by lush jungle and birdlife
The downside of Coba is that the tourists are still allowed to climb the temples - an amazing experience but one that will not preserve the site for generations.