I wanted a slower pace in a normal little Mexican town and that is what I have found in Bacalar. So slow in fact, that I have fallen into a rhythm of trying to find things to occupy myself. Those of you who know me well know that I am project driven and accustomed to being busy. Which is EXACTLY why I chose Bacalar, because old habits die hard and sometimes need some coaxing. I have to say – once the guilt of doing nothing subsides, I am rather enjoying learning to take a breath and respond to the amazing synchronicity occurring here. I have the offer of a free condo to stay in in Playa del Carmen in June and there’s no way I’m giving that up. So! Bacalar and calm for now – subletting from friends I met in Tulum (one of those synchronous events) I’m living in their place while they are off doing research on sea turtles! They return at the end of May, by which time it’ll be time to leave for Playa.
Bacalar is really interesting with a history dating back to Mayan times, early trade routes and pirates a plenty. The town itself having been built in 1545, when the Spanish Fort anchoring one end of the Plaza was built. The picture on the right was taken from the top of the fort built to guard the town as pirate ships came to raid the area, known for a wood that produces dyes valued in Europe! Appropriately named Laguna Siete Colores, the lagoon lives up to its name and looks for all the world like the Caribbean, but is fresh water and gets its colors partially from high mineral content and sandy bottom once away from the marshy bottom at the shoreline.
It’s very low key and the place I’m staying, Pata De Perro, is right on the square, which comes alive at dusk with Mexican families. I’ve not really gotten into swimming the lagoon – there’s really not a beach, one needs a dock to go off into the water. I admit to being squeamish about treading into a marshy bottom and wading through grasses. That’s a little of my Louisiana swamp history coming to bite me. But once you’re out about 20 feet from the shore the bottom is sandy and beautiful.
When the local tourist season, which consumes much of April, settles down, I’ll take a tour of the lagoon and get to see the Stromatolites, one of Bacalar’s claim to fame. Stromatolites date back 3.5 billion years and contributed to the creation of earth’s atmosphere, being oxygen producing structures that look like rocks. There are areas you can swim among these structures and there are only a few places on the planet where they exist. Can’t wait till the crowds leave and Bacalar resumes its quiet existence.
In the meanwhile, I’m plotting my next move, doing a lot of reading, using the few hours of the morning before it gets deathly hot and humid to walk and get to the market. There’s no real shopping here, so the first thing I had to do was find cooler clothes. While there are beautiful embroidered shirts and tops available here, they’re not cool, nor easy to wash. It grieved me to do it but I had to venture into Walmart and get something to wear. God forgive me – but there was no choice – no little shops here with anything but little kid clothes. So a friend and I hopped the bus, went into Chetumal and approached said store with foreboding. But there it was – three t-shirts and two thin, hot weather dresses and an exercise ball later, I’d spent less than $50 US.
Oh yes – can’t forget this… Another reason tourists flood to Yucatan – and believe me it HAS been discovered – has to do with the Cenotes that pepper the area. These are huge sink holes that have filled with water and are (often) connected via an underground river that can be transited through the cave system, giving rise to a lot of Cave Diving tourism. I may not be describing it exactly right, but they are pretty amazing and a little creepy. One near here is called Cenote Azule and is about 90 feet deep. As you can see, it’s enormous. There are others that are part of the lagoon and I plan to explore those soon.
Lovely people run this hostel and I’m forming some strong friendships – another reason to stay put for a while, although tomorrow I’m getting the bus to Campeche for a couple of days. On the Gulf side of the peninsula and a six-hour bus ride non-stop, I’ve heard it’s like a visit to Spain – the old town being completely walled with only 2 – 3 entrances. Lots of history there.
Hasta luego!