Los Jaguares Eco retreat near Tulum was so wonderful. Our hosts, Fausto and Claire were very sweet and welcoming people. We enjoyed "roughing it" in what they called "glam-ping" cabanas. We had beds with mosquito netting, a flushing toilet, wifi, outdoor nature showers (except one morning when no water was present...oh well!) and lots of jungle critters to keep us company.
It was a refreshing change of pace from all of the sounds, people and traffic of the cities.
Upon arrival, we were given a little tour of the property. There was a lovely fresh water pool, lots of hammocks, an outdoor kitchen, several cabanas, fruit gardens, a jungly labyrinth and an earthen temezcal, or sweat lodge. They told us that one of the residents was seasoned in leading group sweats, so we attended a group sweat with him on the second night of our stay.
This was my second sweat ceremony, and the first one in Mexican style. Much of the tradition was similar to the one that we attended in November on Vancouver island with a local First Nations shaman-elder. On the island, and in the native tradition, it is customary for women to wear long dresses and be covered up. Here we all had on our swimsuits. After a very hot, sweaty day, when the darkness set in, we gathered around the ceremonial fire where the stones, or abuelitas (little grandmothers), as they are referred to, were heated until red hot. We said prayers and gave thanks to our ancestors and to the natural world around us. We filed into the hut and sat on a bed of fresh, leafy branches from a tree that I can't recall the name of, but it smelled wonderful.
The ceremony was about 2 hours long and consisted of music, chanting, prayers, offerings, cleansing and lots of emotion and special connection. There are four parts, or doors, of the ceremony where the flap is opened up and 13 additional hot stones are added to the center of the circle inside, and each stone is verbally welcomed in as it is placed on top of the pile. It was so lovely to experience the various traditions all coming together. There were about 10 people from various countries and we all shared the desire to cleanse and reflect inward upon our own mental and emotional blockages. I have found both sweats quite challenging, especially at the beginning part, where I have to convince myself to physically go into a hot, dark cave with a group of sweaty people that I don't know. The shaman reminds us that we are all in there healing together and that everyone is facing their own challenges. After a while, my mind settles and it is very pleasant and rejuvenating. Afterward, we filed out and showered ourselves with cool fresh water using a coconut shell, and then gather for a light meal. I look forward to another temezcal experience soon. Each one is different!
The next morning while it's still relatively cool, we go for a trek down the cleared path into the jungle for a medicinal plant walk with a local Mayan man named Umberto. He speaks Spanish and Mayan, and with our pocket dictionary, intense listening skills and lots of humor, we manage to learn a lot about the plants and about each other. He shows us lots of useful plants and describes how they are used for headaches, tooth aches, snake bites, skin rashes, cuts, and lots of other handy things. At one point, we can hear and see the trees shaking and swaying amongst the busy bustling of monkeys. We can't see them, but we know they are there.
Umberto told us that his grandfather lived off of the land in the area and thrived on a life of simple hunting and gathering and using herbal medicines until the beautiful age of 110 years. He said no junk food, just wild foods! No eye glasses, no diseases. Only healthy people. A good reminder of what has happened to our "food" system in the last century. We could have enjoyed these lessons all day, but we had to be on our way to our next destination southward in Bacalar, Quintana Roo on the second largest lake Mexico, Laguna Bacalar. We would like to return to Los Jaguares again soon, we feel like there is more that is yet to be experienced there.
We arrived at Villas Ecotucan just outside of Bacalar and checked in for a stay in a jungle cabana. This place was a very lovely setting. It had just rained for a few days and the humidity level was sky high. Our tile floors and bed sheets were very wet. It made for some chilly sleeping conditions. The mosquito netting on both beds had large tears, so we patched it up the best we could. The mosquito netting was crucial. The mosquitoes were thick there after all of the moisture, which we were told was very unseasonal. I sure donated my fair share of blood to those tiny vampires. It was a bit frustrating, as I would have preferred to spend more time outdoors, but the itching ad scratching was over the top!
In the mornings, I awoke to flocks of green parrots socializing in the trees. They returned each evening at sundown too. We enjoyed a swim in the cool, clear water of the lake, accompanied by one of the several resident pups. We were happy to move on from there, away from the mosquitoes. We originally planned to head south through Guatemala and loop back up to Merida while stopping at various Mayan ruins. However, the weather forecast was more rain. More mosquitoes. More damp clothing. So we rerouted back toward the west side of the peninsula to sunnier (and less popular) beaches. Half way across, we stopped at a rural coffee shop for a break. A man stood outside having a cigarette and asked where we were from and where we were headed. He told us that the citizens of the state of Campeche were revolting against the development of their land by outsiders and to show their disapproval to the government, they were barricading the main roads into the state. Hmmmm. We didn't see that coming. We thanked him and chose an alternate and more remote route through the jungle and through many tiny pueblos. It turned out that the road we chose was under some pretty serious upgrading conditions. I wish I had taken a video. It was quite a ride. Here is a snapshot of the highway modernization.
After a very long, hot day and plentiful bumpy tope speed bumps, we made it to Ciudad Campeche and found a hotel for the night. The next morning we decided to head for a small beach town on the north coast of Yucatan. It's pretty busy and touristy, but it's hot and sunny and sandy and the sound of the ocean is so calming to my soul. We have spent today resting in the sunshine and exploring more bits and pieces of Mexican culture including mercados, zapaterias to find some sandals, and the laundry mat. I tried to find a place where I could wash our laundry all week between the little remote villages, but I finally gave in and dropped it at a lavanderia down the block where they wash and fold it for you (I also gained a few stray men's tees that I will have to return to the shop mañana).
Seems to be a very common cultural thing here: everyone having someone else do everything for everyone. Pumping your gas. Helping you to park in a public place. Selling you toilet paper squares.
There are SO many little cultural differences. Like the scented toilet paper everywhere. I even had my own normal TP in my pocket yesterday when we stopped at a rest stop on the highway. A woman ran over to the washroom door with a key and said "tres pesos". I said "tengo mi papel" and showed her my private stash. She shook her head no and said "tres pesos" as she unlocked the washroom door and handed me a heap of perfumed paper with blue hearts printed on it. Self-sufficiency is not a thing here. Service is a very big thing here. Learning, learning, learning. Tres pesos at a time.
