One of the highlights of my time in the Yucatan state of Mexico was the private tour I booked for my granddaughter Faith and me.
Our day started when Russel, our tour guide picked us up at our apartment near Chicxulub. We drove for over an hour, past the capital city of Merida and south to less populated areas. During the travel he kept us entertained with local history and some personal stories (he was a former breakdancer!).
From there we had a brief stop at a working hennequin plantation. Fiber from the leaves of the agave plant were used to make ropes, coarse fabric and other products making the production of hennequin a major industry in the past. Hennequin fibre also known as sisal, was so important to the economy, it was referred to a green gold.
From a distance we saw the cut agave leaves in a cart. Nearby we saw the strands of fibre hanging over racks to dry in the sun. Fascinating.
We carried on and Russel told us interesting stories about the small villages we passed through, their history and rivalries.
As we drove through quiet country villages, we often saw goats grazing or wandering freely. As a young teen, I had two baby goats one summer and seeing these animals brought back fond memories.
In one area we drove through an opening in a stone wall and into what appeared to be a large field. After parking, we explored some of the ruins of an old hacienda. It was the vegetation growing inside that amazed me. Look at the length of the roots on these trees and vines!
Then came the stop I had been anticipating. It deserves to have proper attention so I’ll save Cenotes for another post.
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