Nicole Hamilton Photography: Trip To Mexico!

When the weather turns cold but not cold enough to make the ski hills worth while, it's nice to be able to fly south like the beautiful birds that fill Banff National Park in the summer time. We decided a last minute trip to the Mayan Riviera would be perfect for our honeymoon! We aren't the type to spend a week sitting by the pool and made the most of each and every day of our trip! Our focus was to visit Mayan Ruins and have exciting adventures!

Our first full day we hopped on the shuttle into town and spent the day exploring Playa Del Carmen. We took a stroll down the famous 5th avenue, a hustling and bustling, vendor filled street full of colour and wonder. Random ruins also scattered the streets, as Playa Del Carmen was actually built on top of an existing Mayan cultural site called Xaman-Ha. All this and more made turning each corner interesting.

In December 2012, in commemoration of the end of the Mayan Calendar, the city of Playa del Carmen unveiled a beautiful bronze monument to commemorate a new era of light and prosperity. The structure, titled Portal Maya meaning Mayan Gateway, stands over 50 feet high, portraying a man and a woman, being pushed upwards by a spiral of wind and water, and holding hands. All around the spirals, the sculpture includes depictions of other elements important to the area including a jaguar, shells, people from the past and present, and two rings from the Mayan ball game. This sculpture is a testimony of knowledge in the sciences of astronomy and mathematics of the Mayan ancestors.

Ruins that we stumbled across that were steps away from our resort.

We enjoyed a night sipping piña coladas and being serenaded by the mariachi band at our resort. It was great to came back to our resort, settle down, have a delicious meal and recharge for the next day.

Next up, Chichen Itza, meaning "At the mouth of the well of Itza". The city was one of the largest Maya settlements and the most culturally diverse, perhaps why it has such a variety of architectural styles throughout the site. Chichen Itza is believed to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature.

The main ruin at Chichen Itza, meticulously designed so during the equinox a perfect shadow of a snake runs down the steps of the temple. There is also a smaller pyramid hiding inside.

This building is where the nobles sat to watch the games. Also, if you look very carefully you can see a pretty amazing depiction of Jesus among the carvings in the stone.

That tiny hole in the background...? That is the ring the ball needs to get through.

After an afternoon visiting the ruins of Chichen Itza we swam in a beautiful cenote, Ik Kil.

Appropriately, the entertainment tonight was a Mayan show. Perfect timing that we went to Chichen Itza because we were able to understand a lot more of what was going on in the show, including a game of Ōllamaliztli (ball game). There was a sacrifice, hunting of a deer and ceremonial dances.

The next day, we went on an amazing trip with Adventuras Mayas, snorkeling in an underwater cave, zip lining and a tour of Tulum. The photos of the cenote and zip lining below were taken by the photographers there. Highly recommend: www.aventurasmayas.com

The underwater cave was incredible. Beautiful rock formations and clear water. Could have spent hours down there.

Gearing up for the rappel!

We climbed up a tall tower with a gorgeous view and rappelled down.

Next up: zip lining!

After the adventurous morning we headed to Tulum for a tour with an archaeological guide. The guide pointed out some of the interesting buildings and their significance. Then we had about an hour to walk around and take pictures. It was sweltering hot and we kind of lost track of time but we managed to get back to the meeting place at the appropriate time.

Tulum was strongest between the 13th and 15th century and one of the last cities built by the Mayans. Tulum had an estimated population of 1,000 to 1,600 inhabitants within the "walls" and a strong trading post as it could be reached by both land and sea. Obsidian was the main trade item made possible by both the land and sea roues. Tulúm, the Mayan word for wall, got its name as the walls surrounding the site meant it would be defended against invasions. Disease brought by the Spanish Settlers brought about the cities demise 70 years after the Spanish occupied Mexico.

Mitch bravely decided my idea to rent a car and drive to Coba was a good decision. Leaving town was a bit stressful and the constant changing speed limit was very confusing but we got there safe and sound! We rented bikes and were able to see everything at our own pace and take lots of pictures. Of all the ruins it was my favorite, Coba wasn't discovered until the 1920's and work began to recover a small portion of the ruins in 1980. The forest was left the way nature made it, partially covering and obscuring the ruins which made it all the more photogenic.

Remnants of pottery indicates that Cobá was first settled between 100 BC and 100 AD. Between 1200-1500 Coba took on more of a religious significance rather than a trading post. Coba was abandoned when the Spanish occupation began in 1550.

After an afternoon exploring Coba we stopped at a gorgeous cenote, Azul. There were several ponds each with their own unique charm and photo opportunities. We snorkeled the main pond, packed with thousands of fish, beautiful rock formations and a cliff to jump off of.

After dropping off the car in Playa Del Carmen we walked along the beach, collected shells and took lots of pictures. Our tripods are still covered in salt water! The ominous clouds rolled in and made for more intense photos but didn't bring any rain with them.