The next Mayan ruin on our whirlwind tour was Uxmal, a slightly busier, more touristy sight. Little is known about this site, it was built between 850 and 925 AD in Puuc style, typical of the area. Toltec invaders conquered the area in around 1000AD, and building work ceased thereafter.
A short drive from Cancun, Chichen Itza was by far the busiest, site we went to. We arrived early, but already found tour buses parked by the entrance, and throngs of tour guides sprucing their wares. The catch phrase of this place was `nearly free` ànd this chorus followed you from souvenir stand to souvenir stand. The ruins themselves were wonderful, and had retained a lot more details than others we had seen. The crowds, and the stalls all took a little away from the experience however, as I felt like I couldn`t quite concentrate on what we were there to see.
4 days in Cancun was enough time to complete our PADI certificate, and stock up on car parts before we left Mexico. Our first two dives in the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean, we saw 2 turtles, a ray and a family of dolphins. The next day, we had the chance to check out Cancun`s famous underwater museum.
After a storm in 2009, and in an attempt to limit reef damage by over use, a group of Mexican artists banded together to build an underwater sculpture gallery . Statues adorn the sea floor, attracting fish and coral, and drawing snorkelers and divers away from the reef.
A miniature house, a VW beetle and a group of figures, tied at the hands to represent the slave trade are among the 500 figure that make up the gallery.
It was a little eerie, but beautiful with fish hiding between the figures, watching us pass.
A short drive from Cancun, Chichen Itza was by far the busiest, site we went to. We arrived early, but already found tour buses parked by the entrance, and throngs of tour guides sprucing their wares. The catch phrase of this place was `nearly free` ànd this chorus followed you from souvenir stand to souvenir stand. The ruins themselves were wonderful, and had retained a lot more details than others we had seen. The crowds, and the stalls all took a little away from the experience however, as I felt like I couldn`t quite concentrate on what we were there to see.
4 days in Cancun was enough time to complete our PADI certificate, and stock up on car parts before we left Mexico. Our first two dives in the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean, we saw 2 turtles, a ray and a family of dolphins. The next day, we had the chance to check out Cancun`s famous underwater museum.
After a storm in 2009, and in an attempt to limit reef damage by over use, a group of Mexican artists banded together to build an underwater sculpture gallery . Statues adorn the sea floor, attracting fish and coral, and drawing snorkelers and divers away from the reef.
A miniature house, a VW beetle and a group of figures, tied at the hands to represent the slave trade are among the 500 figure that make up the gallery.
It was a little eerie, but beautiful with fish hiding between the figures, watching us pass.