Friday 14 December 2012.
Highlights: Xcaret Park, Swimming in an underground cave system, Mexico Espectacular night show
Today my rescheduled Tuesday tour actually occurred although I nearly missed the pick up again. I was told to look for a bus title Mayan Tours but instead it was a van title USA transfers. The transfer pick up was at 7 am and took me to a central checkin station to catch the bus to the park.
We got to the park around 10 am. During the drive most of the instructions and stories (90%) where in Spanish. Out of around 50 people I think there were 5 maximum English native speakers so I was definitely in the minority.
Xcaret (meaning small inlet) is a type of zoo / amazement park / resort. The early highlight was swimming and floating though a mostly underground cave system using snorkelling gear, very cool. Although I wouldn’t forgot the animals either from the birds who tried to kill me Hitchcock style, to the jaguars, pumas, crocodiles, and turtles.
The coral reef displays were also colourful and beautiful. Relaxing on the beach as the Caribbean Sea gently rolled in was too bad either. I choose the Mexican Restaurant for the buffet included with my tour package. The music and abundance of food drained a lot of energy from me for sure.
Later in the day I witnessed a horse riding displayed. A couple of times I pulled back from the fence as I didn’t want to have the horses hit e, they were extremely close. The day at the park ends with a 2 hour Xcaret Mexico Espectacular show. There are over 300 performers running, jumping, climbing, playing, dancing and singing during the performance. It starts with the Mayan people and goes though history showing the Spanish conquest and later revolution for independence. The most impressive part for me was when the played a type of hockey with a ball on fire. Apparently this was a game the Mayans played.
Returning to my hotel I heard about the dreadful murder of 20 children in Connecticut earlier in the day. Once again the free gun culture and the right to bare arms as part of a militia overrides the right to liberty and life. People get angry all the time and lose control, easy access to weapons doesn’t seem to e the answer. Extremely sad, there are so many positive and enjoyable opportunities in this world. For these 5 to 10 year olds all there potential has been stolen from them.
Nathan's Insights 