Celestún

Lately, posts have been coming slower since the internet connection here has been hit or miss. Ahhh, life in Mexico!

Tuesday morning, we put on our swimsuits and headed out to Celestún, which is about 56 miles west of Mérida. Celestún is known for its inlet of extremely salty waters, which is an ideal feeding area for pink flamingos.

The route once again took us through Uman, where we have a habit of getting lost due to its lack of road signs. This time, we managed to find our way through with only one stop for directions, so we must be getting more accustomed to the surroundings.

Celestún sits on the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and has some impressively beautiful beaches. We arrived around noon, so decided to have an early lunch at La Palapa, a beachfront restaurant blessed with a cooling breeze and a nice ocean view. Pulpo was the specialty of the house, since octopus is the main fishing industry for the area, but Jenn ordered camarones coco (coconut shrimp) and I stuck with chicken. The cervezas were ice cold and as usual, the kids can never get enough Jamaica tea.

After lunch, we lounged on the beach for a short while, but the winds were picking up and the sand was starting to fly. Our main reason for the trip was to see the flamingos, so we headed to the bridge and hired a private charter boat.

We enjoyed a pleasant ride up the river in search of the flamingos and also to take a tour of the mangrove reserves. You notice immediately that the water is a rusty shade of red, which is due to the tannins from the roots of the mangrove trees. The red glints of sunshine on the water give it a truly ethereal quality, and you almost have a sense of being in an entirely different world.

Our first stop was a jungle trek, where we saw giant termite nests and learned about the wildlife. Emma was concerned about a poisonous tree that our guide pointed out to us, but we assured her it wasn't going to follow us home. Of greater concern to us was the mosquito population, since we left the repellent in our bag on the boat. Always prepared!

We cut through the mangrove forest to a viewing dock out over a salt flat. A woman's big straw hat blew off her head and out across the flats, impossible to retrieve without sinking in. From the dock, we were able to observe about a hundred flamingos across the water, although in the winter months during mating season there are usually thousands.

They're certainly not the most active creatures to watch, but it is incredible to see so many out in the wild. Here, by the salt marshes, the water is more golder in color, and the kids could find lots of fish swimming below. It was a peaceful, breezy spot to sit in the shade and observe the wildlife around us.

We said goodbye to the flamingos and hiked back through the forest to our boat. Along the way, our guide pointed out a unique tree with thick, abrasive leaves, which the Maya would use for brushing their teeth and washing their skin. It's amazing how civilizations can adapt their natural resources to fit their needs when necessary.

Next, we motored down river for a boat tour through the mangrove forests. It's easy to spot the mangrove trees with their roots visible above the water. Rare birds like to nest in the branches of the mangroves above.

The final stop of our water excursion was a visit to a freshwater spring in the jungle, referred to locally as an 'ojo de agua' or an 'eye of water'. Here, you can actually see the water bubbling up to the surface.

Normally the water is crystal clear, but again the mangrove tannins have had their effect on the spring during the warmer months. Since the water was rather dark, most tourists had lost interest in swimming, and we were set to bypass the spring as well. But the kids were disappointed, and since they had their bathing suits on, the vendor selling snacks nearby assured us the water was fine. And since the ruby red waters were beckoning, Jenn and the kids decided to take a dip for a short while to cool off. Yet another spectacle, as everyone stopped to see the crazy gringos swimming in the jungle. It wasn't until we mentioned the alligators that Lukas would finally come out of the water (don't worry, there are no alligators, at least that we know of).

Afterwards, we headed back to the boat for the return trip, and to wrap up our visit to Celestún. It had been an enjoyable trip, and a fun day with lots to do and see.