Mexico Reflections

Mexico is full of rich culture, food, historic places, and beaches. I was able to experience a little bit of all of those things during my alternative break trip to the Yucatán Peninsula! We traveled to so many different locations during the week, and although tiring at times, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We were able to experience so much!

Of course, what most Americans think of when they think of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, is beaches. The beaches were beautiful! We were able to visit several different beaches while we were there, and they all were breathtaking. The first beach we visited was called Playa Delfines, which we stopped at for an hour. It was a nice, quiet, peaceful beach with beautiful views. Another beach that we got to visit was Playa Del Carmen, which is a very popular tourist destination. It definitely was the most tourist type area that we visited. It was full of large hotels, restaurants, bars, vendors, and shops, mostly located on a boardwalk right next to the beach.

We also got to see a lot of rich culture while there, such as museums, archaeological ruins, and an indigenous village. One museum we visited showcased the history of the Mayas. The Yucatán Peninsula was populated mostly by Mayans during 250-900 A.D. The museum included so many artifacts and really helped us learn and understand more about this culture.

We visited four different historical sites of Mayan ruins as well, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Each location was very different, yet similar to the rest, but all were breathtaking. It was crazy to visit the cities of such a complex and intelligent civilization; every single building and design was constructed with a purpose in mind and executed to perfection. It is unbelievable to think that they were able to create such works of art with immaculate precision before any of the technology we know of today existed. Learning about the culture of the Mayans was also a very important memory of this trip for me. At each location, we had a tour guide who knew the ins and outs of the culture of their ancestors. Most of them even were fluent in the Mayan language. Visiting and learning about the history and culture of the Mayas was definitely my favorite part of the trip.

Another activity included on the trip was a visit to an indigenous village where we were able to help with some tasks that were needed by the inhabitants.  These people were descendants of the ancient Mayans, and are still living in similar conditions as their ancestors once did. The village was quite small, and very far away from any large towns or cities. All of the villagers spoke Mayan, and most spoke Spanish as well. Houses were huts with dirt floors, made from plant materials. While we were there, we helped with various projects such as helping construct walls (for uses similar to a fence), picked up trash, pulled weeds, and cleared out some areas. We also were able to eat lunch with the villagers and buy popsicles from some little boys. It was a great experience to see a group of people living so differently than myself and how we live in the States. It definitely made me thankful for all that I have. Many of the villagers live that way to keep their culture alive and well, and while we were there we had the opportunity to learn more about their present day culture.

Of course, one of the best parts of the trip was getting to eat all of the amazing food! Although I am half Mexican, the cuisine that I had on this trip was much different than the Mexican food my mother’s family prepares. Each part of the country has its own unique flavors and dishes, and the Yucatán Peninsula was no exception. We got to eat at many different restaurants and hotels all across the Peninsula. A lot of common foods we saw were shredded pork dishes, spicy habanero sauce, and flan. My favorite things that I ate were sopa de lima (lime soup), and shredded pork cooked in banana leaves. They were so tasty!

Overall, this trip was such an amazing experience. I learned and experienced so much in just one week, and it was worth every penny spent. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to experience all of this with either. Our group was so much fun! We also had the best tour guide and bus driver; they always were efficient with our time and were the kindest people! Our international coordinator, Judith Mallory, was also the best at keeping all of us safe and making sure we had lots of fun! I am very grateful for all the memories and friendships that I made during my alternative break.