Friday, December 16th: Arrival Day

We are finally leaving to go to Mexico. I have been waiting for the trip for a long time. I’ve been to Guatemala a couple of times, but never Mexico, and cannot wait to see how the two cultures differ. Of course, we spend most of today either on a plane or waiting at an airport. When we do land in Mexico, the first thing we do is eat. I couldn’t have imagined more delicious food! Nothing beats fresh guacamole. We get to our first hotel (Hotel Adhara) to get to know one another and then get dinner. Then we go to bed anticipating all of the adventures that await us.

Saturday, December 17th: Beach and Learning Day

Our first full day in Mexico starts off with a delicious buffet of traditional breakfast foods and Mexican coffee. We drove to Playa Delphines to spend an hour before we would be trapped in the bus for approximately four hours. This beach was easily the most stunning beach I have ever seen. The sand was so white and the water was so clear. We then boarded the bus and headed to Piste, a small town where we had another buffet for lunch and exchanged some money for pesos. We then continued to the Mayan museum, fully named El Gran Museo del Mundo Maya de Mérida. It told the story of Mexico from the time of the dinosaurs until now. Seeing the history of this land made us feel immediately much more connected to it. We then continued to our hotel and dinner. After dinner, we explored the city a bit with our wonderful guide, Ana Maria. The city was lit up with lights, and there was a light show pre-celebrating Christmas.

Sunday, December 18th: Seeing Mayan History Day

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we drove to Uxmal, meaning The City Built Three Times or The City of the Bountiful Harvest, a very large Mayan ruin site. We received a tour from a Mayan guide named Daniel. We learned a lot about the beliefs of the Maya and about their ancient technologies (if you clap near their pyramids it makes a bird noise). After a quick lunch, we head to another set of pyramids, el Mano Poderoso. The guide spoke perfect Mayan and spent time teaching us the Mayan side of the history we have learned. He also took time to teach us how to pronounce Mayan words. We then had dinner and went back to Uxmal. There we watched a light show over some of the ruins. The story told of a ceremony to summon the rain god, who was highly revered in the dry land of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Monday, December 19th: Cenote Day

We left Merida to go to Izamal, a historic town with a large church. This church has their Lady of Izamal on prominent display. Not being raised Catholic, a lot of the traditions we learn about here are very new to me. We learn that people gift this lady very beautiful dresses for the chance to win her favor. We explore the city and the markets for a little while and then drive to Chichén Itzá to see more ruins. This site also has a cenote, or water hole, on the property. Several of us go swimming. The water is very clear and very cold. We then drive on Valladolid, where we check into our new hotel and get dinner at El Mesón del Marqués.

Tuesday, December 20th: Volunteer Day

After yet another delicious breakfast we drive to Yaxunah, the city where we will be volunteering. When we get there, we are introduced to the city and its history and people through a guided tour through their museum. We learn that we are there to help beautify and rebuild a bit of the city so it can attract tourists. Several small Mayan cities in Mexico make most of their money through the tourist industry, so this job is very important to the city. We work on clearing jungle overgrowth and rebuilding walls until lunch. We then visit the local cenote to see it full of fish, which is different from the previous one. We then return to Valladolid to explore the city. After dinner, we go to sleep to get ready for the next day of volunteer work.

Wednesday, December 21st: More Volunteering and Teambuilding Day

After a breakfast of hotcakes at the hotel, we head back to Yaxunah to finish our volunteer work. We work all morning on rebuilding walls made out of stones and use no mortar. We require the help of the locals to complete this task. I learn how bad at spatial reasoning I am, and the locals laugh at me good-naturedly. After completion, we continue on to Tulum to see another set of ruins. This set of ruins was set on the coast and is said to be one of the last surviving Mayan villages during the Spanish invasion. We get the chance to see even more impressive pyramids and ball courts that have survived for hundreds of years. After this, we head on to Playa del Carmen, a large and touristy city. We then go to get dinner and head back to the hotel. We spend time playing games together and getting to know one another. It’s nice to make connections with other students outside of my major.

Thursday, December 22nd: Haggling Day

We wake up to the sound of traffic and people, which is very different from the past places we have been staying. We are given the day to explore and spend as we wish. Some head to the beach and I decide to explore the markets to do a little Christmas shopping. I ended up buying myself a backpack and a turtle for my younger sister. We get delicious and authentic barbecued meat for dinner with fresh guacamole. We then play more games and reminisce about the experiences we had here before breaking up to pack or go and explore the nightlife of Playa del Carmen.

Friday, December 23rd: Heading Home Day

On our last day, all of us are excited to see our families, but also sad to be leaving Mexico and our beloved Ana Maria, the sweet tour guide. After breakfast and packing, we make the long drive back to Cancun and make the flights back home.