Our small Inn is located just 15 minutes south of the splendid ruins of Uxmal. Many people tell us that Uxmal is more elegant than Chichen Itza,
and that the setting is lovelier and more striking. I agree. Stand atop the grand pyramid with the Governor's Palace on one side and the lacy
coombs of the Dovecote on the other and you can see for miles across the flat peninsula.
But Uxmal is not all. There are 3 exquisite small sites along the Ruta PUUC Route that are unlike any others. I must use the word exquisite,
because that is what they are. The many masks of Chaac covering the facade of Kabah never fail to entrance me. From far away, close-up,
looking sideways, or at an angle, they change in what you see. Sayil looks like someone plunked it down from an isle in Greece, and I love the
tall tree canopy walking into the ruin site itself. Mot-mot birds sit silently in the trees, watching you walk by underneath, or float from ruin wall to
wall. This is the bird with the long racket plumed tail, and the strange animal sounding calls. The site Labna seems to have absorbed the very
distinct colors of the earth, turning the stones cream, cinnamon, apricot, steel blue/gray, and chocolate brown. There is a wealth of detail here,
and you must look down along the edges of the walk ways (sac-be) and buildings, as well as up.
In good weather, you can get through the last couple of dirt kilometers to the ex-hacienda of Tabi, where once sugar cane was harvested and
rendered down to form dark sugar cones. The huge old chimneys are still there. This is close to the caverns of Loltun, where guided tours go
through several times a day. The ancient Mayas took refuge here and numerous artifacts have been found, giving form to their life. There are
several cave systems you can tour.
But I like the drive itself. From the Inn, all the way to Oxkutzcab by this little used highway, you are in citric orchard and wild land. Last Sunday
on a drive to Tekax, we saw an anteater, "ahchab" in Mayan, oso hormiguero in Spanish. Ant bear. We have two distinct ones in the region.
One is black and tan, looking like he has on a short pant coverall, and the other is a very defined cream and black. Both come down onto our
25 acre property from time to time, along with the agoutis, "tzub", a sort of large tail-less chipmunk looking creature who loves to play.
We also saw village boys playing with a tiny Coati, "chiic", as we passed, and a farmer brought in a baby tigrillo the other day. This last is a very
small spotted Jaguar looking cat. I also frequently see the black Jaguarundi, "Ekmuch", driving to and from Ticul where I go to market and do
e-mail every day. This feline is about 4 times the size of a normal house cat, black, and very swift and beautiful.
I like driving the country roads. When the flowering vines come out, as the rains start in the late spring, you can drive for miles through trees
draped with cloaks of purple and fuchsia, lilac, and blue, butterflies and birds flitting back and forth in the road. The flowering trees of Ek che
and Skan lol also come out with the rains, dotting the countryside with pods of yellow color, as well as fields of Tahonal, a yellow flower that one
local honey comes from.
Parrots are chattering quietly right now as I write, crunching on some seed pod back in the acreage. Soon flocks of Aztec parakeets will come
swarming in, rowdy and raucous, zooming overhead, and looking for a cornfield for dinner. The green Jay is back - I can hear his peculiar call,
and the squirrel cuckoo with his eerie "ho, ho-ho, ho, ho" in the early mornings and at dusk.
I love it down here, listening to the village slowly settling down for the evening, or coming alive in the morning.
The grade school nearby plays the same LP record every morning, calling the kids to school, a nice change
from alarms and bells. I had to go to the library there last week, donating books in Spanish that people send
down. I was immediately set upon by three flying bodies, may small nieces and a neighbor child, as it was
recess time. Calling "Tia, Tia" (aunt), and "Dona Kristina", amazing their friends at having a gringa auntie
here in the village. With my marriage to Santiago, I am part of the village and not a foreigner, and I
sometimes forget how strange it must seem to other children for my nieces to be related to this white person.
We took a nephew once on a day trip to Campeche City, and wound back through the small villages of
Helcelchacan, Tenabo, and Pomuch (great bakeries!), stopping to buy a hat in Becal where they make
them. When our nephew's parents asked where he had gone, he replied: "almost to the end of the world,
Papa!"; his first time out of the village. We have raised two daughters, Santiago and I; his daughter Yulisley,
and a niece Nidia Minelia, with help from niece Rose who lives and works with us here at the Inn. We have
taken many trips around the peninsula, and throughout the gulf states of Mexico. These three have seen
things never dreamed of by others: lakes, rivers, suspension bridges, mountains and waterfalls. There
are none of these on this flat peninsula.
But we have cenotes. None more intriguing than going up to Cuzama, to the hacienda Chunkanan, and
being taken in by small horse drawn railway carts to the cenotes, where you can swim if you like. In the
first one, called Bolonchoojol, the water is so clear that you step into it without realizing it. It has a small
shallow area before dropping into the deepest part, where fish swim. Cenotes are limestone sink holes,
having water in the bottom. They can be entirely open, like the one at Chichen Itza, or partially covered,
like a big globe. Bolonchoojolis mostly covered, and inside the open cave like structure mot-mot birds
have made their nests, and vie with the stalagmites and stalactites for visual attention. It is cool and
peaceful in there, and I could sit all day and enjoy it. It is an easy trip to do in a day, with a late lunch at
Mani, and perhaps the purchase of a lovely hand made embroidered gown or shirt from one of the village
ladies sewing co-ops. Just another day in paradise.
So you can see why I am still here after almost 15 years, and these are just a few of the reasons.
Come join us for a few days, or a week. Discover a Yucatan few know.
Kristine,
Flycatcher Inn, Santa Elena
10 minutes southeast of Uxmal in Yucatan, Mexico
and that the setting is lovelier and more striking. I agree. Stand atop the grand pyramid with the Governor's Palace on one side and the lacy
coombs of the Dovecote on the other and you can see for miles across the flat peninsula.
But Uxmal is not all. There are 3 exquisite small sites along the Ruta PUUC Route that are unlike any others. I must use the word exquisite,
because that is what they are. The many masks of Chaac covering the facade of Kabah never fail to entrance me. From far away, close-up,
looking sideways, or at an angle, they change in what you see. Sayil looks like someone plunked it down from an isle in Greece, and I love the
tall tree canopy walking into the ruin site itself. Mot-mot birds sit silently in the trees, watching you walk by underneath, or float from ruin wall to
wall. This is the bird with the long racket plumed tail, and the strange animal sounding calls. The site Labna seems to have absorbed the very
distinct colors of the earth, turning the stones cream, cinnamon, apricot, steel blue/gray, and chocolate brown. There is a wealth of detail here,
and you must look down along the edges of the walk ways (sac-be) and buildings, as well as up.
In good weather, you can get through the last couple of dirt kilometers to the ex-hacienda of Tabi, where once sugar cane was harvested and
rendered down to form dark sugar cones. The huge old chimneys are still there. This is close to the caverns of Loltun, where guided tours go
through several times a day. The ancient Mayas took refuge here and numerous artifacts have been found, giving form to their life. There are
several cave systems you can tour.
But I like the drive itself. From the Inn, all the way to Oxkutzcab by this little used highway, you are in citric orchard and wild land. Last Sunday
on a drive to Tekax, we saw an anteater, "ahchab" in Mayan, oso hormiguero in Spanish. Ant bear. We have two distinct ones in the region.
One is black and tan, looking like he has on a short pant coverall, and the other is a very defined cream and black. Both come down onto our
25 acre property from time to time, along with the agoutis, "tzub", a sort of large tail-less chipmunk looking creature who loves to play.
We also saw village boys playing with a tiny Coati, "chiic", as we passed, and a farmer brought in a baby tigrillo the other day. This last is a very
small spotted Jaguar looking cat. I also frequently see the black Jaguarundi, "Ekmuch", driving to and from Ticul where I go to market and do
e-mail every day. This feline is about 4 times the size of a normal house cat, black, and very swift and beautiful.
I like driving the country roads. When the flowering vines come out, as the rains start in the late spring, you can drive for miles through trees
draped with cloaks of purple and fuchsia, lilac, and blue, butterflies and birds flitting back and forth in the road. The flowering trees of Ek che
and Skan lol also come out with the rains, dotting the countryside with pods of yellow color, as well as fields of Tahonal, a yellow flower that one
local honey comes from.
Parrots are chattering quietly right now as I write, crunching on some seed pod back in the acreage. Soon flocks of Aztec parakeets will come
swarming in, rowdy and raucous, zooming overhead, and looking for a cornfield for dinner. The green Jay is back - I can hear his peculiar call,
and the squirrel cuckoo with his eerie "ho, ho-ho, ho, ho" in the early mornings and at dusk.
I love it down here, listening to the village slowly settling down for the evening, or coming alive in the morning.
The grade school nearby plays the same LP record every morning, calling the kids to school, a nice change
from alarms and bells. I had to go to the library there last week, donating books in Spanish that people send
down. I was immediately set upon by three flying bodies, may small nieces and a neighbor child, as it was
recess time. Calling "Tia, Tia" (aunt), and "Dona Kristina", amazing their friends at having a gringa auntie
here in the village. With my marriage to Santiago, I am part of the village and not a foreigner, and I
sometimes forget how strange it must seem to other children for my nieces to be related to this white person.
We took a nephew once on a day trip to Campeche City, and wound back through the small villages of
Helcelchacan, Tenabo, and Pomuch (great bakeries!), stopping to buy a hat in Becal where they make
them. When our nephew's parents asked where he had gone, he replied: "almost to the end of the world,
Papa!"; his first time out of the village. We have raised two daughters, Santiago and I; his daughter Yulisley,
and a niece Nidia Minelia, with help from niece Rose who lives and works with us here at the Inn. We have
taken many trips around the peninsula, and throughout the gulf states of Mexico. These three have seen
things never dreamed of by others: lakes, rivers, suspension bridges, mountains and waterfalls. There
are none of these on this flat peninsula.
But we have cenotes. None more intriguing than going up to Cuzama, to the hacienda Chunkanan, and
being taken in by small horse drawn railway carts to the cenotes, where you can swim if you like. In the
first one, called Bolonchoojol, the water is so clear that you step into it without realizing it. It has a small
shallow area before dropping into the deepest part, where fish swim. Cenotes are limestone sink holes,
having water in the bottom. They can be entirely open, like the one at Chichen Itza, or partially covered,
like a big globe. Bolonchoojolis mostly covered, and inside the open cave like structure mot-mot birds
have made their nests, and vie with the stalagmites and stalactites for visual attention. It is cool and
peaceful in there, and I could sit all day and enjoy it. It is an easy trip to do in a day, with a late lunch at
Mani, and perhaps the purchase of a lovely hand made embroidered gown or shirt from one of the village
ladies sewing co-ops. Just another day in paradise.
So you can see why I am still here after almost 15 years, and these are just a few of the reasons.
Come join us for a few days, or a week. Discover a Yucatan few know.
Kristine,
Flycatcher Inn, Santa Elena
10 minutes southeast of Uxmal in Yucatan, Mexico
| Discover a Yucatan Few Know: Unique Yucatan Beyond Uxmal & Chichen Itza discover exquisite Ruta Puuc Route, ride a miniature horse drawn train to swim in underground cenotes, explore caves, see exotic tropical wildlife like jaguarundi or tigrillo. Meet the REAL Mayans and see the REAL Mexico you have been searching for. |
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| A Yucatan Bed & Breakfast Inn |
| The Flycatcher Inn |
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