Ek Balam, Juan's home, and Cenote Spazi-Ha.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Early to bed and early to rise! We both have time for our morning stretch routines and get down to breakfast at 7:30. I guess we didn't get the memo that you could come down as early at 7:00!! But we didn't make anyone wait for us before we mount up in the bus and that's good! In fact we have a few minutes between breakfast and boarding so we explore a little bit of the neighborhood.

Mexicano eggs

Juan bought us dragon fruit at the market! He also grows them at home.

Their altar is ready.

Our table awaits us.

Such a lovely dining room!

It's almost wall art.

The outside is pretty special.

We all reassemble and, oh!, we're not boarding right away! First we are walking across the street to the vegetable market and it is a feast of color and aromas. Juan is so knowledgeable about the native plants and he shows us so many edibles that we have never heard of! Along the way he buys some yucca in honey for us to share at lunch. Ginger has been commissioned to buy a hammock for a friend at home and she finds the perfect one. It's even more perfect because they are selling them outside for MUCH more!

Furniture is a major economic driver here.

Now it's time for the bus. We drive not to very far and arrive at Ek Balam. But along the way Juan shares so much information about the area and the site itself. The Spanish thought the name translated to "Black Jaguar" but it's really "Star Jaguar"! When we arrive, the first stop is the glyph that means Ek Balam. We learn that the central figure is the jaguar and the rest of the glyph means the "city of" so you can replace the jaguar for the glyph that represents another city, like Tikal or Copa.

Each of these glyphs represents a different month, containing twenty days. The five days left over were their own separate month devoted to rites and ceremonies.

Juan is holding the hard rubber ball used in the game played on the ball court. Not just for fun, the game decided who would be offered as a sacrifice to the gods. Some people say it was the winners who were sacrificed, but archeologists say it was the losers, which seems to make more sense! Juan bounced the ball and it only came back up as high as his waist!

This man is a shaman, musician, and ball player!

And she is an owl!

The structure on the left was a gate to the city, which was enclosed by not one but two walls. You can see the ramp leading up to the gate and the typical Mayan arch. This gate was unusual in that it was open on all four sides.

Juan is ever the teacher! The wooden bridge was part o the archeologists' effort to preserve the site. It crosses one of the walls surrounding the city.

This tree contains a surprise! Check out the next shot!

We started calling this face Pinocchio because of his looong nose!

These fairly large and "meaty" looking worms are actually edible, although Juan doesn't eat them!

Every stop in the city gives Juan another opportunity to teach us more about the city and about Mayan history. For example, we learn that when Chichen Itza rose to power they conquered two of the other city-states in the region. Ek Balam saw the writing on the wall and just acquiesced, so no warfare and no damages! The main export from Ek Balam was salt, and the same methods of salt "farming" are still used by the Maya today!

Hello!

And he has a friend!

This amazing structure was the heart of the city. Each layer was built by the succeeding ruler and the man who is named in the stella we say build the third layer and is actually buried inside.

It extends to both sides and is quite huge. It was covered in stucco and was blazing white with red horizontal trim. Along the bottom of the walls extending out from the central portion where glyphs representing the ruler, a captured slave, and a warrior. You can tell he is the ruler because he carries a scepter and has an enormous headress.

If you climb up to the third level you can see what it looked like with all the decorations intact!

The jaguar's mouth is the entrance to the underworld and that is how the archeologists knew that this was a burial site.

This jaguar's tongue contains the glyphs telling the date and ruler's name. It is fitting that they are on the tongue since we use our tongues to convey information, too!

You can see the ball court on the right.

Here you can see both sides of the court, although the rings have not survived.

This is a tropical cedar, one of the three kinds of cedar found in this area. Furniture making is one of the prime economic drivers.

The dogs do not have owners, but fear not, they are fed and cared for by the staff.

And, as always, exit through the gift shop!

There is a special treat today! Juan tells us that he grew up in this area and that his home is actually only four kilometers away! And we are invited to visit!! It is a simple Mayan structure and he sleeps in a hammock, as he has since he was a child! But the plants are anything but simple!! He has so many different kinds of fruit growing in his yard! We sample some limes and oranges and are amazed by his passion vine. It is similar to mine but the flowers are white and his fruit is actually the edible kind!! We hear that his wonderful neighbors bring him supper every night! I'm sure they sahre in the bounty of his yard, receiving papaya and bananas and whatever else is in season!

Juan's neighborhood

a neighbor's house

Here we are!

lobster claw in bloom

As you can tell, the house is round with a thatched roof. This is the bike Juan rides to El Balam where he is a local guide when he doesn't have tour groups. Juan has been the guide for National Geographic's people on numerous occasions and speaks at least six languages fluently. Many of the photos are of his children and grandkids. And there's one of Ginger, Juan, me and our friend, Marilyn, in Egypt!

Juan has the kind of passion vine that actually bears edible fruit, unlike mine!

He has a very green thumb! These are papayas.

This is the kitchen.

And here's the great room.

a church we pass on the way

Next we drive through the jungle to Spazi-Ha, a newly discovered cenote and so much more! A year and a half ago two engineers decided to create a resort centered around the cenote, but they hired a graduate chef to be general manager, Vincente, and we are treated to an amazing lunch and are entertained by his sparkling personality! We have a set menu and everything is just so delicious!! and for dessert we have the yucca that Juan bought at the market. The presentation is show-stopping and there is even extra honey for drizzling!

Everyone has to sign a waiver - or at least we think that's what it is. We don't actually see the document, so maybe I gave away my first born?

This is one of the rooms. You can see the window on the left and the recess underneath that is filled with water.

I was tickled by the name of this one because it is somewhat close to the changing rooms.

The bathroom's down the "hall".

There is a children's water play area, a lazy river, an alter for the holiday, houses for the gnomes that take care of the property, and fascinating series of individual units that you can rent to spend the night. They are each suspended over water which provides cooling for the unit and the entire place derives its electricity from solar panels. There is even a memorial garden with the first honorees being relatives of the founders.

the dining room

appetizer

entree

dessert - I apologize, it was so yummy I dove right in before getting the shot!

and Juan's special treat!

Everyone has to shower before going into the water.

Vincente shows us the showerhead.

And here is it in the wild!

And then there's the cenote!! Many steps down into the underworld and we are in a cavern almost completely filled with ninety feet of clear, cold, spring-fed water!! Most people have changed into swim suits, showered, and donned live jackets to share the experience. Some of us are content to take photos! It's stunningly beautiful!!

They use this for yoga and for shaman ceremonies!

The children's water park. The bucket spill out when it has filled.

Each locker has a different glyph

One of the trees in the memorial park, with it's marker.

When everyone has emerged and returned to the world of the living, we are greeted with seasoned frozen watermelon triangles! So many surprises!! Vincente is eager to show us all the charms of his domain! The place is only a year and a half old; but it was destroyed by a hurricane just a few months after opening, so it's really only a year old! We practically have the place to ourselves and that is part of the charm! No one else was in the cenote and only a couple of people were eating when we did!

The gnome's house

so many hearts everywhere

a garden for the birds where they provide food and water

their altar for the holiday

the loving trees

You can use these if you're staying here.

Back on the road and we're headed for home, with a short stop to buy water for tomorrow's adventure. It's nearly sunset and we head for the terrace for photos and a drink. Best laid plans - Ginger and Jan have gone to the liquor store but, oops, it's Sunday and after five! And there are a lot of clouds, so we go down one level to Don Divblo to order drinks. We enjoy the decorations and raise a glass to Harry because today is his birthday!! And we give Ginger the towels we borrowed from the hotel for the day.

This is what the white globe in the previous picture becomes when night falls.

Everyone received a free welcome drink. We think there's tequila or mezcal in it!

Karen's a hoot!!

Then it's time to regroup and go down to dinner. I don't know how people are able to order full dinners! I just get sliced tomatoes with pesto and goat cheese. It's an appetizer and I can barely finish it!! But everything looks so good, especially the rosemary salmon! After dinner some people go to the sound and light show that is being projected on the church down the street. Some of us, however, have things to do in the room and are hoping for some sleep, too! We have to be down to breakfast at 7:00, after having put our suitcases out in the hall!!