Yucatan 2008 Page 1

The online diary of the March 2008 field trip
led by Dr. Louise Bauck

03 March 2008

Our team of biology scholars has landed safely in the Yucatan. After a scrum in the airport at Cancun (over 3 hours just to get out of there) and not too many mishaps with customs (Northwest Airlines gave the students the wrong forms and many were sent to the back of the frighteningly long line-up), we made it. Diminutive Ms. Pruitt had to threaten several Mexican customs officers with her blond hair whipping angrily in the humid breeze, and they immediately fell back, terrified. They then retaliated by searching her luggage, but found only powdered laundry detergent and some bird books. A great disappointment to them I am sure. After the Brenau women conquered Customs, we finally met up with our wonderful guide, Miguel Mendez, who had been waiting for four hours. No complaints, only delight to see us all. We practiced our espanol while introductions were made, and amidst much confusion (I introduced one of the students as "my husband", mi esposo, and then introduced my husband as a "wonderful time") we bundled into our van and drove into the Mexican night.

After a few hours we arrived at beautiful Vallodolid, and settled into our ancient colonial-style hotel, very nice indeed. Up early this morning and got a taste of the Yucatecan breakfast: black beans, eggs mixed with chopped bacon (fantastic), papaya jam, and honey syrup for the hotcakes. It went over well. Then we were back in the van for the drive to Chichen Itza, and it was so amazing. Very few people when we arrived, thanks to our early start, and as magnificent as I remembered it. The students were literally speechless at fist - which takes a lot - and I saw a lot of open mouths.

Great biology notes as well - a thrilling close-up look at 4 green jays that were courting in the bushes near the Well of Sacrifices. An odd contrast, as the jays are very clown-like, not really green at all (blue, yellow, and a little bit of green on their backs), The bobbed and weaved nearby, fluffing their chest feathers in and out, shaking their tails, and making the most ridiculous trills and hiccups. Their bright yellow eyes studied their fellow´s performances, rich blue heads turned carefully to one side as they considered the quality of the feather-shaking. It was hard not to laugh. Also our first look at the enormous black iguanas which patrol the ruins at Chichen Itza and other sites, looking like armed guards as they stare down at you without cracking a smile. Black beady eyes watch your every move. We saw one huge male that must have been over 4 feet long, spikes projecting from his thick neck like armour. My students chased him like the paparazzi, and got some spectacular photos. Then swimming in a bottomless cenote (a cave without a roof) in the crystal clear blue black water.

After the hot and dusty hiking around Chichen Itza, it was just heavenly to plunge into the cool deep cave bottom, and see the tiny blind catfish, as well as roots, moss, and waterfalls cascading from the sky above. We finally made our way to the capitol city of Merida, and to our delight we found we had arrived in the middle of a street festival on the city plaza. Our hotel is very near, so we all walked down together for Mexican sorbet and some Yucatecan cuisine for supper.

The Maya people here are so warm and pleasant. It is a huge city, but far from the tourist track, and we attracted friendly attention wherever we went. The people -watching that we did was just as intense. Beautiful Mayan children sell cigarettes from wooden racks they carry on their chest. Old men constantly selling little boxes of cuban cigars. Young women thrusting woven handcrafts at you as you walk by. Young and old people dance everywhere to the music of the wonderful bands set up, mainly salsa but other styles as well. Entire families enjoy the wares of the hundreds of street vendors, cotton candy, balloons, churros, fried mysterious things that smelt wonderful and bad, and corn of every description. Sleeping toddlers spread-eagled over parents shoulders.

Today we are off to the Celstun Bioreserva, and I am very excited as Miguel has reported a huge flock of Caribbean flamingoes in attendance - almost 5,000 birds, more than we have ever seen before. They make an odd creaking sound that is much like a penguin call, and I am so longing to hear the sound of these beautiful birds together en masse again. The students will be riding in boats with the park rangers, and then we will climb a tower that looks over the mangrove swamps to see canopy birds. Then mollusc-collecting on the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico after lunch. Sounds pretty good, doesn´t it!? IT IS....

More news later. It is almost 8 AM and it is tind to round them up for a quick breakfast before we head of for more adventures in biology. - Louise

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