Sian Kaan Preserve

We made our way down the dirt road
past Tulum into the Sian Kaan Biosphere
Preserve, which has dozens of kilometers
of virgin beaches on the coast and a
virtually impenetrable interior, filled
with monkeys, big cats, and other fun
animals. Swimming on this beach, Jenny
gave us a hearty scare by getting caught
in an undertow. She escaped unscathed
but with a renewed awareness of her mortality.

Liam breaking the defenses

Liam looking for a weak spot on the
back side of a Mayan structure at
Chichen Itza...by george, I think he's
got it.

Marcus and the Spider Monkey

We befriended a big family (10 kids)
in Coba, Mexico, who had a spider
monkey as a "pet" (rope around his
neck tied to a tree). The monkey
held Marcus hostage for quite
awhile, the family warning us that
he would bite if we tried to pry him
off Marcus. Eventually, Marcus
gained his freedom when the kids
bribed the monkey with potato chips
and coke.

Coba sunrise

A misty dawn greets Lago Coba, right outside
of our hotel, the Villa Arqueologicas...a lovely
building and setting. And the crocs in the lake
kept the parents of two boys on their toes.

Vivi at Coba

Vivi contemplates building her own
Mayan village from the stones of the
ruins at Coba. I carried my little rascal
up these steep steps, which I had done
with her brother Marcus in arms 4 years
earlier. This time Marcus climbed the
pyramid on his own...and Liam seemingly
flew to the top.

Coba Hike

On a sweaty morn in the dense jungle of Coba,
Liam, Marcus, Vivi and Jenny, explore the mostly
hidden ruins of the great Mayan city of Coba, with
"Tia" Marcey and Uncle Stu. Coba, at its prime,
had roughly the same population as Maine's biggest
city, Portland.

Vivi on the Mayan Riviera

Here Vivi plays with her Daddy on the beach
in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. She loves building
sand mounds and having her brothers bury her
feet...she also is nuts for a swim in the azure sea,
much like her mommy.

Chichen Liam

Liam at the foot of the great pyramid at Chichen
Itza in the Estado Yucatan, Mexico...lamenting the
recent closure to pedestrian climbing.

Our First Snowfall - Dec. 7th

A light snow dusting graces this pond on Two Lights
Road, just before dusk.