The Found World of Quintana Roo

How We Make A Difference

2010-11-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

Email received from my sister on Nov 15, 2010. Her and her boyfriend donated to my fundraiser as JD's Package Store & Redemption. This is regards to a presentation I did Nov 5 to second graders at Line Elementary School near Limerick Maine. My sister's daughter (my niece) is in this class.
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"Hi Wendy,I thought you would like hearing that you touched a little boy's heart with your presentation. Eli who is in Sammy's class really enjoyed the presentation and listened very closely to your every word. I ran into his mother a week later and she knew just about the whole story!!! Eli talked about it at home. It especially meant something to him because he lost his sister 4 years ago to cancer. His mother/family run a non profit organization out of Newfield, Maine (next town over) called Love Grace (named after his sister). Their website is www.lovegracesociety.org I thought you would appreciate hearing this and might want to check out what they do. She said they put together care packages for families that travel a long distance to be with their children who have cancer. Everything from gas cards to snacks to blankets, etc. They use reusable totes and fill them. ........ love ya, Amy"

Following in Michel Peissel's Footsteps: Part 3 by Mari Pintkowski

2010-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.sac-be.com/walking_part_3.shtml

My National Geographic Moment

2010-06-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

During this year's final 40 miles in Mexico, there was no place to sleep, eat or drink. So we slept in a fisherman’s shed/shack on a lawn chair with no cushion. For 36 hours, we only had 2 bottles of water, 1 bottle of soda, 2 handfuls of nuts and a fried fish, while hiking in 110 degrees F with an 18 pound backpack. At this fisherman’s home on the coast, he had a family–3 children, ages 3, 7 and 8 who did not speak any English and my father speaks no Spanish. We taught them how to play hopscotch, tic tac toe, hangman, hide the toy and we read Spanish children’s books together. I gave them all Maine post cards; when we woke up the next morning from their shed, the little girl Leslie, age 7, was waiting for me at their kitchen table in the sand with an empty chair beside her with her post cards in her hands. It was an awesome experience—my National Geographic moment.

Article written by me posted on Belize jungle lodge travel blog

2010-06-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.chaacreek.com/belize-travel-blog/2010/06/where-did-the-adventure-walking-from-cancun-to-belize-take-you-and-your-father/

We Made it to Belize!

2010-05-30T17:03:00.001-07:00

We made it--walking from Cancun to Belize along the beach! We entered Belize on May 25, Tuesday, with no problem crossing the border, or with customs or immigration. I have some fabulous stories and pictures--especially the last 40 miles thru Mexico, including the Rio Huach crossing. After walking Ambergris Caye Belize, we entered the Belizean jungle near the Guatemala Border and stayed at a jungle camp. We hiked the jungle too. For those who donated or anyone in general: if your company or department wish for me to present my slide show from Cancun to Belize, please contact me to schedule. wmorrill@emh.org/207-973-9300. I will be posting more blogs on this website over the next few weeks. I will also pursue writing a book. Now that we have crossed the border, I am still taking donations!

Three of My Favorite Pictures

2010-05-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Abandoned boat washed ashore. Dad standing on a palm tree trunk. Mayan couple in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

Our Plans For This Year

2010-05-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

These pictures are what the Yucatan coastline is like--a lot of points, almost like the coastline in Maine--(aren't there 3500 miles of it)? It is not straight like highway miles. The pictures are taken in segments, one after the other.
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We leave Portland Maine this Friday May21 at 6am, arrive in Cancun at 1:30pm. We will take the local ADO and Mayab buses from the airport to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, where we will stay overnight at the hotel Chan Santa Cruz. I think it is about a 2-3 hour ride from Cancun to F. Carrillo Puerto. This is my favorite Mexian pueblo. I hope the bus stops in Puerto Morelos, south of Cancun--they have awesome tamales and pina colada frozen bars at a local tienda that I would like to get for lunch!

We will meet the author Mari Pintkowski (who wrote the 2 articles about us on Sac-be.com and the owner of La Selva Mariposa, http://www.laselvamariposa.com/) for breakfast at the El Faisan Y El Venado restaurant on Saturday at 7am before we go to the coast to start hiking.

We start hiking in Punta Kanecaxh, about 10miles south of Majahual on Saturday, hopefully around 10am. There appears to be cabanas dotted along the coast for about 15 miles, then nothing for about 6 miles before we get to Rio Huach, which is one of our biggest obstacles this year (see previous post Rio Huach). We still don't know how we are going to get across. After the river, there are more cabanas, then nothing again for another 15 miles, until we reach XCalak. We will stay at Costa De Cocos where we hope to arrange a boat to take us across the MX-Belize border channel. This is our other obstacle. We need to hire a boat and hope the weather is right, check out of MX and cross the Belize border legally. The 3rd obstacle are mangroves--a lot of them; we may get around them by walking in the shallow water (there are snakes) or going thru the jungle and finding the road to bypass the mangroves. The total mileage left of Mexico is about 35-50 miles of coastline--but hard to say from looking at a map. We are hoping to hike this MX part in 2-3 days. See photos.

Once in Belize we will hike Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. We hope to hop from island to island using water ferries or water taxis. Ambergris Caye is about 25 miles long and in the north, from what I can tell on Google Earth, there is nothing but rock--no hotels until after about 10 miles. After hiking these 2 islands, if there is time, we want to go inland to a Belize jungle camp.

Daily Routine

2010-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

To get to our starting point on the coast for the year, we always travel like the locals do: by taking the ADO or MAYAB bus from the airport, a collectivo around town for 80 cents or less, a chicken bus or hitchhiking. The local bus is about $4-15 (a fraction of the cost of tourist buses and taxis), and it usually has air conditioning, a movie, and I get to practice Spanish! To get the bus, one needs to stand on the side of highway 307 (the only major road in Quintana Roo), and wave the bus down. This is what a bus station looks like along the highway.To travel like the locals do, however, you need to know some basic Spanish, be adventurous, and not be on a timed schedule.

We usually get up in the morning around 5:30-6am, start hiking around 6:30am and stop around 3-4pm, depending on where we are and how long to the next town. It is best to start walking early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. Sometimes we even skip breakfast to get an early start and find some place to eat along the way around 9-10am. (more on food in a near future post) We have also been known to hike at 7:30 in the evening because it is cooler.

We usually take a short break every 2 hours, in the shade and go swimming in the ocean to cool off. It gives us a much needed burst of energy. My father really enjoys this.

To get thru difficult, hot and tiring hours of endless coastline, I sometimes talk to myself that if I can just put one foot in front of the other and keep walking we will eventually find the next town. I also like to practice my Spanish to myself while walking. I practice over and over the words of what I will say when I meet the first local person in the next town. One time I wanted to learn the sentence of how can I find some young boy to hire to carry my backpack for the next 30 miles down the coast! Just like Peissel did when he walked this coast in 1958! I also like to study the terrain as I am walking and find shells, seeds, plants, animals etc.

What does Dad do when he is walking in the 108 degrees F for 15-20 miles a day? I think he is always ahead of me because he is watching out for things ahead of us, looking out for the military posts searching for drug packages, and pushing on to get around the next point to see if there is a town. The MX military/police makes him nervous. There are military posts all up and down this coastline, it seems like in every town. I think he is being a Dad when he does this and looking out for us. Or maybe he is looking for a clothing optional hotel??

I like it when my Dad plays this game with us when we are hiking every year: he always asks me what would he do if he found a treasure of $100,000 cash on the beach? Since we can only claim something like $10,000 on the plane home, he always says that he would hide it each year in the exact same spot and take $10,000 home each time--after splurging some of it in a rich resort with a lot of fruit daquiris!! I always ask him how is he going to make sure he knows where he hid the treasure the next year. The subject of off shore banking and hiring a boat comes up too.

When we find the next town, we always get drinks first (usually a lot of ice cold purified water, Cokes and pineapple juice), then a local hotel, cabana or tent cabin. We do bring along Army hammocks and mosquito nets in case we need to sleep on the beach. There has only been one time near Punta Allen that we had to use our hammocks.

After checking into to our rooms, we usually crash and relax, then shower and find something to eat in the pueblo. There has been only once or twice where these small local hotels along the beach in the 450 miles have had TVs in the room. One hotel even had satellite TV and we were able to watch the NBA playoffs!!

Survivor and the Bag Lady

2010-05-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Whenever we are hiking along the Mayan coast, my Dad always says I look like I should be on the tv show Survivor!

After about 4 days of hiking, carrying around my backpack and everything I own wherever we go, I feel like I am a bag lady. Especially when I need my scarf around my shoulders/neck because of the sun, my Tshirt under my backpack straps because they hurt my sunburn, and my camera pack around my waist, my backpack on my back, my sunglasses around my neck, and sometimes my sandals in each hand, depending on if there is sand, rocks, sand, rocks etc! (If I wear my Tevas sandals when we are hiking on rocks, then leave them on when walking in the sand and water, sometimes I can get blisters that way--when they are wet, slippery and have tiny rocks in them). It just depends on the terrain for that day.

¿Dónde está el baño?

2010-05-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

We found this makeshift toilet in the middle of nowhere on the beach, near the edge of the water, while hiking. Perhaps a group of fishermen or kids built it? Did we use this bathroom facility?? NO!

XCassel (or X'Cacel) --is it a real town?

2010-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

There is a 'town' on my topographical maps that says XCassel. We wanted to get a lunch in this town. We found this pueblo while hiking from Paa Mul to Tulum and needed food and water badly, we might had even stayed in a hotel. But, from the beach, this was all that X'Cacel had: 2 buildings!

And the one local person in this building didn't know where to get water and had no food! Not even a bathroom. This is where we ate lunch: underneath a lean-to, while eating our trail mix and warm water. This is all we had to eat or drink for 8 hours. It was a rough day. X'Cacel is known for its seaturtle nesting grounds.

Obstacles from Puerto Morelos to Mahahual

2010-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

These were the obstacles from Puerto Morelos to Mahahual Mexico:

Puerto Morelos Federal Zone/Marina--had to walk around town/inland to find the beach again.

Puerto Aventuras Marina: it was a maze trying to find the beach again! And it was noontime and very hot walking inland around the pavement! We came across this gate, which, we thought the blue color was the other side of a lagoon (ie: water and beach), but as we got closer it was just the gate painted blue! That was how delirious we were! My father also thought he saw something dark and big run across the trail in the jungle--like a large cat!

The inlet: but of course we made a raft to get across. See other post: The Raft.

Yal-ku Lagoon (snorkeling park): all beaches in MX are public, but as soon as you step on the property you might get yelled at or dogs will come after you. At Yal-ku lagoon, there is no beach, we had to walk around on the flat ledges, which were actually slimy and slippery in spots, this is where I fell on the rocks, but I did not get hurt, just scraped my leg. As we were walking around the park, the staff came out and yelled at us. We had to go back to the highway to find beach access! But we snuck thru the barb wire and found a path to the beach.

Mangroves and swamps!! Definitely problems for 2 hikers!

Xel-Ha: In 1958, Peissel had to walk AROUND this large inlet, but today it is a popular snorkeling park so there is a bridge. Although the inlet was not an obstacle for us, finding the beach again was because there were only rocks, cliffs and mangroves in this area. It was also almost dark at this time, and we had no water left. That is why we decided to go to Tulum for the night, then start again the next day going north near Xel-Ha.

Tulum Cliffs: we hired a Mayan fisherman to take us across the cliffs in a boat, but we did walk back across some of the cliffs to explore a ruin not visited by most tourists.

Mahahual cruise ship dock with a 10 foot wall: didn't take a picture of this 10 foot wall because we were being yelled at in Spanish by security that said we could not climb it and enter the town! We had to turn back into the jungle to find the road to take us to town--only to find the road blocked by a fence, but luckily the fence had a large hole in it!

Dogs: sometimes there were 7 dogs chasing us at one time, barking, growling and showing their teeth! One time we even had to swim in the ocean to get rid of them! There was only one dog out of the 400-500 miles that was our true friend.

River Crossing Problem 2010

2010-05-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Rio Huach: This river is located along the Yucatan coast between Mahahual and XCalak, MX. On the locogringo.com aerial photos it shows a bridge, but on google earth it shows there is no bridge. I just confirmed today that the bridge burnt down in 2006 and there is no replacement! We are hiking from the north to south. The nearest settlements/buildings/pueblos are 6 miles north of this river. I called my dad today in a panic, he said not to worry, that he can get us over it. He reminded me that last time we needed to get over an inlet during this hike, he made a raft. I was told that this Rio Huach has crocodiles in it! I hope I see one. I was also told that on the other side of this river there is hotel property where the clothing is optional....when I told my dad this, that was incentive enough for him to get us over. I will keep walking, thank you, once we cross the river. I think we can wait on the north side of this river and wave to someone with a boat to take us across. If anyone else has any great ideas, I'm open to them. It sounds like I will be coming home with yet another story of how we get thru these obstacles.

PS: In 1958, the author Peissel finally found a boat to take him to Belize from Mahahual, so he did not mention this river.

What I Take In My Backpack

2010-05-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

2 shorts, 2 tank tops, 1 T-shirt, 2 underwear, 1 pr socks (and after 9 days--boy, do they smell!), 1 light skirt, 2 bathsuits and cover up/shawl that I use to cover my head and shoulders from the sun, water sandals (Tevas), sneakers, flip flops, 15 SPF sunscreen, notepad and pen with duct tape around it, machete, 3x12oz bottles of water, sunglasses, hat, trimmed maps, pesos and USD, credit card, driver license, passport, plane tickets, child size toothbrush with dental floss wrapped around, shampoo, mosquito net, hammock, 1 cargo pants (for plane and jungle), 1 bandana, digital camera, deodorant, razor, small brush, trail mix, travel Spanish book, tissues, medications such as pea size antibiotic and hydrocortizone creams in sterile microfuge tubes, 4x Immodium AD, 4x Tylenol, 2xback pills, 2x Benadryl, 4x Excederine, a fanny pack and a light canvas bag, large trash bag, and Maine post cards for locals.

By the way, this picture has a story: One early morning, I washed my clothes in a hotel and tied them off the back of my backpack. After breakfast, we caught a collectivo in town to get to the beach, and the collectivo was full of Mexican construction workers--but we were still able to get on, we just had to stand in the front with our backs to the workers. Everybody seemed to be laughing at me. It wasn't until 2 hours later as we were hiking that I realized I left my underwear hanging off my backpack! My clothes were still wet of course, because nothing ever dries in the tropics.

Our article on sac-be.com written by Mari Pintkowski, Part 2

2010-05-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

http://sac-be.com/walking_part_two.shtml

Preparation: 14 more days before we leave!

2010-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

We have been starting to pack our backpacks. Each item has to be carefully considered--we either end up carrying it for 9 days wherever we go, or ditch it because our backpack gets too heavy. I wrap some duct tape (it is good for keeping bandaids on our blisters in place) around my pen, and wrap a piece of dental floss around my child size toothbrush. I also use 2 small sterile microfuge tubes to place a small amount of hydrocortizone and antibiotic cream in to save weight.

I have also been known to take a light jacket with me to the airport in Portland, Maine because it is cold in May. Right before I get on the plane I throw away the old jacket because I can't carry it in my backpack. Oh yeah, the other reason I need to take this jacket is because, instead of taking a taxi to the Portland airport from the Maine Mall where my dad leaves his car, he wants to walk to the airport--45 min away at 3:30AM! But I don't mind--it gets us use to it. I actually love it.

See near-future post regarding a list of what we take.

Maps: I have been copying only the area that we will be hiking from my topographical maps and then trimming down the edges to save weight. I also mark significant areas on the trimmed map: such as buildings, towns, mangroves, rocky coast, mileage etc. I use google satellite and the aerial beach photos from Locogringo.com to see the conditions of the beach that we will face. I also copy all of the info gathered throughout the year and paste it into a small document, then trim that. I place all maps, etc in a sturdy ziplock bag. This year I am bringing my small copied topo maps from Majahual to XCalak Mexico....and a full size Belize map. We are noticing that just north and south of Rio Hauch, MX there are mangroves, about 2000ft each. We may have to find the road and walk that until we pass the mangroves, then find the beach...unless the ocean is shallow enough for use walk around the mangroves. ?? There is a bridge over Rio Hauch, I hope.

The Ruins

2010-05-04T05:40:00.001-07:00

Did anyone see the movie or read the book by Scott Smith, the Ruins? It is about these man-eating vines with red flowers in Mexico that attack Cancun tourists in the Yucatan jungle, near a Mayan village. They were on their way to an archaeology dig/tour.

When walking on the beach of the Caribbean Yucatan, I would often come across these vines growing from the edge of the jungle down the beach, like they were trying to reach us. I put them over me, placed red flowers around and pretended they were attacking me!

Thank you to the people who helped us along the Mayan coast, from north to south

2010-05-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

The owner of Playa Los Pinos for allowing us to cross his property for beach access on our first hike.

The staff at the Corona tents near Puerto Morelos on the beach in the middle of nowhere who gave us free cold drinks.

The closed beach bar in XPuha: 3 locals that opened coconuts for me and served coconut water over purified ice in a glass after a long, hot day's hike.

Que Onda local hotel in Akumal and Hotel Acuario in Tulum that replenished my supply of bandaids for my blisters and gave me first aid for my back!

To the sailboat in a deserted bay rented by people from Massachusettes who gave us ice cold beer--even though I drank it too fast and broke my toe on coral after continuing to hike!

To all of the local fishermen that brought us across obstacles such as cliffs at Tulum, miles of mangroves, and Boca Paila.

To the construction workers in an abandoned hotel that gave us endless supply of ice cold purified water when we were dangerously out.

To the employee at Cesiak tent cabins in the Sian Ka'an Bioreserve who traveled to Tulum at night to buy me batteries because my camera didn't work.

To Ricky, the owner of the all-inclusive fishing lodge near Boca Paila who allowed us to buy a delicious lunch of ham and cheese quesadillas. His cook even gave us free fruit to add to our backpacks!

To the all-inclusive resort near Akumal/Puerto Aventuras that fed us a free breakfast at the bar when we were hungry, dirty, and sweaty. We had to beg for this one!

All of the tourists staying at all-inclusives from Puerto Morelos to Tulum that were able to sneak us water and food when we needed it.

A special appreciation to the picnicking Mexican family on the coast near Punta Allen that gave us a huge jug of purified water, ice and cups. It was well received as we were desperately thirsty for something cold.

A huge thank you to Lily from North Carolina, owner of Cuzan Guest House in Punta Allen for setting us up with Antonio the fisherman to take us across Acension Bay to the private island of Santa Rosa and Tom from Texas, the owner of Casa Blanca fishing lodge on this island. Thank you, Tom, for granting us permission to hike this private island, and for the guide and truck driver to the Tupak and Chac Mool ruins, as well as the delicious breakfast!

A special thank you to Gerardo, a guide at Palometa Club, who didn't know us, yet took us into his home in Punta Allen during Tropical Storm Arthur in 2008. He gave us Tom and Jerry and Superman towels to dry off, and shared a wealth of information about the coast, as well as seashells from his collection to bring back to the kids in Maine when I do my slide shows. And to Charlie, who's wife is from New Hampshire, for giving us a ride from Punta Allen to Tulum when my dad was sick.

To Marcia, the owner of Mayan Beach Garden near Placer, for sharing our story and the love of the book Lost World of Quintana Roo. As well as driving us north to hike this part of the coast and for the accurate information regarding the 2 miles of mangroves in Rio Indio.

To the friendly dog that shared our hike and trail for 2 hours! Great companion!

To the Spanish-speaking-only local that opened a wild coconut for me when I did not have my machete.

And lastly, a special thank you for the local taxista, Luis, in Felipe Carillo Puerto for introducing us to a Mayan cultural show, and taking us to the coast so we can continue to hike when the local bus was not available. Also, I want to thank you and your brother for taking us to a remote cenote not visited by tourists, when no other taxistas could find one and to the local swimming pool fed by a cenote in Felipe Carillo Puerto to cool off. And thank you for introducing me to Club America!

The Raft

2010-04-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

When hiking from Xcaret to Tulum, we came upon an inlet; it was too deep and the current was too strong to swim with our backpacks. Our backpacks had our money, plane tickets, passport, camera and food. The inlet was also too swampy and there were too many mangroves to walk around the edge. And we have already been hiking for hours with no one around, so we could not turn around or get help. So what could we do? Well, my dad said that we will have to build a raft! My adrenaline just shot up higher, and I felt like Tom Sawyer.
Dad found an old pallet and a large drift log. He put the drift log between the boards of the pallet and I suggested using palm fronds on top of the raft to help keep the backpacks out of the water. I put each valuable item securely in a ziplock bag and used our 2 trash bags that we brought along to cover our backpacks. Dad tested it first with his backpack; then came back and we floated mine across while we swam. It worked perfectly!

Montezuma's Revenge and the Mayan Curse

2010-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

In all of the 450+ miles that we have hiked, we have only gotten sick once. That was year 2008 from Tulum to Santa Rosa. (Santa Rosa is the peninsula between the 2 large bays after Punta Allen. It is also a private island--the only way to get there is by boat or plane and you need permission.) We were also invited to go to 2 ruins on this island: Tupac and Chac Mool. Tupac is a Mayan observatory and Chac Mool is a sacrificial site.

We both got Montezuma's Revenge: however, I was still able to hike 15 miles of this island! I believe that we got Montezuma's revenge for possibly 2 reasons: we brushed our teeth with tap water in one very bad cabana, or we were so desperate to have cold water to drink, we took ice from a gracious picnicking Mexican family. Our bottled water was hot, gross and low, we came across a MX family on a picnic out of nowhere near the water. They had coolers with ice. They also gave us a huge container of purified water that we carried with us and cups. But the ice was probably made from their tap water. My father was so sick, I went to the Punta Allen Walk in Health Care because I was worried. 2 weeks after we returned home from Chac Mool, the Mayan Sacrificial Site, I got a kidney stone (my family and I are not prone to this), my father had poison ivy all over his face, he got pneumonia, and a Cadillac converter fell off the shelf at work and cut his leg. He had to have 28 stitches!

Was it a Mayan curse?

Our Article on Sac-be.com written by Mari Pintkowski

2010-04-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.sac-be.com/footsteps_of_piessel.shtml

Belize and Jail

2010-04-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

This year our main obstacle is the Belize Border. In 1958, when Michael Peissel walked the Yucatan Mayan coast and crossed the Belize Border, he ended up in the Belize jail because he crossed the border illegally. There is no official border crossing along the way from XCalak. The nearest border crossing is maybe 100 miles thru jungle, swamp and mangrove in Corozal Belize. I have emailed several officials in the US/Belize immigration and border patrol, as well as the Belize Travel Board with an official letter of request. I have not gotten an answer.

Even though I would like to get to the official Belize border crossing by going thru the jungle, mangroves and swamps, that is not going to happen. I have heard thru the internet that there is a boat going from XCalak to Ambergris Caye, but we won't know until we get there. I suppose I might have to talk my dad into letting me use my machete and cut a path thru the jungle. ?

The Tin Man in Mexico That Had Too Much Tequila

2010-04-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

Publicity

2010-04-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Not only was our interview on the local NBC news, it seems that there has become more interest. I am in the works with 2 articles being written about this hike from the author of the book Embarking on the Mariposa Trail by Mari Pintkowski on Sac-Be.com and there will be a phone/radio interview with the president of the College of Southern Maryland. We are also posted on the website of ecoyucatan.org. There might also be a possibility that there will be a canvas picture of this hike on the walls in the restaurant VERVE in Orono, Maine.

How it Began Part III

2010-04-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

During the winter of 2006/2007, is when I read the book Lost World of Quintana Roo by Peissel. And the idea started spinning in my head: we could walk the entire coast of the Yucatan Caribbean. My father, of course, was all over that. He thought that was a great idea. Peissel walked the Yucatan coastline to Belize in 1958. He was the first white man to explore this treasure coast. However, back then, there was nobody on the beach but bandits, pirates, chicle camps, coconut plantations and men running from the law. That is why it was called the Lost World. But now from Cancun to Tulum there is nothing but all inclusive resorts. South of Tulum there is still that wild, savage land that Peissel once experienced with some inhabitants: small fishing villages and Mayan communities. Although, every year and about every 100 miles I notice that there are new resorts being built. Which is why I am calling it the Found World.

Every winter I do my research, by reading as much as I can, re reading Lost World, peering over my topographical and road maps marking the mileage and towns, looking at the aerial coast photos by using the Loco Gringo site, and reading the Yucatan Adventure Guide by Bruce Concord. As far as I know, there are only 3 people in this world that have walked from Cancun to San Pedro: me, my dad and Michael Peissel.

How it Began Part II of III

2010-04-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

In the year 2006, I knew I just had to go back. At the time, Iberostar was the only hotel I knew. So I talked both of my parents in to going back. This time my father and I went 20km of Iberostar to Puerto Morelos and walked back. My parents and I also went to Punta Allen in a jeep and to Puerto Morelos on an off-the-beaten path jungle tour to a Mayan ranch and a cenote. That is when I discovered the small town Mexico. I also already had discussed the possibility to my dad that we should walk the entire coastline.

How it Began Part I of III

2010-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

In Sept 2005 my parents asked me if I wanted to go to Mexico with them and their 10 other 50-60 year old friends, along with my sister and her husband. It was a group, all inclusive tour. I hesitated, knowing that I am not the crowd/partying touristy type sitting at the pool drinking. But I ended up having the time of my life. We stayed at Iberostar Lindo and I fell in love with Mexico. It has everything I always dreamed: tropics, beach, culture, great food, music, friendly people, adventure, exploration, jungle, language, freedom, colorful, ruins, history, Indigenous natives, and an abundance of nature. On the next to the last day, my father and I, with my sister and her husband, took a walk on the beach to the right--south. We ended up at this abandoned hotel that was damaged by Hurricane Emily in July 05. There was nobody there except for marine iguanas that overtook the building, so we walked thru the hotel, looking inside all of the closets and rooms. I felt like a pirate searching for treasure in a run down fort.
The last full day before we were scheduled to leave, on a Friday, my father asked me if I wanted to go for a long day hike with him on the beach. His plan was to ask a taxi guy to bring us 20km on highway 307 (direction of south) and drop us off. The taxi guy left us standing there, after we told him we were walking back along the beach, and after he told us we were 'loco gringos', while shaking his head. This was where our first help from the locals were. I believe that the 'law' in MX is that all the coastline/beach is public in MX, but as soon as you step off the beach, it is not. Which means that we needed to have public access to get to the beach to walk back. There is not public access any where in this area (Mayan Riveria) , so we got permission by the owner of Playa Los Pinos to allow us to cross his property.
We asked the hotel staff back at Iberostar before we left for the day's hike if there were any rivers to cross. They said no, but there ended up 3 rivers to cross: at Tres Rios--using ropes and large logs to help us cross and a teenage boy (who spoke no English) who yelled at us for getting to close to his boat, but eventually helped us by showing the way that was not too deep or a strong current. We also got chased by 3 angry dogs, in fact we had to swim in the ocean to get them away from us. But I loved every minute of that day.

Esto es demasiado

2010-04-10T13:21:00.001-07:00

When I give presentations to the public in Maine, almost all people know where or what Cancun is. And most people have heard or know where the Yucatan is. But hardly no one has heard of Quintana Roo. Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states that is comprised of Mexico, where Cancun, the popular vacation tourist spot is.
I have visited Cancun twice; once overnight, when my father felt better after being sick on one of our hikes. He wanted civilization and a cheeseburger desperately!

I know what the real Mexico is like, and it is not Cancun. If you are looking for a place to party with groups of people in a noisy bar or disco, drink alcohol all day long while sitting in a pool side chair, attend organized group tours on a tourist bus, stay at a fancy hotel probably owned by international CEOs, or eat at expensive restaurants that serve Americanized food--then Cancun is the place for you. My sentiments are exactly what this sign says in Spanish: THIS IS TOO MUCH. This neon sign is posted on the street of the Hotel Zone when you walk into Cancun. I have experienced Cancun on a short visit and at the Iberostar resorts, and I will never look back. I much prefer the Mexican pueblos that are rich in culture.

How do we train for hiking 500 miles in the tropics in sand and rocks?

2010-04-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

The terrain on the Quintana Roo coast is not all white sandy beach--in fact, I'd say that it is 60% coral, limestone and rocks, and 40% sand. It is also 108 degrees F at noon in the sun. My backpack usually weighs about 18 pounds, minus bottled water.

My father is 65 years old and I am 42 years old. To train for this adventure, during the winter months in Maine, I participate in Zumba and all other aerobics and cross country ski; all other months, I run on trails with my Siberian Husky. Also, in March, if the conditions are right, I will walk in the snow (acts like sand) on trails. By April and May, I walk with my backpack, full weight, I will even walk during my lunch break at work with my backpack. I also kayak, hike, play volleyball, tennis, bike, and surf. I have participated in a number of running 5K races, such as Komen and Race for the Cure. I was also in the US Navy for 7 years--bootcamp will get anyone in shape and start a lifetime of physical fitness!

My father has played basketball all of his life; he is on the Senior Olympics basketball team, and the number one 3 point shooter in New England for his age group. He has numerous medals. He cross country skis every weekend in the winter, and plays volleyball, tennis, bikes, surfs and hikes.

I am not exaggerating when I say that he is ALWAYS ahead of me on the coast of the Mayan Yucatan! He even carried my backpack plus his for an afternoon, because I was too hungry, thirsty, and upset that we could not find a hotel!

Details of the Hike

2010-04-04T08:43:00.001-07:00

Years 2005 and 2006: hiked (on day hikes) from Puerto Morelos to Playa Del Carmen, about 40 miles.
Year 2007: Paa Mul (just below Playa del Carmen/XCaret) to Tulum (about 120 miles in 8 days) Year 2008: Tulum to Santa Rosa Island (about 100 miles in 8 days)
Year 2009: Punta Pulticub (part of Punta Herrero coast) to Punta Kanechaxh (120 miles)
Year 2010 (May): Punta Kanechaxh to San Pedro Belize (100 miles?)

We hike about 15-20 miles a day. When we need to get to the area where we left off the previous year, we always travel like the locals: using collectivos, hitch hiking, riding in back of pick up trucks or chicken buses. I like to practice my Spanish, it is cheaper, exciting, and adventurous!

Hiking past the famous Tulum Ruins on the cliffs

2010-03-21T17:05:00.000-07:00