For a little while we joined the tourists who rush from place to place and hope to see everything in a whirlwind tour. Gerhard often begins a question to someone by saying "You who know everything and don't understand anything...." That describes us after our most recent experience.
Pres. Dyer was to be in charge of the cleaning crew last Monday, so the Oropezas and the Smiths decided to escape for a morning. They asked how to involve the busy counselor who is feeling like the faster he runs, the hamster wheel just keeps turning more rapidly. Bro. Cejín was more than willing to come later on Monday for his meeting, and he felt it was good medicine for stress to get Gerhard away on this little escapade.
Montejo, one of the main roads in Mérida, leads straight to the port of Progreso, about an hour's drive away, where there is a small town.

We arrived early while the massage booths and vendors were still setting up and began walking along the beach, picking up shells and having fun.

Gerhard found some fishermen who had come in with their catch, so he had someone to talk to.
The fresh air made us hungry, and the Oropezas recommended a restaurant right by the beach where we ate breakfast of fresh shrimp al diablo, fish steaks, shrimp cocktails, empanadas filled with shrimp and crab and all the traditional accompaniments. One taste of the spicy salsa habanero was all most of us could manage.
On our way back to Mérida, we still had time for a quick visit to the archaeological site of Dzibilchaltún only a few kilometers off the main highway. Posters show a typical feature of these temples -- the direct rays of the sun striking at the equinox. The name comes from four Mayan words: dzib for "writing", il for "place" chal for "flat" and tun for "stone" (the place with writing on flat stones).
The monolith, which might have been a sun dial, is in front of the Temple of the Seven Dolls and we are standing on the south side which is still not excavated. Brother Smith "lost" Sister Smith, but found her up by the tower.

Some of these buildings are dated at about 600 A.D., near the time the Book of Mormon ends; it was not hard to picture the Lamanites creating systems of agriculture and commerce around these centers after the wars that ended the Nephite civilization.
The Xlacah (OLD TOWN) "cenote" or underground natural cavity that is at least 150 feet deep. It was probably the source of water for this population. At this site there is a chapel built in colonial times with stones from the buildings that by then were in ruins.
It is quite an experience to be in Sunday School classes where the teachers say "These writings are for us, the descendants of these people...." There is much more to see in both places, even plants and animals (besides American tourists), so hopefully this will not be our last visit!

Pictured: a not-too-shy lizard and an aloe vera plant growing as a saprophyte in a tropical-forest tree.