Location: Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Today was one of the best days the crew of Argo has experienced. We woke up earlier than normal and had a quick breakfast before we were off to get in one of the huge tour buses to take us a few hours away to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Before we got on the bus, we had to say goodbye, or hopefully “see you later,” to one of our crew members, which is hard on any crew. After we all climbed onto the bus and most fell asleep for the few-hour bus ride, we arrived at an underwater cave system that we were able to walk down into and swim around for a few minutes. This was extremely refreshing in the Mexican heat. We played around in the water, pet a horse, saw Matty become the bird whisperer again, and even swung on a few swings before we piled back in and went on another ride. Just about 30 minutes later, we arrived at an open-air market with tons of different items you could buy; this is also where we had a delicious buffet lunch. The Argonauts devoured the buffet full of rice, beans, chicken, and amazing pork tacos with a very, very, VERY hot sauce!! After our bellies were full and our wallets slightly emptier, we went off again for the main event. As you walk to the actual ruins of Chichen Itza, there are tons of people trying to sell you things; their usual lines were, “it’s almost free” and “cheaper than at Walmart,” which were quite hilarious. Finally, as the walkway exits the trees into a field full of ruins, your breath is taken away by the beauty and magnificence of these ruins. Our tour guide, Marco, took us around and told us tons of amazing facts and stories about the Mayan people. It was everything ranging from how they picked their jobs, the sports they played, why they chose this exact spot and human sacrifice. There were two points he told us that completely blew me away. The first was about the acoustics of the Mayans; you can stand in one spot, and if you clap, you hear the echo of a bird from one temple and the sound of a rattlesnake from the other. The second was the amount of work and thought they put into their temples to do with their calendar. For example, there are 91 steps on each side (91 times four is 364), plus the one at the top equals 365 steps, the number of days in a year. I could go on and on about how much the Argonauts learned today, but I will leave that up to your loved ones to explain to you! After we wandered around for a few hours in awe, we climbed back on the bus again for the few-hour bus ride, during which we slept soundly. Once back onboard Argo, we all squeezed and then headed out for a night out. Some stayed at the resort, while others went into the small fishing village of Puerto Morelos, and others took the ride out to Cancun, where the buddy system worked flawlessly. Everyone arrived back on Argo on time, safe, and after having a great night.