US Airways - December 2012 - (Page 40)

Clockwise from below: exploring mayakoba's rivers; boiling chicle; Temple of the Warriors at chichén Itzá; the beach near Playa del carmen; cormorant; and panuchos de cochinita pibil, a Yucatecan delicacy time in cool water on our trip, which would take us to a new luxury resort in the eastern Yucatán and then to the old-world colonial town of Mérida in the northern part of the peninsula. Luckily, the Yucatán is perhaps the world’s best destination for refreshing swimming holes. The peninsula was once a coral reef beneath a shallow sea. That reef turned to limestone rock when the sea abated. Rainwater slowly eroded the soluble bedrock and created a vast network of underground lakes and streams. The peninsula is now a chunk of swiss cheese–like limestone sitting atop one of the world’s largest aquifers. In the Yucatán’s vast tangle of Caribbean jungle, over 5,000 known The architects, biologists, and engineers who guided mayakoba’s seven-year construction opened the aquifer under the ocean-side property. 40 december 2012 cenotes — sinkholes where the porous limestone has collapsed, revealing aquifers in the form of clean, cool, freshwater swimming holes — beckon overheated hikers. Yucatecan life has revolved around the cenotes for thousands of years. Mayan people often built their towns and temples around the most desirable cenotes. Today, hundreds of Mayan ruins exist in various conditions, from piles of broken limestone blocks covered in jungle vines to immaculately preserved and reconstructed sites like the well-known pyramids of Chichén Itzá, Tulum, and Cobá. Before our lazy float in the creek at Sian Ka’an, Alberto walked us through the ruins at Muyil, a former Mayan town site. Alberto, like many native Yucatecans, speaks Mayan as a first language, then Spanish, then some English. The Mayan language retains a strong and growing presence in this fiercely proud region that has at times sought secession from Mexico. At Muyil, a dozen or so structures remain partially overgrown, as if unsure whether to come out of hiding. Alberto leads us up the steep entrance of a temple where religious and agricultural ceremonies were performed. Tunnels connecting adjacent temples once coursed beneath the forest floor here. Mayan leaders and shamans used the tunnels to appear to hold magical powers, namely the ability to “disappear” from one temple and emerge mysteriously at the next. I duck into the underground room with Alberto. A few bats flash out of the darkness, and Alberto checks the rock crevices for deadly fer-de-lance and coral snakes. Nothing. But it gets the adrenaline going. Our tour is proving to be way more real-deal Indiana Jones than Epcot simulation. Like the Mayan villages of yore, our home base in the eastern Yucatán, the Mayakoba Resort, is also designed around cenotes. The architects, biologists, and engineers who guided the hotel’s seven-year construction opened the aquifer under the ocean-side property. The clear water now flows photos by macduff everton, except for far left and top right by david hanson usairwaysmag.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - December 2012

Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: New Year's Eve
Hub Crawl: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Wine & Dine: Holiday Spirits
Wine & Dine: Beaudevin Wine Bar, Charlotte, NC
Adventure: Creek Ranch, Florida
Adventure: Palm Springs Golf
Great Escapes: Universal Orlando® Resort
Gear Up: Gifts for Good
Travel Feature: Into the Yucatán
Mapping It Out: US Airways' Route Planning Department
University Spotlight: University of California, Berkeley
Great Tastes: College Eats
Celebrate Tucson, AZ
Must Read: The Socialstructed World
Special Section: Kentucky
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - December 2012