Chicken Pizza---or was it Chichen Itzá

We spent Monday on a trip to Chichen Itzá but kept wondering when we were going to get the pizza.  Stopped first at Vallodolid, a colonial capital of what was a major Mayan center.  The cathedral and many of the buildings surrounding the central plaza were constructed with stones from the Mayan temples present when the conquistadores arrived.  Passed through many Mayan villages along the way, many with homes and agricultural not much different from their ancestors.

Phil Rollins, me, and Dad in Vallodolid--cathedral built from Mayan temple stones

Chichen Itzá had lots of vendors throughout the site.  "Prices better than WalMart" and "Almost free" were my favorite vendor calls.  The ruins were amazing.  What was more amazing was to see that there is much left to be reconstructed and there doesn't appear to be any active archeological excavation going on.

Just a few of the many vendors in Chichen Itzá

At the Observatory

After touring the ruins we stopped at a cenote (large underground well in the limestone rock) where Phil took a swim while we enjoyed the coolness of underground.  Mary, Brian, Natalie & I visited a similar cenote when we toured Chichen Itzá a number of years ago.  A great trip with Dad!

Phil in the inner tube relaxing

Sonorous Saturday (March 8, 2014)

Boating to lagoons through the mangroves is sometimes a bit challenging, but the guides are adventurous.  They want me to cast here.  I did some "bow and arrow" casting for tarpon.  Be sure to be on your casting game if you come fish here.

Boating through the mangroves--can you say "tight fit"?

Well, every day can't be crazy catching I guess.  Dad didn't come today so I was minus my "good luck charm" and had a tough day of fishing.  Did catch some snapper and blue runner for the guide to keep for dinner as we finished the day.  I managed to catch 12 different species of fish on this trip.  Highlight was the super grand slam--bonefish, permit, snook, tarpon.

The normal grand slam is bonefish, permit, & snook or tarpon.  Great people here in Punta Allen.  Wonderful food and comfortable accommodations.

Another wonderful breakfast start

Casa Viejo Chac--our home in Punta Allen

Fabulous Friday Fishing (March 7, 2014)

Dad & I traded off catching bonefish all day from the front of the boat.  I had a couple shots at permit; they ate the fly; I missed on the hookup.  Also stalked snook throughout the day.  I saw eight snook and cast to six of them.  None interested in my fly.  I remembered to have Dad uncover his face but forgot to have him remove sunglasses and hat.  

This is Dad without the sun protection mask covering his face.

Dad told me he was worn out so he is going to rest tomorrow while I fish.  Last day here is tomorrow.  Food and accommodations have been great.  Had shrimp mojo de ajo tonight.  Lobster tomorrow. (Dad will substitute steak.) 

Sunday we’ll head to Cancun.  Hopefully will be there in time for church.  Then Monday to visit Chichen Itzá.  That will break travel into a couple days to make it easier on Dad.  Rick, Tom, and anyone else—the fishing was awesome and I’d like to come back.

Thunderous Thursday! (March 6, 2014)

Started today with a great breakfast.  Sliced pineapple, cantaloupe, papaya, and pear.  The salbutes are a traditional mayan breakfast—small thick corn tortillas with ground meat (chicken today) lettuce, onions, avocado & hard boiled egg.  Cantaloupe juice for breakfast as well.  Dad took the day off to read, avoid the sun, and rest a bit for the final two days of fishing.

Breakfast fruit

Mayan specialty-Salbutes

Lunch in the shade with Phil Rollins

We had a busy morning with schools of bonefish we could easily see.  The wind (about 20mph) meant that my casts were less than accurate, so even though the fish were there it wasn’t always easy to get the fly to the right spot.  Phil Rollins & I had lunch in the shade (that was nice!) and then on to more bonefishing.  We had very consistent bonefishing after lunch with Phil & I trading turns casting from the bow.  Usually didn’t sit long before it was time to cast again.  Almost had doubles on several times.

Jack on a fly rod--what a rush!

Plan for the last couple hours was to go to a spot in the open Caribbean Sea for a variety of other fish on the fly rod.  I caught the Jack that is pictured.  Also caught lots of ladyfish and hooked a large shark and fought it for a while before it came loose.  It was about a 6-7 footer.  It fought hard on the fly rod.

View in the same direction a few minutes later

We had to cut it short because we had a little weather roll in as you can see from the last photo that is taken in the same direction as the picture of me with the fish.  Land disappeared, as did the sun.  The rain was pounding and thunder and lightning overhead (think count to two and then your eardrums explode).  We went not very far before deciding to pull into some mangroves and coconut trees along the short to wait out the worst of the storm.  I looked into the ocean and even though it was raining REALLY, REALLY hard (I had on my purple rain anorak and pants) the ocean was flat calm.  I commented to the guide how nice and calm it looked and he said, “That’s really, really bad.”  It means the storm is going to get much worse, which it proceeded to do.  When the darkest had passed over us, we made the break out for home and toward the lighter sky which was thankfully toward home.

Is it bad if the sky is black all the way to the ocean surface?

"Go to the light."

We couldn’t see any land in front of us; in fact there was a boat that passed us by as we were pulling out of the mangroves to break for home and we lost it even though we were right behind it.  Rain was falling so hard it was almost impossible to see.  We simply trusted our guides knew the way home.  When we got to the channel crossing it was really pretty rough and we were banging hard going across, but I could by this time see the outline of Cayo Culebre (Snake Island) that is between the two capes and through which we passed coming out this morning.  Once we got there we also could faintly make out the Punta Allen peninsula in the distance.  Rough crossing there as well, but rain let up somewhat and had almost stopped before we got to home.

When we got to the dock I asked the guides how the crossing was for roughness on a scale of 1-10.  They said 7 or 8 and that if it had been 10 we would not have crossed but would have spent the night pulled into the mangroves on the boat.  Glad it was only a 7 or 8!

Hung my wet things up to dry once we got back to the lodge.  A warm shower, fresh nachos, fresh salsa, and limonada and it was the end of a memorable day.

Snook for Wednesday (March 5, 2014)

Walked the flats on the north end of Ascension Bay along the Punta Allen peninsula and cast toward shore today for snook.  Found a really nice one.  Jumped lots and fought very hard.  Did find a few isolated bonefish while walking the flats along the shore.  They tell me I’ve completed the “Super Grand Slam” by catching bonefish, permit, tarpon, and snook.  The grand slam is apparently bonefish, permit and either tarpon or snook.  Really enjoying Mexico, Ascension Bay and staying at the Casa Viejo Chac here in Punta Allen.

Snook to complete the "Super Slam"

Afternoon at the beach in Punta Allen

We walked to the edge of town

However, after catching the snook in the photo, arrived at a channel that led inward to a large lagoon and was flowing with the tide.  Bonefish were present and I cast the shrimp fly and caught bonefish like I was fishing in a fish hatchery with worms.  After I’d caught more than I can count, my guide finally said, “Dos mas entonces rebalo”  (Two more, then back to fishing for snook.)  Another fun day in fishing paradise!

Tarpon Tuesday! (March 4, 2014)

We went to the southwest corner of Ascension Bay today and spent the day chasing tarpon.  We were successful in the pursuit eventually.  Dad had a chance at a couple of snook and did catch some bonefish.  Weather great with a little wind.  Very rough crossing the mouth of the bay today in the panga boat.

Tarpon

Yes, Dad is really here

Dad with a nice bonefish

Downtown Punta Allen