This is Part 2 of our recent Carnival Cruise Vacation. Click here to see Carnival Cruise Vacation Recap Part 1
Our first day at port was Progreso, Mexico.
The terminal had a restaurant and a market place for shopping. It was quite obvious that cruise tourists provide the locals their primary (if not only) source of income.
In Progreso is one of the longest piers in the world, right at 5 miles long!
We decided to book an excursion, because Clark specifically wanted to visit the Mayan Ruins of Dzibilchaltun.
HISTORY OF DZIBILCHALTUN
The location of Dzibilchaltun (Place of Inscribed Flat Stones) was first settled around 1500 BC, and is known to be the longest functioning city of the Mayan world. It was still inhabited at first contact, unlike other abandoned cities that were only visited for ritual and ceremony. This is why missionaries debuilt Mayan temples and began constructing a church, which was left unfinished.
Corn was the Mayans main crop and this is a grinding stone used for grinding corn. Shown to us by our tour guide, Victor, a Mayan himself.
Clark swims in a cenote (an underground waterway or sinkhole). This particular sinkhole is approximately 140 feet deep and connects to other cenotes throughout the Yucatan.
The Temple of the Seven Dolls stands behind me and with the first equinox of every year (around March 31), the Sun lines directly up with the corridor and shines through the center perfectly. Pretty cool, huh?!
After our 4 hour tour, we loaded back up on the bus and headed back to the terminal. These are random shots I took through the bus window.
Our tour guide told us that at times, this watering hole houses up to 30-40,000 flamingos at one time!
That’s it for Part 2. Next stop: Cozumel!
I love your pictures from this stop! My husband and I went to these same ruins and Victor was our guide as well. It’s a beautiful place that I would love to go back to. The Temple of the Seven Dolls is so fascinating to me! Glad you guys had a great time there!
Thanks Suzanne, it was so much fun and my hubby listened intently to every word Victor was saying! hahaha We were also told by another tour guide that Victor has cancer so we also felt heavy hearted for him.
Oh no! Poor Victor!