Today was to be largely a rest and beach day. We let the students decide what time they would like to leave for the long drive. Not surprisingly, they chose a time more than 3 hours earlier than when they want to go to an archaeological site. But it was fine with me.
We stopped for a meal and a short talk at the city of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, formerly Noh Can Santa Cruz. Bill and I shared duties in talking about the caste war that led the independent refugees to recede to what is now Quintana Roo and found their new capital, called Noh Can Santa Cruz or Chan Santa Cruz. We talked about the cult of the talking cross centered in this city until invaded by General Ignacio Bravo, under orders from Porfirio Diaz, in 1901. The talking cross of Noh Can Santa Cruz is maintained nearby at Tixcacal Guardia. As we talked, we stood in the shadow of the church, seen above, that was built by slaves captured by the Cruzob Maya from their seizure of the fort at Bacalar in 1858. They called this church the Balam Na, House of the Jaguar. Originally the plaza was also surrounded by a council house (Popol Na), a residence for the high priest, and a residence for the rotating guard provided by surrounding communities.
We arrived at the beach near Tulum before noon and many of the students made a mad dash for the surf. I spent much of the afternoon reading while Rita worked on the beach with a group of students to translate a complex reading for her Spanish class. I enjoyed watching five pelicans fishing just offshore and often flying over our heads. Karyn was anxious to snorkel in the coral reef just a few meters offshore but the wind was strong and the reef, apparently, unimpressive.
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