To break up the lengthy return drive from Isla Holbox, we
stopped in the town of Valladolid and one of the nearby cenotes, Cenotes de
Dzinup, which is actually the access point to two cenotes.
We entered Cenote X-keken (pronounced
Sh-ke-ken).
It was a great place to take
a refreshing tip in the clear cool waters.
We were surprised to find lots of little fish swimming about the
underground pool.
Since we arrived
shortly after noon, we had the additional treat of benefiting from the rays of
sun that came through a hole in the cavern roof and shone into the water below.
After our swim, we headed into the town of Valladolid for a
fantastic local lunch and a walk around the main square and a stop in the church,
Iglesia San Gervasio.
Valladolid was
founded by Francisco de Montejo, cousin of the founder of Merida by the same
name.
Due to the brutal nature of his
treatment of the original inhabitants, the city played an important role in the
beginning of the Caste War and the Mexican Revolution.
The Franciscan church Iglesia San Gervasio is very simple in
style.
There are almost no windows or
decorations inside.
The church was
originally built in 1545.
In 1705 it was
ordered to be demolished but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.
The main change during the reconstruction was
to re-orient the altar so that it faced a different direction than the
original.
For this reason, it is one of
the only colonial era churches where the alter faces north instead of
west.
As a side note, the kids will
likely remember the church as the place where we were when two of them each
lost a tooth on its grounds.
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