In contrast to yesterday, todays port had only our “small” cruise ship – and really not anything else, not even a port town! We learned that some serious hurricanes had destroyed much of the area in the last ten years, even destroying the massive concrete dock – clearly most businesses have not returned, even at maximum zoom on my Sony camera, there’s nothing but trees!
Our trip today was some 50 miles, an hours coach ride, to Chaccoben mayan ruins, though we did stop at a very strange area for a few minutes; it seemed nothing more than the tour guides family garden, but I don’t know what it really was! Anyway, on to Chaccoben – these ruins are not as huge or spectacular as those you’ve seen on TV, but for being smaller they were perhaps easier to comprehend – it was quite clear how much work had been needed to create the level areas and the massive constructions!
All the structures are built on top of a huge raised area that itself is maybe 50ft above the floor of the jungle – all that area had to be built, an enormous amount of work; and then the “pyramids” built on top!
The last pictures show a small amount of the original colored plaster finish – the original constructions, in their smooth colored finish standing so high above the surrounding jungle, would have been truly awesome, I’m sure!
M&I / GBMINI 
