El Yucatan Presentation

El Yucatan

The Yucatan Peninsula is made up of three states: Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. The principal industries are tourism and the production of Henequen trees which they use to make hammocks.

I talked about Chichen-Itza and Merida in the Yucatan state. Chichen-Itza is six square miles large. It has the most preserved and largest ball court. Cenote Sagrado is a sinkhole where the Mayans performed human sacrifices.

Mérida es the capital of the Yucatan state. It is nicknamed the White City because of its white limestone and white houses. The Governor's Palace has many murals on the wall showing the fight for independence. I showed the photos my Dad took of the Monument a la Independence and the murals. San Indelfonso Cathedral was built in 1774 out of stones from the Xbacluum-Chaan pyramid. It took 11 years to complete. When we went there, the tour guide told us it was the oldest church on an American continent.

The state of Quintana Room is named after the Mexican patriot Andrés Quintana Roo. I talked about Cancun, Cozumel, and Tulum in this state. Cancun is nicknamed the Golden Snake because of the shape of La Playa Delphines. Chac Tun is an underwater cavern. The Yucatán Peninsula contains the most extensive underwater caverns in the world.

Jack Nicklaus designed a golf course for the country club in Cozumel. Chankanaab National Park was set up to protect the coral reefs and is a place where people can snorkel and swim with dolphins. El Cedral is the oldest settlement in Cozumel and now is a tourist trap. I took a photo of El Monumento del Buceador Scuba arch in San Miguel last year when I was there. Castillo Real is largest ruin in Cozumel. I was in Cozumel one week before Hurricane Wilma hit the island in October 2005, completely destroying and sinking the Lagosta Pier that Carnival Cruise Lines uses.

Tulum is known as the City of Dawn. Ah Muzen Cab, the Mayan God of the bees, is the patron God. Tulum sits on a fourty foot cliff with a beach underneath. Templo del Frescos is known for its carved figures and is painted the colors of vegetables on the inside.

In the state of Campeche, I talked about the capital of Campeche. It was once captured by the dutch pirate Peg Leg and the locals built forts and ports to keep the pirates out. It is surrounded by mangrove trees, that house lots of flamingos.