Cozumel 12 meter sailing excursion / Stars & Stripes / Panasonic LX5 / Topaz 5

Amazing it can sail at all with such a bent mast, don't you think?

In the background is our competition, Canada's "True North." 
Our skipper learned to sail in Argentina and was a very good sailor.
As per original script, Stars & Stripes won, but not by much.

Dzibilchaltun / Panasonic LX5

Typical tourist shots of the Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltun (zi-bil-chal-tune). Guide's name was Cumen and was great. Autoprogresso pretty much runs the buses and tours in Progresso. No printed maps provided if you visit the site. You might want to print out your own before you go.

The pictures I'm providing were taken starting at the Edifice of Administration (upper left) where we were briefed, then down to the cenote and surrounding, then off to the right to the Temple of the Seven Dolls.

This Catholic Church arch is post Mayan.

Cumen, our guide.

no fear - no limits - no brains

It was explained, by our guide Cumen, that the underground streams provided potable water to the Mayans and of course today for their descendents. There are no water lines, as such. Water is delivered to each house via truck and a black plastic water tank, on each roof, is filled about once a month to provide water for washing and after boiling for cooking. Drinking water is filtered water purchased in bottles from Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc.

Cozumel 12 meter sailing excursion / America's Cup / Stars and Stripes / True North / DMC-LX5 / .MTS

3rd (& final) video from 12 meter race in Cozumel

http://youtu.be/DO_Kw2WeqDY

Cozumel 12 meter sailing excursion / America's Cup / Stars and Stripes / True North / DMC-LX5 / .MTS

2nd video from 12 meter race in Cozumel

http://youtu.be/hb7VT3qfx4E

Cozumel 12 meter sailing excursion / America's Cup / Stars and Stripes / True North / DMC-LX5 / .MTS

Cozumel offers several on shore or on water excursions. One of these involves former America's Cup 12 meter sailing ships. Here's a video clip of a daily race between the Stars and Stripes (US) and True North (Canada). The video was taken aboard Stars and Stripes and was taken in MTS format with a Lumix DMC-LX5. Uploading means it will be converted to a much smaller non-hd format for storage purposes by Youtube for display here. Immediately below is a link to the excursion, provided by Carnival. The next link is to Youtube for the video. I will post two other videos of the same excursion later today, or as time allows.

http://www.carnival.com/Activities/Excursion/304143

http://youtu.be/k9Zja4SP2eU