AlexSunrise
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End of summer break: Arrecife Alacranes
Dear Friends,
Lately I haven't been as active on the forums as I would want, and I apologize for that. Work and the travel derived from it has kept me quite busy, luckily with the end of summer approaching I took the time for a much needed getaway.
The place? Arrecife Alacranes (Scorpion Reef), in the Gulf of Mexico, which is located 140 kms north of Progreso, Yucatán.
Reason? Scuba diving, and mental sanity, of course! 
How? On a live aboard boat, in fact, my first experience in one. A couple of friends of mine found out about the excursion to this remote location and invited me. Needless to say, after a quick google search on the place, I was completely sold on going! The anticipation only grew stronger as the time came closer.
Here are some photos of the trip. I hope you enjoy them!
This is a reference to where the reef is located. The only inhabited island is Isla Pérez, with a colony of about 30 or so people living there. There is an influx of seasonal inhabitants, mainly marine biologists which visit for 2 or 3 months at a time for survey purposes. The rest of the islands are safe havens for migrating birds.
Having arrived around noon into Mérida, and after an early morning flight, it was time to stack up on calories for the trip, as I did not know what or how often we would eat out there. Naturally, I made my way to a typical restaurant called La Chaya Maya, in the heart of Mérida. Chaya is the leaf of the spinach tree, and it is highly regarded in southern México. A favorite way of consuming it is in chaya water, which is a sort of lemonade with chaya in it. Quite tasty and refreshing considering the high heat and humidity which cover these latitudes.
As soon as I sat down, a basket of chips was brought alongside some pico de gallo, xnipec (habanero sauce), refried beans, and a peanut paste. All quite tasty to much on while my meal came out.
To hydrate, what better than a local brew to do so
Also, a chaya water was a must!
For my first course I had the sopa de lima, or lemon soup, which is a chicken broth with veggies, tortilla strips, all surprisingly light because of the acidic value of the lemon in it. As the chaya water, quite refreshing and tangy.
For my main course, I ordered the dzic (pronounced zic), which traditionally is made with meat from a deer, but this time around it was only being offered prepared with beef. It is nothing more than cooked and shredded briket marinated in vinegar and spices, served cold. Also a great dish to fight the heat. Quite tasty and a generous portion! In the northern parts of Mexico, this dish is known as salpicón (splatter).
Fresh stone ground corn tortillas where offered….
Made in house by these lovely ladies
After my lunch, I took a walk around the central patio of the restaurant where they have this carriage in the courtyard
And a pleasant bar in one of the halls.
So, having been fed, now, to walk it off. This is the Cathedral of Mérida
And the main city square
To help me not fall into a siesta after a hearty meal, I decided on a coffee and the local poison which is called Xtabentún. It derived from the xtabentún flower with fermented honey liquor and licorice. Allegedly it dates back to Mayan times. It is the perfect accompaniment to a coffee and or a cigar after a heavy meal.
So, now I am ready.. I think.
I meet up later that evening with my friends and we make our way out to the city of Progreso, 30 mins north of Mérida and go straight to the marina to get ready for our departure.
The boat was quite basic, but it got the job done, so, that is fine by me ;-)
After a long 8 hour ride and rough seas, we finally made it to Isla Pérez. I was feeling a little bit woozy from the ride, but still I was happy to be there and ready to enjoy the experience.
A perfect companion for such an extreme adventure of sorts
After a long 8 hour ride and rough seas, we finally made it to Isla Pérez. I was feeling a little bit woozy from the ride, but still I was happy to be there and ready to enjoy the experience.
A perfect companion for such an extreme adventure of sorts
This would come to be our nightly place for dropping anchor. It was quite tranquil here, and the weather was perfect! Sunny and pleasant during the day, breezy come night time.
Scorpion reef is famous among other things for the ship wrecks it is witness to. There are remains of wrecks dating back to the 18th century to present day ones.
The boat in the background is one which ran aground sometime in the 70´s if my memory serves me well.
We did encounter lots of marine life! A turtle in this case, but also dolphins, manta rays, eels, lobsters, tons of sea urchins, huge conchs, tons of fish, and healthy coral, among others.
Another run aground wreck
So, let´s get to it! Time to go, go, go!
Back on Isla Pérez. This spot was some 400-500 meters from the beach, which made it perfect for a morning swim from and to the boat.
More action shots underwater, where everything went A-Ok
Thankfully, our cook aboard was quite resourceful. As such he made simple but extremely tasty dishes like this ceviche and tostadas.
A local beer which I did not knew existed, and which all things considered, tasted like ice cold heaven!
One thing I regret is not having had the chance to go to Isla Pérez during the day. We only did so at nighttime, where we chatted with the lighthouse keeper which is also the unofficial island mayor.
Come the weekend other groups of people come to enjoy the setting as well.
Getting ready for another dive.
And here, our tenders while we navigate back to the mainland.
Luckily the sea was quite easy on our way back, which made for an extremely pleasant trip.
Arriving into the Port of Progreso after 5 days away.
As the sun came down that afternoon, mother nature had one last gift for us...
And now, after almost a week of being away from it all, it is time to head back.
I hope you enjoyed this trip of mine.
Thanks for having taken a peek,
Cheers to all,
Alejandro
End of summer break: Arrecife Alacranes
Dear Friends, Lately I haven't been as active on the forums as I would want, and I apologize for that. Work and the travel derived from it has kept me quite busy, luckily with the end of summer approaching I took the time for a much needed getaway. The pl...
Cool trip!
The food, the boat, the water, the reefs... This sure looks cool! Plus a dosage of mental sanity, scuba diving, and good food! Thanks for sharing! Great choice of watch by the way. That's the best one to take with you for this kind of a trip.
Thanks, Patrick!
The only down side was that once I got back, my mind could only think of going back out there! Oh, well, soon enough. Always great to read you! All the best, Alejandro
That's what the mind should think if it had a good time!
The number one measurement about how good a vacation is... How soon do you want to go back?
Ideally….
I would be drifting on a beach already, but in reality, and if all things go well, sometime in the spring. Here´s hoping for the best!
Superb trip, Hermano. I miss Mexico so much!
You are Lucky to live in such a beautiful country. Gracias, Alexandro, para compartir este momento de sueno. Nicolas
You´re welcome anytime, Nico!
Besides, it is time to come back, don´t you think? Fuerte abrazo, Alex
The Chaya sounds refreshing!
Nice that you got to get away to such an interesting place! Nothing beats a fresh hand made tortilla so tasty! This shot got my atterntion: Cool capture Alex! -MW ...
That was one of my favorites, as well!
I am sure by living in LA you can get your fix for a tasty tortilla, right, Ming? Besides corn tortillas, have you ever tried the flour ones? Man, those are a slice of heaven as well, especially if Art can spare a couple of avocados from uncle Jake´s orch...
re: favorites
There are places that make some great tortillas, best ones I had in the States was when I was in Arizona. As for flour vs corn, I prefer flour but certain items taste better using corn. Art whips up a crazy good guac, perfect for some hand made tortillas!...
LA is definitely in my travel shortlist, Ming!
Hope I can manage to head out there soon enough, as it would definitely be really cool to hang out and venture to those tasty places. Many thanks! Alex
Fantastic time my friend..
I know you were doing some Diving..but this is some Diving.. clear blue waters and of course..good meals... nice trip my friend.. Until next time...
Hehehe, well, in all honesty...
This was the first time I went all hard core into it, as in the past I only spared a couple of days while on holiday on a beach. Needless to say, I am hooked and already planning a future trip to another diving destination. Hope next time is sooner rather...
Great adventure Alex.
Thanks for taking us along and sharing your photos. Look forward to our next visit to hear all the details over a cup of coffee. Best, JerryW
For sure, Jerry!
Sorry I missed you last time, but soon enough for sure! Take care, Alex
You are right, hs!
Specially in a remote place like this, it is quite pleasant to realize you don´t need a lot to have a great time! Cheers, Alex
I'm down for . . .
. . . the ceviche . . . . . . and cerveza! The topper, though, is visualizing the enjoyment offered by your Sub . . . . . . in its natural element. There's a special sort of satisfaction derived from seeing a watch put to its intended use. Thanks for shar...
Absolutely, Art!
Wearing this Sub made this and other experiences even more special! As for the ceviche and cerveza, I am down as well! It´s just a matter of setting time and place! Hopefully Igott 3 will be someplace along a coast. All the best, dear Art, Alex
I find the ocean pics refreshing and the cultural bits very informative.
Now, in addition to wanting to experience that pristine water, I want to taste Chaya Lemonade among other things. Great to see you posting after a big while. Ruckdee
