This is my first trip to Celestun. I chose Celestun because of their national park and Flamingo nesting grounds. The majority of the booking of this trip was done on the Internet. It's amazing, they even have e-mail (although slow) in Celestun. I first had to find a place to stay. After checking all the resources I could find, I decided on the Eco Paraiso. Built on an old coconut plantation 10 kilometers (6.6 miles) from town, the journey down the road to get there can be another story in itself. The hotel has 14 separate casitas, all of which are self contained. They produce all their own electricity, drinking water, and reprocess all of the sewage and waste water. They also grow a lot of their own produce. The manager will take you on a tour of their infrastructure if you ask. The price was a little steep at $80 US a night but I was only staying 2 nights.

The second problem I had was finding a guide. In order to see the Flamingos, other birds, mangrove swamps, or anything of interest, you needed a boat and a guide. Through a recommendation, I finally found one. The guide I hired had previously taken a team of photographers from National Geographic. We managed to work out a price. I would bring him a pair of Nike tennis shoes (size 8) in exchange for his services. I would have to pay for the gas in the boat. All was set.

Getting gas was easy. Taking pictures of the Flamingos was not. You are not supposed to get within a certain distance of them as they scare easily. This could change their nesting habits. I was impressed but had enough of the Flamingos. I wanted to see something else. 45 minutes of watching birds in the water was getting to be to much. Time to move on. It's 9:00am and time for a cerveza.

I spent the previous day and night in Merida so the drive to Celestun wasn't bad. It is about 92 kilometers (57 miles.) Not to bad but it does tend to make a person thirsty. Celestun is not a big town so I managed to find a little restaurant on the beach. It wasn't long before we were drinking a couple of ice cold cervezas and having a huge platter of Stone Crab (they catch them here.) We are not in a hurry so decide to have a few more cervezas. The hotel knows we are coming and they are not going anywhere. No need to rush. I still have 18 more days left.

It's time to get going and check in. Need to buy some more cervezas to take back to the hotel. The cooler we are carrying is getting low. No luck. Forgot it was Sunday. Not to worry, we will take care of that later.

We found the road we are supposed to take. I don't know if you have been on many back roads in Mexico but they can be deceiving at times. Partially gravel, sand, clay, or coral. Wide at spots then narrow. Undergrowth, growing in the middle of what you think is the road. Pot holes everywhere. Looks like a vehicle hasn't come down in months. No sign of civilization. Jungle everywhere. Are we going in the right direction? Finally a clearing. We found the hotel. Amazing.

Checking in was easy. The manager told us Dave (our guide) had radioed and was wondering if we had arrived yet. We were shown to our room, unpacked, looked around and headed to the bar for another cerveza. One of the staff came up and told us that Dave was on his way out to set up plans for tomorrow. I think he just wanted to check out his Nike shoes. Anyway, David came out and checked his shoes. He also managed to get someone in town to sells us cervezas. All was ready for tomorrow.

Morning comes and David arrives on time. We get into his car and head to the marina where the boat is. We are told there are from 5,000 to 7,000 Flamingos in the lagoon at this time. We are also going to see Isla Pajaros (bird island), the Petrified Forest, and the Mangrove Swamps. Maybe a few crocodiles or ocelots too. Cooler is packed and I am ready to go.

This is more like it. Quiet, jungle like. This is where the fresh water meets the salt water. The water is crystal clear. The scenery here is worth the trip alone. You can also swim. Me Tarzan, You Jane. This is the place...

The Pertified Forest didn't really impress me. Looked like a bunch of dead trees. Reminded me of when I went to Jamaica and my tour guide wanted to show me the magic door. Happened to be a garage door with an electric opener on it. Not to impressive. According to David, a plant disease infested this area an wiped out most of the coconut plantations and many other species of vegetation. I am not sure of the date but think it was in the 1950's.

I dont have any photos of Isla Pajaros (bird island) but it was very interesting and noisy. I saw many species of birds and really enjoyed the Flamingos. I am not a birder but I guess I was lucky enough to see a Pygmy King Fisher. I would come back again to see the Mangrove Swamps, eat the fresh Stone Crab, and for the shell collecting. The beaches are loaded with shells (unlike many of the beaches in Mexico.) I also enjoyed the hotel. It was a unique experience. I must say, the manager of the hotel went way out of his way to help. I came into town with less than $50 (US) and figured I could cash a travelers check at the hotel or in town the next day. No way. There are no money exchanges or banks in Celestun and the hotel doesn't take travelers checks (takes to long to get their money back.) The manager of the hotel asked me how much money I needed and loaned it to me. He said he would put it on the credit card when I paid the bill. He loaned me $300 (US) and never asked to see my credit card or take any numbers down. Very trusting, I thought.