2014-08-04
【Aiden in English】
I have always loved snorkeling. You'll know that by now if you've read about my adventures in the Galapagos Islands. Yet, today in Cozumel, Mexico, the snorkeling experience wasn't as fascinating as I had hoped. We were unprepared. Mom bought me a snorkeling set back in the US. However, it was far too large. Water leaked through the plastic and into my eyes. My mouth had many cuts because the saltwater from my orthodontic braces didn't taste good, either. It's not something you want to have together with salt and eyes. So, instead of caring about what fish was swimming underneath me, I rubbed my eyes while they got stung like crazy boulder. Then, I decided to enjoy the other options. Speaking of different options, I meant the Sea Lion Show. A group of four sea lions (Luna, Rocky, Elena, and Eugene) and a trainer put on an exotic show by performing tricks, singing, and cracking up at us (right in our faces). It became my favorite part of the wonderfully assembled performance when Elena leaped out of the water and clapped her flippers. In addition, Elena has rewarded a handful of fish. You can't come to Mexico and not learn about the Maya, particularly the Aztecs. They were the conquerors who crushed and enslaved neighboring tribes in Mesoamerica until the arrival of the Spanish. Hernán Cortés led the Spanish against the Aztecs. A huge reason why the Aztecs didn't destroy Hernán was that he looked like a god with a large beard. What a "handsome" god! Therefore, they provided the best food and kept him comfortable. On the other hand, Hernán exploited this advantage and took the Aztecs by surprise. And so was the end of the mighty Aztecs. The Aztecs weren't the only famous tribe in Mexico. At Chankanaab NP, Mom and I toured a miniature archeological site of Mayan Ruins and had a history lesson. The Maya calendar brought my attention to a year of 19 months. Each month has 20 days. The 19th month had only five days, which became known as Holy Week. How did they accomplish that? I don't know. No trip is ever perfect like today, for example. But all you should do is wait, and don't be in a depressed mood. Good things will happen at last. As much as I had fun, Cozumel is indeed a melting pot for virtually anyone who would like to discover its natural beauty and enjoy a variety of cultural history in addition to authentic tequila-distilled beverages. 【紅霞譯】 我一直愛好潛水，如果你讀過我寫的厄瓜多爾“赤道”巨龜群島遊記，你就會明白我所說的意思，然而今天在墨西哥“月球中心”科蘇梅爾“燕島”潛水卻不盡人意。
怪我們事先準備不足，臨行前媽媽雖給我買了一套潛水裝置，但到用的時候才發覺太大，好看不好使，海水沿着塑料邊緣滲進眼睛，我的嘴巴本來就因為矯形牙箍而被戳得千瘡百孔，海水沖刷傷口的滋味並不好受，海水浸漬眼球的滋味同樣也相當遭罪。如此一來我哪裡顧得上環視身下川流不息的魚群，不停地揉搓眼睛，感覺眼睛好像被瘋狂的巨石打磨過一樣刺痛。 沒轍兒我只好選擇其它活動，這裡所說的選擇無非就是海獅表演，名叫月亮、岩石、陽光、高貴等四隻海獅在一名訓練員的帶領下為我們(貼在我們臉上)引吭高歌(呲呲牙咧咧嘴)，將整個演出推向高潮，這場表演組合絕妙，尤其當“陽光”海獅從水中跳出拍打自己的蹼掌令我難以忘懷，“陽光”為此還被犒勞了一把小魚。 你來墨西哥不可能不去了解瑪雅“幻覺”文化，特別是阿茲特克“白色之地”部落，他們英勇好戰，一度主宰中美洲地區，直到西班牙人出現，由西班牙殖民大軍終於推翻了土著統治，阿茲特克起初為何沒幹掉征服者，其主要原因在於他長有全腮胡酷似上帝，多麼”英俊“的上帝啊﹗阿茲特克供奉美酒佳餚，對他畢恭畢敬，而征服者卻利用當地人對他的崇拜，出其不意地消滅了阿茲特克，並從此扭轉他們一統天下的局面。
當然除了阿茲特克之外，墨西哥還有其他不少著名部落，到訪查卡納布“小海”國家公園時，我和媽媽參觀了微型瑪雅遺址考古景地，現場接受歷史教育。瑪雅曆法令我耳目一新，它將一年設為19個月，每一個月分為20天，第19月僅有5天，而這5天全都是宗教節日，至於他們憑什麼這樣設計，我無從得知。 世上沒有任何旅遊完美無缺，就拿今天而言同樣如此，但只要你稍安毋躁，沒有採取消極態度，最終一切都會朝好的方面轉化，況且科蘇梅爾是一個名副其實的大熔爐，在品嘗正宗道地的龍舌蘭“貢品之地”酒蒸餾飲料之餘，你不僅能夠發掘出自然之美，而且還可享受到豐富多采的歷史文化。
Today in History(歷史上的今天): 2013: 特拉華州開闊灣(Rehoboth Bay, Delaware) 2012: Tennis Camp(網球夏令營)  Cozumel Cruise Terminal
(科蘇梅爾遊輪碼頭 08-04-2014)  Puerta Maya (瑪雅門 08-04-2014)
 San Miguel de Cozumel, a Hub for Tourism on the Riviera Maya
(科蘇梅爾聖米格爾“神似”城·瑪雅海岸的旅遊樞紐 08-04-2014)
 Carnival Cruiselines Dock & Pier
(嘉年華遊輪停泊的碼頭 08-04-2014)  Entrance of Chankanaab NP (查卡納布國家公園·入口)
 Aztec Warrior Dressed in Ethnic Clothing @ Chankanaab NP
(查卡納布國家公園·阿茲特克戰士穿着民族服裝 08-04-2014)  Indian Tent of Chankanaab NP
(查卡納布國家公園·印第安帳篷 08-04-2014)  Chankanaab Adventure Beach Park
(查卡納布冒險海灘公園 08-04-2014)
 Cozumel Cruise Terminal Viewed from Cozumel Reefs Natl Marine Park
(從科蘇梅爾礁國家海洋公園眺望科蘇梅爾遊輪碼頭 08-04-2014)  Cabana Beach (卡巴納“木屋”海灘 08-04-2014)
 Snorkeling (浮潛 08-04-2014)
 Aztec Sun Stone, Depicting the Creation of the Cosmos & the Cyclical Nature of Time
(阿茲特克太陽石·描繪了宇宙的誕生和時間的循環 08-04-2014)
 Mayan Altar (瑪雅祭壇 08-04-2014)
Olmac Colossal Head， Featuring Native Indian (奧爾梅克“橡膠人”巨像·具有印第安人特徵 08-04-2014) 
Mayan Statue (瑪雅人雕塑) 
Tequila Village (龍舌蘭酒村 08-04-2014)  Courtyard of Tequila Village
(龍舌蘭酒村·庭院 08-04-2014) 
Barrels @ Tequila Village (龍舌蘭酒村·酒桶 08-04-2014)
 Souvenir Shop @ Tequila Village
(龍舌蘭酒村·禮品店 08-04-2014)  Home-Made Tortilla Chips Offerred by the Local Indians
(當地土著人提供手工玉米片 08-04-2014)  Promenade Deck @ Carnival Glory
(“嘉年華·榮耀”號遊輪——散步甲板 08-04-2014) 
Promenade Deck @ Carnival Glory (嘉年華·榮耀號遊輪——散步甲板 08-04-2014)  Platinum Dining @ Carnival Glory
(“嘉年華·榮耀”號遊輪——白金餐廳晚餐 08-04-2014)  黑刺尾鬣蜥、彩繪蟹、姜樹、姜花
 加州海獅秀
 Maya Ruins Map (瑪雅遺址分布)
Crosslinks(相關博文): Mexico(出遊墨西哥)
Ecuador(出遊厄瓜多爾) 航游加勒比海(Caribbean)
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