Cuzama

Sunday Jan. 4, 2009
We took a trip down to Cuzama to visit their famous cenotes, which are sinkholes filled with water from underground springs. The cenotes were filled with crystal blue water and were adorned with various limestone formations. On top of that they made for a great swim. One of the most interesting things about the trip was the transportation from the town to and amongst the various cenotes. We rode in a very small, horse-drawn cart via a narrow railway. The carts were once used in the town's henequen industry to transport supplies and, most importantly, the final product of rope made from the henequen plant fibers. However, a hurricane destroyed the town's factory, thus leaving its people with quite a dilemma. Salvation came in the form of their horse drawn carts (which were modified to carry passengers) and the local cenotes. The Mexican government paid to repair the damaged tracks and Cuzama once again had work for its residents. This goes to show that even small towns in rural Yucatan must adapt to changes in the business environment.