Good Medicine in the Yucatán
by Mel Ramos

I’ll admit that I arrived in the Yucatán predisposed to love it. I’ve always loved the bold and playful use of color in just about everything Mexican. And then there’s the equally bold array of Mexico’s regional cuisines, so little known to people who equate Mexican food with American southwestern or with Tex-Mex. But mostly, there’s the Maya, the only pristine civilization to develop in the Americas, with settlements and ceremonial centers throughout the Yucatán peninsula. These ancient sites are arguably the Americas’ greatest archeological treasure, comprising a vast empire that includes thousands of residential and ceremonial centers, many of which have undergone excavation and are readily accessed by the public. Like so many people around the world, I had felt the pull of a pilgrimage to the Yucatán to experience these sites firsthand.

It took a highly unusual workshop to finally reel me in, The Soul of Travel Writing, offered by accomplished masters of travel writing and photography, Judith Fein and Paul Ross. Like so many others who signed up for the workshop, I traveled to the Yucatán hoping to crack open and further the progress of a personal journey of spirit and of soul path discovery. Our remarkable teachers and the equally remarkable setting conspired to make that happen, many times over.

The inspired location for Judie & Paul’s workshop was El Rancho Encantado, a small eco-resort on Laguna Bacalar at the far southern end of the blessedly undeveloped half of the Yucatán peninsula. Founded on principles of respect for the surrounding natural and cultural environment, this eco-resort offers travelers to the southern Yucatan a simple retreat-like setting imbued with the spirit of the ancient traditions of the region.

I arrived there late one evening and wandered around the garden-like setting soaking up the sweet air and the friendly night music of jungle creatures that would serenade us every night as we drifted off to sleep in the land of the Maya. I took in the mesmerizing sight of Laguna Bacalar by moonlight and finally found my way into the little open-air restaurant where we would take our meals, its colorful murals softly lit by candlelight. I had only been there half an hour but already knew it would be hard to leave such a place.

We were lodged in twelve casitas on or near the Laguna. Constructed of tropical hardwoods, with traditional thatched roofs and ceramic tile work, each casita displayed a generous collection of arts and crafts celebrating the cultural traditions of Mexico, each collection unique. Throughout our stay we enjoyed health-conscious Yucatecan cuisine prepared by a gifted Mayan chef whose repertoire includes fine sopas, tamales and moles. Light and delicious spa cuisine appeared on the buffet table every morning for breakfast as well as some memorable lunches. Tropical beverages of every variety made with the freshest ingredients beckoned from the restaurant bar, staffed by the handsome young sons of our Mayan chef.