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Cañon sumidero, one wild ride
By Neil Ransom | August 8, 2007
Neil and I have been meaning to hit this touristy spot since we came to San Cristobal in May, and we finally made the voyage. They canyon was only made accessible in the 1970s when a dam flooded the Grajalva river and made it passable by boat. At the highest point the canyon walls are 1 km high. Local legend has it that a group of Mayans came here to commit suicide rather than submit to Spanish rule.
The ride was pretty exhilarating. Mexico has a refreshing & terrifying lack of safety standards. The boat was loaded with 30 people, and the guide took liberties with speed you may expect from an Indy 500 racer.
The animal life are not hindered by the frequent speedy tourist boats passing by. We saw many crocs, pelicans & other birds, monkeys etc.
Later that night we were commandeered by Dr. Clark (Neil’s archaeologist boss) and an old friend of his Tom Lee, an X pat who has lived here in Mexico for 40 years. They got out a 50’s film projector and we all watched a few film reels together. One of them, as it turns out, was of an expedition group from the US who voyaged the Canyon before the dam was put in. Tom Lee was one of the men on the trip. The rapids used to be so dangerous that they had to drag the several-ton boats through the jungle to avoid many of them. The footage was pretty impressive.
The trip was my perfect nature trip. No personal exertion, animals pointed out to you by a guide danger-free, and plenty of photo opps.
Tagged with: Adventure • Animals • boats • Mexico • San Cristobal • Travels
August 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Wow that looks really fun! It looks like at least you had to wear life jackets.. Nice hair by the way kate..lol.
August 9th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
That looks bloody amazing! Glad you guys had a good time.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Yea it was very cool. The crocs were fun to see. The only downside to the trip was the frequent floating garbage gardens.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Hey Neil,
It looks like one big vacation down in San Cristobal. And not only did you watch home movies with the boss, but you got to meet the infamous Tom Lee whose mug shot graced the computer at the NWAF office in Provo for a while. Does he look the same? As creepy? I hear he has been exploring the caves of Southern Mexico/Chiapas. I’d like to get in contact with him. If you see him around, do you think you can get his email address? Hope all is well. Hello to Kate. Take care.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
[...] presents Cañon sumidero, one wild ride in Mexico posted at Kate and Neil’s Official [...]
August 13th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Nice croc. I hope you are doing well and working, not slacking. Love you guys lots.