After breakfast we have a walk along the beach then drive off to the bridge over the lagoon to Celestun where boats with guide are available for hire to visit the huge colonies of flamingos.

Unfortunately we are the only two people there which means we would have to pay the full price for the boat and guide. We wait for half an hour or so and just as we are about to give up, three other people arrive, two Germans and a Canadian. Problem solved for them and us.

It has long been one of Elaine's ambitions to see a large flock of flamingos close up and she is not disappointed. Very soon we cruise right up close to a huge mass of pink flamingos and the guide advises that there are approximately 15 000 of them . They get their pink colour from the minute shrimp larvae which they extract from the sea water, their bills filtering 1000s of litres a day.

We spend about 30 minutes here but could have happily stayed there for hours . We thought this was the end of the trip but next, the boat takes us to an island to see nesting cormorants, pelicans and frigate birds. And there's more. Next the boat takes us through a narrow, natural tunnel through the mangrove trees, quite amazing and finally, we stop off at a cenote, a large, fresh water spring in amongst the mangrove trees. The deep pool is crystal clear and home to shoals of fish and a small crocodile. All too soon we are back ashore.

Back in the car, we head south along the Hacienda Route. In the late 1800's, sisal (henequin), a plant grown for its strong fibers that were turned into twine, became known as the "green gold" of Yucatan. The sale of sisal rope resulted in the wealth of Yucatan and at the turn of Century, Merida, the capital of Yucatan became a city with more millionaires than any other city in the world . As is usually the case, the millionaires made their fortunes at the expense of the thousands of peasant workers who were exploited in the fields and factories. The haciendas comprised a grand mansion plus factory complex with all the facilities required to produce the finished product and the nearby village housed all the workers required to harvest and process the plant. Every 5km or so along the road there are haciendas with their adjacent factory chimney , the majority in ruins but some restored as houses or hotels.

Further down the road, we stop off at the derelict Hacienda Chunchucmil which is at the edge of the small town which would have housed the workers. We are approached by a young boy who offers to act as a guide to show us around and we are happy to take up the offer.The complex included a colonial style mansion house, factory processing plant, work shops, stores, shop for the workers, chapel,orchard and a small hospital and school. Some of the old machinery is still there, the diesel engines manufactured in England.

Further along we stop off for drinks at Hacienda Santa Rosa which has now been restored and converted in to a high class hotel. Too expensive for us but the receptionist tells us about accomodation a few km down the road at the small town of Maxcanu.

We were glad of her information as the place is hidden away and we would never have found it alone. We are the only guests here in a modern but basic garden bungalow.