When: Anytime

Length of stay: Minimum of three days

Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French, Russian, Italian

Fee charged: US $25/day. You can spend the night without any meals for 150 pesos, 200 if you want breakfast.

Ana María likes is for visitors to come and just make themselves at home, enjoy the fine eating, the peacefulness of her little hacienda, the way the birds sing like crazy at dawn and dusk... Read all you want in a hammock slung in the cool shade someplace, walk around, sit and talk, float for hours in the pool shown in the picture...

On the other hand, if you also want to see some very interesting things, then you happen to be in a good place for taking day trips if you have a car, or just like to wander along the local backroads walking. But before we get to the day trips, here are some facts about Ana María's B & B hacienda, known as Komchén:

LOCATION:
Komchén is found in the northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, 35 kms. (22 miles) from the capital, Merida. Merida is an old colonial town and some of its old buildings remain, especially along Calle 60. The hacienda is about three hours by road from Cancun. There are three scheduled bus connections between Komchén and Mérida each day, the last one leaving Merida in the afternoon.

Note on the map below, where the town of Dzemul is highlighted in a yellow box. This is our location. Also notice that right north of Mérida there is a village called Komchén, but that is not us. Our Komchén is a rancho, not a village.

THE SETTING:
Komchén used to be a large sisal-hemp-producing operation. Sisal is a strong natural fiber which once was very important in the making of ropes, string and certain textiles. Today Komchén is a nature sanctuary. The sanctuary consists of 340 hectares (840 acres) of tropical dry forest and is home to an enormous diversity of plant and animal life. Among the many kinds of mammal are the Margay (a feline predator), small forest deer, fox, anteater and raccoon. There are also several species of reptiles. You can see many species of butterflies and of course, there is a prolific variety of birds, such as hummingbirds, owls, herons, cardinals, tanagers, flamingos, motmots and other rare tropical birdlife. Because of this rich birdlife, Komchén is the home base for an association for the study and protection of birds. Not far from Komchén there are tidal flats, shown in the picture, harboring a completely different flora and fauna.

Farm animals also live on the ranch, including horses. These horses are tame and friendly but they've been left alone for so long that they don't want to be ridden. Maybe someone could who has lots of experience with them. There are banana and papaya groves and a market garden. The produce is used in simple but hearty home cooking. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used. There is an abundant underground supply of water, which is regularly analysed for its purity, and which we use for washing. Its taste may not be agreeable to some. We prefer to drink rainwater, which we run through an ozone-purifier. Bread is wood-oven baked at the ranch. Solar panels produce enough energy for minimal needs.

ACCOMMODATION:
First of all please keep in mind that we are not hotel people. We think of our ranch as a sanctuary for plants and animals, and we invite people to come to be close to these wild thing as they rest and enjoy themselves. Don't expect us to act like hotel people who keep your room spotless and leave a mint on your pillow every day. We're not like that. We take care of you in other ways. Visitors stay in indigenous huts or palapas built in the Mayan tradition, with stone walls and thatched roofs. These were formally used by the workers on the ranch. There are conformable and cool Mayan hammocks but for those who prefer, there are also simple beds.

DAY TRIPS:
Besides the many attractions in and around Merida, here are other options for fine day trips easily accessible from Komchén:

• The Maya archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal; a bus from Merida to Chichen Itza needs 2 ½ to 3 hours

• The Gulf of Mexico with its warm waters and bird life is reached by crossing a protected area of beautiful marshland about 20kilometres (7 miles) away

• Rio Lagartos National Park, a bird watcher's paradise with its colonies of flamingos, is about 200 kms by road away

• The Maya ruin of  Xkambó, between Komchén y the beach of Xtampú

• Laguna Rosada, with saltflats and many marine birds, often among them flamingos

• The bird-observation tower of the Observatorio de Aves de Chikchulub

• Many local fishing villages, plus the very near village of Motul, with a wonderful cenote

Because Komchén lies a bit off the main tourist routes, the area preserves many characteristics of the Mayan culture. The local people still maintain their traditional qualities of friendliness, naturalness and hospitality. Therefore, perhaps the best day trips are those focusing on small local attractions, which are totally ignored by organized tourism.

APPENDIX

Appendix 1: A List of Common Birds Around Komchén