Walking in the Footsteps
of Michel Peissel: Part Two

by Mari Pintkowski

The lure of the Caribbean coast and small rural Mexican pueblos was becoming part of a dream that Wendy Morrill could not let go of. In 2005 and 2006, she and her 65-year-old father began taking extended "beach hikes" that included the coastal area from Puerto Morelos to Playa del Carmen that would eventually develop into a dream of following in the footsteps of Michel Peissel. In 1958 this young French university student became the first white man to set foot in the state of Quintana Roo and walk along the coast from Playa del Carmen to the southern border where he crossed into Belize.

After reading Peissel's book describing his adventure, "The Lost World of Quintana Roo," Wendy embraced his vision to walk the Caribbean coast of México. Her father was eager to join his daughter the following spring. But for Wendy, the long winter nights in Maine were spent pouring over Internet sites, including the aerial views of the shoreline on the LocoGringo site, travel books like "Yucatan Adventure Guide" by Bruce Concord and topographical maps of the coastal area of Quintana Roo, just south of the popular tourist destination of Cancún, in preparation for their departure in May 2007. She confirmed her suspicion that the coastal terrain was not composed totally of white, silky sand; in fact, only 40 percent is sand and the other 60 percent is made up of coral, limestone and rock that borders an environment of tropical vegetation.

"I actually began to tear out pages from books, copy Internet articles and cut out the important parts, and clip maps and put them each into Ziploc bags. I estimated from our past years' experience that we could cover approximately 15 miles a day of this 120–mile journey each year. I used topographical maps to figure out where we might spend each night, and then researched lodging options, but made no hotel reservations ahead of time. We had hoped to stay in economical beach cabañas rather than tourist hotels. We each included a hammock in our backpacks that could always be tied up between two palms if the need arose."

Training for the hike was second nature to both Wendy and her dad who live very active lives. Wendy, having spent seven years in the U.S. Navy said, "Boot camp will get anyone into shape and set exercise as a priority for the rest of your life." When the snows began to melt in March, Wendy did add walks in the slushy snow to her regular exercise routine to simulate walking in soft beach sand.

As May approaches each year, Wendy and Richard prepare their packing list, confer and help each other downsize the contents to be included in their backpacks. Their goal is to carry no more than 15 pounds. From bathing suits to mosquito nets, each item is tightly rolled and placed in their packs. "We devise clever weight-saving ways to carry essentials like duct tape and dental floss. I wrap some tape around my pens and dental floss around my toothbrush. I put small amounts of antibiotic and hydrocortisone creams into sterile microfuge tubes that are left over in the labs where I work. Other than trail mix from home, we rely on the generosity of local people, along with restaurants and stores that pop up on the route, for our next meal. We each carry three liters of water, and again are appreciative to locals who generously replenish our sources along the way. Other than water, our main supply of hydration is wild coconuts. We use my machete to open coconuts that we reach on trees and drink the water and eat the meat."

In 1958, when Michel Peissel walked the shores of the Mexican Caribbean, there was no one on the beach but bandits, Maya coconut plantation workers and chicleros (a crusty group of workers whose job it was to collect sap from the sapote trees that was used to make Chiclets gum), so he christened this land "the lost world."

Today the coast of Quintana Roo from Cancún to Tulúm is known for its crystal-clear, turquoise waters, lined by beaches of fine, white sand, punctuated by coves, bays and islands, with a backdrop of lush, tropical jungle vegetation that offers glimpses of archeological treasures. What Wendy saw was a world inundated with large hotels, condominiums, restaurants and stores that cater to tourists and the building industry, so she dubbed her Web site/blog "the found world of Quintana Roo."

To pass the royal city of Tulúm that is perched on top of limestone cliffs overlooking the cove that the Maya referred to as Zama, "place of the dawning sun," they hired a fisherman. While out at sea, Richard noticed one lone ruin on the north end that did not seem to be part of the main tourist attraction.