The quiet side of Yucatán

Our walk along the Yucatán beach on the Gulf of Mexico is turning into a voyage of discovery, despite the fact that we are a half-hour drive from the closest Mayan ruins.

We stride by fishing boats leaning over in the sand and wave at fishermen returning with coolers full of grouper, which will end up on dinner plates in nearby homes and restaurants in the port city of Progreso.

We pick up shells washed up by the tide and stop to snap pictures of kids playing soccer in the sand. It all seems very ordinary, but the backdrop is not.