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Laura Rosales standing on the caver's trail that goes around this massive bit of calcite in Mexico. Some caves have so many formations that you just have to tread lightly on the same path as the original explorers to avoid damaging things.  Coatlicue. Laura Rosales in some very pretty passage
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A snail that seems cave adapted 
This snail is either an invasive species or a native species. I am unsure of which it is. Either way it is common in the cave.
Xochicalco is a ruin located about 40 km southeast of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Occupied for a long time (maybe back to 200 BC), this bit is generally considered from AD 700 to 900. 
Doesn't look like much from the visitor's center
The lower ball court areas
Let's play spot the lizard
Trench into the underground bits, which were gated off.
And gated caves.
Matt Lachiet walking across a lower ball court
An iguana
And some bats! They are in the family Emballonuridae (the sac winged bats) but I don't have a species for these.
And finally, some temple blockwork. There are lots of ornate carvings.
More carvings in the block work.
This is an awesome site in Mexico. There are several websites on this, but I will provide this one: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/939 And, for now, just a couple pics. 
Laura Rosales on the top
A tourist with a pink umbrella checking out the site.
A cicada on the site
The site from the front
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa is a show cave in Mexico. They allowed me to photograph in the cave with the stipulation that I could not sell the photos, but could provide them for free on the internet. Photos taken by tourists who share their photos are okay, but professional photographers looking to sell photos need a permit, which I did not have. So, I haven't sold any, nor produced any. Until now. Partly because my pics from the cave are only marginally good. I was on a normal tour, and not a photo trip. It is a fantastic cave, and would love to do a proper photo trip in there someday, but for now, here are some pics from Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. 
It is a big borehole cave, and entrance light can be seen from a long way in.
This stalagmite is forty feet tall!
And this one is 30 feet tall and most elaborate.
Trail shot, showing the size of the cave and the massive formations.
The roof is also adorned with much calcite.
These calcite bosses are just enormous. I wish I had permission to put a person in them for scale.
Another shot along the trail.
This is huge...would really have liked to able to put a person in the shot to show it.
Now that's one big cave room!
And to finish this series, some shield formations, which are fairly rare.
Laura Rosales in Grutas de Juxtlahuaca, passing a giant calcite cascade.
 Loads of calcite stal in the Mexican cave Grutas de Juxtlahuaca. Matt Lachniet poses for scale. 
This is Juan Pablo standing around, but a careful look will find Matt Lachniet (with red pack) climbing.
This wasp nest was under the roof of where we stayed in Colotlipo. We left them alone, and they left us alone. All good.
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September 2021
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