Spanish 2B Unit 7 Study Guide
Cenotes alrededor de Tulum
¡Hola! Todavía estamos en México. Actually, we are still in the Yucatán, to be exact. As I told you, Teo, Kiko, and I were going to visit the ancient ruins of the Mayan city of Tulum. It was so amazing to see what life was like for the Mayans. Today, nos quedamos near Tulum to visit some of the nearby cenotes, which also have a Mayan connection. Cenotes are natural holes created in limestone that become filled with water from under the ground. There are several cenotes near Tulum in stunning natural settings of the lush jungle. Think of a natural swimming hole filled with fresh and crystal-clear water. These cenotes, such as the Grand Cenote, the Cenote Calavera, the Cenote Escondido, and Cenote Cristal, were used by the Mayan people as a source of fresh water. The cenotes were also a sacred place for them. Archaeological artifacts such as utensils were found in the cenotes or in the caves of some of the cenotes that were used in Mayan rituals. In some of these cenotes, you can swim and snorkel and even explore some of the caves. The Grand Cenote is actually a large system of caves. There, you can swim and snorkel among the stalactites and stalagmites. Luckily, natural light illuminates the caverns so you can take in the amazing surroundings. The Cenote Escondido is another cenote where you can swim right in the middle of the jungle. It almost seems like stepping back in time, and it is hard to believe that only a few miles away is a tourist resort filled with modern hotels and amenities. The Cenote Calavera is another mysterious-sounding place. It likely gets its name, Calavera, meaning "skull," from the fact that its three holes looks like a skull's face. This cenote is a deep cavern, and to enter it, you need to literally jump into a deep hole in the ground (or climb the ladder to get down) before hitting the water almost 10 feet below. Experienced divers can scuba dive among the stalactites and stalagmites beneath the water. If you are lucky, you might experience a magical phenomenon that the Mayans called xel ha, which is when light passes through the mix of fresh water and saltwater found deep in the cavern. It creates an otherworldly view. I cannot think of a better way to imagine what life was like in the time of the ancient Maya than to swim in their sacred waters among the same nature that has remained relatively untouched.
De La Habana a Zapata
As my friends and I are enjoying the beaches of the Caribbean, we are talking about our previous trips to the area and places we want to go on our next visit. One of the places I wish we could have travelled to on our trip is Cuba. Teo is Spanish and has a Spanish passport, so he was able to travel there. He told me about visiting the Ciénaga de Zapata, which means "Zapata Swamp." As you may know, the capital of Cuba is Havana, or La Habana, which is on the northwest coast of Cuba. The city is filled with vintage cars, which Teo says he spent a lot of time admiring. He also admired the many colorful colonial buildings, many of which are in various states of disrepair. However, he says he didn't have a difficult time imagining how beautiful the city was in its heyday. He visited the Plaza de Armas in the heart of Old Havana, where he could people-watch as he sat in one of the sidewalk cafés. He also strolled along the Malecón, which is the seafront area that runs along the coast. He particularly enjoyed the Calle Mercaderes, which is a cobblestoned pedestrian street with shops, restaurants, and museums, many of which are free. As Teo is an art lover, he visited the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which exhibits only Cuban art. But as interesting as La Habana sounds, I was interested in knowing more about the Zapata Swamp that Teo visited. The Zapata Swamp is about 100 miles south of Havana. He went on a tour that left from Havana. They drove through the amazing countryside and plantations and stopped in some small villages. But of course, the highlight of the tour is the Zapata Swamp, much of which is a national park and Biosphere Reserve, much like the Everglades in Florida. The Biosphere Reserve is about 1.5 million acres, which is the same size as the Everglades National Park. This makes the Zapata Swamp the largest protected area in all the Caribbean! This wetland has an abundance of flora and fauna. There are almost 900 different plant species and 175 species of birds, including two, the Zapata wren and the Zapata rail, that are found only in this area. Additionally, there are hundreds of invertebrates and dozens of reptile species, including the endangered Cuban crocodile. This is not unlike the Everglades, which is home to the threatened American crocodile. However, the Everglades has more bird species, more than 350, as well as animals like panthers. In this wetland area, you will see a little of everything, including fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, ponds, beaches, forests, and lakes. Teo took lots and lots of pictures while he was there, and they've convinced me even more that one day, I will have to go see it for myself!
Formas de los verbos irregulares en el subjuntivo
I just woke up Teo and Kiko so we can get our day started. They want me to give them a little time to get showered and get ready. I told them to be ready in an hour since I know that they can drag their feet! They suggested that I go find some breakfast while they get ready, so that's what I'm doing now. In our conversation, there was a lot of expressing what we wanted each other to do, or suggestion on what someone else should do. As you know, we can use the subjunctive to express these desires, requests, permission, and wishes. Of course, as you have probably figured out by now, there are some verbs that are irregular in the present subjunctive. Take a look at these examples, and see if you can figure out which verbs I'm talking about. Teo y Kiko quieren que les dé tiempo. Teo and Kiko want that I give them time. Les digo que estén listos en una hora. I tell them to be ready in an hour Me sugieren que vaya a buscar el desayuno. They suggest that I go look for breakfast. If you guessed dar, estar, and ir, you are right! Again, these verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive. Take a look at their conjugations. Even though these verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive, they still follow similar patterns to conjugations you have seen before. On my way back to our room, the receptionist tells me that she wants me to know there is complimentary coffee in the restaurant. ¡Fantástico! I will pick some up for the guys. She seems nice, if a bit too detail-oriented. I heard her tell an empleado that she insists that the pens he uses be black. Yikes! I'm glad I heard her say these things because it gives me a chance to show you two more irregular verbs in the subjunctive. See if you can figure out what the verbs are. Quiero que sepa usted que hay café en el restaurante. I want you to know that there is coffee in the restaurant. Insisto en que los bolígrafos sean negros. I insist that the pens be black. Yes, you guessed it: the two verbs are saber and ser.
Un viaje especial
One of the other places that Teo got to visit while he was in Cuba was the island of Cayo Largo del Sur, sometimes called just Cayo Largo. Teo says it is a small island, part of the Canarreos Archipelago. In fact, Cayo Largo is only under 2 miles wide and 16 miles long! It's around 50 miles off the south coast of Cuba's main island. To get there, Teo had to take a small airplane, the kind with two propellers. There are los vuelos directos from the main island that go to the small aeropuerto called Vilo Acuña. He said there were probably about 20 passengers on the plane. Teo told me that he had never been on such a small plane, nor one with propellers, and he was terrified! He says that the plane looked like it was right out of an old Hollywood movie! Luckily for Teo, it was a very short trip. After his experience, he says that he prefiere que los aviones sean más grandes. However, nowadays, the aeropuerto is equipped to handle large aircraft. No one permanently lives on the island. As it is an island geared toward tourism, workers travel to and from the main island. Its main attractions are its 15 miles of white sand beaches. Teo rented a scooter so he could visit the Playa Lindamar, which is a beautiful beach surrounded by white rocks, and the Playa Sirena, whose sand is always cool due to geological processes. He also spent time at the Playa Los Cocos, which, as its name suggests, has a lot of coconut trees. He also did some shopping in some of the many tourist shops. But he says he liked the Plaza de Artesanía the best, where different artisans present their handicrafts in wood, leather, and other materials. For fun, he went to the Centro Recreativo La Movida where he could listen to salsa music and dance. Teo says that Cayo Largo is a great way to escape and enjoy the peace and beauty of the tiny Cuban island. Quiere que yo viaje allí, but on a bigger plane!
Francisco Oller
One of the reasons I'm so excited about visiting Puerto Rico is because of the work of one of my favorite artists, Francisco Oller. He was born in 1833 in Puerto Rico and painted many landscapes of his native island as well as scenes of everyday Puerto Rican life, still lifes, local flora, and even portraits. He studied in artist studios in Europe, including Spain and France, and his contemporaries were European masters of impressionism, such as Monet, Renoir, and Monet. He was also friends with post-impressionist Cézanne. He stayed and worked in Europe for several years, where he was influenced by the impressionist movement and by works of artists such as Cézanne and Picasso. His work was part of the artistic movements of realism, impressionism, and naturalism, which likely led to what is often described as his realistic-impressionist style, which would have a profound effect on art in Puerto Rico when he later returned and started his art school. His works were some of the first in Latin America to use the impressionist interpretation of light and color to depict the Caribbean environment. One of my favorite paintings of his is Hacienda la Fortuna, which is an oil painting from 1885. It was commissioned by a sugar mill owner who wanted Oller to paint his sugar mills. It depicts a scene of one of the sugar mills in Puerto Rico from that time. In the painting, you can see people hard at work in the fields, cutting and gathering the sugar cane to take to the factory buildings. To me, it's a little slice of Puerto Rico's history, captured in Oller's trademark style. It depicts the realism of the scene, but with impressionist characteristics, such as the use of light and rich color as well as visible brushstrokes.
¡A Punta Cana!
One stop on our tour of the Caribbean Basin is the Dominican Republic in the Greater Antilles. The Dominican Republic is on the eastern side of the island of Hispaniola, which is also home to the country of Haiti on the western side. We didn't know if we would be able to fit it in, but our agente de viajes, Laura, arranged for us to hacer un viaje there as one of our stops. She reminded us to have our pasaportes ready when we arrive. Once we pick up our equipaje, we will make our way to the hotel where Laura has made our reservación. I am not worried about getting around, since the official language is Spanish, but Laura assured us that many people speak English, particularly in the tourist areas. I'm excited about going to the Dominican Republic. We will be going to the area near Punta Cana, which is on the eastern tip of the island. This is a very popular tourist spot, famed for its amazing beaches and golf courses. We will be staying in the Bávaro area, which is just near Punta Cana. There is so much to do in the area, with the beach and sea being a main attraction, naturally! The waters in the area are around 75-82ºF year-round, so we planeamos to go snorkeling and scuba diving. But even though we would like to spend all day out at the beach, it's probably not a good idea to be in the direct sun the whole day, especially because the daytime temperatures can be in the 90s. We planeamos to visit the Manati Park, which is a huge park that is 81 square miles and has all sorts of tropical birds and reptiles. We also want to go the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park, which has guided tours and trails that you can follow to see some of the more than 500 species of plants! When it gets too hot for us, we will take to going underground by taking an excursion to Cueva Fun Fun, which means "Fun Fun Cave." This cave was carved out by the Almirante River, which still runs through it today. It's a 55-foot descent into the cave, but once you are in there, you can see stalactites, stalagmites, and rock art, like carvings and paintings, from pre-Columbian cultures. There are also animals to see, like insects, fish, bugs, bats, and birds. I am told that the fish and shrimp are colorless and blind due to being in the dark all the time. I cannot wait! Of course, because Bávaro and Punta Cana are tourist resorts, there are a number of other things to do, like eating out in the many restaurants, shopping, and going out to dance. It's going to be a lot of fun!
Los Libros de Chilam Balam
Since we've been talking so much about ancient Mayans, I thought I would share with you something I learned about the ancient Mayans. Did you know that there are still books written by the ancient Mayans that exist today? They are called the Books of Chilam Balam. These books are a collection of texts, nine books that are known of, which chronicle Mayan life and history. They also speak of the Mayan rituals, traditions, beliefs, and myths, as well as the Mayan calendar. Also included are medicinal recipes and Spanish traditions. Some of the best-known of the Books of Chilam Balam are the Chumayel and Tizimím. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel, for example, includes prophecies, notes on astronomy, and a history of the Spanish conquest. The books were written in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the Yucatán and are named after the towns where they were found or written. They combine Mayan and Spanish tradition and are written in both the Mayan language of the area and the Latin alphabet, which was taught to the native Indians by the Spanish missionaries. The Books of Chilam Balam are a fascinating glimpse into the pre- and postcolonial lives of the Mayans in the Yucatán Peninsula.
¡Vamos al Caribe!
We're going to the Caribbean! Our agente de viajes, Laura, did an amazing job arranging our trip, particularly since we will be flying to several countries in the Caribbean Basin. The Caribbean Basin includes, obviously, the countries in and along the Caribbean Sea. It also includes the costal Caribbean regions of the South and Central American countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panamá, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras, as well as part of México, which includes the Yucatán. Of course, the area includes the many islands of the Caribbean, such as the Lesser Antilles, just north of South America, and the Greater Antilles, which include the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola (the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. Because there are so many countries in the Caribbean, it would be impossible to say that they are all the same in geography, climate, and nature. However, due to their location, there are certainly some generalities that can be said for these countries. For one thing, they all have amazing coasts, which means that the countries of the Caribbean Basin are rich in marine life, from tropical fish to turtles and even coral reefs. The geography of the area ranges from tropical forests to cloud forests to mountains to shrub lands, which of course means that the Caribbean is very biodiverse! The area is tropical in climate, for the most part, but there are factors that may affect the climate and rainfall of certain areas, such as the water currents, landmass, and elevation. Generally speaking, the area experiences both a dry and a wet season, and these seasons more or less divide the year evenly, with the wet season occurring in the first half of the year. Obviously, with so many nations a part of the Caribbean, there are many cultural differences and even language differences. The languages spoken in the area include English, Spanish, French, and Dutch, among others! However, for the most part, Kiko, Teo, and I will be travelling around the Spanish-speaking countries.
Tulum
What a wonderful time we have had along the Riviera Maya! But I'm really entusiasmado for today! We are now in Tulum, still in the Riviera Maya. However, we are going to do something different today than having fun on the beach and snorkeling in the water. We are visiting the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum. The city was built 700 years ago and is remarkably well preserved. Granted, the ancient city of Tulum stands on a cliff above the Caribbean Sea, but although the waters are inviting and the views are amazing, I think we'll be more interested in the preserved history of the Mayan people. Tulum comes from a Mayan word meaning "wall," which is an apt name as the ancient city was walled. The ruins are well preserved, and you can still see many buildings, like El Castillo, which means "castle." El Castillo is built right on the edge of the cliff above the sea. The Templo del Dios Descendente is another building in the city. It's a temple that has a winged figure representing the descending god for which the temple is named. There is also the Templo de los Frescos, where you can still see remnants of the old frescos, or murals. One depicts the three levels of beings—the world of the dead, the world of the living, and the world of the creator and gods. It will be fascinating to see this ancient city and imagine how the Mayans lived long ago.
Puerto Rico
Ya estamos en Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico, as you may know, is an archipelago just east of the Dominican Republic. It is a commonwealth and U.S. territory, so its citizens are American citizens who speak both English and Spanish. Many people think Puerto Rico is just one island, but it is made up of several islands. The main island is called Puerto Rico and is home to its capital, San Juan. Some of the smaller islands include Vieques, Culebra, Mona, Desecheo, and Palomino. We will be spending a little bit of time on the main island. We want to visit the El Yunque National Forest in the eastern part of the island. El Yunque is an amazing rainforest with hiking trails, waterfalls, and natural pools. It also has some peaks that we can climb that are up to 3,000 feet high. However, what we really want to do is visit some of the smaller islands, as Kiko, Teo, and I have all been to Puerto Rico before. We can't travel to the Isla Desecheo, off the west coast of Puerto Rico, because it is a wildlife refuge. There are many seabird colonies that are protected there, as well as six native species of lizards and arachnids. But we have managed to get una reservación to travel to nearby Mona Island, which is very lucky because they only allow 100 people at a time on the island. It is a rugged, uninhabited island with caves to explore and limestone cliffs. I am told that there are ancient petroglyphs from the Taíno people who lived in the caves. Laura has helped arrange for our permits and boat transportation to get there, as you can get there only by private boat or on an organized tour boat. I can't wait to go camping there! Later we will return to the main island and make our way to Fajardo to catch a ferry to the Isla de Vieques, off the east coast of Puerto Rico. You can also fly there from San Juan, but it is cheaper to take the ferry. We had to choose between visiting Vieques or Isla Culebra. I wanted to go to Culebra to see the wildlife there. It's a nesting place for turtles and also has a bird sanctuary. But I got outvoted, so we're going to Vieques. I don't mind, though, because it's supposed to be beautiful. Vieques is known for having some of the best beaches in Puerto Rico; they're secluded and have clear blue water. The islands are also home to the Paso Fino, which are horses that roam free. These horses were originally brought over by the Spanish. However, what we really want to see there is Mosquito Bay. It's the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world. There are organisms in the water called dinos that are bioluminescent, which means they produce a kind of shining light, when disturbed, that looks blue. At night, they light up the waters, making it look like the water is magically lit up. We're going to take a kayak tour to see this phenomenon up close. It's going to be amazing!
Yúcatan
¡Hola! ¡Estamos en México! Teo, Kiko, and I are now in the city of Mérida in the Yucatán Peninsula. The Yucatán Peninsula is in the southern part of México and separates the Gulf of México from the Caribbean Sea. Mérida is in the northwestern part of the peninsula, and it's the capital and largest city of the state of Yucatán. So far, we've been having a good time in Mérida, particularly in the historical center. We have visited the Palacio de Gobierno, the Renaissance style Catedral de San Ildefonso, and the Pasaje Picheta, which is a kind of curious shopping arcade where they play música yucateca, or Yucatán music, in the afternoons. However, as we will soon be making our way to Tulum, on the western coast of Yucatán Peninsula, Kiko, Teo, and I are deciding on which beaches we want to see along the way. We will be going to the area known as the Riviera Maya, which is famed for its beaches and ancient Mayan cities. It's also well known for its natural beauty, both on land for its jungles, caves, and forests, and in the sea for its coral reef—the second largest in the world. The Riviera Maya starts just south of Cancún and runs for about 90 miles south to the fishing village of Punta Allen. However, with so many places to choose from, we are having a hard time deciding where to go. Kiko quiere que vayamos a Playa del Carmen. He says that it's a good idea because it's in the middle of the Riviera Maya and that it will give us a good idea of the area and will make it easy for us to use it as a base for smaller excursions around the area. He says there is a nice pedestrian area called La Quinta Avenida, or Fifth Avenue, that is the center for shopping, entertainment, and restaurants. Teo sugiere que nos quedemos en Puerto Morelos. This small fishing town is more or less the start of the Riviera Maya. He says it is a good place for us to see the coral reef while we snorkel. Quiere que visitemos the Crococun Zoo, which is a crocodile farm, and he says we can visit the botanical gardens, which feature unique species of plants. Yo les recomiendo que visitemos Puerto Aventuras, which is another small village. I think it's a good place because there are many hotels and things to do, since it's a main tourist destination. Apart from that, there are three main bays: Fatima Bay, Chan Yu Yum, and Chac Hal Al. Of course, this means there are beaches galore and plenty of water sports. There's also a golf course and a marina for yachts. We don't have a yacht, but I admire them! We can even swim with the dolphins there! In the end, we decide that since we are traveling by car, there is no reason why we can't stop in all three places along the way to Tulum!
Formas y usos del presente del subjuntivo
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? I am just calling a friend of mine because I need her to pick up my mail for me while I'm gone. In all the excitement of getting ready for my trip, I forgot to tell her. But I don't want to worry about what is happening at home, because there is so much I want to do here. In Spanish, you already know how to talk about things that you or someone else wants to do with the verb querer. Quiero nadar. I want to swim. Susana quiere ir al cine. Susana wants to go to the movie theater. In these sentences, the person who wants something is the same person who will, in theory, do the action, so the verb is followed by the infinitive, as it is in English. However, when someone wants someone else to do something or shares how he or she feels about something, it's time to use the subjunctive mood in Spanish. This has happened a lot on our trip, as locals have told us that they want us to visit this place or they suggest we eat in that restaurant. So we've been hearing a lot of subjunctive! In Spanish, the subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, desires, doubts, requests, permission, and emotions, among other things. It shows how the speaker feels about an action rather than showing an action, as a verb tense does. One of its uses is to give advice, make recommendations, and tell others what you want or don't want. Let's look at some examples. Quiero que me escribas una carta. I want (that) you write me a letter./I want you to write me a letter. Prefiero que hables español. I prefer (that) you speak Spanish. Sugiero que aprendas el subjuntivo. I suggest (that) you learn the subjunctive. As you can see in the examples, in each case, the speaker wants someone else to do an action. The subject of the main clause in each sentence (yo) is not the same subject of the dependent clause following que. The subject of the dependent clause in these examples is tú. There are certain verbs in Spanish that take the subjunctive in these conditions, when the subjects of the main clause and dependent clause are different. Now, what does the present subjunctive look like? Remember that the subjunctive is not a tense. It's a mood. However, in Spanish, the present subjunctive has its own conjugations. Similar to three steps you learned for conjugating imperative verbs, the present subjunctive follows three steps that will help you while conjugating most verbs. Begin with the yo form of the present indicative. Then drop the -o ending. Finally, use the following endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. -ar verbs: -e -emos -es - éis -e -en -er and -irverbs: -a -amos -as -áis -a -an Now look at the present subjunctive form for hablar and aprender . The present subjunctive for regular -ar verbs looks like this: que yo hable que nosotros/nosotras hablemos que tú hables que vosotros/vosotras habléis que él/ella/usted hable que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablen Aprender is a regular -er verb. In the present subjunctive, it looks like this: que yo aprenda que nosotros/nosotras aprendamos que tú aprendas que vosotros/vosotras aprendáis que él/ella/usted aprenda que ellos/ellas/ustedes aprendan Regular -ir verbs follow the same pattern as regular -er verbs in the subjunctive. Look at the verb escribir in the subjunctive. que yo escriba que nosotros/nosotras escribamos que tú escribas que vosotros/vosotras escribáis que él/ella/usted escriba que ellos/ellas/ustedes escriban Think about how you would say the following in Spanish. Alba wants Tomás to check in his luggage. My mother insists that I read the book. I need them to open the window. We would say these sentences like this: Alba quiere que Tomás facture su maleta. Mi madre insiste en que lea el libro. Necesito que abran la ventana.
