Advertisement
Published: January 14th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Cancun
Near drowning. Anywhere with a zona hotelera should be avoided, unless Disneyland is your second favourite place on earth. Saturated with Burger Kings, Starbucks and all things American, including the language, I was confused as to where I was.
It's true I wasn't in Central America, Mexico is in fact part of North America, but it's also definitely a different country. Mexico definitely has a different language, a distinct culture, a Mayan history and indigenous people. Didn't it? Doesn't it?
So, we quickly left Cancun, but not before spending a couple of hours fighting with hotel security to get onto the beach, to then fight with the "lifeguard" for some shade, which was more of a priority for him than actually saving a drowning man, who he was unaware of until we insited he get in the water and save him. Infuriating if not to say, distressing.
Isla Mujeres or Isla Ustados Unidos is not much better, but at least we were allowed to lie on the beach without paying or having to battle with security guards.
There is no island feel left to the place only your imagination to think what it must have been like before Barcardi
Cancun
Beautiful beach...shame you have to sneak on! sponsored everything, but it does have magnificant sunsets.
Tourism has created a divide here that seems a little unbreachable. Traditional fishermen have been pushed out and have taken a stance against the the new generation who they feel have sold out to tourism, but without work and a little de-skilled, many have turned to drink.
Dominique and I cycled round the island which makes an interesting half-day trip. You see how the island is divided into the area where tourist go and the area where locals live. Conch shells line the beach and away from the main town you can enjoy the peace of the waves crashing against the rocks.
One day, I ran to the other end of the island only to get caught in a downpour. By the time I got back to the hotel. The streets were deserted and I was wading through the water gushing down the roads. I think I could have filled a sink or two when I wrang out all my clothes.
Playa del Carmen or Playa Las Vegas was our next stop and I was beginning to lose hope of ever finding a Mexican. Maybe Tulum....
Tulum
Isla Mujeres
Love Mexico for its colours Even here in Tulum, billed as a low-key spiritual centre and with only one main road, it was hard to spot a Mexican who wasn't just visible as an order taker.
We spent Christmas Day here. Our plan was to visit the ruins in the morning, have lunch and swap presents on the beach and then go for dinner & drinks in the evening in town. Excitedly we got up early, ignoring the imminent clouds, and put on our best clothes over our bikini's.
As we entered the ruin site our hearts sank a little as we saw the swarms of tours collected around the points of interest. Nevermind, we would enjoy the beach. And the beach is lovely, if a touch small.
But as we started to unpack the blanket and towels we felt the first chills of the wind. "Oh well, it's Christmas, it's bound to be a little chilly" we gamely said to one another and continued with the secret Santa. Once in the water, we mucked about and enjoyed the feeling of being in the sea on Christmas Day.
After swapping presents and a snack, we felt the first spots of rain and
Isla Mujeres
Sunset on the beach knew we needed to head back.
That evening we ate in a local Mexican restaurant where the waiter entertained Sas with his magic tricks and me and my Sis had a "Christmas fight".
Punta Allen
At last, just as I was beginning to lose hope, here is where I caught a glimpse of my first Mexicans.
Sian Ka'an means "the place where the sky is born" and this seems an appropriate way of describing the setting of this small fishing village. Set in the Sian Ka'an nature reserve, it is a bumpy, that is to say a, cling-onto-your-seats-and-watch-your-heads 50km ride. And thankfully, the bumpy ride means the numbers of visitors are severelly restricted.
All accommodation is pretty basic, but costs do not reflect this. So, whilst my sister and co, unloaded their bags into their $50 room, I layered the back seat of the car with blankets.
Unfortunately, the family got D&V which turned out to be pretty brutal due to the water system breaking down, rendering their toilet unflushable and no availability of running water in their taps. Not nice when three people are shitting for England.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.131s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 16; qc: 75; dbt: 0.0712s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
leyla
non-member comment
I haven't got your email address-where are you and when are you coming back?? Looks like you are having a fab time. Miss you lots. Love Leyla xx