Tulum

The bus ride became a long sleepless one as we got pulled over a few times by the military to check passengers and luggage, and as morning fell and we though we could finally get some hours sleep, our bus broke down forcing us to rub the sleep out of our eyes yet again to move our bones and bags to another bus. I arrived in Tulum a little delayed but that did not matter, I had met three travellers on the bus and we all decided to get a cabin on the beach together.

We arrived at Mariachi’s on the beach all looking forward to get into our beach wear and hit the sand, unfortunately as we got told there was no cabins free until later that day the skies turned black, the wind picked up, and the rain cooled down the sand. We all waited in the restaurant enjoying some breakfast and hoping that we would get the first free cabin they had and that the storm would pass quickly.

Thankfully at least one of my wishes on my birthday was fulfilled and that was that I had a nice bed to sleep in. We moved into the very basic and rustic cabin with no electricity, floor boards that let you see the sand below, 2 double beds, a little wooden table with two wobbly chairs. My new room mates were Timmy, Tad and Nick. I was so happy when my mobile rang and it was my friend Solgunn from Norway wanting to wish me a happy birthday! It was so nice to talk to someone from home again, and it was so lovely to be remembered even though I was so far away. I have to admit I got a little homesick for a while!

The weather did not seem to want to clear any time soon, so we headed into the town of Tulum for some practical matters such as food and laundrette. Thankfully the rain stopped in the evening so we could enjoy our cabin by the sea and the evening breeze whilst raising our glasses to my health. Tad surprised me with a birthday cake made of white toast and Nutella with a big candle in the middle. It was fabulous, and it is definitely the most original cake I have ever had, and it tasted so sweet. It is great how imaginative and inventive people become in times of basic living.

The next day we awoke to the sun peering through the walls and you could just feel the atmosphere get lighter and better. Tad, Nick and I all headed for the Tulum ruins, as we thought there would be few people there in the morning. Never have I been more wrong! On the walk there we walked past one big tour bus after the other. As we arrived at the entrance we saw hoards of lightly roasted tourists.

These ruins are the only ones in the country that are located on the waterfront, and so the expectations were high. The ruins were small, and to be honest I could barely see much of any of them as the big tour groups and guides blocked most of the pathways and around the ruins. It is the only ruin where I have seen Iguanas, and plenty of them. The view from the ruins situated right on the cliff overlooking the sea and beach were magnificent but it all became a little too much for me with all the people and an extreme noise level. None of us were especially impressed, and with the heat making us a little agitated we decided to call it a day and head to the beach in stead!

After hours of sun and fun we once again found our rustic cabin where we lit the candles, put on our repellent and settled in for another night of chatting on the stairs, just enjoying the feeling of being fortunate enough to follow our dreams. Tulum was great, but for me it was time to leave Mexico behind and seek a different culture in Belize.

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