Hola Mexico, and the beautiful beaches of Tulum!

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Tim Version:
* Crossed into Mexico, wow, the culture difference. Still highly organised though.
* Bussed it on some crazy long straight roads in serious comfort, discovering that a pastry with cheese, ham, glazed and sugar coverd is one of the best snacks ever! Looks like a slice of pizza...

The version that lost track of distance and time cruising the straight perfect highways of Quintana Roo:

The border crossing from Belize to mexico, seriously cruisy! Its a beautiful border on the north end. My bus out of Belize City was the normal basic type, but took me all the way from Belize City to the Mexican side of the border, so no border change of buses! Both sides, much more affluent than where I'd previously been, were very organised. Taxes actually written on signs, directions as to where to go, and border officials that had actually had training! My crossing bus was with a bunch of Aussies on a big tour, so I took it easy and just followed them through. Got talking to a US guy too who had just come into Belize for a couple of days from Mexico so he gave me the Mexico rundown. My first bus actually disappeared after the Belizean exit post but it was apparently because of mechanical problems and there was a guy from the bus to put us onto another one. Something that gave me the shits though was that once on the other bus he asked us for a bit more money to give to the driver of this bus since he was "nice enough" to take us... to which I thought screw that, where is my money from the first bus! I did however have some small change from Belize that I hadn't used so I handed that over...

Anyway, into Mexico, the bus station - heh wow... a level of organisation again that I am just not used to! It felt more like being in an airport after the Central American open air crazy market filled bus stations! With 2 hours to kill in Chetumal Mexico before heading to Tulum I got myself some Tacos Picante (spicy), and yesss Mexicans do their hot food seriously right!! Hot enough to make me squirm a little but I was so happy to find real hot food that I didn't care! Good meat too, even from a cheap roadside stall...

My bus then from Chetumal to Tulum was a "second class" bus. Heh, second class... this thing was more luxurious than any bus Id been on in months and months, since Portugal! There is no choice here to take cheaper local buses as this WAS the cheap local bus, so I didn't feel bad forking out for it and I have to admit that it was a nice change! Bags underneath and a tag in my hand for them so no stress of it getting stolen. Safe enough that I didn't mind having a bit of a sleep, which Eve can testify to is a big thing for me as I am analy security concious on buses about my stuff and not losing by sleeping or something!

About halfway we got some street vendors on the bus and I bought what I thought was pizza, but instead found possibly the most addictive pastry I've ever eaten! Its a hot sweet pastry with cheese and ham inside with a sweet glazing on top then covered in sugar. A heart attack and pimple maker in one, it was incredibly good!

Entering Tulum it was night already but it is a well lit up safe town so no issues. I found out almost instantly that speaking English in Belize had almost wiped my Spanish abilities for the moment, so with a little struggle translating and eventually finding an English speaker, I got some hostel directions as I've got no guide book here or for the rest of Mexico - a refreshing change! Some hunting, walking for maybe an hour, I settled into a hostel much more out of town than I expected with everything that you could want, sat back and just let the shoulders drop. Hostel Lobo Inn - near the ruins, about 1km out of town maybe along the freeway, with internet, breakfast, a pool, free bikes, all that stuff at the same price as those in town without all of that... beautiful. Happy talkative owners too.

Sleeping time... tomorrow, the paradise that is Tulum =)

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