Day 8 - The Palace

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Whilst chilling out with some Leon beers last night, we decided to book ourselves in to 5* luxury for the next couple of days at the Riu Palace Mexico in Playa del Carmen. We deserved it.

Before checking in at 3pm, we decided to smash Tulum some more. We hired out some snorkels and rode up to the Grand Cenote, 4km from the hostel, for a morning swim amongst the fish and stalactites. The east coast of Mexico is famous for its many cenotes – caves formed from the erosion and eventual collapse of limestone bedrock – and there’s plenty of evidence Mayans performed sacrificial ceremonies in this one. Grand Cenote wasn’t used in this way, but it’s really big, the water is really clear and it’s teaming with fish. Tip for anyone going travelling: get a waterproof camera. I could have taken so many amazing photos but, instead, there are just a couple of us two in full snorkel gear. You’ll just have to believe me or do it yourself, but it was like some underwater version of Avatar.

There was still time to chill out on Tulum’s famous stretch of beach. Famous because, when the suns out, it screams Caribbean: white sand, clear water and a few sporadic beach bars. Being low season, we really did have a large stretch to ourselves. That was until four English girls turned up. Desperate for friends, we told them we were writing a blog and the link is on my facebook page…one facebook friend later, we’d arranged to meet them out for drinks in Playa del Carmen later on.

First though, we had to check in at the Palace – an hour bus ride up the coast in Playa. Oh Dios. Wow. We arrived in our vests and back packs, got loads of sand all over the hotel lobby and were given our shiny, gold, all-inclusive wrist bands. I think the photo of Ian and the four bottles of spirits in our room captures the excitement well. We had a celebratory shot of tequila and, as you do in an all-inclusive, ate loads food got really pissed at the pool bar.

Around midnight, we got a ten minute taxi in to town to meet the girls. One of the girls was a carbon trader so I bored her for ages, whilst Ian bored the other three. A few beers later, we were having dance offs in Mandala and drinking grand mariner from the bottle. I don’t want to describe how pissed we were in case I upset my mum and Aunty Ann. Around 5am we slept it off on our individual queen-sized beds.

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