So off we go then.....

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So after a fairly tearfull send off last Friday we left Heathrow on an 11 hour flight to Mexico City. After lording it in the celubrious VIP Lounge (courtesy of Uncle Bob and Tess! Thanks!) and with a heady mix of Martini´s, Red wine and Diazapam in our bodies (well, mainly Stu´s) we settled into a crappy flight of cloud, turbulence and Stu sraping the enamel off the handrail every time someone coughed!

Get Mexico City, and guess what? Its raining! Absolutely massive city from what we can see from the approach on the flight. Just urban sprawl as far as the eye can see. So after getting our head down in one of the airport hotels, we jet off the following day to Cancun on the Caribbean Coast. Unfortunately, due to our budget and the proximity of the bus station, we stay in the rather unsalubrious surroundings of Downtown Cancun, although in a fairly decent room. Its basically where all the locals live to service the Hotel Zone (All-inclusives) and we didnt see any other tourists the whole night.
Went out for some local cheapish food and went to a Park where the Rough Guide described as "a chance to see locals singing and dancing on weekend evenings." Now call me picky, but if watching a Mexican version of Lisa Riley belting out Karaoke while a solitary drunk, wasted on a cocktail of Homebrew and Taco´s tries to attack her on stage is entertainment, then we need to get another book. (Actuelly it was pretty funny!)

On Sunday morning we headed down the coast on a bus to Playa Del Carmen. A huge difference to the glimpses we´ve had in Cancun. The beach is absolutely fantastic, real picture postcard stuff and the streets have a real european feel to them (supposedly the number of Italian and French immigrants). We´ve got a cute little hotel which is 30 yds from the beach and main street for about 14 quid each per night. The only downfall to this place is the Americans. I had my reservations before but I have been astounded by their complete lack of respect for any other cultures. Funniest thing we have seen so far has been in a beautiful restaurant. One Fat American couple walked in and the guy ordered the ´burger´off the menu. He was told politely that it was off the menu. So they got up and left. 10 minutes later, an equally obese pair plopped themselves down and ordered the ´burger´. They were also disgusted at the lack of choice and left to get their fix elsewhere. This, coupled with the fact that they shout at everybody in English, walk all over cordened-off 2000 year old ruins, just to get a ´great shot of Geena and the Kids´and blow cigar smoke in your face isn´t enamouring us to them in only the first 5 days of a nine month trip!!!!

Enough of the rant. Went to Tulum, the site of some 1500 year old Mayan Ruins set on the cliffs ovelooking the Caribbean. Absolutely stunning. We carried on off the beaten track and stumbled upon the most perfect beach and bar where we could have sold the house and shacked up for the forseeable future. Amazing place and the only blot, although hugely funny, was the large amount of people photographing each other in the surf. Blokes with their girlfriends and Vice-versa, and also two blokes photoing each other, in some kind of twisted Mariyln Monroe pose!!??

All in all been a really relaxing week. Drunk cocktails and beers (though not as many as we´d like!), got surnburnt and generally eased ourself into gently. So off to Cancun on Sunday, to start the real travelling as we meet up for our first tour. 24 days travelling through the rest of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ending up in Costa Rica.

Hasta Lluego Hombres y vaya con dios!

Stu and Nads p.s Photos are an absolute nightmare to upload. Its taken 40 minutesto upload 3 photos so sorry not more to make you jealous!!!

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Photos

Playa Del Carmen
View from the Hotel

Nadine with Mojito
What budget!?

Tulum
Now thats a view!

Comments

[Ali Day]

Hello!
Hi nads and Stu, sorry i missed your party, looks like it was a classic! Great reading the travel blogs so far, I'm glad to see its not just me that has an issue with those from the US of A when abroad!! Rich and I just got back from Italy, had a good trip, knackered now though. Just doing physio advice....hence plenty of time to read the diary!! Love and happy travelling Alison