Advertisement
Published: July 30th 2006
Edit Blog Post
Playa del Carmen Stop one on the coast was the resort town of Playa del Carmen, it used to be a small fishing town but the Cancún effect has now reached it and it really is a tourist town now, but unlike some other ´foriegner´-packed places I´ve been, I actually really liked Playa. Along with the hundreds of American tourists comes a level of clenliness and service which I have actually rather missed, we got a free upgrade in our hostel to a private room which was absolutely spotless and the portion sizes in the restaurants trippled. Unfortunately you do also pay for all this, with the average prices here at least double what you pay in the rest of Mexico (although still significantly cheaper than the UK of course!).
We walked along the lovely beach, had a nose around one of the extra-posh hotels, sunbathed, read, went kayaking in a little yellow sea kayak - this was free, apparently the guy thought we were from one of the all-inclusive hotels, either that or he fancied us. We also went to the cinema and saw Pirates of the Caribbean - great scenary (but not as good as the real
thing!), but where is the rest of the movie, it just stops...!?
Tulum Our second day on the coast and we decided, on three different recommendations (thanks Jamie, Rachel and Emmitt) to head to Tulum. Tulum actually does - as my three friends had individually tole me - has the best beach in the world. It is virtually empty due to its size and isolation and really quiet, it also some spectacularly-set Mayan ruins. I don´t think I will ever get over the colour of the sea here. It goes from almost black on the horizon to a bright, bright green as it hits the white sand with stripes taking it from dark blue, lighter and lighter to turquoise. It is impossible to describe and doesn´t come out in photos - I recommend you all go there. On the beach and the complete lack of shade forced us to invest in a sun bed and parasol, and by bed, I mean bed, they were so cool, so comfy and a bargain really at about 3 pounds between us for the whole day.
Cancún And so then we were in Cancún, the 51st state of the USA.
At first we were a little dubious about the hotel, which we had booked on the interent in an attempt to ´splah-out´on Mary´s last night. It was partly under reburshiment and so there was no reception and the poor guy who was checking us in just didn´t really know what he was doing. However, when we saw the view, found the pool, and then eventually the little shop selling drinks everything was marvellous and we spent the day getting brown around and in the pool while overlooking the beautiful blue-green sea. We did have a small trauma though trying to go to a restaurant in one of the nearby hotels, which was apparently not open to non-guests as apparently everyone here is all-inclusive, and ended up being escorted off the hotel premises by a security guard who I think would have arrested us if he thought he could. Cheap, British foreigners!
For Mary´s last night we went out to the nearby shopping mall where I found some replacement trainers for the ones I intend to not take home (Mary is transporting the new ones for me). Then Mary treated us to a big 3-course dinner - thank you! Cancún
Our Pool
There´s pool, and then there´s sea. and its surroudings are vastly different from the rest of Mexico, and there is no way I could stay for long (budget especially), but actually I´ve really enjoyed a few days of ´proper´holiday - without a mission to see ruins and museums and cathedrals and festivals and plazas and towers and artisan and markets and speaking Spanish.
I then spent the next day in the pool and waving off Mary in the airport. Then afer relocating to a cheaper hostel in town I planned the next steps, back to Mexico to fly home in just over a week. And then there was one again.
Cancún town itelf, rather than the hotel zone, is the bit the rich all-inclusive people don´t see. It´s a run-down area, basically providing housing for all the Mexicans who work in the tourist industry and back-packing hostels for all the people who want to go to teh beach but can´t afford to stay there (like me!). The town consists entirely of internet cafes, bars, laundries and 2 supermarkets. It´s main focal point is the bus station - the only way out.
Isla de Mujeres I had originally planned to go to the Chichen Itza ruins today but didn´t fancy the 9-hour round trip bus ride (will go later from Merida) and so ended up with a free day. Not wanting to stay in Cancún itself (see above for reasons) I went across on the 15-min ferry to the lovely beach at Isla de Mujeres. The best bit about this was the huge shallow area in which to swim, the worst was that I didn´t have anyone to put suncream on my back (I miss you Anne and Mary!). The island is also nice because there are fewer foreigners here than the other beaches I´ve been to, with mostly Mexican tourists and slightly cheaper prices. Afraid I dont have any pictures of the Isla because I took the disposable camera Mary and I bought for times when the digital cameras were at risk from sand, but can show you all when I get back.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.14s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 14; qc: 68; dbt: 0.0803s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
anonymous
non-member comment
envious or what?
Making the most of it as ever! Good for you. Some great pictures and lots of memories. How about putting all this together in your own guide to Mexico. The real world awaits in a little while!!