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Published: November 4th 2019
It‘s 6am.
Daria is ready, loaded with both a big and mini rucksack (and of course the bum bag) all matching with her new turquoise Gore-Tex shoes (a last minute purchase). I have my decent sized shoulder bag, I am a light traveler going with hand luggage only 😉 because in London I live with too many possessions (Daria says I am a hoarder). I like the experience of travelling light and want to enjoy having only what’s minimal and indispensable; it’s important for understanding how nice and happy life could be when you just have a few essential things with you (like Bicarbonate of soda, very important for Travelling!)
Ciao to Tulse Hill, East Croydon and Gatwick and your 9 Degrees! One TUI flight later we arrive at 4pm local time in Cancun, Mexico with a scorching 29 degrees. We are happy 😊
Arrived at the airport, we travel smart with the local collectivo bus and then the quick ferry boat taking us to Isla Mujeres - a little Island in front of Cancun where I already been both times in Mexico. Daria had also already been here with Maya 15 years ago; it’s nice to come
back to places where you already have memories of them, especially in the case of Isla Mujeres. Since my last visit I am pleased that the place hasn’t changed so much, still plenty of abandoned spaces in town and just a few new restaurants. The market is still there, with young girls making fresh tortillas de harina, but no de maiz, Daria likes the maiz ones. There was an old sweet man selling vegetables and other bits and bobs - his stall playing loud cheesy 90s progressive techno pumping out of a red flashing same age of the music Sony boom box. We went back few times to buy from him, an amazing 1/2 litre Fresh squeezed ( +water to economise) Pomelo juice for 30 pesos.
The first time there was also another man in baseball hat sleeping on a chair, The next time he was still seated there, awake but not fully, same clothes, we thought maybe he s was the security guy, Mexico!
Mexico for me that I am food obsessed, means Tacos. I have missed them for years, never having had a taco outside of Mexico that tastes even close to the real thing. They
are so simple but at the same time very difficult to reproduce. I love tacos, and dirty street tacos especially, I saw this taqueria, close to the place we stayed, which was just after a laundry shop, a big laundry signage panel advertising the cleaning service just in front, the tables of the taqueria, that actually, didn’t have any signage. We named it the Laundry Tacos! And it became my favourite! Un orden de tres al pastor, porfavor! Daria liked it so much too even though she was trying to hide it 😉 Al pastor are the pork ones like a kebap with a pineapple roasting at the top, every taco got a little slice of pineapple. Yummy! Daria went straight for the Michelada - a mix of spices, clamato and chilly salt that you add your beer to. Basically a Bloody Mary with beer instead of vodka.
We had mixed weather - gorgeous blue skies, but also some rain but always at the right moment not to interfere with our plans 😉 We were thankful for the clouds on our 7.30am runs (JETLAG!) To stay fit and not get fat we made a pact to go for a
run everyday and do yoga everyday. It’s also a way for us to stay grounded as we travel to different places and to have a bit of a routine.
A couple of days in Isla Mujeres was the perfect start to our trip. We both needed to unwind after lots of prepping for the trip including moving out of Mayflower Road and into Tulse Hill, then out of Tulse Hill and into our rucksacks! Before moving to our next destination, we woke up super early and went snorkelling where the day before we saw some snorkelling in super shallow water but there was some rocks, where fish like to hide and fending ground. I went first while Daria was Yogaing on the beach. Behind a rock I saw a Barracuda, small for a barracuda but quite big for a fish (1 meter) he was sleeping or just resting, I slowly went closer and he stayed there, we were both there looking at each other, still in silence. I was watching him from my goggles (another traveller essential, good quality goggles).
We packed our bags, said goodbye to our super lovely Airbnb host and made our way to the
ADO bus station to catch a 4-hour bus into Merida - our second stop.
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Milly
non-member comment
Oh so lovely ❤️
As I sit at home in Vienna with two poorly kids, one poorly husband (all have the stomach virus), listening to the rain outside, it was like a little secret adventure reading your blog! Lovely!! Take care of each other and I look forward to reading more from you soon ?