Playa del Carmen...

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On the 22nd I arrived in Playa del Carmen (or so-called "Playa").

After a nice 12h bus trip, I reached the bus station. As usual, no booking. Let´s see and find a nice place to stay over.
Well, the 1st impression of "Playa" is just: "Oh sh!t, it is just awful!" Not awful in the way it is ugly (although there is nothing specially beautiful here, except the girl seating next to me in the cyber-café right now), but it is soooooooooooooo american. Everything is organized around a street, the "5th street", parallel to the sea. Long for maybe 2 to 3 km. It is just super-hyper-mega-ultra (I am out of superlative, pls help me !) touristic !. Prices are in USD, you get harrased by people asking you for tours, massages, cigars, weed, name it ! Full of touristic shops, restaurants, 3 starbucks (always full !!), 1 McDonald, 1 Burger King, etc etc..They even have monkeys for pictures ! I Find it awful. And I cant imagine when it is the high season.... FYI: A hotel at 500 peso now will be 1300 peso in Mid-December !!
After few minutes, I ended up in a nice hotel, the "Maya Bric". Well, not a super place, but cheap (300peso/night), very clean and located straight on the 5th avenue, so verly lively and very close to the beach. And not too noisy. It is owned by french people...
I went a bit around the town, without big interest, and then straight to the beach ! So I forget quickly all the down sides of Playa, because the beach is almost empty. And the waves helps me falling asleep...
One negative point: Sunset at 5.30...

To describe Playa, I would say that you have to quit the 5th avenue to find a bit of mexican atmosphere.
Once you reach the 2nd avenue, called "the 10th avenue", prices are dropping like crazy. -25%. And once you reach the third one, called guess what ? "the 15th avenue" well done !, prices are 50% lower !! And you wont find americans upthere, mainly mexicans. It is actually way nicer place to hang around. That ´s where I get my lunch because it is mexican food and super friendly. Not to say cheaper too...(5th avenue has similar prices as Europe, around 15euros for a decent dinner)

It is plenty of americans, as said, but you will find as well lots of italians (you can hear them...), french (you can hear the accent..) and germans (you recognize the dressing style). And that´s the same you see visiting the ruins. No brits there, they are in the pub to watch english soccer !! True story.
Very touristic as said, you have attraction parcs to visit the cenote, to explore the maya history with nightshows and so on and so on.
So far I still don´t know whether or not I am gonna visit the Chichen-Itza, because it is extremly difficult to go on your own, and tours are always including the AC-bus, visit or cenote, buffet lunch etc for .. wait for it 50USD, 45USD next door, then 42USD for you my friend because I love France, and wait...40USD if you book now !! Maybe tmrw I´ll get it for 35USD !

Dont take me wrong, it is worth coming if you want to relax and enjoy parties too, because Playa can offer everything you want. And I mean it...

Yeah, for partying I can´t say much until now. I have spent 2 evenings planning my trip to ecuador (expect reports of rafting and crazy mountain biking !!). But I went quickly for couple of beers yday. Tonight I am gonna go to the Blue Parrot, a beach club ("be part of the legend", they advertise...) and most probably to the Mandala, just to compare it with the one of PV.

That´s all, folks ! More new later on.

Anyway I hope everything is going fine for you. I don´t hear much from you, so "no news, good news", isn´t it ?

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