The Yucatán Peninsula (Merida - Tulum)

  Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Monday, November 17, 2008

Merida is a small town with a more modern feel and more expensive than any of the other towns up until now. I was there for Saturday night, probably the most fun time to be there. About 10 blocks at the centre of the town are closed off to traffic. The streets are filled with bands, fairs and plenty of public revellery. What should have been a great night was a poor showing due to the first rain there in 2 months. What! Where did that come from? Had my gloating to Brian about the nice pending weather cursed the weekend? Combine this with some heavy winds and a very poor choice of hostel and I decided to make a hasty exit towards Cancun the next via the ruins at Uxmal.

Uxmal

Iguana sunning itself at uxmal

Uxmal, I found a little disappointing compared to Palenque as it didn't have the same jungle atmosphere and wasn't as well maintained. Many of the ruins where still covered over and very little information available on the site about the individual buildings. However I did get a nice snap of an Iguana sunning itself on the Governor's Palace.

Week 3

Onward to Cancun in the hope of finding some better beach weather. Although warm it was quite breezy and sitting in a sandstorm is not a pleasant way to spend an afternoon no matter how nice the view. I was craving some time at the beach and it just wasn't working out. I stayed in one of the best hostels in Mexico in downtown Cancun. After Merida it was nice to have hot showers, a clean stink-free bathroom and some normal people. Downtown Cancun has the feel of a Mexican town with some western influences. It reminded me a lot of a Spanish Island town. The more famous hotel zone is about 5 miles away on a sand bar in the ocean. The strip is about 8 or 10 miles of hotels and is so catered for American tourists that the cash machines chuck out dollars! Think of it as a mini Las Vegas in Mexico. Everything here is glitzy, over the top and plastic, (particularly the people, every other person seemed to have fake something lips, chest, hair, arms, legs) and is geared around getting your money out of your pocket as fast as possible. Not a good place for a budget backpacker. That said it was nicer and more bearable than I was expecting. They really pull out all the stops at nighttime with endless bars offering all you can drink for 15-20 dollars, dancers, magicians, performers to tempt you in off the street, and everybody goes radio rental.

Inside Cocbongo

Monday night I went out with a gang from the hostel and when we got to the hotel zone the place was hoping. Every night is Saturday night here and every bar is trying to out-do the other. I bought a ticket to Cocobongo, the most famous club in Cancun known for it's Hollywood themed shows, dancers and trapeze artists. $45 dollars all you can drink until 3 a.m. (don't worry mum I didn't utilise my full allocation ",) after that they start charging you again. Cancun got a glimpse of my funky dancing and I got a glimpse of the most ridiculously over the top, fake world I've seen yet. I had been promised an American playground and Cancun certainly delivered. It was a refreshing change from the last 2 weeks but one night was definitely enough and was looking forward kicking back on the beach in Tulum for my last few days in Mexico.

Going to Tulum meant going back to authentic Mexico. It is home to the only Maya ruins by the sea and quite an important outpost for the empire. It served as a port to Coba and when lit up one of its buildings shows the perfect path through the reef towards land. I stayed in fantastic wood log cabins out of town near the ruins. Free bikes provided on by the hostel meant I could wander at my leisure. Wednesday I went snorkeling in the Grand Cenote, some underground caves containing fresh water pools a few miles inland. After that I managed to finally get some quality beach time on one of the nicest beaches in Mexico, just beside the ruins. The evening was topped off with Malcolm, (an ex Lehmans trader from London staying at my hostel) and the locals, in a big screen bar watching the Mexico Honduras football match. A fiery derby ensued which Honduras controversially won and Mexico had 2 guys sent off in last few minutes. The mood in the bar was pretty somber afterwards so we retired to the hostel a bit earlier than expected.

Log Cabins Tulum

Grand Cenote

Ruins on beach at Tulum

I felt a little sad leaving thinking about leaving Mexico. It has set a massive precedent for the rest of the trip. Such a beautiful country with a lot to offer every kind of traveler, massive Mexico City, tiny traditional remote mountainous villages, modern high rise resorts, jungles, beaches. If my experience is anything to go by it does not deserve the negative dangerous reputation it has. The country is a colourful mix of juxtapositions. The people in general are extremely kind, friendly, modest, and always eager to help and please visitors. I would recommend it to anyone and hope to return sometime.