The road chose me

Leaving the Isla Mujeres we are again the last car on the ferry and make it by the skin of our teeth. Perfect timing We roll south and checkout the extremely touristy, party-centric town of Playa Del Carmen before getting into Tulum right at dusk. We eat dinner and walk around for two hours trying to find acommodation only to find every hotel, hostel & motel completely full. It’s getting darker and colder, and both of us stop having fun around the two hour mark as we get more and more foot sore. At another booked-out hotel we randomly meet Barton, an ex-pat bartender who has a room for rent at his house, five minutes out of town in the jungle. We find a paradise awaits us and we make it our home for a couple of days to explore the Tulum area.

Our room at Barton's place

Up early to beat the crowds we enter the ruins at Tulum and are hugely impressed. The city was built on limestone cliffs overlooking the ocean and the whole area is absolutely beautiful. We wander around in the morning sunshine reading all the information boards and trying to overhear paid guides from time to time.

The oceanside ruins at Tulum

More ruins at Tulum

As the sun get higher and warmer we move on and drive out to the small town of Coba to see more ruins. The drive is supposed to take 30 mins, and in a daydream I miss to turn and we wind up driving twice as far and arrive only shortly before closing time. The ruins at Coba are spread over a huge area, and this combined with our lack of time makes renting bicycles seems obvious.

Riding bikes around the Coba ruins was great fun

We have a great time rolling around, stopping every 500 meters or so to checkout another temple or building. At one stop we come across a little critter that I at first think must be an ant-eater then a couple of locals tell us it’s in fact a very close relative of the raccoon.

The biggest temple at Coba

The main attraction at Coba is a temple 42 meters high, which is plenty enough to get a great view over the jungle canopy, which stretches endlessly in all directions. All manner of people are tackling the climb & descent with varying degrees of success. Back in Tulum we’re in the habit of eating out for every meal, which is going to hurt my pocket for sure – what the heck. We also love wandering up and down the main street poking into all the shops looking at various nothings.

View over the jungle canopy at Coba

One of the major attractions in the Tulum area are ‘centoes’, limestone caves filled with extremely clear water – perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are quite a few to choose from, so on the advice of a cool guy we meet we head out to Cenote Dos Ojos (two eyes) to get the run down. Once we see the photos we’re quickly convinced to hire a guide and do the full tour. The guide jumps in the Jeep for the few kilometer ride to the actual entrance so I ride on the outside standing on the running board holding onto the roll cage while Kate drives for the first time on the right hand side of the road. It’s a riot and might just be the most fun couple of kilometers of the whole trip

Snorkeling in Cenote Dos Ojos

We gear up and head straight into the centoe and pretty soon we’re right in the thick of it. The water is extremely clear and we can see for maybe twenty or thirty meters underwater with powerful flashlights. Seeing the odd scuba diver glide by many meters under us really adds something. Our guide takes us through all kinds of connecting tunnels and small caverns, all filled with massive stalactites and stalagmites.

Outside the cenote

An underwater stalactite

The highlight is going through one section about thirty meters long where the roof of the cave is never more than 30 cm from the water, and not much wider. Quite a few times we have to keep our heads completely in the water as only the tip of the snorkel has enough clearance.

Water to roof height is pretty small

Underwater in the cenote

I’m completely shocked at how beautiful the underwater formations are and walk around with a huge grin for the rest of the day.

Reflected in the surface of the water

Belize is close, really close

-Dan

Driving into Cancun I can’t believe my eyes – the city is absolutely huge with American brand names jumping out at me from every direction. This is by far the least Mexican place I have been to in Mexico. Driving out to ‘Zona Hotels’ is an experience I won’t soon forget. In every possible way I feel like I am on the coast of Florida or somewhere similar – tourists swarm in every direction from enormous hotels into slightly smaller restaurants, all gleaming with flashy neon signs. I stop quickly for a dip on a perfect white sand beach.

The ocean off Isla Mujeres

My friend Kate was looking for some exciting travel during her time off work, so we made plans about a month back for her to travel with me for the next three weeks or so. I pick her up at the extremely busy airport in Cancun with no problems and after the sightseeing loop we make for the ferry to Isla Mujeres. We are the last car on with about 30 seconds and 30 centimeters to spare. A note to anyone heading out to Isla Mujeres – this ‘locals’ ferry is about 5 km south of Cancun and costs about $1.80 USD per person. The tourist ferries from the middle of town cost between of $10 and $15 USD.

Actually the most Eastern point of Mexico

Kate is much more organized than me and booked ahead for accommodation, thinking it would be crazy-busy around this New Years time and she was spot on. We find the ‘Poc-Na’ hostel without much delay and I’m really surprised by the sheer number of tourists, all speaking heavily accented English. The Poc-Na hostel is great, with a restaurant and bar, huge sandy camping area and beachfront volleyball court.

Kate & Dan on top of the lighthouse

The island itself is really cool, full of restaurants, shops and street markets selling all manner of tacky tourist stuff and ‘local’ arts & crafts. We spend a day driving around the whole island, which turns out to be a lot smaller than I had thought. It’s possible to rent golf buggies and mopeds here, so suicidal tourists zip about in all directions. We take the roof down on the Jeep and a few people comment when I park next to a row of golf buggies. Mine is clearly the best

Loving the sunshine

There were tons of these guys hanging around

The small tortoise refuge allows for some great photos and Kate falls in love with the little guys.

One of the little guys

These guys look so fake it's amazing

The next day we head out to a small reef just off the island for some snorkeling. I’ve been before on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and it is hilarious to compare the safety standards – actually there is nothing to compare as they are completely non-existent here. After paddling around for a while I’m impressed by a really close-up view of a spinning boat propeller. Apparently the guy wanted to talk to his friends, so drove right through the middle of the snorkeling tourists.

The number of fish was staggering

There are tons of brightly colored fish in every direction and we also see a small amount of coral, some barracudas and sting rays. Kate’s underwater camera is really great, but it hasn’t done a good job of capturing the colors – it was a lot clearer than the photos look.

We saw a few Barracudas

New Years Eve with thousands of locals is really really huge, and again I’m amused by the ability for anyone to buy fireworks of literally any size. Quite a few sounded like mortar rounds and were being set off by teenagers throwing small ones at each other.

Kate & Dan out snorkeling

The sun shines hot every day and the crystal clear water is just the right temperature. We enjoy eating at all the restaurants and wandering around the stores and street markets in search of bargains.
Isla Mujeres is a really beautiful little place.

-Dan

I drive south and immediately feel pangs of Indiana Jones when I see huge lush mountains with jagged peaks disappearing into the clouds. I cross into the state of Chiapas which I’ve heard great things about for my entire trip and am not disappointed in the least. There are strict fines here for dumping trash and the results are very obvious with not a single piece in sight. I turn off the main highway and soon find myself on an amazingly windy narrow mountain road making it’s way through tiny farming villages perched on crazy inclines. Initially the vegetation is almost all pine trees and I am strongly reminded of mountains in Canada, in fact all across North America. As I continue the pine trees fade away and before long it is extremely dense and jungle like.
I’ve never been able to put into words what I thought Central America would look like, and I’m really excited to find this is it and can’t stop grinning from ear to ear as I wind along the little road.

The lush mountains of Chiapas

I roll into the town of Palenque and check into at a really cheap hotel before wandering around the very busy & touristy town. It’s nice to see about 95% of the tourists are Mexican and I enjoy a great dinner of chicken Fajitas after getting some assistance from locals to order. I hit the ruins at 9am the next morning and find it already amazingly busy with tour buses and people playing chicken in every direction. I ask a fellow driver and it seems we must park at the crowded museum and walk up the very steep hill to the ruins. Once at the top, I purchase my entrance ticket and wander into the park with a couple of Brits I meet standing in line.

The first temple at Palenque

The city of Palenque has evidence of habitation going back to 100 BC and from 600 – 900 AD it was the power center of this entire corner of what we today call Mexico. It’s regarded as the biggest ruins in Mexico and I’m not disappointed in the least.

Some writing, no idea what it says

The ruins themselves are enormous and stunning, with many buildings having been excavated and restored all surrounded by lush green grass. The entire area sits next to dense jungle and misty mountains. I don’t see any monkeys, although I feel certain they are hiding behind every tree

The tallest temple that permits climbing

When I attempt to leave just before midday I find the Jeep is parked in, and only because it’s near the edge and some creating driving on my part I manage to get it out. The entire area is now unbelievably busy and apparently getting more so by the minute. My advice to anyone visiting Palenque is to arrive at the gate the very minute it opens to try and beat the crowd.

Beautiful plants & trees are everywhere

The setting and scale are most impressive

In places the buildings have not been restored to show decay

View from the top

Another beautiful one

-Dan

I move south from Puerto Escondido on a beautiful sunny day like countless others I’ve had in Mexico. I get stopped by the military guys who want to search my Jeep, this time they do a very through job taking about twenty minutes. The guy in charge of the whole show starts asking me something in Spanish and just doesn’t leave it alone, he really wants something. Soon it is apparent he’s talking about my headlamp and five minutes later he eagerly points to the word “gift” in my dictionary. I use my headlamp all the time so I’m pretty determined not to give it to him. He doesn’t want money and he doesn’t want to “take” it from me, he wants me to give it to him.
I stick to my guns and he eventually lets me and my headlamp go on my way.

Statue at the entrance to town

I meet Victor, who has a small English school in the busy little town of Tehuantepec and we quickly become good friends. Victor taught himself English because of the advantages it makes available and is now passionate about teaching others. His students pay whatever they can, all he asks in return is their hard work and dedication. I start out by introducing myself and observing a few classes, and then move up to running 90 minute classes. The students have excellent vocab, they are just uncertain on pronunciation and sentence structure.

The students from one of my English classes

Hanging out with Victor in his town is great, he knows everyone and everything cool we need to checkout. Some of the events in random order are:

• Attending a wedding, huge sweet 15 party and a traditional Bella party where people in traditional dress dance until 5am. I’m not sure why, but a requirement of all these parties seems to be music at a volume that rattles the teeth in my head.

At the wedding, confetti was thrown at the bride & groom before clay pots were smashed on the ground

• Eating traditional Mexican food for every single meal, always cooked on an open fire by Victor’s mother and grandmother. They have a stove and oven, but prefer to use the fire.

Grandma

• Going out on a Saturday night and drinking our fill of Corona for all of $15 USD each.
• My guitar gets stolen from the back of the Jeep – it’s been sitting there the whole time and I expected it to go long ago, so I’m not at all surprised. I’ve been playing it a lot in recent weeks, so I’m going to miss it. Now I’m glad I didn’t buy a surfboard and risk losing it so soon.

The colours at the Bella were amazing

• While at Victor’s house we feel a very small earthquake, similar to a heavy truck driving by.
• I fall out of a hammock onto concrete when the supporting hook bends open under my weight. Everyone including me can’t stop laughing for ten minutes.

The traditional dresses worn for the Bella are hand sewn and cost many thousands of dollars

• Many of the students in my English class go to university in Mexico City and it’s really exciting to hang out with them and learn so much about Mexico and it’s history. Many of the students have exciting ideas as to how Mexico can improve it’s many problems, from pollution and unemployment to corruption and stray dogs.
• On Christmas I meet a friend of Victor who moved north to a border town to work in a factory making flat-screen TVs for the US. The town is regarded as the most dangerous in Mexico, but the pay is comparatively very good so he continues to live and work there, along with thousands of other Mexicans from all over the country.

Victor & Dan ready to goto the Bella party

• I get flat tire number four repaired, a very slow leak on the bead on the spare.

Smashing a pinata, always a good time

I really enjoy teaching English and with Victors help, my Spanish improves ten fold.

-Dan