David –
Our trusty steed was a tiny 4 door Chevrolet which we picked up outside of the airport. For the next two weeks we’re travelling around the Yucatan peninsula! We were heading down from Cancun to Tulum, Bacalar, inland to Validolid, east to Merida and finally north off the coast to Isla Holbox.
We weren’t too sure if we’d stand out in our tiny tourist mobile but the roads are good and the traffic isn’t too crazy. So it was a pretty cruisey drive along the dense jungle down the coast to the small town of Tulum. A majority of the resorts are on the beach but we chose our Airbnb in the town proper and close to everything.
A visit to the Yucatan is not complete without a swim in the Caribbean sea! Although most beaches were ‘private’ there was still enough sand on the Las Palmas public beach for us to relax both in and out of the warm water.
Having now enjoyed a few varieties of Mexican cuisine we joined Riviera Kitchen Tulum for a cooking class. Although it was not particularly hands on we got the run down of a few very traditional recipes – salsa verde, salsa guacamole, tortillas, enchaladas, Mexican rice and more! We also tasted Mescal, similar to tequila its made from blue agave but much smoother and smokier in taste and its drunk like a whiskey. It wasn’t to everyone’s taste but I quite enjoyed it!
Near Tulum you can find many Mayan ruins – early one morning we headed to Coba. Just after opening we were able to scale NoHoch Mul, the tallest surviving Mayan pyramid (and the only one in Mexico you can actually climb). We’d beaten the tourist buses from Cancun and it was eerily quiet as we rode our bikes down the old Mayan white ‘Sacbe’ roads between temples and pyramids.
The climb up was much tougher than it looked. One slip and you could easily find yourself tumbling to the bottom.
The views were definitely worth it – and we could easily eaves drop on the one other visitor who had hired a guide! The Mayans also claim to have invented the first form of football however it wasn’t played with your feet – but your hips, shoulders and chest. The losing team unfortunately also lost their heads!
As the midday sun rose we started to feel the jungle heat and we needed to cool off – we headed to Koom Lagoon and Cenote. There are over 6000 Cenotes (pronounced Ce-Notes) across the Yucatan. Where the limestone caves collapse and expose the underground river of fresh water is called a Cenote. The cenotes in the Yucatan span over 350km of the region so there are many to explore – some Cenotes are over 150m deep, the one at Koom Lagoon was around 100m!
We were keen to explore the Cenotes further and I had confirmed that it was possible to dive them with my open water ticket! We headed to Dos Ojo’s (“two eyes”) with Scuba Tulum. For a change, it was fortunate that I was the only one joining them that day.
The diving was amazing. An unforgettable experience! The visibility was insane – better than any swimming pool and the cave formations and tunnels were incredible to explore. We followed a rope around two circuits, floating through the caverns it felt like a sci-fi movie with just my torch illuminating huge caverns and floor to ceiling stalactites. You certainly wouldn’t want to get lost as some unfortunate divers have!
Back in Tulum we found a few great local spots to eat. We caught up with Daniel and Elisa from the cooking class and shared our experiences so far and plans for the rest our road trips across the peninsula. I was left feeling a bit unwell after we discovered the 21 Peso bar – everything was 21 pesos, beers, cocktails and spirits! We figured this has to be a front for some sort cartel business haha!
After Tulum we drove on to Bacalar, an even smaller town than Tulum right by the southern boarder of Belize famous for its 60km crystal blue fresh water lake. The ‘lake of 7 blues’ was indeed stunning! The best way to explore was via an old catamaran! We quietly cruised over the Cenotes and across the lake to where they Mayans had built a canal to the coast. Later this was used by the Spanish and even pirates!
The sand is white because of a snail which eats all the biological matter and its shell turns into sand! The mangroves also help seperate the sediment in the water – after that you are left with a very coarse, slightly slimy and sulfur smelling sand: perfect to make your self a Mayan body scrub!
Our evenings were spent relaxing and soaking in the amazing atmosphere along the lake front. Certainly felt like a tough spot to be!
I have to mention the amazing street dogs of Bacalar – they all seemed quite well looked after and healthy – they were all so friendly!
Our last morning in Bacalar we rose early to catch the magnificent sunrise over the lagoon and then packed up our tiny Chevrolet and set off into the distant jungle. Next stop Valladolid!
Far Away From Home 