Mark and I just returned from an amazing trip to Mexico to celebrate our 25th Anniversary.
We spent eight days on the Yucatan Peninsula exploring Tulum.
Day 1 was mostly travel. We left Wellington so so early to catch a 6:30 am flight. It would have made more sense to leave the previous night and stay near the airport, but I was already feeling super anxious about leaving the girls. We have left Bailee in charge (and on her own) for a night or two at a time, but 7 nights is a whole new deal. My worries were slightly softened knowing we had trusted neighbors, friends and grandparents who were checking in on them. I'm telling ya the morning we left I was a pile of nerves..... It was also freezing!!
The flight was around 4 hours and the time change was 2 hours , so by the time we landed in Cancun we were already feeling pretty jet lagged
Maybe we were just super hungry, but I felt like this Quesadilla from the airport bar was about the tastiest thing ever.
After a 2 hour bus ride from Cancun to Tulum, and a frustrating Taxi experience, we arrived at our Airbnb. Our home for the next 8 days would be Tulum Ha.
We were so exhausted, but too hungry to just go to bed. We decided to go out and explore main street and found this burrito shop. We were a little hesitant as it looked like a place run by expats rather than locals. We were tired, hungry and still getting our feet wet. It was close to our end of town, lots of people eating there (reassuring) so we went for it. The burritos were pretty good, but it felt a little too much like an upscale burrito joint in the states.
Day 2 we rented bikes at our place and rode to the Ruins of Tulum. We stopped at a gas station for water and experienced that initial sticker shock that comes before adjusting to the dollar/peso conversion .... 1 dollar =19.72 pesos so really not bad at all.
The ruins were so amazing! A 13th-century archaeological wonder of the Mayan people.
We ran into this guy on our exploration
We walked around the market area for a while and had some lunch.
We were fascinated by the Mayan Pole Dancers ...
We rode our bikes back to town a different direction than we came so we could stop at the beach and put our toes in the sand
Lots of people had the same idea;)
After a long, scenic, hot and uncomfortable (bike was a bit too short) ride back to Tulum,
we were ready to eat (again;).
We were on the lookout for a specific Taqueria Mark had read about, but stumbled upon this corner eatery and decided to give it a try. Turned out to be a good thing. They had the best guacamole!!
And entertainment too!
Day 3 we took an hour bus ride to Coba to see the ruins because we just couldn't get enough of these ancient Mayan settlements.
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| walking to the Autobus station |
Unlike the Tulum ruins, the Coba ruins are several sites that are quite spread out. They have bikes you can rent to get around .. we were glad we took advantage of that.
Central to the multiple settlements is Nohoch Mul, the highest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan.
This structure is 137 feet high and 120 steps will lead you to the top. Those steps are narrow and steep and the heat along with humidity were kicking my butt .....
... but the view was so worth it!
We enjoyed the view until it became too crowded. Making our way down was easier, but scarier.
We grabbed a quick lunch before having to catch our bus.
Not a bad view while enjoying tacos, arepas and guacamole.
I find it fascinating and somewhat heart-wrenching, to see how the locals live
Glad we had this option for transportation.
It really made things quite comfortable and less stressful for getting around.
We walked around town for a while and couldn't pass up this gelato shop
I loved how everything was still decorated for the holidays.
We became regulars at this corner produce stand.
We would stop on our way back to our house to pick up mangos and pineapples.
Mark had read up on several places to eat (he is good at that kind of thing). We chose Pizzeria Manglar for dinner. It was such a cool little place that was so unexpected as you walk the alley to get there.
The pizza was tasty, but the Mosquito's were nasty!! We were practically eaten alive. It wasn't until we paid the bill at the bar, we saw they had bug spray available for customers. Wish we would have known that earlier ... we would have enjoyed more leisure.
Day 4 we took a taxi to Gran Cenote located just a few miles outside Tulum.
The word cenote comes from the Mayan word "well". It's a deep, water-filled sinkhole in limestone that is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses creating a natural pool.
The water is so clear you can see fish swimming around even without snorkeling ...
In the darker caverns, you really need to snorkel to be able to see underwater. If you don't get claustrophobic and feel like you can't breathe because you're panicking... it's even better;)
We even saw some of these little guys in a protected area of the pool.
It was really multiple cenotes as opposed to one big one, all connected by wooden walkways. This side was more shallow and had the softest sand bottom. It was so gorgeous!
As one of the most famous cenotes in Mexico... we were glad we got there early because the crowds kinda ruined it for us.
"Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life."
When we got back to Tulum, we were .... you guessed it ... HUNGRY! We finally made it to Taqueria Honorio. We had found it a couple of days before, but they are only open limited hours.
It holds the reputation for the best tacos in Tulum. This might be true! Several places we ate use plastic bag covers on the plates. I am guessing to save time and/or water to wash dishes. Kinda weird. It is baffling to me how quickly you acclimate to eating (and enjoying) food prepared in set ups that would be completely unacceptable by U.S. standards.
We finished off day 4 with a cooking class at Lina's Kitchen. This turned out to be my favorite thing we did on our trip.
Lina and her sister, Miriam (who we cooked with) have built this amazing kitchen above their residence to share their love of authentic Mexican cuisine.
They keeping the classes small.... no more than 6. We were with another couple from Spain/Netherlands, Richard and Iris. They were the perfect couple to be paired with ....friendly, genuine, easy to be around good people. Oh man ... the wrong pairing could have made for a very long night:/ We also enjoyed the company of Donetto (could be remembering wrong), a young man that works as her assistant. He did not speak English well, so Mark was really trying to have a conversation with him in Spanish ... we do not speak Spanish well;)
Lina and Miriam learned recipes from their mother and grandmother’s kitchen in Oaxaca, a major culinary region of Mexico.
I didn't really know what to expect. I had different versions of how this might go. It was very hands on, which was great! We learned so much from her, although it would be pretty difficult to duplicate at home without all here authentic kitchen tools.
On the menu was: Shrimp Ceviche & Scallops, Salsa Rojo o Verde/Salsa de Chile de Arbol, Caldo de Camaron Picante, Mole Almendrado con Pollo, Corn Tortillas and for dessert Cocadas. And we MADE IT ALL:)
I really did help more than take pictures.
We arrived at 5 pm and didn't leave until nearly midnight.
It was really an authentic experience ... savoring the food, drinks, and company... in no rush at all.
It was fun to have Miriam join us on the beautiful patio to eat. She is warm and welcoming and has a personality that I was instantly drawn to. Mark loved asking her lots of questions and joking around with her. By the end of the night, her reserved and quiet personality was giving it right back to him.
I loved this experience and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Truly a way to experience the culture ... if you're in to that.
The back of the recipe book we brought home with us.
We certainly did experience what it means to "cook with the heart"
Day 5 we took a Colectivo to Akumal, a small seaside town on the Yucatan.
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| some artwork as we left the Colectivo and walk toward the beach |
It is the place to go for white sand beaches and snorkeling. We went with hopes of seeing turtles. The beaches are stunning and it was quite serene as we got there early.
This guy was actually raking the sand ...WHAT??
After evaluating the snorkeling/turtle viewing as a bit of a tourist trap (they had a specific area roped off for paid tours only), we decided to just go it alone and take our chances with our own gear. Unfortunately, we didn't see a single turtle. We did see lots of cool fish though.
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| looking back at the beach |
Mark has an endurance for snorkeling that I don't. He will go on for hours in search of the big thrill (similar to his fishing style). I feel like after a while (hours), I have seen what I am going to see. That, mixed with my claustrophobic tendencies and discomfort with being under water for long periods of time, and I was done snorkeling long before Marco. I enjoyed my book while he looked for more fish.... {Good read BTW}
.. and really hoped these coconuts wouldn't fall on my head!
We took a break from the sand for some lunch.
This was not my favorite meal, but it was within walking distance from the beach.
We walked around the little shops nearby and were tempted by lots of local vendors ... and honestly a fair amount of junk.
Despite not seeing the much anticipated Sea Turtles ... we had a glorious day at this beautiful beach.
Day 6 we ventured out to another Cenote.... but first we enjoyed delicious mango and banana from our little produce stand.
We rode our bikes 5 miles up highway 307 to check out Cenote Cristal
Walking down the path .... lusciousness!
We had the place almost to ourselves, other than two girls from TX and CA that had met at the local Hostel. Cristal had a much more natural and remote feel to it. Even as people started flowing in, it was nothing like the touristy feel of Gran Cenote. Mark had to try the platform jump.
As beautiful as it was, it wasn't as "user friendly" as the other. There really wasn't anywhere to just casually soak or float. The pool was so deep, especially in the middle, you had to use this rope to hang onto (unless you are a strong swimmer, which I am not).
I didn't want to work that hard to get around;)
Once it started attracting more visitors it kinda lost some of the appeal.
We rode back to town and had some food. Miriam had given us a locals perspective on places to try and we sought out this one.
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| yes that is pastor (pork) cooking on a spit |
The Empanada and Tostada were delicious! We ended up coming back here a second time.
We spent late afternoon/evening walking around Tulum. Looking for a nativity to take home, picking up a few things for the girls and visiting the local markets we grew to love.
Out of pure desperation (tired, hungry and out of ideas), we gave this place a try for dinner. We were kinda excited to eat up on the balcony, but the food was not so stellar.
Day 7 ~Feliz Cumpleanos para Marco!! He decided he wanted to spend the day at the beach... so we did.
We jumped on our bikes and rode about an hour to beach road.
This part of Tulum has a hippie-chic vibe. Lots of yoga retreats, vegan restaurants and boutiques.
The weather was not the best for a beach day. Overcast and threatening rain all morning.
We made it to the nearest restaurant on the beach just in time! The downpour came and beach goers were competing for a table that was covered.
We took our time as paying patrons. Stretching out every sip and bite until the storm passed.
When it cleared we headed back out
Normally I find the beach vendors irritating (especially the expats trying to sell their jewelry in competition with the locals), but when this little guy came by with mangos and pina, we pulled out the pesos.
The little alleyway that connected the shops and hotels to the beach.
Mark had a fascination with the license plates
Honestly, I hated riding our bikes through this beach area of Tulum. I imagine a car would be even worse. The streets are narrow, often only allowing for one car at a time. There are people and cars everywhere and it just felt more chaotic than a beach strip should feel. Ironically, the streets in town (where we spent most of our time) were much more bike friendly.
After cleaning up and relaxing at our little hacienda for a while, we went to town for some dinner and gelato.
I think it was a pretty great birthday for this guy. Hard to beat a birthday on vacation!
Day 8~Adios!
We had several hours before we had to leave for the airport. We said goodbye to our bikes that had been a lifesaver and went to explore on foot.
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| the alley that led to our home for the week |
How crazy is this? This was the house next to ours. It had a door that came out to this "catwalk" type thing where the dogs would stand guard. It's hard to explain, but trust me it was weird!!
The contrast of beauty and roughness was pretty profound
This toilet seat among these gorgeous flowers, for example.
It was strange to be among such natural beauty everywhere and yet so much disrepair and neglect at the same time.
The standards of living are so apparently different as we wandered the streets of Tulum. Along the beach road and outside of town, you have trendy hotels and resorts that can cost thousands of dollars a night. In town where the locals live, you see homes that you can't believe people actually live in. On one hand it makes my heart ache, but in some ways I admire and even envy the tenacity of these people and their ability to be happy with so little. Lots of good life lessons to think about.
We always had candy on us to give to the local kids (with parent permission of course) ..."quieres un dulce?" There was one group of kids that really captured our hearts. We saw them every night as we walked back to our place. Their parents sold fruit from a cart and they would be out there playing on an old mattress until very late ... dark. We would offer them a piece of candy and/or buy some fruit.
This wasn't them, but this was a common form of transportation for families.
We saw this little cutie the morning we left. After asking her mom if she could have a piece of candy, Mark asked her if he could take a picture of her gato. Soon after, a couple more cats came out from the house.
more license plate love💜
We had a two hour bus ride back to the airport. Since the bus only leaves Tulum certain times of the day, we got there a little early to make sure we didn't miss it.
It was an uncomfortable wait, but those buses are pretty sweet!
Welcome to the Aeropuerto
Then we were off! Sad to leave this beautiful experience, but always excited to reunite with our girlies.
We were greeted to hugs, cards and cupcakes .... and everyone was okay, which was the biggest relief!
We really missed them too!
We shared some souvenirs with them, including all these awesome treats!
Here's to 25 years ... and many more adventures to come!!
