After my Costa Rican tour, it was nice to go to Mexico and take it relatively easy, for me…The journey to Mexico was a nightmare since we took Spirit Airlines, which is a horrible airline. I do not recommend flying with them. I was never so happy to arrive at my destination. We stayed at an Airbnb in Cancun in the hotel zone…the condominium was at Ocean Dream, which is also a hotel. The location is right in the heart of the tourist sector, but it was very easy to get around since there was allot of places to eat nearby, a grocery store, and a place to exchange money next door…all within walking distance.
Ocean Dream has an infinity pool that reaches out to the beach. The location was beautiful; I still dream about the walks along the sea. The water was the most amazing blue. The pictures do not do it justice.
When I was settled in the room, I decided to spend time relaxing by the pool, and was even able to order food and drinks…It’s great when you don’t have to leave the pool area to get fed. We got there in the afternoon, and had to wait until dinner time for a friend from the Costa Rica trip to join us since she took a separate flight. Once she arrived we got dinner, and went grocery shopping for some basics. I had to get a picture with Spiderman at Coco Bongo, which I did not set a foot in, but was on the way to the store. There are all sorts of characters in front of the place you can take a picture with; just make sure you tip them. We brought dinner to the balcony and drank wine while enjoying the ocean view in the background.
The next day, we decided to take the ferry to Isla Mujeres which was a pretty quick trip; maybe a half hour. Once we were there, we rented a golf cart for about $30.00. We drove along the island, stopping at different points of interest. I enjoyed Punta Sur which has some Mayan ruins, and is decorated with Mayan artwork. The view is inspiring.
Hacienda Mundaca is an old pirate refuge that hosts concerts. We stopped at a beach, Playa Tiburon, and had a beer at one of those bars that has swings. Sitting by the beach, enjoying a beer, was fantastic.
Later, I found a beaded necklace that Nefertiti would have approved of…if you enjoy shopping, there are artisan markets. W also stopped at a cemetery that was along the coast. Maybe I am morbid, but I enjoy visiting them to see how other cultures deal with death. The monuments were colorful and a great tribute.
Later, we found a restaurant by the sea that served delicious seafood, and for me, fish tacos. We watched the sunset as we ate our dinner.
It was a great way to end a perfect day. The ferry runs every half hour so we were able to catch one going back easily.
We took a Viator day trip to the ruins at Coba, a cenote, and then Tulum, which looking back, was too many activities to fit in one day. I don’t recommend the tour. I think Tulum and the cave would have been perfect. It was also terrible since we were picked up at 615am at our place, but then didn’t get to Coba until 11am. So there was allot of waiting. The tour was pretty rushed since we did not have much time at any of the places. Renting a car and doing it on our own would have been better, or taking a tour with less activities. I still enjoyed the sites, and learning more about the ancient Maya. Swimming in the cenote was also a great experience.
Coba is on the Yucatan peninsula, and is a great example of a late classical Mayan city with stelae that document Mayan ceremonial life. By the time the Spanish had arrived, the city had been abandoned. We took a tour of the ruins, and then climbed the ancient pyramid there, which is one of the only sites that lets you do this. It has a 130 steps that are narrow and steep. You feel amazing when you get to the top. Coming down is pretty scary…I had to walk down holding on to the rope, but I made it! I was pretty proud.
After that we took a tricycle ride back to the front entrance. I had mine race Ben-Hur style with my sister’s…I beat her pretty badly…you can see she was way behind me… We had time to grab a coconut, and watch some of the performers wearing Mayan costumes before heading to the cenote to go swimming. Climbing the pyramid makes Coba worth the trip there since that isn’t something you can do at Chichen Itza.
We swam at Tankach-Ha cenote. In case you were wondering, a cenote is a sinkhole where the bedrock collapsed and exposed that groundwater underneath. They had special significance to the Maya, and were used for sacrificial offerings. It was so refreshing to swim after hiking at Coba.
We only had about 50 minutes so I climbed down the stairs and made sure I got some swim time in. You can dive into the water as well if that is something you enjoy. We were on such a tight timeline that wetting my hair was not possible, so I could not partake in any diving. After swimming, we headed to lunch (which was nothing special and included) then Tulum!
Tulum is the only ancient Mayan city that is on the coast. It was also one of the last cities built by the Maya, and was an important port. The walls protected the city from invaders, and it was a significant religious site. Tulum is so beautiful, and was the best part of the day. The beach there is amazing. The sun was shining and it was a hot day, but great for picture taking since the sky was an intense blue. The temple of the God of the Wind is right along the coast, and definitely a must see, along with the palace. Our guide took us around then left us to wander on our own. It was hard to leave, and we waited until the last second…I had to run to catch the bus before it left me. I am ashamed to admit that there is a Starbucks there that I visited. After a couple weeks of only hot coffee, it was nice to have an iced coffee.
Later, we got tacos and beer, and enjoyed dinner by the pool… I am not ashamed to admit that we lived off tacos. After an intense day of activities, we decided that we needed a pool/beach day to recover…
