Valladolid, Chichén Itzá, Cenotes

After seeing my karaoke pals off in Cancún, I met up with Anne at the main bus terminal. We made plans at Poc-Na to meet and travel to Valladolid, and take in the ruins at Chichén Itzá.

Second-class bus travel in México is better than a Greyhound milk run, with departures to where you want to go often five minutes after you buy your ticket. Still, travel tends to be a little bit slower - we covered the 180km from Cancún to Valladolid in just under three hours.

Valladolid is a very fine example of a typical small Mexican city. The sidewalks are narrow, the streets are filled with the sights and sounds of Mexican daily life, and most everything revolves around the central square. Shirts and shoes block the sidewalk for a few feet, then you need to step around a Mayan woman selling fruit, and then duck under the smoke billowing from the roastery next door.

Valladolid Hostel overlooks La Candelaria, which was a second square a few blocks away from the main plaza. It was one of the finest hostels I have stayed in, and the quiet garden was a welcome change from Poc-Na.

We rose early the next morning to get to Chichén Itzá, about 35 minutes East of Valladolid. Definitely the most impressive ruins I have seen on this trip, though Uxmal was supposed to be the most important Mayan city while Chichén Itzá was built up by the Toltecs some three centuries later. Both Anne and I were in a strange mood when we were there, so we kind of blazed through the site. The restaurant had incredibly overpriced food, so we poked around and found the non-descript taco stand well off the tourist track at the far end of the staff parking lot.

We rented bikes the next day and headed out to two cenotes just east of town. Cenotes are freshwater pools found in the limestone bedrock that covers the entire Yucatán Peninsula. Some are more like caves, while others are best described as swimming holes. The two cenotes we went to were very much caves, though you could swim in both. I chose to swim in the second, and the feeling of swimming in cold freshwater was a refreshing change to the warm Caribbean.

We couldn't really dilly-dally at the cenotes, though. I had found a way to make it to Isla Holbox, and needed to catch a bus at 1:00PM that day. I made it to the bus station with just enough time to grab a ticket to Chiquilá, and just enough money to buy the ticket (and the ferry to Holbox).

Isla Mujeres, Part Two

My return to Isla Mujeres was part of the plan even before I extended my trip to the 29th of March. I also made plans to meet Cindy (NED) here shortly after hooking up with Pam & Co. in Playa. I was happy to return, as the day spent here earlier was far too short to appreciate the island.

It is easy to forget that Isla Mujeres is only a 30-minute ride from Cancún. The island is far more relaxed than places on the mainland coast, and has more of a small-town feel. And the town is small - in fact, you can circle the whole island in under an hour. One place that is not so small, however, is Poc-Na Hostel. This hostel is teeming with travellers from across the globe, all of whom are either starting or finishing their travels. Poc-Na has its own bar and restaurant, which fills with people and their stories about thirty minutes after sunset.

I was one of about five travellers who succumbed to what I now call Manañitis; symptoms include staying out late, not packing your bag, and lounging in hammocks well past check-out time. It was because of the people I met at Poc-Na that my intended three days on Isla Mujeres turned into five. It is amazing how quickly you can become close friends with people halfway around the world.

I met Kathryn (London), Kathy (GER), and Victoria (Wales) on the night I won the pool tournament. The three of them met on a GAP adventure, and I came to their table trying to give away my meat dinner as Victoria and Kathy were working out the type of apartment they wanted to find together in Cologne. Over the next few days, we spent hours moving between hammocks and picnic tables, stayed up far too late, and became close by imagining and filling out top-5, top-10, and top-20 lists.

The island spell broke when I returned to Cancún with them, wanting to both move on and catch one more night with them before we all went our separate ways. I was rewarded with a great dinner in the park and karaoke. Notable songs included Fernando, I Will Survive, and Livin' On A Prayer (Note: Bohemian Rhapsody should never be attempted on only one microphone). I was very sad to see us all part ways in Cancún not three days later, but we exchanged emails and hopefully will keep in touch.

Resort Review - RIU Playacar

Three days of resort life left me full for two days afterwards. I somehow justified my double-dinners by pointing to my active days ('Walking on sand is so hard'). I piled my plate high with salads and pastas on the first night, but moved on to more traditional Mexican food thereafter. Pancakes, fruit, and fresh orange juice rounded out the breakfasts.

Self-serve espresso machines helped counter the effects of the nights before. The drinks from the bar were consistently weak (mojitos excepted). This prompted Pam and Alex to innovate with a technique called 'fortification':

1) Drain excess mix from top of drink into bathroom sink (keep ice);
2) 'Fortify' drink with the room's complimentary wet bar, located to the left of sink.

This approach worked really well, but led to problems as I tried to find my way back to the Hostel El Palomar on the first night.

The Mambo Cafe was a great place for dancing the night away. I tagged along with resort staff just off-shift, and managed to land some basic salsa steps with Brenda's (resort activity coordinator) help. The ten-piece live band also helped, for even if I wasn't dancing well, I could not help but try. Sonja noted my 5AM return from the Mambo Cafe, and decided to rub it in with a 7AM wake-up call.

Of all the activities Sonja enjoyed on our day together, swimming ranked highest. Mention the word 'swim' to her and she smiles wide and breaks into some wild James Brown hand movements. The hardest part of my day was trying to balance Sonja's desire to play with the reality of her being too cold to stay in the water. But, she braved the cold as we blew bubbles, 'popped' the the ball from underwater, splashed me, and pushed me over, etc. We must have spent four hours of the day in the pool.

Still, like all good things, the resort time had to end. It turned the corner from good to bad on the final day, when I realised I was full, fully rested, and tired all at the same time. So, I packed my things, said my goodbyes, and headed off for my second stint at Isla Mujeres. When I arrived, it felt good to make my own bed, stuff my belongings in a locker, and find some fruit for lunch.

Even if I was still full.

Playa Del Carmen

Unfortunately, I left Ambergris Caye almost as soon as I got there. Ambergris has plenty to offer, but I was pushed on both by the rain that fell through the day and the prospect of playing with family in Playa Del Carmen. So, I jumped on an island hopper plane and landed in Corozal in the early afternoon. I met two Brits on the plane who were going straight to the Mexican border by shuttle, then hiring a taxi for the 300km ride to Playa. We split the fares, which saved over two hours and only added about $15 to my travel costs.

I met two women from OK Centre at the border, and they were so nice! We joked about how people from the Okanagan have a bit of a Fargo accent, which was corroborated on both of our trips by people asking if we were from Minnesota. They were destined for Cancún, and I wish I could have joined them, to share travel stories. Instead, it was me and the two Brits careening down the highway at 120 in a Hyundai. They weren't all that chatty, because one had a birthday the night before and both were a bit green around the gills.

I treated myself to a nice hotel here in Playa ($45USD), mostly because I could not find the hostel! Then I found a phone and called Alex, and I arranged to stop by the resort. After dinner (along with two Coronas and four margaritas), I was sweet-talking my way past the front desk of Riu Playacar. Four 'fortified' (made double-strength by the complimentary wet bar in the room) pina coladas later, it was 3:30AM. I hopped off the balcony, and flagged a taxi back home. Despite the nice hotel, the walls still spun when I flopped on the bed. Seems like no matter how much you spend, you can't buy your way out of the spins.

Thunderstorms threatened to spoil the finale of Carnaval last night, but held off until today. The Carnaval parade passed right by the hostel last night (my second night here), so we had a great view of the procession filled with costumes and dancing. I met a couple of other travellers for dinner and drinks, and then we headed over to catch the open-air concert in the city square.

The rain is now coming down in sheets here in Playa Del Carmen, with about an inch of water covering the main shopping area of 5th Street. People are running for cover in all directions, and the café I am sitting in is receiving a bit of flooding! Cheers come from the bar across the street whenever the intensity of the rain increases. I am holed up here, waiting for it to abate so I can collect my bag from the hostel and possibly spend a few days with Pam, Alex, and Sonja at the resort.