My first step on Mexican soil was in a little known place called Cancún.. Hmmm!
Was I on a 2-week all-inclusive resort holiday? Hell no! Was it the cheapest place to fly to from Cartagena? Yep!
It's location on the east coast also happens to be a perfect starting point to begin travelling through Mexico, so it was a win-win.. as long as I got the hell out of Cancún as quickly as possible. Other than large hotel chains, clinical shopping malls, and expensive clubs, there isn't all that much to see. However, the beauty of those white sandy beaches and turquoise waters is undeniable. Stunning!
I had 2 nights booked in Cancún, and with arriving late on Wednesday evening it only gave me a day to work out my next destination and formulate some sort of route.
I arrived to Mexico pretty much blind as to what the country had to offer. I'd picked up a few bits and pieces from Liana, and from a contact which Annabelle set me up with called, Cahir, who lives in Mexico City.. but other than that I had no expectations. It can be cool this way though, it's good to get advice but it's also fun to work it out for yourself.
Within a few hours of speaking to people at the Mezcal Hostel in Downtown Cancún, I quickly realised the enormity of Mexico and underestimated how much there was to see here. A little over three weeks was never going to be sufficient so I better make the most of the time I've got.
Having devised some sort of plan, I decided to check out a less touristy beach, beyond the large hotels. Under the scorching early afternoon sun, I took a local bus for half an hour to Playa Delphines.. it was a stunner! And more importantly not overrun by tourists.
I grilled myself on the beach for a few hours before making my way back to the hostel, via the supermarket, which had an incredible array of cakes. It is insane how cheap Mexico is.. three delicious baked treats for as little as 75p, this could be dangerous!!
The evening was spent in the hostel bar having a good booze up with a few I'd met - EJ from Cambridge, Shab from London, and Hendrik from the Netherlands.
I was on the move the following morning, ready to get away from the bright lights of Cancún. A few hours drive down the coast while dodging past another popular resort, Playa Del Carmen, I arrived to a place called Tulum.
Tulum features some of the best beaches in Mexico, Playa Paraiso being one of them, so no sooner had I checked into the Xolo Hostel, I was heading for the beach again.
I'd got speaking to a girl called Magda as I was grabbing my bags from the bus.. an archaeologist from Germany, living in Edinburgh. She's probably not the type of person you'd class as "normal".. she was a bit quirky this one, super friendly and ridiculously chatty also. But what stuck out was the way she was dressed.. actually like a female Indiana Jones! No joke!
When I mentioned I was hitting the beach, she asked if she could join me.. "Errr suuuuuuure", I replied, not having chance to think quickly enough for a reason why not. She was friendly though, so it couldn't hurt.
What a mistake that turned out to be, she never stopped yapping all afternoon. Most people would get the hint when someone puts their headphones in. Not her, she needed to tell me all about how she represented Germany in her weightlifting days! Wtf?!
Then the final nail in the coffin came when she asked if I'd like to stay at her hotel with her since she had a double bed going spare.. "Errrr, no thanks pal!"
Is she crazy? I'd only just met her.. for all she knows I could be some sort of mentalist or maniac rapist.. more to the point, she could be!
"Could I do a runner here?" I thought, when the classy German decided to take a pee in the bushes while donning her stupid Indiana Jones hat.. I was definitely considering it.
I'd had enough.. get me back to the hostel so I can lie down in a cold dark room.. my poor little brain. Sanity restored! Never to be seen again, I hope. The characters you meet aye?!
I grabbed my first dose of tacos later that evening.. they were delicious and insanely cheap, the equivalent of just 30p for one. Crazy! A crispy crepe with a banana and Nutella filling was a right touch for desert.. having a dorm room to myself for the night also was.
One thing I quickly learned in the short time I've been in Mexico is that you're never too far away from either a Mayan ruin or a cenote. They are literally everywhere! People go nuts for the both of these so since I was ready for a break from the beach, I set out for something a little different on Saturday to see what all the fuss was about.
I caught the local bus to a place called Coba, 45 minutes north of Tulum, where archaeologists supposedly believe one of the most important Mayan ruin sites on the Yucatan Peninsula is situated. Not usually my sort of thing but I had to have a look.
This place was massive, the entire site spreads over 30 square miles.. I obviously just had a wander around the main part where white roads lead from each settlement to the main pyramid, Nohoch Mul.
At 137-feet tall, Nohoch Mul, which means "great mound," is the tallest Mayan pyramid on the Yucatan Peninsula, the second tallest Mayan pyramid in the world, and one of the few archeological sites in Mexico where you are still allowed to climb up the ruins. The 120 steps leading up to the top of the pyramid are a relatively simple climb but under the midday heat you'll find yourself mopping your brow within seconds. At its peak, you are welcomed by panoramic views over miles of dense jungle but with no shade for cover the heat was unbearable!
It doesn't look steep from the bottom looking up but it certainly does looking down. Slippery stones with variations in depth, some of which are missing due to erosion, makes for a challenging and treacherous descent. Your only “safety” is the rope attached to the stone steps. There is only one rope, so watching everyone climbing up and down while clinging to it as if their life depends on it was hilarious!
I suppose that was as fascinating as it got for me.. more ruins were near by but on a smaller scale and less intriguing. It's going to take a hell of a lot more to get me excited about what is essentially just a pile of rocks!
After I'd seen enough of all that it was time to check out one of these cenotes everyone had been banging on about.. I'd never heard of the things until I arrived in Mexico, there's over 6,000 here!
A cenote is a deep natural well or sinkhole formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes ground water underneath, and were sometimes used by the ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings.
There was three cenotes in the nearby area, however not within walking distance, so I hired a bike off a friendly Mexican chap, took his advice on which he thought was the best, and off I went.
The one he recommended, Multum Ha, had to be furthest away of course.. 25 minutes on a questionable bike with no brakes was hard work! But I arrived there in one piece after a cycle through a rural village where I barely saw a soul.
Swim shorts on, I headed underground down a dark spiral staircase.. I didn't know what to expect. Any noise from outside had now disappeared, all I could hear were faint voices as I reached the bottom, where a wooden platform brought me out into a large elegant spherical cave. Several other people were already taking a look, a few swimming.. it all felt a bit odd.
This cenote had a supposed depth of 30 metres but the water was so clear everything underneath seemed just below the surface.
5 minutes later, I had the whole cenote to myself, everyone cleared off.. something I said?! Ha
I dipped myself into the frikkin cold water, a refreshing change from the searing heat. It was just so peaceful, absolute silence.. you could hear a pin drop. This was absolute bliss!
Or was it?
I was on my own, underground, with no-one around for miles. I was in water - my ultimate enemy. The silence became deafening and eerie. I got creeped out! Haha wuss!
Lack atmosphere these cenotes! :D
Pretty cool though.
I had a good half hour of chilling/freaking out, before deciding to head back on the bike to catch my return bus to Tulum.
After smashing a few more tacos for tea, I went out with my two new roomies at the hostel. A Mexican girl called Ana, and Julie, an American girl who had been travelling for 4 years!
We hit the popular Batey Mojito Bar where an old decorated beetle is parked outside, customised with a machine that squeezes the juice from sugar canes for drinks on the menu.
The local salsa club was next, which was.. different! I had my beer, but didn't get up to dance for fear of showing up the locals.
I left the girls to it just before midnight as I've an early start in the morning. I'll continue to move pretty quickly through Mexico over the next few weeks to cram in as much as possible.
Tomorrow I'm heading for Isla Holbox, a beautiful island off the north-east coast.
Adiós xx