Today we visited Coba Mayan ruins, which are located about two hours away from Playa del Carmen. After getting off the bus that was playing Mexican music that Matt wanted to buy the CD of, we entered the archaeological site for about £2.50.

We had read online that the best way to get around the large site is to hire bikes and cycle around. As you all know, Matt hates bikes, but I managed to persuade him when we saw how big the area was, and the fact that it was only £2 to rent a bike for the whole day!! After a bit of deliberation, we managed to select from loads of bikes two which were about the right size for us. I chose a small yellow rusty number, which I suspect may have been a children's one, and Matt opted for a sexy, red ladies number! After a bit of a shaky start, me and Matt set off along the bumpy grit tracks that zig zag around the site. They were all tree lined, so there was loads of shade, and at each main part of the ruins, there were areas to park up your bike.

There were lots of impressive structures there, all set in jungle-style woodland, there was even a watchtower with a (re)thatched roof. But the most impressive building on the whole site was the Nohoc Mul Pyramid (or Grand Pyramid) which is the tallest in the Yucatan at over 126 feet. It's got 120 stairs and in my profession opinion is pretty bloody high! Standing at the bottom before the climb is (literally, for me) breathtaking, it stands way higher than even the tallest trees in the area. I was absolutely terrified about climbing it, but I was determined to go up to the top, despite the vertigo! After scaling the stairs, which were SO steep, mainly on my hands and knees, I reached the top breathless - partly from exertion, but mainly from sheer, unadulterated terror, as I looked down halfway up the climb - not a good idea!

At the top, I sat in the tiny amount of shade available trying to pull myself together, while Matt took photos. I didn't dare look over the edge for at least ten minutes, but when I plucked up the courage, the view was amazing! You could see for miles across the jungle, and the people at the bottom looked like ants. After having my phot taken as far away from the edge as possible, I began the (extremely) slow descent down, ensuring that I didn't plummet to my death by sliding on my bum the majority of the way down, much to Matt's embarrassment! At the bottom, I felt such a sense of achievement, but more of a sense that I was going to pass out!

After riding our bikes around the grounds a bit more, and exploring some of the jungle side paths, we decided to go and get some lunch. This was found in another open-air, thatched-roof restaurant overlooking a crocodile filled lagoon - although we didn't manage to spot one over lunch.

Today was such a good day, and made me remember how much I love cycling, although I'm sure it won't be as appealing pedalling down the Salt Line in the freezing cold at home!