Tacos, Parties and Shopping Malls!

Firstly arriving in the Chetumal by boat we quickly headed to Tulum as our first destination. Tulum is a beach resort built around another Mayan Ruin site but on the beach front. Cassie, Amy, Sam and I hired bikes and were about to set off to the beach. However before this the guy had to check we could do it! So with our 'fixie' bikes we all headed off...and by that I mean the other three went across the main road and I could not cope with our breaks and had a near crash into an expensive car! So with the test failed the guy came across with a gear bike which I got the swing of instantly! And off on the road we were. It was quite a ride away but was fun and we didn't mind. Eventually when we got to the beach every peddle was worth it! The sands were literally white with palm trees and the most turquoise ocean I have ever seen! Braving the factor 30 instead of the usual 45 Amy and I dared to try get some colour. Amy's famous last words 'Tan Body Tan', as after 2 hours I sat up with slightly pink arms to move to the shade with Amy coming back from the sea more on the red side of the usual tan colour. After seeking shade and been stuck under the one area of palm trees me and Amy could finally laugh at the whole senario however Amy still had to get her bike put in a taxi and driven home to avoid any sunlight! I'd caught mine just in time and got to see the ruins but looking a little flushed!

The ruins again were very pretty. Not as impressive or as big as the others but was lovely to see them at the end of the day against the ocean and read about the port life of the Mayan's. We then headed back, got some of the best Tacos and Empanadas I've ever tasted in my life, had a nap then got up for the free salsa lesson and happy hour! Due to the happy hour only been happy for an hour we obviously didn't have time to salsa and watched the others while drinking. Tonight there was a beach party back on the beach and most of us from the hostel were going. Finally in, after a return trip to get shoes as we had all adapted quite well to shoeless island life, we loved it! It was a really really nice bar/club with a dancefloor at the bottom on the beach with sand and everything! And finally they had some amazing electro house playing so I was loving it. We all talked to lots of locals and made friends with people from Cancun and Mexico City. Everyone was really friendly and we all had an amazing time.

The next day wasn't quite so amazing! After having breakfast and checking out we all headed back to bed to sleep until 2ish! When we came round feeling like we were trapped in some mental paitents ward we decided to man up and go to the senotes which were a 5min ride away before we went to Playa del Carmen that night. The Gran Senote which we visited was stunning. A little opening in the ground revealed this under ground cave and crystal clear water pools. Although pretty cold we all managed to get in and swam through the cave. Jumping at the bats but enjoying the turtles we snorkelled around the edges and into a cave to see just how deep they were. Some divers were there, I don't know how keen I would of been on that, but it was so interesting. It reminded us of the Blue Hole but at the surface! After a few hours and lots of laughs we all headed back for a final dose of Tacos before getting the bus to Playa del Carmen.

Once in Playa, as it's known to the locals, it felt like I was walking down the strip of Magaluf. With Cassie been Aussie she didn't know this classic 'Brit Abroad / Lads on Tour' spot but knew exactly what I meant as she said she felt like she had just walked onto the set of 'The Inbetweeners' movie! Despite this not sounding so nice we were amazed by the lights, shops and everything else we would of been used to at home! We explored the streets and stores and came across a baby lion that you could hold! After finding out it was $15 I decided against it but did come stupidly close!

The next day we headed to the beach where we both recieved the massages in a beach club resort. We thought we would treat ourselves! 'We deserve this!' becoming quite a quote on our travels when we feel the need to splash out despite having no jobs, stress or any worries! It was however the best $20 I have ever spent, 70 mins of deep tissue helped loosen the knots created by the world's heaviest backpack and longest journeys scrunched up on s***ty shuttle buses! We then were allowed to stay in the beach club all day on the leather lounge beds with a parosol right on the beach front! We were in heaven and stayed there all day! Once back at the hostel we went for a shopping trip then cooked some pasta before another ladies night! Joining the guys on the roof and bumping into people from Tulum we started drinking. After this headed out to the other clubs which were of course ladies night so without spending a penny Cassie and I had a great time! This was just our traning for Cancun.

We headed up to Cancun at 3ish the next day which was only an hour up the coast. Here we headed straight to the mall and waited for our friend who had kindly let us stay in his spare room for the 3 nights we were staying. The mall was amazing and after spending more than enough time in Zara and the food court we headed back to get changed quickly and pick up Amy and Sam ready for Coco Bongos and their last night. Coco Bongos is a big club with huge stage shows, impressionists and acrobats. It's the most famous club in Cancun and was a 'must do', so we did it! With drinks included all night after 11 shots on the door we were ready to go, although definitely watered down drasically the drinks still were on a constant flow and we all loved the shows! With Elvis, Chicago, Madonna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Spiderman, The Mask and loads more it really was a true specticle with intervals of dancing and drinking. After a few Cassie and I took to the stage to the Titantic-esque floor space in the middle of the two huge screens! We re-enacted the Titanic sceen and had a little dance before coming down! To complete the night we had shots of tequilla and had it poured down my throat by a dwarf Mask on the stage...after that feeling quite content and abit over the creepy crowd we headed back home. Eventually arriving after numerous attempts directing the cab to various residential complexes! It was sad to say bye to Amy and Sam but we all had a fun night!

The rest of our time in Cancun we basically shopped, visited the beach before been driven off by the tail winds of the Hurricane in Florida, went to the movies and cooked a nice meal of gourmet pizzas! We defintely overdosed on modern society and materialistic things and after the inital buzz were definitely ready to detox, relax and do nothing on a desert island. So Holbox it was!