Welcome to the last post of Mexico.
We could hardly contain our excitement on arrival into Playa del Carmen from Chichen Itza on the afternoon of Friday 19 January 2024. Not because of Playa del Carmen but because of The Tennants in Tulum !!! We dropped off our main bags in the hotel, bad farewell to the champion of guides, Karla and caught a Taxi to the hire car company. It was sad leaving Karla since she was the best guide I have ever had and that is a big deal considering the 119 countries I have visited over the last almost 40 years !!! The car hire was a smooth process and soon we were cruising down the main freeway that connects Cancun to Chetumal in the south. Once again I was driving a manual on the right hand side of the road and got used it in minutes. We were so excited. The VR Club Resort was only 400m from the freeway and right on the three colour Caribbean. Ria and Brett were at reception as we pulled up and it was not long until we were covered in hugs and kisses. It was surreal. The folks that we have dinner with in Bondi almost every Sunday were here in Mexico !!! Half the “Sunday Diners” were now dining in Tulum Mexico !!!
In true Brett style, a chilled white wine was waiting for us on the beach shortly after dropping off our day pack in two rooms – one with the adults and one with the kids. I was bunking in a single bed in a slightly walled space next to Ria and Brett and Antonia the same next to Allegra and Harry in the adjacent hotel room. This resort was gorgeous and the rooms only 100m from the water. I will let the photos describe the rest. We polished off the wine over sunset and then dressed up for dinner on a strip known as the RIVIERA MAYA some 9km away. The strip is the most expensive place I have ever been to. It is past Tulum township, which is inland, and the strip is a 5km long exposition of very high-end restaurants, hotels and nightclubs. The plan was to buy wine from the local bottle shop, have dinner all together, drop the kids off and head back to the resort to drink and gossip. The kids would catch a cab home. The fact that I drove saved us $200AUD in taxi fares. The taxis here are extortionists. Robbers. Thieves. $100AUD to drive 20min over 10km. And that is only the beginning. We managed to find a humble outdoor restaurant, which was cheap compared to the rest. $27AUD for two wrap sized burritos and $10AUD for a can of beer. $25AUD for a two hand-fulls of guacamole. This place wants the shirt off your back and your underpants. We looked for a nightclub for the kids and found a cheapie at $100AUD per head just to get in !!! Ria kindly funded all 3 kids and we were off back to the resort to resort to wine to ease our wounds.
The following morning at 730am I ran 10km and then swam 2km in the Caribbean for the first time. I was in great shape and lapped it up. The kids woke at 11am on my return from my swim and the truth of this place unfolded. They had a great time dancing until 3am. $45AUD for a shot. $20AUD for a can of beer. $300AUD for a 750mL bottle of Tequila. Tulum is worse than Mykonos. A place only for the rich and rich and rich. Brett then took Antonia and I for a walk to the most strangest geological site I have ever seen. A freshwater sinkhole cenote IN THE CARRIBEAN SEA !!! This was near shore and comprised a cave in the ocean with freshwater existing and swirling in the salt water – I will let the photos below bare witness to this strange phenomenon…
At 230pm we farewelled the Tennants as they drove off in a van to Cancun airport 120km away with 8 huge suitcases which would never fit in my entire car !!! Antonia and I left straight after driving back to Playa del Carmen. First the huge Walmart-style supermarket for supplies and then to the hotel. I took the hire car back and then walked to the hotel.
At 6pm we met our new Intrepid travel group. Antonia and I signed up to the trip called ULTIMATE CENTRAL AMERICA, which is in fact four smaller trips placed end to end. Karla led the first one called MEXICO UNPLUGGED, which ended yesterday 19JAN and the second leg began today 20JAN called MAYAN ENCOUNTER led by our new guide/leader Aquilino who is in fact from Guatemala. 7 of the original 14 people of the first leg are continuing to the end in Panama. 7 new people joined in the second leg – of these only 2 are going to Panama. Of the new 7, 2 are from Oz, 2 from Canada, 2 from UK and one from USA. 2 are older than 60 and the rest in their 30s and 40s. This second leg takes us through Belize and Guatemala.
That night we feasted on the tastiest, juiciest BBQ chicken while watching the movie CREED !!! Antonia is obsessed with boxing and Rocky…
The next day was another HIGH DRAMA day. We left the hotel at 8am to meet our van to the boat that would take us to ISLA MUJERES for snorkelling, paragliding and swimming. Outside was thick cloud and wind. No. After an hour of waiting we went back to the hotel for Wi-Fi and behold – no comms from the tour company. After ringing and Whatsapping them they reply – sorry Sir – the Government Port Authority has cancelled all boat trips to all islands because of high wind and high seas. What a shame. But I had booked more of these ahead in Belize and beyond. Instead we began a 4.5hr walk through all of Playa del Carmen. This place was easily the worst place we visited to date. Fall of tourists. Full of souvenir shops. Full of trash. No culture. No culture. No locals. And worst of all expensive. Not like Tulum but the standard here is rock bottom. $10AUD for an ice cream. $20AUD for a small burger. $5AUD for a bottle of water. No. Don't come here and don't stay here !!! We walked 11km including the entire Pedestrian Walkway known as 5th Avenue, the central plaza and the beach with wild waves !!!
The only upside to this worst-day-of-the-trip-so-far was coming back to the hotel early at 2pm and relaxing by the rooftop infinity pool !!! See photo below. Another night of deliciously cheap supermarket food and ROCKY IV before sleeping for our final day in Mexico tomorrow…
Today (Mon 22JAN) is our last day and night in Mexico. Our new guide/leader Aquilino got us away on time at 8am and we headed back south passed Tulum and towards Chetumal some 4-5hrs away. As we travelled between Playa and Tulum we learned a great deal from Aquilino about the cultural heritage of Mexico – he is well read on this subject and follows the writings of many anthropologists on this subject. The most interesting facts are these:
1. The countries between Mexico and Costa Rica were part of an ancient empire known as MESO-AMERICA, which began with the Mayans in 1500BC.
2. The Mayan culture still exists and most are centred in Central Mexico and Guatemala.
3. Many more cultures joined Meso-America – up to 64 each with its own language.
4. Most anthropologists agree that these cultures have their origins in MONGOLIA of all places, which also explains the facial features of pureblood Mayans and Aztecs.
We made a lunch and swim stop in Bacalar around 1pm, just 45min before Chetumal. I swam 1.7km up and down a very long jetty. Water was fresh and warm given Bacalar is on a big lake fed by cenotes and rainwater. After my swim, Antonia and I walked past the Fort of San Felipe built in 1545 by the Spanish and a public jetty with terrific vies of the milk green lake. The drive to Chetumal only took 45min and we went straight to the hotel and checked in. After a brief session of olives, cheese and wine we met the group at 5pm to walk the highlights of Chetumal (Pop 344,162). We saw the following: Museo de la Cultura Maya, Mercado, Parque del Renacimiento, along Boulevard Bahia, end of wharf to Belize for shot of city looking back, Parque del Momento a la Bandera, Fuente del Pescador & Monument, Punta Estrella. Chetumal is quite run down and was not at its best given the cloudy windy weather that evening. The group had some street food on the way back but Antonia and I treated ourselves to a sit down dinner at a local Mexican restaurant – our last Mexican meal !!!
Another night of Rocky V and this time with home made corn chips and hummus and of course plenty of wine. Belize here we come…
Enjoy the final sights of Mexico and our group photo for stage 2 at the bottom...
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