Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum... My trip to Mexico

 

Cancun

Merida is not far from Cancun, and so there are enough for approximately four hours to reach destiny. Already know that the Caribbean coast of Mexico was a country apart, built a post for all those tourists (especially Americans) who have a lot of money to spend. We understand even more so when you get to the bus station, a magnificent building made of large glass windows and pillars of steel colored which more than one station, it seemed almost an airport (especially when compared to all those that we encountered so far in our travels in Mexico). As usual, our mission was to find a place to sleep at a reasonable price: the company has proved easier than expected because they do not just come out on the street we were stopped by a man who claimed to work for a hostel. It was now evening and we decided to follow him to see what it could accomplish. Were two alternatives: either a dormitory or a private, both at the same price! Of course we have chosen the private home even though we could not really understand why the price was the same. When you arrive in your ideas have been clarified: more than one room, it was a hole, devoid of any window, with walls that exudes rot and with a bad smell that came out from the mattress ... ah, also had air conditioning but it obviously did not work!
We were too tired for us to discuss and we accepted the offer even if reluctantly.

For those who do not know it is time to explain how it is structured, the city of Cancun, in reality this is not one city but two. There is the part where he lives the "pueblo" (local people) which is located about ten kilometers from the sea and the part called "hotelera zone" that extends along the entire coast. The first is made up of houses and hotels squalid, the second consists of mega luxurious five-star hotels that are reflected on the emerald green waters. We imagine we leave in which one was our accommodation!
However, even if not exactly by the sea we were in Cancun, a place where many people can only dream of. After a brief dinner, we went into our hole to make us a great night's sleep and awaken the next morning to cockcrow.

Cancun

In fact the next day we did not exactly wake up the morning and we decided to use the rest of the day to visit the town of Cancun and to leave the "Zona Hotelera" for the following day. We then wander around the neighborhood in small local markets and where we stop occasionally for a snack. The evening came in a flash and in anticipation of the next day we decided to go to bed early.
The next day we wake up around eight, the program had a short visit to the host of hotels that crowd the coastline and then spend the rest of the day at sea and the sun.
Although the poor part of Cancun is located about ten kilometers from the beach, it is equally true that the distance is made shorter by un'ineccepibile bus service that besides being very frequent, are also very cheap. Grabbed the first bus, in fifteen minutes we were already in the coast, submerged by the shadows of huge hotel, so close to each other almost to prevent the entrance to the sea. We have almost the entire coast by bus, to get an idea of the place, then we stopped in a beach is suggesting the owner of our alberguccio: Playa Tortuga. Perhaps we started with too many expectations on the sea and the beaches of Cancun, the fact is that once you are on site we were a little 'disappointed: the beach was full of black algae, the sea was not exactly clear and there was a wind nothing short of hellish. Perhaps the journey has made us become a little 'too demanding, maybe we have seen so white beaches and transparent waters so as not to settle even more in Cancun! In fact, after an objective opinion, you can not just say that Cancun is an unpleasant place: on top of some grass, the beach was white and the sea was turquoise green and with the rays of the sun created the fabulous effects of light in the surface water. We were to enjoy the warm sunshine throughout the afternoon, until taken by an insistent peckish we returned to base. With the shower, we have taken the bus and we were directed back to the "Zona Hotelera" to dine and enjoy Cancun by night. When the darkness fall, the town (the rich) flaunts even more his charm and his wealth: the gorgeous lights almost blinded by the numerous tourists who flock to expensive restaurants and nightclubs ... We obviously we content to see, as usual! The evening was still fun even if it is due to conclude early enough because the next day we should be back on the road at a time of our next destination: Isla Mujeres.

Isla Mujeres

Svegliatoci and prepared for the umpteenth time on our backpack, around mid morning we have to turn a taxi that took us to the pier where a fast ferry we traveled the short stretch of sea that separates Isla Mujeres off the coast. The trip lasted approximately mezz'oretta and you landed on an island whose name promises: the island of women. Set foot on the island already knew where to go because we had the address of the hostel on the island this. After a short walk among the colorful little we have achieved our goal and we were unexpectedly greeted by an Italian: Matteo a young un po 'di Bergamo span that now for months to stay on the island, earning a living working nell'ostello. Right time to familiarize yourself with our new bed and we slingshot towards the beach this time our expectations have not been disregarded, the beach was white and in front of it a kind of natural pool of water and crystal clear: that Cancun ! Having spent some 'time in this paradise we are returned to the base for a refreshing shower and the usual preparations for the evening. In fact, the good Matteo Bergamo us Galvanized had looked forward to a superlative nightlife (which according to him began exactly at 21:50) and telling us that we would have noticed because of that island was called "island of women". With this background, we washed and combed made "on the grid and after a brief dinner, we waited patiently for the 21:50. Time passed but the situation did not improve, in the streets a few tourists intent to dine in the various clubs, there was nothing else. We waited, waited and waited but finally we have withdrawn the pive in bag nell'afa our bedroom attenuated by enormous fans and refreshing.

Isla Mujeres

The following morning she made us very calm: we get up in the late morning, we have consumed a lauda breakfast and we went to lay in the culetto soft white sand of Isla Mujeres. We spent the whole day between water and sun, sun and water until, like boiled crawfish, returned back to us. After a succulent dinner of fresh fish we caught on the fly the invitation of Matthew of Bergamo and with two other girls for the hostel we were dragged across pubs and clubs of almost all empty. In fact, the evening was not bad, and between a laugh and we pulled the other morning.

Isla Mujeres

We intend to leave the island the morning after the night view but good we decided to postpone by one day once again dedicated to bathing activities. The last night we opted for an economic-based dinner of hot dog and "nada mas", we proceed directly to our rooms for good now with the knowledge that the next day we would have waited another transfer to Playa del Carmen.

Playa del Carmen

Taken from the Isla Mujeres ferry back to mainland and then a bus collectively, within an hour we were already in Playa del Carmen. Even here knew where to go and we went directly to the hostel in office to deposit your luggage and then view the nearby beach. It was a very touristy beach equipped with umbrellas and lounge chairs that left little room for tourists "Sunday." In the end, however, our place we found it behind a big rock on the seashore. Again, the beach was white and pleasant, the sea a little rough but a turquoise breath-taking: the only negative note is that the wind breaking against the waves and against our corpicini. After yet another day of sun and sea are returned to the hostel to prepare for the evening. We have eaten our dinner (in a restaurant economicissimo street) consisting of half chicken, vegetables, beans and rice for the beauty of two euros a head including drink: incredible. Even more incredible surprise waiting for us around the corner: a more pleasant pedestrian streets ever encountered in Mexico. Rich in shops and restaurants and crowded with tourists (and many pupae).

Playa del Carmen

The next day we spent in the sol lion, even if in the first Pomerio we had to abandon the field to the excessive wind and spend the rest of the day working to update our web site: tireless workers!
The next day was already high time to raise the curtains and turn another bus this time to Tulum, the last resort before leaving Mexico.

Tulum

Two hours with the culetto sunk in the seat of the bus and was already Tulum.
Tulum as Cancun is a city divided in two, the pueblo (the city's poorest moved slightly inland) and the tourist town along the coast. As usual we could not afford to stay along the coast given the sky high prices: the alternative was to find a hotel in the "pueblo" and this meant taking a taxi to go five kilometers every time we wanted to reach the Caribbean Sea : Allow me a shameful thing! This thing has made us come to a drastic solution: leave in a hurry and fury in Tulum on the same day and pull straight up to Chetumal, a border town where we took the bus to Guatemala. That done, we rushed into the bus station to buy the three tickets available, the time to obtain the kind of food and we were still traveling.
After four hours of travel (which balls!), We reached the city of Chetumal on the border with the sole aim of providing tourists the chance to intrude in the adjacent states. Just landed the bus we were directed to the information desk to ask when would be the next party bus to Tikal, our next destination in Guatemala. The response of the lady who was outside the bar left us Balbi basiti and we expect the beauty of twelve hours to spend in that hole station because the next bus would be party to six of the next morning. After a brief consultation RPZ (Return to Zero Parallel) decided that not worth spending money for a few hours of sleep in a second-hand alberguccio we waited one more night on the benches of the station. To kill the time we tried to stretch as much as possible our dinner in a tavern near the station, but in the end we had to return to our beloved / hated station. We had already started to prepare our backpacks "on mò" cushion but more beautiful than we were appisolando the security guard came to reproach, saying that it was impossible to lie down at the railway station and the rest of expectation that we should have the spend sitting or standing: unimaginable!
The morning came and with it the bus that we were both waiting for. At six we left the station with her Chetumal and Mexico also.

Next destination: Tikal, Guatemala.