Apr 17, 2010 - Day 15 Depart Playa del Carmen

Well, my resort's website says it is 10 min north of Playa del Carmen. Oddly, it took me just over 3 hours to get there. I went to the shuttle vans, paid my 20 pesos for a trip to Sandos. Driver assured me he knew where I was going. I was looking for signs, but I was in the back of the van and couldnt see much. Turns out I end up in Cancun 45 min later. Another 30 Pesos for a ride in a diferent van to get to Sandos. I saw the sign this time...diver didn't...Back to my starting point in Playa. 20 pesos again for my 3rd van, this time I...

Apr 13, 2010 - Tulum

10 days of pure bliss. We arrived in Tulum and it looked so quiet compared to Cancún and Playa. The town is tiny with just a few shops and restaurants, and the beach lined with small cabañas. We were staying in Piedra Escondida which is seemed like luxury compared to some of the more basic cabañas… we had electricity all day! The hotel was on a private beach and so peaceful. I met the rest of the family there after their long journey from England and was excited to show them a very small taster of Mexico. Most of the time we just spent on...

Apr 1, 2010 - Playa del Carmen

On our way to Tulum we stopped off at Playa del Carmen for the day. The beach was beautiful there, the hotels weren’t as imposing and the whole place had a much nicer feel to it than Cancun. You can also see the island Cozumel in the distance and the ferries going back and forth. Going out in the evening was amazing, free entry for girls and open bar all night, we managed to go the whole night without spending a peso! Would love to come back here for another visit… one day definitely wasn’t enough.

Mar 29, 2010 - Cancun

After what seemed a long term, the reason we basically chose to Mexico for our year abroad arrived…. SPRING BREAK! We arrived after an extremely long journey from Colima Saturday evening and headed straight out to the nightlife. Our first stop was at the Hooters, if all fails with the teaching then I reckon I could fit in getting a job there! The main strip in Cancun is unlike anywhere else we’ve seen in Mexico, but did not let us down with the Brits Abroad mob from the Thomson package holidays and American jocks taking over the clubs. We...

Mar 3, 2010 - Cozumel, Mexico

Another day, another tropical island. Cozumel sits off the Mexican coast just south of the popular Cancun. Another beach and diving destination where we hired ourselves a little convertible smart car – Jo loved it and wanted to adopt! This thing would sit on the bonnet of our old Ford Truck. Anyway, more swimming on stunning beaches in superb azure seas, a bit of Mexican food and had a look at some ancient Mayan piles of stones (historic ruins and very interesting apparently). Then back on board where we played the famous cruise ship game...

Feb 20, 2010 - Chetumal

In Xpujil: Slow to rise...went to local Xpujil ruins just across the road really, from Hotel Mirador Maya (see pics) Xpujil Info After a leisurely but somewhat greasy egg brkfst, took a combi taxi to Chetumal and from bus station where he dropped us we walked 4-5 blocks to a camione/bus stop. Taxi drivers insisted at bus station that the only way we could get downtown was by taxi, of course...they are the same worldwide, the lying SOBs! I think I could count on one hand the number of nice, helpful taxi drivers we've encountered. There must...

Feb 14, 2010 - Tulum - pics need labels

Ferry to Cancun at 9 then took city bus on a tour of hotel row (huge ones on the peninsula-little America), doz & doz at least 2 - 18 hole golf courses and 2 - 9 hole pitch and putt plus tennis, etc. Thought it would be a simple round trip, instead the drivers of 2 buses forced us to get off and then re enter another bus so we paid the 15p fair 3 times to go the whole distance. Unfortunately, the last bus was an R-2 ( should have been R-1 we found out later) but the drive didn´t tell us we'd end up 8 plus blocks from the ADO bus...

Feb 11, 2010 - We arrive in Cozumel

We are home...back in the USA. And I never want to leave again!!! I have only traveled out of the country a few times....once to Spain many years ago and to Bermuda and the Bahamas. The trip started out well enough. The flights were on time and no turbulence to speak of. And then we landed in Cozumel and had to go through customs.I have never done that before. It is a very time consuming process and the custom agents are not the friendliest people I have ever met. And then you get to enter the main terminal of the airport where there are...

Feb 10, 2010 - Isla Mujeres - pics need labels

It was great to visit Don and meet his friend, Pat who was also visiting him at the time. Don took us all around the island by electric golf cart (easy rentals in downtown). We especially enjoyed our dinner (see pic) at the seaside restaurant where I took a quick dip in the somewhat cool Caribbean. Although he was having difficulty getting the electric power back on, by the time we left the fixit guys had come by and the last day we finally had lights in Don's casita by the sea. See pics. Info Re: Isla

Feb 6, 2010 - Tulum

The second day in Chetamal we mostly rested, that is Sally rested while Hugh walked the two miles up to the bus station to check on buses going north toward Cancun. After being in some of the border towns along the US border, Chetemal is like night into day. It is relatively clean with broad streets where pedestrians have the right-a-way most of the time. Hugh indulged himself by eating at some of the street vendors on the way to the bus station. The weather was warm 85 F and clear so we spent the afternoon by the pool. The next morning...

Feb 4, 2010 - Ambergris Caye, Belize to Chetumal, Mexico

After our 14th day with “The Route of the Maya” tour and four days on Ambergris Caye we are now back on our own. First we had to decide how we were to get off the Caye – (1) Fly back to Belize City and bus up the coast to Chetumal. (2) Take the water taxi a two and half hour trip up Belize Bay to Chetumal (3) Or change our air ticket to fly to Corozel on the Belize side of the border, then taxi to Chetumal. Hugh wanted to take the boat, Sally the plane to Corozel so we compromised and took the plane to Corazel which turned out to be a good...

Feb 1, 2010 - Should we stay or should we go now?

OK so we wake up in our hostel safe and sound. i have a shower etc and we pack up our stuff. There is an internet cafe just accross the street so we take the opportunity to check up on facebook. We have fruit salade and fresh fruit juice for brekky. i had watermelon and i have to say it was some of the yummiest juice i ever had. just like eating a watermelon but with no seeds. :) The fruit bar is the place where we meet a funny little parot. i guess it lives there or someone brought it to work! mom gets to hold it and it climbs right on...