After 6 weeks of 'restrictions' in Cuba and Mexico City, at Playa del Carmen, we finally released ourselves! This week was indeed special to us: on September 17th we celebrated Delphine 30's, and the 19th our 1st anniversary of world wide tour! For the festivities we chose the seaside resort of Playa del Carmen, located on the Mexican Caribbean coast, about fifty kilometres south of famous Cancun.
Before getting to the Caribbean coast, from Mexico City we travelled through the regions of Chiapas and Yucatán, stopping here and there to visit some Maya sites (Palenque, Chichen Itza) or the pleasant city of Merida. We were then accustomed to quiet countryside, jungle and wooden huts as a home. When we arrived in Playa del Carmen, what a shock we had!!
At our great surprise (we expected a small village such as Jericoacoara in Brazil), we entered an enormous Touristland populated for the majority by US Americans! Arrrgghhh!! Delphine is tempted to leave straight away. But where? The entire coast is infected by mass tourism.
As usual we will finally manage to get used to our new environment, close our eyes to the fairy fair side and look only at the best part of it, such as the cheap ice creams at the Macdonald’s or the gigantic Wal-Mart supermarket… It should be said that beside the touristy bit the surroundings are splendid: find sand beach, transparent sea then blue turquoise at the horizon. Spread out on the sand under a blazing sun, deluded by a background of electro or reggaeton music emanating from beach bars, we nevertheless can escape and feel… well and relaxed!
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Akumal ('the place of tortoises’ in Maya language) is an ideal place for scuba diving. The bay of Akumal shelters transparent calm water, and is also populated with amazing coral landscapes and many multicoloured fish. We will unfortunately not see the tortoises, which are around only from May to August to lay their eggs on the beach.
At the end of the afternoon, we move again and head off to one of the innumerable cenotes which populate the coast inner land of the region and neighbouring Yucatán. A cenote is a natural pool coming from the underground rivers. The water is cold, but of an impressive pureness and clearness. The site that we chose, between Akumal and Playa del Carmen, was full with Mexicans who fuelled by Corona were jumping off the rocks in full clothes (or just in knickers) to make a big 'splash' and very quickly get to the edge as the majority could not swim. Delphine applauds each jump, gets very excited too and wishes for a minute that she was Mexican.
The evening, we get back to Playa and our hostel room, where I can introduce Delphine's Bday present. Here begins the emotional sequence! I told her that the present cost me nothing but would surely be the best gift that she could have received this day. Mission accomplished at 200%. Thank you again to all the actors!! To see the surprise present, click here !!
Loladel 1st Bday, let's celebrate in a club!
As for the paragraph above: in one year of voyage, we treated ourselves only very occasionally. Conscious that a night out drinking the English way costs us a few whole days of trip budget, we learnt to be wise and not overspend. This allowed me to get rid of my Londoner city boy alcoholism, and to learn to enjoy a beer instead of drinking ten.
But hey, September 19th is our first voyage birthday, so let's release ourselves and get a bit crazy!! Still at Playa del Carmen, we decided to party this night and go to explore one of these many fashion clubs of the Riviera Maya, the Cancun or Miami way. We were worried about getting stopped at the entrance (especially me), not having anything to dress at all. I don't know if it was due to the low season or the relaxed vibe of the moment, but I succeeded in passing through with my stained shirt, perforated jeans and black rubber flip flops.
We had also lots of luck, as a guy accosted us in the street and gave us free admissions to a club with on top a DRINK FREE wristband to Delphine!!
We all in all tested three clubs, including a great one on the beach with settees and beds to chill. In Dubai Club, we released ourselves completely, and fuelled by Delphine's free cocktails and the electro and reggaeton bits, we took control over the stage. We drank a last mojito in the beach club and got back to the house, say a little tipsy if not quite drunk!
It felt so good to unwind and party for once!!
Delphine's 30's Bday
At first we wanted to pay ourselves an organised tour (in group), but we finally and fortunately chose the freedom and rented a 4x4.
On that 17th of Septembre, we visited three wonderful sites: the reserve of Sian Ka'an, the beach of Akumal, and a natural cenote. A very busy day then, to celebrate this very special birthday far from our families and friends.
Sian Ka'an is an immense natural park, UNESCO protected, composed of tropical jungle, marshes, mangroves, and a long 40km strip of land between sea and marshes. An explosive wild beauty… or almost, since the tourist exploitation is already well established there. Are organised tours in lanchas (boat) to explore the mangroves, the fauna and flora in the marshes, or the coral barrier on the sea side scuba diving. It is said that this area is full of dolphins too. Entering the park with our 4x4, we went straight to the 'visitors' centre'. In a minute we got attacked by a tour guide who told us everything about the possible activities around. The prices were way too high!!! We decide to give up the activities and explore solo the strip of land, where I have fun driving like I was a dust road racing pilot. The road is full of holes, but who cares; we have a 4x4!! We finally stop on a paradise beach, hiding the 4x4 below the palm trees. We inaugurate our new scuba diving equipment and look out for fishes, we have a lot of fun!! After a long photo shoot session, we decide to leave the reserve to enjoy the rest of the day elsewhere. We now head up to the beach of Akumal.
Xel-Ha, eco park, eat as much as you like
The following day, we wake up very early to take a micro bus and enjoy our second treat of the week: the natural water park of Xel-Ha, located 40 kms south of Playa del Carmen, just above the village of Tulum.
The site of Xel-ha is splendid: a large lagoon where fresh water and sea water meet and blend. We can find thousands of fishes there that we have fun looking through our scuba diving equipment.
We paid a packaged price for the day, and could benefit from the entire site facilities and activities: diving, cycling through the jungle, buoys in the mangrove, strolling in the jungle, or eating as much as we like!
Despite a few rainfalls and the touristy side of Xel-ha, we fully enjoyed the day! It is indeed rare that we treat ourselves with excursions or activities (this one cost us 4 days of voyage) and almost never let ourselves eat in restaurants. We were thus like children from a modest family who went for the first time in Disneyland, excited to do everything and discover a new magical world.
Two lessons that we learnt during our voyage got confirmed this day:
- Pleasures are enjoyed thousand times more when they are occasional
- It is when we deprive ourselves from things and take distance from people that we can fully realise their values and importance.
