Tulum

Ceynotes, Tacos and Superbowl Sunday!

Tulum is famous for it's numerous ceynotes (caves) and that was right at the top of our list. All around the town these geological wonders have been commercialised with compulsory guided tours on land and by snorkel and SCUBA. Fair enough, you wouldn't last long lost in an underwater cave. Of course, with that comes the tourist hustle which we are becoming evermore used to.

We chose Cenotes Dos Ojos for our exploration of the underworld, based on a friend's recommendation and I will back it up with my own - this was a big highlight of the trip so far! Foolishly, we decided to cycle the 20 odd km from our hostel to the entrance in the heat of the day (our hostel came with the free use of beach cruisers). After an early morning food poisoning scare, and a few cookies in the toilet, Mike rose to the challenge and led the peleton in. We arrived in a bit of a state, but grateful not to be road kill and for the pennies saved on transport.

The Dos Ojos (literally: two eyes) is a series of partially submerged limestone caverns. We donned masks, snorkels, fins and torches (and wetsuits for the ladies) and plunged into 24 degree water at the mouth of the cave. It was crystal clear. From underwater the natural backlight created black silhouettes on an awesome crystal blue backdrop. Rays of sunlight too, beamed through from the surface to create some truely remarkable lighting.

We spent just under an hour following our tour guide over, under and around the stalagmites and stalagtites, sneaking off to dip down through swim throughs and the like. He led us to a chamber called the Bat Cave, where we emerged to witness hundreds of bats, unflustered by our presence.

It was a hurried tour, I would have liked to stay longer but my body was grateful to return to the warm of the sunlight. On our way out of the park we stopped by another open ceynote for some phat mangeres and some more cool swim throughs. On reviewing our camera work, we were gutted to find the go pros had been battling with the dark light and all of our footage and photos are really bad quality. Noooo!

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at our hostel and having some refreshing beverages. Casa dol Sol is an unusual hostel. It's run by a tiny mexican man and his wife (I think) and their young son, who had a habit of confusing me with his spanish. It was a partially complete, three storey concrete building. It had absolutely no soundproofing and wall mounted fans that put Boeing to shame. The second level was for camping (on a bare concrete floor) or you could opt for just a bed (no walls - internal or external) and the top floor was a construction site which appeared abandoned. The beds however, were the comfiest in a long time. Ahhh for a good nights sleep!

Strolling the main drag in search of dinner, we stumbled across Antojitos La Chiapaneta, an open kitchen tacqueria. It was unanimously absolutely delicious! Service was prompt and the staff knew how to keep the food coming. At seven pesos per taco (under 50c) we couldn't help but dine there three nights in a row, and if you asked me what I wanted for dinner tonight, I'd still go back. We'll be using some special words in our reviews for this one, that's for sure.

Sunday, lazy Sunday, was exactly that until an earlier suggestion of reigniting MERC sprung into action. The Mt Eden Running Club has a long and dyer history. Built for drinkers with a running habit, the core foundations of the club are rife with problem. Many men have suffered in its days, and completing a run is always far from a sure bet. Nonetheless, inaugurating two new ladies to the club (Cat and Char) was an inticing prospect. So the team geared up and set off to the beach in the beating heat of the day.

First to be dropped was Char, easing off to a brisk walk under the inhibiting pain of a tight ITB. Shortly after, Cat tripped on what she claims to be a twig (MERC Fall Investigations later proved no such twig existed) and gracefully grazed ankle, hip and palm on the asphalt. Eventually the heat got to all of us and we regrouped to walk the final kilometer to the beach. Such a good swim! Another of many in the Caribbean Sea. After re breaking Mikes rib, Scott and Mike ran home again under duress while us ladies caught a cab and bought a well deserved lunch for the team. Let's hope the next one goes a little better...

Lazy Sunday continued that afternoon, as we spent our time blogging, reading, researching and learning spanish. We headed to a bar in the early evening to watch the Superbowl which turned out to be another great game of sport - the Patriots coming back from over 20 points down to beat the Falcons in overtime! Only one drunken Mexican interrupted our viewing, spitting on the floor and creepily ogling Char before being removed by security and sneaking back in three or four times. Such fun!

It's been too short, Mexico. I've barely touched the east coast, and certainly haven't begun to see the rest, but the country is so big and diverse it might just have to be done by itself. Another time. In the meanwhile, we're on a bus to Chetumal before a boat to Caye Caulker, Belize. It smells worse than a portaloo and we've been holding cloth over our faces for the last three hours. The joys of travel, am I right?Read more