México

I arrived pretty late at the airport and almost got scammed on the way to buy bus tickets, multiple times even! I got my antigen test here as well in preparation for my flight to Peru. I got to my hostel just fine after a comfortable bus ride, checked-in and found that I was roomies with a guy from Spain. We had our small talk and I went out to find some late night dinner. I found myself in some sort of plaza where a full on fiesta was happening, families, couples and tourists were all gathered in one place, surrounded by various food booths and several events happening in various corners of the area, absolutely zero Corona measures being followed, and it was awesome. I had some quesedillas and whatnots along with a softdrink. I did feel a bit lonely without any company but after a bit of taking in the atmosphere, I walked my way back to my hostel, took a shower and tried to get some sleep without much luck despite having ear plugs on.

I woke up the next day and took a shower using what I could scavenge and tried to find some brunch. I checked out and left my bag inside the luggage room. I got to another awesome vegan Mexican restaurant and had the most delicious vegetable based pasta and fruit juice. I later foundout that the driver for my scuba-diving that day was already waiting for me in my hostel. I got my things and went inside the car to pick up another couple before going to the meeting place. Our car stopped by a pretty high-end hotel and in came an American man and a Korean woman. We didn't talk much throughout the ride. We got to the diving center where we put on our gear and got a debriefing by Carla, our diving instructor. During the downtime, I got to know Lucas and Julie, both who have become my good friends. I found out later that they recently got engaged the day before. We got to do some scuba diving practice outside at the beach, it was actually quite easy though a bit surreal to be able to breathe underwater. Feeling the pressure build up inside my ears and finding the right timing to pinch my nose and breathe out, while doing all the scuba diving techniques was quite difficult at first but in reality, everything went smoothly and we were now ready for the real thing.

We got on the boat with some other people and set off towards the sea. Lucas commented what had been on my mind the whole time, the color of the water was effervescent turqouise, so vibrant and beautiful, I've never seen anything like it, not even in Okinawa or Boracay. We made it to our first diving spot and as I started to feel a wee bit seasick, even more so as I got off the rocking boat and was left at the mercy of the waves, going up and down, again and again made me really seasick now. Submerging myself underwater helped as there was no more rocking down under, my nausea immediately dissipated as I saw for the first time the clear sea floor of Cancun. Despite having no eyeglasses, the water acted as a natural light refractor and allowed me to see much of the seabed without problems. Lucas and Julie were soon underwater with me, and Carla joined us as well. We followed her hand signals on what to do and slowly made our way deeper. I got to see some coral beds, fish and the underwater sculptures that were part of the underwater museum in Cancun. We got up and I found myself not only nauseated but a bit out of breath, both Julie and I were on the same boat, pun intended. She puked and the fish gobbled it all up, I found myself puking as well, Julie shared with me a seasick pill but it was too late at that point. I was quite winded and thankfully Carla had some sort of electrolyte concoction just for this purpose which I drank a lot of as well as chowing down on some protein bars. I realized we still had another diving spot to go to hit and I was quite dreadful as to whether I can make it or not, what a crazy first scuba diving experience. When we got to the second diving spot, I just went straight down to avoid getting more nauseated and found myself in my sweet spot again, focused on surviving and finishing the whole thing, I followed eagerly and took in as much as I can. I got to take some more photos and saw some more unique artworks underwater, until my weights started to act up and get loose, plummeting me downwards. I kept my cool and tried to fix it while Carla tried to help me, we eventually got it back on and we proceeded forwards, there was even a car underwater which was pretty dope. We ascended again afterwards and I found myself not as worse as before but still a bit seasick and dehydrated. Drank some more of that electrolyte juice and downed some more protein bars and patiently waited until we made landfall. I was so happy to finally touch the wooden boardwalk and made my way back to the diving center to rest. I gave Carla a tip and some money for the photos she took with her GoPro. We all got on the car again as it dropped Lucas and Julie back to their hotel, we said our goodbyes and well wishes too. I was dropped at the Bus Terminal as I was heading to Playa del Carmen next.Read more