this is what post-christmas blues looks like: the yucatan

I'm nothing if not consistent in my large gaps between blog entries. After the madness of the Christmas and holiday season, we (my sister and roommate and I) needed a break. So we decided to head to the Yucatan peninsula.

How did we arrive at this particular location, when we have the whole world to choose from? We did what I suggest anybody do when they are feeling a bit overwhelmed during the planning of their next adventure: make a list, in order of priorities, of the things each person in the adventuring party is looking to get out of the trip. In our case, we were looking for somewhere warm, with wonderful beaches, cultural history, jungle, off the beaten track, non-pampered, inexpensive, and not too far away, as we only had 11 days for the trip. The Yucatan absolutely answered all of these needs for all of us.

We flew into Cancun, where we had pre-booked a room in The Chacmool Hostel. The hostel was inexpensive, came with a free beer, had swings in the associated bar, was clean, and within walking distance from the bus station. By the way, don't take a taxi from the airport to the Cancun bus station; you'll be charged about US$30.00 by the tourist-spoiled cabbies. Instead, opt for the free shuttle to the other terminal, where you can catch a bus to downtown Cancun for about US$3.00. Incidentally, once we had learned of this gouging trend in the high-density tourist areas of Mexico we stuck to buses for almost all our traveling, and found it comfortable, fairly reliable, fast, and inexpensive. We headed out for a dinner of tostadas and cokes in the plaza, where lots of other Cancun-ers were hanging out, playing music, and relaxing. Always good to flock to where the locals are.

The very next day, we headed south to Playa del Carmen, where we were immediately frightened by the hoards of almost-entirely American tourists, and hopped a ferry to the nearby island of Cozumel, in the Caribbean Sea. I must admit, I was completely floored by the amount of cruise ships docked there - I counted at least twelve HUGE vessels. I then remembered reading that Cozumel has about 3 million visitors per year, almost none of whom actually stay on the island, as they return to their cruise ships in the evening.

We found inexpensive and central accommodation in a hotel for about US$9 each per night. Across the street, we rented a 1960s VW Beetle and headed out to the eastern side of the island, stormier, but with the most wonderful azure water, and flour-like sand. Oh yes, and we also splurged on two huge Mexican blankets...very heavy...at the beginning of our trip...which we then lugged around for the next week and a half.

The next day, I did some diving off the west coast of the island and saw some great fish and corals, right on the reef, in about 15m max of water. There is a poignant concrete memorial to a diver with a floating and waving crucifix, sunk in the sand next to the reef. The water was warm-ish, though I was feeling cold as we were finishing up the 2nd dive, as the sun was going down. But it was a beautiful experience to ascend while the sun was just going down behind the horizon.

After that, we headed south to a backpackers' Mecca: Tulum. We stayed at the Weary Traveler hostel, which is absolutely fantastic, though if you like a bit of quiet request a private room in their secondary building, which is across the street. Breakfast is included, as is a free shuttle 4x daily to the fantastic beaches nearby, and the travelers are international and very friendly. Tulum acted as a great base for cenote exploring (with the knowledgeable and friendly folks at the Cenote Diving Centre), and I completed my first cavern dives, inside a many-chambered cenote. There are loads of wonderful rock formations, some large catfish, and the wonderful experience of being able to see sneaks of blue light coming through the cenote opening. Notably, the ruins at Tulum, while well-consolidated and laid out, are not the largest or most beautiful Mayan ruins. The location, however, directly on the Caribbean and with access to some lovely private beaches, is what makes the site unique and memorable. For the view alone, it is worth a visit.

After Tulum, we debated continuing south and heading for Belize and Caye Caulker but, with a day of travel needed in each direction, we decided to save that for another trip, and instead headed northwest to the Spanish colonial-styled town of Merida. Here, we stayed in the best hostel yet, the Nomadas Youth Hostel, which we strongly recommend (central, inexpensive internet, wonderful setting, quiet, breakfast included). Merida gave us a chance to get away from the beach crowds and experience the colonial history of Mexico. There are some great pieces of very fierce and direct artwork of the suppression of the Mayan people by the Colonialists in the public buildings, especially the Palace. There's also a great market that the locals use (it opens at 03h00) for their groceries and household items. Definitely worth a visit.

After Merida, we longed once again for the beaches, so we struck out west, via a trip to Chichen Itza, the a large Mayan city, absolutely crawling with tourists and Mexican vendors. If you must go to this site (and I would actually recommend Tikal in Guatemala much more, as it has retained the sense of discovery and grandeur that the management of Chichen Itza has sterilized out of the site), then get there as early as possible, to avoid both the heat and crowds.

After a few hours at Chichen Itza, we hopped on a bus and headed back to Cancun, where we stayed only long enough to grab a small ferry to Isla Mujeres, just off the coast of Cancun. Though this little island still has its fair share of tourists, it is nothing near to the throngs of slow-moving foreign shoppers and diners in Cancun. We stayed at the Poca Hostel, right on the beach and with loads of hammocks and international travelers. Isla Mujeres allowed us to just relax, work on our tans, each fresh food, read, drink beers, and relax, before we had to head back to the madness of Cancun and our flights home.

A couple of end notes: after congratulating myself and my parasite-susceptible stomach and intestines for not catching anything while backpacking around the Yucatan, I treated myself to a meal at the Cancun airport, while waiting for our flight home, at the American chain Johnny Rocket's. Let me tell you, halfway through the flight to Phoenix, the food poisoning that this, ahem, restaurant had given me was manifesting itself in all sorts of unpleasant ways...and continued to do so through our flight change in Phoenix, our flight to Seattle, and our 2 1/2 hour drive north to Vancouver. Lesson learned: what street meat didn't accomplish, the American fast food chain did.

Also, we flew into the out of Seattle-Tacoma airport, instead of Vancouver, to save ourselves a couple of hundred bucks or so. If you can afford to fly out of Vancouver, I would recommend avoiding going into the United States at all. My passport, with the Arabic stamps from Jordan, was closely scrutinized and questioned, the line-ups were long, we were thoroughly searched at the airport, and we had to re-check our bags and go back through security when we were arriving in Phoenix on the way back home. It was a huge hassle, and being around an organization (the United Stated Border and Customs) that is largely paranoid, scared, suspicious, and aggressive (rightly or wrongly) is nerve-wracking. Your choice. At least the Canada Customs rep at the border was delighted to see us and welcome us back from a fantastic vacation.