Playa Maroma Day 360 13/09/2015

We had a leisurely start to the day with a lovely breakfast by the pool, fresh fruit, granola and yogurt, heuvos rancheros, muffins, fresh juice and coffee. Afterwards we sat on the beach, read, snoozed, cooled down in the sea and in the pool with Diane trying out her new snorkel and mask only to find the clip that attaches the two together was broken, as was the one on Simon's. There was a breeze off the sea which helped make it pleasant to sit out in. The sea here is a bit rougher than in other places along the coast and there is quite a bit of seaweed. The hotels are making an effort to clear it up which no doubt pleases the guests but will also affect the eco system. Another of life's dilemma's! A rather large lady stumbled by the shore and was carried off on a stretcher clutching her right knee. Hopefully nothing serious. We skipped lunch bring too full from breakfast. In the late afternoon we had a stroll along the beach followed by cocktails and then drinks and dinner on the terrace outside our room, listening to the sound of the sea. We'd just finished eating when the wind picked up an we had a torrential downpour which was very atmospheric and helped clear the air before we headed in for bed.

The view from the dining area 

Enjoying breakfast 

Maroma beach.... and seaweed!

Isla Cozumal / Playa Maroma Day 359 12/09/2015

We needed to make our way to the marina at La Calete towards the south of the island for our scuba diving trip. Breakfast was served in our room, a pretty dismal affair compared to some of the wonderful breakfasts we've had as of late but to be honest we were both a bit apprehensive and neither felt very hungry. We packed our bags and left them at the hotel before getting a taxi to the harbour. We were a bit early and couldn't find anyone from the diving company we'd booked with so wandered around the adjacent harbour before heading back and finding our instructor for the day, called Miguel. We filled out the obligatory forms and then heading off in the boat towards the reefs on the far south tip of the island. On the way Miguel went through the equipment, how to equalise the pressure in our heads when we dove, the various hand signs and the exercises we'd do once in the water. Diane had done one dive before. a long time ago, and it was a new experience for Simon. We anchored on a sandy ocean floor about 2 meters deep, got kitted out in our gear included a belt with weights and air tank and sat on the edge of the boat (the gear was so heavy that Diane had to be helped onto the side of the boat). On the count of 3 we all tipped in backwards off the boat into the water. It's an amazingly efficient way to get in the water when you have so much weight strapped to your body but both of us were rather anxious as we tipped over. We then dropped slowly to the ocean floor to do our exercises. Diane had to do the second one twice, knowing that she'd rushed getting the regulator back in her mouth (who wouldn't when you were under water with no air to breathe?). After successfully completing the exercises we got back on the boat, Diane having to have the weights and tank removed beforehand, and set off to the reef for our first dive. The water was crystal clear as we sailed along. We reached the site for our first dive, tipped over the side of the boat again and started to slowly go down to the reef at c30ft. Simon's cold had still been lingering and he had real difficulty in equalising with resulting pain from the pressure in his sinuses. But he persevered, resting, descending, ascending, resting and final felt OK to go down. The reef was lovely, mainly yellows and browns and with lots of fish. At one point we saw a sea turtle and then a shark swimming low over the sand. Miguel was great in pointing out the various sea creatures and fish. We finally surfaced very slowly near to the boat. Simon must have burst a few capillaries in his nose as he had quite a bit of blood in his mask. We sailed to a jetty where we moored to rest between dives to let the nitrogen escape from our bodies and ate lots of fruit and cakes. After about 45 minutes we set off again this time heading for Francesca reef, part of the Planancar reef. Over the side we went again and dropped down slowly to the reef about 40ft below, Simon again struggling to equalise and nearly going back up due to the pain. However with help from Miguel who helped him descend ultra slow we got down to near the coral floor. The reef here was lovely, again mainly yellows, orange and brown with interesting shapes and little caverns, and the fish were in abundance and a huge variety. We saw a turtle, stingrays, barracuda, lobster, crab, parrot fish, angle fish and so many other species. The current was very strong here so all we needed to do was float along through the fish and enjoy the sites. Unfortunately it took it's toll on Simon and by the time we surfaced he'd got horrible sinus pain and Diane had a blocked ear. Clearly diving with the aftermath of colds is not the best of ideas but we were running out of time and it had been wonderful to see the reef and the sea life. Back in the harbour we got a taxi to the hotel, changed and walked the short distance to the ferry terminal. We stopped for lunch in Playa del Carmen before getting a taxi to our next, and last destination at Playa Maroma. Back in December we'd decided to have the last few days of our adventure chilling out somewhere luxurious and special. We originally planned to go to Cuba but, after a bit of research, realised that hurricane season wasn't the best time to visit and opted for Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsular. We got the taxi to drop us off at the sister hotel of where we were staying near the highway and got a lift to Kin Sol Soleil where we were staying for our last 4 nights. The rooms look out over the ocean and it has a small, private beach area overlooking a paradise view of the ocean. A perfect setting for chilling out. After cocktails on our terrace we had dinner in the restaurant that looks out over the swimming pool to the ocean. A perfect setting to reminisce, reflect and most of all relax!.

The view from our hotel room 

One of three cruise ships in the port 

Heading out for our diving trip 

Underwater world 

Francesca reef 

Tropical fish feeding on the coral 

Playa Maroma 

Tulum / Isla Cozumel Day 358 11/09/2015

We'd been in Tulum for 2 full days and not yet visited the Mayan ruins here so thought we'd go before we got the bus/ferry to Isla Cozumel. We had an early breakfast and packed most of our things before walking down to the main street to get a taxi to the site. The ruins are located over a rugged coastline looking out over a small strip of beach and the blue/green ocean. Compared to other sites we've visited the structures our deemed to be inferior, but what they lack is definitely made up for by the magnificent setting. From the entrance we walked around the perimeter wall, 3m thick and measuring 720m, surrounding the 3 edges of the site with the 4th being guarded by the sea. You access the site at Casa del Cenote, one of only 3 access points, 4 including the beach. From here you get a good view of the site, set on sloping ground which leads up to the most impressive building, El Castillo. The Templo del Dios del Viento is to the north side and built so that the sun shines directly through it's arches at the equinox. From behind El Castillo steps lead down to the beach. After enjoying the ocean breeze we walked around the centre of the site to Templo de las Pinturas where you can still make out some of the original carvings on the outer walls. Despite still being early the heat and humidity were relentless and we decided to head back to the b&b. We got a taxi at the south entrance where we'd cycled to a few days before. It was more expensive to go back to town from here but neither of us had the energy to walk to the other entrance. Back in town we stopped at a juice bar before returning to Casa Sophia to finish packing and check out. We walked the short distance to the bus station and got the local bus to Playa del Carmen. Luckily the bus terminal was only a block away from the ferry port where we bought return tickets to Isla Cozumel and soon afterwards boarded the ferry. The island is a very popular cruise ship destination and has also become a world famous diving spot, the reason why we were heading there. We booked to stay 1 night at Hotel Vista del Mar, close to the port in San Miguel. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we left our bags and walked along the front to find somewhere for lunch. This part of the island feels very different to Isla Mujeres, much more commercialised no doubt attempting to met the needs of the tourists from the cruise ships which anchor nearby. After lunch at a nearby cafe we headed back and checked out where we could by snorkelling equipment from so we can snorkel off the beach at Playa Marama where we are staying for our last 4 nights. We treated ourselves to ice creams and sat in the main plaza to eat them. The heat really doesn't help and it wasn't long before Diane was covered in melting ice cream and then managed to drop the whole cone due to rather slippery hands. We headed back to the hotel to take refuge in our air conditioned room. In the evening we headed out and ate at Kinta, just off the main drag. We sat in the courtyard and both had very tasty meals.

Entering Tulum site 

Minitemples 

Templo del Dios del Viento 

The primeter wall 

Templo de las Pinturas 

Enjoying the sea breeze 

The view of El Castillo from the sea 

Spot the iguana 

El Castillo 

Who says ladies don't sweat? 

El Castillo 

Looking out eastward  

Tulum main strret 

Enjoying a refreshing strawberry juice 

Sailing to Isla Cozumel 

Our ferry across to the island 

Akumal / Cenote Ojas Day 357 10/09/2015

It's hard to believe that in one week's time we'll be landing at Gatwick airport. Eager to make the most of our last few days in Mexico we booked to go snorkelling today. We had breakfast and walked to the shop on the block next to our hotel to meet our guide for the day, Peggy. We'd booked to go to both the ocean and a cenote to get most of the day. From Tulum we drove the short distance north along the coast to reach Akumel (place of the turtles) where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, although fewer and fewer arrive each year due to resort development and increased tourism. There is also a reef here, although badly damaged from fishing and tourism it is starting to recover and is home to various species of tropical fish. We found a place on the beach to leave our things and headed into the warm water, easier said than done with fins on!. The reef is quite close to the shore and whilst a lot of the coral has died, the fish were plentiful and we saw a variety of brightly coloured species of all shapes and sizes. Various sea anemones were growing amongst the coral, swaying in the current. We continued along the reef to reach a cordoned off area where groups snorkel in the hope of seeing sea turtles. We were lucky enough to see 2, both tagged, eating from the sea bed and coming up the the surface for air. They are such graceful creatures and yet again we were reminded of how lucky we were to have swam with so many in the Galapagos. We also saw a couple of mantarays on the seabed and fish that are from the puffer fish family. After snacks and refreshments back on the beach we set off back towards Tulum heading for Cenote Dos Ojos. There are 2 main cenotes here (the 2 eyes) which provide access to an enormous cave system of nearly 57km. It's the 3rd largest underwater cave system in the world. After a quick sandwich we went to the 2nd eye first where you can snorkel, with a guide, through an underwater tunnel, past stalactites and stalagmites that we could illuminate with our torches, to the bat cave. The cave has a small hole, c1m circumference, above through which natural light pours down through the crystal clear water. The ceiling was covered in vampire bats and several flew above our heads. Down below us we could see the torch lights of scuba divers exploring the under water caverns. It was an amazing experience and the closest thing either of have done underwater caving. After a short spell in the sunlight for Diane to warm up we walked to the 1st eye. We could only swim here as the caverns are all underwater and only accessible by divers. Again the water was crystal clear, much more so than at the other cenotes we have visited but probably because these are significantly shallower at the entrance. Peggy then took us to their secret cenote. As we were getting ready by the edge of the water we heard a very loud rustling in the undergrowth nearby. Peggy was keen to investigate and we set off in the water swimming by the vegetation and mangroves. We were both less eager to see what it might have been given crocodiles do live in the area. Luckily we didn't see anything and swam into an underground tunnel where glow worms lived on the rock ceiling. Simon startled 2 bats on the ceiling directly above us (so close they were within touching distance) with his torch and a spray of water from his snorkel. The cenote has an earth covering on the floor with tree roots growing down through the water. It made for a very different experience to the first cave we visited. Back at the carpark we enjoyed masaqueso from a stall, crispy pancakes filled with grated cheese, before returning to Tulum. After changing out of our wet gear we went out to get a drink before returning for a rest. In the evening we went to Celti,  restaurant on the corner opposite where we were staying. We had free appetisers which were lovely and very filling and then shared a delicious meal of pepper stuffed with minced pork and beef and a squash stuffed with vegetables, washed down with a pear margarita and bottle of Mexican red wine to help celebrate our last night in Tulum.

The crystal clear waters at Cenote Ojas 

Underwater stalactites and stalagmites 

The 2nd eye 

Coba Day 356 09/09/2015

As with our other trips to Mayan ruins we wanted to go early to avoid the crowds and heat. We had an early breakfast at Casa Sophia and walked the short distance to where the shared taxis wait to take people to Coba. There was nobody else waiting for a lift so, after a bit of negotiation getting the price down to 700 pesos, we set off on our own, travelling the 48km back along the main highway to the site. It's set in dense tropical jungle and is believed to have been home to c55,000 Maya at its peak. Around 40 sacbeob (stoned paveways) lead from the site, the longest over 100km. The taxi dropped us off near the entrance gate and we agreed to be back around midday. There are estimated to be over 6500 structures although only a few have been excavated. Not far from the entrance is the Grupo Coba with a huge pyramid, La Iglesia. Nearby are a couple of corbeled vault passages that you can walk through and there is a well restored juego de pelota (ball court) with rings in tact. You can hire bikes or pedicabs to help cover the distances between the various structures. We opted for bikes and set off towards the Grupo Nohoch. It was lovely cycling along in the dappled shade and the little breeze there was helped to cool us down. Nohoch Mull is the main structure of the group, a 42m high pyramid which you can climb up to look out over the jungle. The only thing we could see was the top of Xaibe sticking through the canopy, everything else was flat and green all the way to the horizon. Back on our bikes we stopped off at another juego de pelota, with has a carved skull in the centre of the court and Xaibe, a well restored temple, and then continued on to Grupo Macanxoc. The track followed by the side of a small lake and we both kept a careful watch out for crocodiles. Luckily we didn't see any! The area includes a group of recently restored stelae with reliefs of royal women thought to have come from Tikal. From here it was a short cycle back to the bike hire concession. We walked back to our taxi, stopping at the shore of Laguna Coba where crocodiles are often spotted. We were both rather glad we didn't see any! Coba is very different to the other sites we've been to and is definitely worth a visit. On the way back to Tulum our driver asked if we were OK if he picked up other passengers and as we were we soon had 2 travelling companions. Back in town we walked to the b&b and enjoyed left over pizza for lunch. After a rest we headed out and rented bicycles to go to the beach, about 3km from the main town. The bikes had no gears or brakes (you back peddled to slow down) and it was quite hard work cycling along in the heat (for Diane at least). At the coast we headed north towards Tulum ruins where the road ends before retracing our route. We stopped off at one of the lovely public beaches. Unfortunately the seaweed is quite bad here so we decided not to go in the sea. We were very hot and thirsty and had drinks at a beach cafe before continuing. Diane had coconut juice with the coconut being cut straight from a tree. Unfortunately the juice was warm and Simon's lemonade was much more refreshing. Back on our bikes we continued back along the coast and stopped at another beach where the seaweed was less. We had a quick dip in the sea followed by ice creams and then set off back to town. By the time we were back we were exhausted and very hot and went straight in the pool to cool off. In the evening we went to El Asadero for dinner which had a really nice atmosphere and we both enjoyed tasty Mexican meals.

La Iglesia 

Juego de pelota 

One of several corbeled vaulted passages 

Waiting for the tour coaches to arrive 

Enjoying the dabbled shade 

The 42m high Nohoch Mull 

Nearly at the top 

Flat dense jungle for as far as you can see 

You can just make out Xaibe sticking out of the canopy in the centre 

Heading back down 

Customary selfie 

Xaibe 

A carved skull in the centre of the ball court 

Back on the bikes 

Grupo de las Pinturas 

Luckily these were the only jaguars we saw 

No crocodiles in sight  

Tulum beach 

Looking north along the shore to the Mayan ruins 

Casa Sophia 

Tulum Day 355 08/09/2015

We were heading to Tulum today, back on the Caribbean coast south of Cancun. Our bus didn't leave until 1305 so we had a leisurely start to the day and enjoyed a fabulous breakfast of fruit, a Mexican dish of fried eggs, sausage, avocado and tomato on a tortilla covered in black beans, followed by crepes with marmalade, washed down with coffee and fruit juice. It was probably the best breakfast we've had so far on our travels. Afterwards we caught up on a few things, packed and left just after 1200 to walk to the bus terminal. We've both really enjoyed our stay in Valladolid, it's a lovely town with a really nice feel to the place and is surrounded by some great sites. The bus departed on time and we had an uneventful journey to Tulum. Again the landscape was flat with dense jungle so little if anything to see out of the window. We arrived in Tulum just before 1500 and walked the short distance to our b&b, Casa Sophia. We'd not yet decided on how many nights to spend here so were keen to check out what to do. After visiting a few tour companies we eventually decided on 3 nights to give us time to visit the Mayan ruins at Coba and Tulum and to snorkel in a cenote and just off the coast nearby. We also decided to head to Isla Cozumel for 1 night before our last 4 nights, at what will hopefully be a lovely beachside location, to go scuba diving at what is suppose to be an amazing reef just off the west coast of the island. Back at the b&b we cooled off with a dip in the pool. In the evening we walked along the main highway in search of a pizzeria that was suppose to make the best pizza's in town. We both like Mexican food but felt like we needed a change. We eventually found it, closed! We walked back to the town centre and found another Italian restaurant where we enjoyed pizza's although they were huge and we took half of them back with us.

Chichen Itza Day 354 07/09/2015

We planned to go to Chichen Itza today, the most famous since it's inclusion in the new 7 wonders of the world and best restored of the Mayan sites on the Yucatan peninsular. We wanted to get there early to avoid the heat and the crowds. This didn't look feasible by bus so instead we booked to go on a tour. After an early start and breakfast we were picked up just before 0730, arriving at the site at 0830 where we met our guide, Julian. As we walked to the site through the main entrance we soon got sight of the impressive pyramid, El Castillo. It was apparently designed to represent the Mayan calendar in stone with the 90 steps on each of the 4 sides plus 5 at the top equating to 365 days of the year. At the spring and autumn equinox a moving serpent illusion can be seen on the staircase. It's built over a pre-Toltec pyramid which included a red jaguar throne. The temple produces amazing acoustics as demonstrated by our guide with ground level clapping from a certain spot in front of the pyramid creating repeated echos from within the temple. From here we went to see the Platforma de los Craneos used to display the heads of sacrificial victims. Nearby is the Templo de los Jaguares and just a short distance further the very impressive Gran Juego de Pelota, the largest Mayan ball court. It reminded both of us of scenes from Harry Potter when they are playing Cribbage. Unlike Ek Balam, it's thought that the winner was sacrificed here in order for them to be with the gods. The acoustics here were also impressive and apparently you could hear a conversation taking place from the other end of the court. We walked back passed El Castillo to reach the Templo de los Guerreros where you could just make out the chac-mool, sacrificial stone, at the top of the temple. Behind and to the right of the temple is the Grupo de las Mil Columnas where over 600 columns have been renovated. From here we walked passed locals setting up stalls with artisan crafts to reach what was described to us as the model of El Castillo at one third of the size of the main one, although we haven't seen any reference to this in any guide book. Further on is El Caracol, thought to be an observatory with it's spiral dome and windows aligned with the appearance of certain stars on specific dates. It's considered to be the most important building on the site. Edificio de las Monjas is just beyond and thought to be a palace for Mayan royalty. Our guide left us here and, after buying a lemon lolly ice in an attempt to cool down, we walked back across the site and continued on to Cenote Sagrado where sacrificial victims were forcibly plunged into the underworld. It is also believed to have been the downfall of Chichen Itza through the pollution of their drinking water. We headed back to the entrance, passed the crowds who were now appearing, to find the carpark full of taxis, minivans and coaches. We were very pleased we'd gone early, although it was still hot, we did manage to avoid the crowds. From Chichen Itza we drove back to the outskirts of Valladolid where we stopped at a private cenote. Access was through a stone stairwell to a lovely pool, with tree roots cascading down into the waters from above and as there were no visitors we had the place to ourselves. It was a real treat to swim by ourselves and enjoy the cool waters. Back in town we stopped off at the tour company's office for a local drink and then went to the Bazar Municipal again for lunch, this time huevos mexicana, before going back to the hotel to crash. We were both exhausted from the early start but primarily the heat and humidity. In the evening we walked down Calle 49, a lovely street lined with colourful houses, to Templo de San Bernardino and Convento de Sisal. We'd been told that they were lit up in the evening but unfortunately they weren't and the restaurant we'd decided to go to for dinner nearby was closed! We walked back to the main square and ate at a restaurant on the corner. It didn't look anything special but the food was excellent, the red wine, once we'd taken it out of the ice bucket, was very enjoyable and the service good. A lovely way to spend our last night in Valladolid.

Arriving at Chichen Itza 

Entering the site on one of the original roads 

El Castillo 

Gran Juego de Pelota 

90 steps up to the main temple 

Before the crowds arrived 

The less well restored east side 

Templo de los Jaguares 

Skull carvings surrounding the Platforma de los Craneos 

Gran Juego de Pelota 

Scaled model of El Catillo 

Temple de los Guerreros 

A sacrificial stone, chac-mool 

Grupo de las Mil Columnas 

More of the 600 restored columns 

El Caracol 

Edificio de las Monjas 

Templo de los Jaguares 

Cenote Sagrado 

The lovely clear waters of the private cenote 

Enjoying a dip in the cool water 

Tree roots growing down into the water 

Swimming amongst the roots and fish