On Mexican Time
According to my mother, my first word was "Hola." I have a long history with Mexico, despite the fact that my skin practically glows in the sun and I barely learned any more Spanish than the above. My grandparents retired in San Miguel de Allende and every year for ten years, my family would make the 10-plus hour journey to San Miguel. First a 5-6 hour plane ride to Mexico City, and then a 3 hour car ride from there. While I was always jealous of friends whose grandparents were a short car ride or flight away, the experience of visiting Mexico was truly priceless. I remember the smell, the tastes (sour tamarinds), the feel of walking on cobblestones. The site of donkeys walking alongside old VW Bugs. Walking underneath the covered outdoor walkway that separated my grandparent's kitchen and living room - and the thrill of doing that during a thunderstorm.
So when I arrived in Tulum after Playa Del Carmen, I finally started feeling like I was in Mexico. I got off the bus and dragged my suitcase across a two-lane road towards a cafe sign that said wifi. The coffee and company was good but the wifi was not. Twenty minutes into my arrival, Mike, an expat from Florida and recent owner of a clothing-optional resort, introduced himself to me and offered to help me find a hostel for the night. And then I met Cody, another expat, who called himself a treasure-hunter-pirate, a horticulturist, wise in the medicinal properties of plants. He proudly listed the various children he had living in the States, one being a porn star, and gave me a number if I wanted to reach him.
At the advice of Mike, I walked a few blocks to the nearest hostel, which might be so new that I still can't find the website. For $40, I had my own room and bathroom and two beds - more than I needed and at a price I didn't mind paying. I showered and set off into the town.
Tulum is incredibly easy to navigate. It's one long strip with most shops on one side and I can imagine side streets that will continue to get built up as the town gains popularity. Perpendicular to the main street is the road to the beach – which is either a ten-minute cab ride or twenty to thirty minute bike ride depending on which beach you’re headed to. Tulum is definitely a hippie enclave, a stark contrast from Cancun and the outdoor American mall that Playa Del Carmen has become. On the main street, you’ll find plenty of inexpensive trinkets from woven and beaded bracelets to hats and sarongs. I didn’t do any research on food before heading out and could have probably found cheaper, better choices but the portions were satisfying, and food was both fresh and affordable.
While exploring the town, I ran into Cody and a young Mexican woman who according to Cody, was from the mountains. He proclaimed, in English, that he wanted to put a baby in her because she was so beautiful, but couldn’t because she already has one growing inside her. After letting me photograph her, she asked for my name so she could find me on Facebook. Facebook isn’t going away anytime soon and we should be glad. It’s truly a gift to be able to connect with people from all over the world with such ease and get a glimpse into someone else’s life – even if that just means only browsing their feed occasionally.
I spent the rest of the evening hanging out in the lounge area in my hostel, searching for hotels near the beach. While there, I met a Canadian couple who advised me to stay in town and bike to the beach to save money, but I had my heart set on having a more relaxing vacation. After an hour or so of searching with no luck, I finally typed in the name of a resort that was given to me by a Colombian girl while sitting in Starbucks while in Playa Del Carmen. I was in luck – they had one room left and within my price range.
TRAVEL TIPS:
Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with anyone in a café or hotel-common area. I found throughout my trip that the advice of a stranger regarding where to stay saved me hours of research on the internet.
Most places have fairly reliable wifi but oftentimes only in the common areas because the signal can’t penetrate the thick, Mexican, stone walls. This can be annoying when going outside at night means battling mosquitos but on the bright side, you're likely to meet people.
Bring mosquito repellant – preferably natural, because many parts of the Yucatan, especially Tulum, are extremely eco-conscious, encouraging travelers to bring biodegradable shower products.
Speaking of eco-conscious, in most parts of Tulum, you can't throw your toilet paper in the toilet and need to put it in the trash. This is weird at first but based on my experience and others through Trip Advisor, it surprisingly doesn't smell since the garbage is taken out daily.