Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum

Cancun

Merida is not far from Cancun, and so about four hours were enough for us to reach our destination. We already knew that Mexico's Caribbean coast constituted a world apart, built expressly for all those tourists (especially Americans) who have plenty of money to spend. We understood it even more once we arrived at the bus station: a lavish building made of large glass windows and coloured steel pillars that, more than a station, almost looked like an airport (especially compared to all the ones we had come across up to then in our wanderings in Mexico). As usual, our mission was to find a place to sleep at a reasonable price: the undertaking turned out to be easier than expected because as soon as we stepped out into the street we were stopped by a man who said he worked for a hostel. It was already evening and we decided to follow him to see what he could offer us.

The alternatives were two: either a dormitory or a private dwelling, both at the same price! Obviously we chose the private dwelling, even though honestly we couldn't understand why the price was the same. Once we arrived at the dwelling, things became clearer: more than a room, it was a hole, devoid of any window, with walls oozing mould and a terrible smell coming from the mattresses... ah, it also had air conditioning, which of course didn't work! We were by then too tired to start arguing and we accepted the offer, albeit reluctantly.

For all those who don't know, the time has come to explain how the city of Cancun is structured: in reality it is not a single city but two. There is the part where the "pueblo" lives (the local people), which is located about ten kilometres from the sea, and the part called the "zona hotelera", which stretches along the entire coastline. The first is made up of social housing and squalid little hotels, the second consists of mega-luxurious five-star hotels reflected in the emerald-green waters. We'll let you imagine which of the two our accommodation was in!!! Be that as it may, even if not exactly on the seafront, we were in Cancun, a place where many people can only dream of being. After a brief dinner, we went to our hole to get a good night's sleep and wake up the following morning at the crowing of the rooster.

Cancun

Indeed, the following day we didn't exactly wake up early, and we decided to spend the rest of the day visiting the pueblo of Cancun and to leave the "zona hotelera" for the following day. We therefore wandered around our neighbourhood among little markets and small venues where we stopped from time to time for a snack. Evening came in an instant, and in anticipation of the following day we decided to go to bed early. The next day we woke up around eight: the plan called for a brief visit to the row of hotels that crowd the coast and then dedicating the rest of the day to the sea and the sun. While it is true that the "poor part" of Cancun is about ten kilometres from the beach, it is equally true that this distance is made shorter by an impeccable bus service that, besides being very frequent, is also very cheap.

Having caught the first bus, in fifteen minutes we were already on the coast, submerged in the shadows of enormous hotels, so close to one another as to almost block access to the sea. We rode almost the whole coast by bus to get an idea of the place, after which we stopped at a beach suggested to us by the owner of our little hotel: Playa Tortuga. Perhaps we had set off with too many expectations about the sea and beaches of Cancun; the fact remains that once we arrived on the spot we were a bit disappointed: the beach was full of black seaweed, the sea was not exactly transparent, and there was a wind that was nothing short of infernal.

Perhaps our trip has made us a bit too demanding, perhaps we have seen such white beaches and such transparent waters that we are no longer satisfied even with Cancun!!! In reality, after an objective judgment, one certainly cannot say that Cancun is an unpleasant place: apart from some seaweed, the beach was white and the sea had a turquoise-green colour that, with the sun's rays, created fabulous light effects on the surface of the water. We stayed enjoying the warm sun all afternoon, until, seized by an insistent hunger pang, we returned to base. After a shower, we caught the bus again and headed once more toward the "zona hotelera" to have dinner and enjoy Cancun by night. When darkness falls, the city (the rich one) flaunts its charm and its wealth even more: the lavish lights almost blind the numerous tourists who crowd the restaurants and the expensive nightclubs...

we, of course, contented ourselves with watching, as usual! The evening was fun anyway, even though it had to end fairly early since the following day we would have to be travelling again toward our next destination: Isla Mujeres.

Isla Mujeres

Having woken up and once again packed our little backpack, toward mid-morning we took a taxi that brought us to the pier, from where by a very fast ferry we would cover the short stretch of sea separating Isla Mujeres from the coast. The trip lasted about half an hour, and here we were, disembarked on a little island whose name promised well: the island of women. Having set foot on the island, we already knew where to go since we had the address of the only hostel on the island. After a short walk among characteristic colourful little houses, we reached our destination and were unexpectedly welcomed by one of our compatriots: Matteo, a somewhat worn-out young man from Bergamo who had been staying on the island for months by then, earning a living working at the hostel.

Just the time to get acquainted with our new beds, and we dashed off to the beach; this time our expectations were not disappointed: the beach was very white, and in front of it was a sort of natural pool of clear, crystalline water: take that, Cancun! After spending some time in that paradise, we returned to base for a refreshing shower and the usual preparations for the evening. Indeed, good Matteo from Bergamo had galvanised us by holding out the prospect of a superlative nightlife (which according to him started at exactly 9:50 pm) and telling us that we would realise why that island was called the "island of women". With these premises, we washed, combed our hair, and got "dolled up", and after a brief dinner we patiently waited until 9:50 pm.

Time passed but the situation did not improve; in the streets, apart from a few tourists intent on dining in the various little venues, there was nothing else. We waited, waited, and waited, but in the end we retired with our tails between our legs into the muggy heat of our little room, mitigated by enormous, refreshing fans.

Isla Mujeres

The following morning we took it very easy: we got up in the late morning, had a leisurely breakfast, and went to rest our little bottoms on the soft white sand of Isla Mujeres. We spent the whole day between water and sun, sun and water, until, cooked like lobsters, we returned to the fold. After a succulent little dinner based on fresh fish, we seized the invitation from Matteo from Bergamo and, together with two other girls from the hostel, dragged ourselves around the various pubs and discos of the island: almost all empty. In reality the evening wasn't bad at all, and between one laugh and another we made it to morning.

Isla Mujeres

We intended to leave the island the following morning, but given the wild night we decided to postpone it by a day, dedicating ourselves once again to seaside activities. The last evening we opted for a cheap little dinner of hot dogs and "nada mas"; we headed to our rooms early, aware that the following day the umpteenth transfer awaited us, toward Playa del Carmen.

Playa del Carmen

From Isla Mujeres we took the ferry back to the mainland and then a collective minibus, and within about an hour we were already in Playa del Carmen. Here too we knew where to go, and we went directly to the hostel of the moment to drop off our bags and then check out the nearby beach. It was a very touristy beach equipped with umbrellas and deckchairs that left little room for "Sunday" tourists. In the end, though, we found our little spot right up against a large rock at the water's edge. Here too the beach was white and pleasant, the sea a little rough but of a breathtaking turquoise: the only negative note was the wind crashing against the waves and against our little bodies. After the umpteenth day of sun and sea, we returned to the hostel to get ready for the evening.

We had our dinner (in a very cheap street restaurant) consisting of half a chicken, vegetables, beans, and rice for the beautiful sum of two euros each, drink included: incredible. Even more incredible was the surprise waiting for us around the corner: one of the most pleasant pedestrian streets ever encountered in Mexico. Full of little shops and restaurants and crowded with numerous tourists (and lots of chicks!).

Playa del Carmen

We spent the following day too under the blazing sun, even though in the early afternoon we had to abandon the field due to excessive wind, spending the rest of the day working to update our website: tireless workers! The following day the time had already come to pack up and catch another bus, this time to Tulum, the last seaside stop before leaving Mexico.

Tulum

Two hours with our bottoms sunk into the bus seat, and we were already in Tulum. Tulum, like Cancun, is a city divided in two: the pueblo (the poorer town, slightly set back inland) and the tourist town along the coast. As usual we could not afford to stay along the coast given the sky-high prices: the alternative was to find a hotel in the "pueblo" area, and that meant taking a taxi to cover five kilometres every time we wanted to reach the Caribbean sea: if you'll allow me, an outrageous thing! This pushed us to a drastic solution: to leave Tulum quickly and in a rush and, the same day, head straight on to Chetumal, a border city where we would catch the bus to Guatemala. No sooner said than done, we rushed to the bus station to buy the last three available tickets; just the time to stock up on some food, and we were already travelling.

After four hours of travel (what a bore!), we arrived in Chetumal, a border city whose sole purpose is to give tourists the chance to cross into the neighbouring states. As soon as we got off the bus, we headed to the information desk to ask when the next bus to Tikal, our next destination in Guatemala, would depart. The answer from the young lady behind the counter left us speechless and astonished: a good twelve hours awaited us to spend in that hole of a station, since the next bus would depart at six the following morning. After a brief consultation, RPZ (Return to Parallel Zero) decided that it was not worth spending money on a few hours of sleep in a second-hand little hotel: the umpteenth night on the station benches awaited us.

To kill time, we tried to stretch out our dinner as long as possible in a dive near the station, but in the end we had to return to our beloved/hated station. We had already started arranging our backpacks as pillows, but just as we were dozing off, the security service came to scold us, telling us that it was not possible to lie down in the station and that we would have to spend the rest of the wait sitting or standing: unimaginable! Morning came, and with it the bus we had been waiting for so long. At six o'clock we left Chetumal station and with it Mexico too.

Next destination: Tikal, Guatemala.