After two days in Merida, it was time to head further East. 3 days and 3 nights left before the flight back, and so much more to experience.
A few days earlier, in San Cristobal, some Italian travellers doing the reverse trek had mentioned that Valladolid was their favorite stop. I was looking forward to visiting this small town.. Indeed, the town is built around one central square/plaza, with some very charming streets on one side, and some less charming streets on the other.
Picking a place to sleep on the spot has now become one of my favorite travel things to do, and the room I got was satisfactory: located right on the square, with running water and a bed.
Step 1: Drop off my backpack
Step 2: Head out and get a taxi to a neighboring “Cenote” (underground fresh water pond with a natural ”roof opening” for the sun to come in. This particular one (I can’t remember its name) was proven later (during my next stop in Tulum) to be not such a great one. However, the view was cool. Here’s a picture:
This cenote was basically a patch of clear water that got cloudy as tourists invaded it to swim.
In Valladolid, I learned the history of chocolate-making and ended up buying a bunch of chocolate samples from an immigrated Frenchman who left his Las Vegas business to enjoy the quiet of South-Eastern Mexico. If you haven’t had chocolate made of only cocoa, honey and pepper, then you haven’t had chocolate!
After a second quiet night here, it was time to head to Tulum, renowned to be one of the best beaches in the world. It wasn’t until I got there that I understood why. I’ll let the photos speak for me..
The southern side of the beach is untouched, and open to be enjoyed by whomever chooses to. The water is so warm you don’t even feel that you stepped in it, and the sand so fine that one of my camera lenses took some of it in, and ended its own life that way..
Add to the heavenliness of this beach, the coolness of the neighboring cenotes, the bats flying under its roof, and the turtles, barracudas and fish easily seen off the Quintana Roo coast, and that makes an excellent experience that had to be cut short..
I spent 2 night there, one at the hostel where I enjoyed Micheladas with the bartender and waiters (and the Canadian owner who still didn’t speak spanish after 3 years there, what a shame!), and one drinking bad tequila with an amazing group of travelers that I met at another local hostel. Brits, Canadians, French, and Slovaks apparently all know how to enjoy a white-sand beach lit by a full moon on a warm August evening.
Photo of my usual table at the place I had booked my room:
