Well...we've officially gone and done it....we shifted from travellers to tourists. The move was confirmed today when we donned wrist bands and hopped aboard a train to get the rest of the way into the site where the Tulum ruins sit atop the cliffs at the waters edge.
Wandering around the ruins was HOT and there were so many people that it felt more like Disneyland than Mayan ruins! Giant iguanas lazed in the shade of the trees that dotted the grounds where we fell into line with at least 1000 others to follow the marked paths through the site.
Lynda visited this same location in 2002 and at that time it was a dirt road leading into the site, there were no gates or entrance fees to be paid, and her group of 4 were the only people there! What a difference 13 years can make!
When we made our way back out (by return train of course) we noticed that amidst the demonstration of Mayan dancers (including the guys who hang upside down by ropes swinging from a giant pole) there was a Starbucks, a Subway, and a Quiznos. Yep...there is definitely some American influence in this part of Mexico!
We enjoyed an ice cold beer while sitting on swing seats at a bar and then retrieved our car from the back of same bar where we'd left it parked for the fee of $50 pesos. To get our car out the drivers for a shuttle van and a taxi had to be found and then they had to move their vehicles before we could even begin to move. This place is crazy busy!!! People people everywhere!
So yes...we looked over the edge from the ruins in search of that perfect azure water and white sand beaches but alas...still no luck! The water looked very muddy for about 15-20 feet from shore and on the beach there is soooo much seaweed littering it that it really doesn't look very appealing at all. Supposedly this year there is more seaweed than ever before and no matter how fast they clean the beaches, the algae returns with each wave as it comes washing in. The result is that there is a solid line of seaweed that is several inches thick and 2-3 feet wide lining the entire shore. It is as though there is a thick black line drawn in the sand about 3 feet from the waters edge everywhere you look.
We spent the rest of the day checking out every little road that goes off the highway between here (Tulum) and Akumal which is another very touristy place. We are definitely into the part of MX where tourism is king and traditional customs take a back seat. While in Akumal we stopped in for a bite to eat at a beach bar/restaurant and as we've become accustomed to luck was with us again and we were seated in what I would dub as the best seat in the house. We were tucked in at the edge of the seating area, right up against some jungle plants, with nothing but a palm tree, a pile of dead coral, and the sea in front of us. Our table was completely in the shade and we had an unobstructed view. Yep, we're sure loving this lady luck that seems to have attached herself to us for this trip yet again!
Some of those roads we traversed between here and Akumal today led us into exclusive resorts, others into areas lined with private residences along the waterfront. Many of those roads were pretty rough and all of them had more topes (speed bumps) than necessary, which was maybe the most authentically Mexican thing about today.
Just before we got back to our apartment, the clouds rolled in and the thunder and lightening show started. By the time we'd arrived home the skies had opened and we were in a torrential downpour. It lasted for a few hours (thank heavens we have this roomy place!) and then turned into a drizzle. My hunch is that tomorrow will bring more blue skies and sunshine and a nice clean car as a bonus.
Hasta luego amigos,
L & L
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