Adventure and Misadventure in the Yucatan Peninsula

Alternately titled: Beware washed out roads and the dreaded shakedown

Goodbye to our Tulum

Note: This trip occurred during the pandemic so many references were specific to the rules during that time.

If you read our previous post, you would know that we would hate leaving Tulum.  We fell in love.  We discovered peace and calm and just fell in love with the laid back beach vibe of Tulum. However, we were excited to move on with our Yucatan exploration.

Another thing we loved is the inspirational street signs, as in real street signs only with inspirational sayings on them.  “Breathe” on one corner, “If not now, when?” on the road to the beach, “Stay Present”. The signs are part of an art installation called Public Display of Awareness (PDA) by Olivia Steele. It was a fantastic little touch that really added to the positive energy of Tulum.

Quite obviously, on our last morning, we had to do our own little mini-tour of the signs before breakfast to avoid the traffic!

But First, Breakfast…and Tacos

Breakfast was at El Pez, (sister property to Mezzanine and Le Zebra). They had chilaquiles and a list of breakfast cocktails, and yes to mimosas, to compliment the fantastic beach view. 

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I did not enjoy any delicious breakfast cocktails because after a few blissful days of not driving, I am back in anxiety mode. And although I am so excited for Valladolid, Cenotes, Chichen Itza and Coba, I am dreading this drive…

While breakfast was fantastic, there was one of those “must try” items to hit on our way out of town.  The taco truck in the Super Aki parking lot.

This is one of those places where the locals are all gathered around. No one translates into English for you, and you know it is going to be to die for.  So practice with me “taco”, “torta”, “salsa es muy picante”. Great, you are all ready to order!  We were stuffed, but we managed to find room to fit in a Taco al Pastor and it was fantastic. We ended up using that word a lot on this trip!

Let the Yucatan Adventure Begin

Our next destination was Valladolid, which is inland on the Yucatan Peninsula.  Valladolid lies at the intersection of the major highways across the peninsula. Centered between Merida (the capital) to the west, Cancun to the east, and Rio Lagartos to the north.

Cenotes

However, on the way there, we had cenotes to visit.  Although there were cenotes in Tulum, we skipped them in favor of waiting for the ones that we really wanted to see. The first was the incredibly beautiful Ik Kil and the second was Suytun – the famous cenote with the platform illuminated by a beam of sunlight.

We were planning on Ik Kil the first day and Suytun the next morning. Sadly, after driving out there, Ik Kil was closed and we were very disappointed.

ssn – You are probably aware of my love for lists by now, well, Ik Kil is on the list. It is on the list of the 100 Most Beautiful Views in the World. And I am pouting at this point.

But, we took the advice of the guard at Ik Kil and drove out to Tsukan.  It was well past Chichen Itza, and we ended up driving through all these cute little towns.

Yucatan Driving Adventure #1

Now, the thing about these cute little towns is that they were like old, colorful, traditional looking villages. However, had these towns been in the USA, we would have considered them the slums because we are generally spoiled and expect things to be nice and new.  Many Americans consider anything old to be not worthy of respect.  This is not the case in Mexico.  In Mexico, they were lovely little towns. Primitive roadside stands with colorful souvenirs and authentic food, little kids playing, families gathering. It was like you could feel the love pouring out of these little communities.

Here’s your warning though, because there is a lot of tourist traffic. Many roads leading in and out of these communities have set up their own little speed bumps (seriously, like the laid out old tire rubber for bumps) and put a souvenir stand at this point. You will get hit up a lot for your tourist dollars. Do not feel obligated to buy anything, just smile and wave, be polite, be respectful (dang, I shouldn’t even have to say this, right?).

ssn – I am feeling quite confident driving at this point. Easy roads, no crazy fluctuating speed limits, well marked road signs. Combined with road trip singing to our favorite playlists over the bluetooth. Although each little town had checkpoints there was no issue. Just smile & wave with a little “buenos dias”.

Santaurio Tsukan

We hit Santaurio Tsukan, our very first cenote.  This was one of the only times our limited knowledge of Spanish really hung us up.  We had to shower then wear life vests into the cenote.  We hadn’t understood that we couldn’t take our bags in. And we didn’t want to leave them unattended (even though they said it would be fine) so we ended up going in separately.

A nice man guided us in by flashlight (hello, it’s a cave, there’s no light, I don’t know why the use of the flashlight surprised me, lol).  And then it opens up and it is GORGEOUS!  Oh my goodness, it was beautiful, if only I could have shared the moment with my sister.

Which I could have, if we spoke Spanish well enough to understand that one of us didn’t have to stay behind with the bags. We could have left them in a locker. And we could have stayed in the cave to explore. But there was no real swimming allowed.  So, yes, cenotes, do them all, they are a beautiful experience.

Although, had we gone to any of the cenotes along the drive, we probably could have skipped the formalities and rules and just had a swim and enjoyed the natural aspect!

More downside at this point of the trip is that by the time we got back to Chichzen Itza, we were just over the tourist aspect.  We had tickets to the evening light show at Chichzen Itza two days later. So we didn’t stop and just headed back towards Valladolid.

ssn – spoiler alert:  we will regret this decision

Valladolid

On our way into Valladolid we had to go by a “checkpoint” where we were actually stopped. We were a little panicked waiting for the infamous “shakedown from the Federales”. It turned out to be more of a welcome point, with a nice man that informed us of the mask restrictions (must wear a mask everywhere in public, even outside in the park). He answered any questions, and provided us with directions to our next stop.

Valladolid was chosen not only for its proximity to the amazing sights we planned to see in the Yucatan Peninsula, but also because of the rave reviews that we had seen about this town. People love it and we wanted to see why! It is the third largest town in the Yucatan Peninsula, and dates back to the 1500s.  Instantly, we were oohing & ahhing at the colorful buildings and beautiful architecture which reflect the colonial heritage of this town.

Hotel Posada San Juan

We pull up at our hotel, Hotel Posada San Juan, which is this little terra cotta colored corner building. It was nothing special from the outside. I was a little skeptical of Peggy’s selection, I will admit.  However, we were greeted warmly by our host, Gabriel, who walked us through the hotel and took us to settle into our room.

Prior to our leaving for dinner Gabriel provided us with a little run-down of the town, including sights to see, and a little map with highlights.  Our room was adorable! The hotel was completely deceptive from the outside. The inside held an peaceful sanctuary with a pool, patio, and garden area.

Exploring Valladolid

Gabriel recommended El Atrio for dinner.  It was right off the town center, next to the Iglesia de San Servacio, the Catholic Cathedral that marks the center of town.  The restaurant itself is set in this beautiful little atrium (ha, see El Atrio, we are learning our Spanish here).  We naturally opt for the table side guacamole and cocktails to start.  Our server, Adelberto, was kind enough to encourage us to try the Cochinita Pibil. Conchinita Pibil is authentic Mayan style pork, if you are ever in the Yucatan, GET THE PIBIL.

After dinner, we did a little wandering around the square.  And it is one of those truly traditionally Mexican evenings, where families gather in the park, get ice cream from little street vendors, and just enjoy the city atmosphere.

We stopped in Las Campanas for mojitos and live music. There, we met a couple who was spending a few weeks there, as frequent travelers to this region they agreed with us that Valladolid held a friendly, warm, inviting atmosphere.  It was a place you really just wanted to move to a become a freelance artist, or writer, or something and live a low key life.

ssn – the couple we met had flown into Mexico City, bought a tuk tuk, and were just traveling around Mexico. Serious travel envy right here. Also, this was live music spot #3 on this trip and The Beatles seem to be very popular!

From here we went back to our Hotel Posada San Juan, grabbed some cervezas from the honor fridge and enjoyed the pool for an hour or so before wearily turning in.

Happy.  Valladolid made us happy, made our souls happy. 

Yucatan Day 2

The next morning, we got up early and headed to Convent of San Bernardino de Siena. This gorgeous old building was a convent, a prison, and is now a Catholic Church.  It is a beautiful structure and definitely worth taking the time to stroll around the grounds and enjoy the history of the area. 

Foreshadowing

We had other boxes to check off, so we headed out of town to Rio Lagartos and the incredible pink lakes of Las Coloradas in our sights. And it was upon check out that our beloved Gabriel informed us of the impending tropical storm in the gulf. Yes, we were completely oblivious to this fact. I mean come on, we were at the very end of hurricane season, what could possibly go wrong.

ssn – as you recall, our plan for the morning was to hit Cenote Sayun before heading north to Rio Lagartos. But we were way ahead of schedule. Sayun didn’t open for a couple of hours and we have to come back this way to go to Playa del Carmen and our evening show at Chichen Itza. So we’ll just go on the way back. (spoiler alert – decision we will regret #2)

North to Rio Lagartos

It would be a bit of a drive, but we were absolutely compelled by our need to see pink water and flamingos.  This is where our trip starts to be a bit of a roller coaster.  We had to get there, get our fix, stop by Cenote Saytun and still get our butts to Playa del Carmen before my husband arrived that evening.

But, we love a good road trip. So off we went with good music streaming, downloaded directions, an increased level of comfort with driving, and blissful ignorance to the fact that our car’s phone charger didn’t exactly work.

So, key things to keep in mind:  3+ hour drive, impending storm, lack of cell phone charging ability, lack of fluency in Spanish, time limit.

Yucatan driving adventure #2

It’s a 1.5 hour drive up to Las Coloradas.  We sing, we dance, we ooh and aaah, at all the cute little town.  We pass through a town with a roadside kitchen, and immediately regret not stopping.  Old churches, roadside ruins, jungley vegetation, it’s pretty perfect day of seeing Mexico.

We get 20 minutes away, in the middle of the agricultural area and we come to a washed out road.  It’s us, a couple of bikers (motorcycle not bicycle), and a work crew.  Someone from the other direction in a truck attempts to cross and the water is up to the middle of his radiator, and we decide this is NOT a good decision.

Then this big scary biker in a leather vest approaches our car, and we are a little nervous; so, naturally, we learn our lesson about judging a book by a cover, as this man breaks out a huge smile, and tries to explain to us how to turn around. He speaks no English, and we can’t understand him, and he doesn’t care, he resorts to hand signals.  It was very sweet. 

Yucatan driving adventure #3

Now Peggy is slightly heartbroken, first no Ik Kil Cenote, and now Las Coloradas.  We get back to the closest town to the washout, we realize scary-friendly biker man had been telling us to turn at this town and go the OTHER road to Las Coloradas.

I get enough signal to get Google to confirm, there is another way, and it’s only another hour.  After calculating our time, decide we gotta go, we gotta do this.  More towns, more roadside grills serving up chicken and tortas, and Agua fresca.  We got this, right. . .we are going to get there. . . this is amazing, we are going to pink water.  We got this.

Nope, again, 20 minutes out, road is washed out. Not as badly washed out but the rain had begun and we were smart enough to know that it wasn’t going to get better.

We are pretty convinced we can’t catch a break.

ssn – Las Coloradas is also on THE list. Ugh. And so is Cenote Sayun…which isn’t looking favorable.

Yucatan driving adventure #4

We turn around AGAIN, and now we just gotta get to Playa.  As we pass by the previously mentioned roadside kitchen, decide we are actually starving, and this is too good to pass up.  Picnic tables and propane stove top, and the kindness of the owner who says all they have is Posole (side note:  I LOVE POSOLE), and it is beef and lamb today.

So, two roadside posole, two roadside Mexican cokes, tons of flies, and a kitchen owner who is very excited to tell us about his friend who owns a tour company that can definitely get us to Las Coloradas. Maybe Wednesday (which does not work for us, but he doesn’t care, he is ready to advertise for his friend).  He pours us each a bowl (yes, piping hot soup in piping hot Mexico), and then pulls huge hunks of meat out of the other pot, chops it up and load up our bowls with extra meat.

Fantastico, my spirit is revived, and I am back to feeling positive that this is all going to work out. 

Wait for it…

But we are on the Yucatan roller coaster, so naturally, we hit the border between Yucatan and Quintana Roo.  We have passed several checkpoints at this point, and are feeling pretty good that this is a quick formality.

Until the Oficial de policia doesn’t speak English, and there is no cell signal to use Google Translate, and I only speak enough Spanish to understand that Peggy was not wearing her mask, in the car, which we are told is the law in Yucatan state.  She has now broken the law, she’s a rebel, you can’t take her anywhere, and now she’s going to a Mexican jail to meet her new husband…but that’s ok, the room in Playa is listed under my name.

The Dreaded Shakedown

Alas nooooooo, that’s not what happens at all.  The policia keeps telling Peggy to put her mask on, even though she is wearing her mask by this point.  And he puts her license in his pocket and tell us we have to go to Merida to pay the fine to get her license back.  He won’t give us a ticket, or tell us where to go to pay the ticket in the City of Merida, or where to find him once the fine is paid. . .and oh, yeah, this is where we start to figure out what is going on here.

So we call Peggy’s Mexican Friend, Oscar, the real MVP, for his next scene in our story.  And we put him on the phone with policia hombre, and he tells us that Peggy needs to put her mask on and we can go.  Only Peggy is wearing her mask.  So Oscar apologizes profusely and tells us the guy just wants money (and oops, I have him on speakerphone) and now I’m pissed that this guy clearly wants a payoff but won’t just tell us.

We finally get Google Translate to work, and tell the guy that it’s Sunday and we can’t pay a fine in Merida on a Sunday and we can’t drive to Merida without Peggy’s license.

Here’s the Hook

Oooooh, ok, then we can just pay the fine to him.  $200 USD . . .Whaaaatttt. . . oh, yeah, ok, we don’t have that much. We got 300 pesos and $80 USD. Yes, that’s all we have, yes we are sure (just don’t check Peggy’s bra). Thank you, thank you, thank you for scamming us our of all our cash and letting us go for the low low price of $80.  And we didn’t even have the guts to get his name or ask for his supervisor.  Heed the warning:  Ask for the oficial de policia’s name first, and then ask to speak to el hefe, once you stop peeing your pants.

NEXT TIME, yes, next time I’m going to tell him no and report him!  NEXT TIME!!! No Pesos for you Senior Policia, sin soborno!!! Tu es delincuente!  No soy estupido americano. Broke-ish, no cellphone battery, now 30 minutes behind schedule, pissed off, and realizing the effects of roadside posole, it’s time for Playa del Carmen and Tropical Storm Zeta.

Other adventures on this trip

• Tulum
• How to survive a Category 1 Hurricane
• Playa del Carmen
• Isla Holbox Day 1
• Isla Holbox Day 2