Another Day In Paradise

If you didn’t read Part 1 about getting to Isla Holbox and our accommodations, you can do that here.

The next day, back to Peggy’s hotel, Casa las Tortugas, for early morning coffee and pastries which is always the best little sister moment at the start of every day. It’s almost Dia de los Muertos, so we have to have the traditional bread, pan de muerto, which is fluffy and orange and melt in your mouth delicious and still warm from the bakery.

We see ofrendas set up in all the businesses, and having watched Coco numerous times, we are enthralled with them all.  In the town square, by the church there are explanations of the different days to help us non-locals understand their tradition, which I fully appreciated.  Every day more and more gets set out on the ofrendas. 

Booking a boat tour

Right by Capitan Capitan, on the corner, is a little ticket booth selling tours.  And we want to see flamingos, after having missed out on Las Coloradas (read that post). We get sold on the fact we can book a private 3 Island Tour that includes seeing the flamingos, which we are assured is a good time to see them on Isla de la Pasion, does a tour through the mangroves, stops at a cenote for a swim and to Isla de los Parajos for wildife watching.  But we are basically, um, birds – nope, mangroves – yawn, cenotes – done that, get us to the Flamingos.

This stand does all kinds of tours, including the whale sharks (summer only), and they were currently going under a rebranding, and were creating Poochies Place after their dogs (because they call dogs “poochies” in Mexico, they informed me, lol).  They were great guys and really working to make a buck. Cristoph is our new friend, and assures us we will have a great tour of all the fun flamingos, and none of the boring stuff. And we can bring beers, si senora, cerveza es ok.

Sister side note (ssn) – this is where Patti does so much better than I do. I would have researched and puzzled over picking the best tour and best value and not getting ripped off. To be fair, these guys are all out here trying to make a buck, so yeah, you might get a little ripped off, or misled. But who cares? In the big scheme of things, is it going to matter tomorrow when we’ve had an amazing time regardless if it cost $10 extra USD?

Will we finally see flamingos?

We waited at Capitan until they golf carted us to the pier.  Christoph was kind enough to run us by the central tour office, with a grocery store, so we could grab some waters and some beers. We loaded everything into their cooler and boarded the boat, clearly meant for groups of about 10, but it was just us. The boat had a little shade and a little sun so you could choose your comfort level.

Our guide, David, spoke some broken English, but Google Translate was in full force.

ssn – David was less “promising” than the guys at the tour booth. When we asked him about the flamingos, he was definitely not guaranteeing anything! Smart man…he clearly sensed we did not want to get our hopes up only to get let down.

Being out on the water just felt amazing; hot in the sun, the breeze to cool it down. It felt like one of those perfect days.  We go around the south side of the island, get a bit disoriented because we didn’t know the water ways. He starts driving us up into what looks a little like swamp land, kind of like the Everglades, only little wider. And the depth finder is indicating only a few feet of water so he is being noticeably cautious. We keep going up this inlet, and he says “everyone goes to La Pasion to see Flamingos, this is where you really want to go”.

ssn – we are suckers for being made to feel like we’re doing something secret (or even forbidden). If some stranger in a van offered us cocktails and a secret tour, we’d eagerly hop on in!

Yes!!! Flamingos!

We come around this corner and it’s like we are in a little cove full of these gorgeous pink birds.  It was nothing short of incredible.

I get a little teary-eyed writing this, thinking of how amazing it really was.  The engine was cut and we were basically just idling around their water space.

Ok, ok, cool thing about Flamingos is that when they take off for flight from the water, they basically run along the water like an airplane heading down the runway!  And their squacking!  It’s a very unique sound.  I was in love, it was even better than I imagined.  So, if you are on the fence about whether to do this tour, do it. You won’t regret a day on the water, and watching some really cool wildlife. 

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The rest of the tour

After the little cove tour, David takes us back out onto the water, we passed the shrimpers casting their nets out (not like an Alabama shrimp boat, like old men standing in the water waist deep casting huge nets).

On to Isla Pajaros, Island of the birds. I was a big No Thanks for this.  But I have to say, it ended up being pretty cool little island, with a big dock, and a walk up to a look out point. 

Next stop is a tiny island where Pat and I jump out and actually walk around the island, it was a great break stop, refreshing water and nice to just walk around a deserted island and enjoy the scenery and serenity. 

Definitely Worth It

So, after all this, the tour was really only two hours out of the day, and definitely something on the not to be missed list for Isla Holbox. 

And, one of the best things to come out of this in addition to flamingos running on water, was our tour host, Cristoph (who did not actually go on the boat with us) who tells us in the course of conversation is that Taco Queto is actually not the best taco on the island. We need to go to Xolo, little spot nobody knows about, but you will not regret it.  And now, we gotta go, right???

Taco Quest

So, Xolo doesn’t come up on the map. But we get a taxi and ask, and we end up driving to basically the far end of town and getting dropped off on some random corner by a small hotel. We are completely confused but we walk up the walk way to the hotel, and it is Hotel Xola. They are completely closed.  And the Taxi is gone! UGH, it’s hot and I’m starving.

ssn – so there is this law on Holbox that golf cart taxis can only take 2 passengers. No matter how many actual seats they have. So each time we take a taxi, it’s 2 taxis! No big deal but just a little odd.

Luckily on Holbox you are never more than 4 blocks from water.  We end up walking down to the beach, and decide to just walk toward the hotel, grab a drink along the way and figure out our next move because Xolo is clearly a bust. 

Meanwhile, Another Beach Bar

We pop into Raices beach club.  Order a few beers to cool down and reorient ourselves.  We order nachos because we were starving.  Steak and Shrimp nachos FOR THE WIN.  They were fantastico!!!  So, now that I’m typing this, I may have chosen poorly in our best of 2020 post. Raices is really on the eastern outskirts of town, but has beach activities, food, and live music, it ended up being a great little find.  A little too far away from the heart of Holbox for us.

ssn – I would say that Raices is definitely the most crowded of any place we went. And lots of families!

One last evening at Holbox beach

And off we went up the beach, we ended up meeting up with a few of Peggy’s new hotel friends at the place right between Casa las Tortugas and Capitan Capitan, Beach Bar Cariocas.  A big, circular wood bar with swings instead of stools, this place screams Mexican beach bar.

And had the most amazing shrimp cocktail.  Here’s a picture of my husband having a beer in a swing to prove it exists, and that it actually made cranky boy smile. 

And my husband, who is not necessarily a laid back, chill kinda guy, smiles, drinks a beer, or two. He keeps wandering out into the water, just waist deep. Like, on his own, no prompting. The man is just wading out into the water, in a level of chill I have not seen before or after this day. So, yes, I get that to the untrained eye he was just standing there drinking in the warm Caribbean water, but in Pat terms, this means he was practically frolicking. Not something my husband does, step out of his comfort zone and just chill.

This was the magic of Isla Holbox, the world just melts away and you an just Be.

ssn – we needed one last beach walk, one last look around, and one last sunset at our beloved new future-home.

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But where are the tacos?

We ran into our friend Cristoph from the tour company and were like “WTF” about his bad recommendation of Xolo.  And he says NO NO NO, it’s not over there (big arm gesture), it is right up this street (exaggerated pointing) about 3 blocks.  So, you can’t find it on Yelp, TripAdvisor, or on Google, but it is there.  Trust me!  About two blocks just off the main square is Xolo Tacos a la Lena (they have a Facebook page and an Instagram).

Xolo Tacos a la Lena

It ended up being a really cute little restaurant tucked in with a bar on one end and four tables, and the one server having a beer with some buddies.  We order from a list of tacos with about 10 different meat and meat styles.  I have the pork belly, the al pastor, and the pollo, so we can at least compare to Taco Queto.  And, for the love of all that is holy, the pork belly was the most amazing taco on the face of the planet.

We can see in the kitchen. The owner/cook, is cooking over an open flame, with this cool raise and lower grill, like old school cooking over an open flame.  And the place permeates with this crazy blend of spices and char grilling, without being smoky at all.  And these bottle of different sauce options, including a carrot crema that was fantastic (side note to self to start to break down and make this at home).

Then we have to go for round two, right?  Our minds are blown.  And Peggy finds the win of the entire trip, the Arrachera.  So, this is a carne asada-style beef taco. Recall we tried this at Queto the previous day?. It melts in your mouth, and just I’m beyond words trying to describe this.  But it is truly one of the best foods I have had. 

When we launch our travel show of best food on the planet, this will be episode number one. Then the show will end, STORY OVER.  Spend every dime in your savings account, go to Isla Holbox, get this Arrachera taco, no regrets, never leaving.  DO THIS.

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All good things must come to an end

This was the most perfect ending to our Isla Holbox trip.

It ended up raining all night.  We get up the next morning to leave, and the streets are rivers.  Golf carts are still traveling up and down the river, flowing up to their baseboards. But such is island life.  Our boat tour company actually booked us a package home that included the taxi to the ferry, the ferry, and then a taxi in Chiquila to get us back to Cancun for our flight.  It was torrential downpours the entire way to Cancun, so we were ever so grateful again to not have to drive.

The slight (and I mean slight) downside to this trip, is that we were actually back in Cancun for Dia de los Muertos celebration, and it was canceled due to the rain.

Dia de los Muertos is a family celebration for the people of Mexico, the Cancun and Playa celebrations are really just for tourists benefits.  But I’m sad to have missed it.

I would not recommend ever planning a trip to Mexico to experience this national holiday, because it really is a sacred, connect with your ancestors kind of celebration and not for the exploitation of tourists.  Be respectful of their culture, ask questions, but do not assume it is a big party, that is not the purpose of Dia de los Muertos. 

Back to Cancun

Cancun was less than noteworthy for us, and we are not all-inclusive people.  I am baffled as to why people do all-inclusive and limit themselves, but I guess that takes all the planning and stress out of the trip for them. And I know that this might be paradise for other people.  If you are one of those people, Cancun is the place to do it.

The water was an amazing turquoise and the sunrise was incredible, and our hotel had those cute little beach side recliner and umbrellas. Cancun is perfect for lazing beach side, with never-ending cocktails in hand!!

And we are off to home, and work and the grind, but can’t wait to return to Quintana Roo.  So much more to explore and experience, but what started out as a consolation vacation (pre-covid we were planning my 50th in Peru) turned into just an amazing trip to remember and cherish.

I don’t want to write this blog post.  We don’t want to tell you how amazing Isla Holbox is. We want to keep this place a hidden little secret tucked away just for us.  But you need to know.  Isla Holbox was amazing. 

Where we left you…

But first, just a little recap before the final installment of our Mexico series. This was my 50^th birthday trip, sister time, combined with sight seeing and adventure that was interrupted by corrupt Policia and a hurricane. Tulum, Valladolid, and Playa del Carmen have been explored. Pat and I are now supposed to go to Isla Mujeres for a few days of couple’s time. Peggy is off to Isla Holbox for some solo quiet time.  Except she has now sold me on the necessity of Isla Holbox.

Isla Holbox is a small island on the Northern Yucatan, accessible only by ferry. No cars on the island, only golf carts, sounds like a good place to chill for our last few days and recover from all our previous excitement.

Patti’s 50th Birthday!!

And my big day finally arrives!  My fiftieth birthday is here. Only, there was a hurricane in Playa del Carmen where we are staying. We have no power (still…40 hours later), and the ceiling is collapsing in the living room of our AirBnB. And we are just over it.  We are up, loading up the rental car to GTFO and on to better days.

But not before a little inconvenience

As we are ready to peace outta this, Pat hits the ignition and nothing happens, NOTHING. Oh, perfect, this is exactly what we should have expected.  The doors won’t unlock, the car won’t start, all our stuff is inside, and I feel a complete meltdown coming on

Queue phone call to Peggy’s Mexican Friend Oscar, who calls Michelle at the Playa location of National Car Rental, who has no other cars available to us. She can get us one from Cancun, it will just take 4 or 5 hours.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – the condo had allowed us to park the car in the “inside” lot before the hurricane, but since the spaces were all full, it was parked in some random self-made spot. And now it was stuck there. Oops. Michelle was the absolute loveliest person and tried so hard to make everything right. We figured out how to get our belongings out of the car and I was SOOOOOO relieved not to drive that I was secretly thankful. Haha.

But first, Breakfast

We head for La Perla Pixan for some breakfast chilaquiles and a mocha pulque to calm a birthday girl’s frazzled nerves and formulate a new plan. Ditch the rental car and call Ramon, our taxi driver from the day before (“mi esposo es drunk”).  Reasoning that although it is an hour and a half drive to the ferry, it is a confirmed fare for him for the day; we WhatsApp him and he replies “Absolutamente, senora, a que hora”.  We go check out of our AirBnb, hand over the keys and BOOM power comes on, like freaking stupid fate, or karma, or whatever current spiritual diety is out to get me these days.  Leave the car to be picked up later, and load up into Ramon’s taxi and we are outta there. 

Getting to Chiquila

Best decision of our trip.  Peggy is able to just kick back and relax, so less stressed. We have a new friend in Mexico who turns up the music when we want to sing and dance (I can still hear Bruno Mars in my head) and we can really enjoy the gorgeous countryside of the Yucatan without fear of a shakedown (AGAIN). 

ssn – the trip cost 2200 Pesos (roughly $100 at that time) and it was so worth it. We weren’t sure if this was standard but we didn’t care at this point. Having Ramon was priceless. BTW, I still keep in touch with him and have sent a couple of friends to him. He works from Playa and does trips to Chichen Itza, Coba, Tulum, etc.

Ferry from Chiquila to Isla Holbox

You board the ferry to Isla Holbox from Chiquila.  There are two different ferry companies, they alternate every half hour, only 200 Pesos, and takes about 30 minutes.  We choose Holbox Express, which turns out to be anything but express, feels like we are idling the entire way there.

But just relaxing sitting on the deck enjoying the ride trying not to punch the obnoxious Americans behind us (ugh, tourists, amiright?), and their kids that are overdue for a smacking.  But I’m on vacation, so I let it go.

ssn – the tequila from the previous day’s drunken adventure – straight from the bottle didn’t hurt.

Arriving in Holbox

Disembarking in Isla Holbox, it felt like an immediate release of tension, stress just melts away as you get in the taxi line and climb into a golf cart.  That’s right, no cars on the island, only golf carts.  You can rent one if you plan to be there for a while, but it’s a small town. Very walkable, and golf cart taxis were all we really needed.  Dirt roads, and colorful buildings greet our short drive to our hotel.

This is where we separate.  Pat and I have booked Hotel El Pueblito, a moderately priced hotel, about 4 blocks from the beach, but I was completely swayed by the colorful, authentic Mexican feel of the pictures on TripAdvisor.  Peggy headed in a second taxi to her beach front paradise, and winner of her Best Hotel of 2020 Award, Casa las Tortugas.

Patti & Pat – Hotel El Pueblito

Hotel El Pueblito sits on the main street just next to the town center. Knowing we would have just spent a week beach front, I was willing to forego the beachfront. Pictures online of El Pueblito were bright and colorful and I just fell in love with the vibe.

Unfortunately, the pool was out of commission due to the recent hurricane, but that’s completely ok. We are only 4 blocks from the beach. Our room is perfect!  Absolutely perfect.

With a little patio overlooking the street, directly above Rosa Mexicano café, and directly across from a second story outdoor bar called La Bamba. Pretty much perfect for us!  I am happy, finally my birthday day is coming around for me.

ANOTHER slight inconvenience

It’s about this time we realize Pat’s backpack is nowhere to be found. It clearly did not make the journey to the island with us.  A quick text to Ramon confirms it’s not in his taxi. Apparently it was left in the previously loaded rental car. So, awesome, his passport is in his back pack, and so is his CPAP machine.  UGH. Ever sleep with someone who uses a CPAP when they don’t have their CPAP?  Snoresville is our new normal.

Rental Car Michelle texts Peggy that they will secure it and we can pick it up at the main center at the Cancun airport upon out return to reality.

Meanwhile, Peggy is checking in to her little slice of heaven 4 blocks away.

Peggy – Hotel Casa las Tortugas

From the moment that the taxi dropped me off, I knew I was home. Casa las Tortugas is the dreamiest little hotel you can imagine. Diego greeted me and took me to the reception area while a porter took my bags to my room.

Diego offered to arrange a Bioluminescent tour for us the next morning. We got so lucky!! It was the last morning the bioluminescence would be visible for that moon cycle. Then he showed me around the property and had me choose my beach cabana. Each room had a dedicated cabana for use during your stay.

Casa las Tortugas has the most peaceful, serene vibe and is so stylishly decorated. Every corner has something to look at. In addition to the bar, Mandarina, the hotel has Luuma – one of the nicest restaurants on island; Agua wellness spa; and offers its guests sound healings every Sunday night. Also special New Moon & Full Moon ceremonies.

I got to my room, still in disbelief that I was staying here. After cleaning up a bit, I headed to my cabana to wait for Patti and Pat. Cue the fabulous drink service and my favorite drink, the PS Martini (to the rest of the world this is a Porn Star Martini but they keep it classy at Mandarina).

one small caveat…the original Casa las Tortugas tragically burnt down and has been rebuilt (thankfully!!). These pictures are of the original property.

Time to Explore

So, review what is on our Holbox agenda. . . Lobster pizza, tacos, and flamingos. . .but first:  BEACH BARS!!!  We walk to get Peggy, and her hotel is verified as a showstopper!  We decide to just stroll and find what suits us before sunset and just enjoy the wandering.

The three of us walk around town, with zero luck finding any of the rooftop bars open due to current restrictions. But the town itself is just adorable. Sidewalks and dirt roads, and businesses colorfully painted. A lot of street murals, and quaint little shops. The smell of the local restaurants immersed your senses with char grill, seafood, and summertime.

The town square really gives you a feel of a small, tight knit community, with a mini-amphitheater, a fenced soccer court, playground and a little church right off the town square.

Start at the Beach Bar

We end up back at the beach and selected this fantastic beach club bar, Amaite.  A little more upscale than we were looking for but perfect for sunset, as it has a small pier to walk out onto the water.  Cocktails and some of the freshest fish ever. We went with beachy drinks and a shared appetizer, just to hold us over until we can go to a full birthday dinner after sunset.

And the sunset did not disappoint, even though we were facing North and not West.  Crank of the head to the left, and full sunset colors filled the sky.

Dinner

For dinner, Alberto, our host at Hotel El Pueblito, recommended Viva Zapata for more authentica Mexcian food.  We pass The Hot Corner, which is the one big touristy night club in town, make a note to rally up to stop there later.

Viva Zapata crushes our culinary world, as you walk in you can smell the open fires grilling away.  We end up in the back room, starting with some of the most amazing queso fundido!  Oooey, gooey, crazy melty cheesy goodness.  I follow up with a chipotle shrimp pasta, yes, I get that pasta is not necessarily Mexican, but it’s my birthday, so I do what I want.  And it’s chipotle, and crema, and shrimp!!!

Full, happy, exhausted, and thoughts of The Hot Corner thrown to the wind, we wrapped up day one in Isla Holbox, aka, my new home. 

Isla Holbox – Day 2

Early start for our Bioluminescent Tour

Day two arrives with a big groan from Pat, aka Senor Super Snorer. But a commitment to getting up at 4 am to experience the Bioluminescence is a big MUST DO item. Obvs, it can only be done in the pitch black of night.  And you know what they say, it’s always darkest before the dawn.

We climb into our four wheeler taxi and we head out.  For some reason we had it in our head that we had booked a boat ride out to the cove to view the bioluminescence, but apparently, no. We had booked a taxi ride, with our driver as the guide, to the darkest bay on the island.

And it is gorgeous out, not all the intrusive city lights, the sky is filled with stars, and a brilliant moon setting over the water.

We park among a dozen other carts on the far west side of the island near Playa Punta Cocos and are guided through the dark to the water. The guide tells us to take off our shoes and leave our bags on the shore. Pat is pretty much a hard no at this point to leaving our shit behind and walking into pitch black water. This surprises me because I’m perfectly willing to do this even though it seems like something my fear-filled pansy-ass should avoid.

The Bioluminescent Glow

One step into the water, second step, and I see a glow around Peggy’s calf, and I think my eyes are clearly messing with me in the dark. The water is cool, but not cold, and it’s all sand on my tootsies, and then I see the glow around my ankles, and then I see Pat trepidatiously walking in behind me as our guide starts lifting the water and letting the glow fall through her fingers.

So, our picture is from the internet, because you can’t actually photograph the glow with Go-pro or phone cameras, you need high powered professional equipment.

Basically the Bioluminescence are plankton in the water that react to oxygen.  When oxygen hits them they glow like little teeny tiny plankton size fireflies.  The water just lights up.  So when our guide splashes it’s a glowing, sparkly wave of water.  Our guide brought a white cloth that we all held corners of and “picked up” the water and let it fall – it was spectacular!!

Definitely a Worthy Experience

Definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a science-y, nature, wildlife-y kind of way.  Take the time, make the effort, drag your butt out of bed and go do this!  And a quick tip when planning your vacation, choose a time with a new moon, so it’s darker out.  But honestly, even the drive along the water in the pitch black with the stars out was gorgeous and worth getting up for.

Sister Time

After a quick return to the hotels and a sunrise, Pat went back to bed and I went to Peggy’s hotel for sister time, beach front coffee, fruit and fresh baked morning pastries.  Mimosa are an obvious must, and the server hears about my love of dragonfruit and brings me a plate. Never Leaving.

Oh Captain, My Captain

We planned to visit a couple of galleries and shops but it was still early at this point so nothing was open. And not wanting to wake Pat, we walked back to the beach and immediately found Capitan Capitan. Which we pretty much claimed as our own for the duration of our stay.

Close your eyes and picture the perfect beach bar, that is it.  Amazing people, the bar is actually in an old fishing boat, and the bartender is happily pouring drinks and dancing a little to the music.  To the right, old fisherman about 20 feet away, feeding seagulls the remains of their catch of the day, and to the left, a big ole beach swing. 

We let Pat know where to find us and just hung out. Perfect lazy day, with nothing to do now that we experienced the Bioluminescence.  We camped out in our beach bar sipping on whatever concoctions they gave us and watching the water and people selling their crafts on the beach.

At this point, we’ve moved in

I immediately need a mango flower off the mango cart. This gets lost in translation and I end up with a cup of mango, with tajin on it, and zero complaints from me.  Peggy and I both buy foot jewelry and straw beach bag style purses.

We are sure are just touristy factory-made bags, but super cute, and we are sure we have talked him down to a great price. And as the guy goes to get us change and a different color bag for Peggy, our new best friend and Capitan server Marco tells us that this guy is actually selling them for his momma who makes and weaves them herself.  So, now we feel bad for bartering with the guy, because IT’S HIS MOMMA.  And we tip him extra, cuz momma.  And they are super cute!

Pat wanders down, only getting slightly lost, but luckily it’s a small town, not much to get lost in. Go to the beach, find us.

ssn – Pat managed to find the only working ATM on the island. Unlike the majority of tourist cities on the Yucatan Peninsula, most Holbox businesses do not take credit cards and there are only a few ATMs. Those ATMs are subject to running out of cash or being down due to communications or rain storms. It’s best to go with plenty of pesos.

Lobster Pizza and Tacos

Isla Holbox is pretty well-known for their lobster pizza, and it’s said you must try it. And we would never pass up 1) Lobster, or 2) Anything listed as a “must”.  The original lobster pizza is at Pizzaria Edelyn right on the corner of the town square.  However, we are given insider information by another traveler that Roots Pizza is actually better.  So, we are off for lunch at Roots Pizza a la Lena.

We had walked by it earlier and made a note to return, so this worked out.  As you walk in, you smell pizza, which is admittedly kinda weird and not what you expect to smell in a small Mexican beach town.  But you are drawn in by the warm bread smell, fire, smoke, and garlic scents.

It is a bright courtyard with big tables and plant life growing all through out. A small stage in the corner makes me long for the days of patio musicians creating the perfect ambiance.  But, we are in direct view of the pizza oven, and there is cold beer, and a mezcal salesman at the next table.  And there is lobster pizza.

Usually I’m weary of wood-fired seafood, it is just never as good as I hope, and usually over cooked.  But not at Roots, and not on this pizza.  It was big hunks of lobster, on a chewy thin crust, with little sides of salsa to spice it up, and big basil leaves.  This is everything I want in a pizza, forever! Never Leaving.

ssn – we had big plans to do a comparison of all lobster pizzas for you but we just never got that done. Next time….

We Better Handle the Necessities

So, it is about this time that we decide, that since we have to coordinate getting Pat’s backpack to us before our flight, and he can’t fly home without his passport, the difficult decision is made that we will have to rebook our flights. Since we have to do that, we should probably extend our trip a couple more days.

ssn – Sweet Michelle from National Car Rental went above and beyond and drove Pat’s bag (on her own time) to the National office at the Cancun airport. A quick change with the airlines, availability at both hotels and we were able to extend our stay in paradise. In truth, we really could not stand the thought of leaving.

Dinner #2

Long, exhausting day doing nothing gets us to dinner.  We have been told Taco Queto is a local hangout for the best tacos on the island.  An open air taco spot, with a big ole spit cooking al Pastor. But with a full menu available, you can get a wide variety of meats, and food.  Visually, you will not be drawn in and think I’m a bit mad for the recommendation. It’s really just a walk in, open air type, drop-in spot, but I assure you it is clean and well loved by many. And yes, they were amazing.

We each have an al Pastor taco, pollo, and carne asada. Peggy and Pat go back for the newly discovered Arrechera (carne asada) style beef.  And yes, it was completely amazing. Authentica street tacos that you wish for in Mexico (with the option to add cheese). Al Pastor with its hint of pineapple, the smoky carne asada, a side of chipotle crema. It was really someplace to pop in and out of all day long for tacos, tacos, tacos. Maybe eventually try the burrito as big as your head or nachos, maybe.

Side note: they do not serve alcohol, but you can BYOB from the liquor store next door.

Win Win Win of a day for all.

Continue reading with Isla Holbox – Part 2

Other Yucatan Adventures

• Tulum
• Valladolid
• Playa del Carmen
• How to “Endure” a Cat 1 Hurricane

Although, with a little humor and a lot of tequila, we look back on Playa del Carmen with a little affection. And a whole lot of complete head shaking.

To pick-up where we left off (our Yucatan escapades), we had just gotten through what we refer to as The Dreaded Shakedown by the Yucatan State Policia. We managed to find a restroom after roadside Posole, and had to get to Playa del Carmen for the arrival of my husband. And obliviously driving towards the impending Tropical Storm Zeta.

We were fortunate enough that the Policia had not searched our luggage, because that is where Peggy was smart enough to stash additional Pesos. All was not lost and desperate, YET (that’s foreshadowing, BTW).  Bonus, we had enough change in the rental car console to be able to take the Toll Road to Playa.  A much better paved, quicker route straight into Playa.

Arriving in Playa del Carmen

We managed to arrive at the AirBnB early enough to make it to drinks at La Vagabunda prior to Pat’s arrival.  I had opted for an AirBnB for this portion of our stay, as we needed separate rooms once my husband arrived. I found this fantastic, moderately priced condo, with its own private rooftop pool. Along with a rooftop common area infinity pool with a view of the ocean.  We absolutely recommend Pueblito Escondito for your stay. However, there is a clear benefit to staying in a resort if you are even remotely close to hurricane season, which we will discuss later on.

Back to La Vagabunda, the little outdoor bar right next door.  Bright white and orange, we were in desperate need of a drink after our shakedown (yes, I plan to keep reminding readers that we were subjected to The Shakedown).

It really is an unassuming place, a block off the beach, but if you happen to walk by it, absolutely pop in.  The service was amazing, they completely treated us like we were family and greeted us by name from the first moment on.  We stopped in for the 2 for 1 margaritas. This is everywhere by the way, so don’t be swayed by the street signs you frequently pass. Snacks were necessary so we shared some fish tacos, and waited for Pat to arrive.

The food was good, Alex the bartender pours a good drink, but like I said, the service is what sets this place a part.  Even later days, if they saw us walking by they would shout out greetings, asking us when we were coming back, the kind of service that really makes you want to be there. 

Pulque

We cut our drinking tour short, due to the rain. Ha, if only we had known what we were about to experience and not let a little rain deter us!  We ate on the same street as our condo (Calle 38 Notre), opting for La Perla Pixan.  I loved the atmosphere and the acoustic band playing live music.

While Peggy took care of rental car parking issues, Pat and I got some incredible food and I discovered Pulque.  Pulque is a traditional Mayan drink made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant.  La Perla had many different flavors to choose from; mango, passion fruit, and banana, to coffee, chocolate and almond.  The menu lists it as having an alcohol content with an insane range. Like could be 7, could be 27, roll the dice, who knows.

A word of warning, this is a texture issue for some people.  The proper word would be viscous. That’s how Google describes it as “viscous”. . . let’s just say it’s a little thick.  However, I loved it!

We ended our evening early, as it was a bit stormy out, and we had an early morning tour planned.

Sister side note (ssn) – Anthony Bourdain discusses Pulque here

Mayan Jungle ATV Tour

Monday morning, 8 am, we were waiting for our tour pick up.  We had found an ATV tour through the jungle. This sounded like the perfect adventure to do once my husband arrive (you know, manly men, mud, jungle, testosterone-y thing).

The excursion ended up being my favorite tour we have ever taken in all our adventures.  Jungle Buggy tour provided two seater ATVs, with a limit of 8 people on the tour. In this time of COVID we really felt this was a great idea for an experience while still maintaining some sense of safety.  Jungle Buggy included four hours riding through the jungle, a stop a private cenote (and a blessing ceremony), then a visit to a Mayan village.

The tour leaders were fun, funny, and informative of the Mayan culture. And Mayan village provided a chance to give back to the villagers through food donation and an authentic local lunch.

Mayan Jungle Tour – Private Cenote

We had the cenote all to ourselves for swimming. The tour leaders gave some insight into the sanctity of the cenote in Mayan culture. They did a great job instilling a feeling of respect for this cultural experience in us all.

Mayan Jungle Tour – Village

When we arrived at the village, we were greeted by children in all the doorways who came out to see us (and ride in the 4-seater that the tour leaders drive). We stopped at a little makeshift store and were offered the opportunity to purchase pre-packed bags of food for the villagers for $100 pesos each (about $5 USD).  We were happy to participate. So we collected our bags then were taken to the villagers (the all line up in front of the school) to offer the food to them.

It was very moving experience. Especially knowing how much this helped and contributed to their village.  And the kids were so incredibly cute and welcoming.

Lunch was prepared by one of the local women. They were the absolute best empanadas I have ever had! We were told ahead of time that the variety of empanada changed daily, and we were fortunate enough to score big by being there on pork day!

Return to Playa del Carmen

We board the van back to our AirBnB and that’s when our cell phones finally get signal again. That’s when we get the text notice that a state of emergency has been declared for the incoming HURRICAINE ZETA.  Yes, in just those 4 short hours, we were upgraded from Tropical Storm to Hurricane.

Hurricane Zeta – Essentials

In Mexico, “essential businesses only” means everything shuts down. They truly mean essential:  police, first responders, and resort staff.  Everything shuts down, all alcohol sales cease, and everyone hunkers down.  We got back just in time to pick up chips and chocolate at 7-11 but too late for ATM or Alcohol.  Yes, ATMs are shut down and covered, and alcohol sales cease so drunk people don’t do stupid things. Please refer to paragraph one where we only have the pesos in Peggy’s luggage now. 

Soon after we get back to the condo, we lose power. Again, read the blog post of things to know in case of a hurricane.  Resorts tend to have backup generators for the entire property; however, our condo had a generator for emergency lights only.

This is where a big resort will benefit you. They have power and maintain staff for tourists; an AirBnB is minimal staff, minimal power.  So, with no power and no reasonable form of entertainment, we did what any curious first timers would do and went to the roof to check it out.

Hurricane Zeta – Rooftop view

We met a few other residents exploring the rooftop pool, storm watching, and basically doing whatever they can to prohibit boredom from setting in.  Reveling in the experience of our first hurricane, we took pictures, danced on the roof top, and watched with concern the wind picking up pieces of our rooftop cover. We may have flashed the ocean, it could have happened.

But really, early bedtime as there was no lights, no TV, and a need to conserve cell phone batteries.  Not to gloss over our first hurricane experience, but it’s not much of a story. Wind blew, rain followed, more wind, more rain, more giggling at the excitement.  But it was only a Category 1 and not much danger or concern to share. 

Hurricane Aftermath

The following morning, with no power, and limited cash, we set out to see what the storm had brought to the town.  Nothing was open due to lack of power. We were feeling a little defeated, until a couple walked by us with takeout cups of coffee.  We discovered Ah Cacao Coffee Café was actually open.  Down on 5ta Avenida, the pedestrian, tourist area for shopping and restaurants. This gave us a little chance to explore the area with fewer people around.

The Café was indeed open. However, cash only, and no power meant no hot coffee. Iced coffee only.  However, this was the best iced mocha I have ever had.

Playa del Carmen – Redemption

We were pretty much ready to give up on Playa. Call it quits, chalk it up to bad luck, when we happened to stumble upon a very nice guy standing out in front of his store telling us he could get us beer.

The two couples sitting out at a table on the Avenida assured us that although it was not quite cold (no cooler power) they did indeed have beer.  Well, 10 am be damned, a beer was just what we needed.  He assured us Fabrica Tequila could indeed take a card. Now that I’m looking back, how did they take a card but didn’t have a working cooler?  Oh, well, details.

…and So Much Tequila

This man, this absolute savior of our Playa experience brought us samples of Tequilas, taught us about resting tequilas, sipping tequilas, shooting tequilas.  They set us up a table outside on the Avenida between the table of two couples (sisters celebrating a birthday, coincidence?) and three guys originally from Jersey (I know you can hear that accent already).  So. Much. Fun.  We had group shots, group commiseration, and a much needed connection with other people..

Skinny-dipping and Husband wanderings

Eventually, we needed food.  About this time, businesses started opening up around us, generators started getting diesel, and the Avenida started coming back to life.  We ended up getting way more tequila to go than necessary, and most likely paid way too much, but such is life and the experience and elevation of our mood was worth it.

Our fantastic new tequila friend, Oscar, (not to be confused with Peggy’s new Mexican friend Oscar) recommended a restaurant around the corner and yada yada yada (skipping the lost drunk husband in search of an ATM) we landed at El Pirata. 

A little side adventure

ssn – Patti might skip over the drunk husband, but I won’t. Upon leaving the tequila store, we still had no cash (and the restaurant was cash only). So Pat (being chivalrous and totally drunk) offered to walk to the ATM. We heard power had been restored on 10 Avenida so he took our cards and off he went with no sense of direction and about 5% cell phone battery.

Patti and I got to giggling about skinny dipping since we had our own private rooftop pool (could we even call ourselves #sisbehaving if we didn’t do this?). So up to the roof we go and soon we realize that we haven’t seen Pat in a while. Patti calls him and he’s lost…like, nothing is even familiar…so she tracks his phone on her map and tries unsuccessfully to guide him, but the delay in location tracking and the tequila-effect make this impossible. Cell phone battery 2%…1%…dead.

We decide to grab a cab and search him out at his last known location. Enter next new friend, Ramon, the taxi driver. Ramon drove us in circles, up and down streets and was so patient! He didn’t understand much of what we said but “mi esposo es drunk” made him laugh. We ended up back at the condo and waited out front for Pat to meander down the street.

El Pirata

We headed over to El Pirata where there was a short-ish line and definitely appeared to be a local favorite. Fortunately we were able to score a patio table, although it was still raining from the tail end of the storm. We needed the fresh air.  The menu was extensive; we shared some pulpo al mojo de ajo, more ceviche (Pat had yet to have ceviche on this adventure), fried shrimp, and shrimp a la diabla; everything was fresh, and the owner and servers were hustling to get everyone served in the post-storm chaos. 

A full day of tequila and seafood, and the friendliness we found in Playa had swayed our initial opinion into a positive that maybe this town was actually worthy of a vacation destination. We headed back to our condo and still no power, no air, no phone charging, but with an amazing view of the post storm beach and a fresh hope for the following day and our final stop of our Mexico trip:  Isla Holbox. 

Stay Tuned for our final installment of our Mexico adventure, where you will find out issues that even Peggy’s new Mexican friend Oscar can’t fix, the cool thing about flamingos, and the best tacos on the planet.

Other adventures on this trip

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

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

Tulum, the impossibly dreamy subject of all the coolest social media accounts, was the first of four places we planned to stay on our 10-day trip to Mexico.  We were dying to see these views and experience this idyllic beach town, but would we be disappointed?

We had just a few days to make the most of it. This was the sister part of the trip to celebrate Patti’s 50^th birthday.  We planned to do all the sisbehaving, woo-woo and girly stuff in Tulum.  Plus hike ruins, and swim cenotes, and cram as much as we could into the first four days before my husband arrived and we moved into beach and margarita mode.

Getting to Tulum

We rented a car, and then promptly freaked out about driving a car in Mexico.  All those rumors of “shake downs” and bribing police who preyed on tourists.  But we had things to see and do, many miles to cover and no built in taxi friends, so we rented a car.  When you book online, rental cars are insanely cheap in Mexico.  When you show up to pick it up, you get hammered with crazy expensive insurance fees.  But, got the car picked up and we were off for the 90 minute drive to Tulum.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – this is the first appearance of “My New Mexican friend, Oscar”, into our journey. That’s how he referred to himself. Foreshadowing…Oscar plays a great supporting actor role!

It’s straight freeway (Mexican freeway, not US freeway, remember this), so easy peasy, right?  Except the speed limit keeps jumping up and down, and being scared-to-be-driving-in-a-foreign-country tourists, we obey them like a mo-fo.  And we are the only ones that do.  Speed dips to 40 kph, everyone else is still going 100, but we do 40.  And Peggy is stressed out.  And we are starving.

First Impression

But we get to Tulum, and head right to the heart of town for dinner.  And we are left with a feeling of “Eh, this is it?”  I mean, it’s a simple town, nothing wrong with it; basically, the main strip is some rundown closed-down places, some upscale cater-to-tourist looking places, and some tourist trap souvenir shops. We were both left with a feeling of “people fall all over each other for this”?

After a little FUBAR with the rental car key, in which we sent new friend Oscar and the rental car place into a bit of a tizzy, and stressed ourselves out to tears, we skipped food and just headed to the hotel.

ssn – we had a little trouble finding the entrance to the hotel road. Cue encounter #1 with the policia. Haha, I was terrified but they were super kind and asked if we were lost. Turns out, our hotel is behind the gated entrance to the Zona Arqueologica (Tulum Ruins).

Staying in Tulum

The Mezzanine. Oh, my little slice of heaven!! How do you realistically describe paradise?  We were greeted with limited parking out front, but there was a sign out front saying “reserved for Peggy Zipperer”! Security outside helped us park, grabbed our bags, and escorted us to David (say it with an accent Dah-veed).  So very friendly and helpful!  We were greeted like old friends that they had been waiting for all day!

Upon checking in, we were presented with an assortment of tiny bars of soap and asked which we would prefer for our room, we were given a list of scents to put in our diffuser for the evening turndown service, and they noted how we took our coffee in the morning.

ssn – the staff of Mezzanine continued throughout our stay to greet us like family. Everytime we met someone new, they were all “Oh, you’re Peggy & Patti!” Like they are briefed on every guest!

Our room, omg, I can not gush enough about our room, crisp white linens, and wood accents.  The Mezzanine provides each room with yoga mats, extra sun hats, and beach bag & towels, along with organic soap products and bug spray.

They had evening hot tea and homemade truffles (Mayan chocolate!) waiting in our room for us.  We had a quick meal out on the patio listening to the sound of the waves, and then took our travel weary butts to bed. 

Our First Glorious Morning

We wake for sunrise over the Caribbean, but before even getting out of bed we can hear the waves crashing outside our room. And set right outside our door is a thermos of coffee, with our cream and raw sugar!

We proceeded to our thrones of judgement, where Peggy proves that this is not a stellar idea, and we decide to explore our little hotel property and find the best view of the sunrise.  This turns out to be the swings under the restaurant patio.  And it is gorgeous.  Fantastic colors, and sounds and smells.

The local workers come out to rake the beach and pick up garbage, it was so nice to see how they care for their local area.

Massages

We could have chilled out here all morning, but we had to head off to our prescheduled massage with Marco at Animamente.  Is there a better way to start off a birthday vacation than with a massage? We chose this because, aside from the 5-star review, it was a massage that centered more on energy and chakra alignment to support your overall health than just working out the muscle kinks and knots.

Marco was fantastic, caring, and loving;  truly gifted in his craft.  We left there two big mush balls, with a fully cleansed energetic system.  But starving mush balls.

ssn – Marco was an incredible human, very intuitive and passionate about his craft. But as I look back on this experience, I giggle that my memory compares him to Salvadore, the darling yoga instructor from Couples Retreat. He is that kind of “in your space” but in a totally professional and beneficial way!

Amazing Lunch

In town, way up on our list of places we had to eat was Camello’s (or more properly: El Camello, Jr).

We ordered the medium mixto ceviche – shrimp, fish, octopus, snails – it was huge!  It was also, hands down, the best ceviche we have ever had.  Well balanced flavors, and so fresh.  I ordered a mojito, and again, the most apt description is “well-balanced”; the perfect amount of lime, rum, and mint.  So perfect.  Peggy opted for a beer, she doesn’t even drink beer, but I guess it just felt right! We split the shrimp tacos, and loaded them down with Camello’s amazing chipotle mayo!

Then the acoustic street musician started playing The Beatles, and we were sold!

Sold on a recovery nap!!

ssn – but first, we had to take a little drive down the beach road through Zona Hotelera to see what the hype was all about! Turns out, “the hype” was well founded! We were both oohing & aahing and pointing and loving every inch of the beachy, happy-hippy vibe! So.damn.cute. But this damn rental car and no parking…we decided to go back to the hotel, ditch the car and taxi back down there.

Did Someone Say Mezcal?

ssn – I don’t think the nap ever happened…however, we did shower & rejuvenate before getting fresh margaritas from the hotel bar. This is where we meet our bartender, Marco. Marco gives us an impromptu Mezcal lesson & tasting. It was fantastic. Different combinations of mezcal with citrus & salts (salt, Tajin, grasshopper salt). Marco explains, good Mezcal is meant to be treated like a lady…loved slowly, with respect and “besitos”!

Birthday Celebration

We made reservations for RosaNegra for my birthday at the suggestion of Peggy’s New Mexican friend Oscar.  RosaNegra is the best place in Tulum for special occasions. The staff was amazingly attentive, Ivan was just on it for whatever we needed.

They serve these delicious cheese popovers like normal places serve chips and salsa!  We had the most incredible Caesar salad (and I don’t particularly care for Caesar salad), salmon carpaccio which was just melt in your mouth amazing, lobster tacos, and for dessert, a chocolate sphere with fresh fruit, tres leche ice cream AND A CELEBRATION SPARKLER FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! It was so fantastic!

And so much for our post-dinner plans of drinking it up, we were full and happy and caught a taxi back to our lovely Mezzanine. 

Side note to this:  We stopped at Mur Mur for a pre-dinner cocktail across the street, one of those travel photo worthy bars with swings.  I thought it was so cool that they shut down (as do most businesses) from 5-6 to allow their staff time to have dinner before serving others.  LOVED THIS!

Tulum Ruins

The Mezzanine is on the stretch of road that leads to the Tulum Ruins.  We decided that we would head to the ruins first thing in the morning, a short 1.6 miles down the road and we thought we would just drive.

Luckily we had Alejandra, our fantastic morning concierge, who says that there is no parking lot down the road our hotel is on, and cars can’t get into the Ruin area from this road, but Mezzanine has bicycles we can rent.  Yes, just sit with that image for a moment, two plus size middle aged women on bikes, in the heat, for a mile and a half.  It was just as glorious as it sounds.

ssn – Did she really just call us plus size middle age??? I am plus size offended!

The Tulum Ruins were fantastic.  Mayan history is so fascinating, a temple to the Wind God, a Temple of the Sea, and the family living and working areas.  I am fascinated by the belief systems of other cultures! It was just beautiful!  It is absolutely worth a visit, even in the heat.

After we biked our butts back to the hotel (with a lot of “I think I can, I think I can”) and showered, and then convinced ourselves that we should absolutely experience the Mayan Clay Spa.

Tulum Zona Hotelera

Mayan Clay Massage

Although hesitant that Mayan Clay Spa was a tourist trap, we decided that it must be experienced, just to be able to say we did it. Down in the Zona Hotelera area of Tulum, it is a little tropical paradise spa that also has a public bathhouse. For the massage, they take you to a little private changing area. You shower first, then head for your own little Shala.  I lay down on the table and immediately think “this was a mistake, omg, how can I get out of here, this is gonna suck”.  I was sweaty and gross feeling laying on this sheet, and couldn’t even fathom being smeared with clay. 

Then Wendy started the massage. And HOLY MAYAN HAPPINESS. The clay is pulled from these 5 gallon buckets of water, so it’s more like a slurry being washed over you.  Instant coolness, instant relaxation.  And unlike other massages, when she hit a tender point, it eased up each time she worked on it.  So if you have a tight spot that hurts to touch, it actually gets better and better.  And then you are a big muddy mess who tries to roll over and the whole sheet goes with you.  They mask your hair, your face, your body (no boobs, dangit) with the luxurious clay.

My biggest regret ended up being not having a camera handy for your viewing hilarity. It was worth every penny and every second, and I already want another one.  My skin has never felt so smooth, and it lasted for days!!

Taking in the Tulum Beach Sights

So with mud still stuck in my ears (yes, they let you shower after), we took a stroll down the beach road, looking for a perfect beach bar.  So, as I originally stated 1500 words ago, we were a little downhearted at Tulum City. . .but this whole 3 mile stretch of beach road, full of restaurants and bars, and bodegas, and spas.  Way more touristy, sure, but also so so cute and fun. 

Le Zebra

We landed at Le Zebra, where we had a pitcher of mango margaritas and just enjoyed the beach vibe and music and fun!  Le Zebra has a great atmosphere with private in-the-sand-tables, and a fantastically fun and energetic outdoor beach bar (which we couldn’t get a seat at, but watched with longing looks hoping a seat would clear up).

ssn – this may be a good place to mention that EVERY place observed covid protocols. Masks everywhere (streets, businesses, taxis but not the beach), temperature checks at each business, hand sanitizer galore (and I should warn you that it does not absorb in the humidity so that’s a little gross) and mostly distanced seating.

A mariachi band showed up, chips and guacamole showed up, and then a storm started showing up on the horizon (see early post about surviving a hurricane, and subsequent Mexico blog part 3 regarding tropical storms), so we grabbed a taxi back to the Mezzanine (about 10 min away from this beachy tourist strip).

Diamante K

Well, almost back to Mezzanine. First a stop just short of the Mezzanine at Diamante K for their restaurant and bar called Casa Maria.  It was on my TripAdvisor list of places to go.  And it was perfect.  Just like the picture.  A big ole hut with mood lighting, right on the water, with Mojitos, and acoustic music, fun low-key crowd (not the big party spot of the beach road).  Basically, our dream spot for hanging out.

And then the storm rolled in, thunder and lightning created the perfect ambiance and in turn created the most perfect end to last night in Tulum.

For other adventures on this trip

• Yucatan Peninsula
• Surviving a Category 1 Hurricane
• Playa del Carmen
• Isla Holbox Day 1
• Isla Holbox Day 2

1. At the moment they declare the state of emergency, they halt all liquor sales.  Our advice, the moment they tell you there is a tropical storm coming up, hit the tequila bar and stock up!  Do not fail to prepare.  You could be stuck, for say 36 hours without power, no TV, no phone chargers; and if you do not heed our advice you will be stuck without alcohol as well.

Sister side note (ssn) – this is known as pre-hurricane ley seca (dry law) and it sucks! Ley Seca is also in effect for election day (yikes!!) and the 24 hours leading up to it! America wouldn’t survive!

2. When Mexico says essential workers only, they damn well mean it.  No bars, no restaurants, no 7-11.  Essential to them means police and emergency workers only (unless you are at a touristy resort, then it also means your front desk staff).  But differing from America, they take workers safety seriously.  So stock up on food, meds, bottled water and supplies to get you through, there will be no grocery stores or pharmacies open.

ssn – and when the power goes out in your hotel, there is no filtered water and no water in the toilet. At least until the generator comes on (if it comes on). Take the opportunity to charge cell phones, battery backups, laptops, etc. Download books & movies. Turn phones off when not needed or switch to airplane mode to preserve the battery. Also, keep in mind hotel rooms don’t have candles or flashlights.

3. Make sure you have cash.  ATM’s shut down, and you do not know how long they will be down.  Many businesses will reopen as soon as possible, because they need the money; however, without power, they will be re-opening for cash only sales.  Prepare for not just the hurricane, but the days that follow.

4. Stay off the dang beach!  Yes, it looks cool, we know, the waves, the grey skies, the wind. . . you want to selfie.  We know, it’s exciting, it’s your first hurricane, you gotta show people you were there.  DON’T!! JUST DON’T!!! Do not be a dumb tourist.

ssn – she says this but doesn’t mention the rooftop pool. While this was a very popular place to be (until the winds really picked up) it probably wasn’t smart. Experts say to stay in an interior room, away from windows.

Classic “Do as I say, not as I do”

5. Do not, and I cannot stress this enough, do not kill your husband during a hurricane.  I know it will be tempting.  His CPAP machine doesn’t work, so he snores; he’s pissy about not having alcohol or street tacos for 36 hours; he’s hot and sweaty; he’s farty and gross.  Do NOT kill him; you will regret it later when you are locked up in a Mexican jail

Plus, body removal is not an essential service (unless your sister is there to help but then again, see #4, stay off the beach).

Blame it on the rain, that was fallin’, fallin’. Blame it on the stars that didn’t shine at night. But whatever you do, don’t put the blame on you. Blame it on the rain. Yeah, yeah.

~Milli Vanilli

While Hurricane Zeta was only a Category 1, we still felt the nerves and uncertainty of what could happen. Plus, we were astonishingly sober! We hope these tips help and that you won’t fear booking an amazing Caribbean trip during hurricane season!

Check out our other adventures from this trip!

• Tulum
• Yucatan Peninsula
• Playa del Carmen
• Isla Holbox 1 and Isla Holbox 2