Travelling Solo in Cancun

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I had the traditional local Sopa de Lima (a soup with chicken, tomatoes, onions, and fried tortillas flavored strongly with sour orange - a strong lime flavor). I had a turkey dish served with a mild buttery sauce and olives. Other Yucatecan specialties, Papadzules, Cochinita Pibil, and Pok-Chuc are available as well.

The atmosphere was a little sterile, with a cold tile floor and white walls. I understand that there's live Mexican music, but there was no band while I was there. The service was prompt and courteous.

A cab from the north end of the Hotel Zone would cost about 80 pesos (~$8 US), but its much cheaper to hop on the Route 1 bus out of the Zone, then getting a taxi to the restaurant, which is directly across from the Bull Fighting arena. At night there isn't much else going on in the area, or all of the downtown area, to be honest. Treat yourself to a cab back to your hotel, and sample the nightlife in the hotel zone instead. But don't miss this restaurant if you want to try something delicious and different, or if you just had your fill of hotel food.

Make sure you have a guide at Chichen Itza; wandering the site is in itself rewarding, but there are little signs or brochures and you'll miss a lot of history. Take an umbrella, as there is little shelter from the sun, and a big bottle of water. Really. It’s hot. Not kidding.

There are two areas to the site, one much older and in a further state of ruin than the other. It’s amazing what they know, and how little they don't know about the Mayans and Toltecs who built Chichen Itza. Beautifully carved stonework abounds; look for Mayan and Toltec symbols of the jaguar and eagle in the later ruins near the El Castillo, and everywhere is the ever present feathered serpent Kukulcan. If you happen to be lucky enough to visit on a solstice, you’ll see Chichen Itza's magic at work; but I believe you’ll get your share of freakies coming, too.

The main pyramid, El Castillo is full of surprises. Stand at the base of it and clap your hands. The echo will sound like a bird cawing. If you are in good shape, climb up to the top. Vertigo sufferers beware: the climb is steeper than it looks with no guard rails. Some thoughtful soul hung a rope down the stair case which doesn’t do much for one’s sense of security. The way down, well... me and many others resorted to scooting down on our derrieres. At the top you’ll look out over miles of green jungle and the flattest terrain imaginable. You can climb inside, too, but I passed, as the heat and the people were getting to me.

When the sun gets to be too much, seek refuge in the gift shop and cafe. There’s a craft market next to the gift shop pavilion, that didn’t impress me. It’s dark and a little forbidding, and I doubt there are any bargains to be found there either.

The tour took the better part of the day. I was back at my hotel by evening, so the tour was a good full day. All things considered, Chichen Itza is relatively unspoiled and worth the trip. Make sure you do it early in your visit, as it is a bit physically demanding. Partiers, don't go with a hangover!

Tulum is smaller and less commercial. The site is, truthfully, stunning, mostly because of the turquoise ocean laying below. Guides may have been available; we didn’t have one, so I didn't learn much about the site as, like Chichen Itza, there is very little signage or literature available. Wander around until you get hot, then walk down to the beach and have a swim in the sheltered beach area. Tulum has some nice, unspoiled flora and fauna; we encountered a couple of peaceful iguanas wandering around, and there are lovely bougainvillea everywhere.

You can do the site in a couple of hours. Go early and pack a picnic lunch. The beach is perfect, with soft white sand and lots of shade. If a tour has stopped there, however, it will be a little crowded.

We encountered yet another craft stand near the entrance with more of the ubiquitous blankets, hammocks and trinkets. Mario pointed out a weathered man by an ice cream cooler propping up a handpainted sign that read "cool coconuts." He spoke briefly to the little man, who whipped out a lethal machete. He whacked off the tops of two huge green coconuts so that a tiny hole was exposed on the top of each. Then he stuck a straw into each and held them out to us with an eager smile.

Freezing cold and creamy, the coconut milk was absolutely delicious and perfect after a long afternoon of sun and surf. After we drank a little, the man winked and said something in rapid Spanish to Mario that I didn’t catch. Mario nodded happily, and soon a fifth of gin was brandished from the cooler and Mario's coconut was refilled. As if that wasn’t enough, when we emptied our coconuts, the man whacked them into big pieces and sprinkled chili pepper all over the white meat. Delicious!

We caught the next bus north and hopped off at Playa Del Carmen. Playa is really charming, especially if you've had your fill of Cancun’s Hotel Zone. Buses run back up to Cancun well into the night, but check first for times. Combining Tulum and Playa into one day trip would be ideal and easy to handle, especially if you had a family along. Playa has clean wide public beaches and a bustling little main street. See my entry on Playa in this journal.

Buses run to Playa all day long from the station in cancun. It takes maybe 45 minutes to an hour to get there, and its well worth the time. Playa is lovely, unspoiled, not commercialized at all. I understand that there are some resorts there and more to come, but for now, its perfect and relatively unscathed by Cancun.

My companion and I arrived in the late afternoon, and took a long walk along the beach and through a quiet residential neighborhood. Many new houses were being built, if that's any indication that the town is prospering, and it felt like home, like a place you could call home.

Nightlife in Playa along the pedestrian street is civilized, especially compared to Cancun. You get the sense that there are actually "adults" there. You can have an inexpensive meal, shop 'til you can't carry anymore, then settle into one of the many cantinas or bars and listen to live music all night, all without getting chatted up or puked on. ***big sigh*** What the hell am I doing here? If the idea of mega hotels, Spring Break and spandex disco nightlife leave you cold, consider moving your party down south to Playa. I know I am, next time.