What Chip and Peg are up to right now will amaze you. They are exploring sites where “gringos” rarely go. And they are confirming that most of what you are hearing about Mexico is just wrong.
Hear about low cost, high value, warm people and a little bit of “magic.”
Contact us at chiphunterdc@gmail.com
Yucatan Road Trip (Fall 2016)
We’ve had lots of friends enjoy the all-inclusive Cancun/Riviera Maya experience. But we chose a beach excursion with a twist, an All-American Road Trip. By going just before “high season” (beginning approximately November 15) we took advantage of lower rates and fewer tourists crowding perfect beaches.
By driving ourselves the entire length of Mexico’s Caribbean Coast, (from Cancun to Lake Bacalar near the border with Belize) we were on our own with liberty to stop, drop, swim or stay as we chose. Mexico’s Highway 307 is smooth, well-marked and well-maintained.
There were many memorable moments with meals always being a highlight. Fresh seafood was a must whether in posh restaurants, terraces overlooking crashing waves or beachside with sand between our toes. There was swimming morning, noon and night, in pools or from speedy motor launches exploring coral reefs. And afterwards there were lazy afternoons with naps and surprising discoveries.
It was just the two of us, with cooler, picnic basket, masks, snorkels and a few changes of clothes. Our itinerary included reasonably priced overnights in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen and Bacalar. The entire trip took 10 days, end to end and back again.
Night in a Museum
On the night of our arrival, an earnest young porter guided us by fascinating paintings to our room. He graciously accepted a modest tip and left. Soon the phone rang with the desk clerk offering a better room.
Never have I seen a tip turned down before or since. It was a small, but telling preview of the hospitality and generosity we experienced throughout our trip.
Cozy/Crazy Cozumel
Arriving on Cozumel by ferry, we drove our little Toyota Match to the stylish B-Cozumel Hotel, perched dramatically on a craggy outcropping reaching out to sea. When we came down through the open air lobby for our first swim we thought we were on a movie set.
Stunning, muscular young people in revealing swim suits played in the edgeless swimming pool, while others lounged in small, casual groups. They spoke a language we did not recognize and we felt totally out of place. One of the handsome men held out a camera and asked if we would take a picture. Soon, Peg and I both were laughing out loud.
These were not high fashion models, but active duty Israeli military personnel on a well-deserved leave from dangerous posts. We never quite learned why here, but soon felt much more at home and relaxed when we learned of their services abroad and at home and could not think of a better way for a nation to thank those who give so much.
Swimming with Bats
Back on the mainland, another day we peered down what looked like a bottomless pit festooned with giant tropical tendrils. Across the 30’ opening, a tan young man flashes a grin, lets loose a triumphant howl and jumps in. Two seconds later we hear a deep splash with a resonant echo.
This is one way to experience “Cenote de 7 Bocas,” part of a vast network of subterranean rivers and caves, 15 km west of Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The park, popular with locals, is set deep in the local jungle. It offers inviting thatch-roofed “palapas” and shady elevated platforms. It provides sanctuary from mid-day heat, and rampant commercialism of Riviera Maya.
You can also descend steep, sturdy, handcrafted stairs into the shadowy world of underground caves. It takes a moment to adapt to the dim light. Stalactites hang from the ceiling. The water is cool and clear. Bright yellow ropes safely lead swimmers from chamber to chamber.
Abruptly, a small, black form darts by, then another and another. Cave bats flit from perch to perch, individually and in gangs. Others remain in fuzzy clumps securely attached to the rocky ceiling. In no way do these bats molest the swimmers.
Exploring the cenote takes a few minutes or all day. Price of admission is 300 pesos (approximately $15) but can be negotiated. There is no lifeguard, but swim vests (chalecos) and occasional glimpses of monkeys are included. (Mexico, June 2016)
Trendy Tulum
Heading further south, we stopped in Tulum. We had pre-booked an Air B&B called “Ryan’s Place,” a comfortable, indigenous thatch roofed house still undergoing final touches for rental situated securely inside a gated confine. There were neat grounds and a community pool, a nice respite from the boogying, bicycling hipsters who crowd the beach and streets of this popular destination.
Lake of 7 Colors
Peg and I both returned with diaries, computer chips filled with memories and firm convictions to return to Mexico soon. One memory in particular stands out.
It was a postcard perfect day lying out on the grassy shore of Bacalar Lagoon (AKA: ‘laguna de siete colores’) or “Lagoon of Seven Colors.” Our dozings were interrupted only by dips in the clear shallow waters where the white limestone bottom was pleasingly even warmer than the mild tropical air.
