...Tulum, Mexico...

Simply wonderful. I woke up this morning (12-14-06) at around 9A.M. and had coffee, toast and fresh squeezed orange juice for free at the wonderful $9 dollar a night hostel I´m staying at. After I ate, showered, got my system emptied out, took vitamins and two tylenols from the previous night´s mojitos, I walked toward the ´Central de Autobuses de Cancún´ to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. The bus ride to Tulum was about two and a half hours and only 54 pesos each way (the exchange rate is 11 pesos to $1US) and I couldn´t refuse. I got on the 10:30A.M. bus and pretty much looked out the window the whole time. Highway 306 which runs from Cancún in the north all the way south through the ´Mayan Riviera´ to Chetumal (capital of the state of Quintana Roo; the state I´m in right now) is full of car dealerships, modern malls, dolphin and alligator petting zoo´s, sink hole parks, European Resorts, and backpacking Norwegians roaming the streets. If you are from Puerto Rico, it reminds me of an Avenida Kennedy with resorts the opposite side of the car dealerships.. You get it.. Anyway, when I arrived in Tulum, I walked from town to the ruins (didn´t want to pay the 20 pesos/$1.90US it costs to take a trolley to the beach) and was completely blown away by the blue sky contrasting with the INCREDIBLE color of the ocean, the exotic birds chirping, the cool ´winter´breeze blowing, the 1,000 year old ruins overlooking majesticly as if they were guarding the sea from the hoardes of tourists, fuschia and orange flowers and the simplicity of it all. I made it a point to spend the day at the beach, but not any beach. I was swimming with the Maya. At least that´s how it felt when I would gaze upward and see the towering temples above me as I swam and tried to tan. The movie Apocalypto would just simply not escape my mind. I have to say, for a second day, it was up there among those days you just don´t forget. I´m sure I´ll have many many more to come but I´m telling you, it´s almost overwhelming. The pictures I´m sure will speak for themselves. Tomorrow I´m heading to Guatemala via Belize and I´m pissed that the Belizean government charges $15US to transit through their country. I guess I´m saving by staying at ´Los Amigos Hostel´in Flores, Guatemala that only charges $3US a night. Ask me next week if I think $3US is expensive. It seems like all of the British, Swiss, German, Canadian and Spanish backpackers I have met here get more stingy by the minute.. Humans are creatures of habit. If we pay $1 every day, $1.50 seems like a fortune.. In the end, it´s a good habit to pick up since it will only benefit my bank account. Wish me luck and you are all in my thoughts. Those of you new to the blog, thanks for reading!
Much love,
F