Margherita Monday 

Greetings from Tulum! 😀

Since today is officially my last day in Mexico, I thought I’d start the day off right at a kitchy beach cafe.
I had already enjoyed fruit and granola at the hostel, so I came here mostly for the spectacular view. 🙂And yes, I meant margherita, and not margarita. 😛

Posada Margherita offers a tempting menu of coffees and fresh squeezed juices.

Since I don’t particularly enjoy getting sauced at 9 a.m. on a weekday, I opted for a nice iced coffee over a margarita on this Monday morning. 🙂 Just delicious!
(props to the speedo man for photo bombing my picture) 😛

Tulum

On Friday, I left Valladolid and traveled almost two hours to Tulum.Life lessons everywhere you go. 🙂Now Tulum is a relaxed beach town, full of holistic spas and organic cafes.
A total yogi’s paradise! 😀

What to Do 

First, let me explain a few things.

Tulum is extremely hot, which means a lot coming from me, the sun goddess. 🙂

While I’ve been warm this entire trip through the Yucatan, Tulum takes it to another level.

It feels like I’m trapped in a sauna filled with mosquitos.

I know they say that girls don’t sweat, they glisten, but those people are liars. Hah.That being said, I’d recommend a few things.

Stay hydrated and exert energy in small doses.

While in Tulum, my first stop was to the Mayan ruins.

Tulum Mayan Ruins

El Castillo
El TemploThese are the only Mayan ruins that run alongside the ocean.Because of this, Tulum was a historically important trade center.From the archaeological site, you can even take a staircase from the back leading to sea.This Mayan civilization thrived during 13th to 15th century, but the population eventually declined during the Spanish conquest.

Currently, the grounds are only home to a group of resident reptiles. 🙂

Coba

Located an hour from Tulum, the archaeological Maya site of Coba gives a stark contrast to all other ruins I have seen thus far.

Coba Mayan Ruins

The Mayan ruins of Coba were once home to over 50,000 residents and flourished during the 10th to 13th century.

Out of over 65,000 structures discovered, only 2% has been excavated.

These ruins are located deep in the jungle and the archaeological structures are sporadically dispersed in the heart of this tropical forest.
Many people opted to be carted to the ruins in bici-taxis, but I think they missed out on the true beauty of the area.

Just listen to the sounds of the forest. Incredible! 😀

It’s so rustic, I almost felt like it was lacking in direction, but I managed to find everything just fine. 🙂
Xaibe, an observation tower.
Hieroglyphic tablet.
Nohoch Mul Pyramid, the largest ruin in the Yucatan of Mexico.

Apparently I wore the wrong footwear. I guess I’ll give it the old college try. 😉
Honestly, you couldn’t ask for a better view. 😀Afterward, I waited for the bus back to Tulum.

I took a walk around the lagoon and the surrounding pueblos to talk with some of the local residents.
While there, I spotted some beautiful Batik Mayan designs, that were hand painted on t-shirts. Gorgeous!

The artist had actually traveled to Superior, Wisconsin for an exposition a few years back. What a small world. 🙂

Beach Bummin’

Akumal  

Located 30 minutes from Tulum, Akumal was the next stop on my list.

It is easily reached in a collectivo for $2, which is essentially a shared taxi van, that is also air conditioned. 🙂Akumal is well-known for its resident sea turtles. I rented snorkel gear for $5 from my hostel and arrived early to beat the crowds.
Since these are endangered sea turtles, the Centro Ecológico Akumal, is responsible for monitoring these turtles, as well as, conserving and protecting this area.All I could think about was scenes from Finding Nemo. 🙂 On top of the sea turtles, I also spotted various tropical fish.

Turtle Bay Cafe and Bakery

Afterwards, I stopped at a cute cafe I read about on TripAdvisor.
Turtle Bay Cafe and Bakery has a great organic menu with vegetarian entrees and plenty of resident cats.
I ordered a lentil burger with walnuts and sesame seeds. A hearty, flavorful patty with spicy creole mustard. Yum! 😀
It was the perfect place to enjoy a meal, relax, and read the local news. 🙂

Where to Stay

While in Tulum, I stayed at Hostel Sheck.The hostel was only $9/night and included free WiFi, sheets, water and breakfast. The accommodations were essentially a dormitory-style palapa. Very cozy!
Irony? 😛My favorite part was the resident hound, Zazi. Such a cute little guy! (the beagle) 🙂After so much sightseeing the past few weeks, I was spent.

I decided to head out with some British guys from the hostel to check out a local bar.

Batey Cocktail Bar

The bar had plenty of specialty mojitos, but I’m more of a beer drinker…with chile and lime, of course! 😀The bar also had some killer flamenco dancing as well. Olé !
The only faux pas was made after a few drinks, when the guy said he could, “Go for a wee” and I thought he meant the game. I said, “Oh, I love the Wii! ” Hah. 😛

Anyway, another fabulous Mexican adventure in the books.

Now I’ve packed my bags and exchanged pesos for dollars…

…except for a few spare coins, as a souvenir. 🙂I’m now ready for an Old Fashioned, a fish fry, and my family!

Wisconsin, I’m comin’ home! 😀

As my last bit of Mexico, I’ll leave you with my Cozumel scuba diving video.

México, no te digo adiós, te doy las gracias, pues hoy soy mucho mejor persona que el día en que te conocí. 🙂