Wednesday 13 January 2016

I went on my jollies



Have you ever been somewhere so incredibly beautiful that you don't really want to come home? That place would be Tulum.




Public Service Announcement - This is choc full of photos!


Now, let's get the elephant out of the room. This post is INCREDIBLY late. I actually visited Mexico in October, but many many things have changed and so some things have just taken a back seat. Long story short I've just relocated to London ... but more on that later. To the matter in hand ...

Having grown up with parents that truly love their caravan, you can't really call me the most travelled of children. Putting this sad fact to rights, myself and Caitlin thought it only right to travel long haul and check out the sunny land of Mexico.


Turns out Mexico is a little humid, we only took 1 selfie!

Specifically, we opted for the beautiful beach town of Tulum. Glistening blue waters, soaring temperatures and mouth watering cocktails were waiting upon our arrival. 








Those that know me know that I can be a bit of a fuddy duddy when it comes to food, we needn't have worried however as there were a wealth of options down the main strip. 

If you ever take a trip to Tulum, definitely have a stroll down to Casa Banana at Km 8.5. Set outside (thankfully with shelter when the tropic weather rears it's head) they boast a pretty tasty cocktail list with a food menu to match. 
I was desperate to try the duck, alas it wasn't to be. I believe they cook it later in the evening and as we were staying close to UK time (bed by 9pm and up at 6am to watch the sunrise) it was off the menu on both our visits ... something to do with sitting down to dinner at 5pm. 
The other menu offerings were certainly not to be sniffed at, I had a ludicrously yummy pork dish stuffed with cheese plus some sweet potato wedges. On our subsequent visit I opted for the risotto with a mightily impressive parmesan crown, this time we just about managed to squeeze in some dessert too. 



Cocktails from many angles. Fruity loveliness.


All the foods!!


And a cheeky stop at Mateos, Km 5.2. It wouldn't be Mexico without an extensive Tequila list. 

For our week of R&R we were booked in at the stunning Hotel Rosa Del Viento. Spectacular surroundings complete with private beach (except for some unexpected baby turtles) and stunning views. Our room was everything we needed and more, furnished with what can only be described and super-duper king size beds (1 each!) along with a spare sofa / bed and not to mention my favourite feature on our private terrace; a hammock. 
As I mentioned earlier, we took advantage of our surroundings and bounded down to the ocean front every morning to take in the sunrise. It's incredibly easy to drag yourself out of bed in a morning knowing you can take a stroll down the beach, watch the sun come up .. and then take part in an impromptu Little Mermaid inspired photo shoot. 
Naturally, this was followed up by breakfast on the beach, a fresh coconut to sip - incredibly fresh, the wee manny hadn't yet harvested them from the tree when we ordered, and sunbathing to try and get a bit of a tan on my poor little Irish skin.

I'd quite like a hammock for my garden now.



'Give that man a coconut.'






'Excuse me Senoritas, your coconuts will be 10 minutes, I just need to go and harvest them.'







'I want to be, where the people are..'


 It's not a holiday with your bestie without the obligatory cheesy photo.

Anyone familiar with Tulum will tell you it is home some incredible Mayan ruins. Visit these when the sun's shining and the sight really is something else, however you will have the heat and humidity to contend with. I really would recommend paying a visit either when there is some rain in the air, early morning or late in the evening. We visited the first set of ruins not long after 9am, but even then the heat was exhausting. 
Walking back to the hotel Km after Km in the midday sun wasn't the most comfortable experience (there were plenty of taxis on hand .. but for some inexplicable reason we thought the walk was a good idea), my fingers swelled to the size of sausages! Definitely visit in the cooler weather if you can. 














The second set of ruins we went to see involved yet more physical activity. Thankfully it was raining in the morning, this meant the epic climb we were about to attempt went much more smoothly than it could have! I would suggest you plan your climbing attire a little better than I did, not thinking about it I wore a maxi skirt and converse. Definitely not ideal for climbing a slippery pyramid. 
The ascent is definitely worth the effort, it's a view you really won't forget.




This man is in his 70's and has played at Wimbledon. He's my new hero. Bounded up those stairs like a 10 year old!

Have you ever seen more inappropriate footwear? But we made it!

As a final (if not rather belated) birthday treat, I handed over some pennies so we could go swimming in one of the many Cenotes scattered around, specifically we ventured to Cenotes Des Ojos. I have never in my life seen such clear water - except out of a tap, I only wish I had a waterproof camera to capture some of the moments, there's even some bats flying about in there.
If you're not a fan of confined spaces them this one probably isn't for you. Due to extra rainfall the waters were quite high and therefore there's only a few inches in places between your head and the stalactite covered ceiling. I'd also suggest donning a slightly thicker swimming costume, the water gets a wee bit chilly!



A week really wasn't long enough in this incredible place and hopefully I can visit again in the not too distant future, perhaps this time just a little up the way to the Riviera Maya.

Have you been on any holidays recently or have one on the horizon? I'm itching to get my next one booked!

TTFN
xXx


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