Tulum, Mexico
by vagabondette on January 27, 2009
I ended up staying longer in Tulum than I had originally planned but it was worth it. I booked a bed at the Casa Del Sol (see review and details) for one night and ended up staying three – and I’m glad I did. My original plan was to move to The Weary Traveler but after conversations with fellow travelers I learned that they have been having recent issues with bed bugs and that it is probably more of a college frat atmosphere than I would like.
The town of Tulum is small and generally geared to support visitors to the ruins but I enjoyed it. The locals were friendly and there was some fantastic cheap food including surprisingly good Chinese and the best tacos I’ve had since I got to Mexico. The only drawback was the no beer after 2:00 rule. That just sucks when you’re all hot and gross from wandering outside for hours.
My last day there it rained cats and dogs all day and while those who had planned to hit the beaches were a bit bummed I didn’t mind and we made a great day out of it. At that point the cast of characters included 1 guy from Wales, a couple from the UK, 3 guys from The Netherlands, 2 American couples, an Italian guy, a girl from Spain and me. We spent the afternoon talking, drinking beer, playing games, listening to music and just laying in the hammocks on the large deck and enjoying the cool breeze and sound of the rain.
I considered staying longer in Tulum, and I may return, but I have arranged for couchsurfing stays in Merida so it was time to move on.
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Tulum Ruins, Mexico
by vagabondette on January 26, 2009
The ruins at Tulum.
View all images from Tulum Ruins
After a great debate with my hostel friends over the benefits of beach vs. history, history won for me (the others went to the beach). Catching a collectivo from Tulum center was cheap and easy and dropped me about 2k from the entrance.
I’ve seen other ruins - in Tunisia (Carthage) and Egypt (Valley of the Kings, Karnak) but these were different. A mix of desert and tropics and perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean, Tulum was definitely memorable.
The new locals at Tulum.
Somewhat sparse, the ruins were still enjoyable and making friends with the new locals was entertaining. If the ruins don’t offer enough to keep your attention, there is also direct access to the beach as well as many shops and restaurants on the road in.
Tulum is one of Mexico’s most visited Maya sites (which was obvious given the hordes of tour groups wandering about) and was thought to be an important port town from 1200-1521 AD.
