I was extremely excited to arrive in Mérida, Mexico. I am definitely a city person, and having lived in a sleepy seaside town for the last few months I was ready to get back to the hustle and bustle for a few days. This gorgeous colonial town was the perfect foray into urban Mexican culture that I was craving. (more…)
My third day in Mexico, Ben and I split up for good; I was moving onward to solo travel on the Peninsula, and he was heading to Cancun for a flight back to the U.K. I caught an early bus for the inland colonial town of Valladolid, where I would be spending the night before my early morning pilgrimage to Chichen Itza. (more…)
My second day in Tulum was both an incredible experience and also a comedy of errors. My friend Ben had gone to Chichen Itza for the day so I set off alone to rent a bicycle and explore some of the cenotes near Tulum. Cenotes are limestone sinkholes that are sprinkled around the entire Yucatán Peninsula. Most of the freshwater in the area is in underground rivers, and when the limestone caves surrounding the rivers collapse it forms large holes in the ground that are filled with crystal clear freshwater. Many of them are excellent spots for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. (more…)
I had almost ten days free between getting off work for Christmas vacation and flying to Texas to see my mother and brother for New Years. After careful consideration, I decided to spend that time in Mexico exploring the Yucatán Peninsula. This is the first of several posts about the unforgettable experiences I had backpacking the USA’s southern neighbor—Mexico is a country of incredible natural and cultural beauty, amazing (and cheap!) food, and some of the friendliest people I have ever met. (more…)