Tuesday, September 6, 2022
For breakfast I walked across town to Chez Celine where I got a nice crepe. Then I met up with people in the hostel to go swimming with turtles in Akumal. We went together to catch a colectivo and then met up with the Che Hostel group from Tulum. The beach at Akumal has nice facilities and a guided tour to swim with the sea turtles and other animals (if you are lucky). I met some nice people here and we saw lots of turtles so I would call it a success.
It was pretty late when we got back and I had decided to catch the bus to Valladolid since I really just don’t like how touristy it is here. There’s lots of other things to do here but they are expensive and I just feel like I’m moving backward by coming here in terms of my backpacking experience. Valladolid will also be touristy but I hope I can meet more locals there.
Before catching the bus, I stopped at El Fogón very quickly for the tacos al pastor which again didn’t disappoint. Then I took the quick bus to Valladolid where I arrived in the dark. I felt a bit uneasy because the streets were empty and quiet but I made it safely to my hostel.
Hostel Tunich Naj was the best option I could find in Valladolid, and it was certainly sufficient. However, I was a bit annoyed at the service as they didn’t run the AC but kept the doors closed with no fans, they didn’t restock our toilet paper the entire time, they made me pay a deposit for the key to my tiny locker, and they made me store my bags at the reception even though there was no one in my room and plenty of lockers to spare. It just seemed they were very worried about making things inconvenient for me and not very worried about providing basic necessities. It’s not a big deal, but I tend to expect a small hostel to be a bit friendlier.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
I didn’t meet anyone in the hostel so I’m setting out on my own with a lot to do. I started by going to the Mercado Municipal which was not touristy at all and I ended up not purchasing anything.
Then I caught a colectivo from the lot next to the ADO station. I paid for them to take me on a round trip with stops at cenotes. I went straight to Chichen Itza where I didn’t do much but take a picture with the main pyramid. I actually enjoyed seeing this more than I expected because of how well preserved it is. Then I took a colectivo the short way to Cenote Ik Kil which is nicknamed the Chichen Itza Cenote because tourists tend to go to both on the same trip.
I was able to get some decent tacos cochinita here. The actual cenote was very crowded, which is pretty much expected. The cenote was really cool but it smelled pretty bad despite their efforts to keep it as clean as possible. They had lockers to rent which was really helpful since I was alone.
Next, I went to Cenote Samaal which is pretty similar to the other, but maybe a bit less glorious if anything. I got a marquesita here as well. Again there was room to store my stuff.
For dinner I went to Itamae for some more sushi. I really liked this place. There was actually two restaurants connected with Itamae in the back and an Italian restaurant in front. It was pretty empty, but I don’t know why!
Thursday, September 8, 2022
This morning I’m trying to get to Cenote Suy Tun as early as possible. It’s the most famous cenote because of the hole in the top that lets light in differently throughout the day. To be honest it’s not that great, and I don’t exactly recommend coming here. It’s not a nice cenote to swim in so if that’s what you want, you can go to any other cenote. It’s also very difficult and unpredictable to come when the sun is shining just right. If you do happen to, you’ll only have 30 seconds to get your pictures because there will be a huge line of people behind you.
I can pretty much guarantee you’re not going to be a fan of these pictures because the low light makes it difficult to take a quality picture. If you must come, do it as soon as the cenotes open in the morning because you’ll have about 45 minutes to yourself before all the tour groups begin arriving. There’s also an option to do a private photo session, so if you’re really invested in getting those pictures I would recommend that because a phone camera just won’t cut it unless you’re super lucky.
There’s also another cenote in the same area named Cenote Ka’ape. There’s nothing special about this cenote but I did like that I got to see all of the fish swimming in it because no one was there. The restaurant in the area is not open early so don’t plan on eating there if you choose to come early.
When I got back to town I went to Le Kaat for lunch where I got a nice pasta dish. This is also where I found out Queen Elizabeth died, but otherwise there’s nothing too special about it.
I made it out just in time to make my appointment at Leo Silva Tattoo where I got a tattoo of the album artwork for Un Verano Sin Ti in memory of this summer. The artist was nice, but he didn’t speak English. His assistant spoke a little bit of English, but not a lot. (Edit: My tattoo actually ended up wearing off but I don’t think it was his fault. I think it’s just what happens when you get a tattoo on the bottom of your foot LOL. If you insist on getting one like me, I suggest using the antibacterial vaseline stuff on it as long as you can, because when I stopped is when it started rubbing off.)
On the way out, I stopped at Wabi for gelato and then got my bags and went to the ADO station to catch my bus to Cancún.
Luckily the ADO station is right near Nomads hostel. This hostel is nice, almost too nice, but I’m just here to sleep and catch my flight. I really liked the little outdoor seating areas on each floor, and it sounds like they have a nice rooftop but I didn’t check it out.
I checked into my room and met some guys who I went out to dinner with across the street at Taco Coapenitos. We got some gabachitas coapenitos which were their speciality. It was a pretty standard taco joint and not too expensive given the location.
Friday, September 9, 2022
I took the ADO bus to the airport and after a few delays, finally boarded my Spirit flight back to the US. There wasn’t a mandatory border control stop, so I had to find the immigration desk to get my form taken and passport stamped. I think the Cancún immigration process is different because it’s so touristy, so if you’re not entering and exiting from here, make sure not to accidentally skip it.
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