Mexico

For us Mexico was all about the caves, the beaches, the food and of course the impressive ruins. Our Mexican experience was far removed from the typical resort holiday, but we didn't quite go off the beaten path either. We flew to Cancun from Montreal, and while the rest of the passengers on our flight were picked up by their resorts, we headed for the bus station. For a fraction of the cost of a taxi, we were taken to the heart of Cancun, away from the hotel/beach zone. To access the beach we had to take a local bus for a couple dollars each. This was fine with us since we were only there for two nights. Being in the city gave us access to amazing local restaurants and a cheap $7 per night bed in a hostel. 

The real adventure began when we walked down the road from our hostel and rented a car. We asked for a 5 day rental of their cheapest car, and somehow ended up with 7 days in a newer model at a cheaper price than our original quote. We spent the next week driving around the Yucatan peninsula, stopping in the few colonial cities we could find, swimming in as many caves as possible, and stopping at all the major ruins. The roads were well maintained and all the main locations were well sign posted. We spent 1 week driving around then 1 week at a hostel in Tulum, about 2 hours south of Cancun. 

Fresh out of the water from a wonderful cave swim. 

The area of Mexico we were in was filled with these amazing limestone caves called Cenotes. They believe that these caves were formed when a giant meteor hit Earth (and killed all the non-avian dinosaurs). Whatever the reason is for their existence, they're amazing. The water is crystal clear and so refreshing after walking around in the beating hot sun. Best of all, the water is fresh and not salty. Our favourite cave was Dos Ojos, a few kilometres from the town of Tulum on the coast. Instead of just being a big hole, it was actually more of a narrow semi-circle. It took about 15 minutes to slowly swim from one end to the other. 

Taking a dip in Dos Ojos cave. 

If you wait for the tour groups to pass, it's possible to get these caves all to yourself!

If it wasn't for entrance fees, we happily would have visited every cave in the area. To save money we had to refresh ourselves at the beach most days. This sounds great, except that you only get to sit at a nice beach umbrella if you're staying at a resort. Also, we don't exactly have beach towels to lay on, only tiny camping towels. The best beaches were by far in Cancun. The rest of the coast was covered in seaweed which made it hard to swim. The problem with being a backpacker in a resort district is that you have limited access to everything. We had to walk 3 kilometres before finding access to the beach that wasn't through a resort. It was much easier in Tulum; bike to the beach, lock our bicycles to a palm tree, and jump in. 

Marlin Beach in Cancun. 

Lunch in Progreso.

One of the few beaches in Tulum what wasn't completely covered in seaweed. 

You can't talk about Mexico without raving about the food. We made sure to look up some reliable travel blogs to find the best local restaurants available. In well travelled areas I find that Tripadvisor just sends you to fancy restaurants, which are not necessarily the best. Nearly everywhere we went we were greeted with a basket of nachos (sometimes still warm) and a delicious bean dip (also warm). Because of our budget, our go-to meal was tacos. If you're far enough away from the tourist areas you can get tacos as cheaply as 50 cents each. Another cheap way to eat is to stop at a fruit juice shop. They chop up the fruit in front of you so you now it's fresh and it only costs a couple dollars. 

A winning combination!

Probably the best (and cheapest) tacos we found in Tulum. We loved them so much we had to order a second batch. Aaran made the mistake of putting a mysterious red sauce on his last one... he was sweating for the next 2 hours. 

Amazingly refreshing fruit and chocolate snacks. 

Getting fresh orange juice at a fruit stand in Tulum. 

It turns out that Mexicans love bakeries. Even the grocery stores have huge areas dedicated to freshly baked goods. 

A plate of tacos for $3 dollars!

The best reason to visit Mexico, in our opinion, is to see the Mayan ruins which seem to be scattered everywhere. The first day that we had our car, we drove to the Ek Balam ruins. This seems to be the last major sight where you can still climb the ruins. It was ridiculously hot but we figured we should give it a try. The view from the top was amazing, you could just make out distant ruins over the treetops. For some reason everyone was terrified of climbing back down. People were trying to slide down one step at a time using their hands. Others were just taking forever, stopping between each step to make sure they didn't tumble down. We thought this was hilarious since the steps were 10 times safer than any ruin we climbed in Asia. 

The ruined city of Ek Balam. 

Climbing down the steps of the main ruin in Ek Balam.

The ruins of the city of Coba near Tulum. What we liked about these ruins is that they are not fully restored. You can still see where the structures have crumbled over the years. 

We also really enjoyed that the ruins were scattered around a peaceful forest. It was nice to have some shade as we walked from one structure to the next. 

Walking through the walls of Coba. 

The most important ruins in this part of the world are the ruins of Chichen Itza, which means it is packed with tourists. Since we had a car we were able to leave very early and make it before all the tourist buses arrived. The city of Chichen Itza was occupied for 1000 years by different groups of people. The site is quite large and takes a couple hours to walk around, especially in the hot sun. By the time we walked around the grounds it was becoming very crowded and the sun was piercing. We were very glad that we went for an early visit. 

The Wall of Skulls in Chichen Itza. The Mayans use to pile up the skulls of their enemies to scare off potential attackers. 

The main and most impressive structure in Chichen Itza called Kukulkan. 

The tropical ruins of Tulum. 

The ruins of Tulum overlooking the ocean. 

Our last stop in Mexico was the city of Chetumal. We really only needed to be there to take the ferry to Belize, but we thought we might as well spend a couple of days. We found out they had a museum of Mayan culture which sounded very interested. They didn't have many artefacts but the displays were very informational. They have interactive stations where you could learn the complex Mayan numerical system. It was a great place to spend a few hours and stay out of the sun. 

An example of Mayan storytelling. 

Mexico was great. It really is the ideal place for backpacking. Because it's such a popular destination there is a lot of competition between businesses. It's easy to get by on a really tight budget. The transportation system is extremely traveller friendly with bus companies that have fully functional websites. The best part about Mexico is that it has so much culture. When waling through the ruins it feel like you're living history. You walk around a town and you really feel like you're in Mexico. I couldn't imagine ever going back and staying on a resort. All the magic of the country happens in the towns and on the streets.