We decided that we wanted to start making our way back East and had loose plans to get to Holbox and Isla Mujeres before flying home. Plus, we have to get back to Puerto Morelos by the 17th as we have a Covid test booked and our bike boxes are there. Merida is the central hub for the bus stations, so off we went back to Merida via a new route.
We left early on a Sunday morning and our route bactracked as far as Progreso and instead of turning South we continued East along the spit to a place called Chixculub. It’s just another beach town, pretty unremarkable but it was fun to pedal through and see it all. We got a little lost trying to find the highway but after asking directions we were off. This route took us through another lagoon area where we saw more flamingos and a dead crocodile. I have been on HIGH ALERT for crocodiles because there are signs everywhere to watch out for them. This was disconcerting; I had to ride close to the edge so not to get hit by a car but it also puts me a little to close to the crocodile area. I was happy to get past the lagoon and onto a regular highway.
Dead crocodile and see where the white line is – no shoulder!
Now this was a very long, straight road. And it was very hot with a head wind. It felt like we were going to pedal forever and get nowhere. There were no pueblas along the route until almost Merida so we were on our own. Nick had a puncture and we found a shady spot to change the tube. The moment we stopped riding the heat just slammed into us and we were slick with sweat. It was going to be a long ride.
Long, shadeless road. And Nick is the king of punctures.
At last we reached Conkal, a town about 15km outside of Merida where we rehydrated and sat on the side of the road and shared a bbq chicken with a little shaggy dog. I was definitely feeling the heat and was a little nauseous but I kept up with the water and we pressed on.
The downtown core of Conkal
We approached the city from the north east; this is the fastest growing area and there are fancy buildings going up everywhere. We weaved through the chaotic traffic and made our way to the Centro to check in to our new hotel called Luz en Yucatan. It’s an old convent attached to a church; think big cavernous rooms and high ceilings. Except mod cons like a great pool and toilets!
The arch is the entrance to the original city. Yay Merida! Luz en Yucatan Really awesome pool
I’m clearly settling in to Mexican time as my blog posts have slowed down and everything can be done “manana.” I am now almost a week behind on our travel updates and I thought it best to get this written before I forget the details.
Storm clouds off the gulf!
We left on a Sunday morning to ride out to the coast. Nick booked us an Airbnb in a tiny coastal town at the end of the road. Our casita was the last one with just lagoons and ocean beyond.
The ride was uneventful; mainly a long stretch of highway until we reached the town of Progreso. I did start calling the ride Dog Day as we saw several dead dogs on the highway and then the ones in town were travelling in packs and we got chased a few times. At Progreso we hung a left and followed the highway along the coastal road through a town named Chelem and finally made it to Churnuba.
Both towns had sports games going as we passed through. We stopped to watch a women’s soccer game on a beautiful artificial turf and then a baseball game. It appears that there is a significant expat community along the coast and that the towns survive primarily on fishing. We had heard that the pandemic shutdown had really hurt the community and they are just getting back on their feet.
Main drag in Chuburna Corner shop
We dropped our panniers off at the casita and met our hosts Mike and Sandra. They are Canadian expats that have only retired down here about a year ago. They have a lovely home and we were happy to just chill out and do nothing for a few days.
Turns out we picked a good spot. There was nothing going on so we explored the lagoons by bike and saw flamingos! So cool. I was hyper aware of crocodiles though so we didn’t go too close to the waters edge. We had been told that there weren’t any flamingos out this way so it was a pleasant surprise.
We cooked ate home primarily, however we did venture out a few times for a fish dinner from a local restaurant called Cristo del Rey; it is octopus season so we tried the ceviche and also had prawn fajitas. So delicious!
The only downside of the area was the bugs, they were relentless in the morning and evening. Nick and I were feasted on and I am still scratching away. After 3 days we were feeling recharged and ready to head out on our next adventure. The plan was to head back to Merida via a different route, have a one night stop over and then grab a bus East. Either towards Holbox or Isla Murjeres. We are watching the weather though as the East coast has a lot of rain in the forecast.
Stopped to eat upon arrival to Chuburna. Hot, sweaty and starving!
The whole reason this trip happened was my interest in visiting Merida. It’s a city of about 1 million people and it’s ranked the 2nd safest city in North America. It piqued my curiosity. Maybe that’s where we will move one day?
Light show at the cathedral
We spent 5 days roaming the city. We had a beautiful boutique hotel in the Centro and we travelled around mostly by foot. There were some really amazing restaurants near us that we sampled and also spent one day on our bikes getting out to some of the barrios. We took our bikes to a bike shop called Bikestop where a lovely young man named Romario gave our bikes some love. We discussed in broken Spanish a few suggested bike routes and how best to avoid the traffic.
The main drag Paseo de Montejo
Merida is a very European city that is quite wealthy. It feels like Europe. No street food or roaming dogs – no chaos except for the drivers. The one exception in the heart of city is the mercado. It’s the central market for the Yucatan and all goods travel through here. It was overwhelming and to be honest in Covid times a little too congested for our comfort. Plus I was told there was an animal trading area in the centre and I just couldn’t bear it.
The first two to three days were great and we were enjoying ourselves and then the next two days I felt melancholy and I just wanted to get out of town. I don’t know what it was; maybe the breakneck speed we were travelling at but we decided to take one full day and sat by the pool. It did feel good to rejuvenate and rest a little before heading back into the busyness of city life.
On our last day we took a bus to Izamal to see the city. It is considered a “Puebla Magica” which is an area of historical significance. Izamal is known in Yucatán as the Yellow City (most of its buildings are painted yellow) and the City of Hills (that actually are the remains of ancient temple pyramids). We hopped on bus to take there and it turned out to be the local route which stopped in every single town. The 45 min drive took over 2 hours. Ugh. By the time we arrived we were hot and cranky. Nevertheless we had a look around, climbed an old pyramid and grabbed some lunch.
Waiting for the bus!
Nick opted for queso rellenos, a local dish that is cooked a creamy, white sauce that is stuffed with tortillas and pork. He said it was tasty however Yucatan food is very heavy and within 45 min Nick was not feeling great. I, on the other hand, had chicken and a salad and felt pretty good. Nick was ready to get out of town and head home and taking that 2 hour bus back was out of the question. We hopped in a collectivo and the driver sped us back to Merida in under an hour. And it cost $2 each. Good grief, when will we learn to stay off the second class buses?
In the end, I don’t think Merida is for us. It’s too big, too busy and lacks the wildness of Mexico that Nick and I love. I’m glad we visited though. It is a culturally rich city with much to see.
The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn to hop on our bikes and cycle to the coast. Next stop Chuburna!
When we decided to cycle to Chichen Itza I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Almost smug. Like who rides their bike to Chichen Itza?
No shoulder in this stretch.
Not many people is my guess and let me tell you why. It’s a long, treeless highway with a smattering of pueblas along the way and not much else. There is no where discreet to pee along the way (sorry to the old man who passed by at the wrong moment) and it’s very, very hot by 9am. Nevertheless, we pedalled on and while it wasn’t a terribly interesting ride it was nice to be on the bikes. I also take back my comments about how dogs in Mexico seem to be treated better. It’s only true in the city; rural dogs do not have it good. I suggested to Nick that we carry kibbles with us to feed the dogs along the way. You can imagine how that conversation went. Poor Nick, he is trying to make our pannier’s lighter and I’m buying dog food.
When we arrived at Chichen Itza we locked our bikes and all our belongings to a post and hoped that they would still be there upon our return. I had my doubts but a local collectivo driver assured me it would be fine. I had visions of him driving away snickering with our panniers. Off we went to queue up and wander amongst the ruins.
Did you know the Chichen Itza was privately owned for a very long time? It was government managed (poorly, I might add both then and now) and finally the government bought it outright for some ridiculous amount of money. Can you imagine finding great historical ruins on your property? Bananas. It is like winning the lottery.
Pretty quiet compared to the last time I was there. It looks like I’m giving a guided tour. I think I was saying “I’m going to find shade”
Now I had been there before but it was Nick’s first time and he was shocked by the amount of people setting up stalls to sell you tourist kitsch. We marched on past and did a walking audio tour with an app I had downloaded. It worked well as it was informative and no one tried to sell us stuff as we had earphones in. Two hours later, severely dehydrated and most likely suffering from heat exhaustion we stumbled out of the complex and to my surprise found our bikes intact. Next, we had to track down a ride to Merida as it was still another 140km away and we had a hotel booked for that night. Cycling was not an option.
We had to take a second class bus. I know, terrible right? But we had no other option. So I bought the 2 tickets and when the bus showed up we had to dismantle our bikes to get them to fit in the hold while everyone just stood and watched. Then, we get on the bus and the driver tells us it’s another 100 pesos for the bikes. No receipt. Bullshit. It went straight in his pocket and Nick and I fumed the whole way. The whole 3 hour bus ride. The full 140km, stopping in every town. Plus, the driver stopped so he could go pee right outside my window. I felt like I deserved that one though; for my earlier indiscretion. At any rate, I fantasized about arguing with driver once we got to Merida but by then I was so thankful to get off the damn bus I probably would have paid another 100 pesos.
Putting it all back together in Merida. No shade. Hungry and hot.
We arrived in Merida about 3:30pm and then began the adventure of cycling in a very congested city that is all one way, narrow, pot holed streets and drivers who do not give way to cyclists. It was actually quite exhilarating and fun once we realized we had to be aggressive if we wanted to get to our hotel in one piece.
It was like walking into an oasis of calm when we arrived at Hotel Casa Flor de Mayo. It’s a small hotel in a renovated colonial building just two blocks off the Paseo de Montejo which is a beautiful tree lined street filled with cafes and galleries. We settled in and rested up to begin our exploration of Merida!
We decided to take the bus to Valladolid. The 141km distance between the coast and this inland city would require that we overnight halfway and we just couldn’t secure accommodation anywhere. Turns out it was a good plan as the road had no shoulder and we didn’t pass a single hotel.
Walking our bikes off the Cozumel ferry. Nick buying a BBQ chicken dinner while I guard the bikes
We took a first class ADO bus and stowed our bikes below standing upright no less for about $15 each. The ride was fast and very comfortable. Nick got us seats up the front so we could see the countryside.
Our bikes created a lot of curiosity Fancy first class ADO bus
We arrived in Valladolid at about 5pm and made our way to Casa Tunich Naj. It’s a B&B we found online run by this lovely woman Daniela and her grandsons. It only has 2 rooms and we had to wheel our bikes through the sitting room to get to the courtyard.
Planning our routeBest bathroom I’ve ever seen in Mexico.
The city of Valladolid is roughly 50,000 people of primarily Mayan descent. The architecture is mostly Spanish though as most Mayan remains were destroyed completely or torn down and reused to build in the Spanish style. The plazas and churches are very pretty and we spent much of our time walking and exploring the different neighbourhoods. we didn’t meet any other Canadians as most travellers seem to be European right now.
The following morning we hopped on our bikes and did a 30km ride exploring a cenote and some neighbouring towns and haciendas. There are 100’s of cenotes in the area plus the ruins of Ek Balam as well as Chichen Itza. The city is a great jumping off point to explore as well get a true taste of the culture of an inland city.
The remaining day was spent wandering, having a siesta and a late supper of traditional Yucatan food.
We were a little lost here. I swam with those fish! I was freaking out!Trying to figure out where the hell we wereA bike path!
We probably could have stayed in the area a couple more days but our room was already rented and we had a room booked in Merida so I could have good wifi for my accounting course in two days time. So we planned for an early night to have an early start the next day to cycle to Chichen Itza. I was looking forward to the ride and to be back on my bike.
Did you know that Cozumel hosts an Ironman triathlon? I didn’t either and to my utmost surprise there is a dedicated cycling lane around the Island. Now I’m being generous when I say dedicated; it’s more like a suggestion. For the most part it was just us and the odd cyclist but in some spots there were scooters, cars, trucks, police cars….you get the picture.
Road that cuts across the IslandNick having a dip to cool off mid ride. The bike path!
The route loops the southern half of the Island with a main artery cutting through the centre. It is about 65km in total. We set off around 9am from the busy west coast and cut across to the east side which was about a 15km ride. Then there is nothing. Just miles of beach and not a soul in sight. We rode along and stopped to swim and cool off in a few places. It was so pretty but we did need to keep an eye out for animals. Only one close call with a hedgehog looking thing and a few iguanas running across the path.
Nicks standard cycling outfit
We had bought a giant bottle of water for 15 pesos before we set off thinking it would be enough. It wasn’t. Even Nick was thirsty and he’s like a camel. We ran out of water at about 30km and finally found a tienda at roughly 45 km where I paid 40 pesos for the same damn water. The lady knew she had me, I had no choice and she was the only place for another 15km. I hesitated for half a second and then bought it anyways. It was the best water I’ve ever had! Once refreshed, we set off for the home stretch. By the time we got back to town it was 3pm. We were starving, still dehydrated, and cranky. It was time to find food.
We cycled up into the town proper and found a Cocina economica which is a family style restaurant where you can order off the menu or get the meal of the day. We did a little of both and had a fish fillet, pozole (delicious Mexican soup), and enchiladas verde. So amazing. Afterwards, it took everything to get out sore backsides back on the bikes for a slow crawl to the hotel to shower and have a siesta.
Nick slept and I studied for a few hours and while we were getting moving to go out again a halloween car parade went past our hotel. I don’t know if this is a regular thing or a Covid thing but it was fun to wave to all the kids in their costumes. We did go down to the square and there was a big street fair and entertainment for Day of the Dead festivities. Another fun fact: kids run around trading candy. The parents give them a big bag and off they go to trade with the other kids. No door to door trick or treating.
Crocodile crossing area! I was very on edge through here.
We set off by 8 am to beat the heat of the day. Unfortunately, Nick and I were both a little worse for wear as we had stayed up the night before with our neighbour Johnny. He is from South Carolina and it was a fun night with lots of laughs. That’s the great thing about travel; you get to meet amazing people from all over.
Heading to the highway
The only road to Playa del Carmen is Hwy 307 which is double lane and offers a fairly wide shoulder. The ride was uneventful with a little roadwork in a few areas. Otherwise it’s just resort after resort on your left and jungle, Pemex stations, and advertisements on your right. We made it in about 2.5 hours and then had to navigate through Playa to find the ferry terminal to Cozumel.
Big shoulder!
We missed the ferry by 10 minutes so we went to find food as we were starving by then. Had a great breakfast for next to nothing in the park and then went back for the next ferry. The ferry was weird. It’s called Winjet and once your inside you can’t see out the window and the boats rocking all over the place. Our bikes were tied up outside at the front and I was convinced we were going to lose them. Thankfully, they were there when we docked.
Weird ferry
I had booked a hotel and told Nick I knew where to go. Now, I have a terrible sense of direction and Nick knows this; and despite this he followed along to his (and my) peril. We ended up on the northern tip of the island where the road ends. No hotel. Hmm, I checked my map again and realized I went in the complete wrong direction. You can actually see the hotel from the ferry. Good grief. That was an extra 12 km ride during the hottest part of the day.
View from the room
So Cozumel is VERY touristy. Not our cup of tea. We wandered around town and were hassled a lot. Taxi? Parking? Shopping? Pharmacy? Now, I can appreciate that tourism has been non existent for over a year and they are just trying to make a living but it was a bit much.
One thing though, everyone is wearing a mask and takes your temperature everywhere you go. They are on top of it. It’s pretty impressive. Another thing, it’s wheelchair accessible; they have signs and ramps everywhere and the sidewalks are sloping. I have never seen this in Mexico before. Nice to see.
We grabbed a light dinner and were back at the room and asleep by 9pm. Between getting some mileage on the bikes and the heat, we were done. Tomorrow we cycle the Island and get off the beaten track!
We made it! And our bikes did too! It turns out all my fretting about shipping our bikes here was unfounded. It was very easy and cost $80CDN for each bike on WestJet. My only advice is don’t tape them shut; they have to be manually inspected because they don’t fit through the X-ray machine.
Flying in Covid times was also easier than expected. That was concerning a little. I have to take my temperature to walk into the grocery store here but anyone can get on a plane? Bananas.
Packing up at home. Touching down in Cancun.
It was early to bed on our first night after a long travel day but first we had a great dinner at a small hole in the wall and ride around town. Puerto Morelos is a small beach town that goes about 4 streets back from the beach and then it’s jungle. The main square is really pretty with a playground and a small amphitheater. There seems to be a lack of street dogs which is surprising but also quite nice.
Hanging in the square having our first celebratory drink.
The following morning we were up early; I studied for a bit while Nick slept and then we went to the beach for the sunrise. Afterwards, we can back to our AMAZING vacation rental called Abbey del Sol and put our bikes together. The hosts, Nancy and Jin are so helpful and are even storing our bike boxes while we are on the road.
Once the bikes were ready, we grabbed some breakfast and hit the road. We went as far as we could on the backroads in both directions. It’s just resort after resort to the north and going south we went to the end of the road where it finished at a beach.
Abbey del Sol
Tomorrow we are off to Cozumel and our first ride on the highway. We are aiming for an early start to beat the heat of the day. Stay tuned….
You know when you get the spidey sense that whatever you are about to do, say, etc. is not going to end well? Well, I had that feeling with our last Airbnb rental when I was still in Canada because the host was not getting back to me and I didn’t feel my questions were getting their full attention. Unfortunately, I ignored my instinct and booked it anyways. For two reasons:
1. I was sick to death of looking for a place.
2. It was over New Years and everything was getting booked so fast and the prices were getting very expensive.
So, guess what? The house was not as advertised. Surprised? Me neither. We arrived in the middle (heat) of the day and couldn’t locate the property manager and were driving around in cab that you could see the ground passing beneath your feet. The car was literally disintegrating as we were driving. We were all crammed in and bottoming out whenever we hit a bad part of the road which was all the time. Then our driver tells us he’s not really a taxi, as in he isn’t registered. He just gives rides whenever he feels like it. Anyways, we finally find our guy and he takes us to the house. I could go on and on but needless to say it was dirty, the photos did not reflect the house and there was no where for us all to sit together. No table. Just a couple rusty patio chairs and a dodgy bar table. Plus upon further inspection a few of the items that were in the ad weren’t there.
Nick trying to float on the patio lounger. Very entertaining
3 resident bats that would swoop across my head in the evening and scare the life out of me.
At the end of it all we agreed to leave early and in the interim stayed over New Years and rented a side by side to get around. The house was in the jungle in a mainly expat area, there closest store was a 20 minute walk to town down the highway. I walked it with Madeline once to go get groceries and then we flagged a bus to get back. So hot. And the beach is another 15 minutes at least. Sheesh. It was a jaunt.
Now the town itself and the beach were beautiful. It is called Carrillo and if you like quiet and having to drive everywhere, this is the place for you to holiday. Like if you’re writing a book and you want solitude. The beach is expansive and the swimming is fantastic. Super clear water and the break isn’t too big. It was clearly a day out destination for the locals though. It was packed, nowhere to park and if you didn’t get there early all the shady spots were gone. Whole families decamped for the day with hammocks, bbq’s, sun shelters, and loads of food and drink.
So for our time there we explored the coast in our side by side. We drove the dirt roads and took any turn that would lead us to the beach. We went to Punta Islita where I saw three Scarlett Macaw’s flying together. They were amazing, so colourful and much bigger than I thought they were. I was very excited, they were on my list to see when we came down here. We found hidden beaches where the locals go, very tiny little bays that you have to hike into and of course, howler monkeys everywhere. We stopped for lunch in a tiny village that just got running water in 2017! Apparently the road we were on is only accessible in the dry season and a lot of the villages are cut off in the rainy season. So remote, I was suddenly thankful to be living in the booming metropolis of rural Vancouver Island.
New Years Eve was lovely and quiet. It started a bit rough though. Our water turned off while Nick was showering and covered in soap and the internet went down in the whole town. So that meant a couple of things; Nick was pissed off and we had to pay cash for dinner as the lines were down but at the same time the bank machine in the neighbouring town was out of money. So we were scrounging for colones to go out for the evening. We ended up with enough and off we went! After dinner we drove into Samara to watch the fireworks on the beach, there were thousands of people with beach fires everywhere and music playing, etc. No one appeared to be too drunk (yet) and we found a little spot in the sand to watch. Full disclosure – I had to have a little nap on the sand to make it to midnight. It was worth it though, there were fireworks going off everywhere including off a barge in the bay. As soon as it was was done we hightailed it out of town and back home.
The first was a pretty quiet day, we all took it easy and hung out poolside. Well, except Gigi; she doesn’t really like the heat that much and has spent majority of this trip in air conditioned bliss working on her drawings. Nick and I explored a bit more, I went for a walk and then we played cards and had a few cocktails. All in all a nice way to kick off the year.
That’s a grasshopper. Not kidding. The bugs here are out of this world. And they get bigger and more plentiful in the rainy season. Yuck.
We moved back to civilization on the second and came back to Samara. We rented an apartment in the Tico Adventure Lodge and it is perfect. A 5 minute walk to the beach, it’s super clean, nice pool area with proper loungers and a big space for us to all hang out together. And the wifi is much improved. There are other units in here that have a communal kitchen, the coffee is on at 6am and I have met people from all over the world. Plus there is a book exchange, thank god for that. I have read some really crazy books when travelling, things I wouldn’t normally pick up. I’m reading Family Fang right now and it is bizarre and really funny. I recommend you ask your librarian for it. It’s fiction and an easy read. No deep thinking required.
I started the 30 day Dedicate yoga series with Adrienne on YouTube. Is anyone else doing it? I found the first couple days a bit boring but she seems to be picking things up a little. I start my day with coffee, an hour walk on the beach and then home for a little Crossfit complex and some yoga. I spend most of day lying down, either on the beach reading or swimming in the sea! So relaxed. I realized last night that I haven’t worn high heels or a bra in almost a month. Bliss! Next week when I’m back to work I am going to have a rude awakening.
We arrived in Samara on December 22nd, after an hours drive from Playa Pelada. It is further south on the Guanacaste coast about 35km away. It is a much more bustling town with a mix of locals and expats. There are the typical souvenir shops and restaurants geared towards the tourists but they are intermingled with the local hardware store, neighbourhood “sodas” and surf shops. The commercial centre has about a 3 block radius and butts up to the beach. And the beach is spectacular, about 2km long and is great for swimming. The waves pick up in the evening and then the surfers come out.
Our AirBnb is called Case Amarilla and it is located on the edge of town. It has been recently taken over by a lovely woman named Kate who moved here from Montana 7 years ago to get her massage ticket and never left. Our apartment in on the second floor overlooking the pool, it is very comfortable and the 2 hammocks on the patio are our regular hangout place for our afternoon siestas. Nick and I have spent our days hiking in mornings, followed by swimming until the sun gets too hot and back home for lunch and hanging poolside in the afternoons. We have found secret beaches and walked under many trees filled with monkeys and all kinds of exotic birds.
The girls are having a very different holiday. The hiking does not interest them in the least and besides, we have already walked for a few hours by the time they wake up. Their days are spent in the shade, a little beach time in the evenings and occasional shopping excursions. I do think that bringing a friend with them would have been a good idea; more fun and more likely to go out and explore the area together. As it stands, it is lovely to spend all this time with them but I think they would be happy to be back home and hanging out with their friends.
Christmas Eve and day were quite uneventful. It was so nice and relaxing, no hustle and bustle, no cooking up a feast; just a chicken curry for dinner and volleyball on the beach. We played spike ball on Christmas Day with a family from Vancouver staying downstairs. Have you heard of this game? It’s played with a small soft ball and you have to hit it to your teammate who then has to hit it down onto a small mini trampoline and the opposing team has to take it from there and do the same. The idea is for the ball to not touch the ground. A point is scored when the ball is dropped. Super fun!
Last night we went for dinner at Gusto’s on the Beach. It is this really beautiful restaurant that is decorated in all whitewashed wood and has comfy couches and cushions everywhere. The menu is primarily Italian and we had a couple pizzas, a superb salad with tuna and Gigi stuck to pasta. We shared a little with the dogs mooching around the tables and it was entertaining to watch them work their racket in the room.
We are staying here for another 2 nights and then we move just one beach south to Puerto Carrillo where we are staying in a house up in the hills a little. It is only 7km down the road but it is much, much quieter there. Only a few shops and a giant beautiful beach. We have bicycles that come with the rental and I am looking forward to exploring the area that way.
The girls are having a very different holiday. The hiking does not interest them in the least and besides, we have already walked for a few hours by the time they wake up. Their days are spent in the shade, a little beach time in the evenings and occasional shopping excursions. I do think that bringing a friend with them would have been a good idea; more fun and more likely to go out and explore the area together. As it stands, it is lovely to spend all this time with them but I think they would be happy to be back home and hanging out with their friends.
onesmallboat 