Merida
Swimming and Diving in the Cenotes
The next station after the jungle adventure was Merida. A very religious city with a huge tradition. I stayed there for two nights and visit the cenotes around as well. Cenotes are a kind of limestone pits, which were build by caved-in ceilings and contain fresh water. They are definitely very impressive. Around Merida and in other parts of Mexico are countless cenotes. I visit three of them.
With my personal guide I toke a minibus first and then went to the cenotes by a kind of “motorcycle”, a rebuilt scooter with three wheels and seats for the guests. When we arrived at the first centote, I put on my trunks on and jumped in the cool water. I felt like when I jumped in on a rope. (watch the video: mexikanischer Tarzan)
My favorite cenote was a bit smaller, therefore more natural, without a metal staircase and things like that. A few years ago, a tree trunk was fallen over by a storm and lays now across the entrance. Perfect to jump from about 5-6 meters into the deepness. cenote jump
Nothing going on in Merida
Unfortunately, the streets of Merida were totally empty at night. I wanted to explore the nightlife with Ohad and two Norwegian guys from my hostel. But after about 30 minutes we had to go back to the hostel. There was literally nothing going on in the few open bars. No one was in there.
Cancun
But the next day I went to Cancun over the weekend. So the party would be there, I thought…
Maya place Chichen Itza
Beforehand I went to the Maya warrior city Chichen Itza on my way to Cancun. In my opinion the most interesting Maya place I went so far. Just incredible how precisely and detailed the pyramids and temples were built. The main pyramid contains a smaller one in its inner with a gap between them. Two times a a year, when the sun shines exactly 12 hours, the pyramid creates a shadow which looks like a body of a snake and ends right in the snakeheads at the base.
Chicen Itza has also the biggest stadium of the Mayan time. They played a deadly game in here, with the goal to put a ball through a kind of ring. There are two about 7 meter in the air in the middle of each site of the pitch. The experts are just not sure if the winner team or the losers were sacrificed for the gods after the game.
Rainy days in Cancun
Finally I arrived in Cancun at Friday night. But there was not much going on. Maybe because of the weather. There was a consistently heavy rain. But at last on Saturday night I went out with an international hostel troupe. Still in the heavy rain, but you have to do the best out of it. Come on it’s Cancun!
Cancun- only a single hotel complex
Altogether I was a little disappointed about Cancun or better to say I thought so that it may be pretty artificial. One hotel to another and everything is full of tourists. The beach was not like I imagined it as well. At this season there is a lot of seaweed.
Playa del Carmen
Gringo paradise at the beach Strand
After two nights in Cancun I went to Playa del Carmen, about 40km south to Cancun. It is even more touristy then Cacnun, although it is only small town directly at the beach. Everything is about the 5th avenue, where all the restaurants, bars and clubs are. After my one hour bus ride and an authentic Mexican lunch (Burger King) I coincidently met Nathan and Charlie from New Orleans on the street. I stayed with them at the Tower Bridge Hostel in Puerto Escondido. SO we walked a bit at the 5th avenue and went to some bars at night. Today the whole day was rainy again, which means to me having some chillaxing time at the hostel before I will move on to Tulum tomorrow.
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