Today is my last full day in Playa Del Carmen after staying 3 weeks here. It was very comfortable to have my own room and own bathroom cleaned everyday and not having to pack every other day and also very interesting to learn a bit more spanish. I am able now to have simple conversations, I just need to carry on practising... Overall I am happy with my stay here but also extremely happy to be back on the road again because in my opinion Playa is not such a great place to stay too long. For a simple holiday with no spanish classes I would personally not stay more than a week here but that's my own feeling of frustration with the tourist traps.
I think my stay in Playa Del Carmen started extremely well with traveller friends still here and going out every night, it was ideal. But then they all left and I got a little late on the friendship train with the school guys and some kind of misunderstanding/gap between me and some of the people which at first I thought was a question of culture but it turned out to be a question of personality only. I am glad I have waited to make my opinion because it felt really strange that I wouldn't be able to fit with people from a specific country which I never ever had a problem with. Anyway I since met super lovely people from that same said country and understand how important it is to be patient and not think in general terms. And in a way I'm reassured that I am not "too" socially awkward because of course I also questioned myself a lot. Anyway, it turns out that in the end my last days have been filled with a lot of happy/funny moments so it will be a bit sad to leave. But I am so glad to be on the road again. I once read a quote that said: "life starts at the end of your confort zone" (sorry I do not know from whom) well... I am definitely feelign way to confortable in Playa Del Carmen hehe!!
Whilst in Playa I went for a weekend to Bacalar and the feeling of being on the road again just for a weekend was so really good. Also this paragraph serves as advice to anyone going to Mexico and who wants to enter a deserted paradise: GO TO BACALAR!!!! it is the most beautiful place I have seen in my life, set on the edge of the second biggest lake in Mexico. Mexicans also call it "La laguna de 7 colores" meaning the water has 7 different colours. It is also a change from salt water to fresh water which felt like swimming in a giant bath surrounded by beautiful nature. The other magnificent aspect of the place is that it is not very popular with tourists: foreingners nor Mexicans. I do not know why exactly but maybe it is just that the place is not that developed yet so for me it was like heaven! I stayed in a super nice hostel which had a direct access to the laguna, The atmosphere at this small hostel was really relaxed and one of a family. It is only a small hostel where staff also sleeps in the dorm whenever there are enough beds. To me it was a sign that they take great care where they work if they themselves sleep/live there. There is not much to do in Bacalar, the main attraction after the lake where you can kayak, swim go on a boat, is the spanish fortress in town which hosts a small museum (which I didn't visit). The fortress was built there by the Spanish to protect against English pirates coming from Belize. One more aspect to mention about Bacalar is that after two weeks of being in Playa Del Carmen and having to look at prices twice before buying anything, I finally was again in a place were prices were at a Mexican average not american levels. So I cannot emphasize more how much I loved my stay in Bacalar and recommend anyone to go there in summer. In autumn the place gets even less people which must be feeling extremely empty because it was already quite empty on high season.
So my next story will be either the last one in Mexico or the first one in Brazil since I am flying over to South America on 15th of August. I think I will be extremely sad to leave Mexico because I fell in love with the country, its people, its culture. But more adventures await me!!
Meanwhile for my last days in Mexico I had to choose where to go and I was ready to go back to Bacalar but I actually chose Isla Holbox, which is a small Island north of Cancun (and also a lot closer to Cancun than Bacalar since my flight is from Cancun on he 15th of August). My traveller friends have gone to Isla Hobox before me and told me many good things already so I hope to enjoy it as much as they did. It also turns out as a coincidence that someone from the school is also going for a few nigths so I will have company!
A bientot pour d'autres aventures.
