Tulum
Crib note version: Stayed longer than intended, went diving, got my PADI licence and met some amazing people from all over the world...
So Tulum has ended up as yet another surprise on this crazy trip. Having been told it isn’t a great place to be and that it is too expensive and touristy, I’ve ended up here for almost 2 weeks. The first day I arrived early in the morning, made the walk to Hostel Sheck that had been recommended to me by some friends in San Cristobal. I checked out another place first and then decided on just going with Sheck. What I wasnät aware of that point is that everyone who stays at Sheck gets stuck. The place is like quicksand. Mike and Gabby who run the hostel make the place really accessible and you feel right at home. The room I’ve been staying in is a massive sectioned room for 22 people, most of the time though it hasn’t been too busy. When I first arrived I met some other girls who I joined for myfirst trip to see a cenote. The part that made it interesting was that one spoke a little bit of English and French, another no English, French and Spanish and the other one primarily French Spanish and a tiny bit of English. So I hardly understood most of the conversation for the day. Makes for quite an interesting interaction with people when you rely on a handful of words, facial expressions and mime.
So the cenotes here are essentially a maze of underground water caves that are interconnected underneath the town. They vary a lot but are absolutely amazing and one of the reasons people get stuck in Tulum. After a relaxing time swimming at the Crystal and Escondido Cenotes we got some food and Noemie the Belgian girl and I returned to the hostel. A few drinks with some guys I met at the hostel and I crashed out. In the morning I got up early to buy a snorkel, a staple accessory here, then visited the Tulum ruins, which were overrun with American tourists, and when on a boat for a snorkelling tour. I was promised turtles that didn’t arrive. the snorkel was still very cool, but one of my first lonely times on the trip, as I sat on the boat amidst a group on non-English speakers and realised how alone I am on this trip. Oh well. It was still amazing. After snorkelling at the ruins site I got a taxi to the Grand Cenote where I did get to swim with some turtles - Hooray!!! Back at the hostel I met Paolo, the dive instructor Mike always recommends to people who stay with him. This is where I got stuck. I got successfully convinced that if I did my PADI course in Tulum I’d have the unique chance to scuba dive in the cenotes.
The next day I started some of the study and went to the beach in the afternoon. I managed to go totally the wrong way, realised I had no money (pretty sure some money had been taken from my bag) and so ended up getting a ride to the beach with a lovely older French Man. His name was Henri and he was telling me all about how he was in Tulum for his daughter’s wedding that had been the day before. He was so lovely and told me he was happy to drive me back later if I met him at the same place. I walked around the various beaches, (but Aussie beaches put them to shame) and then ended up getting a ride on the back of a bicycle the 2km trip home. Hilarious.
So my course then took up a lot of the next few days. I had videos to watch a book to read and tests to pass, so it was like being at school all of a sudden. Well worth it though. My first dive was in Casa Cenote and the experience of having to suddenly manage to moderate your breath to adjust where you are floating in the water is quite weird but very satisfying when you start to figure it out. I did a few different dives, 2 in cenotes, 2 off a boat in the ocean and another extra snorkelling trip to Pet Cemetery Cenote, an absolutely amazing place. I’ll put some photos up when I get a chance but nothing will do it justice. Each night has also included at least a couple of margaritas and a few different bars, restaurants, etc.
I’ve spent most of my time with James from Sydney and Maya from Cologne Germany. She is hilarious, I haven’t spent much time with many German’s but she is so animated and has a million different stories that sound like she’s already lived several lives before. James is a chilled out guy who has been stuck in Tulum waiting for credit cards and credit card pins to arrive. For over a month now. The three of us get along well and laugh a lot along the way. We all joke about how we’re stuck at Sheck and never leaving. I’m going to book my bus out for tomorrow morning though and finally start the next part of the trip which will entail a few bus changes before finally arriving in San Ingnacio Belize. There have been some other great people here too though that definitelz rate a mention. Mike and Gabby who run Sheck, a gorgeous American-Mexican couple who have a great relationship and make everyone reallz welcome. Paul, a crazy hippy American who entered early retirement on a spiritual quest, Peter the American with a nervous tick that means he makes odd noises at random, Paolo the hilarious Chilean dive master who in his past life was a vet and a dairy farmer and manz manz other guests who have come and gone along the way. The crazy American who talks in his sleep including yelling out I’m gonna fucking shoot you!! (he’s also about 60) Mattighs the good looking Hollander who gets around like few men can, the American girls Jasmine, Candice and Blair who laugh a lot and have some crazy stories - I never knew weed trimming was such a big industry... Either way there has been a great mix of people and a very interesting journey so far! More to come soon and I’ll try to put up some photos some time soon too! xo
