Shyes Trip Report

[Shyeviolett]

We arrived into the great land of Mexico on Sunday the 28th of October. The flight was decent even though we were slightly delirious due to a sleepless week (wedding!). We stepped outside the airport doors and hit a thick wall of humidity- being from Phoenix it was rather foreign to us and took a minute to adjust to. It had just rained because the ground was wet, but there were hardly any clouds in sight.

We had met another couple, James and Alison, on the plane that were also heading to Tulum for the first time. We decided to follow eachother out to Tulum from Cancun for a bit of reassurance, safety in numbers and the whole bit. The drive was a bit confusing, as we could not for the life of us figure out why the speed limits kept changing drastically every 300 meters or so, but we were of course paranoid tourists and followed them exactly until we got sick of being honked at and passed by every other car on the road.


The couple that we banded with were staying at Dreams just outside of Tulum, so they turned off a bit before us and we remarked on how absurd we thought staying at an overpriced all-inclusive was when going to a place like Tulum. We finally saw the San Francisco supermarket on our right and turned onto the road heading to the beach, it was about 4pm at this point and we were SO ready to just hit the hammocks, have a margarita and reeeellllaaaaaxxxxx.

We found Zamas easily and headed inside, Ramon the manager was very nice and checked us in quickly, and sent us up to our cabana with a young kid that spoke absolutely no English. I speak some Spanish, but it has been about 8 years since I have actually had to use it. I got the general idea- key, safe, no papel en la taza..ect.....I was mostly distracted by the awesomeness of our cabana that we had gotten by happenstance (the small hut we rented was destroyed in the hurricane, and we were bumped up to the top floor luxury cabana).



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We had three beds, a shower you could go rollerskating in, and a breathtaking view of the ocean from our wraparound porch. I was impressed to say the least!

We were hungry and decided that we would just eat at Zamas, so we cleaned up and headed down. It was dead there, so we picked the table closest to the ocean. I had the garlic prawns and the potato skins, and Jordan had fish tacos. I had never had prawns before and I had no idea how I was supposed to clean and eat them...but I have too much pride to ask and I just picked out the insides with a fork. Delicious, but tedious. I really wanted a mango cocktail, but sadly, they were out of mango the entire time I was in Tulum....I settled for the pina colada- it was great.

Exhausted, we sat on the rocks next to the ocean for a minute, then quickly passed out in bed. It was a whirlwind day, but from what little we saw, we knew we were in for a great week.

(Sorry there are not many pics of this day, we were a little out of it- many more pics for the other days!)

[Gale in KY]

Shye..great start! I am excited to see a report from someone who actually stayed at Zamas..and saddened that the little beachfront cabana is no mas. It looked to be a cute place to spend a little time! Looking forward to hearing more of your experience!

[firecop680]

I really love the Zamas Pizza!!!!!!!!!

[Shyeviolett]

Shye..great start! I am excited to see a report from someone who actually stayed at Zamas..and saddened that the little beachfront cabana is no mas. It looked to be a cute place to spend a little time! Looking forward to hearing more of your experience!


They are actually almost done rebuilding the little beachfront huts, they just weren't quite there yet when we arrived :)

[minniemex]

What a great surprise being bumped up to the larger cabana!! Great for your honeymoon!!

I get you on the speed limit thing - it really is annoying, but, no tickets if you follow the signs.

[Shyeviolett]

Today we woke up with the sun and saw for the first time the amazing morning light over the ocean. The weather was cool and breezy with not a cloud in the sky--perfect. We lazed around for awhile just relaxing and unpacking a bit, then decided to go into town and find some breakfast. We drove in for the first time and we were stunned at all the beauty and life of Tulum Pueblo, it was very early but the town was buzzing already. We decided to eat at Don Cafetos for breakfast, Jordan got the traditional Mayan breakfast, and I got hotcakes with honey, bacon and huevos.

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The food was of course fantastic- especially the bacon, which surprised me because I am very picky about my bacon!

After breakfast we walked the pueblo a bit, but we had appointments at Maya Spa at 10:30, so we headed back to the beach pretty quickly. When we walked down to Maya Spa, we discovered that they had no records of the appointments that I had booked on their website- but not a big deal, we just scheduled Jordans for 11 and mine for noon. I was hoping to have them done at the same time, but really, what does it matter when you are getting a massage in paradise?

I walked back to Zamas to relax while Jordan was getting massaged, and because I didnt have a clock up in my room, I underestimated how much time had passed and I got in the car at 11:30 for my noon appointment....not wanting to wait around there for a half hour, I decided to drive down the beach road and take a look. I drove all the way down to the arch of the biosphere and turned around, but I was so excited for the many fantastic meals to come at some of these places!!

FInally it was my turn at the spa, and boy was it worth the wait! Maribel led me to the jungle gazebo and worked away alllll my wedding stress from the past week. I have never needed a massage more than I did right then, and it was euphoric. An hour passed like a minute, and we were done- and I was ready to go swimming!

On my way back to the cabana, I noticed this little guy just chillin out on some cinder blocks in the Zamas parking lot, he let me get really close to him and take some good pics.

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We decided to head down to the beach at Zamas, only to discover that the warnings about the beach there were right- ROCKS! I couldn't even step into the water without pain, so I sat on the chairs and devised a plan. We would quit wasting time and just head to Gran Cenote!

We hopped in the PT cruiser and headed down the road to the Cenote, paid our 80 pesos each, and were immediatly stunned with the beauty of the place. I hopped in right away, but Jordan is obsessed with his video camera and had to get AMPLE footage of the place before I practically pulled him into the water. It was pretty late in the day, so there were only 2 other people there- a couple from Barcelona. The water was so unbelievably clear and the bats flying overhead were SO cool (I love bats).

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We stayed at the Cenote for a couple of hours until we were so hungry that we HAD to leave. We headed back to Zamas to get changed, then went to town for dinner. We had hoped to eat at Charlies, but discovered that they were closed on Mondays, bummer. THEN we decided to try Ana y Joses, but when we pulled in, the security guard told us that the restaurant was down the road, but we must have missed it and ended up at La Zebra. THANK GOD! That place was FANTASTICO! I had the grilled chicken and Jordan had the fish fillet, and we both had coffee for dessert.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PA290108.jpg

They were setting up a Dia De Los Muertos alter while we were there...

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After a very satisfying meal, and the realization that if you don't ask for the check, you won't get it, we headed out and back to Zamas. With full bellys, we headed happily to bed....

[preeya]

Wow, beautiful report! I could feel myself being in the Cenote when you described your experience. Though we went to Cenote Dzitnup.

[mayaflya]

I'm loving the report and the photos! We snorkeled Gran Cenote on our first visit and it is absolutely stunning. And I had the first massage of my life at Maya Spa....almost spoiled me....can't wait to hear and see more.

I'm glad you mentioned waiting on the check....that really threw me, too...

First time reports make me so nostalgic....

[BP.]

Adorable pictures . . . thanks!!

[beachreader]

Great pics! Yay! On the bacon front, all pig products I have ever had in any Spanish-speaking country are the best I've ever had. They LOVE their pork!

I can't wait to get down there, and am very glad to hear the food at LaZebra is still as good as Lulu and others have reported.

[beachreader]

On a technical note (and please don't take this as a complaint!), is there any way you can re-size your photos so they fit the format of the board? It's easier when we don't have to page across to read your text.

I'm honestly not sure how to do this, since my photo site makes the pictures a little smaller than they should be, but maybe someone else can help you?

[TheWindyCity]

Great report Shyeviolett! Love the photos...brings back a lot of memories of our first visit...we are working on our third for next year. BIG bacon fan, too! Zamas was always generous with their portions as well

[Shyeviolett]

Beachreader- I know, I actually resized them in Photobucket but when I posted them here it still made them huge...I will mess around with it more tonight before doing day 3 :)

[beachreader]

Sorry, I really didn't mean that as a complaint, a lot of people have big pics (and I wish mine were a little bigger). Just thought if it was easy to do it would make things easier to read, you know?

Thanks. And don't worry about it. Maybe it's just that my screen is too small!

[Shyeviolett]

Sorry, I really didn't mean that as a complaint, a lot of people have big pics (and I wish mine were a little bigger). Just thought if it was easy to do it would make things easier to read, you know?

Thanks. And don't worry about it. Maybe it's just that my screen is too small!

Oh, no worries and no need to be sorry-- the huge pics were bugging me too!! :D

[beachreader]

Actually, I made it work. I just closed my Favorites list (d'oh), which usually takes up some space to the left. That doesn't affect some sites much, but this one it stretched the screen enough to cover all your pics.

So as far as I'm concerned, post away! :D

[minniemex]

Shye - great reporting!! I always love a new persons report because they see what we have started taking for granted..... such as the lizards.. I just don't think to take their picture anymore! I used to chase the geckos to try and get a picture!!

Keep up the good work!!

[minniemex]

Actually, I made it work. I just closed my Favorites list (d'oh), which usually takes up some space to the left. That doesn't affect some sites much, but this one it stretched the screen enough to cover all your pics.

So as far as I'm concerned, post away! :D

BR - how do my pictures come out on your screen, as I use photobucket also??

[Gale in KY]

Amazing...can't wait for you to continue! Isn't Maya Spa the ultimate! I have only had the energy work done there, and a healing massage with Shaman Daniel..can't wait for more in December!!!

I agree Minnie..the iguanas facinate me, but I didn't get a single pic of one last trip..will have to rediscover them this time around!

[DougSR]

On a technical note (and please don't take this as a complaint!), is there any way you can re-size your photos so they fit the format of the board? It's easier when we don't have to page across to read your text.

I'm honestly not sure how to do this, since my photo site makes the pictures a little smaller than they should be, but maybe someone else can help you?

They fit perfectly on my screen and inside the board. BR this may have something to do with all of the different resolutions of different peoples PCs.

That said, I have some software that allows you to resize your photos in a jif. If I can find a way to make it available to everyone on the board I'll let you guys know.

Finally, great trip report! I love the pic of LaZ. It's exactly as it was when we were there a few months back. Did you notice the huge wood thing in the corner? They told us it came out of the Biosphere. And though it was dead and harmless now was extremely poisonous to people when alive.

[minniemex]

Amazing...can't wait for you to continue! Isn't Maya Spa the ultimate! I have only had the energy work done there, and a healing massage with Shaman Daniel..can't wait for more in December!!!

I agree Minnie..the iguanas facinate me, but I didn't get a single pic of one last trip..will have to rediscover them this time around!

You know, I sat here and thought and thought and could not come up with the name for those lizards!!! Thanks!!

And I had my first massage ever this last trip, not at Maya Spa, but on the beach at Zulum....... yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy

[beachreader]

A massage virgin, first time on the beach in Tulum? Wow, that must have been pretty great. I love massage, would seriously get one every week if I could afford it. Mmmmmmm.

I think most of your pics are fine for me, Minnie. Yes, in your current trip report they fit just fine.

But really, it's not a big deal. Someone else, though, had pics so large that even shutting my Favorites bar wasn't enough. I had to page back and forth to finish each sentence or see the whole picture, a bit of a hassle.

Doug, is your thing for me to resize other people's pics so they fit on my screen? That would be neat.

[PhyllisB]

I'm still in catch up mode, so I am just seeing this. How cool for you to get the upgrade!!!!!! Can't wait to read the rest. Very cool to have a report from Zamas so now we can have more informed opinions about it!!!

Phyllis

[beachreader]

Great report, and it is good to hear about someone actually staying at Zamas!

By the way, when you're served shrimp still in the shells, it's OK (in my book, anyway) to just pick them up with your fingers and peel the shells off. There are a few techniques, but all involve getting your fingers seriously goopy. Most places will then serve you with either a finger bowl (water with a lemon slice floating in it) or a foil-wrapped sheet. These really help get rid of the grease and the shrimpy smell. But I don't like it when they show up unannounced like that. It's a lot of work and not very dainty! :D

[Shyeviolett]

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/PA310175.jpg

This was our first sight on Tuesday, a giant stick bug crawling up our mosquito netting. We stared at him for a awhile because it was interesting watching him from the other side of the net. Overall, even though you can clearly see gaps in the structure of the cabanas at Zamas, we really didn't see too many big insects in our room, just this guy, a huge grasshopper, and an interesting spider that liked to hang out by my makeup on the counter.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PA310154.jpg
We headed down to grab a quick breakfast at Zamas because we had decided to go to Playa Del Carmen in the afternoon. It was a tad overcast that morning, but it was still beautiful.

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We just had some fruit and yogurt (and coffee, of course) and then headed back to the room to get fully ready. We headed off to Playa at around 10:30. On the way, we had the pleasure of meeting some nice military men while they searched our car at the "checkpoint" they had set up on the 307. They were very nice and we didn't have any problems. We got to Playa around 11:15 and tried desperatly to find a parking spot, after about 15 minutes of searching we finally found one waaaaay down by the beach of some mega resort. While walking past the beach of that resort, I happened to notice a large "schedule of events" that included breakfast, lunch, and dinner- and a man with a loudspeaker announcing that it was officially the beginning of lunch. All the beachgoers cleared out to go eat lunch as soon as that announcement was made and I had to laugh at their so-called "vacation"-- there's nothing quite like someone telling you when you can eat lunch when you're on vaca!!!

Anyways, on to 5th avenue, we were starving and we had heard about a cool palapa, we happened to walk right by it and decided that it was indeed our lunchtime too. We ate at La Palapa Hemingway, which was a really cool little place with great art everywhere. Their mango daquaris (why can't I spell that correctly??) and the mojitos w
were to die for....
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We left La Palapa quite happy and had intended on spending a little money, but quickly got very irritated with the overly aggressive vendors in the streets. I know this is commonplace, and we have both experienced it before, but it never really ceases to be annoying and it really just makes me NOT want to look at thier stuff..besides, I wasn't really in the market for a corona jumpsuit anyhow....

After about an hour of walking around aimlessly, we missed Tulum and wondered why anyone would want to stay in a place with a Starbucks and a Burger King. We left then....

When we got home, we went to the beach at Ana y Joses, swam for a bit but then realized that they were setting up for a wedding. We didn't want to impede on their ceremony, so we left quickly. Funny side note about that- there was a crazy looking topless chick just randomly walking circles on the beach, talking to herself. We thought about how unfortunate (and slightly hilarious) it would be if she didn't leave for the ceremony...hehe.

We went back to Zamas and took a little siesta, and when we woke up we decided to go eat dinner at Charlies since they had been closed the day before. We got into town and it seemed we were the first to dinner, as we had the place completely to ourselves, well, with the exception of Pinto, the local gato.

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Pinto was about the only thing I liked about Charlies...the food was mediocre, the service was terrible and the host was rude. I guess the art was pretty cool too, but that doesn't make up for crappy food and service. We took off after that and went next door to Mixik, which I loved. We decided to come back the next day to buy souveniers for the family.

And at long last, we got back to the cabana for the final time that night and read about Mayan Cosmology by our coke bottle candelabra, and then headed to bed.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PB030019.jpg

(sorry my pics are so huge again, I tried resizing them in photobucket, but they stay the same size here :( )

[mayaflya]

Great report! Great Pics! I'm loving them on my 24" monitor! ;-) Please don't listen to the "whiners" (I'm calling them that with sincere affection) that say they are too big. I like your strategy..."I've tried and tried, but I just can't figure out this resizing thing"...

[Lynnette]

What a fun report!!! We had the same experience at Charlies in May......too bad, they were one of my favorites. Maybe they are better in high season.....still no excuse for rude behavior and lack of service. Our waiter was downright surly.

[PhyllisB]

We had a couple of visits to Charlie's this trip.... no problemos.... or at least none that I noticed. I'm sometimes a bit oblivious to these things. But we had a nice time both times. I guess it's a little hit or miss, as with a lot of places there!

Great report - love your comments about Playa and the mega resorts... so true!

[preeya]

Great report! I felt a bit touristy about Akumal itself. I cant imagine PDC!

[minniemex]

Pinto was there also when we ate there, but our food was delicious - but the service was lacking.

I thought everyone wanted a Corona Jumpsuit!?!

Absolutely great report!! You have a great sense of humor!!

[beachreader]

Great report, and no worries about the picture size. Once I realized how to fix the problem on my end, it's all good!

{no whining here today:rolleyes:}

[Julie in PA]

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/PA310175.jpg

This was our first sight on Tuesday, a giant stick bug crawling up our mosquito netting. We stared at him for a awhile because it was interesting watching him from the other side of the net. Overall, even though you can clearly see gaps in the structure of the cabanas at Zamas, we really didn't see too many big insects in our room, just this guy, a huge grasshopper, and an interesting spider that liked to hang out by my makeup on the counter.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PA310154.jpg


The stick bug I could handle - however that spider is a completely different story. OMG :eek: - I'm sorry but I would HAVE to have him removed from my cabana - I am a WIMP when it comes to spiders and snakes! What kind of spider is that anyway?? And please tell me that it is not poisonous - :)

[beachreader]

I'm not digging the spider either, but that's an amazing picture of it, isn't it? Cool to get the focus so tight on such a tiny thing.

Um, it was tiny, wasn't it? :eek:

[Shyeviolett]

Um, when that picture was taken, I was running circles and screaming...it was not very tiny....We had to use a pringles can to scoop it up and relocated it. Luckily my new husband is not too afraid of spiders!! I actually didn't realize that it was hairy until I saw this pic... *shudder* :eek:

[beachreader]

That's it, I'm packing some completely non eco-friendly bug killer junk.


OK, just kidding, but ick ick ick.

Gale better be good with dealing with stuff like that! :D

[Shyeviolett]

Yea, it was pretty gnarly, but I have to say though that the huge neon green spider with an orange back that I stumbled into on top of Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica was WAY more scary!!

[firecop680]

Shyeviolett, Has the airport been fixed or are they still filtering you through custome and then through the skinny hallway to the outside? I had asked this question before and now I can't find where I asked it. Thanks!!

[Shyeviolett]

Hmmm, I believe we took the skinny hallway route....

[firecop680]

Gotcha! Thanks:)

[beachreader]

At least that one was on top of a volcano where it belongs, not in your room!!!

[Gale in KY]

Gale better be good with dealing with stuff like that!
Today 05:55 PM


Well, if screaming and running in circles while yelling "KILL IT" is handling it..Yeah, I am good at handling it..lmao!

Spiders freak me out..I usually go whatever direction they aren't going and let them have the space they want. Hope that thing doesn't jump..I hate those jumping things.

Feel free to pack a whole case of that non eco friendly bug killing stuff..when it comes to spiders, I don't do "eco"..heehee.

[beachreader]

Oh, great. A couple of middle-aged women running around in circles, going "ick, ick, ick!" That should be entertaining! :rolleyes:

I think some attractive young man could have quite a career evicting spiders from cabanas all up and down the beach. Gives new meaning to the term "cabana boy".

[minniemex]

I think calling him "spiderman" would be more appropiate!! Thank goodness I travel with my own!! I think they freak him out just as much as me but he gets the job done. That is all I care about in the end!! LOL

[Shyeviolett]

We decided to make Wednesday a true "do nothing" day- nothing planned, just laze around and be happy. We woke up and after laying in bed for a while, we decided to head over to Tita Tulum to check out the breakfast. We hopped in the PT Cruiser (anyone else notice that there is an ABUNDANCE of rental PTs in Tulum?) and headed down down down the beach road. We got there, parked, and headed up to the restaurant, and like usual, we were the only people there. We both ordered omelettes with bacon on the side, and settled in to admire the morning beach. Jordan also took this cool pic...
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A few minutes later, another couple wandered up from the beach and headed into the restaurant. The man was asking everyone if they had a shower (even though he wasnt staying there) and eventually just jumped in the middle of a garden area and started hosing himself off with a garden hose. The maids were laughing at him (and so were we) while his obviously embarrassed wife covered her eyes at the table and apologized for her husband. Our food came soon after, and we struck up a conversation with the couple, from Colorado it turns out. They were actually staying up in Cancun and travelling down to Tulum every day!! They had checked out Tulum the 2nd day of their weeklong vacation and had been driving there every morning since! Gotta give em a hand for that!

Anyway, the omelette was the best one I have literally EVER eaten, perfectly cooked, the perfect amount of salt- just.....perfect.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/The%20Food/PA310161.jpg

After we finished eating, I had the CO couple take a picture of us, as we had not very many pics of us together in Tulum so far- and WAY more of the food!!
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/PA310163.jpg
We went back to Zamas and went to leave for Mixik in town (since it's bigger in town). I got into the PT and started to back out of the parking spot at zamas (we were parked on the beach side of the road, not the lot), and just as I stopped to put the car in drive, a HUGE water truck came barreling out of the lot in reverse, clearly without ever checking their mirrors- because I could see the driver in his- and slammed into the back left corner of the car, busting the taillight and making a huge dent. We both stopped, and Ramon, the manager at Zamas rushed out to make sure we were OK. He went over to talk to the driver for us and the driver was not even wanting to talk to Ramon, he just started yelling and left the scene. Ramon came over and told us that he knows the driver and can give us his information. I have to say, Ramon really helped us handle the situation. We called enterprise and notified them, but since it was still driveable, we went on our merry way to Mixik.

When we got back, we decided to head back to Ana y Joses to hit the beach for awhile. When we got there we bought a couple beers and headed down to the chairs. when we were there the day before, they did not charge us at all to use the beach, but today was a different story apparently and we were charged $8 each to be there. I was a little miffed, considering we could have gone to Gran Cenote for 80 pesos, but whatever, I just wanted to chill.

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Almost immediatly after we started really relaxing, HUGE swarms of those really annoying black flying bugs moved into the beach area. We did not have a problem with them the previous day, but today I was practically inhaling them and having to guard my beer with my life. After 20 minutes of fighting a losing battle, we packed up and left. I was annoyed.

At this point, it had been a somewhat irritating day, so we decided to take a nap.

When we awoke, we were startled to see that it was already dark. It was 6:15!! We had made plans to go to dinner with James and Allison, the couple we had met on the airplane. All they had eaten was all inclusive crap at Dreams, so they were looking forward to eating at Zamas. We went with 3 different pizzas, since we figured that would be cost effective and delicious, and we all got drunk and had a great time. The pizza was good, but it really wasn't anything to write home about. We had great service though, and the dinner was a lot of fun.

We went back up to the room to chill for a while, drank some more beer, and eventually James and Allison headed home. Since it WAS Halloween, Jordan and I decided to watch Nightmare on Elm Street on the Ipod, and it was actually a bit scary in the pitch black cabana!

Finally, we headed to bed. It was a long day, and a bit irritating at times, but it all turned out OK :)

[preeya]

Great trip report! Nice pice too, esp the sunglasses one!

We were'nt pleased with Ana-y-jose's service as well! None was there to set us and they didnt bother to ask us or give menus for a long time. Then when we asked whats Veg or if they could cook anything, he could not understand English. A place this big would have someone understanding what I was saying, even tried in broken spanish (non carne, pollo, fillet!) so all I had was a cheese and tomato salad, waited for the grand flambe coffee or dessetr, they said they are not doing it (again failed to understand why not!)

[Tuluminous]

That sounds like a pretty irritating day all right! I think it is very cheeky charging you to use the loungers, given that the place looks like it was prety deserted at the time. Presumably you could have just sat on the beach itself and paid nothing, as I understand that the beaches themselves are public under Mexican law (its just that you can't get to many of them without passing through private property first).

No one bothered us when we used the hammocks at La Zebra for a couple of hours, although we did buy a drink at the bar first which may have helped.

[TheWindyCity]

Great reports, ShyVi. I give you credit for keeping the high road through such a crap day. You seem to make the best of every situation without letting it ruin your plans. Enjoying the pics as well!

[minniemex]

Hey, great reporting - sorry your day was such a bust!! I am waiting for the story for when you turn in the bashed rental!! LOL - your pictures are great - I think Jason has alot of fun with his camera!! I love the sunglass one!!

Excessive drinking would have been on my agenda for the evening also!! Glad you had a great ending to a somewhat crappy day........

[preeya]

Its a great pic of you too! You must frame it.

[DougSR]

I'm with minniemex. I would have been getting a major buzz after a day like that. Oh wait. It would have mattered. A good buzz is always prescribed when in Tulum.

I too can't wait to hear how the busted rental car situation comes out. Nice tease.

[beachreader]

Isn't it funny? I'm thinking about the busted rental car too, hoping she took pictures and all that anal stuff. Actually, hoping she had full 0 deductible coverage!

Great pics, great trip report, I'm so psyched!

[Shyeviolett]

hoping she took pictures and all that anal stuff.

You better believe it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/shyeviolett/PA310170.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/shyeviolett/PA310169.jpg

[beachreader]

Phew! OK, Mom episode over. :o

[AdGuy]

Okay...deep breath...it's just a bug! :eek: And would it help if I told you it wasn't a stickbug but instead a praying mantis? They're a sign of good fortune and (Gale) at one time were illegal to kill in the United States! :rolleyes:

[AdGuy]

So glad you two got to Gran Cenote as I think it's one of the nicest, most magical spots you can visit (and it's really close). Keep up the great reporting! :)

[AdGuy]

Nice job on putting the accident into perspective! Of course, that's why God made beer! :D:D:D

[Shyeviolett]

You're sure it's a praying mantis? I thought so too until Jordan convinced me that because it was brown it was a stickbug....I loved that thing, as I love praying manti- it was really just the spiders that got to me :)

[Shyeviolett]

We had planned just two things to do for our entire 7 days to Tulum, see the ruins, and go on a cenote snorkel tour. Today would be our snorkel tour, I had booked a tour at Hidden Worlds a month ago and I was really excited to go after visiting Gran Cenote on Monday. We decided to head to town to get some breakfast in us before driving up the 307 to Hidden Worlds. We wanted something cheap since we had been spending a TON of money on food so far on the trip. We had seen a small little place down by charlies advertising breakfast and decided to check it out. I have no idea what the name of this place was- but it had tables with glass tops with coffee beans inside....

The place had one cook/server, but when we got there we were the only people there, so no biggie. I ordered some wierd tortilla/refried bean/cheese/salsa breakfast thing, as I felt like being adventurous. Jordan ordered toast and eggs. While we were waiting for our food, three other tables of people showed up- so the sole employee had to take their orders and get their drinks too. It ended up taking quite a while to get our drinks, and even longer to get our food. Luckily, when we did get our food, it was excellent. What was even better was the bill- 100 pesos for breakfast, including coffee, juice, and a coke for me! Well worth the wait :)

(sorry no pics, we had forgotten our camera in the car :( )

We then headed up the 307 to Hidden Worlds, and really pissed off a cab driver as we slowed to make a left off the freeway- I guess we didn't really know how you were supposed to do that there...oh well. We got there a bit early and went inside, paid our money, and started to put on our wetsuits. The guide tried to sell us on his $25 water cameras, but we weren't buying it. He did manage to sell us on some $8 bug spray though, as I was already looking like I had pox and really didn't want it to get any worse.

We were paired with a lone traveller from Europe and were pointed toward a very interesting truck that we were to ride in the back of...

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PB010182.jpg

Our guide told us to hold on tight, as we would be driving through the jungle for about 10 minutes. Hold on tight I did- as I thought I was going to be bounced out of that car after about 2 minutes of jungle "road" at relatively high speed! It was fun though, Jordan, the European, and I were all laughing at the situation as we all winced in pain from the potholes. Finally, we arrived to the first cenote, and we climbed down the 20 foot hole into the cave. I was a little freaked out at first as I am a little claustrophobic, but our guide was awesome and he distracted me from thinking about it. We hopped into the water and I was amazed at how far down the water went- and you could see under the cave walls how it just kept going and going. There wasn't too much to see, really, since just the little blind fishies can live down there (they were cute though). So, we swam around for awhile and after an extensive history lesson on cenotes from our guide, we got in and headed back to the truck. 5 more minutes of potholes and we were at the next cenote, this one turned out to be more like a labrynth and I was a little more freaked out with the tight spaces. it was cool, but there wasn't much to see and I was ready to get out....

We left that cenote and headed back to the truck for the last time- this time I decided to stand intstead of sit, and realized that I really should have done that the whole time...

After we returned to the main office, we peeled off our wetsuits and were told to "go see the monkeys"- so we went and saw the monkeys.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PB010183.jpg

The monkeys only made me sad- I hate seeing animals in captivity, especially here as a side attraction for tourists. I was ready to leave pretty quickly. I would have to say, next time- no guided tours. I enjoyed Gran Cenote more and it was MUCH cheaper.

We went back to Zamas, I went to the hammocks to read and Jordan went to the restaurant for "a" margarita. Well, an hour later he stumbles up the stairs drunk as a skunk and flops down into bed.... "I had three, they are really strong, huh?"...yea, they are hunny. He proceeded to tell me that he had met another honeymooning couple that were staying at Zamas, and how we should hang out with them sometime and blah blah blah- my husband gets VERY chatty when he is drunk, and I knew this was an extra special case! As soon as I left the room, he passed out immediatly.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/aleciaandjordan/Honeymoon%20Pics/Other%20Random%20Stuff/PB020216.jpg

I leave him to sleep it off and went back to reading, and about 10 minutes later I hear him stumble out of bed to the bathroom, and sure enough, 3 margaritas down the drain- literally. I had to laugh and take a picture (I'll spare you..lol). That was the last margarita Jordan had at Zamas :p

Finally a few hours later we were ready for dinner, decided to save some cash and went to El Mariachi. Service was good, food was good, prices were excellent. I was not feeling too hungry, so I just had the quesadillas with rice and beans, and jordan had the fish fillet.

We were pretty tired after that and decided to head back and go to bed early. But we did watch Donny Darko on the Ipod first....gotta say- that movie is even more haunting when you are watching it in the pitch blackness in the middle of nowhere !

[AdGuy]

You're sure it's a praying mantis? I thought so too until Jordan convinced me that because it was brown it was a stickbug....I loved that thing, as I love praying manti- it was really just the spiders that got to me :)

Another opportunity to tell your new husband he's wrong. :) From eNature.com:

"The coloration of mantids is genetically controlled, and except for the tendency for green individuals to become a dull grayish-brown as they get old, they don’t change color during their lives. Natural selection usually dictates the ratio of colors in any given population, in habitats with a predominantly brown background, this form will prosper by escaping the notice of visual predators (mainly birds), and in lush green situations, more of the green mantids will survive to reproduce."

Also, stickbugs look (as you might guess) like sticks. Your visitor is too fat as stickbugs are really long and thin.

[Shyeviolett]

Another opportunity to tell your new husband he's wrong. :)

Awesome, can't ever have enough of that :p

[beachreader]

Ditto hear on the mantis. Totally cool, happy to have them around, even if they do eat their husbands immediately after mating. :eek:

It's the spiders that I'm not happy with. I repeat: Ick, ick ick!

[lazydog]

Two things I learned from that report...go to Grand Cenote not Hidden Worlds and go to Zamas for margaritas!!!!

[beachreader]

It's a great trip report. Too funny that your husband will be forever remembered in a photo on the internet passed out for all the world to see! :D He's cute even in his cups, though. :)

[minniemex]

I thank my lucky stars that no one had a camera when I was under the weather!! LOL The poor guy...........

Great info and reporting Shye!! I really have got to get my reporting done!!

[Gale in KY]

Hehehe..something to remind him of for years to come..lol.."Jordan, you ready for some Zamas Margaritas? We better book our airfare and head back to Tulum!":D:D In his defense, I lost a Sat. night at Copal to the very same reason. :rolleyes::p Nothing better than sleeping it off by the sea!

I am loving your report! Actun Chen used to let their monkeys run free until they had a couple of close shaves with customers being bitten and their cars being ramsacked..by the monkeys..lol..they are also caged now..and it is a very sad thing to see. I much prefer the Punta Laguna Reserve and seeing them in their natural enviornment.

[AdGuy]

The sign of a good trip report...puke! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_20_7.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk762YYUS)

[AdGuy]

I much prefer the Punta Laguna Reserve and seeing them in their natural enviornment.


Completely agree, Gale. True of monkeys, dolphins, horses, and just about any creature. Simply magical to see them in their natural environment rather than behind cold steel. :(

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/December2006TulumPictureson16MB182.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

Gotta love the "jungle truck". I took a video whilst standing in the back, going through the jungle, but neglected to get a photo from our 2006 "First Time in Tulum" visit. I might have to IM you for a copy for our album, or head back and get one myself :D

Sorry to hear that you didn't get much out of the Hidden Worlds tour. We really liked it a lot, but had gotten a lot more out of it. The first cenote, we were in there for over an hour, and did a great tour. The formations and colors were awesome and lit up with underground lighting. On our way up the ladder, my wife saw a giant, fist sized spider hiding in a hole by one of the rungs of the ladder and almost freaked. Luckily, she didn't let go or she'd a fallen on me!

The second cenote was about 1 hour as well, and we went full circle in one entrance, and out another. In the middle of the cenote, the guide told us some folklore about the Maya and had us turn our flashlights off.....I never had been in such a perfect pitch darkeness like that, and it was pretty awesome.

[Shyeviolett]

On our way up the ladder, my wife saw a giant, fist sized spider hiding in a hole by one of the rungs of the ladder and almost freaked.

Holy mother of Maude- I would have freaked!! Our little bathroom friend had me in hysterics!!

[beachreader]

On our way up the ladder, my wife saw a giant, fist sized spider hiding in a hole by one of the rungs of the ladder and almost freaked.




F-f-f-f-f-fist-sized?!?!?!?!?:eek:

[Tuluminous]

Great stuff Shye!

We did our cenote trip with Mexico Dive Centre just opposite Zamas, and were looked after by a young guy called Rocky who didn't speak much English but made up for it with his enthusiasm. To my intense embarrassment though I started off by putting my wetsuit on back to front (I'm English for goodness sake, how am I supposed to know the zip goes at the back!). The tanned and lithe Rocky seemed to find the sight of the struggling pasty English chap (not counting my sleeve-like tanned arms) very funny. My Aussie girlfriend did not think it was my coolest moment.

So glad I didn't see any fist sized spiders as I'm not great with anything which has more than 4 legs (its just seems excessive to me). The only big spider I saw had me worried until I realised that it was trying to run away from some weird wasp like thing. If the vicious looking spider was more worried about that, then I decided I ought to be too!

[TheWindyCity]

F-f-f-f-f-fist-sized?!?!?!?!?:eek:
May it was a tarantula? I looked in the the hole she saw it in, but didn't see anything.