Trip report, part three Punta Allen

[lazydog]

One day while in Tulum we decided to head into the Sian.

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The guys at the entrance told us it would take about an hour and half to go and back, it doesn't. We encountered the workmen, very friendly. When we met another car during the work zone, someone somehow managed to move over so the other car could get through. When we got to the Sian reserve information place, I suddenly realized that I didn't have my camera, we drove back about 15 min to see if had fallen out of the car when I got out to look at something. It hadn't, my sister told me to go back to the hotel to check. No way was I going to go back and re-start that road again!

(My camera was at the hotel and the chambermaids had nicely hidden it under a top so that anyone looking in the room wouldn't see it). Phew.

[lazydog]

Whoops, I guess that was from the end of the trip! that is the exit at Sian Ka'an. I don't think I have one looking in, oh well. Here is a photo from somewhere on the drive.

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We drove for a bit over an hour, nothing really out there except jungle on each side and every so often a peek of beach. Some nice houses also. Saw the sign with Xamach Dos and decided to stop in for one of those cold beers.

Here is their kitchen, they had moved the dining area inside as it had been a bit cold, we knew what they were talking about.
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An outside view of their dining area

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There were two separate couples with kids there at the time. Very friendly and it looked like they were in paradise. They were just getting ready to eat lunch and it was so laid back, nobody had dressed for the meal. Bikinis, swim shorts and no shoes accepted at this establishment. Both couples, one from Canada one from US had small kids, and the kids were the same age. So the kids were happy, the adults were hanging together. Looked really fun. It would be a great place to go with a group of family or friends.
The woman Margo who was running the place was very friendly and informative. She seemed like she'd be fun to hang out with . She took us all around and showed us the suites. Very nice with individual bathrooms and showers for each cabana. Seemed very relaxing. And we had a nice cold beer of course! Oh and they had had lobster the night before, Margo had driven down to Punta Allen the day before to grab some fresh lobster.

One of the guests took us across the road to these little ruins. I kind of wanted him to go in with us but he had no shoes on so....no go. So we traipsed into the jungle on this little path with the jungle around us and found these neat little ruins.

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My daughter had a small meltdown walking into the jungle on our own, but we made it out alive.

[beachreader]

Cool beans, pics of Xamach's ruins! I never got out of the car, just sort of stuck the camera out the window as I left so I'd remember they had them. They look pretty nice--were those handprints actually ancient, or do you think Xamach Dan ran over there and made them? :p

Margo's cool, isn't she? Hope to see her again sometime soon (hi, Margo, if you're reading this!).

[lazydog]

I don't know if those hand prints were authentic or not, but I choose to believe they were and are. Margo started to tell us this story about some people who came from our area, (I live in Vancouver). After a minute I stopped her and told her I had read their trip report. It was kind of funny. It was jonnycakes trip report. I knew about the rash on his sisters leg etc.
http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?t=1477

We talked a bit about his trip. I don't think she reads on this forum.

[lazydog]

After our cool stop at Xamach Dos, which I recommend to anyone doing the trip to Punta Allen. We got back on the bumpy road. Yipee, we got to Punta Allen, this place is truly a sleepy fishing town. Margo had recommended to us the "place with the fake palm trees". After five to ten minutes of driving, (which is basically the whole of Punta Allen) we gave up and went to this place.

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We ordered a couple of drinks, (drinking and driving the end of the Boca Paila road is a must) I didn't think I could do that drive back to Tulum sober. By the way in no way do I drink and drive at home, but that darn road...

We ended up having my favorite meal of the trip. It was so cheap and so good. Big yummy fresh shrimp, garlic shrimp, shrimp and octopus ceviche, and shrimp nachos that I wish I could recreate at home.

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We ate the garlic shrimp so fast, it was only when most of them were in our tummy that I grabbed my sisters camera. These garlic shrimp put that seafood place in Akumal to shame. Yummy. I dreaded using the bathrooms but actually they were really clean, they flushed by using a bucket of water that is left by the toilet. There was running water in the sink to wash your hands. We stopped in a little store to buy ice cream after our meal but it had been melted and re-frozen so many times I didn't buy it. Afterwards I kind of felt bad for not buying it. I am sure they lose their power lots and it's really not their fault. We stopped by another store to find ice cream, they had none. We bought ice instead for the cooler and brought it back to Tulum, it made it just fine. (ice I am sure is delivered much more often rather than regular stock) Next time you are in Tulum, make it down to Punta Allen to get your ice. And buy that ice cream I didn't buy. I would appreciate it.

[beachreader]

A shrimp fiesta! Looks so good. I wish I'd gotten down to Punta Allen on my last trip. One of these days!

[lazydog]

We stopped at a beautiful beach on the way back to do some beach combing. We found some really nice pieces of sea art. Sure there was plastic everywhere, but I have kayaked the most remote western parts of British Columbia and those places are usually covered in plastic too, and interesting asian products that have somewhere made their way over.

After our wonderful bumpy drive back we stopped by the cenote at the arch. This is the walkway to the cenote.

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And the cenote, I personally did not see any alligators or crocodiles in there. (I really don't know what the difference is between the two but maybe one day I will go to Florida or Africa and I will find out, right now I am too lazy to do this).

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q164/alexk32/Family%20Celebrations/mexico08dyane125.jpg

Another couple was swimming in the cenote and they made it out alive. Please ignore myself in the photo, it just plain weird, but it's the only photo I have of the cenote.

[minniemex]

Man, now I gotta get to Xamach Dod and Punta Allen!! My only attempt was after a long rain storm and we just gave up!! We ended up doing part of that road two times as we forgot to get gas before we left. I should say I did, as my DH had no idea there were no gas stations down there!! LOL Next trip I will put it on my shortlist, as long as it hasn't rained recently!!

Keep up the great report!! Loving every minute.

[PhyllisB]

Woohoo! Another great installment! Loving it!

[suerte]

The Sian Ka'an is worth the drive, No?

[lazydog]

I thought driving down to Punta Allen was fun. I have heard that rental cars are not allowed down these types of roads, I don't know if it's true. Our car was pretty new so we didn't really worry about getting stuck. I'd do it again.

[beachreader]

I've heard that too, but my rental car company just told me I'd be responsible for bent rims (even though I had full coverage and 0 deductible), which would indicate inappropriate use, and that seemed fair to me. So I drove carefully on the Boca Paila road, but it was all good.

I think they just don't want people saying "hey, it's a rental", and baja-ing all over the place.

[lazydog]

When I returned the car they really spent a lot of time looking under the car right below the doors. I thought it was weird but when I got home, I realized that they were probably looking for damage from people hitting topes at high speeds or going down roads like this. Although if you go slow it's just bumpy, not damaging to the car.

[beachreader]

Oooh, forgot about those vicious topes. I thought it was all about the Boca Paila (since he knew I was going to Tulum).

I might have to protest next time I pick up a car, because while I think it's fair they don't want us going mad on a beach road with potholes, those topes come out of bleeding nowhere on the highway and I could totally see myself busting something. I would want the very expensive insurances to cover that kind of damage.

Hmmm.

Thanks for the mention, lazydog.