AdGuy’s Trip Report – Dias Tres & Cuatro

[AdGuy]

For the first two days of this report, please click: http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?t=555


Dia Tres – Saturday, December 9: We actually packed pretty well this time…I guess practice does make perfect. We finally followed the magic rule of “bring half the clothes and twice the money”. We remembered to bring those things we’d wished we’d packed on past trips (strong insect repellent, extra camera memory, pens with post it notes, an extra outlet that screws into a light socket) and left behind those things we never used (a compass, non-travel books, cell phones). Awakening to the crashing waves, I was glad I resisted the urge to bring a travel alarm. My rods and cones adjusted to the dimness and I realized it was almost sunrise. We threw on some clothes and headed to the beach to capture the sunrise…

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We both noticed how different the look of this sunrise was compared to yesterday’s first light. The sky was on fire with warm pinks and soft blues. At no time while watching the daybreak did I remember the line “red skies at morning, sailors take warning”. Besides, we were quickly distracted by a new friend looking to play fetch with her newfound treasure (a coconut) and willing to help us finish any scraps of pastry we might need to rid ourselves of.

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After a brief game and celebratory snack, we bid our canine companion ‘adios’ and headed into town for breakfast. As we parked, we noticed Don Cafetos doing a brisk business and decide to grab a curbside table. In our opinion, Don Cafetos is consistently good (whether their in-town location or their beach restaurant near Zacil Kin). I guess I prefer their pueblo place (sorry…I adore alliteration) as it always seems to be more energetic and offers a nice combination of tourists and locals. It ranks 9 out of 10 in our book (either location for breakfast, lunch, or dinner).

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After polishing off the Aztec Desayuno and the Desayuno Maya, we headed west out of town on the Coba highway to the Punta Laguna Monkey Reserve. The trip took us past a few cenotes, past a couple of small towns, and through some major construction. When we last traveled this route in June to head to Coba they had been improving the road. Now, almost the entire section to the returno circle is complete and the small towns are upgrading their topes from rope to major concrete humps. The trip was uneventful despite the very large trucks that hogged the road. The running joke of this day was “we are covered on our rental insurance for this, right?”

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[AdGuy]

Time for a product plug…Can-Do Maps. If you’re thinking of venturing out into the great unknown (especially Coba, Chichen Itza, Ek Balam or Valladolid) you really need to have their Chichen Itza map with you. Fortunately, we did. As we met other travelers we were amazed how few knew anything about the area they were visiting. They were mesmerized by the guidebooks and maps we shared with them, detailing the great restaurants, little-known attractions, or wonderful side roads available to them just around the corner. Don’t make their mistake…be armed with knowledge and your adventure will be that much better!

After passing small Mayan homes and a herd of goats grazing on foliage along the road, we arrived at Punta Laguna Monkey Reserve. Without the sign and our map, we’d likely have passed right by it…

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At 9:30 in the morning, we were thrilled to see only one other car in the lot. We paid our admission (a bargain at 40 pesos/person for the entire day) and decided to spring a guide (and extra 200 pesos for 90 minutes). As we have often found, it was money well spent. The two of us grab our gear (bug spray, binoculars, camera) and head into the jungle with Jose.

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A good guide can make or break a tour. Fortunately, Jose was great. He loved to share information on the flora and fauna, and could do so in English, Mayan, Spanish, or Italian. On a good day, I can speak English and Pig Latin! He led us to both the popular areas where the monkeys ate, slept, and played as well as ‘off the path’ spots where local shamans practiced or animals gathered at secret watering holes.

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Okay, I’m sure you’re wondering about the monkeys. It is after all, a ‘monkey preserve’ and I’ve not mentioned much about the primates. Punta Laguna contains both spider and howler monkeys. The spider monkeys are more accessible and the howlers farther away and more secluded. We opted to explore the spider monkey area and we’re thrilled we did. While nature is unpredictable, she didn’t disappoint today…the trees were filled with monkeys eating, swinging, resting, yelling, and playing.

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[AdGuy]

The first group consisted of just three spider monkeys – teenagers who were extremely tame (they have no enemies within the reserve). They hardly noticed as we pointed, took pictures, and softly peppered our guide with hundreds of questions. After ten minutes, we moved onto a second group (this time a troupe of roughly ten that we could see but I imagine there were more) who were busy playing “tag” in the trees.

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We continued our time with Jose by exploring the lagoon, discovering the amazing birds and interesting plant life, and watching the colorful butterflies that swarmed around us. At the end of our journey, we arrived at a small ‘souvenir stand’ run by local Mayan girls. No “I survived Punta Laguna” shirts here. Just simple, but beautiful, intricate embroidered items, handcrafted jewelry, and carved wooden artwork. This was our kind of shopping…authentic and inexpensive. I think they made their quota for the month from us, but we were thrilled with our new additions!

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After returning to the main entrance, we debated if we should head back into the jungle alone or attempt to find another monkey reserve nearby (Pac Chen). The pull of the unknown was too great and we decided to head out to find the new reserve. We grabbed our stuff, tipped our guide, and headed north.

In theory, Pac Chen was right around the corner. The problem was NO signage was available to help lead you to this remote area. Very little information was available…the only thing we knew was a long, bumpy road approximately five minutes from Punta Laguna led to this tiny Mayan village. After 15 minutes of driving, we now knew we were lost…we also knew we were hungry.

We realized the road would eventually dead-end into Highway 180 (the free road connecting Cancun with Valladolid) at the town of Nuevo Xcan. Surely, they’d have a restaurant, right? Fortunately, they did…just one, a Pollo Asada place. We parked the car and headed in…

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We’ve been to hundreds of places across the globe. I can’t give detail on every spot but I can tell you this…the most memorable were the places we weren’t “planning” on being memorable. They were the spots or situations we’d stumbled upon by accident. This was one of those places. A small ‘hole in the wall’ joint, complete with jukebox blaring out traditional Mexican music, that offered great cooking and cold beer. The folks were both helpful and puzzled (how did these gringos end up here?). If you ever find yourself hungry and lost in Nuevo Xcan, we highly recommend it!

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Full and happy, we decide to head south and try to find the allusive Pac Chen. We took a guess at the road and, after 15 minutes of following the bumpy, winding road came to the Pac Chen “attraction”. We quickly realized why this is unmarked…while technically open to all, it’s primarily for the Alltournative tour groups to visit. After hearing admission was 600 pesos/person we decided to pass. We headed back to Tulum to find it raining.

Fortunately, the rain ended and we head to Charlie’s in downtown Tulum. We had heard there was live entertainment on Saturday nights and had heard good things about the food. We opted for a secluded outdoor table (pretty much tempting Chac to rain down on us). The rain held off and we had a very good meal (lime soup, stuffed jalapeños, garlic and lime shrimp, and veracruz fish) with good service. We’d probably give it 8.5 out of 10.

[AdGuy]

Dia Cuatro – Sunday, December 10: It rained all night. I don’t mean the gentle, hypnotic rain that lulls you to sleep. No, this was a downpour all night long. We awoke around 7:00 to find a puddle of water on the floor from a small drip coming from the roof. We dodged the wet spot and headed to Mezzanine for breakfast.

We’d never been to Mezzanine before. It’s really a beautiful place (even in the rain) and I highly recommend everyone try it. Their breakfast was wonderful. Later in the day, we headed back to their happy hour to try their 2 for 1 margaritas…very tasty. I’ve heard great things about their dinners (Thai specialties) and Friday night entertainment. Our breakfast was a solid 9 out of 10.

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Due to the poor weather and because we had ventured out far from home the previous day, we decided to investigate the back streets of the downtown and discover the beach hotel restaurants for future dinners. It was great (but very rainy) day. We were soaked but didn’t care. We saw some great sites as we headed through the puddles…

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Security was out in full force protecting people’s valuables…

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It actually turned out to be a great day. After researching restaurant possibilities, we agreed Luna Maya was what we were looking for. We were only one of three tables the two hours we were there (this was fairly common the entire week). We started with a bottle of wine (they have a very good selection), a cucumber/apple/avocado soup, and an endive salad with warm goat cheese, then followed with a fish/seafood/lobster parrillada and a wonderful flan. This would definitely rank as a 9.5 out of 10.

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After a fantastic meal, we headed back to Tita Tulum to prepare for tomorrow’s all-day tour of the Sian Ka’an. We packed what we “thought” we’d need and headed to bed.


Next: Shopping in prison, wanderlust 2.0, and the planets align for an amazing meal.

[minniemex]

Great, awesome trip report Lee! - I do so want to do the monkeys next time :) & the ceynotes & Coba & the beach & the town & & & &:D

[AdGuy]

Great, awesome trip report Lee! - I do so want to do the monkeys next time :) & the ceynotes & Coba & the beach & the town & & & &:D

Thanks for the nice words. I apologize to all for the delay...life at work and during Christmas was a bit hectic! :eek: We loved Punta Laguna and enjoyed Coba (this past June) but thought Ek Balam was even better...you'll have to wait till Dia Seis for that one! :)

[felony]

Great report, Lee!! I'm so excited to be there in 2 weeks!!

THat last picture of your dinner from Luna Maya is making me hungry!:D

[skywalker]

Great report Lee,
Looking forward to the next segment of your report. The food looked great. Thanks for sharing.

[patmex]

I'm really enjoying your report, and can only say MORE, MORE! Please!

And a quick question: We're staying at Tita Tulum in April. Their website says they are powered by solar, but in your post or another I saw something saying they were powered by generator.

Is it generator or solar? If generator, is it noisy?

Thanks again, Lee. Really really nice.

[minniemex]

Pat Mex - Welcome to the board!!

I don't ever remember hearing any generator noise there when we were eating - :confused: Lee will know - he knows everything:eek::D

[austxdan]

Lee,

Good job on the report so far. Beautiful pictures too.

At this point I am looking forward to my ticker being in double-digits. That is still a ways off too.


Dan

[AdGuy]

Lee,

Good job on the report so far. Beautiful pictures too.

At this point I am looking forward to my ticker being in double-digits. That is still a ways off too.


Dan


I hate to burst your bubble, Dan...you don't get a prize (though they do double your payment per response!) LOL!!!:D

[AdGuy]

Lee will know - he knows everything:eek::D


I'll get to his question in a second...I'm running to Kinko's to blow your quote up to cover my office wall!!! :D :D

[AdGuy]

I'm really enjoying your report, and can only say MORE, MORE! Please!

And a quick question: We're staying at Tita Tulum in April. Their website says they are powered by solar, but in your post or another I saw something saying they were powered by generator.

Is it generator or solar? If generator, is it noisy?

Thanks again, Lee. Really really nice.

Tita Tulum is one of the few Tulum beach spots that offers 24-hour electricity. They create this by solar power only. You shouldn't hear a generator going while on property...only the waves! :) Actually, the only time we heard generators was when walking along the beach road towards the Sian Ka'an arch. Most properties try to put them as far from the restaurants, beaches, and cabanas as possible.

One more thing to note about Tita Tulum's electricity. I was unsure if 'electricity' meant just lights or if it also included outlets. I wasn't planning on bringing a laptop or electric shaver, but knew I'd be taking alot of photos (over 500) and wanted to recharge my digital camera batteries. At the last minute, I grabbed a socket converter (about $3 from Home Depot) that would allow me to convert a lamp to an outlet.

I'm glad I did as our cabana at Tita Tulum (#9) had NO OUTLETS. :eek: That handy device allowed me to power up my batteries each night!

[minniemex]

Quote:
Originally Posted by minniemex http://www.tulum.info/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?p=2537#post2537)
Lee will know - he knows everything:eek::D



I'll get to his question in a second...I'm running to Kinko's to blow your quote up to cover my office wall!!! :D :D

Want a picture of it:D :D

By the way - time for the rest of your report?? I am hanging on by a thread here!

Wow, just noticed I hit double digits today for my trip to ABR!! Whoo Hoooo!!!!!

[patmex]

Thanks, Lee!

I'm so glad to hear it's solar, not generator. I've already got one of those socket converters so I should be fine.

Keep up the great work. (more, more, more -- my new chant).

Pat (Patricia)

[AdGuy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by minniemex http://www.tulum.info/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?p=2537#post2537)
Lee will know - he knows everything


Want a picture of it

By the way - time for the rest of your report?? I am hanging on by a thread here!

Wow, just noticed I hit double digits today for my trip to ABR!! Whoo Hoooo!!!!!


Welcome to the 'club'! You've evened it up now with two males and two females!!! :p ;) :p ;)

[güerita]

Hey, this is really a great blog! I will be headed to Tulum soon, and most others I´ve read have been über-gringo friendly.... and sadly critical of all the wonderful things that make Mexico such a wonderful place to be.

I will be traveling with my children, and I think they would absolutely LOVE the monkey preserve. I haven´t found it mentioned in any guidebooks. You said it was on the road to Cobá? Specific directions (well, the best you can do! I know how Mexican roads are) would be very helpful.

We have lived in Mexico for several years, but this will be our first time to the Yucatan coast. I´m a little worried and affraid because it seems so commercialized! But your blog shows that there is still some of the "real" Mexico to be found! Thanks!
:beerchug:

[AdGuy]

Hey, this is really a great blog! I will be headed to Tulum soon, and most others I´ve read have been über-gringo friendly.... and sadly critical of all the wonderful things that make Mexico such a wonderful place to be.

I will be traveling with my children, and I think they would absolutely LOVE the monkey preserve. I haven´t found it mentioned in any guidebooks. You said it was on the road to Cobá? Specific directions (well, the best you can do! I know how Mexican roads are) would be very helpful.

We have lived in Mexico for several years, but this will be our first time to the Yucatan coast. I´m a little worried and affraid because it seems so commercialized! But your blog shows that there is still some of the "real" Mexico to be found! Thanks!
:beerchug:


I think you and your kids would love the monkey preserve if you/they realize that it's not set up like a zoo (thank God) but instead is a large reserve that you'll walk with a guide through to get to the monkey areas, see interesting flora/fauna, and witness some very beautiful areas. Okay, so here's how to get there...

1) From the Tulum beach properties, head towards town and cross Highway 307 (heading west toward Coba and Valladollid). Stay on this road for approximately 25-30 miles. Part of the road was under construction when we went but it should be finished by now...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1054.jpg

2) When you get to the returno circle, go counterclockwise for 1/4 turn and veer to the right...
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3) As you travel down this road (not sure of its name but it deadends at Nuevo Xcan so there may be a sign mentioning that town) you may see some unusual hitchhikers around each turn...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/December2006TulumPictureson16MB146.jpg

4) These guys can pop out pretty quick and there's a number of blind curves so watch your speed. Your kids won't have a great time at the monkey preserve if you've killed a bunch of wildlife to get there! :rolleyes: When you are very close, you'll see this sign on the right (passenger) side, with the parking lot being on the left (driver side) shortly thereafter...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/December2006TulumPictureson16MB149.jpg

5) Go up to the booth and pay your admission and guide fee. It's well worth it...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/December2006TulumPictureson16MB182.jpg


ENJOY!!!!!!