Tulum, Cenote, and Shopping

We tried various restaurants on our resort at the Mayan Palace. They were upscale, and quite nice. However prices were really comparable to the USA, so no real bargains. 

Our third trip was to Tulum, another Mayan ruin, right on the ocean. These tours take all day long, and this was our third time getting up at 5:45 in the morning. It was quite a walk from the parking lot to get to the ruins, in really warm weather. I wouldn't doubt it if we walked over a mile just to get inside the grounds. It was very busy with lots of people. In the end, just as in Chichen Itza, I wish we had some more free time to just roam through the grounds, as we were kept in groups. 

We stopped at a beautiful beach, where we could swim with the turtles, and little did we know that, we'd also have to stay with our group. No roaming free swims. Apparently this is a wildlife sanctuary. We received life vests, however no fins, and the water was extremely choppy. I am not intimidated by the ocean or water of any kind, and feel very comfortable swimming, however after quite some time, it got to be extremely annoying dealing with choppy waves, and not getting much headway without fins. It was difficult to even know where our group was, as there were so many people with their own individual groups, that Carol and I took it upon ourselves to head back to shore. I honestly don't think I could have found our tour guide since there was no distinguishing gear or markings to really know who it was. Everyone just had a head with dark hair. We were stopped by a different tour guide, and asked where our tour was. We pointed out towards the ocean and continued towards shore. But the water was very murky and visibility was poor, and even though we saw a few glimpses of the turtles, by comparison to other snorkeling that I have done, it was less than stellar. Even I know that snorkeling like this is best done first thing, early in the day, when waters are calmer.

We also stopped to swim in a cenote, which is a swimming hole. There are no real lakes or rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula, but a series of volcanic holes that have filled up, and are also spring fed. I also discovered fossils in the rocks! This was an enjoyable swim, in a refreshing  crystal clear lagoon. 

We ended the day in a shop that gave us tequila and chocolate samples. Whats not to love?
We bought chocolate that wound up being about $8.00 a bar!!! And I would have bought tequila, except they were incredibly expensive. I appreciate the fine craftsmanship of these smaller distilleries, but some of these bottles were 60 to 80 dollars a piece! I guess this could be considered the ultimate tourist trap. An enjoyable, though very long day!






























































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