Adios Mexico

Having spent just over 3 months in Mexico and driven nearly 5,000 miles we have arrived in the small city of Chetumal next to the border with Belize.

On Tuesday 26th July we left our cabana at the Cenote Suytun and drove south east to Tulum where there are white sandy beaches and Mayan ruins right next to the jade blue Caribbean sea. Our stay there didn't turn out to be quite as wonderful as it sounds.

Lunch stop on the road to Tulum

We drove to the ruins before we got ourselves established at our camping place and whilst it was everything one could wish for as regards its setting it was absolutely rammed with people all taking selfies and Alan got a bit grumpy. Even Sue got a little grumpy because whilst they let us in just before 4.30pm, they started ushering everybody out about a quarter of an hour later as they closed sharp at 5 pm.

Mayan ruins at Tulum on Caribbean Coast

Mayan ruins at Tulum

Mayan ruins at Tulum

Alan's arty shot at jungle ruins

We stayed at a place called Camping Chavez which is right on the beach but we had to shoehorn Footloose Lucy into a slot between the palm trees on the road side which was as far into the site as we could get the vehicle. Just over a hump in the sand there was a glorious breeze on the seaward side but where we were it was unbearably hot, airless, humid and there were loads of mosquitos.

Constricted parking space at Tulum

On the plus side we liked the beach which was pure white sand and the beautiful Caribbean sea. In the evening we took our table and chairs, our supper and a bottle of wine down onto the beach and watched the ocean. We watched the sun go down and looked at the stars and the distant lightning rattling around the sky over towards Cuba.

Beach at Tulum

Sundowner on the beach at Tulum

We were not sorry to leave Tulum on Thursday morning, two sweaty nights and being bitten by countless mozzies was quite enough.

Back on the road again we drove south to a little town on the coast called Mahahual which reportedly had good diving. We set up camp at a place called the Blue Kay which was right next to the beach but not nearly so hot and sweaty as Tulum. We slept with the mozzie netting open and a glorious sea breeze coming in all night.

Alan went for a couple of dives on Friday morning and very good they were too, although he nearly missed them because for some completely unfathomable reason he managed to lock the key of the truck inside the truck with the engine running and the spare set of keys also inside! Sue made it known that she didn't think much of that manoeuvre and it was then left to him to brutalise way his into the vehicle which proved reasonably simple, reasonably simple that is if you have a big screwdriver, a pipe wrench and a large claw hammer (luckily the back door was still unlocked giving access to the toolkit).

The dives produced close views of a large green turtle, some barracuda about 5ft long (one of which was having its teeth cleaned by some very brave little fish) and the biggest green moray eel Alan has ever seen.

Sue on dive boat at Mahahual

Having got back from the dives Alan again brutalised Sue's door into its rightful shape and, having been forgiven, we then went for a little gentle snorkelling.

On Saturday, we set off from Mahahual and drove the 50 odd kms to Bacalar where there is a large and quite beautiful lagoon. The laguna itself is of fresh water, quite shallow, but the bottom, amazingly, is of white sand. This time we stayed in a pretty little hotel with air conditioning, bliss!

On Sunday morning we pottered along to have a look at the fort. This fort apparently was built by the Spanish to protect the town of Bacalar from the local pirate population who were mostly based in the West Indies. Chief amongst these were old friends, Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Henry Morgan, two of whom were knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

Fortress at Bacalar

Sue at Bacalar fortress

Alan at Bacalar fortress

Defender's eye view of Bacalar lagoon

We understand that the lagoon was accessible from the sea by means of shallow marshlands through which flat bottomed boats were able to gain access which is presumably how the pirates came in and fairly frequently wrecked the place.

In the afternoon we managed to hire a two seater kayak and spent an hour and a half pottering around the lake. Whilst we were making our way back who should we come across but young Tom having a swim in the lake. We have met up with Tom and his girlfriend Anna on three separate occasions now, the last in Tulum when we shared travel tales and a few tequilas.

Lizard on palm stem at Bacalar

Yesterday, Monday 1st August, we left Bacalar and came here to Chetumal, our last stop before moving on to Belize. This city was completely flattened by a hurricane in 1955 so there is nothing very old here but the streets are wide and there is a very pleasant boulevard all along the seafront.

On our way here we had a stowaway. An exceedingly large locust decided to attach itself to Lucy's wheel arch and several miles later it was still there although probably somewhat disorientated.

Unauthorised hitch-hiker (about 4 ins long) on Lucy

Oh, the little things in life that make us happy! Beer, wine and coffee are easy to come by in Mexico but English tea is not. Having exhausted the supply of tea that we brought with us many weeks ago we have been drinking the Mexican 'Te Negro' which bears little resemblance to tea as we know it. Things got really desperate when we ceased even to be able to get that. Then yesterday we came upon a Walmart in Chetumal that has Twinings English Breakfast tea! Sue was overjoyed and we bought 5 boxes; that should keep us going for a while.

This morning we pottered around the area and got a boatman to take us out onto the Rio Hondo which forms the border between Mexico and Belize. First thing tomorrow we will hopefully be crossing over into Belize.

At El Palmar near Rio Hondo

On the way to Rio Hondo

Caribbean lunch stop

Those of us who know Alan well also know that he is occasionally moved to write a little poetry. Such has been our wonderment at all we have seen and experienced whilst travelling through Mexico that he found himself writing (for the first time in about 5 years) a few lines of verse. We are sharing it, not because we think it is fine poetry but because we think it sums up some of the high points and expresses how much we have loved this country and its people.

Footloose in Mexico

The wild flowers of Chihuahua and the mushrooms on the mountains
And the sandwiches we savoured looking down upon the clouds
The fellow wanderers we met and shared a friendly beer with
And Mexicans with ready smiles in noisy, happy crowds.

The sapphire and the emerald of the lagos Montebello
With their incognito rivers and their waters cool and deep
And the butterflies which fluttered round her body in Chiapas
And the rattle of the tropic rain that sent us off to sleep.

We sat in quiet company and saw the sunlight pass
And the stars came down unbidden and they danced upon the grass
And we stood beside the waterfalls and cooled off in the spray
And revaille was the Howler Monkeys bawling at the dawning of the day.

From the canyons of the Cobre to the cabins in the clouds
To the chiming of a cracked cathedral bell
By the flames of the flambuoyant and the jungle shrouded ruins
With my little flower beside me to confirm that all is peace,
That all is well.

ALB.  Merida, Yucatan, Mexico 17/07/16