Tulum

I got to Tulum pretty quick from Playa, but as soon as I pulled in I started to wonder if it was really going to be all that much better than Playa. The crowd was definitely different, but just from the number of backpackers I saw on the main street as I pulled in, it was clear it was still a pretty touristy area.

I mean, I can't be too mad - I'm a tourist too. But over and over again, I've enjoyed myself more in small towns and places with fewer tourists, while I can hardly wait to get away from the places that have more travelers. But I figured it was worth a shot.

I scoped out a few hostels and hotels before finding one that had a safe place I could park and wasn't too expensive, and settled in to wait for Rina on the bus. (Unfortunately, my backpack is my passenger and with all my stuff on the bike I don't have room for another person.) On my walk to the bus station I took a closer look at some the tents I'd seen on the side of the road, and realized there was a biker rally going on in town over the weekend.

I stopped by and talked to a guy from Merida for a little bit ("Where are you from?" *Turns around and points at the "Merida" sewn into the back of his leather jacket*), and admired a few of the bikes. Most of the bikes I've seen in Mexico aren't the greatest, so it was cool to see a bit of the nicer side of things. Even saw a few Harleys, which I've seen almost none in Mexico.

After Rina got settled in to the hotel, we went to check out the town a little bit. We got some dinner at a place that had pickled vegetables on the table as an appetizer (delicious - especially the half a head of pickled garlic) and got some good food, and then headed to a mojito place called Batey's.

Once inside the mojito place, you could have told me I was in North Park (my neighborhood in San Diego) and I would have believed you. The decor, the back patio open to the air above, the selection of drinks and focus on good ingredients - it's everything you need to succeed as a bar in a place like San Diego, but something I'm not used to seeing in Mexico. They even have a sugarcane press set on top of a colorfully painted Volkswagon Beetle that they use for the sugar in every mojito.

There was a band setting up to play as well, but we didn't hang around to see them, as we were both pretty tired from a travel day.

Came back to find this guy trying out my bike.

The next day was ruins day. We caught a cab over to the ruins (70 pesos) and got tickets (50 pesos), skipping the guides at the gate offering their services. Tulum was certainly impressive in its own way, but mostly due to the beach views. I know I probably sound jaded but... after the number of ruins I've seen recently, Tulum just wasn't that impressive. It wasn't bad, but doesn't compare to something like Palenque or Chichen Itza.

Have to admit, they picked a place with a good view.

That evening Rina and I mostly relaxed and took turns playing Binding of Isaac (a computer game). It was nice to just hang out with someone like I would at home, but at the same time... after three days in one place and then not moving far for the next two, I was feeling a bit... static. And I had to move. So Rina and I talked, and she decided she'd stay in Tulum while I headed onward towards Bacalar, my last stop in Mexico.