Crossing Lines

The uniformed guard pointed at my bike again. This time I gathered that he was pointing at the tire, not just commenting on the size of my bike like most people did. I glanced down at the tire and noticed that the tire was flat on the ground. I could even see the staple sticking out of the tire as well.

Lake Living

After leaving Tulum I made my way south to Bacalar, one of the last places I'd marked on my map of Mexico as a "place to check out." It would be my last stop of an amazing six weeks in Mexico, and what a last stop it was.

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.

Deadlines and Free Times

As much as I like taking my time when I'm traveling, I seem to tend towards traveling quickly. When I've got a deadline to meet, it forces me even more to be efficient in how I travel: choosing my destinations wisely, using my time in each city effectively, planning ahead a little bit to make sure I have everything figured out and can hit the ground running when I arrive.

For 5 weeks I'd been aiming for being in Playa del Carmen on the 10th of November to meet a friend flying in, and that was my deadline pushing me continuously as I traveled. Suddenly, I arrived in Playa del Carmen and there was no more deadline. In fact, I found myself with an abundance of time, and not much distance left to cover in Mexico. It turns out I have a little bit of trouble handling that.