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<\/a><\/p>\nI know I have a lot of short getaways in my future, so I splurged on a new carry-on suitcase, one size down from the one I took with me to Europe anticipating I’d be dragging it around public transportation.<\/p>\n
I also got a new beach bag:<\/p>\n I lined up sitter after sitter and everyone kept cancelling on me. I finally called my handy guy Alejandro and asked him if he and his wife would be interested in a paid weekend in the city. I was so grateful to have someone local I could trust who knows the house and the girls. I’m getting rooted here!<\/p>\n Friday the 24th, I left for Canc\u00fan from the ADO station at Altabrisa. I love that Platino service has leg room, so comfortable! I slept hard most of the way!<\/p>\n From Canc\u00fan, I could have taken an inexpensive colectivo to Puerto Morelos, but the wait was long. A taxi to my hotel was 900 pesos. I ended up going a block from the bus station and flagging down a not-so-fancy taxi that offered to take me to PM for 600 pesos. Still way, way more than the 30-something the colectivo would have cost me, but have I mentioned recently I was exhausted, plus on vacation? I knew this would be only real big splurge of the weekend, so I gratefully got in.<\/p>\n My hotel was the brand-new Yax Kiin Casa Boutique, no frills, but really lovely. You’d never guess from this view that my balcony overlooked a busy street!<\/p>\n No seaside vacation properly starts without octopus tacos!<\/p>\n I had them at this restaurant a couple of doors down from the hotel. I ended up eating there three or four times!<\/p>\n I then wandered getting the lay of the land and and planning a few activities for my weekend.<\/p>\n First time my feet touched the Caribbean!<\/p>\n Saturday morning, I had only vague plans. I’d tried the night before to line up snorkeling, but the aggressive touts were a bit much and wanted a hefty single premium, even if I joined a group. So in my first walk of the day, looking for breakfast, I was pleased to be approached by a lady running snorkeling tours who was not aggressive. When I said I was single, the captain of a tour spoke up and said I could join an 11 o’clock tour for only $500, fully half what I’d been quoted the night before! I hurried off to have breakfast and pack for my adventure!<\/p>\n This was my first time snorkeling and I can’t believe I’ve never done it before. I was incredible to swim over coral and see fish, including barracudas! But get this. I’ve always been terrified to get into tropical waters because of a fear of getting stung by jellyfish. Not even five minutes in the water on my snorkeling adventure and I got stung, and on the chin no less! My fear was founded! Thankfully, it was only a little sting. The pharmacist I consulted later, as I started to swell up, informed me that the current consensus is to put acetic acid (white or apple cider vinegar) on the sting, so I’ll add some to my beach bag next time I got snorkeling. Yes, I’m definitely doing this again, barracudas and sharks and jellyfish be damned!<\/p>\n The tour was about two hours total. We went out in the water twice in two spots. I was really in my element. If I ended up doing this regularly, I will have to buy long-sleeved swimwear because the reef off Puerto Morelos is a protected area and you are not allowed to wear sunscreen. Since we had a life vest, my back was fine but the backs of my arms got a bit cooked, nothing to spoil my trip, and I did have aloe vera gel with me, but it’s something to be aware of for those who don’t routinely get exposed to the sun down here.<\/p>\n I lazed the rest of the day away, had some good food (so many great options for such a small town!), and watched the sunset on the beach. On my way to bed, I ran into another tout who listened to me and who got me set for my Sunday adventures!<\/p>\n For Sunday, I wanted to spend some time in nature. All the touts had been trying to sell me eco adventures with ziplining and ATVing and a host of other activities, or else booze cruises. I told the Saturday night fellow that I just wanted to spend a day in nature and ideally get a cenote to myself. He sold me on a two-cenote tour with lunch included, promising I’d get some alone time in a cenote.<\/p>\n 9:15 Sunday morning I was packed in minivan full to capacity and off we went to Cenote Kin-Ha, which I’d been told had showers, bathrooms, lockers, etc. Most of the “big” cenotes now have these amenities, which makes them easier to visit since you don’t have to worry about your personal effects. Everyone else in the group headed off to do some ziplining while I was taken to the cenote to get a head start on swimming. I took this photo of the entrance at the end of the day. Yes, that’s the main entrance. It is one hell of a fall. I politely declined and asked for stairs. \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n Muuuuch better!<\/p>\n A photographer followed us all day and took pictures, which we could buy. I was thrilled about that because I wouldn’t have been able to take photos in the cenote otherwise! Look at this! And I had it all to myself for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES. I really got my money’s worth!<\/p>\n I had declined a lifejacket so I could swim unencumbered, so I spent the time doing laps around the cave and diving off the dock since the water is so deep there was no danger. It was the best workout I’d had in ages. I got an additional 15 minutes or so once the group showed up. You’d think I would have been exhausted by that point, but I float so well and am so comfortable in water that that weightless hour with only a few minutes standing on the dock total was more invigorating than tiring.<\/p>\n Next up, we headed to the Blanca Flor cenote. The rest of the group had their own ATV, but I was not interested in driving an ATV, having done enough in my lifetime, so I was happy to get driven! I would like to thank Pilates for my posture!<\/p>\n This next cenote had high jumping platforms as well as a zipline, making for quite a spectacle as young guys did tricks. I just enjoyed more swimming!<\/p>\n We then headed back to Kin-Ha for lunch. Everyone else in the group, mostly Mexicans, had requested the spaghetti with meat sauce. I asked for the pork and vegetables fajitas, correctly guessing it would be a much more satiating meal. The meal looked exactly like I expected and tasted fantastic, especially once I added some picante.<\/p>\n It was then time to head back. I spent almost as much on tips and on the photo package as I did on the tour itself and let me tell you that everyone deserved every peso I spent. What a fabulous day!<\/p>\n It was early afternoon when I got dropped off in Puerto Morelos. I had a shower and changed, then went out in search of a rum-based delicacy, which was easily found.<\/p>\n I made a new friend!<\/p>\n Dinner Sunday night was pizza reminiscent of the one I had in Campeche<\/a>, but the crust wasn’t nearly as good. Food in Puerto Morelos was pretty pricey, so I was glad that I’d only have to get coffee Monday morning as I came back to the hotel (which had a fridge) with leftovers.<\/p>\n Monday was my last full day and I wanted to visit Crococun, the reptile zoo just north of Puerto Morelos. A taxi to get there was very expensive (400 pesos roundtrip), but it turns out it included the driver’s wait time so that I didn’t have to worry about getting back. The zoo gave me the local rate and said that if I was comfortable with a Spanish guide, I could have a private tour! I had so much good fortune with my excursions on this trip!<\/p>\n This little guy felt almost plasticky.<\/p>\n I walked among crocodiles, but only have videos of that experience, as well as that of feeding some hungry deer.<\/p>\n I saw lots of these when I was snorkeling.<\/p>\n I allowed to hold this adorable baby ball python!<\/p>\n This dog, a Xoloitzcuintli, was so happy to get cuddles! Soon as I showed up to his enclosure, he was begging for attention.<\/p>\n I bought a bag of food to feed a bunch of the animals, including the turtles.<\/p>\n I also fed this coati, who loved to play the same game Alma and I play, where I throw treats away from them and they need to run to find them. It’s extra fun if I manage to throw the treat into a hiding spot.<\/p>\n Once back in Puerto Morelos, I headed to another beachfront bar and this time opted for the best mezcalitas I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking and some okay shrimp quesadillas (not the restaurant’s fault; shrimp quesadillas are better on the Pacific coast).<\/p>\n Tuesday morning, I had every intention of having a light breakfast, mindful of the long journey ahead, but the restaurant had mole! That’s passionfruit (maracuya) juice. Yum!<\/p>\n The cab driver who took me to Crococun had given me his number, so I called to ask if he could take me to where the colectivos leave for Canc\u00fan. We had such a laugh when we realised he literally lives next door to the hotel!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n