NOTE: I’m going to fix pictures later. The hotel in Belize where I am has a really crappy internet connection.

The drive from Isla del Carmen (not to be confused with Playa del Carmen by Cozumel) was quite beautiful but boring. It was incredibly beautiful along the coast but straight. My understanding of the west coast of the Yucatan (the state Compeche side) is that it is for Mexicans and the east coast is for gringos. I can’t speak for the reefs, but the beaches were perfect and the water clear. Plus, it brought me back home a bit as I saw a few oil rigs :) . You have to do something to keep those roads paved. I had my fill of shrimp plates (shrimp la diabla was my favorite!) and fish that looked at me while I ate. Overall, the food was fantastic and the prices were not that bad. There is a little town outside of Veracruz that I’d like to return to if I ever want to do the beach thing.

My original plan was to drive to Chetumal, but I kept seeing all these signs for ruins and my curiosity got the best of me. As I was blazing down a freshly paved road, I came upon “The Buc Dreams” hotel. They had 3 flags: Mexican, Canadian, and British. They also had a sign that said “TOURIST INFORMATION”. ENGLISH!!! I had not spoken english for a few days and figured that this may be a way to find some good ruins to see. Not only that, but if directions were given in English, I may actually be able to find them.

Anyway, I met the woman who runs the place and stated that she is one of the most knowledgeable people in the area. After she asked me my price range and recommended other accommodations, she drew me a map and an outlined which ruins to see.

The road was pretty good but it kept getting smaller and smaller. Not the place I’d want to drive my Mini.


^^^ MONOS in the wild!!!! Right at the park enterance!!

After returning from the ruins and realizing that the Pemex just outside of town was under repair, I had a minor freakout about gasoline. It was possible that I had enough to make it, but not 100%. So I went on a hunt for gas. I may have bought crappy gas at an exorbitant price (80 pesos for 5 liters), but I got a classic photo out of it.

I then continued to the hotel suggested to me earlier, Hotel Mercedez. I loved this place at first sight. Charming and inexpensive. Only 150 pesos (~$15 USD) a night gets me a cabana with electricity, overhead fan, lots of windows, and a private bathroom. Excellent!!

Not only was it a great value and ran entirely by a small family, they had MONKEYS!!

This guy is my Mexican Hero. He does everything himself. Out by the back of the hotel he has pens of over 100 turkeys and chickens, and 10-12 pigs. He slaughters all his own meat at the restaurant.

The next day I watched him starting to prepare the evening’s meat. Being a product of the suburbs, I’ve never seen anything like this. He happily showed me how to clean a turkey then gave me a tour of the backyard with the other animals.

^^ He was also telling me which parts are good eating and which are bad. These are turkey eggs, un…. well, un popped out?? He said that they’re some of the best eating of the turkey.

^^ He doesn’t waste anything from the turkey. He feeds the rest of the bits that the guests or his family don’t eat to the pigs after cooking them. Not that there really isn’t alot that they don’t eat.

Anyway. The next day I started heading to Belize.

The first sign that you know you’re no longer in Mexico:

NO MORE TOPES…. but bumps :(