With just over two weeks left on the coast of Mexico there is not much left on our itinerary. Depressing as it may seem, there is lots for us to do before we get back home. Job and flat hunting has begun and we are slowly working out the logistics of building our lives again in London. We are both sad that it’s all coming to an end but at the same time we are both ready to go home and are excited about all the new things ahead of us.
We checked into a great little hostel in Tulum town called Mama’s Home. Most short vacationers prefer to stay on the beach, about 5km out of town, but we were keen to keep the budget down and also needed to ensure we were near internet and phones in case of any news on job prospects. The hostel itself is nothing out of the ordinary, with clean, white rooms and a nice communal area but the breakfasts are probably the best we’ve had on our whole trip – day one: French toast with chocolate and banana; day two: spinach omelette with potato and papaya; day three: pancakes with maple syrup and watermelon. Yum.
We are firmly in tourist land; every building on the main strip is either a restaurant or a shop selling souvenirs. Everywhere you look there are sombreros, wrestling masks and leather handbags, each shop a replica of the one next to it. However, only a short taxi or bike ride away, and you come to one of the nicest beaches we’ve seen. White powder sand, crystal waters and lots of relaxed beach bars. It’s a fun place to unwind, which is exactly what we were here to do.
Our stay was also planned to coincide with the visit of some friends we first met over a year ago in Vietnam. We met Jill and Paul whilst visiting Saigon and had stayed in touch since. They were staying in a fantastic eco-type lodge on the beach and we spent a great couple of evenings with them and their travel buddies drinking rum and enjoying some delicious dinners. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to meet up with them again when we’re back in London.
We enjoyed four incredibly lazy days. Beach, internet, restaurants, films, bed, repeat. We had originally planned to stay for five days but decided to leave a day early and head over to Isla Mujeres to meet up with the Stefs. After two months, on and off, of travelling with them, this was to be our final farewell before we headed home. I think we were all a little sad to say goodbye but I’m sure they will just about manage without us for the rest of their travels. We’re both a bit jealous they are heading to Nepal.