Sad to say, Cancun was a bit disappointing. I stayed in the Downtown area instead of the Hotel zone, cos that area is way too expensive.

In the Downtown, the most exciting area was the park which happened to have a fair when I was there. And there were stalls selling tacos and desserts too. But the food really ain't that fantastic, though for the people staying in the Hotel zone, it will definitely very cheap. There were clowns putting up a show, street performers, and a bazaar selling souvenirs from different states of Mexico (all of which I have seen).


At the Hotel zone, there were 2 shopping areas. One at the artesanal market, and another just opposite the Westin Hotel. The artesanal market was overly expensive and touristic. Unless one is looking for a souvenir, there isn't much to see. At the other mall, there were branded clothes and restaurants. The back of the mall had a nice habour to view the lake, but unless one is intending to spend a sum of money, there wouldn't be much to see/buy.


Besides the shopping areas, there were 2 beach areas at the Hotel zone too. One is a little after the artesenal market, the next is at Playa Delfines, which provides a few free 'sunbeds' and free umbrella shades. The 'Cancun' sign can be found at Playa Delfines too. I went in the early morning and saw alot of couples taking their wedding shoot. I then spent the rest of the morning reading at the edge of the waves. The water is really pretty clear at these beach in  Cancun. But I felt that the waves were just a little big for a relaxed swim. Also the red flag, indicating dangerous swimming condition, was up the whole time.


And that was all I found in Cancun. It really didn't suit travellers like myself. And the hostel I stayed in was really terrible, I felt it ruined the whole experience too. I think Cancun is really best for couples who can afford to spend the night at one of the posh hotels there and relax on tours or at Isla Mujeres (which I didn't visit).

Thankfully, Playa Del Carmen turned out alot better.


I got to my hostel fairly quickly via the collectivo, which costs only $38 pesos. And immediately headed for the famous 5th Avenue. As expected it was super touristy, but it felt more fun and mexican than Cancun. I had a nice time strolling through the street, admiring the stores design and ignoring calls to sign up for tours. Mid way through the avenue, there's a really nice eco-green mall that had Forever21 and other more affordable brands. Even though I wasn't going to get anything, it was still fun to window shop. Triposo also recommended a nice like cafe at the end of the avenue, which I entered and enjoyed one of the best hot chocolate I've had.



The beach lies parallel to the stretch of Avenue too, and there are 2 spots for the public to lay out their towels if one isn't interested in renting the sunbeds ($50 pesos more or less). The area I really liked was at the end, nearer to the jetty because it sits just in front of the famous sculptured gate. Also, it's handicapped friendly and it's great to see how everyone is enjoying the beach.



During my stay at Playa Del Carmen, I took a trip to the nearby island, Cozumel as well. It was there, that I had my virgin snorkelling experience. The tour brought us to 3 different sites, came with snorkelling equipment, a guide, and costs a total of $440 pesos. The guys managed to get a bargain of less than $400 pesos, but I didn't try my luck. What I liked was (of course) how beautiful the sites were, and that they provided water, coke and beer on the boat. But I did not like how we were not properly taught to clear water from our snorkel pipe and that our safety wasn't super top priority. I started off with a life jacket but decided to take it off after, because the saltwater made it easy to swim. But halfway through, water kept entering the pipe and I had difficulties treading and clearing water at the same time. I had to hold on to an old man for help and after that I learnt to follow closer to the guide and the float. Nonetheless, it was amazing. To see the fish, corals, and a sting ray from a far. There were sculptures, pots sitting on the seabed, at one of the sites too.




Besides snorkeling, one can also visit some of the ruins and the beach on Cozumel, but I decided against it, because all of it required either a taxi or a car/scooter/bike rental. The cheapest was the bike, which costs $220 pesos for a day. But I ain't gonna rent a bike for $22SGD just to cycle to a beach. The other way was to take a taxi, which costs at least $200 pesos each way. I decided to return to the main island and spent the rest of my afternoon there instead.

Today, after my second and final night at Playa Del Carmen, I headed for Akumal Beach in the early morning and found turtles to swim with! I took the collectivo from Playa Del Carmen at 7.45am for $35pesos and arrived at 8.15am. The walk in took 30mins and it wasn't easy considering that I was carrying all my things. At the beach, I rented the life jacket for $75 pesos and made the decision to go without a locker ($150 pesos). Instead, I locked my valuables in my duffel and left it on the beach. I managed to buy a snorkel for $175 pesos at a random drug store in Playa Del Carmen and that saved my the rental costs here as well. To be honest, I was rather doubtful before I entered the water, because there didn't seem to be any turtles and I wasn't sure I would be alright snorkelling alone. But Pam said the turtles were just there, so in I went, and sure enough, 5 mins into the ocean and a turtle swam past. Afterwards I had to swim towards areas with people to spot more turtles but it wasn't that difficult. The hardest part was really swim in the current and stopping water from entering my snorkel mask.
The next stop for the day was Dos Ojos Cenotes, if I'm not wrong, the number 1 cenote in the area for snorkelling and diving. I took the collectivo from where I was dropped, in the direction of tulum, and paid $20 pesos. The walk in was torturous. I was halfway through when a pair of Mexican girls pulled up and offered me a ride. The ticket in costs $200 pesos and came with a life jacket. And since I already had my snorkel, that was all I paid! There are 2 areas for snorkelling - the east eye and west eye. There is also a bat cave, but one isn't allowed in without a guide/tour. I spent about an hour snorkelling and 1/2 hr picnicking. Once again, I went without a locker and locked my valuables in my duffel. On the way out, I got another ride, this time from one of the salesperson at the tour agency. And if I'm not wrong, I believe he was the one trying to sell me a tour when I first entered. The irony! I rejected his tour that provided transportation and he ends up giving me a free ride out.



From dos ojos, I took the collectivo to Tulum ($25 pesos, 20 mins), then to Carillo ($60 pesos, 1 hour), then to Bacalar ($65 pesos, 1.5hrs) and then a taxi to my hostel ($30 pesos), where I am now! The plan is to head to the lake and kayak for the whole day tomorrow, before heading to Xpujil in the evening.

Till next time!