A single palm tree with a still sea surrounding it

Caribbean Coast of Mexico

Week 4 – Cancun to Cozumel

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We Finally Made it to The Caribbean Coast of Mexico

A day later than planned but we were finally on the ferry over to Isla Mujeres. I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. So far on the Carribean coast of Mexico; we had been ripped off by the bus driver and the ferry sales lady sold us first-class tickets. Even though we didn’t ask for it. This was not a great start to this coastline after the turbulence 48 hours we just experienced. Oh well, we were at the beach again. My happy place.

First Was Making Sure We Still Had

a yellow and orange sunset over the clam sea on the Caribbean coast of Mexico
Sunset on Isla Mujeres

our hostel booking. We contacted them to move the booking and they kindly agreed. Maybe our luck was changing. Someone did something good for us finally. We enjoyed the grounds of the hostel while waiting for check-in. However, when check-in came. The problem started. They wouldn’t let us have the room. After, back and forth for 2 hours they finally agreed to honor it. It was a lot of unnecessary stress. We had to cancel our tour. Also, cancel, re-book then cancel another hostel. Mexico had been filled with these little hiccups. It was sucking the enjoyment out of travelling. Yet, I guess travelling has both good and bad experiences. So hopefully our luck will change soon.

Finally in Our Room

It was time for sunset. With a south-facing beach a short walk away, we headed there. A massive sand area that was all for free (for a change). There were no beach clubs. We found a spot to sit and finally relax on this beautiful Island. I can’t come to the beach without having a dip. The amazing crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea were warm and welcoming. I automatically distressed and washed away the day we just had. The sunset also showed up for us. It was very impressive. A perfect end to a stressful day.

Exploring Cozumel

A view overlooking a seaweed filled beach
San Martin Beach in Cozumel

Next up, was the Island of Cozumel. I was here to see if scuba diving was something I could enjoy. I love marine life and want to be comfortable underwater. This is because I want to experience the underwater world. My instructor was great and put me at ease straight away. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience with Deep Blue Diving and I would recommend them. For all the stresses we’ve had on this trip, there have been some great experiences in between.

The Bike Ride From Hell

two bikes resting in the sand on the beach
The Bikes at the Beach

Now it was time to find a free beach. I am not a fan of beach clubs. Plus, as a budget traveller those places can eat into your budget drastically. So, we set off listening to the advice of the bike shop guy. This was to be our first mistake. He said ’45 minutes that way to a free beach’. This was not the case. At this point, we should have turned around. This was mistake number two. Also, we had applied no suncream, obviously, this was mistake number three.

It took three hours to reach a beach under the hot sun. That meant another three hours to home. We ended up cycling half the island. 47km. We were sore. Sometimes it is only you that can get the blame when something isn’t that great. This one was our mistake and I own that. However, it didn’t make it any less stressful.

The Caribbean Coast of Mexico

This coastline in my opinion is very very touristy. A very different vibe to coming through the centre of the country. It was all rush, rush, rush. The prices here charge top dollar for even the shortest taxi journey. I did feel more of an American tourist vibe rather than a backpacker vibe. I am looking forward to leaving Mexico and all the negativity it has brought us.

My other entries in my travel journal can be found here!

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