We fly back to Mexico City, and from there the following evening continue our journey home to Estonia. So what is Mexico like? It’s a country where people don’t take life too seriously. The atmosphere is friendly, but not overly intrusive. It is a fairly developed country in many ways, yet at the same time many people still live quite simple lives. Here you can spend an entire vacation relaxing on beautiful beaches, or instead explore more remote places that I didn’t manage t

Since it’s Sunday, Melissa, Olga, and Uri organize a late lunch at Olga’s place, which eventually turns into an early dinner. The meal is chicken prepared with some dark-colored local seasoning, a recipe from Campeche, which is Meli’s hometown. The evening ends with a game of dominoes, but with a twist: every time someone loses a round, they have to drink a shot of whiskey. Meli had arrived by car, and after a few rounds of this “whiskey domino,” she becomes so drunk that she

It is pouring rain in the morning as we set out on a several-hour journey to the ruins of Calakmul, deep in the jungle. We travel together with a German couple we met earlier in Tulum, who have arranged a taxi for the whole day. The cost is 1400 pesos (about 80 euros), which works out to 20 euros per person. The road is full of potholes, and at times the rain even leaks into our old, seatbelt-less Nissan, leaving Christine with a rather wet backside. Despite the rough ride, w

We spend the day with our host Meli, and through her we learn quite a bit about life in Mexico. For example, the country currently has a right-leaning government that is reducing public benefits while raising indirect taxes. Teachers across the country have been on strike for two months, protesting the government’s plan to offer them only one-year employment contracts. Another interesting story Meli tells us concerns her hometown Campeche. In a small village nearby, every Nov

As we travel to Chetumal, we are surrounded almost constantly by a wall of rain. The rainy season hasn’t quite ended here yet. Our host Melissa (22) has agreed to let us stay with her through CouchSurfing, and she even comes to pick us up at the bus station in her small American car. On the way, we stop by her university, where she is studying International Relations for her bachelor’s degree. She spent one semester studying in the United States, so her English is quite good.

Together with a fun group from the hostel—Dusty and Alana from Australia, Nick from the United States, and Valentine from Belgium—we set out on a bike ride to the Maya ruins of Tulum. The ruins are located right by the sea, in an incredibly picturesque setting overlooking the Caribbean. It is said that wealthier Maya elites once came here to spend their holidays, enjoying the coastal views long before modern tourism arrived. Walking through the archaeological site, we see sev

We travel to Akumal Beach, which is famous for its sea turtles. At first I’m a bit skeptical about going snorkeling, but after hearing Gertrud’s enthusiastic impressions, I decide to give it a try after all. A one-hour tour costs 300 pesos (about 17 euros). Our small group includes two local guides and a Spanish couple. The equipment includes a snorkel, mask, fins, and even life jackets. We swim away from the beach into the open water. The sea is crystal clear, and the bottom

In the afternoon we go to the beach with Dana (24), an Argentine girl staying in our hostel room. There we also meet Antonio and Katya. Dana, who works as an accountant back home, had gone the night before to the elite nightclub Cocobongo, where the entrance fee is about 60 dollars—although in her case the ticket was paid for by some Mexican friends. It’s worth mentioning that we hadn’t originally planned to visit Playa del Carmen at all. However, a New Zealander we met at th

With some sadness we leave the island and head to Playa del Carmen. A couple of days earlier I had posted a message on CouchSurfing, asking if anyone from the city would like to show two Estonians the local nightlife. And, surprisingly enough, someone responded. Before meeting him we only know a few things: his name is Antonio Martinez (29) and he is celebrating a friend’s birthday at a bar. So at 11 p.m. we head to the bar, congratulate Carla on her birthday, have a couple o

During the day we cycle around about half of the island, which also gives us a glimpse of how the less wealthy locals live outside the tourist areas. In the evening our hostel hosts a full moon party. This time the music is less traditional and more typical club music. I spend most of the evening with two Swiss girls and one Belgian girl who had arrived the previous night and were staying in the same dorm room as us. Apparently they didn’t sleep very well either, because in t

During the day we spend time on the island’s beautiful beach, swimming in the clear Caribbean water. In the evening we walk along the beach promenade and the pedestrian street, which is lined with stylishly lit restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. Walking there at night means constantly hearing people call out:“Amigo, come eat here!” or “Come look at my things!” It feels a bit like being in the Arab countries, where vendors are equally enthusiastic about attracting customer

In the morning we go swimming in one of Valladolid’s cenotes, natural underground lakes formed by the region’s vast system of subterranean rivers. These cenotes are found everywhere across the Yucatán Peninsula, making them a unique feature of the landscape. On the way to Cancún, our bus suddenly blows a tire with a loud series of bangs. Fortunately, another bus driving behind us quickly stops and picks us up, so the journey continues without much delay. We decide to skip Can