well as the title might suggest, the girls got down and dirty in the mayan riviera. but to be completely honest, we nicknamed ourselves the "golden girls" and that doesn't exactly refer to our tans. it has been a day since my return to the frozen wasteland known as toronto and i just haven't been able to get warm no matter how many layers i put on.
i REALLY miss the white sand beach, the warm carribbean sea and the warmth of the mexican people. i've been to mexico before, so i had some preconceptions about what playa would be like, but i was completely surprised and delighted with what surrounded the strip known as playa del carmen. actually, we stayed in a 2 bedroom condo just a 3 minute walk down the sandy lane to coco beach (also known as the corona commerical beach). it was a nice escape from playa del carmen's beach which was much more like a leather tanning factory on daytona...not our vibe. but playa was really a great place to party, especially for our bachelorettes x 2 party! we dressed up the brides-to-be in candy frocks, penis boas and veils, tiaras and glow sticks and made them parade down a 15 block promenade before heading down to the beach bar to party party party. cindy lauper said it best, "girls just wanna have fun!" we were swarmed but no worries....we had the cock block down pat: NO MANOS AQUI!
aside from the debauchery and gangsta poses, the biggest highlight i must say was the natural beauty and charming little towns across the mayan riviera. the snorkling in the area was the most amazing i've ever had (with the exception of the great barrier reef in australia but i wasn't snorkling there, i was diving). after a disappointing snorkling trip to cozumel, the mayan riviera redeemed itself with some of the most breathtaking natural ecosystems and diverse underwater worlds that i've seen in a long time. we snorkled in fresh water lagoons and caves called cenotes that are part of a complex underground river system. each cenote was different because some were out in the open with beams of sun piercing through the water and reflecting off the glittering fish while others were dark underwater cave systems that required us to take flashlights through a intricate maze of stalagtite and staglagmite rock formations. unbelievable! i had never done anything like that in my whole life and it was absolutely breathtaking.
we snorkled in the underground caves for about an hour before heading to tulum for dinner. we were on a mission to find the most authentic mexican food and local joints and being with 5 other girls who LOVE to eat, this proved to be easy enough. dealing with bloated stomachs and overeating was not as easy! the food was amazing and i consumed enough watermelon juice...mmmm so yummy!!! we returned to tulum to see the mayan ruins the next day, driving over an hour in our golden girl minivan (ha!). the ruins amazing. the crowds leave much to be desired, but despite that, this piece of history was beautiful. the mayan people certainly knew what they were doing when they built this civilization on the edge of one of the most beautiful white sand beaches i've ever seen in my life (and i have seen lots). the water was like a warm bath and so blue that i wanted to just stare at it and sigh all day.
but of all the adventures, the ultimate peak of my trip was the snorkling at Akumal, an amazing snorkling/dive site where you can just walk right off the shore into the reef. here i swam with a school of 1000's (seriously) of the same silver fish and then watched a big sea turtle feeding and being so incredibly cute. i had never ever been so close to a turtle OR ever swam through such a dense school of fish. i will never forget how cute that turtle was...how it chomped on the the seaweed like a muppet and then how it gently let itself float up to the surface like a turtle balloon to get a breath. on our way back, another turtle swam by and gave us a quick "hey what's up" with its eyes! Akumal's waters were filled with baracudas, parrot fish, turtles and these funny fish that hung out in a school just frozen still in some weird triangle formation. too crazy. i would have no hesitation recommending this place to anyone and will go back one day for sure. ahhh....it was just amazing. i didn't get much sun time but hey, i have a glow that's healthier than the average torontonian and memories that will fulfill me and make me smile forever. an awesome girls trip, an awesome crew of girls and an awesome country.
more pics to come!
