As the school year was winding down, Kristie decided that she was in need of a vacation. With that in mind, we set our sights on a trip to Tulum, Mexico to cap off our summer.
Tulum was in the future, but the beginning of the summer involved a lot of motorcycling for Jay and Parker, hanging out with friends for Ansel, and work for Kristie (that’s why she needed the vacation). Unfortunately, we discovered that the water main at Roan Mountain was broken, which prevented us from getting up there as much as we wanted. This canceled our July 4th plans.
Jay attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference at Indiana University. Jay is the advisor of the Best Buddies chapter at Mount Tabor High School. If you are unfamiliar with Best Buddies and its mission, it world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Jay really enjoyed meeting new people, making new friends and taking in the beauty of the IU campus.
Vamos, amigos! On Wednesday, we headed down to Charlotte and flew into the brand new Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. We picked up our rental car, a Dodge Journey, and the journey began. Driving in Mexico is an experience. Our first observation was that stop signs, lanes, and speed limits seem to just be suggestions. It seemed like there were no rules (more on this later).
We drove about an hour to the town of Tulum and then on to Tankah Bay, which involved driving a mile down the bumpiest road we have ever been on. We arrived (found) at Tankah 52 and were immediately swept away with how nice it was. It included kayaks and snorkeling gear, so we immediately jumped in the water. After a quick swim, we drove down to the “beach zone” where many hotels and restaurants can be found. We had the most amazing dinner at ARCA, and we all agreed that it was one of the best dining experiences that we had ever had. I think we tried about everything on the menu.
On the drive back to our condo, things got interesting. Blue lights were flashing behind us. Surely, they were meant for the kids on scooters ahead of us. We pulled over, and the police truck pulled in behind us. They came up to our car and indicated that our taillights were out. They were. It was a rental, and we apparently didn’t know how to work the controls. The officers appeared to speak no English so the conversation took place by passing the officer’s cell phone back and forth. We were soon told that the penalty for driving without a taillight was 5000 pesos (~$270). Our options were to either pay up or have the officers hold Kristie’s license until Friday where we could see the judge, pay the fine, and have a stain put on Kristie’s driving record. They then searched Jay for drugs, paying careful attention to whatever “drugs” he might have in his wallet. I think they were disappointed. Since we didn’t have $270, they told us that they would lead us to an ATM. They parked across the street from the ATM and told us to park in front of it. We pulled in and they drove down the street (Gee, I wonder why). Kristie was not able to get any money from the ATM, and I think that the officers realized that $60 was the extent of what they were going to get from us. Kristie gave them 2 twenties, they gave her her license back, and then peeled out of there with tires squealing. We took that as a reminder to carry just enough cash when venturing out. Afterwards, we stopped at the Chedraui to pick up provisions for the next few days. They have everything there. You can even buy a motorcycle (for only 4 times the fine for driving with your taillights out!).
Thursday, we woke up and went snorkeling at our condo. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and reading by the pool, balcony, and living room. We walked down the beach to Casa Cenote for frozen drinks and ceviche. That night, we drove back down to the beach zone for dinner at Rosa Negra. No issues on the return drive back.
Friday, we ventured out to Jaguar National Park for a snorkeling excursion with Toto Tours. We saw many sea turtles and sting rays as well as fish as we visited different reefs. They also gave us a good view of the ruins from the ocean. We walked along the beach and had lunch at the Beach Club. Upon returning to our Condo, we relaxed for a while and then walked back down to Casa Cenote for dinner.
One thing that we had not done was explore the cenotes that are located throughout the area. Luckily, there was one within walking distance from where we were staying. We enjoyed snorkeling in the clear, fresh water and looking for the crocidile that lives there, but we were unable to find him. That night, we went back to the beach zone one more time for dinner at Porfirio’s.
The next morning, Parker and Jay kayaked and snorkeled for a little while in the bay and then we packed up and headed back to the US!
Our school district decided to adopt a different calendar this year so school is starting early for us. Just a few more days of freedom before Parker begins his senior year of high school! Ansel will be a sophomore and Jay will begin his third year as Mount Tabor High School. Wish us luck!
