Monday - To Tulum

We had decided to make the decision to go or not at 9 am.  The word was go.  I wasn't feeling 100% but better and as we wanted to eventually leave Mexico, it was a good day to go.  The weather was clear and HOT.  While the temperature might not be reaching triple digits, it feels like it when you are in the sun.  The direct sun's radiant heat is much more intense at this latitude than we are used to.  The shade makes a huge difference but there isn't an abundance of that in Mexico. 

So, J and I went up and got the rental car. We didn't realize it was a two door until we got back.
We zipped back to the marina to pick up the girls and after waiting on Beth, we were off to Tulum which is about 60 km south.  We will pass it on the way to Belize but that isn't the same as visiting it.  We all enjoyed a traditional breakfast on the way.  Apparently the girls couldn't resist a picture with Ronald.

The prices went up since they published their website but admission was still a reasonable 51 pesos each.  Parking was 40 pesos and the train from parking to the actual site was 15 pesos.

Pictures from around Tulum.  ( There will be more in the August album in Photo Albums when I upload those, the internet here at El Cid Marina is just too slow )

After our trip to Tulum we decided to take a ride around the town and down the hotel zone strip.  This hotel zone isn't made up of mega resorts but eco spa's and cliche cabanas.  As near as we could tell nothing down the strip is on the main power grid.  There were tons of large windmills and several solar arrays.  At the end of the hotel zone is the entrance to the World Wildlife Nature Reserve, the Siam Kaan.  Admission was 100 pesos for all of us and Beth wanted to go, so off onto the unpaved road we ventured.  Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures along this route.  To call it a road is being very generous. It is a dirt road.  The maximum posted speed is 40 KPH.  The actual speed you are able to travel is closer to 4 KPH.  This was more of a washboard, potholed, washed out path than a road.  Fortunately we were in a rental car so we abused it accordingly.  We bounced from one hole to the other, going as fast as 20 kph on the less washed out sections.  We were passed by trucks, jeeps and four wheelers going from one side to the other, trying to miss the worse part of the road.  It was really hard to tell which side was worse but I did my best to keep us going.
We went about 7 kilometers and there was an exhibit so we stopped.  They did not have power but appeared wired for it.  I inquired if they ever maintained the road and my question was met with a laughing no.  We looked around this section of the nature preserve and decided we would not continue down this path to Punta Allen and return to Tulum.  I drove a bit wilder and quicker on the way back and what took us about an hour to get in, took us about 20 minutes to get out.  The highlight of the trip was seeing a cool animal cross the road.  I don't know what it was, and it was out of sight before we could even get a camera out.  I believe it was a Tayra but I couldn't swear to it.
After the kidney bouncing ride from hell, we headed back to Puerto Morelos and called it a day.