Author Archives: sheila

Lee was feeling poorly overnight. By morning he had come down with whatever ailment last manifested itself on the way home from Mauritius. It always seems to swoop in just at the end of a holiday. I left him to try and sleep in and went for a stroll along the beach. It was quiet, but I was far from being the only one out and about so early.  The staff of each hotel or club were out raking the sand and carting away wheelbarrows piled high with green and brown strands of seaweed. The sand would soon be pristine until the next morning, when a new harvest of seaweed would be ready for collection again. Joggers puffed past at varying speeds. Other walkers dotted the beach here and there looking out towards the horizon where the waves sparkled in the early morning sunlight. Birds circled overhead and the sea revealed twisted shapes of logs – scattered along the shore like strategically placed pieces of art. Further south the accommodation was less like resorts and more like hippy communes. People sat on the sand facing the sea, eyes closed, trying hard to commune with nature. The more hardcore individuals were contorted into complicated yoga poses that rivalled the wooden debris. By the time I returned to familiar parts the sun was high overhead and swiftly warming up the wind.

We had the usual half-hearted breakfast and then stretched out on loungers in the shade. The brisk oncoming wind was providing great fun for the kiters, but constantly sprayed us with an unwelcome face full of sand. By the time we’d finished an unappetising lunch Lee was ready to go back and sleep off some more of his fever. I persevered with my reading. Happily the breeze died down and was more pleasant for sitting out during the afternoon. Lee’s fever was much improved by dinner time, so we made it back to Ginger for another slap-up meal and cocktails. Then it was time to pack up our bags. We dodged cockroaches and systematically killed off as many of the insects invading the sanctuary of our netted bed as we possibly could. Then we settled down for a humid night, waiting to see how many new bites the morning would bring…

Thirty minutes later we were back up again, suffering too much from the heat to have any hope of sleep.  There was no breeze whatsoever.  Ultimately the unpleasant humidity forced us back out of the cabana and down to the beach again where the wind literally _was_ a breath of fresh air.  There were a couple of other people sprawled out on loungers enjoying the night aswell.  We spent a few hours out in the open air with the stars twinkling brightly against the pitch black dome overhead.  The sea murmured quietly in the background while time passed by.  The dampness in the loungers steadily seeping up through our towels was the only motivation for us to go back indoors again.  There might also have been the odd fiery insect bite to encourage us aswell.  Some patchy sleep back in the cabana got us through to first light.  We packed up our bags and bid farewell to the serene beach as the sun began to rise.

We had originally planned to catch an earlier bus to the airport via Playa del Carmen, but unfortunately had the times wrong.  In the end the next airport bus stopped off there anyhow, wasting precious minutes crawling through traffic and making extra stops for stray passengers.  Time was beginning to get short by the time it pulled up at the airport.  It didn’t help then to find that our flight was due to depart from a different terminal.  The bus stop outside said it would be another 20 minutes until the next shuttle.  We and some other travellers pondered whether we were actually running late yet or not. Overhearing the conversation, one of the touts tried to convince us to take a taxi. He shook his head doubtfully at our flight departure time and suggested it would be wise to take a $10 taxi journey to the right terminal ahead of the shuttle. We briefly considered whether it was worth the ridiculous price to buy a little peace of mind. Ten minutes later there was still no car to transport us, and the guy kept pointing in random directions trying to convince Lee there really was a taxi just across the way, almost ready to take us. We counted down another 30 seconds out loud for his benefit, and then returned to the shuttle stop while he bemoaned our stupidity loudly behind us.  By now we were but minutes from the next departing shuttle which quickly deposited us at the correct terminal.

Once we’d checked in and handed off our luggage it turned out we still had plenty of time left.  We spent most of it standing with our arms in the air while large scanners made ominous sounds around us. We made a last quick detour to stock up on snack food and offload some pesos.  As fate would have it, the total cost of our chocolate stash amounted to the sum value of our remaining pesos.  With a much lighter purse, we boarded the first leg of the journey back to Dublin, via Atlanta. By now we were starting to itch and scratch.  A spattering of red marks were developing in various locations – courtesy of the previous night. Several hours and some time-travelling later, we arrived back to Dublin in time to see the same sun rise over the chilly city instead of a balmy beach.  Until next time Dublin Airport… we’ll be back in a few weeks to hit the west coast of Canada and America.

It’s a little odd waking up in the mornings under a tent-like mosquito net.  Though it’s also still novel to wake up to rays of sunshine at 6am.  We’re up early again this morning; skipping breakfast and flagging a taxi outside the resort to take us back to ITour to join our last excursion of the holiday. After a coffee and pastry we jump aboard a huge bus and go to pick up the rest of the group in various hotels around the area. The first item on the agenda is a trip out to Akumel – or turtle bay. We don vests, snorkels and fins and head into the warm blue waters to see what we can find.

It’s a small bay with plenty of other groups circling around in search of the elusive turtles. Close to the shore the sand murkies the water and it’s hard to see the hulks of these creatures ambling along on the ocean floor grazing. There are a few around, decorated with parasitic fish tails hanging out of their shells.  You hover above them, trying not to block their light despite the push of the waves. Below us they continue about their business unconcerned while the area above them fills with spectators. We’ve seen a few turtles before out on the Barrier Reef, but those were fast-moving and didn’t dally long. We’re lucky to catch a couple of them here as they decide to make their way up to the surface for a brief appearance, sticking their head up for a gulp of air before returning to their meal. We even see a baby turtle close to shore that’s far more active and goes jetting off – a train of snorkellers following in its wake. Once we’ve finished a circuit of the bay we dry off a little before piling into the van again.

Next stop is Hidden Worlds. A kind of park containing many different cenotes.  Our van makes a bone-jarring trek through jungle tracks that reminds us a bit too much of Fraser Island. Along the way there are monkeys, iguanas, butterflies and various other creatures to watch out for.  Our cenote is reached by reversing down a ladder into a very small hole. The large underground cavern below is partially lit by sunlight coming in from an air hole punched in the ceiling overhead. In front of us is a natural architectural masterpiece. From the ceiling stalactites are inching down towards a pure mirror lake of filtered rainwater. Out of this stalagmites push their way up towards the ceiling. Occasionally a stalagmite and stalactite meet to form a sinewy rope, growing into a thicker column as they age. Some strategically placed lights in the water and overhead rocks light up the cavern spectacularly, like an underground cathedral with painstaking detail etched into the surroundings.  The surface of the water perfectly reflects everything both above and below.  The mirror images confuse the senses, hiding deep dark spaces and giving the impression of large areas that don’t actually exist.

We get into what initially feels like ice cold water, but is actually quite pleasant one we acclimatise. We follow our guide around the main cavern and then through narrow spaces around to the previously unseen rear of the cave. It’s hard to describe the experience as you swim along. You have to keep raising your head back above water periodically to make sense of the two very different views (and avoid bashing your head off a ceiling you can’t see from below water.  Above the water the mirror effect of the high ceiling above gives a false impression of immense space below you. In other places ducking your head back underwater you can see large gaping black crevasses where very low ceilings hang just overhead, or a shallow shelf of stone suddenly appears that you weren’t expecting. The light and shadows play different tricks on your sense of perspective. You pass over a stony outcrop to see it suddenly drop away into a murky black abyss. It’s easy to forget in the clear waters that the depth is irrelevant to you – it has no impact on your ability to stay floating where you are.  It’s an amazing experience that strikes awe into people to find themselves submerged within an entire work of art.

All too soon it’s time to return back through the jungle, drip-drying on the towels already laid across the seats.  We stop off in Tulum pueblo for some delicious cold smoothies in KiBok before enjoying the last rays of the afternoon on loungers back at the beach. I take a stroll along the beach as the sun starts to sink and admire the changing colours of the clouds and sky against the ocean waters. The silhouettes of birds pass overhead while the sea scrubs away the tracks of all the other people out admiring the views.  The lower the sun gets, the quieter the beach becomes.  We return back to La Gloria De Don Pepe that evening to sample more tasty tapas and fish. Unfortunately it’s going to be our last day here tomorrow.

Today we have carefully planned to do… nothing. There’s no point staying at a
nice beach resort if you’re going to be elsewhere all day. When the sun is up we part our mosquito nets and go searching for breakfast, which is harder to get than we’d bargained for. We sit in the breakfast area for about 20 minutes ignored by staff that are very slowly serving the customers, one table at a time. Finally two different guys ask us if we’re there for food. Well yes, people usually do want their inclusive breakfast when they’re staying somewhere. Ten more long minutes later we finally get served our breakfast. Some fruit, two pastries and some coffee. Really? 30 minutes just for that? It’s a nice breakfast, but you don’t expect it to take that long to arrange a few things in a plate.

Having got what we’re due for food, we book our sun loungers for the day – rearranging them as the sun blazes its trail through the sky. The shade rotates like a sundial recording the hours crawling past.You have a choice on the beach of sleeping, reading, using the wifi, or to be more active and walk/swim. We do a little of all of the above. The beach stretches south on and on, with no sign of it ending even after walking for an hour. The sea breeze keeps things pleasant and there are few clouds to mar the blue skies overhead. It wouldn’t be hard to get used to living the easy life here with little to do other than watch the waves wash hypnotically against the shore.

However back in our cabana there is a disturbing increase in insect activity.  This is probably related to the strange goings on that have been taking place across the way from our cabana.  The same ones that have been wafting a distinct smell of sewerage our way. Our confidence in the mosquito nets is decreasing as we spot more and more unrepaired holes.  But it’s the cockroaches scuttling around the bathroom area that really catch our attention.  There are some definite downsides to ‘living closer to nature’.  We’re starting to suffer from insect bites yet again too. Perhaps we should stick with solid modern walls in future – not ones with gaps around the window frames.

For dinner we catch a taxi back into Tulum pueblo. It seems to be a flat 60 pesos fee to travel between beach and town. This time we try the highly recommended Ginger restaurant which is an excellent option. Strong cocktails and super food with lots of flavour jump it into pole position for the honour of being our unanimous choice for serving what will be our last supper here on Saturday. The food in general in Mexico has been outstanding. Really good quality compared to most other countries, and enough choice to interest the taste buds of two very different people.  After dinner it’s back to sit on the beach beneath the starry skies, then recline in the cabana under the dubious protection of the mosquito nets again. Tomorrow we have more swimming and snorkelling to look forward to.

Our holiday accommodation in Mexico was divided up between the island of Cozumel, Tulum pueblo, and Tulum beach.  The idea being to sample a few different experiences without traveling too far.  Although we were enjoying staying in ITour, it was time for us to move on and check out the beach resorts along the coast of Tulum.  We delayed the move until we’d had more yummy Italian paninis in El Gourmet for lunch, but then we hailed a taxi and went to see what the beaches around Tulum had to offer.

The beach resorts along the coast road are what most tourists probably know as Tulum. There are hundreds of businesses dotted along the coast that cater to all the sun-worshipping tourists. The cheap cabana accommodations that were plentiful here once upon a time may still exist, but you’d find it hard to locate them easily amongst all the others. Our taxi journey from Tulum pueblo took about 15 minutes and then we were entering a resort that was indistinguishable from all the others that can be seen from the road. The accommodation around here is mostly posh cabanas – fairly basic dwellings for which you are ironically charged a small fortune for living at a standard lower than you would at home  But they have fancy touches here and there to help you ignore that you’re kind-of living in a shed, albeit a very nice looking shed.

Our resort was no exception.  We had booked that one cheaper cabana far from the beach, and much more basic than the others… which most probably has other flaws that we’ll discover later. Still, at first glance it looked pretty cool. A large wooden structure buried in the jungle growth that hides behind a big sand dune, completely out of view of the beach where all the fancier plastered structures strut their stuff. Two beds with mosquito nets (finally!) and a toilet that doesn’t accept toilet roll – but the sink does have a fancy tap made out of a large shell, so that’s all good then!  Strange masks adorn the walls, and I do believe there’s a hammock outside, just waiting for one of us to make a fool out of ourselves trying to get into it. Two minutes away from our door (and over the hill) is the main attraction – a gorgeous beach with white sands and blue waters. I think we can manage to make ourselves a home here for a few days…

By the time we’d explored our surroundings and figured out how to turn on the shell faucet, dusk was falling and further exploration became hazardous in the dark. We didn’t fancy the look of our onsite beach club restaurant, so we risked our lives stumbling up the dark road to Posada Margherita – a highly rated restaurant that apparently also has a very high price tag. It was early in the evening so we had no trouble getting a table. Apart from the guy that read the only copy of the menu to us, the service wasn’t great. A lot of the staff frankly looked bored. I ordered a fish dish which was nice, Lee ordered a pasta dish that was really bland.  I struggled to eat much of it when we swapped plates halfway through to try both dishes. A beer, water and the two mains amounted to a higher bill than any of the other places we’ve eaten – where we ate and drank lot more. It was worth trying, but wasn’t good enough value for us to be returning again.  We’ll be returning to the pueblo for future dinners.  We stumbled back via the unlit beach this time, to read in our fancy shack until it was lights out time.  Literally – did I mention that these Eco hotels also like to switch the electricity off by 11pm?

It could be lingering jetlag, or just the unaccustomed early dawn over here.  Whatever the reason, it seems to be impossible for us to sleep past 6am without waking up.  We’re then exhausted before 10pm each night.  This morning was no exception, and once more we were up and about before the alarm went off to get ourselves an early 7am breakfast coffee and croissant.  ITour is an eclectic mix of hotel and hostel.  One of the bonus features about staying there (apart from nice clean mosquito-free rooms, super-friendly staff, free breakfast and wifi) is that you can take a rental bike out for the day if you want to. By 7.30am we were wobbling off down the road on two decrepit, but relatively functional bikes.  The sun was already starting to heat things up as we slowly made our way along the highway, watchful for any crazy car antics behind us.

It’s about a 20 minute leisurely cycle to the ruins that bring many tourists to Tulum in the first place.  Workers were just starting to get set up for the day.  We eventually found our way to the ticket booth, locked up the bikes, handed over 57 pesos each, and were one of the first few into the ruins when the entrance was opened up at 8am.  We spent almost an hour wandering around with the odd other person in sight.  The ruins are very picturesque – lots of trees and vegetation carpet the interior, and the fourth wall is replaced by the coast itself.  The sight of the ruins perched above the ocean is stunning.  So idyllistic that It looks like it must be fake in photos.  The sea breeze is also very welcome to keep you cool while you walk around instead of sweltering in the heat like yesterday in Chichen Itza.  Once you’re finished exploring the ruins above, a wooden walkway brings you down to a beach where you can swim.  The sea along the coast is quite wild and wavy at the moment, but still coloured in beautiful shades of blue.  It’s like an ancient summer palace by the sea.  Peaceful and serene with breathtaking views.

By the time we were done the tourist buses had started arriving and large tour groups were on their way in.  It was definitely worth the early start to avoid the crowds and see everything without the noise and bustle.  The sun was really making its presence felt now too, so we were glad to get back off the bikes at ITour with both them and us still in one piece.  We had nothing else planned for the day other than to stay out of the sun.  We only ventured out for food.  Lunch was excellent paninis in El Gourmet, an Italian cafe a couple of blocks up the road.  We escaped the worst of the afternoon heat back in ITour sitting in the shade and reading, while sipping coffee and tea.

Dinner was in La Gloria de Don Pepe… a small Spanish tapas bar.  We had a number of tapas, and paprika fish cooked wrapped up in green leaves.  The owner spoke virtually no English, but grinned from ear to ear at the sight of any happy customers complimenting his food.  The quality of the food was much better than you’d expect looking at the restaurant and its staff.  Definitely recommended for some good home cooking.  The ‘chocolate bomb’ dessert was excellent too.  We’re moving on to the beach part of Tulum tomorrow, but will definitely be returning to the Pueblo when it comes to finding good food for dinners.

Our random patches of sunburn were looking worse this morning.  Think uncomfortable-looking white and red dappled pandas and you get the idea.  Copious amounts of aftersun were applied to try and belatedly make up for our sun transgressions yesterday.  The weather outside had changed yet again, and there were blue skies overhead.  Damn.  An overcast day would have been nice this once.  Before our tour started we ran out to the nearest ATM to stock up on pesos. When we left ITour, all was quiet and peaceful. During the few minutes we were gone a plague of vans descended upon the place and random tourists were swarming like ants around the small coffee and pastry counter. We had to fight our way through for our free breakfast. The hotel is conveniently located at the junction at the start of town, where all vans heading south from Playa del Carmen must turn west towards the inland tourist attractions. For this reason it’s a convenient breakfast stop for some company fleets. Including our tour van for the day. Our driver called Lee’s surname on his way out the door, and then promptly disappeared somewhere outside amongst all the virtually identical vans. Awesome – we hadn’t even left our accommodation yet and we had already been left behind.

With some assistance we eventually located the driver across the road. Last in, we got the uncomfortable front seats with our uncommunicative driver. Thus started a hair-raising 3 hour journey. Our driver drove like he was in a grand prix race. God forbid that any other vehicle might be ahead of him. He drove right up their asses until there was maybe enough space to squeeze past against oncoming traffic. My vantage point was far too good for witnessing his maneuvers as we diced with death every few minutes.  Mexico has three types of obstacles that you need to avoid on the road. First is every other car, obviously. Second is the abundance of speed ramps in all shapes and sizes. From those you can see a mile away, to others you’d never notice if you weren’t expecting them.  Even then you’d need to drive cautiously, squinting to watch for a faint sliver of a black line across the road ahead. The third is somewhat related… constant checkpoints that feature yet more make-shift ramps made of heavy rope across the road. Stern guys dressed in navy leaned against their cars and eyed us up as we crawled past.  Generally they didn’t seem interested in stopping any tourist traffic.  Just the poor locals hauling along goods in their man-powered modes of transport.  Speeding and dangerous overtaking seems to be fair game.  It’s just up to you not to get totalled by oncoming traffic or upended by a surprise ramp.  Thankfully our driver did at least seem to know his ramp locations.

Finally we arrived at the infamous Chichen Itza and joined the mass of people waiting outside for the next batch of tours to start.  We were separated according to language and tickets were distributed.  Then we were left to chase after an English-speaking guide as he went through his paces around the site.  He was an experienced guide and had a lot of information about the site and the Mayan people who once lived in the area.  The only criticism was that he liked to elaborate on interesting points while standing out in the baking heat, far away from any shade.  We started wrapping any extra material we had in our bags around our necks, arms… focusing on any area where we’d already been burnt the day before.  It wasn’t long before the sun seemed to be searing us through our clothes.  By the time we’d circled the main sites we were completely overheated.  It’s a fascinating historical site, but terribly uncomfortable in the intense heat and with all the crowds following the same routes.  The first thing we did when it was over was knock back a couple of litres of water.  At this point it had been six hours since our very small breakfast.

But wait, there’s more.  A lot more.  We were only starting the tour at this point.  Next up on the intinerary was a cenote.  A cenote is a natural sink hole in the ground.  This one (of many in these parts) was a pool of water with no roof. You could climb down into the cave below and then up onto a platform to dive bomb into the water from a height.  After an hours stop there for anyone who wanted to partake in the fun, we were loaded back into the van and taken to a large establishment where a loud band started up music as we were escorted into a big dining hall set out for a buffet.  We were only the first ones in.  Hundreds more arrived in tour buses, greeted every time by another burst of music.  The buffet was included in the tour ticket price, drinks were not – so obviously the tourists were being plied with drinks as much as possible.  Entertainment was provided by the band who paraded amongst the tables following a guy with a fake pigs head held aloft.  Then there was dancing with beer bottles (filled with water) on the dancers’ heads.  This was definitely the most touristy thing we’d done since arriving in Mexico, and we were not feeling proud of ourselves.  But we still had another stop to make in Valladolid – a colonial town.  We spent our time there, not admiring the history and culture.  Instead Lee was in a desperate search for a non-existent toilet, before we had to climb back into the front of the van for another bumpy and life-threatening high speed chase back to our accommodation.

By now our heat exhaustion levels were high.  We made the executive decision to dial back down our activities for the next couple of days and give ourselves a change to hopefully rehydrate before we got too much more sun.  We took ourselves off to El Asadero for a huge plate of steak and headed for bed.  We plan to undertake a trip to the Mayan ruins in Tulum in the morning – hopefully before the sun comes out in force.

Our first ever experience of travelling via a ‘colectivo’ in Mexico went surprisingly smoothly. This was our mode of transport to a hotel resort further up the coast where we were due to partake in a dolphin ‘Trainer for a Day’ program. A colectivo is one of the small buses that frequently journey between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, picking up and depositing passengers along the way.  Locals generally use them to get to work etc.  It’s a cheap way of getting from one point to another, provided you’re travelling along a busy route where they run. You simply stand at one of the shelters along the side of the road.  If a bus is passing that has room for you, then the driver will flash his lights at you.  You frantically gesticulate that you’re interested in getting onboard, and he pulls in.  30 minutes later we got deposited outside the hotel and handed over a mere 50 pesos… which we could have got change from.  Not a bad way of travelling and avoiding expensive taxi fares.

We wandered into the resort and eventually found our way to the correct hotel. We made the mistake of asking at the reception about where the Dolphinaris was located.  On learning that we were not, in fact, guests of the establishment, the staff mobilised into action to ensure we would not run amok enjoying their facilities.  We were quarantined to one side while they rustled up a cart to take us to where we were supposed to be.  Lee was tempted to make a run for it.  I estimated our chances of escape were minimal when they already knew what direction we would be heading in.  When they finally got around to moving us, a security escort came along for the ride, just to look after us of course.  It was an extra insult to them that we also did not speak Spanish.  The garbage collectors now had a higher status than us.  A raft of instructions were given to one of the staff members at the Dolphinaris where we were deposited, no doubt warning of the dire consequences if we escaped observation for too long.  Then the security guy stalked off to attend to more important matters.  The staff at the Dolphinaris weren’t as concerned about where we were or weren’t supposed to be though, and left us roaming freely for the rest of the day.

The Dolphinaris is situated on the grounds of a hotel.  It’s one of a chain that operates in the region.  There were five dolphins there, each with a trainer responsible for them.  The daily routine starts with a thorough inspection and teeth cleaning for each animal.  The feeding process starts then too.  It took most of the day to feed each dolphin its daily quota of fish.  Every couple of hours there’s a ‘show’ when the trainers put the dolphins through their paces, making sure they get plenty of exercise (and obviously earning some cash to feed them from the tourists partaking in the experience).  The dolphins seem reasonably well cared for.  Some of them display old wounds from sharks or boats that probably would have been a death sentence in the wild, and took years to heal since they were rescued.  But it’s hard not to feel that they would be better off with a larger area to live in.

The trainer program included a tour of the facilities and plenty of information about the dolphins.  We were also in and out of the water participating in what was being done with them.  There was an abundance of petting them and sending them off to leap and jump, or hit some kind of target.  They’re obviously intelligent animals, and much loved by their trainers.  It’s great to have the opportunity to actually touch them up close and interact with them.  Any time we’ve previously seen dolphins it’s been from a bigger distance.  The feel is rubbery on the outside.  The fins and tail are harder than they look. The power and strength the animals display is amazing.  The speed with which they’d return to their trainer from doing something on the other side of the pool, and then brake themselves with a masterful flip of their tail was very impressive.  Many of them relish being stroked along their back or belly, or having their throat rubbed.  The whole idea of dolphins in captivity is a controversial subject though, and this visit didn’t really make up my mind either way on the subject other than that better regulation is needed by experts in the field to make sure that any animals in captivity have a reasonable quality of life.  Something that it’s hard for us to assess without any real understanding of the important issues around caring for these creatures.

Once our day was over we somehow were left free to wander back off the hotel property without a security escort.  We did have to get through the ‘photo and video room’ sales pitch first.  A number of staff are dedicated to capturing images of tourists with or near the dolphins and to then try and sell them for as much as possible.  The prices are completely extortionate.  There were a handful of decent photos of us, but nothing that would motivate us to hand over extra cash for them.  Once we exited the area we were followed with decreasing offers that would give us not just a couple of the photos, but everything – video and all.  The final offer was actually quite good, but it’s debatable whether we really needed photographs beyond the two they’d presented us with as part of the package, so we decided to go on our way empty-handed, to the photographer’s absolute disgust.

The reliable colectivo service saw us safely back to Tulum.  By this stage we were really starting to suffer with sunburn.  You’re not supposed to wear suncream when you’re around dolphins, although the trainers wear some on their faces and had given approval for us to do the same.  We’d covered our faces reasonably well and worn t-shirts in the pool… but it was inevitable that our necks and arms would suffer from the sun.  Ironically, the constant in-and-out of the water had left us freezing cold a lot of the time, but the sun had still relentlessly burned what it could reach.  We got busy applying aftersun in a futile attempt to make up for the scorching.  Just as we set out to try a new restaurant the weather reverted to its rainy state of the previous night.  It’s almost impossible to walk around Tulum when there’s torrential rain, so we hopped in a taxi.  Only to find the restaurant that had been recommended to us was already closing up (at 8.30pm!).  We gave up and returned to ITour and went next door for a bit of Italian food instead.  We then signed up for a tour to Chichen Itza in the morning – we would not need good weather for that… in fact some rainy weather might be welcome!