Landing

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Arriving on Thursday afternoon in Cancun from cold, snowy, go Sox, mind-your-own-business New England couldn't be any more of a sensory reversal. Instead of dropping r's they're now rolling by you in every possible direction. E.g. the bottle of water we bought outside the terminal was muy carro at $4 USD, but it didn't matter because it was so unbelievably hot we would easily have paid twice that. 

After getting royally screwed by the rental car place (an apparent right of passage in these parts) we braved the perils of unfamiliar traffic laws and speed limits listed in km/h and made our way south. "100km/h just seems like so much, but it actually isn't," January remarked at one point.

The view from the balcony.

Our apartment is in a gated "neighborhood" in the jungle, a few minutes drive down a dirt road off the main highway that runs along the eastern edge of the state of Quintana Roo. We have a large balcony overlooking the tree lined foot paths that lead to the shared swimming pool for our complex. The sounds of the highway occasionally drift through the dense growth, but for the most part it feels verdant and serene. A welcome break from the intensity of the surrounding towns.

We woke the next morning to heavy rains, unusual for this time of year, that continued for two days and limited our initial exploration. Even the locals commented on how strange it was to see that much rain during this season. At one point the road to our apartment was almost completely flooded and tricky to navigate in our compact rental car. 

Some unusual architecture in Playa del Carmen.

There are always times when you're traveling that you'll end up having to improvise. For us this happened when January's back went out the day after we arrived. Did you know that you can use a 10L water bottle as a makeshift foam roller? Neither did we, until necessity demanded it. Fortunately we were able to locate an excellent chiropractor in Playa del Carmen and January made a speedy recovery.

Who needs Luluelemon when you have E-pura Filtered Water.

By Sunday the rain had moved on and the sun returned. We got acquainted with the nearby towns of Tulum and Playa del Carmen, primarily by way of eating as many tacos as we could in each location. Pollo, pescado, al pastor, carne... So many tacos, each one of them beautiful and unbelievably tasty. (At some point we'll have to write an entire post just about the food.) 

January points to where additional tacos may be hiding.
I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some sensory overload coming here. Initially everything here seems loud, fast, and in your face. New language, new culture, new surroundings - it's a lot to take in. People aren't afraid to walk right up to you and demand something. (Though maybe living in Oakland somewhat prepared me for this.) Unlike in the United States where nearly everything has been thoroughly idiot-proofed, here you're very much responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. 

But after the initial shock, it quickly becomes clear how much beauty there is in this place. There is a feeling of being held by two huge forces of nature: unrelenting rhythm of the ocean on one side and the dense mystery of the jungle on the other. Both hold their own unique secrets and opportunities to be uncovered.



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