I.I.VIII.I – Cancún: Day One & Two
CANCÚN
I.I.VIII.I – DAY ONE & TWO
27/08/22 & 28/08/22
My next bus ride took me to the most touristic city of Mexico, that of Cancún. Being a relatively new city which was built in 1970 mostly for touristic purposes, Cancún is found in the state of Quintana Roo and makes up part of the Caribbean coast.
It took me one day to feel like I’d experienced the city itself, and that was more than enough. In the resort zone known as Riviera Maya – the area that attracts most tourists, one can find countless fancy hotels and resorts, spread all along this huge, never-ending road that is also lined by a number of equally nice beaches. Meanwhile, I’d be spending my time in Cancún living it up in the cheapest studio apartment I could get my hands on (which was still anything but cheap) trying my best to ration my limited budget in order to do as many things as I could.
I couldn’t help but feel out of place, especially as a backpacker stranded in a luxurious, high-end resort area where tourists are seen a walking dollar bill. Hell, my first Tinder date over there was with a multimillionaire who had his chauffeur pick me up from my low-budget studio in the ‘historical’ centre with his own, personal limo. As soon as I got to his grand mansion, walls lined in gold and black marble, I knew this was something I’d never get to have and that I’d never want to have. We had a pretty good time together and he seemed to be a genuinely decent guy, except for the part where he showed me his walk-in closet which was overflowing with designer items and had me lust all over it. Maybe that part I’d want.
In the meantime, I was stuck manoeuvring across a multi-lane highway in my flip-flops during a torrential downpour. It was only a few weeks previously that I had complained to my friends about how I couldn’t walk in those damned things, and suddenly I was this pro-flip-flopper – something which most people staying in Cancún wouldn’t quite be proud of.
Whilst I wasn’t a huge fan of the city itself, here is where I got to reunite with the Caribbean Sea for the very first time since my time in Cartagena, Colombia. After the storm settled, a very expensive cab ride took me to the Riviera Maya. Here, I proceeded to take a long walk by the coast, enjoying the stupendous Caribbean beach views along the way and jumping into the turquoise sea whenever I’d feel like it.
As I swam in Playa del Delfin, a pristine beach in the same area, I couldn’t help but feel that same sense of freedom that washed over me whenever I find myself alone on a beach with no responsibilities or commitments. That quickly changed after Cristian, Celeste and Jerga introduced themselves. The three Argentinian police who happened to be there on holiday thought I would be the best person to ask for recommendations. Well, given that my itinerary had been planned for months on end, they were kinda right.
After a barrage of questions pertaining to my plans and nationality, they offered me a few beers, invited me over to their hotel and we chilled by the pool for a while before we went partying. By now I had grown so accustomed to listening to Bad Bunny and Karol G everywhere I’d be that I practically knew all the words to every song. As fun as that might have been, especially given that I had been neglecting nightlife and partying (much to any backpacker’s chagrin), I can’t say I was impressed with all that Cancún has to offer. Clubbing in Malta is way, way better – with Paceville being one of the main party destinations in Europe. That said, I did not, in fact, dish out some one hundred bucks to enjoy one of the city’s main highlights.
Regroupring
After one day, it felt as if I had had enough of Cancún, with the only redeeming factor being the fact that I discovered that the many OXO markets littering every corner of the city and the country, also served the largest cup of coffee at the cheapest of prices.
For almost an entire month, I had been cutting back on my favourite thing in the world, mostly cause I didn’t have enough time to stop for a cup of coffee at regular intervals, and, also cause of financial constraints. But now? Now I could finally give into my deep, passionate lust for coffee! To think I could’ve done that right from the start…
Rio Secreto
Though not quite my scene, I’d be spending a week in Cancún, using the city as a base to go around and visit other touristic landmarks. I’d start off with Rio Secreto, or rather, Pool Tunich; an underground river that’s buried underneath an enormous cave system which you can swim in. The ancient Mayans believed that such places are a portal to Xibalba – the underworld, and as such, were considered sacred.
After a long ride together with some five Mexican tourists who’d be my companions in this spelunking adventure, we were all dropped off at the cave’s entrance and briefed about the expedition – including the fact that we wouldn’t be able to take photos or film inside the cave (money-making 101). Then we donned our hardhats and headlamps and entered the mouth of the cave. From there on it was walking on narrow paths, jumping from one rock to another, wading in the river and swimming to get from one part to the next. It was so fun. And so cool! We were told that the numerous rock formations we could see; including stalactites and stalagmites, were formed over millions of years by water trickling down from the surface, making its way to the depths of the cave.
Every single droplet, containing calcium carbonate, would, in time, calcify in an annular arrangement that would eventually result in these formations. By simply touching these rock formations, we were told, certain oils in our skin repel the water droplets and effectively end their life cycle, ‘killing’ their entire progress of formation – not to mention that they could potentially break. As such, we had to be very careful not to get too close, sometimes having to bend or crouch in order to avoid them in the tightest of spaces. In hindsight, I have a hard time seeing how I managed to do that without having a panic attack – especially after having watched that one video of a spelunker getting stuck in a cave…
At one point, we had to swim through a narrow path, at which point we were all instructed to switch off our lights so that we could just lay there, motionless, in pitch darkness. Truly a spiritual experience, kinda like being in one of those sensory deprivation chambers. Also a bit disconcerting – realising that the cave system was discovered by people thousands of years ago using nothing but a flame torch which could go out at any second. Guess that explains the skeletons huh?
After this, we’d get to continue our adventure at the next stop; a cenote in the vicinity of the underground river. We’d be riding a bike there – something simple were it not for one teeny, tiny problem. I didn’t know how to ride one. My friend had tried to teach me a few years previously, with my balance (or lack thereof) making it an impossible task. I talked myself into trying it out only to make a fool of myself in front of the rest of the group.
And so, accompanied by a sixty-year-old lady, I was dropped off at the cenote on a golf cart of some sorts. I swore to myself I’d learn how to ride one at some point, thinking of all the experiences I’d get to miss out on if I didn’t.