Mexico - between real WONDERS OF THE WORLD, broken bones & Caribbean islands

¿Qué tal?

Welcome back! (as they say in Mexican)

By the time you read this, we are either still in the air or already back in your time zone.

Back to life. Back to reality.

BACK TO THE FUTURE.

So, we have probably already gotten off the plane, feeling very disoriented and freezing, trading our flip-flops for non-slip sneakers, our bikinis for thick scarves, and our vacation joy for depression.

Cultural and cold shock.

I don't know when it was ever so difficult for me to leave a country behind.

I probably always say that, but this time I really mean it.

Really, really mean it.

I might even have wiped away a tiny crocodile tear earlier.

But really, just maybe.

Mexico captivated us from second one.

And if you ever get the chance to travel here - take it!

I can only repeat:

It was our luck that Thailand tightened its corona regulations shortly before booking, and we decided last minute to go to Central America.

I always had Mexico on my radar.

But let's just say: It was never in my top 3.

Ironically, my little sister (who has never been to Mexico) always wanted me to travel there.

But I always postponed it.

And now, after a whole month in this part of the world, I am hopelessly in love and already planning my next vacation there.

I think the pictures and my descriptions are enough to 'prove' that I'm not exaggerating, aren't they? :)

We got around quite a bit during our trip, I would say.

I added it all up and thought back:

In four weeks, we were in 7 cities in 3 different states.

We stayed in a total of 10 accommodations during this time, and I have now reached Genius Level 3 on booking.com and can enjoy many benefits for a lifetime. 👌 Yayy.

Every place we were was so different from the one before, and that's why it felt like the longest and shortest trip of my life at the same time.

We experienced so much.

Everywhere looked, smelled, and tasted different.

This country is incredibly diverse.

In Puerto Morelos, we saw pelicans and felt the Caribbean sand under our feet for the first time in our lives.

In Oaxaca City, we got to know a completely different side of Mexico and drank real tequila for the first time, as the locals do.

In Puerto Escondido, we saw monster waves for the first time and spent the whole day watching surfers and eagles. We also had the experience of a lifetime and were able to accompany freshly hatched baby turtles a little way on their journey into the sea.

In Puerto Angel, we had a dream holiday home with a view directly over a picturesque bay. We also saw a whale for the first time there, and hummingbirds said hello from time to time. (or hola)

Mexico City overwhelmed us. But actually mostly in a positive way.

A 22 million-inhabitant city doesn't pass by without leaving a trace. We also stayed in a 5-star hotel there, which was really exciting in itself.

By the way, I had the best taco ever there.

Now let me tell you what happened after Mexico City:

So amigos and amigas.

The intro is over.

Popcorn in your lap and reading glasses on your nose?

Then vamos!

I'm sure many of you are curious to know how I broke my finger, but step by step, my dear friends. ;)

We had exactly 9 nights left at the end, which we tried to divide as best as possible. We wanted a mix of rest and a little bit of history.

Of course, I'll be honest, I would have loved to stay on the Pacific until the end and probably not missed a thing.

But I'm also incredibly curious, and it probably would have bothered me a lot if I didn't at least touch the other side of Mexico and see what I would miss out on.

And I knew that if I wanted to experience a bit of culture on this trip or admire cenotes (both of which Mexico is more or less famous for), I HAD to go back to Yucatan.

Of course, I could have seen something else somewhere else, but not LIKE THIS!

In the end, we decided on Mérida.

Mérida - the capital of Yucatán. At the same time, it is the largest city in the state. It is also known as the Gateway to the Mayan World.

Remember that I initially booked the airport transfer for 1 day late and plunged us into a tiny chaos?

Well, the bus was still about 2 hours away from Mérida when I panicly realized that our hotel would not be expecting us until March 23rd (!!).

I had actually been wrong for a whole MONTH!! 😅

I started to sweat.

Because for now (for the time being), Juli should not find out.

And it was already late.

And dark.

And the intended accommodation was fully booked for February (of course).

And so I got more and more nauseous from googling and researching while the bus was shaking.

And in general.

In the end, I had to dig deep into my holiday funds and book us a very nice but also very expensive room.

When we arrived, it was 10 p.m., I was on the verge of throwing up, and I was so stressed that I practically faint into bed as our suite was opened for us.

It was a great hotel.

Actually, way too chic for us country bumpkins, but beautiful. ♥

Mérida is sleepy during the day. Almost rural. You wouldn't think that the city has about 1 million inhabitants.

The most beautiful thing about Mérida was the colorful houses. Practically each one is painted differently. And if not the house, then the doors. It was really great.

In the evening, the city comes alive.

The parks are a good place to start.

By the way, many of the so-called kissing chairs are located there. I'll show you two photos here, so I don't have to explain it in more detail:

If I had to describe a city as romantic, it would definitely be Mérida.

The architecture is really beautiful, especially at night when the buildings are illuminated.

There is a really special atmosphere.

When it gets dark and suddenly everyone comes out, there are market stalls where you can buy useful or useless stuff.

The main streets in certain places are then closed to vehicles so that you can stroll undisturbed...

Oh, and those rhinestone-studded beetles confused me a lot, but oh well....

But as they say, no frills, no thrills, and so the countless Mexican souvenirs must not be missing here either. You can buy kitschy souvenirs on every corner.

You can admire live music while enjoying the best Mexican food or try a little dance on the street. (haha, imagine Juli and me doing that)

The best thing about Mérida is that many backpackers (yes, we are backpackers ourselves) simply don't have it on their radar. Most of them prefer the nearby Valladolid, and what can I say... Our luck :)

(They have no idea what they're missing)

😎

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Back to my beloved hammocks: As I said, Mérida is the home of the most famous hammocks in Mexico.

The locals don't seem to like beds very much and only sleep in hammocks their whole lives.

And even though I CAN'T imagine that for myself (and Juli would probably veto that).... I'm quite crazy about them.

'Hamacas' (Spanish for hammocks) are the epitome of vacation for me, and I can feel myself relaxing internally when I lie in one.

Naturally, we couldn't resist buying a real hammock from Mérida.

Naturally, it wasn't overpriced.

And naturally, we know exactly where we will hang it in our tiny apartment.

Naturally.

Not.

But hey, who can say that they own a real Mexican Maya hammock 🤩

In addition, we received a special booklet for free. The so-called HAMACA-SUTRA.

I won't say more about it here.

Ratings and stuff.... 😜

_________________________________

You can probably name all the wonders of the world off the top of your head, right?...

That's what I thought. 😝

I knew TWO.

(Well, if I count the one sitting right next to me, then three)

Anyway, if CHICHEN ITZA doesn't sound familiar to you, you can ask Uncle Google.

Or just keep reading :)

Chichen Itza is one of the new Wonders of the World and is about 2 hours away from Mérida.

That's also why we wanted to go there.

It is an ancient Mayan city.

It is said that it was already inhabited by the first Maya in the year 500.

After an extremely turbulent start in the morning, we arrived at Chichen Itza before the hordes of tourists, who were transported there in countless tour buses.

For a while, we had these historically significant monuments all to ourselves.

Well, "all to ourselves" is obviously a big lie.

But for the first hour, we could take pictures there WITHOUT 1000 strange heads and bodies in the photos.

That was enough for us.

(You have no idea how crowded it got when we left around noon)

I can't say much about it without probably boring you.

In addition to the impressive

Kukulkan Pyramid

, which is the centerpiece of Chichen Itza, we were especially fascinated by the so-called ball court in a weird way.

The so-called Tlachtli ball game had a high ritual significance back then.

With the help of elbows, knees, and hips, they had to shoot a rubber ball weighing up to 3 kilograms through a vertically attached stone ring on both sides.

I have no idea what it must have looked like live.

(Because the wall or the stone ring was damn high....)

Supposedly (depending on the situation), it was an honor for either the losers or the winning team to be allowed to be sacrificed to the gods.

It was a great morning, and strolling through the past was very impressive.

We devoted the following day more or less to Mayan culture as well.

We really wanted to see cenotes!

And finally, the time had come.

Instead of booking a tour, where you are carted around with loads of other tourists from one cenote to another, we decided to go out on our own again and drive to Homún. The place is about 1 hour away from Mérida.

There are countless cenotes in and around Homún.

On the entire Yucatan Peninsula, there are about 6000 of them, by the way.

In this life, it is most likely not feasible to see them all, but on that day, we managed to see FIVE.

So we got started. :)

Arriving in Homún, we looked for so-called moto-taxis, and we let one of them take us to the cenotes that I had compiled for us on the Internet.

He chugged along with us and stopped wherever we wanted.

We could take our time, as much as we wanted.

We had agreed on a fixed price in advance, so we didn't feel any pressure to hurry or anything.

Have you ever been in a cenote?

Then you know how amazing it is!

For those of you who haven't had this experience yet:

It's like being in a different world. 🤩

Cenotes are a truly unique natural phenomenon.

Basically, they are natural sinkholes, an entrance to water-filled caves. They are freshwater on the surface and turn into saltwater as you go deeper.

The Mayans considered cenotes sacred sites, the entrance to Xibalba - the divine underworld, the realm of the gods and the origin of life.

As a preview:

We had all 5 cenotes to ourselves.

No tourists in sight.

And since Juli sometimes couldn't even get in and I was able to 'explore' the caves all by myself while swimming, it was scary and beautiful at the same time.

They were all somehow different.

Some of them look more like open holes in the ground, others resemble deep lakes or are grottoes. You can find cenotes in the middle of the jungle, in the sea, in the mangroves, or even in urban environments.

We then dedicated the following day more or less to Mayan culture as well.

We really wanted to see cenotes!

And finally, the time had come. We arrived in Homún, looked for so-called moto-taxis, and let one of them take us to the cenotes I had previously selected for us on the internet.

So he chugged off with us and stopped wherever we wanted.

We could take our time, as long as we wanted. We had agreed on a fixed rate in advance, so we didn't have to rush or anything.

Have you ever been in a cenote?

Then you know how amazing it is! For those of you who haven't had this experience yet:

It's like being in a different world. 🤩

Cenotes are a truly unique natural phenomenon. Basically, they are natural sinkholes, entrances to underwater caves. On the surface, they are freshwater, and as you go deeper, they turn into saltwater.

Cenotes were considered sacred sites by the Maya, entrances to Xibalba - the divine underworld, the realm of the gods, and the origin of life.

As a preview:

We had all five cenotes to ourselves.

No tourists in sight.

And since Juli sometimes couldn't even get inside and I was able to "explore" the caves all by myself while swimming, it was scary and beautiful at the same time.

They were all somehow different.

Some look more like open holes in the ground, others resemble deep lakes, or are grottos. Cenotes can be found in the middle of the jungle, in the sea, in the mangroves, or even in an urban environment.

I splashed around there for a while and even pulled myself up on the rope again, but it became clearer every minute that it was probably not my HANDS, but my FINGER that was hurting.

It was throbbing.. And poking... Pinching, and yes.. just hurting like crazy. Within 15 minutes, nothing worked anymore.

I had the vague feeling that my finger no longer belonged to my body, and it didn't obey anymore.

I couldn't move it. I knew I would have to see a doctor in the afternoon. And I hate doctors. Or rather, having to go to them.

Well. That's the story of how I broke my left middle finger. I hope you're not too disappointed now. Believe me, I would have preferred to tell you a more exciting story than admitting that I'm just a real klutz.

But it is how it is. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Shortly after the painful experience, the 4 days in Mérida unfortunately came to an end.

In the last 5 nights, we finally made it to an island.

And

Isla Holbox is one thing above all:

Colorful.

Almost every house is painted.

All in really beautiful colors.

Some were real works of art by real artists.

Street art wherever you look.

And that blue sky.

And always sunshine.

It was just awesome.

You could easily spend the whole day on the island, looking at everything.

You wouldn't get bored at all.

The island is only 2 kilometers wide and 42 kilometers long.

Large parts of it are nature reserves, and in some parts, there are apparently crocodiles and flamingos, but we didn't get that far. In summer, you can even dive with whale sharks, but it's not the season right now, so that's another reason to come back. 🤩

Because I wanted to do that in Thailand already. But it just never happened.

What's also interesting about the island is that it consists only of sand. It has no infrastructure at all. There are NO roads. Cars don't drive around there.

You get around on foot, by bike, or with golf carts.

They are quite loud, but it's fun to drive around with them. Unfortunately, I couldn't experience driving by myself because my finger put a stop to that, but being chauffeured around the island in a golf cart taxi also had its charm. (except for the high price)

So, Xenia - next time you have to come with us, and then we'll rent one ourselves. I think it will be so much fun....

Real cars are allowed to drive on the island in exceptional cases by the way.

So the supply is taken care of.

Otherwise, things are more than leisurely there.

As on islands, everything is a bit more expensive than on the mainland, but every penny was worth it.

It was the best idea to end with Isla Holbox.

We actually have the opposite feeling, but basically, we didn't do anything during that time. Just chilling... relaxing... strolling... refreshing ourselves in the Caribbean Sea... occasionally wobbling in the pool.

It was perfect.

Before I really burst into tears because of all the beautiful memories, I'll try to finally finish.

(get excited!)

FROM NOW ON, I WOULD JUST REPEAT MYSELF ANYWAY.

I've said everything there is to say.

Oh, and I mentioned my youngest sister a few times already.

I mean the one who practically pushed me towards Central America.

She was also the one who, when the final decision was made, told me to please take pictures of every Chihuahua I see.

She somehow got it into her head that there must be tons of them here since Chihuahuas originally come from Mexico.

As the mother of this special breed of dog, she naturally has a great interest in them.

In the end, she was proven right.

There were actually more Chihuahuas than I ever thought to see.

Technically speaking, there were fewer stray dogs, of which, as you know, there were indeed hundreds.

But they were always present.

Occasionally, without visible owners, but at least with a collar.

Incidentally, what there was even more of than stray dogs were homosexuals.

In Mexico, I saw more gay people than in Berghain.

And while we were still in a long-distance relationship in Africa, afraid of being stoned in the marketplace, here we could walk hand in hand through the streets without being stared at weirdly.

I will miss everything about this country so much.

The people are incredibly friendly.

They make incredibly delicious food.

They just know how to live.

Daily temperatures between 30 and 45 degrees, and the sky seemed bluer to me than anywhere else.

The flora and fauna are absolutely amazing, and there is so much to discover.

Four weeks were far too short, that should be clear to everyone.

And that I will definitely come back, too.

MUCHAS GRACIAS

to everyone who accompanied me on my travels here and for any form of attention.

Over & Out.