Day 29, 30, 31 and 32: Valladolid - a small but lovely town in the center of Yucatan

Day 29: Wednesday 19.10

Today, Manfred had to work in the morning, so our breakfast was a bit smaller because the table was reserved for the laptop and documents. Nevertheless, we had fried eggs, coffee, and cereal that Anna served today. While Manfred was working on the laptop, Anna had to return the scooter from the previous day, which went smoothly.
The rest of the day we spent at the accommodation, made some phone calls, and planned the next weeks of our trip.

Day 30 - Thursday 20.10 - last day in Tulum

After a little workout and a hearty breakfast, we borrowed two bicycles and made our way to the beach of Tulum, which is 6km away. Despite windy conditions and a few small rain showers in between, we had a lot of fun with the waves in the water and spent half of the day on the white sand under palm trees. After the last longer (10 minutes) rain, we went to the nearby Mayan ruins to educate ourselves a bit about history.
Without high expectations, among other things because the entrance fee for two people was only 8€, we walked onto the grounds of the historic Mayan city of Tulum. The massive walls of the former important trading city had mostly collapsed and weathered, but they had a charming flair. Some artistically decorated facades could still be seen, and through the existing signs, one could get a glimpse into the lives of the indigenous people at that time. After a few photo stops, we wanted to stroll through the area again, but we were denied by an employee of the archaeological site as it closed at 17:00.
Afterwards, we made our way back home. We cooked our remaining supplies that evening so that we had to carry as little unnecessary luggage as possible the next day for the trip to Valladolid.

Day 31 - Friday 21.10 - Journey to Valladolid

In the morning, we enjoyed the pool at our accommodation before we packed our things and set off for Valladolid. We already bought the bus tickets the day before, so we could start our journey relatively smoothly.
After a 2-hour bus ride, we have now arrived in the small town of Valladolid. The city immediately impressed us with its colorful houses, beautiful main square, and truly exceptional flair, a place to feel good.
In the hostel, there was an Empanada Night today, which we definitely didn't want to miss. We were even allowed to help out, so after a brief introduction, we made our first homemade Empanadas. With full stomachs and a few sips of tequila, we visited a nearby bar with a colorful, international group that we met at the hostel and enjoyed the evening.

Day 32 - Saturday 22.10 - Cenote Chichikan 

Slightly hungover, we enjoyed the breakfast included in the hostel in the nice courtyard of our accommodation. After a few cups of coffee and fresh fruits, we felt ready to rent a scooter again and explore the area. This time, we got a blue Vespa and made our way to the Cenote Chichikan, located about 15km outside of Valladolid, to take a dip. Upon arrival, disillusionment caught up with us, especially Manfred. After a hefty entrance fee, we were informed that we are only allowed to enter the Cenote with a life jacket, which significantly diminishes the fun of swimming.
This Cenote was indeed beautiful to look at, as it was located in a hole about 30 meters deep with a truly breathtaking waterfall (which was artificially created) and stunning flora, but the water was much colder and dirtier than in the Cenotes we had visited before. After taking some photos and a little nap in the hammocks nearby, we took a short walk around the karst cave and then made our way back to Valladolid.
Thanks to Anna's good research work, we were able to attend a beautiful light show in the evening, which was projected onto the facade of the nearby monastery San Bernardino de Siena. The approximately 20-minute show told the story of the city and the Yucatan Peninsula. After that, we took a leisurely evening stroll through the nice little streets of Valladolid.

Day 33 - Sunday 23.10 - Cenote Tekom

After breakfast, we still wanted to take advantage of the scooter (which we rented for 24 hours) and headed to the two cave cenotes near the city. Upon arrival, a Mexican immediately signaled us to inform us that the cenotes are currently closed for renovation. But for a small fee, he took us to a cenote about 10 minutes away, which was also underground. This turned out to be a stroke of luck, as the entrance fee was very reasonable and we were almost alone there for the whole morning. We made some spectacular jumps from the platform or cave edge into the water and enjoyed the silence, pleasantly warm water, and splashed around for half of the morning. At lunchtime, we headed back to the city, returned the scooter, and continued on foot. Manfred had a longer meeting, so we didn't set off again until late afternoon to have a little something to eat. With full stomachs, we walked to the main square because we heard that on Sundays, which are really celebrated here in Mexico, there is a lot of dancing, music, and singing. We were able to witness a small ceremony next to the church, which we still didn't completely understand to this day, but it was interesting to watch. The crowning finale of the evening was a nice fireworks display, which also marked the end of the festivities.

On the way home, we met a couple from Germany who were also staying at our hostel. We wanted to buy some beers to end the evening with them. Unfortunately, to our disappointment, we found out that on Sundays, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets after 17:00. This fact prompted us to go to a bar with live music and enjoy a cool drink there.