Tulum ~Mexico
This place... Tulum. That EVERYBODY talks about. That is listed on Mexicos' places-you-must-see-ratings. We have heard everything from "OMG IT'S THE BEST PLACE EVER <33333" to "nah you can skip that". Certainly confusing. So we decided to go see for ourselves.
Most famous is Tulum for it's beaches and mayan ruins. The problem - which is one of the things we have heard people complain about - is that the beach is separated from the town. So if you live in the town (where it's cheaper and suitable for a backpacker budget) you are dependent on buses or some kind of rented vehicle. So we decided to rent a scooter again. But this time it was a little more tricky. The company had complicated rules and were not very friendly at all, and after two hours of messing with us we decided to mess with them. Their rules were all about money, you see (they did not at all mind when Fran took of on the scooter without having seen his license). So then we decided that we wanted a receipt, because if they don't intend to pay taxes we want it cheaper. Turns out taxes wasn't even incluided in the first place, and that a receipt would be 70 pesos more. Tji fick vi, as we say in swedish. My old swedish tricks don't work here.
First of all we went to the ruins. These are one of the biggest attractions on the mayan riviera, not only for its' historical heritage but also for its' beaches. Most of its' buildings are built during the years 1200 - 1450 (although the city has been around since the years ~500) and it's actually one of the few places where the mayans were able to keep living a time after the spanish invasion. But the mayan city has been abandoned since the end of the 1500's. Tulum (the mayan version) was built right by the water front and its' name actually means 'wall'.
After the ruins we tried to move on to see the beaches, only to find out that most of the beaches (and the nicest ones of course) are all private and belong to hostels or restaurants. There is no way of entering free. And after hanging around at one of the other beaches for a while we decided to move on to our next stop, a little bay that is supposed to be full of turtles. It took us 45 minutes to get there on the scooter, made my butt numb and just to find out the turtles have already passed Mexico on their annual world tour. So we went back.
The town of Tulum is really nothing to see. Not unless you have already seen Cancún and Playa del Carmen at least. It has one million tourist shops with different prices depending on the nationality and hair color of the costumer, a few good bars and restaurants, hostels and other than that it's a normal village. For the big tourist it's pretty small and for the real deal explorer its' touristy. What really gives Tulum its' shine and glory is the coast and the ruins. That part is just beautiful. And even though the free of charge beaches are not as tidy and polished as the private ones they are definitly worth a visit. The ruins - YES. Enough said.
When it comes to making business I am a little tired... The culture here can make it very difficult to get a fair price and a reasonable deal. Being blond, having an accent and wearing european clothes makes it even more difficult to gain respect as a client. So anything from a souvenir to renting a scooter - make sure you get a deal that seems fair. Ask the price per kilo when you buy fruit, because if not they will just say a number at the top of their head. This day I had enough but at a normal blood sugar level I can also understand their frustration in a country where taxes are a big joke - as long as they are friendly.
Conclusion: Tulum IS worth a visit. But depending on transportation makes it all a little difficult and expensive, and the exploration of coast line is very difficult unless you have a high pay check. Maybe getting out of Tulum a little could be an idea? I wouldn't know. Just don't go look for turtles when there are none. And see the ruins. And then read on Wikipedia, because a guide is a little expensive.
Love from this one.