Canyons, ruins, waterfalls and beaches

Helloooo!

Well, it's been several days now and I don't really know where to start... I keep thinking of everything we want to tell you about as we're going along, but the minute we reach an internet cafe it all becomes a blur and i can't remember anything.

We're in Playa Del Carmen at the moment. It is hot, hot hot! The beach is beautiful and the waters are clear and dreamy. Our hostel is in a great location but is probably the grottiest one we've stayed in so far. It's full of mosquitoes who are having a field day feasting on us, despite nets, eating garlic tablets and standing in breezes!! Bloomin critters.

Playa Del Carmen is the most touristy place we've been to, America is well and truly here. There is a Starbucks, Ben and Jerrys, Haagendaaz Cafe along the street parallel to the beach and yankeedoodledandees everywhere! Such a shame such a beautiful place (that used to be a sleepy fishing village) has become so touristy (I know we're ones to talk, but there are jetskis whizzing around the water and a Buger King and Macdonalds within spitting distance of one another, and they don't really fit with the natural beauty of the place). Tomorrow we think we´ll head a little south - to Tulum - to check out some ruins and have a little bit more beach time before heading to Guatemala.

It took us 18 hours to get here on the coach from San Cristobel, where we enjoyed a lovely few days. After a good potter around, nosing in and out of the shops, climbing up the steps to the churches at the east and west of the town/city, going around the amazing craft market with jewellery to die for and eating snacks in the ramshackle food market (a rabbit warren of a place with a corrugated tin roof, full of little eateries selling the scrummiest and cheapest of food) we headed off on a day trip that started at 6am and dropped us back at the hostel at 10pm. First stop on the way was the Agua Azul (pic of me at the top) a 7-km series of waterfalls - absolutely spectacular, but again, a total circus of tourism. Stalls line the route, selling food, jewellery and general bric a brac, it was swarming with people, and you are allowed to swim in some of the pools, which is amazing, but bound to spoil them at some point with the amount of people daily going for a dip there... After an hour or so there we went on to the waterfall at Misol Ha (pic of Mark above) and then to Palenque to see the Mayan ruins.

These ruins are especially spectacular because of the jungle backdrop. Wherever we walked among the temples and structures we could hear the roars of howler monkeys and symphony of chicadas in the trees, and the encroaching jungle scenery added a sense of mystery and wonder to the place. It is totally amazing how these people (with awesomely named rulers like Serpent-Jaguar II) managed to create such buildings and carvings...where did they lug the stones from? and how on earth did they survive the incredible heat and humidity of the jungle?? The photos don't do the majesty of Palenque justice, but here are a couple anyways.

The next day we managed to fit in a boat trip up and down the Sumiedo Canyon. It was brilliant to be on a boat bouncing over the water, and the walls of rock either side were breathtaking. The mountains split some 20 thousand (or million - the guide was at the other end of the boat and speaking in Spanish so i couldn't quite catch which!) years ago to create the canyon, which has filled with deep green waters infested with crocodiles! We spent most of the trip trying to spot one and were rewarded at the very end with one sitting sunning himself on one of the few banks.

A quick turnaround and we were on the coach heading for the coast! It's no wonder Mexico is such a religious country, the drivers (and passengers) have to have a bit of faith and feel that God is on their side when they're overtaking, at speed, just before a blind corner along the moutainous road... lalala.

So I think it's time to leave this lovely air conditioned internet bar and head back into the sun. Will leave you with a pic of Mark Chambers doing his best impression of Daniel Craig and me feeling guilty for eating a 5-pound Haagendaaz ice cream!!

xx