Summer 2023 - Tulum

It is hard to believe our month-long adventure in the Caribbean is reaching its end! It took us a moment to dive in, but we have become quite attached now to the laid-back and friendly mexican way - and tempo - of living. Here comes some words of confession. As a family travelling solo, Riviera Maya is not as "accessible" as many other places we have travelled. Few reasons for this: Stratospheric prices - I have spent a 4-fold amount on groceries compared to home. No idea how the locals manage. The same goes for activities - the main activities for families (ie. water parks) would cost a whopping 500-600 dollars for our family (compared to around 150 in Europe..). Very upsetting. Access to beach: the sad reality is screaming loud and clear - the foreign luxory hotel chains have eaten-up the beautiful beaches along the Riviera Maya and the locals are squeezed into tiny patches of beach often rocky and bearly accessible not to mention pleasurable. One evening we adventured to a street just off the main avenue to discover the life of locals - a shanty town in all its meaning with the "homes" built of whatever left-over metal pieces attached to each other, families over a few generations sitting outside, kids playing in the dusty road, skinny dogs wandering around the rubbish and dirt. Overall, there does not seem to be a city planning ongoing in this originally small fishing village, but it appears to be growing organigally on the whims of the big investors. Beurk. As for the security, well, following a shooting a few days earlier at the hotel zone in Cancun, extra security measures were put in place and the military was very present in the streets. Fortunately, we didn't face any issues during our stay and felt safe however obviously took precautions to stay together and avoid wandering off the main streets (by foot after dark). We had also chosen to stay in a safe area of the village in a beautiful gated and guarded condo. Have to mention the heat: the days had to be structured accordingly - we departed early tovisit Chitzen Itza and Tulum ruins and planned water breaks after every couple of hours either at a cenote, beach or the hotel pool. Water became an absolute priority in all forms and as a mom, yes, my daily quest was to run after the kids ensuring their hydration and protection from the sun. Summa summarum, we got the exotic experience we searched for, we enjoyed the amazing Caribbean sea and experience snorkelling the caves. Most importantly, we all got to see my little sister, which made the whole stay more meaningful beyong words. The perspective of travelling 24h back home is still heart warming (even only for a few days before embarking for the last part of our summerholidays). Hasta la proxima Mexico!