Semana Santa Travel Post 5: Tulum and Ek Balam

From Valladolid (F) to Tulum (H) and Ek Balam (I)

As the archeological site Tulum is highly praised for its location directly at the sea, I wanted to see it. Therefore, at night I headed to the city of Tulum in order to visit the pyramid the next morning. Well, that was the plan.

I arrived there at 10pm, at 11:30pm I took the bus back to Valladolid. It was terrible. I was used the calmness of beautiful Valladolid and arrived directly in the middle of Spring Break, where premature US American students tossed down gallons of alcohol. It was absolutely not Mexico. It was just a shame.

You won't believe how many times I was offered weed while searching a hostel. And the latter turned out to be quite impossible. The greeting at the hostel recommended by my travel book was like
"Do your parents know where you are?"

Erm, ok... I then asked for a discount what made the receptionist look at me disdainfully and he asked me if I was kidding. Idiot, I'm not the one who's totally wasted - believe me, you can talk seriously with me.

He then showed me the dorm and as I immediately spotted some "alarm signals" like hair etc. on the blanket, I investigated a bit more, lifted the mattress, etc. He commented on it like
"Ah, you are one of those travellers. Why are you so nervous?"

Man, I'm not nervous, but neither stupid. He explained:
"Well, if you want something cheap (he referred to his hostel) you will have to suffer."

Oh please, how can one be such a poor seller? I asked him from what I would have to suffer what resulted in a hem and haw from his side.
"Erm, I mean not suffer, but..."

Leaving the dorm and passing the roaring and boozing spring breakers, I nearly stepped on a cockroach. In such climates you have to expect this, but it was just one thing more I didn't like. Of course I didn't stay at this jerk's place.

But in fact the other hostels weren't better. Either fully booked or rundown to such an extent that it was just unbearable without being totally drunk. I thought: Do I really want to see the pyramids of Tulum so badly that I will stay with all these drunken teenagers who probably will also be hanging around in the pyramids the next day?! Nope. Back to beautiful Valladolid.

So, after a very late check-in at the reliable hostel in Valladolid, the next morning I didn't go to Tulum, but to Ek Balam instead. So worth it. Since I arrived early, there was hardly anybody. I thought this was because all of the tourists just went to Chichen Itzá and Tulum and ignored Ek Balam. Well, not exactly. When I left the place at around 11am, it was already considerably crowded as well. So I was glad having been able to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of being nearly alone in these impressive pyramids in the middle of the Yucatecan jungle.

In the middle of nowhere.

A Yucatecan pyramid isn't complete without its iguanas.

As I said - nowhere.

Ah, and I even have a soundtrack for Ek Balam. The driver of the mini bus which took me to the pyramids and back to Valladolid listened to the Colombian music style Cumbia all the time and one especially one song got stuck in my head. So, here we go - Camarón, Caramelo (Shrimp, Candy). Just imagine driving through the tropical landscape of Yucatán with this holiday sound: