Wayback Mexico: Huatulco Dreams (2017)

Laid back Huatulco...

After the Barcelo, Huatulco remains our second favourite Mexican vacation. It's located very far south in Mexico and hasn't yet been tainted by the heavily commercialization seen in places like Puerto Vallarta or Cancun/ Playa del Carmen.

The resort itself faced a picturesque bay. I spent a lot of time out on the water SUP paddling. Separately, we had fun puttering around on scooters and surfing some local beaches.

View of the main harbour

Wayback Mexico: The Marival (2016)

Poolside at the Marival...

The Marival was our first stay on Mexico's west coast at Nuevo Vallarta. The beach was a ten-minute walk away, but the view of the sunsets from the rooftop bars was fantastic.

I enjoyed some surfing while I was there, but often the beaches were closed because of the plentiful stingrays in the water. I would see them swimming alongside me on the board which was a good incentive not to fall off.

Surfing with stingrays!

Wayback Mexico: Royal Playa del Carmen (2015)

Cute sculptures on display throughout the grounds...

In 2015, we stayed at the Royal Playa del Carmen on the east coast. Google tells me that the resort has since re-branded as a Hilton resort. It was a beautiful resort, somewhat diminished by the beach which wasn't conducive to swimming or any sort of water sports.

You can read my tripsadvisor review of the resort here.

A busy day at Playa del Carmen's public beach...

Wayback Mexico: The Barcelo Maya Colonial (2012)

The Barcelo... all pools and colour...

For the first time in nearly a decade, my wife and I were unable to take our annual pilgrimage to Mexico (thanks COVID!). So, I thought I would re-visit our various vacations with the occasional photo that didn't make the cut the first time.

The Barcelo was the first time we visited Mexico in 2012. It's located outside Playa del Carmen on a bay with fantastic white sand and turquoise water. We had fun just snorkeling off the jetty playing among the schools of colourful fish.

The resort offers access to all sorts of activities on the bay, including jet skiing. We also took in a tour of the ruins at nearby Tulum.

Getting into the tourist lifestyle...

Mexican muscle...

You work out however you can...

While in Mexico, I got a workout in by pushing over the waterfront lighthouse.

My wife poses...

Sunrise at 20.8478° N

A panorama of gold and blue...

Sunrise over the Caribbean off the coast near Puerto Morelos, Mexico...

Winning battles / Losing wars

Plastic and foam among the seaweed of a Mexican beach...

During our stay in Mexico we took a stroll to the nearby village of Puerto Morelos. Just off the waterfront is a large protected marine park. Tour boats take visitors out to snorkel among the marine wildlife.

As we strolled along the beach though, it was disheartening to see how much plastic debris there was along the shoreline.

The climate crisis has brought into sharp focus other abuse we are heaping on the natural environment such as our overuse of disposable plastic.

Sometimes I wonder: Are we in the middle of a battle -- or a war -- to save ourselves from ourselves?

Street art

A colourful mural adorns a cargo container...

My wife and I spent an afternoon strolling the streets of Puerto Morelos admiring some of the local art... and trying hard to dodge the many aggressive vendors.

If you hold your face close to the screen
she'll appear in 3D   ;)

Play ball!

Not a game for the physically challenged...

At Mexico's Chichen Itza, you'll find the remains of the Pok-A-Tok court. Pok-A-Tok was a unique ball game in which the players manhandled a ball about the size of a basketball while trying to pass it through stone hoops set along the walls of the court. (You can see one such hoop on the upper right hand wall in this photo.)

These hoops were set quite high, and the game was made even more challenging by the fact that the players could not use their hands or feet. Not surprisingly, games could last for days before a single point was scored, leaving players exhausted.

You can watch a modern version of the game being played in this video.

The REAL downer about playing this game though is that the winners(!) were sacrificed to the gods. It was considered an honour.

The Mayans were effectively killing off their genetically superior males which perhaps goes some way to explaining why their civilization went extinct.

Cenote

A refreshing swim...

Cenotes are a common feature of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. They are essentially sinkholes which appear when limestone bedrock dissolves to the point it collapses to expose the river underneath.

Tourists will often go for a swim in these cenotes after a day spent doing tourist-y stuff. I'm always surprised by how clear and warm the water is. It's also surprising to see fish swimming in them.

Here on Vancouver Island we have our very own cenote. Wikipedia tells me that it is known as the Devil's Bath. I can't say I've ever heard it called that... it's difficult to get to and I don't think swimming it would be a fun experience at our latitude.

Waterplay at the end of a hot day...

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Colourful buildings line a street in Mexico....

During a tour day, we stopped briefly at this colourful village. It featured a number of churches overlooking the village's town square.

Palm trees and colourful flags blow in the breeze...

Colourful Kaua...

Friendly Kaua...

At one point during our tour of Chichen Itza, we stopped into the village of Kaua.

I posed with a statue of one of the local deities... I hope the gods have a sense of humour.

I hope I'm not cursed for this...

The Return of an Ancient God

A creature from before human history...

At our resort in Mexico, there was this tall four-legged shelter that served as the altar for the many weddings that took place during our stay there.

Seen as just a silhouette against an early morning sky, it looked like some ancient god -- perhaps one as old as Cthulu -- emerging from the sea.

Critters

It's not easy being green... and floundering on your back...

During our Mexico stay we encountered some animal life that was new to us. One was this huge colourful beetle who ricocheted off my head and wound up on his back. His shell had this highly polished green sheen to it... it almost look metallic.

We promptly uprighted him and sent him on his way.

Another was this iguana who was a minor celebrity as it sunned itself on one of the boardwalk loungers to the amusement of the many tourists taking photos.

Vallarta nights

The western sky glows with the setting sun over Puerto Vallarta...

The setting sun silhouettes the palm trees that line the bay of Puerto Vallarta...

¡Ay, caramba!

Do not go swimming off the docks!!

We recently returned from Puerto Vallarta where I made a surprising discovery. While waiting in the local marina for a bus ride, I glanced out over the water to see a 10-foot alligator lazily swimming among the yachts.

Locals working on the jetties didn't give it much attention, so they are obviously native to the area. We've been to Mexico numerous times and this is the first time we had ever seen one. I guess when you consider that alligators stroll the golf courses of Florida, it's not such a surprise, but it's still disturbing to see them so close to civilization.