Well we should have been arriving back at Heathrow this morning, but instead will now be back on Friday 20th April. We’d sort of decided in Australia/New Zealand that we would extend – it seemed daft flying in and out of Mexico and then straight on to Miami and Heathrow. Taking into account yesterday’s escapades it was a good job we did. We would have missed all our connections and arrived home shattered, where this breaks it up a bit.
But because we’d left it so late to book something (and as it turns out, it was Easter week, but we didn’t know that at the time, or had forgotten, I suppose) we were very limited in choice of hotels. Not many could do all the nine nights and we didn’t really want to be moving around on this last part of the trip. The choice here is basically big, all inclusives, or beach cabanas which sound very nice but are VERY rustic, no electricity, salt water showers etc etc. We knew we didn’t want to be in or around Cancun (Cancun has taken over from Acapulco and Peurta Vallenta (?) as the American’s Mexican playground) and so were heading towards Tulum, further south down the Yucatan peninsula, otherwise known as the Mayan Riviera. It’s where all the Mayan ruins are and so we thought it would be an interesting beach break but with some sights to see also. So here we are – about 20 minutes north of Tulum and 30 minutes south of Playa del Carmen (another huge town full of big resorts). Our nearest village is Akumal. Well, it was back to Tripadvisor.com to check out hotels before final booking, and highly recommended came the Grand Sirensis. All the reviews said it was wonderful and because it only opened three months ago, in the middle of the season, was not filling to capacity this year and so there were some amazing deals to be done. And we did. We got a really good rate for what is a truly luxurious hotel, all inclusive and of a very high standard. Yes, it is huge – seven a la carte restaurants to choose from with everything from Italian, Cajun, Japanese, Mediterranean, etc etc and of course Mexican, as well as a very good buffet restaurant (where we ate an excellent meal last night). The hotel is in different sections,
all ultra modern in design and built in the style of the Mayan pyramid sort of buildings (but really is a load of concrete, but you don’t notice that as it’s so well done!). Absolutely huge swimming pools,
the hotel fronts a lovely white sand beach on the Caribbean, all sorts of activities if you want them including Yoga and a trial Scuba diving lesson (both of which I might try) included in the price. Also included in the price is as much food and drink as you want (including a fully stocked mini-bar, restocked each day. I suppose it’s a bit like being on a high quality cruise that’s going nowhere. So far, everyone we’ve met is American (but very nice) and Sid and I can’t help commenting on how they are either very fit, super thin or absolutely obese and of course those who are obese walk around with plates of food in one hand and cocktails in the other, all the time. Very strange. Anyway, it’s all good, although not at all what we’d have booked if this wasn’t just chill out time at the end of a long and exciting trip. We have got a couple of days out planned here to see a bit of the REAL Mexico, but other than that, we’re quite happy just to be slobs, but not eat or drink too much. The room is, in fact, a ‘junior suite’
and wonderful – a little office area, sitting area, weird bathroom (but with all-body shower and huge spa bath, and the biggest bed we’ve ever seen. The whole place is very, very, modern, minimalist, but very stylish and with all kind of futuristic controls for TV, air con etc.
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