Saturday, March 30th, 2018

Day 01 of Mayan Discovery (by G Adventures)

“Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
07.00 pm V10 Hotel, Av. 10 entre Calles 60 y 62 Col. Colosio Solidaridad, Quintana Roo

The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure to be back in time to meet the group. After introductions your CEO will review the details of your tour.”

I sleep long.

First, when I get up, I check Google for a running track. I find one on: everything Playa del Carmen. I goes via calle quinta avenida to the golf course around and back. It is not so hot, but within the first 3 kms, I start to sweat like hell.

After the run, I check the coffee at the hotel. It looks like light tea, so I skip it. I shower, grab my beach things and go for breakfast to a restaurant, I passed yesterday on my way to the beach.

At Amate38 I have a fabulous breakfast.

So, I go for the beach. 300 pesos up to 1.000 pesos (50 eur!) for 2 sunbeds and sun-umbrella?! Wtf! It is holiday, I take the 300 peso offer, not a cool sunbed, but umbrella.

Every mexicano has a boom box at the beach. The closer they are to each other, the louder they turn it on. The more different the genre of the music is (Latino, Techno, …) – same. They all loose against the bars on the beach – the more watts come out of the power source, the more bass you spread.

I try to sleep without getting irregular heart beats.

I feel somehow naked without tattoos here. Note: “get gangsta tattoos asap”. Winner is “grateful” on a little bit too much belly, right above the penis. I am grateful, too.

I go to get a lot of beer in the already started happy hour (4.30 pm) @ Amate38 and guacamole of course, before meeting the G-adventures group. Hopefully at least some of the group are compatible.

I shower, take out have heavy stuff for cold climate or hiking and leave that in two waterproof bags at the reception of V10. They promise to lock it away. For free. I ask for the same room, when I get back in 14 days, not an issue. Receptioniest gets a gratitude to ensure.

Then I join the G Adventures group for the next two weeks. US, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, lot of nations, young, older, couples, mostly single travellers. Lola Gabriela Maria our G-CEO (Chief Experience Officer, not a tour guide!!!) holds the introduction, she loves food, then we leave to a restaurant, la cueva del chango for dinner. Lolas recommendation, not a lot of discussion. Everybody looks at the others. The girls stick together – singles on G-Adventures tours are usually either age much below 30, or much above 40. Always some couples. We have a couple 60+ from us and young germans. One girl in extrahigh Dr. Martens, yellow and black acryllic fingernails. First thought – what falls off first – the shoes in the heat, or the nails.

4.5 Google stars, we join, food is good, only Lola eats like us, good guide (not a guide!!!).

All restaurants recommend 15 % tip and bring you exchange only with tip already subtracted.

I go to the supermarket as Lola announced 07:00 am disembarkement and no breakfast option! The big supermarket is open until 11 PM, but there is nothing which looks tasty to get. So I buy some bananas and cereal bars – emergancy food.

Then I get money from ATM once more – just in case – and go home. Exchange rate didnot change. Huge queue in front of the ATMs.

Day 2 done.