Mexico - Ancient Ruins and Cheap Tacos
Well, we got the hell outta dodge, landed safely in Cancun, and promptly drove to the first place we could find that sold decent tacos.
Here's what happens when you land at the airport in Cancun:
There's no free wifi.
The first thing you see is an overpriced Starbucks.
Uber is illegal and people will threaten to call the police on you if they find out you're calling one.
I'm actually serious about that last one, so we did it anyway. If someone asks you if you need a taxi, just tell them no gracias and walk away. Then pay your 50 peso for an hour of wifi, call your uber, sip your $4 USD coffee, and very discreetly get in the car. The driver will want to get the hell out of there so don't waste any time.
Food is incredibly cheap, and so is booze. We went to 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen which is basically the tourist nightclub hotspot and found something called "Litros". Basically, the bartender holds a bottle of tequila upside down over a 1 litre bucket with ice in it, and at the same time, pours sprite in from the fountain. When the sprite reaches the top, the tequila stops, and you wake up the next day demanding Advil and silence. They cost about $4-5 USD so its easy to get carried away.
I can't stress this enough guys. Go. To. Cocobongo. It's $70 USD, but holy hell is it worth it. It's open bar, all you can drink, and the most insane show full of trapeeze artists, classic movies, classic music, dry ice cannons, confetti, and midgets. If you spend just one night in Mexico, please go here. I'd have every birthday for the rest of my life here if I could.
Next, is car rental. Being a travelling production crew, we had to take care of business matters before having our fun, so most of our days were actually spent inside hunched over our laptops. On one of our last days however, we decided we'd rent a car and go up to Chichen Itza. I've never seen any of the world wonders, so I was pretty stoked.
When you go on to Expedia and check out car rentals in Cancun, you'll have a "holy shit" moment when you see the prices. They literally advertise $3/day car rental. And because everything else has been so cheap up to this point, you start to think about how magical this place you're in is.
After you've gotten over the excitement, research Mexican car rental scams. It's a harsh reality, so don't fall for it. Go with a recognizable brand (we chose Fox), and take a billion photos of the car before you drive off. We payed $80 USD for two days rental. You'll also find when you get in the car that the tank is empty. We practically rolled the car into a gas station in godknowswhere Mexico about 45 minutes after leaving the lot, so WATCH OUT FOR THAT.
Entrance to Chichen Itza is about $10, but its definitely worth it. There's tons of structures to explore and plenty of amazing postcard-worthy photographs to be taken. Its hella-touristy, but just do it. You won't regret it.
Last but not least, DO NOT throw out the little immigration paper you filled out on the plane-ride in. We learned the hard way that they actually do want that back when you leave the country, and replacing it costs 500 peso (roughly $30 USD).
Up next: Cuba!
Talk soon,
Alex.
#Travel #Mexico #Photography #Hurricane #Beaches #GlobalDegree
