Days 133 Through 134: Cancun To Isla Holbox

Oh Cancun.  Until now, I only ever knew the airport from which I made a bee line for the first bus out of Cancun.  But since Gonzalo's dad lives there and my flight leaves from Cancun, I figured I would make the best of my time there.  The nice thing is that Gonzalo's dad lives in the outskirts of Cancun town, far far far away from the Hooters and Señor Frogs in the Zona Hotalera, the infamous destination for Spring Breakers.  Out there, you forget you are in Cancun and it feels like any other small town in Mexico.  Gonzalo and I decided to do the poor man's tour of Cancun by hopping on the bus which takes you into the center and then down into the land of "it's 8 am, why are you not drunk yet."

The one public beach in the Zona Hotalera that does not have a monstrous hotel blocking its view... these are the famous blue waters that made Cancun what it is today.

Smack dab in the middle of the Zona Hotalera is a very fancy IKEA-looking museum... it was very well put together and probably the most informative museum I visited with respect to the Maya culture.

Hidden behind the museum is the tiny and unimpressive archeological site San Miguelito.  It was a nice getaway from the rest of the tourists as I was the ONLY person wandering around it.  That is, me and the huge iguana.

A mountain biker from Toluca recommended a bike shop to us where we went to chat with the guys there and get some bike boxes for the trip back home.  The bus driver didn't even really bat an eye when we lugged the boxes on board.

We had planned to spend just one day in Cancun and then bike to the ferry to Isla Holbox for a week of rest n' relaxation on the chilled out Isla Holbox.  Unfortunately, Gonzalo fell sick and so I left him in his dad's care and headed out on my own, hoping that a few days rest would allow him to come out and meet me.  I thought it might take me two days to bike the 150 km Google told me the route would be, but not only was the route a bit shorter, flat roads and no winds meant that I hauled ass in time to make the 7 pm ferry with time to spare.

Lunch in Leona Vicario... I crave veggies a lot in Mexico, mostly because they don't really eat them here.  I've found the only commonly found dish in Mexico that has a lot of veggies are the beef and chicken caldos.  This one was particularly good, with huge chunks of carrots, pumpkin, and squash.

The empty flat cloudy road to the port of Chiquilá.

I was dodging several of these guys... not sure why there were so many of them on the road.

My bike is on a boat... again!

The 7 pm ferry ride was amazing as we set out just as the sun was setting.

Not too shabby.

Dodging flooded "potholes" and mosquitos, I headed straight for the Tribu Hostal, which I had discovered from a flyer at Hostal Akumal in San Cristóbal de las Casas that bike tourists get a 25% discount.  A welcome lollipop and a shower later, I settled into the on-site bar for a night of great conversation and live music.

A few travel notes for bike tourists:

• The road isn't particularly interesting between Cancun and Chiquilá unless you keep a close eye on the road (for lots of tarantulas) or on the trees (for the dozens of cool birds, including quetzales).  It is well signed and has enough small towns that you don't need to worry about food or water, but http://tribuhostel.com/location-here.html gives a nice description of what to expect.  This is easy riding, especially when it's cloudy.  

• The ferry costs 80 pesos and they charged me 25 pesos for the bike.  There are smaller faster boats that try to get you to hire them, but I'm not sure I'd trust my bike on them. 

• Tribu Hostal (http://tribuhostel.com/) is awesome.  They run a tight ship, they anticipate all the things you would want from a hostal, the kitchen is amazing, the dorms spacious, the common areas comfy, the on-site bar sociable and it actually closes at a reasonable time, and the air-conditioned dorm is incredibly affordable.  They program something interesting every evening, from live music to giant jenga, and this shoutout to cyclists clinched the deal:  "For you crazy people, the directions are the same as for the car. Just remember that cycling by night on Mexican roads can be dangerous, with some crazy drivers! You’ll also get a 25% of discount, just because we admire you!"