tulum love, part three

more of our tulum experiences... here i share our time visiting ruins and natural pools.

we spent a day in akumal, famous for its beach and swimmable lagoon.  we snorkeled in the yal-ku natural limestone lagoon where we got to see some fishes, much to kai's delight.  it was beautiful here.  we then spent time on the beach swimming and sunning.  its shallow waters made it fun for kai.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

coba is a great place to explore mayan ruins.  not only is it located in the jungle but we could also climb the main pyramid, much to kai's delight.  nohoch mul is the tallest pyramid in the yucatan peninsula - 120 steps to the top! we rented bikes to explore the area then climbed nohoch mul.  going up was easy but coming down was a bit scary for me.  kai climbed it twice! once at the top, you have a magnificent view of the jungle.

the pueblo nearby was very quaint. my boys allowed me to stroll and photograph it when i know they really wanted to get swimming - it was a hot day and climbing the pyramid did not help cool us off.  but we did eat a mango on a popsicle stick during our stroll.

 

  

 

 

 

 

crocodiles live in the two lagoons in coba, thankfully we didn't see any!

i loved peeking into people's homes - each one had a hammock or two indoors.  how awesome!



we also swam in a natural freshwater jungle oasis, called a cenote.  it's a swimming hole, a place where the ceiling of an underlying cave fell in. at the grand cenote we donned some flippers and got exploring - clear water, gorgeous dancing light, and darkened chambers (i only went into these with stefan). the mayans believed cenotes to be sacred places and mystical entrances to the underworld. whether you believe this or not, cenotes are definitely a great example of nature's beauty. 

this photo captures the cenote's clear water (not my phot0, don't remember the source)

my boys snorkeling

 

 

that really is as good as it gets in tulum but i know that there is more to discover (acquachile, sian biosphere reserve, punta laguna, dos ojos cenote, etc.).  i think this is the first time i have had a strong desire to return to the same place. it was a true get away from it all. it was great to unplug and be with my boys in the middle of the caribbean sea or riding through the jungle.

i love that stefan and i continue to explore the globe after we had kai and take him on our adventures. kai has been an awesome traveller since he was a babe and i love that he gets to experience different cultures, peoples, sights, food, etc.  as he always does when we visit someplace new, he declared, "i want to move to tulum."  we may not be moving to tulum but we had fun fantasizing about buying one of the properties for sale on the beach.  suenos tulum. 

thanks for visiting.  have a lovely weekend.