tulum love, part two

more of our experiences continued... here i take you on a tour of tulum city

the tulum ruins are right by the sea.  a very impressive location; the mayans knew what they were doing.  it was thought to be one of the most important mayan cities.  we arrived very early in the morning (to avoid the crowds) to tour the grounds and then swim in the beach located below the ruins. swimming in this stunning location was pretty awesome.  giant iguanas call this place home, and they can be quite territorial!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the town of tulum is more down-to-earth than its nearby touristy counterparts. it isn't anything spectacular but the vibe is laid-back and easy.  and you can find the best ice cream here as well and cute little boutiques.  a draw for tulum is their work with sustainability. tulum is off the power grid which means it often uses solar generators and wind turbines to keep its lights on. in our room, the lights and fan worked only between 7pm - 7am. there were no electrical outlets in the rooms either. tulum's eco culture permeates everything including how they handle garbage, septic and recycling. 

we came across some really great shops in tulum. i would recommend visiting josa dress shop, mixik for unique handcrafted mexican items, mr.blackbird, coqui coqui, shalom, and la troupe (all of which can be found steps from the beach in our little neighbourhood). you are guaranteed to see the quality in their products.  they each work with mayan artisans to create their beautiful textiles and i could not leave without picking up some gorgeous cushions from la troupe.  i can't wait to stuff them and place them on the sofa!

some scenes from our neighbourhood:

 

 

 

 

   

  

some scenes from the pueblo:

the best ice cream :)

we ate the yummiest pickled vegetables with the right amount of spice here!

 

frida was everywhere

   

we headed to playa de carmen for an evening.  it is bigger and louder with touristy entertainment but the trip was worth it for the iced coffee we had. stefan did his research before we even landed in mexico and found us a chocolate/coffee shop, au cacao. my boys declared their chocolaty desserts perfection.  for kai, the highlight was holding an iguana while another was balanced on his head!

  

  

 

to be continued...