Thursday 24th January

07.35: Awake at 06.45 again, despite going to bed at 02.30. I expected to feel a touch hungover this morning but seem to be ok. Winner. I had some very real dreams about old school friends which woke me up a few times. I sat on the rooftop with most of the group who have been here since I arrived and happily joined in having a few drinks (despite promising myself that I wouldn’t on this trip but, you know... When in Rome) Having spent most of the day alone it was good fun, I did a couple of hair cuts; one for my new buddy, Tom. Of course wherever I go in the world I find a Tom, and this one is bloody great. We all went out in search of a particular salsa bar but it turned into a long haul of driving about and not so much luck hunting.... to eventually find it and refuse to pay the large entry fee for an empty dance floor. We opted for a biker bar with a rock band playing live metal; I felt somewhat in my element!

17.05: I am now laying on bean bag in an incredibly vegan feeling hostel, which is just how I imagined it from the pictures online; Womad springs to mind. Dreadlocks, hemp sandals and body hair. Brilliant. I felt immediately excited and relieved to be leaving Cancun and heading towards Bacalar. The conjunction of bus journeys to get down to Tulum were fun, I had good company and funny boarding school stories in my new friend Philip who studied in Bedford (every time he mentioned it I had Don Broco in my head!) We had some.... How can I phrase this.... Interesting entertainment! A Mexican couple sat on the back row doing what can only be described as sucking each others faces off, it sounded like something from a comedy sketch. I won’t go into detail about what else they got up to but it is certainly not what you’d expect to see ON A PUBLIC MINI BUS. The guy also spat on the floor which nobody said anything about but I felt the air in the bus change.

We checked in and went for a wander, this place is like a festival, feels a little bit like Venice Beach; super hipster, coffee shops and dream catchers everywhere. We ate burritos, made friends with multiple street dogs and I bought the most vegan ice cream that has ever existed; it looked and tasted like a hessian sack. The weather isn’t so good, the rain just keeps coming!

Friday 25th January

10.05: I had my first evening of proper sleep, I think I only woke up once. It may be down to the terrible sleep the night before or just because I feel more comfortable in this Womad land. I sat up in the common area last night chatting to an English girl about the multiple men she has fallen for on her long trip, it seems everyone is susceptible to falling in love hard and fast when away from home! I also spent some time contacting people to volunteer for in Bacalar as I still don’t feel like I have found my little pocket yet, Tulum is a little different than what I am aiming for. I took myself out for a run this morning, the sky was overcast but I didn’t let that hinder my ability to see the beauty, though admittedly everything does look better in the sunshine!

12.20: I spent most of this morning writing up my blog. I had plans to go to the beach but the rain keeps changing my mind!

Monday 28th January

07.37: A few days off, this happens in my usual daily life so it is bound to happen when I am away. I don’t always like being tied to my notebook. So to sum up in shorthand:

stick and poke tattooing by a wicked American girl named Hannah. Rum drinking. Taco eating. Bike hiring for ruin/cenote exploring. Cocktail drinking instead of ruin hunting. Great conversations (I would blame that on the margarita’s but it was definitely the company). Beach dwelling. Sea swimming. Cenote hunting only to arrive at a locked gate. Burrito eating. Enchilada eating. Ice cream eating. Karaoke singing. Beer drinking. Techno dancing. Mega storm.

It wasn’t until the storm hit that everybody slowed down a little. A tree was blown down over our pool (which would be better described as a pond) and our power was cut out. We had candle lit conversations and shared pictures of what we all used to look like, no one could believe I was blonde! I have made a solid group of good friends here in only a matter of days so it will be sad to say goodbye.... But today I move to Bacalar and I couldn’t be more hopeful!