Day 5: Tulum and Akumal (redux)

The title gives it away, but today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, except this time I was not doing it solo. Everyone wanted to go swimming with the turtles, so it was off to Akumal for me again, but first, I went and solo'd the ruins here in Tulum before breakfast at 8:00am. There were only about 15 people in line ahead of me and once we all got in, everyone more or less scrambled all over so I didn't have anyone in my photos (just the way I like them sometimes). It was a very cool, if somewhat haunting place. I can't quite put my finger on why it felt that way, but it just did. Might have something to do with the fact that it was the one place the Spanish never found nor conquered all those years ago. I did get a lot of great photos too!

After the ruins, I went back to grab breakfast and to collect my gear and companions for the return to Akumal. Another 20 pesos, 20 minute colectivo ride to Akumal and we were swimming with turtles again! I could never get tired of that! We also swam over to the coral reef, now regrowing (devastated by coral fishing and hurricanes), and watched a multitude of fish going about their day, ala Finding Nemo - again, many photos ensued. In hindsight, I should not have stayed in the water so long, for 1) the sunburn I would later have, and 2) because an hour underwater caused my camcorder to blow up. Not really, but it may as well have. I think I didn't dry it too well, and then we went on a long bike ride back in Tulum (8 km) and the humidity and heat made the display get all wonky, and then just die. Suffice it to say, its not working, and from that point forward, my available photos decrease, as I don't like to pull the big boy out when in crowded places, unless I have no choice. Aw well, it survived India and most of Mexico - I guess the $200 I paid was worth it! At any rate, I've got it in a tub of rice at the moment to see if that might make things better, although I have my doubts.