Mexico day 4: Morning bike ride then on to Playa (10/1/18)

Wake up early to take a quick bike ride out of town to check out the oxman Cenote. Its a good 20 min bike ride or so and down a really rough road but eventually get there. I got there right around when they were opening up and its this clean and well maintained property that I am sure is like a little escape for tourists in the middle of nowhere outside of Valladolid. Since it is so early, I am the only one in the area. They have some good deals that would have made more sense if I had more time to enjoy there (you can pay 150p which gives you access to the cenote and the pool and gives you 150p worth of food and drink at the poolside bar), but since I was a man on a mission, I just paid for the cenote entrance. Was amazing getting there before anyone else was in there. So quiet and serene. I pause for a little bit and listen to the water dripping and the calmness of my surrounding before taking the rope swing to launch me into the cenote. Once in the water, I float around looking out of the hole above me and just relax. Eventually a group of guys comes down and is swimming around, rope swinging in, and having a good time. I put my shirt in the water to get it cooled off for the bike ride back.

My fly ride and its prime parking spot.

Entryway to the grounds.

Sign for the place.

Time to go check this place out.

Dont think I could ever grow tired of these Cenotes. 

The sound of silence in a Cenote

Back at the hostel before check out to pack up and make my way to the bus station. Buy a bus ticket and wait for a little under an hour for my bus to Playa (this station had announcements in English unlike that in Cancun which I found odd since Cancun gets way more visitors coming through there). Get in and it had just finished raining so I didnt have to walk in the rain to find my hostel (which wasnt too far from the bus station). Check in and put my stuff down then go down the street to check in and get squared away for my days of diving coming up with the people at Scuba 10 Dive shop (coincidentally right down the street from my hostel - The Yak). After that go back to hostel and hang out for a little bit before heading out to grab some dinner; wind up going into Yala which was a middle eastern spot around the corner serving up some delicious food (had a shawarma/lentil/rice mix). Walk to the beach to take in the dusk sights along the water then walk around a bit down the calle quinta avenida (a little tourist trap from hell). There are a few samsonite stores and all kinds of shops/restaurants/etc. along this path which many had some cool architecture but the whole thing just screamed excess and consumerism. Guess it is a big spot for when cruise ships are in town or something but definitely not something I thought I would see on this trip. Make my way back to the hostel and shower and start winding down. Go to the hostel's happy hour, hang out with a few people I met down there and we play some beer pong and hang out a little bit before I have to turn in as I have diving in the morning.

Wall art at the Hostel. Extremely pretty.

Wall art at the Hostel. Knows me so well :)