While we were there, we did a lot of exploring. The cool thing about Tulum is that you can walk around and randomly find the most amazing things.
One day, we were just walking down the street and noticed this beautiful, old abandoned building. The staircase was gorgeous, with intricate tiles on every step. I couldn't believe it was just empty! We stopped to take a couple of pictures.
We figured out that the best way to get around Tulum was with a bicycle. So, we spent a lot of time riding around to get everywhere. It was really fun, and I loved my bike with a basket!
One of the most memorable adventures we went on was cave snorkeling. They take you to what is called a "Cenote", which means well in English. I would describe a Cenote as a huge underground network of water pools.
When we got there, the guide gave us flashlights and snorkeling gear, and then he led us through a series of underwater caves. It's crazy because we were swimming, with our heads underwater in a pitch black cave, holding flashlights so we could see. There were stalactites coming down from the ceiling above us, and stalagmites shooting up from the ground underneath us in the water...SO crazy.
I was most surprised to discover that the caverns and caves underneath the water were even larger than the the caves above the water. Underneath the water was just a huge network of caverns that was amazing to see.
Our tour guide also took us to the "bat cave", which is a particular cavern where all the little bats hang out! They were so cute...hundreds of bats just chilling on the cave ceiling, upside down.
This is a terrible, fuzzy picture...but this is the entrance to the Cenote.
Don and I also spent time roaming around downtown Tulum, which is the city portion of the area away from the coastline. We wandered into the coolest boot shop, and I couldn't get enough of this handmade bench.
We also drank a LOT of fresh juice, and had freshly made smoothies on a daily basis.
Our last adventure took us to the Tulum Ruins, which is a historical site of an ancient Mayan city. This was one of my favorite things, because visiting Mayan ruins has been on my *life bucket list* for a long time now!
The Humanities Major in me gets intensely excited about visiting historical sites and learning about ancient cultures. Art history and ancient architecture are some of the most fascinating things for me to study/visit/read about. (I frequently listen to Art History podcasts while I am home cleaning....It makes me feel happy and smart, so I do it.)
These iguana guys were everywhere! We saw so many! The biggest ones were probably about 2 feet long...Eeks!
Going to Tulum was an incredible experience, and I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for an adventure! Goodbye sunny Tulum, we will miss you.
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