Thu 1033 at terminal. Vaguely got up about 8-9. Didn't sleep too badly but not great.
Booked hostel - went for the one with the pool, in the coldish light of dawn this appeals less but none of the other options seemed massively better and if I can swim a bit over next few days that would ease pain of resuming lessons. I booked bus, much fuckery but since I also had weird fuckery with trying (and giving up) to book a swimming lesson for when i get back I am not entirely sure this is ado's fault, although tbh what worked on what phone when is a confused mess. And ado are a bunch of arseholes for blocking vpns - so what if someone scrapes their site? The end result can only be someone *buying a ticket from ADO*. They are providing a real world service, not a digital only thing which can be pirated and deprive them of revenue.
I didn't say yday but when in little supermarket I went to nearish hostel next to Oxxo (I didn't use oxxo actually even if I said I did), a woman had left her shopping trolley in queue and I pushed ahead as wasnt sure it wasnt just deserted and she came back and I moved to let her go ahead of me and she was almost "this guy is a mental patient" levels of reassuring and almost patronisingly nice and said I only had two items so go ahead of her and it was all just a little odd. While not super cheery I also don't think I was feeling noticeably worked up or stressy or panicked or anything.
And it just hit me that the Spanish "X wishes you a pleasant journey" spiel played automatically by some companies at most of these terminals is reminiscent of the Spanish woman giving a little speech in the Strangler's "Spain".
1044 just done bloody Duolingo to get it out of the way. (There is free WiFi at the terminal.)
Ad here says Campeche carnival is on for nearly a month. Perhaps this explains the relatively low key nature of it. Maybe not.
I didn't take advantage of private room to exercise. Easy to make excuses but given I was only there two nights and yesterday I left late even without exercising and had eaten by the time I got back and the other days were arrival or departure days I can't totally blame myself.
Ado won't even allow you to download your own ticket using the link they emailed you via a VPN. Which is just arse squared. (And of course they can't simply attach the ticket to the email, because reasons. No password is needed to use the download link in the email, so I see no security benefit here and it is just extra inconvenience even if you are not using a VPN.)
1056 yay-ish. On his. I spoke to guy and he scanned my ticket so should be fine. He told me to put bag in boot and I asked and he said no and then changed his mind, so it is in rack. But... They are announcing buses, ans showing them on the screen (this is in area B, presumably for more local buses, I was told to come there and showed my ticket in entry) *but* this bus was nkt announced. Or shown in screen. If I hadn't happened to get confused and think the 1100 chetumal bus which was announced was mine I could and probably would have missed my bus, and I honestly don't think it would have really been my fault. Fuck knows.
I hope this is the right bus but hell, if did say valladolid on the front and as I say the guy checked my ticket too.
This is potentially the second to last "long" bus hop of the trip.
1101 seeing a handful of other people boarding - bus is mostly empty - I do wonder if there was an announcement/departure board entry shown between me coming out here and now. No way to know.
1104 I haven't checked my old notes but my memory suggests that on 2010 trip I was coming into Valladolid on a fairly long night bus. I have these weird and probably completely wrong dusty "desert" images in my head.
1116 paw patrol super film or something like that is on. Put my headphones on...
1223 it is freezing on the bus. Got fleece on and it is still a bit cold.
The film just had a point where all the dogs gave their superpower crystals to one because she needed them. This triggered the odd thought of a world where you could maybe go rent a superpower crystal from shop for the day. Odder still, I didn't think you could rent one for the fun of it to go flying or something, but to help you do the housework or something, like you might rent
1258 coming into Pisté terminal.
Some sort of vaguely martial arts superpower film on. Marvel branded. Some stuff about ten rings of power but some woman guardian of the last place unconquered on earth by the guy with the 10 rings defeats him without breaking sweat (I have to admire her commitment to non-intervention, given she could have done this any time but waited til he turned up at her village) then maybe gives him the rings back anyway, but now we are in modern day San Francisco and some youngish guy has a green pendant that maybe gives him super fighting skills but I don't really know and am not actively watching, it is just hard not to see bits and pieces.
2035 Sitting on the deserted hostel terrace outside by the two pools, I've just got back. The only person I've seen is the owner who's sitting inside, so goodnight to him. I'll say hello, whatever.
No one else seems to be around just to jump ahead maybe slightly. There's one ex-guest now friend of owner, a Canadian Mexican chap who I spoke to whenI arrived who's staying here, and there's a young Brazilian woman (who is nearly always sitting in dorm on laptop giving english lessons to brazilians or talking to friends - she seems nice and polite and friendlyish in our brief interactions tho) and there's another guy who speaks very good English but I don't know whether he's a guest or where he's from. I don't think I've seen anyone else. There seem to be like three of us in my dorm, which is me, the Brazilian woman and that guy who isn't the owner or the friend. I don't think I've seen anyone else. It's fine. It's fine. I'm just saying everyone's seems to speak English with the possible exception of a youngish Mexican woman who seems to be staff and for all I know she does speak English. However I'm not saying anything terribly controversial and no one is remotely near me so it's a lot easier to use the voice typing.
For the record, I had two Bohemia oscufas in a bar which we'll come onto as I do the chronological stuff. I'm just about to crack open one of two dos equis I bought at a six on the way back. It seems to be one of those states, I'm guessing, where oxo and other places don't sell beer. Like, Campeche, maybe. Anyway, that's my inference.
Okay, so we got into valladolid probably more or less on time. I walked to the hostel, no problem. Got checked in, as I say, spoke to that Canadian Mexican chap and then the owner, I think he's called Oscar. Everyone very nice, everyone seems to speak English. I got into the dorm, I had a lower bunk without asking. I thought I had to send that message. Brazilian woman was on the bunk, giving a lesson, but I sort of nodded at her and it was fine, We spoke briefly when she happened to finish her lesson just as I was about to leave after unpacking myself and making my bunk. Turns out it was a 30-pesso charge here to have unlimited coffee that you make yourself, and water for the duration of your stay. Wasslightly taken aback. But I thought I'd go for that, I just hope if I do extend, I don't have to pay that again, because it's not the end of the world. Jumping ahead again, I did have a cup of coffee, which probably already puts me ahead of the game, and I've taken a little bit of water. So, while I hope not to pay again, it's not a huge deal.
So I went out and to be honest, for no really obvious reason I was feeling a little bit out of it and a little bit frustrated and a little bit what the hell am I doing here. It's not like I was starving because I had those Takis Fuego this morning and I had 100gish nuts and fruit on bus when a sudden hunger pang came on so it's not like I was absolutely starving nor did I feel actively starving but anyway I was wandering around and it's fairly hot and I'm in a bit of a bad mood and I'm kind of recognising this but it is hard to mentally adjust.
I wandered around and I really wasn't sure what I was even looking for and maybe there's an element of weirdness at the end of the trip and I'm feeling lazy or just want to be home or missing the social stuff I've had recently or I just don't know. Anyway, nothing huge but just saying strange mood.
So I thought I'd go over to the Cenote in town and have a look at it. I didn't have any swimming gear with me and I wasn't in town to swim. I just wanted to check it out on the rules. So I went there and I queued up in the shortish queue and I spoke to the woman. And I wasn't rude, honestly. I wasn't super excited or super friendly, but I wasn't rude. And I spoke to in Spanish. There's also signs. Turns out lifejackets are mandatory, which pissed me off a bit at the time, but I can kind of see that if that's the rules, that's the rules. And other cenotes are probably the same, and it does at least avoid any, oh, am I good enough swimmers to need one or not? So, you know, and I suppose it's an experience. It's 150 pesos, which is slightly steep, including the lifejacket higher. There's no lockers, but you can leave your bag with the woman at the counter where you pay, and there are apparently changing rooms. apparently changing rooms.
So I walked away from that, and I wandered around a bit more, and I said I still wasn't sure what I wanted, and I didn't really feel like eating in any Mexican place, because I didn't want to faff with sauces and fucknose what. Anyway, I decided I'd have a look and see if I could find a chicken place, because I still actually haven't had a proper kind of chicken over a fire, rotisserie kind of place, and there's lots of them, so you could even argue that's authentic. Just an awful lot of them don't let you eat in, or it's too hot and the last thing I really feel like doing is Sitting in an unair-conditioned room, sweating my balls off, eating greasy chicken.
So I was heading over to what might have been somewhere like that, based on organic maps, which does not seem to be terribly up to date in this part of the world, and I came across a Chinese, you know, pick your own and they serve you once buffetish kind of cheap place, super down at heel. Anyway, I went in there and I ordered some stuff, and to be fair, it wasn't too bad. I didn't have a drink because all the stuff in the fridge was warm and the thermometer on the fridge said 14 Celsius. Fingers crossed it was okay. There were a few people in there. So there's that. I then came back to the hostel and I walked past the chicken place which I'd been heading to and it looks maybe okay so I've kind of penciled that in for tomorrow at some point.
I think, to be honest, the whole swimming thing in its different forms, you know, the lesson at home, wanting to swim here, the fact I haven't swum much, the whole cenote business, whether I take advantage of the pool here or not, was playing on my mind. At this point, it was maybe about four-ish, obviously, I'd just eaten as a bit full, so maybe it was a bit after four. So, I came back to the hosfel and I was thinking, okay, look, well, I'm going to have a coffee because I've paid for it, and maybe after an hour, I will see if I can use the pool. So I got back and apart from the woman, staff member, who I asked about coffee and she showed me how to make one, there was no one around the pool was empty, so I had a coffee and I checked sunset and I was slightly tight on time, but basically I had a single coffee and then I went with the dorm and the Brazilian woman was still on the laptop, threw in a call, probably to a friend or boyfriend this time, and I got ready to swim and I came down and had a shower in the little place by the pool.
So I got into the pool, I don't know, it was maybe half-five this point, maybe a little bit earlier, I'm not sure, and actually it was alright, I had it to myself, it's not huge, but it's maybe chest deep for the shallow end and actually like, maybe six foot five-ish, based on trying to measure by standing on the bottom, holding hand spans above my head, at the deep end, perhaps only about ten metres long, although I switched to swimming diagonals at some point, given that I had the place to myself. Anyway, it is actually a proper pool, you can actually swim in, it's not just This is one of those cool offs by sitting in it and slashing around kind of things that a lot of hostels will palm off as a swimming pool. Although there is a second pool I haven't been in there right next to each other and the other one is probably one of those.
And it was pretty tiring at first, I was knackered after five minutes, but I sort of kept persevering, and I was in the water about 37 minutes, and I may well have been swimming for 20 or even quite a bit more at that time, swimming, you know, doing something, treading water or strokes or whatever. And I felt good having made an effort, and this is kind of like prepping for resuming lessons and practicing back home. And also, you know, it means I used the pool which I kind of used as an excuse/reason to pick this hostel, and I ticked it off. And you know, if I never swim again on this trip, I've now done it, and it kind of picked me up a bit one way or another.
I had a bit of a look after that back in the dorm for language exchanges and I thought I'd found one at Les Paul but then subsequently I tried to find Les Paul because I thought I might go over there tonight even though the language exchanges tomorrow and just ask and I realise that Les Paul is probably in the Vayadolid in Spain. Not a big deal. The guidebook is all like Vayadolid is not big on nightlife. I mean that seems to be very true. I'm not too interested in hipster fucking bars and super expensive craft beers. Not like a craft beer but not super expensive one in a tourist place but based on what's about to come it seems pretty quiet and maybe it's only Thursday.
Anyway so I went out and I wandered around asking first from the English speaking guy who's not the staff member or his friend and if it's safe and they said yes, there seemed to be a pit bully looking dog I'd seen earlier in a front garden, admittedly very tranquil looking one with the gate open but it didn't do anything so didn't matter but I didn't come back when I came back just now
So I wandered round. I was basically just looking somewhere to have a beer or two. I figured I'd kind of earned it after having made an effort with the swimming and having had a few days off. I could have maybe had some in one of the sort of restaurants around the square but you know it really is pretty quiet and it didn't feel quite right and I kept wandering round and it was fine. It was nice to see the place at night but there were people around certainly but you know I was expecting more bars. I didn't check out one cantina but there were two waiters or bouncers Hanging around by the door and it didn't really appeal, I had a look on organic maps and I ended up going into Yucateco or something like that which actually walked past earlier and decided I wasn't going to go into but seemed like the lesser of multiple evils, not that many evils to choose from to be honest. And it was okay basically, there was a foreign tourist looking woman talking to a local, the rest of the people seem to be Mexican but it was pretty small and wasn't tremendously intimidating.
Oh, just to jump back. Mark had told me, admittedly talking about Saturday night, about maybe 10 or 11 at night, or later, that plaza la candelatka was good and he'd been there with some people and met some locals and they kept giving them beer. I was wandering around and I saw this on the map, actually I looked up where he told me about, even though it was a different day and earlier, I went over there. There were people around, some sort of labour union people, giving a talk on the little stage there. They didn't really seem to be any bars. They were quite a lot of people about, but nothing seemed to be happening bar wise. So at that point, I'd started looking more on organic maps and that's when I ended up going to Yokoteko. I might well try that Clasalacandalaria Plaza tomorrow night a bit later or the night after. I also spotted a bar near the hostel on the way back that might try tomorrow night or something.
I think I made a bit of a booboo in Yokoteko by going up to the bar asking what beers they had and the woman there showed me the menu looking a bit surly and I said I'll have a Bohemia and after we established she didn't actually have any Clara so I got an Oscar she gave me one and I gave her 50 pesos and I think It was supposed to be table service but fuck it didn't know did I so I went and sat down and it was fine and then a waiter came past and gave me some free snacks which made me feel quite a lot better but I finished the beer in a minute. 10 minutes even though I wasn't feeling too bad. I don't know, I was just thirsty or keen.
And like, I saw other people getting the bill at their tables, but the waiter didn't really seem to want to look at me, or they were kind of two of them, and maybe I was just shy, or maybe I don't want to be rude, or maybe I'm not fucking sure if I'm allowed to talk to any waiter, or just the one who sort of served me, or if I'm excluded from this now, because I ordered at the bar, and I don't want to be that guy who's saying, like, well, excuse me, can I get another beer when they're clearing another table, but maybe I'm supposed to do that, and I was feeling a tiny bit shit, not terrible, but a tiny bit shit, and basically, although I was looking around, I wasn't like waving my arms around trying to get tension and there's only about five tables in there, so I get super busy, you know, two or three other groups, tops, because the other two other tables left while I was watching, that's what they were going to build.
So after about 20 minutes without a beer, it's fine, you know, I went up to the bar again and I thought, fuck it, if you're not going to come to the table, then I will go to the bar, and you know, she served me, I gave her 50 pesos, I left 10 pesos awkwardly on the table on the counter without anyone really seeing me as a tip, because I figured although I've had no fucking table service, they have at least given me the snacks. So I got that beer, I drank it fairly quickly, not feeling too bad to be honest, and then it was like I left, because fuck it. I might go back there another night, let's say Saturday, and try for table service, and I'm not holding a massive grudge, but it was kind of shit worse, it was slightly my fault or not.
I was thinking I'd get a beer and maybe some snacks on the way home and drink from the hostel. I went into the oxo, I was looking at the snacks, and as often happens it's like this happens back in the UK as well. I really, sometimes I fancy some crisps, but often it's like I really don't want any of this crap. It's like maybe I'd go for some fried chicken if that was available and I was feeling lardy, but I don't really want to a packt of biscuits, I don't really want cake. It's like I didn't really want any crisps, anyway, so I then realised I couldn't get a beer in the oxo, so I didn't buy anything. I looked on the phone and I found a six, which wasn't actually where the map said it was, but that's organic maps in this part of the world, but I did go in and it was very small, but the staff were reasonably nice, and I got a couple of beers on a 46 for two offer.
So I came back to hostel and that's where we came in because I've been sitting out here drinking the beer and I already said that I think.
So, where do we stand? I'm not feeling too bad with this. Certainly much better than I was earlier. I don't know whether that was lack of food or food just helped anyway or whatever. Maybe the swimming also helped, but not feeling too bad. Bit awkward in the bar. I don't know what the fuck was going on, but that's all part of the tourist experience, especially when you're on your own. It's fine.
The hostel seems pretty nice and I am pretty impressed with the pool in its way. I've also possibly actually spoken to every single person staying and working here and to the relevant extent they all seem reasonably friendly. It does not feel like it's going to be super matey now. I'm not saying that some of these people might not be up for a chat if I'm around them and Brazilian woman is not on her laptop and the other guy is not talking to the owner or whatever but I could always push myself and be a bit brave and do some of the stuff Mark told me so to speak. But it doesn't feel super busy which is good with a bit to the pool but not with other socialising but nice enough feeling better than I did earlier but it's a little bit weird.
Anyway, I think the very short term plan is going to have this finished this beer and maybe have the other one go to bed, not super late, try to be your early-ish tomorrow thinking more about UV radiation than anything but also about busyness and go to the cenote maybe eight-ish in the morning depending on when it opens, maybe get a coffee at the hostel first if I'm up early enough and I can but that way I've ticked the cenote off and you know I've done it and it'll be nice and I don't have to worry about protecting my head or sunblock or whatever because it'll be early. And then, you know, I might wander around, maybe do a museum, maybe have dinner, well obviously have dinner or early lunch I should say, somewhere perhaps that chicken place, maybe somewhere else, apparently how I'm feeling. I might also see if I can extend for Saturday night, so that will be three nights here. We'll see how I sleep, etc. I don't think there's a huge amount to do here, there's probably side trips you can do out to other places and I'm not saying I won't do them, but I'm not desperate at this point in the trip. And then, unless I'm utterly knackered, I might try and swim in the pool again, especially if I get it to myself tomorrow a bit before sunset, so that's more exercise and prepping for return to the UK and take an advantage. And I guess if I stay Saturday again, it would be good to use the pool Saturday night. I could use it first thing in the morning, but if it's empty-ish before sunset, that's probably a lot more comfortable and less stress and less hassle. It's also a natural time for me to have a shower anyway.
2113 Okay, I've just broken off to actually go on book the swimming lesson for next Wednesday. If I feel knackered, it's 6 quid written off. There were four of five slots available, but I figure, especially, given I might get two or three days of swimming at least. I'll talk about that more in a second here. And I am going to be in London that night because I'm not going back to seeing my parents till the day after. Might as well book it. I could have probably put it off. And now it's sorted. The booking site was, I think, trying to be clever as fuck because it showed the timers six hours earlier than it should be. I assume it's using my local time zone. It did say Wednesday, although when I was doing the search, it was confusing as hell because it was like showing one day off. But I'm fairly sure it booked the right thing. I can't see them having completely rearranged everything and stopped evening lessons in the last eight weeks. Who knows? Absolute worst case, it's six quid gone.
So just to resume, where are we? The hostel seems nice enough, it's possible I talk to people, it doesn't feel ultramaty but then you just don't know, do you right? You can go anywhere and find it's not and maybe I can make more of an effort and maybe I will make an effort and blah blah blah. Also, although I'm sure it's not great if I'm going on my own, rather than with a group, maybe there's some potential at that class or place that Mark told me about Saturday night, maybe even Friday night, if I go later, whatever.
It's also nice to have the pool and, given I'm kind of in a wind down phase of the trip, although it would be nice to socialise and go out and stuff, also be nice to meet locals. I could see some value in like, well let's try and pick up the swimming again, take advantage of this pool here for a few days, blah blah blah.
Ignoring the pool, it also kind of feels like actually, unless you start doing side trips, valladolid is kind of nice, but also a little dull. Maybe I'm being unfair, it's only my first day and I haven't always had the best attitude. It kind of feels a bit like a, not like Sankris, because Sankris felt a bit livelier, but it feels like a hotter Sankris if you put that aside. It's like, it seems quite nice and if I wasn't at the time pressure, I could imagine kind of enjoying, spending four, five days longer here. Sort of vaguely chilling out and, you know, maybe meeting people, depending on which hostel you are, and trying different places or going out a bit at night and maybe trying to meet locals. But that's not the time schedule I'm on.
I suppose what I'm saying is, assuming I sleep okay, I can probably see myself extending at this hostel for Saturday night, that way I can go out and see what happens and so forth. I might even extend for Sunday, but what I'm kind of thinking is, although I really have no idea what Cancun Centro is really like, maybe after a few days here on the particular schedule I'm on, It might be nicer to go to Cancun and therefore be less stressed about getting to the airport and have like Sunday and Monday nights in Cancun in the actual centre not in that place I was in when I came. It was nice but you know remote and it was different when I arrived. You know, maybe around Cancun Centro is dead or maybe it's still horribly resorty full of screaming, foreign tourists, or maybe it's threatening, but you know, maybe it's a bit livelier than here, and maybe it'd be something different to see, and you know, maybe I could find a niceish bar and go there, or maybe there'd be a language exchange or something, or whatever. I mean, I don't have to decide now, I do need to decide what I'm going to do in a day or two, But those are my rough thoughts at the moment, anyway I think I don't think it would hurt to stay here for Saturday night, you know that would give me two nights in Cancun, Centro if I wanted them and it also means I have the option to try that place Mark told me about Saturday night or to find somewhere else lively or to be braver about going into different bars or to search for language exchange or meet up group and it gives me at least three nights including tonight with the pool to practice a bit which is something towards prepping for returns to the UK. I could totally still see myself doing the extra two nights here if only because of the pool and because I'm not that excited about Cancun and blah blah and you know getting the bus to Cancun or the airport on Tuesday during the day.
I can't put the decision off indefinitely, especially if I want to investigate this direct bus to the airport. I ought to at least look what times they go, might do that in a second, but I can certainly put the decision off until tomorrow and probably the day after.
With regard to the swimming lesson obviously there's a chance that I'm going to be totally knackered after not sleeping much on the flight and jet lag with my body clock at the wrong time you know it's like that lesson is effectively happening in the early hours of the morning but absolute worst case is I don't turn off or I turn up and I'm shit but at least I've shown willing and I've got back into it and blah blah blah
2124 Okay, ADO being ADO, you can't just search for buses to Cancun airport, you have to search for a specific terminal (or buses to Cancun as a whole), so I had to search to all three. Basically, there's no buses to terminal three or four, there's a bus to terminal two, that's probably fine, I'm sure there's internal transport. However, there are two buses a day, assuming it's not just because the tickets are sold out, but I'm guessing not. One leaves at five in the morning, one leaves at 1500, that's three in the afternoon, takes about three hours, 40 minutes. So the 1500 bus gets therebexactly in time for my flight to leave, and the 5am bus gets there in time for me to hang around at the airport for about 10 hours. So, I don't think I'm taking the direct bus, that's not to say that I won't stay here until the Tuesday and get a bus to Cancun Centro. I already know the terminal, it's the same place, while a bit faffy, I'm sure there is no difficulty whatsoever changing for a bus to the airport, but the direct buses, unless there is someone other than ADO, which I doubt, do not work for me.
Nearly finished first of my two beers here and will probably have the second in a minute (I put it in the fridge)
I'm not feeling too bad, obviously, there's a certain amount of uncertainty, it's not an endless whirl of excitement and adventure and really wild things. It's not obviously like that here, but it's a funny stage of the trip, you know, it's fine, it's fine. I kind of wish I'd put an extra night in in Merida, at the same time. I wasn't crazy about it, and I wouldn't really want to have to change accommodation but I didn't really want to have to pay for another night in that semi-expensive private room. It's not like I won't be back. It's not like there's anything specific I really missed. It's just, you know, maybe I could have stayed there. But I am under the cosh with time, and valladolid it is closer to Cancun. It's not like there's nothing to do here. As I say, if I wasn't worried about the time, it'd probably be quite cool to put in four or five days here.
I was kind of thinking earlier when I left the hostel after just checking in that maybe part of what was making me feel a bit discombobulated was this whole, oh I'm really coming down to the end of the trip so I've got to make every day count and I'm not making every day count because things feel a bit crap and weird or dead or unhopeful. Obviously that's irrational and it is where it is and all sorts of stuff is good and you know I didn't have too bad a day overall and the pool was nice and that has made me feel a lot better about going back. I haven't slipped back immensely on swimming et cetera et cetera. It's all fine. It is what it is and the end of the trip is always meant to be funny anyway so I feel basically okay you know I'm just waffling but you know trying to get there just down for future me to read.
And I do have a fairly solid plan for tomorrow, what with the cenote early and then a niceish lunch somewhere, be that the chicken place or somewhere else, and the odd museum and then a swim at sunset and a casual no fuss bar trip out for the evening. I just need to decide if I'm extending for Sag night, but it's pretty likely I will extend for at least one more night. And I need to check out the buses to Kankoon generally and stuff. I might do that now over a second beer, just to feed into the subconscious decision-making process.
Quite a nice cool breeze. As, if I forgot to say, there was in merida even during the daylight on some streets at some times late afternoon and also more so after sunset and contributing to that vaguely exotic enticing air of adventure I mentioned.
2134 Okay, it's inconvenient as shit due to having to switch profiles thanks to ADO's VPN stuff, but the ideal bus from here to Cancun is 1010, getting in at 1340. I think I may have misremembered that. The bus before that leaves it something like 850. The trouble is, that's kind of okay. I mean, that gives me five hours until the flight goes and, you know, I haven't checked yet, but there are probably pretty frequent buses from Cancun central to the airport. It's just like, what if that bus is delayed? Am I going to be stressing my guts up? You know, I could get the 850 and it's an extra. It's a shitty early-ish morning start, well at least it's still daylight. And it's basically an extra hour and a half hanging around at the airport, if everything goes okay, maybe it's not really that much less stressful because I'm still worried about missing it. So, of course it's always crappy getting to the airport. I mean, this is 50-50, right? This isn't terrible, it's doable, it's not ridiculously optimistic and no safety margin. It does also kind of make me think that it might just be nicer to be in Cancun the night before the flight, and maybe even the night before, not so much for buffer zone as in order to do something with the stays in Cancun rather than just literally getting there that evening and checking in and then going out to the airport next morning.sleep on it I guess.
I mean, unless it starts to turn out to be super social here, or I go out Saturday night and I don't want to be overly worried about being hung over And having to get another bus on Sunday, but I could always book the Cancun hostel and bus on Sunday morning, right? Because I'm not going to be in a super-duper rush to get to Cancun. You know, there's absolutely no problem at all with going over on Monday and extending here on Sunday morning if I am hung over after a brilliant night out on Saturday. These sentences are not in a logic order, it's just the way I'm voice typing but I hope it will make some kind of sense if I really need to think about it in future and it's not like it's critical.
Okay, the voice typonh doesn't seem to work very well if I'm multi-tasking and switch away to another app, not totally unreasonable.
So, to repeat myself, I think what I'm kind of saying is, stay here Saturday night, Sunday morning I make a decision based on whether I'm tired because I had a good night out on Saturday, or whether it just seems cool enough and fun enough here that I really want to be here Sunday anyway. And then I can book for Cancun that morning and just get the bus over. It's not like I'm racing to get a flight that day on the Sunday. So I may stay Sunday here or in Cancun. I would almost certainly go to Cancun on the Monday if I didn't go on the Sunday. I'm probably going on the Sunday but, you know, it keeps my options open. And if I had a good night here on the Saturday and therefore I stay here on the Sunday for whatever reason, I'm still not racing against the clock. But there's probably no major reason to stay here Monday and I could still do that if I really wanted to. I'll see you next time.
It's not that bad, and I have seen this mention elsewhere, so I didn't observe it entirely on my own account, but the voice typing does have a certain tendency, I think it was trained on YouTube data, and if you just do like a tap and then stop tapping without saying anything, it was very likely to interpret that as "thanks for watching" and it just popped up in the transcription of something I said, although it did then change its mind, it only flickered in because it does revise what it's doing as it processes the audio, I guess, but it's kind of amusing. It's not great, but I suppose it's a hell of a lot better than it could be, and even this buggy, crappy, waffly talk is better than nothing for future me to look at.
I do half wonder if I should not have the second beer here and the fourth beer of the night. I'm going to be here at least tomorrow night. Absolutely worst case I throw the beer away, it costs me a pound and I don't really want to jeopardize the cenote tomorrow morning. I don't feel particularly drunk but I also don't crave it and you know, it's late enough that I could go to bed and probably go to sleep without any enormous difficulty.
Okay, if Google Maps to be believe the Cinote opens at 9am, some idiot in the comments seems to think 150 pesos is 60pence, but whatever. I don't think there's that much h change to exchange rate in five months. So, I'm not saying I will have the beer, I was just checking, but that's a bit... I'm sure that's fine with regards to solar radiation stuff. It's a cenote, It's probably in a sort of valley, cave-y kind of environment. But it does mean I probably don't really need to be up any earlier than 730 at outside. I'm not dead sure, but it's probably something like 15 to 20 minutes walkaway tops, perhaps quite a lot less. I've not measured it and I'm not going to look it up on the maps.
If I go to bed now-ish, well it's going to be like ten past ten by the time I'm in bed after cleaning my teeth. I probably will go to sleep. I'll probably wake up in the night, a little bit, nothing major. I'll probably be awake, five-ish, six-ish, and struggle o get back to sleep. I could get up, I suppose. It seems stupid to drink more just to kill the time, I could stay up but not drink here, but probably shouldn't have a coffee, I don't fancy making one either. Doesn't really seem sensible to put on the weight and burn the health credits as it were from another beer. I think I might move towards bed. It's tempting to should have the other beer, but as I say, I'm not really craving it.
I Half wish I'd brought myself a snack back or something but that'd be more unhealthy food and weight put on and I'm not really hungry to be honest you know and I can maybe have some pastry tomorrow or something as well as a nice dinner and there'll be beers tomorrow night and stuff so as I say it's not really a massive loss in the big picture scheme
I actually do still have like a swallow of this first can and beer, because I've been talking and writing this of course. I think I'm going to have that and then I'm going to move towards bed. Absolute worst case is i am up six-ish. It'll almost be daylight, I could even go for a little walk. It'll mean I'm not rushing around. The chances are I'll go back to sleep. It's fine, it's fine. It's not like the dorm's ultra rammed either. Yeah. I think that's a plan. It's not like I'm going to regret not having this beer. I can always have it tomorrow night. Right. It's fine.
I mean, I really can't believe I've got this entire huge terrace to myself, both the pools, they're lit up, presumably, if I really wanted to, I could be swimming at this time of night, or, you know, relaxing in the plunge pool with a beer. There's actually a pool bar set up at the shallow end of the big pool, although, you know, I'm guessing that's somewhat aspirational or leftover from previous owner, but, you know, and I'm glad it's not that kind of pool, so I couldn't swim in if it was full of people sitting at the pool bar, but I still can't believe I've got this whole place to myself, it's just weird. this a newish hostel, so to wish them well, I suppose, on the whole, anyway.
There are cicadas doing their theme or crickets or whatever the hell they are, just for atmosphere.
2155 Okay, I've just finished the beer. I'm gonna move towards bed. I may tap out a teeny little bit on the on-screen keyboard when I'm in bed and I'll send this then. Yeah.
2209 in bed. I suspect other two dorm inhabitants are already in bed and asleep judging from curtains. There is a fan on iirc ceiling which is off and an aircon unit on the wall which is definitely off and it is IMO mildly over warm in here and slightly annoyingly so given these provisions for cooling but can't be helped, that is dorms for you.
Also my bunk doesn't seem to have a curtain along the long side unlike the other two occupied ones but can't be helped.
Booked hostel - went for the one with the pool, in the coldish light of dawn this appeals less but none of the other options seemed massively better and if I can swim a bit over next few days that would ease pain of resuming lessons. I booked bus, much fuckery but since I also had weird fuckery with trying (and giving up) to book a swimming lesson for when i get back I am not entirely sure this is ado's fault, although tbh what worked on what phone when is a confused mess. And ado are a bunch of arseholes for blocking vpns - so what if someone scrapes their site? The end result can only be someone *buying a ticket from ADO*. They are providing a real world service, not a digital only thing which can be pirated and deprive them of revenue.
I didn't say yday but when in little supermarket I went to nearish hostel next to Oxxo (I didn't use oxxo actually even if I said I did), a woman had left her shopping trolley in queue and I pushed ahead as wasnt sure it wasnt just deserted and she came back and I moved to let her go ahead of me and she was almost "this guy is a mental patient" levels of reassuring and almost patronisingly nice and said I only had two items so go ahead of her and it was all just a little odd. While not super cheery I also don't think I was feeling noticeably worked up or stressy or panicked or anything.
And it just hit me that the Spanish "X wishes you a pleasant journey" spiel played automatically by some companies at most of these terminals is reminiscent of the Spanish woman giving a little speech in the Strangler's "Spain".
1044 just done bloody Duolingo to get it out of the way. (There is free WiFi at the terminal.)
Ad here says Campeche carnival is on for nearly a month. Perhaps this explains the relatively low key nature of it. Maybe not.
I didn't take advantage of private room to exercise. Easy to make excuses but given I was only there two nights and yesterday I left late even without exercising and had eaten by the time I got back and the other days were arrival or departure days I can't totally blame myself.
Ado won't even allow you to download your own ticket using the link they emailed you via a VPN. Which is just arse squared. (And of course they can't simply attach the ticket to the email, because reasons. No password is needed to use the download link in the email, so I see no security benefit here and it is just extra inconvenience even if you are not using a VPN.)
1056 yay-ish. On his. I spoke to guy and he scanned my ticket so should be fine. He told me to put bag in boot and I asked and he said no and then changed his mind, so it is in rack. But... They are announcing buses, ans showing them on the screen (this is in area B, presumably for more local buses, I was told to come there and showed my ticket in entry) *but* this bus was nkt announced. Or shown in screen. If I hadn't happened to get confused and think the 1100 chetumal bus which was announced was mine I could and probably would have missed my bus, and I honestly don't think it would have really been my fault. Fuck knows.
I hope this is the right bus but hell, if did say valladolid on the front and as I say the guy checked my ticket too.
This is potentially the second to last "long" bus hop of the trip.
1101 seeing a handful of other people boarding - bus is mostly empty - I do wonder if there was an announcement/departure board entry shown between me coming out here and now. No way to know.
1104 I haven't checked my old notes but my memory suggests that on 2010 trip I was coming into Valladolid on a fairly long night bus. I have these weird and probably completely wrong dusty "desert" images in my head.
1116 paw patrol super film or something like that is on. Put my headphones on...
1223 it is freezing on the bus. Got fleece on and it is still a bit cold.
The film just had a point where all the dogs gave their superpower crystals to one because she needed them. This triggered the odd thought of a world where you could maybe go rent a superpower crystal from shop for the day. Odder still, I didn't think you could rent one for the fun of it to go flying or something, but to help you do the housework or something, like you might rent
1258 coming into Pisté terminal.
Some sort of vaguely martial arts superpower film on. Marvel branded. Some stuff about ten rings of power but some woman guardian of the last place unconquered on earth by the guy with the 10 rings defeats him without breaking sweat (I have to admire her commitment to non-intervention, given she could have done this any time but waited til he turned up at her village) then maybe gives him the rings back anyway, but now we are in modern day San Francisco and some youngish guy has a green pendant that maybe gives him super fighting skills but I don't really know and am not actively watching, it is just hard not to see bits and pieces.
2035 Sitting on the deserted hostel terrace outside by the two pools, I've just got back. The only person I've seen is the owner who's sitting inside, so goodnight to him. I'll say hello, whatever.
No one else seems to be around just to jump ahead maybe slightly. There's one ex-guest now friend of owner, a Canadian Mexican chap who I spoke to whenI arrived who's staying here, and there's a young Brazilian woman (who is nearly always sitting in dorm on laptop giving english lessons to brazilians or talking to friends - she seems nice and polite and friendlyish in our brief interactions tho) and there's another guy who speaks very good English but I don't know whether he's a guest or where he's from. I don't think I've seen anyone else. There seem to be like three of us in my dorm, which is me, the Brazilian woman and that guy who isn't the owner or the friend. I don't think I've seen anyone else. It's fine. It's fine. I'm just saying everyone's seems to speak English with the possible exception of a youngish Mexican woman who seems to be staff and for all I know she does speak English. However I'm not saying anything terribly controversial and no one is remotely near me so it's a lot easier to use the voice typing.
For the record, I had two Bohemia oscufas in a bar which we'll come onto as I do the chronological stuff. I'm just about to crack open one of two dos equis I bought at a six on the way back. It seems to be one of those states, I'm guessing, where oxo and other places don't sell beer. Like, Campeche, maybe. Anyway, that's my inference.
Okay, so we got into valladolid probably more or less on time. I walked to the hostel, no problem. Got checked in, as I say, spoke to that Canadian Mexican chap and then the owner, I think he's called Oscar. Everyone very nice, everyone seems to speak English. I got into the dorm, I had a lower bunk without asking. I thought I had to send that message. Brazilian woman was on the bunk, giving a lesson, but I sort of nodded at her and it was fine, We spoke briefly when she happened to finish her lesson just as I was about to leave after unpacking myself and making my bunk. Turns out it was a 30-pesso charge here to have unlimited coffee that you make yourself, and water for the duration of your stay. Wasslightly taken aback. But I thought I'd go for that, I just hope if I do extend, I don't have to pay that again, because it's not the end of the world. Jumping ahead again, I did have a cup of coffee, which probably already puts me ahead of the game, and I've taken a little bit of water. So, while I hope not to pay again, it's not a huge deal.
So I went out and to be honest, for no really obvious reason I was feeling a little bit out of it and a little bit frustrated and a little bit what the hell am I doing here. It's not like I was starving because I had those Takis Fuego this morning and I had 100gish nuts and fruit on bus when a sudden hunger pang came on so it's not like I was absolutely starving nor did I feel actively starving but anyway I was wandering around and it's fairly hot and I'm in a bit of a bad mood and I'm kind of recognising this but it is hard to mentally adjust.
I wandered around and I really wasn't sure what I was even looking for and maybe there's an element of weirdness at the end of the trip and I'm feeling lazy or just want to be home or missing the social stuff I've had recently or I just don't know. Anyway, nothing huge but just saying strange mood.
So I thought I'd go over to the Cenote in town and have a look at it. I didn't have any swimming gear with me and I wasn't in town to swim. I just wanted to check it out on the rules. So I went there and I queued up in the shortish queue and I spoke to the woman. And I wasn't rude, honestly. I wasn't super excited or super friendly, but I wasn't rude. And I spoke to in Spanish. There's also signs. Turns out lifejackets are mandatory, which pissed me off a bit at the time, but I can kind of see that if that's the rules, that's the rules. And other cenotes are probably the same, and it does at least avoid any, oh, am I good enough swimmers to need one or not? So, you know, and I suppose it's an experience. It's 150 pesos, which is slightly steep, including the lifejacket higher. There's no lockers, but you can leave your bag with the woman at the counter where you pay, and there are apparently changing rooms. apparently changing rooms.
So I walked away from that, and I wandered around a bit more, and I said I still wasn't sure what I wanted, and I didn't really feel like eating in any Mexican place, because I didn't want to faff with sauces and fucknose what. Anyway, I decided I'd have a look and see if I could find a chicken place, because I still actually haven't had a proper kind of chicken over a fire, rotisserie kind of place, and there's lots of them, so you could even argue that's authentic. Just an awful lot of them don't let you eat in, or it's too hot and the last thing I really feel like doing is Sitting in an unair-conditioned room, sweating my balls off, eating greasy chicken.
So I was heading over to what might have been somewhere like that, based on organic maps, which does not seem to be terribly up to date in this part of the world, and I came across a Chinese, you know, pick your own and they serve you once buffetish kind of cheap place, super down at heel. Anyway, I went in there and I ordered some stuff, and to be fair, it wasn't too bad. I didn't have a drink because all the stuff in the fridge was warm and the thermometer on the fridge said 14 Celsius. Fingers crossed it was okay. There were a few people in there. So there's that. I then came back to the hostel and I walked past the chicken place which I'd been heading to and it looks maybe okay so I've kind of penciled that in for tomorrow at some point.
I think, to be honest, the whole swimming thing in its different forms, you know, the lesson at home, wanting to swim here, the fact I haven't swum much, the whole cenote business, whether I take advantage of the pool here or not, was playing on my mind. At this point, it was maybe about four-ish, obviously, I'd just eaten as a bit full, so maybe it was a bit after four. So, I came back to the hosfel and I was thinking, okay, look, well, I'm going to have a coffee because I've paid for it, and maybe after an hour, I will see if I can use the pool. So I got back and apart from the woman, staff member, who I asked about coffee and she showed me how to make one, there was no one around the pool was empty, so I had a coffee and I checked sunset and I was slightly tight on time, but basically I had a single coffee and then I went with the dorm and the Brazilian woman was still on the laptop, threw in a call, probably to a friend or boyfriend this time, and I got ready to swim and I came down and had a shower in the little place by the pool.
So I got into the pool, I don't know, it was maybe half-five this point, maybe a little bit earlier, I'm not sure, and actually it was alright, I had it to myself, it's not huge, but it's maybe chest deep for the shallow end and actually like, maybe six foot five-ish, based on trying to measure by standing on the bottom, holding hand spans above my head, at the deep end, perhaps only about ten metres long, although I switched to swimming diagonals at some point, given that I had the place to myself. Anyway, it is actually a proper pool, you can actually swim in, it's not just This is one of those cool offs by sitting in it and slashing around kind of things that a lot of hostels will palm off as a swimming pool. Although there is a second pool I haven't been in there right next to each other and the other one is probably one of those.
And it was pretty tiring at first, I was knackered after five minutes, but I sort of kept persevering, and I was in the water about 37 minutes, and I may well have been swimming for 20 or even quite a bit more at that time, swimming, you know, doing something, treading water or strokes or whatever. And I felt good having made an effort, and this is kind of like prepping for resuming lessons and practicing back home. And also, you know, it means I used the pool which I kind of used as an excuse/reason to pick this hostel, and I ticked it off. And you know, if I never swim again on this trip, I've now done it, and it kind of picked me up a bit one way or another.
I had a bit of a look after that back in the dorm for language exchanges and I thought I'd found one at Les Paul but then subsequently I tried to find Les Paul because I thought I might go over there tonight even though the language exchanges tomorrow and just ask and I realise that Les Paul is probably in the Vayadolid in Spain. Not a big deal. The guidebook is all like Vayadolid is not big on nightlife. I mean that seems to be very true. I'm not too interested in hipster fucking bars and super expensive craft beers. Not like a craft beer but not super expensive one in a tourist place but based on what's about to come it seems pretty quiet and maybe it's only Thursday.
Anyway so I went out and I wandered around asking first from the English speaking guy who's not the staff member or his friend and if it's safe and they said yes, there seemed to be a pit bully looking dog I'd seen earlier in a front garden, admittedly very tranquil looking one with the gate open but it didn't do anything so didn't matter but I didn't come back when I came back just now
So I wandered round. I was basically just looking somewhere to have a beer or two. I figured I'd kind of earned it after having made an effort with the swimming and having had a few days off. I could have maybe had some in one of the sort of restaurants around the square but you know it really is pretty quiet and it didn't feel quite right and I kept wandering round and it was fine. It was nice to see the place at night but there were people around certainly but you know I was expecting more bars. I didn't check out one cantina but there were two waiters or bouncers Hanging around by the door and it didn't really appeal, I had a look on organic maps and I ended up going into Yucateco or something like that which actually walked past earlier and decided I wasn't going to go into but seemed like the lesser of multiple evils, not that many evils to choose from to be honest. And it was okay basically, there was a foreign tourist looking woman talking to a local, the rest of the people seem to be Mexican but it was pretty small and wasn't tremendously intimidating.
Oh, just to jump back. Mark had told me, admittedly talking about Saturday night, about maybe 10 or 11 at night, or later, that plaza la candelatka was good and he'd been there with some people and met some locals and they kept giving them beer. I was wandering around and I saw this on the map, actually I looked up where he told me about, even though it was a different day and earlier, I went over there. There were people around, some sort of labour union people, giving a talk on the little stage there. They didn't really seem to be any bars. They were quite a lot of people about, but nothing seemed to be happening bar wise. So at that point, I'd started looking more on organic maps and that's when I ended up going to Yokoteko. I might well try that Clasalacandalaria Plaza tomorrow night a bit later or the night after. I also spotted a bar near the hostel on the way back that might try tomorrow night or something.
I think I made a bit of a booboo in Yokoteko by going up to the bar asking what beers they had and the woman there showed me the menu looking a bit surly and I said I'll have a Bohemia and after we established she didn't actually have any Clara so I got an Oscar she gave me one and I gave her 50 pesos and I think It was supposed to be table service but fuck it didn't know did I so I went and sat down and it was fine and then a waiter came past and gave me some free snacks which made me feel quite a lot better but I finished the beer in a minute. 10 minutes even though I wasn't feeling too bad. I don't know, I was just thirsty or keen.
And like, I saw other people getting the bill at their tables, but the waiter didn't really seem to want to look at me, or they were kind of two of them, and maybe I was just shy, or maybe I don't want to be rude, or maybe I'm not fucking sure if I'm allowed to talk to any waiter, or just the one who sort of served me, or if I'm excluded from this now, because I ordered at the bar, and I don't want to be that guy who's saying, like, well, excuse me, can I get another beer when they're clearing another table, but maybe I'm supposed to do that, and I was feeling a tiny bit shit, not terrible, but a tiny bit shit, and basically, although I was looking around, I wasn't like waving my arms around trying to get tension and there's only about five tables in there, so I get super busy, you know, two or three other groups, tops, because the other two other tables left while I was watching, that's what they were going to build.
So after about 20 minutes without a beer, it's fine, you know, I went up to the bar again and I thought, fuck it, if you're not going to come to the table, then I will go to the bar, and you know, she served me, I gave her 50 pesos, I left 10 pesos awkwardly on the table on the counter without anyone really seeing me as a tip, because I figured although I've had no fucking table service, they have at least given me the snacks. So I got that beer, I drank it fairly quickly, not feeling too bad to be honest, and then it was like I left, because fuck it. I might go back there another night, let's say Saturday, and try for table service, and I'm not holding a massive grudge, but it was kind of shit worse, it was slightly my fault or not.
I was thinking I'd get a beer and maybe some snacks on the way home and drink from the hostel. I went into the oxo, I was looking at the snacks, and as often happens it's like this happens back in the UK as well. I really, sometimes I fancy some crisps, but often it's like I really don't want any of this crap. It's like maybe I'd go for some fried chicken if that was available and I was feeling lardy, but I don't really want to a packt of biscuits, I don't really want cake. It's like I didn't really want any crisps, anyway, so I then realised I couldn't get a beer in the oxo, so I didn't buy anything. I looked on the phone and I found a six, which wasn't actually where the map said it was, but that's organic maps in this part of the world, but I did go in and it was very small, but the staff were reasonably nice, and I got a couple of beers on a 46 for two offer.
So I came back to hostel and that's where we came in because I've been sitting out here drinking the beer and I already said that I think.
So, where do we stand? I'm not feeling too bad with this. Certainly much better than I was earlier. I don't know whether that was lack of food or food just helped anyway or whatever. Maybe the swimming also helped, but not feeling too bad. Bit awkward in the bar. I don't know what the fuck was going on, but that's all part of the tourist experience, especially when you're on your own. It's fine.
The hostel seems pretty nice and I am pretty impressed with the pool in its way. I've also possibly actually spoken to every single person staying and working here and to the relevant extent they all seem reasonably friendly. It does not feel like it's going to be super matey now. I'm not saying that some of these people might not be up for a chat if I'm around them and Brazilian woman is not on her laptop and the other guy is not talking to the owner or whatever but I could always push myself and be a bit brave and do some of the stuff Mark told me so to speak. But it doesn't feel super busy which is good with a bit to the pool but not with other socialising but nice enough feeling better than I did earlier but it's a little bit weird.
Anyway, I think the very short term plan is going to have this finished this beer and maybe have the other one go to bed, not super late, try to be your early-ish tomorrow thinking more about UV radiation than anything but also about busyness and go to the cenote maybe eight-ish in the morning depending on when it opens, maybe get a coffee at the hostel first if I'm up early enough and I can but that way I've ticked the cenote off and you know I've done it and it'll be nice and I don't have to worry about protecting my head or sunblock or whatever because it'll be early. And then, you know, I might wander around, maybe do a museum, maybe have dinner, well obviously have dinner or early lunch I should say, somewhere perhaps that chicken place, maybe somewhere else, apparently how I'm feeling. I might also see if I can extend for Saturday night, so that will be three nights here. We'll see how I sleep, etc. I don't think there's a huge amount to do here, there's probably side trips you can do out to other places and I'm not saying I won't do them, but I'm not desperate at this point in the trip. And then, unless I'm utterly knackered, I might try and swim in the pool again, especially if I get it to myself tomorrow a bit before sunset, so that's more exercise and prepping for return to the UK and take an advantage. And I guess if I stay Saturday again, it would be good to use the pool Saturday night. I could use it first thing in the morning, but if it's empty-ish before sunset, that's probably a lot more comfortable and less stress and less hassle. It's also a natural time for me to have a shower anyway.
2113 Okay, I've just broken off to actually go on book the swimming lesson for next Wednesday. If I feel knackered, it's 6 quid written off. There were four of five slots available, but I figure, especially, given I might get two or three days of swimming at least. I'll talk about that more in a second here. And I am going to be in London that night because I'm not going back to seeing my parents till the day after. Might as well book it. I could have probably put it off. And now it's sorted. The booking site was, I think, trying to be clever as fuck because it showed the timers six hours earlier than it should be. I assume it's using my local time zone. It did say Wednesday, although when I was doing the search, it was confusing as hell because it was like showing one day off. But I'm fairly sure it booked the right thing. I can't see them having completely rearranged everything and stopped evening lessons in the last eight weeks. Who knows? Absolute worst case, it's six quid gone.
So just to resume, where are we? The hostel seems nice enough, it's possible I talk to people, it doesn't feel ultramaty but then you just don't know, do you right? You can go anywhere and find it's not and maybe I can make more of an effort and maybe I will make an effort and blah blah blah. Also, although I'm sure it's not great if I'm going on my own, rather than with a group, maybe there's some potential at that class or place that Mark told me about Saturday night, maybe even Friday night, if I go later, whatever.
It's also nice to have the pool and, given I'm kind of in a wind down phase of the trip, although it would be nice to socialise and go out and stuff, also be nice to meet locals. I could see some value in like, well let's try and pick up the swimming again, take advantage of this pool here for a few days, blah blah blah.
Ignoring the pool, it also kind of feels like actually, unless you start doing side trips, valladolid is kind of nice, but also a little dull. Maybe I'm being unfair, it's only my first day and I haven't always had the best attitude. It kind of feels a bit like a, not like Sankris, because Sankris felt a bit livelier, but it feels like a hotter Sankris if you put that aside. It's like, it seems quite nice and if I wasn't at the time pressure, I could imagine kind of enjoying, spending four, five days longer here. Sort of vaguely chilling out and, you know, maybe meeting people, depending on which hostel you are, and trying different places or going out a bit at night and maybe trying to meet locals. But that's not the time schedule I'm on.
I suppose what I'm saying is, assuming I sleep okay, I can probably see myself extending at this hostel for Saturday night, that way I can go out and see what happens and so forth. I might even extend for Sunday, but what I'm kind of thinking is, although I really have no idea what Cancun Centro is really like, maybe after a few days here on the particular schedule I'm on, It might be nicer to go to Cancun and therefore be less stressed about getting to the airport and have like Sunday and Monday nights in Cancun in the actual centre not in that place I was in when I came. It was nice but you know remote and it was different when I arrived. You know, maybe around Cancun Centro is dead or maybe it's still horribly resorty full of screaming, foreign tourists, or maybe it's threatening, but you know, maybe it's a bit livelier than here, and maybe it'd be something different to see, and you know, maybe I could find a niceish bar and go there, or maybe there'd be a language exchange or something, or whatever. I mean, I don't have to decide now, I do need to decide what I'm going to do in a day or two, But those are my rough thoughts at the moment, anyway I think I don't think it would hurt to stay here for Saturday night, you know that would give me two nights in Cancun, Centro if I wanted them and it also means I have the option to try that place Mark told me about Saturday night or to find somewhere else lively or to be braver about going into different bars or to search for language exchange or meet up group and it gives me at least three nights including tonight with the pool to practice a bit which is something towards prepping for returns to the UK. I could totally still see myself doing the extra two nights here if only because of the pool and because I'm not that excited about Cancun and blah blah and you know getting the bus to Cancun or the airport on Tuesday during the day.
I can't put the decision off indefinitely, especially if I want to investigate this direct bus to the airport. I ought to at least look what times they go, might do that in a second, but I can certainly put the decision off until tomorrow and probably the day after.
With regard to the swimming lesson obviously there's a chance that I'm going to be totally knackered after not sleeping much on the flight and jet lag with my body clock at the wrong time you know it's like that lesson is effectively happening in the early hours of the morning but absolute worst case is I don't turn off or I turn up and I'm shit but at least I've shown willing and I've got back into it and blah blah blah
2124 Okay, ADO being ADO, you can't just search for buses to Cancun airport, you have to search for a specific terminal (or buses to Cancun as a whole), so I had to search to all three. Basically, there's no buses to terminal three or four, there's a bus to terminal two, that's probably fine, I'm sure there's internal transport. However, there are two buses a day, assuming it's not just because the tickets are sold out, but I'm guessing not. One leaves at five in the morning, one leaves at 1500, that's three in the afternoon, takes about three hours, 40 minutes. So the 1500 bus gets therebexactly in time for my flight to leave, and the 5am bus gets there in time for me to hang around at the airport for about 10 hours. So, I don't think I'm taking the direct bus, that's not to say that I won't stay here until the Tuesday and get a bus to Cancun Centro. I already know the terminal, it's the same place, while a bit faffy, I'm sure there is no difficulty whatsoever changing for a bus to the airport, but the direct buses, unless there is someone other than ADO, which I doubt, do not work for me.
Nearly finished first of my two beers here and will probably have the second in a minute (I put it in the fridge)
I'm not feeling too bad, obviously, there's a certain amount of uncertainty, it's not an endless whirl of excitement and adventure and really wild things. It's not obviously like that here, but it's a funny stage of the trip, you know, it's fine, it's fine. I kind of wish I'd put an extra night in in Merida, at the same time. I wasn't crazy about it, and I wouldn't really want to have to change accommodation but I didn't really want to have to pay for another night in that semi-expensive private room. It's not like I won't be back. It's not like there's anything specific I really missed. It's just, you know, maybe I could have stayed there. But I am under the cosh with time, and valladolid it is closer to Cancun. It's not like there's nothing to do here. As I say, if I wasn't worried about the time, it'd probably be quite cool to put in four or five days here.
I was kind of thinking earlier when I left the hostel after just checking in that maybe part of what was making me feel a bit discombobulated was this whole, oh I'm really coming down to the end of the trip so I've got to make every day count and I'm not making every day count because things feel a bit crap and weird or dead or unhopeful. Obviously that's irrational and it is where it is and all sorts of stuff is good and you know I didn't have too bad a day overall and the pool was nice and that has made me feel a lot better about going back. I haven't slipped back immensely on swimming et cetera et cetera. It's all fine. It is what it is and the end of the trip is always meant to be funny anyway so I feel basically okay you know I'm just waffling but you know trying to get there just down for future me to read.
And I do have a fairly solid plan for tomorrow, what with the cenote early and then a niceish lunch somewhere, be that the chicken place or somewhere else, and the odd museum and then a swim at sunset and a casual no fuss bar trip out for the evening. I just need to decide if I'm extending for Sag night, but it's pretty likely I will extend for at least one more night. And I need to check out the buses to Kankoon generally and stuff. I might do that now over a second beer, just to feed into the subconscious decision-making process.
Quite a nice cool breeze. As, if I forgot to say, there was in merida even during the daylight on some streets at some times late afternoon and also more so after sunset and contributing to that vaguely exotic enticing air of adventure I mentioned.
2134 Okay, it's inconvenient as shit due to having to switch profiles thanks to ADO's VPN stuff, but the ideal bus from here to Cancun is 1010, getting in at 1340. I think I may have misremembered that. The bus before that leaves it something like 850. The trouble is, that's kind of okay. I mean, that gives me five hours until the flight goes and, you know, I haven't checked yet, but there are probably pretty frequent buses from Cancun central to the airport. It's just like, what if that bus is delayed? Am I going to be stressing my guts up? You know, I could get the 850 and it's an extra. It's a shitty early-ish morning start, well at least it's still daylight. And it's basically an extra hour and a half hanging around at the airport, if everything goes okay, maybe it's not really that much less stressful because I'm still worried about missing it. So, of course it's always crappy getting to the airport. I mean, this is 50-50, right? This isn't terrible, it's doable, it's not ridiculously optimistic and no safety margin. It does also kind of make me think that it might just be nicer to be in Cancun the night before the flight, and maybe even the night before, not so much for buffer zone as in order to do something with the stays in Cancun rather than just literally getting there that evening and checking in and then going out to the airport next morning.sleep on it I guess.
I mean, unless it starts to turn out to be super social here, or I go out Saturday night and I don't want to be overly worried about being hung over And having to get another bus on Sunday, but I could always book the Cancun hostel and bus on Sunday morning, right? Because I'm not going to be in a super-duper rush to get to Cancun. You know, there's absolutely no problem at all with going over on Monday and extending here on Sunday morning if I am hung over after a brilliant night out on Saturday. These sentences are not in a logic order, it's just the way I'm voice typing but I hope it will make some kind of sense if I really need to think about it in future and it's not like it's critical.
Okay, the voice typonh doesn't seem to work very well if I'm multi-tasking and switch away to another app, not totally unreasonable.
So, to repeat myself, I think what I'm kind of saying is, stay here Saturday night, Sunday morning I make a decision based on whether I'm tired because I had a good night out on Saturday, or whether it just seems cool enough and fun enough here that I really want to be here Sunday anyway. And then I can book for Cancun that morning and just get the bus over. It's not like I'm racing to get a flight that day on the Sunday. So I may stay Sunday here or in Cancun. I would almost certainly go to Cancun on the Monday if I didn't go on the Sunday. I'm probably going on the Sunday but, you know, it keeps my options open. And if I had a good night here on the Saturday and therefore I stay here on the Sunday for whatever reason, I'm still not racing against the clock. But there's probably no major reason to stay here Monday and I could still do that if I really wanted to. I'll see you next time.
It's not that bad, and I have seen this mention elsewhere, so I didn't observe it entirely on my own account, but the voice typing does have a certain tendency, I think it was trained on YouTube data, and if you just do like a tap and then stop tapping without saying anything, it was very likely to interpret that as "thanks for watching" and it just popped up in the transcription of something I said, although it did then change its mind, it only flickered in because it does revise what it's doing as it processes the audio, I guess, but it's kind of amusing. It's not great, but I suppose it's a hell of a lot better than it could be, and even this buggy, crappy, waffly talk is better than nothing for future me to look at.
I do half wonder if I should not have the second beer here and the fourth beer of the night. I'm going to be here at least tomorrow night. Absolutely worst case I throw the beer away, it costs me a pound and I don't really want to jeopardize the cenote tomorrow morning. I don't feel particularly drunk but I also don't crave it and you know, it's late enough that I could go to bed and probably go to sleep without any enormous difficulty.
Okay, if Google Maps to be believe the Cinote opens at 9am, some idiot in the comments seems to think 150 pesos is 60pence, but whatever. I don't think there's that much h change to exchange rate in five months. So, I'm not saying I will have the beer, I was just checking, but that's a bit... I'm sure that's fine with regards to solar radiation stuff. It's a cenote, It's probably in a sort of valley, cave-y kind of environment. But it does mean I probably don't really need to be up any earlier than 730 at outside. I'm not dead sure, but it's probably something like 15 to 20 minutes walkaway tops, perhaps quite a lot less. I've not measured it and I'm not going to look it up on the maps.
If I go to bed now-ish, well it's going to be like ten past ten by the time I'm in bed after cleaning my teeth. I probably will go to sleep. I'll probably wake up in the night, a little bit, nothing major. I'll probably be awake, five-ish, six-ish, and struggle o get back to sleep. I could get up, I suppose. It seems stupid to drink more just to kill the time, I could stay up but not drink here, but probably shouldn't have a coffee, I don't fancy making one either. Doesn't really seem sensible to put on the weight and burn the health credits as it were from another beer. I think I might move towards bed. It's tempting to should have the other beer, but as I say, I'm not really craving it.
I Half wish I'd brought myself a snack back or something but that'd be more unhealthy food and weight put on and I'm not really hungry to be honest you know and I can maybe have some pastry tomorrow or something as well as a nice dinner and there'll be beers tomorrow night and stuff so as I say it's not really a massive loss in the big picture scheme
I actually do still have like a swallow of this first can and beer, because I've been talking and writing this of course. I think I'm going to have that and then I'm going to move towards bed. Absolute worst case is i am up six-ish. It'll almost be daylight, I could even go for a little walk. It'll mean I'm not rushing around. The chances are I'll go back to sleep. It's fine, it's fine. It's not like the dorm's ultra rammed either. Yeah. I think that's a plan. It's not like I'm going to regret not having this beer. I can always have it tomorrow night. Right. It's fine.
I mean, I really can't believe I've got this entire huge terrace to myself, both the pools, they're lit up, presumably, if I really wanted to, I could be swimming at this time of night, or, you know, relaxing in the plunge pool with a beer. There's actually a pool bar set up at the shallow end of the big pool, although, you know, I'm guessing that's somewhat aspirational or leftover from previous owner, but, you know, and I'm glad it's not that kind of pool, so I couldn't swim in if it was full of people sitting at the pool bar, but I still can't believe I've got this whole place to myself, it's just weird. this a newish hostel, so to wish them well, I suppose, on the whole, anyway.
There are cicadas doing their theme or crickets or whatever the hell they are, just for atmosphere.
2155 Okay, I've just finished the beer. I'm gonna move towards bed. I may tap out a teeny little bit on the on-screen keyboard when I'm in bed and I'll send this then. Yeah.
2209 in bed. I suspect other two dorm inhabitants are already in bed and asleep judging from curtains. There is a fan on iirc ceiling which is off and an aircon unit on the wall which is definitely off and it is IMO mildly over warm in here and slightly annoyingly so given these provisions for cooling but can't be helped, that is dorms for you.
Also my bunk doesn't seem to have a curtain along the long side unlike the other two occupied ones but can't be helped.
No comments:
Post a Comment