We got back from Mexico Monday night.  Needless to say, as soon as the plane landed and we felt that first rush of cold air, we were both ready to hop on another plane and go back.  Mexico was awesome- thanks to the crap economy and swine flu paranoia, we spent four days frolicking on deserted beaches, hanging out with turtles, sting rays, barracudas and 80-year-old British women, and  consuming ridiculously fresh seafood and margaritas at ridiculously awesome prices.

So what are the basic ingredients for a successful vacation in Tulum?  Well, first of all, as soon as you land, you search out the car rental companies and find yourself a really sweet ride.

Then you immediately start making friends with the locals and force them to take stupid pictures with you.

Once you are settled in your transportation, you can start with the stupid self-portriats.

Tulum is about a 2 hour drive from the airport in Cancun.  While basking in the sunny weather and the pretty coastal drive, you find yourself already adjusting to the slower pace of life and even considering alternate career options.  After several hectic weeks of work, Mike was especially excited by this prospect:

Motorcycles AND all the crappy pizza you can eat?  What could be better?

Once we passed the madness of Cancun and the sprawl in Playa del Carmen, we noticed the pueblos we passed were getting smaller and smaller.  We knew we were getting close, and by 2:00 we found ourselves pulling up to what would be our home base for the next four nights- the Teetotum Hotel.  And no, I didn’t just pick it because of all the orange.  But that was a big selling point.

Teetotum is exactly what we were looking for- tiny (they only have 4 rooms), run by a super friendly, very casual group of ex-pats who are always willing to join you for a drink or tell you where to find the best local grub, and equpiped with comfy hammocks and mattresses that help you get some truly spectacular napping in.  And napping was the first thing we did that day- after a red eye flight, a 2 hour time difference and a long drive, we were both exhausted when we arrived and immediately settled in for one of those fantastic, incredibly deep mid-afternoon naps where you wake up not knowing what day it is, let alone what time it is, but since you’re on vacation, you don’t really care anyway.

It was a good start to a great trip.