How to Stretch a Peso in Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico - Hola! Many of you who know me know I am always up a for a trip. And truthfully, those of you who know me also know I never really have enough pesos to travel. But, even more truthfully, if I only traveled when I had money I would still be twiddling my thumbs sitting in the Bee House Creek (my boyhood home) wondering what the world looked like.
Anyway, that brings me to Puerto Morelos. If you are a dollar(peso) conscious person, Puerto Morelos is the place for you. Its located halfway between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, right on the beach. Puerto Morelos is spanish for "no gringos." Ha ha. But seriously. My best friend Jonathan decided to stay here for a month several weeks ago so I tagged along. For only $900 dollars (9000 pesos) you can rent a small house for an entire month 50 meters from the beach.
The first night we arrived we met the woman who owned the house at her bar called La Gioconda. This in itself required some faith. The cab driver took a left turn off the main road and drove off into the darkness to Puerto Morelos. Luckily, we found the woman just fine, named Florencia, from Argentina. Her sister took us to the house which we jokinly call Lapa Lapa (la palapa).
We awoke to find a small fishing village and really nothing more. Becuase Puerto Morelos is so far from Cancun and Playa del Carmen (25 Km for both) very few tourists make it this far. Because of that, the town has maintained its fishing culture. Every morning, in the predawn light, the fishermen, all tanned from years of fishing gather their nets and ropes and buckets and head off into the Caribbean dawn to fish. In the evening, they return. It is a simple ebb and flow that is easy to tap into. People don´t tend tot wear watches here.
The beaches are pristine, and for the most part during the week, completely void of people. Sundays, usually are the busiest days because the working class people have that day off only, and they swarm the beaches.
We have made many friends here already. This is a small town, and much like Waring, it is not hard to meet people. Florencia has many friends, including Javier who is one very gay Mexican. But, Javier knows everyone, and thus has become a great outlet for meeting people and seeing places that tourtists don´t. Last night, for example, Javier explained how tourists pay $25 dollars for a cab ride to Cancun when the locals take the bus...for $1.60. So, he took us to El Centro do Cancun which is basically the real Cancun. There, on a calle called Yaxchilam we dined at a resaurant called Los Arcos. I have become accustomed to being the only white person so at this point it doesn´t bother me at all. Which is good because following dinner we went to a Cuban night club...with actual Cubans. And a live band. And no white people.
But somewhere in the midst of all this, a person can become worldly if they aren´t careful. You start to think in spanish here and there and learn to count pesos and change quickly. You forget you are in a foreign country, while never forgetting that you are in the company of new friends.
I have also learned to live cheaply. There is small tienda around the corner from Lapa Lapa where you can buy three meals worth of food for two people for ten dollars. Add to that a Coke and one hour on the computer a person can get by for about seven dollars a day here...right on the beach right on the Caribbean. Or as our friend Al put it: "I live in a Corona commercial."
Being here has also opened my senses to the possiblity of a good meal. We cook beause, as I mentioned, it is much cheaper. Usually some form of eggs or potatoes, with lime and tomato and tostadas, with coffee or Coke. In the United States, it is fried or greasy or whatnot. But believe me, there is something about eating a meal on a veranda of the palapa, with the lined shadows from of the porch casting across a plate with avocado and freshly sliced tomato. Not to mention the Caribbean breeze that sofly lifts the sweat off your brow. It is a moment hard to recreate at a Wendy´s or Taco Bell, truly.
I am only here for ten days. Tomorrow my trip will be half over. If you ever desired to go somewhere far from the tourist trap, this is it. You must be willing to be flexible and be adventurous. Just to get here, we had to change flights in Mexico City and sit there for four hours. But it was all well worth it.
This afternoon´s agenda in Puerto Morelos: Eat, swim, dance. Swim. Eat some more.
Este es la historia de mi vida...
Anyway, that brings me to Puerto Morelos. If you are a dollar(peso) conscious person, Puerto Morelos is the place for you. Its located halfway between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, right on the beach. Puerto Morelos is spanish for "no gringos." Ha ha. But seriously. My best friend Jonathan decided to stay here for a month several weeks ago so I tagged along. For only $900 dollars (9000 pesos) you can rent a small house for an entire month 50 meters from the beach.
The first night we arrived we met the woman who owned the house at her bar called La Gioconda. This in itself required some faith. The cab driver took a left turn off the main road and drove off into the darkness to Puerto Morelos. Luckily, we found the woman just fine, named Florencia, from Argentina. Her sister took us to the house which we jokinly call Lapa Lapa (la palapa).
We awoke to find a small fishing village and really nothing more. Becuase Puerto Morelos is so far from Cancun and Playa del Carmen (25 Km for both) very few tourists make it this far. Because of that, the town has maintained its fishing culture. Every morning, in the predawn light, the fishermen, all tanned from years of fishing gather their nets and ropes and buckets and head off into the Caribbean dawn to fish. In the evening, they return. It is a simple ebb and flow that is easy to tap into. People don´t tend tot wear watches here.
The beaches are pristine, and for the most part during the week, completely void of people. Sundays, usually are the busiest days because the working class people have that day off only, and they swarm the beaches.
We have made many friends here already. This is a small town, and much like Waring, it is not hard to meet people. Florencia has many friends, including Javier who is one very gay Mexican. But, Javier knows everyone, and thus has become a great outlet for meeting people and seeing places that tourtists don´t. Last night, for example, Javier explained how tourists pay $25 dollars for a cab ride to Cancun when the locals take the bus...for $1.60. So, he took us to El Centro do Cancun which is basically the real Cancun. There, on a calle called Yaxchilam we dined at a resaurant called Los Arcos. I have become accustomed to being the only white person so at this point it doesn´t bother me at all. Which is good because following dinner we went to a Cuban night club...with actual Cubans. And a live band. And no white people.
But somewhere in the midst of all this, a person can become worldly if they aren´t careful. You start to think in spanish here and there and learn to count pesos and change quickly. You forget you are in a foreign country, while never forgetting that you are in the company of new friends.
I have also learned to live cheaply. There is small tienda around the corner from Lapa Lapa where you can buy three meals worth of food for two people for ten dollars. Add to that a Coke and one hour on the computer a person can get by for about seven dollars a day here...right on the beach right on the Caribbean. Or as our friend Al put it: "I live in a Corona commercial."
Being here has also opened my senses to the possiblity of a good meal. We cook beause, as I mentioned, it is much cheaper. Usually some form of eggs or potatoes, with lime and tomato and tostadas, with coffee or Coke. In the United States, it is fried or greasy or whatnot. But believe me, there is something about eating a meal on a veranda of the palapa, with the lined shadows from of the porch casting across a plate with avocado and freshly sliced tomato. Not to mention the Caribbean breeze that sofly lifts the sweat off your brow. It is a moment hard to recreate at a Wendy´s or Taco Bell, truly.
I am only here for ten days. Tomorrow my trip will be half over. If you ever desired to go somewhere far from the tourist trap, this is it. You must be willing to be flexible and be adventurous. Just to get here, we had to change flights in Mexico City and sit there for four hours. But it was all well worth it.
This afternoon´s agenda in Puerto Morelos: Eat, swim, dance. Swim. Eat some more.
Este es la historia de mi vida...
posted by Winston A. Hall at 9:52 AM
1 Comments:
wow. this is incredible! i'm insanely jealous. and i hope you post some pictures.
lapa lapa sounds pretty awesome.
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