When planning our Caribbean getaway, my only requirement was that we were able to see some Mayan ruins. Morgan, being as gracious as he is complied and helped me make it happen. The final leg of our trip started with a 30 min boat ride out of Cozumel to mainland Mexico so we could hop on a bus and take a 45 min drive up to the Mayan city of Tulum.
We entered the National Park and walked about a mile up to the entrance of the city, The humidity combined with the heat was overwhelmingly present and I was
very grateful that we decided to wear our swimsuits just in case we headed out on the beach. We had to pay a fee for our camera gear because we all know I of all people had some, but then made it into the park just in time for a down pour! Normally, I would have been a little bummed but with my determination to soak it all in, the heat, wearing our swimsuits and being prepared with waterproofing for our equipment, the rain did not stop us and was actually a welcomed treat! The free shower ended as quickly as it came and allowed us to walk around in an almost empty park. We walked from structure to structure reading about its purpose and gain admiration for the Mayan people at every stop. In effort to not waste any time, we packed our day full so we had just enough time to see the all of the ruins, take a classing touristy kissing picture and jog the mile back so we could make it over to our next stop.
One of the things i loved about Tulum was the fact that it was build so closely to the ocean and made for the most incredible views!
We really tried to take advantage of the whole Mayan experience and paid for a tour though and lunch authentically made by a near by Mayan Village. I was so intrigued and completely captivated by my surroundings, seeing the well where they get their water, the hut where the babysitter watched all the kids while their moms cooked our tended to their responsibilities. I was so happy we decided to do take advantage of the opportunity. That was until we passed the BIGGEST spider I have ever seen off the side of the road having our tour guide stop and say “” be careful they jump!! ” uh…. what?! Good thing was, we were able to pass without turning into Spiderman and continue on to lunch. 
Tulum was a fantastic experience, it was very very different from Jamaica and the Caymans but it was so interesting! I loved having lunch with the Mayan people. I learned that they are much more open about religion (hence the catholic “church”) where in the past you would be killed for practicing anything other than the Mayan religion. I was so impressed by their passion to keep their culture alive, allowing outsiders like ourselves to pay for the Mayan experience so they could keep their heritage in tact but have the funds to send their kids to get a proper education. From the well where they fetch their water to the handmade plates and gestures to thank those serving us because they only knew how to speak Mayan, my expectations were so far exceeded, I could not have asked for a better time.