The warm humid heat of the morning woke us as we squirmed in in sleeping bags, the liners sticking to our already perspiring skin. The heat was already adding to the sense of cluastaphobia. With a clean face and brushed teeth it was already looking like a good day. The free coffee served by John and the relaxed conversation with the German girl staying across the way all made for a pretty cool kick off.

We were both more than a little excited about today. For as long as we’d been planning the trip the location ‘Chichen Itza’ (direct translation: At the mouth of the well of the Itza)had kept a special place in our hearts. One of the Wonders of the world. A vast Mayan ruin city, dating back to roughly 300 AD, surrounded by Jungle.

Well, with cameras in hand we walked the easily marked road down to the site, found our place in teh ticket line, paid 108 pesos each and began to explore. Actually explore is a little over stated. There's no dramativ pulling pback of the jungle curtain as 50 feet past the ticket booths, along a dirt path the area simply clears and the Temple of Kukulkan or El Castillo (The Castle) rises into the sky. The impact is immediate and imposing. Four stone steep stairways lead to the top, one on each side. It's easy to imagine centuries of colourfull and perhaps gruesome ceromines being carried out to appease the God's.

Around every corner another structure, ancient observatory or temple. Proud sculptures of jaguars, eagles and lizards decorate each building. Two thousand years of history in one location. The sheer size and scope of Chichen Itza is mind boggling. CHeck out some of our photos, hopefuly they'll paint a better picture.

By the end of the day we were both exhausted, we must have walked miles. A couple of cold beers and some food prior to us crawling into our tent was a great way of winding up the day. Bloody hell my feet hurt. Hpe you enjoy the photos.

Intentionally I’ve not been keeping a daily diary of our time in Mexico, which is a shame in some ways, as when we rode North from Central America, I’d made a similar decision, it has nothing to do with Mexico, just simply that I wanted a break from writing. That said I’m still keen to keep a written memory of our time here, with special thanks to the friends we’ve made here who have made this time extremely special.

Life fell into a pretty cool rhythm for us pretty quickly. We’d found a great pitch for the tent under a canopy of Palms and had even managed to get ourselves some privacy with the use of a couple of the tarpaulins hung between the stouter trees. Like two years prior, we’d found Juan, a local hammock maker and seller and had bought a beautiful double sized hammock. Stretched out close to the tent, it was perfect for an afternoon siesta.

The small wash facilities are basic but good, we have toilets and showers, OK only two showers and yes they’re cold but in the heat they feel great.

I’d found a washed up wooden table on the beach in the first months and with a visit to a hardware stall, had bought some nails and some sand paper. With a plank of wood I’d found on the beach I’d replaced the truly rotten stuff and nailed it back together. I’d then sanded it for two days to get rid of the salty, fishy smell. With the table buried 4-feet into the sand, just outside the tent, it made the perfect sit around table for food and drinks. Yeah, I know, I was feeling all Robinson Crusoe at that point and kind of liking it!

Let me share some of the better shots we managed to capture. All of for sale.

Food was just a 20-minute bike ride away, up to Playa Del Carmen and the local water seller drove to the beach once a week in his clapped out van, dispensing 5-litre jugs for 15 pesos. It gets better. Whilst we’ve been away a local gas station has been built at the top of the track down to Xpu-Ha, mid-evening walks through the jungle like forestation became regular; well they would wouldn’t they. A huge bag of ice was the equivalent of 50c and a litre of Bacardi was $7. Yeah, we were really toughing it.

Our Brilliant Kermit Chairs became sanctuary in the evening for us as much as anyone who visited. Let me introduce the neighbors and friends. Across the way is Isabelle a true Scottish lass, who spends 6-months here and the rest of the year at her home in Canada. Isabelle is an inspiration and a legend in her own life time, not to mention one hell of a dancer. Jim and Shelly, like spend half the year her and the other 6-months all over the world seemingly. Gabby form Germany has been living here full time for the last 16-years. The whirlwind that is Corey Friend, no…that is, her last name and yes she is a friend had arrived a few weeks after we had. Corey’s been coming down here for as long as anyone, a masseur, a physiotherapist and tour guide and all-round good person. Amongst her other attributes she can always be counted on for telling you ‘like it is’…and, on command can make a platoon of navy seals blush with her language. Corey we luv ya’, you’re a force of nature’.

Rick and Denis from Canada also arrived shortly after we had and found their usual camp spot up on the beach itself. It was great to see them, they hadn’t changed. More than few evening saw us up on the beach, around another scrounged table cooking, eating and drinking.

As the weeks passed we’d head off on the bikes to explore other parts of Mexico, the ruins, the cenotes (Freshwater sinkholes) and of course life in general. Mexico has so much to offer, gret weather, great people and fantastic food.

David and Jenna, owners of the new kiteboarding school, Freestyle Playa (now named Morph) quickly became fast friends. They’d taken over one of the beach polapas and were treaching whe the wind would allow. I’d seen kite boarders in Spain, after being holed up in Tarifa, waitingof rour spares before Africa. It looked impressive. Eager to give it a try I struck a deal with David, I’d give him some high res’ photos and he’d teach me to kite board. It worked out pretty well but too be honest, I suck at kite-boarding. I’ll stick to motorbikes. That said I did manage to get some great shots and even taught myself hwo to render some wonderful montage shots of the guys jumping, basically 5-10 continues shots put together in one images. Check out the photos and you’ll see what I mean.

Jacob and Patrick form Canada had come dow to teach for David. Both great guys. Nick names were needed; Jacob with his never ending energy was dubbed the ‘Puppy’. You know how they are, all cute, tons of energy and never get bored of the same stick being thrown. Jacob has to be one of themost up-beat people I’ve ever met. A constant source of good energy, silly voices and one-liners that ended up sinking into your sychy and became Xpu-ha anthems…”what is it you caaauun’t face”! Dylan was local kid, who we watched over the course fo the weeks start by taking lesson and enede up being a part time intructor, he just got realyy good, really fast.

Patrick, with his tattoos, laid back attitude and misschieviuos grin was simply dubbed…”naughty Patrick’, I think he kinda like it? All in all there was a cool vibe between all of us. Enough connection to keep things tight, but enough room that we coud find space if it all got a bit to cazy.

Eve (from Argentina) and Natalie (from France), were on the other side of the fence in one of the one-roomed apartments and had been living and working here for a few years. We loved the evening with them, as we’d swap English for Spanish and then French or more precisely Lisa, Eve and Nat did, I’d just throw in the occasional word and hope no-one noticed that I was bluffing my way through, pretending to have linguistic skills.

We owe Pepe a a huge thankuoi for teching Lisa and I how to Scuba. We’d spent an incedible dya with Pepe in one of the local cenotes. The experience with stay with us for life. A real privelidge learning to explore just alittle of that other underwater world. Again, check out the photos for a better idea…I’m really just rambling here as I rember a thousand different experiences.

With our lives settling into more of a routine than they had for years, we could focus on getting healthy. Both Lisa and I had packed on unwanted weight and were very unhappy with our aerobic fitness. We weren’t under any misconceptions either that we’d need more strength before tacking Mongolia. Lisa especially was desperate to get back into shape after her surgery a few months back. With goals set, we steadily set about putting together an excersice regime and by the time we’d left Mexico, I’d lost 30-pounds, Lisa’s had lost 23 and we’d both remembered what it was like to feel healthy, fit and strong.

None of this really does any kind of justice to the memories that Lisa and I have of our time on Xpu-ha beach, but I want to keep some of it private, as for the rest I hope the images attached will give you an idea.