Costa Maya

The place has been built purely to accommodate cruise ship ever growing need for dock at Mexican coast as it provides a perfect gateway to Mayan sites of Chaccoben and Kohunlich where the tourists can learn about Mayan culture.
Around 10 years ago there was practically nothing - small fisherman village of Mahahual and endless swamp. Is it good or is it bad that tranquil village has been turned to tourist trap?! It is just how it is.
For sure lots of locals got a chance to make an extra buck.
 

A walk towards the end of the beach gives a chance to see what the place used to be like...

If you are already there – it is not the worst place to be. At the dock side is tourist center with pools and necessary Senior Frogs with all the noise and overpriced watered down drinks. If you need only your magnet to make your day you can get it here and you are free to go back onboard.

The village with beach and restaurants is $2 per person taxi drive or half an hour walk away. It is not a bad walk as developers started to prepare the swamp for American retirees and built good roads to get around. While walking you are able to meet local fauna – iguanas and abundance of all kinds of birds who like the swamp living accommodations as well.
 And the highlight of our weekly walk is local Taco stall at about half way to the beach. It is as authentic as it gets as it is meant to feed local taxi drivers and villagers. You have selection of around 9 different fillings (the earlier you come the larger selection you have) and price is same for locals and tourists – 12 pesos or $1. For us $5 makes a memorable lunch.

Taco stall owner Jorge

From there it is another 10 -15 minutes till you find yourself on one of the most picturesque beach. I am not going to say most picturesque in the world as the world appears to be bigger than most people have imagination. But it is pretty close to one…
It also has everything there what an average Northener would expect to have on Mexican Caribbean beach   - lots of little bars and restaurants to feed you and keep you happy with tequila shots & cocktails, massage for $20 and lots of space if you prefer snuggle with your partner in private or choose to join happy crowds at Senior Frogs (yes, there is another Senior Frogs on the beach of Mahahual). Plus there are lots of stalls with all kinds of Mexican trinkets to take back home with you.
And it is safe. As the safety issue has been hitting spotlights last few years all over the Mexico it is important point. Maybe it is the location – at least an hour drive from any city, or the presence of army unit, or both factors together but we never saw or heard there any safety issues. And same confirmed some expats from Canada & USA who live there.

Another reason that made is look forward to this port week after week was Black Pearl restaurant. Just walk past the blaring music at Senior Frogs and a couple of local huts, land under thatched umbrellas by the sea or inside, overlooking the beach and do not forget to say hi to the owners, Amber and Christina. While waiting for the smiling pirate at the bar counter to prepare your mean margarita, snack on some nachos (and if you love garlic ask for garlic sauce). Then enjoy seafood nachos or whole-fried fish with garlic sauce (highly recommend both), have another look at the beach and dare not to say life is beautiful.

Amber & Christina at Black Pearl entrance

For more from Costa Maya picture-perfect beach in our Costa Maya album.

<<<<Previous post              Next post >>>>

Istanbul: “revolution”?

Yesterday we strolled along what turned out to be Istiklal Avenue: boutiques, coffee-shops, restaurants... However our leisurely window-shopping was interrupted by the sight of people with gas masks hanging on their necks. Soon we saw a haze at the end of the street. Did we really accidently end up next to the infamous Taksim Square? A slight sensation of burning in the nose and throat confirmed our suspicions. Well, as we are already there why not to have a look? – we thought.

We did not notice any immediate danger or violent action neither from the protestors nor from the police.

Some were gathered in groups periodically chanting some slogans in Turkish so we are not quite sure what they were about.

Others were chatting between each other or even with the police who were also peacefully standing nearby.

We were not the only wanderers taking pictures on the Square: many others were taking photo and video, professionals and tourists alike.

Just before we were about to leave the Square something weird happened. First a guy came and scared peacefully sitting doves away but we did not give too much thought to it. Then crowds started coming from all the streets like they had been invited to gather at Taksim at a certain hour. At that time the police also started to act: at first they made announcement that we again did not understand but most probably advising people to vacate the area. Out of nowhere appeared young men with dozens of masks in the hands exclaiming ‘Masks! Masks!’ – we are still not sure whether they were selling them or giving away – but the anticipation that something was about to happen clearly grew. The police vans with water cannon started advancing slowly and the units – lined up and in hard hats – were following so people started to leave the square.

Surprisingly, there was no panic, no one was running, no one even had a scared face. Just the opposite, we saw a few smiles like everything was going as planned.

Look at the guys in the bottom right - do they look scared to you?

We saw water cannons spraying the water at the crowd but it was more like sprinkling and looked like it was only a show-off as the square was already almost empty at the time. They also shot a few smoke shells but they were just smoke, not tear gas.

People – still chatting and smiling – kept calmly leaving the square.

Then we felt already familiar burning sensation in our throats: tear gas. But it was not coming from the police vans. Instead the smoke shells were thrown by the guys in casual who appeared out of nowhere from the side streets. We are still unsure whether they were the police in disguise, the protestors or maybe another political force trying to ruin the image of peaceful demonstration. Then we realized why the young man had been scaring the doves: he did not want poor birdies to get hurt as the first gas grenade landed right in the spot where the doves used to sit.

It was the most organized chaos. Like a well-directed theater performance where everyone knew when and what to do. The only ones left to cry on the streets were the stupid tourists like us who did not understand the tell-tales of coordinators. 

There was no violence, no angry youngsters with Molotov cocktails, just big practically empty square full of smoke and police with water cannons marching across. Everybody else was gone to the side streets to have a kebab or whatever they do this time of day…

A few hours later we read on the news that there had been a final crackdown from the police and violence from protestors. But we did not see any of it and the square was almost empty at the time we left. Only police in white hard hats.

But what do we know? We were on land, right in the middle of it while reporters were observing from the 20^th floor of high-rise Marmara Hotel. Maybe from there it looked like a big strategic maneuver? Or did they just need the news?

P.S. We found it funny from the part of protestors defending their heritage to cover everything – including the monument in the middle of Taksim – with graffiti slogans. Is the monument worth respect less than the park?

<<<<Previous post              Next post >>>>