Playa Del Carmen

Our aim after Bacalar was to go to Isla Holbox, and island north of Cancun. But there was no direct bus route so we decided to stop in the famous Playa Del Carmen for two nights to break up the journey.

Playa Del Carmen, like Cancun, is not Mexico. Other than the souvenirs, you could easily mistake it for a coast in America. 

The famous tourist road is even called '5th Avenue'. The only 'Avenue' I've come across in all of Mexico. Along this street you'll find every imaginable American chain and franchise, American Eagle, IHOP, Forever 21, Burger King, you name it, Playa has it. It's a long street and outside every shop/restaurant/bar and nightclub someone is shouting at you trying to get you to come in.

The beach in Playa Del Carmen however its beautiful and no doubt what first attracted tourists before it became an over developed playground for unadventurous Americans seeking adventure abroad.

We decided to do the only thing that Playa Del Carmen was good at. Party.

We met up with Kevin, who we'd met in Mérida, he happened to arrive the same day as us. We had a few drinks and recounted our adventurous journey back from the flamingos.

We then went onto Tequilla Bar, which promised girls dancing on table tops. There we bumped into an Irish guy called Sam and his Polish friend Natalie who we'd met briefly in Tulum on News Years night, when Sam approached us looking for his bank card he'd lost. In Playa he told us the next morning he woke to remember he hadn't taken it out with him at all, it had been in his hostel the whole time!

We all ended up in a Nightclub, dancing to terrible but recognisable pop songs, a rarity in Mexico. It was beyond fun, for the simple joy of being able to dance with others. Soon our dance circle had grown to include strangers and locals.

Once that nightclub ended, one of our new local friends took us to another roof top club, where we danced and chatted until the small hours of the morning.

The next day delivered the greatest hangover so far in Mexico. Our plan to visit Isla Cozumel for the day (apparently a very nice island off the coast of Playa) were abandoned.

And that would be enough of Playa Del Carmen!